#⚔️ v: idealism sits in prison; chivalry fell on his sword; innocence died screaming (post tw2)

[ofvergen]

"Perhaps under Mount Gorgon would've been a more suitable place to find me?" She smiles, extends her hand in an offer to shake his. Friendly faces are always a pleasant surprise, and Saskia is glad to see Geralt is still around.

"Oh, politics did stick," she replies, and then, with something between a smirk and a grimace, "Like a bucket of leeches."

                >> ⚔️ <<                  ❝             THE WOODS OF     toussaint would’ve been the last place i would’ve expected you to be,   saskia.   been a long time since our last meeting.   politics obviously   DIDN’T    stick    .  .                ❞            

@ofvergen​ gets surprise

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maegtig​:

His  HOME  was  not  upon  this  realm,  what  need  did  he  have  for  titles  amongst  men  ??  Even  if  he  harbored  the  desire  to  walk  freely  among  them,  he  held  no  desire  to  INTERMINGLE   with  them  such  intimately  (  and  the  risk  of  exposure  was  far  greater  if  he  held  such  ranking  ).  He  wouldn’t  have  been  able  to  CEASE  the  admiration  that  upturned  the  corners  of  his  lips,  not  even  if  he  tried  !!  ❝  It  is  a  mutual  offering  of  PROTECTION,  is  it  not  ??  I  would  not  ask  for  you  to  shield  me  with  your  life,  without  offering  you  the  same  OATH  in  return,  ❞  fighting  for  her  cause  was  one  thing.  But  the  weight  of  her  promise  does  not  go  UNNOTICED.  

Amber  hues  flicker  toward  her  hand  whence  it’s  OFFERED,  and  eventually  they  sweep  back  up  to  settle  upon  her  gaze.  There’s  a  moment  of  pause  between  the  two,  but  soon  enough,  INKED  hand  raises  to  clasp  her  own,  ❝  that  we  do.  Do  you  desire  the  oath  in  blood,  or  mere  words  ??  ❞  the  WRY  smirk  upon  his  lips  might  suggest  he’s  teasing  …  PERHAPS  he  is.  

"I don't need you to protect me. I need you to protect my people, first and foremost," Saskia clarifies while holding his hand still firmly clasped in hers. It feels.... magic. The heft of earth and the lightness of foliage at once, in a single touch.

"Very well, a oath in blood," she agrees, only now releasing his hand. With a playful smirk she adds, "We shall save the feasts and the orgies for later, then. I just hope you know what you're getting yourself into."

Saskia frowns in concentration for a moment as she wills one of her long fingers to turn into a deadly, thick claw. With careful but determined movements, Saskia slices the inside of her palm open, dragging the claw across her own skin until a trickle of blood bursts forth from the wound. She watches, without a flinch, as drop by drop, the deep red begins pool at their feet, hissing when making contact with the cold snow.

Smiling again, Saskia meets his amber gaze and holds it steadily. With a slight nod of her chin towards him, "Do you have a name, wolf? Or shall I guess to prove I'm worthy?"

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zagubionywilk​:

                >> ⚔️ <<           INITIALLY THE WOLF ONLY RUMBLED,    a response of a tiny yes given as he leaned closer toward her.    she was warmer than anything in the general area,    even being under a blanket    WOULDN’T    do for him.            ❝         a little.    i can move if me being this close bothers you.         ❞          he doubts it does,  considering she allowed him to do this in the    FIRST    place and she didn’t push him away.   nonetheless he couldn’t be sure,    hence the offer for her to do what she wished if he was    WRONG.

he initially thinks he was proven    RIGHT    as the dragoness began to move,   blinking in quiet surprise when she faces him instead,   amber hues shining in the growing dark of the vineyard which left them    (    and barnabas    -   basil who remained    INSIDE    )    alone for the evening.

           ❝         thanks         ❞           his tone is    GRUFF    but thankful as he takes her warmer hands,    settling in comfort of the warmth she happily provided him. 

She smiles as Geralt settles into this small gesture of shared affection. They both have trouble openly expressing their feelings-- years of trauma and abuse tend to do that to one-- and so, every little thing counts and every little thing matters.

"I've learned a trick or two over the past few years," she announces, though updating Geralt on her personal successes is not where she's going with this. "I want to show you one. Trust me and-- maybe mind the beard. Just in case."

Then, Saskia brings the witcher's hands closer to her lips. She begins breathing out very slowly and deliberately. Soon, instead of blowing out air, smoke is escaping past her lips, together with heat. Her gaze focuses on Geralt's hands and she is careful not to hurt him-- her draconic breath is warm enough to thaw even the numbest of extremities but gentle enough to feel like a soft caress, not a heatwave.

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kurkowna‌:

           She sighs, boredom apparent in her features.  Those who thought in black and white, good and evil, who could not see the gray areas were always so predictable.  The sorceress took note in the girl’s eyes.  Heroic poise and glamour.  Young and innocent.  Sooner or later that girl would see past such silliness.   

          ❝ If you mean to insinuate I started this bloodshed, I didn’t.  I merely finished. ❞  What a cliche line, it nearly had her gag with disgust for having uttered it.  Nonetheless, it was true.   ❝ Believe it or not, I did try to reason with them.  Perhaps bewitching them to have them do my bidding in another fashion would have been cleaner, but I know these men. ❞  Violet eyes fall down to what remained of a corpse near her feet,  ❝ This one had a personal hand in harming someone near and dear to me.  I think he met a good enough end for what he had done, don’t you think?  There was no more use from him once I found what it was I was searching for. ❞

“I see,” is all Saskia says once the woman finishes explaining what transpired between her the men whose remains are now strewn about her feet. She sheathes her sword, although it’s unclear, even to her, if the explanation is one satisfactory enough to warrant no further questioning or if Saskia is simply unwilling to prod. Either way, she makes to leave--- and stops after only a few steps.

“You’re a sorceress, yes?” she calls over her shoulder before turning around again to face the woman fully. Her face shows none of the conflict what she is about to ask causes her. “I’m searching for... one of your kind. I’m certain you know her. Perhaps I may be of use to you in exchange for information about her.” Retracing her own steps, Saskia seeks to hold the woman’s gaze. “I know these lands and their people. And I know how to have them cooperate without getting your hands dirty.”

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zagubionywilk​:

               >> ⚔️ <<              GERALT DOESN’T NOTICE    her concern at first,   though he does get a tinge of it as his nose finally catches its scent.    having been half    -    attentive thanks to the surroundings they both found    THEMSELVES    he was highly unfocused.    brows knit in confusion at first from how quickly the jests and everything most comforting turned around into worry and    CONCERN.    his head turns to look at her again,   amber hues critical and trying to gauge if he had said something wrong for her to be worried over.    

he plays back in his mind the    WORDS    he had spoken,    not placing together the potential outcomes of if he    did    find a dragon up here    minding    its own business.    witcher’s don’t kill dragons     (    or,    at least,    he does not.    he    KNOWS    many a witcher who would forego code for a large sum of killing one and presenting the head as a trophy   )    and he’s no   EXCEPTION.

WHEN SHE SPEAKS HE UNDERSTANDS    ———   and does his best to not get offended by her query.    it doesn’t entirely work.              ❝            i didn’t know what i was going to encounter up here.    maybe a baby dragon,   maybe    ANOTHER    draconid.    but if it    wasn’t    you and another dragon i would have left it be.   saskia,   i don’t kill dragons unless i’m protecting    myself    but even then i’d rather try and    NOT    kill one even to save myself.         ❞

She can tell her questions create some amount of discomfort between them, but she's not entirely sure where the discomfort stems from on the witcher's side. For her part, Saskia despises that trust led her to disaster-- or rather that her trust was abused and that brought on disaster. She spent many years alone, on the run, trying to piece together shattered parts of her memory, of her personhood, of her entire being. Trying to determine which pieces still belonged to her and which ones were Philippa Eilhart's, twisted and perverted by her blasted spells. Then she spent even more time in isolation, trying to heal from this, guarding herself ferociously like a wounded animal-- and perhaps, after all, that's exactly what Saskia is. Still is.

Nevertheless, she despises it. The need to doubt everything and everyone, even old friends who've saved her life before. Geralt doesn't deserve to have the sharp end of doubt pointed at him, no, but neither does Saskia deserve to be forced to carry its weight from the other side.

"Thank you, Geralt," she says quietly after a few strained moments pass between them. "For... everything. After all that--" Saskia stops herself midsentence. Shakes her head, frowning, and then looks the man before her in the eye. "There are not many people left I would still want to trust, even if I could. But you-- I want to trust you."

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zagubionywilk​:

                >> ⚔️ <<               TIRED HUES LOOK AHEAD    back into the mouth of the cave,    seeing a few things nudge about   ;   which he assumes is zoltan making sure that the newcomer isn’t being horrid to the kind woman who helped it.   he didn’t blame it at all for being so skittish and cautious of new people    ——–    it was understandable due to what it had gone through during its life thus far.

THE WOLF NODS ONCE,    head canting to the side.    he’s not entirely surprised that she hadn’t heard about it,   she hadn’t been long in toussaint to hear the whispers and stories about it so she deserved the pass.

            ❝          supposed.   but partially why,   yeah.   it wasn’t the supposed curse but more so the issue one of the vineyard owners had about having had taken a walk out here and heard    draconic    noises             ❞             he murmurs,   giving her a knowing look    ——–    it making more sense after she shared the insight that she held the wyvern in the cave.   and with it bound to go elsewhere soon he had an easy contract to complete.

           ❝            but,   really,    the curse isn’t legitimate.   the humans are just cross that they can’t climb the mountain due to it being steep.   which is probably for the best considering the elven cemetery hidden in its depths.          ❞             probably wouldn’t do well to break open the tombs to grave rob.   

Saskia lets out a breathy chuckle at Geralt's explanation about his contract, wondering whose roars the villagers actually heard-- not that any of them would be able to tell the difference between a dragon and a wyvern by sound alone. A witcher, however, just might, and it makes Saskia wonder again: what intentions did he have when accepting the contract? Geralt has always been an ally to her-- as human and as dragon-- and her father had tales of similar feats. She doesn't want to believe that in the years they've not seen each other Geralt turned to slaying dragons. The thought is much too upsetting, but so is not having certainty.

"Geralt..." she begins, wetting her lips as she searches for the right words. "What did you think you would encounter up here? And what would you have done about it were it not me?"

It's a bit abrupt, she knows, and she's not comfortable having to ask these questions either. But above all else, Saskia needs to know that Geralt is still the same man as before in this one regard. She reckons it's better to clear the air now-- now that they're talking and sharing stories and making each other smile. Later, it might be entirely too painful if the truth is as she fears.

[ofvergen]

zagubionywilk​:

               >> ⚔️ <<                    ❝          SOME OF IT ISN’T    entirely fond,   but i’d rather you voice your displeasure over destroying it outright.       ❞            he murmurs,   giving the other a half pleading expression.   he    KNEW    she was messing with him,   at least that’s what he hoped anyway    ;    it was sometimes hard to tell with some people in his life.    he’d rather not deal with barnabas    -    basil’s panic as the    INTERIOR    of the home he owned got more than trashed with a dragon appearing so suddenly.   if it wasn’t going to create a whole load of mess he would    LAUGH.

HE NODS ONCE,   UNDERSTANDING     how it can be.   he took some time to get used to the multitude of comforts staying in an actual home brought with it.   the bed wasn’t normal to him and left him awake more than he would    SLEEP    for a short time.

                    ❝       understandable.  there’s a    LTITLE    alcove outside you can rest in,   the stars able to be seen if you pull the top back ever slight.         ❞            he offers,   giving glance behind her and back to the cave that    HOUSED    the wyvern within it stone walls.    zoltan.    gods he’d never let her live that one down.    when he was next in novigrad he’d have to track the dwarf    DOWN    to tell him.

                     ❝      NOT MANY    make the trek up here,   especially with the supposed curse that sits up here   .  .    so you shouldn’t have visitors but   .  .   thank you.    its been some time since i’ve seen someone from before.   or    ANYONE,    really,   that wasn’t dandelion.    it’s a breath of fresh air.         ❞          

Saskia nods along, her gaze growing soft as she cranes her head back to look at the sky-- light blue and uniform now but will soon be dotted with countless speckles of light. She loves the sun and sunlight, but the night sky and the darkness that shrouds is are an entirely different kind of comfort and momentary sense of peace. One that Saskia could not imagine being able to live without.

"That sounds lovely," she says quietly, almost a whisper, as her eyes return to the man in front of her. For a moment she tries to remember if he's gained any new scars in the years they've not seen each other-- surely he must have, and all sorts of stories along with them. Perhaps some are best to be forgotten, while others could use some venting. She doesn't want to pry and make Geralt uncomfortable, but she knows what it's like-- carrying heavy burdens and biting your tongue whenever you feel like sharing them.

Thinking about all this, Saskia's hand travels instinctively over her chest, over the scar that hides how hollow her chest had become on that day and the days that followed. Days of treachery and deceit, and more loss than could ever be counted. Days of loneliness, isolation, helplessness, and still fighting on despite it all. A sigh leaves her; her hand falls back at her side, playing with the green blades of grass again.

The mention of a curse makes Saskia visibly perk up. "A supposed curse?" she repeats the words, her eyebrows drawing in confusion. "I had no knowledge of this. I thought it was mere luck that I haven't had any run-ins with hunters so far. Is this why you came out here?"

[ofvergen]

zagubionywilk​:

               >> ⚔️ <<            HE FEELS SIMILARLY.    he wonders if the deaths of the city could have been avoided if he had simply implored on anna henrietta a little more.   given better reason to not doubt the    THREATS    that had been issued ‘pon the city if sylvia had just been given up in the first place.    

but no,   he    KNEW    with human greed and selfishness that the duchess wouldn’t do a thing.    she’d cling to a pointless relationship that was not even there and in the end would have spelled her doom at the end anyway.    humans    DIED    because of selfishness and pain    ———   he could understand but it didn’t make him any less bitter or frustrated over it all.

his lip quirks as she speaks of him as her    FAVORITE.    its not often he gets some niceties of any sort but being around an old friend providing that felt rather good.   what she says is true as well,   he’s come into    MANY    an argument with lambert over the ethics of killing monsters when they’d done nothing wrong to begin with.   

some are    MORE    frustrating than others like rock trolls and dragons are against code to harm.    he sympathizes in his pacifistic nature at times with the monsters that harm to survive.    that fear the    HUMANS    more than humans fear them out of despair of what may happen to them.

almost all the    STRIFE    geralt has witnessed has been caused by humans themselves.  spelling their own dooms and causing unnecessary agony to others.            ❝       human compassion is limited to their    IMMEDIATE    family.   if even that.   it says something when a witcher with muted emotions can do and be more than humans with the full range.      ❞           its sad,   really.    infuriating    OTHER    times.

he gives    GLANCE    to her ‘fore looking back inside the cave to where the wyvern had been moments ago.               ❝         yes,   but it won’t fit the wyvern.      ❞            

Saskia wondered before if the rumor about witchers not being able to experience emotions is true. It sounds to her like yet another lie born out of humans' intolerance to anything different than them, meant to push witchers farther away from people-- in the physical sense, away from cities and villages, but at the same time, away from what it means to be a person. Hearing Geralt saying it himself... perhaps it's true then, or perhaps it's still a facade. Perhaps it doesn't matter. What matters the most to Saskia is that, emotions or no emotions, all people are equal in her eyes and deserve to be treated as such. The man before her has proven it countless times that he is more compassionate, merciful, noble, and braver than any human king or lord. And yet that is still not enough-- a thought that saddens Saskia.

She reaches out to press a warm hand over Geralt's, a gesture meant to be.... comforting? Saskia isn't entirely sure, but her hand lingers for a few moments.

"Then I suppose it won't fit the dragon either?" she replies, smiling knowingly. "I don't intend to keep him around as pet," she begins explaining. "A few more days and he'll be ready to fly off. I'll make sure to guide him somewhere far from any settlements, and then...." She pauses for a second, frowning. Her voice is lower now than usual, softer. "And then I'm not sure if I should remain in Toussaint or travel somewhere else. Maybe a glimpse into the world of winemaking will help me decide."

[ofvergen]

zagubionywilk​:

                >> ⚔️ <<             THE WOLF’S HAND SHAKES SIDE   to side for a moment,    expression slightly soured a bit.           ❝         kind of.    i mean,    i was but the contract’s been completed.    i’m still    HERE    after the fact due to the vineyard,    getting it restored was,    well,    something i had to sort out.       ❞             among other things,    spending time in a jail wasn’t exactly time well spent but he’s had    WORSE    months before.    this time at least he wasn’t whipped,  so that’s something he guessed.

HIS NOSE    scrunches up at the question of the vampires,   amber eyes flicking off t’ward where beauclair was ‘fore breathing out through his nose.          ❝         anna henrieta’s trying to keep it that way,    i’d guess.    but the    SITUATION    ended with her sister dead    because    i didn’t do as she asked.    i saw too much of myself in the higher vampire i was tasked to    HUNT DOWN    and,    well,    i felt for him.      ❞            admitting that had various ramifications he’d honestly not wish to delve into but   .   .    sylvia    DESERVED    what she got.

it was the    FIRST TIME    he admitted it.   saskia seemed like a good pick to unload those feelings on.    it wasn’t like she was going to tell anyone of importance.    he hoped.  the thought doesn’t last long as brows raise at the    REVELATION    of the other being kicked out for sedition    ——–    if it was true or not the wolf was not to know.

the wolf    PINCHED    the bridge of his nose ‘fore rubbing his hand over his face before the hand drops back to his lap.         ❝        its been    difficult    the last few years.   i’m just glad this business is    DONE    with.       ❞            

Saskia adjusts her position while listening to Geralt talk, bending her legs at the knees and resting her elbows on them. A sigh from deep within her chest escapes her. Despite the progress she thought she'd made, a pang of guilt still strikes at Saskia's core-- for just one moment, but already a moment too long. That voice at the back of her mind chastising her for having failed to help. Maybe less people would have died if you were there. Maybe none would have died if you were there and you were fast and clever and brave. Maybe----

She shakes her head slightly, grabs a blade of grass to twirl it idly around her finger. To give her hands something to do.

"That's why you're my favorite witcher," Saskia says after a moment of pause between them. She tries to offer a smile but it's a fragile thing that soon falters. "You... understand. You sympathize. There are humans who've gone through less than a fifth of what you've been through and still they can't afford to extend even an ounce of compassion to their own kind. To different races? Out of the question. To monsters, like me, like that higher vampire you let go?" Saskia allows a bitter scoff to finish the thought for her.

Her head feels heavy and aching like a storm might be approaching, although the sky is a bright, clear blue. "That it has," she agrees quietly, then raises her eyes to his visage. "Does your vineyard come with a guest room by any chance?"

[ofvergen]

zagubionywilk​:

               >> ⚔️ <<                   ❝         SOME SECRETS I’LL KEEP.    this one though    ??    no chance.       ❞             his tease makes him feel younger than he actually is,   even though his body still keeps up    REGARDLESS    of his age.    witcher mutations,    obviously,    he wouldn’t have reached the age he was without the    “    help    “    that the mutations    WROUGHT    on him.    

amber hues    FOCUSED    in the dull light of the cave to keep focus on the wyvern out of caution.   the draconid seemed fine,    skittish and cautious of outsiders    (    which was fair,   it did well to be such    ———-    ESPECIALLY    so with himself    )    and rather pleased to be fed.

brows raise as she    BEGINS    to explain its not    -    so    -    humble beginnings in captivity,   a soft snort leaving him as he’s again reminded of human’s great and idiocy in thinking that they can tame just about everything.    a    BEAR    will still be a bear,   the wild in it cannot be wholly bred out of it.    the same could be said with monsters,    especially dragons    regardless   of current size or not.    hurt the    ANIMAL    it will fight back,    scare it and it will do the same.

gods,    humans    CONSTANTLY    bite off more than they can chew.   then blame the beast they stole from its home in the first place.

                    ❝            they’d have    NO IDEA    what to do next.    probably would have hired me or another to kill it   ———-    all due to their inability to leave well enough alone.   it no longer matters though.   you    SAVED    the thing.         ❞                     he murmurs,    coming to plop himself with a grunt atop the tree trunk close to saskia.

                    ❝           DON’T KNOW    yet.   depends on what the duchess truly wants to do with me.   i’ve got the vineyard but i’ve already tested my luck.        ❞                    

"You're here at the Duchess' behest?" Not surprising if that were the case; many seek the famed White Wolf's aid, Saskia herself included, once upon a time-- in another life, it feels like. Aid she's still grateful for and still intending to repay it every chance she gets.

"How did that... situation with the vampires end? Only rumors and vague tidbits make it this far from Beauclair, so it's been difficult keeping up to date with news from the city." Plus, Saskia has her hands full between nurturing Zoltan back to health while making sure he doesn't actually imprint on her and remaining hidden from the hunters looking for the stolen wyvern-- stolen, as if he was anyone's propriety.

"The last time I went to Beauclair, the ducal guard had me escorted out of the city and forbidden from entering again," Saskia recalls with a chuckle. Not that the situation was particularly pleasant back then, but right now, talking to an old friend and knowing they've both been through hell and back? Humor is bound to take a darker side in such company.

"I was suspected of sedition, they said," she continues, smiling against the lips of the bottle as takes another swig, and then sets it on the ground between the two of them. "Little do they know..."

Her voice trails off on a thought unspoken and her eyes fall on Geralt's face. He looks tired, like his actual age might be catching up with him, though that should be impossible. Perhaps a different kind of exhaustion weights down on him. Whatever the case, Saskia decides not to pry.

[ofvergen]

zagubionywilk​:

                >> ⚔️ <<           ��           ❝          I’D HOPE NOT.    humans drink the stuff,   i’m sure if it was poisoned somehow i’d have the duchy’s guards at my door dragging me out the door.   or trying miserably to    DEAL    with me on the spot.        ❞                     he snorts out the words,    almost amused by his own jest as he speaks it.    a heavy topic indeed but the both of them were here.    BOTH   of them were alive after poisons addled their bodies    —-    though his side was near daily compared to the instance she implies.

he    CONTINUES    to follow her,   giving glance around the mouth of the cave,    idly wondering if this could be an ambush of some kind.    wouldn’t be the first time a friend pulled him into a trap.   he gives glance to the camp fire as he    ENTERS    as well,    amber hues flicking about to see what was up in the small space,    additionally catching scent of a beast of some kind.   it doesn’t entirely    CATCH    him off guard    ———-    initially believing it to be saskia herself but he’s proven wrong rather quickly.

he watches the    WYVERN    appear seemingly out of nowhere,    quietly stumped but the surprise leaves the wolf’s face rather quickly    ;    upper lip twitching slight as to not instinctively react to the hissing    THROWN    his way.

his cat    -    like stare toward the    DRACONID    doesn’t last long as saskia reveals its name,    causing him to pause then    GRIN   at her.    yes,   grin.   it didn’t look entirely right    (    as the wolf    DIDN’T    smile very often,   especially these days    )    but it was a right good try.    he’s totally going to let the dwarf know about this later.

                    ❝          I’M GONNA TELL HIM.        ❞                    

"Remind me again why I trust you with any secret at all," Saskia says, and whatever seriousness she might try to feign is betrayed by the chuckle that soon follows at seeing the witcher so amused by this. Truth to be told, she didn't except she would run into Geralt, out of all people, when she chose the name for her new friend.

Throwing the second hare farther away, she approaches with slow and steady steps, giving the wyvern a firm but gentle pat on the side and gesturing into the darkness. With a series of chirping and wings fluttering, the wyvern eventually complies and retreats towards the back of the cave where it came from. Nodding, Saskia seems pleased with the draconid's behaviour.

"I rescued him a while back from a travelling circus troupe," she begins explaining as she walks back towards the mouth of the cave. "He was only a hatchling when they'd captured him, but he was already starting to give them trouble. A few more weeks in captivity and lots of people would have died, including those fools who called themselves his caretakers."

She fetches a nondescript bottle from a small satchel of personal belongings, but instead of sitting down next to the camp fire, she goes back outside, gesturing for Geralt to follow. "He was in a bad state when I freed him, but he's recovering well now. It won't be long until he's ready to fly away on his own," Saskia continues, as she finally stops walking and sits down directly on the grass. There's a tree stump nearby too, should Geralt wish to make it his seat. The weather is pleasant outside and she much rather prefers the gentle sunlight and fresh air than the stuffy dampness of the cave.

"No draconid will ever make a good pet," she concludes her story, smiling slightly and opening the bottle with a pop. After taking a mouthful, she offers the bottle to Geralt. Undoubtedly stronger than the White Wolf, this bottle Saskia procured from a dwarven merchant's personal reserve-- the bitter taste and intensity remind her of Vergen, of home.

"Will you be staying long in Toussaint?" she asks, then.

[ofvergen]

zagubionywilk​:

                >> ⚔️ <<           THE SILENCE BETWEEN THEM    is welcome.   to him its perfectly fine,    quiet between two people that are    comfortable    in a current position simply just works.  it doesn’t need to be    REFINED    in some ridiculous manner    ;    conversation isn’t needed for something to work well.    the white wolf can sense the sleepiness that crawled in like    STRONG    vines that saskia was battling with    ;    a soft rumbled purr leaving him as he settles in a little more.    the dragon’s heart begun to slow slightly as the    DARKNESS    beginning to hold her took a little more.

he begun to doze himself,   however still    AWARE    of his surrounds still    ———–    like the hand that placed itself on his knee.   he lazily gives gaze to the hand’s position,    lingering on it ‘fore his own calloused     HAND    came to find her other one and gently trace the skin idly.

"Are you cold?" Saskia asked, the concern in her voice born from genuine care for the witcher and a desire to know he was well-- at least in this moment, if not for as long as time itself could allow.

She shifted at his side, facing him now. All around them, the vineyard workers retreated to their homes and took most sources of flickering light with them, making room for night to settle in fully. Saskia smiled. She could still see Geralt, and that was one thing the darkness could not take away from her.

"Here", she whispered, opening her hands with both palms upwards, offering to take his. "Let's get you warmed up."

[ofvergen]

zagubionywilk​:

                >> ⚔️ <<           FOR A MOMENT HE GETS    lost in the warmth that the dragoness exudes.    the air is rather cold as it eases into the evening and he,   as subtly as possible,    scoots closer to saskia herself and to that    WARMTH.    he doesn’t hear her either,    focused mostly on trying to be subtle and not get caught trying to get warmer by stealing that    HEAT.

oh    ———    she    ASKED HIM    a question.   right.    amber hues look to her,   offering a small toothy smile as well ‘fore shrugging a shoulder.         ❝           i don’t have it often.    large amounts of company isn’t    .  .    my    CHOICE.    but this    ??    i don’t mind 

this.        ❞

Saskia settles in more comfortably, both legs crossed underneath her. She notices Geralt trying to scoot closer, but gives no indication, save for a small smile pulling at the corner of her lips.

"Not to worry, I shan't overstay my welcome," she says, and throws a quick glance his way. Then, turning her attention back to the sky where the sun begins its slow descent, "I wanted to enjoy the sunset. You have a lovely view up here. Certainly beats the caves."