PHILIPPA'S HOUSE - Oxenfurt
"You'll go just for the mushrooms and come back. Nothing else." Yennefer fixed her collar.
"Can I go at least to the bakery next to the port?" She made a puppy's eyes.
"No. We can't risk that something will happen to you." Yennefer stated.
Ciri frowned. "Why can't others do it instead if they are allow to go alone everywhere?"
"Because Geralt is now taking care of Jahve and others witchers have some work to do. So, stop making this face young lady and do what I ask for. We need to start cooking if we want make dinner on time and without mushrooms it will be impossible."
"That's not true. You're able to cook anything with everything and it's still gonna taste good mother." Ciri was teasing her.
Yennefer raised her eyebrow. "You know that compliments don't work out on me?"
Ciri hugged her. "But one day it will, so till then I'll keep trying to break your iron will." she started smiling.
"If Geralt haven't broken it yet, you certainly won't succeed my dear." Yennefer made amusement smile.
Ciri laughed. "Well, you never know." She raised her eyes on her. "Anyway who all will come on that dinner?"
"Our family and some our friends."
"Friends with complicated and related past to you and Geralt?"
"Alright, you detective, go before you will find out things you should not." She kissed her forehead and pulled from the hug.
Ciri eyes's flashed. "And are they many?" She said with teasing tone.
"Go." Yennefer pushed her towards door.
Ciri turned to her with the laugh. "Once I will find out everything anyway."
"I hope not." Yennefer said with laughing. "Go and take care of yourself."
"I'll try. Love you. Bye!" Ciri almost stormed out from the room.
Yennefer just shake her head with smile on her face.
"I must admit that you and cooking table looks interesting together." Geralt told her when he entered into the kitchen.
Yennefer turned to him with the knife covered with pieces of onion. "This knife also looks more interesting pinched into onion than your tongue babe." She told him calmly.
"Hmm, I guess I chose a bad joke." He said with the smile on his face and then he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Yes, you did." She kissed him on his lips.
Geralt then looked at her hand. "Not that I'm not use to sharp things, but you should really put that knife to the side while we're kissing."
Yennefer raised her eyebrow. "Are you scared of small knifes witcher?"
"Only in your hands. Well, it looks dangerous."
Her eyes flashed. "You came here to disturb me Geralt? Because I really need finish cooking dinner for your friends." She turned back to the cooking table.
"Technically they're your friends too." The witcher admitted.
Yennefer rolled her eyes and started cutting the onion. "How's Jahve?"
"He fell asleep."
"You should go to check him upstairs."
"I'll go soon."
She felt how he spread his arms around her from behind.
"But you don't want me here?" He kissed her cheek.
"Yes, you're slowing me down."
"Liar. I'm slowing you down your whole life."
She smiled under her nose and then she started cutting the carrot.
He stopped her hand in which she was holding the knife. "I think this can wait."
"But I don't." She protested, but her eyes filled warmth. She started cutting the carrot again, but he stopped her hand.
"Geralt.." she sighed. "I really need to finish this before.."
He interrupted her. "It can wait." He turned her to him. They were now facing each other. Then he pushed her closer to his chest.
She just blinked.
"Have I told you how much I love you?" He softly caressed her face.
"No, you haven't." She made amusement smile.
He leaned to her ear and whispered. "Liar." Then he pressed his lips on hers naked neck.
She gasped.
His hands started going towards her waist and his lips were still playing on her neck.
She closed her eyes. She was enjoying his gentle caring touches.
"I love you.." He whispered into her ear again and pushed her even closer.
She stiffened a sigh. This intimacy what he was doing was making butterflies in the stomach.
Then he raised her chin with his finger. She opened her eyes and looked straight into his deep orange eyes.
Geralt kissed her only on the edge of her mouth. She made a sound close to the purr. She gave him look which was begging for more.
He made a cheeky smile. "So, can your cooking wait now?"
Yennefer nodded. He got her totally. Now he could do anything to ho her and she would let him. Just his presence had such an effect on her, not to mention his charisma. She was madly in love with him, still after so many years.
"You're not the only one who can manipulate others now.." the witcher winked at her.
"Fine, you've won." She rolled her eyes with smile on her face. Then she took his collar and pushed his face closer to her. "But now kiss me already, because I'm literally starving for you."
His eyes just flashed and in that moment he kissed her passionately. She returned the kiss.
Geralt moved her body further from the vegetable and pushed her to the table. He laid over her and started hungrily kissing her lips. She started unzipping his pants while he was unbuttoning her blouse. They were ready for more when the well known voice interrupted them.
"You should really rent a room for it." Jaskier told them when he entered into the kitchen.
They immediately pulled away from each other and tried to stand up.
"For fuck sake bard.." Yennefer started butting the blouse which Geralt managed already unbuttoned. "Can't you let us hang out for a while?" She cursed.
Jaskier sat down to the chair. "It's not my fault that you both can't clearly control your horny hormones." he bit the apple which he found on the table. "I was just hungry, you were the ones here hungry for more.." He answered calmly.
The witcher frowned. "Have you finished?" he zipped his pants.
"Me? Of course. But I'm not so sure about you two.." the bard used a teasing voice.
"Geralt, I'm think I will use that knife not only for cooking today.." Yennefer started to be furious.
The witcher in that moment spread his arms around her, not only to calm her down, but also to prevent killing Jaskier.
"C'mon, Yennefer, you can face a deadly mages, but can't stand some words from the bard?" Jaskier said with laughing.
Yennefer in the moment moved forward towards him, but Geralt managed to stopped her.
"Yen, calm down. You know he is just teasing you.." Geralt told her kindly, but his eyes filled amusement.
Yennefer faked her smile. "Fine, you took away my pleasure, so I will take it yours pleasure too. Go grab a kitchen aprons. Both of you. You're gonna scrape potatoes."
"Hey, I didn't do anything." the witcher protested.
"Well, you can thank your friend for not doing anything.." Yennefer stated. She then started walking towards the cooking table. "Start working boys. The potatoes awaits you." she started cutting the carrot again.
Geralt looked at the bard. "Now I'm gonna kill you."
Jaskier started smiling. "That's how the universe works my friend."
"Just yours universe.." the witcher rolled his eyes and went to grab a scraper.
The bard started laughing loudly and followed the witcher.
Streets of Oxenfurt
It wasn't short after midday when Ciri decided to stop in the port to look at the sun which was covering the see in the very beautiful way. She already bought what Yennefer asked her for, but before coming back she wanted to stopped for a while and turned off her mind. Her thoughts was working so hard these couple of days. It didn't let her even to sleep properly. Everything was so complicated and blurred. She couldn't see things clear and that was really pissing her off.
She turned around to start walking again when she almost jumped from the shock.
"It's been a while."
His voice was so deep that it caused her goosebumps through the whole body. She somehow took a courage to raise her eyes on him. She couldn't believe that he was standing in front of her. He was the last person she would expect to meet here..
She quickly came back to the mind. She cleared her throat. "Ahm.. Hi."
He raised his eyebrow. "Hi? That's all you're able to say to me right now?"
She tried to act normally. "I'm sorry. I'm just surprised to see you."
"Surprise to see me?" He made thoughtful face. "Alright, then I will go because you clearly don't want to be in my presence anymore." He started turning around, but she stopped him with hers hand.
"I didn't say that Gabriel." She looked into his eyes. "Actually, I'm glad to see you." She was honest. She didn't see him since he almost died in front of her and that memory was still hunting her..
He softly caught her hand. "Then why you've been avoiding me for almost two weeks?"
She started feeling uneasy, not only because his touch felt calming to her now, but because she noticed hurt in his voice and that was killing her inside. He didn't deserve this.
"Ciri?" He was looking at her with the question in his eyes.
She started panicking. "I.. I was.." she was searching for words.
"Did I hurt you or something?" He asked her a bit disappointed.
Something pinched her into her heart in that moment. "No, of course not. You didn't do anything.."
That was not really true because he did everything. He caused her literally an emotional breakdown, but she didn't want to tell him this now.
She sighed. "I just needed time.. I need time to process everything."
He squeezed her hand. "You could tell me this, I would have waited till you would be ready."
She totally forgot on the fact they were still holding their hands. She buried that thought and tried to answer him calmly. "Don't worry about it anymore, okay?"
His face changed to emotionless. "I just wanted to thank you. You saved my life. That's why I wanted to speak with you." His voice was measured.
That surprised her, but she didn't show it on herself.
Ciri almost swallowed. "No, problem."
He let go her hand. "No, just for this. Thank you for everything. I don't know what I would do if you weren't with me." He was honest.
She was trying not fall down into her knees in that moment. "Everything happened as it should."
"And will we talk about what happened?"
"It's not the best idea." She started feeling uneasy.
"We should talk about it Cirilla."
"But I don't want to." She told him with irritation in her voice. She was not ready. She was not ready to talk about that nightmare.
"Why are you being like this? Why are you suppressing your emotions?" He didn't understand.
She froze. He used her own words against her..
She started heavily breathing. "Gabriel, please stop."
"I just want to know what we are now.." He lowered his voice.
Ciri couldn't hold it inside anymore. "What are we?" She got angry. "Have you ever considered it in your brain that I don't want go back to that awful memory? Did you even think about it at least for second? That maybe I'm not ready to talk about how you almost died in front of me?!"
He was speechless.
"I guess not." she smirked.
Gabriel looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize how it could attaches you.."
She calmed down a bit. "Don't feel guilty for it, it was not your fault." She sighed. "But everything is just too much for me now." She wanted him to understand.
His face didn't even move. "But I still feel guilty."
She gave him a confused look.
"I feel guilty about this.." He leaned closer to her and then he kissed her on hers lips.
Ciri just blinked. She didn't expect it at all.
They were staring at each other and then Gabriel softly put his hand on hers cheek.
She came back to the mind. "You can't kiss me again." Her mind knew it was bad, but her heart was somehow protesting.
"I know." He started caressing her cheek with his thumb.
She shake her head. "No Gabriel, you can't, it's not right."
"That's right, it's not just right now."
She pulled away his hand from hers face and stepped away from him. "Don't do this."
"I'm not doing anything."
She looked at him seriously. "You know exactly what you're doing."
"You have blamed me for not expressing my feelings and now when I do it you blame again? Choose finally what you want Cirilla." He told her irritated.
"I don't blame you.. I.." she paused.
"Then tell me what is going on." He softened his voice.
She was just staring at him for a while, then she lowered her eyes. "I can't."
"I don't understand." He got frustrated. "I'm so confused from you.." He nervously combed his hair and then stepped closer to her. "Then why the hell did you kiss me at the first place if you don't feel anything to me?! Or am I crazy if I think that our relationship isn't just friendly anymore?"
In that moment she turned her back towards him. She couldn't face him anymore. How could she explain her feelings to him when she didn't know what was going on with her own emotions?
She heard him to step closer to her.
"Gabriel, please don't.."
"Why not?"
She turned to him with frustration. "Because you can't." She was trying to hold her tears.
"But tell me finally why." He begged her. "Tell me one reason why not and I will go away. Forever."
"You don't understand anything!" She started running away from him with the tears in her eyes. He did it again. He has made everything worse. He mixed her emotions. He questioned everything what she felt for both of them and she didn't know what to do about it..
PHILIPPA'S HOUSE
Geralt stood up with the glass of wine Est Est in his hand. "First I would like to thank my wife and Triss for making this delicious food. Thank you, it was so tasty. But I do have a feeling that without me and Jaskier sacrificing our sweat for scraping potatoes this food would never be so good." Geralt made amusement smile.
"Cheers to that my friend!" Jaskier shouted at him.
Yennefer shakes her head with the smile on her face.
The bard then drank his wine. The others joined him after they all stopped laughing.
"Alright, jokes to the side now." The witcher got more serious. "I want to really thank you all for coming here tonight. But not just for that, I want to thank you all for your help for us. For your sacrifice, tolerance and bravery which you all giving for that this family could be safe. You're risking your life for my family and this I will never forget. Cheer to your huge determination!"
They all drank wine again.
Geralt continued speaking proudly. "I need to thank my witchers brothers, to Lambert, Eskel, Leo and Vesemir that they sacrifice comfort of Kaer Morhen and stay with us to protect us no matter the cost."
"Always Wolf." Vesemir answered for all.
Geralt nodded. "Then I want thank Philippa for letting us to stay in this house and for her secret service. Without her we would be lost and Rience would already find us. So, thank you Philippa again." He smiled at her.
"No problem witchie." Philippa almost smile too.
"I want thank also to you Matthew, that even if you don't have much time to be with us because of your work as a soldier, you always come here when you can. I really appreciate it." He nodded towards him. "I also thank you Keira, that even if you didn't have to help us, you chose to anyway. Thank you." He told her honestly.
"You're welcome, but you still owe me a one night with you." Keira said teasingly.
"Only through my corpse." Yennefer stated.
Geralt started laughing. "I would never change you for anyone Yen." He kissed her forehead.
"What a shame." Keira and Philippa said at the same time.
"But I'm still available for night plays ladies." The bard said with flirting voice.
They all burst into laughing and drank the wine.
"Okay, let me finish this please, then we can laugh how much we want and need." Geralt was smiling. "So, at the end I want to thank my family. My amazing wife and children for giving me hope and love which I need in this hard period. That you're giving me strength to wake up everyday and to fight again and again. Thank you. I love you. And thank you also Triss and Jaskier. I didn't mention you before because I consider you both as my family. You mean a lot to me even if I'm not always shoving it to you. But you're important people in my life, so thank you."
Triss smiled at him and the bard was trying to hold his tears.
The witcher took a deep breath. "I know it will be hard to beat them, but I believe in the strength what we all share, that we're stronger than them. I believe we can beat them eventually, but this will be possible only if we all won't give up. So, please don't. They may be stronger in the attack power, but we're stronger together. Only together we can beat them. So, let's cheer on you again my friends, because without you all we wouldn't be here today, for sure." Geralt drank the wine and the others joined him.
The witcher sat down to the table. "We can now start eating our dessert which prepared our master chef Eskel. I noticed you that you couldn't wait to eat it. I saw your eyes. You were all starving." He laughed. "Have a good taste. Your allowed to eat it now."
With taste they all started eating the cake and the room filled the noise of glorifying Eskel's baking.
Geralt was caressing Yennefer's hand resting on his knee and looking at everyone in the room. Everybody were laughing and talking. They were sharing news of their lives and they were just happy. It felt like the old times where they have nothing to worry about unless some rats in their houses. Everybody was enjoying some peaceful moments of these hard times which they were all facing. Sometimes he wished that everything could be over. So, they can have dinner like that every evening and be together without worrying about their lives. Do he wish so much? He thought.
He looked at the Ciri talking to Matthew and then he realized that someone was missing.
"Ciri, do you know where's Gabriel?" Geralt looked at her.
"Why everybody thinks I'm the only one who should know it?" She said with irritation in her voice.
Jaskier coughed. "No, reasons.."
Ciri frowned. "I don't know where the hell he is again."
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to upset you." Geralt noticed her change of behavior. Something had to definitely happened between them.
Matthew looked at Ciri confused. "Is there something I should know?" He grabbed her hand under the table. "Did Gabriel hurt you or something?" He said with the worry and anger at the same time.
Ciri sighed. "Can't we stop mentioning the person which isn't even here? Thank you." she started to be frustrated. "And Matt, I'm fine, but you could tell us some news from Novigrad instead. What do you think?" She tried to smile, but the truth was she wanted to run away from this room as far as possible. Matthew then started speaking with excitement and who wasn't already drunk was trying to listen to him.
"What's wrong with her? Before midday she was fine.." Yennefer whispered to Geralt.
He answered quietly to her. "I don't know, but I do think they two met."
"But as I know she didn't talk to him for weeks.." then she realized. "Oh, now her behavior make sense."
"Yeah, they had to meet today somewhere." Geralt admitted.
Yennefer found her daughter with her eyes. "Oh, my poor child. She's experiencing a relationships crisis and we can't do nothing about it." She said sadly.
"Don't worry, she will definitely figure it out. She's a clever girl." Geralt kissed her cheek. Yennefer smiled at him.
"But now, I want to tease Lambert a little bit." He made a cheeky smile. "Lambert, what about to tell us about your tour de Oxenfurt with Keira. We would like to hear your impressions." He almost shouted at him.
Lambert's face was suddenly red as tomato.
"I must admit he's a brilliant tour guide. I've learnt things which even Lambert didn't know they existed before. But I gave him points for being original. He clearly has tried his best to impress me." Keira made amusement smile and winked at the already blushing witcher.
Everybody started laughing loudly.
Streets of Oxenfurt
Gabriel entered inside and passed by guards whom would definitely rather see him dead. He stopped couple meters away from the man with stick. "You wanted to see me." He told him without emotions.
Bonhart turned to him. "That's true."
The young witcher started to be impatient. "What was so urgent that it couldn't wait till tomorrow?"
Leo looked at his guard. The guard then came towards Gabriel and gave him the letter.
He gave him confused look. "What is it?"
Bonhart crossed his arms. "Your last task Raven."
Gabriel started to be nervous, but he was trying to cover it. Then he read the letter. He got puzzled. "No."
"Are you refusing my orders?" Bonhart said angrily.
"I said no." Gabriel stated.
"You know what means not to do the task.." he used a warning tone.
"I said fucking no!" he almost yelled.
"Look at you, some days with them and you're suddenly became a wolf softie." Leo laughed, then his face changed to serious. "I want them dead, so make it happen."
Gabriel squeezed his fists. "I won't do it. Give me someone else."
"Don't you fucking understand? You don't have any choice." Bonhart almost growled. "You gonna kill that two fucking witchers or I'll kill you myself now."
Gabriel looked straight into his killer eyes. "And if I'll bring you someone else?"
"Well, I'm listening." Bonhart told him without interest.
Gabriel's face changed to emotionless. "I'll bring you the girl."
Leo made a cheeky smile. "Finally some good answer boy."