The trip to Kaer Morhen happened In a haze for Lydia. One moment she was helping a Witcher with a contract and next, she's walking in the mountains, behind the said Witcher.
She still found his reasoning for wanting her to come with him a bit odd. All she could do was create potions and mix herbs - things a simple Witcher could do as well. Or maybe his real reason for wanting her to come along was hidden.
Lydia's feet were hurting from the hike, and even though there was a horse the Witcher was walking as well That made her feel better about the situation.
"So Geralt... out of all of the places to go why are you taking me to your home?" She asked, speeding up to walk side by side with the white-haired male. He glanced down at her, his intense yellow eyes making her almost uncomfortable. It was like he could look into her thoughts, her heart, her soul.
"I have my reasoning, you'll find out when we get there" he replied. Lydia crosses her arms and looked at her feet, her hurting feet.
"You know you can't just take people way," she said.
Geralt stopped in his tracks, halting Roach.
"I never forced you to come with me, if you don't wanna be here then run" Geralt stepped aside and gestured to the path for her to go on.
"But-" she knew he had her. She didn't know why she agreed to go with Geralt. Maybe she was sick of her little shack in the village, maybe she knew the Witcher needed her help, or even something as simple as she wanted an adventure.
"Even if I did return the village people have probably burnt my house, most of them didn't like me there. Even though I'm not a sorceress" Lydia rubbed her sides, a chill coming across her body.
Geralt raised an eyebrow and then gives a nod with a grunt. He tugged on the Roach's reins and starting walking off again.
Lydia picked up for sore feet and followed quietly behind the other.
Lydia started to find herself in a huff. She was sore, tired and dirty.
The sound birds flying by and the rays of the sun hitting her back in conjunction with the cool air in her face created a sense of other world-ness. She had never experienced a place like this, and the Witcher's castle in the distance coming closer made it all the more euphoric.
She was taken back by her surroundings, this bet any muddy, smelly old village she was in. The mountains stood high and proud and the mix of warmth from the sun and coolness from the wind helped her calm. She gasped as the castle was close, and smiled wide.
"Wow! This place is amazing! Why would you ever leave?" She said In awe.
"Because I wanted to fight monsters," he said simply, not turning around to look at Lydia.
She sighed "it wasn't meant to be literal"
Finally reaching the main entrance Geralt went off to put Roach in a stable and Lydia continued inside. The stone walls looked like they were gonna crumple with a soft push, weeds and plants overtook the area, reclaiming that was once theirs. It was as if the place was... Deserted. Lydia walked into the main hall of the wolf's den. The place was old, dusty, unclean. You just knew only men had inhabited the area for centuries. She was disgusted when she placed her hand on a bench and dust layered it. Lydia quickly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her hand on it. A metal bed was in a far corner - no not a bed. It was some type of table, it had leather straps on the sides and bottom and had a wooden board where your head would lay. She placed a hand on it, an instant shock of pain shooting through her body. But no her pain or physical pain. Others pain. She wished to never know what this table was used for, but she also had curiosity. She quickly turned around, anciently kicking and tripping over a pile of, well junk.
"Only if Witcher's whereas good at cleaning as they where at killing" She grumbled to herself. Lydia's footsteps echoed through the halls. Tap, tap, tap. She found a kitchen with rusted pots and pans, and dried herbs hanging above them. They let out many different aromas which calmed Lydia in this new, dirty, overwhelming place. Continuing to explore the fort she found herself walking into many rooms, some with nothing but piles of wood and boxes, some full of furniture and somewhere made up with good quality beds, dressers, wardrobes. But they where the Witcher's rooms- and boy did they look and smell like it. She walked in and to the doors that remained closed to the outside world and threw them open, allowing the cool mountain air to refresh the room. She picked up amour and clothing pieces, not dirty but just not take care of. They were of good quality too. She was unable to leave them laying on the floor so she folded up the shirts and placed it on the bed and gently placed the amour chest next to it. A small set of three daggers laid across a bench, which she took upon herself to straighten out and wipe any dust off. They were beautifully crafted silver daggers, and they defiantly weren't used for fighting. She turned around and looked back into the room and sighed at the many messes left.
"Ugh, I wonder if there's even a spare room for me that's not a pigsty" she sighed.
"Don't worry there is" said another voice.
Lydia had ended up next to a broad Witcher-but she wasn't greeted with white locks but with deep, angry scars.
"Oh fuck! Do all you Witcher's sneak up on people?!" She exclaims and places a hand over her chest to calm.
"Not all Witcher's - just us," he said
"So who are you? The housekeeper?"
"Well, it depends on your definition," he said with a small, handsome smile.
Lydia stepped back and looked around the room, to avoid his eyes, to avoid his brooding scars.
"Ha... you're funny. But who are you anyway?" She asks and walks around slowly, looking, touching surfaces, fiddling with small items.
"Who am I? Who are you? I come in to find a random woman in my room" he said with a small grumble.
'Aw fuck there it is' Lydia thought to herself.
"You're a Witcher! And this is your room?" She looked around, it made sense now. Armor pieces and random nicknacks from all around the continent, gems, pendulums, small wooden statues, even a sad-looking plant or two. And she was in his room.
"Oh! I'm sorry I didn't realise anyone else actually lived here! I thought it was abandoned!" Lydia exclaims and quickly walks towards the door. She stopped and looked up at the man.
"I'm... I'm Lydia... Geralt brought me here" she said shyly.
"That wasn't so hard, was it? I'm Eskel" he said softly and watched Lydia as she raced back down the stone steps.
"Fucking hell Geralt why didn't you tell me other men would be here" she grumbled to herself as she got down to the main hall. But she didn't find herself in the main hall. But in another hallway branching off to other rooms. She was already lost.
Lydia opened doors - finding nothing but more storage and junk. Spider webs got caught in her hair and owls flew in her face, angry to be disturbed from their rest by some wailing woman.
But she came to the end room which was a bedroom. Filthy thought. Unlike Eskel's room which had some form of order this room was a bombshell. Clothing, armor, weapons, bottles everything scattered in an un-orderly fashion on the ground. Lydia walked in, a musk of dirt and week old man body hitting her like a rock. The curtains where closed, making the room hot and all the more uncomfortable. She tripped over bottles which clanked together, and stepped on things that shouted 'crack!'. She lost her footing and had to reach out to balance herself but ended up leaning on a dresser. Her eyes looked down at a pile of papers. She picked them up and flicked through them - all crude drawings of a naked woman. Lydia threw them on the floor and bunched up her face before a pair of underwear hanging off the mirror caught her eye.
"Oh my god do not tell me this is Geralt's room," she said out loud, covering her mouth as if she was going to puke.
"Well, it's not often I have a pretty lady in my room" A voice echoed.
Lydia turned to see another man, not Geralt but not Eskel.
"Who the fuck!? How many god damn Witcher's are there?"
"Just 3 of us" the man walks towards her. His hair short but slicked back, and a single scar on the right side of his face. He was shorter than Geralt but held a much more dominant and even flirty, different from the other two Witcher's. He had a smile on his face, a mischievous one.
"Oh that would have been good to know before I came here" she stepped back from the Witcher and walks around him, trying not to get in his way.
"Aw what a shame, my rooms gonna be cold without you!" He laughed. Lydia turned around a small blush on her cheeks.
"Maybe clean it first you pig!" She spat and walked off.
"Damn... Geralt and his fucking woman"
Lydia finally found her way to the main hall.
"Geralt of fucking Rivia! It would have been nice to know that other men would be here!" She yelled while flustered.
"What made you assume there wouldn't be others?" He asks calmly.
"Because you didn't tell me anything!" She spat back before her attention was drawn to another male walking in.
"Wow, Geralt! Another feisty one!" He said, a lute swinging around his body.
Lydia looked him up and down.
"You're not a Witcher?" She asked, a calm wave coming over her.
"Nope! Thank goodness but just a humble bard" he smiled and grabbed Lydia's hand and bows
"I am Dandelion, a close friend of Geralt's" he places a friendly kiss on Lydia's hand. She found herself blushing but also calming down. She felt safe with this one.
"Nice to meet you Dandelion, I'm Lydia" she replied before returning to Geralt.
"Look you just can't take a woman to a place without warning her about the 3 other men!" She explained.
"Yea Geralt! How dare you!" Dandelion backed up.
"Hmmm," he looked down at the two and sighed.
"I just forgot too, but you're ok," he said.
Eskel and the other Witcher walked to the group with smiles.
"Geralt! You're finally here, and who is this lovely lady?" Asks the shorter one.
"Lambert, Eskel this is Lydia, she will be staying here and helping me with some research," Geralt says.
She turns to the boys and nods at them.
"I've already met them..." she said quietly and patted her dress.
"She was going through our rooms," said Lambert out loud.
"I didn't mean too! I just... got lost? But that doesn't matter" she marches off and grabs her bag that Gerald placed by the stairs.
"I would like to be taken to my room and have a bath. If that's even a custom you Witcher's do" she scoffed. The boys looked at each other with grins.
"Dandelion-you show her to the spare room. You find another one to go to" Geralt said quickly.
"Fine fine! Let's go m'lady!" He walked up to Lydia and grabbed her bag off her, almost in a struggle. Before she followed up the stairs she turned to Geralt.
"Thank you for letting me come and stay in your home…" She said quietly.