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"Alright kids, off to the campfire." Geralt yelled to his red team. At Camp Wolf it was customary to do a big campfire each night to bring the two teams together to talk about the activities and how the next day was planned out. The older campers came running to go sit down at the large campfire. As they sat down the younger group, the blue team or as they were fondly refereed to as the pups by the older kids.
Jaskier and Lambert were sitting with their little group and watched as the older kids came and sat. Eskel and Geralt sat with them and Yennefer soon arrived with supplies to make smores. The kids exclaimed in excitement seeing the sticks being handed out. Jaskier began to strum his guitar and the kids started to sing the camp anthem.
"Camp Wolf Camp Wolf
A summer camp for all the best!
We sing, we play, and best of all
we don't complain!
Camp Wolf Camp Wolf
Our Home away from Home!"
Jaskier continued to strum while the older kids helped the younger ones get their marshmallows roasted. Ciri sat on Geralt's lap happily watching the fire overtake her marshmallow. Geralt kissed her blonde hair and bounced her on his knee. He had been nervous becoming her guardian being only 22 at the time and her being five. They were now 23 and 6 but in all accounts they were doing well. He was just happy he could bring her along and let her enjoy the summer camp experience. She began to eat the chocolates that was supposed to go on her smore while Geralt roasted her sweet.
Jaskier winked to Geralt who blushed a bit, ever since they began to date they were inseparable when they could manage but they both knew their first duties were to the campers. Jaskier continued to strum his guitar while the kids enjoyed their sweets. Yennefer being head counselor stood up. "Alright kids, I think tonight is ghost story night." Ciri snuggled deeper into Geralt's arms nervous about the ghost stories, but she knew her big brother/father would protect her. Jaskier sat beside them holding her small hand, his guitar waiting beside him if he needed to add any extra suspense. Yennefer grinned. "Alright who's first?"
Lambert stood up with a smile. "I'll go first."
"Good, scare them at the start then the rest of the stories won't seem so bad." Eskel joked with a grin as the campers continued to munch on smores and the chocolate. A few older kids tossed marshmallows back and forth.
Lambert looked over the campers with a smile. "Five hundred years ago this exact spot was where they killed a witch." He grinned as some of the younger campers eyes grew wide. Ciri sat back into Geralt's arms, her grip on Jaskier's hand tight. He chuckled patting her leg softly.
"Why'd they burn the witch?" One of the older campers asked with big eyes.
"She cursed a town, their crops all began to die. The pigs and cows went mad, they were dangerous and wild. The well dried up, people got sick." Lambert replied. "She decimated the town, people grew ill and children died from starvation."
"Why'd she curse them? No ones just a meanie." Ciri piped up. Geralt chuckled rubbing her cheek.
Lambert looked her sweet face over, her blonde hair had been braided back by Jaskier that morning. "Well Ciri, you're right. No one's just mean to be mean. However, she was to be married to the mayors son. This witch was fair and beautiful, and no one knew of her powers until one day she walked in on the mayors son and her best friend. They had been together for a long time, their arranged marriage meant nothing to the mayors son but the witch had loved him so. She cursed the town to ensure he never became mayor. So they could never be happy like she wasn't."
Ciri frowned a bit. "That's sad." She whispered.
Geralt nuzzled her a bit while they continued to listen to Lambert's story. "How is this a ghost story?" One of the older boys asked.
"I was getting to that." Lambert replied giving him a look. The kids quieted down and tossed a marshmallow towards another camper. Lambert smirked a bit watching the younger ones faces. "It's said that if you listen in the dead of night you will hear her screams as she was burnt by the fires. She continues to seek out those who she believes wrong her. Any girl who looks like her best friend, any boy who looks like her past lover. She will seek them out, she will show up in your dreams. Lead you out into the woods in a sleep walking state and finish you off in hopes of healing her wounded heart. The anger within her soul when she died kept her tethered to this realm. She seeks revenge and she continues to hunt for those who wronged her to finally be released from the grounds."
As he grew quiet and the kids all looked up at him with big eyes a scream was heard in the distance. Geralt looked around and realized that Yennefer had stepped away. The kids were all howling in terror about a witch coming to get them. Ciri clung to his chest while she held Jaskier's hand so tightly her nails dug in.
Yennefer came back around in the chaos and sat down while she watched the kids. "What did her enemies look like? Which ones of us are safe!" They yelped in panic.
Jaskier grinned a bit seeing even the skeptical older kids looking wide eyed in panic. Lambert chuckled a bit. "That's the thing kid, the story doesn't tell us what they looked like, it's lost in history. She could be looking for anyone, they could look just like you. Their eyes and hair are a complete mystery. All we know is she is searching, and continues to search for anyone who looks like those who wronged her. You can sometimes even see her frame in the fire as it rages."
The kids were horrified by the idea, Ciri snuggled deeper into Geralt. "I think the kids are going to be up all night."
Eskel only nodded with a chuckle while they talked and the kids stuck close to their friends. "This is why we have the buddy system to use the bathroom at night." Yennefer smirked. "A few years ago we had a camper go out on his own and he never came back. We heard the screams of the witch that very night."
The kids clung closer to one another.
"Geralt." Ciri's little voice whispered as she snuggled deeper into his neck. "Can I sleep in your tent tonight?"
"Yes of course Ciri." Geralt smirked kissing her forehead. "Anything you need."
She sighed in relief.
"Well it's getting late, I think we better get off to bed everyone." Yennefer called. The kids were wide eyed, no other stories, no more songs. Just the thought of a witch roaming their camp ground.
"How about one song." Jaskier said standing up as he strummed a nice tune, the kids calmed a bit at the sound of the guitar strings. "You kids know we are here to protect you, from witches and ghosts and the likes." Jaskier mentioned to calm the kids some more. "Hell Geralt is strong enough he could probably punch a bear. It's why us five are your counselors. Team Red or Team Blue we are all Camp Wolf."
The kids eased hearing their newest and favorite camp counselor promise their safety, and they all agreed their white haired counselor was strong enough he probably could wrestle a bear no problem. "Now off to bed you kids, we have a busy day tomorrow. Bright and early. Remember the buddy system." Yennefer clapped. The kids went running, in pairs or groups of three to four back to their cabins. Geralt carried Ciri off to his tent to let her sleep with him that night to protect her from the evil witch. He chuckled as she fell asleep in his arms.
Lambert smirked fist bumping Yennefer as they put the fire out, the embers sparkling about in the night air. "I think that will keep them all in their cabins at night."
"Should." She smirked. "If not I can just go scream in the woods."
He chuckled as they headed to their tents, the kids promising to protect one another by the fire side witch.