Geralt wasn't sure what it was that made him stop and reach for the handle of his sword. Beside him Roach nickered and shifted her hooves nervously. Ciri, perched on Roach's back with their belongings, gently soothed the horse while turning alarmed eyes on Geralt.

"What is it?"

"Something's coming," Geralt grunted as Jaskier joined them.

"Something?"

Geralt glanced at Jaskier, contemplating ordering Jaskier to get on Roach with Ciri, but he reluctantly decided against it. There was still a fair way to go before they arrived at the keep, and the trail was already snowed over in places. It would be too much for Roach to carry both Jaskier and Ciri, as well as the saddle bags, the rest of the way to Kaer Morhen, especially if they had to go quickly to outrun something.

"Geralt?"

Geralt ignored Jaskier and reached out with his senses. He couldn't hear footsteps, or see anything in the woods surrounding them, but the sense of danger was there…and then Geralt heard it.

Wings.

"Look out!" he yelled, as he looked up and saw the Wyvern swooping down towards them. Ciri screamed and clung onto Roach as they all ran for the relative protection of the trees. The Wyvern roared, and swooped low over the clearing, before flapping it's giant wings and beginning to gain height once again.

"What was that?" Jaskier choked out, his eyes wide.

"Wyvern," Geralt grunted, "Ciri, I'm going to try and distract it. Ride to Kaer Morhen and raise the alarm. Riding Roach, it should only take a couple of hours. Jaskier…stay in the trees, you'll be safer there."

Ciri's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to protest. Although she snapped it shut when Geralt glared at her, knowing that she would be able to tell, from that look alone, that he was not going to change his mind.

Wyverns were dangerous. Not only could they fly, but their talons were incredibly sharp, and their teeth were equally dangerous. The most lethal of the Wyvern's weapons, however, was it's spiked tail, which carried a venom so toxic it could kill a Witcher with only a small scratch. Golden Oriole was the only anti venom that Geralt knew of that worked, but it wasn't safe for humans like Ciri or Jaskier.

"Jaskier, if it goes near you, you need to remember to avoid the tail. The tail spikes are venomous"

"Great, dangerous at both ends," Jaskier grumbled, his eyes fixed on the sky, watching the Wyvern as it circled overhead. Geralt simply grunted in reply and moved out of the trees, and the Wyvern screeched and went into another dive, it's mouth gaping open and it's claws outstretched. Geralt adjusted his grip on his silver sword slightly, his gaze fixed on the beast as it descended towards him at a rapid pace. If he'd had more time to prepare, he would have taken some Golden Oriole to lower the risk of him becoming poisoned, but there hadn't been time to rifle through the saddle bags for his potions kit, so he was going to have to go unprepared and hope for the best.

Ignoring his thoughts, Geralt focused on the beast, trying to ignore everything going on around him, the sound of Roach's hooves shifting in the undergrowth, the sounds of Jaskier and Ciri's pounding hearts, the smell of their fear.

At the last moment Geralt sidestepped away from the Wyvern's sharp talons, swinging his sword as hard as he could upwards. The Wyvern screamed and blood splashed onto Geralt's armour and face as the sword tore through the membrane of the Wyvern's wing, as well as severing many of the bones and muscles that supported the wing. The Wyvern clumsily landed, screaming in pain as the injured wing dragged along the ground, but Geralt was not fooled into thinking the fight was over. The Wyvern's poisonous tail lashed through the air and Geralt ducked under it to avoid the dangerous spikes.

"Ciri, go," he yelled. Roach emerged from the trees and began to gallop up the path, Ciri clinging to the reins, not even daring to look backwards. Jaskier was on the tree line, watching anxiously, but Geralt couldn't pay Jaskier much attention. The Wyvern screeched and tried to lumber after Ciri and Roach, probably targeting Roach more than Ciri, from what Geralt knew of the species, but Geralt blocked it's path, swinging his silver sword at it's legs. The Wyvern danced back. Swiping out with it's tail, causing Giralt to duck under it again.

Back and forward the fight went, Geralt gritting his teeth in frustration at how the Wyvern managed to keep dodging his sword. The Wyvern, however, was tiring, hampered by the injury to it's wing and the resulting blood loss. Geralt leapt forward to finish the Wyvern off, before he felt the Wyvern's tail slam into his body, the impact making him drop his sword as he was sent flying through the air towards the edge of the mountain path, where their was a steep drop into the valley below. Geralt landed with a grunt, rolling with the momentum of the impact as his body tipped over the edge of the cliff. He frantically dug his fingers into the dirt of the mountainside, his tenacious grip the only thing stopping him from plummeting into the valley below. Geralt was reasonably sure he would survive the fall, although he would probably be injured in it, but if Geralt fell then Jaskier would be left alone and unprotected with the Wyvern.

"Geralt" Jaskier screamed, stepping forward out of the protection of the trees as the Wyvern stalked towards the Witcher, it's mouth gaping. Geralt began to pull himself up, but the cliff edge began to crumble in protest of his movements, and he forced himself to stop lest the dirt supporting him gave way completely.

The Wyvern was nearly upon him, it's claws reaching out towards them, when Geralt heard the whistle of a sword swinging through the air, as well as the meaty sound of it connecting with something. The Wyvern screeched in pain, whirling around to turn to whatever attacked it. Geralt's sword was wretched out of Jaskier's grip by the Wyvern's sudden movement, the bard having picked up the weapon and swung it into the Wyvern's side with enough force for the sword to get stuck there. Now weaponless Jaskier backed away from the Wyvern rapidly, the scent of his fear filling the air.

"Jaskier, no," Geralt yelled, once again trying to pull himself up as the Wyvern leapt at the bard. Jaskier fell with a scream, pinned by the weight of the Wyvern as the Beast held him down with it's powerful front legs, the air filling with the scent of Jaskier's blood.

Finally pulling himself back up onto solid ground, Geralt scrambled to his feet and yanked his sword free of the Wyvern's body as the Wyvern moved it's feet, and grabbed onto Jaskier's chest with it's mouth, tossing him to the side like he was nothing but a scrap. Jaskier landed in a heap near the trees, but Geralt couldn't focus on the bard now, the Wyvern's attention's back on him. The wyvern once again flicked it's spiked tail through the air, knocking Geralt back once again, but Geralt rolled with the impact and was back on his feet in an instant, running back towards the Wyvern with a yell.

With one swing of the sword Geralt slashed into the Wyvern's side, the cut bisecting the one that Jaskier had put there. The wyvern screamed in pain, and Geralt took advantage of it's distracted state, bringing the sword down as hard as he could on the Wyvern's neck.

The first try didn't completely sever the Wyvern's head, but the second one certainly did as the Wyvern's body fell to the ground, motionless at last.

Geralt swallowed, his sword falling from his fingers as he himself dropped to his knees, trying to catch his breath after the fight. His abdomen hurt where he'd been slammed with the Wyvern's tail the first time, although luckily for Geralt he hadn't been struck by the venomous spikes at the end of the Wyvern's tail, but instead the havier part of the tail, closer to the Wyvern's body.

The Wyvern had been luckier with the second hit. Geralt grimaced in pain at the burning sensation in his arm, looking down at the deep cut left by the Wyvern's tail spikes.

"Shit," he swore, before he staggered to his feet and hurried across to where Jaskier lay.

The ground around Jaskier was soaked with blood, and Geralt dropped to the ground beside the bard, taking in the amount of blood that had already drenched Jaskier's tunic and chemise. He could hear the sound of Jaskier's rapid heartbeat, and the wheezing of his shallow breaths.

"Jaskier? Jaskier, can you hear me? Open your eyes...say something?"

"No'm'lly you're t'lling me t' shut 'p" Jaskier slurred weakly, his blue eyes cracking open to look up at Geralt, although they were unfocused and glazed over in pain. Geralt cupped his hand around Jaskier's jaw and cheek in a way that Geralt hoped was comforting.

"Did…d' you get it?"

"Yes, thanks to you."

Jaskier smiled, a trickle of blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth, "Woul' make a g'd song,"

"I'm sure it would," Geralt agreed, using his free hand to peel apart the remains of Jaskier's clothing, trying to see the extent of Jaskier's injuries. Blood coated everything, and soon Geralt's hand was just as stained as Jaskier's clothing was, but Geralt said nothing about it, his eyes closing momentarily in pain as he realised how badly Jaskier was injured.

"Fuck."

It wasn't good. Geralt glanced around them spotting the bag that Jaskier had been carrying. Geralt glanced down at Jaskier briefly, before dashing across to the bag and grabbing it, before returning to Jaskier's side and beginning to quickly rummage through it. He didn't find any bandages or healing salve, not that any salve safe for humans to use would do much good for injuries as bad as Jaskier's, but he found a spare chemise which he pulled free and pressed against the worst of Jaskier's injuries.

"Ger'lt," Jaskier whispered, his voice hitching with pain as more blood trickled down his chin.

Geralt began running his fingers through Jaskier's hair comfortingly, while, with the other hand, he tried to use the remains of Jaskier's tunic to staunch the flow of blood, along with the already stained chemise.

"Shhh, Ciri's gone for help. Vesemir and Eskel are on the way."

"Is bad?"

Geralt couldn't bring himself to lie to Jaskier…but nor could he actually bring himself to say the truth. Jaskier, however, could read the look on Geralt's face.

"Ah" was all he said, shifting his head a little and resting it against Geralt's leg.

"I'm so sorry, Jaskier," Geralt whispered, "I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough, I'm sorry that I couldn't save you. I'm…I'm sorry for all the times I shouted at you, all the times I was a horrible friend for you."

"Fri'nd?"

"Yes, Jaskier…you are my friend…one of my best Friends…and I…I'm sorry that I never told you that until now."

Jaskier blinked up at Geralt, his smile growing as he blinked again, his eyes staying shut a little longer this time.

Geralt shook his head, "No, no, stay awake, Jaskier. I need you to stay awake for me, ok?"

"Tired,"

"I…I know. I know you're tired, and in a lot of pain, but you need to stay awake for me, ok?"

"Hmmm," Jaskier groaned, and Geralt was uncertain if Jaskier made the noise to poke fun at Geralt or if he didn't have the energy left to actually say something.

Geralt let out a sigh of his own and continued to gently comb his fingers through Jaskier's hair, trying to comfort Jaskier as he lay, while at the same time ignoring the growing pain in his own arm.

"G'r'lt?"

"Hmmmm?"

"I'm c'ld,"

Geralt swallowed and nodded, although Jaskier's eyes had drifted shut again, so he couldn't see the gesture. Geralt moved closer to Jaskier's head, and closer to the trees, until he was resting against a large pine tree. Then, gripping onto Jaskier's clothes, he began to move Jaskier as gently as he could wincing apologetically whenever Jaskier let out a soft whimper of pain, until Jaskier was laying in Geralt's lap, his head resting on Geralt's shoulder, their chests pressed together, and Jaskier's legs resting on the ground beside them.

"How's that?"

"B'tter," Jaskier replied, snuggling his head into Geralt's chest a little. Geralt felt his breathing hitch in his chest as he felt Jaskier's body relax limply against his own.

"Jaskier…Jaskier…stay with me? Come on, wake up…Jas?…Jaskier?"

Nothing Geralt said, however, gained any sort of recognition or response from the bard, and Geralt felt a tear roll down his cheek as he realised that Jaskier had lost consciousness, and would probably never wake up again. The tear dropped down onto the top of Jaskier's, and was followed by more tears. Geralt didn't think he was even capable of tears since he'd become a Witcher.

Not knowing what else he could do, Geralt pressed a kiss to the top of Jaskier's hair and held him close, listening to the sound of Jaskier's heart, and his breathing, and wishing that he could have done more to save his friend.