Chapter Text
Geralt’s behaviour has been noticeably bizarre, Jaskier decides, as he watches his witcher shrink slightly away from his father figure’s sceptical glance.
He doesn’t have much time to ponder this before the new witcher turns to him with a hand out to shake with an introduction that is distinctly more vocal than his first encounter with Geralt, “Vesemir, and you are?”
“Master Vesemir, it’s an absolute pleasure to meet you,” Jaskier doesn’t mind the slight wince at his flowery bow, “I am Jaskier the Bard!”
He had expected that his over the top manners may not be the most welcome in Kaer Morhen, but in the end, they don’t seem to bother Geralt all that much now that he’s gotten over being gruff all the time, and Geralt’s opinion is really all that matters to him. He doesn’t want to embarrass Geralt, of course, but he also refuses to change his personality to be palatable for others.
When he looks up, however, he’s almost certain that there is amusement in the older witcher’s yellow eyes.
“The bard?” The uplift of the man’s voice definitely betrays his amusement even more clearly than his gaze.
“Indeed! Have you heard my songs?”
“I have certainly received my fair share of tossed coins when I come down the mountain, yes.”
Ok, so… perhaps Jaskier is more self conscious than he previously thought as he loosens up with those words. He hadn’t expected this sort of welcome, if he were to be completely honest with himself. Of course he knows Geralt would never bring him anywhere he would be unsafe, but being welcome is different than simply being safe. If he can gain the affection of those Geralt counts closest, he’ll be able to help Geralt as he always aims to do. The amusement in Vesemir’s eyes indicates he probably thinks him a silly artist, but respect can be gained later.
He feels Geralt’s hand touch his back accompanied by one of the witcher’s barely audible hums, bringing him out of his thoughts.
“Oh, yes! Best we get inside. I’m sure it’s worse in winter, of course, but I certainly don’t appreciate the chill now.”
He follows Vesemir's silent instructions, a hand outstretched towards the keep through the now wide open gate. Geralt’s hand, still on his back, guides him through a series of corridors and staircases until they reach a door unlocked by a key the white haired witcher produces.
“We didn’t know you were coming, Master Bard, so you’ll have to stay with Geralt.”
“That’s quite alright, Master Witcher,” if the man was going to use his title, there was no reason for him not to respond in kind, “We’re used to sleeping in the same room.”
The oldest man’s eyebrows rose, perhaps so high that they would disappear into his grey hair if he didn’t keep it pulled back.
“Right… Wolf, shall we go talk? I’m assuming that’s why you’re back so early. And with your bard?”
“We can talk here, Vesemir. Jask knows what this conversation is about anyway… It’s about something we encountered in Kaedwen.”
The last part of Vesemir’s question had been filled with scepticism already, and it only got stronger at Geralt’s response. His eyebrows, which had seemed to have climbed as high on the man’s forehead as possible, made a valiant attempt at going even higher, twitching and bringing attention to the man’s widening eyes. Though the change was subtle, Jaskier has long learnt the art of reading the expressions of taciturn witchers. This is the doubt he had been expecting, and he’s certain Vesemir is aware that Geralt had come back for witcher business, so his surprise at Jaskier’s involvement is to be expected.
Geralt, of course, continues on as if he hasn’t noticed his mentor’s surprise with that verbosity he had found after the encounter with Zofia (which may not actually be enough to be termed “verbosity”, though it certainly is so for Geralt). Jaskier can only meet Vesemir’s eyes with an awkward smile, apologising for his almost son’s lack of tact.
“What if humans can be monsters too?”
Vesemir seems like he might splutter if he weren’t used to training spades of teenagers. Jaskier finally decides to intervene now, after all, this is partially why Geralt requested he join him for winter, so he could explain the situation tactfully .
“Shortly after we arrived in Kaedwen we encountered a woman searching for her young sister. The girl had been… attacked and killed. But the culprit is not a monster, he is a man who is rumoured to have done this to many girls and young women around the kingdom.”
The older witcher seems to seriously consider his words for a few moments.
“I personally would consider such a man to be a monster… Geralt, why are you bringing this to Kaer Morhen? You wouldn’t be the first witcher to kill a monstrous man, nor are you the last.”
Jaskier suddenly understands why Geralt used to behave so gruffly, especially in response to what Jaskier would consider trauma. He was mutated to deal with the darkness in the world and then constantly told to ignore anything that happens because it’s “just the way the world is”. He now also understands why this incident seems to have struck Geralt so deeply, he didn’t kill the monstrous man, and he won’t be able to… at least not on his own, the king is too powerful for Geralt to enact any justice.
Geralt’s response is so quiet Jaskier can only just hear it as his thoughts push him to drift closer to his witcher in an attempt to offer the comfort he knows the other won’t accept until Vesemir is out of the room. He’s sure the other witcher hears it though.
“But that's just it, Vesemir. The culprit isn’t dead… and I can’t hunt him like I would a monster or a common monstrous man. It’s the King of Kaedwen.”
Vesemir finally gives up on hiding the shock that has been steadily growing in him and his eyes finally noticeably widen and his mouth opens slightly.
“The King of Kaedwen?”
Geralt’s voice regains his usual gruffness, “aye.”
“You accepted a contract for a King… Geralt…”
There’s a softness of understanding in Vesemir’s voice. He raised Geralt, afterall, and Jaskier cannot believe Geralt’s kindness to be something recent. But there is the fear of a father in his voice, the fear that his child has done something terminally stupid. It’s not disappointment, really, not like the kind Jaskier’s father would levy at him for the smallest mistake, but he doesn’t know if there is anything he can do to fix the problem.
Geralt seems to respond to the parental tone by adopting a sheepish and childish tone Jaskier would never have expected he could make.
“No? Well… not technically. But… He can’t keep doing this! It’s not right!”
Jaskier feels like that tone would be more at home in his words, and though he is glad to see Geralt is comfortable enough here to let himself be distressed, it almost physically hurts him to see how much this event distresses the other man and he decides it really is time for him to take control of the conversation. He’s had his time to process the idea that someone could be so horrible as to assault and kill multiple people, but Geralt only seems to be giving himself the space to do it here.
“It wasn’t a contract, as such. But… sir? Would you really feel comfortable letting such a man roam the continent? Even if he is a king?”
Vesemir’s focus shifts to him. It’s fairly clear he knows what Jaskier’s doing, but as he spots Jaskier’s hand on Geralt’s shoulder, a subtle attempt to comfort the other, Jaskier seems to gain that respect Vesemir hadn’t initially shown the bard.
This time, Geralt’s distress had been too great for Jaskier to ignore. He didn’t know how he would deal with Geralt in this mood, new as it was, but he refused to leave the man in this state.
The old witcher seems to accept Geralt is likely not capable of finishing this conversation calmly and addresses Jaskier directly, “we will have to discuss this with the whole school if this conversation is going the way I think it is.”
Jaskier, with a calculating smile, perhaps shows off more of his nature than he normally does when meeting someone new, “why do you think we’re here?” His expression softens when he looks at Geralt again, “but he wanted to discuss it with you first.”
Vesemir also softens at that pronouncement, “I am not unsympathetic to the situation… and I do think men can be monsters.”
He seems to not know what else to say, so he then announces his departure from the room, leaving Jaskier to move even closer to Geralt and offer him the comfort he so clearly needs.