She was breathing hard by now, the sound of her footsteps on the crisp leaves and twigs methodical and measured. How long had she been running? She wasn't sure but there was a certainty that she must keep going. Trees blurred as she fled past , half-full of the fire autumn, although the air still held the warmth of summer sun. Thirst came to her with a strength that almost made her stop. As it was, it pulsed with a voice inside her head.
Stop. Rest.
But she couldn't. Not yet.
He was chasing her, she knew, and yet the thought of stopping frightened her. She shook her head. No not frightened, she was a fighter, bred for this life. She made herself feel the burning of her lungs, the weight of her strong, lean legs as they pumped back and forth along the ground. She was in excellent shape, long and powerful. Even if they did catch her, what could they hope to do? She felt a small bit better.
The forest broke then into a clearing and the young woman slowed without even realizing it. The scene before her seemed to be catered just to her. A large, shallow pool led the way to the base of an enormous black tree. A Galion tree, she thought with a start. They were extremely rare and the old folks swore that to find one and drink from its waters was to grant one's deepest desires. She came to a quick stop, although her chest continued to heave in and out from her exertions. Willing herself to slow her breaths, she listened intently to the forest around her. With the exception of the sound of falling leaves, there was no other noise. Proof, she supposed, that her pursuer was far away, if he had been able to keep up with her at all.
She cast her eyes around the opening before returning to the pool before her. The water was clear and still, miraculously absent of leaves. Her eyes remaining on the pool, she reached around her back and grabbed her canteen. It was fortunate she had found this water, as she had been without for nearly a day now. Kneeling, the woman first took a hand and dipped it almost mechanically into the water before raising the palm to her lips. Noiselessly she drank. It was sweet and fresh. She felt its crisp edge filter down to her stomach and she paused, relishing the moment. Her canteen was next, gurgling as the air trapped inside bubbled out.
As she gazed at the reflection of the tree above her, she marveled at the strange dichotomy of the coal-black base and the leaves that clung to its thin, wisp-like branches. They were pale, only slightly tinted, reminding her of the color of a blush. There was a ripple across the surface of the pool and the tree vanished for a moment, replaced instead by a disjointed version of itself. The woman stood then and took a long draw from her canteen. There was a calmness in this place and her very bones felt refreshed by the water that flowed down her throat, cold as it was.
Her instincts spoke first, and she rolled away, letting the canteen drop and spill its precious contents over the leaves on the ground. As she came up she noticed a naked figure coming from around the base of the tree, wading through the pool. Had she somehow interrupted someone's bath? Her cheeks colored slightly as she tried to remain still. The figure, she noticed was a tall man, well muscled, although lanky in his limbs. He brushed his dark hair back quickly from his eyes, eyes, she noticed that were pale like the leaves of the Galion. His sex was covered by the waters that moved around him, although she could still make out its essence. Controlled, quiet, she continued to watch, perhaps he had not seen her and she could slip away unnoticed.
The man seemed confident in his state of undress, as if it was natural to him, and he waded further into the water before sinking lower and lower. Finally, his head disappeared under the mirrored liquid and the woman began to breathe once more. She turned to leave, but the man's face burned in her mind and she felt as if she couldn't move. Why wasn't she running? Now was the time to leave the poor man to his bath and continue on her way. And yet she couldn't. She waited to see him rise up from the water so she could once again take in his form. And yet, as the moments passed and then turned into minutes, the man did not rise. The woman took a halting step forward, her foot hitting the forgotten canteen further into the leaf litter, and then the other stepping into the water. The chill of it brought her back to her senses and she turned to leave, to run away from this strange scene that had entranced her, but before she could, something burst out and grabbed her firmly by the ankle.
With a fierce kick, she dislodged whatever it was and sprang out from the edge of the pool. At least, she thought she had. The height of her jump was stagnated and she fell back down to earth. Knees, then elbows and face crashed down into the thick layer of leaves at the shore, although not as she harshly as she would have imagined. What had happened, had all her training deserted her? With a growl she flipped herself over to face what had assaulted her.
But the anger and fear fled away as she saw it was the naked man holding her to ground. His face was sharp, but his eyes were not unkind. And it was rather, as if she knew him.
You drank from my waters.
Said those light, warm eyes.
I know what you are looking for. What you desire the most.
She wasn't sure how she knew that was what the man said, but it was. Her heart beat within her. Thirst had been what had driven her to the waters edge, and the will to live before that. But somehow, she knew that wasn't the desire the man was speaking to.
There was a slight tingling coursing through her body, and she felt light-headed. She watched as the man's form pulled itself from the edge of the water and he knelt down before her. His manliness was a bit larger than average perhaps, but not disproportionate, and she noticed that no hair covered its form.
Come with me.
He grabbed hold of her shirt and hefted her above him before settling her atop his broad shoulder. The woman wasn't sure where she was being taken, but couldn't help noticing the man's toned backside as he walked. They waded back into the pool and for a few moments only the gentle lapping of the water could be heard.
The black trunk of the Galion passed on their left and the man walked around its girth until they were fully on the other side. He gently laid the woman on her side and came to face her, his eyes, unblinking speaking again.
The time has come for you to give yourself in offering to me.
The woman squirmed once, her body refusing to obey her. No man had ever had such power over her. She shot a look of anger his way, but the man just smiled, white teeth showing and dimples forming on his cheeks.
You sealed the pact with your own lips as you drank from my waters.
There was a moment where the two just looked at each other and then, the woman felt something moving. She was able to look down and watched as her clothes came to life. They wiggled and wrinkled themselves, fighting against their own placement, tight on her hips, strapped across her chest. Buckles unclasped and buttons sprang loose as if stretching after a long nap. Each article of clothing moved off of her. With a wet pop, her boots came off, followed in serpentine fashion by her socks. Next her pants wriggled, one inch at a time, one leg at a time, to move themselves away. Her breath was coming faster now, but there was no way to stop the dance that had begun. The straps of her leather jacket swung open and slid out of their buckles before her sleeves lifted her up on her arms and then slithered away. She watched morosely as they joined her white blouse and disappeared from view. With naked flesh outweighing the clothed, the woman groaned, embarrassed as the final articles began to shiver and break free. The panties, angry at having been kept away for so long ripped along their sides and slipped underneath and away. The woman couldn't move and a cool breeze tickled her now exposed parts. Her bra sprang open with an immodesty that frustrated the woman. As it jumped away from her, the last vestige of her dignity, her breasts bounced up before coming to rest, gravity holding them in its sway, although not in an uncaring way.
You are a beautiful sight