Author's Note: Hi all, I'm currently on vacation and with my family but I worked on this before leaving so I could get it out while I was away. Welcome new followers, thanks for joining in on the fun! Don't forget to review and favourite if you can please, those honestly make my day to read. Until next time, enjoy :]
Ward of Kaer Morhen – Chapter 12
A flurry of activity took place in Kaer Morhen in the days after Triss Merigold had identified Nym's curse. The Witchers holed themselves up in the laboratory for the better part of two days, collecting and measuring ingredients for the potion that would hopefully rid Nym of her affliction. Triss had ordered Geralt and Eskel to gather fresh ingredients from the forest surrounding the keep where they could as she didn't want to chance the potency of the brew. Vesemir granted Nym permission to enter the laboratory with supervision when necessary, but she mostly chose to make herself busy in the kitchen, preferring silence and routine over the company of Triss and the Witchers.
There had been a general air of tension in the crumbling keep since the night of their dinner, one which Vesemir was choosing firmly to ignore. He had been preoccupied with his own work outside of the lab, scanning every book in the library for something that made sense. Nym and Geralt kept their distance from one another, Geralt becoming more solitary except for when tasked with scouring the forest with Eskel. It had crossed his mind to throttle his brother, but Vesemir had made it clear that he needed to respect Nym's wishes - in every regard. If she wished to laugh and talk and spend more time with Eskel - so be it. If Eskel made any concrete efforts to court her, however, that would be a different matter entirely. Geralt exhaled in frustration as he wiped down the dirty table in the lab, Eskel had made a huge mess of it while rendering tallow. He looked up as Nym emerged from the stairway, carrying a tray of hot clover blossom tea. She placed the steaming mugs carefully on the cleanest parts of the table, then turned to jog back up the stairs, barely glancing at him.
Nym ignored the lurching sensation in her heart, it seemed to be getting worse every time she saw him. Triss had been acting rather strange around her lately too, her sentences brief and voice clipped. Everyone had made themselves busy over the last few days, but Eskel had been kind enough to talk to and train with Nym when he had spare time. Even though Geralt hadn't attended these training sessions, Eskel had very patiently sparred with Nym while she practiced with a sword. Although she had dodged and attacked Geralt quite naturally with a dagger, wielding a sword was an entirely different beast. It was a longer extension of her arm and forced her to think twice about the weight of it, where it would land, and how and when to swing it. Eskel had commented on the speed at which she had picked up basic maneuvers, but it would be a long time before she was anywhere as competent as them.
Time trickled by as the potion brewed. She had laid in bed for hours two nights in a row, tossing and turning in the hot covers and thinking about the calamity that was her current situation. There was a potential way out of it at least - if the potion returned her voice then she could perhaps think about finding somewhere to call home. It would have to be a home where she was alone, of course, not counting her horse. She sighed deeply as she pulled the covers over her, having eaten her dinner in her room again in silence. Triss and Geralt were still in the laboratory working, or perhaps enjoying each other's company... Another wave of jealousy and sadness washed over her as she pictured them downstairs together. She screwed her eyes shut in the dark room, waiting for the wound to heal.
She awoke in the morning to the sound of someone rapping on the door. It would be Eskel, trying to squeeze in some training before he was summoned back to the lab. She slipped her trousers on in a hurry and took a swig of water.
"Come on, let's go before I get shouted at. And to the woods this time, I need to have a look for some Ginatia petals, the ones we have are all wilt-y." He said, raising an eyebrow expectantly at her as she opened the door. Nym nodded and braided her hair quickly as she followed him. They collected their weapons in the armoury and then set out of the keep towards the woods.
"Your hair looks nice like that," Eskel said, dismounting from his horse. Nym shook her head, hopping off Blue. Eskel was less reserved than Geralt and seemed to have no problem making vocal observations about her appearance.
"We should get you some real armour, I can't seem to find anything that would fit. Perhaps if you just ate some more…" He jested, walking around her in the circular clearing. They took their places, Eskel striking the first blow in slow-motion.
Geralt watched as the two of them clopped up towards the stables on horseback. They had taken to sneaking off together to train, either in the courtyard or forest. Nym's smile fell as they neared, something that had been happening every time he'd seen her lately. He hadn't expected that their 'friendship' would have remained the same after their confrontation, but Nym had almost entirely withdrawn from it, barely interacting with Geralt whatsoever.
"Morning," he said curtly, walking back into the keep.
"Bee in his bonnet as usual," Eskel muttered. Nym shrugged, stabling Blue. The horse was luckily none the wiser and had been enjoying the changing of the seasons wholeheartedly.
"Did you say something to him by any chance..?" Eskel asked, feigning nonchalance. She pointed at her mouth flatly.
"Right," he laughed, opening the keep door for her.
Eskel stood beside Nym in the kitchen as she heated water for barley porridge. She washed the wild blackberries she had found, topping five bowls with them. She brought down a tray to the lab, then returned to the kitchen to eat with Eskel, whose bowl was almost empty by the time she'd returned to the kitchen.
"Remind me to take you back to the pond soon, we'll see if we can do some fishing." He said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Nym nodded, eating a spoonful of porridge. She pushed away the image of Geralt's white hair glinting in the sunlight by the pond and the way he had laughed while sitting beside her there. It had only been a few days ago, but that moment seemed like a faraway memory now.
After Eskel headed to the lab, Nym shut herself in the library and made a real effort to read. She had been stuck on the same chapter for an hour before someone opened the door.
"Ah, there you are. Triss says it'll be ready by this evening." Said Vesemir. Nym closed her book and nodded.
"Are you.. prepared for this?" He asked, scanning her face. She quirked her lips, not sure how to answer.
"I can't promise you anything in regards to your voice, Nymeia, but Triss has been meticulous with the formulation." He said reassuringly.
Nym nodded, mouthing her gratitude to him. It was comforting to know that the potion was being made under Vesemir's watchful supervision. She sighed after he left, she would have to find some way to repay him.
Eskel handed Triss the flower petals he had gathered in the forest. She nodded in thanks, then descended back down to the laboratory. Geralt watched as she went, trying to decide whether to join her. She had been icy since the night he'd been found out, but Geralt couldn't quite blame her for it. The fact that she remained here to help was a good reason not to rock the boat.
"Everything.. alright between the two of you?" Eskel asked, following Geralt's gaze.
"Fine," he replied, not meeting Eskel's eyes. "What about you and Nym?" He asked, unable to hold back the spiteful question.
"Pretty good. She's coming along well with the basic swordplay. You should join us tomorrow." Eskel replied, ignoring the bait. Geralt scoffed, turning to face him.
"Join you? So I can watch you fawn over her in close proximity?"
Eskel laughed through his nose.
"Is that why you're acting like such a prick?" He jabbed. "If that's what you wanted, maybe you shouldn't have started fucking Triss right under her nose." He shook his head.
"What? Triss and I aren't fucking, you dolt." Geralt said through his teeth. "It's none of your business, even if we were."
"Well, Nym doesn't know that," Eskel said, shrugging. "Which is fine by me if you ask, she's much better company than you. Nicer to look at too." He needled, walking away from him.
Geralt glowered at Eskel's back as he left. He had thought about telling Nym that nothing was happening between him and Triss but what was the point in clarifying now that she had moved on? Some juvenile part of him wanted her to be jealous, but that hadn't seemed to be the case. Although the ball was well and truly in her court, it seemed as though she'd made up her mind not to play. Perhaps it was better this way, but if it was.. why did he feel so wretched about it all?
Vesemir moved the copper distillation vessel out of Triss's way as she chose two vials from the workbench. She shook them both for ten seconds at a time, agitating the viscous liquids within them. She uncorked both of them, pouring them carefully into a larger bottle. The liquid frothed for a moment, hissing as the two final ingredients were added to it. Triss put the vials aside and wiped her brow.
"Where will she go after this, if it works?" She asked Vesemir.
"I'm not quite sure," he said, sitting opposite her on the table.
"Well she can't stay here, can she?"
Vesemir hesitated.
"That would be up to the rest of the boys.. but no, I don't think Nym would want that."
"She's already got her hooks in two of them, I can't see the other Witchers complaining about her presence either," Triss said under her breath, tapping her nails on the table. Vesemir raised his eyebrow at her.
"That's not quite fair, Triss. You know as well as I do that Nym doesn't possess that sort of guile. It's one of her weaknesses." He said disapprovingly. Triss huffed a strand of hair out of her face.
"I'm sorry- I don't know what's come over me." She said after a moment.
"Yes, you do. It's quite natural to feel as you do, but you must trust that what's next is out of our control. ..Believe me, I've tried to stop it." Vesemir said, crossing his arms. Triss tilted her head in curiosity.
"You.. told Geralt not to pursue her?" She asked.
"Yes, but it's complicated. They're evenly matched in some ways, I suppose." He said with an exasperated sigh. Triss's brow furrowed, contemplating the thought. Finally, she shook her head.
"Well it's ready, so come what may, I suppose." She said, taking the bottle in her hands and swirling the thick green draught around.
Eskel came to fetch Nym from her room after sundown. She took another big gulp of soup, a sip of water, and then neatened her appearance. Before she left the room, she scribbled something down on paper for Eskel.
"If something happens, promise to look after Blue." It read.
"Nothing's going to happen Nym, you'll probably just feel queasy for a few minutes," He reassured her.
They headed down to the laboratory where everyone had congregated around the worktable. Potion-making paraphernalia scattered on the worktops all around them where Triss and the Witchers had worked for the past few days. Geralt looked down at the floor as she entered the lab with Eskel. Vesemir shuffled some parchment and a quill in her direction.
"Are you ready?" He asked. She nodded, bending to write on the paper.
"What happens if it doesn't work?" She asked the group.
"It'll work. It won't taste very good but just make sure not to throw it up." Triss said, crossing her arms. Nym glanced at Geralt, who hadn't said anything.
"I won't. Thank you, all of you, for everything." She bent down to write.
"Nym, you're not going to die." Eskel snorted.
Nym cracked a feeble smile at Eskel, then uncorked the bottle before her, eyeing the green treacly liquid. This was it, this was the key to another answer, and possibly her future. She looked at the four of them again, her eyes finally landing on Geralt. He nodded ever so slightly, his frown softening as he held her gaze. She closed her eyes and drank deeply from the bottle, wincing as the thick, vile liquid coated her tongue. She put the bottle down and wiped her lips, trying to figure out what she was feeling. The potion bubbled unpleasantly in her throat, so she began to take deep breaths in an attempt to push nausea away. As the liquid trickled into her stomach, the bubbling turned into a sting, and then a burn. She put one hand on her stomach, leaning on the bench in front of her. Geralt stood immediately, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Are you alright?" He asked her with genuine concern. She nodded, trying not to buckle from the ever-increasing burning in her stomach. He turned to look questioningly at Triss, who nodded - this was part of it.
Beads of sweat collected on Nym's forehead as she bent over the workbench. Everyone was standing up now, collected around her in a circle. The potion began to send white-hot currents of energy through her nerves, causing all of the hairs on the back of her neck and arms to stand up.
"Her skin is cold," said Geralt, touching her goosefleshed arm. Triss hastily handed Nym a glass of water, which she downed instantly. She wrinkled her nose in a grimace, her head tilting up to the ceiling as the pain increased to an almost unbearable level. Her insides felt like they were aflame, but her skin felt cold, colder than it had ever been. She finally gave in and sat down cross-legged on the floor, her back curling into a cocoon-like huddle. Geralt and Eskel crouched down on the floor with her.
"Breathe, like you were doing before," Eskel whispered. She shook her head, suppressing a whimper. There was no controlling her breath at this point, or anything else. The burning started to move upwards, slowly traveling through her esophagus into her throat. She clutched at her neck, scrabbling wildly at it as the potion seared her lungs and throat. Her nails drew blood as she scratched at her neck, tiny beads of blood beginning to break through the surface. Eskel quickly pulled her hands down, holding them behind her.
"She's becoming delirious," said Triss quietly. "We might have to take her upstairs."
Nym struggled to break free from Eskel's grasp, leaning back into him and letting her head hang behind her, her lips parted and the whites of her eyes showing.
"Alright, that's enough." Geralt said, pulling Nym off the floor and into his arms. The feeling of her light body slumped in his arms sickened him. Her skin wavered between being scorching hot and ice cold, but he'd have to bear it to get her upstairs. He climbed the stairs carefully with the rest of them following behind him. He chose his bigger bedroom over hers, and laid her down on the bed.
"This isn't normal, is it Triss?" Vesemir asked, standing in the doorway with Triss. Nym pushed up against the bed, her arms and legs writhing stiffly.
"No, but neither is her curse," replied Triss, turning away from the sight.
"What do you mean? What are we supposed to do?" Growled Geralt, holding Nym's wrists steady, she was still trying to scratch her throat out. He knew that if she could scream, she would have done so the entire time. Tears streamed sideways out of her closed eyes as she sobbed silently, her ribcage expanding and collapsing as she did so.
Nym was trapped, there was a searing coil binding around her limbs, her lungs, and her throat. She opened her eyes for a moment, catching sight of Geralt's amber irises.
"She's going to be fine," Eskel said to himself, a tone of mild panic in his voice. Triss came to her, placing a cool towel down on her forehead. Nym's eyelids fluttered, her body beginning to go limp.
"Nym. Nym?" A voice said to her, but it was time to give in now. Nym closed her eyes, beginning to lose hold of her consciousness.
"Nym, come on." The voice said again, rattling around in her head.
No, she thought, as her head started to cloud over. It was time to give in.
"Move aside, the both of you," said Vesemir firmly. Geralt did as he asked, his eyes still glued to Nym's unconscious face. Vesemir crouched down beside Nym, touching her face gently.
"She's scorching. Triss, is this going to be harmful to her in any way?" He asked the sorceress.
"No - I don't know," she replied, still mopping Nym's brow with the towel.
"There's not much we can do other than wait. Eskel, fetch some cold water in a basin. Geralt, step out of the room." He said calmly.
"What?" Geralt asked in confusion.
"You heard me, out." He said, pointing at the door. Geralt clenched his fists and took one last look at Nym, then closed the door.
Geralt sat in the stairwell for hours, barely able to contain his anger and concern. He could hear their voices through the bedroom door as they tended to Nym. From Triss's tone of voice, he could tell that this wasn't the expected result. Finally, Vesemir emerged from the bedroom and walked towards Geralt.
"It's alright, she's fallen asleep now." He said, placing a hand on Geralt's shoulder. Geralt turned to watch Triss leave the room, exhausted from the night.
"There's water in there if she wakes up," said Triss on her way out. They held each other's gaze for a moment, Geralt glancing at the half-open door. "Wake me if you need to," She said finally, nodding at him.
Geralt entered the candle-lit room and took a seat beside the bed. Nym was white as a sheet, and still sweating from her fever. He placed a hand on her cold forehead gingerly, careful not to disturb her. He pulled back the sheet slightly to examine her neck, the bright red scratch marks clearly visible on her neck. They had applied a salve to the wounds, but it still disturbed him to know that she had been in enough pain to harm herself so. He scanned her pale face, her dark brows and dusky lashes standing out in contrast against her skin. It was eerie to see her so still, her face was usually so animated. Some part of him bristled at the thought that she might want Eskel here instead, but he chose to ignore it. When she woke up, she could tell him that herself. He took her hand under the covers, holding it tightly within his while he waited.
Nym was lost in the thickest parts of the fog, unable to find a way out until she felt a hand on hers. The burning in her lungs and throat had subsided into a bearable ache, but her head still felt like it had been submerged in ice. There it was again, the sound of a chiming clock, ticking in her head steadily. A child's sustained scream rang out in the fog, startling her. Faces appeared in the mist around her, dark at first but slowly becoming recognizable. Green rays of light pierced the clouds in her head, blinding her momentarily. She grabbed again in the dark for the hand that had reached for her, finding it. A resounding voice began to sound in the mist, repeating a single word she didn't understand.
"Arkhyr. Arkhyr." The voice said, searching her out.
She crouched low, making herself small.
"It's time now." The voice urged.
She shook her head. It wasn't time, she wasn't ready. She scrabbled in the white for the hand, which caught her again, warmth filling her body.
The voice roared, repeating the foreign word as the hand pulled her out of the mist. She shook with fear at the sound of it crashing around her. The hand grasped her tightly in response.
"It's time." The voice hissed.
She cowered as rays of green light shone down on her brightly. her shadow long in the face of them. A second shadow stood beside her, hand holding hers. She turned in surprise, who was it? It couldn't be.. Was it.. Geralt?
Nym mouthed something in her nightmare that he couldn't discern. Her body had twisted up in the sheets, but her hand had never stopped gripping his. He leaned in closer as she mouthed it again. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open.
"Geralt?" Rasped Nym in barely more than a whisper. Geralt froze. It was her voice. His heart had started hammering at the sound of his name - her first word.
"Nym, it's alright, you're safe." Geralt said after a pause.
So it was Geralt, Nym realized, turning to face him. It was Geralt that had pulled her out of the mist. Nym smiled, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.
When she awoke again, it was still dark out. She opened her eyes to find Eskel sitting beside her. Her head felt too heavy to lift up, but she made an effort to turn around to face him.
"Hello," he said, pulling the chair closer to her. She gave him a weak smile, and then a wink. He laughed.
"Gave us all a good fright.. You've been asleep for two days." He said.
Nym frowned, what time was it?
"It'll be morning again soon. Vesemir forced Geralt to get some sleep." Eskel said, rubbing his arm.
Nym inhaled deeply, realizing that the bed she was laying in was Geralt's. It smelled like him, overwhelmingly so now that she was properly awake. An image of Geralt's shadow against the rays of green light flashed through her head - he had pulled her out of her nightmare. She shivered slightly at the thought of the suffocating potion-induced fog.
"Do you remember anything from earlier?" Eskel asked. She shook her head.
"Geralt said you spoke while you were dreaming. Out loud." He said, beginning to crack a smile. Nym pointed at her throat, her eyes widening. He nodded.
"Really..?" She rasped quietly, overjoyed to find that she could hear herself.
"Alright, take it easy. There's no rush." Eskel laughed. Nym grinned in disbelief, letting her head rest against the pillow again. Triss's potion had worked. Her throat felt strained and weak, but this was something she'd never imagined could happen to her. She blinked back the tears that were threatening to escape from her eyes, still smiling. Eskel reached for her hand, stroking the back of it with his rough palm.
"Back to body temperature now," he murmured, running his thumb along her knuckles.
Geralt walked soundlessly across the stone floor in the darkness, towards Nym's room. There was candlelight pouring out of it, and it was clear that she wasn't alone. Through the gap in the door, he could see Eskel holding her hand and speaking softly to her. He froze, watching Nym through the gap, his ears isolating the sound of her voice.
"Eskel..." she began, in her quiet rasp.
"Nymeia?" Eskel replied playfully, lifting her hand to his lips. Geralt clenched his jaw as a wave of fury washed over him.
"You know how I feel, don't you? About you?" She managed to say in her newfound voice, placing her hand on the side of Eskel's face gently.
Geralt spun around, unwilling to listen to the rest. Jealousy and rage flooded him at the sound of her words - she might have said his name first, but it was as clear as day what she was about to say to Eskel. He pushed back the image of her hand on Eskel's scarred face, and at the tenderness with which she had touched him. Nym had decided - it was over, and of all people she'd chosen to be with, it was the man he considered his closest friend and brother. Now with her curse lifted, there was no reason for him to interfere any further. Eskel could remain with her here over the winter, or help her choose a life somewhere, but he couldn't stay here with the two of them and watch it go on. He headed downstairs aimlessly, discovering Triss in the kitchen with much the same idea.
"Are you leaving?" He asked, noticing her gathering her belongings on the kitchen table.
"Just for a little while, I have some matters to tend to. I'll be back in a week or less." Triss said, smiling tightly. Geralt frowned deeply, realizing that Eskel had cost him this relationship too, and that it was too late to mend it.
"It's just a matter of rest for Nym now, make sure she doesn't exert herself too much." She added, stuffing an apple into her cloak pocket.
"I won't be wintering here. Eskel will see to all that." He replied bluntly.
"Oh?" She replied, scanning his face. "Are you sure that's what you want..?"
"Yes." He replied, not knowing what else to say.
"You should make your peace with both of them before you go. You may never see her again.." She said, putting a hand on his arm.
"We'll see. Thank you for everything Triss, we owe you a debt." He said, the frown still etched into his brow.
"You can repay it in Temeria one day, we're in need of your services. Goodbye for now, if I don't see you in a week's time." Triss nodded.
Nym searched Eskel's golden eyes, her palm still pressed to his face.
"Yes, I do. You don't have to explain yourself to me, Nym." Eskel said, letting out a chuckle.
"You do?" She rasped, barely making any sound.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel anything for you, but I've been around a long time, Nym. I know when things are a lost cause." Eskel said frankly, meeting her eyes. "You should tell Geralt how you feel." He added.
"I wrote a letter," she whispered. "But I'm not sure I want to give it to him now."
"Your choice, but I think he'd want to know." Eskel said. 'Enough of this now, get some rest. I'll bring you some real food later." He patted her hand. Eskel was right, there had been enough hiding, she'd have to tell Geralt - properly. She exhaled in relief at Eskel's admission of his feelings, and his deeper understanding that Nym hadn't returned them. He knew, and yet he had been kind and expected nothing of her in return. She allowed her eyes to close, letting her hand rest in his as she slept.
A day and a half passed until Nym was well enough to stand up and walk around the keep. She moved out of Geralt's room as soon as she could, unable to bear the feeling of lying in his bed. Eskel seemed to understand, and for that she was immensely grateful. He didn't mention Geralt again, but Nym could discern his worry from the way looked at her, and the frequency of his jokes. She didn't see Geralt again - not when she went to visit Blue at the stables, not when she curled up in the library, not even when she went to fetch food and water from the kitchen. Vesemir had left a heavy tome down on the dining table, making her read out loud from it for twenty minutes at a time to exercise her vocal chords. Her voice became clearer and stronger each time she read, the hoarseness beginning to lift slowly. Geralt spent the majority of those days outside riding while planning the next leg of his journey. He would take Triss up on her offer to work in Temeria, but first - there was something he wanted to see to in Ard Carraigh. He held his reins in one hand as Roach stepped right to the edge of the mountain, the autumn wind rising up from the valley and animating the fallen leaves on the ground. The darkening sky had coloured the abyss below him in dark purples and blues. He stood there for a time, staring down until the valley turned into a black void, turning back only when he knew everyone else would be asleep.