Chapter 5 Torque the Sylvan

The three of them travelled towards the fields. Following the instructions that one of the villagers had given them right before they left, were easy to follow. It was only a three hours travel. But for Geralt, Eira thought, it must have felt like it took forever because of the talkative Bard who had joined them.

Jaskier tried talking to Geralt, but as soon as the bard realised he wouldn't get a response, except for the occasional growl, Jaskier turned to Eira for attention. She didn't mind. However her neck did. Because he didn't had a horse, she always needed to look down when the Bard said something.

"Did you travel to many places," she asked him and Jaskier flashed a smile at her.

"Well yes. I travel lots and lots," he started. "As a bard, I come in many different places. Inns to play in, castles to sing before Kings and Queens."

She was amazed and hardly heard Geralt groan in front of them.

"So, you meet a lot of interesting people?"

"Yes," Jaskier said, still offering her a warm and sincere smile. "I have many acquaintances and some even friends. And," he grinned wildly, "lovers too. But that's another story." He wiggled his eyebrows, deserving a confused look from Eira.

"Shut up, bard," Geralt spoke while he jumped of his horse to walk beside it.

The road got smaller and they eventually had to leave their horses nearby a little forest. Eira walked next to Geralt while Jaskier a little bit behind.

"You said devils don't excist," she asked the Witcher, making him look at her. "Then why are we going to see anyway."

"The coin," he replied simply and Eira nodded.

She realised Geralt was a lot more friendly then when they first met which made her smile vaguely. To Jaskier, however, the bard had to do a double take after the Witcher had punched him in the stomach. Eira would've taken that as a sign of being unwanted company, but the Bard seemed stubborn and just followed along.

Geralt glanced at her sideways and Eira read the silent message in his eyes. She nodded faintly, took a few steps back and went to walk next to the Bard. Eira didn't mind his talking, actually she liked it, so she might as well try to keep him busy and away from Geralt.

To her surprise, Jaskier had a serious side to himself too. He talked about his travels in more detail and she soaked up every word that came from his lips. Nobody ever really took the time to talk to her until now.

"And you? Tell me something about you," he suddenly asked and Eira glanced at him sideways.

"Not much to tell," she shrugged, remembering how Geralt explicitly told the bard she was human back at the Inn. "I'm just curious."

"There must be something," Jaskier locked eyes with her. "What do you like?"

Eira looked away from him, towards the back of Geralt to avoid the bard's gaze. "I don't know," she admitted.

Jaskier opened his lips to ask something when Geralt suddenly held his pace.

"These are the fields," the Witcher spoke, held out his hand for Eira to stop. "Let's just look around and we'll be gone again."

"Cashing the coin," Eira nodded and deserved an approved look from Geralt.

It turned out the devil in the field was real. A Sylvan by the name of Torque attacked them by throwing stones their way. It hit their mark ; Jaskier on the head, Geralt as well and Eira had one on her shoulder. The Bard fell down while the Witcher growled and jumped on the Sylvan.

Eira had started to conjure up the power of Ice from deep inside her, but Geralt threw her a warning look so Eira swiftly stopped. The magic inside her subdued by a simple shake from her head with her eyes closed.

Then the world turned black. When she woke, Eira's head felt hazy and painful. A sting at the back of her head, made her blink her eyes a few times before she was able to focus again. Eira tugged her hands and moved her fingers that were apparently bound behind her back. She could feel the tough, strong ropes wrapped around them.

"Don't tickle," Jaskier's voice came from behind her and she tried to turn her head as far as she could.

The bard was bound against her, back against back and when Eira turned her head to her left, she noticed Geralt watching her. Blood was smeared over his cheek from the wound of the rock that the Sylvan had thrown when they were still in the field.

"Where are we?"

She blinked a few times. Using her face made a sharp pain travel through her skull and Eira leaned her head back against Jaskier's until the sharpness wore off.

"Are you okay," he whispered, gently bounced against her head with his.

"I'm fine," she muttered, "except for the 'being tied up' part."

She could hear him chuckle, felt his back going up and down and Eira felt her lips curl up faintly by the warm sound of it.

As it turned out, there were Elves involved. Eira stared at them, never saw one before this moment and never could imagine being held captive by one. Now there were three. Torque close by. And the Elves weren't amused. One of the them broke Jaskier's lute and hit Geralt in the face a few times which made Eira cringe.

A warning look from the Witcher towards her, made Eira bite her lip in frustration. She could easily stop them. There was enough Earth to bound to her will in the cave they were being held. A simple conjuring would be able to throw around rocks and knock them out. Yet, Geralt seemed to not want her to do that.

She didn't speak, let the talking to Geralt but got knocked on the cheek with a full fist anyway. Eira hadn't see it coming and her head knocked back quite hard against the bard's. She hissed out of pain and felt her lip burst open. The iron taste of blood streamed into her mouth.

"Cowards," Jaskier hissed behind her. "Leave her alone! She's just a girl."

As a reward of his resilience, Jaskier got a knock himself on the head and Eira held her head down. The elves eventually turned to Geralt, talked about how they had made a deal with the Sylvan. Torque would make the humans from the villages nearby leave vegetables and fruit as an offering to him. He would take the food to the Elves who now hid in the mountains so they wouldn't starve. The three of them now ruined that little plan for the Elves and the Sylvan.

Eira's mind had difficulty catching up with everything that was being said. She knew the history of the Elves and the War. But when a sword was being held against the Witcher's throat, both Jaskier and herself started yelling. Her connection with the Earth underneath her was feelable in the air. Her fingers nervously caressed the sand, letting it slide through her fingers ; ready to use it to harm the attackers. Even if Geralt didn't want it, Eira wouldn't let harm come to him.

It wasn't necessary. The king of the Elves let them go and showed them mercy. Torque came between, and Jaskier even got a new lute. Before Eira knew what happened, the three of them were on the way again towards their horses.

Jaskier babbled against the Witcher while Eira's head was still painful and she had a hard time following the conversation. She frowned and held still next to the Witcher, her shoulder leaning against his side when Jaskier suddenly took the lute and played a tune.

"When a humble bard, graced to ride along, with Geralt of Rivia and a lady white haired and strong,..."

"No," Geralt spoke and took a step so he stood before Eira, "Don't mention Eira."

Eira looked up at him but didn't speak. Jaskier his gaze flickered between them but lingered on the disappointed face of the Elemental a bit longer. He wasn't stupid, he knew something was going on with Eira but couldn't put his finger on it. The Bard agreed and left her out of the song that formed in his head.

Geralt glanced at the Elemental who looked at him confused.

"Humans can't know Elementals are still around," he said in a hurried whisper.

"Why not?" her voice innocent and Eira saw the strain in his features return.

"Because Elementals fucking killed half of them hundreds of years ago. That's why," he grunted and went on his way. Leaving Eira shocked.