Kyana Of Cintra

16

The trio had walked for what felt like hours, until Geralt and Kyana climbed their horses for rest, leaving Jaskier to walk alongside them.

"Reading between the lines and the gut punches, chum, I'd say you have got a bit of a an image problem. Were I to join you on this feat to defeat the devil of Posada, I could relieve you of that title. All the North would be too busy singing the tales of Geralt of Rivia, the White Wolf or something, and Kyana of Cintra, the Sapphire Snake? That sounds better than butcher, don't you think?"

Kyana smiled at his attempt to rectify his mistake, although she didn't much approve of being called a snake. "Much better, thank you Jaskier." He grinned, having done something right.

"You're welcome." Not wanting to disturb the lady, he looked nervously to Geralt.

"Mind if I hop up? I'm not wearing the right footwear." Geralt scoffed and shot him down immediately, even though he knew it was not a short ride to their destination. 

"Don't touch Roach." Kyana rolled her eyes and dismounted Pegasus quickly, patting the slightly worn leather saddle. She didn't mind walking, in fact, she preferred walking to riding, especially if the view she could look upon was Posada. 

"Ignore Grouchy over there, Jaskier. You can ride Pegasus for a while if you like." Kyana offered, offering him the reigns, much to the disapproval of Geralt. Kyana was being remarkably accommodating to Jaskier, which annoyed Geralt, seen as he wasn't the biggest fan of the bard. 

 Jaskier looked at her, dumbfounded. "No, I can't take a horse from a lady in good conscience." He refused, as though it was in no way acceptable for him to give into her hospitality. Kyana rose an eyebrow at him. 

"Then it is a good thing I am no lady, may your conscience rest." She quipped back, patting the saddle once again. "Pegasus is friendly enough, I've no doubt he'll like you." Jaskier was hesitant at first, but after receiving an impatient look from Kyana, he mounted the horse. 

"Thank you." Jaskier said sincerely, handling the reigns very carefully, as though one wrong move could disintegrate Pegasus. Kyana smiled gently and nodded, touching her collarbone gently to feel the metal necklace. She walked alongside Geralt and Jaskier, whistling her song once more. Jaskier's head reared to face her. "'For The Dancing And The Dreaming'?" 

"It's her favourite song." Geralt replied for her. Kyana's eyes met his and softened. Geralt watched her walk, aware that her saddle was only meant for one person. His was extended, as he had the hindsight to do so in order to carry monsters he had on his horse half of the time. Geralt wanted to make sure if he killed something venomous, it wouldn't kill Roach, and so he had his saddle widened. 

As much as Geralt knew Kyana had given her horse willingly, he couldn't sit there on his horse for an hour while she walked. He sighed, dismounting himself and approaching her. "What are you doing?" She asked. "Our destination is still quite far." Geralt grumbled.

"Exactly." His hands grasped her hips, lifting her like a freshly pressed shirt. She let out a surprised cry, grabbing onto Geralt's forearms with an iron grip in case he dropped her, which was a ridiculous thing to worry about. He placed her onto the front of the saddle, nearly headbutting poor Roach while doing so.

"You could have just asked me to mount, you know." Kyana stated, her hand moving to support herself on the horse. Geralt gave her a deadpan look. 

"You honestly think you would have agreed?" Kyana thought for a second. 

"No, probably not."

Geralt hummed, placing his hands on the saddle and mounted Roach behind her. His arms reaching under hers and grabbing the reigns, steadying Roach on. The entirety of his body was so close to her, all she had to do was lean back a millimetre and there he'd be. Strangely, she didn't really mind, as long as he was respectful of her. She turned her head, his lips close to her ear.

"How do you expect Jaskier to figure it out when you're being such a good husband?" She teased, whispering just loud enough for him to hear. He rolled his eyes, which Kyana saw.

"You're exhausting sometimes, you know that?" Kyana grinned with mock offence, pushing her shoulder into his lightly to scold him.

"You're exhausting all the time."

****

It had taken an hour to get to their destination. Every single time Roach trotted along, Kyana smacked into Geralt's chest, which wasn't as good as it sounded when it felt like pounding against a brick wall. They bickered among themselves, the usual trivial points that they would make just to annoy each other. Geralt swung his leg over Roach, discounting swiftly and holding a hand out for Kyana.

She dismounted on her own, looking at Geralt's hand when firmly on the floor. "What's that meant to do?"

Geralt shrugged. "Depends on how you think of it, really." Kyana chose not to get that innuendo, instead joining Jaskier, who had also dismounted. Geralt grasped the reigns, pulling Pegasus over with Roach to tie them to a tree branch.

"The elves called this Dol Blathanna before bequeathing it to the humans and retreating into their golden palaces in the mountains." Jaskier informed Kyana as they walked, leaving Geralt to tie the horses. "There I go again, just delivering exposition." Kyana rose an eyebrow, using a small bit of black ribbon to tie her hair back and out of her face.

"I like hearing your stories. Most are a lot lighter than the ones I'm used to." She told him truthfully. Jaskier grinned, as though he had just won a knighthood. Geralt caught up with them, grumbling behind them in small protests.

Jaskier turned to him, stopping to let him walk with Kyana. "What are we looking for again?"

Geralt gave him a deadpan look. "Blessed silence." For all of three seconds, Geralt had his wish.

"Yeah I don't really go in for that." Kyana hummed at Jaskier, knowing he was pissing Geralt off and reveling in it. "Have either of you ever hunted a devil before?" Geralt shook his head.

"Devil's don't exist."

"Right." Came Jaskier's whispered answer as Geralt peeked around a corner, looking for any signs of life. "Obviously. Well then, what are we doing?"

"We're honoring our deal." Kyana replied, although Geralt was much more cryptic.

"Sometimes there's monsters, sometimes there's money. Rarely both. That's the life." Although Jaskier had asked the question for some clarity, all he received was a riddle, for which he stared at Geralt with furrowed eyebrows and squinted eyes.

A stone whirled through the air, almost hitting Kyana, if not for the speed she withdrew her sword and protected her face. The stone bounced off the blade, sending the sword into small vibrations at the force.

"Shit!" Geralt cursed, pulling himself and Kyana behind a rock.

Jaskier grinned, throwing his arms out and laughing up at the heavens. "Ha! Act two begins!" Geralt bent down, allowing Kyana to stand as he picked up the tiny, metal pellet. Geralt held a hand to his forehead, wiping some blood away. When Kyana had deflected the pellet, it had hit Geralt straight in the forehead. "Looks like a tiny cannon ball." Jaskier commented. Kyana didn't really care what was being thrown, she was more worried about hitting Geralt with whatever had been flung at her.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Geralt. Is it poisoned?" She took the small, metal ball from Geralt's hands, looking for discoloration or liquid on it, and found nothing. Geralt rose a hand to the cut, but hissed and recoiled when he touched it. It made Kyana upset to know she had cut him, even if it was accidental. His hand encased hers at her expression. No matter how much Kyana insisted she was cold or without emotion, she was sensitive when it came to her friends.

"It's not your fault. It's only a scratch, and it's not poisoned." Kyana nodded gently, letting him pull himself up to a crouching position, droplets of blood seeping from the cut.

"Oh my gosh, Geralt, it's a devil!"