Disclaimer: The Witcher and every character aswell as location, that is not created by myself belongs to CD Projekt Red aswell as Andrzej Sapkowski, the original author of the books.
Reviews and ConCrits are always welcome!
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Chapter 9: Emerald Eyes
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"Tommen!" an elderly woman ran out of the crowd towards the horridly wounded soldier, that had just passed the witcher aswell as Aliona, who was still taking care of the nilfgaardian's wounds, "I thought you were dead!" she wept as she wrapped her arms around her son. It was a truly heartwarming sight, thought the witcher as a warm smile spread on his face, even if only for a short time before he realized that the situation was still unstable.
"Yes!" Tommen began, "I am alive!" he turned around and pointed at the soldier in the black armour, "Because of this man! In the face of battle and death itself, he deserted from his troops to save my arse and drag me into a shack in the woods. He kept me awake, made sure I would get through and tried to heal me as good as possible, even valuing my life before his own. It's only because of his heroism that I stand here to tell you about it and I can't stand how you treat him, the witcher who carried him here after I told him so and the young healer! Please, I beg of you to treat the four of those people behind my back accordingly to their hero work!"
Then there was silence. For a time long enough to make the young soldier doubt to have achieved anything. But then...
"Aye!" the first man shouted, "I believe 'im! Tommen's a good lad, 'e'd never tell a lie, also lad's standing right there in front o' us!"
this comment sparked another flame in the hearts of the inhabitants of Ban Gleann – a spark of joy.
Suddenly they started to applaude and cheer, as they've now proof of the nilfgaardian's doings.
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The drinks were cheap and cold this evening, just the except opposite of the atmosphere in Ban Gleann. Men were singing arm in arm, there was music, people danced and love was written in capital letters. It was a time to celebrate, because a long and exhausting battle was finally over!
However, it wasn't loud everywhere, there was this small tailor shop...
"Thank you," Aliona mumbled looking out the window, "For taking this soldier to the town and standing up for him. Not many would've done the same."
Next to her sat Kaleb, also looking outside upon the drunk folk merrily slandering through the streets of the town, "Don't mention it." he replied calmly, "I'm a witcher, almost everywhere I go I get a similar reaction, so it was nothing special. I'm just glad that he'll get through." he looked at the half-elf, "And that's because of you."
She blushed lightly while smiling, "I just... it was nothing special. I do this almost everyday and I had a lot of practise."
"If we're not going to agree on who's the hero here, then I'll suggest we call it fantastic teamwork." Kaleb joked.
"Then fantastic teamwork it is!" Aliona giggled.
The two spent their evening mostly sitting in Aliona's room upstairs of the tailor shop, talking, looking at the drunks outside. Kaleb started to feel something he hadn't feeled before, at least not this way, "Kaleb?" she finally asked after a while of silence.
"Yes?"
"Have you ever fallen in love?" Aliona asked, "I mean, not just a faint interest, but actual love?"
"Can't say I have." Kaleb replied, "Why do you ask?"
"I wanted to know if you know what it feels like. Because I've never really fallen in love before, like really fallen in love. Can you imagine what it would feel like?"
Kaleb didn't respond for a short time, he was just looking at her, feeling strange, "I could think of something, I suppose. I imagine one feeling warm," he put his index finger in the middle of her chest, "Right here." he wasn't aware that this made the half elven girl a little uncomfortable, but she didn't mind all too much, "I've heard the expression 'to have butterflies in the stomach', which I think describes being in love. I think it's supposed to be a good thing, but if I had butterflies in my stomach, I would be rather concerned."
His naivety was making the brown haired tailor chuckle a little, "You numb-nut," she laughed, "It's just an expression, you don't actually have butterflies in your stomach. It's meant to be a beautiful thing, because butterflies are beautiful. You know, you get a strange feeling in your stomach, when you look at someone or even think of this person and that's how you know you've fallen in love." Aliona explained.
Kaleb raised his eyebrow and tilted his head a little, "This sounds awfully confusing, don't you agree. You know, this reminds me of a contract I once had about a guy that had a lot of insects in his body, which escaped through his gut. It was a curse, because he slept with her best friend. I guess you could say, he literally had butterflies in his stomach."
Aliona rolled her eyes, but couldn't help a small chuckle escaping her mouth as she playfully punched him on the shoulder, "You idiot!"
Kaleb lost himself once more in her emerald eyes and her smile...
"What did you do?" the brown haired woman asked.
"What?" the witcher was thrown out of his thoughts again, "Um.. I didn't do much, if I recall properly. I remember to have sat the woman in question down after I learned about her actions and she explained the situation to me, ending on a promise to never in her whole life do anything like this again." He looked away from his new found friend, "You know, seeing her like this, so... miserable, so vulnerable. I knew she spoke the truth and I don't support cheating, so I let her go, not telling a soul about it."
"I think you did the right thing." Aliona gently put her hand on his as her look when from her hand to his eyes again, "I guess it's just a rumour after all, that witchers don't feel empathy."
"I don't know where all those rumours come from either." Kaleb agreed, "But it's one of the tamer ones."
"Oh yeah? What other rumours are there?"
"For example some people say we have two.. you know, why we care two swords aswell."
Aliona raised her eyebrows, "Haven't heard that one before.." she giggled.
"Then there are some which we are rather fond of. For example folks say a lot of positive things about certain skills in certain places."
"Oh?" Aliona bit her lips flirty, "You know, I've heard that one aswell, my friend once met one and said it was... the best night of her life." her hand slowly moved up his hand in a walking movement, then his arm until it stopped at the top of it. The two shared eye contact for a long time, never saying or thinking of a single word. Until everything went black...
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Kaleb decided to stay for a few more days to help clean up and to get the town back on track. Of course those weren't his only reasons, his main reason was the most beautiful mistake he'd ever make.
It was a regular day, windy, leaves falling down the trees, grey clouds – just what you'd expect in autumn. Kaleb and Wyatt were out near the old field, where they'd look for remains of beloved ones gone missing, or in the best case, those people still being alive. It didn't look good, though and everyone knew it, even if no one wanted to say it out loud. The witcher started to like his silent companion, seeing and accepting him as a friend aswell and Wyatt did the same, even if he didn't express it. The big man always had troubles trusting others, especially ones that would get close to Aliona, but this time it was different.
"How is the armour?" Wyatt asked.
"Wonderful!" Kaleb replied more than satisfied with Aliona's work, "It fits perfectly and does everything it's supposed to. Also it's suprisingly light."
"Well, she had more than enough time to study your body, witcher.." the massive companion joked. Kaleb laughed. Aliona wasn't really keeping a secret of what had been going between the two, especially not towards her brother-like friend.
Kaleb's look fell on the big axe, strapped to Wyatt's back. It had caught his attention since he first saw it and wondered what the deal with it was. Honestly and without any ill thoughts, Wyatt didn't look like someone that would possess such a noble looking piece of weaponry. It was obvious that a master must've crafted it, probably dwarven, guessing by the various ornaments and carvings it was made in Skellige. Kaleb remembered his companion mentioning briefly that his family was from Skellige, but that his grandfather left the islands for whatever reason and they've stayed here ever since. He doesn't remember much of his family, growing up as an orphan by the age of five.
"Ghouls." Wyatt pointed at three of those disgusting creatures, feasting on some dead bodies, "Attack them?"
"Please, go ahead." the witcher replied gesturing him to go first.
Wyatt grabbed his axe and instantly stormed towards the ghouls, followed by the witcher, who had his left hand on his sword strap. The first strike met the monsters by suprise, cleaving the first one clean in half after the giant axe rained down on it like a lightning. Kaleb then drew his silver sword, making a swift turn, jumping in the air while making a pirouette in such quick fashion, that the second ghoul didn't even see him spin – it was already too late when a diagonally swung silver blade cut through the rotten flesh, making it's blood spurt out of it before it collapsed.
Kaleb and Wyatt both looked at the remaining ghoul baring their teeth viciously, "Honour's all your's, friend." Kaleb said.
Wyatt nodded acceptingly and swung his axe horizontally at the ghoul, which dodged at the last second, rolling to the side before jumping at him, arms and claws extracted – when suddenly...
A sharp sound could be heard, followed by the noise of pierced flesh and a quiet hissing – like when silver touches the skin of a monster. The silver blade had entered the opened maw of the ghoul and left it in the lower back just before the beast would touch Wyatt. Kaleb brought his blade down and used his boot to pull his blade out of the beast.
"Thank you..." Wyatt said with a slight tone of embarrassment in his voice.
"Don't mention it. It can happen to the best of us." Kaleb patted him on the back, "C'mon, let's head back, I think we've spent enough time on the field for today."
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In Ban Gleann everything was going on as usual, people making trades, people making the first preparations for winter. It was noisy, rats hushing on the floor between the people, nothing usual for a medieval town.
The bell rung, signalising that someone entered the tailor shop. Not five seconds and a beautiful half-elven woman stood in front of her newest customer.
"How can I help you?" she asked optimistically and with big eyes.
In front of her stood a tall man with a dark hood, which, due to the shadow, disguised most of his face, only revealing a scruffy, dark brown beard. He had a muscular stature and wore a mostly brown leather armour. She had seen it before, but couldn't put a name to it. What betrayed him was the significant silver necklace dangling around his neck, baring the symbol of a snake, winding around itself multiple times. This must be a member of the witcher school of the viper!
"Apparently you're a witcher!" she commented, "But where are your swords, if I might ask?"
The stranger pulled his cape a bit to the side, revealing two scabbards with short swords in it, "We have specialised on shorter weapons."
"Ah, interesting! Anyway, what can I do for you, sir?"
He must've noticed her ears, "Elven? Half-elven, am I right?" he asked with a sudden hate in his tone, which slightly scared the half-elven tailor.
"Half-elven, yes..." she replied timidly.
"That smell.. Was there another witcher passing by recently?!"
"W-why do you ask?"
"Was there?!" he barked hatefully.
"Yes..!"
"Guess you have to do everything by yourself these days..." he hissed, drawing one of his short swords, "You rotten elves...! You are the reason why we are falling apart!"
"What are you talking about?!" Aliona was pushed on the ground as the witcher fell forward, thrusting his blade with him, when suddenly the door opened again.
Aliona felt a strange push, like a sudden storm. It pushed her attacker off of her and to the side, knocking over some of the mannequins.
"What's going on?!" It was Kaleb! The raven haired witcher held his sword in hand as he walked towards the viper school witcher.
"So, you're the other witcher, huh?" his hood had come down, revealing a viciously scarred face, cat-like eyes and messy, shoulder long hair. The witcher now drew both his short swords and stormed towards Kaleb who got into his blocking stance. But just after he did that, the viper school witcher drew the Aard sign and sent it towards Kaleb, who was caught off guard and had no chance of either blocking or dodging it. This Aard, he casted was much more powerful than anything Kaleb had ever seen before. It almost felt like an explosion, as it also tore bits of the wall with him and before he knew it, Kaleb found himself in the middle of the road. Out of the smoke he could see two blades springing towards him, this time he managed to block.
They pushed each other away, quickly followed by roll passing their respective opponent, only to spin back at them, which caused them to clash once more, "Not bad, wolf." the viper commented through his teeth.
Kaleb didn't respond and rather spun away again, making a pirouette, appearing like a steel storm. The viper had to dodge this manuever, "What's your name?" Kaleb asked.
"Corbett. Of Maecht. And you, wolf?"
"Kaleb of Rivia." the raven haired witcher replied coldly.
"Rivia..." Corbett repeated, "Interesting." he again rushed towards Kaleb, throwing one of his swords at him, which the wolf school witcher easily parried, driving the sword into the ground. However, he just then noticed that this was Corbett's plan all along!
The viper school witcher rushed past him, towards Aliona, grabbing her and holding his remaining sword against her throat.
"You know, it's almost a shame that I have to kill her. Such a pretty one. Also, who's gonna help me patch my cape now?" Corbett laughed viciously, "I bet it's been lovely fucking her, huh?! You're a disgrace to all witchers, you know that, wolf?!"
"What are you talking about?!"
"Elves shouldn't be allowed to live! Don't you know what they have all done?! Think of the Wild Hunt! The white frost! It's all elven work! Even the cat school got corrupted by those pointy ears!" Corbett bellowed.
"And that's your excuse for killing any elf, or even half-elf you encounter?!"
Corbett hesitated for a moment, looking at Aliona. Suddenly he looked back up and grinned, "Yes!" he pushed Aliona forward, still holding her wrist, before turning her to face him as he thrusted his short sword through her.
"NOOOO!" Kaleb ran towards her, catching her before she fell on the ground. This smell.. there was poison on his blade!
Aliona was breathing weakly, she lost a lot of blood, which on impact with the ground caused a small hissing noise, like it had turned to acid. Kaleb tried to stop the bleeding, even if it burned his hand horribly, but it wouldn't help it.
"Come on, you have to be strong now!" he told her, trying to keep her awake, as tears filled his eyes.
"Stop it.. Kaleb.." Aliona mumbled weakly, "We both know I won't get out of this.." There was a weak smile on her face as she slowly raised her hand to cup Kaleb's face.
"Don't say that! I'll make sure you'll get ouf of this alive! You can't give up now, not like that..."
"Kaleb... those last days have been the best days of my entire life, thank you for... for everything.." Her hand slowly left his face and fell down on her body as her head tilted away with an empty expression on her face aswell as a single tear coming out of her eyes.
This was the day when Kaleb of Rivia forgot how to love. When his love was replaced by bitterness and his emotions got cold and numb.
He looked down on Aliona's body and almost inaudibly muttered one final word,
"Ten."
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Witchers are told at a very young age not too engage in serious relationships.
'Be careful not to fall in love.'
You'll always outlive them and then there will be pain. A witcher's live is lonely for a reason.
When I was asked how painful the trial of grasses were on a scale from one to ten I replied with 'nine', I saved the last number. I thought there must be a pain worse than this, but I didn't know of what kind.
Now I do.
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