𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐌'𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐑𝐘 | ❝ Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance. ❞
A quest to complete a bestiary leads Ruselm to force the infamous witcher Geralt, of Rivia, to accompany him during his travels after many ins...
RUSELM'S BESTIARY CHAPTER TWELVE ─ WHAT IT MEANS TO NOT KNOW Note: Please leave some comments on this chapter, I'd love to see what you guys are thinking about this story so far! Silent readers are cool and all but I much prefer to interact with my audience. Let's have a conversation or something! Also, we're at 3.55k reads since I last updated months ago? How amazing is that? Poem Credit: "The Beast Within" by Jean Monahan. Dedication: lovebvg
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"WHAT IN LILIT'S name—" Ruselm whipped back around to Roach who was chomping at her bit eagerly now, the metal clashing against her teeth with every bite. The Nazairian looked more than surprised at the horse's obedience to his command, jaw slack. He glances back at Geralt with a dumbfounded expression manipulating his features. "I don't understand...? How is this possible?"
And even the witcher was perplexed.
How was it that Ruselm Jurren, a simple and completely non-magical, ordinary man from Nazair, was able to communicate with Roach? Was there something in his voice she liked hearing? Was it dumb luck or just an instance of mere happenstance? Geralt was tempted to think the latter, but he didn't tend to believe in coincidences.
There was an explanation for this.
There had to be. There must be something Ruselm was doing, whether he realized it or not. Roach was responding to him in ways she had never exhibited with Geralt.
"I—I don't know."
"You don't know," Ruselm repeated blankly.
Geralt didn't respond.
"How can you not know?" he questioned, voice raised now. It was clear he was beginning to panic. "I mean... have you seen this happen before? Is there something wrong with me? I-I swear I've never done anything as outlandish as this before, Geralt! I—"
"Take a deep breath," Geralt instructed, much in the same manner he had when they first encountered each other in Sodden. That moment felt like years ago by this point, and Geralt still didn't know Ruselm any better than he had then. It was maddening, to not instinctively know things about people around him and to be left guessing. This puzzle only made it all the worse.
Ruselm paused but obeyed with wide eyes and a quivering lip.
The witcher listened closely as his racing heartbeat began to plateau with every good, deep breath he took. It seemed to help, in a minuscule way, that Roach had finally stopped chomping at her bit. Instead, she was taking interest in their environment rather than the situation, although Ruselm could do nothing but stare at the mare like she was an oddity never discovered before. His eyes were transfixed, glued to the source of his disbelief and Geralt very badly wanted to know what he was thinking.
