The Serpent of Fear
Part 1 of 4: Where There is Love There is Forgiveness
Summary: After saving Ciri from the Deathless Mother, Yennefer must deal with the whirlwind of emotions that come with finding forgiveness, not only from others but from herself.
Pairing: Geralt x Yennefer
A/N: This is just me working through the end of season 2 because I need closure. I started this as a one shot and decided it would make a better short series.
Fear. It coiled itself around her heart and squeezed, like a snake to a mouse. It was a feeling she was not accustomed to, one she preferred to shove down low and ignore, but for now it sat heavy, unwavering, and all too prominent in her consciousness. It had been her constant companion since the fateful day at Kaer Morhen. Sure, the deathless mother had been pushed back for the moment and Ciri saved, but that was only the beginning. What lay in store for them was anyone’s guess and Yennefer felt as if the ground she stood on would crumble beneath her at any moment.
It wasn’t the bounty on her head that left her stumbling, she had grown used to being a wanted woman and life on the run was something that came second nature to her by now, but this was the first instance she could recall where she would be reliant, in some part, on others for her own wellbeing.
They’d left the fort, hedging their bets that it was safer for them to keep moving rather than stay in one place, but in turn the decision had left Yennefer fearing for her own security. It wasn’t what lurked in the woods that worried her, but it was those she needed the most that left the serpent of fear inside her.
Things between her and Ciri seemed to right themselves easily enough, children were resilient and more willing to forgive, and the work Yennefer put in to help the girl control the chaos seemed to mend the discourse that had been between them. Geralt, however, remained distant and reluctant to engage with any sort of conversation, so Yennefer had taken it upon herself to refrain from unnecessary discussion and contact.
He was, after all, judge, jury, and executioner of her if he chose to be and Yennefer didn’t have the will to stop him if that was what he wanted. A part of her hated herself for being in this position, to feel like she was at the mercy of another, but her world had shifted on its axis and she didn’t feel stable enough to question the status quo and she didn’t think she had a right to. There had been enough sleepless nights and fitful dreams that Yennefer had even come around to Geralt’s way of thinking. She couldn’t blame him for not forgiving her, she couldn’t forgive herself either.
