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Jaskier was standing to the side of the busy pub. He was glad the town they stopped in was large and not aggressive to Witchers. He had been earning coin singing about Geralt’s killings of monsters, albeit a bit exaggerated. Currently he wasn't so he could rest his voice a bit. However, his attention was drawn from the water he was drinking when he felt a timid hand tap his thigh. He startled before looking down, as it was a child who had tapped him
“Oh hello little one, how may I help you?” He cheerfully asked, crouching down to the girl's height.
The child, a short scrawny girl with straw coloured hair and wide brown hair, dirt on her clothes and skin, shifted side to side “Um, you are singing songs about your Witcher, correct?” She asked timidly
“That I am! Although I wouldn’t quite call him my Witcher, I just follow him around. Why do you ask?” He asked curiously
The girl looked down “And Witchers kill monsters correct?” At Jaskiers nod she flattened a piece of parchment she had balled up in her hands “Can you ask him to help me?” She asked quietly, almost fearfully, “I have a monster.”
Jaskier looked over the parchment with a slight frown and his brow furrowed in concern. “How about we go out and ask him, he’s tending to his horse, and you can explain more about your monster to him.” At the girl's small nod he stood to his full height and led her out to the back, where as Jaskier said, the tall scarred Witcher stood, tending to Roach.
“Geralt dear, we have a monster for you to examine.” He said, coaxing the small girl in front of his legs “Go ahead, you can tell him.”
The girl looked up to Geralt, not with a look of disgust, but with what looked like hope. She showed him the poster she made. It was a simple piece of parchment with the word “MONSTER” at the top, the crudely done drawing was of what looked like a fat man holding what looked like a rope. He was drawn with an angry face. “I- I have a monster. And um. You kill monsters.” She said shyly. “But I don’t have any coin.” She mumbled, so quiet that if Geralt were a normal man he wouldn't have been able to hear it, but alas, he was not a normal man.
He squatted down in front of the girl and nodded “I see. Could you explain what the monster does? Everything if possible.” He said gruffly, yet soothingly
The girl bit her lip “Uh. He likes to hunt me when I'm in my room. He broke down my door one time. He likes to throw stuff at me and hurt me. He likes to use rope and tie me to my bed posts and touch me and hurt my insides. He made Mama disappear. He also likes eating my food. I don’t like when he hurts my insides. One time he brought friends and they hurt me way more. But he hasn't done that in many moons.” She said near monotonously, tears dripping out of her eyes.
Jaskier had grimaced throughout her entire explanation. He could only think of one thing that would “hurt her insides” and he was not happy about it.
Geralt however kept his face schooled in a neutral expression, though he grew more and more angry as her explanation went by. He thought for a moment “If you show me where your monster lives and tell me when It sleeps you won’t need to pay me any coin. Do you have a friend to stay with?” He asked
The girl nodded with a wide smile “Yup! Mrs.Teller! She patches me up and lets me stay the night sometimes! She’s amazing.” She gushed.
Geralt nodded “Why don’t after telling me where your monster lives and such you take me to see her.” The girl nodded
Soon she was with the older lady, once he explained what he was going to do she grew teary and thanked Geralt profusely. She told him a few things the girl would want from her home and sent him on his way. Jaskier was staying at the pub with Roach, booking them an Inn room.
When Geralt arrived at the girl's home he couldn't help but give a disgusted look. The house, although it could better be called a hut, was obviously old and he could smell stale blood and ale. He quietly walked through the door and to one of the two rooms, the monster's room. It was quick, Geralt didn’t even bother with his sword; he placed a hand over the monster's mouth and nose and placed his other hand across its throat. Soon the monster suffocated. Soon after he walked to the second room, grimacing at the small bed which had numerous blood stains, along with other substances. He quickly collected the doll, drawing, and violet buttons from under a pile of dirt. Out of respect he didn't look at the drawing but he quickly pocketed the items and made his way back to Mrs.Teller's house.
Upon his arrival he felt a small shape barrel into his legs. The shape was the girl, she was crying and thanking Geralt profusely, just as the older lady did, although she was a bit more collected. Gerat knelt down and rubbed the girl's hair, comforting her. He pulled away and quickly displayed the items he grabbed. The girl snatched them up
“Thank you Witcher! Thank you!” She sobbed out, wiping her nose on her hand
Eventually Geralt left, though he was now richer 25 coppers. He had tried to decline it but the older woman insisted on it, because according to her “You did both of us a great service. And I know this isn’t much but you will take it. Thank you Sir Witcher.”
When he arrived at the Inn room above the pub he climbed into bed with Jaskier and held him close. “Thank you for bringing her to me.” He said quietly
Jaskier gave his lover a bitter smile “Of course. She had a monster, I couldn't just not tell you. Did you take care of It?” He asked
Geralt hummed “I did. And as much as I wanted to draw Its death out, I was on a time limit. But she is safe now.” He said gruffly, closing his eyes.
Jaskier kissed the top of Geralt's head “I love you, dearest.”
Geralt smiled softly, eyes remaining closed “And I you.” He replied
They fell asleep holding each other, laying in their undeniable love for each other, and the knowledge another person is safe from the monsters of the modern world.