Work Text:
Geralt was worried. Jaskier was missing. And Jaskier was very good at finding trouble when he went missing. He strapped on his armor and swords and headed outside.
There were footprints in the snow. Wherever Jaskier had gone, Lil’ Bleater had gone too. Geralt set out along the trail at a jog. The sun was starting to set, and winter nights were cold in the mountains. Jaskier probably wasn’t even wearing his mittens.
He stopped abruptly, hearing movement ahead. Footsteps and voices. He listened. Jaskier was there, but so was someone else. Who?
He crept forward slowly and quietly, until-
“Geralt? Aiden says someone is sneaking up on us. Is it you?” shouted Jaskier.
Geralt sighed and shouted back, “Yes.”
Jaskier’s footsteps immediately got noisier and faster and soon the bard was running into Geralt’s arms. “Geralt! I missed you so much! Why didn’t you come help when I was stuck in the tree?”
Geralt hugged the bard back after confirming his overall safety (and lack of mittens). But there was still something else to deal with, so he released Jaskier quickly and stepped between the bard and the potential danger. He drew his steel sword and stood ready.
Jaskier did not cooperate. “What are you doing?” he asked and tried to move back around Geralt. Geralt blocked his way easily. “Geralt! It’s fine. It’s just Lil’ Bleater and Aiden.” Jaskier gave up on going around Geralt and crowded in to put his face on Geralt’s left shoulder instead. “I ran ahead to find you but they’ll be here any sec- there they are!”
Geralt ignored the goat and assessed the new arrival. Smelled like a witcher, but not one he knew. Wearing light armor. Sheathed swords. No horse. Carrying a pack. “Why are you here?” Geralt asked.
Jaskier answered from right next to Geralt’s ear. “Lambert invited him! They’re companions on the Path, like us!”
Geralt didn’t trust it. Jaskier attracted trouble like a magnet; the witcher might be here to kill him. He looked like a Cat, and you never knew with Cats.
Lil’ Bleater ignored the standoff and trotted off in the direction of the keep with a happy bleat.
“Why should I trust you?” Geralt asked, and this time he elbowed Jaskier in the stomach to distract him before the bard could interrupt with his own answer.
The new arrival – Aiden, apparently – held up empty hands. “No need for swords. Lambert filled me in. If you don’t mind, I just need to get something out of my pack. Okay?”
“Move slow,” Geralt ordered.
Aiden slowly put down his travel pack with its large outside pocket facing towards Geralt. He slowly reached into the pocket and pulled out- something. Something brown and grey and white that smelled like nothing but wool.
“Okay?” Aiden checked, and Geralt nodded cautiously. His medallion was quiet.
Aiden slowly lifted the weird something towards his own head and-
Jaskier fell over laughing behind him, “Oh, Melitele, I want one too!”
It was a headband with little wool goat horns and little wool goat ears attached.
Geralt sheathed his sword, deciding that this was Vesemir’s problem. And Lambert’s. But it was definitely not Geralt’s problem. And it was definitely not Geralt’s fault.
The only part that was Geralt’s problem was laughing next to him in the snow, and he knew how to handle that part. Geralt tugged the bard back onto his feet, fished the spare mittens he’d brought out of his pocket and stuck them on Jaskier’s hands.
Jaskier kissed Geralt’s cheek, caught one of his hands, and started down the path after Lil’ Bleater without letting go of it. Geralt allowed Jaskier to tug him along.
“You’re going to love Kaer Morhen!” Jaskier assured Aiden, who followed behind them grinning. “Will you help me make a headband like yours?”