2 comments/ 5238 views/ 2 favorites Sleep of Undine Ch. 01 By: musecues Chapter 1 From far, the two looked like they were having a normal, intimate session between two females. The younger one of the two seemed to be splashing around in the lake while the elder one looked on encouragingly. If one didn't know better, they'd thought she was trying to teach the younger one to swim. However, one should know better, especially if they were staying near the Rainy River, that even in the early spring of April, the temperature of the water in the lake was freezing. Upon a closer look, one would find, in surprise that a young girl was drowning and the woman beside her didn't seem to want to help the poor child. "Mummy... please... I can't do it... I really... don't want to..." struggled the child, gasping for air but swallowing mouthfuls of frigid cold water. "You must," replied her mother. Only if one comes really close, one would see but might choose not to believe his or her eyes for the woman in question was standing on the water surface as if it were as hard as the riverbanks. "Mummy!" shrieked the little girl and went under. The frigid water had numbed her limbs such that she could no longer struggle to keep afloat. Sighing to herself, the woman disappeared into the water, as if slowly melting away, to finally rescue her daughter. When they submerged, the child, surprisingly did not look pale but was rosy cheeked and sparkly eyed as she was carried by her mother. "Are you still cold?" asked the mother kindly. The little girl shook her head. Her dark brown hair seemed dry and bouncy and she had a missing tooth when she grinned. The woman smiled and placed a hand on her daughter's cheek. "Dahut..." "Dahut... Dahut... Dahut..." At the call of her name, she slowly surfaced out from her sleep. It seems she had been dreaming again. *** Dahut woke with a jolt at her mother's call. She was having that dream again; of watching herself learning how to breathe underwater. It felt odd to watch herself like that, and almost cruel in the way she couldn't help the poor helpless girl who was herself. She was sure her mother knows about the dreams but she had been silent and understanding. For more than 20 years, her mother had not pressured her to awaken her powers and she suspected that her mother had given up. "Dahut... I made your favourite for breakfast today- French toast. Coffee's already on the table," said her mother when she came into the kitchen. Her mother was beautiful even at 40 years old, although she doubt her mother was really 40. "The spring crowd's here... shouldn't you... be at the lodge?" "When you own something, you make sure you have other people to run it for you," her mother said with a smile. "Lissy's already there making sure everything's alright. She's making a hearty Full Irish today for the guests. They'll be leftover if you want." Dahut eyed her mother suspiciously. Dahut knew that her mother knows she didn't like the lodge much because it was too close to the water. Her phobia of water was something of a disgrace for the Lake of the Woods community which thrived on fishing, boating and all things water related. After kissing her mother on both cheeks, Dahut headed out to her bookshop; the only one in Morson village. Pleasure Bound was her pride and joy. She had started the shop with only a few book titles mainly about fishing and boating but had eventually extended to include all sorts of children books as well as adult fiction. Her mother had been very supportive all the way although Dahut knew that she would prefer her only daughter to run the lodge with her. Recently, she had suggested opening a small cafe in the bookshop so that customers could read and relax over a cup of coffee or scone. Dahut had been thrilled. The works for the cabinet, chairs and tables were already underway and Dahut was really excited to start baking to fill the cafe with homemade goodies. "Hey Dahut," greeted Jack, the carpenter she hired to model her cafe. He was a little surprised to see her in so early but smiled nonetheless with his tool bag slung over his shoulders. Dahut nodded in acknowledgement and smiled back. She and Jack had been to the same high school and college but because of her shy personality, they had never crossed paths till now. Dahut remembered her high school days so vividly that it still hurts to remember. She had been the subject of gossip and bullying throughout her high school days. Her school mates were always teasing her about her phobia of water and at times others would hurl abuses at her or insult her mother. "Jack... I'll be outside for awhile... I want to get some air," she croaked. The air was indeed fresh and she soon began walking nearer towards the water's edge. It was her mother's request that she built her bookshop overlooking the water. Indeed it made her jittery at times just to look at the lake but she had endured it for the past five years. She had planned to use the open area outside her shop as an alfresco area for her cafe. It would provide a beautiful view of the lake and the surrounding trees. It was then that she heard a few voices calling out her name. Turning around, she saw Amber,Lucy and Tom walking towards her. "Heyo mermaid!" Tom called out to her. Dahut felt a rush of fear creeping up her face. He had been calling her that ever since high school and ever since then he had always tried to drown her. "What? Not gonna say hello to your friends?" said the other two women. "Hi... what... what are you all doing here? My shop's not opened yet..." "We were passing by. There's a couple of campers over the clearing there. We've been hired to take them boating in awhile. Wanna join?" said Amber. "Ah... I'd rather not..." "Thought you'd say that..." sneered Amber. Then Lucy spoke. "So your mother's still luring other people's husbands to her lair?" Dahut dropped her gaze to the ground. Her mother had once dated Lucy's father just after Lucy's parents divorced. At that time they were both so young but she could still remember Lucy's mother screaming at her mother, calling her a husband stealer. When he had drowned in a boating accident with her, everyone had blamed her mother for causing his death even though the police had declared it an accident. "Give her a break Luce... she's too dumb to talk. Hmm, since we still have some time, why don't we play around some?" said Amber. Tom gave her a wink. In a blink of an eye, Tom had gathered Dahut in his arms and was carrying her to the water's edge. "Here you go mermaid, back where you belong!" he said and dumped her into the water. Even in spring, the water was still cold and the chill numbed her limbs almost instantly. "Please, Please help me!" she shouted but the trio had already left, laughing as they headed towards the clearing. Hush my baby... close your eyes and focus on breathing... She could hear her mother's voice; the same one that always spoke to her each time someone had dumped her into the water. However the cold was getting to her and she began struggling once again. "Hey!" she heard someone shout. She thought she saw someone jumping into the water but she could no longer think or see. "Hey, hey... hold on to me... Jesus it's fucking cold!" said her rescuer. She couldn't see the person's face but from the body now holding her close, she guessed it to be a man. His hands were strong around her waist and he was swimming towards the shore. Then it happened. An invisible barrier suddenly came up, forcefully pushing the two apart. The man landed on land but Dahut was back in the water, at a deeper depth this time. Her body could no longer feel any sensation by now and she slowly began to sink into the water. She thought she heard the man shouting at her but her mind was completely blank... Then she felt it- The burning pain at the side of her neck; almost tearing at her throat. Then she felt as if her bones were starting to break. The pain was excruciating that she screamed but her sound only came out as a bubble in the water. Suddenly she opened her eyes and all was quiet and she was breathing. She glided through the water, as if she had been swimming all her life. She passed by a school of fish and they all greeted her. Dahut opened her eye in shock, and then tried to laugh. However, this time, she could hear her own laughter, not a bubble like a before. "Welcome back Undine... We've missed you." "I'm not Und..." she tried to explain but they had swum away. She continued swimming before realization hit her- she was swimming! Something she had never done before. She started panicking when she saw the changed state of her hands and feet. She started to scream and kept swimming upwards towards the surface. As she reached the surface she felt breathless and felt like choking as she grappled for air. Like a fish on land, she felt like dying. Then she lost consciousness. *** Tristan had wanted to dive back into the water to search for the drowning woman but there seemed to be a force field preventing him from even going near the water. Worried, he had rushed to the nearest lodge to request for help. The owner of the lodge told him not to worry but to wait at the water's edge. Help will come soon, she had said. When he got back to the lake, he saw the young woman floating on the water surface, as if dead. This time, when he dived into the water, there was no barrier but he didn't think about it much as he scooped the woman out of the water. He found it strange that she was still breathing. But most importantly, she was dry! Nevertheless, he did CPR on her and tried to rouse her to consciousness. "Miss? Miss?" he shook her slightly. Then she slowly opened her eyes and stared at him. She didn't know if she was dreaming or dead. "I must be dead," she thought. "There's a very beautiful angel in front of me." "Hi... are you okay? I think I should bring you to the nearest clinic or the nearest lodge at least. Come," "I'm not dead?" she asked groggily. "I intend to keep you that way," he replied and carried her in his arms again. "No... no, just put me down... I'm fine... Mr..?" "It's Tristan. Are you sure you're okay? Do you want me to bring you somewhere?" "Yes... bookshop..." she said weakly, pointing to her shop. Tristan gave her a puzzled look but carried her there regardless. Jack the carpenter was shocked when Tristan came in, all soaked carrying Dahut in his arms. "What have you done to her!" he gasped. "Give her to me!" "I didn't do anything wrong!" "I'm fine... you two cut it out. Jack, this is Tristan... he saved me from drowning. Tristan, this is Jack. He's helping me remodel my bookshop." The two men eyed each other suspiciously but shook hands nonetheless. "I'm sorry for the trouble... so I'm going to compensate you okay?" said Dahut to Tristan. "Come to my bookshop again and I'll let you choose any book you want, on the house." Tristan smiled at her and looked around. "I guess I better be off now. The other campers are probably wondering what happened to me. Umm, Jack? Take care of her for me. I'm taking up that free book offer... "he said, smiling at her as he left. "You fell into the water?" Jack asked when Tristan had left. "Something like that..." Jack looked at her pale face and decided to drop the subject. "You know... I'm quite done with the cabinets and tables. I think by the end of the week, everything should be ready. What are you planning for the menu?" he asked, purposely trying to distract her with work. "Mmm... now that you've asked..." she smiled, but climbed upstairs to her office. *** Undine knew her daughter was at the bookshop, adamant that she was alright. She knocked on the door gently and opened it. She saw Jack applying a coat of varnish on the wooden furniture he had built and carved. He was a nice boy, that Jack. Her motherly instincts told her that he had an eye for her daughter but he was not the chosen one for her. "Dahut..." she called out. Jack immediately looked up. She smiled. Her voice always had that effect on men... it was both a curse as well as a blessing. "She's resting upstairs Ma'am..." he stammered. When she got upstairs, Dahut was lying on the sofa in her office. "Mama... I think... I think I did it... That thing you wanted me to do..." she said weakly. "Hush... I know..." her mother said. She went to the kettle and poured out some warm water for her daughter. "Drink this up. It will make you feel better." Unknown to Dahut, she had added a drop of water from the lake. She knew that her daughter's body was retaliating because it wanted to be back in the water. This method was temporary but would serve the purpose of stabilizing her for now. Dahut took the glass and sipped gingerly. Slowly she felt her energy returning. "Thank you Mama..." she said. "Mama... the umm... fishes said they missed you." Undine laughed and stroke her daughter's hair. "Are you seeing that young man who saved you again?" she asked instead. "What young man? And how do you know that?" Dahut asked defensively. "A mother always knows. So, are you?" "I don't know. I did offer him a free book for his help though." Undine smiled at her daughter and exited the store with her usual graceful manner. Sighing to herself, Dahut surveyed the almost done cafe and started mentally decorating the corner. Jack had left a while ago but his tools were still there. He had done a good job, she mused. Perhaps she should take him out for a drink sometime soon. Dahut looked at the wall clock and realised that it was already past 8pm. She had not noticed how late it was until her stomach started rumbling. Her bookshop would be closing in an hour's time but since there was no one in sight, she decided to fix herself something to eat. Thank god she had installed a stove and an oven in the room adjoining the cafe. She did not feel strong enough to walk towards town to grab something to eat. Odds are she'll end up back at her mother's lodge and Lissy would badger her to eat half a cow or something. While she was brewing a cup of green tea, she heard the jingle of the bells at the front door, signalling a customer. Sticking her head out from the kitchen door, she realised it was the man who had saved her earlier. "Oh, hi! I didn't expect you to come back here so soon. Here to take up my book offer huh?" she said from across the shop. "Hey! I hope I'm not intruding or anything. Yeah... well, sorta. I'll just umm, take a look around k?" he shouted back. Dahut decided to brew another cup of tea since there was no one else in the shop for the night. A little company would be nice, she thought. "Umm, Tristan? Do you drink tea?" "Hey... yeah. Tea's good. You busy?" "Nah... have a seat. Found your book already? Just try not to take the most expensive one!" she said jokingly. "Actually, you have quite an extensive collection here, for a small bookshop. I'm impressed. But I'm not sure exactly what book I want. Maybe you could recommend one to me," he replied instead. "Umm... maybe we could start by telling me your hobby." "Well, I love women..." he laughed. "Heh, joking, joking. Well, I love water sports, fishing, camping... all those things outdoors you know? But... I think I want to have a book I've never had before..." "Mmm... any ideas?" she asked, smiling at him. "I don't know... how about you? What do you like?" "Me? I'm not really very exciting unlike you..." "Well... I think drowning in ice cold water and surviving it sounds pretty exciting to me," he replied, smiling at her. "What time do you close?" "Soon..." "I'll wait up then. Maybe we could get some dinner. I'm starving." "Oh? Guess that makes the two of us." Tristan watched her move about, closing the shop for the night. He wasn't sure exactly what brought him to the shop that evening but he was enchanted with her. When he came in earlier, he felt almost like a pang of jealousy when he saw her with that carpenter, Jack. He watched as she moved... no glided around her bookshop; her waist length hair rustling softly behind her and her smile... so captivating. He had abandoned his plans for the camping just to come and see her again. "I was actually planning on eating in today but I don't think it's appropriate for you to be here... at such a late hour..." she said after a while. "Yeah... I understand. It's alright. I'll take you to this really great place I always go for lamb shank. You're gonna love it." "Oh?" "Yeah... it's over at the lodge I'm staying at. It's not too far from here," he said, smiling at her. Dahut felt a strange sinking feeling in her stomach. He's bringing her to her lodge. What an irony. Lissy had personally taken them to their table. Dahut knew that her matronly lodge manager was just brimming on the inside to give her the third degree. However, Lissy had been very polite and pretended not to know her at all. "Please, Mr Gallegher, how may we be of humble assistance to you today?" asked Lissy. "Well, Lissy, I'd like to order two of your lamb shank please. And... tea... for the lady and myself," he added something in a strange language she could not understand but Lissy had smiled and nodded. "You come here often?" Dahut asked curiously. "At times... usually to get away from work. Sometimes I fish... sometimes I camp." She looked up at him and smiled. He must have been here a few times a year yet she had never seen him around. That, and that she also hated to be in the lodge too much. "You know... I've never really had a chance to ask for your name. As you know, I'm Tristan..." "Oh... I'm sorry. I'm Dahut. I... I should thank you for saving me today... I... I don't like the water much and I can't swim..." "Well... and here I was thinking we should go river rafting tomorrow," he replied with a soft chuckle. Dahut noticed how his laugh seemed to light a sparkle in his blue eyes; its blue almost like the icy cold waters that she feared so much. Dahut stared blankly at him. "No... no of course not. I'm kidding... I'm sorry..." he said gently, covering his palm on top of her hand. "I'll be here till Friday... before I have to go back to New York... and I was hoping we could spend time together... if that is alright with you." "I'm sure she'll be alright with that..." came the reply, but not from Dahut's mouth. She saw the twinkle in his eye again as he looked up and smiled. She needn't look up because she knew who was behind her from the voice. "Tristan, it's so nice to see you here again. How did you find your accommodation?" "Ah, perfect as always Undine..." he smiled. "I would you like you to meet Dahut. She works at the bookshop nearby." "Oh, we know each other perfectly..." Dahut muttered and felt like burying her head under the table. She was so embarrassed. She never brought home men to meet her mother and never really had an interest in them. "Well then... enjoy your meal Tristan, Dahut," said Undine before she glided away to the kitchen. *** "Do you need me to walk you back to your house?" he asked quietly after they finished dinner. "It's alright... I can go back on my own..." "Where do you live, Dahut?" "Umm... actually... I live here..." "What... what do you mean?" "This is my family lodge..." Tristan stopped and looked at her, as if in disbelief, then started laughing. "You're Undine's daughter? God! I thought I noticed something familiar about your face. Well... your mother seems to like me... so what are you afraid of, Dahut?" His last question came out in a whisper; almost like a taunt. "Ah..." she said, blushing scarlet to the roots of her hair. He placed his hand at her cheek then smiled at her. She couldn't seem to move when he bent his head to plant a soft kiss on her lips. Closing her eyes, she immersed herself in the feeling of his soft lips on hers. She could smell his cologne slightly... and the smell of the earth and water on him... The kiss seemed forever, but when he finally pulled away, Dahut was smiling. Sleep of Undine Ch. 01 "Well... I'll meet you here tomorrow then... I'll see you for breakfast... lovely Dahut..." he said and walked off towards his lodge. *** Undine was alone. She could not remember where she came from or why she was there. All she knew was that the lapping waves comforted her; covering her like a blanket. Looking out on the horizon, she saw nothing but the vast ocean and clear skies. The slight gale prickled her skin so she sunk deeper into the water for warmth. Then she heard the laughter; a sound she yearned to hear each day; a reprieve for her loneliness. Despite her curiosity, she kept close to the rocks, not wanting to be seen by the humans. Today it was a pair of them... a male and a female. The woman had fiery red hair and her skin was scattered with freckles. Undine looked at her own arms and frowned at how pallid they were. Then she looked at the man and she was captivated. He was whispering something to the woman and they laughed. His sky blue eyes twinkled when he laughed. She noticed his fingers trail slightly on the woman's shoulders; such a simple but intimate act. Undine shuddered as she began to feel a slight twinge of an emotion she did not understand. He was twirling her hair around his finger absently now as she giggled to something he said. Undine touched her own hair and found it limp and uninteresting. She continued to watch the couple who was now caught in an embrace and watched as the man placed his lips on the woman's. A warm flush filled her face and she turned away, diving into the water, away from the scene before her. The next time she saw him, it was a few weeks later and he was alone. This time, there was no laughter but a still silence about him. Undine kept watch on the silent man who was heavily drinking from a bottle she recognized as Jack Daniel's. Then he started to yell and yell and yell and finally he cried. Alarmed at what was happening, Undine felt an instant need to comfort him. She slowly rose from the water and walked towards shore. That was when he noticed her: The seawater seemed to envelop her body like a gown- or was it? He wasn't sure. The alcohol was starting to play tricks on his mind surely, he thought. Her hair was ad dark as night, covering her lush breasts and were so long that it seemed to disappear into the water. "Who...who are you?" he stammered; half out of fear and half out of curiosity. She only kept quiet as she advanced closer to him. With a gentle finger, she touched his cheek and smiled. He stared, fixated at her pallid face; her big eyes staring back... as if she was staring right into his soul. "What is your name, young man?" "Co...Connor, Ma'am..." he stammered again. "Why... are you such a sad man, Connor?" The man called Connor kept silent. Then he took her hand and pressed it to his lips. The warmth of his lips shocked her cold skin but she didn't pull back. "Ma'am, you're the most beautiful woman I've seen. I... I truly don't deserve this..." he sighed, then covered his face with both hands and cried again. Having not been around many humans for a long time, Undine was unsure what to do. Instead, she cupped her hand and scooped up some sea water and offered him to drink. "Here... it'll make you feel better," she said. He did as he was told and felt himself sobering up. Still, the misery and sadness lingered in his eyes. "Stay with me tonight..." he pleaded. She was about to decline when he grabbed her shoulders and said, "Please, I need to be with someone tonight..." Undine felt sad for the man and nodded her head innocently. There they lay, her body curled towards him, on the sand. *** From that moment on, Undine gave her heart to him and they lived a blissful, married life together in a small cottage at the edge of a cliff that faced the ocean. Undine never felt so human... so real... so grateful that she never stepped out of their home compound as requested by her husband. She grew vegetables and went fishing whenever she needed to. She was happy. One day, on her way to fish, she heard laughter and voices coming from a clearing not too far from where she was. It occurred to her how secluded her cottage was; surrounded by a forest and flanked by the ocean. Wondering who it might be, she started walking towards the sound... She couldn't believe what she saw- her husband, straddling a woman who was laughing with joy. Undine wasn't sure if she was enraged or devastated but she must have alerted them somehow of her presence for the woman gave a gasp and looked at her straight on. Undine recognized the woman as the red head she saw Connor with the first time. She was so naïve... and now she's been deceived. "Honey... you break my heart..." she whispered, then turned away to run before either of them could respond. Despite her calm demeanor, her inner emotions were causing a storm at sea. From her cottage she could see the tempest she was brewing but she appeared nonchalant. Instead, she stood at the edge of the cliff and shouted till she felt all the air escape from her lungs. "I curse you, Connor. I curse you with all my wrath! May you never sleep another day so you know the agony I feel. I curse you... with all my immortality!" And then, as sudden as the storm started, it ceased and Undine jumped off the cliff, directly into the gaping mouth of the open sea below. *** Dahut awoke with a jolt. She kept having that dream again. And it was getting worst and worst. Ignoring the slight headache she was feeling, she went to the shower and got ready to go to work. When she came out of her room, her mother was there standing with a cup of hot tea in her hands. "Aren't you meeting him for breakfast, Dahut..." "Mama..." she tried to protest but her mother simply shook her finger and hustled her daughter back into the room. A few minutes later, Dahut came out of the room, her long dark hair combed and styled into a braid and her pale face was dusted with colour. "I'll let Jack know that you can't come to work today..." Undine said, then disappeared before Dahut could say another word. Dahut sighed. She wished she had her mother's ability to simply disappear into thin air like that. It would certainly help in situations such as now. She was unsure what to do when she met Tristan later. She had never been on a date and had never kissed before until last night. He was making her nervous even before she met him. "Ah... there's my beautiful lady. Please, have a seat," he said when he saw her at the breakfast lounge. "Tristan... I do have to go to work today you know. I can't stay for breakfast." "I understand. We'll head down there right after you eat something. I know you've not eaten yet, so keep me company, Dahut... I am your guest after all," he said, smiling at her. She squinted her eyes at him and knew he had trapped her. After breakfast, they headed out towards her bookshop. The path they took faced the lake and the cool spring breeze kissed their faces as they walked. Dahut had kept quiet, unsure of what to say. Then she felt his hand gently grip hers, holding it tight in a clasp. Dahut managed a gasp then fell silent again; her mind solely on the point of contact between them right now. She felt like a school girl, blushing from her first experience of holding hands. But her smile and laughter died the moment they reached her bookstore. Without thinking, she ran straight into her burning shop, shouting for Jack. Tristan shouted for her to come back but she was too far in. Putting a call to the lodge for assistance, he too entered the flaming bookstore to get her out. "Dahut!" he shouted. Then he saw her... standing in the middle of her kitchen, looking down at Jack who was lying there, a hole to his chest. She stood perfectly still, looking at him even when the cabinets were falling off its hinges. "Dahut..." "No... get away from me..." she said, in almost a whisper. Then it happened. Wave after wave of icy cold water swept into the bookshop, knocking Tristan off his feet. Dahut was still standing firm, with her eyes only on Jack. Unsure what to do, Tristan grabbed her, then crouched down, shielding the three of them from the onslaught. When Undine arrived, she saw that the bookshop was filled with water to its brim that it had begun to sink slightly into the ground. With a swipe of her hand, the water relented and returned to the lake. She was fuming. Amidst the debris, she searched frantically for her daughter... or any traces of life for that matter. She slashed at fallen wood with sharp ice that was currently being manipulated by her mind. Then she stopped. In the middle of the bookshop, there was a mound of soil. Raising her palm, she blasted water at it but it did not budge. Stepping back, she looked around her and sniffed. She could not smell any kerosene or any accelerant that could cause such a bonfire within minutes. Undine approached the soil mound cautiously then knocked. "Dahut?" she called out. The soil mound shattered and she saw Tristan holding her daughter in one hand and Jack in the other. "Oh Jack..." she exclaimed and kneeled down at the dead body and wept. Tristan laid his hand on Undine's shoulder for comfort and together, they helped bring the dead and unconscious out of the wreck. A while later the police had been taken Jack away but only after much questioning regarding his death. Undine insisted that she had nothing to do with his death and they eventually let her go, promising to return the next day should they have anymore questions. Feeling drained, Undine and Tristan made their way to the Lodge, with Dahut on Tristan's back. "I did not know that there were male nymphs..." Undine said after a long while "You're right. There aren't." "Perhaps you would already know by now that I am an elemental just like yourself." "My mother was Napaeae, the nymph of the mountains and valleys," Tristan found himself saying. "She wanted a daughter to pass on her... gift... but my father died soon after I was born. But she loved me and when I was old enough, she taught me." "We'll talk again Tristan, nymph of the mountain and valleys," Undine said, with a smile on her face. Her acknowledgement of him gave him a sort of pride and comfort. "Take Dahut to your room and let her rest... I need to rest as well. Using my powers too suddenly like that weakens me." Tristan nodded and they parted ways. Back in his room, Tristan laid Dahut on his bed and helped take her shoes off. She was dry as though the sudden waves had not touched her at all. Pulling the blanket over her, he left her alone to mull over the day's incident over a glass of scotch. To be honest, he did not expect to find another elemental like himself... his mother had been the only one of her kind and had never told him about others like them. A water elemental? If she was water and he was earth... that would logically mean that there had to be fire and air as well. He closed his eyes, wishing that his mother was still around. Could it be that there were four original sources to these... gifts? Would that make Undine and his mother one of the original source or is there a higher source than that? His thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a soft groan. Turning his head, he saw that Dahut was conscious and was looking at him intently. "Feeling better now?" he asked. She didn't reply but continued to stare at him. Her black irises seemed to have changed colour to an almost icy blue that it scared him just a little. "Dahut? Would you like me to call your mother?" he asked, concerned, when suddenly, she pushed the blankets away and started walking towards him. Her hands were at her front buttons, undoing them, as she walked closer to him. Then she tossed her blouse aside carelessly and began working on her bra. Tristan stood affix, staring at her, unsure what to do exactly. He seemed to be glued to his seat and his brain just wouldn't think. She continued walking.... Unzipping her skirt, pushing it down to her ankles together with her underwear until she stood stark naked, facing him. Tristan could no longer move. He felt trapped in his mind and in his own body and had no control over it except his sight. All he could do was look at her... and feel himself growing hard at the sight of her lush breasts and her curved hips. She had long legs with pale milk like skin that seemed to be glowing at the moment. Her hair was loosen from its braid and spilled down her back, to the floor. Unable to do anything, he watched her straddle him on the chair. She had waved her hands left and right and his hands followed willingly as if they were tied to a puppet string. Then he felt a cold icy grip and dared himself a peek. His wrists were held by something cold... that felt like ice but were invisible to his eyes. Then she did the inevitable. She removed his clothings with a single slash of her hand. It was as if, the material dissolved into thin air and disappeared. She was rubbing herself against him now... her nipples hard, poking at his chest. Her eyes were almost piercing light blue now that it was hard for him to look at her, so he closed his eyes. Then he felt her suddenly impale herself on his cock and he screamed; his voice trapped inside his mind, inside his body, unable to escape. He forced himself to open his eyes and watched in amazement as she grind her hips, bouncing up and down on his hard cock without restraint, like an animal in heat, mating till death. He could feel her warm pussy muscles squeezing the life out of him, milking him, again and again until he was at the brim of ejaculation. Then she stopped. Tristan watched her fall backwards, losing consciousness again... the light in her eyes disappearing, returning them to her original coal colour. In that instant, he regained control over his own body and snapped out of whatever spell was binding him initially. Gathering her in his arms, he shook her gently, rubbing her cheeks with his palm as she was losing heat at an alarming rate. He held her close, giving his warmth to her, willing her to regain consciousness. "Mummy... I'm scared..." she whimpered a few seconds later. Tristan breathed a sigh of relief when he felt her body warming up once again. "Welcome back little one..." Tristan said kindly. He wasn't sure what had happened awhile ago, but he was sure that it wasn't Dahut who had trapped him and forced herself on him. It was then that he noticed the dried blood between her thighs and he swore. "Dahut... are you in pain? Oh god... I'm so sorry..." he said, holding her even closer. "What happened to me?" she whimpered again... Feeling so defeated, Tristan did the only thing he felt would comfort her. He kissed her. Too weak to protest, Dahut simply allowed herself to drown in the kiss. She was cold and she felt like she was swimming towards the gravity of his warm lips. She tasted like dew and Tristan greedily kissed her, seeking out more. Her hands were clinging around his neck now, as though he was her pillar of strength. He eased her slowly to the floor, his lips never leaving her. Then his hands caressed her skin, as though stimulating more warmth in her... he carelessly ran his fingers over her skin, causing her to shiver. He slid his lips down her neck and trailed hot kisses down towards her breasts which were currently being fondled by his hands. With tenderness he massaged them slowly, teasing her nipples out with his tongue, twirling the hard nub before pressing his mouth close on one nipple and sucking it... gently at first, then harder as he heard her moans of pleasure. "Oh Tristan... more... more!" she moaned; he obliged by pushing her round breasts together and sucking on both her nipples at the same time. When he finally released her, Dahut felt giddy with lust. Her hands curiously touched his cock. When it jerked to life, she gave a gasp of excitement and proceeded to press her lips on its head. Doing exactly what he had done to her nipples, she twirled her wet tongue over his cock head then covered it with her mouth, sucking on it gently. When he began to buck his hips, she got more excited and began sucking harder, with more fervour. She was disappointed when he pulled her head off and became confused when he lay her on her back. "I want you to look at me Dahut... and stop me if it hurts..." said Tristan, using every bit of control not to plunge into her. When she nodded, he eased his now throbbing cock into her wet pussy. The contact made them both groan. Tristan was now ramming his cock deep into her, relentlessly as she began to moan louder and louder. When he felt her clamping him hard, he gave a final push and watched her face as she climaxed all over his cock. Pleased that she had her release, Tristan continued his onslaught. He wanted so badly to cum inside her, to plant his seeds inside her but he pulled out at the last minute, spraying himself on her belly. Exhausted and satiated, he collapsed beside her. Using the last ounce of energy he had left, he held her close and they drifted off to sleep... Sleep of Undine Ch. 02 NB: Thank you for those who've sent me comments and suggestions. It really makes my day.  Hope you all enjoy this next installation of the story. Don't forget to vote! -- M.C. * When Tristan awoke, Dahut was still curled beside him, her raven hair covering half her body like a soft blanket. Easing himself away, he got up to take a cold shower. It was already Thursday and he would have to return to New York the next morning. Something had happened to him, but he was unsure what. All he knew was that he didn't want to leave Lake of the Woods. He felt her stirring awake even while he was in the shower. He could feel the distinct vibrations in on the floor, telling him that she was now sitting up and searching for him. "I'm in the shower!" he shouted, for her benefit. He felt her footsteps walking towards the bathroom and wasn't surprised to see her standing at the door. He was surprised however to find that she was still naked. She didn't say a word but simply got into the shower with him and hugged him tight as the hot water cascaded over them both. He knew that she wasn't asking for another round of sex but she just wanted some comfort. She had been whimpering and struggling in her sleep the whole night that he wished he could have entered her dream and save her. *** Undine was sitting in her lodge office thinking about what had happened the day before. When she had knelt beside Jack's body, she had noticed that although he had a small hole in his chest, it was not caused by a bullet. Even in that instance, she had sensed that no lead had passed through his blood. Unable to put the thought out of her head, she went back to her daughter's bookshop to find more answers. The police from the fire squad were already there when she arrived. Not wanting to appear suspicious, Undine focused on the best form of water she could be; invisible, yet fluid enough to move... and that was water vapour. She soon confirmed her earlier hunch when she overheard the men talking about a lack of accelerant and point of origin. It seemed almost impossible, they had said, but the path of the fire was similar to that of a bomb; meaning that it was from an external source. It was no accident, they concluded but a possible arson case. Undine was wondering if Dahut's old classmates had decided to burn her daughter's bookshop out of spite but then again, there were no traces of explosives. Deciding that she's had enough, Undine materialized at the edge of the water bank then dived. It was then she saw a long spear at the base of the lake. Undine had found it odd that it was there as she had never seen it before. Swimming closer, she noticed, to her horror that it had pierced through the body of a fish that held a note in its mouth! Trying to control her temper, she gently pulled the spear from the dead fish and removed the piece of note from its mouth. She motioned the scavenging cichlids waiting nearby to take the dead fish away. It was the cycle of life, she understood. One dies to be the food of another. Taking the note, she resurfaced the shore. "And eye for an eye. Feel my pain." For a moment Undine was transfixed at the words on the parchment... and then understanding registered. "Connor" she whispered. Undine closed her eyes and tried to remember ... She had been pregnant and they had had sex less and less. But Undine had always suspected that it wasn't so much because he feared for the baby but that he considered her bloated and undesirable. But she tried to stay happy and they lived happily until that fateful day when she saw him with another woman... that woman. She had been ripped apart. She could not remember her past, where she came from or who her parents were. But she had remembered being happy and contented when he asked her to marry him. He had sworn faithfulness to her, for every waking breath and she had accepted his oath. Undine looked at her hands, saw the wrinkling skin and understood what had happened. Connor had finally died... and she was no longer immortal. She had cursed him with her immortality, such that when he was awake, he would still have his breath, but when he slept, his breath would be taken away from him. Fear suddenly struck her deep in her heart... She was going to die... eventually... she would finally age... and she would begin to remember... She was Undine, guardian of the sea and she was going to protect her daughter at all cost. That woman had probably came to look for her; saw her talking to Jack the other day when she came to tell him that Dahut would not be coming to work, and mistaken him as her new lover and killed him- no... more like burn a hole through his heart. Poetic. Undine had to act fast. With her immortality gone, it meant that Dahut would have gained hers and would now be getting more powerful. That woman need not know that Dahut existed. Undine knew that she would hunt her out and Undine resigned herself to the fact that she would eventually have to fight that woman. Her instincts told her that this woman could wield fire and that, at least would put her at a disadvantage against Undine. This was furthermore a community built in the middle of a lake. But... should she die... she could not bear the thought of that woman hunting for Dahut. Determined, Undine returned back to the lodge. *** When she entered the family room at the lodge, she saw that Lissy was already fussing over Dahut; pouring her a cup of malt drink as well as insisting that she ate the muffins placed in front of her. She was leaning on Tristan, her face pallid and her stance weak. She didn't even resist Lissy when the woman shove a spoonful of honey into her mouth. Undine became more worried. Approaching the trio, she called out to Tristan and brought him into her office. "Sit," she said kindly. "Ma'am, you haven't slept well either last night." Undine simple smiled at him before speaking. "Tristan... I hope this does not sound rude of me... but, has your mother passed on?" Tristan simply looked at Undine then nodded. "About a decade ago..." "You know she can't die..." "She was burnt at stake... and she died. It seems that mortal damage doesn't kill... but when exposed to an element at high intensity and volume, it can kill." "Why didn't she protect herself? Why didn't she fight?" "Because... she wanted to protect me... she didn't want the villagers to think I was a witch too and burn me... so I ran away... and travelled to New York..." Undine kept silent for a while before speaking. "I am dying Tristan... I am no longer immortal. You need to understand what I'm going to say and I hope you understand what I'm going to ask you to do..." Tristan looked at her intensely and nodded. "You gained your immortality only after your mother's death... meaning that you grew up as a mortal and you had a memory. I don't. I don't even know where I came from. It was as if I was born into this form. But I will begin to remember now that I am mortal again." "Why are you dying Undine?" "It's a long story my child... but I need you to understand that whoever killed Jack had intended to kill me... and now that I am mortal, I fear not for myself, but for Dahut." "Is she in danger?" Tristan asked, his voice faltering slightly. "I fear she might be. A woman armed with revenge would not be rational. I need you to take Dahut with you to New York tomorrow. Let her stay there with you..." "And you?" "She will hunt me... and if Dahut is with me, she might kill her as well... and I cannot let that happen Tristan... She's the only person that truly loved me for me..." said Undine, in between sobs. "I will stay here and fight this person... and if I die... you'll know..." "No! No... I will stay here and fight alongside you, Undine. Please!" "You must protect Dahut now my child... this is not your battle... keep her safe for me." Tristan held back the tears that were threatening to fall. Undine was just like his mother! Sacrificing herself for her child. It was so unfair! "Undine... I think whoever tried to kill Jack already knows about Dahut... or at least she would find out eventually." "No! How?" "Last night, Dahut seemed possessed by something... and after I pondered about it, I realized that whoever's hunting you must have placed a curse or a tracking spell on the person who'd first hurt for Jack. I remember her standing transfixed on Jack's body when she came into the burning shop." "Damn damn damn that woman!" Undine paced her office, trying to think. "Umm... no... you must still bring Dahut away from here. If what you said is true... then I have no choice, but I have to defeat this woman..." "Even at the cost of your life?" "I have lived for a long time my child... and I have given life to another... and raised her well...and that... is enough for me..." Undine gave Tristan a warm hug and gestured him out of her office. She needed to be alone... *** The parting was very difficult but Undine had somehow reassured Dahut that everything would be fine. She didn't tell her the same things she told Tristan but had instead told her that a change of air would help her grieve better for her lost friend. Dahut, still weak, had not resisted much. Undine had been helpless when she saw that she could not take away the spell that had been put on her daughter. Instead, she could only bring a bottle of brew that was made from the lake's water to soothe her daughter's nerves. From New York, they took another flight towards Southampton where Tristan spent his summer and winter vacations in. He knew that Dahut needed to be near water and the cement jungle of New York City would only suffocate her. A driver had picked them up from the airport and when they reached the gates of his house, Tristan felt a sense of relief wash over him. Some things never change and were dependable. Like his sturdy house, which he had designed for himself and overseen all the works. He had it built in the honour of his mother and it brought him comfort to call this place his home. Having control over the ground, the vegetations and the rocks, Tristan had turned his gift into an amazing aptitude for architecture. He now ran the top architectural firms in New York. But even with the wealth that came from the business, he was relatively lonely. That's why he had gone camping and fishing all over the world, searching for company. Dahut was still relatively weak but was able to stand on her feet and insisted that she walked to the door by herself. The house was empty but it was clean and smelled of pine. Having lived in a lodge her whole life, Dahut could not contain her excitement when she saw the beautiful chandeliers and winding stairs. "You... live here?" "Well... mostly when I want to get away from work..." said Tristan with a soft smile. "Why don't I show you your room? You'll love it." Holding her hand, he guided her up the stairs to the west wing of his house. Dahut's eyes immediately widened when she saw the room. It had full glass windows at three sides of the room and it overlooked the sea. It felt as if she was standing in the water. Considering that it was facing west, she was sure that she would be able to see the sunset from her bedroom if she wanted to. Turning around, she gave a shy smile and hugged him. "Thank you... for everything..." she said. Tristan smiled and closed the door to give her some privacy. When he was gone, Dahut sat on the bed and gave a long sigh... She already felt homesick. Taking the bottle of water her mother had packed, she took a sip and felt her energies returning. Looking at the suitcase her mother had helped her pack, she burst into tears. She missed her mother. She looked out at the horizon and saw that it was nearly dusk. She should change and ask Tristan if they could get something to eat. Rummaging her suitcase, she pulled out a pair of jeans and a tank top. New York felt warmer than back in the Lake of the Woods and she didn't want to risk wearing long sleeves. Stripping bare, she wrapped a towel around her body and headed to the shower. Downstairs, Tristan felt her movements and smiled knowing that she was at ease. He knew that she would be starving, as was he and so he was making some goulash. When she entered the kitchen a while later, she was surprised to see him behind the stove, stirring something in the pot that smelled delicious. "That smells good..." she commented. Tristan was about to say the same thing about her as well. Having washed up, she smelled of soap and distinctively female. "Wanna come and see what's for dinner?" he asked instead. "You're not trying to seduce me with food are you?" she asked jokingly and gave a small chuckle. "Not when the food's not in your stomach..." he retorted. Taking a spoon, she scooped up a bit of the soup to taste. The warmth of the flavours went down her throat and she closed her eyes in pleasure. "It's in now..." she said then launched herself on him. If he was surprised, he surely hid it well for his face bore no expression. Their mouths were on each other, ravaging each other; her hand impatiently pulling his shirt off his body. He could feel himself getting hard, aroused by her lush breasts pressing itself against him. Tristan moaned when he felt her hands inside the waistband of his pants, searching for his throbbing cock. "Let me turn off the fire first..." he said breathlessly. "Do you want to do it here?" he said as he tried to tear the tank top off her. "Mmmm," she mumbled as she pushed down her own jeans and underwear, leaving her pussy exposed. Taking that as a yes, Tristan began to unbuckle his pants, leaving on his boxers only. Now in the light, Dahut was able to see his body to her heart's content; his body was lean and his toned muscles showed that he worked out... but it was the bulge between his legs that caught her attention. She licked her lips, knelt down and cupped his hardened cock in her hands. She kissed its head gently through the thin cotton of the boxers while massaging his balls slowly. Tristan moaned and pulled down the waistband of his boxers and placed her hands on his throbbing cock. Dahut merely smiled and without warning, engulfed his cock with her warm mouth. "Oh, baby... you're killing me... fuck!" She was good, sucking his cock with her lips locked tight; her finger slowly rubbing her own clit in anticipation. Dahut felt him grow bigger and harder in her mouth until she could no longer take it all in her mouth when he thrust his hips forward. Tristan knew then that it was time to pleasure her. Pushing her lacy bra upwards, he grabbed her breasts and started to suck on one of her nipples while rubbing the other between his thumb. She started moaning and bucking her hips, begging him for more. Tristan could only oblige by bringing both nipples into his mouth to suck while he inserted two fingers into her already wet pussy. He pushed his fingers slowly inside of her, teasing her juices out. His mouth had left her nipples and were making love bites all over her breasts as if marking her. "Please Tristan... no more teasing... please..." she begged as she squirmed to allow more of his fingers to penetrate her. Tristan merely stilled and watched her move up and down his fingers, fucking herself. It turned him on greatly and the next time she went down, he drove his fingers up in a quick and rough manner, making her scream from pure pleasure. Fucking her with his fingers, he watched as she writhed around in ecstasy. When she started to cum, he released her breasts and lifted her up and impaled her onto his hard cock, making them both moan out loud with pleasure. She was bouncing on him now, screaming and begging him to fuck her harder. Tristan wasn't sure how long more he was going to last with her fucking him senseless like that. Pulling himself out, he turned her over and pushed her face down to the floor so that her pussy was open for his taking. He grabbed her curvy ass and pushed them apart to let him have more access to her sweet pussy. Her scent of arousal was strong and he was hungry for it. He began to lick at her juices, sucking on her clit every now and then. Then using his tongue, he fucked her pussy; darting his tongue in and out and licking her lips, teasing her. "Tristan, Tristan! Please, please... fuck me!!!" she screamed, unable to take the torture anymore. Tristan gave a sly grin, gave her pussy a few licks before pushing his hard cock back into her wet hot pussy. In the new position, her pussy felt even tighter and Tristan was moaning breathlessly as he grabbed her hips to fuck her harder, responding to her every moan. "I'm going to cum baby..." he said, unable to hold off any longer. Pulling himself out, he turned her around and watched her greedily take his cock into her mouth. She was so sexy with her tousled hair and flushed face that he came in hot jets into her mouth. She swallowed every drop of his cum and Tristan swore, if he wasn't so spent he would turn her over and fuck her again. "Mmm..." she moaned appreciatively. "There better be enough of whatever's cooking coz I'm starving," she said, licking her lips. Tristan smiled at her warmly as they helped each other up. His knees felt a little wobbly. While standing there scooping goulash into a bowl, he realized that it was his first time being naked in his kitchen. He laughed... a low rumble at first then roared in hysterics. "What?" chuckled Dahut as she picked up their clothes. "I'm really beginning to like you a lot Dahut," he said and watched her blush. He almost wanted to laugh again at the thought that she could still blush right after they had fucked each other senseless. "I like you a lot too Tristan..." she said shyly. Dahut could feel the heat in her cheeks from her blush and felt embarrassed at the fact that she never said 'I like you' to anyone before. It was then she wondered how many women Tristan had brought home and made love to. The thought made her sad, so she simply pushed it away and smiled brightly at him instead. "So what do you want to do later, Dahut?" "I don't know... explore your house? It's really huge. Why don't you give me a tour?" she suggested. "Yeah, that'd be good. Get the food into your stomach Dahut and then we'll have that tour," he said, smiling warmly at her. Watching her eat, Tristan felt a sharp pain in his heart. He had kept his promise to Undine to not tell Dahut about her mother's sacrifice... but at the same time, it killed him to watch her smile like that, unknowing that she might lose her mother. Perhaps he could show her something that might help her understand better in the future. He himself had recently learned a few things in the course of his search for his mother's past. It had allowed him to come to terms with his loss; perhaps it could help her do the same when the time comes. During their tour of his house, Tristan had purposely brought her to his library; hoping to enchant her with his collection of books. Seeing that he had lived at least a century before her, he had collected a massive amount of books; even those that were purported to have been burnt during the many world revolutions. When he saw her eyes widen in both awe and shock, he knew it would take only a matter of suggestions to get her to read what he needed her to find out. Dahut had settled in the plush green suede chair and was taking in the beauty of his library. The shelves were ceiling high and on it, there were all sorts of books. But what amazed her was that some of the books were the first edition or the unpublished types. She was lost in her own thoughts that she didn't hear him calling to her. Sleep of Undine Ch. 02 "Dahut... would you like to see my most special collection?" he asked again. This time, she responded by turning to look in his direction. He led her to an adjoining room which was much smaller than the library. Dahut took in the smell of the old leather-bound books and her interest became piqued. "What's this?" "It's some of the books I've been reading lately. See... these were written in the 1600s... would you like to have a look?" "Oh yes please!" she said excitedly. Gently holding the book, she turned the pages slowly, with a gentleness of a lover. Then she frowned. "The treasure of treasures?" she said enquiringly. "Is this fiction?" "Oh no... not at all! See here, it says 'Treasure of the Philosophers: The Stone of The Wise Men; Describing the matter of, and manner how to attain the universal Tincture'." Dahut stilled but kept silent. She didn't think Tristan knew about her water abilities or does he? But showing her these... it was as if he wanted her to learn something about herself. Tincture reminded her of Alchemy... and she closed her eyes, willing herself to recall knowledge about Alchemy. Oblivious to Tristan now, she looked over at the table and selected another volume. Just as she suspected- a book on Tincture. She opened its introduction and read: Alchemy has been thought to encompass many disciplines, including philosophy, psychology and spirituality. It was beyond the goal of turning common metals into gold or silver but also the creation of a "panacea"; the elixir of life, a remedy that would cure all diseases and prolong life. And at the root of this goal was the discovery of Tincture- the universal solvent. She looked up at Tristan who was also staring at her. "Do you know what this universal solvent is, Dahut?" Dahut stared at him blankly and shook her head. "It is the womb of a mother." "That is impossible..." she said, shaking her head. Tristan merely smiled and got up from his sitting position. "Ouch!" she yelped. A splinter of wood had somehow penetrated her palm and she was about to put her hand to her mouth to stop the blood flow when she realized she was not bleeding. Instead, the skin where the splinter had punctured her was slowly beginning to heal. "How can this be?" she said, shaking. "Why... why are you showing me this? Who are you!" she started screaming. "Please, Dahut... listen to me... I did not mean to shock you like this. I wanted to show you these to make you understand what I'm about to tell you..." he said. Still she kept silent. When he came closer to her, she stayed in place and when he took her hand, she simply looked at him with her eyes that were slowly turning into an intense icy colour. As fast as a blink of an eye, she felt everything going dark and she panicked. But she felt the protective warmth of Tristan behind her and she relaxed. Her sense of smell was perked at a high intensity now that her sight was lost. Where is she? She smelled earth... it's sulphurs and phosphates clouding in her head. "Are we in a cave?" she asked. "How?" When she blinked again, she was back in the library, the light of the room suddenly blinding her eyes. "I took you there," Tristan said, pausing to watch her reaction. When she showed no sign of fear, he continued. "Allow me to introduce myself proper... I am heir of Napaeae, the guardian of the mountain and valleys. Just as your mother is Undine, the guardian of the ocean and rivers. Am I correct to say that, Dahut?" Dahut just stared at him, with her mouth slightly open. "You knew about my mother?" "Yes... and I know about you too... Your powers have been growing stronger haven't they? Would I be right to say that you have only recently awakened?" "Awakened?" she asked, although she already knew what he meant. "You can breathe in water now, just as you can will it to do your bidding. Ah, I'll take that as a yes. But you've not learnt how to control these powers haven't you? I can help you." Dahut considered him with slanted eyes. Her mother would be best to teach her how to control these powers... not some earth nymph... then it dawned on her... "Did... did she send me here to learn from you... because something is happening isn't it? What is it? Tell me!" she demanded. When Tristan remained silent, she pressed on, "Is she losing her powers because I'm gaining mine? Oh god no... is she... is she dying Tristan?" "She will... eventually, Dahut. She has passed her immortality to you and so now she will age." "Did that happen to your mother too?" "Yes... eventually she too passed on..." said Tristan, his voice beginning to shake. Dahut recognize the treble as sadness and stopped talking. Deciding to drop the subject, she smiled and changed the subject. "Well... I know it's late at night now... and I was hoping to sneak away to have a quick dip in the water. But since you already know about me, why don't we go together? I have never swam in salted water before." "I think you will feel much lighter than when swimming in fresh water," Tristan replied, trying to smile for her sake. A while later... The water felt warm even though the darkness of the night had blanketed the land. Dahut was pulling Tristan playfully into the water but he refused to go in at a depth deeper than his waist. "I feel blind if there is no sand beneath my feet." "Then you just have to let me see for you," she replied, teasing him. Tristan looked at her and decided to risk dying in the water. Sure he'd wakeboard and surf and raft... but she was asking him to hold his breath for minutes underwater while she played around at great depths. Dahut was holding his hands now and guiding him into deeper water. He was desperately trying to feel the sand with his toes but he could no longer now that they were fully submerged in water. He began to struggle with the knowledge that he was in really deep water when he felt her lips coming onto his. It was dark and he couldn't see a thing. But he was breathing! She was breathing in for him... amazing! When they resurfaced, he realized that they were so far from shore. Her lips were still on his though and he let himself be lost to the feel of her softness against him. He felt a little silly holding on to her like she was a buoy but it was the only thing he could do to keep afloat. Or... Unable to see, Tristan had to sense the rocks and ground formation beneath him, deep in the water and summoned them up. "Ahh..." he groaned in pleasure when he felt land under his feet. He was now sitting what looked like a piece of rock in the middle of the ocean. Dahut released him and started laughing. Then she flipped backwards into the water, splashing all over him. It was then he caught sight of her legs... or what used to be her legs. It was exactly like the myths of the mermaids. She was beautiful... He sat there on the rock watching her frolic about and realized that for the first time in his life, he understood what it meant to be free... and also... what it meant to be in love. *** Love... it was what brings people together or pull them apart. Undine stared out into the waters and sensed her daughter happily playing in them in another part of the world. Her senses were not as strong as before; she could no longer pinpoint the exact location where a disturbance in the water was. But she could still sense the happiness and that was enough. Days have passed since she gained her mortality and each day she felt herself growing older although physically there were no visible changes. Jack's death still haunted her, although the police have ruled her, Dahut and Tristan out of the list of suspects because there was not enough evidence. There had been no traces of hair, fibre or thumbprint or anything. Undine knew what they did not. There would be no traces when one need not be physically present to cause damage. The spring was beginning to melt most of the ice and the weather was turning warm. Undine knew that without the added advantage of the cold temperature, she would have a harder time against the fire woman. Lost in her thoughts, she was initially unaware of the rise in heat in her office. It was only when she noticed the water in her glass was evaporating that she perked her senses. She ran out of her office, hoping to avoid another arson case especially when there were still many people in her lodge. It was then she saw a glimpse of the red-haired woman. Just a flash before a ball of flame came towards her from nowhere. Undine extinguished it with a rush of water using a flick of her wrist. As soon as she had put that out, more flame balls were thrown at her, from all direction. Undine was a bit weakened by that small use of her powers that she was unable to summon more to put out the flames. When her dress started getting caught in fire, Undine knew what she had to do. She jumped into the water and dove deep within, holding her breath for as long as she could. ***