At the first ray of the sun, Geralt started breakfast. He kept it simple with fruits and bread. Jaskier awoke not long after. The first thing he did was straightening his back and rubbing at his throat with a grimace. Geralt pretended not to look at the bard when his friend was so obviously gloomy.
"Good morning. Breakfast is ready."
Jaskier sulked closer. He grabbed a piece of bread and began chewing it with no energy. He was pointedly not looking at Geralt. Following his example, Geralt took some bread and bit into it. They stood next to each other. The strange silence between them was nothing like Geralt had imagined. It was also bothering him that he hadn't found the words to apologize for the mountain yet. He was thinking about it a lot, but he couldn't find anything worthwhile to say to Jaskier that could be worthy enough of what he had said on the mountain. He had had time to reminisce, mull it over, and to decide that Jaskier didn't deserve what he had said to him. Jaskier was very emotional. Too emotional for this.
Jaskier would not be the one to break the silence this time, so Geralt eventually started speaking.
"I didn't recognize you. You changed a lot."
Jaskier stopped munching. He didn't answer. He didn't even lift his eyes from his bread.
"Your smell is not the same."
At that, Jaskier frowned. He turned to face the witcher. He knew about Geralt's enhanced smell but it was strange that the witcher himself would bring it up. As discreetly as possible with a witcher watching him, Jaskier sniffed himself. Indeed, he smelled more like royal perfume than before, but that was probably not what Geralt meant.
Geralt's voice shifted. A clear sign that he had finished the small talk and was getting at the heart of the problem.
"Viscount Pankratz told me that you were mute."
And Jaskier wanted to yell again, at the witcher and his father, but he decided to keep his secret for now. He owned nothing to the man. He though Geralt didn't care about him. Was he already prepared to talk to him again? Jaskier thought their friendship was on a break. Geralt should learn when to stop. He didn't have to deal with problems that he wasn't supposed to solve. Jaskier had asked for help for leaving the mansion. If he had a problem with his curse, he would have asked at the same time! Or at least, he would have acted as if it was a problem. How could Geralt act like he hadn't told Jaskier to get out of his life?
Some anger must have shown on his face because Geralt backtracked. He looked away, took a sip of water and shat up. Now it was Jaskier's turn to feel bad. He could recognize honest intentions when he saw then. The man was trying to apologize... in his way. It was not his fault that he was bad with words. But Jaskier needed to keep himself safe. If he allowed himself to answer Geralt's questions, he would drown in the need to be with the man again, to follow him on the roads. And now, after all the time he had had to reflect, he knew that Geralt's burst of anger hadn't been entirely wrong. He was useless in fights, too loud for Geralt's enhanced hearing and he truly was... a nuisance. In general. Not worth helping.
Yet, here was Geralt. Helping him. The least he could do was answer him. Being ignored was just one of the worst feelings. So Jaskier took his notepad and wrote.
"That was a long time ago. Don't you worry about that."
Thankfully his witcher knew how to read because the look that he gave Jaskier was nothing like he had seen before.
"What happened?"
Through this simple sentence, Jaskier heard that Geralt was not mad at him. He heard the unsaid "I know that was not your choice". But he wouldn't lie to Geralt even if he needed to.
"Destiny told me to shut up."
Geralt looked at the bard, puzzled. Jaskier didn't want to tell him the truth, because the witcher might just decide to help him and let him stay by his sides. Jaskier didn't want a repeat of the past 20 years again. He was tired of following a man, even if it was Geralt, just to be reminded of how pitiful he was.
"Is that why you stopped being a bard?" Geralt asked. Jaskier pinched his lips with a frown. The witcher said nothing more but he got up and went for Roach. He had a lot more stuff than Jaskier remembered.
So this is how it ends? Not even a goodbye? Jaskier focused on his bread. He didn't want to look at Geralt's retreating figure. It was obvious that the witcher had fulfilled his role and now, he was up and he was leaving. He had better things to do. But, surprisingly, Geralt came back. A large object was put in Jaskier's sight.
"I... found her and I guess I wanted to... give it back."
Jaskier couldn't believe his eyes. His lute was there in front of him. He slowly approached his hand, as if he was trying to tame a wild animal, and touch her with his fingertips. His lute! What a grave mistake he had made selling her! Geralt released his grip only when he was sure Jaskier wouldn't drop her out of excitement.
He closed his eyes, content in just feeling her wood under his fingers. He could feel that the wood was dehydrated as if she had stayed in her case for quite a long time now. Apparently, Geralt had had her with him for a while now.
Lowering her on his laps, he gave Geralt the most sincere smile he could. There was no need for words at a moment like that.
"Hmmm. You're welcome."
He sat down once more, and Jaskier busied himself with his lute until it was time to leave. Geralt told him that they were heading for the city, and Jaskier packed his lute back in her case. It is only when he helped Geralt pack everything that he noticed the witcher's bandaged arm.
"What?" Geralt asked.
"Your arm isn't better?"
Shit, Jaskier had been too preoccupied with his escape and his lute to notice that Geralt was still hurt. How was that even possible? The witcher healed faster than humans, he should have been fine!
"Calm down Jaskier," Geralt said. "I am fine. I just forgot to take the bandage off."
Jaskier dramatically sighed. He almost took his notebook out to ask Geralt to tell him more about the hunt, but he remembered that it would just annoy his friend.
They finished packing up in a strange silence. Geralt was looking at him differently than before. They headed towards a city. Not the closest ones on the map of course, because that is just where Jaskier's family would look first.
As soon as Jaskier felt comfortable enough walking by the witcher's side again, Geralt started talking. It surprised him enough for Jaskier to startle.
"It was, uh, dark outside. And I could not hear it yet."
Jaskier swiped his head to Geralt. What was he doing?
"So I followed footsteps. It was probably a Necrophage. The farmers described it as some kind of ghoul. Uh..."
Was he... Was he explaining the hunt to him?
Intrigued, Jaskier kept watching him. On his horse, Geralt didn't seem as confident as the night before. Instead, Geralt was fidgeting with the reins looking everywhere but at Jaskier.
"It uh... It was hiding in a mausoleum. I don't... remember which family. Probably yours."
Jaskier couldn't help but smile. Finally catching on, he took his notepad out and started writing down every little detail. Geralt detailed the monster as much as he could, which was way more than what Jaskier was used to. It was strange that the witcher was the one speaking while Jaskier stayed silent, but it was nicer than what both expected. The path to the city seemed livelier after that.
They spent a few days on the road. Geralt didn't try to broad on the subject of Jaskier's muteness again, or his family, or the escape from his mansion... He asked nothing about him. He didn't even try to make the conversation this time. It had Jaskier wonder if he had imagined all of that. Geralt was acting differently than before, but Jaskier couldn't guess if it was in a good or a bad way.
He could only guess what would happen at the end of the journey. Maybe Geralt would stay with him and help, maybe he would he leave him. Jaskier wasn't very eager to arrive.
Then again before the... curse, he never thought Geralt would abandon him. Perhaps the witcher was just trying to make up for that. There was no reason for Geralt to carry on with him after that. Jaskier dreaded the next village. He wasn't ready to be alone again. Of course, he was with the witcher right now, and his voice was ...oh sweet Melitle... his voice was back. But he couldn't use it, and it would be gone as soon as Geralt left him. He had no plan on how to survive, and no way to make money.
Planning on the future was harder than he thought and soon, Jaskier lost his train of thought.