This fic is almost over! Thank you so much for your support xxx
By the way if anyone wants me to conclude the series on a not-so-innocent note, review to let me know! Otherwise this will just finish on a sweet note!

ooooo

Renn found Leos the next morning by the wide river, a little way off camp. He was fishing by himself, his sandy brown hair shining in the bright light. His bare torso was by now a rich golden tan from working out in the summer sun. Renn remembered the way she admired his chest the first time she saw him, but now found herself comparing him to Torak, and preferring his.

She called out a greeting, moving out of the underbrush of the forest and down towards the riverbank, stepping over stones and moving around the boulders that littered the edge of the water.

He looked up at her call and smiled at seeing her, a large broad smile that grew and grew as she got closer. Renn felt dread in the pit of her stomach as he put down his net and brushed the water from his hands onto his worn leggings, ready to talk to her. She returned his smile somewhat reservedly, for there was no heart in it. She was not happy to see him, because she knew what she had to do.

'Have you thought about my offer?' he asked, leaning back on a large boulder. His body language told her he was trying to act suave and confident, but she noticed tenseness in his shoulders and a wary look in his warm brown eyes.

'Yes, I have thought about it.' Renn replied slowly, fiddling with the hem of her Bear Clan dress.
It brought back fond memories of their first days at the camp. She couldn't deny that both she and Torak had been profoundly changed by their experiences here. The thought of leaving behind all the nice people and the children filled her with immense sadness, but at the same time she was ready to say goodbye.

'And?' he paused and looked searchingly at her troubled face. 'Will you be my mate?'

Before Renn could answer what she'd rehearsed in her head, he took her hand again. His grip was warm and strong, and she looked down at their entwined fingers, seeing a future that was never meant to be.

'I can't.' She spoke quickly, breaking her hand away and placing it behind her back.

Leos looked as if he'd been physically struck. 'You can't? Why not? I love you Renn, don't you understand?'

'I know you love me,' she spoke softly. The hurt and shock in Leos' usually laughing brown eyes pained her. 'But I love Torak. We talked yesterday and he told me he loves me. It's a long story but we've decided to leave together, and keep travelling like we used to. I'm so sorry Leos.'

'But all that pain he caused you, that time when you came crying to me – why do you want him and not me? I would never, ever hurt you like that, I promise!' The panic rose in his voice with each statement, and his hands gesticulated wildly, trying to emphasise his emotions.

'I know you wouldn't. I wanted to love you Leos, when I thought Torak didn't want me anymore. I care about you. My time here would have been unbearable if it wasn't for you, and I'm grateful to you as a friend, but I don't love you.'

Leos' face turned from pained to angry. He knew what she was saying made sense, but he didn't want to understand. 'So when you thought he didn't care for you, then I was good enough?'

'You know it wasn't like that.' She replied, feeling annoyed that he would think that. Her quick temper flared.

'Sure. Being Clan leader doesn't compare with being the Great Spirit walker, a saviour of the forest – does it?'

'Leos.' She said with clenched teeth, trying not to shout at him. 'We both know that's not why I chose Torak. You asked me to think about it and I have.'

'Fine, go with him. Maybe I'm not good enough for you but I don't need you. I could get any young woman as my mate. Run off with the wolf boy, I don't care.'

Renn took one last hard look at him before turning on her heel and walking away into the forest. Her anger quickly left her and she felt heaviness in her heart at his reaction. She hadn't planned for him to be so upset and angry, and it had shocked her. I hope no one again will ever fall in love with me that I can't love back, she thought dismally. The camp was in site when she heard him calling her name from behind.

She waited for him to catch up. 'Renn, when are you leaving?'

'This afternoon.'

'It's not true. What I said before.' He spoke with his eyes cast downward and his shoulders slumped, the opposite of the cheery man she had come to know. 'I knew you loved him, and I knew that he still loved you. When I first met you two by the river I could see it in his eyes. But I wanted you for myself. I wanted you to love me.'

Renn wanted to go to Leos to comfort him in his grief, but she didn't dare encourage him. 'I'm so sorry Leos. If I hadn't known Torak, I would have loved you. I do love you in my own way, but it's not the way you want. I'm sorry.'

He nodded dejectedly and they started to walk back to camp together in silence.

ooooo

With everything packed, Torak and Renn bid farewell to the members of the Bear Clan they had come to know. The little children, still believing Renn was a water spirit, asked her questions about how Torak could possibly live under water with her. She answered as best she could, and left them all wondering if another water spirit would visit someday. The adults and youths, knowing better, thanked them again for their part in defeating the demon. The duo was given gifts of jewellery and fine furs for their journey.

Dari was staying with the Bears until he was completely well, then he would travel home. He encouraged the two of them to visit the Bison Clan far to the south, promising them they would be offered a warm welcome as his honoured guests.

As the members of the Clan watched the two ascend the worn path up the valley hill, they simultaneously let out a gasp of disbelief as a large grey wolf bounded up to the pair. To their utter astonishment, they saw the Torak the Soul Eater-Vanquisher stroke and hug the large creature. The wolf had been seen around camp in fleeting glimpses, but most people had thought it was just after the meat that was drying like many other scavenging predators such as foxes or wolverines. No one had suspected that Torak knew this wolf personally. Dari grinned at their stunned reactions.

As they moved deeper into the trees several began to truly wonder about this Torak and his soon-to-be mate. Stories and tales had already started spreading that grossly exaggerated his powers, claiming he was the son of the World Spirit incarnate. The power over the wolf was just adding more fuel to the fire. His fair mate was claimed to be a water spirit, transformed into a woman by the power of the spirit walker. Many stories would be made about the two of them to pass time in the frigid winter, and likely be passed down through the generations.

Torak linked his fingers through Renn's and gave her a winning smile. She returned it and gripped his hand hard, afraid to let it go now that they were finally together. Wolf scampered around them, wagging his tail in delight at the sight of his pack-brother and the pack-sister together as they should be.

Renn looked back to the Bear Clan for the last time, straining to see one face in particular. He hadn't been present when they were saying goodbye to the rest of the people, and she wanted to remember him properly. Her last memory of Leos was seeing him heartbroken and anguished – she wanted to see his smile and his laughter, just to know that he would be alright once she was gone.

Again she scanned the crowd, but there was no tall sandy haired man amongst them.

Then, she saw him.

He was away from the main group, on a part of the rock face that made up the valley wall above the cave. He was too far away to see his face properly, but when she lifted her arm to wave at him, she could see him clearly waving back, spear in hand. She beamed at him, happy in her heart to know that he had accepted her decision. He was acknowledging her departure.
What she didn't see as she left with Torak was the shaking of his chest and the hot tears that formed in his amber brown eyes.

He whispered to the wind, 'goodbye my water nymph.'