CHAPTER TWO
↣ the keep beckons
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For two weeks she put up with Jaskier. For two weeks he followed her around the entire continent. For two weeks he said hardly anything.
Yet in his silence, and much to her surprise, Kryl actually grew to like the infuriating man.
"Why do those bloody crows keep follow us?" He asked, staring up at the sky above them. It was one of the few things that he just kept asking, and she just kept shrugging as her response. "You're telling me, you, you of all people, don't know why some birds are treating us like their next meal."
"Your expectations of me are far too high, Jaskier," she chuckled, "and they won't hurt us." She didn't even look up at the animals, they'd been coming and going, but there was always at least four.
She and Jaskier were heading towards Cintra now, despite Kryl knowing that it'd fallen a while ago, she continued to lead Wyver in the direction of the burning ruins of the old kingdom. The girl in her vision had to be here somewhere.
"Or not me, at least." She finished, with a little grin.
"Now how are you so sure that they'll eat me alive, and leave you keep your precious insides?" He sassed, watching her and raising his eyebrows. He leaned forwards against the neck of his own horse, with its own a light coat and muddy legs.
Kryl had noticed that Jaskier spoke in such a way that she'd completely resented at first, but she was actually growing somewhat fond of his constant sarcasm and patronage.
"Because they're my bloody crows." She smiled, glancing over at him. She'd tried to talk like he did, and apparently managed it when he mumbled something along the lines of 'shut up, stupid Witcher child'. Yet he didn't seem to question the fact that they were 'hers', as she'd said. "Cintra shouldn't be too far now." She said, she recognised the land here, the way the path rolled over the hills, the dirty path standing out clearly in the bright green. It sounded stupid, considering she'd not been out a lot, but with some places, you just tell when you were close.
At that moment, a crow decided to swoop down from above them, purposely hitting Jaskier's head before circling around and landing on Kryl's now outstretched arm.
"Home." It squawked at her.
Kryl rolled her eyes and jerked her arm up suddenly, forcing the bird to flutter its wings momentarily before swerving and landing gently on Wyver's head.
"Go back and tell Vesemir it's not going to work." She said to it.
Vesemir liked to sent little messages through her crows, they often told her to go home, save to say she rarely listened.
"You can understand that thing?" Jaskier said, pointing between them both.
"Yes." She replied shortly, Jaskier nodded, seemingly putting piece and piece together. "Wyver, shake your head for me."
He did so, and the bird was forced once again to take flight.
"What's it saying?" Jaskier asked, watching as it circled around once more. This time, he put his arm up, just like Kryl had done.
"Jaskier don't-" She tried to warn him, but it was too late, it'd landed safe and sound. Kryl sighed, "it's saying that I need to go back to The Keep."
"Important!" The crow cried, hopping a little on Jaskier's arm and flapping its wings.
"What'd it say?"
"That it's important," she groaned, her face falling into her hands. Wyver came to a stop, and Jaskier's horse followed closer my behind. Kryl faced the bird again, "elaborate."
"Winter here! Witcher go home!"
"Already?"
Every winter, when the monsters laid themselves down to rest, the Witcher's could also take a break. But Kryl didn't think that time was here already — it felt too soon.
If she didn't go back, they'd assume her dead. Then the crows would snitch on her and twenty odd Witchers would come tracking her down and dragging her back home.
It wouldn't be the first time.
"Jaskier," she lifted her eyes from the crow and met Jaskier's, who was looking rather confused, "I have to leave." She raised her arm and the crow flew over to her instantly.
"What? Like, go back to this Keep thing?" He looked down slowly, his smile fading quickly when she nodded in reply. "Well, it was nice knowing you, even if you are a horrible, cruel, heartless creature that I don't much care for." He tried to joke, to act like he usually did, but Kryl could tell that wasn't how he actually felt.
She pulled at Wyver's reins gently, telling him to stand closer to Jaskier and his horse.
When she was close enough to the bard, she put her hand out and squeezed his bare hand gently, her skin cold on his. He looked down at it quickly, clearly expecting an attack or some form, and then back up at her eyes, his mouth agape.
"Can't believe I'm actually about to say this but," she took a deep breath, "I'm gonna miss you and your stupid questions and stupid voice and stupid songs."
He laughed, "well I won't miss you and your mean words and nasty comments at all."
Kryl laughed with him, but her hand on his meant that she had access to the ins and outs of his very mind.
'I'll miss you too.'
That's what he really thought. That's how he really felt about this whole thing. It was reflected in his smile, which he tried to play off as forced.
"I'll see you at some point in the future, I'm sure." She smiled, letting his arm go.
"I hope not," he smiled back, "tell Geralt he can go fuck himself for me."
She raised her eyebrows, holding back a laugh, but the grin was obvious on her lips.
"Not like that!" He added quickly, his hands letting go of the reins and waving frantically as Kryl laughed. "You know what I mean."
She nodded, speaking through her laughs, "I know."
"See you, demon child."
She scoffed, "goodbye, annoying bard."
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The treck back to the Keep was a very long and very cold one, that was filled with far too many emotions for Kryl's liking.
For one, she was worried about how the Witchers' would react to her leaving the Keep for so long — she was scared of the repercussions from Vesemir — yet she was excited to see them all again, including Vesemir — but then there was the familiar ache in her chest, because she knew that not all of them were actually going to be there.
The chances that all twenty that'd survived last year's horrors were sitting at the table inside the Keep, were thin ones.
Besides, she already knew that Oskar was dead.
Vesemir was too old now to fight and kill monsters, so instead he ventured the world below them, seeking out the remains of his students and bringing their medallions home to the tree, it was the least he could do for them now.
The ground slowly lost its bright green, turning to a bright, blinding white as she reached the higher mountains where the snow had already blanketed the floor.
The Keep was just as broken down as the day she'd left, as far as she could tell, no more stone bricks had fallen out of place, joining its hundreds of siblings on the hard ground.
She dismounted Wyver quickly, patting him gently as she tied him to a post in their stables, which wasn't much of a building, more of a wooden canopy being held up by two thick poles.
For the first time, Wyver had company.
There were ten other horses, but they weren't under the wood, they were just roaming around the courtyard.
Roach was one of them. Geralt's horse. The bay mare nuzzled at Wyver, whinnying happily.
"Nice to see the idiot survived," Kryl chuckled, running her fingers through Roach's knotty mane, "it is absolutely no surprise he doesn't look after you properly," Roach snorted at her loudly, "alright, alright," Kryl chuckled, raising her hands in defence against the mare, "I believe you, he does."
She looked up at the door to the main hall of the Keep. It was seconds now — Vesemir would probably give her some horrible chore to do, along with giving Lambert her deserts for the next two weeks.
"See you later," she said to the horses, "when I'm tired of the crazy Witchers in there." She pointed at the wooden door, half of her wishing she could stay outside, the other screaming at her to move faster.
She sighed once more and pushed against the door slowly. It was really heavy, and she didn't exactly have super strength. She only managed to open it a little but she managed to squeeze through the gap.
Geralt had clearly only just arrived too, he was standing with his back to the door, talking to the others, who were gathered around him.
Kryl almost didn't see her. She almost didn't notice the only other female in the room. She was at Geralt's side, wrapped in a lot of clothing to keep her warm. Kryl could only see the back of her head, could only see her long hair that flowed gently over her wolf skin scarf. It was a light blonde. Very almost white.
"I see we're missing someone," Geralt said, his voice just as hoarse and grainy as last winter, "but she shouldn't even be leaving the Keep."
"She does what she wants at this point, brother." Coen scoffed, shooting her a look over Geralt's shoulder. She quickly raised a finger to her lips, telling him to shut up.
"Where is she?" He asked blankly, no smile on his face now, no emotion at all.
"Right here." Kryl said, he turned to face her quickly, his gaze softening when he saw her, "you can calm down, I haven't died."
"I am calm." He smiled.
"Come on, Geralt," she laughed, "I can see how emotional you're getting." She pulled a rather mocking face at him, placing a hand to her chest.
The other Witcher's smiled, Lambert groaned, rolling his eyes but eventually grinning, he'd probably make some joke about how he was upset she'd survived later, snd Kryl would pretend she didn't know that he didn't actually mean it.
The girl beside Geralt had turned to face her too now, her eyes were slightly narrowed as she looked Kryl up and down, whereas, Kryl didn't even glance at her.
"Ah, you got me." He chuckled, stepping forward with his arms out, Kryl took a few quick steps forward and wrapped her own around his chest. The hug was warm, Geralt's arms protecting her head just like they had when they were younger. Her head sat just beneath his chin, which she could feel begin to rest on her. "It's good to see you," he said quietly.
"Well, I didn't think you'd be coming home this year," she said, clearly joking when she pulled a face at him as she took a step back, looking up at him, "so it's good to see you too."
Kryl looked past Geralt, staring into the eyes of the girl now, watching her expressions with a gentle smile of her own. She could feel Geralt's eyes on her as she stepped away from him, walking towards the girl cautiously.
When Kryl reached her, she simply put her hands out to the girl, palms facing upwards, clearly asking for her to put her own hands in Kryl's.
She stared at Kryl's hands for a moment — rough, harsh, scarred. Then she looked to Geralt, asking for a permission of sorts, Geralt took no time in giving it to her.
She looked back at Kryl, lifting her hands slowly and placing them in the girls' opposite her.
They were soft. Really soft. Her nails on the end of each one were clean, not a spec of dirt in sight. It took a while, but once Kryl had finished admiring the girl's small hands, she closed her eyes gently.
"You won't find it, Kryl." Geralt said behind her, breaking her concentration slightly.
"I'm not looking for that." She replied shortly, her eyes remaining closed.
'Looking for what?'
Found it. Kryl couldn't help but smile, she let a small chuckle pass through her chapped lips as she held onto the girl's thoughts tightly.
'Why is she smiling?'
Kryl opened her eyes slowly, lifting her head a little to meet the white haired girl's eyes. Her mouth fell open a little, her eyes widening as she kept contact with Kryl.
'Eyes. Pretty eyes.'
Kryl laughed softly and let her hands go, taking a step back at the same time. Even when Kryl's eyes diverted from her, to look around the room a little, at her brothers that'd survived, she could still feel the girl's gaze fixed firmly on her.
Unfortunately, with the skin contact now lost, Kryl could no longer hear her thoughts. The urge to take ahold of her hands again just so she could know what the girl was thinking was starting to eat her alive.
"She's never read anyone for that long before." Lambert's hushed voice rung out, he'd tried whispering to Coen, but failed.
Coen replied, just as loud — but he knew the whole hall could hear him, "she must be interesting then."
Most eyes were on the two men now, and Coen's words were followed by small chuckles.
"Read?" The girl asked, first looking at Coen and Lambert, before turning to stare at Geralt, asking for answered, when he only smiled at her, giving a slight nod towards Kryl. "What did you do to me?" She said, stepping towards Kryl again, who smiled.
"Nothing bad," she replied shortly, taking a small step towards the smaller girl and looking her over, mapping her features — her narrowed, dark eyes — her perfect, pursed lips — her little ears, the lobes pierced, her long, messy hair tucked just behind them — her pinkish nose as she scrunched it when Kryl didn't elaborate.
Kryl especially liked how her eyes widened, and how her eyelashes stopped fluttering like little butterflies when she finally spoke again.
"Hello Cirilla."
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not me finishing two chapters with kryl saying ciri's name-
HOPR YOU ENJOYED <33