Ch 33 fears and cooking

(small chapter)

"Sorry sif. Our match will have to wait till tomorrow." vyr said to the excited wolf getting a whimper in return as sif slumped back to his spot next to her. He almost seemed to beg as he turned his big watery eyes towards her. Ruby didn't help either as she quickly took up sif's side and started comforting the big wolf.

"Oh, don't do that bud. Please? Oh I know how about I make dinner for everyone and we spar tomorrow?." vyr asked quickly, crumbling under sif's sad eyes and ruby's blaming glare.

Sif gave a happy bark as Vyr stood and said "alright it's decided then. I'm gonna go make dinner for everyone. Since we got some city folks who aint used to these here mountains. Hows about I make us some good ol' Chicken n' dumplings?" Vyr said channeling the accent she picked up from Vesemir to her best extent. Seeing no one say anything otherwise vyr stood up and headed toward the kitchen saying "then I'll get started. It will be ready in an hour or two. Ruby i'm gonna need some help here in a bit."

(Josh)"can't you just have the elves help you?"

"Nah it isnt enough to worry them about. I'll talk to them later." Vyr said walking off.

"Elves?" Yang asked, looking toward Vesemir along with a few others as he was the oldest (looking) here.

"Ah probably not the ones you're used to. Vyr brought them here awhile back. Whee little things but they're getting bigger now." Vesemir explained getting even more confused

"Elves, uh. Elves aren't a thing where we are from." Ruby said getting nods from the rest of the girls.

"I have never met any who called themselves elf before either." Artorias chipped in.

"I believe there were some old documents of beings called elves in the Ancient Dragon Archives in Lordran. But i never looked into it myself." ciaran added before looking to Kalameet who simply shrugged his shoulders.

While that whole conversation was happening, Vyr went to the kitchen and admired the changes it had gone through since she first arrived at the keep. It used to be a practically abandoned storeroom that had some kitchen bits mixed in. Now it has become a proper kitchen.

Starting up the fire, Vyr searched for a large cauldron to hang over the fire. She then filled the pot a little over 3 / 4 full with chicken broth she bought from the system store. Once the broth was boiling Vyr added several boneless skinless chicken breasts. Normally two or three would make a pot for about the same amount of people so she added around twenty just to make sure she had enough.

Thank god she got the largest cauldron or else it wouldn't be enough space to cook it all. I mean sure she probably should've made it in two or three batches but that's a lot of work. Her cooking skill (while not high) would still be enough to make up for any variants in taste, probably.

Now that the chicken was cooking she just had to wait around for it to cook. Before she could think of something to do while waiting, Geralt came through the door.

"Food will be ready in a few. You can wait with the other till then." Vyr said not turning around as she scooped out the scum that was forming in the pot.

"I came to talk. Not eat. Got a minute?" Geralt said in his deep almost rumbling voice. He didn't realize it but the thought of Vyr no, his daughter, being back, even for a short time, had brought a small smile to his face.

"I only know one person who's voice is both deep and quiet enough to be a whisper. Whats up dad?" Vyr asked pulling a seat up to the pot so she can talk comfortably and still watch over the pot.

Geralt leans against a nearby counter and says "I should be asking you that. Not like you to be so… emotional. Reason?"

"What, I can't miss you and grandpa ves? Besides its winter, It's basically tradition for witchers to come back for winter." Vyr says a fake smile finding itself on her face.

"Uh huh. You wanna tell me the real reason?" Geralt asks sceptically before continuing " I talked with those girls. From what i can gather you've only been gone two, maybe three months on your side. We've been on hunts longer than that before. Never missed us then."

*sigh* "Your perceptivity is really annoying you know. Fine, I was bored and I wanted to come back" Vyr says lying through her teeth.

"Wrong answer. Try again."

"Uurrrrrgghhaaaa. Why can't you just take what I give you and run with it?" Vyr askes slouching in her chair.

"Heh. You never were able pull one over on me. Won't be anytime soon either. Now, Why are you back? And don't try lying again." Geralt says, giving her a hard look.

"Like I said, annoying. Fine, I'm scared, ok? Happy now? Me Vyr the Prototype, the big bad scary Monster who eats people as snacks is scared." Vyr says all at once, is a derisive tone.

'I don't know what I was expecting, but that certainly wasn't it.' Geralt thought to himself before asking " And what exactly are you scared of? Can't think of much that would daunt you. I still remember you trying to ballroom dance with a wraith for fun."

"That's 'cause that's stuff is easy. I can fight that. This i-i- I don't know what to do with this." Vyr said leaning forward and holding her head in her hands.

"Then tell me about it. I'll try to help."

"No offense but i dont think youll be much help."

"Won't know till i try. Tell me."

"Ok then. What do you do when you think you love someone? Or at the very least like them very much."

"Uh?" Geralt's mind came to a screeching halt. Never once did he think he would be explaining love advice to his daughter. He now understood why she said he wouldn't be able to help. He definitely had his fair share of "meeting" with the fairer sex, but never something that could be called love. Well, at least not if you don't consider his wish for his and yennefer's fates to be tied together. The closest he ever came was with Triss, but that again had its own complications.

Before either of them could continue the conversation the door opened once more and Ruby walked in. With her being the source of Vyr's worries the conversation came to a quick end.

"Hey! Did you know there is a whole wall of monster heads here?! It's so COOL! They even have an Armory!" Ruby says practically bouncing her way over to vyr.

"Pfft. HAHAHA!" Vyr laughs as she starts tearing up.

"What. what's so funny?" Ruby asks with a pout as Vyr laughs.

"I live here you numbskull. Of course I know that. Some of those heads are the ones I brought back." Vyr said, wiping a tear from her eye and going back to cooking.

"What?! Really you have to show me which ones are yours!" Ruby says with stars in her eyes.

Geralt moves to stand by the door, watching over the two as Vyr goes about cooking while laughing and telling stories with ruby.

As Vyr takes the cooked chicken from the pot and starts shredding it with ruby's help, He thinks 'she is hiding it. She doesn't want the red girl to know how she feels. That means the Red girl is the one she likes. What's her name, Ruby? Have to keep an eye on her while they're here.'

"Alright, that's all the chicken. Now you can stir the pot while I add, or I can add and you can stir. Which one do you wanna do?" Vyr asked Ruby.

"I'll stir."

"Got it. Dad, will you go start a small fire in the fireplace. Need somewhere to keep the food warm while we eat." Vyr said, walking over to the pot while Geralt just gave an affirmative grunt and left.

With ruby constantly stirring the pot, Vyr added a bit of chicken broth powder to give it a stronger flavor. Then she pulled out some frozen dumpling strips and broke them into just bigger than bite sized pieces. Normally for a three person pot you would use two or three chicken breasts and half a package of frozen dumplings. But since she had so many people it would obviously have to be more, a lot more. This is where the most time would be taken as each piece of dumpling would have to be added separately. This is to make sure the dumplings don't stick together inside the pot. After the dumplings were added Vyr waited for the pot to boil again then put in the shredded chicken. Waiting once more for the pot to boil, Vyr then added half and half to the pot while ruby stirred. This would give the soup a creamy quality. Finally the soup was done.

After getting some help to haul the heavy cauldron to the fireplace in the main room. Everyone got a bowl and gathered around the table altogether once more.