The Witcher The Swallow and The Monster

The Enemy Within

Uma happily kicked his feet off the table, Vesemir had sat him on. He was giggling and muttering his name over and over again. Lambert and Eskel were drinking at the very same table, while Vesemir was standing next to the imp, watching him. Geralt, Yennefer, and (F/N) entered the main room of the keep. The sorceress, had a grim expression on her face, "Listen, everyone. All is in place. We may begin."

She pointed at each witcher separately, "Lambert, prepare the apparatuses. Eskel, go..."

Vesemir finally spoke up, his normally kind gaze hardened, "Last I heard, my dear. I give the orders around here. Not you."

(F/N) sat down, he didn't want to get in between the two. He could feel Lambert and Eskel starring between the two as Yennefer fired back, "I believe we made an arrangement. To seek to cure Uma my way."

The old witcher folded his arms, as Yennefer sat next to (F/N), "I said I would help you. That's it. I don't know what you want to do with him - you haven't deigned to inform us. But it's not safe, is it?"

The sorceress didn't respond, but she gave the man a vial look. Vesemir nodded, "Just as I thought. Which is why I think we should try another, less invasive method."

Geralt stepped forward, "What's this method?"

Vesemir rubbed his chin as he recalled what he intended to do, "Derives from folk tradition. I've used it many times, in 1211, to lift the curse that held the Swan of Poviss, for instance. I'll take Uma into the mountains."

The old witcher took the cripple by the hand as Yennefer fired back, "What then? Will you howl at the moon together?"

(F/N)'s eyes widened, as he turned to the sorceress, "Hey."

Lambert mirrored his feelings, "A bit of respect. You're not talkin' to Geralt."

Vesemir calmed the two with a gesture of his hand as he looked at the sorceress, "No, we will not howl at the moon. I'll lay him down on a grave stone. Come midnight, I'll give him tea made of hemlock harvested from...But I don't see that I need to explain this to you."

"In my opinion..."

He interrupted the enchantress, his gaze never fell, "I know your opinion. But I'm not asking anyone's permission. I'm saying what will happen. I'll be back at dawn. With Uma...or whoever hides inside him." The sight of Vesemir walking with Uma, by holding hands would have been quite humorous if not for the serious situation.

Geralt glanced at Vesemir, as he walked off, "He's gotten grumpy in his old age."

Eskel laughed, "That's nothing. You shoulda been here last winter when Lambert tried to convince him we oughta abandon Kaer Morhen for good."

(F/N) shook his head, "Oh come on, this place has history. And you won't find a good keep like this anywhere else."

Lambert rolled his eyes, as he looked around, "Oh yeah, best place in the world. Moldy walls, leaky roofs, it's a fucking ice cube in the winter, and the forest's infested with monsters."

Eskel nodded, he shuddered slightly as he remembered what happened, "Vesemir didn't say a word. Stood, grabbed his sword, and slammed the door on his way out. Didn't come back for a month."

Geralt nodded as he sat down between (F/N) and Yennefer, "So...now that Vesemir's gone. Looks like we got the evening off. What do we do with it?"

Eskel leaned forward, and happily added, "Vesemir mentioned some roof beams in the tower need replacing. Maybe we could see to that." Everyone just stared at him. (F/N) laughed, "Oh, absolutely, then afterwards we could go knit a quilt to put over the fading murals."