Embers

Decisions

The relief that washed over her when the Witcher came back to the castle to tell King Foltest his daughter wasn't a Striga any more, surprised Eira. Geralt himself had taken the time to tell her he was fine before he had entered the King's chambers. All that time, the bard had been sound asleep.

Until now. He stirred in his sleep at first, made a humming sound and finally opened his eyes. Eira sat beside him, staring out of the window with her chin resting in her hand palms. Jaskier rose to a sitting position and touched her shoulder to let Eira know he was awake.

She shyly shook his hand off. Where he had touched her, her skin underneath her blouse tingled and Eira could still feel it. It made her uncomfortable yet wanted his hand there again. Jaskier had innocently touched her before like this, but Eira never felt like she did now.

"You're awake," she murmured and stood up to create some distance between them.

"It feels as if I slept for three days," Jaskier murmured and watched her carefully.

"You did," Eira smiled vaguely, staring outside the small window of Triss' chamber.

She heard the rustling behind her, telling her that the bard stood up from the bed and Eira was sure she heard him stretch a bit.

"Are you okay," he suddenly asked when appearing next to her.

Eira nodded, glanced at him and noticed those big, blue eyes looking at her in concern.

"I'm fine," she tried to smile, but felt the knot in her stomach returning.

She cleared her throat, turned on her heels and walked to the door.

"It was a Striga," she explained. "Geralt is fine. Explaining everything to King Foltest. Maybe you can get yourself cleaned up and meet us in the courtyard?"

"Eira?"

His voice made her hold her pace, fingers around the doorknob and Eira glanced over her shoulder.

"You really are fine, right?"

She nodded curtly before she left the room and Jaskier.

In the hallway, Eira leaned against the cold, stone wall with her back and took in a few, ragged breaths. She was sure she was getting ill. Getting a fever of some sorts. Which was unusual for an Elemental, but this body she was in could get sick.

After another deep intake of breath, Eira made her way to the throne room and met Triss. The sorceress saw her come and turned to face her.

"I know what you are," Triss spoke and gracefully made her way towards Eira.

Her soft, golden heels clicked on the stone floor and the Elemental held her pace. Triss Merigold had said she meant Eira no harm, but would she still mean that now that she found out.

"What elements," the sorceress asked, stopping a few feet from Eira and taking in the Elemental's appearance.

Eira had noticed the stance of the woman, ready to strike if needed but the elemental felt this was just a waste of time.

"No fire," she curtly said, glancing towards the door of the Throne room which was still shut. "If that's what you're asking. Fire is forbidden for Elementals."

"You speak as if there are more of you," Triss said and Eira snapped her head back into the woman's direction.

Her words struck a cord inside her and Eira pulled up her lip a bit to let out a soft growl.

"There aren't, I've looked."

Triss suddenly smiled, her head tilted to the left.

"Thank the Gods for that," she said. "No wonder Geralt was so protective over you. You're bound to him, aren't you?"

Eira didn't reply, just slightly turned her head to the door again. Maybe if she ignored the sorceress , Triss would leave.

"You are," Triss continues with a glint of a smile. "It's been years and years since the last Elemental went to die in the ice. I wonder ... What makes you different? You shouldn't be alive."

Eira sighed annoyed, crossed her arms before her chest and leaned against the cold wall with her back.

"You're dangerous," Triss spoke in a hushed tone.

"I'm not," Eira replied.

"And the bard doesn't know, does he?"

This made Eira look straight into the brown eyes of the sorceress. She gritted her teeth, fingers clawed in her elbows and her reaction gave Triss the answer.

"Oh," Triss pouted her lips. "He's unaware. He's human, he can't feel the strong powers that run through you. How would he react if he knew?"

"He won't know," Geralt spoke from behind Triss Merigold. "Eira wields no fire. Only ice and earth."

"Practicing on water, actually," Eira spoke up with a brow arched.

Triss' gaze flickered from Eira to the witcher who stood next to the sorceress.

"How did King Foltest take it," Triss asked, changing the subject from Eira to the Striga.

Geralt glanced into the Elemental's direction before he nodded.

"Quite well, I think," he murmured before he took Eira by the elbow. "My job is done here."

"Don't forget your lovely bard," Triss hummed, "I will go tell him to meet you two in the yard."

Eira held her pace which made Geralt stop too. The grunt that was heard gave away he wasn't too pleased with the hold up. Eira was about to open her mouth when Geralt pulled her back. His golden eyes were on the sorceress.

"I think you find it important to not tell a living soul about Eira," he stated calmly. "She's harmless. She can't kill humans and she doesn't use fire. The only thing I ever saw her kill was an innocent rabbit for dinner. Well that and some monsters."

"Why would I find that important? What I think is that people and sorceresses should know there's an Elemental on the loose. Do you even know your history, Geralt?"

He took a deep breath through his nose and locked eyes with Eira. And just for a moment, Eira saw how his jaw tensed and how his teeth gritted together. He seemed... conflicted.

Eira felt a sudden fear inside her that maybe the Witcher thought Triss was right. And that her journey had come to an end. She knew what her ancestors did. That they killed thousands of humans, witchers, sorceresses and druids. That they set fire to the world and drowned it in blood.

Fire was off limits to Eira. She knew this. Even if she wanted too, the element would never bend to her will. It was too wild and dangerous.

Geralt sighed and shook his head.

"Keep your coin for the Striga," he told Triss and Eira felt relief washing over her. "Keep your lips sealed and I won't tell the world about your King's daughter and his sister."

Merigold pursed her lips together and quickly nodded once before she left them in the hallway.

The Witcher turned to face Eira and she couldn't help but smile at him.

"Thank you," she murmured while he grabbed her by the elbow again to walk towards Triss' chamber. "For a moment I thought you were going to throw me before the wolves. As people say."

Geralt led her to the door and shook his head.

"The fuck would I do that for?"

Eira grinned and shook her head. Yet, she was feeling better now that she knew the Witcher wasn't just going to leave her.

She was feeling better, until Jaskier appeared out of the room and smiled brightly at both of them. Then the sick feeling in her stomach returned and Eira rubbed her stomach.

"Let's go, Bard," Geralt said. "Or do you want to stay here to sing your songs?"

"No, no, I'm ready for our next adventure," Jaskier said. "I was thinking of a song about the striga you defeated...."

The Witcher rolled his eyes and, with Eira right behind him, went on his way back to the Inn to fetch the horses.