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Geralt woke with a start, his heart pounding as he lay there in the darkness, the thick curtains shutting out the meagre light provided by the moon and stars.
The dreams didn’t bother him often, but there were nights when all he could see was death every time he closed his eyes. So many lives he’d seen cut short. So many people he’d lost. And still more to lose. People he loved whose lives were snuffed out in his nightmares, in a thousand different ways. It was less likely to happen now, with them all safely ensconced in Corvo Bianco, though Geralt knew better than to believe that violence could not reach them here.
He rolled over onto his side and found that the wide stretch of mattress beside him was empty, where he’d expected to find Eskel’s warm bulk. Perhaps that was what had woken him, though the cool sheets suggested Eskel had been gone for some time now.
Geralt knew that sleep would not find him again until he’d put eyes on Eskel and assured himself that his oldest friend and first love was alright. In fact, he’d likely not sleep until he’d checked on all of the house’s inhabitants.
Following the scent he’d held dear as long as he could remember, Geralt traced Eskel’s steps, wending his way down to the kitchens, where he found a freshly washed plate and mug. A little tea and a bite to eat often settled the nerves after nightmares, and Geralt had to wonder if Eskel’s sleep had been just as troubled as his.
The scent continued through the kitchen, and up the servants’ stairs, veering off again toward Lambert and Aiden’s room.
The door was cracked, and Geralt could hear no breath or heartbeats on the other side. Peeking in, he found the room empty, the sheets left tangled and hanging off Lambert’s side of the bed.
Lambert and Aiden’s scents mingled with Eskel’s as Geralt continued to trace Eskel’s steps. Geralt was beginning to think he knew where to find all three of them.
A quick glance into Gaetan’s room confirmed it. The door had been left flung wide open, and the sheets had been left in disarray. It was one of three rooms that BB had been asked not to allow the maid to enter, along with Lambert’s alchemy lab, and the final room in this hall, tucked away in the quietest corner of the house.
Geralt didn’t need to follow the scents anymore. He knew where to find the wayward witchers.
Sneaking quietly along the hall, he tiptoed into the room, and couldn’t help but smile at what he saw. Piled on top of each other in an impossible configuration were the three Cats, with Eskel and Lambert curled around the tangled pile of limbs, bracketing them with their warmth.
The scene was alight with a soft glow, flickering faintly. The light Lambert had devised to keep a room from falling into complete darkness.
Kiyan had slept poorly when he’d first been brought to Toussaint, and none of them had quite known what to do for him. He could not sleep during the day, with the activity around the estate setting him on edge if he tried, and the darkness of the night reminded him far too strongly of his imprisonment. They’d tried lanterns, or leaving his fire burning through the night, but they quickly found that the brightness of the lights hurt his eyes and caused him anxiety.
Lambert was the one to find a solution. A small, slow burning candle inside a ceramic bowl, to allow a dim light that would not be overwhelming to Kiyan’s incredibly sensitive eyes. Eskel had crafted the bowl, and had cut out shapes so that the light, when cast against the wall, looked a little like the wings of a pixie, long and fluttering.
Kiyan had been charmed by it, and had spent hours that first day twisting and turning the bowl to watch as the light shifted. He still rarely spoke, but he’d croaked out a thank you, his eyes filled with delight and wonder.
The little light had worked wonders for Kiyan’s ability to sleep, and Lambert and Eskel had worked together to design several more, intrigued by the shapes they could create with the light. So far, however, Kiyan had refused any others they made, clutching the first one close as though he thought they might take it from him any time they offered another.
Geralt knew that Gaetan had stolen one that had been intended to be thrown out, as it was cracked down one side. Lambert and Aiden kept several in their room, though they saw little use, as far as Geralt was aware. He wasn’t sure why Eskel hadn’t kept any for their room, but witnessing the way the light cast a soft haze over the room, Geralt wanted one for himself.
Eskel peeled one eye open to stare at Geralt where he still stood in the doorway.
“Plannin’ on joinin’ us, Wolf, or are you just gonna hang around and watch us sleepin’?” Eskel rumbled, yawning a little.
Geralt huffed a laugh, crossing the room in three long strides.
“I wondered where you’d run off to,” he said, tucking himself in behind Eskel, arms wrapping around that thick chest he loved so much. “Bed was cold.”
Eskel yawned again, and tangled his fingers with Geralt’s, trapping his arms in place.
“Didn’t wanna miss the party that was happening in here,” Eskel said, and Geralt could hear the teasing smile in his voice.
“‘S the best party I’ve been to in a long time,” Lambert slurred from the other side of the pile, still almost entirely asleep. Geralt had long since grown used to him contributing to conversations whilst unconscious, so it was hardly a surprise to hear from him.
“Sleep,” Kiyan grumbled from somewhere within the Cat tangle, decidedly more awake. “No talking. Just sleep.”
“Sorry,” Eskel whispered, nuzzling the part of the pile he could reach with Geralt attached to his back. It wasn’t entirely clear whether or not he was able to reach any part of Kiyan, but then it also wasn’t entirely clear which limbs belonged to which Cat.
Geralt waited until Lambert and Kiyan had both settled back into slumber before speaking again, whispering into Eskel’s ear.
“We should take one of the lights for our room,” he said, eyes growing heavy. “Maybe one that looks like stars.”
Eskel hummed agreeably, tightening his grip on Geralt’s hand for a moment.
“I’d like that,” he whispered.
Perhaps, like Kiyan, they would find it easier to sleep with one of the little lights in their room. Or perhaps they would simply appreciate Eskel’s handiwork. Geralt didn’t particularly mind either way.