Reincarnation ➵ The Witcher

xli.

EDITH smelt the thick, overbearing smell of blood. The smell tainted everything, like a plague engulfing the city. She could feel the cold tracks of tears on her own cheeks, and the silence was ruined by her own voice murmuring words she'd not remembered.

"Am I a monster?" The voice echoed in a continuous loop, and Edith wondered the same question. Was she a monster? She wasn't greeted with a reply, only with the image of a sword that looked very much like Geralt's own thrusting into her abdomen. She didn't have time to look at who owned the sword, as with a quick glance at the gloved fingers changed the dream entirely.

Edith's frame was a lot shorter now, and instead of being greeted with the sight of blood scattering across the village, she was greeted with a small market infront of her vision with people bustling around to complete their daily chores. She was situated near one of the stands, hands making a circle on the small bracelet around her wrist.

Her gaze stayed locked onto the other kids the same age as her, and she watched as they played tag without including her their game. Often, they would stop and throw glances at her still figure to ensure she was still where they had last saw her.

The feeling of hunger ravaged her stomach greedily, and she stopped herself from reaching out and stealing an apple in hidden view. Loneliness crept along her spine, and all she could think about was why no one wanted to play with her. Despite everyone around her, she had never felt more lonely in her life.

She awoke to Triss hovering over her prone body, shaking her lightly to wake the girl up from dream land. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness; candle light from the hallway reaching into the room gradually. The sheets around her offered comfort and warmth, but the worried frown across Triss' face put her on edge.

She let out a yawn, sitting up to slouch on the wall situated behind her, "What's the matter?"

"It's Geralt." Triss informed, and she immediately became alert with the information. Her heartbeat drummed in her ears, and images of Geralt's soulless orange eyes filtered through her mind in panic.

"W-what happened?"

Triss didn't need to reply, watching as Edith jumped from the bed without a second to spare. She regarded the girl carefully, before her eyes downcasted, "Follow me." Triss instructed, and Edith followed without complaint. They walked down the winding hallway, coming to a stop next to an ajar door. Edith glanced in; seeing the figure of Geralt knocked out on a bed. Blood covered a cloth placed on his neck comfortably, and Edith barged in without asking Triss for permission.

A lump formed in her throat, glancing over her shoulder at Triss stood in the doorway, "Is he dead?"

She shook her head; brown curls bouncing at the action. Edith let out a sigh at the state of the man, but couldn't help but think that if she had been there, maybe it would have been her instead of him led in the bed.

Triss gestured to the wooden seat next to Geralt's prone position, and she sat down whilst her gaze stayed focused on his figure. Triss began making pain elixirs and natural medicine on the desk next to the door, the strong scent wafting into the small scaled room.

Edith's hands made a fiddle in her lap, Geralt's golden irises still locked shut, "Will he be okay?"

Triss' actions didn't still, and Edith silently praised her for her efforts, "He'll survive." She smiled slightly, leaning her head against her hand as she dozed in the seated position.

The blood flow seemed to have stopped now, and often Edith could hear quiet murmurs escape Geralt's lips, but the words were undisguishable. Triss had approached once again with a cloth and a bowl of water, offering it to Edith with a small smile.

She accepted, removing the cloth from his neck as she raised from her seated position. Her hands wet the cloth, raising it softly to Geralt's neck in effort to clean the wounds coated on his body. His body relaxed at the movement, and she watched as his eyes began to move behind his eyelids.

"How long has he been out?" Edith questioned, head tilted slightly as she watched Geralt begin to squirm in his sleep at whatever was swimming through his mind. Her minds thought about what had happened, and the events that had unfolded to lead to his injuries.

"Few hours, give or take." Triss confirmed, and Edith hummed, watching as the ashen haired man gradually opened his golden irises with a painful groan escaping his lips. She froze for a few moments, eyes focussed on the line between his brows.

"Morning sunshine." Edith teased, and Triss turned to survey the two of them.

"Your scars." She started, and Edith stepped away from Geralt's position, "You heal quite nicely. Your will to live is strong."

His golden irises gazed around in deepened thought, "The princess?" He questioned.

"I've arranged for her to stay a while with the Sisters of Melitele." Triss informed, and Edith sat back on the wooden seat, Geralt straining as his head lifted from thr pillow underneath his head.

"But.. I.. Her neck?" he rasped in confusion.

"She'll heal." She countered, and his head once again dropped onto the pillow in rest, "You should know Foltest issued a statement. The honorable Lord Ostrit gave his life to slay the vukodlak. Miners are gathering ore for a statue."

Edith pursed her lips, watching as Geralt grunt before attempting to swing himself over the side of the bed, "Woah, woah. Slow down, Geralt." His golden irises failed to regard her, thinking about Triss' words instead. His head still hung downcast in slight pain

"Anyone else would've killed the princess." Triss started once again, "You chose not to."

Geralt attempted to stand, and Edith jumped forward to assist him, "I'll take my coin now," he rasped, hands clutching his revealed side, "I need to get back to my horse."

Triss turned back towards the table, grasping the pouch before turning back to the both of them once again, "Who's Renfri?" She questioned, and Edith sucked in a sharp breath at the question. She bit the side of her mouth as Triss continued on, "Hers was the only name you uttered over and over in your sleep."

Pain shocked Edith's chest but she ignored it, watching as Geralt also avoided the question, "My coin."

"So that's all life is to you? Monsters and money?" She approached them, and Geralt looked up at her.

Edith stood to the side, listening on the conversation at hand knowingly.

"It's all it needs to be." He finalized without a glance in Edith's direction knowing his words avoided the truth. Triss looked at her from the corner of her eye, sitting in the seat Edith sat in once before.

"You say this is all life is to you, but there is a vortex of fate around all of us, Geralt," His gaze finally met Edith's, before switching back onto Triss, "growing with each and every one of our choices.. drawing our destinies in closer."

She handed him the coin, and he took it without answering, instead opening it up to reveal a familiar golden brooch encrusted with emeralds.

"I feel something out there waits for you," Triss gestured to Edith, "if you haven't found it already."