Northern Star.

7.

Max followed Geralt to the dining room. The Witcher had told him it was dinner time, the rough voice making Max jump after the whole day of Geralt either just growling, humming or grunting at him. 

The dining room was quite nice, there was one long table with a few more pushed against the walls. Max didn't want to think of the implications of that. 

Sitting down at the table, Max tilted his head at the food on the plate.

It was some type of meat, cheese and some vegetables. He heard others come into the dining room and he looked up when Simon sat across from him, flushed a deep red. 

"Have fun?" Max asked teasingly and Simon shot him a look that plainly asked Max to please shut up for the love of the Gods. 

Tatiana sat down as well beside Max. Luckily the Witcher's sat a small distance away, probably to give the humans some time to themselves. 

"Lambert asked about our 'home'" Tatiana said quietly, Simons eyes growing wide, 

"What did you-" 

"Told him it burnt a few months ago, that we're all friends" Tatiana said and Max chuckled at that, 

"Are we not friends?" 

"He asked our relationships" She said, making a face, "still...suppose living with some brutes for a few months isn't that bad" 

"Better than being married off" Simon said and Max glanced at the Witchers before looking back to his friends, 

"I don't think they're that brutish" 

Tatiana stared at Max, "You're joking" 

Max shook his head, "I'm not, they don't seem that bad" 

"Max-" 

"Eskel could have left us to freeze couldn't he?" 

Tatiana pursed her lips but went to her food. Simon looked down at his food and Max looked over at the Witchers. 

Geralt in particular. 

"Hey!" 

Max blinked out of his thoughts when he saw Lambert suddenly in front of him, raising an eyebrow at the youngest Witcher. 

"Can we help you?" Max asked politely and Lambert nodded, 

"Yea, what do you guys know about swordfighting?" 

"Lambert leave them alone" Max heard Eskel say and Max stammered a bit. He and Simon had been forced into fencing and the occasional broadsword training but Tatiana, as a princess, had never had an ounce of training.

Well, professional anyways. Simon and Max always made sure to tell her everything they'd been taught. 

"You want to spar with us?" Max asked curiously and Lambert nodded, 

"I do anyways, gets real boring with these two being the only ones I can fight" 

"Love you too" Geralt grumbled, taking a drink from his ale and Max looked from the Witcher to his friends. 

"Don't see the harm" Tatiana said cooly and Lambert grinned, flashing his wolf-like teeth. 

"Nice" he said and yelped as Eskel grabbed the back of his jacket, yanking him back and growling, Lambert snapping his teeth at Eskel who growled louder. Lambert sulking afterwards. 

Max looked at his friends again, Tatiana eating like she was unbothered while Simon had seemed to grow pale at Eskel's growling. 

"What do you guys think?" He whispered, "should we actually?" 

"Yes" "No" Tatiana and Simon said simultaneously. Max grinned at Simon, 

"Majority rules!" he chirped and Simon groaned. 

"You don't need to if you don't wish" Geralt said, staring at them from the corner of his yellow eyes and Max shrugged, 

"Would be nice to practice" 

"As you wish then" Eskel said, finally dropping Lambert's jacket from his grip and the youngest Witcher rubbed the back of his neck, glaring at the older one. 

Max smiled a bit, eating his food quietly. He'd like to see how this would go.