Kill Your Darlings (Jaskier x Assassin!Reader)

Chapter 11

The darkness fell quicker than any of you were prepared for, and you all agreed that camping out the night in the forest would be the safest for Lilla. Traveling with a young girl in the woods at night, no matter how safe Toby said it was, was not a good idea. So, the three of you got to work on setting up camp — and by three of you, it was mostly just you and Geralt. Jaskier was focused on strumming his lute for Lilla to dance to.

The girl had come out of her shocked state quicker than you'd expected. Not long after the three of you were searching for a place to set up camp, her giggles were among the noises of the forest. Jaskier was keeping Lilla occupied, which you had to admit you were thankful for. Still, it was hard for you to imagine what the bard told you had happened: he saw the girl running from the camp and rushed towards her, grabbing her and carrying her off before she could get any deeper into the woods. The idea of Jaskier swooping the little girl in his arms without a fuss seemed less than plausible, but then you saw her clutching the doll that you made him hold, and it made sense.

"Jaskier, play another!" Lilla's voice echoed in the night, making you wince. You were glad to see the little girl smiling, especially after her fear stricken face was embedded in your mind. Still, you didn't know what was in these woods — bandits of the same group could still be lurking, searching for the girl they worked so hard to keep to themselves.

Jaskier must have caught your tensed features, because he instead sat against a nearby tree. "Maybe we should settle for now, yeah?" You let out a sigh of relief when Lilla sat down next to him, leaning against the same tree. You couldn't help the way your lips twitched into a smile at how close the two had gotten in what seemed like minutes. Still, something tugged inside of you as you looked at the girl, wondering what happened to her while she was taken.

You tore your gaze away, trying to rid yourself of those thoughts. What mattered now was that she was safe, and soon to be home. You felt yourself grow antsy as Geralt started up the fire.

You kneeled across from him, throwing another stick into the growing flame. "The girl must be hungry. Maybe we should find her something—"

"I'll go." Geralt stood up without hesitation and grabbed his swords, his eyes determined and glinting in the light of the fire. It seemed like mere seconds before he disappeared through the trees, leaving before you could argue.

You cleared your throat, suddenly nervous to be alone with the young girl and the bard. You were never particularly good with children, but you also didn't seek out their company.

"Excuse me." You looked over to Lilla, whose doe eyes were blinking up at you, "What's your name?"

That was the second time you were taken aback by the simple question. You sucked in a breath and settled against the tree just beside her, despite your inner protest.

"Y/N." You jutted your chin towards the toy in her hands. "Does your doll have a name?"

"Madelina. After my mother." She hugged it tightly, bringing her knees to her chest, "My mother is dead."

You blinked quickly at her blunt words. Toby had mentioned that her mother had passed, so it wasn't the fact that surprised you. It was the forwardness of the girl's words. She wasn't afraid of the truth, almost barely phased, which was something that was second nature to you ever since Rauf watched over you. You felt a tug at your heart that made you frown.

After a second, you responded, "So is mine."

Lilla met your eyes once again, this time in a sort of — understanding. "I miss her. Do you miss your mom?"

You closed your eyes, fighting the swelling that rose in your chest, "Yes." It was the simplest answer you could give, but it didn't feel simple at all. You missed your mother, so much, and it made it even worse when you thought about it — which is why you were glad to hear the strum of the lute.