Just a little chapter to hold you over :)
Jaskier wakes up to an unfamiliar area with Ciri. Can he protect her till Geralt finds them?
I'm roused from my drugged sleep when a sharp boot lands painfully into my side. I roll over and gasp, my ribs aching. Ciri sits beside me, her hands bound and her eyes wide with fear. She tries to yell at the knight, her words muffled thanks to the gag in her mouth. She tries to reach for me, but falls backward when the rope around her wrists is pulled by the thug next to the fire. She glares at him and yanks on the rope. I roll closer to her and shake my head. She sags against me and closes her eyes as if trying to will away the horrible situation we find ourselves in. The knight pulls the wad of cloth out of my mouth and I spit the saliva that's been gathering, in his face. He stares at me, his eyes blank, and I miss the snap of his wrist. He backhands me and my head flicks to the side, his ring slicing through my skin as blood starts to trickle down my cheek. Ciri screams and lunges at him before toppling torso first in the dirt. The knight grabs the front of my tunic and buries his face in my hair. My stomach churns when I hear him sniffing me.
"You really should make better choices little bard. I don't want to hurt you. I just want what is owed." He rubs the back of his fingers over my undamaged cheek and I have to force myself not to flinch. The thug holding Ciri's leash pulls her closer, dragging her through the dirt.
"It's time to play little monster." He grins, his teeth cracked and yellowed. Ciri struggles, yanking on the rope, digging her boots in the soft soil. The thug yanks her forward and she falls to her knees. He sneers and grabs the front of her blouse. The knight leans close to me and kisses my neck.
"Please, please don't let him hurt her. I'll do whatever you want, I swear it." The knight pauses and leans up, his eyes narrowed as he considers my proposition. I would swear anything to this man as long as Ciri isn't raped. His fists my tunic and pulls me closer, shadows dancing across his face from the fire.
"Anything I want." He stokes my jaw, his fingers cold. The thug pulls on Ciri's blouse, tearing the ties. She thrashes against him, her eyes filled with tears.
"Yes, yes please! I'll be your little toy forever if you wish it. Just please stop him." The knight's eyes gleam with lust and he drops me. He shoves the thug aside and grabs Ciri's hair and tosses her over to me. She scrambles to her knees and scoots behind me, her fingers gripping the back of my tunic.
"The girl is not to be touched for now. If you need your taste of cunt, go to the village." The knight tosses some coins to the thug and he looks over at the other ugly men. Two of them grin and follow the leader, leaving only a single hired sword behind. He barely looks at them, instead his attention focused on us, his face passive. Ciri trembles against my back, her tears seeping into my shoulder. I want to hold her and tell her everything will be alright but I'm starting to doubt our chances. I don't recognize where we are and who knows how long we've been unconscious. The knight pulls me up and Ciri clings to my back. He shakes her off and she yelps as she hits the ground, unable to break her fall.
"You owe me twice now little bard and I intend to collect. Watch the girl." He shoves me forward and I look over my shoulder at Ciri, fear like a weight crushing the air from my lungs. She reaches for me but is pulled back by her rope. I shake my head and turn away, hardening my resolve. I'm not strong with weapons like Geralt or cunning like Yennefer but I can do this much to protect Ciri. The knight gropes my ass and I close my eyes as he pushes me deeper into the forest. Tears leave a trail of despair down my face as I open my eyes and look up at the stars. Please Geralt, find us.
...
Geralt's POV:
My chest seizes and I slump against Roach, attempting to catch my breath. Utter devastation grips my lungs and I touch my face, my fingers coming away wet. Yennefer stops her horse and looks back at me, her eyes wide.
"What's wrong?" She pulls her horse back to me but I wave her off.
"I'm fine. We need to find them." Yennefer nods and lifts her hand, her palm glowing pale pink. She murmurs quietly to herself, her hand glowing brighter as she casts her spell. Another spasm tears through my chest and I grip Roach's reins. Somethings wrong, I can feel it down to my bones. I want to rage and demand that Yennefer find them faster but I know I must be patient. I want to sniff them out but an hour into tracking them their scent vanished from the air. I imagine that disgraced knight knew that I would track them that way. I don't believe in much but I say a silent prayer to whatever god is out there, to protect Jaskier and Ciri.