There was nothing unusual about Lorea wandering out and away from her home at night, and the reason had nothing to do with sleeping problems. Rather, she found the night extremely calming, serene, and lovely, and she was willing to sacrifice a few hours of sleep from time to time to experience it. Tonight's almost full moon made the prospect of a drowsy morning well worth it.

Lorea's wanderings were not aimless. She sought out her usual nighttime spot: the creek that was only a short distance from her home, and she judged that she was quite close by now. Her bare feet were beginning to get rather cold, but she didn't mind. Feeling the cool, spongy ground was an essential part of the experience. Her right hand was tightly wrapped around a light spear, for one never knew what could be lurking in the shadows, even in the light of the moon. Soon, the faint sound of trickling water prickled in her ears, and Lorea broke into a full run.

There it was:shimmering moonlight reflecting off of gently flowing water. Lorea stopped suddenly, and she could feel her bare feet sink slightly into the cold mud. She stood still for a moment to take in the scene. Beautiful. Nothing short of beautiful, but she was not here to passively enjoy her surroundings. Lorea laid down her spear and quickly removed her clothes. Carefully and cautiously she waded into the icy water, which gave her a sensation that could only be described as both painful and refreshing. She waded further in until she reached a point where the cold water nearly came up to her hips.

Moonlight, cold water, solitude. This was quite the perfect night.

It had started with a dare. It always started with a dare.

He was sixteen now! He was a full hunter and a man of the tribe. But somehow, if Mikel told him to do it, he would always do it. Because of course, Xanti would know what Mikel thought of him, and Xanti's opinion was of utmost importance. He was his older brother, and one day, when they were no longer the Zerui, they would be the Xantii. And it wasn't just Mikel. It was also Peru, who let him train his favorite horse, even though his father disapproved of it. But it was true--Iñaki was a better horse-trainer than Peru! Still, he supposed the 'weakling' would seem like a shameful person to better your son at horse-training.

So when Mikel had told him to go as far as he could onto Ekaini land and bring back one of their horses, he had to agree. He had started out two days ago, on foot so he wouldn't be hampered bringing back two horses and so that he could move more silently over populated land. And now he was mostly into Ekaini territory... and he was thirsty! There had been fewer streams in his route than he had anticipated. And, he realized belatedly, he hadn't wiped off the face paint that marked him as Zerui. They had insisted he wear it, of course, so that he wouldn't simply pass for Zerui.

Well, if he washed it off and repainted it, what could they do to him?

Many things. So he wouldn't. But he was so thirsty. So thirsty he woke up in the middle of the night with his legs spasming in his bedroll. It didn't help that the only food he had was dried meat and barley cakes. His mouth tasted like leather. So he got up and wandered off. Surely there would be water somewhere?

Sure enough! Soon he heard the sound of water, and there: it came into view. He was so thirsty he almost didn't notice the naked woman standing in the middle of it, wet to her hips, and at first thought she was a hallucination, the embodiment of his greatest dreams: a beautiful, naked woman, and water, all at once. But no. He blinked and looked again, and she was real. So he stopped, nervous. What if she saw him and screamed?

At last, however, his thirst won out over his fear, and he crept forward, trying to stay in the shadows, to kneel at the side of the river, scooping up mouthfuls and sucking them down greedily. He made enough noise that she might hear him, but he didn't care.

Lorea bent over slightly to cup some cold water in her hands, which she slowly poured over her body. A new chill raced through her skin and into her spine, for everything that was already wet had begun to grow numb to the cold. Her ears perked up at the unexpected sound of footsteps followed by soft splashes. However, she did not turn to face the newcomer, nor did she run away, nor did she even feel discomfort at the thought of some stranger seeing her naked body. Lorea saw no need to feel ashamed or frightened, so she kept her focus on enjoying this icy midnight bath.

Shame and fear she might not have felt, but she did begin to pay very close attention to her surroundings; eyes quickly darting toward her spear on the shore before settling back on the water around her. Lorea was fairly sure that this stranger was a man because no man she knew would dare let his wife out alone at night. She also knew that men existed who didn't give a damn that she was more like them than the women they lusted for. Asserting herself only seemed necessary.

"It would wise for you not to wander much closer," she said sharply, still not giving the stranger the respect of turning to look him in the eye. Lorea was confident that--if necessary--her stronger spirit could aid in self-defense. She was loath to admit that her body was still the weaker sort. Then again, there was even still a chance that this stranger intended to do no harm. Though, Lorea was not about to make that foolish assumption.

He relaxed a little when she didn't even turn to look at him, and hastily swallowed as much water as his stomach would hold. Feeling sated at last, and rather sloshy, in fact, he turned to look at her again as she bathed. So intent was he that he forgot about the now-smeared face paint--which was still distinctive enough to mark him as Zerui. She was so beautiful! He had seen his share of partially or completely naked women before, of course. He had watched other women bathe, and plenty went without tunics in the summer months.

But she was different. First of all, she was Ekaini, and therefore forbidden... and he had listened to the Elders sing too many stories of forbidden romance not to find that they pulled on his heartstrings. Second of all, here, in the still darkness and the moonlight--she was looked like some sort of otherworldly being. If the Moon were a god like Eguzki, she would be its embodiment.

Besides, her coldness toward him made him want to try harder. Most women liked him very much. He wanted her to like him, too. So he stood up and kicked off his moccasins before wading into the water, heedless of the wetness of his pants. After all, if he stripped it might seem aggressive. As it was, he just wanted to be closer to her.

"Please, your name at least," he said, coming slowly toward her through the water, hands held out from his body to show that he meant no harm. "You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

A seed of frustration began to spout within her as she heard the sound she hoped she would not have to. The loud, sloshing splashes that approached her could only be made by somebody walking through the water. Was he stupid or just dead set on intruding into her space? Lorea did not give him her name, for why should she respect his request when he had not done the same for her. His flattery didn't work either because she had a strange notion in her head that 'beautiful' was all too often a kinder word for 'desirable,' not what she wanted to be.

"I told you not to come any closer!" she warned again, speaking as if she was scolding a misbehaving child. He certainly did seem like a stubborn child. Finally, she turned to face him, to show him the stern look on her face, but the look he would receive would be much harsher. She thought that she recognized the smeared markings on his face, and her own expression instantly turned into one of shock and disgust. Her face might have looked similar if she had seen one of her sisters slain before her eyes.

"Get away!" she nearly growled. "Unless I'm wrong about what you are, leave now!" Her thoughts instinctively turned to her spear that was still lying on the shore with her clothing. Images of stabbing this sem'zakur through the heart flashed through her mind, and she thought the idea was tempting. Such a murderous impulse would likely be praised. However, Lorea suppressed that impulse and simply stepped back. For now.

Sudden shock rippled through him when he saw her expression, and he glanced down to the water for a moment. It told him all he needed to know. The face paint! Quickly, he scooped up a handful of water, and managed to smear most of it off, rubbing at his cheeks to get the remainder.

"No, you misunderstand." Still, he backed away, his hands up. He didn't like the anger he could see in her flashing eyes, and he didn't want to risk a fight. He wouldn't, after all, fight back; not against a woman. Though the thought of her body on his... well... despite his fear he was having a very common reaction, one not well-hidden by his water-soaked clothes. But this was hardly the time to think of that. "I am of the Zerui, but I'm not--I've never hurt one of your people, I swear. I'm only 16, just a warrior this year, and we're your allies now..." He started to babble nervously. "Besides, I only came into your territory on a dare." He neglected that the dare had been to steal a horse, which seemed, at this point, exceedingly unlikely.

Then again, now all he wanted was this woman. Not even permanently, though that would be wonderful, but just for the night. "Maybe it was a sign from Eguzki, maybe I was meant to meet you--please don't hurt me. You have my heart, I promise." It would have sounded grand were it not for the part where he begged her not to hurt him.

Lorea listened to him plead, still staying on guard in case she needed to attack, defend, or run. When she heard what he had to say it took her a good deal of self-control not to laugh at him. Well, it seemed that at least one thing about their people was not all that different: the young were still foolish and sometimes weak as well. Lorea would never deny that she herself as well as everyone she knew had been like that once. She understood his helplessness, so her anger subsided a bit, but she did not soften or let her guard down.

"Then it was foolish of you to accept that dare," she said with a critically caustic bite and she folded her arms beneath her bare breasts. "As for your heart, I want nothing to do with it, and that's not because of who you are. It's more a matter of what you are because I have no interest in men." Lorea could tell plainly that his thoughts were likely of a carnal nature, and while she couldn't hold thoughts alone against him, it sparked some unpleasant thoughts of her own that made her feel sick.

Lorea tired to purge such foul thoughts from her head as she closely watched him for a reaction. Young as helpless as he was, she couldn't gauge exactly how set he was on being with her, though her own impression was that he was far from the brutish type. Still, there was more than her refusal to react to. Her own curiosity had been sparked. Would he be able to figure out the truth, or would he think she was simply chaste? It was almost a game.

He froze at her words. First, her admonishment struck at his heart, for he knew he had been stupid to accept such a dare. Without the shadow of a doubt his father would be thunderously angry when he got back--and his father angry was a frightening sight. He was so busy feeling hurt that she saw him as a rebellious child that he almost overlooked her next words--almost.

A woman with the spirit of a man? Of course, he didn't believe in spirits. There was only the all-encompassing Eguzki, whose spirit made up all the world, in which there were men and women. There was no such thing as a man-spirit in a woman's body... particularly not one so beautiful! The thought of it, though... and, well, it was so spooky out here alone with her, in the water... and she looked almost feral--wild--it was enough to make him rethink his religion!

He shook his head, still backing away from her as though she were a wild animal, the heat of his desire quickly turning to ice in his veins.

"Oh.. I'm sorry, then," he stuttered, teeth chattering, he realized, both with the cold of the water and plain fear. "That is I--I didn't mean--you're not really a man in there, are you? You're, well, you're a woman." He gestured to her body. "So you should desire men. Is it me? Is it because I'm Zerui? Because I might not be much longer," he finished glumly--and exaggeratedly.

That look of anger and disgust came back to Lorea's face. She felt as if she had been deeply insulted. Who was this stranger (and enemy, no less) to tell her who she was and who she was supposed to desire? She briefly wondered if it was true what they said about the Zerui not believing in spirits, in which case she should not take his stupid, ignorant words so personally. No, she could still not get past the fact that he had insulted her in the worst way possible; he had insulted her spirit.

"I am a woman in body only," she aid with a clear bite to each word. "I have never desired men, and I never will. In fact, right now I don't desire anyone except my own wife." Lorea intentionally did not mention anything about him being Zerui. One, she thought she had made her point clear enough anyway. Two, it did have something to with it. His maleness was still the main factor for her lack of interest, but Lorea also could not say that she would gladly go off with a Zerui woman.

"You really should choose your words more carefully, or at least not speak." This time she tried to keep her voice calm and somewhat steady. "I wouldn't kill you, but another insult might be enough to make me want to hurt you." She actually already wanted to hurt him, but she kept that impulse to herself. For now.

A wife? She had a wife? Oh, he knew the Ekaini practiced that custom, but he had never been presented with it so bluntly. There was always the chance that it was a lie, because she just did not look like the kind of woman who was really a man. Her breasts, for one thing, were much too... well, there, right where he could see them. What use were they if she weren't a woman?

And now she was threatening him. Maybe she had bewitched him, only to try to break his heart be never allowing him to touch her. Maybe he would wither away, pining for her forever in enemy territory. Except that he was cold, and wanted out of the water and to get back home where it was warm, as he'd just realized his only pair of trousers was soaking-wet now, up to the hip. Eguzki was laughing at him now.

"I'm not insulting you," he muttered, too low for her to hear, clambering up onto the riverbank. Water poured from his pants, and he bent to squeeze out as much as he could. "Don't report me to your guards? They could get in a lot of trouble for killing a Zerui, you know!"

Lorea carefully watched him leave, reelieved to finally see him go. What a strange encounter that was, but she would soon be left by herself again. Unfortunately, it seemed that this outing was already ruined. She didn't plan on lingering much longer, for the cold water than once felt so wonderful was almost becoming painfully cold. Solitude and moonlight was what she had wanted, but she only got moonlight. Honestly, she had not even been able to enjoy that much. Lorea sighed softly and dipped her hands back into the cold water.

"I promise not to tell if you promise to lay low. I might be in trouble for not reporting you." Her voice had finally gone back to neutral, though Lorea's neutral was still slightly abrasive. She still watched him closely, but her attention was turned back towards herself and trying to enjoy the rest of her icy bath. With her eyes still fixed on the strange young man, she ran her wet hands over her still dry shoulders, secretly hoping that no one would ever find out about their encounter. Even though nothing had happened, it was still something she did not want to have to explain to her wife.

Lorea finally turned her attention away from the stranger, nearly ignoring him.. She bent over to dunk her head into the icy water and after a moment came back up quickly. A mess of soaking raven hair and drops of water swirled around her. She would be leaving soon, and she had almost forgotten about the Zerui man who still stood on the bank.

He watched her with lust and horror commingled in his eyes. To be honest it wasn't a sight he could have looked away from. His body yearned toward her. If nothing else, it had been days since he'd seen a woman. And here was one washing right in front of him. Besides, a small, terrible part of his mind kept telling him that unless he stayed and saw all he could he'd have nothing to describe to Mikel and Peru and the others. There was some chance she might still change her mind, right? Really, what woman would just stand naked in the middle of a stream in front of a man if she didn't intend to seduce him?

"At least tell me your name!" he called out at last, a final, desperate bid. If he had that information he could stop thinking of her as some sort of witch-spirit and put her firmly in the category of a woman--though it would be disturbing if she had a man's name, too. Had she been born half a man? But no, he could see that she was all female in body. "Please--I'll pine away." He couldn't tell her his. If she knew that the son of the Warlord was on Ekaini lands, well... he could be taken hostage, or killed, or who knew what else.

She pushed the wet strands of hair out of her face and turned to give him one final look. "It's Lorea," she said, annoyed and disappointed that he was not yet gone. She decided against giving her full name; for reasons she could not quite place she was not comfortable with the idea of him knowing anything more about about her. "And one last thing, don't get too excited, you're lusting for a man, after all." She chuckled to herself, hoping that statement might drive him away quicker.

And without any parting words--no farewell or any other sort of pleasantries--Lorea went right back to ignoring him. She gave her head a good, wild shake and wrung out the excess water. Now more than ever, she made a special effort to keep any of her movements from looking too enticing. He already made it plenty clear that he likely wanted to stay and watch her, there was no reason to give him any more excuses to tarry around any longer.

Lorea. It was a girl's name! And a beautiful one. Whens he said he was lusting after a man he completely ignored her, as obviously it was untrue; only by her logic could he believe it at all, and he didn't run his life by her logic. Besides, what man took such good care of his hair? His own was still in two knotted plaits, the strands practically fused together with the dirt of travel. He might have liked to bathe, too, but of course... that was impossible.

Taking a deep breath before he lost his nerve, he called out to her. "I'm Iñaki sem'Zeru!" The words were whipped toward her on a sudden wind, and he dashed off as though trying to win a race, his head down, his wet trousers hampering his stride. He realized only too late that he had left his moccasins by the river, but he could hardly go back for them now... he would have to make the trek home barefoot. It wasn't so bad, really. He often went barefoot so late in the season. But it would be one more thing he would have to explain to his father.

Ah well! At least he knew the name of the witch, and she knew that Iñaki sem'Zeru had been this far into Ekaini lands undetected!