Eripmav

Part Five, Chapter One

Eripmav

The walk the rest of the way down the mountain was uneventful for our favorite trio, however, when they reached the bottom, the sky had darkened immensely and rumbling could be heard in the distance.

Naruto had long since calmed down (he was angry, remember) and was chatting happily with Sakura and skipping down the path in the shadows of the large trees.

The group came to a halt at the edge of the forest. With the sky so dark, it really didn't look too inviting. A crow sounded from somewhere in the distance and rain began to fall softly.

"Maybe we should find shelter and wait out the storm…" Sakura said looking uneasily upward. Lightning streaked across the sky and the ground shook as thunder growled from much closer than before.

"Why?" Sasuke asked bluntly taking the first step towards the now swaying trees.

"But!" Naruto ran to catch up with him. "Being under trees is dangerous in a thunderstorm!" Sasuke huffed.

"Yes!" Sakura added now trotting beside Naruto. "We really should find a nice rock or something to hide under!" Sasuke glowered and sighed.

"Look. If you two are so scared, go hide. I'll get the water or whatever on my own." He stopped walking and turned to them. "Okay?" Naruto puffed out his chest.

"No." he stated walking away confidently, further into the woods. "Who said anything about being afraid? I mean, it's just a storm…" He hoped that the other two didn't sense the fear behind his voice. "I won't lose to you." He added under his breath.

- - -

The rain steadily began to fall harder, but nobody dared to complain. They were all just as wet; hair in their eyes and water streaming down their faces and running down the backs of their necks and into their shirts.

"Do you know where you are leading us, Naruto?" Sakura hollered over the roar of the pouring rain.

'Do I know where I am going?' Naruto stopped walking to think about this. 'No…' at least he didn't think he knew. How could he! It was his first time in this forest! It was a rather stupid question, really…

"Yes." He replied and continued walking. Sakura nodded. Clearly she did not see the flaw in his answer. Sasuke, however, did. He rolled his eyes but didn't argue.

The trio continued walking as the day slowly came to a close. The rain eventually stopped pouring down quite so hard and let up to a light drizzle as the last of the sun disappeared.

"I don't like this." Sakura shivered sitting down in the mud, not longer caring how dirty she got.

"I don't think any of us do, Sakura." Sasuke pointed out sitting down next to her. She shook her head.

"No, that's not what I meant. I don't like the feeling this place gives off. It feels… wrong."

"What are you talking about? I've never felt better! I actually feel safe… or whatever. Welcomed, ya know?" Naruto grinned and crossed his arms, smiling brightly down at the pink headed girl. She pouted.

"The idiot is right." Sasuke sighed. "I feel it too. Maybe you're just getting sick from all that rain…" Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck and looked around.

The rain made the forest floor appear misty and peaceful. There was such a feeling of tranquility that he almost broke into a grin and laughed out loud. Which he restrained himself doing and pushed that thought to the back of his head.

The trees seemed to glow even with the darkened night sky high over head. The very ground he sat on no longer felt cold and soggy, but hummed warmly, lulling him to sleep.

Sasuke blinked, bringing his eyes back into focus. Maybe Sakura was a little right. This place was strange.

"Where is Naruto?" he asked. He had been looking away for only a second and the dumb blonde was already missing.

"Hmm?" Sakura looked up from her backpack. "Oh, he went looking for a pond." Sasuke nodded and got up and quickly found, and followed, what were unmistakably Naruto's footsteps, ignoring Sakura's pleas to not leave her.

Sasuke walked in silence, other than the sucking of his feet on the wet ground, for no longer than a minute before he found Naruto standing at the edge of a small pond looking baffled.

"What are you doing, dead-last?" He asked coming to a halt beside him and scowling out at the pond, trying to decide whether Naruto was looking at the odd shaped rock or trying to spot a fish.

"I saw her a minute ago… maybe she will come back… she was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen…!"

Apparently it was neither the rock nor the fish…

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke glanced that the blonde then back out at the water.

"She came out of the water right over there…" Naruto pointed, "Maybe if I wait long enough she will show up again…!"

Obviously Naruto was losing his mind.

"Naruto, what the hell are you –" But Sasuke was cut off by a loud gurgling sound. Another look at the waters surface cried all too clearly that something was coming out of the water. "Naruto! We have to get out of here!" Sasuke grabbed Naruto's arm and attempted at pulling him away.

"No!" Naruto grinned. "Stay! It's her!" the boy was unfazed by Sasuke's tugging, which was odd since he was pulling as hard as he could. Sasuke looked doubtfully at Naruto one more time before looking back at the pond. He froze.

Pale green hair and the fairest of skin rose gracefully out of the water. Bright green eyes fluttered lazily in their direction. Sasuke asked quietly, "Who is she?"

Dressed in nothing but her skin and her long hair wrapping about her body, she walked across the water and towards them, humming with her perfect voice in a perfect tone.

"Who are you? Sasuke asked her and she knelt before him and Naruto, who was now drooling.

"My name is Leohsinska." Her voice rang clear as silver bells and hung in the air in a very inviting way. "And you are?" she reached out and stroked each their cheeks in turn fondly. She did not wait for them to respond, but beckoned them to follow her back into the water…

- - -

Sakura wrapped her arms around herself and continued to rock back and forth.

"I hope those two aren't getting themselves into trouble…"

Author Note:

Name for the nymph is from 20000-names dot com.

Leohsinska is Welsh I believe for 'Wood Nymph'. That's why she is green. -smile- I was thinking of making it Eidothea (if that was her name, she would be blue) which is Greek for 'Sea Nymph'.