A bump in the night

It was a warm, pleasant summer night.
A girl, all dressed in white, dancing over the meadows, laughing, singing. Tempting for the man who was walking down the dusty, dirty road.

The girl, trying to make him walk out on the meadow, a meadow covered in fog. Thick, milky-like fog, but not thick enough to hide the dancing girl for more than a few moments.
The man could see she was stunningly beautiful. Long, blond, flowing hair, sensual curves and a voice reminding him about what he had been told as a child about the voice of angels.

He stopped, only to listen to the voice. His eyes closed and his breathing getting slower and quieter, just so he could listen to this angel that was calling to him. Slowly his feet started to move on their own. One step at the time, closer to the meadow. Eventually, one step took him on to the meadow. The grass tickled his bare calves. A calm, soothing feeling came over him as the next foot stepped onto the grass.

A distant sound of footsteps registered in his subconscious, but he did not react to it. He was too deeply entraced by the song, and the presence of that lovely, dancing and singing girl. She was pulling him out on the meadow with her grace and beauty, pulling him into the unknown.

A hand grabbing the collar of his shirt made him suddenly stop, which made him open his eyes, and he got pulled back by someone very strong. A few stumbling steps back. His back bumped into something rather soft behind him, making him fall, since the object moved. Object? No. As he hit the ground, he found himself staring up into a woman's face.

He had to look really surprised, because he could see a touch of amusement in the hard, cold face. This woman was not what you'd call a beauty. She was handsome, the shape of her face and the lines slightly reminding him of a man, but she still had a bit of the softness of a female's face. Her eyes had the colour of jade, but they looked as hard as diamonds. The dark circles that rested under her eyes made the black in the eyelashes and brows look even darker. A long rattail of hair hung over her left shoulder, gently lying over his throat and chest. He noticed it was soft, as silk, smelling vaguely of cloudberries and pine. It was a pleasant scent.

"What do you think you're doing, you foolish, stupid excuse of a man?!" She almost yelled, but at the same keeping it a whisper.
"I..I... What?"
"That is a fay, you moron! She is trying to get you to follow her, so that she can eat your soul! If, and notice the IF, she let you go, you'd be a hollow man without a purpose!" She still kept her voice at the same hissing tone, as if she was afraid the fay would hear her.
"So.. You want to claim you just saved my life? Why would you save a stranger?"

She didn't answer that question, just looking over her shoulder. The man was still lying on his back. He took the opportunity to look over the rest of the woman. She was dressed in dark colours, as if trying to melt into the darkness that surrounded both of them. He noticed she was wearing pants, not a skirt, as most, almost all women did. He found it strange, somehow..

"If you want to follow her and try, be my guest, or come with me to the closest town. Your choice, stranger..."  She had a certain tone to her voice that made him think twice about following the beautiful, dancing girl. The woman let go of his shirt and got up from the ground, offering him a hand to help him up. He took it. She pulled him up with surprising strenght. He was a strong, wellbuilt man, heavy, and she pulled him up from the ground as easily as if he were a child.
He didn't even care about brushing the dirt off his clothes. He didn't have the time if he wanted to follow the woman. She had started walking as soon as he was on his feet. She remained silent, only making sure from time to time that he was still following. And he was. He did not want to be left behind.

It did not take long before they stepped inside the closest town, the woman stopping as they did.
"Take care now, stranger. May the gods look after you for as long as it takes."
And with these words, she walked away, leaving him without a name or a chance to thank her.
Oddly enough, he did not think too much about that, but more about getting some sleep, so he got to the closest inn, checked into a room, and went to bed.

The next morning, when he woke up, he got up, had breakfast and walked outside, only to stare into the eyes of a man. A man without any sign of life in his eyes, mumbling about fays.
The strange woman had really saved him. Who was she?