Y/n began to stir around under her bedsheets, she began to feel the texture of the sheets beneath her fingers eventually meeting a bareback. Only then did she realise that she was under the covers, one of her eyes shot open to confirm where she was only to jump out of the bed not remembering much after last night.
She looked down at Geralt who was laying on his side facing away from Y/n. He turned to look behind his back to see what the commotion was with the h/c woman. "Feeling better after last night?"
"What happened last night?" She asked placing her palm on her forehead and looking down to see that she was still in her clothes from the previous day.
Turning his body around completely now fully facing Y/n, laying in the bed. "You were drunk so I brought you into an inn."
"How did you get in?"
"They thought it was best I take care of you in case you choked on your own vomit in your sleep. I didn't care to mention the fact I was a witcher"
She tilted her head not entirely remembering how bad she may have been that night. "Was I really that bad?"
"To be honest you weren't too bad. I let on that you were so I could get a bed for the night rather than sleeping with some woman. I didn't think you'd appreciate that."
Y/n was in shock at his last comment not certain how to respond. "Is that how you usually get a place to sleep?"
"Depends if you would consider laying awake in a bed as sleeping afterwards, it also depends on where I am and if I'm willing to sit out in the woods for the night." He said sitting up from the bed, standing up facing the woman.
"Put a shirt on, I don't want to be looking at that." She said tossing his shirt at him. He flung the shirt over his shoulder.
Geralt didn't want her to feel all too bad about the previous night and he wasn't all too certain if the sorceress remembered the night before, "I am a hundred and twenty years old."
"What?" She asked turning around to look at him.
"Yesterday you said you could be old enough to be my grandmother, but I'm a hundred and twenty." He said trying to put her at ease over the small chance that she may have remembered.
"I, uh..." It took her a moment to remember what she had learnt in her youth about Witchers. Beings are made of magic and could live longer than three times the age of the average human. "Oh."
"What else did I say?"
"Nothing of brilliant importance. You just told me off for mistreating you and our miscommunications is all Y/n." He said throwing the thin shirt over his head to cover his upper body. "I also never got to thank you for telling me that. No one usually barks at me like that, sometimes I tend to get wrapped up." She looked at him shocked at what he was saying to her and nodded as they got closer to one another.
"Now that all that is over with I say we get looking for our magician. Y/n nodded still unsure of how to react to Geralt's response. He leaned in towards the woman, his eyes flickering between hers and her lips. She could feel his warm breath brush against her causing her cheeks to redden. Geralt closed his eyes slightly whilst leaning down as his hand raised up to her face only for Y/n's open palm to slap him harshly causing his head to snap to the side.
"What was that for?" Y/n exclaimed, looking at him in shock. He grunted before continuing, "I should be the one asking that."
It was Y/n's turn to grumble, "Unbelievable."
She began to storm out while Geralt was throwing his sword to his back grabbing his things and chasing after the h/c haired girl. She began to leave the inn and decided to give the owner a few extra coin in tip, Geralt passed the 'reception' area grabbing her by the elbow and spinning her around. What are you doing walking away like that?"
"Because you're not worth running away from." She said pulling her arm from his grasp. She couldn't believe the man. "Is there an issue here Ma'am?" The receptionist asked only for Y/n to smile and say, "No, just my friend is being a bit stupid, which isn't unusual for him. Thank you though." She smiled walking out of the place with Geralt grunting whilst following behind her finding no pleasure in correcting and explaining himself to the receptionist.
She walked out waving her hands about only for Geralt to see the glowing threads between them appear again. Geralt eyed it suspiciously watching as their bond string floated between the two while Y/n followed her bond going towards Roach finding him comfortable in a stable.
The lines disappeared as Y/n had found Roach and she handed the reign to Geralt.
"One step at a time. We need to find food." He said approaching her and grabbing her elbow causing her to turn to him.
"Well witcher, considering I am a respected 'magician' I don't think that will be an issue." She sassed back at the buff man.
"With word of your precious kingdom of falling, I doubt people will be sticking up for your sort for much longer." Geralt asserted a little too harshly on the rather fresh wound rubbing salt in deep.
Only at this moment, it had actually hit her. She was too busy trying not to die and thinking about Ciri to realise the kingdom she served had burnt from the ground up.
"Well, we should probably get to the closest recovery sight!" She said more to herself than confirming with Geralt.
"We need to sort this out first. Then you can-"
"No! You're the one with the issues here butcher so you listen to me-" Geralt heard the nickname he had thought drowned out many months ago. A spark of rage ignited in his eyes with the recognition of the name wanting to control his anger not wanting it to consume him.
"I have been taking orders from you for the past day and a half-" Geralt interrupted only for the same to happen to him not helping with his patience which he was currently gradually losing.
"Did you not like that? ... Butcher of Blaviken."
Clenching his fist he pointed at the woman making sure she knew she was on his last nerve, "You know there is a quicker and more effective way of getting rid of this bond so I would tread lightly if I were you Y/n L/n." His face was back to the same closeness that she had separated from earlier.
The two lingered in the closeness as Geralt took a deep breath remaining calm after he had noticed how taken aback Y/n looked. He took a step back and grumbled while patting Roach walking away. "Next time you may not be as lucky. We need food, follow me."
She was stunned as she stood there. Roach nudged her which started her moving, following Geralt. She followed him to a market finally catching up to him only for him to hand her a bag with food in it. "Don't bother buying anything else I already got food for both of us and Roach."
"You are from Cintra!" The stall owner announced pointing at Y/n's white uniform. Straightening her posture along with her torn-up clothing she nodded approving his statement. "I heard about the queen when she had fallen along with her kingdom."
"She did so with integrity and dignity going down with her people."
"You fled?"
"I had to protect someone."
"Sounds like you did it to protect yourself ."
Something began to bubble up inside of her as she placed the bag of food on her table about to place both hands on the table to assert herself and make a point only for Geralt to speak, at this point heads were turned and watching carefully. "Thank you once again, we should be leaving now." He spoke calmly and picked her up by her waist trying to pull her away.
"And hiding with a witcher of all things. You disgrace your queen and Cintra. If people like you were helping take care of Cintra, I'm not surprised the kingdom has fallen." Just as she was about to leap out of Geralt's arms he whispered to her, "Don't prove them right. They don't know better."
Without speaking a word she snatched the bag off the table before storming off. Geralt followed behind her noticing the dry dirt path cracking and shaking under her feet leaving deep footprints in the ground. She was expelling her powers without even recognising it.
He watched as it didn't seem to improve the farther they walked with the cracks becoming deeper and more visible. "Y/n try your best to calm down."
"Geralt let's just find this 'magician'. Before I take it out on you... again." She finally spoke with her voice coming from a place of sadness and defeat rather than her previous tone of anger and intolerance. "I thought you didn't care much for people."
"I thought witchers didn't feel emotions, I guess we were both wrong... to an extent..."
He simply grunted and continued following Y/n walking to her side and watching her carefully as her face contorted in confusion. "Why do you take their slander on your people?"
This question caught Geralt off guard. "What made you think to ask that?"
"I mean, you witchers protect humans from extinction when mages and sorcerers don't want to and people still drag your names through the mud. Even after I had brought up the butcher of bl-"
Geralt cut her off not wanting to put her through the awkwardness of bringing up the entire conversation as well as the fact he simply didn't want to remember the slain princess. "What about it?"
"It's just, why do you put up with it? Humans and our slander." She asked turning her head to look at Geralt as his eyes caught her attention making it difficult to look away from them.
Geralt sighed looking down at the woman as he noticed her, apparent, addiction to his eyes. causing his chest to tighten slightly. "If I were to do anything about it then I would be the monster they say I am."
"There aren't such things as monsters only animals and people."
"No-" Before Geralt could protest he had been cut off, "We choose to turn some beasts into a horror story. End of conversation." She asserted.
As she was about to power forward her legs collapsed from beneath her. On the floor now Geralt went to grab her and help the woman up. "Geralt, I can not see."
With her hands on the floor, she refused to move, listening and trying to regain her sight before anyone could do any harm to them. "That would be my doing." A strange voice emerged. Geralt turned to face the man who spoke. He wore a yellow robe and held his hands together in a civil manner. Geralt turned standing between the two magic users, "You know, you could have at least asked for her compliance." Geralt spoke his muscles tensing careful to keep an eye on his surroundings.
"No need to be uptight, I'm here to help you." He spoke clearly while Y/n struggled on the ground. "Why not address us without mobilising one of us."
"Witcher of Rivia, you are not a threat to me. She possibly is." Geralt growled disliking his riddles, "Speak normally."
"She uses fire in her magic among other things. Fire can consume its users. Hence, the reason why we have never taken her in... Witcher, I am here to help."
"That's bullshit. Geralt I cannot get up." He looked between the two turning back to the mage he bargained, "Release her from your spell, then we can negotiate."
He waved his hand hesitantly watching the protective white haired man as he glared into his soul. "As you wish Witcher."