"Ekhidna... Don't ask me how but one has ended up around here and I've been tailing it for miles. It managed to strike me before it escaped." He breathed deeper and deeper with each word. "It might still be around; you'll stand no chance. It'll kill you before you even know it's there. My name is Geralt, that's about as friendly as I'm going to get right now."

"Let me help." He tried to brush away you're helping hand, but he was too weak to stop it. You lifted his arm and carefully removed the fine tunic that had bonded to his skin with dried, sticky blood. You sifted through your small bag of supplies for a bandage and wrapped it tightly around his midriff.

"I like the swords, two seems a bit excessive though, doesn't it?" Geralt smiled loosely.

"I'm a Witcher, believe it or not. Surely you've heard of us? Why wouldn't you get one of us to deal with your ghoul problem instead of sending a child out." He groaned in pain as you tied off the bandage.

"I am no child, I am old enough to take care of one lonely little ghoul." Geralt scoffed as he checked out your nursing handiwork. "What? Do you not believe me?"

"I believe you plenty, but never underestimate any foe. Not paying enough attention is the thing most likely to get you killed regardless of the enemy that you are facing. Reach in my bag, there are some tied herbs, it will not be enough to keep me alive, but it should ease the bleeding a bit." You followed his instructions and placed the herbs in his dry mouth.

"We do not get many witchers around here. We are a pretty isolated place, we get a few supply deliveries every few weeks but apart from that we keep ourselves to ourselves. We do not normally have these problems but for some reason the ghoul decided to separate from his pack and use our village as a feeding ground."

"He was probably feeding off the kills of the Ekhidna, not exactly unheard of." Geralt sounded better as time slowly went on, well enough to push himself up from the tree and stand on his own two feet, he stood unsteady but at least he was up. "I wish you luck on your ghoul hunting, I need to regain my strength and kill the beast before it reaches you and your people." He turned and began to limp away, collecting his swords on the way, but it was seconds before he had stumbled over a large rock and barely manged to stay standing. Even the ghoul would have been enough to finish him off.

"Stop, my village is not far. We have a women very knowledgeable in medical herbs and lotions, she has everything you will need to get back to a point you can fight. Please, come with me, for what you will do for us it is the least we can offer..." Geralt sighed deeply and glared at you with rolling eyes.

~*~

Written by Aaron.