Destinies Lie (The Witcher)

chapter eleven

In a tavern gathered many people listening to a man describing the death of his village. "I tell no lie it swallowed the whole village it did, not a bone left." Glances were traded between the people, some with terror and others unconvinced. "Oh don't give me that look. That's why we had to call them, the white wolf and black stallion."

Gasps spread throughout the room, more looks given and odd conversations starting. "Then he stood in the center of the lake as if he knew it was it coming for him and the ice cracked open, the selkiemore shot out, oh you never see one, but it would take down a ship with it's cavernous mouth full of devils teeth and it swallowed that Witcher whole."

Scraping of a quill could now be heard through the silence and all eye's turned to a man comfortably scribbling away the details of this tale. "Oh this is brilliant." The man spoke looking up from his notes looking at the man beside him, he continued. "Uh, oh sorry it's just Geralt's usually so stingy with the details, and I don't want Karina to do anything I'll regret." The last bit he mumbled to himself, not realising the looks the people surrounding him were giving. "And then what happened."

The man spoke again a little frustrated now by the other mans words. "He died." The man didn't seem interested, only shaking his head. "Ah they'll be fine." Now the man was really annoyed. "Look I was there. I saw it with my own.." Before the man could finish the door swung open.

....

Me and Geralt burst through the door urning a few gasps here and there. Walking inside I found Jaskier sitting at a table in the center of a crowd of people, always the center of attention.

Geralt walked beside me through the crowed, him covered in selkiemore gut's and me in freezing cold and dam clothes. Coming up to the table Jaskier burst out in to a fit of laughter whilst the man beside him shouted, "What's that smell." Geralt bluntly replied saying "selkiemore guts." I laughed along with Jaskier at Geralt's bluntness.

I walked away towards the bar in the back, not being able to handle Geralt's stench much longer. Everyone started to sing what Jaskier liked to call 'our song' and I couldn't help but quietly sing along. Still catchy. Seconds later I could smell that fowl stench once again, now Geralt was sat beside me.

Jaskier came up behind the both us and sat himself in the middle. "Your welcome. Now, it's time for you both to pay up your debt. What debt I'm sure your wondering..." Jaskier's words just dwindled into nothing, as he continue to speak neither I or even Geralt it seemed were paying attention.

That was until he asked for what he called a small favour to which Geralt replied "fuck of bard." But Jaskier continued with no care. "For one measly night of service you will gain a cornucopia of earthly delights, the very masters of culinary arts crafting morsels worthy of the gods, maidens that would make the sun it's self..." When he mentioned that the both of us just started to walk off not wanting to hear anymore gibberish. Then he shouted for us, well more specifically Geralt. "Food, women and wine Geralt." At his words Geralt finally became interested and started his way upstairs along with Jaskier, and me trailing behind.

I now finally sat in a tub filled with boiling water and lavender, whilst Geralt sat in one beside me with Jaskier dumping buckets of water over his head, I chuckled at Geralt's grunt's. "Now now stop you borish grunts of protests, it is just one night of bodyguarding your very best friend in the whole wide world how hard could it be."

Geralt just grumbled saying "your not my friend. Only Karina can be called that." I blushed at his comment, we had now known each other for half a year, maybe longer, and I would say we were becoming great friends. "Ah yes that I understand, but would you normally let strangers rub camomile over your lovely bottom."

Geralt's face now had a scowl covering it which Jaskier barley acknowledged. "Yeh well exactly, that's what I thought. Every lord, night and tiffany king worth his salt will be at this betrothal. Queen Calathe, the lioness of Cintra herself will being sing the praises of Jaskier's triumphant performance."

Washing my arms I just casually asked "how may of these lords want to kill you?" And I couldn't have asked for a more hilarious response from Jaskier. "Hard to say, one stops keeping count after a while." I laughed from my tub as Jaskier gave me a slight scowl and Geralt gave me a smirk. He really wasn't helping as he continued. "Wives, concubines, mothers, sometimes." I really couldn't stop now, it was to hard not to laugh.

Geralt now ignored my laughter and mocked Jaskier after he took away his ale. "I will not suffer tonight sober just because you hid your sausage in the wrong oil pantry." I carried on from Geralt remark because I knew what Jaskier would want. "We're not killing anyone either."

Jaskier now stood behind us shouting, "Yes, Yes neither of you ever get involved except you both actually do, all of the time." I had had enough of the water now so I was looking around for my clothes, but I couldn't find them anywhere. "Jaskier were on earth are my clothes."

He turned to me seeming a little frightened by my attitude, good. "Ah, well yes about that, you can't wear them, there practically destroyed, now any way your not wearing them I have something else for you. Come." He started to leave the room so I just grabbed one of the towels between my and Geralt's baths and stood up wrapping it around me.

I went into the side room were Jaskier had gone and found him laying something on the bed. Once he moved out of the way I found a dress lying on the bed. It was a dusty shade of blue almost grey and had gold leaves swirling around the skirt and bodice. From where I stood I could also see that it was off the shoulder and had a belt around the waist.

Jaskier came and stood beside me. "You'll being wearing that tonight." I turned to him and asked "why am I going with the two of you." He sighed. "We're not about to leave you hear, besides, the great Jaskier may need some back up singing, you never know." My face grew pale, no way was I singing with him. "I'd rather stay low, not on show jaskier." I raised my voice slightly. He nodded his head. "Yes well we'll see."

After that he quickly left the room leaving me to change and get ready for tonight. Boy was this going to be one hell of a night. 

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A/N hope you enjoyed the chapter.