“Sorry, William, I can’t think of anything. As I said, the references are few and far between. I always thought Ink Mages were just a legend. Now…”
The enormity of the task in front of me was almost unbelievable.
“Who could have written this?” I asked, helplessly.
“I can’t say, but it’s clear that fate has chosen you for some great destiny. What are the odds that I should pick the one spellbook in the library that would just happen to have a prophetic message for an Ink Mage written in invisible magic on the flyleaf? There’s more at work here than random chance, William. You have something big to do, and I think it’s my destiny to help you do it. The prophecy said you need faithful companions after all.”
I looked into her beautiful face in the flaring orange light of the campfire. A moment ago, I had felt overwhelmed, but her commitment to helping me drove that feeling away as fast as it had come.
“I have to get strong,” I said, rising to my feet. “I need to get more Beast Cores, make more tattoos, and learn more runes.”
Amelia got to her feet also, laying her book down carefully. “For that, you will have to fight more monsters. We will have to train a lot in the coming days. Strange events are afoot. We have to be ready.”
“You’re right about that,” I said. Suddenly, I yawned like a cavern. It took me by surprise, and I apologized as I covered my mouth. “Sorry! It’s been a long day, and I’m ready to sleep.”
“Me too, but I think I’ll go down to the water’s edge and wash first.” Amelia said. There was a new note in her voice, which I didn’t think I’d heard before. It was pleasant, slightly teasing. I glanced at her face. She was smiling shyly at me. “You can come to join me if you want,” she said hesitantly.
I raised my eyebrows at her inviting tone.
“That sounds good to me,” I said. There was a sheep’s wool blanket in the plunder from the wagon, and I grabbed it and put it over my shoulder. Amelia stepped out of her boots and walked barefoot across the short expanse of grassy sward to the water’s edge. I took my own boots off and followed her down to the water. There had been no mistaking the invitation in her voice. This was a new side to Amelia’s character. I liked it.
At the water’s edge, Amelia turned and fixed her eyes on me. Slowly, deliberately, she began to undress. It was clear that she wanted me to see this, and I did not look away. Instead, I made short work of getting out of my own clothes. Her garments were rich and of good make, much better than my tattered farmer’s tunic and trousers. When my clothes were off, however, I felt no shame about the hard, well-formed body that my years of farming had given me.
We stood naked, looking at each other in the moonlight. She was slim around the shoulders and waist, but her hips and breasts were round and full, and she had long, muscular legs. The tuft of blonde hair between her legs was bright in the moonlight. The tattoo I’d given her stood out dark on the pale skin of her slender arm.
“You like what you see?” I asked her playfully, as I saw her eyes running appreciatively up and down my body.
“Very much,” she replied quietly. “No wonder you were able to fight those monsters. You’re very strong.”
I felt the heat rushing to my crotch under her frank gaze. “Alright, enough dallying,” I said, a bit hastily.
The stream was slow and wide here, and a deep pool glinted invitingly just where we stood. The water was very clear in the moonlight. I took two steps toward the edge, then, to my great surprise, Amelia lunged forward and shoved my shoulder, pushing me into the water with a splash.
I gasped as the cold water rushed over my face and body. I quickly found the streambed with my feet and pushed myself upright. The water rose to my waist and lapped against my body. I’d been dragged a couple of yards downstream. I spluttered and brushed the water out of my face with my hands.
“What was that for?” I asked.
“Just needed to properly test the water.” Amelia laughed.
I strode against the stream back to where she stood.
“Let me help you with that.” I took a handful of the water and splashed her. She yelped and stumbled backward.
“Let’s see how you like it!” she called, then sprinted toward the stream and leaped into it, water splashing all over me.
We both plunged under the water and came up gasping, rubbing the water through our hair. Then we stood, facing each other, our bodies covered to our navels. The moonlight gleamed off Amelia’s bright blonde hair as droplets dripped down from it onto her shoulders and down between her full, round breasts.
As I stood in the stream, I undid the binding on my failed Cold tattoo. I was pleased to see that it had stopped bleeding. Carefully, I washed dried blood from it with cold water.
“Is it alright?” Amelia asked. I held it out for her to look at.
“Fine,” I said. “It’s healed up well in the few hours since I did it.”
“Good,” she said, and began to rub the dirt from her own skin, scooping water into her hands to do so. Her tattoo had healed completely as soon as it had been finished, since she had the Cold affinity.
“Here, try using some sand to clean yourself.” I scooped some up from the stream floor.
Amelia raised an eyebrow. “Using dirt to clean away dirt?”
“It works, trust me.” I rubbed the sand between my fingers. “See, it’s totally clean, there’s nothing but fine grains of sand. They will do a much better job of scraping the dirt from your skin.”
I gave Amelia a handful of the sand and scooped some up
