The Witcher: Raven and Wolf

11. Shelter

When Aderyn wakes up again, she feels warmth. For the first time in months. The ceiling is decorated with golden details, her hands touch the soft silk sheets in which she lays. The soft scent of lavender is in the air, making her realize that this isn't some random home, this belongs to a richer person. A viscount. She uses all her strength to try and push herself up when she hears a soft voice.

"Oh, I wouldn't sit up if I were you," she looks to her left and sees a young boy standing in front of her, "the doctors said you could still have some internal bleeding if you do." His eyes are soft, yet they seem unexperienced. Aderyn looks around the room, leaning back down, slowly. She looks at the boy again and sees him smile at her. "Where am I?" Aderyn frowns. "You are currently lying on one of my uncle's beds, in Lettenhove. It's a small town in Kerack-"

"Yes I know where Kerack is. Thank you." Aderyn grunts, sitting up, eventhough the boy had told her not to. She sees that the boy is not leaving her alone and asks: "Why am I here?" The boy smiles, having gotten her attention. "My uncle found you on the wet ground in the rain outside, and you were bleeding. He brought you home and had the doctors work on your wounds. They were able to heal the poison." the boy says.

He has brown hair, falling perfectly over his ears. He is wearing tight boots, and an elegant jacket. The whole suit has details of golden stitches and on his chest lies a golden brooch. "Well then, I thank your uncle for helping me." Aderyn says. The boy smiles. Aderyn places a hand on her chest and suddenly panics. She can't feel her chain. The amulet. Her gaze quickly turns from the boy to what she's wearing and realizes that parts of her wardrobe are missing. She's not wearing her boots, coat or has any of her weapons with her.

"Fuck." she whispers, searching each pocket for the ruby amulet. Her hands search each inch and corner of her remaining clothing, but she simply cannot find the chain. "Is this perhaps what you're looking for?" she hears the boy's voice. Her eyes turn to his direction, seeing him standing in front of a wooden box, and holding a black chain in his hand, with a round, metal pendant. It has the form of a raven engraved in it. The amulet is missing. She must have dropped it by the trees.

"Yes," she blurts out, putting her hands in his direction, "give it to me. Please." The boy quickly steps towards her and gives her the chain, her putting it on. Then she leans back, feeling pain rush through her side again. Aderyn groans, pressing her eyes shut. She leans into the pillows and rests her body, sighing. Letting the quiet enter herself again, she concentrates on her breathing and meditates. The boy, who hadn't left the room, stands there, awkwardly, and waits for the right moment to talk. But he isn't sure whether it is the right move to wake the sleeping witcher. He has a feeling she isn't fully human but doesn't know for sure whether she is a witcher or a mage. Because she has a strange amulet.

One that looks just like a witcher's amulet, but looks too fancy to not be a mage's. "Uhm... miss?" he whispers, afraid to startle her. "Hm?" she answers, not opening her eyes. The boy is fidgeting with his fingers, getting nervous. "There- um, there's soup." he stutters, quickly walking to the other side of the room, where there is a small table with a small pot standing on it.

Now Aderyn opens her eyes and looks at the small, nervous boy. He is desperately trying to pour a small cup of soup for her, without spilling the hot liquid on his own hands. The boy grips the far too-big of a spoon and slowly moves towards the cup he is holding in his hand. But he slips and lets go of the spoon, ultimately letting very hot liquid fall onto his hand.

"Ow!" he cries, tears falling down his cheeks. "Come here." Aderyn says calmly and the boy looks at her. She motions for him to sit next to her. "Come on, don't be so shy, let me help you. You've helped me." The boy hesitates but walks towards the bed and sits down next to Aderyn, still holding his injured hand with his healthy one. Aderyn looks into the boy's eyes and sticks out her hand. He lays his injured hand onto hers and sighs, nervous about what's to happen.

"Abeil kwe net'a't esen gweth. Gasheir kwe's grönshil.

Ynilysh kwe's perthe. Thenkreil kwe's kov."

Aderyn's voice is calm and quiet as she speaks the healing spell in Elder speech, the boy seeing how his red hand heals, and the pain magically vanishes. He now looks at her and sighs again, this time, more trusting. He's not scared anymore, it is as if Aderyn had won over his trust by healing not only his wound but his heart.

"What does that mean?" he whispers, afraid to break the spell if the sound of his voice exceeds a certain volume. Aderyn frowns. The boy is interested in the Elder speech. Poetry. Beautiful words. She sits up and looks at him again: "The healing spell is one of the first things you'll learn as a mage in Aretuza. To make it work, as well as any other spell- or curse- you must use the Elder speech to do so. And this one translates to a simple poem:

Close what should not be open. Release what is bound.

Join what is broken. Replace what is lost."

The boy's eyes widen at every word Aderyn speaks and he listens carefully, mesmerized by the power her voice holds. He takes a moment to reflect on the meaning of what she just said and then nods to himself. "Thank you." he says, getting up from the bed and walking back to the soup he spilled. He looks around and grabs an unused towel, kneels onto the floor and cleans it up. He then proceeds to throw the towel into a basket and looks back at Aderyn, as if to make sure that what's happened, actually happened.

Aderyn looks at the boy again and frowns. He must be about nine. Yet he chooses his words very carefully, as if there were something he isn't allowed to tell her. She thinks about what could happen if she asked more about what is going to happen to herself and decides to keep it quiet. "What is your name?" she asks, looking him in the eyes. He smiles, happy to have heard that question.

"Jaskier."

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yayyyy heyyy everyoneee

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hope you liked this one, tell me what you think about it.

now you know that this plays around the year 1231, Jaskier having been born in the year 1222.

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Brooke.