A/N: Hello all, a super long one for your delight this week, and I have a feeling this is one some of you have been waiting a while for. ;P There's a slight lull in the action for a few chapters, just to settle us into some relationship stuff, and then it's all systems go after that. So enjoy it while it lasts. See you all next week and as always read, review and enjoy! :)

Chapter 21

'All I'm saying is the longer you leave it, the more the tension is getting to all of us, not just you.'

Lambert glared daggers at Eskel. The older witcher didn't even glance up from his sword as he rubbed oil into it diligently. 'He's right. The Lambert I know would never sulk and mope about some girl. He'd make a move and damn the consequences.'

This time Lambert kicked out at the white haired witcher who had just spoken. Infuriatingly, Geralt moved his legs easily out of his reach, causing him to nearly fall off the bench they were sat on.

'Who asked you?'

Geralt looked at the younger witcher askance. 'I thought you were discussing your love life with us, so…you did.' Lambert ground his teeth together.

'No…Eskel started this conversation on his own. As per usual, I don't need your advice on bedding women or anything related to it. So kindly, fuck off.'

Eskel snorted and flicked a knowing look towards Geralt. Lambert could hear his blood beginning to pound in his ears. 'The girl's not interested in me. She told me so. I may be an ass but I at least have the common decency to respect a women's wishes. Unlike some I know.' He Jutted his chin out and gave Geralt a pointed look.

Far from rising to his antagonistic tone his brothers sighed in unison, Eskel shaking his head sadly. 'She is interested. Anyone with half a brain and eyes can see that. Every time you walk by she looks up and stares after you like some love sick whelp. Honestly, it's kind of annoying seeing you two stubborn children avoid each other.'

Lambert felt a twinge of pain in his chest. Had she really been watching him? But she was the one that had wanted to keep things 'civil', whatever the fuck that meant. 'Why don't you harass her as well then? Why pick on just me?'

Eskel rolled his eyes dramatically. 'Because you're the man and I don't know her like I know you. I can tell when you're hiding from yourself brother. I've seen you do it before.' He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. Lambert felt his face flush with quiet outrage, his eyes flashing a warning at Eskel's threat. Why had he even told his brother about Aiden? He wasn't even sure he'd understand, and now he was using him as a weapon in his argument to convince him to get with a half demon. Man, his love life was one giant fuck up.

'Drop it Eskel.' He growled out through clenched teeth. 'If you're so invested in her happiness, why don't you just ask her out yourself?' He'd meant it as a barbed come back. His usual method of stopping a conversation he didn't like, but when he looked at his scarred brother's face he saw a flicker of longing and sadness that made his stomach twist uncomfortably. He'd known Blue eyes and Eskel had been getting closer, especially since they were barely talking now, but he had never seen Eskel as anything other than friendly towards her. Had he been missing the cues altogether?

Now a cold well of fear and jealous began to bubble up inside of him. The uncaring, aloof mask he had been wearing since his and Blue eyes' awkward conversation in the storage room slipping ever so slightly.

'What do you suggest I do? Can't exactly wine and dine her in this crappy old place.' Eskel's mouth tipped up in a triumphant smirk, but Lambert could see now it didn't quite reach his eyes.

'Geralt manages it fine.' He said. Geralt gave Eskel a tired look before focusing back on cleaning his sword.

'Yeah, well. Geralt has, you know…Geralt. I need a lot of distraction to take away from all of this.' Lambert gestured to himself dismissively. 'Or a bag of coin, but I don't think Blue eyes would appreciate that.'

Eskel made a small noise of irritation, then punched Lambert hard on the arm. 'Hey! What the fuck!?'

'Stop down playing yourself jackass. Ellie doesn't want anything fancy, she'll be fine with just you. No distraction, no coin, just your stupid face and charming wit.' Lambert narrowed his eyes at his brother, unsure whether Eskel was being serious. There was no trace of humour in the other witcher's face, only frank honesty.

'He's right. Just show her something you enjoy doing here…take her fishing.' Geralt didn't even look up from his sword as he spoke, so it took Lambert a moment to connect the helpful, completely sober comment to the white haired witcher. A wave of awkwardness suddenly consumed him, and he rubbed a hand on the back of his head as he processed their words.

'Fishing? You think she'd like that?'

'Yes!' His brothers said in unison. Their eyes now fixed on him, exasperation clear in their voices.

'I'll think about it.' Lambert finally muttered after a long pause, turning his attention back to his own sword. The sudden emotional honesty making him want to end this discussion and go back to talking about forktails or some other witcher shit.

'Well, hurry up about, yeah. Or I might just get in before you.' Eskel tone was jovial and teasing, but now he was aware of it Lambert could definitely hear the genuine threat there.

It took him three days in the end to build up the courage to approach her. He found Blue eyes in her new favourite place, the herb garden she was renovating for Vesemir. As he walked towards the walled off patch of earth he could smell her scent on the wind. Over time he found the previously overwhelming stench of sulphur and farm animals easier to filter out, now he could barely smell them, only the fresh, warm scent of wet earth and grass hit him now. Subconsciously, he took in a deep breath, letting her scent wash over his tongue. He wondered idly if she tasted like rain too. Heat flooded to his face as he quickly pushed the thought to one side. Best not to get too ahead of yourself, he thought.

She was kneeling on the hard, frost packed ground, her hands gently pushing down around a clump of mandrake leaves. He stood awkwardly watching her for a moment, her brown hair half tied back like usual, strands of it drifting in the wind. Her brow furrowed and her tongue partially stuck out of her pink lips as she concentrated. He thought about getting her attention, but a part of him enjoyed watching her brush some of the loose soil off her hands, stroking a caring finger along one of the leaves of the mandrake.

As she sat back on her heels she noticed him hovering on the other side of the low wall. The crease cleared from between her eyebrows and her face split into a broad grin. Despite his reservations Lambert felt his heart skip at the sight of her automatic joy in seeing him. Then the grin faded and he saw the clouds of uncertainty drift over those azure blue eyes of hers.

'Hey…everything alright?' She asked, her voice as uncertain as her expression.

'Yeah, everything's fine.' He said, shifting from foot to foot. His limbs seemingly alive with nervous energy. Blue eyes cocked her head to one side, that adorable fucking crease appearing again.

'Then what's up?'

'I was just coming to see…I wanted to say…maybe, if you're not busy doing whatever it is you're doing here…I wondered if you'd like….fuck it all, what are you doing here?'

She blinked up at him for a moment, unsure what to make of his awkward, stuttered outburst, then slowly rose to her feet.

'I'm gardening.' She replied slowly, as if talking to an idiot. Which he supposed he was if he were being honest. He had wanted to ask her, he had tried, but something had tied his tongue up in knots. If he wanted a person he usually walked up to them and told them so. Then either copious amounts of alcohol or money landed them in his bed. With her, he found himself unable to get his words out, and unsure as to what would get her to like him. He didn't just want to sleep with her for fucks sake, he wanted to…he wanted to…what did he want exactly?

'Why?' He asked abruptly. The inner turmoil he was wrestling with making his tone sharper than he would've liked. Blue eyes flinched slightly at his tone and he felt his heart sink. Already on a losing streak Lambert. Fucking great.

'I like it'. She said simply.

'If you say so, just don't see the appeal of scratching around in the dirt all day like a hen.' She gave him an odd look for a moment, and he had that familiar feeling of waiting for the rejection. The person he was talking to often turning away in disgust or offence at his rude attitude. But Blue eyes, in her typically weird fashion, did none of the above. Instead she laughed. Long and hard, her head thrown back, the high peels of her laughter ringing out across the yard. Lambert didn't know what to do. He had made her chuckle in the past but only Eskel had managed to provoke that kind of response from her. He felt a warm glow in his chest, and a small answering smile stretched across his face as she gradually caught her breath.

'Did you just call me a chicken?' She said between gasps. He shrugged, the smile still there.

'Maybe. But seriously though, you don't have to do all this to get on Vesemir's good side. He already loves you for fixing that shitty eastern wall. Do you even know how long he was trying to repair that thing?'

'I'm not doing this for Vesemir. I told you, I like gardening. It makes me happy, doesn't anything make you happy?' Lambert felt a little light headed from their conversation. It was the longest they had spoken in weeks and he was giddy with it. He had forgotten just how good she made him feel. How…normal. For an instant he nearly forgot himself and said she was what made him happy. Instead he blurted out, 'Fishing.'

Blue eyes held back a laugh, he could see it shining in her eyes. Then she composes herself and nodded sagely. 'Of course, I've seen you going to the lake practically every day after drills.' Eskel had been right, she'd been watching him. A long pause grew between them, neither one sure how to talk to the other anymore. Eventually Blue eyes turned to survey her work, her hands resting lightly on her hips. 'Looking after plants makes me happy. Ever since I became…well, me, animals don't tend to like me much. At least this way I can care for something that can't run away.'

She wasn't facing him, but Lambert could hear the sadness. He didn't respond, knowing he'd say the wrong thing so instead he ran his eye over the herb garden she had so painstakingly restored. The once overgrown dirt patch was now arranged in neat lines, a simple stone path running between beds of mandrake, wolfsbane, white myrtle and hellebore shrubs. She had gone to some lengths to gather the plants from around Kaer Morhen and now they were safely nestled in the tiny stone walled garden. She had even packed straw around the base of each of them to protect them from the worst of the snow. He had to admit, it looked good.

His eyes drifted to the girl next to him, and he realised he had moved so they were stood side by side. He knew why he had come here, and his brothers' words echoed in his head but now he was stood near her, smelling her and watching that little crease, he found his nerve wavering. She would only reject him again, she would tell him to leave her alone. That he repulsed her. However, he couldn't help thinking that maybe, just maybe, she only told him that the first time because she was afraid he'd run away. Like those animals.

'You want to come fishing with me?' He found his mouth was moving even before he'd come to the decision to say it. 'Like, now.' Blue eyes turned her head slowly to look at him, the clouds of uncertainty gathering for an instance before clearing altogether leaving behind a brilliant summer sky.

'Sure.'

Ellie wasn't precisely sure what she was doing, or why she had agreed to this, but she was practically skipping down the tricky path Lambert was leading her down. It felt good, just the two of them, like old times.

The sky was clear, the clouds distant and wispy, no threat of snow. A great expanse of blue, the winter sun shining down on them making Ellie smile widely as she skipped up behind Lambert. It was still breath-takingly cold, the bright sunshine and gentle breeze not doing anything to take the ice out of the air. The ground was hard and slightly slick with frost and snow, although it still hadn't quite managed to form a blanket on the earth just yet. The raging winds and sporadic rainstorms dealt with that. They had to be nearly in mid-winter by now though, so it was only going to get colder. The thought worried her a little.

They hadn't spoken since she had agreed to come along with him. He had turned without another word and started walking off the way he always did when going to the lake. He had been a little abrupt with his request, and to anyone unfamiliar with the spiky witcher it would have appeared rude, but she had noticed a slight wobble in his voice as he spoke and could have sworn his face was just a bit redder than usual as he turned away. The silence between them now wasn't awkward however, on the contrary it was comfortable, almost calming.

As she came up beside him, she stole a quick glance at his face and was stunned to find him smiling. It was a rare sight indeed to not see a frown or a sneer on that expressive face of his, and she was reminded of the time she had watched him sleeping. He looked younger, more handsome. Her stomach squeezed tightly.

Their breath misted in front of them as they descended down the rocky path leading away from the keep. They were weaving their way through tall pine trees perched precariously on the edge of the sheer grey cliffs that Kaer Morhen was built out of. Every now and then Ellie caught a glimpse through the trunks and branches of the lake, its surface calm in the still wind, a glass mirror reflecting the sun back in brilliant refractions. Her heart swelled with excitement each time she saw it. She had never been fishing before, and had no idea what to do, but the thought of sailing out onto that perfect expanse of water made her think of home.

As they were nearing the bank of the lake, the pine trees giving way to long grass and boggy ground when a loud screeching came from above them. Ellie took a reflexive step to the side, her head snapping up to the skies. In her distracted state she collided with Lambert's shoulder. He let out a low huff but didn't move away from her, instead he wrapped an arm around her to keep her still.

'It's just a harpy. It won't bother us if we don't move.' She could feel his voice rumbling in his chest and she was painfully aware of the heat rolling off his body even in the freezing climate. Glancing up she saw a dark flash of feathers and pale skin, then the rushing snap of flapping wings receded into the distance, disappearing over the ridge of grey stone they had just clambered down.

'See. All good.' Lambert said in a low voice, before slowly releasing her from his grasp. Ellie's throat suddenly felt very dry, and for the first time since leaving with him a seed of fear took root. He gave her an impassive look then continued on towards the lake and a small wood hut that was on the bank.

Just a friendly outing, we're just friends. Ellie repeated to herself as she followed behind him. But even she didn't really believe it.

'All aboard.' Lambert said, untying a thick rope from the dock shooting off from the hut. Her eyes ran along its length until they came to rest on a small sail boat, bobbing on the clear water. It looked a little weather beaten, and there were some holes in the sail but Ellie found herself grinning uncontrollably as she looked at it.

'She's beautiful. Does she have a name?' Lambert looked briefly taken aback, then that genuine smile that she was growing to love stretched across his face.

'Clarissa.' His voice was soft as he said the name, and Ellie gave him a curious look.

'That's a lovely name. Shame Horse didn't get the same treatment.' All at once the smile retreated and that famous scowl returned to his face.

'His name is Whoreson. And a boat and a horse are two very different things.' He tugged on the rope a little too harshly, causing 'Clarissa' to jerk towards him on the water. Gripping the edge, he lowered it and indicated for Ellie to get in. Stifling a chuckle, she obliged, secretly relieved to have diffused the suddenly very emotional atmosphere between them. The boat rocked slightly as she settled herself on the wooden bench away from the tiller, and rocked even more when Lambert pulled himself in. She may have never gone fishing but she'd been on plenty of boats, mainly due to the fact that Purgatory was surrounded water. An island of buildings floating in an endless sea.

The scowl was still fixed on the witcher's face as he cast off. Unfurling the sail and steering the little boat out into the calm waters of the lake. The world seemed to open up around them as the skimmed the glass like surface, the sky reflected perfectly in it so it felt like they were flying. As the wind whipped around her Ellie felt the grin growing on her face. Even the ice-cold temperature couldn't dampen her spirits, and the further out they got the more the harsh lines disappeared from Lambert's face until he was almost smiling again.

The lake was still untouched by the effects of winter. The landscape around it was a patchwork of dark earth and brilliant snowdrifts, turning into a solid white tundra the further up the mountains it got. 'This will freeze over in the next week or so.' Lambert said, seemingly reading Ellie's mind. 'Then there'll be no more fish until spring.'

They were practically in the centre of the lake as he let off the sail and brought them to a slow, drifting halt. Producing a small iron anchor from beneath his seat he tossed it over the side with a splash, and busied himself with the leather satchel he'd brought along. Ellie watched him in puzzlement, an oddity in this image suddenly dawning on her.

'Where's your rod?' Lambert paused in his rummaging, and gave her stone faced look, but one eyebrow twitched up in a lewd motion. With a huff of frustrated embarrassment, she reached over the side and sent a wave of freezing lake water at him. He grinned as he ducked easily out of the worst of it, only a few drops managing to reach their target. 'You know what I mean. Get your mind out of the gutter.'

He straightened up on his seat again, his grin turning wolfish. 'But my dear, that's where my mind always is.'

'Don't I know it…pervert.' Ellie said under her breath, but she was grinning too. Putting the satchel away Lambert bounced something small and round in the palm of one hand.

'I don't use a fishing rod. No time for that, plus this way is more fun.' Frowning, she tried to piece together what he meant, then she got a better view of the object he was now flipping casually from hand to hand and her muscles tensed.

'Is that a bomb?'

'Yep.' He replied sunnily, lighting the fuse deflty with his thumb and forefinger, and lobbing it over arm away from the boat and into the still waters of the lake. Ellie ducked down instinctually, gripping the wooden seat she was on in some hope of remaining onboard. She kept her eyes trained on where the bomb landed with a quiet plop in the water, a few lazy ripples the only sign of disturbance for half a second. Then a tremendous roaring sound erupted from beneath them, the glass surface of the lake shattering in a geyser of churning white foam about twenty feet in front of them. The little boat rocked wildly in the wake of the explosion, but mercifully didn't capsize.

There was a beat of silence as the water settled back into its original form, although Ellie's ears were ringing enthusiastically, and not from anyone using magic in her vicinity. 'What…the fuck…are you doing?' She finally said, giving Lambert an equal parts disbelieving and outraged stare. He simply smirked down at her, in that classically Lambert way he did.

'Fishing.' He said, by way of reply, and leant over to retrieve another bomb from his bag.

'Whoa, whoa, whoa. Doesn't this method just turn the fish into paste?' He shook his head, bouncing the new bomb in his palm again.

'Just stuns them. You'll see in a second.' With that he pointed out to where he had thrown his first projectile. The water was still dancing crazily from the unexpected excitement, the ripples slowly reducing in size as she watched. Sure enough, just as the water had all but stopped several oblong silver bodies bobbed to the surface. Perfectly intact and completely motionless.

'Huh.' She said.

'See. You try.' Lambert said, leaning towards her to pass her the bomb. As she took it in a daze, their fingers brushed. In all the commotion Ellie hadn't noticed him remove his leather gloves and the unexpected contact of warm skin against her own made her flinch back. There was a flash of hurt in his amber eyes but it quickly vanished, his expression rearranging into a stoic mask, the flushed excitement of a few moments before gone.

Guilt and shame washed over Ellie as she palmed the smooth metal sphere now in her hand. She hadn't meant to offend him. It was just the spark of warmth his skin had caused was still pulsing like a burn on her hand even now. This is dangerous, you shouldn't be here…alone…with him.

Even as her mind screamed the warning she smiled brightly at the witcher, and turned to choose a spot to throw the bomb. She may want to keep things civil, but that didn't include making him unhappy. Putting that smile back on his face was now her only concern.

'Where should I throw it?' She asked, scanning the water.

'Try a different place. The fish tend to clear an area once I've set off a bomb.' His voice was monotone and Ellie felt her chest constrict.

'I can't imagine why.' She shot cheekily at him, giving him a quick grin over her shoulder. She was rewarded with a small twitch of his mouth, but nothing more.

'Make sure you throw it a good distance away, don't want to have to fish you out of the lake.' As he said this he leant forward again and pinched the dormant fuse between thumb and forefinger. This close Ellie saw the brief orange spark generated simply out of nowhere, igniting the fuse and setting it flickering. Making a small fearful noise, she stood up and quickly wound her arm back, launching the bomb off the opposite side of the boat.

It somersaulted gracefully away from her, the fuse an intermittent flash of light as it rotated. Then, with a subdued splash it disappeared into the lake. This time Ellie stayed upright, watching the water carefully. A thrill of anticipation shot up her spine, and she could feel the static energy coalescing around her fingertips subconsciously in her excitement. When the explosion finally came she held her balance, moving her knees in rhythm with the rocking boat. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Lambert doing the same, his eyes fixed on the funnel of water that had shot up.

A broad grin stretched across her face, and she jigged up and down clapping her hands like a child. 'That was fun.'

Lambert looked at her in alarm as she danced on the spot, gripping the mast to keep upright. 'Easy, easy, you'll bash a hole through the hull doing that.' He sounded irritated but the smile she had managed to chase away with her unthinking reaction returned slowly at first, and then fully as she continued to jump up and down.

'I'm serious Blue eyes, fucking stop leaping around.' There was noticeable laughter in his voice now as he made a grab for her, attempting to hold her in place. Ellie felt the band of guilt that constricted her release and she felt giddy with joy.

'Another.' She demanded, sounding more like her little brother with each passing second.

'There'll be no fish at this rate, but who am I to deny a pretty girl her wish.' Lambert gave her a sly wink as he rooted around in his satchel for another bomb. Ellie felt her cheeks flare with heat. It was the first time he had openly flirted with her and that tiny seed of fear dug its roots in further. Just friends.

The voice of warning in her head was still there, but it was getting quieter the longer she spent out on the lake. Even though she knew keeping her distance from Lambert was for the best, she had missed him. It was as if a hole had been punched in her chest and every time she'd seen him walk by and ignore her the hole had been ripped a little bigger. Now there was almost no evidence of a hole ever being there, and she gripped the side of the boat in excitement as he lit the third bomb and threw it out over the water.

'Bombs away!' She yelled as it soared over head. Lambert grinned down at her.

'You're weird.' He said, though there was a fondness in his voice and a warmth in his eyes that made her stomach clench. The seed swelled in her gut but she was having too much fun now to pay it any mind.

Boom! The lake erupted again. This time the bomb had landed closer, and a curtain of cold water splattered down on the boat. Ellie screamed and laughed loudly. Holding her hands above her and shutting her eyes as the water hit her eyelids like tiny ice shards.

'Shit.' She heard Lambert curse over her jubilant cries. 'That was a bit too close.' She opened her eyes a crack and saw the witcher shaking his arms, water droplets scattering. His dark hair was damp and flattened to his forehead in a messy tangle. Ellie snorted and flicked one of her arms so more water cascaded over him. 'Cut it out.' He snapped, although his expression was soft and there was no real force behind it.

'Sorry.' Ellie chuckled, settling down on the partially wet seat again.

'Let's gather what we've got. Should be enough to keep us all fed until summer at this rate.' Ellie felt her heart sinking at the thought of the trip ending already. It had been a long time since she'd laughed this much, and she could have sworn Lambert looked just as reluctant as he made to pull the sail up again.

'Wait.' She said, Lambert paused, confusion on his face. 'Let me try something.'

He watched with slightly narrowed eyes as she leant over the side of the boat, the edge of it dipping towards the water. Tentatively she held out her hands, fingers spread. There was still some residual energy crackling between the tips of them. Delicate blue lines making them glow. Concentrating, she began to draw on the energy in the air. There were no clouds and she didn't want to summon a full-on thunderstorm, just enough electricity to shock something. The air around her started to heat, the taste of it metallic on her tongue which was poking out of her mouth. She could hear the crackling, snap of electricity coming from her hands now, and what had been a few faint sparks was now a glowing web of energy. She waited for her arms to feel alive with contained power, then plunged her hands into the icy water.

All at once the surface of the lake seemed to glow with the same vibrant blue light that had surrounded her hands. There was a muted crackling, like lightning striking below them, then the air cleared, the acrid smell of burnt ozone the only thing left behind. It took a moment longer than when they'd used the bombs, but eventually the glassy surface was suddenly filled with hundreds of stunned fish of all sizes.

'Holy fucking shit Blue eyes.' Lambert remarked, staring in disbelief at the bounty she had just yielded.

'Don't worry. That wasn't enough to get every fish in the lake.'

'Sure, just most of them.' He sat down next to her, his head swivelling as he took in the carnage. 'Remind me never to piss you off.' She nudged him playfully by way of reply, but he gave her a guarded look and they lapsed into sudden silence.

Ellie's mouth was abruptly dry and she didn't know where to put her hands. She had been worried that this would happen if she were alone with him, but in her head the awkward silence had come very early on in their outing. Not whilst they were stranded in the middle of a large lake together. Unsure what to do she opted for looking at the view, anything to keep her away from that devastating, fiery gaze. For the first time she noticed she could see the keep from out here. The tiny toy sized grey walls and crumbling towers perched high up on the mountain side. The sun was haloed around it, and a number of birds wheeled around in the azure blue of the sky. She felt a comforting sort of warmth spread through her chest at the sight. A feeling of home almost.

'Why do you hate it so much?' She found herself saying, breaking the tense silence. Lambert didn't reply straight away and she found she was afraid to look at him. Finally, he shifted next to her, a quiet sigh escaping him.

'It's full of crappy memories.'

Ellie let out a sigh. She could hear the scowl in his voice even without looking. 'Homes sometimes are, but there are good memories too. What about growing up with your brothers, that must have been nice.' Lambert snorted behind her.

'I doubt they'd describe their time with me as nice.' The bitterness in his voice made her turn to look at him. He was glaring up at the keep, his mouth pulled into a thin line. It didn't make sense, his resentment towards the other witchers when she had seen the concern and understanding they had for him.

'They do care about you though. I certainly do.' Another snort, his eyes moved from Kaer Morhen to settle on her.

'You're kind of the exception to the rule Blue eyes.' She frowned.

'What do you mean?' He regarded her for a moment, weighing up whether to answer her.

'I've resented everything and everyone since I became a witcher, and I think after a while people just learnt to resent me back. I don't know if you noticed this, but people tend to avoid me. Even you.' Ellie felt herself recoil as he had slapped her. She hadn't avoided him, not intentionally. Her only thought had been in keeping him safe. If she had sought out his company every day, the chances of that happening would have been slim to none. But he had thought…

'Lambert…'. She said, unsure how to explain. He stared at her, his expression set in its old mask of arrogant defiance. It was there she finally saw it, the boy he'd been before the witcher. Hiding behind his snark and bitterness, pushing everyone away…like her. Suddenly she didn't want to explain, she wanted to listen instead.

'Tell me.' She said, her eyes wide as she leant into him. Reflexively he moved back, wary.

'Tell you what?'

'How you became a witcher.' For a moment she thought he wouldn't answer. That she had asked for something taboo. Then he began to talk.

'I had a shit start in life. I was born into poverty; my father was a drunk who beat me and my mother senseless every night. We prayed for release from his tyranny, but the gods are cruel and hard of hearing. Instead of relieving us of him, they saved him and then used me as payment.' Ellie didn't say anything, not wanting to interrupt but her brow furrowed at Lambert's cryptic story. He paused, noticing her puzzlement and sighed, long and hard.

'In this world there is a law. A law that allows those who have earned a favour to take possession of someone's most valued property. They don't get to choose the prize, destiny does it for them. It's known as the law of surprise. My father got blind drunk one night and ran into a nekker's nest. He would have died, and good riddance, except he was rescued…by a witcher.'

'"Give me the first thing you see when you get home." The witcher said and my father agreed. I was traded for the life of that drunken bastard. My choice was taken away by the one person I despised most in this world. Needless to say, I didn't relish being towed off by a stranger, brought to this draughty keep and put through hell to be turned into…a freak. A mutant. Spat at and shunned, a child stealing witcher.' He spat out the last words angrily, and Ellie felt herself recoiling automatically at the venom in his voice. She wanted to reach out and tell him it was okay. That life sometimes chose for you, but that didn't mean you didn't have a choice. As she looked at him though, she found the words dying on her lips. There was too much pain and resentment for a simple phrase and caring touch to help.

'You know, at points I thought about ending it. About taking my own life, but that would've meant the bastard won. That he broke me down to nothing and fuck if I'm going to give him that as well.' Lambert looked down at his hands which were clasped in his lap. 'I went back after I was changed, to find him. The house looked the same, but he looked older. I couldn't see my mother; she may have died, or by some miracle got away from him. I didn't stay to find out. I showed him what I had become and got my revenge. That was all I cared about at the time.'

He lapsed into silence. The boat swayed gently on the lake, the distant cries of the birds echoing off the mountains. Ellie watched him, his head was bowed, his hands still clasped, as if in prayer.

'Did it help?' She said, breaking the silence. Lambert looked up, his expression hard.

'Maybe. It made me feel better for a while. Did you ever get your revenge? On the ones that killed your family?'

She tensed. She had never really talked about the after math of that moment with anyone. Not even Solomon. 'I did.' She said slowly.

Lambert inclined his head. 'Good. I'm glad.'

'What about your mother? Did you ever look for her?' She wasn't sure if he'd noticed her changing the subject, but he looked at her askance before answering.

'I guess I was too scared. If she's alive, I want her to remember me how I was. Not what I've become.' His eyes flicked down to his hands again and Ellie saw the look of a lost, sad boy.

'You're a good person.' She said softly. Her chest constricting at the miserable set of his shoulders.

'No. I'm not. I kill and I fuck and I drink. I'm as bad as him. I tried to kill you…twice. Sometimes I think about that you know. I lie awake and think about what would everything be like if you could die, and I'd completed that contract.'

She shuffled close to him on the seat, the boat rocking from the movement. 'It might have made things easier.'

'Things would've still been shit. I'm shit.'

'Lambert…'. She said, her hand moving of its own accord to rest tenderly on his cheek. She knew she'd made a mistake the second his eyes lifted to hers. The atmosphere around then shifted in an instant. It was suddenly humming with electricity, and not the kind she could control. The air felt hot and heavy in her lungs, and she took in a shuddering breath as his eyes bored into her. Two flaming pits of affection and desire. She wasn't certain who moved first, one minute they were sat inches from each other, the next they were in each other's arms.

Ellie had imagined kissing him before. In the long, lonely nights in the keep. Her mind would drift to his eyes, his lips, the feel of his hands; but that had only been a daydream, and reality was so much more potent. His hand was in her hair, gripping it and pulling her face to his. The other was wrapped tightly around her waist, pinning her body flush against him. They were the least of her concern however, it was his mouth that had become her main focus. The movement of those full lips against her own, that sucked the air from her lungs and made her feel heavy and light at the same time.

Her whole body was alive with that strange, intangible electricity that had appeared around them. Her fingers tingling as they ran through his damp, dark hair, along his jawline, over his cheeks. She wasn't a very experienced kisser, her knowledge in this particular area sadly lacking. Lambert, on the other hand, knew exactly what he was doing. He guided with his mouth, his tongue. Moving her when he wanted to deepen the kiss, running his tongue along her lower lip, making them part for him in a heady gasp. Her brain was muddled, her breathing ragged and when he took her lip between his teeth in a moment of passion, she practically melted into him with a guttural moan.

Days passed, months, years before a tiny, unwelcome voice finally broke through her blissful stupor. Too dangerous, remember the others. Her skin, which had been on fire up until that moment, turned frigid with dread. What was she doing? This was what she'd wanted to avoid. If this continued, if she let herself feel like this, he'd end up dead like all the others. Abruptly, an image of Lambert pale and cold on the ground flashed into her mind, and she pulled away from him with a sharp inhale.

'What's wrong?' He asked. His voice husky, his lips red and swollen. Their foreheads were touching and she tried desperately to free her brain from its fog. The warm scent of cinnamon was filling her nose, making her head swim.

'Ellie.' He breathed. Her name on his lips was almost enough for her to give in. To ignore the warning and let herself be consumed by him. Her chest was near to bursting with happiness, but she knew what fate had in store for them if they went down this road.

'I can't do this. Not again.' She said haltingly. Leaning away, although his hands were still in place, resisting her escape.

'What do you mean?' He asked, his voice a little clearer. His expression confused.

'I'm sorry.' She said, the pitch of her voice a high warble as she felt the tears already coming.

She wasn't sure where she found the strength, but all at once in her desperation to escape this ridiculous situation she had put herself in, she felt the static energy in the air snap into her. Filling her body with enough power to free herself from him. She was out of his grasp and flying across the lake in a burst of electricity before she could think. Her only instinct to put distance between them again…for his sake.

She knew she was doing the right thing. She may not be able to love him like she wanted to, but at least he would stay alive. As she collided with the bank of the lake, the electric energy that had transported her here in the blink of an eye dissipated, and she began to run, as fast as she could, back up to the keep.

She didn't stop to look back, so didn't see the lonely witcher in the middle of the lake. A dark storm cloud gathering above him in the otherwise crystalline blue sky.