Among the snow-covered woods of Skellige, the Witcher Geralt was trotting along on his horse, Roach, while putting most of his focus on the ground oddly enough... He seemed to be tracking something, something big if the imprints were anything to go by. Yellow eyes narrowed at something though, another set of tracks by his quarry's tracks. This seemed to put the Witcher on edge as he stopped his horse and dismounted. Kneeling down in the snow, he examined the smaller tracks, looking to be human tracks. "Didn't sink in the snow very deeply... Small, human or elven, a child perhaps? " He said to himself, wondering why a child would be out here where a monster was said to be. It made the Witcher concerned... maybe the kid wasn't informed, or they didn't care, either way, if he didn't want to have to worry about it he should find the child first.
So he ignored the monster's tracks to follow the child's, going on foot as he couldn't follow them as well on horseback given their size. Both sets of tracks were fresh, around the same time, it didn't make sense for the child to walk with the beast so... it made him suspect the beast was following the child. A sense of slight dread filled him, knowing a kid wouldn't last long if such a dangerous beast was tracking them. With that in mind he quickened his pace, maybe he could get there in time before it was too late... At this point, he was basically following both tracks as they overlapped, with the child stopping in various places by small trees oddly enough. At first, he thought maybe she was trying to hide but then they walked right by perfect bushes and larger trees to hide behind. "Kid is looking for something... something about smaller trees, but what? " He questioned to no one specific, thinking out loud mainly.
He continued to follow the tracks, it was a good few hours this went on and he sort of marveled at how far the child could travel and was also thankful that so far, he hadn't found any signs of a fight or attack. Just as he figured the tracks would go on for a while longer, he suddenly heard a high pitched, terrified scream from up ahead, followed by the familiar sounds of roars from the monster he was hunting. Clenching his jaw he drew his silver blade and began to sprint through the snow towards the scene. Geralt had to weave through some trees first but he saw the large reddish-brown beast staring down something, likely the child that screamed. He couldn't see the child for the beast was blocking his view, but he figured it had them cornered and the Witcher was too far away to strike with his blade.
Geralt had to get the beast's attention, piss it off somehow and make it come after him. He drew out his little handheld crossbow then, after some quick thinking and took aim, firing at the creature's hip. It wasn't going to hurt much, it being such a tiny little bolt against such a large monster, but it still roared in annoyance, whipping around to face who dared to disturb it. The beast was a large fiend, a nice rack of antlers on its three-eyed head, long fangs hanging down a deer-like head, being fairly hairless besides some fur around its neck, arms, and back. It's back feet had hooves, but its front feet were much more dangerous... more like paws armed with sharp claws. It looked pissed and scratched at the ground, before rearing up and charging at the Witcher. A flurry of snow kicked up around it as the beast ran at Geralt, getting ready to ram him. The Witcher waited until it got close, before rolling aside, though not without getting a lot of snow and some dirt kicked up at him. The fiend ended up smacking into a tree, staggering it a little.
The Witcher had two choices, fight the fiend and hopefully slay it here and now, or grab the child and get them out of here and out of harm's way. If he fought the fiend here the child could be injured or worse if they didn't leave the scene, but if he left the fiend it could come back later and attack... Though at least then Geralt could be more prepared. In a few seconds the Witcher had to decide what he was going to do and reached into a small pack on his belt, pulling out a Samum bomb, a magical bomb mostly meant to stun creatures more than anything. He tossed it at the fiends head, staggering it more as it made a fairly loud boom sound. Geralt sheathed his sword then and turned around, looking at the elfling just cowering by a large tree... This was why he choose this option.
With a grumble the Witcher ran to the child, bending down and scooping them-no her, it was clearly a girl now that he got a better look at her, up into his arms. She screamed again at being so suddenly snatched up but allowed him to carry her without trying to wiggle away thankfully. If she tried to ask him anything he didn't hear it, as his ears were still ringing from the scream and the beast's roar behind him as it was no doubt coming back to its senses. He blocked it all out though and focused on his plan, fiends were large and bulky, he knew a village was to the South so it wouldn't be best to go that way... The West however usually got denser with trees. He was facing East so the Witcher had to turn around, before breaking out into a run again, noting the feeling of the child's arms wrapping around his neck for stability as he weaved their way through the trees.
As expected the trees and brush got thicker and denser the further along he went, the fiend was chasing after them, crashing into trees and other flora which slowed it down pretty good. The Witcher's heart, while one would expect it to be fluttering like crazy, was actually beating at a pretty normal pace oddly enough, meanwhile, the child's was beating like crazy, her eyes wide as she watched the monster over Geralt's shoulder, in between the handles of his two swords. Meanwhile, Geralt was pleasantly surprised that the girl was being so compliant, having expected her to be frightened of him and demanding to be let go. Especially elves given the trouble they have these days, though he never really seen elves in Skellige before...
Finally, the trees got too dense for the beast and it was forced to stop, snarling and growling at the Witcher who slowed his pace, turning back to see it huff. Geralt would be back... he had a contract on that monster so he wasn't about to just leave entirely. No this was about the child currently in his arms, he had to keep her safe first as the beast could wait a bit. All the nearby villagers were told not to stray too far until the Witcher was done and it was getting late... Which might work to his advantage. The child would no doubt be tired then and perhaps he could put her somewhere safe and warm without a fuss. At least until he could get back and slay the beast in the morning or even still at night if he was too worried about it come that hour.
The child didn't want to look at the beast and whimpered, burying her face into the crook of Geralt's neck. She was understandably afraid of the fiend, but it was still strange she didn't seem afraid of the Witcher currently holding her. She clung to him like a lifeline though, likely because in a sense he was, but it didn't make it any less confusing as to why she trusted him as much as she did. The fiend soon walked away, unable to go further due to the trees and brush, leaving Geralt and the small elf alone, for now. "I-is it gone? " The girl asked, trembling in Geralt's hold and too afraid to look and check for herself. The Witcher's deep, rumbling voice came in reply, though if sounding a tiny bit wary. "Yes, it's gone. "
Seeing no reason to keep holding her now and the fact that she might freak out now, the Witcher decided to gently put the child down into her own two feet. But small arms still clung to him for a moment or two, as if she was afraid to let go, but finally, she did. "T-thank you, mister... " She said shyly, looking down and avoiding eye contact for some reason. He wasn't complaining but it was still weird to see. "Welcome, what are you doing out here all alone? " He asked, his tone taking on a minor scolding edge like one would use for a child who did something crazy and dangerous... like wander into monster infested woods alone. He stayed crouching to seem less looming, but still, she shuffled nervously under his unintentional piercing gaze. "I was looking f-for a tree... For mommy and my little b-brother. " She explained, though Geralt didn't exactly understand.
Meanwhile, the elfling herself was filled with worry and swirling thoughts, she didn't get a good look at the man that saved her and was too afraid to look now. But she had a feeling she knew what he was... She saw the two swords he carried and far as she knew, there was only one group of people who did that... Witchers. But her mother always told her not to judge a book by its cover, Witchers were people too and this one saved her life. She shifted as she waited for him to respond, it seemed like he was taking a moment to think, about what she didn't know. "It's dangerous out here, was hired to slay that monster because it's attacking people on the road. " She heard him explain and she nodded, having heard the news about the village nearby hiring a professional. But she didn't care, that tree and tradition were important to her family.
"I know... but th-the tree is really important for my family, I h-had to try and get it. " She explained, hoping he would understand. Do Witchers have a family? If he did maybe that would help in seeing how important family was especially this time of year. A cool winter breeze blew through though and the child shivered a little, she had some thicker winter clothes on but her body was still small and it was getting late, meaning the temperature was dropping. She never planned to be out this late but she still hadn't found the right tree yet that would fit in their little house.
Geralt noticed the shiver while he was mulling over the child's reasoning to risk her life. "Let's make camp for tonight. " He stated, deciding he needed some time to figure out how he was going to handle both this and the monster situation. Plus with it being cold it wouldn't hurt to have a nice fire to warm up by. He knew the child's family would be worried sick about her being missing overnight but he can't bring her back now, the monster would follow and attack the village. The little one nodded to his proposal, seeming happy to the idea of warmth, making Geralt give a nod in return before standing back up.
After that, the two decided to start gathering firewood, though never straying too far apart in case a smaller monster attacked. During this, the child got a better look at the Witcher, confirming her thoughts that he was indeed one given the obvious cat-like eyes he had. It was easier to look at him when he wasn't looking at her, though whenever he did she always looked away, knowing it was rude to stare. The Witcher was gathering mostly larger pieces of wood to help keep the fire going, while the girl was picking up smaller stuff, good for starting the fire and re-starting it if it dies. As they gathered though, the child felt maybe she should break the ice somehow. "Um... What is your name, mister Witcher? " She asked while reaching up to pick up a few more nice, dry twigs and smaller sticks off of a tree since the snow made everything wet on the ground.
"Geralt. " Came his reply, not sounding mean per se but the lack of words was certainly discouraging for the little one. She understood he didn't seem to be a huge talker though, for whatever reason that may be except his grumbly voice. "I see... um, I'm Rina... " She responded, unsure if he cared or not, it was hard to tell what he was thinking. But when the girl slipped a look his way after giving her name, she saw him smiling faintly. "Pretty name. " He said, still not saying a lot of words now but Rina could tell he was being nice. She guessed maybe he was just a man of few words, which was okay she guessed. "Y-yours is too... well I-I mean not pretty but n-nice! " She stammered a little, realizing the Witcher probably didn't want to have anything belonging to him called pretty.
He didn't really care either way but let out an amused chuckle to her stumbling over her words, before bending down to pick up another piece of wood and stacking it in his arms, it looking as if it fell after the snowfall since it was on top. Instead of answering though, he paused, looking at his woodpile and then Rina's. "Probably enough for now, I'll go get more later. " He said, knowing they could be out here for hours searching. The child was getting colder and trudging through the snow looking for firewood wasn't helping, so she didn't argue. "Okay! " She stopped and looked at him, watching him think as he looked around, possibly trying to decide where a good place would be to start a fire. "Let's go here. " He said, walking to a semi-flat part and using his foot to push the snow aside. He kept doing this to make a decent cleared spot and once he was about half done, Rina caught on to what he was doing and tried to help.
The little elfling seemed to get more brave and bold with the Witcher the more time she spent with him, not seeming to mind getting close but looking at his face was still a little scary. "Like that? " SHe asked once they had a pretty good clear place to have a fire, for them to sit down by it and to have a semi-snow free place to put the wood they gathered. "Yes, put your wood down there, " he said, gesturing to the center of the cleared area before putting his wood down right where he stood. It made sense he wanted the main wood pile far enough from the fire to not catch aflame, but the smaller firewood and starter to be where he was going to start it. Rina listened to him and walked to the center, putting her pile down before backing away as he walked over.
The Witcher crouched down and began to make a little triangle with the sticks and twigs, the child standing by and watching him as he did this. After putting some dead pine needles the gathered off a tree earlier within the stick triangle, Geralt then raised a hand a foot or so, before flicking his wrist. A flame spark flickered in the pine needles and it began to smoke, in which the Witcher bent down further to gently blow on it, not too hard in risk of blowing it out though. A few breaths later and there was a tiny flame, the elfling beside him gasped to this display, not being sure how he managed to light it without any kind of tool. "Woah! How did you do that? "
Geralt glanced to Rina over his shoulder, seeming to almost forget he had an audience when he made use of Igni, a type of spell called a sign Witchers used. He was a little unsure if he should tell her, as the majority of folk were paranoid about magic or anything like it. But the idea of lying to the little one didn't sit well with him, not to mention he really couldn't think of any other answer. "With a sign, Igni. " He answered if seeming a little tense about it. So far she didn't seem that frightened of him beyond natural shyness and he really didn't want to ruin that by accident. He watched as Rina blinked at the building fire, seeming to only grow more curious. "What's a sign? " She inquired, stepping closer to him and seeming to be getting braver from her curiosity.
The man shifted his position while she waited for an answer, watching as he tucked his feet under his rear and rested his hands on his lap. At first, she thought he wouldn't answer her at all, though truth be told he was just trying to pick his words carefully. "Type of simple magic us Witchers use. " He casually answered, not looking at her and focusing on the fire he made for them. Rina decided to sit down too, feeling the warmth of the fire seep into her and chase away the creeping cold from around them. "Magic? " She questioned, her eyes lighting up with further intrigue. "What else can you do? " She asked with a bit of excitement, hoping he would tell her. After all, they didn't really have much else to do sitting here, at least in the child's mind.
The Witcher sighed softly, not annoyed but he never really spoke of his abilities to a child before and had to think of how he should go about it. She seemed accepting so he wasn't going to deny her the knowledge. "Aard is a force sign, usually used to push things away or apart, but can also be used to put out fires. " He explained one of his more utility like signs, a seemingly harmless one for the most part. "Yrden is a ground affecting sign, can slow down monsters, make them visible and whole. " He explained the sign he used, especially for fighting wraiths and other specters. At this point, he took note of the fact the child was now right beside him. "That sounds so cool! Anything else? " She asked, not seeming to be nervous yet but he hasn't told her about the more dangerous signs, nor explained the fact Igni was not just for lighting fires.
"There's Quen, a shield sign to protect Witchers from damage if we get hit. " There was a little more to it but he didn't see the reason to spell it out to her. All she needed to know was the basics of his signs. As he spoke just that short bit though, he felt the child lean up against his side, her head rested on his lower bicep. "That sounds nice… Could you protect me with that?" The ever curious elf girl asked though her voice did sound more distant, tired even. She then twisted her neck to look up at him with equally calm eyes, not really focusing on any part of him and just looking content. Geralt's armor was not the most comfortable thing to lean against but she felt safer being close to him. Rina recalled the moment he picked her up, she was frightened and stunned that anyone was even around much less a Witcher. Everything happened so fast with one moment she thought she was going to perish and the next moment, strong gentle arms carried her to safety. She felt so lucky, but still a little shaken up from it, wishing she could forget the sight of the beast in her mind.
From her question and encroaching, he did shift a tiny bit, possibly a little uneasily. He was not used to people wanting to be close to him besides a few select friends and other people emotionally close to him. "Not really, can only cast it on myself and not be hindered. But... " He told her, before trailing off and raising his arm that she was not against, making the Quen symbol appear as a white, magical thing from his hand for just a moment, before a yellow dome surrounded them both, while he kept his hand and gesture up. Rina gasped in awe to this, looking around the small magical bubble they were in. "This is so cool~. " She said happily, tempted to reach out and touch the bubble but resisted, unsure of what it would do and she didn't want to break it.
He held it for a little while longer before dropping it, the shield breaking apart in little shiny magic bits before fading entirely. "Only drawback is I can't move very quickly or fight with that. " He explained, to clarify why he said no at first. Rina was still smiling though, not seeming to mind. "It's still cool, thank you for showing me. " Of course she understood based on what he said that he couldn't keep it up all the time but it was still nice to know of. Maybe he would do it if the monster showed up... Her thoughts trailed off with a yawn, finding herself huddling against the Witcher a bit more, unsure if she felt comfortable sleeping out here. Not that she didn't trust him, even if they just met not long ago he gave her no reason not to trust him. But even snuggled against his side she still felt so exposed, the cold nipping at her back a constant reminder of this.
She didn't want to bother him, as for one she was unsure if there was anything he could do about it, but she kept fidgeting, showing her unwillingness to sleep. Geralt must have noticed as he felt him move a little, looking down at her. "Uncomfortable? " He questioned with the single word, but it's all that was needed to get what he was asking across. Rina shifted a little nervously, feeling bad for disturbing him even if he's clearly awake still. "Kinda…. I-it's not you though! I'm just... It's cold and w-what if the monster comes back while we're asleep? " She asked him, showing her concern over the situation at hand. Rina didn't want to bug him about her worries but since he asked she had nothing else to say but to just tell him and hope he didn't get upset or anything, though she could understand if he got annoyed by her concerns.
"I won't be sleeping, I'll hear it coming if it does return. The trees around us will prevent it from getting to us without making a lot of noise though. " He explained to her, in hopes of calming her down, at least a little anyway. The small elf whimpered softly, feeling slightly better about it but still not entirely happy. "Okay, I guess... " She appreciated his kind words though, even if it was hard to tell whether he was annoyed or not since his voice sounded the same most of the time. The child tried to settle down now and relax, sticking to calming thoughts to get some shuteye. She did feel better to know he'd be awake, but he needed sleep too right? Would he be tired and cranky in the morning? She wasn't sure if she could handle a big, grumpy Witcher in the morning...
Geralt watched her after he spoke, noticing she seemed to accept his words but not entirely convinced to rest. He let out a soft sigh, looking away and back to the fire as he thought about what he could possibly do to make the child feel better. After all, she did mention she was cold and no amount of words could fix that, even if he didn't quite understand how someone can be cold with a fire like this, he supposed maybe it was her small size, it made it easier for her to get cold. "Would you feel better if you were somewhere warm and enclosed? " The Witcher asked after a moment or two of thinking. Something came to mind and while he had no surefire way of knowing how she would react to it, he felt that it'd be the best bet for her and fix both worries she had.
Rina perked up to the offer though, to her, it was just what she was hoping for! Question was, where was this somewhere? She still rather be close to the Witcher, would he come with her? "Yes, that sounds perfect! Will... will you come with me? I don't wanna be alone. " She stated, looking up at him with hopeful eyes. If there was somewhere warm and enclosed they could be, why did he build this fire though? That didn't quite make sense, but she'll hear him out regardless and maybe get a better picture of what he was talking about. "I will be with you, yes. " He confirmed, which to her just sounded perfect. "C-can we go then? please? " She asked hopefully, small hands resting on his arm though she expected she might have to get up if he said yes.
The Witcher had a slightly unsure feeling, unsure if he should go through with his plan... What if she got scared and screamed or something? He didn't want to frighten an innocent child, but the way she looked at him, she really wanted to be safe and warm. "Yes. " He said after a moment, deciding to give in and hope... just maybe if he was gentle enough little Rina wouldn't be afraid. The Witcher then twisted his upper body to face her better, one of his large gloved hands being held out to her in a nice manner. "May I? " He asked, referring to holding her hands as he didn't want to just grab her. There was a look of confusion on the child's face, assuming they would be getting up and walking somewhere, but that's clearly not what Geralt had in mind. Still... she trusted him, so she gently placed one of her much smaller hands in his, looking up at him with innocent eyes as she waited for something to make sense.
Geralt felt his heart flutter a little, surprised she trusted him so much, most people didn't. With a deep, slow breath he used his other hand to softly grab her other hand, bringing them together in just one of his. He paused again, to give them both time, making sure she was still okay and while he could tell she was confused, she wasn't afraid... yet. So the Witcher slowly brought her hands up to his face, arching his back to lower his head down a little. Rina could feel the warm breath from his nose puffing on her hands and she only grew more confused, but not scared or untrusting. She wanted to ask what he was doing but decided to just trust, wait and see.
There was another pause, those eyes softening, giving a sense of a gentle kitty almost, at least to Rina. At last, his mouth then opened a little, just enough to slip her little hands inside. It took her a bit by surprise, watching in slight awe to see her two hands slip inside Geralt's mouth, feeling his tongue just resting under her fingers, while his lips closed softly around her wrists. She felt warm saliva getting her hands wet, which at first made her think it was a bit icky. But his mouth was also really warm, gentle warmth and not like the harsh warmth of the fire where if you got too close you got burned. Still, she wondered what he was doing... Was he just warming her hands? They were kinda cold but this didn't really solve her problem. Rina shifted a little but didn't pull away, feeling her hands get all slimy in his mouth, but at least he didn't bite.
The Witcher was quite glad she wasn't freaking out yet, but they had a long ways to go and he was sure she'd freak out before he could finish. But with any luck, he'll be too close to done for it to matter too much. His one hand held her arms now, not tightly just sort of supporting them, before he took the first swallow. Strong throat muscles lurched as they grabbed her hands and pulled them down out of his mouth and into his throat. She could feel her wrists just on the edge of his throat, while her fingers were all softly squished up in some of the softest stuff she ever felt. It was warmer deeper inside of him, but still a comfortable, welcoming warmth. Before she could quite register what was going on though, Geralt swallowed a second time, her wrists and part of her arms getting swallowed down.
At this point, Rina was starting to get a tiny bit nervous... Was he going to swallow her whole? Why would he do that? She guessed he did seem a little unsure about helping her with her request and maybe this was why. Because his solution was a little scary, still he'd been so nice to her so far, it would be a pretty jarring turn if he suddenly decided to hurt her now. He was also being really gentle about it and from what she knew, Witchers were pretty strong so he had no reason to worry about her struggling really unless he cared about her feelings. With that in mind, she relaxed the best she could, watching his face and mouth get closer as he swallowed and she found herself having to lean closer to him.
Geralt was kinda surprised she was so calm, but he certainly wasn't complaining. The little elfling's arms were so little and thin that gulping them down was easy, then again all of her was pretty thin even with the semi-heavy coat she was wearing, she will likely slide right down inside of the Witcher's belly with ease. Soon all of her arms were either in his mouth or throat, little fingers were able to feel just how warm and snug it was inside of him, or at least his lower throat. But soon came the time for him to engulf her head, which would be a big step from just her hands and arms. At this point, Geralt decided to gently grab her by the waist with both hands, lifting her up and resting her on his knees so he didn't have to twist to the side.
Rina lightly squeaked when she was suddenly picked up, but she could understand why they were at a weird angle and this made things a bit easier. The girl gazed up at his yellow eyes again, seeing they still held that soft look about them, reassuring her that... Despite the fact he seemed to be very much swallowing her whole, everything was going to somehow be okay. If his belly was like his throat and it was safe, Rina believed she'd be quite happy and comfortable inside. Soon after that Geralt opened his mouth a little more, swallowing her arms and then slipping her shoulders and head inside of his jaws, taking care not to scrape her against his teeth too much or too roughly. It was a mouthful that's for sure, but nothing he couldn't handle. There was a muffled surprised sound from Rina, but she still kept still, allowing the Witcher to continue his work.
He didn't pause really since she gave him no real reason to, instead he kept swallowing, her head and shoulders slipping into his gullet. She thought maybe it would start getting uncomfortably tight once her body started sliding in deeper, but the flesh just stretched out of the way to accommodate her slim form, proving to be snug but not uncomfortable in the Witcher's insides. It was dark, so dark she couldn't really see anything besides the tiny bits of light that might have slipped in his mouth and past her form, but the deeper she was gulped down the more even that was not visible. At this point, Rina closed her eyes to try and keep his saliva out of them, that and there was no point in keeping them open.
The girl took shallow, slow breaths to try and keep calm, her cold body welcoming the softness and warmth of Geralt's throat, but her instincts were telling her this was dangerous, that being swallowed was not good. However her heart wanted to believe he'd never harm her, he was a nice Witcher and only wanted to keep her safe. Meanwhile, Geralt was swallowing down her torso next, her waist easing into his mouth while he felt her head begin to enter his stomach. His hand was now holding her ankles together while gently easing her legs down his throat, slowly but steadily swallowing in rhythm. With each gulp the little elfling vanished deeper into the Witcher's body, one hand resting softly on his chainmail covered middle while he slurped down her feet. He could feel his middle swelling a little from the large 'meal' he consumed, his mouth finally able to close once her little boots slipped down his throat.
Rina was a little at awe when she eased down into his belly, still unable to really see anything but... it was so gentle and warm in here, the flesh forming to her body and kneading comfortingly around her. She had to wiggle and squirm a little just to sit upright since she came in head first, but after that, she was pretty cozy. The stomach let out a content gurgle as she felt something tenderly rubbing against her from the outside, after a moment or two she realized it was his hands rubbing his middle, which felt rather nice as the wee elf relaxed further in Geralt's warm gut. "Thank you... it feels rather nice in here. " She said, feeling the warmth had already chased away the cold and she felt that safe, secure and enclosed feeling she yearned for. It was oddly... perfect for her, despite how weird the concept was overall.
Geralt felt a weight lifted off his shoulders to hear her say thank you, having feared she would be frightened this whole time and pleading to be let out. But instead Rina seemed... happy and the Witcher himself smiled softly, giving his stomach a few more gentle rubs, before patting it. "Welcome, Rina. " He felt a warm, content feeling inside, both from being pleasantly full but also the knowledge of keeping the little girl safe, perhaps if she was willing he could go slay that fiend tomorrow and not have to worry about her getting hurt, as long as he kept himself from getting hurt she'd be fine. "Would you mind if I went hunting for that monster tomorrow with you in there? " The Witcher decided to ask now, however, he would understand if she needed more time to decide.
The girl shifted some within the soft belly, small hands lightly pushing at the walls as if to test their strength. They gave a little at first, then stopped, likely due to a combo of powerful muscle and armor. She did feel really safe in here and she would've felt bad if she messed up the Witcher's hunt. She moved to softly snuggle against the nearby belly wall, any traces of fear she might have had were now gone from his gentle nature and request. He didn't suddenly turn or act mean, he was the same as he was before swallowing her down, maybe even nicer despite his gruffness. "No, I know you want to slay it so... I trust you, I'll be good. " She did wonder what was going to be done about the tree she wanted for her family, but Geralt had been so nice already, saving her from the fiend and continuing to protect and keep her warm, it seemed a lot to ask any more from him.
Geralt, however, didn't forget about her request and reason for being out here, he just wanted to deal with the more immediate problems, then worry about that. "If I find a tree that you want I'll take it with me. " Assuming it was small enough for him to carry of course. Rina was surprised to hear that as she was thinking it but didn't say anything, but now it reminded her of something she had to tell him. "We try not to kill a tree if we don't have to, we usually take one that is already fallen, usually one... about as tall as you. " She told him, which made sense as elves did not like harming nature unless they had to. Geralt found it to be another difficulty but... he'll still see what he could do, at least this meant he didn't have to dull anything trying to cut it down. He reasoned it really would be best to hunt the fiend first though, he didn't really want to carry a tree around and have to drop it when he finally found the beast.
"I'll see what I can do, after the contract. " He informed her before he almost let his eyes drift closed... Then he remembered, he assumed the girl was from the village he got the contract from, but he felt he should probably confirm that before making any assumptions. "Where does your family live anyway? " The gruff Witcher asked, not wanting to accidentally bring the child to the wrong people. Though regardless of where she was he still had to go to the village he got the contract from. But she could just stay in his belly, his stomach wasn't that swollen, at least not bad enough for people to question too much as long as he just got his payment and moved on. After all, it wasn't an of their business what he decided to consume right?
Rina blinked, confused by the question at first as she thought he knew, but then she thought back and realized that while she talked about her family, she never said where they were. "W-well... we live with the druids, they said we can stay since elves respect nature and knew we had nowhere else to go... We couldn't really go to the villages. " She explained, hoping he wouldn't change his mind since that meant he had to go somewhere else. Truth be told though the Witcher didn't mind, especially if the wee elfling stayed in his stomach until he got everything taken care of, there wasn't much of a reason to complain. He was not about to drop an elf child in the woods and tell her to make it back home on her own. "Take you there after I fulfill my contract and get paid, alright? " He informed, giving another light pat to his middle.
The child didn't mind that, she was warm, safe and snuggled up in soft squishy flesh, she was in no big hurry. Of course, she wanted to get back to her parents, but an hour or so here and there was no biggie. One thing she was kinda worried about though made her speak up. "Will I be staying in your tummy? " She asked curiously, unsure how long he was able to keep her in here or if there was no limit. It was kinda weird to think about being carried around the land in someone's stomach, but it also was a nice thought. She could just relax and trust Geralt to keep them both safe from the dangers of Skellige.
Geralt was sort of expecting the question and he wasn't entirely sure how she would feel, so he answered carefully. "Yes, unless you don't want to. " He replied, wanting to give her the option, so she didn't feel trapped or kidnapped by him. However, she was, of course, happy to hear this, smiling in the darkness and giving the nearby wall a soft rub. The texture was strange but she felt it was the best way to convoy her feelings. "I won't mind at all. " She spoke up in a sweet, calm tone. After that, she began to feel her previous tiredness setting in, with the excitement of the whole being eaten thing finally fading to be replaced by comfort and this... peaceful feeling. Little Rina yawned and rested her head against the stomach wall to her left. "I'm getting sleepy now... " She admitted quietly, unsure if he'd be able to hear her though.
He did though if a bit faintly he heard her. "Then rest, it's late. " He said in a softer tone, his voice still deep and rumbling, but it had a tender air behind it. After he said that, he decided he should follow his own advice, resting his hands in his lap again as he usually did when he mediated. Rina smiled to his words and closed her eyes, letting the sound of his breathing and steady heartbeat lure her to sleep. The Witcher put some more wood on the fire, knowing he'll have to collect more in the middle of the night probably, but he shouldn't bother the little one while he did it. After that he settled back down in front of the flames, the embers reflecting off his yellow eyes making them almost appear like shining gold for a moment, before Geralt closed his eyes and relaxed again, slipping into the state of mediation, not full on sleeping but not fully awake either.
A few hours later he did indeed have to gather some more wood, the forest around them being oddly quiet, which put him on edge. The girl slept through his movements, however, as he moved smoothly and with surprising grace. After he was sure they had enough wood to get through the night, he settled back down again, ready to spring into action should the fiend or another monster stray too close.
Come morning, Geralt stirred first, from the sun shining in his eyes through the treetops, which glistened with snow, looking like crystals. Given the Witcher was unable to eat at this time, he decided to just put the fire out with a bit of snow and some water he could spare. Rina was still fast asleep, not that he was complaining and her presence did stave off the urge of hunger. Thus he felt comfortable continuing his hunt, aiming to claim his prey today as long as nothing else threw a wrench into things. He made sure the fire was truly out with a good flick of Aard, before he started to head off on his merry way.
The woods were still oddly quiet... the fiend was clearly not far off, the beast possibly still angry about that bomb, crossbow bolt, and the Witcher stealing its food. It wouldn't be the first time I monster held a grudge against him, likely wouldn't be the last. Geralt kept his wits about him, walking slowly and keeping his eyes peeled, snow crunching under his feet before sinking in a few inches. He didn't see any tracks oddly enough, at least not off hand, the beast might not be quite as close as he thought it could be but it was much better to be safe rather than sorry.
Just as these thoughts crossed his mind though, he heard a distant growl and as if on queue, Rina shifted within his stomach. "Mister Geralt? I-is it morning? " She asked and Geralt cringed a little, he had to stay focused. "Yes, be quiet I heard the fiend. " He muttered, hoping that'd be enough to satisfy the child. With the beast in the area, he drew his silver sword, before reaching into his bags and getting a bottle of relict oil out. He poured the fluid over the silver blade, soaking it in the substance before tossing the now empty bottle aside. He was unable to drink any potions with the child inside of him, so he'd have to do without. Instead, he made a gesture in the air again, a small yellow wisp of light flickering around his body, protecting him from harm.
Rina gasped, tensing up and hugging her knees closer to her chest. Was he going to fight the beast now? What should she do? Maybe nothing? She felt him move a little but didn't know what he was doing. A small whimper escaped the child, but she tried to tell herself everything will be okay, that Geralt knew what he was doing and wouldn't fail. She also hoped that she wasn't burdening him, which maybe she was a tiny bit, but with the strength of a Witcher, it wasn't too noticeable as long as she wasn't squirming or anything. Now that might make things more difficult... Of course, she understood she shouldn't distract him and while she really wanted to ask more about what he was doing and if he was going to fight it, she withheld those questions, figuring she would find the latter out soon enough.
The Witcher shifted into a fighting stance, sword at the ready as he watched trees and brush shift and rustle, something quite large clearly moving through them. He listened to the sounds of massive hooves and clawed paws both walking, sinking into the snow much deeper than the Witcher, but it not seeming to deter it much if at all. Finally, he could see the shape in the shadows of the trees, a massive rack of antlers and a looming figure barely able to fit through the woods. It saw Geralt and bared it's long, dagger-like fangs, before a roar escaped it's throat, causing Geralt's ears to ring a bit and his passenger to flinch, a frightened yelp escaping her but otherwise being still. "Let's dance. " Geralt muttered under his breath in a taunting tone, just as the beast reared up and began to charge at the Witcher, filled with anger and a lust for blood.
Eyes narrowed, muscles tense, the Witcher watched and waited as the fiend charged, waiting for just the right moment before dodging aside, giving himself an extra few seconds to accommodate the weight in his stomach. The timing was nearly perfect, the beast veering off just a little from the slightly early dodge, but still crashing into a rather large tree after plowing over some little ones, just not the one intended. Geralt still took advantage though, thrusting his sword towards the beast's hindquarter, before slashing at it a few more times as it recovered. He then had to jump back as he narrowly missed being gored by the beast's dangerous antlers.
The fiend wasn't done yet, however, instead, it lunged forward again with its front paw, slashing at the Witcher's shoulder that was holding the sword and managed to hit him. However the sign he cast earlier, Quen, protected him from the damage. Still, it sort of staggered him and he took a moment to gain his senses again, jumping aside from a second slash from the beast's claws. As the fiend turned to him to prepare another attack, the Witcher reached behind him, grabbing a bomb off his belt and tossing it at the monster's face. It was another Samum bomb, the same he used the first time they met. He tossed it and the fiend roared in pain from it, stumbling back and covering its face with a paw. The Witcher attacked again this time, slashing and slicing at its face and chest.
Each time the silver sword cut into the beast's flesh, it began to get weaker, blood loss setting in, but still, it fought, rearing up and aiming to stomp on the Witcher. At this point Geralt decided to go for the kill, lunging forward at the same time to be more or less under the creature, thrusting his sword up and stabbing it in the heart, with the aid of the fiend's attempt to crush him. Thankfully the monster ended up falling aside instead of on top of him, but a heavy paw did land on his legs, causing him to fall backward. "Damn it. " He cursed, reaching down to push the paw off of him, which was a bit harder to do as he didn't want to squish Rina in his belly. "E-everything okay? " He heard the little muffled voice ask, sounding worried. "Yes, just stuck under... this... damn paw. " He answered while he decided to try a different tactic, instead of pushing it off of him he tried to slide out from under it.
With some effort, he managed to get out from under it, shifting to stand back up on his own two feet. His sword was still stuck in the fiend's chest, so he walked over and reached up, grabbing the handle and yanking it out. The blade was coated in blood and still had some oil on it, certainly in need of cleaning. "You alright? " He asked the child, knowing it was probably an interesting ride, to say the least. While he asked, he started to get some water and a rag to clean the blood and oil off, not wanting to get the inside of his sheath all dirty. He felt some soft movement in his gut as if the little one was getting comfortable again from the jarring events no doubt tossing her around a little.
"Yeah I'm alright, it's... soft enough in here that nothing hurt. " She told him, suspecting the beast in question was dead now considering everything was much quieter and calmer now. Part of her was glad she didn't have to see, for one the thing terrified her but she was also a bit squeamish about blood and such. "Good." The Witcher responded while putting his now somewhat clean sword away. Some oil still remained but at least the blood was gone and that was what he most wanted off. He then drew a smaller knife from his belt, crouching down beside the fiend's neck and starting to cut off a trophy, the monster's head, for proof of the deed.
Thankfully the sounds of cutting and carving were not too loud for the girl, the sounds of Geralt's body at work being louder. She supposed now he'll head back to the village and get his pay, while both of them can hope no one gets too nosy about his stomach, mainly the fullness of it. Geralt whistled for his horse to come and after a few moments, she came out of the woods and up to her rider. He walked around her with the beast's head and tied it on the side. He decided riding the horse might be a bit too bouncy for the girl and it wasn't far, so he just grabbed the reins and gently led the horse behind him while he walked. However before he walked too much further, he spotted some broke up trees from the beast's charging.
Frowning, he dropped the reins and walked over the fallen trees, spotting one that was actually fairly small but no longer connected to anything. Curious to see if it was still in decent shape, he bent down and picked it up by the trunk, standing it up beside him and looking it over. It actually wasn't that messed up, it stood just a few inches shorter than him and while it had some snow stuck to it, it looked fine. "Think I found a tree for you. " He announced, giving it a good shake to get some of the snow off and to test to be sure it was as sturdy as he thought. "Oh? Can I see? " Rina asked, not that she doubted the Witcher's judgment but she wanted to see regardless.
Geralt wasn't offended, he knew nothing of this family custom and wouldn't mind getting her opinion on it. "Yes, give me a moment. " He said, letting out a slow breath afterward and relaxing his muscles, or at least his torso muscles, he still had to hold up the tree. After that, he focused on his stomach muscles, at first just firming up but then they soon began to push the child upwards, head first. It was arguably tighter than going down, but the gentle care behind it of not squeezing too hard made the process bearable. That and everything was still fairly soft and plush, just with dense, strong muscle behind it. After a moment or two of squelching and squeezing, her head slipped up into his mouth and he opened his jaws, letting her peer outside, but not letting her out entirely. Instead, he just held her there while he held the tree in her view. There was no reason to let her out entirely after all if she was able to see enough like this.
Rina didn't mind and just gazed over the tree, eyes wide in amazement that a fight with a monster managed to break this tree from its roots. She kinda wished it was a tiny bit taller but it made up for it by being rather bushy and thick, having plenty of nice branches and not really any big gaps. It was a shame the poor thing died but it followed their elven law not to needlessly harm living things and since this one died by the hands of that beast, there was no reason they can't take it now. "It's perfect mister Geralt! Can you take it with you? " She asked, hoping it wouldn't be too much trouble for him to take. Of course, he was unable to answer at this time and instead tipped his head back, swallowing the little elfling back down his throat. There was a rather cute squeak, not upset sounding just surprised while she slipped back down fully into his warm belly again.
The Witcher used his free hand to softly pat his middle before answering. "Yes, I'll bring it, don't worry. " He told her in a calm and content tone. He then walked up to Roach and put the tree on her back, on its side, with one end sticking out further than the other on the horse's sides to try and balance the weight. After he was satisfied with its exact placement, he tied it down with a few ropes and tested the retrains, making sure it won't fall off, while also making sure it wasn't too much of a load for the mare. Once he was content with it he grabbed the reigns again and began walking towards the village, eager to collect his pay at the very least. While Geralt walked, Rina who was now awake unlike before the monster fight, she started asking a few questions. It was not an overwhelming amount, just two or three questions about his profession and one might argue, his race.
He humored her of course, answering her questions calmly with surprising patience. That was until he started to near the village, which he decided it would be best if the wee girl was quiet. "Village is up ahead, be quiet and still. " He told her in a serious tone, knowing if anyone suspected he swallowed someone whole, it would probably not be a pretty thing and blood might very well be drawn. Village folk were not known for their understanding and likely wouldn't believe him that the elfling was safe. Rina heard his warning and serious tone of voice, deciding to obey right away and go silent, curling up in a tighter ball which made the lump in his middle a tiny bit smaller. He still looked like he swallowed a small watermelon but he just had to act like everything was fine and hope no one got pushy.
Geralt walked down the hill with his horse behind him, passing the first building and a few guards, hearing the usual dumb comments from them that the Witcher ignored. Instead, he made his way to the elder of the village, which happened to be a woman, an older lady. She looked up when she heard Geralt coming and smiled to see the beast's head on the mare, though the tree confused her. "Is that the head of the creature that hunted along our roads? " She asked, assuming as such but wanting to confirm it regardless. The Witcher nodded, moving so Roach would turn and the woman could see the head more clearly. "Wonderful, and you've seemed to get fatter since you were here, amazing. " She commented, noticing his rather stuffed belly. Geralt sighed, being more interested in his pay than that. "Ate too much on the way there. " He answered as calmly as he could.
The excuse seemed to appease her and she hummed, before turning to count out some crowns she had on a table, putting them inside of a leather pouch. "Here's your pay Witcher. " She said, dropping the pouch into his hand. He tested it's weight, judging it felt it was enough for the deed. "Thanks, take care now. " Geralt said in a nice, yet still gruff tone. After that he turned and began to lead Roach out of the village. Rina was good and stayed very quiet and still, though it was scary knowing people probably thought she was food. Thankfully the Witcher didn't and she kept reminding herself that's all that mattered. There was a few jokes from people saying he looked fat and that they were not aware fat Witchers could still do a job, but he ignored them and kept walking, nearing the edge of the village. Thankfully no one directly confronted him and he was allowed to leave peacefully.
Now he had to think for a moment about where the druids lived, doing some quick directional thinking before he turned and started to head off that way. He waited a moment or two longer before speaking to his guest, just to make sure he wasn't being followed or that his voice might carry that far. "Okay, we left the village now, you can relax. " He assured, giving his middle and the cute little one within a gentle, comforting rub with his free hand. His belly softly gurgled then, a harmless one of course. He felt movement again as Rina relaxed, still curled up but not as tightly as she was before. "That was scary... " She admitted shyly, referring to the short time in the village. It wasn't long at all but it felt like forever given each moment could have turned sour.
"Going to take you to her home now, with the druids. " He told her, hoping it would ease her worries a bit to know she'd be finally heading home. "Thank you Geralt... you've been really nice to me. " She told him, leaning her head back against the fleshy wall behind her, not terribly far from his spine. Geralt wasn't quite expecting that but he smiled and gladly accepted the kind words from the child. "You're welcome. " He answered, unsure how to return the gesture properly like this, he decided to, for a moment, carefully tighten his stomach muscles. The walls closed in on the girl briefly, softly squishing her but not hurting her, instead, it was more like a makeshift hug. It earned him a shy giggle from Rina after the muscles relaxed again, the little one giving a faint snuggle back from within.
The trip there was fairly quiet, both of them just content and ready to get there. The trek was further than the village but thankfully uneventful after Geralt avoided a few encounters with strategic detouring. In little time at all, he finally made it to the druids. He walked up to the nearest one, figuring they should all know where the elven family was. "Any elves here missing a child? " He asked, the druid turned around with a confused look at first, but then it hit him. "Oh yes, they're worried sick about the little tyke, they're over there Witcher. " Geralt followed the gesture the druid made to a large tree, where the two elves were looking mournful as if perhaps they figured their child was gone. It was not an unfair assumption, Skellige was a dangerous land and it wouldn't take long for even a lone adult to be caught in said danger, much less a kid. "Thanks. " He told the druid, before walking aside, needing a private moment to let Rina out of his stomach so he wouldn't frighten the parents.
He walked down a small hill and moved behind a large boulder below the elves, looking up to make sure he was out of sight. "Alright, I see your parents, I'm going to let you out now. " He told her. It was strange though, she almost found herself forgetting that she'd be leaving the warmth and safety of the Witcher's tummy, of course, she wanted to get back to her parents but she realized she'll probably miss her warm, snuggly little haven she had. Needless to say, she couldn't have both and the Witcher had to move on, plus as kind as he was she still loved her parents and couldn't leave them. "Okay... " Rina said, unsure if she should do anything or not.
The muscles firmed up again, before starting to squeeze from the bottom up, pushing and easing her back up his throat slowly but surely. The process was just as odd as it was the last time. but the girl kept calm and still, letting Geralt take care of it and trusting he will be careful. At this point, the Witcher dropped the reigns, but Roach stayed where she was, a few feet behind him as he regurgitated the small elf. Her skinny little form slipped up into his mouth head first, like before and he opened his jaws, easing her out just a bit more before he was finally able to grab her shoulders and pull her out of him. Thankfully due to her small form, he didn't have that much to pull out, though the poor dear was soaked in his harmless stomach fluids and saliva. Rina did have to squint her eyes to see daylight again without the shade cover of trees, going from his warm, but dark belly to the cold outside world was a minor shock, but she got over it in a few moments.
The Witcher gently placed her on the ground, before he turned around and began to untie the tree from Roach's back. Rina turned around too since she was facing away from him, watching him pull the tree down and hold it upright again, thankfully seeming to fair through the trip just fine. "Alright, let's go to your family. " Geralt said, yellow eyes holding a soft, tender look as he walked past her, carrying the tree and climbing back up the hill to get to the larger tree her parents were at. Assuming he was going to her parents based on what he said, she followed him up there, thankfully not having to carry anything but herself she managed to keep up with him more or less.
She walked beside Geralt once they were on even ground, the Witcher pausing for a moment before pressing on to the elf parents. "Is this your daughter? " Of course he knew the answer but felt it was the best opening statement he could give. The two looked up from their mourning, noticeably stiffening to the sight of the gruff man before them, holding a tree. But then he father looked to the Witcher's side, seeing their daughter there, alive and well. "Oh my... y-yes! That's our baby girl. " He said with both shock but happiness mixed in. "Mommy! Daddy! " The child cheered, rushing forward to hug them both. They embraced their child without hesitation, though then they noticed the wet substance and slowly pulled away. "Sweetie, why are you all... wet? " Her mother asked, trying to flick some off of her.
Geralt took a step back then, unsure if the girl would tell them or not and if she did, he might have to defend himself. Rina paused, blinking as she instead tried to think of a white lie, not wanting to get the nice Witcher in trouble. "Fell in the snow and got wet. " She murmured out, hoping they won't notice how warm she was still from being in his belly. The two parents looked to each other as if trying to decide if the should push the issue further or just be glad to have their child back, safe and sound. In the end, they decided to stick with the latter, hugging Rina again before focusing back on the Witcher. "A tree... is it.. for our tradition? " The father asked, not wanting to assume but... the tree was oddly perfect and he was holding it out to them a little. "Yes, Rina told me about it, it's yours. " He said, holding it out further to him.
The father took the tree then, it being a bit heavier to him than it was to Geralt, he used two hands to steady it. "Thank you so much sir, I'm afraid we can't really repay you as we don't have any gold but... You're welcome to stay for supper if you're hungry. " It made sense, druids lived off the land and the elves likely did the same, thus had very little use for gold unless they really had to trade with someone. Geralt was hungry though, having not eaten anything that he was willing to digest in almost a whole day. Normally he wouldn't accept such an offer but.. he didn't have any big contracts looming over his head, so he nodded. "If you won't mind. " He said, looking to the mother, not wanting to intrude if she wasn't comfortable. "Oh no, not at all! Please come come. " She gestured for the Witcher to follow her while the group of elves walked towards one of the cave entrances. He supposed Roach was fine out here so he followed, looking forward to relaxing and eating for a little bit before heading out again on the Path.