Chapter Text
Jaskier nearly sobbed for breath as he stumbled onward, running through the forbidding looking forest that surrounded the hamlet he had had the misfortune to come across early in the day.
Angry shouts caused the young bard to glance over his shoulder, noting the torch light inching ever closer as he slowly grew tired from the chase. But his momentary lapse of concentration sent Jaskier over the edge of the valley he had been running beside, the thick layer of fall leaves doing nothing to slow his descent.
Coming to rest on level ground, Jaskier gave a meek whimper of pain, his fears forgotten for a moment as he took stock of his injuries. Bruises, scratches and possibly a sprained ankle, nothing permanent.
“Down there!”
Nothing compared to what the men hunting him would do if they caught him.
Staggering back to his feet, Jaskier glanced desperately around as his ankle gave a painful throb at weight being put on it. A shaft of moonlight appeared from a gap in the clouds, illuminating the mouth of a cave in the sloping side of the valley, beckoning the bard inside. Thanking his lucky stars, Jaskier stumbled inside, the torch light nipping at his heels.
“Inside!”
Opening his eyes wide to try and see, Jaskier stumbled onward before finally falling over something in the dark and curling in on himself, trying to hide in what felt like a corner. He could do no more but watch as the enraged faces of his pursuers and the painfully bright light of their torches, reflecting off pitchforks they carried, surrounded him.
“There you are,” the leader spat, pulling a long thick whip off his hip and cracking it once, “this’ll teach you, you disgusting-“
A growl from the back of the cave cut the man off, sending terror though all in the cave. A slowly raised torch illuminated the cave’s owner’s long claws and golden eyes before it pounced.
The whip fell to the cave floor and its owner’s blood spattered down on top of it. The next farmer’s torch went out as he followed the first into the darkness of the creature’s gullet. The third man hurled his torch, just missing Jaskier as it glanced off white fur, as he ran for it. His fingers touched the safety of moonlight, leaving bloody marks on the stone beneath them as he was dragged back into the dark of the cave.
His heart in his throat, Jaskier stayed perfectly still in the small puddle of light emanating from the torch at his feet as the crunching of bones slowly subsided and the growl returned.
Long blood stained black claws rasped against stone as the beast slunk forward into the light. It’s thick white fur, now spattered with red, covered the huge body except where black scaled joints made shimmering rents on each of its six legs. More black scales decorate its neck, giving way to the pale skin of it’s vaguely humanoid face split nearly in half by a jaw filled with row after row of bloody teeth and a long prehensile tongue. Huge white ears spout out of long white hair that hangs bedraggled in the creatures two huge golden eyes that were surrounded by smaller black eyes that all blink in time with each other. Huge black spikes protruded from the creature’s back, scraping against the cave ceiling as it rose up on its middle paws to place its front on the wall on either side of Jaskier. These spikes ran its spine, shrinking in size along it’s thick scaly tail.
Opening its huge mouth, the monster growled, gore dripping off its fangs but moved no closer.
Jaskier let out a sigh of relief, the tension in his body releasing as he gave the abomination a gentle smile. “It’s ok,” he whispered, holding out one hand, palm up, as the creature stared at him in complete confusion, “its ok now, shhhh shhh, it's alright.”
The creature drew back and lowered its front paws to the ground and glaring at the bard as it paced around, not entirely sure what to do with the intruder.
“It’s ok,” Jaskier murmured again, trying to be as soothing as possible and finally getting the creature to sniff cautiously at his proffered hand. Slowly crooking his fingers, Jaskier scratched gently under the creature's chin, his grin growing. “That’s it, what a good boy.”
A loud snort followed the creature rolling its eyes but it didn’t resist as Jaskier held out his other hand and began gently tucking its hair out of its face.
“I apologies for assuming your gender,” Jaskier murmured, still keeping his voice as comforting as possible as his gentle scratching ranged wider. “You're a very good girl too. Or do you prefer a very good baby? Gender neutral and even more adorable, just like you, baby.”
The creature gave a loud snort but leaned heavily into the bard’s talented fingers and let its eyes fall half shut.
“Good boy it is, a very very good and brave boy, who did such a good job protecting me from those nasty mean humans and wearing a collar?” Jaskier asked, his rambling being interrupted by a thick band of leather hidden in the creature’s neck fur. Headless of the still bloody teeth, Jaskier ducked down and caught hold of a metal medallion attached to the collar. On the front side was the head of a wolf and the back was deeply etched with a single word.
“Geralt,” Jaskier murmured, enjoying the taste of the word as it danced across his tongue.
The creature made a soft sound and Jaskier pulled back to look it in its many eyes. “Is that your name? Geralt?”
Gritting his teeth, Geralt pulled the thin skin of his lips taught, forcing the growl out of his throat. “Geerrrrralt.”
The strange human that had barged into Geralt’s cave, stinking of fear, smiled even wider, letting his forehead fall forward and press against the monster’s.
“Hello Geralt,” he said softly, bright blue eyes sparkling in the dying light of the torch still burning between them, “I’m Jaskier, thank you for saving me.”
Giving another disgruntled snort, that wasn’t what Geralt had been intended to do after all, the beast dragged his claws across the cave floor, pushing the guttering torch to one side self consciously. He started a moment later, drawn back in by the huge yawn that came from the tiny human.
“Sorry,” Jaskier mumbled through his yawn, rubbing at his drooping eyes apologetically, “it's been a long day.”
Geralt was inclined to agree but he still hadn't decided what to do with the strange man with the beautifully soothing voice. Coming to the conclusion that he would decide in the morning, the huge beast let his paws slide out from underneath him, pinning Jaskier with his huge head now resting all its weight on top of him.
Giggling at the situation he found himself in, Jaskier kissed the monster’s forehead and yawned again before cuddling down into Geralt’s thick soft fur, only slightly damp with blood. “Thank you darling, you're so warm.”
It felt like Jaskier had only just let his eyes droop shut as the torch finally went out, when he was jerked back awake by a loud snort near his ear.
Geralt had rolled onto his side some time in the night, his front most paws flexing their long claws and his tail lashing as he shuffled and curled even closer to Jaskier, nearly smothering him.
Giving a soft laugh, Jaskier gently massaged behind the monster’s fluffy ears and sang a quiet awaking song. One of springtime bird songs and warm sun on your face chasing away the chill of playful breezes. The happy tune settled the great creature, easing him gently out of his unrestful slumber to regard the bard with half open golden eyes.
“Good morning darling,” Jaskier purred to Geralt, gently scratching every inch of fur he could reach.
Geralt huffed, dragging himself to his feet and growling as he stretched each of his six legs, rolling his shoulders and lashing his tail at the painful stiffness that crept into his muscles every morning.
A sympathetic sound caused him to glance back at Jaskier just in time to see the bard press his fingers firmly to a scaly joint and begin massaging the stiffness away.
Giving a loud growl at the treatment, Geralt rolled away from the human in disbelief, hunching down and unhinging his jaw to show all his black jagged fangs in their horrific glory in the early morning light streaming into his cave.
Bearing his teeth right back, Jaskier mimicked the growl, confusing the beast even more.
“You snort like a disgruntled horse and cuddle when you have nightmares,” Jaskier pointed out, hands on his hips with a chiding tone coloring his hypnotically beautiful voice, “I’m not afraid of you.”
Geralt snorted again but took a couscous sniff. As ludicrous as it was, the human was telling the truth. The acrid stink of curdled milk and sulfur that had come off Jaskier in waves when he had stumbled into Geralt’s cave still had yet to return even as the morning light left nothing of the horrifying beast to be imagined.
“So if you are done being an idiot, let me help you,” Jaskier murmured after letting the suspicious creature eye him for a moment longer, “those knots will work themselves out much easier in the sun.”
Turning, Jaskier walked determinedly out of the cave, stopping just outside to smile and wave encouragingly at the hesitant creature still lurking inside. “It’s alright darling.”
Geralt took another step, wrinkling his nose as he got closer to the cave’s entrance. He went as far as he could go then stopped and growled, lashing his tail at the magic hovering in the air in front of him.
“Just a little more sweetie,” Jaskier crooned, bending down slightly and patting his knee, as if Geralt were some pup instead of a beast two heads taller than him.
Giving a louder growl, Geralt lashed out with one paw, slapping at the forcefield over the opening of the cave that kept him locked inside. A shimmer of magic appeared in the air, spreading out and vanishing into the cave walls, clearing showing no way through to the world outside for the beast.
“You can't come out?” Jaskier gasped, straightening with eyes wide.
Geralt shook his huge head, backing away from the barrier and laying down to paw at the sandy ground.
“Who would do such a horrible thing!” Jaskier cried, rushing back into the cave to loop his arms around Geralt's neck and hug him tightly.
Jerking away from the human’s touch, Geralt stared at him in disbelief. Dragging his claws through the dried blood in his neck fur, Geralt growled out a single word. “Killer.”
Frowning, Jaskier took the paw, struggling slightly with its heft but laying it against his own chest, the long black claws hooking over his shoulders and arms. “Protector,” Jaskier murmured, cupping the soft skin of Geralt’s cheek and streaking over the skin and sharp teeth.
Snorting, Geralt pulled away, flicking his tail at Jaskier to leave and retreating to the back of the cave to lay down facing away from the human.
“Alright,” Jaskier murmured sadly, correctly interpreting this as his dismissal from the beast’s home. But not one to give up on anything without a fight, he smiled and as cheerfully as he could called back and he headed out into the fresh air. “I’ll be back soon!”
Grinning as Geralt turned to give him another wildly confused look, Jaskier turned and ran away, laughing in delight. Who knew such a horrible event could end with the beginning of something so sweet.