By the Will of the Gods Pt. 01

"Oh!" She let out a soft yelp as the water came up to her right ankle. Without further hesitation, she submerged her left foot as well. As the young woman bit her lower lip, she sluggishly waded into the pond until the water came up to her navel. She couldn't help but hug her arms over her chest as she shivered a bit.

After about a full minute of standing in place and letting the cold of the chilling water set in, Tempest cupped her hands together and lowered them into the frigid liquid. She then lifted her hands to her face and splashed the water on her smooth skin. The girl repeated the process a couple more times until moving on to the next part of her body.

As small droplets of water slid down her soft skin and left lines of wetness in their wake, Tempest raised her right arm and began using her left hand to clean her underarm. After finishing with the right, she moved on to the left. From there, she used her hands as a cup once more in order to dump some water down her chest.

The dark elf continued to breathe in the fresh air of the forest as she began vigorously scrubbing her abdomen...until she noticed a faint sound that didn't appear to be common to the surrounding woods. Lifting her head and batting her hair out of her eyes, the adventuring female glanced at the canopy above her and noticed some rustling in the leaves.

At first, Tempest thought she would wade her way back to shore. From there, she could dash back to Zofiel and fetch the aid of the man who had saved her the previous night. If whatever was above her was dangerous, the cloaked man would surely rescue her.

However, the dark elf knew she wouldn't always have Zofiel around to depend on, so she decided it was time to start fending for herself. Nervously, the girl reached down into the water and drew out the knife she kept on her leg for protection. Slowly raising it, she kept it just below the surface of the water so an attacker wouldn't see it. She took a deep breath as she waited for whatever would happen next. She stood in the pond and forgot about how chilly the water coming up to her bellybutton was. She lost complete track of time as a couple minutes skittered past. She just simply stood as still as a statue and waited for something to happen.

Suddenly, when the young woman least expected it, she heard a shout of surprise as a few leaves fell to the water. She took a step back when she heard some branches scratching together, and she finally realized that whatever was making the sound was a little further away than it had originally been. Shortly thereafter, she found out what exactly was hiding in the canopy when it fell to the water below.

"Whoa!" A shout could be heard as a cloaked individual lost his balance and plummeted into the pond. Tempest couldn't help but smile when she realized her eavesdropper was none other than the man who had saved her life. She watched him make a splash before going under.

"Very funny, Zofiel!" The dark elf exclaimed as she put her knife away. "I do not know if I should be angry at you or laugh at you!" However, the girl didn't receive any kind of response. Taking a step forward in the water, she realized there was no sign of Zofiel except for a couple bubbles. The mysterious man was not resurfacing.

"Zofiel," Tempest spoke the man's name with a hint of fear in her voice. "This is not funny! What are you doing?"

Suddenly, a gloved hand shot up and flailed about wildly. It was at that very moment when the young woman realized her rescuer needed rescuing. He was either caught on something below...or he was being pulled down by an unknown force.

With all the courage in the world, Tempest trudged forward through the water while saying, "Hold on, Zofiel! I am coming!" And as she got closer, the water became deeper. She eventually had to dive forward and start swimming toward the cloaked man.

As her arms moved through the clear water, she knew she had to hurry. Zofiel wore a lot of clothing, and once those garments were soaked in water, their weight would obviously increase. The mysterious man would have a hard time coming up for air with the added weight he had to carry.

Taking a deep breath at the top of the pond, Tempest closed her eyes and dove back into the depths. She knew the pond wasn't too deep, and the fact that the water was so clear aided her quite a bit as well. The young woman was able to open her eyes and see perfectly through the liquid. When she finally came across what she was looking for, she almost let out a gasp of despair.

With a surge of energy she had never had before, the dark elf kicked her feet and swam deeper once she saw the outline of her savior. Zofiel was seemingly sinking, and although she didn't know why he didn't swim to the surface himself, she realized the present wasn't the greatest time to ponder such a thought.

Once Tempest was to her rescuer, she hugged her arms around him from behind. Kicking her feet with every ounce of energy she had, she found that she was running out of time. Zofiel had been submerged for a long time, and the dark elf's oxygen was running low as well.

While making her way to the surface, the young woman realized the clothes Zofiel was wearing were her main problem. The extra weight was adding an uneasy strain, and if she could somehow manage to at least free him of his cloak, she would have a much better chance of saving the man.

Still kicking like a woman possessed, the dark elf continued to move herself and the mysterious male upward while letting her hands fumble about on his chest. She remembered that the black cloak he wore had buttons on the front, but she couldn't exactly recall how many. Frantically running her right hand across a couple of them, she realized the idea was futile. Even if she managed to unbutton the cloak, she would have to fight Zofiel's limp arms out of it. That would require more oxygen than necessary.

Almost as fast as she had discarded that idea, Tempest thought of something else that would aid her ascension. Quickly pulling the knife back out of the leg garter on her right thigh, the girl carefully stabbed the blade through the fabric of some of Zofiel's clothing without even coming close to his body. Holding onto the dagger for dear life, Tempest utilized a strength she didn't know she possessed and began using her left hand to work her way upward. The added help of her hand gained her some speed, and within a few seconds, the young woman was once again breathing in fresh air.

As she gasped for the oxygen she so desperately needed and her breathing returned to a steady pattern, Tempest turned her attention to the man whom she had saved. Tugging him upward so his face was fully above the water, the young woman leaned down and made sure he was getting a proper amount of air. When she saw that he was again breathing, she smiled and pulled the knife out of his cloak.

Coughing and sputtering a bit, Zofiel opened his eyes only for a moment. When he saw that he was being held in the protective arms of Tempest, he hoarsely said, "Thanks...for the assistance."

The girl grinned while keeping her right arm firmly hugged around the enigmatic man's body. She briskly made her way back to the shore while pulling Zofiel with her. As she did so, she told him, "I hope you do not mind, but I had to put a hole in your cloak in order to get you back to the surface."

Zofiel coughed up a bit of water before smiling and saying, "That's better than being dead at the bottom of the pond."

When Tempest finally had them closer to land, she and Zofiel were able to wade through the water. She made sure to drape the man's left arm over her shoulders so she could aid him to the sandy shore, and after they trudged through the last bit of water, Tempest watched Zofiel collapse forward into the grains. Upon seeing him fall, the dark elf dropped to her knees beside him and placed her right hand on his back. "Zofiel!"

"I'm...I'm fine," the mysterious man coughed. "I...I just need to get my wind back. That's all."

Tempest ran her hand over Zofiel's back a few times before patting him on the left shoulder. "You almost drowned out there. What happened?"

Chuckling for a couple seconds, the drenched man finally answered by mumbling, "Would you believe me if I told you I can't swim?"

For only a second, Tempest giggled. She then cut herself short and covered her mouth with her right hand when Zofiel glanced up at her. "Are...are you being serious?"

Cracking a smile at his misfortune, the cloaked man nodded and replied, "I sure am. I can do just about anything on a battlefield, but put some water in front of me, and...well, I'm helpless as a baby."

Tempest placed her hand on the man's back again. Running it up and down his spine, she apologized, "I am sorry." She had trouble believing that the man before her was actually incapable of something.

Zofiel shook his head. Grunting, he pushed himself up into a sitting position as the dry sand stuck to his wet clothes. "You have nothing to be sorry for, Tempest. Every time I go near water, I get this irrational fear of swimming."

Looking for the right words, the dark elf stared directly at her friend while declaring, "I could teach you!"

Zofiel smiled at the girl sitting next to him. Brushing some of the sand and dirt off his cloak, he responded by saying, "I appreciate it, but I already owe you for saving my life."

"But you saved mine!" The young woman reminded her mysterious friend. "That makes us even in my book!"

Zofiel continued to grin as he averted his eyes and told the dark elf, "You're still one up on me, though."

Confused, the girl looked the cloaked man over and asked, "Why? What else have I done for you?"

Zofiel answered by catching a quick glimpse of Tempest. When he again looked away, he could tell - without even seeing her - that she finally knew what he was talking about.

Covering her privates with her arms, the young woman began blushing as she sprang to her feet and backed toward the bush where she had left her clothes. The water covering her body continued to drip to the ground as she frantically reached for her leather shorts.

"I'm so sorry for invading your privacy, Tempest!" Zofiel apologized while facing the opposite direction. "You're just so...beautiful! After what I saw last night...I guess I just wanted to see it in the light of day. I'm sorry. I'm a pig."

With her left arm still covering her breasts, Tempest found that she could do nothing but stare ahead at the man who was walking out of the clearing. She wanted to stop the curious traveler and tell him she forgave him for what he had done, but she couldn't find the words. Instead, she just stood there in her leather shorts with her arm concealing her soft bosoms. She was stunned by his actions and couldn't believe that such a man would find her attractive.

"I'll be back at the camp," Zofiel told the dark elf as he pushed a low hanging branch out of his way. "The food should still be warm, and if you decide you want to part company because of my actions, I'll understand." And with that, the cloaked man left the area.

* * *

Meeting up with Zofiel at the camp about thirty minutes later, Tempest dropped her handful of clothes near one of her traveling bags. As she stared directly at the man who had been caught peeping, she saw that he couldn't bring himself to look into her eyes. When she could no longer take it, she queried, "Why were you watching me, Zofiel?"

At first, the cloaked man was quiet. When he finally shattered his silence, he offered the girl some of the food he had prepared. "Are you hungry?"

"You are dodging my question."

Lowering his eyes again, the fair-skinned man muttered, "I told you already: I...I just couldn't help myself!"

Placing her hands on her hips, the dark elf somewhat frowned as the look on her face showed that she was less than happy. "I do not know if I believe that story, Zofiel. And I am also wondering about last night!"

Caught off guard by the comment, Zofiel finally made eye contact with the young woman as he asked, "What about last night?"

"You..." Tempest began to stammer, and then lowered her eyes as she mumbled, "You said you would do 'anything' for me. Did you mean that?"

Standing up, Zofiel walked over to the girl and placed his hands on her arms. The blond man had to lower his head a bit so he could try to gaze into the incredible, silvery green eyes since the young woman was slouching. The cloaked wanderer then made his voice as gentle and soothing as he could when he told her, "I meant every word of what I said, Tempest! Why would you think otherwise?"

The dark elf's eyes went to the left as she tried to come up with an answer. The best thing she could think of was, "Because you spoke those words with such conviction and passion...and we had only just met!"

Without hesitation, Zofiel pulled the young woman close and wrapped his arms around her. "Tempest, I didn't mean to come on too strong and frighten you, but I have never meant any words more than those in my entire life!"

A tear streamed down the dark elf's right cheek as she buried her face in Zofiel's chest. Not caring that the cloak was still damp, Tempest began gripping the cloth in her right hand as she squeezed the soft fabric. "But why? Why me? Why has the greatest man I have ever met want to be with me?"

Gently peeling himself away from the young woman, Zofiel continued to hold her arms while staring right into her beautiful eyes. It was then Zofiel's turn to ask a question when he queried, "Why would I not want to be with you, Tempest?"

Feeling more tears coming on, Tempest threw her arms around the man who was quickly changing her life. She couldn't quite figure out why, but the enigma holding her seemed to not only be attracted to her, but it appeared as if he really cared for her inner person as well. Deciding not to question Zofiel's feelings toward her any further, the dark elf simply continued to hug her arms around the man of her dreams until they opted to move out.

* * *

Zofiel had offered to carry most of Tempest's belongings for her, but the young woman would not let him lug all of it alone. Since she had brought quite a few bags along, she didn't think it was right to make her new friend carry most of them.

"It's really no problem, Tempest," Zofiel tried to reassure the girl. He then cracked a smile while going on, "Besides, this is giving me a chance to be a gentleman and make up for being a peeper!"

"But I brought along so many things!" The dark elf protested.

"All the more reason why you need to let me handle it," the cloaked man told the innocent girl. "The more I carry now, the easier things will be on you in the long run." After a chuckle, he added, "Maybe if I lug enough of it around, I'll get a workout and dry off a bit!"

Shaking her head, the dark elf flashed her pearly whites to the chivalrous man helping her while giggling. She knew that he only wanted to make things easier for her, and no other man had ever treated her the way he did.

"So," Zofiel's voice broke into the young woman's thoughts, "I've done some traveling in my time, but I don't recall ever running across this mystical glade. Do you know how far it is from here?"

"About an hour's walk from the pond," Tempest answered, and then turned so she could look at the man walking beside her to her left. "You know," she said in a jesting tone of voice as she emphasized the small pool of water, "The pond where you were admiring me!"

Zofiel felt his cheeks redden as the young woman beside him giggled. He couldn't help but apologize again as he said, "I'm so sorry I did that. It was wrong of me."

"Oh, hush!" The dark elf cut the cloaked man off, and playfully hit his right arm. "It is not very often when I have men checking me out while I am trying to bathe in peace! In fact, that was easily the first time it has ever happened!"

The warmness on Zofiel's cheeks didn't seem to recede as Tempest continued to laugh. The mysterious man didn't mind, though, for the young woman was finally happy and had seemingly forgotten about being banished from her village.

* * *

"So, we have finally made it."

Zofiel set the bags down and gave his arms a momentary rest while glancing down the path his traveling companion had led him to. "This is it, huh? This is the way to the unicorn?"

Tempest nodded and kept her eyes locked on the path. She noticed that more light seemed to shine down through the trees above it, and she found that to be fitting. The first step of her journey was about to be completed. Taking a deep breath, she finally looked back over her right shoulder and asked her cloaked comrade, "Are you ready?"

"This is something you have to do alone, Tempest."

Surprised by the response she had received, the dark elf spun around and tensed up. "Wha...what?"

Taking a step forward, Zofiel used a few hand gestures as he informed the young woman, "This is not a place I can go, Tempest. I know of the unicorn and what it's capable of. Only people who are pure of heart can walk this path, and, well...I don't think I would qualify."

"Zofiel!" The dark elf raised her voice. "How can you say such a thing about yourself? You are the kindest and gentlest man I have ever had the honor of meeting!"

"You've only known me for a day, Tempest! By creation, not even a day!"

"And that amount of time has been more than enough!" The young woman shouted as her brow crinkled up. "I have never encountered a more caring person than you, Zofiel, so if you cannot see the unicorn..."

Trying to calm the girl a bit, Zofiel placed his hands on her shoulders and asked, "What qualifications must a person pure of heart meet?"

Tempest glanced up as she tried to recall what she had learned about the mythical creature. "The unicorn blesses people with its presence as long as the visitor bares a clean soul." The dark elf then began using her fingers as she listed, "The unicorn will not see murderers, thieves, sadists, people who preach dark arts, people who are not...virgins..." The girl let her voice trail off after the last word she spoke. Gazing into the eyes of the man traveling with her, she felt her heart sink as she put the pieces together.

"Tempest," Zofiel's soft voice broke into her thoughts, "There's nothing I would love more than to walk down that path with you. By creation, with all the places I have been to and seen, a healing spell would be one of the most helpful things I could possibly learn if I had any magickal aptitude! Alas, I cannot go and want to keep you out of trouble, and I know if I walk down that path with you, I would end up barring your way to the unicorn!"

Unintentionally ignoring the man who had traveled with her, Tempest found that a million thoughts were traversing her mind at once. She had honestly considered Zofiel to be the man of her dreams, but she had also hoped he was a virgin. Sure, other women could care less about a man's past, but the dark elf had always desired a storybook romance. When the time came for her to give herself away, she wanted the man taking her virginity to be a virgin himself.

"Tempest? Tempest, are you okay?"

Snapping out of her momentary trance, the girl glanced up and realized Zofiel was gently shaking her. "Yes," she finally answered, and nodded her head. "I am fine."

Zofiel then turned his attention back to the girl's belongings and said, "I'll stand guard over your bags while you're in there." The mysterious man could see that something was still clearly bothering the young woman, so he pointed to himself with a thumb while joking, "If any bandits or wolves try to carry this stuff off, they'll have to go through me first!"