Alternate Realities: Under Dark Desire. (Closed for Lotus Maiden.)

Un'Dar Uoswiir hid in the shadows of a cave, watching the trap he's laid. He was a male drow, a dark elf, and a trapper by trade. The traps he used were of the highest quality, a mixture of mechanical parts and magic, as he made them himself. The one he watched was a cold iron shackle that would snap tight around the ankle of one who triggered it and seal in upon itself, tightening around its victim, the only way of releasing it being a command word only he knew.

The shackle would respond to his mental commands, as bound to him by an invisible chain of force. Once it was locked, his quarry could not flee more than sixty feet in any direction from him. Even if they tried to throw themselves off a cliff, they would only find themselves hanging upside down from the chain of force.

He heard a noise, something was taking the bait, a wounded deer, he'd left stunned by Drowish poison, its bleating calling attention to itself. He, himself was upwind, so as not to be detectable by his scent. Out of the trees stepped an elegant looking woman, dressed in a gossamer gown of green and gold, like leaves in the fall. She was the very definition of the female form, perfect in every way, her hair floating on the breeze.

Un'Dar licked his lips. "Come on... Just a little bit closer..." He whispered under his breath as he watched her approach "Go on, touch it." He continued to whisper, shifting in his hiding spot, eager for her to take the bait and spring the trap.

A nymph would fetch a VERY good price in the brothels of Waterdeep! He held his breath hoping she fell for it. How could she not? An animal's suffering could not go untreated by the likes of one so soft hearted, could it?

Ida, pure, innocent, naive nymph

The young nymph, Ida of Oread, enjoyed the breeze and last sunlight as she patrolled the ground. Her cheeks were still flushed from the wine and fun she had had with her sisters hours earlier. As she walked, she smiled a hummed merrily. The leaves ruffled underneath her each steps. Her feet were bare, yet they had no speck of dirt on them. As if her milky skin was so smooth and silky that nothing could taint it. The green and gold gown hugged her womanly curves and moved with her. Her long dark locks swayed hip to hip, synching with her steps and hums.

Then suddenly a rotten smell disrupted her wonderful evening. She gasped. "Blood!" She followed the scent with haste. It led her toward a clearing. As soon as she stepped out of he trees, she saw the helpless and injured doe. "Oh, no. Poor thi---." She hurried to it but stopped feet away. Her bright green eyes scanned the area nervously. Her teeth bit the inside of her rosy lips. Something was wrong, other than the animal before her.

Eventhough the trees didn't speak, the wood nymph felt their tenseness. The deer perked up her head and stared back at Ida, asking for help but warning the nymph of danger. She had been a part of the forest since she came to existence. The nature was her home. These rocks were her bed. The wild animals were her friends, her family. And family protected each other at all costs!

Ida, after a deep breath, inched closer to the deer. "Don't be afraid," she soothed though it wasn't completely for the animal. Her hand reached for its nostril once she was close enough. "Everything will be alr---."

SNAP!!! Then followed by the nymph's shriek from the pain and fear that something had snapped around her ankle. She looked down to find a metal shackle with no chain. She tried to prie it with her bare hands. Unsuccessful. She tried to shake it off. Nope. She tried to walk with it, but felt something holding onto it. "This trap..." her eyes buldged as the thought formed in her head, "...is not from a mere hume-hunter?"

The trapped nymph whimpered loudly and desperately, stiring the leaves and peebles around them. It was her way to call for help. Hopefully aid would come before whoever had put this trap get to her first.... She scooped the deer's head into her lap, patting his neck and whispering, "help will be here. You. We will be alright."

Even from a distance, and protected from her enchanting allure by his goggles, Un'Dar could tell what a fine capture the nymph would make. The pink of her cheeks in contrast with the rest of her flawless, radiant skin, the sway of her hips as she walked and the way her hair drifted on the breeze, she would be the undoing of many a man, to be sure.

Her merriment came to an end once she spotted the doe he'd left as bait. Un'Dar grinned to himself as she rushed over to it. "Yes!" He whispered, in a hiss, expecting her to trigger the trap without hesitation. Only she suddenly did hesitate and his heart sank as he shrunk back into the darkness of the cave where he hid. Had she sensed him? She couldn't have, he had taken every precaution to hide his presence.

The tension in the air was palpable, making Un'Dar swallow back a whine of excitement. The deer made a strange lowing sound at the nymph, could she understand it? She seemed to, telling it to not be afraid. Un'Dar rose up in his spot, seeing her closing the distance between her and the deer.

The old, familiar ring of metal on metal caused him to hoot in triumph! He'd caught her! Praise the night! He'd actually caught her! He sprung from his hiding spot and picked his way down to the forest glade as the nymph shrieked and struggled against his trap, chuckling with delight.

He could hear her wonder over the trap's maker. Just then, he stepped out, beaming with pride. "No, no human made garbage, but that of a master trapper! Un'Dar Uoswiir, at your service!" He gave her a flourishing bow, grinning, all too pleased with himself.

"Don't bother trying to break free, or running, my lovely little creature, you would only hurt yourself." He explained as she whimpered and sent out a silent cry for help. "Oh, and you need not worry about the deer, she will be fine, in an hour or two the paralysis will wear off and she will be fine. It's YOU I have interest in." He stated, seeing how she still tried to care for the doe as he went about fixing his gear to leave.

Once he was ready he turned to the nymph. "If you would be so kind as to stand we may be off... Do you have a name, or shall I just call you nymph?" He asked, unconcerned by the fact that he was about to force her away from everything and everyone she had ever known. "Come now, up with you. Its a good two weeks to Waterdeep and the sooner we get there, the better." He commanded, giving her a tug with an invisible cord of force that flared with power as he pulled her a few inches toward him.

The captured nymph spun toward the crackling sound of footsteps. Could her siblings have heard her cry this quickly? Could help responding this promptly? Logically, the answers weren’t ideal. Yet, she still believed for the best. Once she heard the booming voice and saw the matching face, her hope shattered. She leaned over, shielding and protecting the deer, while she watched the ashy skin elf making his way toward her and boasting about the trap.

Ida stayed quiet, listening and watching her captor. The more he spoke, the more her eyes filled with confusion and fright. Half a sigh escaped her lips when Un’Dar Uoswiir, as he called himself, shared the condition of the deer. Her relief quickly turned into anxiety when she learned his real intention. She was the target. She was both scared and angry. She was scared for her well being, but more angry at him for using an innocent animal to get to her. She had never been to Waterdeep but had heard many stories. Why would anyone go near that vile place? She understood the dire situation that she was in. That wasn’t, however, what she worried the most at the moment.

She winced when he unexpectedly tugged on the invisible chain. She firmly pressed her feet down. She shot him an all-serious glare. She mustered all the steadiness she could gather and declared, “I’m not going anywhere until she’s recover.”

Her eyes lowered and softened as she watched her hand petting the deer’s neck. “How could you use a harmless creature for your personal gain?” she quietly questioned. “And you can call me Ida.”

Un'Dar found it humorous that the nymph should shield the deer with her own body. To him, the deer was a source of food and a warm pelt to wrap around himself on a cold night. But he was willing to let it live if it meant Ida would be more compliant.

Upon her demand to stay until the deer recovered he turned slowly, narrowing his eyes as he drew a black blade from his hip. "If that is the case, than I am afraid..." He stalked toward the two of them, turning the blade in his hand so that the light caught its edge. "I may well have to end the deer's life now as I have no time to waste." He knelt down and aimed the wicked black knife for the deer's heart, ready to plunge it home. He narrowed his eyes at Ida, parting his lips in a hungry grin.

He continued to eye Ida as she lovingly stroked the wild deer. "Simply. Why does any predator hunt? To live, Little Ida, to live. And you're killing her..." He stated as he pressed the point of his knife into the deer's hide, drawing a small rivulet of blood.

She glanced over at drow when he threatened to end the deer’s life. Surely it was just an empty threat. How could anyone hurt an unarmed ani--- her trance of thought was broken by the sight of his weapon. She grabbed on his hand with the dark knife. “No!” Her eyes widened and glistened with tears as her trembling hand tried to force the blade away from the animal’s vital artery. She was unsuccessful of course. “Stop it. Stop,” she whimpered as she watched the knife continued to plunge until it drew blood. The deer couldn’t move nor cry but she could feel its pain.

Ida held onto his hand tighter. “St. Stop. Please. I. I’ll go. Just. Please. Don’t. Don’t kill her.” Her teary eyes searched for his as she begged for mercy. A droplet cascaded down her face and splattered in the valley between her breasts. She spoke quickly and urgently, “I’ll go with you to Waterdeep. I won’t resist, and you are to leave the other creatures in Oread Forest unharmed. You are not to hunt here ever again.” The wind stirred at her proposal, and the leaves rustled loudly as if they were disagreeing with her plan.

She wasn't sure if she completely agreed with her own plan either. She was a wood nymph. She had lived within these trees for years, decades. She was one with nature. Her friends were the habitants in this forest. She knew nothing of the outside world besides the travelers loosing themselves here and stories about them. She had no intention to ever leave her home in this lifetime. She wouldn't give up her lifestyle for any monetary, fame or power. However, she would do it for the forest... If giving herself up meant one less uncompassionate predator like Un'Dar lurking and killing in this wood, she would accept her fate.

“Do we. Have a deal, drow?”

Un'Dar's mouth watered at the sight of the deers blood. Venison stew would be nice, he thought as he looked up to find Ida crying and pleading with him to stop. "I don't know... Oread is rich with game..." He reasoned, unmoved by Ida's tears. "But for the price you will fetch, I suppose I'd never need hunt again... Very well, but if you do anything to delay us, the deal is broken, understood?" He stated, grinning, knowing that such a naive creatures word was her bond. "We have a deal." Un'Dar growled, lifting his blade from the deer's hide, leaving it alive.

He stood and sheathed his knife, extending his ebony hand to help Ida to her feet. "Now come. Before we draw unwanted attention, and I am forced to kill any of your wood land friends." He led the way, out of Oread and onto the long, dusty road to Waterdeep. It wasn't long before he grew thirsty and took out a glass bottle wrapped in leather, taking a deep swig of something that made him growl from the strong bite of it. "Do you drink?" He asked, holding the bottle out for Ida to take.

Ida didn’t realize her body had tensed until it went limp after Un’Dar lifted his blade. Her hand dropped and covered the deer’s puncture wound. She moved the deer off her as gently as she could and whispered, “Good bye, friend.”

She ignored his extending hand and got to her feet independently. Her eyes squared with his, rather looked up to his since she was a good foot shorter. She wondered if he can really be trusted. Who to say he won’t come back to hunt others after she’s sold? What did that even mean? Why would anyone pay for another being? Waterdeep was as mysterious to her as the fate of Oread. “If you do not hold up the end of your bargain, drow, I shall haunt you for eternity,” she threatened although her voice and words didn’t sound like much.

Then the wood nymph limped slowly behind him. The trapped foot was heavier than the other. It left a trail on the dusty road. She was quiet but her mind raced with thoughts. She thought of the people she’s leaving behind. She wondered if others will come looking for her. She prayed to be rescue, yet feared that will bring unnecessary deaths. Already, she missed the music, laughter, wine, dancing...her life. She was so wrapped in her own thoughts that she didn’t realize he had slowed for a drink. She had almost smack into his hand that was holding the glass bottle to her.

After some consideration, she took his offering this time. She bought the bottle to her lips and tilted her head back, drinking a hearty amount. She was no stranger to the intoxicant. She then handed it back to Un’Dar. “Thank you,” she said with gratitude as if the man before her wasn’t forcing her away from her home and selling her to complete stranger.

She pondered out loud, “What will happen to me in Waterdeep?”

"Hah! I can think of far worse things to be haunted by 'for eternity' than a lovely creature, like yourself." Un'Dar scoffed at the threat Ida made. For a time He sang to stave off the lingering silence as they traveled. All his songs seemed to be about the sea, or some suggestively ribald play on words. One such song was about cuckoo's nests and how he'd found one with the help of some nameless woman.

"There's a plum bush in the garden where the lads and lassies meet
For it would not do to do the do they're doin in the streets.
The first time that I went there I was very much impressed
to see the young folk rumpling up the Cuckoo's Nest.

And its hi the cuckoo, ho the cuckoo, hi the cuckoo's nest
hi the cuckoo, ho the cuckoo, hi the cuckoo's nest.
I'll give any man a shilling and a bottle of the best
Who'll rumple up the feather of a cuckoo's nest

I met her in the morning and I had her in the night
I'd never gone that way so I had to do it right.
I never would have found it, no I never would have guessed
If she hadn't showed me where to find the cuckoo's nest

She showed me where to find it and she showed me where to go
Through the prickles and brambles where the little cuckoos grow
From the moment that I found it, she would never let me rest
Til I rumpled up the feather of a cuckoo's nest.

It was thorny, it was prickled, it was feathered all around
It was tucked into the corner, where it wasn't easy found
She said young man you're blundering, I said it wasn't true
For I left her with the makings of a young cuckoo."

After the song, Un'Dar fell silent again until Ida asked what would become of her in Waterdeep.

"Don't know for sure, with any luck, some noble will fancy you and pay a kings ransom for you. Or maybe I can sell you to a mage, I hear there's all sorts of magic to be made from a nymphs tears and hair."

He stopped and set down his things. "Unh... I think its time to stop." He rubbed at his neck and shoulders, feeling sore. "Set up camp, and rest for the night here." He looked around, picking a spot to start a camp fire to keep them warm for the night.

The nymph continued to follow Un’Dar quietly and obediently. She didn’t have any other choice. Her eyes were on her feet, watching and counting each step. With each shuffle, her heart sank deeper. She was getting further and further away from home. Her fate was swirling deeper into the abyss. While Ida demoralized, her captor was high on ecstasy. He was even singing. She heard him but wasn’t the right mind to process.

She looked up when he spoke about her future. “I am to be someone’s slave or a voodoo doll. And you supply them. Why would you do that for them?”

When they stopped for camp, she sat down and rubbed her now-swollen ankle that still had the mythical clamp. She watched Un’Dar worked on a fire. She noticed he was moving strangely, rolling his shoulder and rubbing his neck. “I can work on those knots for you,” she offered genuinely. Although she didn’t understand why this drow does what he does, she never turned down a creature in need.

"You make it sound worse than need be. I'm sure that you'll be well kept, fed and sheltered, showered with gifts even. Fair trade to be kept in a gilded cage, if you ask me. Why if I could make a living as some rich baroness's love slave, or trade my head of hair and tears for the good life in a wizard's tower, I'd do so in a second. It would sure beat trying to trap magical beasties." Un'Dar shrugged and sighed, never really having thought about his trade beyond knowing he was good at it. "I'm not doing it for them, I'm doing it to keep myself alive and well, simple as that. I'm a predator, remember? And you're the prey." He said with a darksome laugh.

Un'Dar looked up at Ida while he worked when she offered to give him a massage. He eyed her for a moment, suspicious, but the look in her eyes told him she was being genuine in her offer. "You know, I could really use that." He grunted, nodding. He turned and pulled his long silver hair, that was tied in a pony tail with some worn out twine, out of the way. He glanced back at her, still wearing his protective goggles. "Well?" He asked, waiting for her to come rub his shoulders.

Ida was already back on her feet when he asked, “Well?” At least he asked and not yanked her by the invisible chain.

She went over to him, dragging her foot and positioning herself behind him. Her bony hand snaked up his back and rested on his broad shoulders. Her hands could barely reached them. The dark elf was not only built but also tall, much taller than the nymph. She told him, “For a proper massage, lower yourself.”

Though small, her hands still applied the right amount of pressure. She pressed on the tense area in circular motion. She questioned his comments earlier, “How is being kidnapped, soon to be sold as a love-object, and be confided high above ground behind walls not worse? I am happy and content with my current life at Oread.”

Her fingers brushed through his silvery ponytail. “Being a prey isn’t a choice. However, being a predator is. We nymphs do not hurt or capture any one, yet we are still alive and well, no?”

Her hand trekked down his neck. Her fingers scratched on his flesh lightly. She re-positioned them back onto his shoulders. She questioned again, “So why did you choose this trade, dro---eee, Un’Dar?”

Un'Dar slid down to accommodate Ida's reach and let out a long, low groan as her hands worked their magic on his aching shoulders. "Hah, I don't buy it! You're content to live in the wild? Cold and wet? The only food, what you can catch or find? And the dirt and filth of wild animals all around you?" Un'Dar scowled at the thought of it all. "Trust me, you're going to have a much better life once I've sold you."

He relaxed under her gentle hands, a shiver of pleasure running down his spine as she played with his hair. He sat up straighter as she talked about predators and prey, half smirking. "No, because you're prey. Its a wonder any of you survive." He replied, matter-of-factly.

For a moment, Un'Dar closed his eyes, lost in the feel of the nymphs hands, his lips curled up in an almost dreamy smile. The light scratch of her finger nails sent bolts of arousal through his loins and he lifted his head, shaking off the sudden daze he'd slipped into. He refocused his mind and steadied himself with his hands on his knees. He could tell he would have to be a bit more weary of this one, she might not be a match for his strength, but if he let his guard down, even for a second, he might be fooled by her charms.

He scoffed at her almost calling him Drow before she corrected herself and asked him why he was a trapper. "I wasn't always. I used to be a sailor, hired by a female captain. Elsie Barrett. She hired anyone that would listen to her, which weren't many, but I liked her spark, so I joined. But Umberlee, Goddess of the Sea Winds had it in for the Antelope's crew, I was the only one to survive Barrett's Privateers. Well, me and a crate of Elsie's books. I washed up on the shore of some deserted island on that crate, it was magically sealed apparently, and had to survive by my wits for years. That's how I learned to craft my magical traps, from those books."

He stopped himself, realizing he was telling her far more than he ever would under normal circumstances. "But that's enough about me. Tell me about yourself, Ida, how DO you live in nature the way you do? Nymphs are kind of a mystery to this day."

Ida continued to work on his shoulders while he recalled his past life. Her hands traveled down his arms, kneading and relaxing the tension under his flesh. She noted the drow’s tone and firm muscle. As matter of fact, his physique was quiet impressive. She wouldn’t mind admire him; if only they were in a different circumstance. Still, she was in awe and wondered about his lean frame underneath all the layers of clothing. She added once he ended his story, “So you were spared by Poseidon and blessed by Hecate with magic. You are gifted by the Gods, yet you chose a life of a trapper, a kidnapper, a slave trader? Why do you submitted to the mere-men’s societal rules?”

She sighed. “I will never understand your line of work just like you refuse to believe a simple life of a nymph can be as satisfying and gratifying. It’s a shame to believe the only way to have a good life is to trap and sell other being.” Her tone was soft and matter of factly, had no intention to anger him but still filled with discontentment.

“I do not believe you, Un’Dar,” she confessed to his scowling from earlier. “Life at Waterdeep will not be a better one. Yes, I am content with my life in the forest. When I’m cold, simply build a fire. Like that.” Ida lowered herself behind him, leaned up against his back and pointed at the bonfire that he had made before them. “When it rains, I dance and bathe under the dews. Mother Earth is plentiful, and we never go hungry.” Her finger turned upward and drew his attention to the apple trees just beyond the shadow.

She rested her chin on his shoulder. Her words brushed lightly against his ear. “A nymph’s life is simple. We care for Mother Earth and her children. In turn, they bless us with food, water, and shelter. We roam the forest, revive the withered, and keep the soil healthy. We breath, work, eat, play just like you do. We are a mystery because none has bother to learn our ways. It's a shame really. A day with the nymphs open you to a whole new world. Others are too afraid to learn our ways. I bet, you, Un'Dar, are as cowardice as they are," she mocked in both playful and serious tone.

Un'Dar knew that he should stop Ida before her massage relaxed him to the point of sleepiness but he couldn't bring himself to do it, her hands felt so good on him, even when she kneaded at his arms. "Who and who?" He asked, unfamiliar with her names for the gods.

"Huh, never heard of those gods before, but to each their own I suppose. Who you call Posiedon, I call Umberlee and, your... Hecate, I know as Mystara. Either way, I certainly don't feel blessed by them. More, spared, or perhaps just out right ignored. To be honest, the less they take notice of me, the better, I think. I'd rather not garner the attention of ANY god. Least of all some vengeful sea-bitch." He scoffed, shrugging. "I do what keeps me alive and in a steady supply of coin. Don't see what the big deal is."

Un'Dar sighed as well, but for completely different reasons. "You've clearly never had grilled dragon steak before." He smacked his lips, thinking about the last time he'd made enough coin to be able to afford a piece at an expensive tavern. "Or slept in silk sheets. Or had the best mead and wine poured to over flowing in a tall jewel incrusted flagon by a beautiful maiden. Well, in your case, a handsome noble, I suppose."

Un'Dar almost groaned in disappointment when Ida left off massaging him and sat behind him to point out her simple pleasures. The trade off of having her rub him for feeling the supple warmth of her breasts press against his back was fair enough though, he figured, picturing her dancing naked in the rain, in his mind's eye.

The picture she painted with soft words was alluring, albeit, terribly naive, but he listened patiently, nonetheless until she all but dared him to give it a try. He began to chuckle, under his breath, finding the dare amusing, so much so that one glance at her, with her serious, seeking eyes made him burst into out right laughter. "Nice try, nymph, but I think a night with a nymph would be a whole hell of a lot better for me than all that! New worlds, indeed! Hahahaha! By the gods! You are precious! Daring me to live like a bloody pauper or like a hermit in the woods? And eat raw fruits and vegetables every day?"

He curbed his mirth when he saw that she did not appreciate it at all. "I'll tell you what, there's a tavern not more than five hours walk from here, on the morrow, let me show you what us civilized folk call living, then you can tell me which you really prefer, okay? You can't be at all certain your simple way of life is all that you could ever want or hope for if you've never known the comforts and fineries of civilized society, until you've sampled them for yourself, now, can you?"

When the drow scoffed “sea-bitch,” Ida gasped and covered his mouth with her hand. “Do not anger the Gods.” He continued on once her hand slacked off his face. She gasped again with more disbelieve than horror this time, “Why would anyone eat such majestic creature like dragon? If you fancy mead, there’s plenty here. Different flavor and savory.”

She was not only deflated but also offended by his response to her dare. “Nymphs are not pauper or hermits. Our wealth isn’t measured by coin or fine silk. Our living quarter reaches to the end of the rainforest. We’re accompanied by many friends and socialize dusk til dawn; hardly hermits.”

She sighed at his offer. “You make it sounds like I have another choice other than sampling your side of the world. I am at your mercy after all.” She peeled back from him and stood onto the ball of her feet. “I’ll get us refreshment for the road.” She whisked pass him. The side of her leg brushed against his arm. Although her movement limited by the shackle, her hips still swayed with elegant poise. She headed for the fruit trees and picked the low hanging ones. She used the hem of her dress as a basket to hold the assortment of pears, apples, and such. She made her way back to the drow, revealing much more of her smooth legs.

“Fruits are not meant to only consume raw.” She pierced two green pears on a stick and held it over the fire. Once the skin browned, she peeled it off and then offered one to her captor. “A quick roast makes it softer and juicer. Try?”

"What? Why should the gods care if I, a lowly mortal, calls them all bitches and whores? I am beneath their notice after all, am I not?" Un'Dar spat, finding Ida's shock rather humorous. "Anger the gods... Fuck the gods!" He said, laughing like mad, shaking a fist at the skys. "They've never done a thing for me..." He took a deep breath to calm himself then turned a sharp eye back toward Ida as she seemed doubly shocked that he'd had dragon steak.

"Would you rather the meat have gone to waste?" He asked, scoffing. "It was dead already, I'm sure, probably choked on all the gold it stole." He laughed again, shrugging.

"Oh? Color me intrigued. Different flavors, you say?" He was suddenly interested. "And savory?" He stroked his chin. "In Oread?" His eyes glinted in the fire light, with thought.

"Oh please... Spare me this 'nature is my home' nonsense. You don't know what you're missing. You still sleep in the dirt!"

"Oh, but you do have a choice. I can leave you tied up in the stables, next to my horse or treat you to an evening in the tavern. That's your choice."

Un'Dar didn't know why he was being so mean suddenly, perhaps it was just that her fear of the gods had rubbed him the wrong way, but he let out a sigh as she remained just as sweet as she had been, offering to get them some refreshments.

He caught her soft scent as she whisked past him and rested his cheek on his fist, feeling bad that he'd been so sharp with her. He watched the sway of her lips and felt a pang of desire for her, despite the protection of his enchanted goggles. And the sight of her bare legs... He closed his eyes against them, shaking his head to keep himself from thinking about being between them.

He sat back and tried to adjust himself so that he was not so obviously aroused by her presence. "Thank you." He said, softly, clearing his throat, then repeated his thank you with a much more commanding voice as he took the offered fruit.

He turned it over in his fingers, trying to catch some of the dripping juices on his tongue before taking a bite. "Mmm." He hummed, smacking his lips, taking a rather large bite. "Mmm!" He nearly growled, nodding in enjoyment as a stream of juice escaped his lips and ran down his chin. He tried to catch it with his tongue, but was too late as it began to drip off the point of his chin.

"Uhm! Messy, but good." He admitted, wiping his chin dry with the sleeve of his shirt. "Too bad we don't have any fondu pots to dip it in... Like we would at the tavern... Imagine this dripping with caramel, or... Chocolate?"

“You’re welcome.” Ida peeled her own pear and then nibbled on the warm flesh. Unlike the first timer, she ate neatly. She didn’t let a single drop of juice escape her lips. She looked at the drow with sticky fingers and chuckled. “There’s many more messy yet delicious wonders you don’t know about Oread. We have cocoa trees for picking and melting here.” She spoke between little bits. “We don’t just sleep on dirt. We have soft, beautiful and fragrance flowerbed with rose pedals and flowers. We use colorful silk as our covers. It’ a gift from our silkworm friends. Oh and yes, nature is our home. To you, it’s different from your tavern and Deepwater. To us, it’s what we love the best.”

Her tone got firmer by each words. “You might not understand or care for our home, but don’t act like you know what’s best for a nymph. I’ve heard of how people live beyond this forest, and I can promise you that I won’t like it.” Once finished, she buried the core back with the earth while she continued, “Don’t make sound like you’re doing me a favor by ripping me away from my home and selling to a noble, magician or whoever for a few coins. You’re not saving a damsel in distress, Un’Dar. You’re just doing what’s best for yourself.”

She placed the rest of the fruit next to her before she stood up. “There’s a small stream ahead. I’ll get us some water to wash up.” She wandered off but then was reminded of the invisible chain with a light tug. She had out-walked the chain’s length but she was no where near her destination.

Ida looked back over her shoulder at the captor. She pulled on the chain. “Well, come on. Let’s go wash. Or do you rather sleep with sticky fingers and invite ants to a slumber party?”

Un'Dar raised an eyebrow over the mention of other messy, delicious wonders in Oread as he worked at his sweet treat. "Ahm! I bet there are!" He interjected, his eyes fixing on the crux of Ida's thighs pointedly before returning to his pear with relish. "Waterdeep." He corrected her, with his mouth full.

"Mlah, umh, num." Un'Dar smacked and moaned with pleasure as he finished off his roasted pear. He shrugged and tossed the pit behind him. "Whatever you say, nymph, won't know till you give it a try." He watched her bury her core and rolled his eyes. "Hrmph, of course I'm doing whats best for me. Its survival of the fittest out there, but you wouldn't know about that, up there on your pedestal, now, would you? Nature just hands you all these blessings, right? Well good for you. The rest of us have to carve out an existence, or die trying."

Un'Dar looked up at her as she hit the end of her leash and felt a burp coming up. He struck his chest with his fist to dislodge it as she looked back at him and urged him to come wash.

"Sometimes, but only after I've exhausted myself on a wench, or two." He remarked, following her to the waters edge.

“So your wench doesn’t lick you clean before your slumber?” Ida mocked, tried sounding naïve.

Once at the edge, she knelt and pulled the dark elf down beside her. She grabbed his hands and dipped them into the cold water. She washed the sticky residue off his fingers. Surely he could had done it himself, but nymphs liked to take care of others; even if the other was her captor. The refreshing chilly water caused goosebumps rippling along her arms and her nipples stiffening. The peaks clearly shown through the thin green and gold dress.

She scorned as she cleaned his hands, “Take your own advise, drow. You won’t know if you can live like us ‘til you give it a try either.’” She lowered her voice, mocking his deeper tone. Then she added normally, “Nature does not hand us the blessings. We work for the blessings and live peacefully.” She then used the hem of her dress to dry his hands. “ The rest of you chose to live the savage life and chose to kill as a part of your life. Yo---eeeeeeeek!”

She shifted her weight to stand but the saturated edge gave underneath her foot. Gravity pulled her body into the water. The metal trap on her ankle made it impossible to stay above the water’s surface. The heaviness of it weighted her down.

Un'Dar glanced up at Ida with mild surprise over her rather bawdy reply. "Nah, that sort of treatment costs extra." He replied without missing a beat.

"Woah, hey! Let me get my cloths..." Un'Dar balked as Ida pulled him in. "Off..." He sighed as he stumbled in, up to his waist. He smirked and shrugged as he let Ida wash him. "You know, I could get used to this..." He whispered as she washed him, reaching up to caress Ida's goose fleshed arms and looked down at the way her dress clung to her full, perky breasts, noticing her tight nipples peaking through.

"Heh... You first." He said with a knowing smirk at her challenge. "Next forest we come across, it will be my turn to give it a go."

Un'Dar looked up and away, rolling his eyes as Ida began talking about nature and its blessings, finding it a complete bore. He was about to cut her off again when she slipped and fell with a shriek, trying to catch herself, but only wheeling back and casting herself under the water.

"Ida!" He shouted in a moment of panicked surprise as he watched her go under, trying to catch her hand, but it was no good, he couldn't keep a grip on her.

She drifted out to the center, as if she were being pulled, where it was deep and he dove in, after her. He caught her in his arms, holding his breath and hit the swampy water bed. "Small stream?" He though to himself. "What the hell does she call an ocean? A pond?"

He pushed off and kicked his legs, rising as quickly as he could, feeling himself being pushed around by the growing current of the water. His head broke the surface and he pulled Ida's up, out of the water, shouting to the sky. "Fuck you, Umberlee! You cold bitch! You won't take me, and you CAN'T have her!" He bellowed as the current whisked them along. "Daemon!" He shouted, whistling as loud as he could, hoping his steed could help them.

A good two minutes, he struggled to keep them both above water as he looked for anything that would save them, when he saw the shiny dark coat of Daemon's flanks passing by them as his steed raced ahead, looking for a place it could cross into the water without losing itself to the current as well.

"Ida!" Un'Dar shouted, slapping her face, making them both bob under the waters surface for a moment. "Wake up! Hold on to me! I need to be able to swim!" He ordered in desperation, hoping he could get them over to where he could catch a hold of Daemon's strong leg and stop their momentum.

Seconds ago Ida was above water, washing and bantering with the drow. She had looked up at him when she had felt his callused hand caressed her arm. She had wanted to wipe that smirk off his face and poked his rolling eyes. In those seconds, dying didn’t cross her mind even though she was a captive. But now, not dying was the only thing in her mind as she fought the water for the surface.

For a rare moment, the nymph wished she isn’t of the wood but of the water like a mermaid. Then she could breath under water and didn’t need to fight so hard for air. She held her breath under the water. Screaming would only get water in her lungs. Oxygen deprivation got her lightheaded, and she drifted in and out of conscious. She heard faint voice and horse neighs, and remembered drowning before went unconscious.

When she came to, she was hoisted and slapped across the face. She coughed, hacking out the water while more trying to seep in. She heard his loud order and then hooked onto his shoulders from behind. The drow fought against the current and steered them toward the jumpy steed. Then there was a tug to on her leg. She tried to pull free but unfruitful. She whimpered in pain as the clamp tightened around ankle. “Th...the cha...chain. It’s stuck.” The invisible chain must had slip away from his grip earlier. The end was tangled and caught in something. "Un'Dar, unchain me. I do not want to die. Not here," she begged desperately. A wood nymph should not die in the water.

"Tug! Kick free, damn you, Ida! Kick it free!" Un'Dar spat between mouths full of splashing water, not wanting to release the enchanted shackle from her ankle, knowing that it would wash away in the strong current. It had cost him a fortune to make.

He struggled to look back at her, where she clung to Daemon's other leg. "Fuck!" He shouted, seeing it was no use, he had to free her, or lose both her and the chain. "Elsie Barrett." He whispered between clenched teeth, letting Ida free of her entrapment.

Ida wanted to scream at him for suggesting the obvious. She sealed her lips, however; determined not to drink anymore water. She wondered what the drow thinks she’s doing. She was tugging and kicking like a mermaid with broken tail. The clamp scrapped her skin and torn off some flesh but wouldn’t budge. Her mind was too occupied with staying alive and getting out of the water that she couldn’t feel her banged up and bleeding foot.

Just when her strength caved, the steed somehow was only an arm’s length away. She pried her arms off his board shoulders and grabbed a hold off the horse’s leg. Her body stretched with hands clung on the steed and leg extended the other. She would have let her grip go or snap into two if Un’Dar hadn’t came to his senses and released the bound.

Ida felt hundred pounds lighter. Her confident and strength returned. She made her way to the lip and pulled herself out of the water. Her wet hair and dress clung around her frame. She crawled a couple inches before fell flat to the ground. She curled into a fetish position, shivering from coldness and fear. She stuttered through grinding teeth and hiding behind her dripping hair, “Ttttttold. You notttt to ang....ger Po, po, pooseid...ddden.”

Un'Dar slapped Daemon's flank and let the mighty steed drag him to the bank of the river before he let go and started to crawl. He crawled his way next to Ida and collapsed, exhausted, wet and cold. He tried to get up and pick her up, but he just slipped and dropped to his knees instead.

"Oh.... Sh-sh-shut up!" He groused, his own teeth chattering from the cold. "G-g-got to g-g-get out of th-th-these wet c-c-cloths!" He stuttered, tugging at his belt and pushing his pants down. Then he tore his shirt off over his head. He pushed at Ida's back. "Y-y-you t-t-to!" Off!" He barked through his chattering teeth.

"Sc-sc-scroll in s-s-saddle b-b-bag! Sp-sp-spell of ig-n-nite f-f-flame! N-n-need heat!" He knee walked over to Daemon and used the saddle straps to drag himself up to his feet, naked as the day he was born, shaking like a leaf.