Tales of Dylak-Leem - Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Competition

Tesaiel had almost finished the morning's reports when Egrid knocked at the door of the small parlor she used as an office of late. Sighing in annoyance, she set down her ledger and looked up. "Come in!"

Egrid's topknotted, snouted head poked in the door. "Hey, Tesaiel. Joudan is here. Says you summoned him?"

Ah, good. This was a matter she wanted resolved sooner rather than later. "Excellent. Send him in and stay just outside the door."

Egrid's eyebrows went up. "You're seeing him in that dress?"

Tesaiel frowned. She was wearing a red silk armless dress, slit to the thigh, with a V-neck design. It was one of her current favorites, and she thought it flattered her. "What's wrong with this dress?"

"Just thinking he may have trouble keeping his mind on business."

"Now you're projecting, dear," Tesaiel said with sweet malice.

"I am," Egrid admitted. "I really am."

Tesaiel made a strangled noise, torn between amusement and irritation. Egrid never ceased being Egrid. That was reassuring in a way, but it also got old and wore extremely thin at times. "Just go fetch him in, Egrid. There's a good enforcer."

Egrid made a disrespectful and probably obscene extension of her tongue at her, and vanished.

A few minute later, there was another, more hesitant knock at the door. Tesaiel crossed her legs and adopted her work mask; a cold, passively hostile glare. "Enter," she snapped.

Joudan did; he was a somewhat disreputable looking, bald human with seaman's tattoos on his arms and hands. Just at the moment he was looking nervous and like he wished he were anywhere other than here. His eyes widened a bit when he saw the elven noble, and he swallowed. "Uh, Lady Tesaiel. You wanted to see me?"

"Joudan. Sit." Her voice was icy.

"Okay." He took a seat in the chair directly in front of her couch. She had carefully selected it for the hard, uncomfortable seat and back that forced one to sit absolutely straight, and then had cut down the bottoms of the front two legs so that gravity made the occupant constantly have to push ever so slightly back to keep from sliding forward off it. "What, ah, what can I do for you?"

"You have the responsibility of running the distribution of our red journal. The Hotiron brothers do our printing, Kelek Argive does the editing, and I believe Mistress Coursi did the main job of the artwork. But you do the distributing."

"That's right, uh, my lady."

"A difficult job, I expect, but not an unrewarding one. You keep quite a nice apartment at 16 Bullock Lane, and last Wednesday you bought your woman, Moll Cranner, a piece of silver jewelry that you told her was dwarf-made."

Joudan shifted uncomfortably in his chair, clearly not liking that she knew so much about his personal life. He kept trying to strike a balance between paying attention to her, and not staring at her body, and failing. "You're well informed to my doings, I see. Yes, I have no complaints about the pay."

"I'm glad to hear that. I wouldn't want to think you were unhappy." She casually uncrossed, then recrossed her legs. Joudan didn't stare too much, but the pants he was wearing and his position on the chair made it clear that he had an erection. Distasteful, but useful.

"Since we clearly pay you so much, I think it's worth asking what happened to our profits last week." Her voice was gentle, her expression not.

"I know it was low. I dunno. I guess people weren't buying for some reason-"

"Joudan. If I know what you give to your whore to get her to open her legs for you, don't you think I know how many unsold copies you have at the end of the week?" Tesaiel's voice cracked like a whip. "You didn't have ANY. All of them went somewhere. Where did they go? Where did the money for them go?"

He stared helplessly at her. "I... I don't know... I guess I could ask-"

"Joudan. If that was my money, I might not mind very much. But that was Mr. Urdo's money, Joudan. I get EXTREMELY UPSET when people take Mr. Urdo's money. Do you want me to be extremely upset with you?"

"N-no, Lady Tesaiel," he squeaked. "I... look, give me a day or two. I'll find out what happened."

"I'm glad to hear that. Someone is going to have to pay one way or another, and right now the someone is you. Do not disappoint me, Joudan. I know word gets around the organisation. You know what happened to the last man who disappointed me."

"Y-yes." He wasn't bothering to hide the fear now, although she noticed to her amusement that he was still eying her and still hard.

"Good." She uncrossed her legs. "You can go now."

Swallowing, Joudan stood up.

He was just turning to go when she raised a hand. "Oh, Joudan. One last thing. If you ever steal glances at me in a meeting and get an erection like that again, I will personally castrate you and feed it to the krav wolves."

He gaped at her. "I... I didn't mean... please don't-"

"Go!"

He fled out the door. Tesaiel held the stern face for a few seconds, and then raised one hand to her mouth, choking back laughter.

Egrid strolled in. "You're getting pretty good at these interviews."

"Apparently I am a lot more intimidating than I ever knew." Tesaiel smiled, then shook her head. "Do you think I was too hard on him?"

"Threatening to castrate him may have been a bit much. It was a natural response to that dress."

"I suppose. Still. He needs to know his place and not get filthy ideas above his station."

Egrid snorted. "Ideas which you encouraged."

"Maybe a bit." She picked up her ledger. "It flusters them. Throws them even further off balance. Between the lust and the fear it's easy to pick them apart. I don't think Joudan's cheating us; he just got careless and let someone beneath him either blunder or steal. Now that he has some motivation, I think he'll get us our money."

"Good. Otherwise it becomes my business." Egrid cracked her knuckles, then frowned. "So what DID happen to the last man who disappointed you?"

Tesaiel laughed. "Oh, I use that line on everyone I put pressure on. They all assume it's something absolutely horrible that they just haven't heard of. Then their frightened little brains fill in the rest. It's gotten enough traction that there are actually rumors about what it was now. Did you know I pushed an enforcer face-first into a sausage grinder, then forced his wife to eat the result? Little Todd swears he was there and saw the whole thing." She laughed again, delighted. "I never knew being an underworld figure was so much fun."

"Just don't go making the mistake of thinking you can back all this up, Tesaiel." Egrid's voice was friendly but serious. "Can you even use a blade?"

"Yes, actually. Although I have no practical combat experience and I'm probably horribly rusty. But don't worry about that, Egrid." She looked at the half-orc fondly. "That is what I have your own hulking self around for. My courtly champion."

"Courtly champion, eh? I like that." Egrid grinned. "You know what reward the courtly champion usually gets in a lot of those stories?"

"One that you can only dream of ever getting."

"I do, yup. Frequently. Want to hear about my last one?"

"No. Don't you have something else to do? The gods know I do."

"Right, right." Egrid waved, and strolled out. Tesaiel shook her head, and cracked open her ledger again.

This had become typical of the routine she had developed as Urdo's accountant and money woman. She had grown to know his operations in considerable detail, as well as many of the people who worked for him. By contrast, very few of them knew much about her other than as an icy, threatening figure who summoned them to the manor and interrogated them on financial irregularities. The fact that she was so different from most of them, she suspected, helped add to her entirely baseless reputation.

It amused and gratified her, and it was certainly better than being known as Urdo's mistress. If you couldn't be respectable, being feared was an acceptable substitute.

She worked steadily for several minutes more, and was just finishing up when there was a knock on the door again. "Come in!"

It was Egrid again. "Boss wants to see you."

"Office or bedroom?"

"Bedroom."

"Right." Well, she knew what that meant. "That will be all, Egrid."

The half-orc nodded, and withdrew.

Tesaiel got up, and walked over to the mirror in the corner. She adjusted her dress, then took out her box of cosmetics from a nearby desk and added some red to her lips. An emerald bracelet was removed, and replaced with an armband that wouldn't flop and jangle about as much. She eyed herself critically, then nodded, and left the room with a swift, decisive stride.

Urdo's bedroom was in practice her bedroom these days; she still had her own quarters down the hall, but she hadn't slept in them in ages. She woke every morning in his bed, and fell asleep every night there as well, usually after some exertion. When she got there, rather than knock, she simply pushed the door open.

The goblin was sitting on an armless chair in the center of the room, wearing a loose robe. His needle-sharp teeth bared in a smile as she entered. "Ah, Lady Tesaiel. Can you guess why I called you?"

"I believe I can." She shut the door, and slid the straps of her dress off her shoulders. "The question is if you're ready for me to provide my services."

"Nearly so. In a second or two." He chuckled. "What kind of services do you intend to provide?"

Tesaiel slowly pulled the dress down off her torso, letting her breasts bounce free of the silk, her pendant nestled between them. The red fabric clumped around her waist. "Entirely satisfactory ones."

"I can be a hard goblin to satisfy." His eyes followed her hungrily.

"So I've learned." She smiled back, and then turned around and bent slightly at the waist, jutting her ass out towards him. Swaying it back and forth slightly, she took hold of the dress around her waist and pulled it down, exposing her bare bottom and letting the red silk garment puddle to the floor around her feet. Straightening, Tesaiel stepped out of the crimson heap, kicked off her velvet shoes, and turned around. "But I've also learned to anticipate your needs."

Urdo learned forward very slightly. "And what do you think my needs are now, Baroness Emerald Moon?"

She strode forward and knelt beside the chair, then reached out and opened his robe. As she had expected, he was fully erect now, the lumpy green penis jutting from his groin like a dagger. She reached out and ran her hand down the shaft. "I think you wish something done about this."

"I think you may be right." His breath was coming a little more quickly. "Do you think you can help me with my problem?"

"Easily. It's not such a big problem, after all." She gave him a cross between a smile and a sneer, and then straddled the chair, mentally calculating her own arousal. The combination of the meeting with Joudan and the banter while undressing had gotten her stimulated, and she was already a little wet; she didn't think there would be a need to drink his cum today. In fact, she was lubricated enough that she decided she could get straight to business. Taking the engorged purple tip of his organ in one hand, she slowly lowered herself onto his lap, facing him. As he slid inside her, she let out a throaty gasp, feeling each ridge and bump of his cock rub against her inner walls on the way up.

"Not a big problem, but it... evokes a response," Urdo gibed, beginning to thrust upwards with his hips. He was smaller than her by a good bit, but his frame was powerful, and she had learned that when he wanted to he could put out a good deal of force. "Maybe you're not... up to the job."

"By the time... that I'm done... with it, it will be... a lot smaller," Tesaiel said. She moved with Urdo's thrusts, using her leg muscles to lift herself up and down on the penis impaling her. Reaching out, she caressed his pointed, batlike ears. "You'll be satisfied. Ahh!"

The goblin chuckled. He craned his head up and licked the bottom of one heaving breast with his long, pointed tongue. "And will you be satisfied?"

"Don't be... absurd." Actually, if she was being honest with herself, that was an open question. Sometimes she came multiple times. Other times he left her without an orgasm, feeling horny and frustrated. While she was being adequately pleasured today, she didn't feel a climax approaching and suspected this would be one of the frustration days.

"You are a difficult woman... to please," Urdo chided. He reached up and pulled her upper body down into closer proximity, and then slowly nibbled at her left nipple with his sharp white teeth. Tesaiel gave a short cry of mingled pain and pleasure, then another one as he quickened his thrusts slightly. His tongue slid out to tease the bitten areola, and she threw her head back, mouth opening soundlessly.

"Was that good?" Urdo inquired, breathing heavily. "Again?"

"Yes. Yes." She cursed mentally. She had to stop doing that.

His tongue continued its dance along her breast, and she bounced with increasing vigor in his lap, her cunt dripping and shooting rockets of pleasure up her body. His hands were clamped tightly around her hips, the clawed fingers digging into her skin. Still no climax. Tesaiel intensified her own leg movements, and was pleased to hear Urdo groan a bit, his posture of control slipping. She could tell he was trying to prolong the experience, but was having a hard time holding back.

"Can't go as slow... as you thought?" she taunted. "Too tempting?" She drew one hand lightly along his jawline.

That got a bit of a rise out of him, but instead of slowing he just went faster. Tesaiel cried out aloud as she rode him, breasts bouncing as the pendant between them flopped on her chest, thighs clamped around his hips. He bit down on her right breast, and she gave a small scream, which changed to a moan as he tilted her body back, allowing him to thrust harder and deeper than he had been. His hands moved down to cup and squeeze the twin moons of her ass, the claws digging in. "You want slower?" he asked with a hint of malice.

"No! AHHHHHH! No, Urdo!"

"I didn't think so!" He sped up even more, and she began to bite her lip, the start of an orgasm in sight. Then he gave a hoarse cry, and she felt the wet, hot, sticky sensation of his cum shooting into her. That would just add to her desire in a few minutes when the aphrodisiac kicked in; it wasn't as effective vaginally as it was orally, but it still worked. It was extremely fortunate that elves and goblins couldn't breed together without the use of magic; otherwise, given the number of times his seed had drenched her womb, she would surely be pregnant by now.

Breathing heavily, Tesaiel pulled herself off his rapidly shrinking penis. Gobs of their mingled fluids dripped from her open, swollen cleft onto his crotch, then slowed to merely dribble down her inner thigh. As Urdo caught his own breath, she unstraddled the chair and slowly walked across the room to their bed, making her ass sway as she did. She climbed into the bed and half-sat, half-lay in it, one leg arched.

Urdo got up, walked over, and slipped in the other side of the bed, sitting up. "I suppose you do know how to satisfy my needs," he said lazily.

"I told you so. If only the opposite were true." She leaned over. "Do you need some help restoring your stamina?"

"Not done yet?" He sounded amused.

"You've left me in an... awkward position," she admitted. "I shouldn't have made you speed up."

"That's too bad. We're done for today."

Tesaiel sighed. Sex with a goblin was bad enough. Incomplete sex with a goblin that left her horny and frustrated until they got in bed this evening was arguably worse. "Very well. Was that all you wanted?"

"No, not exactly." Urdo actually now looked uncomfortable. "You will be sleeping in your own room tonight."

She blinked in surprise. "Are you ill?"

"No. I... have been negotiating an alliance with a tribe of forest goblins. They're looking to seal the deal the traditional goblin way, by sending me a bride from one of their chieftain's daughters. She's going to be arriving later today."

"You have a FIANCEE?" She broke out laughing. "Why Urdo, you romantic. And I haven't even gotten you a wedding gift."

"There's very little romantic about this, save in the goblin sense of the word," he muttered. "I still haven't fully decided if this is wise. Binding myself to the Hargaz Clan will be helpful in some respects, but it could also lead to complications."

"And then there's your blushing bride."

"Yes. They tell me she's quite civilized. The gods of darkness only know what a forest goblin means by civilized. The Hargaz live in the deep woods; they don't have the level of culture my own clan does."

She couldn't help but sneer a little at 'level of culture'. "You're definitely the most cultured goblin I know, Urdo," she said, voice ever so delicately tinged with sarcasm.

He glanced at her, unamused. "Am I the most cultured goblin who ever fucked you until you begged me not to slow down?"

"Y-yes, you are," she admitted, cheeks flushing. She looked down at her sweaty body and sticky pubic mound, and sighed. "So I get a bit of a vacation tonight. A welcome respite."

"Likely more than just tonight. Goblin women tend to be jealous."

That didn't bode well. "I see," Tesaiel said, mind racing. "Well. I think I can live with that. Was there anything else?"

"Just be ready to welcome her when she arrives this evening. I have an appearance to maintain."

"Very well." She paused. "In what capacity am I welcoming her as?"

"My accountant."

"Of course. That is my primary role." She stretched, body arching slightly, then brought one hand down to slide through her moist pubic hair. As Urdo watched, she raised her hand to her lips and delicately licked her fingers. "Your accountant."

Urdo forced down a swallow; she could see his groin was stirring. "That's all that I wanted for now, Tesaiel. You can go now."

She smiled at him, then got up from the bed, walked over to her discarded dress, and slipped it back on over her head. "I will see you tonight, then," she said, and left.

As she walked slowly down the hall towards her rooms, Tesaiel pondered this new development. This situation could be beneficial. If Urdo had a nice goblin girl to bang, he might make fewer demands on Tesaiel, and she could actually go from sunset to sundown without being repeatedly filled with goblin semen. On the other hand, she didn't like that bit about jealousy. That may have just been Urdo poking at her, as he was fond of doing, or it may have been truthful.

She supposed she would just have to wait and see what this fiancee was like. If nothing else, they were both women, and that ought to give them some sort of common ground.

Still, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. The fact that Urdo seemed to have waited until the very last minute to tell her was not a good sign.

She arrived at her quarters and went in. The bed was perfectly made. When was the last time she had actually slept in it? It had been a while. This might be almost like a vacation.

For now, though, the first order of business was to fill the tub and clean away the evidence of her afternoon tryst. And maybe touch herself a bit. Tesaiel grimaced in annoyance. She was going to be pent-up and horny all day, and when night came for the first time in forever she would be sleeping alone. She shouldn't have made him speed up. She had been so close.

---

Urdo's coachman arrived shortly after dark. The carriage pulled up in front of the outer walls, and a small figure robed in black and green disembarked. Egrid swiftly unlocked the gate, and escorted her across the yard.

Tesaiel watched from the porch, where she stood with Urdo. The pack of krav wolves quickly made an appearance from around a corner, three huge black forms with Fenrir in the lead. The big alpha went up to the small figure, sniffed at her inquisitively, then seemed to give a shrug almost of disdain and turned away. He casually trotted back to the kennels, his two subordinates in tow.

Beside her, Urdo frowned. "Hmm."

Egrid and her charge arrived at the porch, and Urdo put on a smile. "Graatu, chieftain's daughter, Liver of the Hargaz. Welcome to my estate."

The robed figure pulled her cowl back, revealing a goblin woman with ragged green hair and a jeweled ring in her nose. Tesaiel wasn't sure how she ranked on the goblin scale of beauty; to her eyes, she was fairly hideous. Squinting at Urdo, Graatu spat out a stream of rapid-fire gibberish in what was presumably the goblin tongue.

Wincing, Urdo replied rather more slowly in the same speech.

Egrid and Tesaiel exchanged puzzled glances as the two talked, not comprehending a word. Tesaiel had learned something of Urdo's body language and facial expressions during her stay with him, and she could tell he was of mixed enthusiasm; some of the things he was seeing and hearing were much to his liking, others, very much the opposite. But what those things might be, she hadn't a clue.

Urdo switched back to common. "This is my chief bodyguard, Egrid Hardtusk."

Egrid bowed. Graatu studied her like a side of beef, then grunted. "Looks strong. Good," she said in heavily accented common. Then, after some thought: "Very ugly."

Egrid's eyes narrowed, but she said nothing.

"And my accountant and domestic hostess, Lady Tesaiel of House Ordome, Baroness Emerald Moon," Urdo continued.

"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Graatu, chieftain's daughter, Liver of the Hargaz," Tesaiel said as sincerely as she could manage. "Welcome to Mr. Urdo's estate."

Graatu looked at her, eyes narrowing. She stalked back and forth and then behind Tesaiel, as if looking at her from all angles. Her frown grew, and she made an irritated noise. Then, with no warning, she grabbed the bottom of Tesaiel's slit dress and yanked it aside, exposing the red-gold curls, and planted her face in the elf's crotch.

Tesaiel screamed as she felt a long wet tongue slurp along her labia and into her cunt. She shoved at the goblin, stumbling back, but Graatu was already pulling away, licking her lips judgmentally. As Tesaiel straightened her dress, fists clenched and trembling with fury, the goblin pointed at her. "Putting out."

Urdo looked half-amused, half-aghast. "Graatu, that's not really something to be discussed in public."

Graatu sneered. She pointed a finger at Tesaiel. "Elf. No more putting out! Graatu is here. Bury your elf-lust."

Tesaiel didn't trust herself to speak. She just stood there, trembling with outrage.

Urdo coughed. "We have prepared a dinner to welcome you, chieftain's daughter. Let us move into the  house, yes?"

Graatu shrugged, and walked inside. Shrugging at Tesaiel and Egrid, Urdo followed her.

"Well, this will be interesting," Egrid told Tesaiel neutrally.

Tesaiel just snarled out an elven obscenity, and then stalked after the two goblins.

Urdo's dining room was decorated with pine forest branches tonight, and scented candles burned in jeweled candlesticks. Graatu seemed uncaring of this. She took the first seat she came to, and snarled and grumbled when Egrid moved her to sit at Urdo's right. Tesaiel was placed at his left, and Egrid had a seat at the end.

The silent, rarely-seen servants brought out the meal; goblin cuisine, which Tesaiel found vile. She ate the most palatable portions and resolved to get something real later. The wine was decent enough, at least, and she helped herself.

Graatu gobbled her food with a slovenly lack of table manners that appalled the elf. From the look on her face, it even appalled Egrid. Urdo seemed rather more tolerant, although as always he ate slowly and properly. It began to dawn on Tesaiel that Urdo was a goblin far different than one of the forest dwellers; a goblin who had mastered civilization and polite society. Graatu clearly had not. Would that repel Urdo, or would it call to him? Maybe a little of both, from his body language.

Urdo glanced over at Tesaiel expectantly, and she inwardly sighed, knowing what he wanted. "Did you have a good trip to Dylak-Leem, Graatu?" she asked, forcing her voice to be pleasant and non-hostile.

The goblin grunted. "No. Bad food. Humans everywhere. No cover." She made a gagging noise. "Not enough trees."

"I am afraid trees are not one of our city's virtues," Tesaiel said with a good imitation of sympathy. "I'm sure you'll adjust."

Graatu looked at her flatly. "Why no slave collar, elf? Elf should be collared, beaten." She smiled a grim, needle-toothed smile. "Good at beatings. Maybe I collar you, beat you, elf? You like?"

"I'm afraid I'm not a slave, Graatu." Tesaiel's tone was even but icy. "So you'll have to forgo that pleasure."

"Not a slave?" Graatu turned to Urdo, scowling, and rattled off an irritated-sounding stream of questions in goblin. Urdo, looking a bit embarrassed, replied in the same tongue.

Finally Graatu turned back to Tesaiel. "You like goblin men, elf? That why you here, eh?"

"No!" Cheeks flaming, Tesaiel slammed her hand down on the table. "How dare you insinuate-"

"I taste. Taste never lie. Hear Graatu, elf. That OVER. Graatu is here. Maybe you better run, or collars and beatings not far away. Slave-who-is-not-slave." She snorted, then abruptly turned to look at Egrid. "Ugly one, you dance? Do funny dance, make laugh?"

"No, not really," Egrid said evenly.

"No talent." Graatu turned to Urdo and began to converse with him in goblin. His expression grew interested, then a little eager. 

He turned to the others. "It seems Graatu studied under one of the more famous mistresses of dance among the forest tribes. She has offered to display her skill for us."

"Oh, joy," Egrid said quietly. Tesaiel just nodded. As much as she detested Graatu, she loved dancing, and she was interested in spite of herself to see what an authentic goblin dance looked like.

Urdo spoke encouragingly to Graatu, and she stood up from her chair and moved to an open space of floor. She doffed the black and green robe in one swift motion, and stood in a deerskin halter and a crimson-stained loincloth. Urdo made a noise of appreciation; while squat to Tesaiel's eyes, she could see that Graatu was curved and well-formed, with a trim and athletic body. Part of her dark green pubic hair had been allowed to grow unnaturally long and knit into a braid, which snaked out of her loincloth to be coiled around her upper thigh. Hanging from a thong on the waist of her loincloth was an object of black wood, decorated with raven feathers at the butt end. An idol, maybe? Tesaiel couldn't see it well enough to tell.

Graatu uttered a curt word, and Urdo began to slowly stamp one foot on the floor, creating a steady drumbeat. The chieftain's daughter began a slow, swaying shuffle, feet dragging on the ground as her hips moved. Then, violently and unexpectedly, she leapt, legs flying apart. She landed on one hand and one foot, and her other leg shot straight back. Immediately coming to both feet, she moved forwards and back as if she had a dangerous beast at bay with a spear, retreating and then pressing forward again. Her upper body shook, and she threw out her hands, then ran them across her own torso.

Tesaiel watched, thinking well of the goblin for the first time. She was clearly an expert at this, and some of the moves she was doing must take great practice and natural coordination to pull off. And she had to admit that the form of the dance had a certain primal appeal, similar to the melodies Urdo sometimes played her on his flute.

Urdo's stamping grew faster, and Graatu's gyrations grew more and more frenzied. Her motions were almost desperate now; rather than being at bay, she was being overpowered by her enemy, fighting for her life. Her teeth were bared in a snarl, and sweat poured down her brow.

"Not half bad," Egrid whispered admiringly, and Tesaiel glanced at her in surprise. She had never figured the half-orc for an admirer of dance. Then she saw how Egrid was looking at Graatu, and realized that the goblin was managing to flash her audience with every kick and jump, and that there was a certain eroticism in the performance. One lost on her, but there nonetheless.

Leaning forward, eyes intent, Urdo quickened the pace. Graatu seemed to be stumbling now, except each 'stumble' turned into a deft spin and a jump. But her enemy clearly had the better of her. The drumbeat went faster, faster, ever faster, and the dancer whirled and spun in what seemed like a panicked, terrified, vicious frenzy. Tesaiel leaned forward herself, riveted. This surely couldn't last much longer.

Abruptly, Urdo's feet stopped. As the beat vanished, Graatu slid to her knees, face contorted in a mask of defeat. She held that pose for a second, then slowly she stood. Her head turned one way, then another, as if suffering blows. Her hands tore at her garments, exposing one breast. Slowly, in a shuffling dance, she moved her legs to a wide spread stance.

Urdo's foot started pounding the floor again. As Tesaiel watched, Graatu took the wooden object off her hip and held it up. It was cylindrical, mostly, with a cap on one end that reminded her perversely of...

Tesaiel jerked in her seat, staring. It WAS. It was a carved wooden penis.

As she watched, Graatu lowered it to her waist and pushed aside her loincloth. With a contorted expression on her face, she shoved the wooden phallus deep inside her, her hand clenched around the feathered base. Slowly she began to move it in and out as she danced and swayed, her hips moving back and forth. Her other arm flailed at the air, as if resisting.

"It's the dance of Mograk and Terliz," Urdo said quietly, eyes still fixed on Graatu. "They were both great hunters, and Mograk admired the beautiful Terliz, but she disdained him. So he caught her in the woods when she was weary from the hunt, fought her, and raped her when she lost. She was overcome by his virility and asked to be his mate, and they were wed. He gave her a child, and once her belly was full, she cut his throat to have her vengeance. But as she predicted, their child became an even greater hunter than either of them."

"That is absolutely horrible," Tesaiel said, staring at the writhing dancer with revulsion. She had to admit the 'dance' was still being carried out with skill; every piece of it conveyed the story it was meant to tell, and Graatu clearly was engrossed in the performance. But the goblin woman was basically masturbating in front of her. It was indecent. It was disgusting.

"It's pretty hot," Egrid admitted, watching happily. "At least she's not afraid to put on a show."

Tesaiel made an irritated noise, and forced herself to continue watching. Graatu was tossing her body in the rhythm of copulation, eyes shut, teeth bared in a grimace, Her torso shifted from side to side, causing her exposed breast to swing wildly about. In the dance, clearly, she was being pinned to the ground and taken roughly.

Urdo sped up the beat, licking his lips. Graatu began to jerk violently, her legs going even farther apart, the hand holding the wooden dildo moving with increased speed and force. Egrid leaned forward, eager face a little flushed, and Tesaiel felt her own cheeks redden. This was like watching two people have sex.

The drumming reached a crescendo, Graatu's head tossing back and forth in a frenzy, her chest heaving. Then, abruptly, Urdo's foot stopped. Graatu's head and body arched back, her mouth opening in a silent scream, spittle flying. She slumped to her knees, still arched backwards, then slowly pulled the now glistening wooden phallus free. In an almost brutal motion, she wiped it between her breasts. Then she returned it to the loop on her loincloth, and stood.

Urdo applauded. Egrid did as well. Tesaiel hesitated a second, then sourly put her hands together in something that looked like clapping but made no noise. Graatu, panting, took a moment to collect herself and catch her breath. Then she walked over, pointed at Urdo, and said something slyly in goblin. Urdo smiled, and stood up.

"Dinner is adjourned for tonight," he said. "Graatu and I will be retiring for the evening." He sounded anticipatory.

Graatu smiled a wide smile. Then she walked over to Tesaiel and wordlessly dropped the black wooden penis into her lap. Smirking, the goblin turned, took Urdo's hand, and the two left the room.

Fuming, Tesaiel batted the disgusting thing out of her lap and across the room. "This is worse than I imagined."

"She is a bit of a bitch, isn't she?" Egrid replied. "Hell of a dancer, though, and a nice body for a goblin."

"I think she's hideous. Which I suppose makes her perfect for Urdo." Tesaiel sighed. "At least she's likely to keep his libido occupied. I can tolerate quite a bit for that service. She had better learn her manners, though."

"She didn't seem like the type who learns easily," Egrid said gloomily. "Oh well. As long as she stays out of my way and lets me do my job, I guess I can't complain."

"I suppose that is a good way of looking at things," Tesaiel said with forced cheerfulness.

---

Tesaiel had trouble falling asleep that night. She was still sexually frustrated, and an abortive attempt at fingering herself to relief just made it worse. It took her a long time to drift off.

When she did, it was to a dream of being vigorously raped by Graatu, with tongue and wooden phallus. In the dark hours of the morning she jerked awake with a gasp, heart pounding, her body covered with sweat. The dream felt vivid and horrifyingly real, and what made it even worse was that her body was still horny and calling for sex. It made her feel dirty and corrupted.

In the end she managed to go back to sleep, and after fitful, poorly-remembered dreams she rose in the morning and went down for breakfast. Urdo and Graatu were both at the table; Urdo looked insufferably pleased with himself. Graatu just looked indifferent, although her eyes lit up with malice when she saw Tesaiel. The elf selected a scone and some jam, and sat down with a cup of tea.

"Did you sleep well, Tesaiel?" Urdo asked politely.

"Yes, thank you," she lied.

"I'm going to be busy most of the day getting Graatu used to the place. Was there anything you needed my opinions on today?"

She thought. "I have a couple meetings this morning. Depending on what I'm told, I may need your approval on certain measures." She had the authority to undertake a number of punitive measures, but only up to a degree; the line was hazy and she preferred generally to err on the side of caution. "Other than that, no. Business as usual, and we aren't looking to buy anyone at present."

"Try not to bother me today," Urdo advised. "If that means you use a little more authority than usual, that's okay; all your calls so far have been the correct ones. A lot better than my last accountant."

"Well, as my only job is being your accountant, it's important to me that I do well at it," she said sweetly.

Urdo gave a thin chuckle. "Of course."

Graatu snarled something in goblin. Urdo turned, and replied in a pacifying tone. The chieftain's daughter didn't seem much impressed.

"Graatu is here, elf," she said in her heavily accented common. "Remember that."

"It is difficult to forget, Graatu," Tesaiel replied, tone slightly bored. She finished her scone. "If you'll both excuse me, I should get to work."

"Of course," Urdo said.

Standing, Tesaiel left the dining room, one eye twitching slightly, and made her way to her parlor office.

The morning reports were waiting in a pile for her, and she tried to lose herself in the steady rhythm of her work. Names, numbers, times, profit, loss... she kept her pen busy, scratching away at her ledger. Occasionally she frowned and wrote a memo, or jotted down a note to look into something in the future. Most of the day's business though was routine and ordinary. Most of the time that would have pleased her, since it would mean the edifice she oversaw was running smoothly. Today, though, she wanted something to occupy her full attention.

No such luck.

The morning seemed to drag on interminably, an endless parade of figures and explanations for why expenses were justified. It began to feel almost strange. Surely she didn't work this long without stopping every day?

Of course she didn't, she realized. Usually by now Urdo would have sent Egrid down to inform her that he required her special services, and Tesaiel would have gone upstairs or down to the sauna, or once or twice to the little secluded bower on the grounds. That would take anywhere from half an hour to three hours.

Her body responded a bit at the thought, and Tesaiel bit her lip in frustration and anger. It was a GOOD thing that this was no longer on the agenda. She just was going to have to get used to being celibate again, which was obviously the preferable state of being.

Some time after noon she called a temporary halt, and went down to the kitchens to get some fruit, bread, cheese, and a glass of wine. She brought it back to the parlor and ate a solitary lunch, then resumed work.

She had almost finished when Egrid knocked on the door. "Margo Ellet is here for her appointment, Tesaiel."

"Good. Send her in." She had been waiting for this one.

After a few minutes, a scrawny, black-haired human entered with the angular eyes that marked her as having blood from beyond the Nomad Waste. She gave a crisp nod, although she looked a little upset. "You wanted to see me, Lady Tesaiel?"

"Yes. Have a seat, Margo." She smiled evenly. "Is anything the matter?"

"No. The krav wolves just... took an interest in me when Egrid escorted me in. It was a bit frightening."

Tesaiel knew exactly what sort of interest. She tsked. "Unfortunate. They never bother me. But they can get aggressive with people they don't know as well, which I suppose is sort of the point of having them."

"But Egrid can control them?" That was put out hopefully.

"Usually." Tesaiel smiled. "Try not to show fear. Fear... excites them."

Margo swallowed, and Tesaiel savored the woman's fear herself. She enjoyed the effect her pack had on outsiders; it was an un-elven sentiment and one she knew she shouldn't have, but one that gave her a deep and profound satisfaction nonetheless. "Do you know why I summoned you today, Margo?"

"Yes." Margo collected herself. "Because the sales from the plantation shipments have been poor even though the plantations themselves are doing fine."

"That's right." Margo had always struck her as sharp and dedicated, which was why the sagging profits had puzzled her. "Can you explain to me what's going on?"

"Yes, mostly. We've been looking into it on our end for the last two weeks. Basically what's happening is goods get loaded onto barges at the plantations, then shipped through the swamps until they reach the Kesarde River, then downriver to our unloading dock in Dylak-Leem, then from there to the Spice Market for sale. Only somewhere along the line crates were just vanishing and never reaching the market."

"So, theft. By who?"

"Well, our initial investigation made it clear the crates were vanishing before they reached the unloading dock, so my first assumption was that someone on the boat was passing crates to another barge once they reached the Kesarde. But we watched them the whole route down the river and that didn't happen. So it had to be somewhere in the swamp. Then I swapped out the entire crew with replacements and waited to see if that fixed it, which I was expecting it would. It didn't. So it wasn't a thief on the boat crew, which baffled the fuck out of me, pardon my language."

Tesaiel waved a hand in mild irritation. "Go on."

Margo shifted in her seat. "Well, then I borrowed two of our lightfingered specialists from another part of the organization and I put them on the barge and told them to keep close watch for anything funny. The first trip they saw nothing and the crates still vanished. But the second trip one of them claims he saw a bullywug swim up alongside the barge, harpoon a crate, pull it over the side, and swim off."

Tesaiel made a startled noise. "A bullywug? Really?"

"That's what he says. I don't know why bullywugs would want to steal our shipments. What sort of use are they going to make of so much of it? If we were shipping trade goods, yeah, but drugs and spices?" Margo shook her head in bafflement. "Doesn't make a whole lot of sense. We've been trying to come up with a plan to deal with it."

"No. It actually makes a great deal of sense." Tesaiel scowled. Callia. It had to be that odious little halfling, expressing her displeasure at having her naughty painter taken away from her. The little wart undoubtedly knew better than to try anything open, so she was getting her revenge by having her bullywugs steal from them when they came into their territory. The sheer gall of it made Tesaiel's temper flare. "You should have notified me before this, Margo."

"I'm sorry, Lady Tesaiel." The woman seemed subdued and worried. "We only found out about the bullywugs yesterday. I wanted to have a solution before I bothered my superiors."

"That's all right. You did well to find out as much as you did. It saves a lot of work discovering the why, and just leaves the question of what to do." Tesaiel drummed her fingers on her ledger. "The central organization will handle this affair, Margo. Keep sending the shipments as normal. I expect Egrid will get in touch with you soon about arranging a very special shipment. I don't need to tell you to cooperate with her fully, do I?"

"No, Lady Tesaiel. Of course I will."

"Good." Tesaiel stretched. "It was good to see you, Margo. Hopefully this matter will be resolved soon and our next conversation will be more pleasant. Egrid will walk you out now; tell her to come see me after you're on your way."

Margo stood. "Of course." She turned to go.

"Oh, and Margo?" The woman glanced back, and Tesaiel smiled at her. "Remember, fear excites them."

The woman shuddered and turned pale. She quickly swished out, and Tesaiel's smile broadened. She pictured Fenrir walking after Margo, the human woman walking faster, the krav wolf pursuing, eyes glowing, big red member jutting beneath him. The increasing terror of Margo, the increasing hunger of the wolf...

Oh gods, she was wet now. Tesaiel gripped the arm of the divan and counted to twenty. What the hells was wrong with her? She needed to go back to her quarters this evening and get some relief with her fingers.

After a few minutes Egrid returned. "The boys were a fucking handful today. They REALLY wanted Margo. Fenrir tore her blouse with one paw; I thought she was going to lose it and run. Thank the gods she didn't."

"They used to give you trouble, before you..." Tesaiel delicately trailed off.

"Yeah." Egrid blushed a bit. "That's the strangest thing I've ever had to do in this job. Not my thing. I got a huge bonus for it. Sort of wish he hadn't mentioned it to you."

"Well, it's something we've both done, so there's nothing to be self-conscious about," Tesaiel said kindly. "It sort of makes us sisters in a way."

"That is an awfully fucked up sisterhood."

"Well, yes," Tesaiel admitted. "Anyway. It looks like Callia has decided she wants a little revenge."

"Callia? That halfling smuggler?" Egrid grunted. "What's she doing?"

"Her bullywugs are stealing crates of spices and drugs during transit through the swamps."

"Bitch." Egrid sighed. "Well, we can't let that stand. Do we take this to the boss?"

"No. Urdo told me he doesn't want to be bothered and to act on my own authority. So that's what I am going to do. Get a team of enforcers together and put them on the barge, with nets and ropes and clubs. I want a captive bullywug ready for interrogation."

"Okay. You want to do that personally?"

"No. Find someone skilled at extracting answers. All I need to know is who's giving the orders. If it's Callia, and I'm ninety-nine percent sure that it is, we move on to phase two. Make sure they keep the bullywug around for that. Or at least its head."

"Gotcha." Egrid studied her. "Sometimes you make me forget the rumors are all bullshit."

"When I do something, Egrid, I do it right. Whatever it is." Tesaiel gave a faint sneer. "I'm probably one of the more competent people you'll ever meet."

"Modest, too." Egrid chuckled. "I'll go set that up. See you later."

Tesaiel made a dismissing wave, and then frowned. "Oh, and Egrid?"

"Yes?"

"The first thing you do, send one of our enforcers to watch Mistress Coursi's house. If Callia is getting overbold, I don't want her making a move at my favorite pornographer."

"Good thinking. I'll take care of that right away." Egrid left.

Tesaiel returned to her work with a thin smile. From her brief meeting with Callia, she had concluded that the halfling was clever and enterprising, but also one who took things personally and didn't quite know her place. Tesaiel was only too happy to tutor her on that last point.

---

Dinner that night was a quiet, somewhat awkward affair. It was vile, squiggly goblin cuisine again, and Graatu once more demonstrated her utter lack of table manners. The conversation was mostly in the goblin tongue. Urdo had few questions about the day's operations; he made a brief query when Tesaiel mentioned the Callia situation, then told her to do as she saw fit.

"Just don't do anything we can't pay the Watch to cover up," he said with a laugh.

Tesaiel assured him that she wouldn't, and he lost interest.

She excused herself after picking at the more edible parts of the dish, stopped by the kitchens, and made herself a salad and a plate of cheese. Tesaiel took it back to her room and ate and brooded. Then, hoping for relief, she took off her clothes, got into bed, and began to finger herself.

She played with her button for almost half an hour, breathing heavily, shifting and squirming where she lay. She inserted one finger into her damp pussy and stroked her inner walls with it, making herself groan softly. Frequently her back would arch, and she would grind her hand against her drenched sex, chasing the jolts of pleasure with desperation.

After forty-five minutes Tesaiel gave up, exhausted and wrung out and still without an orgasm. Her body yearned for relief, but she resigned herself to the fact that she wasn't getting off that night. In a foul temper, she hugged her pillow and went to sleep.

She dreamed of a great, dark, ancient forest, filled with rustles and howls. Margo and Graatu were running together through it, panicked, stumbling and tripping over tree roots and underbrush. A great dark pack loped after them, baying. Margo screamed, and plunged through a thicket of brambles. The barbed thorns tore the clothes from her body and left the skinny woman cut and bleeding. Graatu's foot got caught in a root, and Margo lost her balance and fell on her face, underpadded ass in the air. She started to rise, and then the pack was upon them...

Tesaiel woke, a snarl of lust ripping free of her throat, her heart hammering. The sense of desire was so strong she wanted to strike something. She lay there, wet and frustrated, crossing and uncrossing her legs as she hugged herself.

This couldn't be normal. There was something wrong with her. Maybe she was experiencing withdrawal from the aphrodisiac that goblin seed contained. Yes, that would make sense. She had been getting multiple doses of it every day, and now it was gone and she was going cold turkey. How annoying. She wondered how long withdrawal lasted.

When she went back to sleep, it was to similar dreams, and when she woke in the morning she felt depressed and on edge. She dressed mechanically, and went down to breakfast.

To her surprise and displeasure, the only other person there was Graatu. The goblin smiled maliciously at her. Tesaiel ignored her and sat down to sip at her tea.

"Urdo still sleeps," Graatu told her. "Busy night."

"Mmn," Tesaiel replied vaguely.

"You like goblin men, elf? Maybe you miss goblin men, eh? Not getting anything?"

"Spare me the filthy suggestions."

Graatu laughed. "You like goblin women, elf? You so fond of goblin, maybe you like goblin women?"

"No." Tesaiel felt her teeth beginning to grind.

"Words say no, maybe body says yes, mmm?" Graatu's needle-toothed smile grew wide. "Graatu has idea, elf. Some night, maybe this week, maybe next, we put collar on you. Iron slave collar. Then Graatu plays with your body. Urdo watches." The chieftain's daughter leaned forward and giggled viciously. "Graatu make you scream and beg, elf. You say, more, more. Teach you to like goblin women."

Repulsed, Tesaiel turned her head away. "Urdo wouldn't let-"

"No, you think not? You think Urdo not enjoy watching him wife playing with him... accuntant? Make her scream, make her moan?"

Oh gods. Tesaiel's blood turned cold. She was right. Urdo probably WOULD get off on that. If Graatu was bent on the idea, she could probably get Urdo to go along with it.

"You bitch," she said with undisguised loathing.

"Elf, you should not like goblin men. Graatu is here. Now only goblin you learn to please is Graatu." The goblin woman stood up and yanked her loincloth aside, revealing a thicket of green pubic hair wound into a long braid, and a purple-swollen labia. "You see this? You going to bury angry tongue in it. Graatu put hand on your head, you make Graatu happy, like good dog. You be ready to do good job, elf."

"Go to the hells."

Graatu stared at her, letting the loincloth fall back into place. "Elf, you no understand. All you good for in life now to make Graatu happy. You not do that, well, elf worth a lot of money. A LOT of money. Mebbe elf get sold."

There it was. There was what she had been most afraid of. That with someone else taking her place, Urdo would simply sell Lanthel's contract and recoup his investment. "I have other uses to Urdo than that."

"Yes, but he can pay you do that. Cheaper." Graatu gave a nasty smile. "It all depend on what I tell him, elf. So in few days, when time comes for Graatu to teach you about goblin women, you be... enthusiastic. Or maybe there be big sale. Elf understand?"

"I understand," Tesaiel said heavily. Then she got up and left.

She made her way to her work parlor in a daze. What was she going to do? She almost wanted to throw up at the thought of having sex with Graatu. And it sounded like the chieftain's daughter wanted to make her a living toy, something to take out her perverse and malicious urges on. Tesaiel didn't think she could go through with that, and even if she did, she wouldn't put it past Graatu to sell Lanthel's contract after she'd gotten what she wanted and the novelty had worn off.

She was in a terrible spot. Something needed to be done. If nothing else, she needed to warn Lanthel, and let her know that she might not be able to protect her sister any more.

Stressed and anxious, Tesaiel did her best to bury herself in her work. That helped a little, as well as reminding her that she did have some value to Urdo aside from the services she no longer provided. He could replace her, but he'd have a hard time doing so with somebody as efficient and trustworthy as her.

Around midday Egrid came by. "Hi, Tesaiel. The swamp operation went off without a hitch. We dragged a bullywug back to a warehouse and did some persuading. Took a while, but the thing talked. Hardest part was finding someone who could understand their language."

"Good." Tesaiel leaned forward. "Callia?"

"Callia, yup. She's paying them for each crate they bring her."

"I suspected as much." She drummed her fingers on the divan. "Get a crew together, Egrid. Someone who can work with fire, and some muscle. Callia has properties at these addresses." She handed the half-orc a piece of parchment. "Burn them. If people try to get out, let them, but don't let them put the fire out. Make arrangements with the Watch beforehand. When you're done, and all of them are ashes, drop the bullywug's head off in a crate at Callia's main compound."

Egrid whistled. "That ought to send a message."

"Yes. It ought to." Tesaiel smiled. "This woman thinks she can spitefully damage Urdo's profits. She needs correcting. I will correct her. With help from you and yours, of course."

"Of course," Egrid said dryly. She shifted. "How's everything going, Tesaiel?"

"Not well." She deflated. "Graatu has made... threats. About getting Urdo to sell Lanthel. She may have just been trying to get under my skin, but I don't think she was."

"SELL Lanthel?" Egrid sounded outraged. "She can't do that!"

Gratified by the reaction, Tesaiel smiled at her. "Thank you, Egrid, but I'm afraid she probably can. I'm trying to think of ways to counter her. Certainly I'm valuable to Urdo with the work I do on his finances, and as you know I'm starting to take a wider administrative role too."

"But you really enjoy it," Egrid said, looking her in the eyes.

Tesaiel started. It was true, she admitted. Her old life seemed so boring next to the intellectual challenge of helping to run a massive underworld power structure. "Yes, I suppose I do," she said.

"The boss probably knows that. If Lanthel were sold, but you could keep on working here for a good salary, would you really give the job up?"

She slowly began to curse. "Oh, damn it all, Egrid. You're right. And Urdo probably knows it."

Egrid sat down on the divan next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. "You probably still have at least a few days to come up with something. You're pretty smart, you can figure out an angle. I'll do anything I can to help you; just ask me."

"Thank you, Egrid. You're a dear." Tesaiel sighed. "The past few days have just been awful. I feel so wound up."

A hand suddenly ran along her thigh, up under her dress. "I could unwind you," Egrid whispered in her ear. The arm around her shoulders pulled her closer.

"E-Egrid!" Tesaiel froze for a second in shock. For all her flirting, the half-orc had never laid hands on her like this. Gods, she was serious! Egrid was going to have her right now on the divan! "I don't think...!"

"Don't think," Egrid breathed. The hand slid to the very top of her leg and then up to her...

Tesaiel gave a strangled yelp and jumped away, wrenching free and scrambling back. "Egrid! What the hells has gotten..."

She trailed off as she realized exactly what had gotten into Egrid. She was no longer the boss's woman. She was fair game.

Egrid held up both hands, smiling. "Sorry, sorry. Can't blame a girl for trying."

"Egrid, you have been a good friend, but I am never, ever going to have sex with you. It will never happen. Please get that through your head!" Tesaiel's chest heaved in frustration. The worst part was that a tiny corner of her had wanted to let it continue, she was so needy for physical satisfaction right now. "I'm going to go visit my sister. You have everything you need to run Callia's lesson?"

"Yeah." Egrid stood back up. "Try not to scare Lanthel too badly, huh?"

"I will try." It was nice that Egrid seemed so thoughtful towards Lanthel, who hadn't treated her very well on the few times Tesaiel believed they had met. "I may be a while."

"See you at dinner, then." Egrid strolled out.

---

Straightening her clothing... Egrid had tugged her dress out of alignment... Tesaiel left the manor and walked through the streets of Dylak-Leem. This was the first time she'd taken the path home, and the memories of her old life got stronger and stronger as she drew nearer the townhouse.

She had lived a cloistered life. She had read, and played music on the harp and piano, and corresponded with distant relatives and long-vanished friends. When she was young and her family was still a power, she had gone to parties, and dined aboard the great fest-barges to the sound of an orchestra. She had ridden and danced and even fenced. But then House Ordome had fallen, victim of too many bad decisions and vicious politics, and there was just her and her sister and an income which did not allow for any extravagance. And she had not felt like showing herself in public anyway. So the years of books and letters had begun.

It had been hard on Lanthel, who was willful and would not stay home. She had gotten involved in her damnable religious cult. She had romantic entanglements that Tesaiel struggled to ride herd on, lest they become something carnal and improper. Tesaiel supposed it had been even worse without her older sister there to talk to and lend her guidance, but there was nothing she could do about that. She had started her new life for Lanthel's sake, after all.

Now she was strolling through the parklike square before her townhouse, and feeling almost a sense of unreality. She wasn't the same person who had left to cut a deal. Things were different now.

Reaching what had been her front door, she knocked twice, loudly.

Lanthel answered after a minute, her face going from coy to shocked in an instant as she saw who it was. "T-Tesaiel?"

"Lanthel." Her sister was wearing a skintight black leather outfit that was not fit for polite company, she saw with disapproval. "Open the door so that I may enter."

"Of course." The blonde elf let her in, and turned to face her hopefully. "I can't believe you're here! Are you on a vacation? Are you going to stay for a few days?"

"No. This is just a brief visit." There was a bottle of brandy and a pair of glasses on a tray by the door, and Tesaiel frowned. She had told Lanthel she wasn't allowed to entertain. Without saying anything more, she walked down to the parlor, Lanthel bobbing at her heels.

The parlor was a mess. There was clothing strewn about it, and half-empty glasses brandy or wine. Tesaiel scowled. "You are not keeping the house clean. Have you been slacking on your chores with your older sister gone?"

"I forget sometimes. I'm sorry. Can I get you some wine or something?"

Tesaiel started to answer, then saw a leather object on one sofa and froze in horror. Was that...? Yes, yes it WAS. "Lanthel," she said with gritted teeth, "You have left one of your toys lying about."

Lanthel colored slightly. "I-I'm sorry, sister..."

"And I see you are dressed like a common whore. I remember the last time you had a whorish phase, and I had to make rules." Tesaiel walked over, examined the leather bustier Lanthel wore, and then abruptly reached into her sister's cleavage. Her questing fingers quickly found the chain she was looking for, and she grabbed it and yanked her hand out. There was a pair of snaps and Lanthel cried out in pain as the clamps tore free from her nipples. "Wearing this again? You know I forbid you to wear it! Yet here you are, disobeying me in search of skankish thrills. I am not pleased, Lanthel."

"I'm sorry, sister! That hurt!" Lanthel wailed. "I won't do it again!"

"I don't think it hurt enough. You've obviously suffered from not receiving regular correction when you do wrong. Run and fetch the instrument of correction."

"But..."

"Now!" Lanthel fled, and Tesaiel bit her lip, fuming. Maybe she shouldn't. She was angry, and she always tried not to discipline Lanthel when she was angry. But she wasn't going to be here long, so it was now or never.

After a short while, a trembling Lanthel returned bearing a short leather whip with five tails. "Here, sister."

Tesaiel took it and hefted it. "Bend over the sofa and pull your whore pants down."

"Please don't hurt me," Lanthel whined, slowly bending herself over the couch. Her pert bottom jutted out, and slowly she pulled down the tight leather pants. "I'll be good."

"Too late for that." With a calculating eye, Tesaiel laid the first crack on the bare bottom, making Lanthel yipe. In the days after losing their parents, she had been at her wit's end to control her sister, and had finally come up with this method. It seemed to work, and she had gotten quite adept at it, knowing just how hard to strike to hurt without doing any actual damage. "Why is this happening, Lanthel?"

"B-Because I've been bad," Lanthel moaned. Her eyes were closed, and she let out a throaty gasp and the next crack of the whip, this one across her back. "Very bad."

"That's right." Tesaiel continued to strike, feeling her frustration come out into the blows. "I work all day to keep you safe, Lanthel, and you run around with whore jewelry on your tits and whore clothing, dragging our house through the mud! You don't even clean up the place! And you left a leather cock on the sofa! It's right under you! What if someone respectable had come by for tea?" She struck harder, making Lanthel scream. "You stupid bitch! Why can't you just behave!"

"I'm sorry!" Lanthel gasped, sweat and tears streaming down her face. "Oh gods! I'm sorry!"

"You're not sorry! You're not!" Tesaiel lashed out with a vicious swipe, and Lanthel howled. A red welt slowly began to rise on the blonde elf's trim white bottom, and Tesaiel forced herself to calm down. She had struck too hard. "Have you learned your lesson for now?"

"Yes," Lanthel sniveled. She was breathing heavily. "I'm sorry."

"All right." Tesaiel sighed. "I'm sorry too. I think I may have hit you a little too hard, although you certainly deserved it. Stay where you are, and I'll get some soothing cream."

Lanthel said something unintelligible, and Tesaiel went off to fetch a jar of ointment from the medicine chest in the sewing room. Returning, she saw a swollen red blotch on her sister's buttock and felt a pang of remorse. "Hold still, Lanthel. This will feel cold for a second."

Opening the jar, she poured out some ointment and carefully began to knead her sister's bottom, rubbing the ointment into the reddened cheek. Lanthel gasped as she did, and Tesaiel glanced at her. "Does it hurt?"

"N-no. It feels good."

"Poor thing, it's probably nice and soothing on that welt. You shouldn't make me so angry, sister. It's so hard for both of us." Tesaiel finished, and straightened. "I came here to talk with you, Lanthel. A serious talk."

Lanthel got up from her bent-over position and sat down regularly on the sofa, pants still around her ankles. "What is it, sister?"

"Problems have come up at Mister Urdo's. A goblin woman. I'm trying to deal with them, but... there is a chance your contract might be sold."

"Sold? Sold?" Lanthel's eyes widened, and she started to shake again. "I thought you had made a deal, sister! I thought.... sold to who?"

"I don't know. Hopefully to no-one. But you need to be prepared, sister. If the worst happens."

"Oh gods, Tesaiel. I don't want to go to the slave market again. They put me in silver chains, naked, and they showed me to everyone..." Lanthel looked away, shuddering, and Tesaiel sat down next to her, feeling terrible. It was torture to see her sister having to be afraid of such things, with nothing Tesaiel could do about it.

"Maybe it won't be like that," she said soothingly.

"Oh gods, what if they sell my contract to the Foreign Quarter? You hear stories.... Tesaiel, I'm scared!" Lanthel reached out and hugged her sister frantically, and Tesaiel hugged her back.

"Don't worry, Lanthel. I'll do everything I can to protect you, like I always do."

"Please don't let me be sold as a concubine to someone awful," Lanthel whispered, tightening her embrace. She slid her leg over so that she was straddling Tesaiel's lap. "I'll be good. I promise."

"No, you won't," Tesaiel said, half-amused, half-exasperated. She ran her hands down Lanthel's back soothingly. "But I always look after you anyway, don't I? Even when I have to beat you. For your own good."

"I know," Lanthel murmured. Her legs tightened around Tesaiel's hips, and her lips moved to her sister's ear. "I love you, Tesaiel."

"I love you too, Lanthel." Tesaiel enjoyed the embrace for a few seconds longer, then realized her body was responding to the physical embrace of another person. She had to do something about this problem. "T-That's enough, sister," she said, cheeks going slightly crimson.

Making a pouting noise of disappointment, Lanthel broke the embrace, stood up, and pulled up her pants. "I believe in you, Tesaiel."

"I'll do what I can. Just please, please try to remember how you're supposed to behave." Tesaiel stood. "I've got to get back. I'll come see you again when I know more."

"All right. It was good to see you, sister." Lanthel was practically bouncing from foot to foot. "Will you come again soon?"

"As soon as I have something new to tell you." Tesaiel made her way to the door. "Try to have the house presentable when I do."

"Yes sister." Lanthel waved, and then Tesaiel was out the door and walking swiftly up the path.

Gods, Lanthel could be so maddening to deal with. Tesaiel sighed. She shouldn't have gotten so angry, but she was wound tight and it was clear that her sister was slipping back into her foolish ways without her older sister's supervision. That was the trouble with them living apart like this. Although admittedly it was easier on Tesaiel's nerves.

And she had enjoyed seeing her sister again, at least a bit. Lanthel liked to hug her, and Tesaiel found it somewhat comforting. She would have enjoyed it longer if her damnable urges hadn't decided to kick on in a completely inappropriate way.

She needed to do something about that.

---

Her trip back through the streets of Dylak-Leem was pensive and brooding, with her various worries racing through her head and colliding with her frustration. She could feel it intensely every time a young man walked past, entering her personal space for an instant before vanishing into the crowd.

The people thinned out as she came up into the hillside estates where Urdo's manor was situated, and she forced herself to calm. Eventually she reached the familiar iron gate, unlocked it with her key, and slipped inside the yard.

As Tesaiel locked the gate and turned to walk down the gravel path to the main house, she saw a large black shape trot up, mouth open in a feral grin. She drew to a stop. "Hello, Fenrir," she said, keeping her voice steady. "How are you?"

The big krav wolf tossed his head, and she could feel the shadow of his presence on the edges of her mind. He was curious about her. About her current state...

"I'm having some trouble," she told him softly. "My position is threatened. My enemy has the upper hand. And I do not have a plan yet."

Fenrir growled, glancing towards the house with narrowed eyes. His lip curled.

"You don't like her either, do you?" Tesaiel murmured. "I noticed that. She's not worthy of us. Not part of the pack. If she thinks she can make herself my master, she's much mistaken." She looked at the krav wolf and smiled. "I only have one pack leader."

It was a sign of how much had changed in her life that she could just stand here and speak fondly to a krav wolf instead of recoiling in fear. She knew her life here was affecting her, corroding her elven worldview and values. She wasn't sure that she really cared. Elven values had gotten her house crushed, left to wither and die.

Glancing back at her, Fenrir stretched, and then looked at her searchingly. He came a few steps closer, sniffed at her waist, and then gave her a knowing glance.

Tesaiel flushed. "Yes, I know. It's because of Graatu. I'm not having... I'm sleeping alone now. I'm simply not used to that any more. It is... frustrating."

The alpha made a sneezing noise that might have been a chuckle, and then backed up a step, as if beckoning her closer. Frowning, Tesaiel took two steps forward and went to one knee, putting her head down closer to his level. "What is it?"

Fenrir took a step forward, then reared up, resting his forepaws on her waist and causing her to wobble slightly. His head came in line with hers, and his yellow eyes locked with her own brown ones. His presence, til then a background touch on the borders of her mind, spilled over, and she became intensely aware of him.

A memory poured through her head, of crouching on hands and knees under him, crying out in lust and fear as he took her triumphantly, made her his own conquered elf-bitch. She gasped out loud in shock as it came pouring back, feeling once again his intense, primal drive and hunger, of giving way and riding it as he rode her...

"Oh gods, you're offering, aren't you?" she whispered. Fenrir just stared at her, his gaze seeming to strip the clothes from her body. She knew he was. He felt obligated to as alpha, and moreover he wanted to. Tesaiel looked down, and saw that he was erect, the large red phallus jutting out from the coal-black fur.

"T-Thank you, but I can't..." He had made her come three times. The memory of it was dancing through her head. She was so wet right now. "I mean, I've got to... I really can't..."

The memory of their previous encounter was fresh in her mind now. Previously, she had cleaned his dripping cock off with her mouth, as was his due as pack leader. They'd established their place relative to each other, and that was what had brought them to alliance at last. Him on top, her panting beneath. She shook her head to focus on the present.

"Leaf and branch, this is wrong," Tesaiel murmured, then abruptly stood. She began to walk swiftly towards the door to the small outbuilding that served as the kennels for the krav wolves. "This is a mistake."

Fenrir followed at her side, easily keeping pace. She tried not to look at him. Her mind was frantically whirling. She couldn't think straight. The only thing she was sure of was this terrible need and the obvious solution.

As she pushed open the door and entered, a low, hostile growl went up from the inhabitants. She counted six other krav wolves, none as big as Fenrir. The alpha snarled, and they immediately subsided, obedient to their leader. They continued to study her with interest, though.

Tesaiel looked around. There were piles of hay, a drinking trough, several small nooks... and there was a somewhat raised platform against one wall covered with a heap of straw, probably intended for one wolf to leap up upon and sleep. That would do for her purposes.

This was a terrible idea. She should just walk out the door right now. What the hells was she thinking?

Slowly, Tesaiel pulled her dress off over her head. She carefully folded it, and set it down on a corner of the platform. Then, hesitantly, she sat down on the edge of it, stark naked except for her pendant and a silver armband.

Fenrir took a step towards her, uttering a low, menacing growl. The sound made the hair stand up on the back of her neck, sent a little frisson of fear through her. He slowly advanced, and Tesaiel felt his anticipatory hunger. She swallowed, mouth dry, her own desire rising.

"I know what you want," she whispered. "You want this." Slowly she opened her legs. "That drives you wild, doesn't it?"

The growling increased in volume. Moving deliberately, Fenrir easily raised his forequarters up onto the platform, one paw on either side of her hips. Tesaiel could see his bright red penis come level with her, then come to rest against her neatly-trimmed red-gold bush, a warm rod lying against her abdomen. His head, muzzle bared in a snarl, came level with hers. The bright yellow eyes gazed into her own, and she shivered as the full dark majesty of his aura rolled over her.

What do you want? she flung out mentally, her thoughts carrying a coy edge.

Want you! Want elf-bitch! Fuck elf-bitch! Fuck elf-bitch NOW! The images poured through her brain like a river of hot lava.

Do it! she thought back. Do me! Do me now!

Fenrir reared back a bit, and she slid her shaking hands down to grab his penis. Carefully, breathing quickly, she moved the tip of it to the folds of her labia.

"Oh gods," she murmured. "What am I do-"

Fenrir didn't let her finish her sentence. He surged forward, and Tesaiel cried out as the long red cock punched inside her. She fell back into the straw, and without ceremony the krav wolf began to hump away.

"Oh gods!" Tesaiel cried softly. "Oh gods!" She had forgotten how hot his penis was, the higher body temperature. And how good it made her feel. She wrapped her legs around his hindquarters, feeling the shaggy black fur tickle her thighs and belly. He was throwing his weight down on her, and she squirmed where she lay, pressed down into the prickly straw.

Around her, the krav wolves seemed to have taken their cue from their leader. Two of them, both bitches, presented themselves, one on either side of her. Two of the males mounted them, and Tesaiel gasped in shock and pleasure as yet another mental chord of sensation and desire joined the savage lust she was riding from Fenrir. Their whines and rhythmic panting blended into her own breathing and cries, forming a whole.

Fenrir bent over her, fucking leisurely, his balls swinging to thump against her asshole over and over again. His muzzle went to her neck, where his tongue traced her carotid artery, tasting the rapid pulse of her lifeblood. Then it went down, down, over her breastbone and along her breasts. Tesaiel moaned as he washed her full mounds with his slathering tongue, teasing her diamond-hard nipples with it, drenching her twin hills with a thick coating of drool.

"Yes, Fenrir, oh gods yes..."

The big alpha sped up his stroke a bit, and Tesaiel cried out, the sensations from her drenched cunt rising to a crescendo. She could feel, at last, an orgasm beginning, and she tightened her legs around her bestial lover. "Please... please..."

The other females began to make higher and higher-pitched noises. Tesaiel's back arched, she made a mewling sound, and began to slowly, volcanically climax. Her entire body felt like it was shaking itself to pieces, the pleasure and desire and sensation like a white-hot knife in her brain, and she began to scream. The orgasm rolled for almost a minute, and then began to subside, leaving her gasping, tears running down her cheeks.

Then, without warning, Fenrir leaned forward and pushed the knot in.

"OH GODS!" Tesaiel threw her head back and cried out soundlessly as Fenrir's tongue once again flicked out to lick her throat. The big krav wolf was sprawled atop her now, savagely fucking her with increasing vigor. The knot chafed and rubbed against her vaginal walls, and she realized with apprehension that this position was not as comfortable for it as her previous doggystyle posture had been. The intense pleasure it was providing was accompanied by a sense of painful strain, as if her ravished hole was just barely accommodating the swollen member.

Fenrir growled, and she sensed his regard focused on her as he took her. He was asking if she was in pain. She shook her head, then reached up and stroked his head. "It's fine... keep going..."

He did, and her slather-drenched chest heaved as she felt orgasm number two appear in the distance. Fenrir growled again, and then pushed his dark muzzle down to press against her lips. His tongue slipped out, and her own dainty one intertwined with it as she kissed him. She felt his mind bleed into hers, felt the joy of running down prey, the primacy of the pack leader, felt the savage delight he was taking in her body and in making her his mate. He had always desired elves, to eat or to fuck, and he especially desired her. He had wanted to make her his since the moment he saw her, one way or another.

"Oh gods. Make me yours. Make me your mate again," she whispered raggedly. "You have my submission and allegiance."

His muzzle pressed against her face again, and she kissed him again, panting as she felt from him the wicked re-acknowledgement of their pact, a pact normally only made with goblins. And few of those, to this degree. The other krav wolves gave an approving growl, her sister bitches whining as they shared her ecstacy and strain.

Tesaiel gave a short, shuddering cry as her second climax began to start. On one side of her, one of the male krav wolves gave a low howl and began cumming inside his mate, the female under him pushing her hindquarters up as her head went down. The bestial consummation mentally melded into Tesaiel's own climax and she spasmed, processing the feeling of the male wolf cumming in the female, along with her own slow, rolling orgasm. Her mouth gaped open, and she leaned back in the straw. Fenrir nipped gently at her breasts, and she yelped, the sound almost like the noises her sister bitches were making.

Fenrir was speeding up his thrusts now, and as the second orgasm died away a dazed Tesaiel could feel his already overwhelming lust increase, felt his hunger and focus tighten. He was bearing down hard on her now, and she tightened her legs around his hindquarters for dear life. She was panting and moaning now, and her cunt was swollen red and on fire with the sheer intensity of the burning knot on her walls. For a second she forgot which one she was, elf or krav wolf, and the web of emotions and thoughts in her mind only strengthened as the krav wolf on her other side began cumming inside his mate.

"Oh gods! Oh gods! Do it, Fenrir! Do it now!"

With a howl, Fenrir's cock burst forth. A gush of molten hot semen flooded her insides as he pressed down on her, straining, filling her with his seed. Their eyes locked again, and she reached out to caress his neck and muzzle. "You wanted to breed with me. My alpha. My mate. Oh gods, I wanted that."

His tongue flicked out to lick her cheek, and she felt his wicked amusement and satisfaction. Then he stood up off of her. His penis still locked firmly inside her by the knot, he twisted around and reversed, hopping down off the platform, letting his hindquarters face her. She cried out anew as his cock rotated inside her, then raised herself slightly on her elbows as his bushy black tail brushed against her pelvis and belly.

The two males who hadn't taken part now presented themselves before Fenrir, whining respectfully. The big alpha cocked his head, cock still spurting a few more times deep inside Tesaiel's vagina. Then he gave a growl of approval, and nodded to one of them.

With a pleased noise, the selected male hopped up and stood on Tesaiel's platform. She watched as he approached her, eyes widening slightly as she realized what her role was to be. Fenrir gave a slight jerk forward, and she gasped as the knot tugged against her cuntal lips, still locked in place. The sensation was intense, and she knew something was expected of her in return. The pack had to be taken care of.

The other wolf straddled her prone upper body, and she reached out. Its penis, not as big as Fenrir's, was already erect; she took it with both hands and slowly guided it to her lips. Fenrir began to tug forward with little jerks as her mouth took in the red wolf cock, her tongue sliding along the hot red tip.

The wolf whined, and Tesaiel slowly began to suck him off. The heat in her pussy was only increasing as Fenrir made short, insistant tugs, putting further friction against her upper walls, just in the right place to stimulate her clit from the inside. Low, gasping noises bubbled up from deep inside her, muffled by the meaty red rod buried between her lips. Her dainty tongue caressed the organ, savoring the wild, musky taste of the beast's penis. It was important to her to do a good job. As she had told Egrid, when she did something, she did it right, and Fenrir had certain expectations of her.

After a minute, her ministrations were telling. With a yelp, the krav wolf erupted in her mouthg, and Tesaiel choked as hot, salty semen suddenly flooded her throat. She opened her mouth, and the male stepped back, sending his seed shooting all over her chin, throat, and chest. There was a flicker of acknowledgment and gratitude; the male recognizing that she had done him, a lower status packmate, a favor. Then he stepped off her and hopped down.

Now the second male climbed onto the platform, this one with a more aggressive, insecure air. Tesaiel barely noticed; the tugs were becoming harder and more insistent, the sensations from her cum-flooded cunt more intense. Fenrir's tail swished back and forth across her belly, tickling her skin, and she reached out for the newly-approaching penis as if in a daze. As it entered her mouth, she felt her third orgasm begin.

This one was a jagged, stop-and-start, piercing affair. Tesaiel's chest heaved, her screams of pain and bliss muffled by the long red cock plugging her mouth. The wolf straddling her squatted, its hips pumping, humping her face rather than just standing and letting itself be blown passively. The tip speared down her throat, making her gag a bit as her body shook and spasmed from her climax. Her mind went blank, the world narrowing down to two boiling hot penises.

With a pop, the knot tore free of her cuntal opening, sliding out of her with a wet schlurp. With it came a river of cum, pouring down over her asshole and onto the straw of the platform. Tesaiel gave a last muffled cry, her back arching spasmodically, her mouth tightening around the bestial member she was sucking. As the last few shudders of her orgasm faded, the second wolf began spurting over her tongue with a growl, its cum flooding down her throat. She swallowed chokingly, then opened her mouth and turned her head as her body went limp. The organ continued to spurt, giving her upper body an additional coating of semen.

The wolf now turned, eying her swollen, sticky, open labia. Growling, he hopped down off the platform, then hopped up with his forepaws on either side of her waist. He clearly hadn't been content with just a blowjob, and Tesaiel felt her heart sink. "No..." She tried to force her rubbery limbs to move, only to subside when the krav wolf snarled at her.

Then Fenrir casually knocked him down. The big alpha snarled, and Tesaiel understood the message clearly: she can do you a favor at my request, but only I get to mate with her. The other krav wolf cringed and fawned apologetically, and Fenrir looked at her smugly.

Tesaiel lay there for several minutes, breathing heavily, heartrate slowly moving back to normal. The two other bitches came over to sniff at her and greet her, and she reached up to touch each of them in turn. Fenrir stood by, and she basked in his dark, regal aura. Finally, she stood.

Slowly, legs shaking, she walked across the kennel to the drinking trough. She got down on her knees, bent forward, and began to use her hands to splash water from the trough on her face and chest. Her breasts and chin were sticky with the semen of two different krav wolves, and she needed to clean it off before she could go back into the house.

She felt rather than saw or heard Fenrir approach. Before she knew what was happening he had mounted her, sending her face and shoulders splashing down into the trough. She could feel his penis, semi-erect, pressing insistently against her inner thigh. Oh gods, she thought with numb panic, they were going to do it again. He was going to take her here over the trough. And she was already at the limits of her endurance. This was bad.

Fenrir's head leaned down to nuzzle at her jugular. She felt the great weight of him on her, the black fur tickling her back and thighs. Slowly she took a shuddering breath, closed her eyes, and then widened her legs and pushed her ass up, presenting.

She sensed Fenrir's wicked amusement. For what seemed like an eternity they stayed like that, two lovers pressed together, his tongue caressing her neck.

Then he slowly dismounted. His muzzle went between her legs and his tongue slid out, making her cry out haltingly in shock and pleasure as it slid teasingly along her clit and vulva. He opened his mouth, and she gasped again as she felt his teeth close on her labia and anus, pressing down without quite breaking the skin. Then he withdrew, still radiating amusement, and sat, expectantly.

Tesaiel turned around, shaking. Slowly, she lay down on her back and displayed her throat and belly.

Fenrir growled, pleased, and then gestured with his head. Tesaiel stood. Walking slowly back to the platform, she took her dress and slipped it back on over her head. Then, with just a single glance back, she left the kennel.

She encountered no-one as she walked through the manor to her rooms, disheveled and absent. She felt exhausted, but a good sort of exhausted, and the frustrated need of the past few days was gone, or at least muted.

What had she just done?

Nothing she hadn't done before, she told herself.

She had just had sex with a krav wolf. Not because of duress, but because she wanted to. For physical gratification. Willingly becoming the lover and mate of an evil, savage animal who happily killed and ate elves. Oh gods. How low had she sunk?

Tesaiel laughed, the sound cold and cruel. She didn't care, she realized, with a certain sense of finality. She knew that at some point she was going to make love to Fenrir again. That was the future. She had irrevocably tied herself and her house to the pack, something that no other elf had ever even contemplated doing. How would they look on her, if they knew? With disgust and outrage, certainly. But also, she thought, with fear. That pleased her.

Maybe someday, those who had brought down her house would meet her packmates and her together.

Finally she reached her rooms and began to run a hot bath. She was still slimy with animal semen; scrubbing and soap would take care of that. The odor of it, mixed with her own sweat and slickness, was intoxicating and pleasing to her, but it made what she had been up to far too obvious, and she had a standard of cleanliness to maintain.

Once clean, all she would have to worry about was her gigantic problem. Graatu.

What would Fenrir do in this situation?

Tesaiel slowly smiled. She knew exactly what he would do.

---

Egrid was playing solitaire with a deck of tattered cards in the guardpost off the foyer when Tesaiel swept in, clad in a red leather riding costume. "Hey Tesaiel. Didn't see you at dinner. You feeling okay?"

"Just fine, thank you, Egrid. I assume Urdo has just retired for the night?"

"Yeah, he and Graatu went upstairs a minute ago." Egrid grinned. "You come down here in that curvy red number to keep me company?"

Tesaiel turned her head coyly. "Actually, Egrid, I have needs... a specific need... one that only you can satisfy."

Egrid's grin broadened. "Oh, I think I can satisfy you. What did you have in mind?"

"I need to borrow a pair of your brass knuckles," Tesaiel told her, smiling sweetly.

The half-orc swore, disappointed. "Damnit, Tesaiel, it's not nice to tease me like that."

"It may not be nice, but it's better than you deserve, the way you've been panting at my bottom. Now, do you have some brass knuckles or not?"

"Yeah, sure, here." Egrid handed a pair over. "Uh, what are you going to do with them?"

"It's probably better that you don't know, dear. I will see you later." Tesaiel turned and departed, took a right, and slowly stalked up the grand staircase.

She was nervous. This might be a very, very bad idea. But the fact was that she had no good, safe paths left. She could either go out like a deer or like a krav wolf, and she knew which of those two options she preferred.

Gritting her teeth, Tesaiel replayed in her mind all the insults, all the threats, all the trouble and discomfort that Graatu had put her to. She began to get angry. By the time she reached the living quarters she was very angry indeed. By the time she reached Urdo's chamber door she was furious.

She didn't bother to knock; she flung the door open with both hands. Urdo and Graatu were sitting naked on the bed, her straddling his waist, clearly about to begin. Both of them stared at her in utter shock.

"Tesaiel!" Urdo snapped. "What the fuck-"

Without hesitating, Tesaiel took three long strides across the room and grabbed Graatu by the shoulders. She had the element of surprise on her side; Graatu was still staring at her in disbelief when she swung the chieftain's daughter around and sent her flying headfirst into a wall.

"All right, bitch," she snarled. "Let us iron out our positions."

Graatu slowly rose, shaking her head to clear it. She angrily babbled something in goblin to Urdo.

Urdo, stone faced and grim, replied in the same language. Whatever he said didn't please Graatu. Tesaiel could guess what it was: this is your problem; you handle it.

With a cry of anger, Graatu leaped at Tesaiel. The chieftain's daughter raked her jaw with her claws, then sank her teeth into the elf's shoulder, causing Tesaiel to scream in pain and anger. Thankfully the leather kept it from breaking the skin. Slipping the brass knuckles onto her right hand, she slugged the goblin in the jaw, hard. Graatu's bite loosened, and Tesaiel reached down to grab Graatu's twined pubic braid. Taking firm hold of it, she braced herself and TORE.

Graatu howled in agony as the braid was ripped out by the roots, letting go and dropping backwards off Tesaiel. The chieftain's daughter bent double, and Tesaiel kicked her in the face with the extremely stylish leather boots she had carefully picked out for the steel caps hidden in the toes. Then she joined her hands, raised them over her head, and brought them down full force on the back of Graatu's skull.

Making a keening, whining noise, Graatu desperately grabbed a small metal statuette from a side table and threw it at Tesaiel's face. It clipped her in the side of the jaw, and she felt the taste of blood in her mouth as she stumbled back. Graatu staggered to her feet, and Tesaiel felt a red rage bloom inside her. With a howl, she rushed the goblin, bearing her back into a wall. As Graatu hissed and spat and frantically clawed, Tesaiel punched her in the face with the brass knuckles over and over again.

"Learn.. your... place... whore!" she screamed, and then grabbed Graatu's bleeding head with both hands. She pushed it down just as her knee shot up.

There was a meaty smack, and Graatu went limp.

Tesaiel slowly spun to face Urdo, holding the boneless chieftain's daughter by the neck. Outside, on the grounds, the entire krav wolf pack began to bay in triumph, gloating.

Urdo drew back a little as she stalked towards him. "Uh, Tesaiel..."

She hurled Graatu's nude, limp, bloody form onto the bed. Then, without a word, she shrugged off her leathers, leaving her in just her boots.

"Uh, Tesaiel..."

"Shut up, Urdo," she said coldly, and grabbed him. She pushed him down, leaving him lying on his back on top of Graatu. He was still erect, and she straddled and mounted him. "Less talk."

She began to ride him like a jockey on a bareback horse, her hands on his chest, leaning forward. His own hips began to thrust after a while, and soon the room was filled with the squeak of the bedframe and the gasps and panting of them both. The howls continued outside, full of evil glee.

Tesaiel's vision was still red; the anger transmuted to vicious lust. She pounded Urdo down into the mattress as she took him violently. Her fingers raked against his chest, and she could feel his claws digging into her thighs as he hung on for dear life.

Beneath them, Graatu stirred, coming awake. Tesaiel let her regain just enough consciousness to realize exactly what was happening atop her. Then the elf slammed her in the side of the head with the brass knuckles. Graatu fell back into pained slumber.

Her breath was coming in great gasps as she rode him harder and harder. His needle teeth were bared in a rictus of strain and effort; his long tongue shot out as his mouth gaped open. She could feel her pussy gripping the up-thrusting cock ever tighter, drenching his wiry pubic hair with her slickness.

With a loud, frenzied cry, Urdo climaxed, spasming and clenching as he filled her. Her pussy squeezed his shaft, and welcomed the pale green-white goblin seed back to her womb. Bending, she kissed him fiercely, her own blood trickling from her mouth to stain his lips.

For a few seconds they lay there, her crouched atop him, mouths pressed together. Then, slowly, Tesaiel straightened.

"She seems a little weak for you, Urdo," she said disdainfully. "Are her services up to my standards?"

"Not really," Urdo said, struggling to catch his breath. "Not like THAT. Good gods, Tesaiel, you keep surprising me."

"And you keep failing to understand my true worth," she told him arrogantly. "I hope that helped remind you."

"It did," he admitted. "And you're right. She IS weak. Spiteful and great in malice, but weak when put to the test. I won't have that in my household or my bloodline. The wedding is off." He chuckled. "She was a great dancer though. Even you must admit that."

"I do give her that," Tesaiel said, stretching. "Horrible artistry, but it was art. If she had only applied to be an entertainer it might have worked out."

"I don't know what the hells I'm going to do with her now," Urdo mumbled. "Her clan's going to be angry enough with me for breaking it off; if I send her back, they'll take that as a deadly insult and declare war. I can't keep her around here. Maybe a dagger in the back and a shallow grave."

"Don't worry about it, Urdo." Tesaiel told him. "Let me take care of it. I have an idea of my own."

"Very well. She's all yours." He shifted uncomfortably. "Right now, though, can you get her out of my bed? She's bleeding on my good sheets."

"Of course." Tesaiel dismounted him. Grabbing Graatu by the hair, she dragged the chieftain's daughter out of the room and down the hall to a bellpull, which she yanked.

Within a few seconds Egrid came loping up the stairs, sword in hand. She stopped dead upon seeing Tesaiel, nude except for her boots, blood smeared around her mouth and her pubic bush wet with cum, standing over an equally naked, battered Graatu. "What the fuck, Tesaiel?"

"Graatu and I had a talk with Urdo. She's no longer marrying him. Be a dear and take her down to a cell and lock her in, will you? No need to be gentle about it."

Egrid laughed. "With pleasure!" She threw the limp goblin over one shoulder. "You going back to the boss's chambers for the night?"

"Yes. He wishes to consult his accountant."

"I bet he does. See you in the morning, Tesaiel." Still chuckling, the half-orc ambled back down the stairs with her burden.

Shaking her head, Tesaiel returned to Urdo's chambers and shut the door. "What a bother she was. Did you really like that food we were having for dinners?"

"It had some nostalgic pleasure, the first time or so," Urdo replied. "After that I started to remember why I took to civilized food. I'm actually quite partial to the cuisine of the Shen-Lagathi elves, which is heavily influenced by their jungle domains. But I can't find a decent cook who can prepare that style in authentic fashion. When I was younger I used to eat at a takeaway that did it incredibly. They used to look like a bug had crawled up their nose whenever I came around to buy from them." He chuckled.

"I hadn't known that. I'll have to see if I can find someone for us." She kicked her boots off. "Would you like some wine?"

"Yeah, sure."

Tesaiel poured two glasses from the spirits cabinet -- happily the brawl hadn't involved it -- and gracefully passed him one. She slipped into bed, sitting next to him, hip to hip. "I hope her clan will not cause you trouble."

"Not a lot they can do to me. They're deep forest; my interests are all in the settled regions. Besides, they won't cross me unless I push them too far, and I don't think this is too far." He took a sip of wine. "I wondered why they wanted an alliance with me. It may have just been an easy way to get Graatu out of their hair. She really was a bit of a whiny bitch."

"Wasn't she? I admit, I'm not sure why she lasted as long as she did." Tesaiel savored her wine.

"Well, she could dance, and she was fairly enthusiastic in bed. And I didn't really have an excuse to break it off." He shrugged. "I should have known it was a bad idea when I saw how the wolves reacted to her."

"Well, at least it provided me with a vacation."

Urdo took a gulp of wine, then glanced at her. "So what HAVE you been up to?"

"I burned down some buildings."

"That's my accountant. They get the message?"

"Hopefully. We shall find out tomorrow." She took a last dainty sip of wine, and then set the glass down on the nightstand. "If not, I think we should probably remove Callia permanently. She's just big enough to be a thorn in our sides if she continues her ridiculous vendetta."

"Get my okay on that, if it comes to that. I want to check out her ties first. It's always annoying to rub out a problem and find out that just bought you another problem with someone bigger who considered themselves their friend or protector."

"Of course," she murmured.

"Sometimes I think handling my finances is the most valuable thing you do for me," Urdo said, setting his own glass down. He leaned over and blew out the candelabra, plunging the chamber into darkness.

"Only sometimes?" she asked, smiling.

"Only sometimes." His eyes glowed red, two embers in the darkness. Slowly she felt his claw slide along her torso, then felt him clamber atop her. Shifting on the mattress, Tesaiel wrapped her legs around his waist as he entered her.

They moved slowly at first. The goblin's sharp, wiry fingers began to play with both her breasts, and Tesaiel made a pleased sound. "You went through my services too.... fast, the first time. I didn't finish."

"You set the pace, Baroness Emerald Moon." Her nipples were tweaked and teased, the glowing red eyes hovering over her. "I merely responded."

"Perhaps I was carried away," she said, breathing quickly. "Perhaps I was overeager."

"Eager to please?" He changed his rhythm slightly, and she let out a gasp. "Eager to service?"

"Eager to reclaim my place," she said, hands caressing his pumping buttocks. "My rightful place in this household. The noble lady of this manor."

"And will the noble lady of this manor make love to its lord?" He sped up his thrusts, and she moaned out loud. His hands slid over her breasts, cupping them.

"She will." Tesaiel felt her first climax begin. The initial bout and the fight had wound her up, and the fresh infusion of seed had left her primed and ready to orgasm. She shivered uncontrollably and her hands reached down to grasp the sheets.

Urdo dipped his mouth to suckle at one heaving breast. "Will Baroness Emerald Moon give her noble, elven body to a filthy goblin?"

Tesaiel threw back her head. "Oh gods, yes. Yes. Don't stop!" She cried out as her climax shuddered through her body, making her back arch against him. "Please don't stop!"

"Would the noble lady of the manor like this goblin to fuck her over and over through the night, having every inch of her refined elven body?"

"Don't push it, Urdo. AHHHHH! Oh gods! You have... my services... all night. All of my services." Her climax slowly faded out, and she reached up to stroke his back. "Every inch of them."

"Well. I'll make full use of them, then." The goblin began to fuck her engorged cunt more forcefully, and Tesaiel closed her eyes, a low moan escaping her lips. It was going to be a long night.

---

Scowling, Callia looked up from her seat at the delegation in front of her. "Lady Tesaiel. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Her voice was distinctly unenthusiastic.

Tesaiel strode forward, smiling brilliantly. Her green-and-black dress swished around her, rich with gems. "Callia. How good to see you. You're looking... fit."

"I work for a living. Keeps my body from getting soft." Callia smiled back without warmth. They both knew the halfling was attractive by any standards. "So. What can I do for you?"

"We've had some... misunderstandings lately." Tesaiel smiled unpleasantly. "I heard about the fires. How unlucky. But these things happen to us all. We had some bad luck with our shipments, for example. But bad luck passes."

"Yeah," Callia said, looking irritated. "I get you."

"I don't want there to be any bad feeling between us. Looking back, it might have upset you that we swept Mistress Coursi away so abruptly when you had plans for her. Entertainment for your quaint troupe of bullywugs, I believe. It wasn't our intention to offend you, so I thought I would try to make it up to you by bringing you a substitute as a peace offering."

As Callia watched, a short green figure was ushered forth, naked but securely trussed and fitted with a ball gag. "A goblin woman?" The halfling squinted. "She's built pretty well."

"And I'm told she's most enthusiastic in performance. I'm afraid her face is battered up quite a bit, but it wasn't that good to begin with, and I'm sure your bullywugs won't mind, will they?"

"Not a bit," Callia said, grinning. "Thank you, Lady Tesaiel, this is most thoughtful. I may give her a go myself just for the novelty before handing her off to the boys. She ought to keep them busy for at least a month. The swamp is rough on slaves."

"My pleasure. Hopefully we are friends now." Tesaiel walked over, and patted the chieftain's daughter on the head. "Goodbye, Graatu. Give my regards to your many new bullywug husbands."

"What's that noise she's making?" Callia asked.

"I think that's what a scream sounds like through the ball gag," Tesaiel replied cheerfully. "I really must go now. Do enjoy your gift."

As the elven noble departed with her escort, Callia looked at the figure bound in front of her and grinned. She had a few painful toys that she didn't often get to use; she would try them out on this greenskin before sending her to shackled concubinage in the swamp.

"If you please me enough, I might even keep you," she lied to Graatu, seeing hope blossom in the goblin's eyes. "But it might... hurt a bit..."

An hour later, Callia concluded that the sounds her lover was making were definitely screams, with sobs and pleas for mercy mixed in. She revised her opinion of Tesaiel. The elf was all right.

Continued in Chapter 8

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