Reincarnation ➵ The Witcher

xlii.

EDITH rolled her eyes at the man's words, lounging back in the back of the tavern. The man was coated in blood and grime, and Edith already knew Geralt had gone out to deal with it. The crowd of the tavern all swarmed around the man curiously, and she stopped herself from interrupting the story.

"That's why we had to call him.." he stood up dramatically, gaze switching onto the residents, "The White Wolf! And he stood in the middle of that frozen lake like he knew it was coming for him."

She stopped a smirk from forming, knowing Geralt wouldn't have liked anyone elevating him.

"The ice cracked open and a selkiemore shot out!" He shouted, hands gesturing the movements of the creature, "Oh, you've never seen one, but it'd take down a ship with its cavernous mouth full of devil's teeth!"

The crowd errupted into gasps, "And it.. swallowed.. that witcher.. whole!"

Jaskier sat with a quil and paper, quickly scribbling down the man's words, "Oh, this is brilliant!" Noticing the odd stares, the bard shuffled slightly before choosing to elaborate, "Oh, sorry. It's just Geralt's usually so stingy with the details."

Edith came out from her position, walking over to the bard's seated location. She pushed through some of the on lookers, coming to a stop just infront of the table. Jaskier's gaze looked up, meeting Edith's own irises.

She offered a small smile, "How's it going, Swine?" He rolled his eyes, lowering the quil and paper ever so slightly to regard her fully.

He looked at her attire with slight disgust, sighing at her words, "You know, I'm not a big fan of this negativity you've got going on."

"I guess.. I should leave then." She teased, a fake pout taking over her face before it fell to a teasing smile, happy to see the bard once again, "If I'm really not wanted here." He pointed to a seat in the crowd with his quil, and Edith obliged. The crowd gazed at them both, but Jaskier's attention focussed on Edith for the time being.

"Sit down, idiot." He commanded, before looking up at the bloodied man again, watching the strange looks the locals gifted them, "Uh.. and then what happened?"

"He died." He replied, tears forming in his eye. The tavern gasped at the words, and Edith stopped herself from gagging from the stench of the man. She let out a small snort, arms crossing over her middle as she listened to the man's words. To put it gently, things between Edith and Geralt were slightly borderline awkward. After the events that had unfolded with the vukodlak, Geralt had attempted to distance himself from her, and she guessed it had something to do with Renfri. This did little to stop her persistence, though, and often enough Geralt's shell would break down just enough for them to share a moment, until his defenses rose once again

Jaskier raised an eyebrow in disbelief, "Eh.. he's fine."

"Look, I was there." The man's words became more forceful, pointing down at Jaskier, "I saw it with my own--"

A crash interrupted his words, and Edith glanced up to watch Geralt stride into the tavern with guts spewed all over him like it was normal. She grimaced at his appearance, and frowned harder at the harsh smell wafting off of him like an illness.

"See?" Jaskier replied, and the crowd parted for Geralt to come through. He laughed at Geralt's appearance, and the man next to him scrunched his nose at the harsh smell.

"What's that stench?"

"Selkiemore guts." Geralt rasped in reply, hands still tightly wrapped around his trusty blade, "Had to get it from the inside. I'll take what I'm owed."

Edith smirked a little, and Jaskier immediately jumped up, falling into the familiar tune that made Geralt so famous. The man threw the pouch of coin towards Geralt which he caught without struggle. The crowd quickly fell into tune in sync with Jaskier, and Edith smirked at the annoyance present underneath the grime coated on Geralt's face.

He walked over to the bar, and Edith followed behind him. She watched him drop his sword on the wooden platform, replacing it with a cup of ale as she stood to the side of him, careful not to touch his dirtied figure.

"Nice tune right, Geralt?" She teased.

"Shut up, girl." He sighed, bringing the glass back up to his lips as Jaskier shadowed the two of them.

"You're welcome." He sang, and Edith's eyes rolled once again, "And now, Witcher, it's time to repay your debt." He grabbed a glass from the bar as well, and Geralt spat out a mouth full of ale to the side.

"'What debt?' you're probably asking yourself in your head right now." Geralt's eyes glared into Jaskier's, "Well, I'll tell you. I've made you famous, Witcher. By rights, I should be claiming ten percent of all your coin, but instead all I'm asking for is a teeny, teeny-weeny little favour."

"Fuck off, bard."

Edith let out a short laugh, and Jaskier glared at her, "You're suppose to be on my side!"

"Well, I'm switching sides." She countered, leaning her elbows against the wooden bar, head tilted to watch the pair.

Jaskier tried again, "For one measly night of service, you will gain a cornucopia of earthly delights. The greatest masters of the culinary arts crafting morsels worthy of the gods. Maidens that would make the sun itself blush with a single comely smile. And rivers of the sweetest of drinks from the rarest of--" he cut off, noticing Geralt's figure no longer present, "Fuck!"

Edith smiled sarcastically at him, leaning in to whisper words to the bard, "No maidens." She stood up, following after Geralt's retreating figure.

Jaskier attempted to redeem his words, "Food, women and wine, Geralt!"

Edith watched Geralt glance back at him in thought over his words, and she bit her lip painfully at what the bard planned.