ROSMARY AND THYME - Novigrad
Yennefer landed on the floor with Geralt in her arms. She had to use all her strength to hold him in her arms because he was too heavy. She managed to put him on the floor. Suddenly another teleport opened and Eskel with Triss landed on the floor.
"Go!" Yennefer yelled at them. They didn't wait any longer and they started running to find Vesemir and his bag with potions. Jaskier was sitting to the table and drinking when this whole situation happened. He immediately stood up and came towards them. But when he saw Geralt covered in the blood almost unconscious, he couldn't stand it anymore.
"Fuck! Geralt..." he screamed from the fear and in that moment he fell down unconscious.
Yennefer looked at Geralt. He was slowly breathing but at least he was still conscious. He was looking at her with pain in his eyes.
"You bloody fucking bastard! You can't die! Do you hear me?!" she said with frustration.
"Yen.." he was barely speaking. Suddenly he started coughing the blood.
"No, no, no.." Yennefer started to be helpless. He murmured something.
"No, Geralt don't.." she put her hand on his face. Some teleport opened again. It was the girl. She immediately went towards them when she spotted them.
"Geralt!" she said with fear in her eyes. She knelt down next to him. "He is dying!" Ciri looked at Yennefer.
"I know!" Yennefer said angrily. She wasn't mad at Ciri but on herself that she couldn't save him.
"Yennefer, please do something!" Ciri started to be frustrated.
"I can't! My magic will kill him!" she stated. Geralt started losing conscience again.
"Geralt, no! Stay with us!" Ciri tried to wake him up. Geralt somehow opened his eyes. Suddenly Eskel and Triss stormed into the main hall, Vesemir as well. Eskel immediately knelt down next to Geralt, he opened the potion and poured it into Geralt's mouth. After couple of seconds Geralt started shaking.
"What is happening?!" Ciri said worriedly.
"His body is fighting with the sepsis." Eskel explained quickly. Geralt coughed blood again.
"Fight Wolf.." Vesemir begged him. His son was dying and he knew it.. but he still had a little hope. Yennefer and Ciri was looking at Geralt with fear in their eyes. Triss wasn't rather even looking at it. Eskel started literally praying to Gods. Jaskier wasn't even conscious.
Geralt suddenly closed his eyes. Yennefer immediately narrowed his eyes on him, she had a feeling that something is wrong. She was right.
"He isn't breathing!" Yennefer shouted. He caught Geralt arms and started to shake with him but he didn't even move.
"Yennefer!" Ciri said with tears in her eyes. Yennefer saw her eyes, she knew what she needs to do.
"Fuck it, I have to this!" Yennefer said with frustration. She put her hands on his body and started speaking in Elder speech.
"Dwinth sairt escaerth, dwinth faithe raehar ascarth, dwinth sairt escaerth.. Aen minne vain tegen e deith.." Yennefer was repeating those words.
"Stop! You will kill him!" Eskel panicked.
"She has to do something!" Ciri was defending her. Yennefer continued in the spell but Geralt still wasn't breathing. Ciri then came to her and put her hands on Yennefer's back. She started giving her strength by using the spell.
"Dwinth sairt escaerth, dwinth faithe raehar ascarth, dwinth sairt escaerth.. Aen minne vain tegen e deith.." Yennefer raised her voice and her eyes were wet from tears.
"Geralt, come on.." Eskel was almost crying.
"Dwinth sairt escaerth, dwinth faithe raehar ascarth, dwinth sairt escaerth.. Aen minne vain tegen e deith.." Yennefer started to be hopeless but she still continued with the spell. The tears were falling from her eyes like a waterfall. This whole situation felt like eternity for them.
Suddenly Geralt opened his eyes and took a long deep breath. He started shaking again and he was trying to catch his breath. Yennefer came back to the mind.
"Give him another potion!" Now!" Yennefer shouted on Eskel. Eskel did exactly what Yennefer commanded him. After couple of seconds Geralt stopped shaking and he started breathing slowly. Yennefer caressed Geralt's face. She was still in shock from what was happening. Eskel then put his hand on Geralt's forehead.
"He has still a high temperature but he is stable for now. We have to take him to the room and stitch his wounds. Immediately." Eskel told them seriously. "Vesemir, help to me to carry him." Eskel commanded him. Then they both carefully raised Geralt from the floor.
"Triss, come with us. We'll need your help with stitching." Eskel looked at her worried. She nodded. They all started leaving with Geralt in their arms.
Yennefer was still kneeling and her hands covered in Geralt's blood were shaking. This whole situation was too much even on her. Seeing Geralt dying in front of her literally broke the icebergs of hate in her heart. Ciri was next to her and still processing everything. She looked at Yennefer and then she hugged her tightly. Yennefer stiffened.
"You.. you.. saved him.." Ciri was barely speaking. She was also in shock.
"Thank..you.." Ciri managed to say those words while she was crying. Yennefer caressed her back. She didn't want that poor girl to feel so much pain. She somehow felt connected to her. Like they had some bond or something.
"He is gonna be fine." Yennefer told her honestly even if she was scared that these words won't be true. Ciri snuggled closer to her and put her head on Yennefer's chest. She started crying even more. In that moment Yennefer's maternal instinct was showed. She hugged Ciri tightly and then started caressing her face.
"Everything gonna be fine." Yennefer whispered and she kissed Ciri's forehead. She didn't know why she was behaving like this. She never met this girl before. Maybe it was because that she was still in shock or maybe that she was scared same as that girl. But in that moment Yennefer didn't care about it at all. All she wanted to do was to protect that girl.
Suddenly Jaskier murmured something. They both looked at him.
"Oh, shit.. my head." Jaskier caught his head and raised himself on his arms. "You know.. I had the dream that Geralt was almost dead.." he looked at them and saw the blood everywhere.
"Fuck! It wasn't the fucking dream!" he said with fear in his eyes and fell down unconscious again. Ciri and Yennefer were speechless.
Almost two hours passed since Geralt almost died. Meanwhile Ciri went to check Matthew if he was alright. Triss was healing his wound and that calmed her down a bit. But now she wanted to go see Geralt. She was still scared to see him. She was thinking on the worst scenario. But she was also feeling something different. Something what she's never felt before and that was hurting her so much inside. It was the guilt. But she decided to face it anyway.
When she was upstairs, she spotted witchers standing in front of Geralt's room. She came to them.
"How is he?" Ciri asked them carefully. She was scared what would they answer her.
"He fell into a coma.. and.. he is.. well.. he's not too well." Lambert told her honestly. Ciri's worst misgivings were confirmed.
"Tell me.." she hesitated. "Tell me he will open his eyes.." Ciri said with fear in her eyes.
"I'm afraid I can't. Eskel is giving him again some potions now, but I don't know if this will be enough because his injuries are deep.. Yen also can't help him anymore because he is too weak for another spell.. Right now he has to fight for his life on his own.." Lambert said sadly.
"That's all my fault..." Ciri shaked her head. She was holding her tears.
"Child, don't blame yourself. No witcher ever died in his own bed." Vesemir told her sadly.
"No, he warned me. He told me I should leave.. but I didn't listen to him. Now he will die and that's only my fault." Ciri said with tears in her eyes. She turned around and started running away.
"Ciri!" Lambert called at her.
"She needs some time." Leo said honestly.
"I guess we will all need it.." Lambert admitted. "I will go to talk her." he looked at them. They nodded.
Ciri was sitting against the wall with tears in her eyes. Lambert came to her and sat down next to her.
"How are you?" he asked her. Ciri lowered her head.
"Ciri, talk to me. Please." Lambert begged her. She hesitated.
"I.. I'm sorry.. I'm personally responsible for all this shit.." she said sadly.
"No, you're not. It wasn't your fault. He knew the risks. He made a choice and that choice was to save Yennefer no matter the cost.." Lambert looked at her.
"I know, but because of me he didn't make it in time.. this would never happened if I wouldn't come there.." she blamed herself.
"Ciri, those things like this happen in fights. You can't predict what will happen." Lambert explained.
"But I should have predict this!" she said irritably. She was so mad at herself. "You know.. I didn't realize the amount of pain I would cause.. and I'm very sorry." she admitted.
"Look, maybe now it's painful for you but it will past.. and there is still a little hope he will survive it." Lambert said honestly.
"What do you know about pain Lambert?" she looked at him questionable.
"Pain is like a loan.. and no matter what you do you do, you can never pay back the debt." he answered calmly. She looked at him surprised.
"I've been trough hell many times.. I can handle pain. A lots of pain.." Ciri was honest.
"Oh.. yeah? Even the pain you're feeling right now? This one's different right?" he was talking seriously. She lowered her head again.
"I see it in your eyes. I see it and it reminds me of myself.." he said thoughtfully. "You have no idea where the pain will take you Ciri. Get out of it while you can. Otherwise you can end up becoming a peace of shit like me. A miserable monster.. a guy who ruins everything what he touches.. Someone who flirted with death for years. Once you're there, you can't get out. You can never get out.." Lambert was honest. The tears started rolling down her cheeks. Lambert caught her hand.
"Look Ciri, you may feel guilty right know. But I'm telling you, I'm here with you. You're not alone. We all are with you." he smiled at her.
"I know." she smiled at him and hugged him. Lambert hugged her tightly.
"You can be a big softie if you want to.." Ciri was teasing him a bit.
"Not now Ciri, not now.." Lambert smiled.
Yennefer was standing behind the wall. She heard everything and her eyes were full of tears.
Yennefer then went to look at Geralt. All the way there she was thinking about Lambert's and Ciri's words. They've changed her opinion about people. Not every person in the world is a shit. At least these two proved her this. When she came to Geralt's room she entered inside.
"Oh, sorry.. I will come another time.." she was trying to smile.
"It's okay, come inside Yennefer." Vesemir told her kindly. Yennefer sat down to the chair next to Geralt's bed. Vesemir was sitting on the chair opposite to her. Yennefer looked at Geralt. His skin was white like a chalk. He went through a lot but at least he was breathing now. She caressed his hand with her thumb.
"I hate to look at them like this. When they're suffering and I can't do nothing about it." Vesemir interrupted her from her thoughts.
"They're boys from your school, right?" Yennefer asked him.
"Indeed. They're all like a sons to me." Vesemir explained.
"I've seen how you care about each other. You behave like a real family." Yennefer admitted.
"When you want to survive in this world, the only thing what will save you is your family.. or good friends.. but I think then you will call them family as well." Vesemir smiled. Yennefer sighed.
"Nice imagination.. but sadly not my case." Yennefer said thoughtfully.
"You sound lonely Yennefer." Vesemir told her honestly.
"Lonely?" she got surprised.
"Yes, lonely. Look, my dear. You don't have to be ashamed how you feel, everybody feels lonely sometimes.. but I think you feel lonely for such a long time.." Vesemir looked at her sadly.
"No.. that's not true.. I am never alone. I'm constantly surrounded by people. I can do whatever I desire. My bed is never cold.." she didn't want believe it.
"Yennefer, being alone and being lonely are two entirely different things. Yes, you may be surrounded by others, but do you truly consider any of those people your friend?" Vesemir asked her calmly.
"My friend?" she was confused.
"Yes. Someone you like to spend time with. Someone with whom you share a meaningful connection." Vesemir smiled at her.
"Well, you and I connect quite well." Yennefer admitted.
"I'm talking personal.. What about Geralt?" he looked straight into her eyes.
"No. He and I are done I'm afraid. Long story filled with betrayal.." her eyes changed.
"I see.. But do you consider him as your friend?" Vesemir was talking so calmly like he wasn't talking about serious relationship things. She didn't know how he was doing it.
"I don't know.. I'm not sure what we are." Yennefer lowered her eyes.
"I think deep down in your heart you know what you two are already but right now you can't see things clear because you're angry." Vesemir was honest.
"I'm not angry." she stated.
"Are you sure?" Vesemir smiled at her. He knew her too well.
"Oh God.." she sighed. "Yes. I am mad at him. Because even the one person I trusted betray me. Him.. he let me down.." she said with disappointment.
"People do mistakes Yennefer." Vesemir's face was peaceful.
"But these mistakes are not forgettable." she frowned.
"And yet you've tried to save his life." he smiled.
She wanted to say something but she was speechless.
"You care about him.. and I think a lot. Because then you wouldn't be here. Am I right?" Vesemir raised his eyebrow.
She took a deep breath.
"Yes I do.. a bit.. But there is something about him.. For some reason Geralt makes me vulnerable.. and I don't know why.." Yennefer was confused.
"Being vulnerable can be scary but there are benefits when you open yourself up to someone, you finally getting in touch with your emotions, letting your barriers down." he explained.
"You see? That's part of the problem.. I'd like them back up." she stated.
"Why?" he was patient. He didn't want to pressure her.
"Well.." Yennefer hesitated. "Because these emotions are bloody inconvenient. That's why.." she looked at him seriously.
"I think you should explore the possibility that being vulnerable can be a good thing." Vesemir suggested her.
"No, it can't.. It means you're at someone else's mercy." she said calmly.
"Then maybe you should stay away from everybody.. stay away even from Geralt.." Vesemir told her honestly.
"But.. I don't want to.." she looked at Geralt.
"Then you know what to do." Vesemir smiled at her. She turned to Vesemir again.
"But how do I know it's real? I'm upset because I don't know if it's real what we have." she had still doubts.
"Trust me, it's real.. and I also know why you think that. You're stalling Yennefer." he looked at her questionable.
"Stalling? Don't be ridiculous." she was defending himself.
"You're stalling because you realized how complicated your relationship is."Vesemir was honest. She didn't realize it at first but somehow she started letting her barriers about her feelings down. Vesemir was helping her to understand things and this was also changing her heart. She wasn't afraid to talk about her feelings anymore.
"Look.. um.. The truth is that I still don't understand why.. he's seen my less positive qualities and yet he still chose to stay with me.. I mean do you think he is ill or something?" Yennefer didn't understand it.
"Or maybe he's just taken by you." he laughed a bit.
"But that's impossible " she looked confused at Vesemir.
"I think you've been laing to yourself. You're the one who is afraid.. and the question is why?" Vesemir raised his eyebrow.
"I.. I'm not worthy of him.. and if he would know all of me he would run away.." she started to be vulnerable.
"We all have demons inside of us. But that doesn't mean we're can't be good persons." Vesemir smiled at her.
"But I can't change myself. This is who I am. I am poison for anyone who dares to care about me.." she looked sadly at him. Vesemir stood up and came to her. He put his hand on her shoulder and caressed it.
"And despite this he still comes back to you.. And right now you're the one of the main reason why is still fighting for his life." he smiled at her. Yennefer was trying to hold her tears.
"Stay with him. He needs you more than anytime. " Vesemir told her honestly.
"Thank you." Yennefer smiled at him. He nodded and then he started leaving from the room. Yennefer looked at Geralt and then tears started rolling down her face. She then lay down next to Geralt and snuggled closer to him. She fell asleep after couple of minutes. This whole situation really exhausted her.
Almost three days passed and Geralt was still in the coma. They all started to be helpless about his condition but at least he was still alive. Ciri always disappeared on the whole day and came back late in the night. She couldn't look at Geralt in this condition.
Everybody was nervous because of Geralt. Everybody wanted to help him but they knew they can't. Yennefer was feeling very anxious and she couldn't really sleep because of it. She would never thought that one witcher can do this to her. Made her totally powerless, vulnerable and emotional at the same time. She was sitting on her chair next Geralt's bed. Most of her time she was with him. She was waiting on the moment when he will finally opened his eyes. She was holding his hand and her eyes were closed. She was not too far from falling asleep. Suddenly she felt his cold grip. She opened her eyes and she couldn't believe what she saw. He was looking at her and he was trying to smile. She immediately caressed his face with her other hand.
"Geralt.." she whispered. She was still in awe that he woke up.
"Yen.." he swallowed. Their eyes locked. They didn't even notice that Eskel opened the door and he was looking at them. Then he decided to let them this moment for themselves. He quietly closed the door and went to inform the others.
"How.. how are you?" Yennefer squeezed his hand even more.
"Hmm.. you know I've been better." he laughed a bit but in that moment he coughed and then he sighed from the pain. His whole body was hurting him.
"Are you sure that you're okay?" she looked at him worried. He nodded. He wanted to be strong in front of her even if he would rather scream from the pain which he was feeling in his whole body. He didn't know what they gave him or did with him but it really challenged his organism.
"I wasn't sure if I will see you again.." Yennefer said sadly. "And.. I think I owe you an apology.." Geralt interrupted her.
"Yennefer.. don't worry about it.. Although I am pretty sure you called me bloody bastard many times when I almost died. It's the most humiliating thing I've been called in my fucking life. I couldn't even sleep well in my coma.." Geralt was trying to joke.
"You really scared me.." she said honestly.
"I am happy that I'm not the only one who cares now." he smiled at her. He saw on her face how she was still scared and he knew very well that almost nothing scares her.
"I'm sorry about what I said to to you before." she lowered her head.
"Yen, it's okay. I deserved it." Geralt was honest. He narrowed his eyes on her.
"What happened to your face?" he softly caught it. She had bruises on it.
"It's nothing.." she caressed his hand on her face and smiled at him. She was staring into his deep green eyes and she knew she can't resist him. Not anymore. She was fighting with it but when he almost died in front of her, something moved in her. Something what she thought she will never feel. Something what she was scared of and wanted to feel so desperately at the same time. But now when she was looking at him, when she was near to him and feeling his presence, she realized how much she cares about him. She realized that this man somehow earned her heart. She fell in love with him.
Suddenly Ciri stormed into the room like a tornado. Yennefer quickly pulled away her hand from his face.
"Geralt! You're awake!" Ciri almost screamed from the joy. She came to him and immediately hugged him tightly. Geralt sighed painfully.
"Oh, I'm sorry." Ciri realized he was still injured. She pulled back from him. Yennefer smiled under her nose. She really liked this brave young woman.
"It's okay." Geralt smiled at her. Ciri calmed down a bit.
"I thought you will die.." she said sadly.
"You know it's not easy to kill me.." he laughed a bit.
"I'm sorry.. that was all my fault.. if I never came here this would never happen.. you wouldn't be distracted and you could help Yen differently.. without getting stabbed.." Ciri lowered her head.
"Nothing of it was your fault. I made my decision. I would rather sacrifice my life to save yours Ciri. Always." Geralt made it clear and squeezed her hand. She smiled at him.
"But you're a cripple now." Ciri admitted.
"Only for some weeks.. then I will give you another lesson with my sword." Geralt was teasing her. He tried to reach her face with his hand but in that moment he sighed painfully and caught his wounds.
"Geralt, are you alright?" Yennefer looked at him with frustration.
"I thought I can handle the pain but right know it's too much on me.." he started heavily breathing. The pain started to be unbearable. Yennefer didn't wait any longer, she grabbed a Morphine from the table and injected it to Geralt. His face immediately relaxed and he started breathing normally again. Ciri caressed his forehead and then looked worried at Yennefer.
"Don't worry about it, he is still too weak. These are a normal symptoms after this type of injuries. He will be alright. He overcame the worst already." Yennefer smiled at her. Ciri nodded and calmed down. She was so grateful for Yennefer in that moment.