Chapter 34

Geralt's POV

Jaskier woke up first, much to Geralt's frustration. Not that he would have hoped the bard was gone, but Eira kept her eyes firmly closed. The bard woke up with a jolt, jumped up right on the bed where he laid himself next to the Elemental.

"Eira!"

His voice frantic while his arms waved around him.

"Fire," he murmured in panic, "There's flames everywhere."

"You're back, Jaskier," Geralt told him when he firmly grabbed the panicked bard by the shoulders and forced Jaskier to look at him. "You're awake."

The bard stared wide-eyed at Geralt before he finally calmed down and snapped his head into Eira's direction. Geralt took a deep breath in through his nose.

"She isn't awake. What happened?"

Somewhere behind the Witcher Yennefer moved slowly towards Eira and put her hand on the Elemental's forehead.

"She's sleeping," the Sorceress looked at him. "She's fine. Tired, but fine. Whatever the bard did, it worked."

Geralt let Jaskier get up from the bed and took a step back. It was clear on Jaskier's face that he needed a moment. The way the bard was going through his hair with his fingers, nervous and breathing hard. Geralt wasn't keen on the fact that Yennefer wanted Jaskier to go help Eira.

When the Sorceress had told them that there was a way to link both minds together, Geralt had offered himself up to go and find Eira in her own mind and pull her out of it again. Or fight whatever was in there.

When Yennefer had told him she wanted Jaskier to do it, Geralt had laughed out loud and was met with two serious faces.

"I think you might consider the fact she would ice you as soon as she sees you," Gerald had said, but to his surprise, the bard merely shrugged his shoulder and had given Yennefer a firm nod.

Triss Merigold helped Yennefer with the spell while Geralt stood by and watched everything unfold from the back of the room. There wasn't anything he was allowed to do and it frustrated him.

When Jaskier was asleep and the link between them worked, Triss had left the room while Yennefer came to stand next to him.

"She will be fine, Geralt," she had told him in her confident voice. "The little one is strong, even now I can feel her magic. Faint, but still there."

"Why the bard?" He had grumbled.

"I hope she's angry enough at him which will make her wake up. And defeat whatever is in there with her."

He had laughed, a dry, but sincere one and had to agree with Yennefer's way of thinking.

"Maybe," he had muttered between his teeth. "Eira isn't one to carry a grudge."

Yennefer' violet eyes had blinked mischievous.

"Don't underestimate a woman whose heart got broken," she simply countered back and made her way out of the room.

Geralt had sat beside Eira on the bed, staring at the wall until Jaskier had finally woke up.

Now, the Witcher followed the nervous Bard with his eyes.

"What happened?"

"Ah," Jaskier scoffed and finally settled himself down on the only chair in the room.

Both the witcher and the sorceress looked down at him.

"Black Elemental," Jaskier mumbled and Geralt stood up a bit straighter. "Fire. She could do the fire magic thingie. She was scary, Geralt. Like black eyes and everything."

A quick glance into the direction of Yennefer told the witcher that the sorceress stood up a bit straighter too. Her eyes didn't leave the bard and her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her corset.

"Eira?" Geralt turned his attention back to Jaskier. "How is Eira?"

It was all he wanted to know at this point. The fact that there was another Elemental did send a chill over his spine. Especially because it was a Black One, but because Eira still didn't woke, Geralt needed to know how she was.

"She's alive," Jaskier said, eyes towards his feet. "She used up all her power to get the Other one banished. She saved us from the fire that the Black one conjured up."

The bard snickered nervously.

"Angry thought. Maybe I shouldn't be here when she wakes."

Geralt opened his mouth, but it was Yennefer who moved towards the bard. Her violet gaze on him.

"You're not going anywhere," her voice cold. "You're staying here. She'll wake up, you'll apologize."

"And get an explanation," Jaskier countered back and Geralt sighed annoyed.

"Whatever Bard," he said and waved his hand. "You stay. Get yourself cleaned up, you look like shit."

"I missed you too, Geralt," Jaskier breathed out and got out of the room, Yennefer close on his heels.

It was silent in the room again, much to Geralt's liking though his mind wasn't as peaceful as the chamber. A black elemental would mean trouble and …

"Geralt," the small voice floated to his ears and the witcher turned to the bed.

Tired, blue eyes stared back at him and he involuntarily felt a relieved smile that crept on his lips.

"Eira," he breathed out and walked over to her. "You're awake."

She didn't move, except for her eyes that followed him. Her head moved slightly to face him.

"There's another," she spoke hoarsely and her features contorted into pain.

"I know," he spoke calmly and reached for the glass of water that stood on the bedside. "You need water. Your throat must be painful."

"I can't move," she spoke and coughed dryly. "Everything hurts."

The witcher stared at her for a moment before he came closer and put his arms around her torso. He pulled her up slightly so Eira could lean against the bedframe with her back. She was light, too light, and it wasn't a problem for Geralt to help her up.

He didn't hesitate when he sat beside her and helped her get some water. Her hands shook and the water almost spilled over the rim.

"Fire, Geralt, she wields fire," she said after some sips. "She kept me prison in my own mind. She wants me to join her in Nilfgaard."

"Nilfgaard," he put the glass back on the stand and locked eyes with her. "What's in Nilfgaard?"

"I don't know. She wanted to kill Jask…," she looked around and Geralt saw she got a bit of her strength back. "Where is he?" Eira suddenly snapped her head to face him, fire in her eyes that wasn't there before. "Did he leave again?"

"No," Geralt spoke fast. "Yennefer would have had him killed."

He took a deep breath in.

"Eira, Jaskier's fine," he told her because there was worry in her voice that only he could hear after travelling together so long. "He's getting cleaned up. Spare the bard, he offered himself up right away to go to you."

Her tired eyes rested on him and Geralt didn't see it coming when her arms circled around his neck. The Elemental's head came to rest on his shoulder and the witcher slowly hugged her back. Months ago, he would have pushed her away. Now, he was just relieved that she was alive and awake. And seemingly fine, except for the panic about another Elemental.

"I heard your voice," she whispered. "You were here all the time."

"Of course," he spoke matter of factly and let her go to get up from the bed. "I couldn't just drop you here and leave you to your faith."

"You could have," she said and a vague smile came around her lips.

Geralt smirked.

"I need you," he said, "Whenever I do something stupid, I need you to stop me."

Eira laughed and it was, in that moment, the most beautiful sound that the witcher had heard in a long time.

The door opened slowly and both Geralt and Eira turned to face the person who lingered in the opening.

"Eira," Jaskier whispered. "You're fine?"

Geralt turned his gaze towards the elemental to do a quick check that she wouldn't kill him on the spot. Yet, he smiled to himself when he saw Eira's gaze soften the moment the bard walked in.

"I let you two alone. I make sure you'll be able to take a warm bath," he grumbled, suddenly feeling like the third wheel in the room.

"Say Yennefer thank you," Eira told him before he left.

"Tell her yourself later," he said and closed the door behind him.