Reincarnation ➵ The Witcher

iii.

EDITH had learnt at a very young age never to question her father - even when she was at the tender age of 6 summers and would wake in the night from her own harrowing screams. She had wanted to go to the medicine man, but her father had refused. He had proclaimed that the townsfolk would accuse her of witchcraft and devilry and feared his dear little Edith would get a one way passage to death by the stake. Sorcery is absolutely prohibited here he would proclaim; and Edith would always be confused because she wasn't a witch, however, this fact was futile in easing the paranoia of her father.

Since then she had never questioned her fathers word, until now. Edith sat on the cart idly, watching the surrounding forest brighten as the day went on with various colours of brown and yellow settling the season of Autumn as she pondered her fathers' words. Surely everything can feel, right? Even a beastly monster, as her father said, with yellow glowing eyes. Yellow glowing eyes that were painfully familiar to Edith. The cart ride was pleasantly silent, light fog of the morning settling on the path as if it were an artificial cover.

Edith loved visiting other towns, even if it was only for a day for her to finally see what was beyond the walls. She often wondered about the vastness of creatures out here, creatures she has only read about in fairy tales and lore books that often seemed shocking to even consider. The only sound breaking the silence was the repetitive sound of hooves echoing off the cobble path which Edith would often count until the town was view able in the distance.

The town looked a lot larger than Edith's; there was multiple types of animals parading through the streets too - dogs, cats and even pigs sometimes crossing the widened road for carts and horses to pass through. Each house was made out of a dark timber, standing tall and proud with some having a little sign hanging from the side of the door.

"Gandrys, Gandrys.." her father murmured, eyes surveying each of the sign as the farmers cart passed by each house. Edith attempted to spot the sign too, however, her attention was immediately diverted towards the tavern near the end of the street.

The loud sound of music was heard from here, a joyful melody that Edith couldn't help but smile at and wanted to witness atleast once before their departure. Her eyes went towards her father, ready to ask if they could go, only to see his gaze already on her with a mild hint of amusement in his gaze.

"Go on then, girl. I will meet you in there after."

Edith didn't have to wait another second before she was dismounting the cart whilst it was slowing to a stop and began making her way to the tavern, "Edith?," she looked back at her father, his eyes shining warily, "be careful."

"Of course, father." She smiled, her feet making a slow walk to the door of the tavern.

Her hands pushed the door open, the sound of the music amplified now as the sight of a large number of people sat around wooden benches came into view. Most, if not all of them, had a pint of ale or some kind of liquid with them. Almost all of the tables were fill the brim with people of all different kinds of people, however, if their focus wasn't glued onto the melody coming from the small rise of the stage, they were attempting to call over a barmaid for another pint of ale.

The only spaces available were a few seats connected to the makeshift bar and as her gaze caught a hooded figure hunched over the bar near the seat she was approaching, she was shocked at the rudeness of the man as when she sat down next to the figure, they then proceeded to move their chair as far away from Edith as possible. Edith frowned at the rudeness.

A barmaid immediately took notice of Edith's new presence, wiping her hands on a semi dirty rag before plastering a smile on her face and moving over to Edith's position.

"What can I get ya, lass?"

"Water, please." Edith scowled as the figure to her let out a short laugh at her order.

"We don' do water here, sorry. It's ale or nothin'."

Confusion swept through Edith, "..Why ask me what I wanted, then?"

"Call it.. common decency."

"Get the girl an ale, Mace." The hooded figure interrupted, his voice deep and raspy as his hands dug into the small pouch of coins on his side before placing one on the bar. Edith watched in confusion as the man raised his own ale up towards his lips. His face was hidden from the darkness of his hood, but despite this, the barmaid, Mace, still seemed to know who he was.

"Didn' know you were a white knight, Geralt." The man, Geralt, didn't reply to Mace's jabs and instead proceeded to continuously sip on his drink. Geralt didn't once glance at Edith, but despite this, Edith couldn't shake the feeling that she somehow knew Geralt. No, not Geralt particularly, but the name somehow sounded familiar. She didn't know how it sounded familiar, but the name resonated in her thoughts regardless.