Embers

Star Night in the Northern Kingdoms

(Jaskier will be much more present in this story than in the TV show. I take the freedom of Fanfiction to throw some storylines around)

Eira was staring up at the night sky, lying in the cold grass with a straw playing between her lips.  The silence of nature and just being herself felt like a relief washing over her. For weeks now , she had to lie to the bard of what she actually was. And it started to weigh on her.

Eira liked Jaskier. She grew fond of his company and over-dramatic tales. Or at nights when they camped out in the wild, by the fire, he sang his songs and played his lute. Even Geralt got used to his presence. He didn't always like it, but he didn't knock the bard on the head anymore.

The bard himself enjoyed the company of the mysterious looking young woman who was sincerely interested in his tales. She looked innocent with her big, blue eyes and white, blonde hair. And she could look at him with curiosity while Jaskier told one of his stories.

They travelled to the outskirts of Teimera with the three of them, which took them a couple of weeks and found a lovely little Inn to stay in. And the Inn came with nice extras for the two men, apparently. The two beautiful women who roamed around them during dinner were dressed in...almost nothing. The silky robes they wore, left nothing to the imagination. Much to the delight of Jaskier who quickly got the attention of the blonde.

Geralt himself wasn't too impressed but left with the red-head to his chambers anyway. He gave Eira some coin to pay for a room of her own. She had earned half of his coins because Eira helped him with some monsters on their way here. Jaskier never seemed too eager to help fight off some creatures and always stayed behind. With questions unspoken in his eyes when he saw Eira leave with the Witcher. 

Eira and Geralt fought well together. They hardly need words to know what needs to happen. He used his sword skills and some of his witcher magic, Eira let Earth bend and conjured up ice whenever needed. They fought side by side, and came out as the victors. So, coins came easily. Eira even liked the adrenaline rush of collecting the little bag of coins even though money meant nothing to her.

Geralt had left with the red-head, Jaskier had been busy with the blonde and Eira had made herself scarce from the scenes that were waiting to happen behind closed doors. She had excused herself from the table, but the bard suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"Don't go. I'll send her away, if you want. We were talking about the Lioness of Cintra," he said while looking up at her from his seat.

Eira saw him wink at the girl who stood up from his lap.

"You can come back later, lovely," he said to the girl, but Eira shook her head.

"No, she doesn't have to leave," Eira muttered and offered them both a polite smile.

Jaskier hadn't let go of her wrist and gently tugged at it.

"Are you sure," he asked and Eira had pulled herself loose.

"Yes, I'm going for a walk and then to bed," she replied.

And now, she was here in the field. Enjoying the silence and the cold. Teimera was in the Northern Lands and it was way colder here than where they came from. She loved it. The simple blue blouse she wore wouldn't shield a normal human from this chill, but Eira didn't even feel the slightest tingle of the coolness.

"You've been here a while," a voice came from behind her, but Eira didn't turn around.

The corners of her lips curled up. "I heard you approach," she told Jaskier when he sat down next to her in the grass.

His elbows rested on his knees and he glanced at her.

"Aren't you cold," he asked.

"No," Eira replied and sat up next to him. Gaze still at the stars above them. "I thought you would be asleep by now with the blonde by your side."

He chuckled awkwardly and Eira saw him scratch the back of his head.

"Nah, I didn't go to my room with her," he mumbled and lifted his gaze to watch the same stars.

Eira took a breath through her nose and felt a strange sense of relief wash over her.

"That's...," she started confused. "Odd."

She had seen the bard take several women to rooms in Inns since she met him. Eira had thought tonight would be the same, but he never came out to look for her during the night. He was a solid sleeper, and sometimes a snorer.

"Yeah, odd," Jaskier just repeated and waved the subject away. "Tell me, Eira, what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing really," she admitted and locked eyes with him. "Just staring up and enjoying the silence, I suppose."

"Care for some company?"

She nodded, a bit too quick to her liking and turned her eyes away from him.

"Sure, I don't mind," and laid back down again in the grass.

Jaskier mirrored her movements, laid his head on his arm and stared up.

"Tell me something about when you were young," he asked and Eira turned to look at him.

"Nothing to tell," she tried, but went to sit up and thought about it for some minutes.

"I used to be alone," she started and felt how Jaskier went to sit up next to her. She felt his eyes on her face, but didn't look at him. "Like, really alone. No family, no friends. I just...roamed around. Nobody to talk to or someone to talk to me. I was invisible."

She looked down, played with the gras by letting her fingers roam over it.

"Nobody saw me. And when they finally did, they didn't care about me. Humans hardly take the time to talk to someone they don't know. It was... quiet. I just started to watch people talking to each other. Loving one another. Making friendships. I tried a few times to do the same. It didn't work."

She sighed.

"A few times men took it the wrong way, I think. As soon as they realised I wasn't interested in a romantic adventure, they just went away again. Women, well, they just did small talk. Except for Renfri back in Blaviken, she truly talked to me. If only for one evening."

The memory of Renfri struck a cord inside her and Eira shook the thoughts off her. Glancing sideways at Jaskier who was looking at her and still listening.

"I see you," he said calmly and smiled brightly. "And hear you."

Eira stared at him, lips parted and not knowing how to reply. She smiled shyly and looked away from him again.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"You're not alone anymore," the bard muttered and stared up at the sky. "I promise."

"Eira!"

The voice of the witcher carried over the fields towards them and they both jumped up. Geralt was just a few feet away and stared at them.

"We're leaving for Temeria. Get your things," the witcher pointed into the direction of a small road. "Leave the horses. Bard, I think you should sit this one out."

He didn't wait for a reply, just went on his way and disappeared out of view. Knowing that Eira would catch up with him. Eira turned to Jaskier with a grin.

"Time for work," she said and started to make her way to the Inn. "Maybe listen to Geralt. Stay here, take care of our horses, write another beautiful song."

"I want to come," Jaskier told her firmly and Eira just nodded.

She knew she couldn't keep the bard from following her anyway. And she quite liked the thought of having him close by.