"All Those Lonely Mile" - Geralt/Jaskier

Chapter 2: A Moment

Jaskier awoke with a stiffness in his bones, one that had him groaning as he sat up. Rubbing his hands together, pulling his blanket around him a little tighter blue eyes blinked several times from where he lay at the front of the shelter Geralt had set up. They had eaten, he had sang, at one point Ciri had even been clapping and laughing along. Yennefer wouldn't join despite the Bard trying to get the Witch to, she claimed "There isn't enough ale in any of the spheres for that, and you, Bard, have not even a drop."

Jaskier rubbed sleep from his eyes with the corner of the blanket. Taking in the camp, Geralt was snuffing out the fire, Yennefer getting the horses ready. Jaskier frowned just a little, wondering how long Yennefer and Geralt had been up, had they even slept at all?

Not that he cared, he really should get this seed of jealously taken care of before it continued to sprout ugly in his chest. It already filled his lungs, he didn't want it messing up this friendship he had with Geralt.

"Good Morning, Jaskier." Geralt's voice cut the Bard from his thoughts. He gave the Witcher a small smile.

"Good morning indeed, Geralt." 

Yennefer glanced over her shoulder to Jaskier, but didn't say anything. She blinked several times as she turned her face away again; lost in thoughts the Bard couldn't read, and certainly didn't want to. 

Something nudged Jaskier. He looked down to see Ciri holding tight to his coat.

The girl whimpered in her sleep, and unsure what to do Jaskier put his hand on her shoulder.

"You're alright." It came out a bit awkward; the man had no idea what to do about children, he spent his days and nights in bars. Among drunkards and whores, and dangerous people like Geralt. He knew nothing of children, let along how to care for them, comfort them. The girl jolted, and Jaskier noticed, if only briefly, fear in her sleep hazed eyes. Wide, green eyes stared up at the Bard as Ciri sat up, both her hands coming to her chest as she looked around, as if to gather and remember where she was. "You're alright Ciri." Jaskier smiled a little and he spoke softly. Although he had no idea if it was working. He figured the girl was probably plagued beyond the Spheres with nightmares, from the onslaught on Cintra and her family, to whatever she went through finding Geralt, to everything with Yennefer and the Demon.

Ciri smiled up at Jaskier, depsite her eyes glossed with unshed tears. "Good Morning, Jaskier." Ciri muttered, messing with her long hair. She frowned as her fingers tangled in the ashen strands.

"Let me fix your hair yeah? It's the least I can do since you got us dinner last night." Jaskier smiled softly. The girl still seemed pretty freaked out, and the nervous messing with her hair was making the Bard uneasy. Ciri smiled a little as she watched Jaskier brush his own disheveled hair from his eyes. "It was splendid meat by the way, and trust me, I've had plenty of, well, meat y'know." He laughed, shaking his head and rubbing the back of his neck.

"Gross." Ciri giggled a little as she brushed hair from her dirt smeared face. "But I suppose you could do my hair, that is, if you don't make it ugly."

"I would never."

Jaskier and Ciri shifted, the Bard sitting cross legged behind her. Ciri sat with her arms wrapped around her knees watching as Geralt finished packing up and loading bags onto the horses. Jaskier pulled his own bag closer and pulled out a little brush as he began to work on the girl's hair.

"What are you two doing?" Geralt asked taking a seat on a rock nearby, doing something with some kind of dried bundle of herbs.

"Jaskier is doing my hair." Ciri answered as Yennefer settled on her other side.