Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or its characters.

Winter: Part II

The sound of the river running alongside their camp should have been calming to Blaine, should have eased him to sleep like a lullaby but it had been several hours since all the men had retired to their tents and Blaine was still frustratingly alert. In the few weeks that had passed since the incident in the forest, the land had started to thaw and the ice and snow which had previously blanketed everything had almost disappeared completely. Also, Blaine had not seen the creature from the woods again, nor had he told anyone else of the encounter he had had.

He hadn't slept a wink that night either and the next morning he had risen early and searched the surrounding area for any sign of the creature. He'd found nothing and for a while wasn't even sure if he had dreamed up the whole experience. Therefore, he had said nothing to his company but had casually suggested that they headed in the direction that he had seen the creature depart. Whether he did this for selfish, ridiculous reasons or so that they had a chance of actually completing their quest, he didn't know.

Their trek had led them out of and away from the forest until they had eventual come to the East River. The last week or so had been spent following the river as the legends stated that the Wanderer was a creature that would stay as close to a large body of water as possible-why it did this was not stated as nobody knew.

Blaine sighed and pushed his sleeping furs off of him as he sat up. He pulled his boots on and his numerous jackets- the temperature may have been steadily rising but it was still bitingly cold- and left his tent. The sky above was the lightest blue, almost grey and glowing with that eerie, pre-dawn light. The colour reminded him of those wide, fierce eyes. Blaine found himself rolling his eyes as the image of the creature's perfect face loomed in the forefront of his mind. The face he hadn't been able to forget.

He just needed to know that the creature was real, that he had seen it that night. Sleepless nights and confused early morning walks had become routine for Blaine in the past few weeks. He had been so irresponsible. He should have called for the boys when he had first seen the creature. The quest could have been over by now, that is, assuming that the creature was the Wanderer. He didn't know that it was but for some reason he felt pretty sure that it was. If it wasn't, it may have aided them somehow.

Blaine made his way along the river. It was fullest this time of year, carrying all the melted snow and ice from the mountains and valley's which were upstream. Though it appeared calm, it ran quickly, dangerous currents within the rush of water. He stopped and sat on the damp bank. He had walked quite far, the camp just visible in the distance. Sighing to himself, he closed his eyes and lent back onto his elbows, legs crossed before him.

"So," a voice startled Blaine, his eyes flew open and he instinctively turned to the source of the noise.

"You let me go." The creature was sitting beside Blaine and its eyes a soft green and expression, like before, unreadable. The creature blinked slowly, long eyelashes fluttering shut and open again like the beaat of a wing.

"Yes," Blaine managed to choke out. His voice was caught in his throat, him mouth suddenly entirely too dry and palms disgustingly sweaty.

"It is nice here. I like it," the creature said as it moved to mirror how Blaine had been sat before he had realised it was there. The pale light from the brightening overcast sky above was bouncing off of the creatures fair skin like the moonlight had all those weeks ago. Blaine's attention was drawn to its bare chest, which was hairless and slightly muscled, like its stomach. The creatures arms were muscled more heavily, the lines of its biceps clearly defined as if it had been sculpted in marble.

"I- I like it too."

"Why did you let me go? You could have called for help, I am sure the others with you would have been out there faster than I could get away." The creature watched Blaine carefully as he sighed and ran a hand through his curly hair.

"I knew you weren't going to hurt me- I had no need to call for help," Blaine said. The creatures eyes flashed with something, maybe anger, maybe surprise. Blaine didn't know. The creature's emotions were hard for him to read.

"Do not play the fool," the creature said coolly. Blaine found himself admire how silky and musical the creature's voice was. "You could have captured me that night. You did not." Its eyes hardened and soft fern green darkened to a mossy colour as Blaine looked on, his own hazel eyes wide.

"I didn't want you to get caught," he said cautiously.

"Why?"

"I-" Blaine paused. Why did he let the creature go? "You're so... it's like you... I have loved your legend for so long and when- when I was sent on this quest it was a dream come true. I was- and you were... when I saw you, you were so much more than anything I had ever imagined."

The creature was watching him with a bemused expression on its face. Blaine could feel his cheeks burning. He felt stupendously hot for such a cold, crisp morning. The truth was that Blaine didn't know why he had let the creature beside him go. He was under the employ of the King; it was his job to find the being that, once again, was in close proximity to him and take it to his King.

Blaine opened his mouth to try to talk again but the creature spoke again.

"I have seen you alone a lot. Every day, actually," it added.

"Yes," Blaine said simply.

"You were looking for me?" It questioned. Blaine sighed and looked out over the water for a moment before turning back to look at the creature. Wide eyes framed by luscious thick lashes met his gaze.

"Yes," he breathed.

"To capture me?"

"No. Never." He had let the words tumble from his mouth before he even realised he was thinking them. The hung heavy with the weight of promise around the two beings. Blaine thought he looked every bit as surprised as the creature at that moment.

"You-" it was the first time that Blaine had seen vulnerability in this creature and it was beautiful. Oh Gods, was it beautiful. And in the next second it was gone. "I have to go."

"Wait," Blaine cried out as the creature stood. "Please, don't- will I see you again?"

"I can not... I will not let some human just- just lure me into some false sense of security," the creature burst out.

"I'm not- I promise I am not, I will not-" Blaine took a step toward the creature but it took two back in return and threw its arms out in front of it. Its eyes were somewhere between and dazzling silver and piercing and bitter ice blue.

"NO! You think I do not know who you are? Why you are here? What your King wants from me; what those men want from me; what you want from me. You may be good with words and you may say that you are different from the rest but all humans are the same. Claim to be the exception you might, but I will not fall for it. Not today, not ever. Do not come near me. I have to go."

Blaine raised a shaking hand to his mouth. The air around him crackled causing all the hair on the back of his neck to stand up on edge. The creature took one last look at him before wading into the river and disappearing under the water. Blaine found himself staring out over the water, just waiting for the creature to resurface, to appear on the far bank- for something. The sun rose and there was still nothing. The creature was gone.

Woah, so much for uploading right after that first chapter went up! Real life got in the way. Anyway here is the second chapter. Let me know what you're thinking in a review? I go on holiday on Saturday so I'll try my hardest to get chapter three up before then!