alluring {𝖌𝖊𝖗𝖆𝖑𝖙 𝖔𝖋 𝖗𝖎𝖛𝖎𝖆} WATTYS 2022

chapter twelve

"Love knows no distance; it hath no continent; its eyes are for the stars."

-Gilbert Parker

THE DUO HAD BECOME A TRIO AND THEY TRAVELED TO OXENFURT TOGETHER. Two weeks had passed since they were captured by elves. Before heading to bed, the three were in their room.

Geralt and Amelia were hunched over a map played out on the single table they had, tracking their progress and deciding where they would travel to next. Jaskier was trying out his new song, standing by the fireplace and strumming his new lute.

"When a humble bard / Graced a ride along..."

Amelia laughed. "That's false."

"Will you pay attention? Both of you?" Jaskier stomped one of his feet. "I am doing this for both of you."

Amelia sighed and looked up from her map and turned her attention to Jaskier. She elbowed Geralt and he did the same.

"Alright, bard, go on then." Geralt grumbled and Amelia chuckled.

Jaskier cleared his throat. "When a humble bard / Graced a ride along / With Geralt of Rivia/ Along came this song..." The lute tune wasn't bad, she had to admit. "From when the White Wolf fought / a silver-tongued devil / His army of elves / At his hooves did they travel."

"Is he not going to mention you?" Geralt leaned over and asked Amelia and she shook her head.

"I asked him not to."

"Lucky you." Geralt grunted and Amelia snickered.

"They came after me / With masterful deceit / Brokedown my lute / And they kicked in my teeth / While the devil's horns / Minced our tender meat / And so cried the witcher/ 'He can't be bleat'--"

"That's not what happened." Geralt interrupted and Amelia just placed a hand on his shoulder to silence him. "Where's your newfound respect?"

"Respect doesn't make history." Jaskier glared, then continued singing.  "Toss a coin to your witcher / O Valley of Plenty / O Valley of Plenty, oh-oh-oh / Toss a coin to your witcher / O Valley of Plenty."

Geralt looked at Amelia in disapproval as he saw her head bobbing to the music. She lifted a shoulder and continued to listen.

"Hm." Geralt grunted.

"At the edge of the world/Fight the mighty horn / That bashes and breaks you / And brings you to mourn / he thrust every elf / Far back on the shelf / High up on the mountain / From whence it came / He wiped out your pest / Got kicked in his chest / He's a friend of humanity / So give him the rest."

Geralt turned slowly as he heard a line that Amelia most definitely helped write. She suppressed a smile and looked straight ahead.

"That's my epic tale / Our champion prevailed / Defeated the villain / Now pour him some ale," The strumming of Jaskier's lute intensified. "Toss a coin to your witcher / O Valley of Plenty / O Valley of Plenty, oh-oh-oh / Toss a coin to your witcher / A friend of humanity / Toss a coin to your witcher / O Valley of Plenty / O Valley of Plenty, oh-oh-oh / Toss a coin to your witcher / A friend of humanity...."

Jaskier finished with a flourish and bowed to his small audience. Amelia looked up at Geralt.

"I actually quite liked that." Jaskier whooped at Amelia's words and Geralt groaned. "I mean, I guess it was worth the two weeks it took to perfect."

"Don't encourage him." She just smiled at the witcher. "There's a job around here that I'm going to do own my own."

Amelia's smile dropped from her features. "What?"

"This creature I'm going after sounds like a Selkiemore. It preys on women." 

"Well, I sense a fight coming," Jaskier announced, almost running out of the room. "I shall be back when my life is not in the crossfire of two mighty warriors."

"We've gone after creatures together for weeks now, Geralt." Amelia protested. "You said we would always find a way out."

"Amelia, please." That stopped her argument in its tracks. Geralt never said please, and if he did it meant it was important. "It's a lot of coin. Nearly three thousand."

She looked into Geralt's eyes and saw nothing but the truth. "You must come back here. Safely."

"I will come back, but I can't promise the safe part." Geralt cracked a joke, making Amelia smile softly. "I've rented the room for three days. I should be back by then."

"Are you leaving tonight?" She asked and he shook his head. "Right then. You've got a monster to hunt tomorrow so you might as well get to sleep now."

The trio couldn't afford two rooms for the past couple of weeks, so the sleeping arrangements were that Geralt and Amelia would take the bed and Jaskier would sleep on the couches of the inns.

If there was no couch, the three of them would squish into one bed, Geralt on one side, Jaskier on the other, and Amelia in the middle. Jaskier and Amelia had actually grown to be quite good friends and managed to rope Geralt into some of their antics.

Jaskier and Geralt had a bond that was strange. It was more like Jaskier had chosen to be Geralt's friend while Amelia and Geralt had been tossed together by destiny.

Tonight, there was a couch where Jaskier could sleep, so both Geralt and Amelia crawled into the bed. Both of them laid on their side, looking at the other. Amelia reached out and touched Geralt's witcher medallion.

He just watched her as she did so. "Three days isn't terribly long."

"Just don't get Roach killed or I'll be really mad, witcher." She poked his bare chest and a soft smile spread across Geralt's face. He never smiled when anyone else was around, but he smiled when he was with her.

Amelia hadn't seen a full smile yet or heard a laugh from him, but she had a feeling that it would come soon.

"As you wish, princess." Geralt's small smile faded again and he lifted his medallion over his head and placed it in her palm. His large hands engulfed her own.

"Geralt, I can't take this."

"You can, and you will." His voice was filled with finality. "Just to have something of me until I come back." 

"Why are you doing this?" Amelia asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her heart thudded in her chest and she wanted nothing more than to curl up in Geralt's arms.

"You were nervous." He replied simply and she let out a breathy laugh. "Get some rest, princess."

Amelia's eyes fluttered closed, her hands gripping the medallion around her neck.