Training

"you know I don't find that amusing"

Geralt said as he stared at the woman from the bath, his arms resting in the edge of the oval shaped wooden tub. Steam still rising from the hot water making his skin glisten and shine, the candles at the bottom of the bath making his feet glow. The flames flickering near the soles of his feet illuminating then in a fierce orange glow. He pulled the creature out of the tub and threw it onto the floor, it disappearing in a burst of magic. "You promised Ciri you'd train with her...Go, before Vesemir bores her to death with those etchings." Geralt let out a heavy sigh, the veins in his arms visible as the reddened scars on his chest, and the few on his face. He stood up quickly, the scars on his back shining with the water as it dropped off him, the water sloshing around in the tub. He raised his right leg. Stepping out of the tub carefully, pulling on his dark black trousers and his Witcher necklace. He walked past the woman who was seated at the chair and was stopped when she grabbed his wrist, he didn't have much option really, but he didn't mind, he was pulled into a long kiss before the other woman's hand cupped his chin, playfully pushing his chin away making him step back and look at her.

Geralt stares at yennefer whom was at the desk, fastening something around her neck, he wore a white shirt and dark trousers. Light gear, much easier for moving about in, his dry white hair tied up in a neat ponytail as he stood in the bedroom.

Geralt walks forward, to the table in front of him, grapes in a bowl among other things there that he wondered about. He examined one of the items on the table. "You're running out of juice" he grunted. "I know. You might bring me some more once you're done training." Yennefer replied from across the room.

Geralt made his way across the room, his feet padding loudly across the floor as he made his way to the desk, even more candles lit there, he smiled, the key to the bedroom door lay on an open book. He reached out and grabbed it.

The Witcher walked around the room, walking to yennefer. Watching as she brushed her hair, sat at the desk beside the bed. "See. I thought Ciri could stand to wait a little while longer" he said standing beside her. "It's uninstructive. Not to mention unreasonable." She told him placing the brush down into her and turning her head to look at Geralt.

"I don't wanna be reasonable" Geralt complained, shifting a little closer to the dark haired woman. "Aha! So that's the way the wind blows...Go and train with her. Then come back. It'll give me a chance to put my face on" yennefer said gazing up at him. Geralt raised his head a little and motioned to her with his hand. "Of all the women I've known, you're the one one who does that before..." He said dropping his arms by his sides. "You've known many?" Yennefer asked. "What's it matter? Only ever thought of you..." They shared a moment's silence before he turned as she continued to brush her hair, making his way to the bedroom door.

He reached into his pocket and grabbed the key he'd taken earlier and unlocked the big wooden doors, making his way downstairs, the hard stone floor beneath his feet descending into almost complete darkness if it weren't for the few torches mounted upon the wall lighting his way. He reached the bottom after a few seconds to see Vesemir asleep, seeing a pile of books open at his outstretched feet. Where Ciri should have been. "Old witcher's fast asleep... Ciri's disappeared somewhere. Of course."

Geralt moved slowly towards the other Witcher, who was fast asleep on the wooden chair, intricately decorated with patterns along the sides of the chair. The old man having an arm resting on his stomach. He walked out to the balcony, leaving the man in peace to hear a few grunts in the distance. A flock of birds flurrying away from their rest. Ciri. "Guess she prefers practice to theory..." The white wolf mumbled to himself, watching as the young girl danced from pole to pole swinging her sword at invisible targets. "Hm? What?" A grunt cane from behind him prompting Geralt to turn around. "Time to wake up, master" Geralt spoke slightly amusing watching Vesemir put his hands on his knees to partially stand up and then rock back into his chair. A hand going to his forehead. Geralt watching him. Arms going out to his sides as he looked at the man. "These lessons so boring they put you to sleep, too?" Vesemir grunted. Resting a hand on his head. "Dammit... Had her taking notes on "Ghouls and Alghouls"... Wanted to rest my eyes a bit." He said looking at the display of open and unattended books before him. "Huh. Making her slog through that brick? No wonder she took off." Vesemir stood, finally finding the strength to do so and approached Geralt. "John of Brugge lacks flair, true, but he's reliable. Not like the hogwash they print nowadays." Geralt crossed his arms across his chest and leaned against the stone railing if the balcony, his yellow eyes following Vesemir as he rambled on. "She's tackling the pendulums, right?" Geralt didn't respond, only letting his mentor walk to the edge to peer down at Ciri himself. "How many times do I have to tell her? Don't train alone, it only embeds your errors. Bring our young damsel to the lower courtyard. She wants to practice? She'll get to practice." He chuckled looking back to Geralt.

"Don't get mad at her." Geralt told Vesemir. "Why the hell not? The whippersnapper refuses to do as she's told." Vesemir complained in a very direct way to Geralt. "You like that about her" Vesemir cocked his head a little to the side. "Hm. Fine, I suppose I'm partly to blame. But this has to end. Now." He rolled his shoulder a little, Geralt finally standing up properly. "Killing monsters is not something to he taken lightly. Ciri must understand that if she's to become one of us" Vesemir said peering back down to the pendulums where Ciri trained. "I'll see you below" the older Witcher said to Geralt who stood but inches behind him.

Geralt made it below in no time, watching Ciri, strolling past the multiple obstacles she went to avoid. The swinging beams of wood that had spikes on, he crossed his arms staying silent as he eyed Ciri's footwork. "wrong" Geralt said as Ciri flipped herself over, landing her feet awkwardly on the edge of the wooden beams beneath her feet, losing her balance at the edge. Which would have resulted in a nasty fall to the broken stone beneath her, doubting the growing wild bushes beneath her would cushion her fall. She swung her arms in wide circles trying to regain her balance, eventually propelling herself forward. "Now I see why you were so eager to practice. Strike!" Geralt commanded, his arms crossed against his chest as he observed her, the white fabric of his tunic rolled just beneath his elbow. He watched as she swung her sword, twirling it above her head. Lunging at the air and striking in long arcs around her as she moved from post to post. She did a cartwheel, landing to face the swinging beams. The handle of the blade striking just on the corner of the metal strike as the beam swung to her right, the sword being ripped from her fingertips, she quickly stuck her foot out, balancing on her left foot, the handle and top of the blade resting on the top of her outstretched boot. She flicked it up with a twist of her ankle. Caught it with a successful "Ha!" And continued to spin the toy blade around. Geralt couldn't watch, a hand over his face blocking his vision. He sighed and shook his head slightly dropping his hands to his side. "you're not in the circus. Pirouette!" Even if she was blindfolded, Vesemir was right, she could not see or learn from her mistakes. He continued to patrol the wooden deck. "Wrong. Footwork!" He told Ciri, pointing to her, she briefly stopped for s moment before continuing, until Geralt crossed his arms and stood in front of her. "Enough. Get down." He said. Ciri stopped, panting heavily, turning back to the sound of Geralts voice. "with a flip?" She asked him with a tone implying that she knew she could do it. "What do you think?" Geralt questioned. Ciri bent her knees, bouncing on her heels before skipping backwards, landing on the ground making sure to bend at the knees for a safer landing. "all right, take off the blindfold." Geralt said watching as the young girl reached behind her head and unfastened the cloth around her eyes. "you've got work to do. Your reflexes are still slow." He said looking down at her, of course for the young girl to argue back. "maybe for a Witcher." She said. "Think drowners or strigas will go easy on you because you haven't undergone the mutations?" Ciri pouted, rocked herself up on the balls of her feet and pouted whilst nodding. "though in your shoes I'd fear Vesemir more than any striga. Disobeying his instructions...unwise." Geralt said, Ciri dropped her arms to her side and looked the the floor. "Well, yes, but...that book was horribly dull!" She shrugged. Geralt knelt down to her level. Hands clasped in front of him. "I know. And you know that's no excuse." A loud sigh came from Ciri. "Ugh. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

"Sorry's not good enough." Geralt said. "You're gonna read "Ghouls and Alghouls" in its entirety. Appendices included." Ciri's voice went up a pitch as she shook her head. "No, please... I'd rather clean the stables!" Geralt stood up slowly. "end of discussion. Come on. We'll practice with the others down below." Ciri turned before Geralt even had time to fully stand and blink. "Shall we run the walls?" Ciri asked excitedly.

"Of course. This a Witcher school it an elven bathhouse?" Geralt chuckled slightly. This made Ciri chuckle a little and grin.

Geralt and Ciri both reached the bottom, finally stepping into the courtyard. The area surrounded by tall bushes and vines growing on trees, and a wooden shelter to the left of the two, where witchers sat in disapproval of Ciri's games. One of the men, with black hair and scars across his face glowered at Cirilla, shaking his head, drawing the attention of the Witcher sat beside him.

"Anything to say for yourself, young lady?" Vesemir asked in a harsh time as he strolled in front of Geralt and the girl, hands on his hips. Ciri briefly looked at Geralt and replied. "I'm very sorry, Uncle Vesemir." She was sincere, meant every word. And she knew how much she upset Geralt. And she didn't wish to get in-between the Witchers. "Young blood craves action, I understand that. But when you fight a beast. Knowledge counts as much as your silver sword. At the very least. You ought to he able to tell a ghoul from an alghoul..." Vesemir said to the white haired girl as he stepped closer. Ciri gazing at the floor. "...by markings. Like unto the panthera tigris that in Zerrikania dwells, and by the sickly paleness of its visage." Vesemirs face fell a little as she started to explain, his mouth forming into a line as he looked at Geralt, and Witcher back, not expecting Ciri to actually know the difference. Geralt nodded to Vesemir who looked to Ciri. "Hmm. So you did read the chapter. Still, you should have asked if..." He was interrupted again. "But you were asleep, Uncle Vesemir."

"So, you did the reading. Why not admit it right off?" Geralt questioned, kneeling down to Ciri. "Never pounce on an advantage as soon as it appears. Wait til it stands to have maximum effect. Uncle Vesemirs words." Ciri explained, Geralt and the girl both looking to the mutant with his hands still on his hips.

"Well. You're a quick study. Quick, but mischievous." Vesemir said, Geralt turning to gaze at her. "Fine. We've talked enough. Geralt. You're with me. Lambert with Eskel. Ciri with the dummy." The other witchers stood, no one other than Ciri having complaints about the pairings. "Huh...again?" She whined. "stop groaning and grab a sword" Vesemir said watching as she walked off, Eskel walking past him and Geralt getting into position. "What do you think - should we start by reviewing the fundamentals, or go right to free training?" Vesemir asked to Geralt as they stood side by side. Geralt watches as Ciri stared at the dummy, a pitiful straw man on a wooden stick. Ciri's arms hanging down by her side. Geralt clenched his jaw before turning to look at Vesemir. The sun shining against the pale skin exposed from the white tunic he wore, his cheeks having a faint reddening to them.

"Should work on the basics. Even skilled masters need to hone the fundamentals...and Ciri's barely a novice." Geralt said. He turned his head sharply away from Vesemir making his way to the sword that lay just to the side of the courtyard in the wooden frame. "Draw your sword Geralt!" Vesemir said as he grabbed his from the leather holder on his back.