Charlie grumbled as she felt something move next to her. She turned to snuggle into the warm thing and placed her hand on his chest. A strong arm pulled her closer. She smiled as a hand lightly scratched her back. It had been a long time since Roman did something like this. She tried to remember if it was her birthday to be treated this nicely.

“You are more comfortable with me now, aren’t you?”

“Shit!” She jumped out of bed.

With a firm grasp on the blanket, most of the bedding slid off the bed with her. She looked back to see the blue-grey man sit up with a confused look on his face. She looked down to make sure she was still wearing clothes before she scolded him. He smiled coyly and stretched.

“What the hell are you doing?!”

“I was sleeping.”

“Why are you—”

“There’s only one bed. Where would I have slept?”

She huffed and turned her head.

“You are the one that held me first,” He shrugged.

“Because I thought you were someone else,” She grumbled, “How long have you been sleeping next to me?”

“Since we got to the cabin. What did you think I did during the night?”

“I don’t know!”

Charlie covered her face with her hands in her embarrassment. He chuckled and slid his legs over the edge of the bed.

“I’m wearing clothes. Does that not help? You’ve been adamant about me remaining dressed.”

“We just need to find you a shirt.”

“Keep dressing me and I’ll start to think my body is distracting for you,” He teased.

She blushed and shook her head, “Or maybe I’m not comfortable with nudity?”

“I would think you were a goddess of chastity if you weren’t married once,” He laughed as he stood, “Though, I suppose you still could be. I’ve just never known any to use such foul language.”

“Even if I was, wouldn’t you fear my wrath for being so comfortable with me in my sleep?”

“I have seen you naked on more than one occasion.”

“You promised you wouldn’t look!” She groaned, “What the fuck, man?”

“Call it curiosity,” He laughed, “Now, show me your wound.”

He knelt in front of her and waited. Charlie exaggeratedly frowned as she pulled up the hem of her shirt. His fingers trailed the grotesque wound that he covered in wet plants. He peeled back the bandage, and she winced as it pulled the forming scab away. She was used to the tiny scales lightly snagging her skin as he touched her.

> You have two new messages. Would you like to hear them now?

Charlie grunted in acknowledgement as the man plucked away bits of green sludge from her wound. The first message was the usual incoherent chirps and gurgles from Squirt. He sounded less frantic and sad than normal, which eased her mind. She felt an immense relief as she recognized the girly voice.

> We found the last place you reached out to me. My brother was there, actually! He’s looking for you now, too. If you find him, just tell him who you are and he’ll bring you to me. He's got a better sense of where I’m at, anyway. We’re making our way to Vlaminer. Hopefully you’re there by now. Besides that, Davon wanted me to check in and see how you are, but he doesn’t understand you can’t respond. Or, you can and haven’t. I doubt that though because you would’ve responded to Squirt. You better live because I’m starting to like the turtle. Either way, I’m going to kill you the next time I see you.

Charlie chuckled at the message. She knew Puddles would refuse to say she missed her, even after nearly three weeks.

As he dipped his hand into the gooey green liquid from a recently purchased jar, he slathered it over her stomach wound.

“When are you going to take me to Vlaminer? I feel like I’m well enough to travel now.”

“Let’s take a walk to see if you still need my help,” He nodded, “If you don’t, then I will take you.”

“We can at least go back to where we met. I might be able to find my friends.”

“I haven’t seen many people there."

“What do you—”

“I can transport myself through various waters. I’ve popped in to check every once in a while,” He shrugged, “You seemed worried about your friends.”

“Okay,” She closed her eyes and sighed, “Will you take me back there now, though?”

“If that is what you’d like. The waters are still cold, but the ointment I bought should keep your wound from getting more infected.”

“I don’t like the use of the word ‘more’ there.”

“It doesn’t look good. It’s closing, but there’s—”

“Don’t! Don’t tell me,” She grimaced, “That just means it’s definitely time to see a doctor.”

“If I was more skilled at healing, I would be able to do more,” He frowned, “At least it wasn’t a deep laceration.”

“I feel like I’d have to be your concubine if you healed me too.”

“What another terrible twist of fate,” He snorted sarcastically.

He helped her to her feet. Charlie tucked her shirt into her pants and packed her new bag. She threw it over her shoulder and stepped into the frozen tundra outside. She swatted his arm away as he tried to help her.

“You said I have to do it on my own.”

“You are truly something to marvel at, young goddess,” He chuckled, “Very well. Let’s take a walk.”

Charlie trudged through the knee-high snow slowly. The man crossed his arms and watched her fight against the weather towards the icy pond. Once she slipped on the ice and fell into the snow, he laughed loudly. He walked over to her and tried to help her up.

“It’s not snowing back there!” She ripped away from his grip, “Let me try there!”

“I don’t know if –”

“Goddamn it!” She fell face first into the snow.

The snow crunched beneath her fists as she slammed them down.

“Just… just let me try,” She covered her face with her hands as she felt her eyes swell with water, “Please. I have to find them.”

He knelt over her and slid his arms around her shoulders. Her hands touched his arms and she sobbed. He helped Charlie to her feet, and she turned to hug him. The sudden need for comfort surprised him. He held her close as she cried.

“Are you that unhappy here? I’ve tried to make things comfortable—”

“I just want to go home,” She whispered.

“If it’s that important to you, then let’s head back.”

“I can’t go back. I don’t know how.”

“Goddess, I will just take you through the water and we can return. Just tell me where you—”

“Just stop. Please.”

He dropped her and she fell back into the snow. Charlie stared at the sky as he looked down at her. She closed her eyes and steadied herself once again. His face fell as a dejected attitude washed over him.

“Did… did I do something wrong?” He asked.

“No. It’s not that. Let’s just go.”

Her sour demeanor confused him. He hadn’t done anything wrong in his eyes, but she had baffling rules he was trying to figure out. His pale grey hand cupped her face and lightly forced her to look at him.

“You are behaving strangely,” He pursed his lips, “Do you want to talk about what’s bothering you?”

“I don’t know if I can.”

He chuckled sadly, “Don’t trust me yet?”

She shook her head, “You’re sweet, but no.”

“Is it because I’m not wearing a shirt?” He asked to lighten the mood.

“Yeah, sure,” Charlie stood, “It’s time to stop playing house, though. I need to get my stomach fixed.”

“You’re right. Though, I find that phrase odd.”

“Why?”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

She brushed the snow off of her and followed him towards the icy pond. He tapped his chin in thought.

“We were not playing house. I was taking care of you.”

“A hot guy waiting on me and expecting nothing in return? You don’t think that’s every woman’s dream,” She laughed.

“Not yours,” He grinned, “You’ve made that obvious.”

“I don’t want to owe anyone anything,” She clung onto him as they stepped into the water, “Right now, I owe you quite a bit.”

“I’m sure I can think of something for you to do,” He threw her bag over his shoulder.

“No weird sex stuff.”

“No weird sex stuff?” He laughed, “Or none in general?”

She clicked her tongue and said with a teasing tone, “Just ruined that for yourself, didn’t you?”

Once they treaded up to her hips in the icy water, she shivered. Her wound spiked pain through her as they stepped deeper into the pond.

“You’re going to need to hold your breath,” He nodded, “It also helps if you close your eyes.”

“Why?”

“You may get sick.”

She sucked in the air and nodded to signal she was ready. He tucked her head against him. Charlie felt the water whip around her. When she was surrounded by cold darkness, she gasped. A comfortable warmth radiated from him, so she didn’t flee immediately. To avoid her drinking in water, he pressed his lips against hers and forced air into her lungs.

Instead of freaking out as she had the first time, Charlie thought to hell with it. If this handsome man that took care of her wanted to kiss her, then she’d treat herself. She grabbed his face and kissed him back, much to his surprise.

> Water breathing spell cast.

Gills sliced down her neck and she breathed in the water. He pinned her against him since providing her with air was no longer a necessity. Surprised by her reaction, he decided to go with it. She was thankful that the lower half of his face was scaleless or she thought it would feel weird against her lips.

When he tried to deepen the kiss, she put a hand on his chest to stop him. She pulled away from him and adamantly refused to make eye contact, but he saw the deep blush on her face. He tucked her hair back into her braided crown and grabbed her hand after a small squeeze, they swam to the surface together in complete silence.

Schools of fish followed swarmed around him as if he was a magnet. He swatted at them to get them to move.

“They seem to like you,” She awkwardly broke the silence.

“Sometimes, yes.”

“Sometimes?”

“They sense emotions,” He shrugged, “The stronger the emotion, the more curious or frightened they can be.”

Charlie decided not to respond. When they breached the surface of the water, she dispelled her gills and swam towards the land. Porcelain chunks of her captives littered the rocky shores. As she stepped towards the closest piece, she slid the mug from her arm and looked for the glowing rune. Once again, it didn’t have a light.

“You should change into dry clothes,” He extended her bag to her.

“Give me a second, then,” She reached for it without looking at him, “And turn around.”

The furious blush turned her face red. She searched for another gemstone. He sat with his back to her.

“Are we going to talk about—”

“Sure aren’t!”

“Okay,” He laughed, “I’ll pretend it never happened.”

“Sounds great!” She grabbed the blue and purple gemstone.

Charlie watched him as she pressed the small knot that tied the fur shawl over her winter-based clothes. When they began to whisk back into the black stone, she pressed the blue and purple one to her hip and the outfits quickly changed. Once she snatched her hat from the air, she pulled it over her head to hide her face.

“Okay. I’m ready,” She slung the bag over her shoulder, “How long until we get to Vlaminer?”

“A few days, at least. If you aren’t sure you can walk on your own, I can get us a horse.”

“Let’s see how I feel first. Besides, how much money do you even had from selling fish?”

“Oh, I killed that gold metal thing. It’s been melted down, even,” He said casually, “The woods should be clear for a while.”

Charlie blinked at the thought that he could destroy the piles of animatronics that littered the shore around them. He wasn’t much taller than she was. He was well toned and muscular, but she wasn’t sure how exactly he could fight them.

“How the hell did you do that?”

“You must think I’m weak,” He smirked at her surprise, “I wanted to make sure your friends were safe, should they come around looking for you.”

“That’s sweet,” Charlie looked down, so the rim of her witch’s hat blocked his view of her face, “Thank you.”

“Is that also something you will owe me for?” He teased.

She titled her head up to narrow her eyes at him. She quickly stuck her tongue out at him and laughed. He grinned coyly at her childish response. He enjoyed their interactions as much as she did.

He pointed away from the lake, “Let’s start walking.”

Charlie crossed her arms over her stomach as she walked. He protectively watched their surroundings. He wasn’t sure how to ease the unexpected tension between them. He decided to let her speak first. She winced or sucked in air while they walked if her stomach hurt. Besides that, she didn’t say anything. After hours of not talking, he sighed and gave in.

“Is it—”

“What’s that?” She pointed at a trunk and ran towards it.

“You don’t have to make something up to avoid talking to me,” He called after her.

Charlie rolled her eyes. She placed her hand on the tree trunk where she saw the marking. “CLW” was carved in the tree. Her fingers followed the letters. It wasn’t a coincidence that her initials were here.

“What did you find?” The man walked up behind her.

“My initials…” She whispered, “Davon must have been through here. They were here!”

A girlish squeal escaped her at the thought of reuniting with her friends. Charlie knew that they were on their way to Vlaminer. Her new friend would help her get there and she could introduce them. He seemed lonely and maybe he’d like to travel with them.

“Davon? That is an odd name.”

Lake’s icy blue eyes grew as he realized where he knew the name. He took a step back and examined Charlie again. When he realized that she was the person Puddles was looking for, his nose twitched in disbelief.

This was a goddess. She had to be a goddess, or his identification spell would be able to read her. It was the only explanation.

She peered at him over her shoulder. His reaction surprised her, so she pulled her hand from the carved tree.

“What?”

“Nothing,” He shook his head, “If they were here, they may already be on their way to Vlaminer.”

Lake chose not to tell her that he now knew who she was. If Charlie did not trust him with that information, then perhaps Ocean had told her to lie to any other god she ran into. He lowered his head in thought as she followed an eastern bound trail.

“Why wouldn’t I be able to see anything?” He whispered to himself, “My spell didn’t identify anything with her. That doesn’t make any sense. It can’t be the same woman.”

Charlie looked over her shoulder at the man lost in himself in his thoughts.

“If Ocean’s ordered all of us to help with her, then that would explain why I feel this protective.”

He continued to mumble to himself until she stopped, and he bumped into her.

“You’re being weird,” She tilted her head up to look at him, “Is it because I kissed you back? Listen. It’s not like—”

“No, no. Sorry. I’m lost in thought about something else entirely,” He held his hands up defensively then smirked, “Besides, I thought you didn’t want to talk about it.”

“Well, if you were going to be weird about it, then I would have!” She rolled her eyes and turned around, “What’s got you so deep in thought?”

“Your initials,” He lied, “I did not think I’d see them.”

“Well, if that’s what’s making you nervous,” She anxiously shuffled at the thought of some weird fae rules, “Just tell me yours.”

“L,” He nodded.

“Just L? That feels like a lie,” Charlie hummed in thought, “Fine. Don’t tell me.”

“I did—”

“Just rude that you basically know my full name,” She continued down the path.

“My friends didn’t write to down,” He teased, “Besides, I’m sure you’ll slip and tell me your name eventually. It’s almost a game now.”

“One you’ll lose!”

“You are amusing, C.”

She turned and an uncharacteristically flashed a bright smile, “So are you, L.”

If this was the anomaly, she was far different from Ocean’s champion and lover. Captain Shaun seemed so cartoonishly moral and stern when he was younger. The old sailor was powerful in his memories. This woman seemed like a nymph compared to him. He wondered if Ocean found her champion alluring as well.

Lake reached out to touch her. She blushed and turned back around before his fingers brushed her face. She held her hat on her head and picked up the pace of their hike. He followed behind her as he diligently kept his eyes and ears open for any dangers. Eventually, she slowed down enough until she heavily panted and slowly knelt down.

“Are you alright?!”

Charlie sucked air in between her teeth, “I think I split my wound open again.”

Lake knelt at her side. She pulled her hands from her stomach. She cursed at her blood-soaked hands.

“We need a horse, then,” He frowned, “I used the last of the ointment this morning.”

She grimaced, “I could always give myself stitches, but I don’t have any of that stuff.”

“Do you want me to carry you?”

“Not especially, no,” She pursed her lips but relented, “But I guess I’ll let you help.”

"Lean on me for now."

He slid her arm over his shoulders and pulled her against him. They walked until she leaned against him with nearly all of her weight. As she hobbled along the trail, he sighed. He pulled her behind him and crouched down.

“Hop on.”

“I don’t need you to—”

“I’m not asking. You’re slowing us down. You’ll die before we make any progress at this rate.”

Charlie reluctantly climbed onto his back and grumbled, “Don’t make me feel fat.”

Lake effortlessly stood and wrapped her legs around his waist. She squeaked as he jumped to adjust her weight. Her arms pulled her against his back.

“Don't choking me,” He chuckled, “Also, you keep insinuating I’m weak. I’m almost insulted.”

“I’ll stop if you aren’t struggling to carry me within the next fifteen minutes,” She teased, “I try not to get my hopes up with other people.”

“I will strive to keep you from being disappointed, then.”

Charlie rested her face against his dense, muscular back. The larger scales felt nice and cold against her sweaty face. Even though she saw him shirtless for over a week, it still felt odd to see his more reptilian features.

He carried her without complaint and faster than she could on her own. The longer they walked, the more lightheaded she felt. He hurried faster with the more blood he felt smear against his back.

"Are you alright?"

"Just a little woozy," She groaned, "You?"

"You're lighter than air."

"Liar."

Despite the progress, he wondered if he should turn around and take her back to the lake to keep her secluded until she was better suited for travel. He thought about letting her rest for another week, finding a horse and carriage, and letting her ride in mild comfort to their final destination. After putting enough distance between them and the lake, he found their first stop.

A dilapidated barn in the distance showed that the farm of weeds wasn't just nature's plan. Clinks of metal on metal echoed from the well-lit area. Heat radiated into the air as they approached. He sat her feet down and held her upright.

“Farmer!” Lake called, “Come out here!”

“That’s pretty rude,” Charlie elbowed him, “Be nice.”

The metal sound stopped at his voice. A burly man slid the barn door open and grunted when he saw the pair. He threw off his leather apron and combed his fingers through his singed beard to make himself more presentable.

“This the woman you talked about?”

“Yes,” Lake said, “We need the horse.”

“Want me to take a look at it?” The man pointed to the bloodstain on her clothes, “Might be able to help.”

"I don’t want to be rude," Charlie looked at the soot on his hands, “But do you know first aid?”

“Got to in my line of work,” He nodded, “Name’s Greg.”

“Nice to meet you,” She looked over at her companion before turning back to the man, “I’m Charlie.”

“Odd name for an odd woman,” He grunted, “Come into the forge and make yourself at home.”

She shuffled into the barn and saw a large fire pit. An anvil and barrel of oil sat on one side and metal on the other. Gold bars rested against the wall. Lake walked over to inspect them. Charlie watched him curiously when his demeanor changed.

Internally, Lake struggled with the confirmation of her identity. He wanted to tell her who he was and that he was meant to find her either way. He also knew that she wasn’t likely to believe him after that morning. At least he confirmed that she was, unfortunately, the woman Puddles searched for. Ocean’s plan was for him to take over her care at Vlaminer either way, so they could just skip the city all together. Something told Lake that she needed to go there, though. She wanted to, so he would take her.

“You’re a blacksmith?” Charlie asked as Greg came back into the barn.

“Have been for about a decade now,” He pointed, “Hop up on the table so I can get a better look at you.”

She walked to the wooden table and climbed on top. The water god decided to put his spiralling thoughts aside to see what they were up to. He stood at their side and watched them. She playfully plopped her hat on top of Lake. His puzzled face made her chuckle. She laid down as Greg approached.

“Yer going to move your shirt, or should I?”

Lake interrupted before she responded, “Have you finished my order?”

“Nearly. I’m on the last crucible now,” He waited for her to lift her shirt, “This is going to hurt.”

Charlie watched him pull a needle from his pocket and thread it with his dirty fingers. He licked the thread and tied it into a knot. He drummed his fingers along the wound’s edge as he examined it.

“What happened to you?”

“I’m not quick enough to get out of the way,” She laughed nervously.

“I’m going to get alcohol,” He stepped away from her.

“To clean?”

“To drink," He nodded, "We’re both going to need it. I mostly sew leather, not sloshing skin.”

“Oh, great,” She exhaled a long breath, “Perfect.”