Conjunction

Chapter 13 - The Best Friend

As they continued their journey, Geralt shared the things he had learned from the grimoire. He explained that the final ritual was to take place at an ancient Elven temple that rested atop one of the southern mountain ranges, the Amell Mountains. She remembered seeing the name in the grimoire and grew intensely interested when he mentioned the mountain range. He soon learned that "Amell" was actually her family name. "For what it's worth," she snorted softly. He didn't know how the mountains had gotten their name, but knew it probably couldn't be a mere coincidence that she had the same name.

Solona also shared stories with Geralt of her travels in Ferelden in her quest to end the Blight. She was unsure at first whether she ought to mention the details of her past relationship with the kingdom's current king, but decided that a policy of honesty between them was best. And for some reason she felt comfortable sharing with him details of her life that no one else had been privy to since her cousin. She hadn't had this kind of confidante since Garrett and it felt good to have someone to speak her deepest thoughts to who she knew wouldn't judge her for them. In some ways it was better, because Geralt was the best kind of neutral party to her past, having been entirely separated from any aspect of it even down to the smallest detail. When she told him about Alistair he had taken it in stride, but had asked some pointed questions that had given her pause.

"Did you love him?"

When he asked the question, she realized that no one, not even Alistair himself, had ever asked her before. And she honestly didn't know what the answer was.

She had looked so uncomfortable that Geralt had let it go. It was clear to him that this king of hers had loved her dearly and had also known her well enough to let her go without a fight. He couldn't help but admire the man for that. He had never been the jealous type but he had to admit to himself that he did envy Alistair's history with her, and was also secretly a little grateful because the other man's sacrifice had been so much to Geralt's benefit. He thought in the unlikely chance he ever met the other man, he would thank him.

Inevitably she began to ask about his own past, or what he remembered of it. She knew from Dandelion's ballads that he had lost his memory but was curious about the things he did remember. He hedged around the subject of his romantic entanglements. He didn't remember Yennefer beyond the sporadic dreams he would have of her, and his relationship with Triss had been complicated and had ended poorly. But Solona persisted once she sensed he was holding back, so he finally explained his understanding of the relationship he'd had with the sorceress Yennefer before he had lost his memory, and then his relationship with Triss after his resurrection.

"So, do you love her?... Triss, I mean."

Touché, he thought, and wondered why he had asked his question in the first place, because it really wasn't his business.

But he owed her an answer. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Triss has always been a good friend. She's put herself in harm's way for me on countless occasions and I would be ungrateful if I didn't say that I cared for her deeply."

Hoping to change the subject, he added, "You might get to meet her. We'll need a sorceress to assist with the second phase of the trials. I was planning to send a message to her once we reached Ard Carraigh." If she's still speaking to me, that is.

At the mention of the trials, Solona perked up. "Can you tell me more about the trials? It would be good to know what to expect."

He hesitated at first then decided there was no sense putting it off.

"There are three stages," he began to explain. "The first stage you can probably skip since you're clearly well trained enough to pass it with flying colors already. The second stage is normally the hardest... that's the actual Trial of the Grasses. If we have all the herbs required I'd like to get that over with as soon as we can. It involves a combination of herbal potions and magic to increase your reflexes." He paused, and gave her a concerned look before continuing in a subdued tone, "The trial of the grasses is what turned my hair white. That's the part that most initiates don't survive."

She looked over at him, sensing his pensive mood. "I'll be okay, Geralt," she said softly. "I know it worries you, but I truly believe it will work."

He gave her a hard look before he continued without comment. "The third stage is the mutations. Those will take the longest but should be easy unless we have to go hunt down and kill the monsters that have the mutagens we need, which is probably very likely."

She asked, "Well, what will we need? Is there anything we can gather on the way?"

"I don't know, really. We used to keep a stock of everything, but several years ago the fortress was raided and everything was stolen. We were able to retrieve most of our supplies but haven't conducted any trials in the intervening years so I'm not sure what we actually have in the lab at the moment. To be honest, I haven't been back to Kaer Morhen since we restored the lab."

She looked back at him, brow creased. "So, what if we assume we have nothing... except for maybe the Frightener eyes you're so sure are there... would it be feasible to start hunting for the mutagens now? Do you know where to find them?"

He knew she was right. It's what he would have suggested anyway if he hadn't been in such a hurry to get to Vesemir to find answers to the question of Witcher fertility. Knowing they would need to travel to the southern mountain ranges by next Midsummer meant they had little time to spare.

"Yes," he said. "I know where to find some of them. At least the ones between here and Kaer Morhen. There may be a couple in Ard Carraigh... Some monsters prefer sewers and the city would be the best place to find them."

She grinned at him. "So I guess we're going to hunt some monsters!" He grumbled inwardly at her overenthusiastic attitude towards searching out danger. It was one thing to travel around hunting contracts. Those were usually fairly easy. But hunting for the types of monsters that held the mutagens was different. They were usually very nasty creatures and required a much higher level of focus to kill. His one consolation was that she was exceptional in a fight so he wasn't worried that they'd be able to take on any of the creatures. The trick was to find them.

They arrived in Kaedwen's capital, the city of Ard Carraigh, a few days after Solona's meeting with Flemeth. They stabled their horses near the inn, then split up, Solona going off in one direction with Lusa following behind to find the trade quarter and buy them supplies, and Geralt heading towards the inn to find them rooms for the next couple nights.

Geralt's instructions to Solona had included the purchase of a pack animal to carry additional supplies to Kaer Morhen, so she ended up traipsing around the terraced city for a good hour trying to find what he requested. Once she secured the mule, she continued with the rest of her shopping, leading the obstinate beast behind her and loading it up with supplies she purchased on the way. Oddly, the beast became more and more compliant the more weight it carried, so by the time she was finished buying their supplies it seemed like the most docile creature in the world as she led it back to the inn. She promised the stableboy a generous tip to ensure their supplies would see it through the night and went inside.

It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the dim light in the main room. She heard Lusa make a soft whoof of recognition. She assumed it was Geralt he saw and followed the dog into the room, stopping suddenly when she saw the familiar purple plume waving like a flag in the center of the room.

Geralt had stepped into the inn shortly after their arrival with the hope of simply securing a room and then going up to take a nap. Meditation was useful after all, but there was still nothing better than a nice, leisurely nap to restore one's energy, especially a nap in a real bed after days of traveling. After he'd paid for the room he was about to head up the stairs with their gear when he heard an all too familiar voice call out his name.

"Geralt! I thought that was you. How fortunate!"

His shoulders tensed briefly but he made an effort to look pleased and turned around slowly. "Dandelion... it's been too long." It had in truth been little more than a month since they had seen each other in Vizima, but their meeting had been brief and they hadn't taken time to catch up.

They hugged heartily and Dandelion stood back looking at his friend. He tilted his head and with a quizzical look said, "You look different somehow. Be careful you don't change too much, my friend, or else I'll have to write different songs." Dandelion laughed jovially and patted his friend on the back. He gestured over to the table he'd already reserved for the evening and sat, waving a hand to catch the attention of a nearby serving girl.

Geralt joined him, grabbing the chair facing the door, and ordered an ale from the serving girl that came by. The pretty young woman smiled at them coquettishly and fluttered her eyelids at the Witcher. Dandelion observed with interest that Geralt seemed unusually disinterested in the girl who was so clearly flaunting her assets at him. Something was going on with his friend and he was determined to draw it out of him.

They chatted for awhile about this and that. Geralt asked if Dandelion had seen Triss while he was in Vizima and learned that she had resumed her role as royal council - and guardian - for the late king's only living heir, Anais, who was a mere child of seven.

Dandelion asked, "What happened between you two, anyway? I was sure the two of you had finally figured out how to make it work. It was an inspiration, really. But I take it my impression was incorrect."

Geralt shook his head and sighed. "It was a difference of opinions. And we were both too hard-headed to concede to the other."

Dandelion nodded in understanding and asked expectantly, "So there's no chance you two will set aside your differences and make up?"

Geralt's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Dandelion, I hardly think Triss sees you that way."

The bard looked mildly shocked at the implied accusation. "What? No, you misunderstand. Triss is a great friend, I wouldn't jeopardize that by pursuing anything deeper. And besides, I'm just bad at relationships. No, the reason I ask is because there was a rumor that she was spending time with a certain other Witcher you know."

This surprised Geralt. There were only two possibilities for who it could be. Eskel, who was the closest thing to a brother Geralt had ever known; or Lambert, who he always believed secretly had a thing for Triss but who only ever managed to antagonize her. If it is Eskel, good for him.

Dandelion let out a small, breath he'd been holding, uncertain as to the response Geralt would have to the news that Triss was seeing someone new. "You seem... relieved."

Geralt shrugged and said, "She deserves to be happy. If Eskel can do that for her then he has my blessing." He paused, looking pointedly at his friend, "It is Eskel, I take it?"

Dandelion nodded.

"He's a good man. I wish them the best."

Dandelion was perplexed. He would have thought the man would take the news a bit harder than he had, he and Triss had been so close for so long. There was definitely something up with him.

Then Dandelion remembered that he had his own story to tell. "Geralt!" the bard began excitedly, suddenly unable to contain himself. "You have to hear this story. I met the most amazing woman in Vizima after you left." Geralt was familiar with the bard's many fleeting infatuations so sat in attentive silence, nursing his ale while his friend told him the story.

Only a few words in it became clear that the woman Dandelion was going on about was none other than Solona, and he vaguely recalled her mentioning the bard that first day they were together. It hadn't concerned him at the time because he didn't realize then how closely linked their lives would become. He took a deep swallow of ale and listened with greater interest.

Dandelion was animatedly describing the fight he had witnessed in a back alley in Vizima. "She was resplendent in her wrath as she took down the rapists, her motions as graceful as a dancer's. It was not unlike watching you in a fight, my friend, only with more pyrotechnics. That's not to say that little fire spell you can do isn't impressive, but hers was magnificent! And then the way she just crushed a man's head with a gesture." He held up his hand and made a grasping motion with his fingers in illustration, screwing up his face for emphasis.

Geralt raised an eyebrow. That was one spell he hadn't seen her use yet. He was becoming increasingly fascinated with the tale and Dandelion's portrayal of the young woman he'd grown so attached to over the past few weeks. "Do go on, Dandelion. What happened next?"

Dandelion continued the story, clearly embellishing in several places. Geralt couldn't help but wonder what Solona would think of the retelling.

The bard had reached the more intimate portion of the story and was leaning in closer to tell it in a hushed tone when the door to the inn opened and Solona walked in with her pack slung over one shoulder, followed closely by Lusa. Geralt glanced up and met her eyes. When she spotted Dandelion a look of mild chagrin crossed her face, then she quirked one eyebrow at Geralt. Dandelion was in the middle of describing in minute detail some of Solona's more alluring physical qualities, with which Geralt was already intimately familiar. The bard didn't need to embellish those details, Geralt knew.

Solona came towards them slowly, hanging back and urging Lusa to stay near her. When she came within earshot behind Dandelion and heard the tail end of the story her eyes grew big and an expression of shocked consternation crossed her features. Geralt glanced back at her, a suggestive little smile playing over his features and his eyes twinkling at her in amusement. He was rewarded when her face flushed brightly at Dandelion's description of a particular part of her anatomy. He didn't think he had ever seen her so flustered before. He wasn't sure whether he was more entertained by the story itself, or the effect that hearing it was having on her.

Lusa finally grew impatient and trotted over to greet Geralt with an affectionate nudge.

Dandelion finished the story with, "Oh, and I almost forgot, she said she was … looking for … you..." His voice trailed off when Lusa came around the table and sat panting happily by Geralt's side. He woofed a hello to Dandelion and let loose a short little melodic howl. "Um... Geralt... is that...? When did you get a dog?"

Solona recovered her composure and rounded the corner of the table on the other side. With forced cheerfulness in her voice she said, "Well, I found him!" She plopped down into the chair next to Geralt and turned her head to glance over at him. He hurriedly dropped one arm across his lap and scooted his chair forward, but not before she caught a glimpse of the large bulge at the front of his pants. She quirked an eyebrow at him and he cleared his throat, hiding his expression behind his tankard and taking another sip of ale. Had Dandelion told him every detail about their night together? Should she be worried?

She looked across the table at Dandelion who was still gawking at her in stunned silence. "It's nice to see you, too, Dandelion," she said brightly. With some effort of will he finally regained the use of his tongue enough to say hello to her. "Solona. What a nice surprise. You look well. " He gave her a genuinely friendly smile and turned to look at Geralt, catching the other man gazing at Solona hungrily. Ah, that explains it, he thought, Geralt's earlier behavior beginning to make sense now. He wondered how long it had been since she had caught up with his friend. She had seemed determined to catch up to him, to hear Zoltan tell it. He guessed that it had to have been some time judging from their easy familiarity with each other. Geralt leaned to her and whispered something in her ear. Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink and she shifted her eyes to the side towards him, nodding slightly and smiling.

"Dandelion," Geralt said abruptly then cleared his throat, "We should spend more time catching up, but I think the lady would like a chance to have a bath after being on the road. Are you free for dinner later?" He stood up, gathering up their things where he'd piled them on the floor by the table earlier. Dandelion stood as well, nodding to his friend. "Absolutely! I'm here for a few days as a matter of fact. A limited engagement to try out some new songs on my more open minded fans." He cut his eyes to Solona and then back to his friend. "Enjoy your bath," he said with a knowing grin.

Solona stood and started for the stairs, gesturing for Lusa to follow her. He gave her a soft woof and looked at Dandelion. "I think Lusa wants a chance to try out some of his new songs, too," she said. "Do you mind?" Dandelion laughed and smiled down at the dog, "Not at all. He is, after all, my favorite fan." He sat back in his seat and picked up his lute, plucking it lightly and beginning to hum a gay little tune to the dog, who wiggled his stubby tail and immediately began to howl in harmony.

Geralt chuckled softly at the spectacle and shook his head, then went back to the innkeeper to order the bath before heading up to their room.

Geralt's arousal had subsided to at least a manageable level before he had to stand up from the table, but when they reached the room and were behind a closed door together it came back with a vengeance. He dropped their things in the corner and grabbed her around the waist, leaning back against the door and pulling her into him, his yellow eyes filled with desire.

"That was quite a story Dandelion told," he murmured into her ear. "Very, very detailed." He spun her around so her back was against him and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her delicately on the neck. He untucked the soft woven wool tunic she was wearing and slid his hand underneath, stroking the silken skin of her belly and trailing his fingertips higher, tickling at the underside of her breasts.

Her heart was pounding hard now as she leaned back against his lean body and she could feel the bulge in his pants pressing against her leather-clad backside. She turned back around, his hand remaining under her shirt and now tracing the length of her spine.

"How detailed was it?" she asked demurely, looking into his eyes.

"Detailed enough that I have to admit I'm a little jealous," he said, beginning to unlace the front of her shirt and bending over to lay ardent kisses on the skin that was gradually exposed as he went.

"Why should you be jealous?" she asked with a quirked smile, and reached up to begin undoing the fastenings of his clothing as well. "You've had me every night for three weeks. He only had the one night with me, before I even met you."

"Yes, but his retelling of it made it feel like it happened just yesterday." His eyes burned into her. He's seriously jealous about that? She was perplexed, and his words were at odds with what his hands and mouth were doing to her. One hand had slid up the inside of her shirt and was now lightly cupping her breast, his thumb swirling little circles lightly over one nipple and making her gasp for breath. He tilted his hips, grinding against hers, and bent his head down, kissing her deeply.

There was a sudden knock at the door that startled them from their preoccupation with each other before they remembered they were expecting a bath. Solona stepped quickly away from the door and walked towards the bed, still pondering this new little development. Geralt opened the door to admit the maids with their pails of bathwater, standing with his lower torso shielded by the heavy wood. Solona rested casually against the bed and bent down to undo the laces on her boots, then pull them off. When the maids had left, the tub now full with steaming hot water, Geralt pulled off his own boots and took off his leather vest, then stalked over to the bed, lifting her up to sit on it. He began to undress her slowly and deliberately, caressing and kissing her bare skin as he went.

"So, let me get this straight," she said with amusement after he'd pulled off her shirt and was leaning down to nibble lightly at her bare shoulder, his hands roving everywhere they could find bare skin. "You say the story made you jealous, but when I got there it looked like you had quite a different reaction to it." She reached down and cupped him firmly between his thighs and felt his bulging trousers writhe ever so slightly in response. He groaned and kissed her again, his tongue dancing with hers. He nibbled her lower lip, then worked his way lower, nipping gently along the side of her neck, kissing along her collarbone, then her scar, which led him just to the level of her pert breasts, where he stopped to tease each tip softly with his tongue until he elicited subtle moans from her, before moving lower still. She leaned back on her elbows and enjoyed the little journey he was taking down the length of her body.

"He's a good storyteller," he replied gruffly as he pulled her pants down past her ankles then tossed them aside and knelt on the floor in front of her, sliding his large hands softly back up her naked legs. "And it reminded me that I haven't tasted nearly enough of you yet." He urged her knees apart then grasped her hips in a firm grip, pulling her towards him.

"Oh," she said. Then "Ohhh," as she tilted her head back in pleasure at what he'd just begun to do to her with his tongue.

Dandelion's story had left very little to the imagination, even going so far as to describe her flavor in a way that had made Geralt's mouth water again at the memory of his own first close encounter with her more delicate assets. Honeyed peaches... no he certainly hadn't exaggerated that detail. He delved in, revelling in the taste of her and enjoying the way her thighs quivered slightly on either side of his head. She moaned softly and twined her fingers through his hair, causing the tie that held it back in a half-ponytail to become undone and fall to the floor behind him. His hair cascaded down around his cheeks where it wasn't tangled in her fingers.

At some point he became lost in her, in the sensations of her soft flesh under his hands and her softer flesh against his tongue. He was only marginally aware of the aching pulse in his groin that was urging to be let out. He became aware of himself a few moments later when he heard her screaming his name in ecstasy as she climaxed. He sat resting his cheek on her thigh while she caught her breath. A moment later she tried to sit up but lost her purchase on the bed and slid off, nearly crumpling onto his lap in a boneless, but very satisfied, heap. She giggled softly when he caught her and held her.

"Going somewhere?" he asked with a smile. She laughed. "Just here is fine for now until I regain the use of my legs." She slid her hands under his shirt and up his sides, trailing fingers gently over his myriad scars. "In the meantime... you can't take a bath in your clothes." He let go of her to lift his arms and let her pull his shirt off over his head. When her face came into view again she was looking at him with an odd expression.

"What is it?" he asked in a rough whisper. What was it? She didn't know. Only that something had seemed to get all twisted up inside her chest over something, but she wasn't sure what. At him confessing his jealousy over her being with another man; at the small gesture of him allowing her to undress him; or maybe it was the way his hair was falling around his beautiful, scarred face at that moment; or that look in his eyes that was something beyond the usually lusty need she saw, even though she could tell he still wanted her with his usual passion. It was something she hadn't seen, or hadn't noticed before. Maybe it was just that all of it was suddenly hitting her at the same time.

She shrugged her shoulders in dismissal and stood gracefully, reaching down to pull him up with her. She looked up into his eyes again and smiled, then reached to the front of his trousers and began unlacing them. There's that look again, she thought. But before she could contemplate it further he had stepped out of his trousers and moved close to her, grasping her face in both hands and tilting his head down to kiss her tenderly. He bent his knees slightly and wrapped his arms around her bottom, lifting her up in front of him, then turned to sit on the bed with her straddling his hips. She felt an odd sensation in her chest at the way he kept looking at her but just closed her eyes and raised up her hips enough so he could slip inside her. I'm losing it, she thought briefly, then was lost to ecstasy again when he began to move in her and his mouth went to her breast.

He had seen the uncertainty on her face when he'd looked at her and for a brief moment had wondered if she'd been able to read his mind. What she had done - just being so vulnerable in that brief moment and then undressing him like he was the one who needed caretaking - was for some reason so endearing to him and he'd felt that same sensation of something illuminating in his mind. Somehow he knew she was his key to uncovering whatever it was.

But she had withdrawn from him ever so slightly, even her lovemaking after that was somehow subdued, which was unusual for her. Was she reacting to something he had done differently? Evidently it was only temporary, however, for her usual enthusiasm returned shortly after he'd slipped inside her and they started moving together. When they peaked together several moments later, they both collapsed onto the bed, drenched in sweat.

"I think the bath might be cold," he said a little wistfully. He'd been so looking forward to a hot bath. She gave him a slightly offended look. "Who do you think you've been traveling with all this time?" She rolled towards him and held her hand, palm up, in front of him. A small, bright flame appeared and flickered there briefly, the light reflected in her smiling golden eyes. Then she got up and went to the tub, immersing her hand in it for several minutes until steam began to rise from the water again.

He got up to follow her and stood leaning against the door watching her as she knelt naked by the bath and swirled her hand around. She turned her head to look at him and smiled the same beautiful smile she'd given him every day since she'd saved his life a few weeks earlier.

And the light flared up inside his mind suddenly with the full force of the noonday sun.

I love you.

The words caught in his throat before they could spill forth. Something in the look she had given him earlier forestalled this confession, and if he had to be honest he was somewhat amazed to be admitting it to himself, but it was undeniable. He realized the feeling may have only been because of the witch's manipulation of their lives, but he also realized that he had no reason to fight it, and every reason to embrace it, save for one - that he may not be able to hold onto her forever, and that was as much a hindrance as anything to him telling her how he felt, but it didn't negate the the feelings in the least.

"Well, get in. I can't sit warming the bath for you all night," she said, pulling him back to reality. She was giving him that odd look again, so he gave her his most disarming smile and walked over to climb into the blissfully hot water. He groaned in pleasure as he lay back, closing his eyes and feeling the moist heat begin seeping in to his travel-fatigued muscles. It was almost as nice as the last hot bath he had taken. He realized after a moment that his former bathing partner still hadn't joined him and opened his eyes, looking around the room to find her. She was rummaging in her pack and finally pulled out a small parcel wrapped in brown paper. She sniffed it and then ripped the paper off and walked back over to the tub.

Seeing his creased brow, she held it up and explained, "Soap!" He raised an eyebrow. She laughed, "Don't worry, I promise it's a nice manly scent. I just thought it would be nice for our first real bath since... well since we met." She still wasn't sure if she would have called that a real bath since there had been very little washing happening, but it was the last time there had been hot water involved. The extent of their bathing during their journey so far had consisted of quick rubdowns in a cold stream, or a soft rag dampened with water heated over a campfire.

She held the small bar out for him to inspect and he caught a slightly aromatic woody scent coming from the small brownish-colored lump she held. "Sandalwood?" he said with raised brows. Then before she could even track his movements he had snagged her wrist in his hand and pulled her into the tub with him. She whooped in alarm and fell in with a splash, landing with her backside in the tub, arms and legs dangling over the sides, and the soap flying from her hand. He deftly caught her with one arm and reached out with the other to snag the soap out of the air just before it hit the water.

"You first," he said with a grin and began to lather the soap into his palms while she righted herself in the water, spluttering and laughing.

Dandelion sat at the table, feet propped up on a chair and was singing a little duet about chasing rabbits he had just composed with his new partner as inspiration. Of course in his own mind the rabbits were merely analogies for some of his own pursuits, but the dog didn't need to know that. Lusa was seated in a chair opposite him and interrupted the song with a soft "Woof" causing the bard to turn to see what had caught his attention.

Geralt and Solona cut a striking image as they came down the stairs together, and there were few people in the room who didn't turn to stare at them. Dandelion observed them both intently, noting their relaxed postures and the way they seemed to gravitate towards each other without realizing it. Solona was saying something to Geralt, who was leaning towards her slightly and smiling, even though Dandelion knew the man's hearing was acute enough to hear a whisper from across a crowded room. And they positively glowed. He guessed that could just be because they were currently the two cleanest people in the room at the moment (and possibly in the entire city), but it seemed deeper than that to him. They clearly know how to make the best use of a couple hours, he thought with a little envy. He had known Geralt a long time, but he realized he didn't think he had ever seen his friend so relaxed and content before. He almost had second thoughts about the proposition he was about to offer the man, thinking, If I had two days and a bed with her, I'd never step foot outside the room. He decided she must be some kind of succubus to have affected Geralt so profoundly, and he became immediately suspicious, then realized how idiotic the thought was. He'd spent the night with her and had left the next morning no worse for wear - quite the opposite actually. Lucky bastard, was the last thought he had before they saw him and came to sit at his table.

"Welcome back, you two. I trust you had a relaxing bath?" Geralt settled into his chair with an arrogantly satisfied smile. "It was long overdue," he said to his friend and glanced at Solona who smiled back at him. Their faces are going to freeze like that if they're not careful, Dandelion thought absently.

"So, who wants a drink?" Solona piped up with enthusiasm. "On me tonight." She hopped up without waiting for a response and strode over to the bar.

When she was out of earshot, Dandelion sat forward abruptly. "Geralt!" he said in an exaggerated whisper. "Why didn't you tell me she found you! You let me go on with that story... I apologize, by the way."

Geralt let out a deep, rumbling laugh, "No need to apologize, Dandelion. Your story helped me realize some things."

Dandelion's eyebrows shot up, "Oh? Like what."

Geralt cleared his throat and looked over where Solona was standing by the bar placing their order. His eyebrows knit together for a second as he watched her, then he waved his hand evasively, "It's not important."

Dandelion snorted and gave him a knowing look, "I know you. You're completely smitten. She has you turned upside-down my friend. That's what you're not telling me. You're never this... this... shit, I don't even know what to call it, coming from you."

Geralt's smile turned rueful as he watched her. She turned her head towards him and gave him a gentle smile that made his heart pound in his chest. "You're way too astute for your own good, Dandelion," he said gruffly, but didn't argue.

"So what is her story, anyway? It must be an interesting tale for her to have gotten under your skin the way she has. Zoltan wasn't very forthcoming." In an exaggerated brogue he said, "It's not for me to tell, Dandelion." He shook his head.

"It's not for me to tell, Dandelion," Geralt said, then nodded towards Solona who was on her way back to the table with their drinks. "You'll have to ask her yourself, but I promise you it's worthy of a song." Dandelion's eyes brightened at this and he looked eagerly at Solona.

She set their drinks down, then sat, her expression growing perplexed at the look she was getting from the bard. He said to her, "You have a story, my dear, and I must hear it from the very beginning."

"Okay," she said cautiously. "But I warn you, it's rather long, and I know you've heard some of it already."

She told her story to them, starting at the beginning as Dandelion had requested and leaving out very few details she could remember. It was cathartic in some ways. Telling it to them and seeing their reactions let her see her life from another perspective. She glossed over her time at the Circle, describing it only as "a cage I was lucky enough to escape from thanks to divine intervention" (the word "divine" was said somewhat sarcastically - she assumed Flemeth was listening like a fly on the wall somewhere). However, the omission was not lost on her audience and Dandelion glanced at Geralt with an inquiring look and Geralt just shrugged in response. Odd that she would be so detailed so far and then just skip something like that, they both thought.

Then the real story began and Dandelion was utterly rapt as he listened. He unconsciously began strumming his lute sporadically with the occasional chord of his song that went along with her story. When she reached the finale he was playing in earnest and she couldn't help but be caught up in the spectacle of it, realizing that they did indeed have a small audience of patrons who had begun listening in, drawn by Dandelion's lute. When she described the killing blow to the Archdemon they all applauded. She laughed and stood up to take a small bow.

"So what happened to Allstar?" a random female voice called out from the crowd.

"Well, Alistair was king," she explained, emphasizing the pronunciation of his name. "He had a job to do, and I would have just gotten in the way."

"But you were the hero! And he loved you!" another random voice objected.

She sighed, took a drink for fortification, and explained with a wistful tone that she knew was mostly for theatrical value. "If love were all that mattered he might have married me. But in my world sorcerers are feared to such a degree that they keep us locked up in towers. We can't marry, we can't have lives. All we can do is be little more than slaves." She heard sad sighs emitted around her and someone muttered "no wonder she left."

"We want to hear the whole story!" someone said.

She laughed, her voice rough from talking all evening. She was too exhausted to give them more. "Dandelion knows the story, I'm sure he'll sing you the song." She looked at Dandelion beseechingly and he nodded and begun to play and sing.

She sat staring at her hands trying to hold back feelings that were threatening to overwhelm her after reliving the previous year. She was so far, far away from those moments that had kept her going for so long; kept her grounded. What did she have here? She felt utterly lost until she felt a strong hand slide across her shoulders and pull her into a tender embrace, anchoring her. "Geralt," she said with gratitude, holding onto him like he was her lifeline. "I feel so lost here sometimes. You're all I have. I'm afraid if I let go of you for even a second I'll just drift away like a feather." He swallowed hard, wanting to tell her he felt the same way, but knew that wouldn't help comfort her. "I promise I won't let you drift away," he said gruffly. Just don't let go.

Sensing their mood, Dandelion ended the love song and switched to something more upbeat that Lusa could sing along with. Before long he had the entire room singing and dancing. Solona extracted herself from Geralt's embrace and gave him a soft kiss of thanks. A moment later, four platters of food were set before them, "On the house," the serving girl said with a smile.

After they were finished with their supper Dandelion finally broached the subject. "Geralt, I think I might have a lead on a very lucrative contract for you."

Geralt tensed noticeably and looked at Solona. "Okay, let's hear it," she said, ignoring Geralt's look. His look turned quizzical and she looked back at him, "What? It might be interesting, and clearly it's worth a lot if Dandelion is bugging you about it." Dandelion looked offended at the characterization. She smirked at him. Geralt couldnt help but chuckle at the odd exchange.

"Well," Dandelion began, "apparently some wiseass decided to summon a Koshchey in the city."

Next Chapter: In which they fight a nasty monster (gee, I wonder what it could be?).