5 Days of Snow
In the midst of winter he found both joy and dread. Joy because Yennefer and Suri would be shrieking with laughter at each other's antics on the ice and in the snow. Dread because the snow provided camouflage for the snow monsters which recent generations convinced themselves were fairytales or myths but he knew only too well to be real.
He kept a watchful eye on the two women who had become his family as they skated on the ice for any moments other than theirs. Any strange moments of ice crusted tree branches to signal something other than the wind brushing against them. The snow sinking in spots signalling something walking through the snow.
It wasn't just on land. Griffins which were part snow owl and part snow leopard could take to the sky at anytime. As though the mountain yetis weren't bad enough. Five days of snow and he had been on edge waiting for the next attack while keeping Suri hidden and protected as best he could the entire time.
There was some small reassurance that if anything happened to him, Yennefer would protect Suri with her life. Perhaps a year ago he wouldn't have been as certain. But Yennefer treated Suri like a daughter. Suri couldn't be more loved if they were her biological parents. So he watched over his family fiercely. They had chosen each other.
At that moment the wind shifted and he picked up the scent of something evil. It was coming from the East and headed towards Suri. "Yennefer! Get Suri inside!" Drawing his sword he braced himself for whatever was heading for them. He could see Yennefer ushering Suri into the cabin out of the corner of his eye.
The door to the cabin had just slammed shut when a creature erupted out of the snow. Fangs dripping with some sort of dark ooze, long tangled white hair, claw like nails scooping up the snow as it ran and ice blue eyes. It occurred to him suddenly that the creature was moving towards the sound of the slamming cabin door.
Picking up a nearby rock Geralt threw it against a tree in the opposite direction. The creature came screeching to a halt. It's heaving pants visible as steam in the frigid air. It was listening for the next sound to be able to locate its prey. So it wasn't hunting by sight or scent. Only by sound. Which meant it hadn't been sent after Suri, it was just following the noise in the hope that it would find something to eat.
Geralt stood silently but prepared to attack if need be. The hair on the back of his neck stood up. Something was behind him. Slowly turning so as not to alert the creature in front of him to his location. Behind him was a giant bear. White as the snow, the bear was almost as big as the other creature and there was Gerald between them.
When the bear reared up on his hind legs and let out a thundering roar, the creature was able to lock on a target. Geralt threw himself to the side to escape being trapped between the two lunging beasts. The roars, growls and screams were deafening. He had to crawl backwards to keep clear of two huge creatures tearing each other apart.
The moment he was a decent distance away he headed back to the cabin. The beasts were too busy right now ripping the other apart. Perhaps it was time to move on before something more human found Suri. Somewhere it was easier to see the enemy coming. Somewhere easier to defend. Somewhere with less snow.
"First thing in the morning we'll head for a warmer climate." The words barely left his mouth before the two women threw their arms around him. He hadn't thought of how the view from the cabin may have looked. It was bad enough from where he had been in between two creatures but for the two women their view would have been blocked as some point. They may have thought he had been crushed by one or both of the creatures until he headed for the cabin.
"Somewhere warmer sounds good." He had to strain to hear Suri since her face was buried in his chest.
He wasn't used to having people worry about him. But it was nice to know they cared.
"I could handle somewhere with less snow." Yennefer was putting on a brave face but he could see she was shaken.
"We'll start packing after dinner." It wouldn't take long. They had been travelling light. At the end of the day, all they really needed was each other.