Dark Waters

Everyone knew the river was off limits, that the nearby old bridge that led across it was half-broken and the rushing, deep water beneath was deadly all on its own. But that wasn’t the reason everyone chose to walk for miles to a solid stone bridge which stretched over a wide, shallow part of the river in order to cross to the other side.

That the old bridge was too decrepit to cross was just an excuse, since someone could have repaired it long ago. No one would, however, for a monster lived in these parts of the river. Dangerous and deadly, he had dragged many a foolish mortal to a watery grave before.

Sometimes Lyna could hear singing on the wind when she left her hometown, a luring tune that could sound melancholic or cheerful, depending on the monster’s mood.

Not everyone was careful, of course, and sometimes, she heard stories of people who disappeared, of backpacks and torn clothes being washed onto the shores of the lake the river was feeding into. At least the monster didn’t live in the lake her hometown was built around, or there would be far more deaths.

Merchants grumbled and complained every time they visited, and local traders were just as exasperated and annoyed with the long way around they had to take to get to the town, but none were willing to take the risk.

The town had banded together twice in her childhood days to pay for a monster slayer, once for a famed duo and once for an entire group. Both times, the warriors had ended up dead, their bodies washed ashore, the wounds grisly and frightening.

Whatever lived in the river, it was too powerful, so no one messed with it. Slayers were expensive, as well, and since the town itself never got attacked, they had accepted that they could not cross the river wherever they liked.

In the grand scheme of things, it was a rather minor inconvenience, Lyna knew that. Everyone knew that. But people were either lazy or efficient, depending on the point of view, and the added detour kept rankling at everyone.

Being helpless rankled at everyone.

Lyna personally didn’t worry too much about the river as she grew up, she just made sure to keep her distance. Only when she started to apprentice under the local alchemist and potion maker did it became far more relevant.

There was a special herb that grew only on river banks and another one at the bottom of rivers, the former useful for salves that healed burns, the latter used for ointments that made people look fresher and healthier.

She accompanied her master on long trips down the river until they were clear of the monster’s, quite frankly massive, territory. Of course, they weren’t the only ones who sought out those herbs. Other towns' and villages' herbalists and even just knowledgeable folks who home-brewed things on occasion came to these safe spots to harvest.

Lyna and her master always managed to gather enough to stock up their supplies, but every time they headed back home, she saw the overgrown riverbanks of the monster and the herbs that grew there in plentiful quantities.

When they got closer to the town, about a mile away from their warm homes, the riverbanks even rose to form cliffs, and along those cliffs grew plants she wished she could get her hands on because they could create marvelous healing potions with them.

If she and her master wanted to get those kinds of herbs, they either had to wait until a trader brought them, or they had to travel for two days themselves to another part of the river with cliffs.

Though, again, they were hardly the only ones to do so, and often enough, they arrived to find everything already harvested, the craggy surroundings empty. Traveling two days for nothing was rarely worth the risk as well, so their town only had a very small, carefully hoarded amount of healing potions, saved for dire emergencies.

Often enough, when the road brought them too close to the river, Lyna could hear the monster. It had taken her a while to realize that it was making noise on purpose, that it wanted them to know it was keeping pace with their mule-pulled cart. She was never able to figure out if he meant to be cruelly playful or just straight-up threatening.

Aside from that, however, life was good. Their town was doing well, the people were largely content, and they had visiting bards and performers who brought joy and stories and the occasional scholar who sold and bought new books.

Lyna made enough coin for herself and her grandmother, who had raised her after her parents had died when she had been a babe, to live comfortably.

Her grandmother’s lady friend had moved in recently to stay with them as well after her children had left for the capital, and the home had grown lively with conversations and was always filled with amazing food.

Lyna found all her clothes mended before she could get around to it herself, a new scarf knitted and a new cloak made of a dark, river-green color replacing her old, worn one to keep her dry and warm in bad weather.

It was all going well until a fever swept through the land. Many merchants slowly but steadily cut down on their trading to try to avoid spreading it, while towns and villages grew wary of outsiders. The bards and performers were asked to either no longer visit or to stop in their town and stay until the sickness had passed before they journeyed onward.

Lyna and her master were busier than ever, brewing potions and creating salves, drying and selling herbs to be ground up and added to food or burnt to create cleansing smoke. Their stock dwindled fast, and soon, they had to go on many trips to try and stock up.

Right up until the fever reached their town, as well. It started out small, with a family here and there, until suddenly half the town was sick. Lyna’s master herself was one day locked away in her cabin, refusing to come out and sounding weak and raspy.

"Wouldn’t it be best to close the shop for now?" her grand-aunty, her grandmother’s best friend, asked worriedly when Lyna returned home. "You are putting yourself at risk."

And them as well. Lyna frowned, eating dinner quietly as she mulled things over. That evening, as she sat with the two elderly ladies in front of the fire, one knitting and the other sewing, she came to a decision.

"I’ll move into the potion shop. Just for now," she hurriedly tacked on when they both looked up sharply. "Just until we make it through this. People need medicine, and I want to help. I’ll make sure to come by and chop wood and carry water, but I won’t come into the house, just in case I get sick, too."

Her grandmother was quiet for a long moment, exchanging a look with her friend. "You will save a healing potion for yourself," she said and lifted a hand when Lyna tried to protest. "I will not lose you, Lyna. I have lost too much already, do not make me grieve you, too."

Lyna did not tell her that they had no more healing potions left at the shop, that they had given the last one up to a mother with two small children.

Otherwise, her master would have healed herself instead of retreating into her home to avoid spreading the illness further.

"I will," she promised anyway, the lie lying slick like lantern oil on her tongue.

Lyna made sure to drop by her home often enough as the days passed, as well as check in with her master, bringing any food or water or firewood that was needed.

She went and harvested as many plants and herbs as she could on her own, but the river banks were virtually empty by now, and the plants had been essentially destroyed with how often people had come to harvest. Barely anything grew anymore.

And every time she passed close by the river, she saw the herbs growing there. Only, now, she saw scattered dead people, too. Those who had been desperate and had tried to harvest in monster territory.

After she met the empty eyes of a young woman, barely of age, staring unseeing to the sky, her throat a gaping wound that nearly looked black with dried blood, Lyna didn’t look anymore, keeping her head down. It helped no one if she died, after all, just to try to get some herbs.

Right up until her grandmother got sick. Lyna confessed then that she had no healing potions left. Not even a single one. She was all out of herbs, too, all that was left were some teas that she immediately brought over to help soothe the symptoms. But they wouldn’t be able to heal her grandmother.

That night, she stared at the ceiling of the potion shop, lying on a bedroll and wrapped in blankets. It smelled like wood polish and herbs and wood smoke from the backroom where she brewed and prepared everything.

At the barest hint of dawn, she grabbed her harvesting satchel and an empty backpack and was on her way. She didn’t bother with the cart, since it was too loud, and she needed to go unnoticed for as long as possible. She arrived at the cliffs just as pale morning sunlight illuminated her surroundings and stared down at the wide, rushing river.

She couldn’t see the monster anywhere, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there. She didn’t even know what he looked like. Some said he looked like a beautiful person, some said he was a nightmarish, grotesque thing that only vaguely resembled something humanoid.

She had hoped she wouldn’t ever have to find out, but things had changed. A part of her just wanted to keep quiet and pluck the herbs in secret and try to run when the monster showed up, but she took a deep breath.

There were plenty of rumors about monsters, how they were nothing like humans even if they looked like them, how they were often more instinct than rational thought. How plenty of them had no rational thought to begin with.

But many monsters could be...bargained with, in a sense. This was the river monster’s territory, and Lyna wasn’t foolish enough to think that just because she didn’t set foot into the water, that her climbing around the cliffs and taking herbs might not be seen as her invading his space and stealing from him.

She wanted to try, at least, to see if she could make a deal. So she followed the cliffs to a spot where she was a bit closer to the water without being too close, and she cupped her hands around her mouth and called out.

To her surprise, it didn’t take long at all for the monster to show up. The first thing she saw was a glimmer in the dark waters, water reflecting off scales, and a moment later he surfaced. The monster did look like a person, with a beautiful face, long, thick lashes, and a pretty mouth. He had long black hair and moonlight pale skin, but she saw a glimmer of something strange along his skin, almost like scales.

He also swam in the powerful currents of the wide river as though it was a still lake, and that told her everything she needed to know about how much stronger than her the monster was.

He grinned up at her with a mouth full of deadly teeth and those river-dark eyes grew darker. "I have to admit, someone calling for me is a first," he said, voice smooth and charmingly melodic.

"I wanted to ask if you would let me pick the herbs here." She gestured at the cliffs and the hardy plants that had dug their roots between the cracks, growing up along the rock, little baby-blue flowers turned up towards the sun.

He blinked, and she saw a clear second skin sliding over his eyes for a moment, and he stared up at the plants as well. Movement beneath the water let her get a glimpse of a dark, blue-green tail, reminding her of the stories of the merfolk of the saltwater seas.

"You’re more polite than the usual visitors I get," he mused, smiling to reveal sharp teeth. The sort of teeth that would slide through flesh like a hot knife through butter. He seemed to think for a moment. "Very well, I’m bored, I’ll bite. What will you offer me in return?"

Oh, that had been...unexpectedly easy? If he meant it, of course. There was still the possibility that he planned to trick and kill her, but she had to risk it. She needed those herbs, and she needed to get back home alive with them.

"You said you were bored, maybe I can help with that? We could, uh, play some games? Or I could tell you stories or bring you things from my hometown," she offered, hoping that something she said struck his fancy.

It seemed it did, for he looked genuinely interested, reaching out to a boulder jutting out of the water to haul himself half on top of it, crossing his arms and still looking supremely unbothered by the strong currents that would have dragged anyone else away within a heartbeat like a toy being pulled behind a toddling child.

"Very well, I agree," he said, pushing himself up on his arms a bit, craning his head to look at her. "Pluck the greens, and then we’ll play."

Lyna felt a rush of relief, mingled with a lingering, worried wariness. She carefully inched up the cliffs a bit to not end up quite so close to him when she climbed down, and with one last deep breath, she carefully made her way to the first plant.

But her worries seemed to be unfounded, at least for the moment. The monster watched curiously as she took cuttings from the plants, leaving enough behind that they could regrow easily enough.

"What do you need that for?" the monster asked, still leaning on the boulder, his tail swishing through the waves and creating small splashes.

Lyna found herself explaining why she needed the plants and what she was going to use them for. Once she had a full satchel, she climbed back up and set it down, peering at the monster.

"What game do you want to play?" she asked, and he grinned, all dangerous teeth, and his eyes grew as dark as the depths of the river.

"Climb back down to where you were before," he said. "I want to race you, to see if I can catch you when I jump before you’re back up."

That...sounded dangerous. She must’ve looked worried, for he hummed a low, melodic noise.

"I’ll just tap," he said, sounding unexpectedly reassuring. "I won’t pull or scratch, I promise."

Lyna had heard that clearly and plainly spoken promises weren’t given lightly by non-humans and that they were held in high regard. That only the foulest of them made promises they intended to break from the beginning. She hoped this monster wasn’t a foul one.

"Alright." She carefully climbed down a bit again, and the monster let go of the boulder, looking excited.

"Go," he said and dove down, and she climbed up as fast as she could. To her surprise she was rather quick, and just as the monster shot from the water, arm stretched out, she pulled herself over the ledge. He missed her foot by a hair’s breadth, his body slapping against the cliff.

Startled, she peered over the edge, only to be greeted by his delighted laugh. He clung to the stone with the strength of his arms alone, only, the next moment she watched his tail shift and split, unexpectedly forming two legs. His dark hair reached to his thighs and she swiftly stared up at the sky when she caught a glimpse of a butt cheek.

"Again?" he asked, clinging to the stone, and when she offered a nod, he peered over his shoulder, gauging how to jump into the water.

He looked rather graceful as he dropped back into the river, disappearing below the surface, only to emerge again, swimming in excited circles. Lyna was surprised to find herself feeling amused, her mood losing its somber tension.

She played with the river monster until her muscles were too sore and she had to head back before the plants began to wilt. Without proper drying, they’d lose potency, but even then, they were best used fresh.

"Come back soon," the river monster crooned, looking like a very satisfied and rather happy predator as he swam below her. "I look forward to seeing you again."

She found herself smiling down at him, which made him blink. "I’ll most likely be back in a few days. Take care!"

He hummed a melodic sound at her, and as she stepped back, he dipped below the waves, disappearing as swiftly as he had appeared. Grabbing the satchel, she rushed back to town, arriving covered in sweat and rather out of breath. The town guards were glad to see her back, and she tossed them a rather curt greeting, hurrying onward.

She barged into the potion shop with no grace whatsoever, taking large steps into the backroom, pulling the strap of the satchel over her head. She immediately started to brew, the world around her falling away as she devoted her full focus to the process. She could not afford to mess up, not with something so important. Not with lives on the line.

By the next day, she had finished the first batch of healing potions, hiding two away for her grandmother and master and handing the other two over to the town’s doctor.

"Do they need to drink the whole vial?" he asked, and she frowned, thinking.

"Yes," she answered at last with a small grimace. "Half a vial would be enough for lesser illnesses or injuries, but I wouldn’t risk it with this fever. I’ll have more potions done by tomorrow."

He nodded with relief and left. That night she made sure no one saw her as she snuck back to her home and handed her grand-aunty the potion for her grandmother, before visiting her master.

"Foolish, brave girl, you’re lucky you came back alive," her master rasped weakly through the door when she set the vial down outside with a bundled up loaf of bread. "Don’t do that again. But...thank you."

Lyna hadn’t told anyone about her deal with the monster, not when everything was still so new and she had no idea if the monster would remain polite and downright friendly. She also had to admit that a not-so-insignificant part of her worried that other people might try to strike up deals, as well, and pull out all the herbs root-and-stem.

She had seen what people had done to the places where herbs could be safely harvested, how nothing but mud and dirt and trampled weeds remained now. She couldn’t risk it, not when so many people in town were still so very sick.

Lyna spent the rest of the week brewing potions, and just as she had finished the last batch, her master returned to work. Still weakened but healed. The entire town had grown hopeful, and it strengthened everyone’s spirit in return, helping them recover further.

But there were only so many potions available, and after giving the last vial to the doctor, Lyna saw despair return to many faces.

Her master sent her home, sternly saying that the floor of her shop was no place to sleep on for long. Lyna laid in her own bed for the first time in nearly two months and couldn’t sleep for the longest time.

Foolish and brave, her master had called her, but she had to admit that she didn’t feel quite that foolish or that brave. If the river monster kept his end of the bargain, she would keep hers, and that meant she should be able to harvest more herbs. She could make more potions. They had a chance to beat this illness back entirely.

She snuck into the potion shop just as dawn faintly colored the sky to grab her satchel, and this time she did take the mule. Her master had named him Gustav after a sweet-natured but ultimately flighty lover she had once had.

Traveling was faster on Gustav’s back, who was less than enthused about leaving his herd this early in the morning, but he still gamely went with her after sighing mightily.

She tied him to a tree a safe distance from the river and approached, calling out. It took a minute this time before the monster surfaced, grinning at her with his sharp teeth.

"Welcome back," he said. "I suppose you want more of those green things?"

"Yes, please," she answered and he laughed.

"So polite," he downright purred. "Well, don’t let me keep you, take as much as you want."

Lyna found herself offering the monster another smile before she began to climb down again. The monster was patiently waiting for her to stuff her satchel to the brim, arms crossed over a rock in the water.

"Want to play catch again?" she asked after she was done, leaving briefly to put the satchel on Gustav, who was dozing in the sun.

The monster grinned, that excited gleam appearing in his eyes again. "Yes, please," he answered, and Lyna felt a grin appearing on her face.

"So polite," she found herself teasing, and he threw his head back and laughed as she started to climb down again.

By the third round, she felt him tap her heel, his claws angled to ensure he wouldn’t accidentally scratch her. She heard him whoop and looked over her shoulder to watch him flop back into the river without a single ounce of grace.

She was laughing hard when he resurfaced, and she noticed how he paused, and then his expression became one of nothing but joy, and he seemed to have the time of his life.

He managed to tap her heel one more time before she had to call it quits, and this time, he was visibly reluctant to leave.

"Come back soon," he said, but it sounded more like a request.

She found herself answering, "I promise." His gaze fixed on her, eyes dark like the river and shining.

He made a noise she had no hope of replicating, a low, almost rumbling sort of sound that seemed to fill his entire chest.

"Soon," he said, voice just barely loud enough to be heard over the rushing river. "I shall wait."

Lyna nodded and returned to Gustav, who was more than eager to head back home, swiftly trotting most of the way, and the town guards looked relieved to see her return.

Her master pressed her lips together when Lyna came to work with the satchel full of herbs, but she didn’t say anything, just started brewing.

"Can you do it again?" her master asked quietly as they watched the pot bubble, a sharp herbal smell filling the air. "Safely?"

Lyna hesitated, then found herself spilling the truth. Her master looked surprised, then wryly fond.

"You were very lucky, that this monster decided to act in your favor," she said and sighed, deflating a little. "But looking at the results, I can’t find it in me to be upset over how risky that was... If you can keep doing this, we could save the entire town. Just promise me to stop if you think it will become dangerous."

"I promise," Lyna answered easily. She had every intention of keeping this promise, even though a part of her was quietly doubtful that the monster would grow tired of her and their games any time soon. He was too happy by half whenever they played.

If she was being honest, she was already no longer feeling all that wary around him. It had taken all but two meetings, and after observing how careful he had been to only ever tap her, not hurt her or cause her to lose her footing and fall, it was hard to, well, to keep feeling suspicious.

"Good. Now, go home early and get some rest." Her master ushered her out the door. "I’ll finish this up."

Lyna returned home to find a delicious meal waiting for her, and she sat with her grandmother and grand-aunty, listening to their chatter and plans for the next days. She smiled at how much her grandmother, who was still a little weak, had already recovered, but she was doing better with every day.

Lyna set out for the river again and again, the monster appearing before she had to call for him, and they talked as she collected more herbs. Instead of just playing, she began telling him stories she had grown up with, fairy tales and historic events and what the passing of seasons meant to her and the people in town.

The river monster was more than happy to listen to her and seemed both amused and fascinated by the things she told him, asking questions and sharing stories of his own. It was fascinating to hear how he and his folk saw the world, the tales they had spun over the centuries and what they believed in.

"Return soon," he called as she climbed up when she realized that she had actually lost track of time and that she had to go. "I look forward to it."

"I do as well," she found herself answering, briefly peering down to find him grinning up at her. He wriggled his sharp claws at her, briefly revealing the webbing between his fingers, then he dove below the waves and disappeared.

The last thing she heard was a sort of humming song, something like bubbling laughter, light and swift, the way small streams ran across big rocks.

The mule carried her home at a steady trot, and she realized that she was in a rather good mood, a small smile on her lips. She hurried to the potion shop, presenting her master with a stuffed-to-the-brim satchel.

"I think, once we finish these, we will have cured the town," her master said as they started brewing again. It lifted Lyna’s spirits, and she felt herself relax fully for the first time in seemingly forever.

Hope and joy improved her mood further, and when Lyna found herself humming under her breath, she caught the way her master hid a small, glad smile. Life was looking up.

A few days later, letters from neighboring towns and villages arrived, asking for aid and offering coin and other precious items as well as favors to get potions themselves.

"You don’t have to keep going back," her master told her as they stared down at the four missives pleading for help in exchange for what could be given.

"I would have gone anyway," Lyna found herself answering. She was growing rather fond of the river monster, she had to admit, and as long as she was welcome, she wanted to see him again. "Now I just have an additional reason to go."

Lyna had been saving up coin to join the potion guild and get her recognition as a potion master for a little while now. The coin their neighbors offered would get her the rest of the way to paying the fee, and then she’d be allowed to sell potions herself. To set up a shop of her own if she wanted to.

"I’ll let you keep most of the pay," her master said. "Considering you’re the one who risked her life to talk to the monster, and I owe you mine on top of that."

"Thank you. Though you don’t owe me anything," Lyna said with a smile, collecting the letters to pin them to a wooden slat they used to keep track of any orders they received. Her master just huffed and waved her off, saying that Lyna shouldn’t let people off the hook so easily.

Lyna saddled Gustav the next morning, riding out once more, though this time her heart was cheerful, and she smiled at birds singing overhead. The river was as deep and rushing and lethally dangerous as always, and the monster was already waiting for her.

Time passed so swiftly she barely noticed it as they talked while she harvested, and she and the monster ended up talking more once she climbed down to a boulder that jutted out of the water, finding a comfortable spot to sit.

He seemed excited to share more things with her, telling her about the river he called home, and she learned a great many things she hadn’t known about it, as well as how he interacted with other monsters and creatures that he crossed paths with.

She and her master brewed more potions and sent letters back to the nearest two villages, saying they’d have four vials for each of them ready for pick-up come morning, with more potions being brewed over the following days.

Lyna kept returning to the river, harvesting and chatting and playing with the monster, whom she grew ever more fond of. She’d even go as far as to call him a good friend by now. He made her laugh and seemed to enjoy her company quite a bit.

More and more vials were sent out, and she received the promised payment and written letters outlining what favors she could call upon. She set everything aside, already planning how to make use of the woodworking favor she was owed, the blacksmith’s promise to make a custom cauldron, and a glass maker's word that she could come and select a crate full of his wares. Once the illness was defeated, and it was safe to travel between places again, she’d collect on those favors.

When she told the monster that, talking excitedly about her plans and how much she looked forward to getting her own potion brewing equipment, he was genuinely happy for her, even though she had to explain a few things to him.

"Take as many of the plants as you want," he said, more enthusiastic than before. "And any others that you think are useful. It’s not like I need them."

"Thank you," she said with a bright smile. By now, she understood how fiercely protective he was of his territory, how hard he had fought to win it from the monster that had lived here before, and how often he had to fight in order to keep it.

How people had only shown up to either try to kill him or to steal from him. He had called her "refreshing and honest" and had said that he was glad he had given her a chance.

"But only you," he added quickly. "I don’t want any other humans around here. They never try to share, they only ever take."

Lyna couldn’t argue with him on that, humans did consider everything in the surrounding lands as theirs to own and do with as they pleased. She couldn’t help but wonder how many stories about fatal encounters with monsters could have been avoided with a bit of understanding and respect for other beings.

She resolved to be more mindful going forward, especially should she encounter any other monsters.

And then her side of the river could yield no more herbs, and she eyed the old bridge dubiously. It did not look sturdy. Not at all. The river monster clearly thought the same thing, for he made an upset sound when she experimentally tested the first wooden board of the bridge. Gustav similarly made a noise and stomped his hooves, appearing restless and unsettled.

"Come down here," the river monster called up, raising his voice enough to be heard easily over the rushing water. "I’ll take you to the other side."

A couple of weeks ago, Lyna would have never trusted him to not try to drown her, but that fear had evaporated somewhere between wheezing with laughter, and his genuine, clear interest in wanting to get to know her better. He was always making sure to be gentle and careful with her when they played tag on the cliff wall.

So she climbed down, and when he raised an arm towards her, she let herself slip off of the boulder she often sat on while they talked. He caught her effortlessly, tucking her close and she inhaled sharply at how cold the water was.

This close, she noticed that his ears looked a bit more like fins, the tips ending in a point that reminded her of the elves who sometimes traveled through the land to get from one of their hidden cities to the other.

"I’ll have to go home after harvest," she had to admit, grimacing at the cold waves. "Or I’ll get sick."

He frowned in concern, easily maneuvering the currents to bring her to a boulder on the other side. "Of course. It should get warmer soon, though," he said. "Maybe then you can stay longer."

She offered a smile and hurriedly started to work, wincing at how soaked and cold she felt, and the monster lingered close by, never once losing that concerned frown. As soon as she was done, he reached out to her again, and she met him halfway, letting him tug her back against his chest and into the water.

He moved fast, helping her onto the boulder on the other side, and he reached out to give her a little push up the cliff, carefully watching her climb.

"Until later!" she called once she reached the top and heard a sort of hum-song in return, and when she looked down, he shooed her away with that frown still on his face.

Lyna was shivering by the time she was back in town, and her master sent her home immediately, telling her to get dry and warmed up. Thankfully, through some minor miracle, she avoided getting sick, though she had a bit of a headache for a few days.

When she rode out on Gustav again, she was better prepared, bringing extra clothes to change into and her new cloak with her.

The monster looked relieved when he saw her. "I didn’t want you to get sick like the people in your town," he said after she climbed down to meet him. "Can’t you fix the bridge? I don’t want to you to get hurt."

"I can try," Lyna said thoughtfully. She knew the monster didn’t want anyone else to join her here, but she could still get some pointers from the carpenters in town. It was worth a try. And, well, if it didn’t work out, she could still count on him to be her little ferry.

This time she played with him first, introducing him to cat’s cradle.

The monster was leaning on the stone in front of her, looking focused, and he seemed greatly entertained, no matter if he got his fingers tangled up or not. That was something she had noticed about him early on, he was happy no matter if he won or lost a game.

"Are you the only one who lives here?" she found herself asking and he glanced at her, dark eyes surrounded by thick, long lashes. He really was unfairly pretty.

"There are some water sprites in the lake, they don’t mind when I visit," he said and smiled up at her. "And I’m great friends with the nymphs, I’ll introduce you sometime if you’d like."

That honestly sounded amazing. "I look forward to meeting your friends," she said, and he smiled, and after handing the string back over, he waited until she was ready before gently pulling her into the water and swiftly swimming to the other side.

Lyna noticed that he was doing his best to keep her out of the water as much as possible, but it wasn’t all that avoidable that most of her lower half got drenched. He remained close by as she harvested, and after bringing her back to her side, he reached into the little woven bag he had started to wear around his hip and pulled something out.

"For you," he said, offering her a clearly hand-crafted necklace made of some kind of strange twine, and at the end dangled a shiny river stone. "For good luck and health."

His worry and care for her was clear, and she couldn’t help but feel touched as she bent her head towards him and let him settle the necklace around her throat, making sure it was tied securely, leaving her skin damp with drops of river water.

"Be safe," he said, sinking into the waves. "I’ll see you soon, yes?"

"As soon as possible," she promised and climbed back up, hurrying to Gustav’s side. It was a relief to get into dry clothes, and she wrapped the cloak around herself, riding home at a brisk pace.

She and her master brewed more potions and sent letters out, putting the prepared vials in little boxes for easy transport.

They kept one vial from every other batch for themselves, in case someone in their hometown needed healing again, but otherwise things were truly looking up. All the townsfolk were smiling these days, their daily lives slowly returning to normalcy again, hobbies and work were picked back up, and soon people even wondered if traders were going to visit once more come summer.

Lyna approached the local jewelry maker, who was more than happy to help her make a piece. When she visited the river monster, she gave him a bracelet that shone and shimmered in the light, and he was so happy he pulled her into a tight hug.

Ever since then, he brought her more gifts, curious things he found in his waters, crystals and colorful little stones that had fallen into his home, and even once a small bag of treasure someone had clearly dumped in the river to try to hide it.

Lyna kept harvesting plants from the cliffs, but soon, she also found herself at the calm, wide shores of the river, feet-deep in muck as she took cuttings from other plants. Her monster – and she had started to think of him as hers, her dear friend and companion – enjoying the sun in the shallows.

He even introduced her to the nymphs, and while they were all gorgeous, the group of forest creatures frolicking through the water with her and the river monster, she couldn’t help but think that her friend was more beautiful, more graceful. And more fun as well.

A traveling merchant visited just as summer bloomed all around them and the illness was beat back enough to allow for traveling again. He knocked at the door of the potion shop and demanded to buy their healing potions.

"They are already spoken and paid for," Lyna’s master said sharply and firmly, even though the man was tall and intimidating and glowered fiercely. "Once the fever has fully passed we are willing to sell what is left to traders. But we have other stock if you’re interested in anything else."

"No," the man rumbled, bushy brows furrowing into a downright thunderous expression. When he looked at her, Lyna shrank a bit back.

"Finish brewing," her master told her without looking away from the merchant. "I’ll take care of this."

Lyna gladly ducked into the backroom, closing the door to muffle their heated ensuing argument. Shortly afterwards, a door slammed so hard she heard some bottles rattle.

"Honestly," her master grouched as she joined her in the backroom. "Some people were raised without manners."

"Did he want anything else?" Lyna asked, and her master shook her head.

"He only wanted the healing potions. He tried to tell me that his daughter was sick, but I’ve seen him around, and I know he has a wife and no children. Besides, he only buys what he can sell at the highest price. The only difference between him and bandits is that bandits are hunted by the law."

Her master glanced at her. "You can imagine how expensive healing potions are right now. We’re selling them cheap compared to what he would demand, but then again, the two of us actually have hearts."

Lyna was glad for the money and favors she got, but it was plenty enough already. She couldn’t imagine being so hungry for more that she’d force people to give up everything just to stay alive. Or to ignore the less fortunate just because they couldn’t line her pockets well enough.

"He’ll probably try to strong-arm you into giving into his demands once he realizes that I won’t budge," her master tacked on. "Ignore him or tell him to come deal with me."

"I will," Lyna promised. That was no hardship, the man had scared her and she felt no desire to cross paths with him again. Or to converse with him.

She was careful the following days, ducking into alleys the moment she spotted the merchant and his wife and the guard they had hired. She waited in the shop once or twice as well, until the town guards ushered them away, asking them not to loiter.

Lyna was more than happy when she got to leave on Gustav, looking forward to an afternoon of fun and forgetting the troubles back home. She even had rope and some wooden boards shoved into Gustav’s saddlebags this time. If she could reinforce the bridge a little, she should be able to cross it a few times. She hoped.

The monster wasn’t there when she arrived, but she knew he’d show up soon. She still took a moment to peer down into the dark water before she hauled the supplies over to the bridge.

Eyeing the old thing, she decided to first tie a rope around a tree before attaching it to the bridge. She had gotten a few tips and pointers from the carpenters in town, but this wasn’t her trade, and she knew her work would be far shoddier than theirs. But if she did well enough, it might still work.

She was just tying down the other end of the rope to the bridge when she heard rustling and twigs snapping. Jolting up in surprise, she half expected to see some wild animal or Gustav who might have stepped on something, when the merchant emerged from the shrubbery.

She stared in surprise at him and his guard, who appeared behind him. His wife emerged a moment later, too, a stocky woman with a shifty look about her. Actually, they all looked rather shifty.

"So, we heard you are a potion maker as well," the merchant said, and Lyna instinctively took a step back. The old, shoddy bridge was right behind her, and the sharp cliffs were to the left and right with rushing waters below. Her only, safe way away from here was blocked by the merchants and their guard.

"Why are you asking?" she asked, glancing between them as they began to fan out. Her bad gut feeling turned into something ominous. "Please stay back."

"Don’t think so, girlie," the merchant said. "You’re coming with us, and you’re going to be our golden goose."

"No one will come looking for you," the shifty wife added. "You’ll just be some stupid fool who fell prey to the monster in the river."

She was right. Lyna knew that, while her master might come looking for her, no one would question it if she didn’t come home anymore. Only her master knew that she had befriended the monster living here, and the older woman was still incredibly skeptical and worried about that deal.

The townsfolk, who thought she was cleverly avoiding the river monster while collecting herbs, might mourn her, sure, but under their breath they would mutter that she had tempted fate too much. That her luck had run out, that she should have stopped setting foot into monster territory long ago. She’d become a cautionary tale for foolishly brave teenagers and impressionable children.

No one would suspect that a couple of pushy, rude merchants had anything to do with her disappearance.

She swallowed hard and twitched back another step, the heel of her foot catching on groaning wood. She couldn’t run, the merchants and their guard were between her and Gustav, and she didn’t doubt that the rest of their caravan was waiting by the road. The chances of her making it back to town were slim to none.

But if she was quick enough to make it across the bridge first, and if it didn’t collapse beneath her weight, she might be able to get away. They might not follow her, or if they were that brazen, there was a far higher chance that the old, rotten wood would break under their combined weight than under hers.

And, well, even if it broke under her, she knew these waters were safe for her. Her monster would fish her out soon enough, she just had to keep her head above water until then.

When the two men stepped closer once again, she spun around and started running. The merchant and guard cursed and followed, heavy feet hitting the wooden planks behind her, and she prayed that it worked. Prayed that the bridge broke beneath them but hopefully not her.

She was halfway across it when someone reached her, strong arms wrapping around her middle, and she found herself dragged to a stop and swiftly lifted off her feet and into the air, her legs kicking out. She screamed, a part of her hoping her monster might hear her.

She managed to land a kick on the guard’s knee the next second, and he lost his balance, crashing onto the bridge with her. Wooden boards cracked and nearly broke beneath them.

Lyna struggled, kicking out again, and she managed to get the guard to let go of her when she elbowed him in the face, breaking his nose. He reared back with a pained howl, just as the merchant caught up to them. His additional weight was too much, the cracked wood breaking with a sudden, heart-lurching snap.

Lyna was flailing blindly for a split second, before her hands caught on rotten wood and old rope. The rest of the bridge held, thankfully, the rope keeping the bridge standing and connected, even as the broken wooden boards fell in chunks, and others groaned in warning as she clung to them.

The guard and merchant, however, had reacted just a moment too late, and while the guard tried to grab onto her foot, his blood-slick hand slipped off her boot, and then he and the merchant were falling, eyes wide and terrified.

The merchant’s wife had just barely managed to avoid stepping on the broken boards herself, and she screamed, panicked and desperate, hands pressed over her horrified face as she watched her husband plummet down.

The two men hit the water with a harsh, heavy impact and were immediately dragged along by the rapid currents. They surfaced with gasps, and the wife exhaled with shaky relief.

That was the moment Lyna saw something move in the waves, and a second later, both men were pulled below the surface, disappearing without a sound in dark, deep water.

When the wife scrambled to get away, stumbling backwards to reach solid ground again, Lyna called out, "No, wait -"

But it was too late. The hurried, desperate movements caused fraying ropes to snap, and the two halves of the bridge fell apart, no longer connected to each other by anything.

Lyna instinctively squeezed her eyes shut, grunting and wheezing at the impact against the rocky cliff that surely left her ribs bruised and her knuckles bloody where they got smashed against stone. The remains of the bridge she clung to groaned, and something splintered above, shards of old wood raining down.

But, somehow, the rest of it held. Somehow, she wasn’t falling. Not yet, anyway.

Opening her eyes, she glanced over her shoulder and saw that the wife had survived as well, hurriedly climbing her way back up to solid ground on the other side. The woman was crying and sobbing, dragging herself over the edge with an agonized moan. She called out to her husband in a desperate, cracking voice, but no answer came.

Lyna highly doubted the two men were still alive. The river monster had always killed intruders to defend his territory, but most of his kills had been fast, at least. People weren’t played with until they died the way some other monsters liked to murder humans.

The wife stumbled back, glaring at Lyna. "You stupid fuck!" she shrieked. "This is all because of you!"

Lyna felt fury billow up then, twining with the fear to turn into something burning and acidic that seared through her veins, tears pricking her eyes.

"You followed me!" she shouted back, angrier than she had ever been in her entire life. "Don’t you dare blame me for your decisions!"

"If you had just let us take you!" the woman continued screaming, face turning beet red, and she bent down to pick up a rock, tossing it.

Lyna ducked her head with a sharp inhale, but there was nothing she could do to truly avoid it. She didn’t dare disrupt the very fragile bridge piece she clung to by using it to climb, her best bet was to get a foothold on the cliff instead and use the rough stone to get back up.

The thrown stone clattered somewhere to the left of her, and as the crying, utterly spitting-mad wife bent down to grab another rock, the monster lunged out of the water. For the first time, Lyna got a good look from the outside at just how damn high he could jump with a single leap, lithe body hitting the rocks.

His tail immediately split into two legs, and he snarled, a truly frightening sound that seemed to rumble through his entire chest and in the air itself, reminding Lyna of the traveling musicians that had once visited who had played drums the size of grown adults. How the sound had thrummed in the air itself.

The moment the monster pulled himself over the edge, the wife screamed and ran, blind panic stark on her face. The monster huffed in dark satisfaction, then peered over his shoulder at Lyna, all that threat and danger disappearing to make way for frazzled worry.

"Did they hurt you?" he asked and she shook her head. When she shifted slightly, the bridge creaked ominously above her. The monster peered at the slowly fraying rope and cracking, rotten wood. "I think you should let go, but let me get down first, and try to push away from the cliff when you jump."

"Alright," she answered, her voice coming out shakier than expected now that the woman was gone, and with her, the fury burning in Lyna’s veins. All that was left now was the slowly breaking bridge piece she clung to like a frightened child.

She craned her head, careful to avoid moving the rest of her body, and watched as he dropped back into the river, surfacing again a moment later and gesturing for her to join him.

Taking a deep breath, Lyna pushed off of the cliff, the bridge fully falling apart at the jerky movement. Though, whereas wooden pieces and bits of rope rained down against jagged rocks, she was caught by two arms, and cold water washed over them as they briefly dipped below the waves.

The monster had no trouble maneuvering the currents with her, hoisting her up onto one of the boulders she usually sat on to chat with him. She wiped water from her face and heard him hiss unhappily, his hands gently catching hers as he inspected her bloody knuckles.

A gust of wind made her shiver, and he let go with great reluctance. "You need to go home," he said quietly, still leaning close enough that her knees were bracketing his ribs. "You can use your healing potions on yourself, right?"

"Yeah," she agreed, nodding and wrapping her arms around herself. Half the shivers weren’t from the cold, however, and she found she was too shaken to climb. "Just... just give me a moment."

He made a low, downright crooning noise and pulled her into a hug, gently carding wet fingers through her soaked hair. She buried her face into his neck and allowed herself to shake, as hot tears spilled down her cheeks.

He didn’t make her talk or try to shush her silent, just held her until she pulled back, sniffing and rubbing a hand over her cheeks. "You’re an amazing human," he said, earnest and solemn, like he was stating a fact of the world.

Lyna couldn’t help but blink in surprise, before she ducked her head a little, bashful at such an unexpected compliment. He ducked down a bit as well to meet her gaze.

"You climb faster than anyone else," he said, gently tapping her leg with his clawed fingers. "You’re brave and smart, you can make magical potions, you saved your town and other places from that fever thing, and you won against these humans just now." His river-dark eyes were intense when he held her gaze. "Amazing, as I said."

She found a wobbly little smile on her face, and he brushed back her hair, nudging her to get up. "And now my amazing human needs to go and get dry and warm so she can come and see me again soon. You’ll be safe going home?"

Hopefully. "I’ll be careful," she said and took a deep breath, her hands settling. She dragged herself up the cliff with the last of her strength, the monster watching and ready to catch her should she fall.

Once she pulled herself over the ledge, he whooped in encouragement, and she couldn’t help but laugh, weak and shivering, but there was a strange sense of trembling euphoria, now, too. She had survived. She hadn’t gotten taken. Now, she just had to make it back home.

Gustav was waiting for her, looking rather unsettled, and she had to calm him, dropping her wet clothes and haphazardly pulling on dry ones before she dragged herself up and into the saddle.

He swiftly carried her home, and Lyna didn’t see the caravan anywhere, but she saw fresh wheel tracks on the road, leading away from her hometown. The merchant’s wife must’ve thought her dead after the monster had shown up and decided to leave quickly.

When Lyna returned to her hometown, the guards near the gate were alarmed at her state. She told them about what the merchants had tried to do and what had happened to the man and his guard.

She left out that the monster had saved her and instead said that she had fallen into the water but had gotten out while the monster had been distracted with killing the merchant and his guard.

The river monster had mentioned on more than one occasion that he was more than happy that she told no one about their deal. That he didn’t have people stomping around his river, and that he preferred they stayed away unless Lyna could vouch for one or two at most.

A part of her thought that she should be horrified at their deaths, but she couldn’t scrounge up any sympathy. She was glad they were gone.

She was glad she got to go home.

"You’re luckier than anyone we know," one of the guards muttered while ushering her through the gate. "We’ll let the mayor know."

Her grandmother and grand-aunty were horrified when they saw her, quickly getting her warmed up and her injuries treated. Her grand-aunty marched over to the mayor to ask him to send a note to the local lord about the merchant’s wife, while her grandmother made sure she drank plenty of tea.

Lyna did get sick from her fall into the water, but her master brought her a healing potion and told her that the merchant’s wife and their caravan weren’t welcome in town anymore.

"We’ll let the other villages and towns know as well," she said as she gave Lyna’s shoulder a pat. "They wouldn’t want to lose you after all that you did to help them. Now, get some rest, alright?"

It took her two days to recover fully, and once she was back on her feet, she rode out to the river. This time she didn’t bother heading to the cliffs, instead looking for a spot along the riverbank where she could wade into the water comfortably.

To her surprise, when the monster emerged, he had deep claw marks down his shoulder and was moving a bit sluggishly but visibly perked up when he spotted her, glad to see her.

"I won the fight," he said, tipping his head and baring the side of his throat in the process to let her inspect the injury. The trust he showed her wasn’t lost on her, and she told him to wait, hurrying back into town to get a healing potion.

"Just be careful," her master said when Lyna took one of their stashed away vials. "Monsters put more weight on such gestures than most humans do. You never know what they decide to do to pay you back for that aid."

That was just fine in her books. The monster was her dearest friend, had helped her numerous times and had brightened countless of dreary days, chasing away the worries the illness had spread in her mind. Healing him was the least she could do.

"Here," Lyna said when she returned to the river, holding out the vial with the potion. "For your wound."

He looked at her in wide-eyed surprise, and after sniffing at the potion and making a face, he pinched his nose shut and downed the entire vial in one quick gulp. All without questioning her or looking suspicious about what she was handing him.

The trust he kept extending to her was unexpectedly touching and made her feel fiercely protective of him. She watched as his wound slowly began to knit itself shut while he stared at the disappearing injury in astonishment.

When he looked up at her, his dark eyes were downright shining. "Lovely," he murmured, handing her the vial back, his fingertips briefly brushing the side of her palm. "You are very lovely."

Lyna found herself smiling and reached out to brush his hair back to check on his wound. It had turned into a barely visible scar by now. To her surprise, his leaned his cheek against her hand and smiled, looking unexpectedly sweet.

"Stay a while?" he asked, and she found she was happy to oblige.

.-.-.

The fever was long since cured, and she still visited the river monster regularly. He was a fun companion, and now that healing potions weren’t as high in demand, she was glad to harvest more plants that grew in less perilous places.

"Can you swim well?" the monster asked worriedly when she waded into the water in nothing but her undergarments, her clothes left folded over a log to keep them clean and dry. With summer now here, the cold river was pleasant instead of chilling. "I can go get your plants for you instead."

"I’ll have to show you which parts I need," she said and immediately tacked on, "I would prefer if you didn’t rip everything out root and stem."

The monster nodded and stayed beside her, and she smiled at him. "I got you, don’t I?" she asked. "You would never let anything happen to me."

Unexpectedly, he looked shyly pleased. "No one’s ever really counted on me," he said. "Alright, how about I take you down to the bottom?"

Lyna nodded, and when she signaled that she was ready to go, a strong arm wrapped around her and pulled her below the surface. The monster brought her to the bottom of the river in what seemed to be merely a second and watched closely as she cut off tiny hard knobs that grew along the arm-long plant.

He gamely accompanied her up and down multiple times, until she had three jars full of knobs, the little plant cuttings swimming in river water. This way, they’d stay fresh longer.

When she sat in the shallows afterwards, the monster got comfortable beside her, long, black hair drifting in the current.

"Here," he said after reaching into the bag at his side and producing a hand-made bracelet. It was made of some kind of smooth black river stone and inset with freshwater pearls and glittering shells. "I’ve been working on this one for a while now. Will you accept it?"

From the way he spoke, solemn and weighty, this bracelet was different from the friendship necklace he had given her that she still wore regularly. Almost every day, really. In all honesty, the bracelet looked as beautiful as the jewelry she could buy in town, and it must’ve taken so much effort to make.

"It’s beautiful, thank you," she said with a smile and the monster watched as she put it on, his eyes dark and shining.

"I’m glad you like it," he said. "It’s just for you." He watched her expression for a moment, looking a little befuddled and then disappointed, before realization seemed to strike him.

He sighed but just smiled at her when she glanced down at him curiously. "It’s nothing, I just realized I need to go about this differently," he said and then didn’t elaborate further even when she prodded for answers.

"You’re pretty powerful, aren’t you?" Lyna asked after they sat in comfortable silence for a moment, and he immediately preened. "I’ve been meaning to ask, but you and only you call a large part of this river home, right?"

"I do," he said proudly. "I chased away the kelpies and the syrens and the muck-men, though sometimes someone else shows up who tries to shave off a piece of my home for themselves."

One day, she’d ask him to show her just how large his territory was. Lyna had a vague idea, but it would be good to know in more detail. And if any other monsters lived near the river so she could avoid upsetting or offending them.

"Where do you live?" the river monster asked her, flipping onto his back to have an easier time looking at her, his fins splashing a bit in the shallows.

"By the lake," Lyna said, and his expression brightened.

"I could visit you," he said, looking nonchalant, but the way he glanced at her told her this meant something to him.

The offer surprised her a little. The monster had asked her about pretty much everything in the past months, getting to know her better than anyone else, better even than her grandmother in some regards, but he had never asked about seeing her outside of their river meetings.

"If you’re willing to wear clothes," she said, and he immediately looked dubious. "Believe me, no one will let you into town if you don’t. And you don’t get to kill my neighbors either when they refuse to let you pass."

He grumbled but relented after a moment. "Alright, I’ll wear your clothes," he said. "How bad can it be?"

.-.-.

"This is horrid," her monster grouched as he stood before her, arms extended warily and face filled with disgust. It had taken some coaxing for him to agree to dry off enough to no longer be dripping wet, but he visibly hated this.

Lyna had made sure to get him something baggy and soft, and he had utterly refused to wear shoes after experimentally putting just one on. At least the hem of the pants was long enough to mostly cover his feet.

"You don’t have to," she said and his disgusted expression turned mulish.

"No, I will," he insisted. "I’ll get used to it. Maybe." Never, his expression said, but when Lyna smiled at him, he relaxed a little.

"Let me braid your hair?" she offered. "So it doesn’t snag on anything?"

That cheered him up, and he sat down on a stone, leaning back and closing his eyes as she combed through his hair and put it into a simple, practical braid. He seemed to like the way it felt, for he kept touching it as he followed her to Gustav.

Gustav was not happy with the monster this close to him, but he trusted Lyna enough that he carried them both to town... after some coaxing and plenty of treats he at last ate from the river monster’s palm.

The river monster loved riding, laughing joyfully as they cantered down the road, whooping and pressing a sharp-toothed grin against her shoulder.

Lyna had planned everything so she’d take her monster into town today of all days. There was a celebration, after all, the town decorated for the festival, and he stared at colorful banners and flower wreaths and everything else with clear awe.

The monster happily let her take his hand and followed her everywhere. They spent hours in town together, Lyna showing him all her favorite spots and exploring the rest.

It felt a little as though she saw her own home with new eyes, as her monster pointed out beautiful carvings she had never noticed before or that someone had painted a tiny knight fighting an oversized chicken on the side of a house.

As the sun set, it was time for the festival proper. The monster’s eyes were bright and shining as he listened to music, as he watched the performers, as he laughed at the jokes of the puppet theatre.

Lyna looked at everything with him, buying snacks and treats, most of which the river monster immediately loved. They drank wine together and tied a wishing-ribbon to the big tree in the middle of the market square, so their wishes might come true next year.

Lyna ran into her master, who took one look at her companion, brows rising sharply, and then she said nothing. She just dipped her head and moved on with an exasperated, though fond, sigh.

Lyna introduced her companion to her grandmother and grand-aunty, simply calling the monster River, since his actual name was impossible to pronounce. He looked unexpectedly delighted at being given a name in her language.

"What a sweet, if strange, friend you’ve made," her grandmother said with a smiling and approving voice as they watched River and grand-aunty together. River was watching avidly as grand-aunty showed off her knitting, showing him how she made socks.

"This is amazing," River called out to Lyna, pointing at the socks and a visibly proudly smug grand-aunty. River turned to grand-aunty, "Can you teach me?"

"Oh, certainly, come sit with me. It’s always lovely to see young people take an interest in our craft," she answered with a glad grin.

River eagerly went with her and had a look of utter concentration on his face, careful not to slice the wool up with his sharp nails.

Grandmother looked up at Lyna, then chuckled. "Oh, I’ve seen that face before." At Lyna’s questioning look, she only smiled and gave her arm a pat. "I’ve seen it on my daughter’s face. Your mother looked like that whenever she was around your father."

Lyna inhaled in surprise, and her grandmother chuckled again. "And she knew it just as little as you did. But, quite frankly, it runs in the family. I never noticed it, either, when I fell in love with my darling Bernadette."

They stood side by side in comfortable silence, while Lyna mulled things over. "Oh," she whispered softly at last, and her grandmother hummed.

"Exactly what your mother and I said when we realized we were starting to fall in love." She grinned, a little mischievous and sweet all at once. "Just so you know, I approve."

"Even if he is the river monster?" Lyna found herself asking. Her grandmother paused and looked River over with realization blooming in her eyes.

"Well, even then," she decided after a moment of heavy silence. "How could I not welcome him into my family, when he makes you smile like that?"

Lyna felt her heart fill with warmth and love, and she reached out to hug her grandmother tightly. "Tell grand-aunty for me?" she asked, and her grandmother chortled an amused laugh.

"She’s sharper than either of us, I bet she already knows. That old coot, she always enjoys watching me catch up and figure things out myself." The sound of bells ringing and people cheering made them look up.

"Oh, the dancing!" her grandmother sounded excited and cheerful. "Come on, I’ve been wanting to embarrass my best friend for ages, and there is this sweet older lady that moved into town recently. Maybe she’s willing to dance with me, too."

Lyna smiled and nudged their shoulders together, "You’re sweeter than honey, of course she will."

Her grandmother waved her off with a pleased smile and left to usher her playfully groaning, mock-protesting best friend to her feet.

"Want to dance?" Lyna asked River, who looked curious at the idea. Once he understood what dancing required, his face lit up.

As they danced, he proved a quick study, and he was just as graceful on his feet as he was while swimming. An expression of bright joy was on his face, especially when he got to hold Lyna close, smiling softly down at her.

And now Lyna saw what her grandmother had meant, she noticed how she felt in his arms and how he looked at her. So she danced with him until her feet ached and the last song was played and the festival wound to a close.

"I could get a house by the water," she said as she accompanied River to the docks that stretched out onto the lake. He had mentioned being good friends with the water sprites that lived here and could travel back to his territory without issue. "Then you can visit whenever you like."

River looked eager at the idea, and just as they reached the water’s edge, he produced something from his pocket.

"For you," he said, and Lyna was sure he had swiped the ring he revealed from a stand without paying for it.

It was a delicate and beautiful piece of jewelry, silver-gold with a tiny, glittering stone that looked a little like the gems elves liked to decorate themselves with. Oh yeah, Lyna could never have paid for such a thing herself, especially since all her savings would soon be spent on the potion guild’s admission fee.

"I heard that’s how humans do it," he said, offering her the ring. "Courting, I mean. I tried it my way, but I think you missed it." He glanced at the bracelet she wore, and Lyna could have smacked herself.

She took a step closer, letting him slide the ring onto her finger. "And what do your people do when they accept?" she asked, and he offered a glad, happy smile that was wide enough to show a bit of his sharp teeth.

She loved that about him, how open he was with his emotions at all times.

"You would make something for me in return," he said and gently settled his hands on her hips. "And go swim with me, letting me show you where I live and what I have to offer. And at the end of courting, when I’ve sufficiently proven myself, we’d look for a place together to call home."

Lyna smiled at him. "I better make something pretty for you then," she said, and took another step closer, their chests brushing as she tilted her head to look up at him. "But for now, how about we go for a swim?"

Her warm laugh was the last thing heard before she was swallowed by the waves when River pulled her down with him, pressing a smiling kiss against her lips while the lake’s calm, gentle water embraced them.