The Nøkken and the Huntress.

2.) Questions.

Around two weeks later I had the pleasure of meeting Eføy again.

It was an early misty morning and I had felt brave and decided to wander around the area of my pond/swamp thing. (I know I'm so interesting). I was contently roaming from tree to tree and bush from bush watching any remainder of ice drip away from the plants and liked to look at the budding leaves and flowers. Sometimes I would pick the ice off to assist the blooms in growth.
I could hear Brant geese flying overhead on their way to their home lake and I could hear the scurrying of small mammals in the leaves and brush. Spring is such a beautiful time for me thanks to the efforts of Freyja and Freyr.

I turned away from an Ash tree and I could see Eføy in the distance walking from the dense forest treeline and toward me a doe slung around her back. She stopped by a tree and pulled the deer off her as well as her bow and continued her pace. As she drew more closely she noticed I was watching and smiled her scar bending to her lips. She gently flipped her hood off. Her midrib vibrant orangish-red hair was plaited to her left with light blue yarn woven in it and ended at a yarn bow that secured her hair. She was stunning. I was to focused on my thoughts to bother to meet her halfway. I broke out of my daze when she stood close to me and waved her hand in my face.
"Nøkken, how do you feel? You look lost."
"I'm fine I was just admiring your hair."
She gave me a quizzical look and tilted her head. "My hair?"
"Yes, I like the braid."
She straightened her head and looked down. "Oh, thank you Nøkken."

"Do you want to accompany me to my pond?" I did something dumb and offered my arm. I hoped she would understand the gesture. (I learned this from my uncle Father Rhine on how to do this mannerism. I didn't expect a person of a lower class to understand). Eføy looked at my arm and quickly caught on that I wanted her to take it. She glided her arm into mine not flinching once at my algae crested arm and we walked a distance to my watery home.
I let go of her and sat down cross-legged in front of the water she did the same.

"Even though this place is feared I feel most happy in it," Eføy told me. "This swamp is rumored to have been the dumping ground for murderers. The villagers I visit often speak of angry spirits that will take hold of you. Do you believe that?"
I looked at her and debated whether I should tell her or not. Deciding not to keep her waiting for an answer I spoke up. "Well, you'd be surprised that those rumors are true. Not the angry spirit part but the disposing ground."

"You must be pulling my leg."

"I'm not Eføy, I do occasionally see guards throw the bodies in the marsh but as soon as they try to dispense a body in my pond we're going to have an issue."

"Then let's hope that never happens. Though, I suppose the bodies make excellent beita." She looked at me and smiled.

I smiled back at her but I quickly ceased it. I didn't want to disgust her. To my surprise, her smile did not fade. She returned her resting face as she looked off to the rest of the foggy swamp in front of her. I'm going, to be honest with you she had the looks of a light elf or one of my half-sisters. She was stunning and as the sunrise creeped out from behind the mountains her hair glowed like honey in front of the fire. Her pale skin had a light red tint across her high cheekbones. Her scar was a light periwinkle and to me, scars amplify beauty. My glowing yellow eyes widened as I realized what I was thinking of. I focused my attention elsewhere and away from her.

'What came over me?' I slowly nodded my head and looked down at my reflection. 'How do I look human to her?' 'How is she not afraid of me?' 'She wouldn't like me anyway.'
I could hear Eføy sigh and I looked at her. She had a content look on her face. When she noticed me she gave me a smile and asked me something I thought was odd. "What can you tell me about yourself?"
"Well, what do you already know?"
She looked down slightly from thinking and looked back at me. "I know that you're a Nix and that's different from a sjöra. I know you and the other Nix were created by the lyres, hypnosis and, sweetwater god Näck."