The Witcher's Apprentice
…
Chapter 3: History Lessons
Geralt and Keira listened raptly as Aegon gave them a brief overview of his overworld, or at least as he knew it. Aegon listed the Great Houses of Westeros; from the Starks of Winterfell; the Martells of Sunspear; the Baratheons of Storms End; the Lannisters of Casterly Rock; the Tyrells of High Garden; the Arryns of the Eyrie; the Tullys of Riverun; and the Greyjoys of Pyke.
Aegon then described the last house, his house, House Targaryen. "The Targaryens were once a minor house in the Freehold of Valyria, a vast empire that ruled a majority of Essos, a continent east of the Narrow Sea from Westeros," he recounted. "The Freehold were Dragon Lords; men and women who had learned to hatch, tame and ride dragons."
"So there are dragons in your world?" Keira asked with interest.
"There were. The last dragons owned by my house were all killed off in the Dance of Dragons, a Targaryen Civil War between Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and her younger half brother Aegon II," replied Aegon.
"A civil war? How did that happen?" Geralt asked.
"It was largely because of Rhaenyra and Aegon's father King Viserys Targaryen naming his daughter heir to the Irone Throne. But due to his second wife Alicent Hightower and her father Ser Otto Hightower, the claim was contested upon Viserys' death, coupled with other Great and Noble Houses believing that as Viserys' eldest son, Aegon should ascend the throne over Rhaenyra," Aegon explained. "And keep in mind, both sides, named the Greens and the Blacks, Aegon's being the Greens and his sister's the Blacks, had dragons, so you can imagine how devastating the war was which maesters labelled the Dance of the Dragons," he told.
"Yeah, dragons can be pretty devastating in battle," Geralt muttered grimly as he recalled how Saskia in her true draconic form devastated armies. "So, the dragons all died out in this civil war?" he asked.
"Yes, but the eggs they left behind remain, although no-one has been able to hatch them since," Aegon said regretfully.
"Hmm, shame."
"Yes, it is."
"So, can you describe how you met Ciri and came to our world?" Keira requested.
"The Golden Company was holding a Squires Tourney which I competed in," Aegon began. "After I had won and was knighted, I went to wash up in my tent when Ciri appeared in a flash of light and a gust of heat. We talked for a moment, but then as winter had come early, a blizzard hit the camp," he described.
"And that was when the Wild Hunt showed up looking for Ciri?" Geralt asked.
"Mhm." Aegon nodded. "I helped Ciri to escape the camp with some horses nearby, but I was knocked from my horse by one of those monsters and Ciri came to my defence. We were then surrounded by those monsters and their leader came forth threatening Ciri that no matter where she went, they would find her. Ciri then grabbed me and the next thing I was somewhere else entirely," he said.
"And then you were wounded and captured by those bandits," Geralt finished.
"Yes, their leader took my sword," Aegon grumbled. Looking at the Witcher, he asked, "I don't suppose you found it?"
"You mean this?" Geralt asked as he pulled out from behind his back the Valyrian steel sword of Aegon the Conqueror, Blackfyre. "Pretty nice blade. Almost like a Witcher's sword," the White Wolf commented. "Where did you get it?" he asked as he handed the sword over to Aegon.
"It was forged in the Freehold at the height of their power and was passed down from king to king in my family. At least until Aegon IV the Unworthy bequeathed it to his bastard son Prince Daemon Waters who then took the sword's name for his own thus laying the seed of five generations of rebellion," Aegon detailed.
"Yeah, things like that start all kinds of shit," Geralt remarked. "What kind of steel is it made of?"
"Valyrian steel. It was said the Dragon Lords of Valyria wove magical spells into the molten metal that make swords like these lighter, stronger and sharper than even castle forged steel," said Aegon. "Valyrian steel cuts through flesh like a hot knife through butter."
"Really? Does everyone have a sword like that in your world?" Keira asked.
"Thankfully no. The secret to forging Valyrian steel was lost in the Doom of Valyria when the volcanic mountains known as the Fourteen Flames erupted, burning so hot that even dragons themselves burned to ash," Aegon said. "No fewer than a hundred or so Valyrian swords still exist in Westeros and less than a handful of smiths can even reshape existing Valyrian steel," he added.
"Interesting. The closest to a Valyrian steel sword would be a Witcher's blade," Geralt said.
"A witcher's blade?" Aegon repeated. "How good is a Witcher's blade?" he asked in open curiosity.
"Every witcher has two swords with him; one made of steel and the other made of silver. Both are for monsters," replied Geralt.
"Monsters?" Aegon echoed. "So, things like grumpkins and snarks?" he asked.
"If by grumpkins and snarks, you mean things like nekkers, fiends, drowners, chorts, wraiths and other things that lurk in the dark, then yes," Geralt said seriously in a manner that Aegon take the words more seriously.
"So, you mentioned two swords? One made of steel and the other of silver?" Geralt nodded. "Isn't silver a poor metal to forge a sword from?" the young knight asked.
"Special forging techniques like mixing silver with stronger metals and ores like meteorite steel, or coating a meteorite steel sword in silver can bypass the weaknesses of silver," Geralt informed him. "And silver is used for monsters of a magical nature. For average monster hunts like clearing out nekkers, the steel sword will be used," he then said.
"And what kind of steel is a witcher's steel sword made from?" Aegon asked.
"Typically meteorite steel, but one can also use metals like dark iron or dark steel," Geralt replied.
"Meteorite steel? Just like House Dayne's ancestral sword Dawn!" Aegon exclaimed in surprise.
"Dawn?" Geralt and Keira echoed at the same time.
Aegon nodded enthusiastically. "Aye, House Dayne, a vassal house to the Martells, have story that their ancestor followed a fallen star and where it fell, he raised their castle and from the heart of the fallen star, he forged the sword Dawn," he told the witcher and the sorceress. "As pale as milkglass and as hard & sharp as Valyrian steel. Only the greatest knight of House Dayne may wield; the last known wielder was Ser Arthur Dayne named the Sword of the Morning for his skill in swordsmanship."
"Interesting to learn that such a sword exists in your world," Geralt commented. "So, that aside, have you any plans?" he asked Aegon.
"How do you mean?" Aegon asked in surprise.
"Well, you're not in your world anymore, so did you have a plan to get back?" Geralt clarified for him.
"I had not thought that far ahead," Aegon admitted sheepishly. "But I take it you have an idea in mind," he said looking at Geralt.
"Given that Ciri brought you to this world, it makes sense you'd need to find her to take you back home," Geralt said matter-of-factly.
"That would be the best and only move from a tactical standpoint," Aegon said, nodding his head in understanding. "And I take it you have an idea where to find her?" he asked Geralt.
"I have three leads," Geralt said in answer to the query. "One here in Velen, the second in Novigrad and the third in Skellige," he told Aegon. "The local warlord named the Bloody Baron found Ciri and spent time with her," he added.
"But he has you doing things for him," Aegon guessed.
"Yeah, his wife and daughter have gone missing and he's asked me to find them and bring them home, promising he'll tell me everything he knows," Geralt grumbled.
"Have you had any luck finding them?" Keira then asked.
"I have a few leads, one which I need to see the Pellar for," Geralt replied.
"What can you tell me about this Baron? What is he like?" Aegon asked.
"A drunken brute, but smarter than he looks and surprisingly has a soft spot for children," Geralt stated. "But I get the feeling he's not telling me everything. Like I said, he's smarter than he looks," he added.
"Well, then let's get going," Aegon said as he rose to his feet.
"Going? Where to?" Keira asked in confusion.
"To this Pellar fellow," Aegon said obviously. "The sooner we find the Baron's wife and daughter, the sooner he tells Geralt what he knows about Ciri and the sooner we can find her and I get to return home."
Geralt gave a small ghost of a smile and remarked, "Pretty sound plan, but are you any good in a fight? Because I'm not going to babysit you the whole time," he warned.
"Would you care for a demonstration?" Aegon asked the White Wolf who hummed and shrugged before standing to his feet.
Keira gave an exasperated sigh and said, "If you're going to fight or spar, do it outside please."
Moving outdoors in a nearby enclosed area, Keira watched as both Geralt and Aegon prepared to spar with one another.
"Do you have any sparring weapons? I'd rather not injure you," Aegon said to Geralt as an offer.
Giving another ghost of a smile, Geralt replied, "Trust me. You're not gonna be able to land a hit on me." Drawing his witcher steel sword from his back in a smooth motion, the White Wolf adopted a standard witcher's stance. His knees slightly bent and the point of his sword facing the earth at an angle, Geralt gestured for Aegon to draw his own sword.
A little unnerved but readying himself all the same, Aegon drew his sword, the dark smoky blade of Valyrian steel drinking in the mid-morning sunlight. Holding his sword in a standard swordsman's stance, Aegon waited for Geralt to make the first. A moment passed in which neither one of them made any move until Aegon's youthful impatience won and he lunged forward with a thrust from his sword at Geralt who easily sidestepped the thrust and lazily swung his own sword at Aegon's neck. Grunting in surprise, Aegon leaned away from the deliberately slow strike and stumbled sideways before catching his footing and watched his opponent who lazily twirled his sword in circular motions.
Observing Geralt's stance carefully as he could, it frustrated Aegon to find no opening he could exploit easily. Deciding to take the offence and hope to gain the initiative, Aegon attacked again. Gripping his sword in a flat thumb grip, Aegon held the blade above his head and made horizontal cuts both left and right. Geralt parried the strikes and dodged out of the way, slapping the flat of his sword lightly against Aegon's ribs.
"Ow!" Aegon yelped more in surprise then pain but ignored it to focus on Geralt who then had a fierce expression on his face and with lightning quick reflexes, his sword became a silvery blur of steel. Overwhelmed by the sudden flurry of strikes, Aegon could barely parry some of the strikes and was on the backfoot, stumbling backwards until he felt the heel of his foot catch on something and he fell onto his back. Groaning in discomfort, Aegon's eyes went wide as Geralt suddenly thrust the tip of his sword down towards his eyes. The tip suddenly stopped just a hair's breadth away from between Aegon's eyes.
"You got a lot to learn, but you've got the potential to be a good swordsman," Geralt complimented him as he sheathed his sword over his back and offered a hand to Aegon who reluctantly took it and was raised to his feet.
"You have a decent amount of training, but you lack experience," the witcher then said to Aegon who nodded reluctantly in understanding. "I can help you become a better swordsman, but I expect a full effort on your part. But this has to be something you want for yourself," he warned.
Aegon thought about it for a moment and nodded. "Teach me all that you know, Ser Geralt. I wish to become a better fighter," he requested.
"Alright then, soon as I finish my business with Keira, we'll get started," replied Geralt then he looked at Keira who nodded in response. "Wait for me out here. I'll be a moment." Geralt then followed Keira into the hut leaving Aegon alone to his thoughts.
Fifteen minutes later, Geralt left the hut and looked at Aegon, asking, "Ready?" The young knight nodded in response. "Alright then, first thing's first, we gotta get you outfitted. You need some better armour than what you're wearing right now," the witcher said sardonically looking at Aegon's current attire with a somewhat critical look.
"Armour? Wouldn't that be too cumbersome to wear around whilst travelling?" Aegon asked.
"Not talking about plate armour. I'm talking about witcher armour, the kind I'm wearing," Geralt said as he gestured to his own attire. "Armour like this will keep you mobile and protected, but will be easy to remove if you need to," he explained.
"How much would it cost for such armour?" Aegon asked apprehensively. "I haven't any money," he lamented.
"Well, that'll lead to what else you'll be learning from me; hunting monsters," Geralt said with a sly look in his amber serpentine eyes. "C'mon, I know an armourer at Crow's Perch who can fit you with some armour and you can work it off by helping me with some monster contracts," he declared.
"Very well. Lead the way," Aegon nodded and Geralt nodded back before putting his forefinger and thumb to the corners of his mouth and gave a piercing whistle. A loud whinny cried out in response and trotting up the path from the cottage came a mare coloured brown with white on its legs and nose. "Is this your horse?" Aegon asked Geralt as the mare trotted up to the witcher who patted its nose fondly.
"Mhm. Meet Roach," Geralt said.
"Roach? What kind of name is Roach?" Aegon asked with a look of confusion.
"It's what I name all my horses," Geralt said somewhat defensively.
"But why Roach?"
Geralt was silent for a moment before speaking. "It's personal and I'd rather not get into it," he said and Aegon just shrugged, dropping the matter. Taking the reins of Roach, Geralt nodded at Aegon to follow him.
"C'mon, if we're lucky, we'll reach Crow's Perch by midday," Geralt informed the young knight and said knight nodded in understanding.
"Leaving already? And without saying goodbye?" asked a silky voice and the witcher and knight turned to see Keira standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips. "Do you remember what I asked of you, Geralt," she said looking at Geralt who nodded.
"I haven't forgotten, Keira. If I'm in the area I'll look for your supplier," the Witcher promised her.
Aegon then took the opportunity to speak to Keira. "I wish to give my thanks to you, Lady Keira. For healing my injuries without issue," he said sincerely with a courtly bow. "I'll endeavour to pay you back, somehow," he promised.
Keira gave a devilishly sweet smile at Aegon. "You certainly have better manners than most young men," she complimented. "And I wouldn't mind seeing you around here again," she said with a playful wink that had Aegon blushing a little. Keira tittered at the bashful expression on Aegon's face whilst Geralt rolled his eyes at how flustered his new travelling companion had become at a sorceress's flirtations.
"Alright, you can flirt with each other later," the witcher told his companion and the sorceress. "We're burning daylight!" Turning his back firmly, Geralt led his horse off down the path with Aegon hurrying after him but not before giving Keira one last bow. Keira blew a playful kiss at the young knight who blushed even harder, his cheeks becoming crimson as he hurried after Geralt.
His ears and cheeks burning, Aegon caught up to Geralt who gave him a mild glare. "You done flirting with the pretty sorceress?" the witcher asked him.
"I-I wasn't flirting!" Aegon exclaimed his face becoming red with embarrassment.
"Sure you weren't," Geralt said sarcastically. "Just be careful. Sorceresses like Keira can make your life a living hell if you do something to upset them, so don't get involved with one unless you're serious about it," he advised.
"Y-yes, Ser Geralt," Aegon said with a nervous look. "So, what can you tell me about the monsters you've faced in your career? You must've faced a few."
"Plenty. Can you tell some stories on the way," replied Geralt. "I've got a few you might like," he said thoughtfully as they followed the dirt road through the woods.
"And I would certainly love to hear them," Aegon said with an eager smile.
"Well, how about this one? It all began when I met a lord who had been turned into a beast by a curse and that he needed true love to break it…" Geralt then told his companion the tales of the monsters he encountered in his life with the young knight listening raptly.
…
A/N: There! Chapter 3 is done and dusted! I hope you all enjoyed it and we see the start of Aegon's adventures in the Witcher world as Geralt's apprentice. Next chapter we'll see a little bit of Aegon's reaction to some of the stories Geralt tells him of the various monsters he encountered in his career and what he did when faced with real monsters, real monsters being people as I think most of us can agree that as bad as things like fiends, nekkers and such can be, people are often worse.
And for this story, I've been thinking about doing some crossover worlds/arcs that Aegon and a couple of characters could end up on. To that end, I've set up a voting poll on my profile of some potential worlds the group could end up. So, if you haven't already, you know the drill.
And that's about the sum total of things, so I'll see you all next time.
Be kind to one another,
Angry lil' elf.