The Black Kestral

Keira and Geralt talk and arrange a job

Chapter 6

While Jaskier was charming everyone at the inn, singing and spinning tales of both Geralt’s adventures and other peoples, Keira and Geralt were sitting in an out of the way corner, tying to be unobtrusive. It was generally working, to the point where it took more work to flag down the waitress, who was gazing at Jaskier longingly. After she took their order, Geralt said, “There goes another soon to be heartbroken maiden.”

Keira giggled, “Really?”

“Seen it a hundred times. Jaskier comes in, charms the pants off people, sometimes literally and then we leave with them pining for him. It’s actually kind of obnoxious,” commented Geralt, before taking a drink of his ale.

“And you’ve never been one to love them and leave them?” teased Keira, nursing her own ale. It wasn’t bad but too bitter for her taste.

Something passed over Geralt’s face and she wasn’t able to figure out what it meant. Clearly things were complicated for the White Wolf if even all she had to go on were Jaskier’s ridiculous songs. “Not as such.”

“So, you stick to working girls?” probed Keira.

“Why are you interested in my sex life?” countered Geralt, looking up from the table and glaring at her.

“Curiosity mostly.” Keira passed a hand over the crowd. “Having any kind of relationship with someone… normal I guess never seems to work for me and I was wondering if it was the same for you.”

“Things are… complicated. There are a lot of things going on that make anything akin to that problematic.” Grumbled Geralt

Jaskier walked over and took a drink of the ale he had bought earlier. Having caught a bit of the conversation he smirked over at Keira. “Ask him about Yennifer and his kid.” He set the drink down and took off, chuckling.

Keira raised an eyebrow, “Child? How do you have a child? The Grasses sterilizes us.”

Geralt waved a hand dismissively, “It’s not like that. She’s not really mine.”

Keira was enjoying Geralt’s discomfort, though she was confused. “So you have a child that is not your child… how does that even work. And this Yennifer… the same as from one of Jaskier’s songs? The sorceress Yennifer of Vengerberg?”

Geralt rolled his eyes, “Yes, things between Yen and I aren’t easy. There are several issues there, the least of which is the damn Djinn. And Ciri is not my daughter, but I guess I’m the closest she has to a father after her parents died.”

“That doesn’t really clarify anything. Her parents are dead and now she’s your daughter? Where is she?”

“She is a Child of Surprise. I claimed the Rite of Surprise and then we found out the person’s wife was pregnant. They died in a storm from what I’ve learned. So yeah… I’m her parent.” explained Geralt, taking a slice of bread and laid some cheese, salami, and onion on it. “She’ll be finishing classes at Aretuza soon and Yennifer will be bringing her back to Kaer Morhen. Jaskier and I need some stuff from Oxenfurt so we are trying to get there and back before she returns.”

“What are you looking for? I’m trying to find a few works on the Wild Hunt. I’ve run into them a few times and it was not good. They’re hunting something from what I could gather and that makes me worried. Not an overly talkative bunch but persistent. I want to find what they’re after and keep them from it.”

Geralt’s eyes flashed and narrowed looking at her. “The Wild Hunt you say?”

Keira watched him closely. This was an interesting development. “You as well?”

The nod was barely perceptible, as Geralt’s eyes scanned the area to ensure that there was no one eavesdropping. Lowering her voice, she asked, “Does Jaskier know?”

“No.” Geralt’s voice was blunt, emotionless. “He thinks I’m escorting him back to the school. I’m doing it to get at the library without needing to answer any questions.”

“Maybe we can help each other out?” offered Keira.

“Maybe. At least so long as our Paths overlap.”

“Why Geralt, don’t you like me?” She fluttered her eyelashes at him and made little kissy faces at him. The White Wolf only scowled at her, which made her grin in amusement. After a few moments, she focused again, “What is it about them that you’re after?”

“I have reason to believe that someone is after Ciri and the Wild Hunt is one of the possibilities. I would rather eliminate that possibility before something happens.”

Keira nodded. “I do hope your Ciri is not their target. I’ve ridden through villages they’ve destroyed, apparently looking for a fleeing girl. They tried to get into Brokillion Forest but the Dryads refused them entrance.”

Geralt looked around and nodded, “Let’s not discuss this here. There are too many ears and its getting fuller.”

Keira nodded. This might be a safer topic away from prying ears, because who knew how the Wild Hunt got some of their information. The lovesick waitress came by again, still gazing lovingly at Jaskier. With some effort they ordered some more ale and sent her on her way.

Geralt and Keira looked up at the first few notes of the next song. Both of them recognized it and it might not be the best choice right now, if they wanted to stay unobtrusive. Unfortunately it was also one of the songs Jaskier was most well known for. “Toss a coin for your Witcher, O valley of Plenty…”

* * * * *

Two young men came up to Keira and Geralt a short while after the song, clearly drawn in by the descriptions in the song that matched one of the table occupants. They looked nervous and hesitant. Geralt looked up from his ale and cocked an eyebrow in question. It took a moment but one of them hesistantly spoke up, “Uhm… begging yer pardon, but you’re a Witcher, aye?”

“Yes.”

“Uhm… well… we have a problem and could use the help. Something is eating our livestock and it’s not wolves or nuthin we ken. We can pay ye.” replied the bolder of the two.

“That’s helpful.” Geralt added, not overly helpful.

“See… we have… there’s been… I think we have something haunting our fields.”

This got the attention of both Witchers and as one they leaned forward. “Haunting your fields? What does it look like?”

The other man moved forward, looking nervous, “t’was a ghostly skeleton in a dress.”

“And when did you see this… apparition?” prodded Geralt, trying to drag more information from the man.

“The middle of the day. We was working the fields when it rose up and attacked.” Added the braver of the two.

Keira leaned forward, looking them in the eyes. “Is this a new field?”

Both men looked at each other, confused before answering, “Aye Lady. Tis a new field in our rotation.”

“Did you find any bones?” She pressed on.

Both men’s eyes grew wide. “Bones?”

Geralt took up the thread, easily following where Keira was heading with her questioning. “Yes. If it’s a noonwraith it may be reacting to the disturbance of where it was buried.”

“So, investigate the site in the morning and then face it around mid-day,” offered Keira.

Geralt nodded, “Makes sense. And if there are any signs that can point us to who was murdered that can be something to investigate as well. So we can fully lay the wraith to rest.”

“Murdered?” both men looked appalled.

Keira smiled at them, watching their discomfort, “Yes, most hauntings of this nature are because the spirit feels violated and wants to strike back. That usually is due to murder rather than being randomly killed by some highwayman.”

Geralt focused them back on him as he asked, “How long has the field been fallow?”

“Several years.”

Keira nodded, looking at Geralt. “That’s a wide span to be hunting through without any real idea where the body is buried.”

“We just need to find the bones and what ties the spirit to this plane, then we can take care of it.”

Keira turned back to the two men to ask, “Have there been odd disappearances or the like in the last several years?”

The two Witchers faced the men expectantly, though the men looked terribly unnerved. The Witchers shared a look and Keira asked, “Are you gentlemen alright?”

“Murder?” one of the men said, somewhat pale in the face.

“Yes, murder. It happens. Likely some woman or girl from your village who vanished or ‘left’ years ago coming to an unpleasant end. That could account for the positioning of the haunt.”

Both men went quiet then and Keira could see through their looks that there was certainly something more they could tell. Question was, would they? Could they admit to themselves that one of their neighbors had likely killed a young woman and buried her in an unused field? Keira asked, “How much do you have?”

“Uhm… 200,” said one man.

Keira shook her head, “For a haunting? Surely you can do better than that?”

She caught Geralt’s side eyes and smiled slightly. The men pulled back and conferred, before the other man came up and tossed a heavy pouch onto the table, “All we’s got is 273 coins. Will that do?”

Geralt nodded and pulled the coin pouch towards him. “It should. We’ll head towards your village at dawn. Be ready.”

The men scampered.

Keira looked at the White Wolf, “You know they suspect who it is and who might have done it.”

“Yes, that’s obvious.” Geralt took a sip of his ale. “This is not going to be pretty.”

“Wraith’s never are. If they don’t tell us who the woman was it might not be an easy thing to put down the spirit. Maybe for a day or two but certainly not for good.”

“Then we’ll have to make that clear on the road. If we talk tactics and they overhear, they might find their spines and let us know this bit of information. That’s worked for me before.”

Keira glanced to the bard playing his lute by the fire. “What about Jaskier?”

“That’s why we leave at dawn. He’ll be up late and will sleep late. We’ll fetch him when we’re done,” said Geralt.

“Won’t he follow?”

Geralt snorted. “Yes, but if we leave at dawn then before he figures things out, we might be on our way back.”

Keira shook her head. The bard would be an extra complication but he might be able to charm the information they really needed from the men. If not, then all they had was their skill. Hopefully it would be enough to put to rest an unquiet ghost.