The White Werewolf || Season One: Ties That Bind

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ard Carraigh, 1241

"There's a bounty for an amphisbaena in the river nearby," Geralt explained as he swung up onto Roach. "It shouldn't take long to find and kill. Don't get into trouble while I'm gone."

"I never do," Robin pointed out.

Jaskier, on the other hand, was conveniently looking at the sky and pretending he wasn't listening.

Geralt raised an eyebrow and grinned at her. "Wasn't talking about you," he revealed.

Robin winked at him. "I know."

She reached up and laid her hand on his thigh, gazing at him. "Be careful, Geralt."

He squeezed her hand briefly before she withdrew it. "I will, little mage. I always am."

"Are not," she protested, shaking her head at him affectionately.

He laughed as he rode off, clicking his tongue at Roach as he went.

Jaskier finally looked down. When his sister turned to him, he gave her puppy dog eyes. She arched an eyebrow.

"What? You both always blame me for everything."

"Only when it's your fault, Jas. Which is all the time. I love you, but you're a mess."

He shrugged. "That's fair, I suppose." He glanced around the square. "Are you going off to do more research, then? Try to discover something about this Yennefer's plot?"

"Yes, Jas, but keep it down, remember? Wherever she is, we don't need her getting wind of us looking into it."

"Right, right. I'll go play in the tavern and listen for any pertinent gossip, as always."

"Thank you, Jas."

She kissed his cheek and he gave her a brief hug, then they headed off in opposite directions.

After her visit to the library, she went to join Jas in the tavern. She frowned when she saw Geralt dragging Jaskier outside. The witcher practically threw the bard up onto Cricket.

Then his nostrils flared and he whirled to face her, grabbing her around the waist as she drew close and unceremoniously lifting her onto Roach.

"We have to leave. Now," he muttered, jumping up behind her.

She nodded her agreement. "What happened?"

"Well," Jaskier chimed in as they spurred their horses and began riding out of town, "apparently there was no amphisbaena. Just two very large snakes. Which Geralt did kill. But now the townsfolk are saying he's a charlatan. They also threw in thoughtless murdering machine and scavenger for good measure."

"We have twelve hours to leave Kaedwen," Geralt growled. "Which isn't enough time, by the way."

Robin would have offered a portal, but she still wasn't very good at them. And she'd heard many horror stories about travelers arriving through portals without all of their parts intact. She'd gotten very lucky when she'd created the portal she'd used to find Geralt and it hadn't chopped her head off.

"Might want to go faster," Jaskier observed. "I think his hourglass was broken."

"I hate people," Geralt grumbled, making both Robin and Jaskier giggle.

They made it far enough out of Kaedwen just in time, and kept going as long as they could, until Jaskier was ready to collapse right off of his horse. Only then did they stop and camp for the night.

The bard passed right out. He didn't even have time to comment on what an excellent song the adventure would make.

Robin wasn't far behind him. Geralt did the minimal work necessary in order to build a fire and make sure the horses didn't run away, if they even could have.

Once he was done, he laid down beside her, pulling her back against his chest and draping his cloak over both of them.

She sighed and relaxed into the warmth of his body and he smiled.

His life had always been rather unusual. And it still was.

But at least he wasn't alone anymore.