Sitting on his bedroll in just his trousers, Thanir watches as the first rays of the morning sun broke through the trees. He glances quickly at the smoldering remains of last night's fire but decides against rekindling it. The next town, and a real meal in a tavern, is only a few miles away so there was no need to cook a breakfast. Rubbing the last of the sleep from his eyes, the young ranger stands and stretches.
Just as he begins to roll up his bedding, a series of sounds jerk Thanir's attentions to the east. Dropping the bedroll, he grabs his sheathed sword and runs off in the direction of the noises. Thanir slows as the forest thinned, trees giving way to soft grass under his bare feet as he approaches a small, brook-fed pool. He stops short when he sees the source of the earlier noises, a slender redheaded woman bathing in the waist-deep water.
She turns toward the sounds of the approaching ranger, now only quartered away from Thanir. Her long, wet hair seems pasted to her radiant white skin, revealing to Thanir's roaming eyes only the basic outlines of her body. His eyes are drawn up to her face, drinking in her delicate features and realizing, when he sees her elongated ears, that this is an elf woman.
"IβI'm sorry, m'lady..." he stammers, slowly turning to leave her to her bath.
"Are you just going to stand there?" she asks, stopping him. "Or are you going to join me?"
Frozen for a moment, Thanir stares at the elf, the playful look in her emerald green eyes the key to breaking his paralysis. Laying his sword against a rock, he moves forward, stripping his trousers as he walks swiftly toward the water's edge. Her lips widen into a smile as he takes the first few steps into the pool. She shakes her head as she turns, giving Thanir a full view of her perky breasts as she floats backward into the deeper water. As the water level reaches his thighs, Thanir leans forward and smoothly dives in, swimming strongly toward the elf.
Thanir swims straight toward the woman, reaching out to her as he comes close. She is agile, though, and darts away from his arm, giggling at his attempt. Time and again he passes close to the elf only to have her twist and dive away. One more time he swims toward her. She twists away from him again, but Thanir had held back this time, only stretching halfway toward her. Extending fully, his hand reaches her small waist, and he pulls the elf woman to him.
Their gaze meets for an instant, a lustful fire in both sets of eyes. Slowly Thanir leans in to kiss her. Her lips part under his, and she answers when his tongue probes into her mouth. His left arm pulls her tighter against his body while his right hand slides up her taut stomach to her small, firm breasts. She breaks their kiss, rolling her head back and moaning in pleasure as he rolls and pulls her nipples one after the other. Grinning, Thanir begins to kiss and nip down her exposed throat and across her collarbone. Then he feels her nibble at his earlobe as her hands run slowly up his muscular chest.
She tugs on the lobe playfully and whispers, "I hoped that splashing would draw you here."
She lets out another soft laugh as Thanir pulls back his head, a questioning look in his eyes.
"I've been following you for five days," she breathes, wrapping her arms around his neck. "And I decided I want youβwant you to be my first."
Thanir's eyes search hers as a smile spreads over his face.
"And do you always get what you want?"
She pulls herself up using her hold around his neck and wraps her legs tightly around Thanir's waist, grinning as his hands slide down to her ass and grasp each cheek firmly.
"Maybe not, but I think I have a pretty good chance at getting this wish."
She gets no answer from Thanir as their lips meet again in a passionate kiss. Locked together, they move toward the water's edge. Slowly emerging from the water, a line of curiosity creases the elf's brow.
She barely pulls her lips back long enough to gasp, "Where?"
Thanir draws back, bringing his right hand up to push a stray lock of deep red hair behind her ear as he looks deep into her eyes.
"Your first time," he answers kissing along her neck. "Want it...be right."
Smiling, she runs her fingers down and back up his left arm, tracing an old scar before curling her arm back behind his neck and leaning in for another kiss. Stepping out of the pool, Thanir carries her up the sloping bank and kneels, slowly lowering her onto a soft patch of grass. He rocks backward, sitting on his heels and letting his eyes roam over her body. Out of the water and in the soft morning sun, her skin seems to take on an ethereal, shimmering quality that is only amplified as a light blush spreads across it.