Never Surrender

20

"Shall we continue?" Geralt asked turning to me. 

"Fine," I said gathering my things, we both returned to the road. Roach plodded behind us. 

"Wait do you hear that?" Geralt paused and tipped his head towards the forest. I stopped in my tracks and focused my hearing. 

"You mean that screaming?" I asked. 

"Yes," he nodded. I caught something, laid in the tree line. 

"What's that?" I asked walking over to it, as I got closer I realised it was Jaskiers lute.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Geralt exclaimed behind me. 

"No," I said. We heard another scream come from the forest. "He needs our help." 

"Let's not worry ourselves let's keep going," Geralt said. 

"No! You're going to let someone innocent die?" I asked. 

"He shouldn't have followed us," he said. 

"He shouldn't have to die either," I replied. 

"Come on then," he agreed. I shifted into my wolf form, we both kept low. Geralt kept his eyes on my ears. I caught the smell of burning cinders. 

"We're close," I said and laid down on the leaves.

"You never were one for stealth were you?" Geralt mocked me and placed a hand on my back. 

"Says you," I said, my ears twitched with every scream from Jaskier. "Can we stop talking and save the poor human?" 

"If you insist," he said. I stalked out first, the bandits eyes landed on me.

"We've got a stray wolf boys," their leader laughed, Jaskiers eyes met mine. They sparkled with hope. 

"Actually boys she's mine," Geralt said following behind me. 

"Ar, we also have ourselves a witcher, his head would fetch us some fine silver," one said. 

"Well actually you wouldn't, I'm still using it," Geralt said sitting down on a log next to Jaskier and planted his sword in the ground.

 "Relax kid, we're going to get you out here." I lowered myself to the ground, hackles lined my back and my ears pinned. A growl rattled around my bones and reverberated through my teeth. 

"Do you expect us just to give him over?" The leader asked sitting opposite us. 

"Yes," I nodded. 

"Not that easy beast," the man spat. 

"It will be if you want to live," I said. 

"How about I slay you first, then the witcher and we keep the kid for our entertainment?" he said pulling his knife from his belt.

"Easy Phoenix I'll handle this," Geralt said standing up and thrusting his sword through the mans stomach. "Now do we have an agreement?" The man sputtered on his blood but managed a nod. One of his men untied Jaskier, I lunged at him warning him off.  "Come!" I whined and followed behind Geralt. 

"Are you not going to kill the rest of them?" The bard asked. 

"No, they gave you over willingly," Geralt said as we walked. 

"We don't kill unless we have to," I said and trotted past him, we reached the forests edge. Geralt picked up Jaskiers lute and threw it at him. 

"I suggest you keep going that way, it will lead you to the nearest town," Geralt said pointing a gloved finger down the the pathway. 

"No, no, no I am staying with you. You rescued me and now I wish to stay," he said. I looked at Geralt. 

"There is no place for you," Geralt answered. 

"You said that about Phoenix but she's still here," he replied, I shrugged my shoulders. Geralt sighed and dropped his head. 

"Fine okay, but stay out of trouble and don't talk too much," he said as we continued our journey.