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Sleeping Beauty Reloaded	By : dschinny Category: +S through Z > Witcher 2, The: Assassins of Kings Views: 1939 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the Witcher, this is purely for fun, and not profit

Chapter List
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- 3
- 4
The Celebration of the Apple Harvest
As they entered the mansion’s courtyard through the open gate, nobody came out to check on them. Once they pulled in front of the stone trough, two of the dogs behind the lead got excited and even tried to drag Adda underneath Cricket who started prancing in return, annoying Roach beside her. “Back, Adda, sit!” Gernot had to fight for the discipline of his pack that had been pleasantly full a moment ago. The stable door opened and Velita came out, which exited the rudes even further. “Crimp, Freckles, shoo – Velita, wait until I take the dogs away before you get Cricket!” Velita froze in her tracks, “Yes, Master Gernot.” She acknowledged and the hunter slid off his horse, turned his pack into an orderly line and shooed them through a barn to the kennels.
Velita passed through in front of Roach, “Good evening Geralt,” her palm brushed over Roach’s muzzle lightly. She reached out and caught Cricket’s reins, hushing the thoroughbred softly.
The witcher dismounted deftly and landed beside her so hard that Roach took three steps backwards in surprise, efficiently shielding them both from view of the main house. “What happened to excite the pack of dogs like this?”
“It seems that Arya’s mating scent rubbed off on me. Master Gernot asked me to keep his packer bitch in the stable beside the chicken for a while. Otherwise the rudes would go crazy in the kennel area tonight.”
“Hmm.” The witcher’s nostrils flared as he ran his own analyze. Beside the scent of she-dog, horse and horse manure, there was human male scent on her - the Captain’s was as old as the morning and it wasn’t the Count’s perfume. It was just a whiff, but no less than four different males on her?! “Are you alright?”
“Yes… and it is good to see you again.” She had half expected him to kiss her as he came so close but then he did not lower himself to that. She tried to come up with an explanation, “After nightfall, I did not expect you would return …tonight.” – His “Well, I did,” sounded grumpy. - “What are your plans… have you eaten already?” she inquired.
“I have to report to the Count before I can turn in with you. Don’t fuzz, I brought us dinner from Midville. Let’s take Cricket and Roach into the stable first.”
“Thanks Geralt,” she held his gaze, “We’ve got a celebration on the hay loft going, would you like to join-in after your report?”
The witcher stopped in his tracks. ‘Balance,’ he projected in his mind. ‘React on the situation as a whole, not on fragments of hearsay. Listen and let the path show itself.’ He exhaled, “What kind of celebration?” – “Of the apple harvest. The steward gave us the remains of last year’s cider from barrels we refilled. We’ve got stew to go with it – and white bread, too, apparently. – hi, Jun!” she winked at the young man who passed them; two long loafs under his arm. “Could you hold the gate open for us, please?”
“Sure, good evening, Sir Geralt.” The young man in the padded blue tunic bowed politely and handled the gate, then climbed up a ladder and was met with commotion, “Who let the dogs out… who… who..?” they were singing as if a bottle or two had circled already.
“Who are they?” – “The sedan carriers made it over from the main house.” Velita put Cricket into her divider beside Roach’s and flapped the saddle up to pull the belt loose. “You can leave Roach to me,” she straightened up and pulled the saddle off Cricket’s back. “Gernot, could you get water in here before you join the boys on the hay loft?”
Geralt noted that Velita omitted the “Master” when addressing Gernot and appeared completely at ease with the sedan carriers. Which did not fit together with Gernot’s narration of the ‘hunting celebration’ – but he had promised to keep that among the two of them. Asking directly for a traumatic experience would probably shut her down for further inquires. He decided to nudge her and gauge the reaction: “Would you like to accompany me into the mansion and leave the stable to the men to celebrate?” he asked lightly, his elbow propped against the divider.
Her happy demeanor changed as if she was struck by lightning. “Please nooo!” she mouthed soundlessly.
Apparently a social call within her lordship’s rooms still ranged among her nightmares. “Well then, take good care of Cricket and Roach, I’m back in a few.” He pulled the last chop of the leshen out of his saddle bag. “Got to give the Count bodily proof of the monster in his wood, then burn it.”
Velita let Gernot pass with the water and looked at the blood smeared end of a wooden root. “This was the monster?” she sized it up, “It looks like a somewhat spongy root.”
“Believe me, there’s more about it. This is just the very tip of a five meter branch. It got plenty of those tentacles and moves like the wind.” Gernot handed Velita his bottle, “And here’s the water for my horse-lady, fresh from the holy well in the woods,” he winked and exited the partition to slap the witcher’s shoulder, “Get going, be back soon, you’ve got to tell us a story tonight.”
Geralt gave Roach a last pat on the neck, whispering something into her ear then left, side stepping a bowl and spoon Gernot had left in front of the saddle chamber. Upstairs, the sounds had ceased to expectant silence. The witcher shrugged and went over the court and into the mansion. The silence there had a different quality. He knocked at the count’s succession of rooms. The steward was not in the front office. The waiting and living rooms were deserted, light shone from the library and there the count sat next to an oven and a chandelier with a glass of wine. “Good evening, Count.” the witcher greeted.
The count stood. He was as dark haired and average looking as Gernot but his gaze appeared unfocused and his body was soft in the wrong places, to the point that his tailored brocade doublet started to span. “So you have returned from the wood after all, witcher, after leaving my captain to suffer.” – “From what I have seen, your captain made his own decision. How is he doing?”
“Demoralized and vengeful. Was your hunt successful?” – “Partially. We came across the leshen which lost three tentacles to us but managed to escape. Here is a piece of one,” the witcher put it on the table next to the chandelier, “the mass we already incinerated in the Midville bathouse.” – The count weighted the piece of root in his hands. “This does not look dangerous at all.” – “It killed Lumberjacks draft horse with a single stab into the chamber.”
“There must be immense power in this monster if it penetrates like this.” The count continued to finger the piece, blood stains smearing off on his hands. “Why do you want to burn it? I could place it on a board in the trophy corridor.” – Geralt noted an awkward amount of attraction between the count and the tentacle, “There could be life left within,” he explained. – “It is still alive?” the count pondered – “Under moist conditions, it could probably re-root, even re-produce,” the witcher confirmed.
“Under conditions I could control,” the count grinned sardonically, “this could come useful.” – “For what?” – “My father was a guy like you: cut to the point and be done with it. I prefer the slow and mindful way of penetration for subjugation.” – “Not with that thing,” the witcher grabbed the piece, opened the oven door and dropped it in, and then stood back waiting, his arms folded across his chest. The count stood beside him and listened to the cracking of the fire “As a warrior, don’t you know the pleasure of a hard-won breakthrough? When the defense caves in and the pleading becomes the sweetest music?”
“No. Seems that I’ve never been weighty enough for that experience,” the witcher cast a side glance down at the count, “which reminds me it’s time for dinner.” But he would not leave before a second look into the oven. “You don’t mind me taking another turn at the stable, do you?” – “Not at all.” – “I plan to continue early next morning, to complete the survey with your Steward and then I’ll need your forester again.” – “Have a good night.”
The steward had come upstairs into entrance hall. “Good evening, Sir Geralt, has your venture been a success?” – “Partly. I will come to your office in the morning and have a look at the dead book.” – “I’m honored by your interest, sir. For your comfort we prepared a room in the chevalier’s house, if you would follow me…?”
“I’ve got another invite later,” Geralt considered to withdraw to check on his horse, remove the suspicious party people from the hay loft and join Velita for mutual enjoyment. Before that, he would not skip a chance for research. “Lead the way, a curtsy visit of your sick captain is overdue… what’s his name?”
“Alfred Forester. I cannot guarantee that he will receive you. He has been in fool mood since Velita’s mistake angered him.” – “Velita has a way about her,” the witcher baited the steward. – “True.” The steward just swayed his balding head – “…that horses prefer.” - “So true… and if that smell repels you, sir, here’s your room.” It was a freshly renovated guard’s room with five bunk beds, a stove, a small wash table and an extinguished candle. “I see,” the witcher said, finding the room impersonal and cold compared to the warm hospitality within the stable.
The captain’s face remained unhappy at the witcher’s entry. ”Hello Alfred, I’ve come to see if everything is in good order with you,” the witcher strode in and flipped the blanket off the captain’s legs without ado. The captain yelped at the mercenary’s examination of his foot that looked like a swollen and blood shot lump covered in plant-jelly.
“You’re one lucky man, nothing is broken.” The witcher straightened up and thought by himself, that the count was partially right: He, too, had awareness for the pleasure of causing pain – at times. “What’s that herbal potion?” – “I had the bitch make up for what she did,” the captain hissed under his breath. – “You mean Velita?” the witcher decided that he needed to inspect the side of the foot as well, twisting the ankle once again. – “Yes, damn!” – “I have taken the count’s contract and claim her as my personal servant. Therefore I insist that you ask for my approval before you touch her or sent her on errands, and Steward: I expect you to provide my servant with all clothing items the season requires,” he nodded curtly, “Have a nice evening.”
-oOo-
At the stable, a moment after the witcher had shut the gate from the outside, Jun poked his head down from the ladder, his short jet black hair swinging in the draft. “Get up here, Gernot, you need to fill us in about that guy.” – “Coming,” Gernot shoved Cricket’s saddle on a fixture and called up: “Do we need anything else?” – “Just bring your own stuff.” Gernot got his bowl and climbed the ladder.
Up on the hay loft, straw bales and hay had been shaped into a horseshoe and covered in blankets. “Ah, you’ve brought the large pot up already,” Gernot longed in the circle of the four carriers comfortably, “what a day.” – “You got the monster?” – “Partly - Geralt will tell you. What’s the barking about?”
“We had a fun day, too,” Jun started and Gene completed, “with the captain.” – Gernot sat upright again instantly, “I thought he had enough for a day?” – “He has now, since Bianca intercepted to protect Velita… and then we gave him the rest.” – “But I left Bianca in the kennel for good reason?! She’s due in November and too round to work. I don’t want Arya’s scent to rub off on her and ruin our peaceful evening.”
“Not to worry, Velita followed every order to the letter. Once you were gone, Bianca started wailing until the countess got a headache and sent your daughter to send your son to send Velita to walk your dog. Your kids and Velita had a walk in the sunshine on behalf of the countess and we started on the apple harvest on behalf of the Steward. Sometime later, the captain limped over to lurk around the stable. His initial excuse was that he needed a potion for his foot.”
“Right away, Sire,” Pike falsettoed, “just let me put the dog into a box, she’s so excited to see you. Oh Bianca, please, I’m losing my footing. Arya, hush, sweetie, stop jumping that door. Just a moment captain, this slide door has seen no fat in a while.” – “…and in she was with Arya, Bianca on the loose on the corridor. The captain escaped with flapping coattails just because she had pointed him every single step she took in defense,” Gene grinned. – “Her spunk angered him and the next thought that crossed his rotten mind was to set us on her with the usual promise,” Choi continued. – “As if we cared!” Pike elbowed him affectionately.
“Fresh nymphet is just what we need,” Choi growled deeply and stuck out his tongue, “We’re evil and carve her juicy meat!” - “You took it a step too far, even for the captain,” Pike continued in niceties: “Oh, you don’t want us to eat her, just to make her bring you a portion?” – “Cudos to your wicked idea - that will lure out our ever-so-helpful prey. Oh yes, we’re going to fuck her into total submission just in front of you.’”
“Guys,” Gernot harrumphed, “that show is nothing for Anne and Fabian.”
“ ’course not, Gene had returned your kids to the mansion the moment the Captain popped up and the ruckus started in the stable. By just some lewd comments, we managed to move the Captain from strike distance onto the back seat. We sat him on the bench of the cavalier’s house where he simmered with his few cockerels turning.” - “For good measure, we shooed Velita around the horse trough once. She squealed convincingly and even managed a drop that upped the suspense. Rounding the corner, the wild hunt transformed into an orchard picnic.” – “Jun climbed back up into the stable on the crane rope and signaled us whenever the Captain got distracted. Then we took turns to slam the wall boards and moaned like a rutting deer.”
“It made for a long lunch break until the Steward started wondering why the captain was getting blisters in the sun and why the juice squeezer was still unmanned.” – “Of course we saw him coming and intercepted, because the captain’s was entertaining a fantasy of Velita to be taken inside to get her back leashed while she licked whatever...” – “Bah, but the two of them comparing their notes would have blown our cover.” - “Always on the safe side, Velita had prepared the portion already. I smeared dung on my forearms and brought the portion right to his room, pretending that we were soon to bring her, we just needed a moment longer to retrieve her from the dung heap… Well, he didn’t want me in his room for another second.”
“The Steward caught up with us after he gave the Captain a full-length lecture about horse diseases because of his request to dunk Velita into the stone trough.” – “The Steward made up his mind?” Gernot wondered. - “Not really. He just advised to use the rain water tub because the only danger he saw was to fob the Butcher of Blaviken with a dirty whore, not what the icy water could do to her health.” – “How comes you invited that guy, Gernot?”
“It was me who invited and Geralt is alright, I can assure you,” Velita pushed up the ceiling opening of the saddle chamber, “and he will be gone in a few days. Don’t fuss or do anything rash.” She passed up the kitchen-board “Gernot, could you cut up the bread, please?” Gene reached down while she passed up the wrapped meals she had found in Geralt’s saddle bag.
Meanwhile, Jun had been on the lockout, “Shhh, Velita, hide! He’s crossing the courtyard and he’s got the Steward in tow!” he slid down the ladder to intercept the steward when the gate screeched open.
“I’ll see to my horse now,” the witcher blocked the opened gate with his full width, “Thank you and good night.” The steward got the message and scampered off. Geralt made a quick detour to Roach, who was well feed and watered like last night, his luggage nowhere in sight. Velita awaited him in the aisle in front of the saddle chamber, handing him his cloak. “It’s getting chilly up there,” she smiled at him before she went up the ladder.
Once more she had evaded his embrace. Underneath her vest, she had wrapped herself into her sleeping blanket and tied it around her mid with a rope, but he had seen enough to make up for it from imagination while he climbed up behind her slim heels. “Good evening, I’m Geralt.” The carriers introduced themselves; the two older, broader men were Choi and Pike. The young Jun and Gene were twins so alike one had to listen to tell them apart. The countess had put them all into uniform tunics but Jun was upbeat and Gene was thoughtful.
Velita filled the bowls, bread and the chicken kebab from the bathhouse was handed around and there was a full bottle of cider for everybody. Geralt slipped out of the sleeves and held open his wide dark cloak for her to sit close to him. He covered her bare shoulders carefully before he started eating. To the carriers who sat around wrapped in their own blankets, the long sword’s hilts protruding from his back was sufficient warning that he was not one of their kind. Whatever the reason for the singing had been, the up-beat mood had been replaced by mutual routine and half-hidden frowns when he pulled Velita closer against him.
He did not dare them further but asked her amiably, “Did you have a nice day?”
“Yes, we finished the apple harvest, pressed the juice and saved the last tomatoes from the frost – I put them in the bean stew. Those kebabs are good, from the Midville bathhouse, you said? Did you get the hot soak you were longing for?”
It did not slip the witcher’s attention how quickly the secretive little butcher changed topic. “There is still a monster in the queue before of the bath.”
Gernot grinned, “Well, most of it. The first batch we already incinerated in the bathhouse oven to pre-heat the water.”
The mood started to lift again “How did you get it? It annihilated the guards and field hands one by one and the captain couldn’t do a thing about it.”
“I managed to surprise it during an attack on Lumberjack, found sufficient altitude and landed a strike before it pulled out. I half expected it to make a stand upon injury, but self-preservation took over and it escaped.”
“Is Lumberjack alright?” Choi asked for the transportation fellow he had spend hours with while the lady of the manor had bathed and chatted with Midville’s well-to-do matrons.
“…scared, bruised but unhurt otherwise. The leshen killed his horse first which stopped the cart. He dismounted and with the fallen trunks in his back, he fended it off until my attack.”
“I’m glad.” Choi nodded. “He’s a good guy.”
Gernot pushed the hay about with the tip of his boot. “It is difficult to find or to hold and I’m not even sure if the thing feels pain at all. It’s like a ball with five meter long arms that rustles through the tree tops. It doesn’t have a visible mouth and doesn’t make sounds aside of movement. It is an eerie silence.”
“I will have to find a way to lure it out.” The witcher closed the topic. “Somewhere I can kill it.” He fished another piece of horsemeat from the stew. Apparently Gernot had been right that there was a surplus of horse meat so great it was even given to slaves. Feeding wasn’t the main motive for the monster’s killing spree. He took a swig of cider. “You did not tell me of the attacks on the guards so far, or how you lost your two dogs.”
“After the couch raid and my initial morning lookout when I had found the corpses of the missing guests, the count commanded a driven hunt through the woods. The captain and the guards took spears, swords and crossbows and accompanied me in full armor. The stable boy, smithy and field hands formed a line of drivers on the other side and then I sent the dogs in. The packers accompanied me, Adda and the running dogs worked as wild cards to turn over the thickets. On the third turn that day, we came across the monster – or should I say: it came over us? There was a rustle in the bush, guards were torn out of the saddles and slammed into trees or just dropped to death from the tops of the trees. Horses were killed by massive stab wounds or died slowly from slashes… you’ve seen the two survivors down in the stable, have you?”
“Yes. Massive gashes, but the treatment seems to work and there is not the degree of infestation a predatory animal’s claws would cause. How about the leshen, did it take damage as well?”
“I’m not sure about the others. For my part, I did not manage to cut down the slightest piece. I noticed nothing when I returned to bring home the dead. But then, I did not look closely at roots and branches… there was so much blood around… at that point, only the human remains mattered.
“So there could be more leshens sprouting up. Hmm… what about the field hands – they had less iron on them, were they attacked as well?”
“Yes, but now that you mention it; the monster seemed to have a preference for the guards. Of course the field hands were the first to run and many escaped, but only one of the riders made it out: the Captain. The grey horse in the first partition to the left is his. The brown horse in the second partition carried me out. I had walked in with the drivers into the middle of the slaughter where I caught the horse which had bucked its rider. My two packers died defending me as I mounted up. One was stabbed, the other wrung out and thrown away like a wipe - despite the fact I threw my spear right into the center of the leshen. It was the best I can probably do at that height with a heavy boar-spear, but it had little to no effect. It was discouraging. And as we’ve seen today, it got a rid of the protruding spear and moves like new.”
“Only fire hurts the leshen permanently. Even deep stabs cause no noteworthy loss of body fluids. Simple cuts will re-grow tentacles,” the witcher agreed, “Torches, braziers; glowing metal can be used with caution - because bush fires can be as dangerous as monsters.”
“Thankfully, it’s been a rainy week and the nights turn frosty. We can throw fire in the wood without acute danger.
“Yes. By the way: what happened to the Captain? He looks like he spent an unwise amount of time in the sun after Gernot put him into bed?”
Choi shrugged “It was his own choice.” – “He insisted to stay on the bench on watch outside while Velita prepared a portion for his foot.” Gernot tried to close the topic but could not prevent a smirk. Jun cracked up laughing, “sorry,” he patted Gene’s back who had taken a bean the wrong way. “What’s good for the foot will do for his nose.” Pike piped up under the stern yellow gaze of the witcher, cracking up as well.
“I saw that salve when I examined his ankle. Do you grow the ingredients yourself, Velita?”
“I do. I’m always looking for plants and new uses. Even today I had a new find.”- “A find?” – “Yes, some sort of twiner I didn’t know so far. It reminds me of a bean plant, but it got dark red leaves - maybe it is a variation of scarlet runner bean. It sprouted so late in the season, it’s probably good for nothing, but to avoid stepping on it during the dishwashing and to have fun with Anne and Fabian, I relocated the two exemplars to the garden hut. As fertilizer and frost-protection I surrounded them with a layer of horse manure. As strong as the sprouts looked, beans are usually not hardy enough… sorry, I’ve been babbling. How is the Captain? Did Roach’s hoof break something?”
“No. In about two weeks he will be able to walk normally, though fighting will need additional training. You prepared a good cooling potion for him.” she nodded, “Despite the fact you don’t like each other.” – “hm.” – “Are you still afraid of punishment?”
“He has given me no reason to like him, Geralt, but I do follow orders,” she tried to smoother the topic and to keep the guys from bragging like they had with Gernot. - “I informed him that during my stay all orders towards you will require my approval. Did he punish you?” – “Several times since he brought me here, but not today.” – “How?” – “That’s over. Let’s talk about something else.” – “Why?”
“Didn’t you get it? She doesn’t want to talk about it and us neither. Don’t worry; it was undeserved and the Captain is a brutal guy who fully deserved his mishap, therefore the laugh.” Choi grumbled, “Be nice with Roach and Velita, you can be damn grateful they seem to care about you.”
The witcher held Choi’s gaze silently. The silence stretched to deafening, but the countess’ slave did not add further challenge against the count’s mercenary-turned-guest. Geralt placed his spoon in the bowl and set it aside carefully. He turned to bring his hand up to cup Velita’s cheek “Is that so?”
Velita pupils widened as his amber gaze fixed on her. He was so very close, his cloak all around them like a warm cocoon, his arm in her back was hard with riveted leather armor and held her tight while his gentle caress fluttered over her yaw. “Yes,” she answered, all the ‘buts’ suddenly blown from her mind. “I care about you,” she saw his shy smile come out of it hiding, it raised his lips and she homed in to feel it, taste it.
“Totally transfixed,” Choi commented low under his breath, “I have to go for a piss,” he took Pike down the ladder.
“He’s a witcher.” Jun commented flatly and elbowed Gene to stop staring.
“Indeed.” Gernot picked up the conversation with the two younger carriers, “What he tries hard not to tell you, is that he single-handed outperformed the whole guard including the captain this afternoon. I can tell because I’ve seen the difference.”
“He cut it once, it escaped.” Gene shrugged, “How does that deserve her special attention?”
Gernot chuckled. “I just mean that you are specialists in downplaying, all of you – and that you deserve mutual respect. Remember that and have a good evening.” He stood and left for the mansion. The people there did not think Velita was good enough for him - while he was convinced of the opposite. Geralt had the advantage. The cook had put Fabian into bed a while ago. Anne had moved upstairs into the Countess rooms to serve as a handmaiden. Her successions of rooms were another realm, about as far away as the moon. But the mere knowledge that his kids had enjoyed some hours in the garden, playing in the sun with their favorite dog in the company of a loving woman made him happy.
Outside, Pike had a private talk with Choi. “I think the steward allows us to celebrate for his own good reason: because we are the only remaining force left in this compound and he feels the need to endear himself to us before their mercenary leaves,” Choi analyzed and Pike spat, “as if a bottle of cider made up for a thing. Couldn’t the witcher take the captain and the count with him tomorrow and leave it to Gernot to manage the mansion?” – “We would be better off but it’s not a good idea to ask that. He’s been everywhere asking curious questions. As an outsider, he can spy and sell his information to the highest bidder – which won’t be us.”
“Velita seems to trust him, despite the fact that he’s just another brute.” – “That makes me really angry. She had such a hard time to trust anybody and now this guy gets it all for free. Sure he could be a more powerful defender than you and I, but I don’t think he will interfere. He’s too experienced in the ways of the world. He will just take his coins and leave the heartbreak to Velita.” – “Hm, once she’s blown out the candles, that mutant can probably pass off himself as a shapely human male. I’ve got to admit that he doesn’t come across like a total ass. It’s a smart move on her part to make the most of what she has to endure anyway,” Pike shrugged, “I just hope that Jun and Gene keep jealous comments among themselves.” – “For my part, I am not jealous, I’m just glad that you are both in bright light: shapely and human.” – “I know.” Pike slapped his shoulder. – “Let’s go back, we’ve got more cider to kill.”
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Sleeping Beauty Reloaded