Aiden shivered as he crouched on one of the battlements, his eyes scanning the landscape for the White Wolf. Even after being here for several days, Aiden couldn't get used to the cold, but he was here because Lambert asked him to; because Jaskier had warned him Nilfgaard was going for all Witchers… regardless of the school.
Eskel was late, Lambert and Coën worried for him as apparently, he was usually the first to arrive. Well, they would still be worried if Aiden didn't possess the brain cell and told them to just call for him through the pendant.
His hand went to the little Lark that rested with his Cat Medallion, Violet's Medallion. Brother and Sister, each mark given willingly to a Witcher that probably didn't deserve it but somehow earned the title of brother from Jaskier. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but Aiden knew that Jaskier wasn't human, oh, it took him a while; but he began to remember.
And he didn't know what to make of it, but he knew he wasn't going to say a thing to the others first.
"A letter Kitten? I didn't even know we got those." Aiden laughed, jumping down from atop of one of the caravans.
"I'm older than you," She replied, unimpressed. The letter burst into flames with a simple flick of her wrist thanks to Igni. "It was a letter from my brother, apparently he's stuck down in Vicovaro and will not be able to meet me this winter."
Aiden felt surprise well up within him at the honest answer, one he hadn't expected. "I did not realise you were from Nilfgaard."
A snort of laughter escaped her lips. "I'm not, he's on a hunt."
"Your brother is a Witcher too? I didn't realise he was changed with you, why hasn't he come back to Dyn Marv?" Aiden asked excitedly, watching as Violet flung her head back in a boisterous laugh; red hair flying everywhere.
After calming, she turned to him with a wide smile. "Because he's not a Cat, my brothers were taken by other schools."
It did make sense, the longer he thought about it. The Fangs, the Spear… the Claws…
A fleck of colour has Aiden standing, his eyes squinting to see Geralt of Rivia riding slowly up to the keep. In a blink he scrambled down the wall and dashed back into the warm embrace of the dining hall, weaving through the other Witchers that were invited this year to where Lambert and Coën waited. "He's an hour out."
Lambert grinned and pulled Aiden into his side, "Good, Eskel is a day's ride away from the village at the base. Apparently, he had trouble with the Doppler. It took and scattered his supplies, had to find that goat of his while dodging Nilfgaard."
"Any word on Jaskier?" He asked, an itch of worry had begun in the back of his mind.
Coën shook his head. "Not since we informed him that we reached Kaer Morhen, you?"
"I let him know that I made it here, but he didn't reply," Aiden explained, watching as both men frowned. "He should reply the moment we let him know Geralt and his Child Surprise is here, he's put in a lot of work to keep them safe."
"Aye, let's 'ope then."
The Witchers around them knew the drill, it was hard to have a private conversation with the likes of them and their senses. What seems private in the keep, stays private in the keep. Though they did know about Jaskier, the White Wolf's Bard, the man who made the Path more bearable thanks to the songs.
Coën cast Igni in the hearth, bringing it back up to a roaring flame to heat the hall more for the human child that Geralt had claimed, grabbing a plate of the roasted venison as he went to take a seat at the table.
It wasn't long after that the heavy wooden doors of the hall were pushed open and in limped Geralt. Coën cast Vesemir a look as they both assessed the white-haired Witcher, taking note of all the injuries and how worn the man actually looked.
"Lambchop," Coën called, smacking Lambert in the leg and gesturing to the two walking further in.
Lambert spun in his seat, he too taking note of the state of his brother and scrunching his nose at the smell of fear and apprehension that seemed to waft off the girl in waves. A rumble left his throat as he stood and moved to stand before Geralt, arms crossed. "Where the fuck 'ave you been?"
"We thought you got lost," Coën stated as he stood to the left of Lambert.
Aiden hummed from his seat, a playful grin on his face. "Or killed."
"Hmm." Geralt replied, his eyes taking in his brothers and friends, noting Eskel's absence. "Not yet, not for the lack of Nilfgaard's army and some Nekkers trying. Sorry."
It was the sheepish look on Geralt's face that had Lambert dropping his angry façade and pulling him into a hug, welcoming him home. His eyes connected with Aiden's as he rubbed the Lark pendant between his fingers, when Geralt had his back to him Lambert sent his own message to Jaskier knowing that the bard would wish to know the moody bastard was hurt but healing.
No reply came and it had all three of the witchers on edge, enough for Coën to rub at his chest and press firmly, eyes widening and hand spasming at a clear sign that something was seriously wrong.
"Wolf, you're home." Vesemir greeted drawing Geralt's attention to him as he saw the three he knew that also carried Julien's pendant grow tense. "Finally."
"Vesemir!" Geralt replied stalking forward to clasp his mentor, forehead touching his in a fond greeting. "I'm sorry, I had to make a few stops. This is Ciri."
Ciri stepped forward hesitantly, nervous. "Pleasure to meet you."
"Hm," Vesemir replied, never taking his eyes off the girl. There was something about her that niggled at him, and he wasn't sure what besides the fact that his pup just brought home the crown princess of Cintra. "Be welcome here child, rest now and eat. You're safe in the walls of Kaer Morhen."
Relief slammed into Geralt as Vesemir greeted Ciri formally, his brothers and friends finally standing to greet him properly once Vesemir gave his allowances for her being here. She was one of them now, safe till proved otherwise.
If only Jaskier could see this… Geralt thought as he watched Ciri worm her way easily enough into the walls surrounding the Witchers before her. His heart twisted at the thought of his Bard, the very man that had seemed to be dodging Geralt's movements since the Mountain.
It was one of Geralt's greatest regrets, telling the only person who had stood by his side on the path for years, who had eased the hatred in the minds of himself and the people… telling him that all of Geralt's ill luck was the entirety of his fault. Geralt had expected to find the bard by Roach when he made it down, but he was nowhere to be seen, it sent Geralt into a blind panic after a day when he realised everything was gone.
The Path after that was quiet, agonizingly so and Geralt began to realize how intertwined the colourful bard was in his life. It led to Geralt discovering many things, that the love he felt for Yennefer was nothing compared to what he felt for Jaskier.
If life could give me one blessing… it would bring you back again my friend.
Soon enough the hall was boisterous again, shaking Geralt from his thoughts and went to grab a drink and food for Ciri and himself, a smile tugging at his lips as Everard goes on to tell them all the best job of his for the year. It was a tradition for those who came to Kaer Morhen, to tell their favourite jobs of the year and later when all had finally gathered those stories turned into more of a competition.
Ciri laughed as she listened with rapt attention as the Witcher before her began his own tale, a grin stretching wide across his face as he joked about the lady with her lover, about how he had earned two horses and a fur rug in trade for his silence. It was odd to Ciri, how someone could be happy with such simple items over coin, but she had seen how towns reacted to Geralt, had even seen his resigned silence as one even dared to refuse his pay as it was not the monster he was told to kill.
It infuriated her and it made her weep within at how Witchers were treated.
Vesemir hummed as he moved to stand at the centre of the table, waiting till all eyes were on him. "Each of your faces here is enough cause for a celebration. You're safe, made it back home in one piece… mainly. That is enough for me."
Cups were raised at his toast, many adding their voice of agreement.
"Here's to another Winter together," Coën added a small grin on his face.
"To arguments over who gets cleaning duty!"
"To the breath in our lungs!"
Geralt hummed as he raised his own mug of ale. "To the brothers."
"To forgetting the fucking path!" Eskel's voice booms in the hall. "For one fucking night!"
Aiden was on his feet in an instant, no hesitation in his movements as his hands flew out and let the silver dagger at his waist fly with a push of Aard. A snarl escaped several of the Witchers as Eskel flew back, rage and fury swirling on every face Aiden could see before him until Lambert and Coën pulled their swords and charged forward.
Geralt snarled as he kicked out at Coën, his arms already locking around Lambert in the familiar hold he always used on his brother.
"LET ME GO YOU BASTARD!" Lambert roared as he tried to free himself from the grip. "THAT IS NOT OUR BROTHER!"
Several other Witchers paused at hearing Lambert's snarl, their eyes flicking between the two wolves, the Griffin, the Cat and Eskel who was screaming back at them all. Doubt crept up in a few others as they noted all the things wrong.
"LIES!" Eskel screeched pulling the dagger from his shoulder.
A deeper snarl escaped Lambert's lips as he twisted his fingers in the familiar form of Aard, sending the creature back as he finally escaped Geralt's hold in his surprise. "I spoke with my brother several hours ago an' he was still a day's ride from the town at the base of this mountain, there is no way beyond th' 'elp of a sorceress would he make it 'ere within less than a day. So, who the fuck are you!"
Eskel's double's face began to twist, and the scent of peat moss and rot permuted the air. In an instant, as the creatures true face was revealed the Witcher's moved as one. It was Coën who was faster at placing Yrden on the open door as the creature went to flee.
"It's the doppler Eskel's been after!" Aiden exclaimed once the fight was over.
"What even possessed it to come to a Witcher's keep?" Gwain asked with a grunt, kicking the limb idly.
Vesemir hummed as he smelt the lingering effects of a powerful glamour on the doppler. "It had help, there was a glamour placed to mask its scent."
"Eskel did say that it seemed like it was getting help, he'd been hunting it for three weeks and is the reason he's delayed getting here." Coën hummed in thought, his hands searching over the mangled corpse; hissing sharply at the Nilfgaardian emblem he found. "Nilfgaard."
A whimper escaped Ciri's throat at that, "it was after me. It was… it was after me…"
"Shh Ciri, it's alright." Geralt murmured as he pulled her into his arms, turning her away from the corpse. "It could have been after me as well, we know Nilfgaard is searching for me too."
Lambert grunted as he turned to look at his brother. "It's too convenient, if it wanted either of you then it would have captured Eskel for information not lead him on a merry hunt and climb th' killer for shits an' giggles."
"There is a lot of secrets in this old keep. Perhaps it was after something else?"
Aiden, Coën and Lambert stiffened as Merek spoke, their eyes locking on each other and as one their hands flew to their Medallions. There has been no reply from Jaskier in days and the one that Coën got was barely audible and wrong. They knew that Nilfgaard was after Geralt and Ciri, after any Witcher that could be connected to them… Jaskier… Jaskier was known as the White Wolf's Bard, and he had been causing dissension to take heat off them so to speak.
"Fuck, FUCK!" Lambert snarled.
"Something is wrong, what is it? What do you know?" Geralt asked
It was Vesemir who sighed and looked at his boys. "It has to do with Julien, doesn't it?"
Geralt jolted at that, his eyes widening as his mentor uttered Jaskier's name. How, how does he know Jaskier? What do they know?
Coën nodded at Vesemir's question. "Yes, we think. Neither of us has heard from him in days. We tried to get him here but he…" He trailed off and averted his gaze from Geralt and his Child Surprise.
"Tell me." Geralt snarled panic building in his chest at what he was hearing.
"Jaskier…" Aiden started and waved off Lambert as Geralt moved towards him, his face twisted in fury, but the Cat Witcher could smell the fear wafting off him at this range. "Jaskier has been doing all he can to make sure we got here safe, to make sure your Child Surprise got here safe. That you got here safe."
A wounded noise escaped Geralt's lips as everything that was being said hit him, his knees giving out from under his frame and sending him crashing to the floor if it wasn't for Lambert rushing to him. He had thought Jaskier would be safe, foolishly so… but it seems even after all the pain Geralt had caused, Jaskier still would fight the world for him.
He's fighting Nilfgaard for you and Ciri after all you have done… and it's probably got him killed… His mind whispered darkly, a voice he hadn't heard since before Posada.
"How… how can you know?" Geralt gasped out his fingers digging into the soft flesh of Lambert's forearm, his eyes flicking from the Cat, Lambert and Coën constantly.
The three seemed to have a silent conversation before as one, dug out their medallions for Geralt to see. There resting atop each emblem of their School rest a Lark Pendant, one that was familiar to Geralt as his swords. Jaskier wore a match, was always fiddling with it when composing and had nearly stabbed a thief to death when said thief tried to steal it.
"I don't understand, how… how do you have Jaskier's pendant?" He asked trying to focus on the now and not the what ifs.
"He gave them to us," Coën replied calmly. "Aiden and I owe him a life debt that he will never accept, Eskel was starving and so low on everything that he was one hunt away from critical and Lambert here took a hunt in Oxenfurt. He gave us one of these to keep him informed, to make sure that if we ever need help, he'll give it. All we have to do is call."
Lambert felt his heart clenching as he watched the lost look on Geralt's face grow, it was one he was very familiar with as it was the same one he seemed to have before his realization of his feelings with Aiden. "Geralt, these were made for you according to Eskel… 'cept, we needed them more, needed him more. Brother, I don't want to rub more salt in the wound but I genuinely think he believed you wouldn't want nor need it."
Geralt didn't know which one was worse, that Jaskier never gave him a token or that his bard believed Geralt would never take it or want it. Fuck.
X
Geralt and his Child Surprise made it safe to Kaer Morhen.
They're safe Cub.
The moody bastard is injured but healing.
Relief slammed into Jaskier as he ran, his shoulder clipping one of the trees and had him careening towards the ground. He barely managed to catch himself and scuttle on all fours to right himself as he continued onwards.
Safe, Geralt and Ciri were safe, the last few weeks had been worth it.
Thank… fuck… He replied and even mentally it sounded exhausted, winded.
Jaskier? Coën's voice was concerned but Jaskier couldn't reply, his whole body collapsing to the earth like a puppet with its strings cut. He made it, he made it to the edge of Brokilon where the magical border protected those that lived in it.
He could hear the horses that followed him scream in terror, the angry orders of the Nilfgaardian soldiers.
With shaking fingers, he pushed himself up, blood splattering on the decaying leaves that littered the floor and pushed himself onto his back. His entire body ached, fiercer than the pains of the trials. Cuts lingered from the swords of the soldiers he just escaped from, fingers of his left hand dislocated and broken from punching full mail plated armour with all his strength… but the worst of it all was the curse, he had been wearing the Medallion since Oxenfurt and the pain has only tripled since then.
It also didn't help that he was highly toxic, again…
"Julek!" Levana's voice ripped through the air, drawing his eyes towards her.
Hands traced along his torso, digging into the slash and jagged wounds, magic pulsing with each pass of her fingers. It eased the aches of the lacerations to a slight itch.
"Thank you, Lev," He wheezed, eyes taking in the piecing green eyes filled with tears. "No, no, don't cry… I'm okay."
Levana shook her head violently; he was not okay. She felt her wards ripple the moment he crossed into the section that had been approved for his entrance, had watched as he stumbled and gasped as he fell to the ground in an uncoordinated dash. His hair was white as snow, had been since he asked for the glamour to confuse Nilfgaard, but it only highlighted the dark circles under his eyes, the pallid pallor of his skin. Seeing him, a Bear so broken and weak… it tore at her.
He thinks he must be strong all the time, that fucking school… Violet's voice whispered in her mind from a time long ago. No, it started with our bastard of a father, don't be soft Julien, be a man. But I have never been prouder to be called his sister.
"You need to take the Medallion of Julek, it's killing you," Levana whispered pleadingly, desperately wishing she could remove the curse she placed so long ago, but it evolved and expanded beyond her power now… only her stipulation could break it.
Golden eyes peered back at her with acceptance, his hands curling around hers that held the Medallion and pulled it free, letting it rest back on his chest once more. "I know."
