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Jaskier had a bad feeling about this place. Though he often had a bad feeling about a lot of the places Yennefer took him. This particular place happened to be the home of another mage, which made it especially bad in Jaskier’s books.
This mage had been causing trouble for a village nearby, causing freak weather events, summoning monsters, you know, the usual. The villagers had practically begged Yennefer to do something about it. Yennefer wasn’t heartless, she could see how the people were suffering for something beyond their control. She agreed in exchange for a place to stay for the night. The best they could offer was a barn, but they would have a roof over their heads, and straw was still preferable to mud the recent rain had turned much of the ground to mush.
Yennefer had tried to get Jaskier to stay in the village. She had no idea how unstable the mage might be. There was the potential for a fight, in which case Yennefer wouldn’t be able to protect him. Despite her best efforts, he insisted on going. Deadly monsters never stopped him from following Geralt, so why should one human mage hold him back now.
The mage supposedly lived somewhere in the swamp nearby. It was difficult to navigate on a good day but with the recent rain, it was downright treacherous. The path disappeared completely in some places beneath the water and foliage, the muck threatening to pull Jaskier’s boots off with every step. Yennefer didn’t seem to be faring much better.
After what felt like an eternity but was likely only an hour judging by the brief glimpses of the sun between he clouds, they came to a large stone building. It looked like it had been abandoned years ago, the lower floor partially submerged in foul water, the walls crumbling down where timber had rotted away and half the roof missing altogether. He would be inclined to believe it empty if it wasn’t for the static feeling of chaos in the air.
Unlike Yennefer’s magic, which now felt familiar and almost welcoming, this magic felt distinctly different. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, an icy chill running down his spine. He almost had to fight the urge to take off back the way they’d come.
“Stay here,” Yennefer said. Jaskier, for once, felt inclined to listen.
He watched, almost frozen in place, as Yennefer walked up to the sunken doorway. She disappeared inside, leaving Jaskier alone outside. Logically, he knew he was safer outside. It didn’t stop the feeling of being watched. The mage probably knew he was here. Maybe he’d summoned monsters nearby, ready to defend himself should Yennefer attack. Mentally, Jaskier began running through the list of monsters Geralt had fought, trying to recall which ones tended to live in swamps.
Adrenaline surged as a stick snapped somewhere behind him. He span around so quickly he almost lost his balance and toppled into the mud. There was nothing there. He was just on edge, that was all. It was just him out there with the perfectly normal swamp animals, no monsters in sight.
A split-second shift in the air was all the warning Jaskier got before something exploded behind him. Turning back to face the building, he saw one of the upper walls topple, smoke rising from a wide hole blasted in the stone.
“Yennefer!” Jaskier called, hesitant to go any closer to the house in case the other mage was still around.
After a second blast which knocked down one of the lower walls, Yennefer came running out of the door. “Get behind cover!” she shouted at him. Jaskier turned back to the trees. Monsters or not, the safest place for him right now was most definitely as far from the rogue mage as possible.
He ran straight for the biggest tree he could see, hoping it would be enough to protect him until Yennefer could deal with the other mage. He all but dived behind it, narrowly missing a blast of fire, scorching the damp bark but thankfully not setting it alight.
The air crackled with the power of the two mages, leaving the taste of ozone on his tongue. He had no idea who was winning. Surely they couldn’t go on for much longer. Yennefer had said before that despite her power, mages still had limits.
He decided to risk a quick peek around the safety of the tree. The songs he could write about this fight had the potential to become legendary. He just needed to see the action. Gingerly he poked his head out. The two mages were still stood in front of the now almost entirely demolished building. Yennefer seemed to have the upper hand, backing the other man against the wall. Desperately he threw spell after spell at her which she expertly deflected with a wave of her arm.
Surely, he thought, it would be safe to come out now. There was no way Yennefer could lose, not with her opponent all but defeated already. He came out of hiding a little further, wanting to see more.
The other mage spotted him, staring right at him. His face twisted into a snarl before he hurled a spell in Jaskier’s direction. Jaskier didn’t have time to react. He tried to duck out of the way, but it hit him square in the shoulder. It felt like his entire body was on fire. His vision went white, sound replaced by a high-pitched whine. He thought he might have screamed, but he couldn’t be sure over the noise in his own head. The only thing he was fully aware of was the horrible pain.
At some point when the pain had abated somewhat and his senses returned, he felt hands on his arms, holding him firmly in place. He hoped it was Yennefer. If the other mage was grabbing him it could only mean Yennefer was dead and he’d soon be following her. He tried to focus through the pain, blinking to try and clear his vision which was now completely black. The ringing in his ears had lessened and he could just make out a voice.
“Y-Yen?” he asked tentatively.
“It’s me Jask. Are you hurt?” She sounded muffled and distant despite being right next to him.
Jaskier breathed a sigh of relief at hearing her. “I don’t know what happened. Everything hurts.” His whole body was still tense with pain, but it was more bearable now.
The hands shifted, helping him to sit up, causing the pain to flare up again. He cried out, curling in on himself. Yen’s hands didn’t leave him, one hand now resting on his back, rubbing circles there while the other remained on his arm to steady him. “What kind of pain is it? Burning, stinging, what?” She sounded clearer this time, the high-pitched whining settling into the background. His vision was still dark however, despite his best efforts at blinking it away.
“It’s, sort of, burning,” he groaned as another shock of pain travelled through him. “My ears are ringing, and I can’t see anything.”
“Shit,” she muttered under her breath. He tried to ignore the rising panic as he felt Yennefer’s hands over the rest of his body, probably searching for any physical injuries. As the pain gradually lessened he could identify the odd prickle of magic coursing through his body. No doubt Yennefer had already picked up on it.
“Am I cursed?” he asked, hating how his voice shook with just those three little words.
“Looks like it. I can’t tell what he did but I don’t think it’s permanent.”
“How long will it last?” The panic was threatening to take over. He needed to fucking see. What was he supposed to do without his vision?
“I don’t know. Let’s just get back to the village. I’m exhausted but I cant take a better look at you when we’re back.”
“Just how do you propose we get back? It’s not like I can go anywhere in this condition. I’ll end up face first in the mud.”
“We can’t stay here. It’s going to get dark and it’s already starting to rain again. There’s no shelter here.”
“What about the house?”
“It’s… gone.”
“Gone?”
“I could tell he was going to do something to you, so I tried to kill him first. I was slightly too slow for that, but I did kill him. I just also happened to knock down the rest of the building in the process.”
“Great.”
“Come on, I’ll guide you.”
He felt her hand in his, ready to pull him to his feet. Once standing, he felt slightly light headed, the ringing in his ears returning briefly. “You’re not going to pass out, are you?” Yen asked.
“No, why?”
“You went really pale. We can wait a minute if you need it.”
“No, I’m fine. The sooner we get out of here the better. I’ve had enough of this damned swamp.”
Yennefer placed his hand on her shoulder before they set off. It was unnerving, relying entirely on Yen for direction. But there was no other choice. They couldn’t stay here, not without shelter. There was still the very real possibility of other dangers lurking nearby, and with Yennefer’s magic depleted, it would be much safer if they could make it back to the village sooner rather than later.
If the trek getting here had been difficult, going back felt almost impossible. Yennefer, although trying her best, didn’t quite take into account exactly how helpless Jaskier was without his sight. He tripped up almost constantly, very nearly pulling Yennefer down with him. She tried to warn him of roots and rocks on the path but sometimes the path disappeared entirely, leaving them wading through water with gods knows what hidden underneath.
They’d been walking for perhaps half an hour already according to Yennefer’s estimate. Jaskier was getting increasingly frustrated with himself. Yennefer to her credit was being patient with him, though he didn’t know how much longer that would last. They were yet again wading through almost knee-high water, the path ahead submerged. It had started raining in earnest at some point, soaking through his clothes and letting in the cold, only serving to make life even more miserable.
In summary he was utterly fed up with the whole situation but he had to keep going. He had no idea how much further they had to go. Getting to the mage in the first place had taken a long time but now they were moving at a snail’s pace.
“There’s a root in front of you. Lift your leg up a little higher.” Jaskier did as he was told, leaning on Yennefer to keep his balance. “Alright, put your foot down,” she said as he stepped over it. It was tedious to say the least. It was also, unfortunately, necessary.
They continued to squelch through the mud, ever so slowly making their way through the damned swamp. Jaskier tried to take a step forward but found his boot stuck in the mud. He teetered, trying to regain his balance. Yen’s hands were on him, trying to steady him, but it was too late. He felt himself topple over, arms flailing about, trying to grab anything to save himself.
He fell backward, his arms out to brace his fall. The frigid water was a shock, the mud beneath giving way, making him sink further down. The water thankfully wasn’t deep, maybe a little over a foot. It soaked through his clothes instantly, chilling him to the bone.
“Jask, are you alright?” Yen asked from somewhere to his right.
Jaskier didn’t reply, instead swallowing the lump in his throat as he fought the urge to cry. He felt stupid. He was a grown man, getting a little wet and dirty shouldn’t be such a big problem. But it was the final straw, he didn’t think he could take any more.
“Jaskier?” Yen asked again, concerned as he continued to not say anything. He heard the mud sucking at her boots as she walked around, possibly trying to reach him without falling in herself. “Jaskier, are you hurt?” The slight desperation in her voice was enough for him to pull himself together enough to speak.
“I’m fine,” he croaked.
“Come on, get up.”
Just leave me he thought, though he knew she never would. If it weren’t for me we’d be back by now. He half-hoped she was still too drained from earlier to read his mind. If she could, she didn’t mention it.
“Jaskier, you can’t stay sitting in a muddy puddle feeling sorry for yourself. I want to get out of here too. Now get up.”
She was right, of course she was. With a sigh, Jaskier pulled himself free of the mud, crawling his way back to where he thought Yennefer was. She grabbed hold of his doublet and helped pull him in the right direction.
“Come on, there’s a dryer bit ahead, we can take a break there.”
Sure enough, after a bit more scrambling about they made it to firmer ground. Yennefer guided him to sit on an exposed root. It wasn’t comfortable but it was better than the sodden ground. He hunched forward, elbows resting on his knees. He would’ve buried his face in his hands, but he was acutely aware of the stinking mud still clinging to his skin. He attempted to wipe the worst of it off on his doublet. The garment would be unsalvageable by now, the delicate fabric ruined by the swamp.
Yennefer sighed. Jaskier generally prided himself on being able to pick up on others’ emotions. Even without his vision, he could tell she was annoyed with him.
“Jaskier,” she began, “I’m not going to lie to you and tell you there’s nothing to worry about. I get that you’re blind and that sucks. Of course it does. And yes it’s making getting through this swamp difficult. But do you really think I want to be wading through here anymore than you do?”
“Just leave me behind then. Come get me when you can portal again.”
“We both know I’m not going to do that.” She paused. “I just need you to keep going.”
“I wouldn’t blame you though. If you did leave me I mean.”
“Jaskier—”
“It’s my fault though, isn’t it,” he said, trying to look in her general direction. “If I’d listened to you and stayed at the village none of this would have happened. Or even if I’d just stayed hidden like you said I wouldn’t be cursed right now.”
“Listen to me. I’m not entirely blameless either but neither of us knew what we were going to find out here. The true blame lies with that mage, and he’s dead. So pull yourself together. We need to get back before it gets dark.”
Jaskier had to admit there was truth to her words. Blame was pointless, what was done was done. Yennefer’s hand on his arm guided him to stand and they were off again.
They arrived back at the village another half hour later, according to Yennefer at least. She said the sun was setting so it was a relief to know they wouldn’t both be stumbling around in the dark.
“Oh, you’re back!” a woman said from further ahead, sounding far too cheery for Jaskier’s liking. Jaskier was pretty sure it was the same woman who had offered for them to stay in the barn as payment. “My husband said you were goners.”
“He certainly put up a fight,” Yennefer said, almost succeeding in hiding her exhaustion.
“I should say. We heard it from here. When you didn’t return after an hour some folks started saying you’d been killed.”
“I’m glad we can prove them wrong.” Yennefer’s tone was becoming increasingly clipped. No doubt her frustration growing at this poor woman who only wanted to gossip, but nonetheless was blocking them from finally getting under shelter.
“Why don’t you come join me and my husband for some food. You’ve more than earnt it.”
While the offer sure sounded inviting, Jaskier was all too aware that would mean he would either have to face the embarrassment of trying to feed himself blind, or Yennefer would have to help him. Neither option sounded too enticing, certainly not in front of strangers. His grip on Yennefer’s shoulder tightened, ever so slightly, but it was enough.
“Thank you, but no. I think we’d rather head straight to the barn and get cleaned up.”
“You should come inside then. We’ve got the fire going. It’ll warm you up in no time and I can get you some hot water. It’s no bath, but it ought to do the job.”
It seemed she didn’t wait for a reply as Jaskier felt Yennefer move forward, following the woman’s footsteps. Jaskier had to admit, it did sound inviting. Maybe they could just take their food back to the barn with them.
The walk to the woman’s house was blessedly short and straightforward. As soon as they stepped inside, Jaskier was met with a blast of warm air. Yennefer led him closer to the fire, guiding him to sit on a stool nearby.
“Say, what’s wrong with him?” the woman asked from across the room.
“The mage cursed him before I could kill him.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry. I-I didn’t mean—”
“It’s fine,” Jaskier said. “I’ll be alright, right Yen?”
“Of course.” He tried to convince himself her voice didn’t sound strained.
After a few minutes of sitting by the fire, Jaskier finally felt blood return to his hands and feet. He was still covered in muck but at least he was warm. Now all he wanted to go to sleep and forget this whole sorry business but there were a few more things that needed before that could happen unfortunately.
Yennefer eventually decided it was time for them to head for the barn where they could clean up and eat in peace. The rain had lessened to a light drizzle by then so going outside didn’t result in getting drenched in freezing rain again.
The woman helped bring over their food while Yennefer and Jaskier carried a bucket of hot water each. “If either of you need anything, I’ll be more than happy to help. And you can stay here as long as you need.”
“Thank you, truly,” Jaskier said in what he hoped was the right direction. “We’d surely be lost without your aid.”
“And I don’t know what this village would’ve done if you hadn’t come along to save us.” With that, Jaskier heard her retreating footsteps followed by the barn door closing.
The inside of the barn wasn’t anywhere near as warm as the house had been, but it was still better than outside. Also, it was dry, which really was all that was necessary at this point. Jaskier could hear shuffling but couldn’t be sure if it was from Yennefer or from one of the animals they were sharing the space with.
Now that Yennefer had left his side, he felt strangely exposed. He had no idea where he was in relation to anything else, afraid of making one wrong move and tripping over. Instead of risking it, he stood in place where he’d been left. It was mildly terrifying, this feeling of being untethered, like nothing outside of his immediate vicinity existed.
Several long minutes passed before Yennefer broke the silence. “Are you going to get clean?”
“In case you forgot, I can’t see.”
“So? Just get on with it.”
There was something about getting undressed while blind that unnerved him. He couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. Not that he minded if Yennefer saw him, after all, she’d already seen him at his worst. There was just the ever-present unshakable feeling of some other also watching him.
“We’re safe here. There’s no one around,” she said when he hesitated.
“You’re magic’s coming back then?” he said, finally shrugging off his probably ruined doublet. He dropped it, wincing at the sodden splat as it hit the ground.
“I hardly need to read your mind to tell you’re uncomfortable. But yes, it’s coming back a little.”
Jaskier pulled his shirt over his head, hating the way the wet cloth clung to his skin. He dropped it next to where he thought his doublet was. He would be very surprised if any of it could be salvaged, ruined by mud and water, possibly torn as well if the snagging branches of the trees was anything to go by.
Now that his damp skin was exposed to the cool air, he began to shiver. He realised then that he didn’t have a cloth or something to help him wash himself. Actually, he wasn’t entirely sure where the bucket was, and he sure as hell didn’t want to kick it over by accident. He’d never felt trapped yet exposed at the same time. Needless to say, he absolutely detested it.
“Here, let me help,” Yennefer said. There was the sound of dripping water before a warm, wet cloth was pressed into his hand. He flinched at the unexpected contact but didn’t pull away. “Kneel down on the floor and give me your other hand. I’ll show you where the bucket is.”
Jaskier did as he was told, getting on the ground and letting Yennefer guide his hand to the bucket. She left him to it after that, presumably going to clean herself up. Jaskier found he didn’t mind too much, having an object to ground him in the horrible black void he found himself.
Cleaning himself up from there wasn’t too difficult. At least not until it came time for him to peel of his sodden trousers, which he decided to do sitting down so he didn’t lose track of the bucket. It may not have been his brightest idea, but he got there in the end.
When he was done, Yennefer brought him a change of clothes. Putting them on was much less of a hassle than getting his wet ones off. Though he might have put his shirt on backwards.
“Come sit over here,” Yennefer said, placing her hand on his arm. He reached out to take her hand so she could lead him. It struck him a second too late for him to realise what he’d just done but she didn’t seem to mind, simply leading him across the barn without a word.
She sat him down on what he recognised as his bedroll before handing him a still warm bowl. “Do you think you can eat that without help?” she asked.
“What is it?”
“Stew, of some kind.”
“Can I drink it or are the chunks too big?”
“It’s drinkable, I guess.”
“Great.” He lifted the bowl up to his lips and took a tentative sip. It was a little watery with bits of chopped vegetables in that he couldn’t quite identify but it tasted good, and that was enough. They ate in silence, which Jaskier didn’t find as unnerving as before.
Once they had both finished, Yennefer took their bowls and set them aside before sitting herself down in front of Jaskier. “I think my magic has restored enough for me to be able to figure out what he did to you. Just try and keep still.”
She placed he hands on his shoulders and he felt the familiar prickle of her magic across his skin. He did as she’d instructed and tried to keep still, not wanting to break her concentration. After a minute, she dropped her arms.
“It’s a tricky curse. I don’t think I’ll be able to remove it, not after the fight today. But it should wear off in a day or two by itself.”
“So no miraculous cure then,” he said light-heartedly.
She gave a small chuckle. “No, I’m afraid we’ll just have to wait it out.”
“I feel like I owe you an apology.”
“Don’t go there bard. We already did this earlier.”
“No, but I mean… about my behaviour. I was frustrated and I felt helpless, and I took it out on you. I’m sorry.”
“Just promise next time you’ll stay under cover until after the danger has passed and not during it.”
“I can try my best,” he said, but they both knew he wouldn’t.
“Well, I’m exhausted,” Yennefer said, changing the subject before they started talking about mushy things like feelings. “I’m going to sleep. I suggest you do the same.”
“That’s probably one of the best suggestions I’ve heard all day.”