Geralt and Yennefer go on the hunt for a monster plaguing a village. But is it the monster they are searching for?

The sun has set behind us and the village is quiet, the crunch of Roach's hooves mixed with our breathing create an eerie atmosphere. Yennefer and Geralt share a look, and Geralt signals for her to follow us as we stop in front of a tavern/inn. Geralt slides down and holds his hands out for me. I smile gratefully and melt into his arms. He holds me close for a moment before releasing me with a soft kiss to my lips. I'll never tire of the affection Geralt shows me. I look around the darkened square, the empty stalls and deserted streets ominous. I press closer to Geralt and he rubs his hand down my arm. I lean against him, thankful for the silent comfort. We tie our horses to the post and a short pudgy man peeks his head out and brightens when he see's us. He shoves the door of the tavern open and rushes over to us. He looks Yennefer up and down and licks his lips before settling on Geralt.

"Welcome mighty Witcher! You are just the sort of man we need." He spreads his hands out in a welcoming gesture and grins lasciviously at Yennefer. She scowls at him and he quickly looks back at us. Geralt merely grunts and the man wipes sweat from his brow.

"I am the mayor of this fine village and I offer a handsome reward." Geralt stands menacingly, his arms crossed over his chest as he surveys the small village.

"For what?" The mayor putters nervously beside us and pulls a wanted poster from his vest.

"A monster is plaguing our lands, stealing people away and feasting on their flesh." A screech sounds from a nearby alley and the mayor jumps and mops at his slick forehead. He motions toward the door and we follow him into the tavern. People are gathered inside, their faces ashen with fear. A little girl pokes her head out from behind her mothers skirts and I smile at her. She waves her hand hesitantly before ducking under.

"I'm offering a large sum of coin to the Witcher who can bring me its head." He hands Geralt the flyer. Yennefer pushes closer to skim it while Ciri moves to my side. She bumps me with her bony hip and I pinch her side. She grins at me and the mayor narrows his eyes at us. Geralt looks at Yennefer and she nods once.

"Where has it been spotted?" The women with the little girl pushes forward and her hands tremble.

"It was last seen on my farm. It stopped to feed." Her voice wavers and she grips her skirt in her hands. Her shoulders shake with her tears and the little girl wraps her arms around her mother.

"What kind of monster is it?" Yennefer studies the drawing on the flyer but it looks as if it was drawn by a child. She frowns and hands it to Geralt and he stuffs it into his vest. The mayor looks to the women and she holds her daughter close.

"It had long limbs, ragged hair and spikes protruding from its back. It struck out with its long tongue and blinded my son." Her body spasms with the force of her grief and the little girl tries to console her.

"What happened next?" Yennefer's voice is soft, almost gentle as she kneels by the women.

"It pounced on him and started to rip him apart." The women's breath catches and she sobs. Yennefer touches her shoulder and she jumps, turning her tear strained face up. "My husband told us to hide while he tried to help our son. It ate him next." She folds in on herself and wails her anguish. Yennefer looks at Geralt and he nods.

"We'll take the contract. Have our reward ready for when we return." The mayor releases a sharp breath and nods quickly. Yennefer motions Ciri to her side.

"We also require rooms and food for the night." She pins her striking eyes on the mayor and he stammers.

"O-of course sorceress!" Yennefer smiles at him, her teeth sharp in the candlelight. She and Ciri exit the tavern to retrieve their things and I follow Geralt to Roach. He pulls our belongings from his saddlebag and sits them by my feet. I watch as he hooks his sword to his belt and slings his bow over his shoulder.

"I want to come with." Geralt pauses and looks at me, his yellow eyes vibrant in the shadows. He shakes his head and hands me my lute. I pull the strap over my head and fold my arms in what I hope is a convincing stance.

"I'm serious Geralt." He grunts and pinches the bridge of his nose. He tosses his bag aside and grabs my shoulders.

"I need you to stay here Jaskier. Keep an eye on Ciri and stay safe. Please." I've never heard Geralt say please before and I'm stunned into silence. He squeezes my shoulders, waiting for my answer. I nod mutely and he smiles.

"Thank you love." He pulls me close and kisses my forehead. I wrap my arms around his waist and breath in his scent.

"Just promise to be careful." Geralt grunts and I hold him tighter.

...

Geralt's POV:

Yennefer rides behind me on Roach, her hands held out. She closes her eyes and searches for a trace of the monster we're hunting. She murmurs quietly to herself as she casts and her hands glow faintly in the darkness. I pull Roach to a stop by the women's farmhouse and hold out a hand for Yennefer. Her hand is like a flame in my palm from her magic but I shake it off. She pulls her hood off and surveys the farm. Puddles of blood lead a grim trail to the goat pen. Mutilated bodies are splattered all around, their limbs thrown every which way. I kneel and scoop a glob of slime from a foot. The scent lingering to it is rancid, the stench of evil. Yennefer hovers over a small body, its torso shredded. She kneels down and brushes her fingers over it. I tilt my nose to the sky and search for the trail the monster undoubtedly left. The smell of graveyard dirt and rotted flesh assault me and I rub my nose.

"It's a grave hag. Why it has taken to hunting the living, I'm uncertain." Yennefer hums quietly to herself and the little boy's body glows before fading. She catches my look and wipes her hands off before sliding her gloves back on.

"I said a blessing for his soul." Yennefer has and always will have a soft spot for children. I nod and she moves to my side.

"I agree that all the signs point towards a grave hag but that doesn't explain what happened to those people outside the village." I grunt and scan the woods. Those bodies were devoid of any life essence. A grave hag isn't capable of doing something like that. Most likely those people are from this village and the mayor counts them as the ones taken by the monster.

"Whoever did that must have known there was a grave hag here. They planned to blame it on the monster." Yennefer twists a lock of hair, her sign of uncertainty.

"I agree. But one problem at a time, we have to deal with the grave hag first." I help Yennefer onto Roach and I pull him towards the woods, after the scent of death and despair.

...

Jaskier's POV:

Ciri consoled the grieving mother and she's finally fallen asleep. The little girl plays a game of cards with me as I try to distract her from the events going on. She is a bright little lass and she chuckles when I pretend to lose my cards. Ciri smiles at us and tells her it's time for bed. She walks her to her mother's room and tucks her in. The other people of the town gather in the tavern, various blankets and bedding laid out for them as they check out for the night. Ciri and I wait by a flickering candle, her sharpening her weapons and me humming a new tune, as we wait for Yennefer and Geralt to return. Writing music helps with my nerves and if I had to guess I would say sharpening her weapons helps Ciri with hers. A horse whinnies from outside and I push from the table, hurrying to peek outside. I recognize Roach's familiar bridle and shove open the door. I stop short when I see Yennefer jump down while Geralt leans heavily against Roach's neck. She reaches up and helps him down. He falls against her and she grunts from his weight.

"Yen! what happened?!" Ciri is close behind me. I loop his other arm over my shoulder and we drag him into the tavern. The mayor bustles over and wrings his hands.

"Is he dead? What about the monster?" He hovers, blocking our way to a room. I need to lay Geralt down and look at his wounds.

"Move! Otherwise you'll be next." I snarl at him and he steps back, allowing us to drag Geralt upstairs. Yennefer and I manage to lay him on the bedding and she pulls out her pouch of herbs.

"What happened?" Ciri hovers by the door, her face pale.

"We tracked down the grave hag but she managed to blind Geralt. Tried to rip his fucking throat out." She grits her teeth and mashes the herbs in her mortar and says a quiet incantation. I pull his overcoat and vest off and gasp. His chest is riddled with gashes and lacerations, vivid bruises already starting to blossom. His throat is raw, chunks of skin torn open. Thankfully it looks as if the bleeding has stopped. Yennefer snaps for a bowl and water and Ciri rushes off to fetch it. Geralt is covered in filth and gore and he smells absolutely vile but I want nothing more than to hold him in my arms. Tears sting at my eyes, I try to blink them away, not wanting to look weak in front of Yennefer. Ciri hands the water and cloth to me and I wash the ragged flesh gently, trying not to hurt him. Once the area is cleaned of dirt and sludge, Yennefer smears her medicine over the raw skin and says one last blessing.

"That should take care of the worst of his injuries but he will need to be washed and bandaged. I have faith you will handle that Jaskier?" I nod and Yennefer clasps my shoulder. Ciri hugs me tight and places a small kiss to Geralt's nose, before following Yennefer out. She closes the door softly behind them and I burst into tears. I pull the rest of his clothes off as I clean him. He doesn't move, his body still as if dead. Once he is cleaned as well as possible, given that I had to sponge bathe him, I put paste on his various cuts and gashes. I bandage his deeper lacerations and wring the water from his white hair. He sleeps deep, his chest rising with air.

"Oh Geralt. I told you to be careful." I admonish him softly, not wanting to disturb his rest. I strip off my own soiled clothes and crawl in the bedding beside him, our naked flesh pressed together. I lay my head on his chest and listen to his heart beat. I fall asleep to the soothing thump thump thump.