A/N: A super nice anon left this long comment on my Tumblr about an old fic with Lambert and Aiden and I just couldn’t get it out of my mind. It was so sweet! My heart just couldn’t take the sugar overload. I had to fulfill their request. (I’ve lost my writing style simply from disuse so I apologize for the differences, but I hope you still like it nonetheless).
Pairings: Lambert x Aiden x Reader
Summary: With the winters so difficult in the Keep, it's hard to stay warm. Luckily, you have two witchers to help you fix that problem.
Word count: 2,151
Warnings: NONE!
It was cold in the Keep. The kind of cold that stung at the shoulders and bit at the fingers. The sort of cold that made one’s breath come out in clouds of mist like smoke blowing from a pipe. The type of cold that was only found at the start of winter when the briskness of fall faded away and the seasons well and truly turned.
You knew that your cheeks had turned a shade darker of red without looking at a mirror. Despite the layers piled high upon your shoulders, you could not get warm. It was a chill in the air that did not relent. Walking through the hallowed halls felt like traversing a tundra. Even moving was a difficult task, your arms wrapped around yourself to conserve what bit of heat you had.
However, you kept going on because you knew your destination would be worth the effort.
Aiden’s room was at the end of the hall. His door was unlocked, yet you knocked regardless. The sound echoed through the icy halls, the only noise against the snow silently falling outside the Keep’s walls.
Footfalls followed, the handle turned, and before you appeared a clearly half asleep cat. His hair was flattened against one side of his head and his eyes, amber and golden, were barely open. In addition, he stood in his bares, scarred chest on full display. Aiden’s words were muddled by a yawn as he greeted you. “How can I be of service, darling?” he asked once he had finished.
“May I share your bed tonight?” you asked, clutching tighter at your arms. You were shivering now, the cold too much for you to bear.
“Of course. You look as though you’re about to freeze to death. Come here.” Aiden pulled you into his room and the moment you crossed the threshold, you were enveloped in warmth. The hearth was burning and the windows were drawn closed. Aiden was one of the only witchers who had the foresight to put curtains over his window in order to prevent the winter’s chill from entering the chambers. His bedroom was the warmest in the keep, the perfect temperature for a delicate cat.
“Vesemir has the Keep far too cold for me,” you whined, warming your stiff hands over the fire.
“The wolves do prefer it colder than most.”
“They’re wolves, not polar bears,” you bit back with a pout. “I wish they’d have it a little warmer in here.”
Aiden laughed, pulling a blanket off of his bed and drawing it over your shoulders. “You are always welcomed in my room, my love.” He pressed a kiss to the crown of your head. The heat of his skin doing wonders to ease the ache in your bones.
“May I be welcomed in your bed as well?”
“Always.”
Aiden’s soft scent filled your nose as you made your way closer to his bed. He smelt of the forest, pine and ferns and something that was just Aiden. It was hard to describe the distinct scent of a person. It was unique only to the cat but it was synonymous with home, comfort, and pleasure. It was one of your favorite smells, on par with another witcher’s spicy cinnamon and smoke.
You thought of Lambert as you drew the covers over yourself, arms wrapping around Aiden’s bare chest as he joined you. You laid your head on his shoulder, face practically buried into him. “I wish Lambert didn’t mind the heat.”
Aiden emitted a sound that could only be described as a giggle. “I haven’t a clue what you said but that tickles.”
You raised your head from his chest, a smile curling the corners of your lips. Despite not being a cat yourself, you appeared as if you were the cat who had caught the canary. “I merely said that I wished that Lambert did not mind the heat of your room,” you repeated, a hand moving towards shoulder. “I never knew that you were ticklish here.” You brushed the tips of your fingers over the skin there.
The touch was feather light but the sound that left Aiden’s mouth could be heard from down the mountain. “You devil!” he exclaimed, a guffaw forcing it way out of his lips.
“Oh Melitele, you’re so sensitive.” You were relentless, attacking him with only the tips of your fingers.
Aiden squirm underneath your touch; a great big witcher rendered defenseless at the hands of a mere mortal. He twisted and turned his body attempting to get out of your reach but that proved difficult due to the limitations of the size of the bed. He was helpless, at the mercy of your mischief.
“Please,” he pleaded or laughed, it was difficult to discern. “I yield!”
“But you’re adorable like this. I see no cat here, only a kitten.” You continued your onslaught, hands running up and down Aiden’s chest.
He turned to roll out of your path but you merely followed him on your knees now, a balancing act as you leaned forward to attack him. A balancing act which he took advantage of, finding an opening to grab your wrists and pin them above your head as he propelled you onto your back.
Aiden caged you in, his other hand immediately going to your waist to hold you down so you were at his mercy. “Well, well, well, what do we have here?” He followed each word with a slow press of his lips against yours. By the end of it you were having trouble catching your breath.
“Mercy?”
“Oh, now you’re eager for mercy?” Aiden’s expression was in honor of his school, utterly feline and devious.
“I’m so cold, you can’t tease me now, Aiden. You must warm me up lest I freeze to death.”
Aiden gave you another kiss, this time tongue licking at your lips for entrance which you unhesitatingly granted. “Well, we can’t have that, now can we?”
“No we cannot. Who else will entertain you this winter if I went rigid?” You pushed back against his hold on you, reaching upwards to kiss him.
He met you in the middle, unable to resist the offer. He was unwilling to deny you anything you so clearly desired.
Heat radiated off the two of you as you pressed your bodies closer together. Neither of you were willing to part from the other. His hold on you uncompromising as was yours on him. Your hand went to his locks, the strands so utterly soft between your fingers. He was made out of down and fur and all the soft and good things in the world. He was yours.
“Aiden,” you moaned in between breaths, in between one kiss and the next.
“Yes, darling?” he replied in between heartbeats, in the flickers of flames still burning in the hearth.
“Could we get Lambert? Please? I don’t care if he makes a fuss of the heat. I need him near.”
Aiden chuckled, his amber eyes fond as they locked onto yours. “Anything for you, my love.”
He parted from you, releasing your wrist and the hold on your waist. He went to the door without care for his shirt or trousers. When his hand turned the handle and opened the entrance, none other than Lambert greeted him on the other side.
“I could hear you two from the dungeons, you're so loud,” Lambert chastised though the expression on his face lacked any proper heat. He was panting which was quite a difficult task to achieve as a witcher. He must have ran to Aiden’s room by the way his shoulders were rising and falling so quickly.
“I was just about to get you to come join us.” Aiden flexed his arms as if Lambert did not already get the obvious. He was still in his bares after all.
“It’s hell in here,” Lambert predictably replied. “How do you even stand it?”
You rolled your eyes, a smirk already in the midst of forming on your face. You could play out entire conversations with Lambert without ever having to verbally speak to the mind. He simply had a way of going through the world that anyone with working eyes and ears could sense. It was like reading a book that you’ve read a million times, each act already memorized.
“Lamb, it’s too cold out there for me. You’re already at Aiden’s door. Please join us,” you begged of him, batting your eyes at him coyly.
“Can I put out the fire at least?”
Before you could reply, Aiden was already making his way to the hearth to snuff out the flames. “There,” he presented his handwork with a gesture to smoke leaving through the chimney. “Just remove your shirt and come join us. You’ll love it, I promise.” Aiden smiled brightly at him, an expression that could melt even the iciest of hearts.
Lambert made snide remarks the whole time, as was his habit, but complied with Aiden’s request regardless. Soon, you had two bodies turning to you in bed, twin amber gazes on you. “I love getting my way.”
“You’re spoiled rotten here,” Lambert grumbled, but went into your open arms in spite of his complaints. He laid his head on your chest, tucking himself underneath your chin. He breathed you in, willing his own heart to align itself with the beats of your own. “Soon you’ll be expecting me to do this everyday.”
“Oh would you, Lamb?” you excitedly exclaimed. “I wish we’d spend every evening like this.”
Aiden blanketed your other side, arm going to wrap the both of you in his embrace. He pressed you close and inhaled the mixing scents of his favorite people. It was bliss. “Could we have you pliant and willing like this everyday, Lambert?”
Lambert pressed his face into the nook of your neck, hiding his expression away. “It hasn’t even been five bloody minutes and the two of you are already wanting to push it.”
Your hands went to his naked sides, bare and vulnerable to your touch. “No, if I really wanted to push it, I’d do this.” The attack was premeditated and deadly. Your fingers were quick and light. Lambert was hollering and rolling out of bed in the blink of an eye.
“You absolute arse!” he yelled, but there was no heat in his eyes for they were too filled with mirth now. He grabbed the pillowed from under your head and pulled it away, branshing it like a weapon before bringing it down onto your unexpecting face.
“Lamb!” you cried out, hands going to protect your head.
“You’ve made your declaration of war!” The feathered filled assault continued with a fury.
“Aiden, save m—” Before you could finish you were attacked from the other side. Your witchers had turned against you. “The betrayal!”
“No, can do, my love. You’ve stuck me with the same offense before. I’ve sworn my loyalty to Lambert for he knows the pain I’ve endured by your hands.”
“Aghhh!” You ran from the bed, leaping off of it and running for the door.
“You can’t run from us!” Lambert yelled, rushing to you and sweeping you off of your feet and into his arms. He then deposited you back onto the bed where Aiden was ready with both pillows.
“Do you yield?!” Aiden questioned you as he threw pillows at you. You didn’t even know that Aiden had so many pillows to begin with.
“I—aghhh—yield. I yield. Please have mercy!”
Aiden stopped his onslaught and pressed a kiss to your forehead that was more slobber than lips. He pulled you into him. “You’ve been defeated,” he laughed, holding you tight.
Lambert joined him in this new game of smothering you. A manic grin was stretched across his face, the expression of a victor coming to claim his glories. “That’s what you get for tickling me.” He bit at your neck in a way that was less alluring and more vicious. It was like the nips of a playing dog.
You laughed at their antics, pulling the blankets over the three of you as they continued with their choice of celebrating their victory. Eventually, they were settled enough to simply tug you close and relax. A tired Lambert returned to his position on your chest and a spent Aiden buried his face next to yours. Your witchers had been worn out.
“Have I remarked on how much I love the two of you?”
“I don’t believe so.”
“Nuh-uh.”
“Well I love you so very much and I don’t think I will ever stop loving you two.”
The two witchers left two final kisses to your skin before drifting off to sleep. Wrapped in warmth and all the love a person could possibly ever need, you followed them. The snow continued falling outside the Keep, but inside, you were safe and utterly adored.
A collection of head canons about each Witcher school.
Wolf School
Specialization: Curses
Wolf Witchers specialize in the breaking of curses. By the time of their descent from Kaer Morhen, all Wolf Witchers know cures for common curses such as lycanthropy. They are also well versed in discovering curses, their origins, and their possible cures. Many Wolf Witchers die at the hands of Cursed Ones during their first year on the Path as they try to cure instead of kill. Typically, those that return to the Path for a second time have discovered how to tell when Cursed Ones are lost causes.
Specific/Distinct Mutations: N/A - The School of the Wolf still uses the same mutagens first used by the Order of Witchers before it split into the separate schools.
Combat Tactics/Fighting Styles: All Witchers will develop their own fighting style with time, but most wolves have a tactic in common: exhaustion. Similar to their animal counterparts, which are endurance hunters and will follow their prey for miles, Wolf Witchers often rely on tiring their opponent out through the strategic use of oils, dodges, and Signs.
Trial of the Medallion: Any Witcher to emerge from Kaer Morhen goes through the grueling Trial of the Mountain during which they ascend Troll’s Head Mountain without being killed by Old Speartip, the cyclops in the caverns, or by the trolls beyond the caverns. Then, the trainee would place their Withcher’s medallion in the Circle of Elements to activate it. (Canon)
Headquarters: Kaer Morhen in Kaedwan near the Gwenllech River.
Fun Facts:
Geralt and the others that died during the second round of mutations were the first attempts at a specially mutated Wolf Witcher. Vesemir was afraid Geralt would end up with the Madness common in Cat Witchers as a result, but it never materialized.
Wolf Witchers are considered by most to be the most traditional of the Witcher schools and many of their teachings date back to the Order of Witchers.
Wolf Witchers have a relatively good reputation with humans, as far as Witcher-human relationship goes because Wolf Witchers are reliable and fair with their prices.
(rest of the schools below cut)
Cat School
Specialization: Revenge
It is commonly believed by other Witchers (and the Cats are quite content to let them believe this) that Cat Witchers will kill any human for any price. This is not, in fact, the full truth. Many consider the hardest part of hiring a Cat Witcher assassin to be convincing them that their victim truly deserves to die. It is, naturally, up to the individual Witcher to pass judgment and some Cat Witchers are more willing assassins than others.
Specific/Distinct Mutations:
Pheromone control (using their scent to manipulate others/situations)
Retractable claws between the fingernail and nail bed
Fangs
Whiskers
Flexible musculoskeletal system (a fancy way of saying their muscles/bones are different and allow for more flexibility and insane jumping height)
The Madness.
No Cat has all of them, but all Cats have the Madness to some level. The variation in mutations among Cats stems from the long history of experimentation on them.
Combat Tactics/Combat Styles: Naturally, Cat Witchers prefer stealth. A typical Cat Witcher will hang in the shadows for as long as possible and, when they do emerge, they will attempt to make the kill as quick and as clean as possible. Cats tend to fight…surgically. Rather than the hack-and-slash method employed by Wolves, Cats prefer to strike areas that will cause immediate results. It’s not unusual for assassination victims to be found with slashed Achilles’ heels to prevent running. Part of Cat training involves learning the most effective places to slash on as many creatures as possible.
Trial of the Medallion: The final Trial for a Cat Witcher is called the Trial of the Noose. The Trial of the Noose involves a complex aerial obstacle course of sorts. Trainees are expected to complete the course, which is in the shape of a noose, in a set amount of time. Before the day of the trial, bait is set for harpies nearby, which adds an extra layer to the challenge.
Headquarters: Dyn Marv Caravan in…um…wherever they want it to be.
Fun Facts:
Although experiments were conducted to remove emotions from Cats, they failed. Cats have the same emotional capacity as other witchers...in theory. In truth, prolonged experimentation has caused most older Cats to have so much trauma that their emotional scope is narrower; younger Cats do not have this problem to the same extent
A Cat can only be contacted on assassination contracts through underworld networks; contacting one at all is considered part of the proof that the client really is desperate to have their victim disposed of
The women of the continent are often the most knowledgeable about when and where a Cat can be contacted for assassination
There is a popular myth in some parts of the Continent that all Witchers have fangs. This myth was spread by a fanged Cat seeking to bolster his own image. His plan failed when he forgot to mention his name during gossip exchanges.
Bear School
Specialization: Politics
An unexpected side effect of Bear Witchers’ solitary natures is their involvement in Skelligen politics. Prior to the fall of the school, Bear Witchers served Skellige in an official capacity. Each clan had at least one Bear Witcher in their employment at all times. A clan’s Witcher would handle all contracts in that clan’s domain. They worked closely with Skelligen druids and enjoyed a hesitant respect from most Skelligens. Bear Witchers also acted as advisors to the clan leaders in a manner similar to sorceresses on the Continent.
Specific/Distinct Mutations:
Shapeshifting (may become a bear at will)
“Steroid” blood (the more blood a Bear loses, the more powerful their attacks become)
Combat Tactics/Combat Styles: Bear Witchers rely on their own strength during battle. Like all Skelligens, they are not afraid of injury and often rely on said injuries to draw strength due to their blood mutations. Another common strategy among Bear Witchers is to keep their bear form in the reserves and break it out when they are almost defeated, often fatally stunning their enemy with their transformation.
Trial of the Medallion: Called the Trial of Salt by Bear Witchers, this Trial of the Medallion is one of the most brutal faced by any school. In the Trial of Salt, Bear Witchers are expected to take on a swarm of aquatic monsters in the sea with a plethora of open wounds inflicted by their masters. The salt of the sea agitates the wounds and makes all movements painful. Bears that survive the Trial carry permanent scars. Many get intricate tattoos of the beasts they defeated over the scars.
Headquarters: Kaer Gelen on Ard Skellige, near Gedyneith ( non - canon; Canon headquarters is Haern Caduch in the Amell Mountain that separates Nilfgaard and the Northern Realms.)
Fun Facts:
Berserkers were created by Bear Witcher mages in an attempt to perfect the mutagens for the school. Since the mutagens supposedly failed completely, they were not sterilized which is why Berserkers are still found today.
Bear Witchers only rarely returned to Kaer Gelen in the winter; most chose to stay with their clan and a few would winter with the druids in Gedyneith
Bear Witchers are often heavily tattooed in accordance with Skellige tradition. After a particularly difficult hunt that they wish to commemorate, a Bear can always be found adding ink to his skin.
Viper School
Specialization: Assassination
Much of the reputation held by Cat Witchers can be more accurately attributed to Viper Witchers. This misunderstanding is used to the Vipers’ advantages. It isn’t unusual for a Viper to don a Cat medallion before enacting an assassination. Vipers will kill anyone for the right price and pry information out of them first for an additional fee.
Specific/Distinct Mutations:
Black Blood (Viper blood is toxic to almost everything - think the black blood potion but all the time.)
Toxic saliva (different Vipers have different effects. For example, one witcher may have saliva that paralyzes, while another has saliva that intoxicates.)
Combat Tactics/Combat Styles: Due to their toxic blood, two main forms of combat have evolved within the vipers: ranged and close-combat fighters:
Close-Combat Vipers lean into their toxic blood. Close-combat Vipers will occasionally allow their foe to get hits on them to poison them or corrode their blades. They fight with two "fangs" tipped with poison. Fangs are typically silver/steel daggers but can be made of anything the Viper desires. Some notable alternatives include bone, actual fangs, glass, and stone.
Ranged Vipers adhere to the fact that while their blood is deadly, they're no good to anyone if they're dead. Instead, ranged Vipers use poisoned arrows to attack their foes. The arrows are poisoned with their own blood.
Trial of the Medallion: The Trial of Sacrifice is the final hurdle a Viper faces before receiving their Medallion. As Vipers often work behind enemy lines and kill those they laid with only a moment before, they can’t get too attached to anything. Ever. The Trial of Sacrifice ensures they are prepared for this. When a Viper trainee arrives, they are invited to select a pet. That pet is then their companion and best friend for the entirety of their Withcer training. During the Trial of Sacrifice, a Viper must look their pet in the eye and kill it. (Canon)
Headquarters: Gorthur Gvaed in the Tir Tochair mountains between the Korath Desert and Nilfgaard. Most inhabitants of the mountains are non-humans.
Fun Facts:
Due to the Trial of Sacrifice, Vipers struggle to form attachments to anyone or anything
The Schools of the Cat and the Viper do not have good relations and the rivalry is overshadowed only by the one between the Wolves and Cats.
Griffon School
Specialization: Magic, the Dead
Griffons specialize in the art of magic. While their magic is not as powerful as that of a sorcerer or sorceress, it is quite powerful. Griffons can make use of magic beyond the usual Signs. They specialize in a type of magic that is cast using not Elder but Common. Extremely talented Griffons may be able to cast telepathically. Their heavily enchanted Witcher Medallions allow them to fly for short periods of time as well.
Griffons chose to inhabit a deeply haunted land. To combat this, they quickly adjusted magic to help them communicate with the dead. This magic is considered necromancy and is therefore frowned upon by almost everyone, but Witchers are already frowned upon so what’s one more rumor?
Specific/Distinct Mutations:
Magic enhancers (the mutation that allows the use of Common instead of Elder in spell casting.)
Air sacs
Light bones
Combat Tactics/Combat Styles: Griffons are advantageous fighters. They make use of their surroundings in any way possible, whether that’s by knocking opponents off cliffs or taking advantage of flammable materials. Griffons are also well known for using gravity to their advantage. Some Griffons are known for lifting their foes a considerable distance into the air and dropping them.
Trial of the Medallion: The Trial of the Egg is the final trial a Griffon Witcher must face. The trainee must locate a Griffon egg, steal it without the parents noticing and transport it to a secondary location. Griffons may choose to take the Trial of the Book instead. During the Trial of the Book, they must recite the Liber Tenebrarum. No trainee has ever selected the Trial of the Book. (Canon)
Headquarters: Kaer Saren in the Kestrel Mountains in the Kingdom of Kovir and Poviss.
Fun Facts:
The Griffon and Crane schools work closely together due to the typically dual flying/swimming nature of aquatic beasts.
Kaer Seren was standing for centuries before the Griffons took it over
The library of Kaer Seren was one of the greatest in the world and contained many book on mutagens and Common magic
Common magic was feared by mages because they would lose their power if the commoners could cast without Aretuza and Ban Ard. This led to considerable tension between the groups.
Griffons do not have issues with killing dragons, unlike other Witcher schools.
Crane School
Specialization: Aquatic creatures
Cranes specialize in societies that live underwater, such as the Vodyanoy, and the monsters that plague them like water elementals, sea serpents, and krakans.
Specific/Distinct Mutations:
Gills
Webbed fingers/toes
Second eyelid
Pressure resistance
Combat Tactics/Combat Styles: Of course, Cranes use their underwater skills. Like Water Hags, they often use silt and sand to blind their opponents. If they’re fighting a creature from a boat, they wrap a thick silver rope around it and yank it upward, out of its element. If they are stalking an amphibious creature, they take a page out of a crocodile’s book and keep still and silent.
Trial of the Medallion: The Trial of the Frog is the final trial for Crane trainees. The Trial of the Frog focuses on adaptability in combat, like how a Frog adapts to living on land. Similar to a triathlon, the Trial of the Frog takes place in all three of the main fighting environments of Crane Witchers. Provided they survive, the trainees become full fledged Witchers.
Headquarters: Kaer Nhon in the Silk Islands (Headcannon; no cannon headquarters. Kaer Nhon does not exist at all, unlike Kaer Gelen which can be found in Skellige in Witcher III)
Fun Facts:
Cranes are considered good luck on ships and are often allowed to travel on them for free - a rare reaction to the presence of a Witcher
The School of the Crane is the only predominantly female school
Many sea shanties are written by or reference Crane Witchers
Myths about sirens being desirable originated due to drunk soldiers spotting Cranes in the depths.
Cranes are generally the most well-natured and amicable Witchers
Crane Witchers typically face the least persecution from humans despite being the most inhuman Witchers. This is because Crane Witchers do not belong in the uncanny valley like other Witchers; they’re seen as fully inhuman to the point where they enjoy a status not unlike the status of dragons - some people still fear them, but they’re largely respected.
Manticore School
Specialization: Defense
Specific/Distinct Mutations:
Bulky frames
Tough skin (even by witcher standards)
Reinforced bones
Combat Tactics/Combat Styles:
Manticores, unlike all other witchers, are a preventative measure, not a reactive one. While they will kill monsters already present, they focus more on keeping monsters out of human settlements. They achieve this in many ways: they focus on finding and eradicating nests, building walls lined with silver, and teaching the common man how to handle the common monster.
Manticore fighting styles also reflect their defensive nature. Manticores typically use large shields as their primary weapons. These shields are usually jagged along at least one edge and feature a large spike in the center. This shield effectively protects the witcher, and damages their opponent in one swift move. In the hand not holding the shield, Manticores are equipped with a small "stinger." A stinger is typically a small knife tipped in poison or enchanted to burn the flesh of an opponent.
Trial of the Medallion: Trial of the Sands is the name given to the Manticores’ final trial. The Trial consists of the trainee making their way form one fortress to the other while taking no injuries - not even one from a cactus spine. It is not uncommon for a Manticore trainee to attempt the Trial multiple times. Because of the nature of the Trial of the Sands, Manticores train for much longer than the Witchers of other schools.
Headquarters: Behelt Nar & Bialsuf Alsarea are the twin fortresses of the Manticores. One fort is at each end of the Korath desert.
Fun Facts:
Manticore Witchers are also called Alqatil
Women can be Manticore Witchers
Manticore Witchers are considered dragon protectors by the dragon worshipers of Zerrikania
See hi-res version here: patreon.com/posts/63246221
Witcher AU with Hans and Murphy! @freckledsaint and I were discussing which school would suite them and came to an agreement that Hans would be from the School of Cat while Murphy would be from School of Bear.
Enjoy the concept designs I've come up with and some fun poses I made for Cat Hans ;D Used lots of parkour and gymnastic refs.
