Shift My World (Witcher x Reader fanfic)

Chapter 7

"Ow Geralt what the hell!?" Olivia yelped grabbing at her shoulder and looking towards the tall man in front of her who looked bemused across from her. 

"Your left side was open. Remember, you have to be balanced on both sides. You can't neglect either your left or right side or else while you're defending your right you'll leave your left open." Geralt's voice was patient as he walked over towards her and grabbed the wooden stick from her limp hand to place it in the opposite.

"Geralt you know I'm not strong on this side! I'm right-handed for crying out loud! I'm not balanced on both sides!" she argued receiving a sigh from the witcher. 

"That is why we are practicing Olivia; so that you can be balanced on both sides," he stated tapping her long stick with his. 

The two were standing in a small clearing beside a lake; having stopped in their travels to make camp as the sun was setting. The firepit was roaring with a fire crackling a few feet away from them while their horses Roach and Thor watched them off to the side grazing at the crop of grass under the trees. From the combination of warming weather, the fire, and the exercising Olivia was feeling rather warm; that much was clear from the perspiration on her forehead. Geralt seemed to notice but he did not say anything about it as he took his fighting stance. She mimicked him with a sigh trying to get used to the unfamiliar feeling of something in her left hand. She took a stance again and narrowed her gaze at the tall witcher across from her. Said witcher didn't waste time before he took two steps forward and swung his stick at her. She barely had time to block it from hitting her leg but the collision made a vibration run up her arm and it did not feel good. 

"Ow damn it Geralt can you not hit so hard!?" she snapped shaking her hand a little bit before holding it up in front of her again and making a half-assed swing towards him; no matter if there was no way that she'd be able to hurt the monster hunter her subconscious didn't want to even attempt to even in training. 

He easily blocked it and gave her a look of disapproval as he gave a 'hmm' before twisting his stick around hers making her lose grip as it twisted her wrist uncomfortable and made her drop it but Geralt did not stop there and instead reached out to grab her wrist and spin her towards him until her chest collided with his and he was looking down at her pinned under a strong arm around her shoulders. 

"Olivia. Your enemy will not take it easy on you when you are in a sword fight. They want to kill you and it's kill or be killed in a situation like that." he stated seriously before pushing her away firmly and grabbing the stick from the ground. 

"But if you aren't serious about this training I'm not going to waste my-"

"Of course, I'm serious about it! It's just...I'm not a fighter Geralt. Well, not a physical fighter at least." she sighed wiping the perspiration from her forehead. 

Geralt snorted and shook his head as he gave a twitch of a smile. His yellow gaze did not look up from where he was staring at the ground leaning against the sticks they had been using as swords. "You had no issue with it when I first found you fighting off that monster; never seen you so fired up before when you're mutt got hurt like that," he commented with an almost fond look on his face at the memory. 

Olivia smirked teasingly. "Aw Geralt's I didn't think you were capable of compliments." she joked.

He huffed and tossed the sticks to the side before heading back towards the campfire. Olivia crossed her arms like a grump not happy he chose to end their training session but she followed him anyways. It was so different traveling with Geralt without Jaskier. She's learned a lot more from the non-verbal man just by his body language and the looks he'd give. He didn't talk much but she paid so much attention to him that it was amazing how she could pick up the different cues he'd give off whether he meant to or not. It wasn't as loud and fun without Jaskier's joking side and musical toner but there was a sort of peace traveling with Geralt. The longer she traveled with him the more Olivia was beginning to understand him, or so she would like to think. But she knew with this knowledge came to the fact that she needed to open up to him too before something like last time happened and he'd blow upon her; chasing her away like he did the others. So, as they sat around the fire a few hours later after their training session; picking at a few rabbits Geralt managed to hunt them down for supper she chose this moment to open up to him. It'd been a few months already so why not?