Heart of Ice • The Witcher

Chapter 6 • One Bed For Two

   "Wake up," Garrison whispered, shaking Anaya awake. 

   The sleepy princess fought the clutches of sleep and forced her eyes to open where she found Geralt and Garrison standing over her. The fire had been put out but she could still make out their concerned faces looking down at her. 

   "What's-"

   "Shh," Geralt hushed her before she could speak, carefully examing the surrounding area with his eyes. His armor was back on and his sword was drawn, clutched tightly in his right hand, ready to swing at whatever stepped out of the darkness. 

   Anaya looked to Garrison for an explanation as to what was going on. 

   "They're here," Garrison whispered. 

   Anaya's eyes widened in fear. They'd only been asleep for a few hours, the sun hadn't even come up yet. They'd only just stopped traveling that day. So, how could they have caught up so easily? How could they have found them so easily? How many men had the Queen truly enlisted to do her dirty work?

   "Listen," Geralt whispered. 

   Anaya closed her eyes and focused her attention on listening to the woods. She could hear the sound of footsteps crushing dry leaves with each step. By the sound of it, there weren't too many men, but they were close. 

   "She wouldn't sleep out here, she's a princess," said a voice from the woods. It belonged to someone young. A boy perhaps.

   "She's a witch. Now, where do witches sleep?" asked a different voice. This one belonged to a man, someone much older.

   "Naked in the woods," the first voice answered. 

   "That's right. She's out here, the man from the village said he saw a mysterious woman in a cloak. I'm sure it was her," the older voice said.

   The men stopped talking, but their footsteps became louder and louder until eventually, the two men walked out of the forest and into the small clearing where Geralt was waiting for them. Their initial reaction when they saw him was to draw their swords, but then they took a closer look and realized what he was. 

   "A Witcher?" the younger man said, his eyes fixed with fear as he looked at the beast of a man before him. His sword was shaking and it wasn't clear if it was because of fear or because he didn't have the strength to hold it up. 

   His older traveling companion looked curiously at Geralt and then at Anaya. Realizing she was the princess he'd been searching for, he stepped towards her, but was stopped by the tip of Geralt's sword pressed threateningly against his neck. 

   "Don't even think about it," Geralt said. 

   "A Witcher protecting a witch?" the older man said, taking a step back. "Lower your sword, Witcher. The Queen has a bounty on her head and you have no right to interfere in royal business." 

   "She's the princess?" the younger boy asked, looking with surprised eyes at the scared princess. "She doesn't look like a witch to me."

   "Don't be fooled, boy. She may look innocent, but there's only one way for a woman to be given power; she's lain with the devil. Now, watch your cock or she may bite it off," the older man said, looking at Anaya with disgusted eyes.

   Anaya's jaw hit the ground in shock. 

   "Look, see. She's asking for it."

   "My, god. Now I understand what you mean," the younger boy said, looking at Anaya with the same disgust.