Ciri takes a deep breath, and gives herself a few moments to try to organize her scattered thoughts. She sifts through the fears and the what-ifs and guilt to look for the truth, for the most accurate and objective rendition she can muster of the events that brought her here. It feels like it's been days. It was only this morning. ]
Jaskier and I rode out to desert at the outskirts of Cadens after sunup. We intended to practice a few spells together. He wished to teach me what he's learned and has been encouraging me to... see what I can do. Try it out. We thought it would be best to practice away from people -- hence, the desert. Draw less attention too.
[ Her voice is quiet and methodical, recounting everything in her own words as best she can. Every once in a while, she stops to chew on the words and the jerky. Building up to when everything went wrong. ]
I asked him to teach me the healing spell he used on Yennefer, back in Thorne. Jaskier insisted I should practice on him. He showed me how, then bade me to make an attempt. He cut his forearm, very shallowly. Just a scratch to demonstrate on.
Then, I tried to do what he did.
[ And this is where things get hard. Ciri doesn't look up at Geralt, staring off into the trickle of water that barely can be called a stream in places. ]
As soon as I called on the chaos, I knew something was wrong. I couldn't will it or hold onto it. It... lashed out. I'm not sure of the details. In truth, I... struggle with full awareness, when it takes over like that. But it shouldn't have. Such a little thing--
[ No. She's getting distracted. Geralt only wants to know what happened. Ciri swallows hard. ]
I don't know exactly how, but it hurt him. And then there were-- [ This part she's actually not sure about at all. She doesn't understand, but Ciri does her best to recount what she'd experienced, the way the plants had come out of nowhere. She can only presume Jaskier had conjured them, perhaps on instinct, even though she's never seen him do anything of the sort before. ] There were vines covered in thorns. They erupted out of nowhere, but I think they were Jaskier's. They restrained me. My magic... reacted, without my willing it to.
Then, it was over. I don't think it took very long at all, even though it felt like it. Jaskier's arm was flayed open, and he lost a lot of blood. I bandaged him as well as I could.
[ Another pause. She picks apart the remaining piece of jerky in her hands, tearing it into little pieces she has no appetite for. ]
I noticed that I wasn't bleeding. Even though I felt the thorns bite into me. Somehow... only Jaskier was hurt. His arm, and everywhere the vines had hurt me too.
no subject
Ciri takes a deep breath, and gives herself a few moments to try to organize her scattered thoughts. She sifts through the fears and the what-ifs and guilt to look for the truth, for the most accurate and objective rendition she can muster of the events that brought her here. It feels like it's been days. It was only this morning. ]
Jaskier and I rode out to desert at the outskirts of Cadens after sunup. We intended to practice a few spells together. He wished to teach me what he's learned and has been encouraging me to... see what I can do. Try it out. We thought it would be best to practice away from people -- hence, the desert. Draw less attention too.
[ Her voice is quiet and methodical, recounting everything in her own words as best she can. Every once in a while, she stops to chew on the words and the jerky. Building up to when everything went wrong. ]
I asked him to teach me the healing spell he used on Yennefer, back in Thorne. Jaskier insisted I should practice on him. He showed me how, then bade me to make an attempt. He cut his forearm, very shallowly. Just a scratch to demonstrate on.
Then, I tried to do what he did.
[ And this is where things get hard. Ciri doesn't look up at Geralt, staring off into the trickle of water that barely can be called a stream in places. ]
As soon as I called on the chaos, I knew something was wrong. I couldn't will it or hold onto it. It... lashed out. I'm not sure of the details. In truth, I... struggle with full awareness, when it takes over like that. But it shouldn't have. Such a little thing--
[ No. She's getting distracted. Geralt only wants to know what happened. Ciri swallows hard. ]
I don't know exactly how, but it hurt him. And then there were-- [ This part she's actually not sure about at all. She doesn't understand, but Ciri does her best to recount what she'd experienced, the way the plants had come out of nowhere. She can only presume Jaskier had conjured them, perhaps on instinct, even though she's never seen him do anything of the sort before. ] There were vines covered in thorns. They erupted out of nowhere, but I think they were Jaskier's. They restrained me. My magic... reacted, without my willing it to.
Then, it was over. I don't think it took very long at all, even though it felt like it. Jaskier's arm was flayed open, and he lost a lot of blood. I bandaged him as well as I could.
[ Another pause. She picks apart the remaining piece of jerky in her hands, tearing it into little pieces she has no appetite for. ]
I noticed that I wasn't bleeding. Even though I felt the thorns bite into me. Somehow... only Jaskier was hurt. His arm, and everywhere the vines had hurt me too.