Reincarnation ➵ The Witcher

xxxiii.

EDITH shivered at the coldness, shuffling closer to Geralt in an attempt to steal some of his warmth. They had just entered the mine, the darkness evaded by torches lightening up the small space. The cloak shrouded Geralt's figure, and in the small distance they could hear the conversation between the miners.

Geralt's figure effortlessly hid in the darkness, and Edith followed as he stood leant against a column just behind the large group of men without notice. His gaze illuminated small sections of darkness, and he pulled Edith by the elbow to be just out of arms reach. Can never be too careful.

They heard the sound of metal clanking before another man began to speak up within the crowd.

"My son.. rest his soul.. told me.. in Nilfgaard, the king diddled whores while his subjects starved," his tone held animosity, and Edith was too short to see over the heads of the other men, "Then someone came. The Usurper. And he rallied the people, and they took back what was theirs!"

Cheers spread through the crowd, and they raised their tools in agreement at the man's words, "I say we follow their lead!" The group errupted into another uproar, and Edith sighed at the electric anger in the air.

"You can't kill the vukodlak.." Geralt interrupted, and the crowd separated to give view to the both of them, "so you decide to kill your king?"

Edith shrank into the wall, watching the eyes glared onto them by the dirt covered miners infront of them. Geralt remained indifferent, and she stopped the urge to reach out to gain comfort from him. Geralt's gaze stayed pinpointed on them tauntingly, "Great plan."

The man sneered at Geralt, "Another fuckin' witcher." He looked back at his companions, and Edith stopped herself from biting back, "Your kind already swindled us once."

Geralt's eyebrows raised, golden irises viewable to everyone, "I take payment after the job is done and for a third of the price. An apology.. from my guild to yours."

The man debated his words, gaze looking back for reassurance from his friends, "And if you can't kill it?"

Edith's shoulders shrugged, gaze locking onto Geralt's face with a tinge of fear, "Then he dies."

The sound of approaching horses and men stopped them in their wake, and Edith visibly took a step closer to Geralt at the intrusion, "Don't you go and die on me, Witcher." She whispered to him closely, and his gloved fingers brushed against her arm in silent reassurance. They watched as armoured men invaded the small area of the mine, and Geralt allowed Edith to silently shrink behind his own figure.

The evenly spaced men separated, allowing a single man to step between the space they had given, "Please." He approached the miners, "Everyone remain calm. Lower your weapons and return to your homes. Do so quickly and without further theatrics.. and you have my word our king will not hear of this treason."

He attempted to induce peace, but the atmosphere remained thick with tension.

"Foltest commits treason." the man in the crowd argued, stepping forward to meet the man head on, "He hides in his winter castle as we are eaten."

The crowd errupted into cheers once again in agreement, and Geralt watched from the sidelines in silence.

The armoured man sighed, "Mikal was a good boy." His hand rested on the man's shoulder, "Revenge will not ease your pain." Sympathy was present in his words, but the miner shrugged off the hand harshly before spitting on the man's booted feet.

The small army had gotten into an attacking position will yells from both sides echoing in the mine. Geralt looked over at Edith, pushing her further back into the wall as he addressed her with a raspy whisper, "If anything happens you get out of here. Understand?" She replied with a hesitant nod.

The army went back to ease when the man gazed at them over his shoulder with his arm raised to stop them, but the miners still remained tensed at the fear of threat.

"You know nothing," The haggard man sneered, "of my pain." The pair watched as the miners retreat after his words, following after the man like their own makeshift family.

Geralt let out a sigh, the coldness of the night creating a cloud of coldness infront of him, "Does Foltest have a plan?"

The armoured man's gaze stayed on his figure, "See this one to our borders. Temeria's had their fill.. of witchers."

Edith's eyes rolled, and Geralt remained indifferent despite the coldness beginning to overwhelm the night in a taunting gesture of a gloom.