Kyana Of Cintra

56

Borch grinned at the Witchers. "The hunt begins at sunrise." He stated. Borch called the innkeeper over, who was more than willing to give them rooms for the night.

"I am sorry, Borch." The innkeeper said, holding two keys in his hand. "I know you asked for three rooms, but with all the business with that dragon, I've only got two rooms left." He seemed genuinely apologetic. "I can give you my room, it's in the attic and it's a little dark, but I'm afraid that is the only one I have, sir." Kyana stood, holding a reassuring smile.

"That is out of the question. We'll take the two rooms, no more." The innkeeper gave her an uncertain look. 

"My lady, are you sure?" Kyana blessed him with a soft smile.

"Of course. I impose on you too much tonight as it is, asking for a room this late. I will not rob you of a bed to sleep in tonight." The innkeeper faced Borch.

"The lady is very kind." He handed Borch the keys. Borch grinned, his head tilting slightly to see Kyana.

"That she is. Thank you, Davis." Davis nodded, leaving the company to their planning. "The keys are yours. Meet us here at dawn, the time between now and then is yours." Kyana bowed her head in appreciation, taking the keys and depositing them into her pocket. Geralt stood, his eyes carefully avoided Yennefer, pulling Jaskier up with him and following Kyana up the stairs. Once all three were upstairs in the hallway, Kyana turned to them, holding the two keys in each hand. 

"Who's going in what room?" Jaskier gave her a stubborn look. 

"Well I'm not sleeping in the same room as this grumpy oaf." He stated insistently. Kyana rolled her eyes, seeing no point in arguing with one of the most stubborn men she had ever met, handing him a key. He scurried into the room, the key turning and locking the door behind him. Kyana walked silently to the next room, placing the key inside and turning it. The door opened with a creak, and the floorboards creaked even louder. 

Kyana darted around the room, making the small bed and setting hunting clothes for the next morning. Geralt stepped into the room, unease in the air as Kyana recalled what had happened the last time they shared a room all those years ago. The room was quite bare, and looked more like a storage room than a bedroom. Dusty objects took up the corners of the room, but none of them exited Kyana more than the small piano forte in the far left corner. Kyana pulled the sheet from it, dragging the moth eaten stool to sit at it. 

"You play?" Geralt asked, surprise lacing his tone. Kyana didn't answer, instead running her fingers over the dusty keys and playing fluidly. Geralt didn't recognize the soft and soothing tune. He watched her hands move with fascination, drawing closer to her and leaning on the top of the piano. Her lips parted gently and brow furrowed in concentration, her eyes and ears disconnecting from anything that wasn't the piano. 

Geralt watched her. His eyes danced to her music over her face, his heart sore and aching with longing. When Kyana's piece came to an end, her hands stilled on the keys. "When I was in Cintra, Calanthe learned how to sow, what colours matched her complexion, and in later years to wield a sword. Through all the etiquette, there was only one thing I enjoyed, which was playing the piano." Geralt granted Kyana a small smile. 

"And you have become quite accomplished at it." Kyana's eyes met his, a soft beam of her own gracing her heavenly face. She moved across the stool, patting the space next to her. 

"Come, I'll teach you." His eyebrow rose and his smile grew, stepping around the piano and sat precariously on the side of the stool. His huge frame was almost comical to see balance on a tiny stool, even more so with his huge hands on tiny keys. "Give me your hand." Kyana requested. He did as she asked, placing his hand in hers and allowing her to place it correctly on the four keys she wanted him to play.  "Okay, now press down gently." 

Geralt all but punched down the keys which emitted an unholy sound, the force shaking the piano lid, which Kyana steadied with her hand. She laughed, a soft whimsical sound that Geralt would be willing to break the piano to hear again. "What?" He asked, even though the only reason he wanted to know what made her laugh was to do it again. 

"I said gently." She laughed, moving her hand under his to create a bridge. "You practically pounded the poor thing into the floor." Geralt huffed out a laugh of his own. 

"If you think that's a pounding you're in for a rude awakening." Be said coolly, following her hand's instruction and bridging his palm. Kyana had to fight not to read his thoughts, curious weather his innuendo was on fighting or something a lot more inappropriate.

To show him what the word 'gentle' meant, Kyana moved her hand on top of his, pressing down on his index finger to sound the key of the piano. The sound floated through it, responding to Geralt's now tender touch. "There. See? All you had to do was be gentle."

Geralt grinned, tapping the same key once again like an overjoyed kitten. "Easier said than done, I'm not used to being gentle." 

"Which is usually a good thing." Kyana stated, her finger dragging across the same key but an octave higher. "Except for this." He glanced at her, but her face never moved from it's position watching the key move under her finger. "Now that's the F key, the one to it's left is G, and the one after that is A. Play all three for me." Geralt rose an eyebrow, but did as she asked. One by one, he played the keys she asked for. The transitions were bumpy, but the overall gist of things were good.  

Kyana silently moved his hand over so that his index finger, middle finger and ring finger rested on a chord in her song. "Tense." She commanded mellowly. He complied, his hand tensed and the muscle moved under Kyana's fingers. When he played the chord, Kyana played a few notes on the other side of the piano, making the start of a small lullaby. "See, you're not half bad." Kyana praised teasingly, turning her gaze to Geralt, who was already looking at her. 

A silence stretched between them as their eyes exchanged millions of sentences neither had the courage to voice. Geralt wanted, needed Kyana to draw closer, to finally soothe the ache in his soul and the pulling of his heart. After the realization hit him that he couldn't even breathe without thinking of Kyana, and a sudden uncertainty surged through him, inducing him to stand up from the seat. "I- I uh." He struggled for a reason to his sudden movement. "I'll find us some provisions for tomorrow."