The White Werewolf || Season One: Ties That Bind

Chapter Forty-Seven

The flower wilted as the rock levitated. Geralt fondly watched the demonstration, though he didn't comment.

"So something has to die each time you want to cast a spell?" Jaskier clarified.

"No," Robin chuckled. "That was for the purpose of the demonstration. When it takes such a small amount, you can recycle, so to speak. Pull from Chaos and then return it. But that won't work for larger spells, though death doesn't always have to be the result, if you're clever enough."

She set the flower and the rock down as Jaskier grinned, clearly very pleased with her accomplishments as well.

"Of course, you've seen the results if I overdo it," she added ruefully. "Another reason to attempt to reach my full potential. It'd be nice to not have to pass out and risk dying every time I want to cast a more complicated spell."

Geralt and Jaskier both frowned disapprovingly, but neither of them said anything. That hadn't happened to her since before Temeria, so they weren't going to give her any more grief about it. For now.

"Are you going to delve deeper into any other branches of magic?" Geralt inquired.

"No. Triss and I have explored them all at length and discovered where I am most skilled. She thinks it's best to focus there and not spread myself too thin. I have a passing understanding of all of the branches just so I'm informed, though."

Jaskier grimaced. "And which ones are you good at again? I always forget."

"Necromancy, of course," Robin began. "Telempathy, which is how I read minds and share thoughts and emotions. Pyrokinesis, the manipulation of fire, and pyromancy, divination by fire, though that one's a bit trickier than the others. And astromancy, which is using the stars to locate people. It turns out I have almost as much natural talent in that as in necromancy."

"That must have been how you found me with such insufficient information the first time we met," Geralt teased, winking at her.

Her stomach flipped as she remembered. Unfortunately, it also gave her a perfect segue into exactly what she didn't want to talk about, so she felt she had to take it.

"Speaking of that, Geralt," she murmured, "I need to, um, ask you something."

He tilted his head curiously. "In private?" he suggested, instantly seeing how out of sorts she was about it.

She glanced at Jaskier and thought for a moment, finally deciding that she'd like his reassuring presence. "No, that's not necessary. We can talk here."

She set down her bowl and hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them. "I've... actually started my advanced training already," she confessed. "I'm not doing very well at it, though. Triss thinks it's because something is holding me back mentally, and she's encouraged me to try and get it off of my chest."

Jaskier's head snapped up in excitement, his eyes bouncing back and forth between his sister and Geralt.

Robin rolled her eyes at him. "It's not what you think, Jaskier."

Geralt moved to sit beside her and put an arm around her. "It's never what he thinks," he scoffed. "But it must be serious, if it's troubling your training. So tell me and I'll fix it."

He was more worried about what she was going to say than he was letting on, but he was hiding it well, at least so far.

She reached out and took his hand. "I feel... silly asking," she confessed.

He held her hand tightly. "I once accused you of being silly, and it was a horrid mistake," he reminded her. "It can't possibly rival that."

Jaskier ripped a chunk of bread free from his roll with his teeth, eagerly waiting, despite Robin's claim that she wasn't going to say what he wanted to hear.