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Puppies

Summary:

Vesemir survives the battle of Kaer Morhen, but only very closely. That night, he gets a visit from his pups

Notes:

I just played through the Battle of Kaer Morhen and I literally cried. No one died besides Vesemir, which I'm grateful for, bc Lambert almost did, but still it hits me very hard that the old wolf's gone so here's my way to cope with that: Denial

Btw, this is very ooc and mostly based on other fanfics I've read about Vesemir's Pups so it'll be very different from how they act in the game. Also Aiden's there bc....Aiden

 

Have funXD

Work Text:

Vesemir couldn't sleep, which made sense.
He survived a lot of battles in his nearly four hundred years, but this one was....different.
He couldn't really tell what exactly made him almost shake when thinking about it.
Maybe the fact, that he almost lost his youngest pup.
Luckily, his cat friend saved Lambert before anything bad could've happened, but still it was close.
Maybe it was, when Eskel fought with one of the Wild Hunt's generals (I can't remember the name and can't look it up right now).
He had to remind himself, that the three of them where safe. As safe as Ciri was.
She was alive, obviously.
Vesemir spent most of the battle trying to protect the girl, and couldn't focus on the wolves he should've focused on as well.
But it was fine.
They where alive.
Everyone was.
Even tho, Vesemir almost thought it was his end.
But Ciri managed to save him.
He always knew, that the girl had strong powers, but this was new.
But it was over.
Everyone was fine.
He should sleep.
But he couldn't.
He just couldn't stop thinking about all of the things that could gone wrong.
What, if Ciri wasn't fast enough to save Eskel?
They would've killed him for sure.
What, if Aiden wasn't as trustworthy as Lambert made him up to be?
Who would've died, if these things had gone differently? Vesemir stared at the book in his hands.
He had tried to read, to get his mind off of that, but it obviously didn't work.
With a swift motion, he closed the book and turned, to lay it on the table.
Just as he was about to turn off the candle, he heard footsteps outside of his door.
His first thought was, that they where back.
Trying to get them when everyone was asleep.
But then he listened closer.
That wasn't anyone of the wild hunt.
It was one of his boys.
Definitely.
He just didn't know who, yet.
It wasn't important anyway.
They probably just wanted to got to the toilet or something. But the steps came to a stop in front of Vesemir's room, and he waited.
Then, there was a knock.
It was quiet, and Vesemir realized soon, that it had to be Eskel.
Geralt would've knocked harder, and Lambert would've just burst into the room probably. "Come in, boy" the old wolf said, after sitting up proberly.
Still in his bed, obviously.
Eskel opened the door slightly, and came in.
His pupils where huge and wide, while he tried to see anything.
So Vesemir blower the candle out.
The pup blinked a couple of times, until it was better.
All the while the older wolf waited patiently.
It wasn't until Eskel actually looked up to meet his eyes, that he spoke. "Are you ok?" Immediately, Eskel looked away. Probably ashamed. "I'm...fine" he turned, to walk away, but he was stopped by Vesemir, who got out of the bed. "The battle was hard, right?" He asked.
Knowing fully well what bothered the younger wolf.
He nodded slightly. "Come here" Vesemir purred slightly, which seemed to work, because Eskel immediately hugged him tightly.
Vesemir basically pulled the pup on the bed, while getting on it himself again. "You're ok" he purred, while still having his arms wrapped around the body of his oldest boy.
He didn't stop, when he heard the soft sniffles, that came out of the pup's mouth.
When they turned into whines however, pulled one of his hands up and to the black hair in an attempt, to sooth him. Knowing fully well, that this calmed the boy down for sure. So it wasn't a surprise, when it did, and he actually fell asleep not long after.
The older witcher repositioned himself and the pup, so he was able to pull up the sheets and cover them both with them.
Vesemir woke up, when the door got opened.
He immediately sat up in defense mode and looked at the door.
His yellow eyes narrowing, but immediately softening when he realised, it was only Lambert.
The baby wolf didn't say anything.
He just closed the door behind him and stared at the man with an unreadable expression.
It was obvious, he already saw Eskel, who still slept.
Vesemir just signed for the boy to come closer, and he did. Without a single word he climbed into the bed.
Lambert was far louder than Eskel and Geralt.
Always.
Except in times like this.
When they where all together, which was mostly on cold winter nights.
He was the quietest of them all, during those times.
Other than Eskel, who slept with his back to Vesemir, in the right side of the old wolf, Lambert layer down on his left side, and cuddled as closely against him, as possible.
Vesemir would never turn any of his pups away, when they weren't feeling good.
And today, they obviously weren't.
So he hugged his youngest and layed his chin on the pups head.
He wondered, when Geralt would come to join them. Knowing fully well, that he would definitely come.
Lambert purred in his sleep, which made Vesemir smile. They all did that, but it was slightly different, when he did it. The old wolf didn't know why, or how this was different then the purrs of his older pups, but it was a fact.
If he was quite honest, he liked spending his nights with Lambert in his arms.
Maybe because he was the only survivor of the last class. Maybe for an entirely different reason.
But it was a fact.
And he knew, that Lambert liked it as well.
But of course the boy would never admit that.
Probably not even, if his life depended on it.
He always was a stubborn one.
Not quite as stubborn as Geralt or Ciri could be, but still very. Vesemir sighed quietly, when he heard the firm knock on his door. "Come in, pup" he purred, and Geralt did.
The white wolf looked over his family for a second, bevor climbing in the bed and on Eskel's right side, who immediately whined and clinged to his brother.
When those two where kids, they where inseparable.
Always together.
Vesemir didn't want to think about how awful it would've been, if one of them had died during the Trial of Grasses.
He shook his head slightly, to ban the thought. They where alive. All of them where.
He cought a climpse of Geralt, still awake, licking at Eskel's scar to get his attention.
Whatever he needed that for now.
They where already cuddled together.
But Vesemir didn't say anything.
He just turned back to his youngest pup and snuggled closer to him.
The cat would probably miss Lambert in the morning, but Vesemir couldn't care less.
He didn't exactly hate Aiden.
After all, he seemed like a decent guy and he did safe Lambert's life earlier that day, but still, Vesemir couldn't really cope with the fact, that he might lose his baby to a cat.
Or to anyone, really.
When Lambert brought him to the keep earlier this week, to help with the battle, Vesemir started out hating the cat.
And he knew, Aiden noticed it.
The kitten would actually flinch sometimes, when surprised by Vesemir walking in.
Aiden was actually as much of a cat, as Lambert was a wolf. They where the same age, so basically he was still a kitten. And Vesemir didn't know, if he had a family.
Cats where alone, most of the time, after all.
Wolves had a lack, to return to.
There was a difference.
Maybe he'd talk to Aiden later.
But not today.
He looked behind him, when Eskel shuffled closer to his back.
Still asleep, and Geralt slept as well by this time.
An arm and a leg wrapped around his brother, and the face in one of the pillows.
Vesemir smiled slightly.
He liked the winter, when his boys came home.
Gerald didn't turn up every winter, but most.
Eskel was always the first to return to the keep.
Often it still being fall, and Lambert followed shortly after him.
From now on, presumably with his kitten in toe.
This year wasn't like the others.
They could've died today.
All of them.
But they didn't.
And they won't.
Vesemir opened his eyes, when there was another knock.
He wasn't prepared for that at all. "Vesemir?" Ciri poked her head in. "Do you think I could ..." She normally wasn't shy, but in moments like this, everyone probably would've been. "Come in. There's still room in here somewhere for you" he answered, and the girl closed the door behind herself.
Maybe this winter was more dangerous than the others, but that didn't have to be a bad thing.