Falling Snow (Geralt X Reader)

Ch. 5

A few days of traveling was enough time to get to know someone, sort of. From the days we were together, I learned only a few things from Geralt. He was a man of few words and even fewer expressions, it was hard most of the time to read him. Jaskier on the other hand? He was an open book. Despite his childish behavior..he had his serious moments. He was usually always expressing the way he felt, using quite a bit of words to do so. I soon found he also had a rather large enjoyment for..sleeping with lots of women. Every night in the taverns we had stopped to rest at, I was plagued with..unholy noises. Geralt seemed to have a knack for drowning them out and sleeping soundly. From the time traveling, Geralt had attempted to show me how to fight, but I had proved to be literally useless in that area. So he settled on just giving me a small dagger that I could conceal and easily wield in dangerous situations. From our travels, I had grown used to Jaskier and Geralt, like I had known them a lifetime. I had grown to love and know all of Jaskiers songs..and I had leaned to read Geralt to an extent. I could tell when he was bothered and I could tell when he was annoyed. Those two expressions were the most common ones. Though sometimes I couldn't tell if he was enjoying something or just completely numb to anything happening around him. From others I had spoke to in tavern bars, I learned being a Witcher meant that he was supposed to be emotionless and a vicious mutant who's only drive was earning coin through the killing of monsters. I knew that wasn't Geralt. I had watched him pet and talk to Roach. I watched him exchange sarcastic banter with Jaskier..I watched as his eyes darkened with discomfort when people called him a mutant. Geralt wasn't what everyone thought he was. At least, that's what I believed.

The snowy forest was left behind after a few months and we soon entered a sun filled dessert terrain. Geralt had gotten a job to kill a certain creature, just to earn a little coin. Jaskier and Geralt brought in money for our tavern stays, food, and supplies. I, on other hand didn't exactly have a job. I would always just care for roach or sit in a tavern when they were gone doing their thing. Geralt didn't want me to endanger myself or ruin the fight, so I never tagged along. Though when there was a magic wizard of sorts in any town we went to, I would ask questions. I would ask how to get back home, but each time they turned me away, saying that such things weren't possible. I had no choice but to start back at square one. Geralt would often sit and quietly watch as I worked in a journal I had bought from a merchant on one of our travels. I would write what I had learned about magic and chaos, and what I knew about the monsters Geralt had fought. He would correct me whenever I got something wrong. It was..a nice routine. This new terrain we had entered, with only dust and sun was beginning to make me miss the grey skies and snow filled forests. I wasn't the biggest fan of the sun, especially not while I was in a long sleeve and black pants. We had arrived at the spot where the men had said the creature was..and Geralt had been gone over an hour fighting it. The atmosphere was oddly quiet, except for the soft voice of Jaskier writing a song as he sat on a rock. I was sitting on the ground, journal in hand as I sketched out a photo of roach. It may have been a really bad sketch, but there wasn't really much else to do.

"Gorgeous Garroter, Jury, and
Judge...Lovely..Garroter.. gorgeous Garro- which one do you prefer? Gorgeous or lovely? Is the metaphor landing or is at all too cerebral?"
I brought my gaze from my drawing to look up at Jaskier, shrugging. "I'll be honest I don't even know what that word means" Jaskier rolled his eyes and began strumming once again when one of the men who had hired Geralt spoke up. "It's been over an hour..we should get on before the beast gets hungry again.." I looked towards the men as they spoke, tilting my head slightly in confusion.  "But we made a deal-" the other protested. "We made a deal with a livin Witcher. No point in hangin around for a dead one." With that, he made his way towards roach, beginning to take the Satchels off of him. I furrowed my brows, setting my journal aside. I shot Jaskier a worried glance, to which he then stood up and began to approach the men.
"Bolloks- oi! no no no-" he began to stammer, walking over. "Stop that or I'll- ill-" "or you'll what? You'll sing us to death?" The man's gruff voice spoke out. "Hey- hands off!" I interrupted, standing up. I didn't know what I could do against two men, but I sure as hell wasn't going to let them off with Geralt's things. He scoffed and shucked the satchels onto his shoulder. "What do you think you're going to do?" He asked, his eyes sizing me up.
"Perhaps you did not hear the girl." An older voice suddenly interrupted. An older man with two women revealed themselves, walking out from behind a few dead bushes. Jaskier was just about to agree when suddenly reality kicked in. "Wait who are you-" however the old man paid Jaskier no attention, he just stood in front of the taller male, his eyes hard and serious. The man chuckled and tossed the satchel back to his companion.
"Move along, old man"