Reincarnation ➵ The Witcher

xxxii.

Edith could see red. A thick, crimson red pooling underneath her feet like a river of blood. Her eyes watched the bodies, lifeless eyes gazing up into the sky without a single blink. Her hands were painted in blood, a stained colour that sang to her in rememberance of a life she never knew. Her gaze was engulfed with the familiar tinge of darkness, of a promise of destruction. Her breath hitched in her throat, her gaze locking onto the figure of the woman she had saw in her last dream. Once beautiful, brown locks were tainted - destroyed by whatever chaos had happened here.

The motherly figure she once saw was ripped from her dream like an unhealed wound. She was dead, just like how everyone else was. Except Edith. Edith looked down, and noticed the bracelet was no longer securely wrapped around her wrist like an omen of protection. Instead, she was able to see the graying faces of death that would begin to haunt her memory when she was awake. The place sounded like a vacuum of sound, and she could only hear the haunting whistle of the wind in the distance. The buildings were painted red, and as Edith closed her eyes in an attempt to avoid the image, the reminder of golden eyes taunted her menacingly.

Edith awoke with a jolt, her pulse sky rocking as she attempted to calm herself down. The bed offered a comfort they hadn't been use to, and Geralt gazed down at her sleepily. They had come across the inn a few days ago; and Edith would be lying if she said she wasn't enjoying the warmth of the bed beneath them a little too much. They had been on the road a little over a month, and to say this comfort wasn't well deserved would be a lie.

The light of the candles brushed over the darkness of the room, and Edith's hands came back over to rest across Geralt's chest lazily.

"Bad dream?" He questioned and Edith hummed in reply, her eyes beginning to shut as his hands played with the ends of her hair.

"Something like that." Geralt's hands stopped for a second, and Edith nudged him to continue on with his movement.

"Hm." His gaze also drooped sleepily, and Edith remembered the infomation she was suppose to tell him that she had gained when they'd first entered the inn.

"One of the barmaids told me something interesting earlier." At Geralt's silence, she went on, "Something about one of your friends heading to Temeria last month."

"Friend?"

"Mhm, she didn't elaborate. But from the description I'm assuming it's another Witcher." Her hands made patterns across his chest, a sleepy smile across her features, "Orange eyes, permanent scowl. It's a Witcher alright."

Geralt sat up, Edith falling softly onto the mattress underneath them, "What's in Temeria?"

Knocking at the door prevented Edith from replying, and she jumped at the sudden intrusion in the otherwise quiet room.

"It's been three nights. Pay up or get out!"

Edith covered her frame with the loose material of the bed cover, and Geralt's gaze stayed focused on her.

"What did she say about Temeria?"

Edith wracked her memory, "That's the interesting part. She said the Witcher took coin from the miners and ran. Something about a, uh, 'pest' problem."

The banging continued, "You hear me?" Edith's eyes rolled, and Geralt seemed to be debating something from the information she gave him.

"Let's go." He rapsed; and Edith obeyed. She began to stand, sheet loosely wrapped around her with the banging persisting outside.

"Witcher!"

Edith yelped, the room door flying off of the hinges as the man barged inside. For God's sake.

"Get the fuck out!" Edith screeched, hand lobbing a hairbrush centered on the side drawer. The man ducked away, leaving them in a moments privacy as they both shuffled into their worn clothes with Edith cringing at the awkwardness of the intrusion. Geralt smirked at her crimson face once or twice, and Edith noticed both times.

She cursed under her breath, hands outreached to tie the ends of Geralt's cloak properly. He let her do it without notice, before both of them readily exited the inn with a location in mind. Roach was waiting patiently for them, and Edith couldn't help but smile as Geralt greeted her with Roach nickering back.

Her own hands reached to affectionately touch Roach's mane, watching from the corner of her eye Geralt addressed the man stood like a shadow behind them.

"We'll be back with payment in a few days. Anything happens to my horse.."

The man chuckled tauntingly, "You don't scare me."

Edith stopped the smirk as Geralt made slow steps towards the man, invading far into his personal space. She could see the tinge of fear in his eyes, but knew he deserved it.

"Point me to Temeria."

The man let out an obvious gulp, hand pointing in the direction of their next location without a trace of hesitance, only fear directed in his gaze. His once brave persona was destroyed, and Geralt's golden irises sung in the night.

Sorrryyy for late update, if there's any mistakes let me know as I didn't have time to go back and edit it lol. Hope you enjoyed it ♡