"Geralt, tell me a story." Triss said.
It was late and the couple had just settled into bed for the night. They were on their backs, admiring the stars from their skylight window. It was clear enough tonight that they had the shade pulled open so that they could see the stars.
"A story?" Geralt said.
"Yeah, a story." Triss said rolling over on to her stomach, propping herself up on her arms so she could look at him, hand tucked under her chin. She was almost getting too big to lay in this position. "You'll need to be good at telling them when the baby arrives. Nows your chance to practice."
"Hmm," Geralt thought for a moment. "Alright.. uhhh.."
"Once upon a time.." Triss coached.
"Heyyy, who's telling the story me or you?" Geralt said humorously.
Triss stifling a giggled, encouraging him to go on, listening intently.
"Once upon a time there was a redheaded mage, fairest mage in the land I mean this mage was smoken, perfect tits and-"
"Geralt!" Triss blushed.
Geralt smiled at her rosy cheeks as she rolled back over, pulling the covers up over her head in an attempt to hide them.
"Anyways," Geralt continued. "This mage and this hansom wicher, were on a quest one day. They were looking for Roses of Remembrance and when they found them the hansom withcer plucked one of the flowers and gave it to his love, and it never wilted for it was true love. Then suddenly the earth gave away and the two fell into an elven bath where they spent the next hour-"
Triss leaned over and cut him off with a swift kiss. She smiled. "I think you'll have to leave out that part of the story till she's a little older."
"She? Still think its a girl?" Geralt said.
"I don't think... I know." Triss stated confidently.
"Yeah.. you and Ciri both." Geralt chuckled.
"Geralt the baby's moving!" Triss whispered in delight. She grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach.
A moment later his withcer senses seemed to kick in, for it was almost as if he could faintly hear the baby's heart beat through Triss's skin.
"I think she liked the story." Geralt said.
"Now look who's calling it a she." Triss mused.
"Goodnight Triss." Geralt said rolling his eyes.
"Goodnight my love." Triss chuckled to herself as she curled up and prepared to sleep.
"Vernon Roche" Geralt said before even turning around.
"Your witcher senses never did cease to amaze me." Roche replied.
Geralt turned around from tending to the horses and greeted his old friend.
"Good to see you Roche." Geralt said.
"And what about me?" Ves said, appearing in the thresh hold of the barn.
Geralt gave her a look that said of course, before hugging her.
"What brings you?" Geralt said, as he turned back to Roche.
"Business as usual. Heading back to Timaria soon, just keeping up good allied relations." Roche replied.
"Come lets talk inside over a mug of mead." Geralt said.
"So how's Triss doing?" Roche asked.
"Well her weist isn't 22 inches anymore." Geralt joked, "but she's doing great. We're both very excited."
"How's semi retired life?" Ves asked. "Miss the old days at all?"
"At times to be honest, but I much prefer this life to that old one." Geralt answered.
"I still can't believe you, Geralt of Rivia, are going to be a father; a real father." Ves said.
"Heyyyy, it can't be all that hard to believe. I raised Ciri, and I think I did a pretty fine job with her." Geralt retorted.
"I'm thinking about retiring one day; hanging up my sword for a life of sloth. Leaving all this to Ves and the next generation." Vernon said, changing the subject.
"Yeah right!" Ves said. "He's been saying that for the last two years." She told Geralt.
Roche shurged. "Old habits die hard, besides... (*turning to Ves*) you can still learn a thing or two from me."
Ves rolled her eyes.
"How's Ciri doing?" Roche asked.
"Well, very well. She's walking the withcer path and couldn't be happier. Stops by from time to time between contracts." Geralt replied.
"What does she think about the miracle baby?" Ves questioned.
"She's excited, maybe even more excited then us. She's mentioned serval times that she'd prefer a little sister." Geralt finished with a laugh.
The others laughed too.
"Well thanks for the mead and the hospitality old friend, but Ves and I better get going." Roche said.
"So long Roche. Good seeing ya. Stop by again sometime." Geralt said.
"Will do, farewell witcher." Roche nodded, and he and Ves departed.
"Alright ladies I think that's enough for today." Triss said to her fellow sorceress of the lodge. "Thank you "
At once, ladies began teleporting out of the room, but a few stayed awhile to chat with one another.
"Well I better head home. Bit of a walk." Triss said to Keira.
At this point in her pregnancy, Triss wasn't able to teleport herself properly, something which annoyed her greatly.
"Want me to walk with you part of the way?" Keira offered.
"I'd enjoy the company. If you're sure you don't mind?" Triss finished.
"Don't mind at all." Keira said.
The two sorceress walked and talked, and after sometime Keira bid Triss goodbye and was about to teleport herself when Triss cried out.
"Ahhhhhh!" Triss screamed and bent over in pain.
"Triss!? Are you alright? What's wrong?" Keira Metz asked desperately.
"I don't know- *ahh* I feel like something just broke inside of me." Triss grimaced in pain, still bending over and trying to catch her breath.
"Heavens Triss, you're in labor. Your baby's coming." Keira said.
Fear covered Triss's face. "What do I do?! I've never done this before!"
"Luckily for you, I happened to pick up at least one usefull thing during my time in that swamp hell of Velen." Keria replied.
Triss looked at her thankfully before wincing in pain again.
"Come on, we're not too far from the lodge-"
Triss cut her off. "No! I don't want to deliever in the lodge! I don't want to deliver in a rented meeting room!"
"Well do you wanna deliver in the meadow? Cause thats whats liable to happen." Keira said.
"There's got to be another option. Wait- my house, I have herbs there and supplies! Can you teleport us there?" Triss asked Keira.
"Not by myself I'm afraid... not with you in this condition." Keira admitted.
"Keira look!" Triss exclaimed.
Keira Metz looked up to where Triss was pointing and saw it... an owl.
At the top of their lungs they both started yelling out Phillipa's name. After a moment the owl turned around, landed, and returned to Phillipa Eillhart's blind human forum.
"What in blazes-" Phillipa started.
"Triss's in larbor, can you help me teleport all of us back to her house?" Keira pleaded.
Phillipa nodded.
Geralt of Rivia was just dosing off in the mist of a warm bath. It was a lazy late afternoon. All the windows were open for it was just a lovely day in Kovir. Just as he was about to fall completely asleep a portal bust into the room, shortly followed by three particular sorceress.
"Quick! We've got to get her to the bedroom!" Eillhart commanded.
"What the?" Geralt gasped in shock and surprise.
"Don't just sit there witcher! Put some clothes on and make yourself useful!" Keira barked at him.
Geralt hopped out of the bath a bit frazzled as the two ladies assisted Triss Merigold into the bedroom. With witcher speed Geralt put on his clothes and joined them. As he stepped into their bedroom he found Triss breathing heavily, sweat collecting on her face.
"Yes, its true I've done this a few times before but- Triss is a sorceress. So there's no way of knowing if this birth will progress normally or not." Keira was telling Phillipa, as Geralt neared Triss, taking her hand, brushing the sweat and hair from her face before he kissed her.
"No matter, you simply must do your best. I'll assist as best I can if need be.. Though I fear my blindness will prohibit me from being much use." Phillipa said.
Keira couldn't remember the last time she heard Phillipa Eillhart humble herself.
"Thanks Phillipa." Keira replied.
"Everything must go smoothly. This child is very special- very important... I can feel it." Phillipa said.
"What do you mean you can feel it?" Keira questioned. She had heard Phillipa mention this once before when everyone had seen Triss for the first time.
"My dear, when you've been around as long as I have and are as powerful as I am your body becomes atuned with things with magic around them." Phillipa stated.
"You mean to say- there's magic around this child?" Triss spoke up. She had caught her breath now that her contrition had passed.
Phillipa simply nodded.
"Triss," Geralt almost whispered. "I- I think I can feel it too.. my medallion's humming."
"It only does that with monsters and places of power, correct?" Triss said.
Geralt nodded in response. Hoping that he'd had help sire something of power and not something monstrous.
"Keira, would you mind giving me something for the pain?" Triss asked, turing her attention from Geralt for a moment.
"Got the herbs right here love." Keira answered, giving the herbs to Triss who quickly scarfed them down.
"Ahh much better.. Thank you Keira." Triss sighed after a moment or two.
"Won't be long now." Keira said.
"Hear that? We get to meet our daughter soon." Triss smiled up at him.
"How do you know-" Keira started.
"She doesn't. Women's intuited." Geralt teased turning from Keira back to Triss.
Triss rolled her eyes.
Within the hour Triss was screaming to the high heavens as she pushed and pushed. Keira helping her through it and Geralt holding her. Phillipa sat quietly in the corner.
They were all too busy to notice, but outside their window it was as if time and the earth stood still for a few minutes. Every animal and mythical creator stopped what they were doing for a few moments and stood still. As the miracle child was pushed form Triss's womb every mage and witcher's medallion felt something for just a brief moment.
"AHHHHH!" Triss cried out with one final push, her head flopping back with exhaustion.
Spilling into Keira Metz's arms was, as Triss predicted, a little baby girl; hair red as blood with ashen strands mixed in like highlights.
Keira smiled as she caught the child, but after a moment her face turned to something that Geralt could not recognize.
The baby, upon being free of its mother gave out a cry and breathed its first breath. Phillipa herself seemed to breathe a breath of relief along with the child.
Keira shook herself from the moment. "Congratulations Triss, Geralt... you have a little girl."
"Told you so" Triss breathed with exhaustion, and a wink. Geralt looked into her eyes and smiled with love and sarcasm, all at the same time.
"And she's beautiful." Keira finished sincerely and warmly. She smiled down at the child again.
Geralt helped Triss to sit up as Keira placed the baby in her arms.
"Well.. seems I wasn't needed. Congrats to you both, I must be going." Phillipa said.
"Wait Phil, don't you wanna see the baby?" Triss asked.
"I do; but later when its clean. Good luck. See you at the meetings Triss." And with that, the old sorceress was off.
"I best be going too. Glad I could be a part of this. Take care. I'll see you soon." Keira told the couple before departing herself. Leaving Geralt and Triss alone with their newly born daughter.
"Oh Geralt, look at her." Triss whispered in amazement. "She's so little and beautiful.."
"Looks like she's got a little of both of us in her." Geralt said, gesturing to the child's white and red mane. Truly something neither of them had seen before.
At that moment the child opened her eyes and Geralt saw what head left Keira speechless. The little girl's eyes... they were bright blue, like a sapphire, and clearer then any water. But the beauty and color of her eyes isn't what caught his attention... it was her pulps... they were that of a cat's... witcher eyes, though this child had never gone under any mutations.
The baby stopped crying, turned its head and looked right at him. To this day, Geralt still can't describe what it is he felt when he looked back at her. Then the child turned her attention to Triss, and looked upon the face of her mother for the first time. The baby smiled, reached out with her tiny hand and touched Triss's check.
"She's perfect." Triss said, a tear in her eye. "She needs a name."
Geralt scratched his head. He never was good at naming things... the best thing he had ever come up with was Roach.
"You decsied... never been any good with that stuff and I don't want to mess up my job as a real father already with saddling her with a bad name. You pick Triss. Something good. Something that'll soot her." Geralt said.
Triss thought hard for a moment as she looked upon the face of her infant daughter.
"Rayanna." Triss spoke, looking up from the baby to Geralt. Meeting his eyes.
Geralt smiled. "Perfect."
"I name thee Rayanna Merigold of Kovir." Triss said with all the love in her heart.
Geralt smiled and placed one hand on the child and the other on Triss's back as he kissed her forehead. "Welcome to the world my daughter... welcome to the world Rayanna."
:) :) :) R&R! :) :) :)