Prelude:
The water thrashed against the shoreline. Although it was officially a river, its wide and wild nature proclaimed it otherwise. Most stayed away from the feral waves, but it was merely a subject to its only visitor. A being of some power rested beside it daily, leaning in the shade of her branches and cooling her roots in the still of the water beside her.
On one seemingly typical day, the Queen sat peacefully and closed her eyes to block the midday sun, when she sensed a change. Looking around for the source, she suddenly noticed a floating clay sphere, bobbing in every direction while the waters waved around it.
As the River Annan brought it closer, she began to hear the soft mewls inside. The water rose, as if creating a hand, and reached to display the unusual object to her. Curious, the Queen lifted it out of the water. Suddenly, a soft kick from the inside removed the top half. A crying child squirmed inside the makeshift cradle. The Queen, unused to such blatant displays of disrespectful behavior, began to yell at the wrinkly infant.
“You will stop that incessant sound at once!” she exclaimed to no avail. With her branches on her hips, she peered closer and said, “I am Queen Drusilla, ruler of the land, the river and sky, and I command you to silence yourself!” When the boy did not comply, the Queen angrily picked up the cradle with the intention of throwing it back into the violent waters. However, when she clutched the baby to her breast, it hushed instantly. She once again looked down at the little one and noticed it staring back. It’s brilliant and innocent blue eyes shone as they gazed at her, pleading her to save him. To protect him. Her hypnotic brown eyes captivated the tyke. The Queen smiled.
“Well aren’t you unexpected?” she lightly cooed. A leaf fell from one of her many arms and onto his tiny stomach. As she brushed it away, she cradled him closer. Feeling safe in her arms, the boy swiftly drifted off into slumber. “I think I’ll keep you,” she whispered, “My William.” She kissed his forehead and started to head back toward the forest.
The river, furious at her decision to save him, lapped onto the shore and around her ankles.
“Give him back!” it gurgled as the mud tried to suck it down. The waters struggled to climb up the Queen to steal the child back again, but with one look it all fell into a puddle. Slinking back into the river, it murmured apologetically. So enraged was she by the rivers’ defiance that her leaves began to smoke from the heat of her glare. Realizing her dilemma, she turned away and faced the baby once more.
“How can I keep you safe, my William? How can I protect you?” Just then, she heard a rustling in the nearby brush; out jumped a small fawn. It nestled against the bark of her legs and then rushed back into the trees. Taking it as a sign, the Queen nodded and waved her hand above the babe. “From this day forth, you shall take the form of a fawn by day and a man by night. You will be mine, as I have protected you from the river that wished to destroy you.” Stroking the baby’s face, a thin, golden line appeared on his cheek. It dissolved into his skin soon after.
With one last glare at the river she bounded back into the forest. The Queen once again smiled at her newborn son, Prince William. She would cherish him and he would never leave her. As long as he was hidden, he would stay with her always.
“My William,” she announced through the breeze.
. . . . . . . .
The Hazards of Love
18 Years Later
Elizabeth Summers, known by all as Buffy, rode out into the wilderness at dusk. Crying, she forced the horse to go faster and faster. Tear stroked sideways across her cheeks as the wind blew towards her. She was never allowed to go farther than the village limits, but the land had called out to her. A fight with her father that day had been the final straw.
Hank Summers, a well-respected member of the community, naturally wanted to marry his only daughter off. When he mentioned a deal to marry his stubborn Buffy to the village doctor, Riley Finn, she fought him. She stated that she had the right to marry whomever she loved. Hank thought she had had enough time to find a love of her own and it was time for him to intervene. He didn’t want a Spinster’s life for his one and only daughter.
At first, his wife Joyce tried to reason with both parties, but soon gave up when she realized that neither would ever agree to any terms of marriage. In a fit of rage, her young daughter of eighteen ran outside. Mounting her horse, Buffy rode out into the distance. Hank had angrily announced his return to the pub, but Joyce sensed something different about her daughter running out this time.
While Buffy had escaped marriage deals before, she was sure Hank was through with letting them slide. Joyce had a feeling that Buffy knew it too. So as she sank farther and farther below the hills, Joyce wondered if she would ever see her darling again. She returned to the house in silent tears.
The wind stung her face as it whipped across her. Part of her wanted to return and submit to her fathers’ wishes, but she knew she would never be happy with a man like Riley Finn. She had to experience life beyond the town that had imprisoned her so. She was done being “sweet Buffy Summers,” a credit to the community, but too stubborn to be a proper bride. She would never discard the values her mother had taught her, but she now had the freedom to choose.
As Buffy came to Offa’s wall, a wave of nervousness crept up her spine. Turning around, she realized she had lost sight of the village. She did not know if she would ever return home. While the thought was somewhat pleasing, it occurred to her how much she had to sacrifice to expand her horizons. And when in the wilderness, what then? What could she do? She had no friends beyond the village and knew nothing of her surroundings. In theory, Buffy always thought of herself as an adventurous person, but she had never put the theory into practice. Now faced with the possibility of adventure, she remained still on her horse, considering her options.
Fortunately, he decision was made for her. A small snake slithered in the grass nearby her light brown stallion. When it noticed the amphibian, it reared back into a gallop. Buffy tried to calm her horse down, but it fearfully continued to run. Eventually, she was able to stop her horse right as they reached the edge of a grand forest. Buffy hopped off Glory and held the reigns as she inched closer to the wall of trees. They were so tall she could barely see the setting sun behind them. She considered entering the forest, but Glory seemed too nervous to enter beside her. Buffy stroked the horse’s neck and tied her to the nearest tree.
Stepping carefully into the coolness of the forest, she wondered aloud if she had ever heard of a forest nearby. She thought that she might have heard talk of such a grand one being so close. Then again, not many villagers went past the limits, let alone Offa’s wall. A little further in and Buffy was ready to turn back; nothing seemed particularly fascinating, that is until she heard something. A mewl and a rustling through the trees. That familiar pang of nervousness found its way up her spine once more, making her hair stand on end.
More than ready to leave, she turned around and quickly padded through the underbrush. Autumn was already here, she noticed, as the colorful leaves blanketed the ground. The village trees had not even begun to turn. She paused for a moment to inspect further when the rustling came back, louder this time.
“Wh-who’s there?” she whispered, not really wanting a response. Suddenly a small fawn peeked out from behind a tree. A sigh of relief left her lips as she smiled at the creature. “Oh, are you the one making all this noise and scaring me half to death?” she cooed as she kneeled to the ground. The deer started to back away, hesitant of the intruder, but mewled when it stepped onto it’s bad leg.
“Are you hurt?” she asked softly. With extreme carefulness, the girl snuck closer to the fawn. Unable to leave it’s the position, the deer shook in fear. “Oh, no! You’ve hurt your leg! Let me help you,” she spoke softly. When she reached it, she stroked its head to calm it down. As she lifted her hand to hopefully cure its wound, the ground started to shake.
The shaking became so violent that Buffy fell backward into the pile of leaves. Suddenly, it stopped and complete silence surrounded her. She sat up and noticed that the fawn had left, the poor deer. It had probably been scared away by the earthquake.
Buffy stood and started brushing the dirt off her dress. As she went down to pick up a shred of it, she noticed movement behind the tree. Excited that the deer may have remained, she quickly followed the sound.
But instead of the fawn, something else stood in its place. A man.
Buffy gasped and blushed profusely at his apparent nudity. However, she was unable to look away for he was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen. He stood like the Greek statues she had seen in books, but he was ever so much more wonderful. His high cheek bones, his toned, muscular body, his sandy blond hair shining in the moonlight, and his sapphire eyes staring at her intensely in the moonlight.
William changed back to his human form, as he did every night, but this night was different. He stood before the most beautiful creature he’d ever seen. Her emerald green eyes shown with compassion and fiery spirit, her pale skin seemed to glow in the small slits of light remaining through the trees, her long blond locks curling gracefully down her back, her lusciously pink lips, her petit, but curvaceous, form. At one glance, his blood boiled for her, this goddess before him. He wanted her like he had never wanted anything in his existence. She smiled politely, and somewhat embarrassed, and his heart fluttered in his chest. He had never felt so alive.
Without thinking, the man walked toward the woman, gently gliding across the ground. He gracefully swept a tendril of hair behind her ear. Stunned, she stood perfectly still and gasped softly.
He was mesmerized by her lips and unknowingly took another step toward her.
She had never believed in love at first sight, but now she wasn’t so sure. She took another step toward him until they were flush against one another. Buffy desired this stranger more than anyone she had ever known. As she caressed his muscular arms, she felt his own desire pressing in her dress.
But he was not embarrassed by his desire. On the contrary, he could not help but shudder as she traced patterns on his skin. His eyes moved from her lips, to other parts of her, back to her eyes and lips again.
“Perfect,” he spoke huskily. She shuddered at the way his voice made the place between her legs moisten with need. Unable to stand it any longer, his kissed her voraciously. She met his hunger as their tongues battled for dominance. He ripped at her garments and pushed her back, capturing her between himself and the tree. Suckling at her neck and jaw line, he managed to remove most of her now tattered clothing. Her gasps and moans only heightened his want for her. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his back and groaned as he rubbed himself against her center.
. . . . . . . .
They made love for hours until Buffy fell asleep in his arms. Incapable of falling asleep at night, he spent the hours gazing at her. His ladylove slept perfectly still as he cradled her against him. She nestled closer to his chest and breathed deep. Her beauty seemed to have no bounds as everything she did only served to make him want her more.
Knowing the traitorous sunlight was only minutes away, he kissed her in hopes that she would wake. Her eyes blinked a few times before she smiled.
“What’s your name?” he asked softly as she yawned.
“Buffy Summers. And you?”
“William…” he began, only to realize he had no last name.
“Just William?” she asked playfully, but saw his downcast expression and frowned. “It’s ok, you can just be William,” she said as she lifted his head up to face her. “And I’ll just be Buffy.” He smiled at this and caressed her cheek. William stopped abruptly and stood up fearfully. “What’s wrong? What’s the matter?” she pleaded as she struggled to stand.
“You’ll come again, won’t you? You’ll come to see me?” he begged.
“Of course I’ll come back, but… but where are you going!” she yelled out as he ran away. As the sun lifted over the treetops, she gasped as she saw her William transform into the same deer she had tried to save. She did not know what to do, so she put her clothing back on as best as she could and rode back to town.
She didn’t notice the fawn watching her desperately as she disappeared into the distance.
squawks
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!
05/18/17 04:16 am
pj! I remember wishing one of your stories would be finished seriously about a decade ago. Amazing. I just tried an old password I used to use and amazingly got in too. Memories!
pj
03/20/17 01:20 am
10 yrs later, i finally rem my username and password. Pari, you rock. Hope you are well.
Rabbit_moon1
12/23/16 01:12 pm
I donate every month. Please donate to keep this site up!
AudryDaluz1
10/06/16 08:34 am
Great post.
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:45 pm
And anyone else who loves this site, it's worth mentioning there's a nifty little "Donate" option just below the shout box here! ;)
Chrissel
08/31/16 03:43 pm
Just wanted to take a moment to thank Pari and all the mods for maintaining such a great site!