The White Werewolf || Season One: Ties That Bind

Chapter Sixteen

Dol Blathanna, 1240

Robin woke slowly, blinking her eyes rapidly to try and clear her head. She soon realized that her arms were tied above her, so she tugged, but to no avail. The ropes were tight.

"Are you all right, little mage?" Geralt's deep voice greeted her.

She looked down. He and Jaskier were tied together, their backs touching, on the floor of the cave they had been taken to. Geralt was facing her, struggling to get their bonds undone.

"I think so," she replied, trying to focus.

Maybe she could get them free if she just concentrated hard enough.

"Hello, dear sister," Jaskier sang from behind Geralt. "This is the part where we escape, no?" he asked the witcher blithely.

"This is the part where they kill us," Geralt spat, his eyes flicking worriedly to Robin.

There was a mark on her cheek where she'd been hit, and he was livid.

"Who's they?" Jaskier wondered.

Robin couldn't fault the question. She'd been wondering the same thing.

Two elves came into the cave at that precise moment. One, a tall, red-haired, very angry woman, kicked Geralt in the face. The other picked up Jaskier's lute and started to strum it.

"Elves," Geralt muttered.

"That's my lute!" Jaskier protested. "Give that back. Quick, Geralt, do your, your... witchering..."

"Shut up!" Geralt yelled, struggling harder as the red-haired elf moved over to Robin.

"Maybe I hurt your woman in front of you, no?" she threatened.

As the elf grabbed her arm roughly, Robin felt her skin heat up. "I wouldn't if I were you," she murmured, though she was not at all displeased to be thought of as Geralt's woman, at least.

"Why is that such a common threat?" Geralt sneered. "Do not touch her!" he repeated his earlier warning.

The elf said something in Elder, which Robin could read, but not speak. Her brother, however, seemed to understand. "My Elder speech is rough, so I only got part of that," Jaskier replied sarcastically.

"Humans, shut up!" the elf explained sternly, kicking Geralt in the knee.

Jaskier said something in Elder as the elf spoke to Geralt. "Do you want to die right now?" she asked.

"As opposed to later?" he grumbled.

She kicked Jaskier in the chest.

Robin twisted, hating that her magic only seemed to protect her. It was no good if she couldn't protect others as well, as far as she was concerned.

"Leave off!" Geralt roared. "He's just a bard!"

The elf returned to hitting Geralt, punching him in the face repeatedly as the other elf broke Jaskier's lute in half.

"You hide in your caves!" Jaskier accused. "You beat a bound man, too scared to even look him in the eye!"

Robin was impressed with her little brother's bravery. He was stupid to be brave, perhaps, but it was admirable, nevertheless.

Blood dripped from Geralt's mouth as the elf raised his chin to make another snide comment. He smacked her with his forehead and Jaskier laughed.

The elf fell backward and started to wheeze and his laughter died. "Wait, what's wrong with her?"