The spring breeze was chilly as Geralt entered the next town on Roach. He was hoping to find a place to stay for the night and possibly a job. He had heard rumors about their being a monster in the woods around here from the town over, although they weren’t very specific he figured he could check it out just in case there really was some coin to be made here.

Geralt was wrong. There was no place to stay and there was no coin to be found here. There was however, a very, *very,* tiny thief.

You had seen him from behind the corner of a building. His back turned to you and from his belt a tiny leather sack was hanging. It may have had coin in it, you hoped it had food in it, but you wouldn’t know until you *had* it.

Once his head was turned you sprinted out from where you had been watching the woman and snagged the pouch from his belt. Not one second later your shirt choked you as you were yanked backwards and your feet left the ground. Instinctively you curled up, clutching the pouch in your hands so hard your knuckles blanched white.

Geralt was… unsure of what he was looking at. There was you. In his hand. Held up to eye level by the back of your shirt and cloak like one would hold a kitten by the scruff of their neck. You couldn’t have been more then four or five, but it was hard to tell. You were so dirty he couldn’t tell what color your hair was or if you were a boy or a girl. On top of all that you looked sickly. Pale with sunken eyes and hollowed out cheeks, your legs and feet were bony and he noticed how a couple of your fingers were crooked, clearly having been broken before and didn’t heel correctly.

You were pouting at him, but he assumed it was meant to be more of a glare. He could see the fear in your eyes. You were so small…

Geralt signed. Lambert was right, maybe he *had* gone soft since he adopted Ciri.

He set you down on your feet and crouched down to your level. “What’s your name?” He asked as soothingly as possible. Your eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the ground in front of your feet. You were stiff as a board and if Geralt couldn’t hear the almost imperceptible huffing of your breath he would’ve assumed you stopped breathing.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he reassured cocking his head to the side to try and catch your eye. “Do you have a name?”

Your lip trembled for a moment and you refused to look at him. A few more seconds of silence passed before Geralt signed for a second time and got to his feet. Your eyes flicked to him for a moment before looking back at the dirt. He looked at you, still completely frozen in fear, before he made a final decision and lifted you from the ground once again.

You didn’t struggle as he lifted you from under your armpits and rested you on his hip. You found footing on his armor but didn’t move after that. Your breathing sped up and he could feel the frantic pounding of your heart and put a hand on your back in attempt to sooth you. “You look like you could use some food.”

You where standing in front of a brown horse while the white haired man fished around in his saddle bags. You leaned away slightly, side eyeing it nervously as the horse brought its nose to your cheek and sniffed. It whinnied in your ear and bobbed it’s head.

“Easy Roach,” the man said and pat its neck. He crouched down to your eye level and held out his hand to you, he was holding a biscuit. “I’ll trade you.” He said and you thought the corner of his lip might have twitched upwards for a moment.

Your mouth watered. *Food! He has food!* Your eyes were big as saucers and solely focused on the thin biscuit in his hand. You pried one of your hands from where they were suck in the coin pouch and hesitantly began to reach out.

You stopped, looking Geralt in the eyes for a moment. Geralt nodded, silently telling you that it was ok. Quickly you snatched the biscuit from him and dropped the coin pouch to stuff your face with both your hands. Slowly Geralt reached out and took it from where it lay at your feet and watched at you devoured the honey biscuit he had given to you.

He lifted the pouch and examined it, there were ten tiny holes in it now. He would have to get a new one. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed you had stopped eating. You were coughing with your mouth closed, your face twisting in pain.

“Hurts…” was all you said and touched your throat. Geralt was a little taken aback by the sound of your voice. Strained, croaky, and like it hadn’t used in months. He handed a canister of water to you and you drank a couple sips eagerly.

He sat down on the ground in front of you. After drinking you didn’t go back to eating but instead cast a rather upset look at the honey biscuit in your hand. “You can soak it in the water to make it softer if you’d like.”

The next few minutes went by with you soaking your biscuit in water and trying to choke down the rest of it, sitting down the process. Geralt studied you as you did all this.

The more he looked the more you seemed to shrink. You were entirely to skinny and your clothes to big for you. The way you where sitting allowed him to see the bottoms of your feet, they were so dirty they might as well have just been black and had open wounds the bled crimson. Those would be infected if nothing was done about them, it must’ve hurt to walk. Every couple of bites you would cough, choke, and gag, before chugging some water and continuing to eat.

You had noticed him staring, glared, and shuffled so your back faced him.

“What to tell me your name now?” Geralt asked. You glared at him over your shoulder for a moment, then went back to your biscuit. “Will you let me bandage your feet?”

Again you looked at him over your shoulder, but your eyes where softer now. More surprised and curious looking. Geralt took some stuff out of Roach’s saddle bag once again and when he looked back at you, you where facing him and looking up at him with a curious gaze. He gave a slight smile as he crouched in front of you and with a wet rag began to wipe off your feet.

You winced and tried to yank your foot away but Geralt had a firm hold on your ankle. “It’ll sting, but it’s better then being infected. Hold still.”

And you did. You stayed perfectly still and let Geralt wipe off the dirt and bandage your feet. Once he was done and put his stuff away he picked you up once again and carried you like he had before. Your heart was beating just as fast and you were just as stiff as earlier.

“Do you have a home I can bring you back to? Parents we could find?” He asked. He felt your grip on his shoulder tighten. He hummed but didn’t ask anything else.

He carried you to an inn and when he entered he got many strange and alarmed looks, but it was nothing he wasn’t used to. He went up to the man at the bar. “Excuse me,” he said, you shifted in his hold to peak over your shoulder, and the man lifted his gaze from the cup he was cleaning.

Immediately his eyes blew wide, the cup he was holding hit the floor and shattered as he stumbled back into the shelves of alcohol and sink behind him. He pointed a shaky finger at the witcher. “Get out,” he said shakily, trying to find his voice.

Geralt opened his mouth speak again but the man beat him to it.

“Take that foul *thing* out of here!” He shouted catching everyone’s attention.

You squirmed in Geralt’s gasp like you were trying to melt into his armor. A sudden pain shot through his shoulder. Like tiny knives had pierced his skin. He didn’t let the pain show on his face, he could feel your tiny heart beating more rapidly then he though possible.

From behind him he heard chairs clatter to the ground and swords being drawn. “You heard him,” one of them men who had drawn his sword said. “Get it out of here.”

“Before we kill it.” Added the other man menacingly. You had frozen solid in his arms, he could feel you short, panicked breathing against his neck. Your eyes wide but staring at nothing. The men inched closer.

Geralt held up his free hand and the men stopped. “We’ll leave.” Was all he said before turning and make his way out of the inn.

He walked you back to Roach, you were still the entire time. The claws in his shoulder were beginning to burn. But he didn’t do anything until you reached Roach.

There he gently maneuvered your fingers free from his shoulder and set you down on the ground. There was a long moment of silence.

“You don’t have a family do you?” He asked. Looking at your feet, you shook your head.

“Or a place to live?” You shook your head again.

“Do you have a name?” He asked. You nodded your head, he waited a for a moment but when you didn’t speak he continued.

“You can’t stay here can you?”

You shook your head.

“How would you like to come with me then?”

You looked up at him for the first time since he picked you up last. Your mouth parted in surprise. Quickly you closed it and gave him a single nod as your answer.

“Well then,” he said as he quickly tied off the wound in his shoulder. “We best get moving.”

Ciri paced the room worriedly stopping every few steps and held her head to the side trying to listen. She was worried, worried about Geralt and the leshy, worried about you and what ever trouble you’d be in for running off into the keep when you got scared.

Suddenly the door opened making her jump, yelping as she spun around only to relax and dash towards the white haired witcher and embrace him tightly. Geralt hummed pulling her closer tipping his head down squeezing her tightly. And then extended his other arm waiting for you to fall into him.

He frowned and flicked his gaze around the room. One. There was only one here? Where were you? Geralt pulled his head up taking a second to pray to what ever deity would listen that you were curled up sleeping like a log on the bed.

His eyes darted to the bed. Empty. Fuck. His eyes quickly scanned the room still hoping you were here but he already knew you weren’t. He heaved a deep breath and huffed irritated. Why did you have to pull this shit? It was bad enough with Ciri trying to defy almost everything he was doing to keep her safe. But you were much worse.

Extremely bitter towards him, an animosity and loathing for him that seemed to go beyond anything else he'd seen in humans. For the life of him he couldn’t  understand why, he hadn’t done anything to you, and this was much more then a dislike for his kind. It felt personal. Hell he looked after you, fed you kept you warm and safe along with your surrogate sister. He actually came to care for you to.

"Ciri? Where is Ewa? Wasn’t  she here with you?" Geralt finally grunted causing Ciri to sigh and step back.

"She err...she got scared and... She was caught up with the women as they fled, they sort of pushed her" Ciri explained trying not to feel guilty for unable to grab you from the panicking women.

Geralt swore, almost snarling in frustration his eyes glowed a brighter amber as the pupils contracted. Ciri drew a deep breath, it was his tell tale sign of worry, fear even! His eyes did the same thing anytime she was in harms way. It warmed her heart. You had doubts about your place within the new familial group. Ciri relaxed a little seeing that she was right, that Geralt had grown to care for you as well as her.

"Ewa left? Wha-how could she be so stupid!?"

"Geralt"

"Fuck! Don’t  worry, stay here I will go find her"

"No Geralt wait; just please wait a moment" Ciri chased him a few steps grasping his arm making him pause. His eyes roamed her for a second questioningly, why wasn’t  she letting him chase you? For all he knew you could be half way down the mountain by now with those women.

"What is it? What’s going on?" He asked voice dipping lower than before concern etched into each word.

"Ciri?" He prompted once more when the girl remained silent.

"I don’t  think she would have left with them. She’s just scared Geralt" Ciri began trying to choose her words carefully. She knew you hadn’t left the keep, she wasn’t  sure how but she did.

"Scared? What of the leshy? Then she should have stayed put" Geralt huffed shrugging and crossing his arms with a scoff.

"Yes that and well... she’s also? Well she’s scared of you" Ciri gave up on finding the words and just blurted them out. Geralt tensed under her hand, eyes widening, face growing soft yet a steely defensive look glossed his eyes.

"She’s scared of me? What, why?" Geralt frowned almost offended by the accusation. He didn’t  want you to fear him, he just wanted to be on the same side, he wanted obedience and to trust you’d be sensible when he isn’t around.

"No.. well yes but not how you think... She’s scared of caring for you. She thinks she’s a burden and that you hate her. That you merely tolerate her for my sake" Ciri uttered divulging this truth behind your behaviour towards the witcher

"That’s stupid, I care for her she should know that by now"  Geralt gruffed out almost speaking under his breath scoffing and shaking his head. Unwilling to believe you were such an emotional little soul. By everything he's seen of you, you were a hell raiser. A rebel right down to your Stoney core, nothing could truly get to you.

"She doesn’t  believe that. She’s never had that type of thing, family, acceptance, love?" Ciri explained releasing Geralt’s arm and stepped back. Geralt spun to face her a little stunned. You’d never had a family? Ever? He hadn't known that. At the silence Ciri continued to drop the bombshell.

"She-Ewa was abandoned at the castle back gate, she was a few weeks old the servants took her in gave her food and kept her alive but she was put to work as soon as she could hold a wash cloth." Ciri added wincing as her promise to never retell your story echoed in her mind. But this was for your own good, Geralt had to know how truly vulnerable you were, what your insecurities were. Because until he put them to rest you were going to continue being reckless out of your own fear and one day Ciri would loose you because of it.

"She was a servant scrubbing floors. It wasn’t  until I saw her and took to her as a friend that things changed. I begged and begged that she got to be my companion. It took weeks but my grandmother finally gave in" the blonde sat on her bed recounting the many weeks it took for her grandmother to let Ciri call the little servant a friend. Up until then Ciri didn’t  have many friends  around her own age, even then your were a good few years older, now sixteen to her thirteen.

But your bond was strong, you were the older sister she could lean on, an older sister she loved dearly. You protected her from more then just the courtiers sons who’d tried to build bonds that would get them on the throne.

"Not that she got any kindness either way... we grew up together, she was the only friend I was allowed. A sister. As her sister I know her and she is... as terrified as me for different reasons" Geralt listened carefully committing each detail to memory effectively rebuilding his image of you as Ciri continued explaining her genuine thoughts surrounding you and your idiocy.

"Until I found you she was all I had left in the world. And I was all she had. But I have you now, a chance at another life. A... A chance to have father figure, she feels left out. Like she doesn’t  belong anymore." Ciri ended with a sigh and leant forward resting her head in her hands feeling guilty as sin. She felt like she was going to drive you away somehow if she pressed the issue but still she wanted you to see how wrong you were. Geralt’s intervention was the only way things would get better, begrudgingly she knew this wasn’t  something that will fix itself.

"Has she said something?" Geralt asked wanting to know for definite if this was all speculation or if you’d tried to reach out and he missed it.

"Well.. sort of. I asked why she was avoiding me and quiet... she just said we need to bond she doesn’t  want to interfere with our fate. I think she’s scared you'll make her leave" Ciri repeated the words that had been playing on her mind. It wasn’t  so much your words but how you spat them out like poison, as if the idea of sticking around was the worst thing you could ever endure.

But in reality she knew you were frightened. You had a soft spot for Geralt, you liked him a lot and respected him.  But at the same time feared him and being rejected by him. Didn’t  want to get your hopes up if you’d be abandoned again later.

"So that’s it?" Geralt huffed with a humourless laugh giving himself a mental pat on the back for finally figuring out a teenagers problem.

"What?" Ciri asked frowning but Geralt drew a deep breath and took a seat beside Ciri on the bed  with a grunt.

"Why she’s being so difficult. Its not some final teenage rebellion or just to be a pain in my ass. She’s scared she'll end up abandoned again. That I’ll take her remaining family away from her, replace her somehow" Geralt shook his head he wished he'd known your background before snapping at you for being obstinate, drawing his own conclusion that your were just a ratty teenager that didn’t  have the same self control that Cirilla had because you were a servant. Fuck. His constant scolding’s and gruff rebukes must have made you feel more and more isolated.

"You never really spoke to her though.. You bicker and she thinks she’s unwanted, that you hate her for being human and useless. She snapped at me, she didn’t  mean to but... She feels weak" Ciri continued feeling as if she had to elaborate for  you, to speak on your behalf.

"When we travelled together- after leaving Cintra she.. she was strong, she protected me alone Geralt. And that became her purpose. Now that’s what your doing. She’s lost the one job she had left" Geralt smiled at her shaking his head. God he felt sorry for anyone who had crossed you both alone in the wilderness. He could imagine you mouthing off and trying to stab people with a pointy stick, like you had him when they first met. The tiny teenager had flew at him so fast he almost suffered the pointy end on her stick.

He grunted in amusement before standing once more. And patted Ciri on the shoulder.

"Well I suppose I should go find her and settle this. Thank you Ciri for explaining more. Give me ghouls and monsters and I know what I’m doing but teenagers? I’m still trying to catch up" he uttered walking to the door, this time with much more purpose than before. He had an idea of exactly what it was going to take to finally get through to you. And you wasn’t  going to like it. Not one bit.

"Wait what are you going to do? Geralt?" Ciri called worry evident in her voice as she questioned him.

Geralt stopped at the open door and turned to look at his child surprise over his shoulder. He pondered his next words and then smirked.

"I’m going to give her a piece of my mind, and no doubt she will give me a piece of hers... one final battle of wills will fix this. Wait here, get some rest we will come get you soon" he vaguely explained and then strode off before Ciri could pry any further. She didn’t  need to know what was about to happen.

You squeaked as the two witchers glanced up at you again... Oh shit. You huffed trying to climb higher on the shelving unit you were perched on. When lambert came closer cursing at you ordering you to get down.

"Lambert leave her be, she cant get down, she isn’t fond of heights" Geralt lied whilst huffed as he waltzed into the room after following your scent and the rapid heart beat of a human in peril.

He tipped his head back crossing his arms over his chest and raised his brows. You’d actually gotten quite high, a good ten feet off the ground. And honestly he was a little impressed.

"Not fond of heights? Then how did she end up half way up the fucking apothecary shelf?!" Lambert yelled raising a hand motioning to you clumsily trying to remain on the wooden beam.

"Get down here now! Before I come up there myself!" He added seething at you. You shrunk into the shelf

"Bite me ginge-" you hissed calling him the derogatory term for red haired. He pursed his lips and lunged at the shelf readying to climb and drag you down so he could throttle you. You both knew he wasn’t  angry about you climbing, oh no. He was pissed because Vesemir had hounded him about letting you sneak past him with the other women. You'd wounded the mighty witchers pride.

"Lambert! Easy, easy I’ll handle her" Geralt yelled latching onto his brother in arms, holding him back. Lambert slapped him away and growled 'you better, she needs to learn some fucking respect' giving you one last look before stalking out of the room.

"Geralt she cant do this-" Vesemir began slowly watching the younger witcher closely. He had a few guesses of how Geralt was going to handle your disobedience but was unsure if the wolf had it in him to follow through. Vesemir wasn’t  above dealing with this type of stupidity himself if need be.

"I know vesemir, I know I will handle it. Just like you taught us" Geralt huffed closing his eyes not needing to hear the prepared lecture.

You on the other hand were becoming more and more confused. What the fuck was going on? Was there some sort of witcher code speak or something? Why were they all speaking in half sentences? You grunted and glared harder, willing them to feel daggers.

"Good. She sorely needs something to straighten her out. Just remember wolf she disobeyed. And she could have gotten someone killed, not just herself" you gulped as Vesemir cast you another glance serious yet understanding. The look of a man who had seen it all before. But then again he raised a group of witchers so he probably had seen it all before. You felt uneasy, Geralt was just as clueless and the next man but vesemir? He was a smart cookie. He could see through you, could see your vulnerability. It irked you.

"I know Vesemir. I know trust me to take care of it. This wont happen again" Geralt hummed pointing in your directing, a sweeping motion over  the shelf you were latched onto.

"Make sure she learns this lesson well wolf. She has to adapt quickly and trust you know what’s best. This cannot happen again, for her sake next time could be-" you frowned at the foreboding.  And just what the hell did Geralt mean he will take care of it? He wont do shit! He cant do shit! Your nothing to him, and he is nothing to you. Your meeting was just circumstantial. Much to your disappointment your relationship with the witcher as mutual tolerance at best.

"She will learn many lessons today." Geralt trailed off. You grunted under your breath when he locked eyes on you, this time he seemed different. Sad almost? Sympathetic? Was he sympathising with the weak little human? Thinks of you as nothing but a scared rabbit sent to be his everyday inconvenience? Asshole!

It was only when the door closed behind Vesemir that Geralt actually spoke. Choosing to have some privacy before launching into another spat and duel of words.

"Ewa come down here" to your utter surprise the command was tired, exhausted. Nothing smug or angry about it. He didn’t  even seem to have that ever present disappointed air about him he had when interacting with you.

"No" you pouted quite happy to keep your distance from him. He was acting weird and it wasn’t  lost on you that he intended to deal with your little hide and seek stunt. What ever that entailed.

"Yes, you cant stay up there all day, your arms are already shaking you'll fall any second" he argued waving to your arms that were quivering under you as the half knelt on the shelf, hands holding the wood as it your life depended on it.

"i-is it gone?" You asked a small tremble in your words that you cursed afterwards. You didn’t  want to be scared or weak. But? You were, you were scared and you did run away in a panic. And you’d darted up here god knows how to try and wait out the shit storm.

"Yes. Yes we dealt with it....You really are stuck up there aren’t you?" Geralt spoke softly, trying to coax you into a calmer state whilst also offering to help in a backwards kind of way. Implying he would come and retrieve you if you needed him to.

"A little I don’t  know how I got up.. I just did" you uttered after a small pause, you could feel yourself give in to the small scared feeling again.

"That doesn’t  shock me, humans can surprise themselves sometimes" Geralt huffed with a small smile. You sounded genuinely shocked you’d managed such a feet. He wasn’t  though, he knew you were agile just by looking at you, you just needed the right motivation.

You sighed and turned back facing the witcher and began trying to climb down with shaky limbs. You squeaked when the shelf wobbled and Geralt quickly ran up to the wood pressing his hand on it to hold it steady. You huffed and tried finding a foot hold only to slip and almost fall from your spot.

"No! Hang on- no you stay there let me help, your going to crack your scull or something stupid" Geralt grunted and began scaling the shelf crawling up it.

"I’m not fucking stupid!" You snapped only to yelp as your hand slipped again. Finally you gave up and held tight praying you could stay on the wood long enough for Geralt to come and get you. Not that you needed the help really. You just wasn’t  going to kick a gift horse in the mouth.

"Well running blindly through a witcher strong hold after being told to stay put when there’s a leshy roaming around the halls aren't the actions of a genius is it? You didn’t  even take your stick" Geralt deadpanned as he managed to climb up alongside you grabbing one of your dangling feet and planting it on a sturdy wooden beam so you had more grip.

"Fuck off you musty old goat!" You snarled down at him quickly feeling the need to lash out again.

"Neither is cussing out a witcher whose already annoyed with you" the witcher grunted coming to a stop at your hip. And began trying to manoeuvre you so he could get you down.

"What for!? So I ran? I fucking panicked I cant help that oh mighty wolf-witcher fuck face!" You seethed flushing red and tried shaking him off now determined to get down without help.

"That’s enough! Now stop trying to wriggle away! Come here. I've had just about enough of this attitude of yours" the wolf barked at you frustrated as you slapped at his hand. Only for him to catch it and hold tight.

"Well I've had about enough of yours!" You scoffed back at him but moved to take his hand and climb down, the witcher moved quicker than you could dodge. His hand latched onto your wrist and tugged slumping you over his shoulder muttering to hold on. You yelped and squirmed on his shoulder kicking your feet out trying to find the shelves behind you. But as Geralt began moving down the high shelves you clutched onto him, feeling yourself panic.

Anger began to follow the panic, angry at yourself for relying on him. You couldn’t  afford to! One day you’d be out on your ass  alone. And if you get too used to sitting here being sheltered again you’d just have to go through all the devastation of learning how to survive again. Just like when you first fled with Ciri. You had to be strong, tough and self sufficient.

Lost in your thought you didn’t  even realise you were being place safely on the floor. Geralt sighed when you snapped out of your deep thought and glared at him venomously before stepping back and made to turn away and stomp off.

You gasped when his hand wrapped around your forearm jerking you to face him again. You hissed wordlessly as he tugged, dragging you to face him. Your tummy churned when you finally looked up at him. He looked strange, there wasn’t  as much anger but something softer in the amber eyes. It made you falter, but only for a second. Your irritation came back, you made to snap at him to let you go but he stepped closer tipping his head down at you sighing.

"You were told to stay with Ciri" his voice was gravely and you could see the exasperation. He was fed up with you. You looked away deflating once again reminded that you were a thorn in his side nothing more. He kept you alive to keep his child surprise happy.

"I know that but i-" you grunted trying to act indifferent to the subtle rejection once again. Geralt growled and shook you slightly drawing your attention back to him.

"But nothing. You were told. You have to understand when you are with me, you need to do as your told" he scolded raising his other hand to point it at you, wagging his finger in your face. You growled and snapped your teeth at him then growled again as his reflexes proved to be as good as ever and you missed.

"Do as I’m told- Geralt I’m fucking sixteen summers old! I deserve to be treated like an adult just like you!" You yelled swinging at his arm trying to wriggle free.

"sixteen means nothing to me girl. I've lived almost ten times that. You are a child, and a bratty one at that!" He growled now losing his patience with you, having to resort to shaking you slightly to make you stop slapping at his hand that was now pink from your persistent beating. Not that it hurt it was just annoying. 

"Hey; you take that back! I didn’t  even mean to fucking do this! You think I wanted to end up half way up there?" you screeched feeling every bit as angry as before, frustration and panic all rolling into one big mass of ugly rage. You looked at him and felt horrible each and every single time. It was even worse when he was pretending to be all caring. It was down right sickening.

"Then why? What caused you to run through these halls when you were told to stay put? Why would you put yourself at risk?! Running off to god knows where to be found by god knows what?!"

"What would you have done if you’d run head first into that leshy?! I wouldn’t have been there Ewa! I wouldn’t have been able to fucking save you! SO WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE?!"

"Geralt I just.. I got frightened, the room was shaking Ciri was scared and- the other women ran and I was pushed along with them" you shrugged and tried to tug your arm free of the man, hoping that your little ounce of truth would be enough to satisfy him and he'd let you go on your way.

"And then? You could have turned back" he pried further wanting to know just how far you went with those whores, at what point did you decide to abandon them and hide.

"I did.. The women they wanted me to go with them, said I could make a lot of money but I... walked them to the main door then I came back. And hid in here so I wouldn’t be caught by Lambert and have to deal with his bitching" you shrugged knowing he wasn’t  going to let this go. At least not without a few more answers.

"Instead you now have to deal with mine" Geralt drawled smiling tightly at you trying to find a little humorous irony in the whole situation.

"I'm sorry okay? It was dumb I just... I was frightened" you huffed maintaining your story hoping the witcher would give up.

"I know that. But you are under my care. You need to trust me to decide what’s best for you now" Geralt began trying to subtly slip in the notion of him caring about you. But ever the observant little human you latched onto it quickly.

"Care? Don’t  make me laugh Geralt, I’m tagging along with Ciri; I’m only here because I grew up with her in Cintra and she wants one reminder of happier times." You scoffed trying to play off your own feelings as sarcastic digs.

"I do care for you" Geralt turned grasping your biceps and shook you quickly. He crouched down to your eye level holding your shocked gaze. But quickly your shock became another wave of anger.

"No you don’t  care for me a single bit; you care about Ciri. If anything I’m just a fucking burden- your lumbered with me for her sake" your voice carried across the room echoing on the walls making the male hiss as your high pitch resounded in his ears.

"That is not true and you know it" he growled down at you feeling himself quickly loosing grip on his own frustration rising as you refused to accept him as your new protector

"I care for you as I do her, you may not be my child of surprise, but you are a sister to her and that makes you mine just as much as she is" he added with a dry swallow eyes roaming you over and over trying to see any indication of you coming around.

"oh spare me-" you tried dismissing him with a growl, once again pulling on your arm trying to make some distance between you both. This was getting heated again and you didn’t  want an argument.

"I mean it. And I’m going to show you." He ground out tensing his fingers and dragged you towards him making you stagger slightly. You huffed at him leaning back snarling in fury as he began to slowly cross the space .

"Oh fucking really? And how are you going to do that? Stop being and asshole? I doubt you can manage!" You yelled at him seething as you tried pulling away from him, but you were dragged cross the room, your boots sliding on the floor.

"Well first I’m going give you a rude awakening and then we are going to put all this animosity behind us and start anew with the understanding that you are just as much apart of all this as Ciri is." He huffed not eve  bothering to throw you a loom over his shoulder as he closed the gap between him and the bench at the other side of the room.

"A rude awakening? The fuck are you on about?!" You squinted, racing your brain trying to solve yet another witcher riddle! You were so sick of having to guess half of what he said. It pissed you off, why cant he just be straight forward and tell you shit!

You made to shout at him some more but he spun on you crouching over you fiercely anger and frustration in his golden gaze. His pupils contracting dangerously. In any normal circumstances you’d scoff at him about 'witchers controlling their emotions' but instead you shrunk. There was something else in his eyes, you couldn’t  put your finger on it, but there was something there that made you feel small.

"Quite frankly I’m tired of your tantrums. You may have got away with this behaviour before but it stops now." He spoke with a sharp tone, a fake enthusiasm and harsh look. You shuddered, he seemed scary, but not like he was going to hurt you. You never truly believed he would hurt you or Ciri. But there was a foreboding cold feeling of dread creeping up your spine.

"You will find I am quite patient, but there is only so much self destructive behaviour I will put up with, especially when its so avoidable. You will change your attitude right now or else." He added quickly sliding his grip from your wrist to your bicep and held you close your hip skimming his thigh. You grunted and tried to plant your feet on the ground, willing your boots to take root into the stone slabs. But he had the unfair advantage of not only being a witcher but also being twice your size. He managed to drag you closer to himself and cross the last few feet to the bench

"Who the fuck do you think you are-" you yelped as he finally stopped moving and sat down on the long firm wooden seat. He  paused for a moment opening his mouth to answer you but stopped short, clearly thinking better of it. For a second you felt victorious,  as if him shutting himself up was a battle won.

But instead he shook his head and spread hos legs wide you eyed him cautiously. He was up to something nefarious,  before you could even ponder the thought you were yelping and waving your arms about  trying to regain your balance as best as you could. But it was in vain as he tipped you over his thigh quickly snapping his legs shut around your own pinning you.

"g-Geralt what are you doing- Geralt?! NO! NO LET GO! GET OFF OF ME! GERALT!?" You screamed out as you realised just where this was headed.

"No I will not let go" he grunted and began trying to capture our hands, pulling them behind you holding them in the small of your back.

"I will let sarcasm slide, even cursing. But out right stupidity and disobedience? putting yourself in stupid situations, putting your life at risk is not acceptable!" You yelled in fury ignoring his lecture as he wrangled you still. Overcoming your thrashing and screeched curses.

"so, like any responsible adult I now have to take you to hand. I’m not loosing you over something so stupid as jealousy" he finally hissed through grit teeth maintaining his tight hold of you.

"j-jealous? I’m not fucking jealous- get off of me please Geralt stop it!"

"You are jealous! Jealous and scared and your lashing out and making stupid snap decisions because of it!"

"I am not scared- w-wait? What are you doing! Geralt let go!- no don’t ! THAT MY SKIRT STOP IT!" You squealed and flicked your feet at him. His hand had began tugging your dress up your legs making you flush. But the brute didn’t  care for your wailing. Nor did he listen, he continued speaking as he tugged the skirt from you revealing your smalls to the room, thighs cooling as the unkind chill of kaer morhen engulfed you.

"You are scared, lost frightened of loosing Ciri, of being abandoned, of being caught in the crossfire. But most of all scared of being alone. You are not alone. You will never be alone, you are family"

"No I’m not-Ah?! Fuck ger-ALT!" You yelped and screeched into the room when his hand finally descended on your upturned rump with a loud slap. You inched forward trying to escape the burning hand that stayed put for a few seconds only to be pulled back and strike you again.

"Yes you are. And to prove it I’m going to start with holding you accountable. There are consequences" he grunted out and raised his hand again this time landing a more solid spank across your bottom.

"Wha- no! Geralt no don’t ! Not that!?I’m too old!" You pleaded again twisting trying to peer up at him from your vulnerable position. You cried out  as his hand landed again in the same spot.

"Your never to old for a hiding, especially one you sorely need" he hissed striking again, landing his hard palm just hard enough to make you yelp.

“No-ah! fuck no that hurt please stop it!" You screeched kicking out as much as you could with him  holding you. But your struggle was futile against him. He was far to powerful for you to escape.

"Not until you pull yourself together" he growled peppering your backside with more sporadic slaps warming up before really letting you have it.

"wait wait iv never-no ones ever!" You argued trying to reason with him especially now that your ass really was on the line.

"That explains a lot. Now hold still, this will be over quickly" he hummed stull n9t budging as your feet kicked and scrapped the floor trying to rock your way from him by kicking off of the floor.

"Wha- no Ohah! Shit don’t !" You cried out as he found a rhythm and began landing slaps across your upturned rump with ease. It would appear this particular witcher had done this before.

You sniffled finally biting down on your lip, unable to curse at him through your pained yelps and hissing sobs. Your eyes watering while he struck you again and again. Your pride crumbling away as his palm blistered your bottom without a word spoken.

You shrieked at him your fury and pain leaving you in one loud broken sound. For some reason being turned over his knee like a child was resonating with you. Something deep and small inside wanted this. Needed to be pulled into line and be held accountable. The strangest feeling of security washed over you. It was infuriating,  the way he was holding you down striking you like you were a child- his child! He had no right! No right to touch you or treat you like his own spawn. Yet you could feel your anger ebbing away.

Your ass stung, his heavy palm still littering your sore cheeks with open palms. But he wasn’t hurting you. Well not causing harm.

It didn’t  take long before your fight was all gone and you finally hung limp over his knee. Geralt let out a breath he hadn’t noticed he was holding. He could feel the change. He'd say he had broken you, but no. He hadn’t broken you, just the stupid walls you’d built around yourself. He knew you might have finally gotten the message. And it was about damn time.

You sobbed confused, feeling guilty but safe, and sad, happy, embarrassed and calm. All of these contradictions coil in your belly. It was only when you finally gave in slumping over his lap that Geralt stopped. Not that you noticed, his hand might have stopped but your ass was throbbing and you continued to cry.

"This is for your own good. You will do as your told, stop all this teenage pride bullshit" he said calmly, moving his hand to your back rubbing slow circles on it trying to calm you. You mewled at him trying to shake his hand off, despite enjoying the way he was comforting you. Not that you'd admit that to anyone, least of all him.

"Now I want you to listen to me, and listen well. There will be no more shouting, bickering or disrespect from you. And you will accept that neither I or Ciri are going to run off and leave you" Geralt said still rubbing you back as you tried taking deep breaths, sniffling trying to calm down.

"B-but I’m not-" you tried to speak, arguing stubbornly. But Geralt was having none of it and swiftly landed another open palm to your tender bottom making you jolt yelping at him.

"You are mine. Just as Ciri is. You are both my responsibility, and I care for you both. Say it Ewa if you say it enough maybe you can get it through your stubborn pride" he added not giving you any room to argue again.

"I-I’m yours" you said the words quietly trying not to let it affect you. You didn’t  believe them, you couldn’t. Yet something settled in your chest as you uttered them, a tiny spark. Hope.

"You have a family And don’t  you forget it. You Ciri and I are family, along with the others here at kaer morhen. Its not a huge family, we're a gruff bunch but we are here for you. Both of you. We protect our own here Ewa, your one of us now" Geralt swallowed nervously eyeing you. This wasn’t his thing, he was all hmm, fuck and sarcasm.

You looked down feeling the lump form in your throat. For a moment you felt a strange longing. A family that cared, truly cared enough to chase you down and knock some sense in to you? The fact he had turned you over his knee should make you angry. But instead his punishment and heartfelt words had destroyed the walls you’d built around you. It was odd, no one had ever spanked you before, no one bothered to bring you to hand. It was oddly soothing, you felt secure.

When you didn’t  cuss him out and relaxed into him giving a tiny nod of your head Geralt was floored. He expected you to throw another fit. Not try and curl into him without being noticed. He smiled feeling a weight lift from him, he now had one less thing to worry about.

"Now come on sort yourself out, cant have you start training like that" he hummed easing you to stand up again and made a note to even out your skirts again covering you.

"T-training?" You uttered trying not to think about what just happened. You wanted to ignore the embarrassment a d carry on as if nothing had happened.

"Yes, starting today you and Ciri are training, you’ll need to know how to defend yourselves, no place better to learn" Thankfully Geralt seemed to want to ignore the embarrassing punishment and slung his arm around your shoulders dragging you into his side with a reassuring squeeze before directing you out of the room chuckling as you hissed under your breath for the first few steps.