Never Surrender

14

We were all sat around the fire in the house, our weapons laid down for the day. Geralt was resting in his bed. I walked to his room carrying a bowl of stew for him. His door was open a crack and I didn't need to knock. I gently pushed the door open a little more and walked in, I saw the scars on his neck from my teeth. My gaze dropped immediately, Geralt wheezed as he sat up to look at me.

"I've bought you some stew, I thought you may be hungry," I said.

"Thank you Phoenix," he nodded. I set his bowl down onto the table and pulled the cushions up for his back. I was about to leave when he stopped me. "Wait," I turned ever so slightly. "I just wanted to say it looks like you're improving in your sword skills." you, well I did have a good teacher," I said turning to him fully. He wanted my company. He smiled at me, I decided to leave and allow him to rest. I joined them back in the main room.

"Did you tell him?" Ciri asked me.

"No," I said and shook my head.

"Good," she replied.

I sat by the window, a seat had been carved into the wall under the window. I rested my boots on the seat as I stretched out and put my book on my legs, I laid my head back on the wall and continued to read. "What's wrong?" Triss asked looking over at me.

"Nothing," I answered.

"Don't lie to me!" she exclaimed, I sighed and closed my eyes when I opened them and looked at her they were yellow. Ciri dropped her bowl of stew as she rushed over to me.

"Phoenix think about this, don't bring the wolf into this discussion," she said gently resting her hands on mine. I raced up and stormed outside the rain poured but it didn't bother me. I took a deep breath and beat the beast back. I walked to the lake not far from the house allowing myself to get soaked, Ciri desperately followed me.

"Don't lie to me, tell me what's wrong!" she demanded. I turned my head slightly to her.

"I feel guilty for what I did," I told her.

"Guilty? guilty for what?" she quizzed me.

"I hurt the only man who cared about me," I answered.

"Phoenix," she said, resting a hand on my shoulder, "that wasn't you, that was the wolf."

"Doesn't matter who it was, I can't bear to look at Geralt, knowing that I did that to him, those scars just remind me," I explained my head fell and my gaze landed on my boots. "I'm sure I can do something about the scars, but you can't avoid it forever. Phoenix just try to live with it. We're all here to support you, we all need you," she said and gently squeezed my shoulder.