He watched her from the shadows of the willows at the far side of the pool. She eased slowly to the edge of the water and waded a few feet in. He knew why she sought its comfort; with his heightened sense of smell, he had known her menses was imminent hours before she herself had realized. He had also seen the red on her tunic and knew she would be wanting to wash herself of the unsightly stains, as well as, seek some relief from the pain caused by the monthly affliction Mother Nature had bestowed upon her, simply because she had been born a woman.
He closed his eyes, concentrating slightly on her pain and discomfort, and allowed the heat of the dragon to slowly heat the water around him; then willed it to move directly toward her--slowly enough that she would not become aware of his presence--but quickly enough to ensure that she would be warmed sufficiently and perhaps even relieve some of her pain.
Talesia carefully made her way deeper into the pool. She didn't want to slip on the moss-covered rocks, and the water was cool to the touch. She knew to move slowly enough to ensure she would be able to acclimate to the chill of the water. Ahhhh, but thankfully, it was getting warmer already. Her tunic billowed around her as she became waist deep in the water, and she looked down in dismay at the bright red stains on the front of her tunic. She felt the cramp in her womb, the rush from between her legs, and knew that her flow was still in full force.
She grunted slightly in pain, and began to slide her arms through the sleeves of her tunic, pulling it over her head and bunching it under one arm. She knelt carefully, and with the other hand reaching down to steady herself, sank into the depths of the pool. She was grateful that the water was warm and inviting, and that her pain was already subsiding.
She settled onto a flat mossy rock underneath the water, and began to relax. Leaning back slightly and closing her eyes, she rested; lulled by the moving edges of the stream, as well as the warmth of the water. She breathed in and out slowly, and willed the cramping of her womb to ease.
He watched quietly, hardly daring to breathe, as she leaned back to absorb the warmth of the water. Her breasts partially exposed, round and white in the sunlight, her nipples hardened from the cooler air, but already slipping under the water as she sighed and relaxed into the heat. He leaned forward quickly, his curiosity gaining the better of him--then immediately looked down, ashamed of himself, that he would be so willing to take advantage of her discomfort, for a glimpse of her naked beauty.
Instead, he began to focus on her with his other senses, the sounds of her slowed breathing as she relaxed and the pain from her womb began to subside; the floral smell of her hair as it pooled around her face and neck. All while trying NOT to let his mind wander... to how smooth and clean her skin would feel to his touch, or how tempting her body would look underneath the surface of the water. Or, gods forbid, how she would taste if he dared go there with his lips and tongue...
After a time, Talesia began to feel revived and wondered at how the water could be so warm? She took her tunic, and folding it in half, began rubbing the two halves together, causing enough friction to remove some of the stains. After it was sufficiently rinsed, she hung it from a stone outcropping above her head so that it could dry in the sun.
She decided to stay longer in the pool...she was loathe to leave the warmth and comfort, as well as, she wanted to think more on the strange young man, Roman, who inhabited the other side of the island. He was so different from any person she'd ever known before... his conversation was deep and thoughtful; his eyes sad, and he did not wish her to come near him or touch him in any way. It was almost as if he had already lived an eternity of grief, longing, loneliness... She wanted to offer him the solace and comfort of a friend; for it seemed that, for a very long time, he'd had no one with which to share his troubles. But he'd startled--backing away abruptly the few times she had reached out to touch him--when she'd simply wanted to offer him a kind touch of friendship and acceptance. And always, she'd felt a void around him...
There was also the matter of the dragon that inhabited the island... Talesia was terrified of its fire and rage, and the never knowing of when it would next appear. The dragon always seemed to appear when Roman was nowhere to be found, and she wished that Roman was around more, in order to offer some friendly alliance when the dragon did appear.
She shivered involuntarily, and looked around fearfully, wondering when the dragon would next appear, and hoping that she had not inadvertently brought it to life simply by thinking it into being. After a little while, she sighed and relaxed again, feeling she was safer in the water. She'd seen no signs of the dragon, and the birdsong continued in the trees surrounding the pool, so she contented herself in the knowledge that, at least for the moment, she was safe.
Roman watched with concern as Talesia stiffened and looked up at the sky with alarm. He relaxed as he saw her grow calm, and settled himself back into the willows to continue his covert observations. With every fiber of his being, he wanted to approach her in the water, but he lived in terror that the dragon would emerge, and that he would inadvertently harm her while he was in his dragon form. Thankfully, the water was cooler, safer, and it kept him from transforming as quickly. He used the water to calm himself whenever the dragon began to surface and before he could lose control.
Roman caught his breath as Talesia suddenly sat straight up, water splashing around and off of her. The water came only to her waist now; her breasts bouncing slightly as she scooted forward, slid off her perch, and began swimming across the surface of the pool. She was a good swimmer, and he felt relief knowing that she was safer in the water and that her pain must be relieved that she felt well enough to swim. He also did not mind watching her lithe form move through the water with even strokes, her chest moving back and forth as she swam, her flat stomach clenched in effort, her long legs pushing her along powerfully, underneath the surface of the water.