Camping

The next morning Draven woke up and noticed that Sarah wasn't lying beside him. He reached out and noted that the bedding was cold to the touch. Frowning he sat up and left the tent, only to stop short when he saw his clothing on a pile of sticks that were stacked up the night before as well as a pot filled with oatmeal still kept warm by the glowing embers of the fire and small lights flying around the campground. He walked around, trying to see if he could see where Sarah had gone, but seeing no sign of her he placed his hands on his hips and frowned. "Where did she go?"
Several fairies flew close to him, their actions beckoning him until he walked to the creek, grabbing his pants as he walked. Sitting on the bank he put his clothing on while the fairies flew around the embankment. Looking down at the soft soil, he saw footprints in the dirt. Standing to his feet he followed the prints until they ended at a pool. He knelt down and got some water in his hands and while he drank from his cupped hands he noticed a flash of silver in the center of the pool. Leaning over to see if he could get a better look, he fell into the water.
A shadowed shape moves in front of him while he was under the water, and he could see that it was human shaped because the water being so pure that he could see very well. The sight of something swimming in the water causes his heart to race in fear and he quickly swims up to the surface and climbs out of the pool. When he got back on the shore he noticed that his clothing was still dry. Muttering under his breath, "Wonder if this is something those blasted fairy fire flies did when they were flying around while I was sleeping…."
Turning around back to the pool, Draven kneels down towards the water and braces his hands on the embankment and lowers his upper body so that he can stick his head under the water to look again at the figure swimming around. The soft ground crumbles under his weight and he tumbles head first back into the pool. The splash of his body falling in a second time causes the birds that were roosting nearby to fly off into the sky, squawking during their flight. As he looks around, the shape is closer to him, and he can make out enough characteristics to see that the swimming figure is Sarah, and she has a tail like a fish.
She swims up and wraps her hands around his ribs, tugging him to the surface so that he can breathe. Once they reach the surface he looks at her as he feels her tail bumping lightly against his legs. "So… you're… you're a mermaid then?"
Sarah blushes brightly as she sweeps her hair from her face. "No, not a true one. I'm a child of Calypso, she's like my … great grandmother six times over. And because I'm a relative, I grow a tail and I have to stay close to the water."
Draven nods softly and starts to swim closer to her, placing his hand on her cheek, he leans close to her. "I missed you this morning my dear."
She blinks at him as her tail dissolves and she once more has her legs and she swims on the surface of the water. "I … didn't think you'd be up this early."
He chuckles softly and leans close, kissing her on her lips. "Of course I missed you. Why wouldn't I miss you." He looked up at the sky and smirked at her. "We got a few hours before having to head out on the road, why don't we head back to the camp and spend some time together?"
Sarah blushes deeply and follows him to the shore. They both climb out of the water and Draven slips an arm around her waist. They walk down the path a few feet before Draven steps behind Sarah and scoops her into his arms while they walk. He leans down and nips her lips. Her arms wrap around his neck as she giggles softly when his arms wrap tighter around her. He leans further down and begins kissing her neck and shoulders while Sarah giggles again as she arches her body closer to him.
"You know… you don't HAVE to carry me around Draven. I can walk on my own."
Draven chuckles against the nape of her neck while his arm tightens to that his hand could cup the side of her breast. "True, but we don't know who is watching us and where they are watching us at. Don't want anyone to not believe that we are really a happily married couple after all." He leans up and looks in her eyes. "Besides, I enjoy carrying around such a beautiful woman."
His words were like a splash of ice water on her mind as she was reminded of the ruse that they had been incorporating since he figured out who she was and they were trying to secure a room in the inn. His words also reminded her of his recent education in the more sensual pleasures of two bodies meeting and how he would want to be with a woman who brings him pleasure. It just happened to be her instead of someone else. "There are many women in the next city. Maybe he can choose one from there if he doesn't want to be with me. I guess I'll just figure something out."
Her musings were interrupted when Draven stumbled and fell to the side. The cause became evident as several fairies flew around Sarah's head, as she herself felt Draven loosen his grasp on her so that she could stand to her feet. Frowning as she listened to the fairies, Sarah spotted a branch that looked to be the right height for Draven's frame, and after picking off the loose ends and smoothing down the outside bark, she handed it to him, biting the inside of her lip. "They say that there is a bear up ahead rummaging through the campsite. No doubt he's looking for food since bears rarely come close to people unless they are hungry."
Draven looks up at her as she settles back on the heels of her feet and continues. "We have two choices. We can both stay here and wait for him to leave, or I can try to go scare him off while you rest here recuperating from the twisted ankle that I'm sure you have."
Draven shakes his head as he uses the stick to prop his foot up from the ground. "Let's opt for number one. I prefer for you to not put yourself in danger just because I'm out of commission."
Sarah nods softly and then turns towards the fairies that remained hovering around the couple. She sings softly to them and they rush off after a few hushed lines. Draven looks at her questioningly and she shrugs as she sits beside him. "They are going to urge the bear away. If he thinks that fairies have taken over the campsite he'll leave it alone quicker than if he thinks it's just an abandoned campsite."