[UPDATED - rewritten and one scene replaced.]
Kudrat Dutta Chaudhary - Laiza: Sometimes the end is only a Beginning: Chapter 2, Rumbling
"But whenever tragedy strikes, one is left either to die or with a plethora of ifs and buts to ponder over."
Geralt wanted to go after her, but he fought to repress every instinct commanding him to climb up the path and follow her. He begrudgingly accepted that Yennefer needed a couple of minutes, at least, to cool off. But even knowing this, it was still a struggle to let her walk alone. He could still hear her rapid heartbeat, and it was drifting further and further away.
"What?" Dandelion's sudden exclamation, which cut through the tension, distracted him momentarily. Geralt was too preoccupied with listening attentively to Yennefer's waning presence to give the fool much attention. In fact, he would have preferred to have tuned him out altogether.
Dandelion was looking, exasperated, at Priscilla, who was pinching the bridge of her nose and had her eyes closed. "Really, Dandelion," was all she said in reply, half-sighing.
"Well, somebody had to say it," he huffed defensively, crossing his arms over his chest. Geralt tensed. He tried to think ahead, picturing their reunion with Ciri in Gors Velen and the light at the end of this long night, but Dandelion's voice still broke through. "The Lodge scorns Yennefer, and that's her business, but it's not fair for her to drag Geralt into all of this. I-"
"Tell me, Dandelion. Do you care for my own opinion as little as you do the facts?" interjected Geralt surly.
The Bard looked at him, fingers lightly tapping his arms. "I…" he stuttered, biting his bottom lip. Dandelion broke eye contact and started to adjust the buttons on his doublet and sleeves. He didn't look up when he spoke, and that gave Geralt a minute sense of satisfaction. "I suppose-"
"Because, Dandelion," he interrupted again, slowly walking over until he was looming above the other man. Out of the corner of his eye, Geralt saw Zoltan open then close his mouth, and he started to rub his axe with a piece of cloth. "If you'd cared to ask my opinion, I would have told you that Yen has done nothing wrong. I would have explained to you," he continued, breathing heavily through his flared nostrils, "exactly what her unpleasant history is with the Lodge to prove it. A captive, Dandelion, not a member… A captive." Dandelion began to shrink, he cast a sideways glance at Priscilla but soon looked away. "I would have told you, Dandelion, that the reason the Lodge scorn Yen, what you have assumed she has done wrong, is being a Mother to Ciri." Dandelion's head drooped, and his hand dropped limply into his lap.
Geralt watched him squirm under his gaze for a while. Then, he slowly pivoted on his heels and turned his back. After several steps, Dandelion spoke. "I'm sorry, Geralt," he murmured to his back, "I shouldn't have…assumed."
The Witcher didn't respond, he just kept walking away. He'd grown sick and tired of these assumptions over the years. At times, he felt that the life he and Yennefer had built was more at risk of being torn apart by those they called friends than anything else. What did they have to do, he thought, what did Yen have to do for their opinion to ever change? He'd racked his brain more than once in search of this answer, but it forever escaped him. Geralt began to wonder if such an answer even existed. Perhaps their relationship was doomed to be forever tainted with the poison of his friends' bitterness.
When he reached the slope, Geralt paused for a moment. "No, Dandelion," he said, his tone superficially calm. "You shouldn't have, but some things never change."
He left in silence.
The crisp and icy night air chilled her. Yennefer wrapped her arms around herself and felt the goosebumps on her bare skin, she was beginning to shiver. The burn on her neck stung painfully, but she didn't care. To be honest, it suited her mood seamlessly.
The sharp stones jutting out of the cave wall scratched and dug into her soft flesh as she leant against them, facing out into the storm. She was close enough for the wind to send shivers up her spine and rustle her hair furiously, but without getting drenched. That was the one thing she was not prepared to put up with, but she did enjoy the little drizzle tickling her skin.
Yennefer listened to the sounds of the raging storm outside, but her mind was not truly with her. It had floated off into more dangerous waters, and she was struggling against the tide. She didn't care about what Dandelion had said in the slightest - or at least she tried to convince herself of that - but he brought up things she'd rather not think about… But which she was finding hard to disregard.
A stone skidded across the cave floor and Yennefer flinched, but she didn't turn around. Instead, she settled herself closer to the wall and hugged her sides tighter. Part of her hoped he'd go away, that he'd not dared follow her to begin with, but Yennefer wasn't all too sure she wanted to be alone. She supposed only time would tell.
While the Witcher could have easily snuck up on her, not allowing her the time to make up her mind, he rarely did so, and she appreciated it. The Sorceress listened to the sounds of his approaching footsteps until he was right behind her. When he tried to wind his arms around her waist, she let him, shifting her arms to accommodate him. Carefully, Geralt pulled her closer until their bodies were pressed together. Yennefer felt his heat slowly begin to seep into her and she tried to repress her shivering. She knew Geralt could still feel it anyway, but he didn't comment. Instead, he rested his chin comfortable on the top of her head and hugged her waist. Yennefer pushed back against his chest.
She lost track of time, moments like this always addled her mind like that. Yennefer was finding it increasingly challenging to concentrate on her degrading thoughts - especially when Geralt began tracing light kisses over her back, shoulders and neck. Part of her wanted to be angry at him for disturbing her. The other half, however, won her over and moaned softly and said nothing as he nosed some of her hair out of the way. She felt her body begin to unwind. Eventually, Geralt managed to ease her away from the wall as she shifted her body weight to rest against him completely. Tenderly, he ran his arms over the faint markings and scratches on her upper arm.
Still, the Witcher said nothing, but she could still sense his worry breaching into her consciousness. Yennefer sighed, Geralt's patience was infuriatingly effective against her. Another thing she despised…and loved.
"You, Ciri…the opinions of those close to me, those are the ones that matter," said Yennefer quietly, focusing on a spot in the distance to divert her attention away from the concern he was emanating. It made her feel uncomfortable, even guilty, perhaps. "But I'd be lying to you, Geralt, if I said that I've not grown weary listening to the opinion of…certain others."
He didn't say anything at first, but she felt one of his large and calloused hands briefly brush her arm as he pressed it against her hand. "I know, Yen," he sympathized, "and I'm sorry."
"You, Geralt, have nothing to apologise for," she responded quickly, closing her eyes as she tried to fight the urge to shiver.
"But I want to, Yen, because… I can't promise it will ever change."
Yennefer sighed. Keeping her eyes closed, she turned her head to the side and buried it in his shirt. "I know…"
The resignation in her voice troubled Geralt deeply. It wasn't right that Yennefer should simply have to accept the ways things were, but the fact remained that not even Rivia had been able to make any agreeable changes. Geralt doubted that anything in the foreseeable future would, not even the news they had to share at the gathering, would ever change the minds of a certain few.
Geralt didn't know what to say. He held Yennefer tightly against his chest. Her skin was unpleasantly cold and she was shaking against him, but he was reluctant to guide her away. Only when she stirred in his arms did the Witcher take that as his cue to move, they broke contact but lingered close to one another as they retreated further into the mouth of the cave.
Geralt retrieved some furs and water from their saddlebags and joined the Enchantress in the corner. She was sitting on the floor with her knees pressed up against her chest and Geralt saw that her eyes were squinting into the darkness of the tunnel, but when he approached she looked away. Neither of them said anything as the Witcher sat beside her, placing a cold, damp cloth on her neck then swaddling them both up in furs. When he was finished, Geralt gently tugged Yennefer's shoulder towards him and she allowed herself to fall to his side.
He kissed her crown as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Whatever they say, Yen," he whispered, holding her hand under the furs, "this is where I want to be."
The slight pressure on his shoulder was alleviated as Yennefer raised up her head and with a cold but soft hand guided his face towards her. "That…" she purred, her hot breath brushing his face, "…I also know." Geralt closed his eyes as their lips touched. When he opened them again, Yennefer was smiling at him, and it was a smile that made her violet eyes sparkle.
Her hand drifted down his body, wrapping itself around his muscular arm as she settled back down. Carefully, Geralt pulled the furs back over her shoulders where they'd slipped down and kept his arm there, draped around her.
The Witcher was awoken from his semi-dreamlike state, however, about an hour later. Small vibrations were rippling through the cave floor.
"Yen," he whispered, gently shaking her shoulders. Unenthusiastically, her eyes flittered upon and she blinked several times at him. "I think we're about to have company."
She furrowed her brow. "Geralt…" she moaned almost inaudibly, closing her eyes again.
"Yen," he pleaded, shifting. The movement jolted her a little bit, and she cursed under her breath brushing hair out of her face.
Yennefer stifled a yawn when he helped her to her feet, hugging the furs tightly and rubbing her temples. Geralt had never known someone to take as long as Yennefer did to come back to the world of the living, as he half-carried her away from the corridor.
"Geralt…" she moaned again, holding her eyes wide open for a couple of seconds to keep them from falling shut. She was looking at him with her head tilted to one side. "What…" she trailed off and looked down the passageway, then back at the Witcher who nodded.
Something large and heavy was lumbering towards them. They waited, and eventually Bert the Troll emerged from the darkness. "Magic Elfie!" he boomed across the cave, his merry voice silencing the storm. Geralt smirked. "Magic Elfie!" he repeated, awkwardly wandering over to the pair with an almost unnoticeable - if at all possible - spring in his weighty steps.
"Yes, hello. What do you want?" greeted Yennefer slowly, rolling her eyes at Geralt.
"Bert tell Elfie good. Nice Magic Elfie, clap shiny stone, Bert." He raised a hammer-like fist to her midsection, looking at her expectantly. "Thank show." His hands crunched as he gradually unclenched them, revealing the beautiful diamond on his palm. It was no larger than a single drop of water but still considerably valuable.
Geralt saw Yennefer raise an eyebrow. "Yes, well, it certainly is…shiny. I advise you to find a good, safe hiding spot for it out here." The Troll didn't move. "At once, Bert," she added with factitious urgency, the monster nodded his head vigorously.
"Yes! Yes!" he yelled enthusiastically, bumbling away and moving from one area of the cave to the next. Yennefer threw her head back.
"I can't wait to tell Ciri this," Geralt smirked, grinning down at her.
Yennefer replied with a playful glare. "Well, I-"
Her sarcastic riposte was cut short by a sudden jolt as the ground swayed violently beneath them. Then, there was an ear-piercing scream.
The Witcher leapt into action, shooting down the passageway. The further into the hill and underground he got, the fiercer the convulsing became, only his Witcher training was keeping him upright. When he reached the cavern, things became more unclear.
The force gripping the stone was tearing the place apart, walls crumbling on all sides and rocks plunging from the ceiling like meteorites, shattering as they smashed into the floor. Geralt was trying to interpret his surroundings, but the whole world was moving.
"Fuck! Dandelion hold on!" The Witcher's sensitive hearing could pick out the dwarf's cry through the rumbling ricocheting off the walls.
He saw, on the far side of the cavern, Priscilla and Zoltan lying on their stomachs just before a large crack which marred the floor of the cave like a jagged scar. Their arms were reaching into it, and Dandelion was nowhere to be seen.
Nimbly, the wolf ran down the steep path, heart thumping wildly. As he landed on the last ledge, he felt the ground underneath his feet fall away upon impact. He hit the ground hard, rolling across the floor and landing on his back. He hadn't the chance to even blink before a razor-sharp stalactite detached from the ceiling, hurtling towards his exposed chest. He rolled to the side but knew he would be too late. His medallion vibrated.
"Dal yn ôl dawelu y llu." The projectile halted inches above him, tearing a small cut in his shoulder as he rolled away.
When Geralt looked up, he saw that the walls, ceiling and floor were aglow with blue magic and that the same force was holding sizable pieces of rock in mid-air. Beneath the spell, the earth was twisting and churning, struggling against their captor.
Yennefer was standing at the top of the cavern, arms outstretched before her, holding back the stone like a Goddess. "Quickly, Geralt!" she called out, her voice strained and heavy, beads of sweat already beginning to form on her glistening brow. Her eyes were screwed up. "I can't hold this for long!"
Picking himself up, Geralt sprinted across the room expertly handling the uneven terrain. He dived towards the crack, staring into the abyss. Dandelion was clinging to a small ledge on his side of the gap.
"Grab my hand," shouted Geralt, thrusting it into the space. Dandelion looked up with wide eyes and a face completely drained of colour. He stared at him. "Dandelion!"
Hesitantly, the Bard reached out a shaky hand and seized the Witcher's wrist. Slowly, Geralt lifted him out of jaws of the earth. Back on solid ground, Dandelion looked as though was about to kiss the floor and pray. But his rest was short lived.
Yennefer groaned in pain. A rock nearby fell from its seat in the air and the cave became dimmer. Geralt smelt fresh blood...
"Move!" ordered Geralt, hurling Dandelion to his feet and pushing him towards the slope.
The others could not match the Witcher's deft foot, they stumbled and faltered, slowing down their pace considerably. Geralt kept casting anxious glances up at Yennefer, her arms were visibly shaking.
There was an almighty crack. All the way across the cave, from one wall to the other, the ground ripped open as the light flickered, stones tumbling into its depths. Their path blocked, Geralt frantically looked around, but there was no other alternative. He held his breath.
"Dal yn ôl a thawelu yr heddlu a'r rheoli." The fading magic suddenly flared, pulsating radiantly. Right before their eyes, the gap began to close like two sides of a wound being stitched together. The rocks shuddered under the Sorceress' might, but they yielded to her command.
Yennefer was now screaming in agony, and the sound made Geralt's blood run cold. His medallion was vibrating so madly that it barely touched his chest. He didn't want to think about what this was costing her. They didn't have any time to waste.
"Now!" yelled Geralt, flinging himself across. When he reached the other side, he felt the ground lurch forwards, throwing him onto one knee. The ground had sprung open again, like a string released from the archer's hand. His medallion went still.
Only the light of the crystals flooded the cavern and Geralt glanced up just in time to see the Sorceress' body go limp. He gasped for air. Geralt didn't look back at the others but hurtled up the path, numb to the piercing rocks biting into his hands and the shrapnel striking his arms and face. He got to the top and feared he was too late.
The world moved in slow motion as a boulder plummeted from the ceiling directly above Yennefer's unconscious body. There was a horrendous smash.
The rock descending from the heaven's shattered as a stone fist rammed into it. Bert tried to shield Yennefer with his bulky form, a stalactite crumbling as it collided with his back. An infinitely long time passed until Geralt was able to kneel beside her. He scooped up her frail body and hastily threw her over his shoulder. He tried to ignore the smell and sight of blood clinging to her body and the feeling of her dead weight.
Geralt didn't flinch when another projectile was abolished beside him. He sprinted down the passageway and he saw the walls closing in on him. The twisting corridor seemed longer than he remembered, something that he was becoming painfully aware as the cave collapsed behind them, chasing them. The petrified torrent was gaining, fast.
Then, the Witcher felt a breeze against his cold, damp face and he adjusted his pupils automatically as he stepped out into the entrance. When he broke free from the passageway, he darted behind a nearby cluster of rocks, lowering Yennefer's body to the ground and covering it with his own. Just as Zoltan threw himself behind a rock and Bert stepped out, there was a deafening rumble. And all went quiet, and all went still.
He'd had his fun… For today.
Ernest Hemingway: Chapter 3, Gors Velen
"I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know?"
So, again the chapter ends on a rather ominous and mysteries note, because I'm a nice person like that. You shall not have certitude! I apologise for all the exposition but I think events should move quicker now so hopefully expect to see more action soon.
My first exam is in a week so if you don't see an update in a while don't panic, you might not hear from me until July now but it's unlikely I won't re-emerge again if I manage to survive both the exams and then the after-exam parties that is.
Once again thank you so much for all the overwhelming support and praise, really helps me see the light at the end of the long tunnel of exam month because I can't wait to have freedom and hopefully quicker updates for you!
Feel free to leave comments or alternatively message me (here or on Tumblr) I love hearing from you guys
If people are up for the idea I could potentially start posting updates on my Tumblr. Best wishes everyone - Eileniessa