ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡɪᴛᴄʜ (Geralt of Rivia)

xxɪᴠ.

ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ᴡɪᴛᴄʜ

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ: xxɪᴠ.

Her scream drew back the man, whom she learned was named Yurga. She could only thank him profusely as he loaded Geralt into his wagon to try and tend to the wound.

Roach was tied to the wagon. Thazina rode in the back of it with Geralt, eyes flickering constantly to him, trying to find any sign that he had woken. His eyes remained resolutely closed.

Yurga looked back at her for a moment, a slight smile on his face. "You love him," he said.

"What?" Thazina asked a bit too quickly. "No, I don't."

"You're worried about him. And the way you screamed for him, my girl, tells me everything." Yurga chuckled softly. "Does he feel the same?"

"The last I saw him, he said all sorts of horrid things to me," she said, swallowing hard. "It's not his nature to love."

"So why are you with him? Why would he let you accompany him?" Yurga pressed, still smiling.

"We share a common goal. That's all."

Yurga rolled his eyes, laughing good-naturedly. "Oh, please," he said, but that seemed to be the end of it.

The sun had risen in the sky by the time Geralt woke up, confusion filling his amber eyes.

"I'm sorry," Thazina blurted out.

Geralt's hand moved to the back of his head. "Fuck," he muttered as his fingers smoothed over the bump that remained there. 

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "That's my fault. And the bite, I have to admit."

He groaned as he remembered the necrophage bite, bright red on his leg.

"Hey, careful now," Yurga called back to Geralt. "Easy does it. You got bit, Butcher. You're delirious, but you're not dead. The mage doesn't have anything for healing, but you won't die on my watch."

Geralt started to sit up. "No, no, no," Thazina said. "Bad idea."

"We're goin' to my farm," Yurga elaborated. "Just as soon as these poor old horses can take us there. You must stay awake, though. Butcher, you hear me?"

"Geralt," Thazina urged as his eyes started to slowly close. "Geralt, stay with me. Don't go to sleep."

She reached for his hand, grip tight, and looked down at him. "Whatever you do, Geralt, do not go to sleep."

He stared blankly above, her words sounding like they were underwater. His head bobbed with the movement of the wagon, swaying side to side.

His eyes fluttered shut for a moment.

She seized his shoulder with her free hand, shaking him back. "Geralt," she pressed. "Please, please stay awake."

His eyes slowly moved to her, seeming to process her face for a moment.

"Ma..." he breathed out.

Thazina's hands were shaking.

He rolled to the side, pulling away from Thazina as she tried to make him lay back down.

Yurga slowed the wagon to a stop as Geralt searched through his pack.

He climbed down from the front of the wagon.

"What's that?" Geralt asked, eyes drifting through the treeline to the explosions going off in the distance.

"Well, from the direction, I would say that Nilfgaard has made it to Sodden. Shit, look. Take Sodden, you take the North, some say," Yurga answered. He reached for Geralt's leg to examine the bite. "Ye gods, that looks hideous."

Geralt let out a groan in response, pulling Yurga's hand away from the wound. He sat up to look at it, sighing deeply. "Fuck," he said. "My bag." Yurga looked confused. Geralt grabbed his shoulder. "My bag!"

Thazina scrambled to grab it ."Here," she said, handing it over.

He took it in his grip, pulling out a small bottle of dark liquid. He pulled the cork out with his teeth, wincing before he drained half the bottle in one, an unpleasant look on his face. He grit his teeth, holding back a groan as he poured the other half onto the bite.

"You need a healer," Yurga said. "Or herbs so the mage can help you."

"Take me to the Blue Mountains," Geralt stated.

"That's the other side of Sodden," Yurga said. "It's impossible, you'll die."

"He'll... save me," Geralt breathed out.

"Who?" Yurga asked, but Geralt's breathing was starting to slow. "Who? Ah, hey! Wake up! Hey, wake up!"

He shoved at Geralt's shoulder, but the witcher just stared at the sky, eyes going foggy. "You stay awake, you bastard!" Yurga said as he climbed back onto the front of the wagon.

"I need... to go home," Geralt whispered.

"We're going to my farm," Yurga answered, but from the look on Geralt's face, Thazina wasn't sure he heard.

He started to sit up again. Thazina caught his shoulders, helping him lay down once more. "Geralt, no. Lay back down. Geralt, please."

"Ma!" Geralt was saying, eyes wild and unfocused, sometimes drifting toward Thazina. "Ma!"

Thazina bit hard at her lip.

"Vesemir," Geralt said quietly. "Vesemir."

Night was starting to fall.

And then Thazina heard a voice.