Embers

Voices

Chapter 29
Voices - Geralt's POV

The cut in her hand palm was almost completely healed after two weeks. Geralt took it upon himself to take care of the wound and cleaned it every evening when they stopped for the night. Mostly, they both sat in a comfortable silence next to each other. The Witcher wasn't one with many words and the Elemental mostly starred in the distance to nothing in particular.

He had noticed the distant gaze in those blue eyes of hers and Eira herself seemed to grow more isolated. At first, Geralt thought it was because of Jaskier. Although, the witcher was still certain the bard's leaving still had an effect on the elemental, it seemed something else was bothering her.

Sometimes, her head suddenly turned into a direction as if she heard something. Something that Geralt didn't or couldn't hear. Once in a while the Elemental even asked if he said something and Geralt always frowned while he shook his head.

The Witcher became worried. It wasn't in his nature, but he did care about the woman who travelled with him. The way her skin turned sickenly pale and she refused food more and more. A game of Gwent wasn't in the cards anymore ; Eira denied any competition. Even in Inns and Taverns, the elemental just sat in a corner and stared in front of her. A game that she used to play with joy and started to get good at.

When Eira refused bread and ale one evening in an Inn, Geralt rubbed his eyes before he spoke up.

"You need to eat, Eira," he told her. "You look sick."

Eira had looked at him with that distant gaze she had the last few weeks.

"I'm not hungry. And I can't get sick, remember?"

He grumbled and grunted at her response, but stuck out a piece of bread anyway.

"I know, but your vessel needs nutrition or it dies," he stated bluntly, not even trying to spare her feelings with his remark.

The truth had to be said ; Eira would die if she kept going like this.

"When was the last time you slept?"

Again, her gaze locked with his and this time it seemed Eira truly saw Geralt sitting in front of her.

"Two or three weeks," she said silently, "I lost count."

Geralt threw the bread in the plate again.

"What's wrong? You need to take care of your vessel," he said.

A huff escaped her chapped lips and, to his frustration, Eira looked away again. Her long, blonde hair was braided together and had dirt in it. Her nails were dark and unclean. The red flush that usually played on her cheeks completely gone.

He hated it. He loathed the person who sat before him because she made him miss the chatty and cheerful Elemental.

"You eat," he stated and stood up. "Or you won't travel with me no more."

That got her attention and her gaze flickered to meet his. There was a hint of fear in them.

"If your vessel dies, you most probably won't survive," Geralt said and threw some coin on the table for the food. "Make your choice. A bard isn't worth all of this. Nobody is."

"You think this is about Jaskier?"

For the first time, there was genuine reaction from Eira towards him and Geralt saw the frown between her brows.

"Then what is it, Eira? I want to help. You won't let me."

The elemental swallowed thickly and Geralt went to sit next to her instead of opposite. Their elbows touched and Eira looked away again.

"You'll think I'm going crazy," she finally spoke after minutes of silence.

"I met a lot of crazy people," he started. "None of them realised they were actually crazy."

A dry chuckle reached his ears and Eira turned her head slightly to face him sideways. Geralt took a deep breath through his nose and rolled his eyes.

"You can trust me, Eira," he said and even felt himself smile when she offered him one.

"I hear voices, Geralt," she whispered and his eyes widened. "All the time. They speak to me during the day and night. They never stop. They just keep talking and talking."

Geralt leaned a bit closer to her and studied her scared face.

"What do they say?"

She shrugged when he rested his hand on her shoulder.

"I can't understand most of it," she admitted. "It are ramblings. Nothing makes sense, but the voices are always there. I'm so , so tired."

Then, it happened. Something Geralt loathed and hated to see ; Eira started crying. At first, it came as a silent sob and he could see Eira tried to hold back the tears. They did came eventually and he did the only thing he could ; The Witcher pulled her close against him in an embrace.

"I believe you," he murmured and ran his fingers through her long, knotted hair.

There wasn't a reason he could think of to not believe the elemental. He pushed her a bit of him, uncomfortable by the embrace.

"We'll find a solution and who is doing this to you," he spoke and stuck up his hand to the waitor. "For now, you need to eat and sleep."

"I can't sleep," she countered back silently. "They're too loud."

"We'll numb them."

He deserved a questionable look from her and Geralt felt the corner of his lips curl up in a smirk.

"Bottle of mead," he told the good man of the Inn. "Make that two."

Eira still didn't understand, but after an hour, she was drunk for the first time in her life. The smile was back, the blush on her cheeks present and she ate without worries.

"Do you still hear them?" Geralt asked after some time.

"Yesh," she slurred and took another gulp of her glass. "But far away."

He chuckled when her eyes turned a bit and saw her eat the bread and meat.

For some time, he wasn't really paying attention to her. He could hear her hum songs like Toss a coin to your Witcher and the Fishmonger's daughter. Instead, the Witcher started to clean his sword until he felt Eira's head resting on his shoulder. When he glanced down, he saw a peaceful look on her face and soft snoring reached his ears.

The Inn owner walked over to them and Geralt carefully moved to throw him some coin.

"A room. I will bring her up."

The man nodded, took the coin and threw him a key.

After he laid her on the bed, took off her shoes and put her on her side, Geralt blew out the candle and left the Inn.

The voices Eira heard worried him behind words and it plagued his mind. He never heard of anything like that, except for humans that went crazy, and it didn't help that no one knew anything about Elementals. Except for their killing spree they went on in the past.

The Witcher looked to the North and closed his eyes to take a deep breath in. Maybe it was time to go back home again. Home...Vesimir could probably help or guide him into the right direction. Kaer Mohren was at least a month's travel away, but Geralt needed to find help for Eira.

Because deep inside him, though he cared for the Elemental and trusted her, he feared for her. It was known that Elementals could switch sides in a second.

Geralt made the decision to start their journey to Kaer Mohren once Eira woke up. And a mental note to punch the bard if he ever showed his face again. Even if Jaskier wasn't around, Eira hummed the bard's songs and it annoyed the witcher.