Tender Mercies: Book 1 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

They had moved very slowly at first, both Nordan and Alesha unable to see anything. Kelnozz led them through the caves and tunnels, always trying to move up when he could. Kelnozz's pack had some food and water stashed away in it, but after three days of eating sparingly, they had eaten the last of it. Water they found often enough that they could refresh themselves and fill the single waterskin they carried with them. Without food they found themselves growing weak with hunger on the fifth day.

Salvation came to them on the sixth day. At first thinking themselves seeing things, they soon realized they weren't hallucinating. Light spilled into the passage from up ahead. Forcing themselves to not rush forward, they advanced slowly upon it. The cave emptied into a larger cavern lit by a staff with a magically glowing globe atop it placed in a sconce on each side a ornately carved entrance. The carving depicted serpents, demons, dragons, and other fey creatures writhing about one another.

"What is this place?" Nordan asked, squinting to see through the painfully bright light.

Kelnozz advanced on it and studied it carefully without touching anything. After a few moments he said, "I'm not sure. Doesn't look friendly though."

"I thought you knew about these underground tunnels?" Alesha said, hysteria touching the edge of her voice.

Kelnozz glanced at her sharply. "I said I knew of them, not that I had ever been there."

"Let us find out," Nordan said, Reaching out and grabbing one of the magical torches from a sconce.

Kelnozz scowled, not sure his companions rash actions were wise. When nothing adverse occurred, he grabbed the other torch and handed it to Alesha. Kelnozz then took the lead to keep the light behind him so it did not interfere with his night vision.

The passage beyond the entranceway turned smooth and well formed. Perhaps natural at one time, it had been carved out to a uniform eight feet high by six feet wide. The passage stretched onwards and upwards for several minutes. Then abruptly it ended by joining a passage that intersected it. They stood at the intersection for a minute silently, peering both ways down the passages.

"We need a dwarf," Kelnozz muttered, uncertain of where to go.

"Why?" Alesha asked, remembering the short and stocky people from her time in Sanctuary.

"They're great underground, could get us out of here in no time," he answered, already heading off towards the left. Nordan shrugged when Alesha looked at him questioningly, then he followed the elf. Alesha stood there a moment, staring both directions, then hurried after.

A few passages branched off from the one they were on, but they opted to continue forward on it. More magical torches began to adorn the walls, lighting the passage well. Nordan and Alesha dropped theirs to free their hands when they realized they could count on the torches to light the way.

Kelnozz stopped and held up his hand in warning. Alesha opened her mouth to ask what he was doing when she heard the noise that had stopped him, the sound of many booted feet walking along the corridor. She was excited to find other life on one hand, and terrified that they would be enemies on the other hand.

"Move back!" Kelnozz hissed. To late though, for ahead a group of people had rounded a corner in the passage. Everyone stopped instantly and stared at each other.

"Run!" Kelnozz said, drawing his swords.

"Why? They're elves!" Alesha responded, confused.

"Light elves!" Nordan told her, grabbing her arm and pulling her behind him. He readied his warhammer.

The light elven company split into two groups. Six of them charged forward while four remained behind. The four remaining behind were paired in twos. Each pairing carried a stick between them with something large hanging from it. They had no time to determine what they were carrying though, for the elves reached them.

Nordan and Kelnozz defended themselves as best they could in the corridor. Their swings careful due to the cramped space that standing side by side provided them, they at least kept their opponents similarly handicapped. The noise of steel striking steel echoed through the tunnel, sure to bring reinforcements.

"Flee, I will hold them!" Kelnozz said, driving his opponent backwards with a furious series of attacks that only lightly wounded him.

"Nay!" Nordan grunted, slamming his hammer into the shield of a light elf and breaking its arm. "We live or die together this time!"

Kelnozz batted aside the attack from his racial enemy and scored a deep wound on the light elves thigh. The elf fell back, trying to escape Kelnozz's wrath. The dark elf took that opportunity and called to his friend, "Then we run now!"

Nordan swung wildly at the light elf's head, making it shrink back away from him. He then turned tail with the elf and ran. The elves behind the front ranks were unable to get around them, allowing them a brief moment to escape. Seeing a hesitating Alesha in front of him, Nordan scooped her up easily and tossed her over his shoulder as he ran.

The pursuit was quickly joined, driving them to run faster. They ducked into the first passage they encountered, taking them in a circuitous route through the tunnels. A few more random turns in an effort to lose their pursuit did them no good save getting them thoroughly lost. Alesha struggled on Nordan's shoulder, causing him to set her down so she could run with them on her own.

"Why can't we lose them?" Alesha said between gasps for air.

"Like me, they can see the heat in the air, that's how I see at night," Kelnozz answered her, breathing well and obviously in far better shape then her.

"So?" she asked again, beginning to feel her side start to cramp up.

"They see our footsteps on the cooler rock floor," he said.

Alesha lapsed into silence then, still not knowing how it was possible but willing to accept it for lack of a better explanation. Then they came to a split in the corridor. To the right they could see the four elves that had remained behind the patrol. They'd set their cargo down and had drawn weapons. Seeing the companions, they shouted alarm and charged after them.

Knowing themselves lost if they fought them, Kelnozz turned to the left and led his friends on. They had to run faster as those elves behind them were fresh. Alesha gasped, running on pure willpower and adrenaline, her stamina already gone.

They came to a large staircase in the passage, and without any hesitation charged up it. Nordan tripped on the stairs, falling painfully. Alesha stopped and helped him to his feet, leaving an unknowing Kelnozz ahead of them. They struggled back up, Nordan limping at first from an injured knee, but ignoring the pain and forcing himself on in spite of it.

At the top of the stairs Kelnozz found himself in an open air courtyard. Free of the caverns he felt like shouting triumphantly. However, the large number of light elves in the courtyard precluded him from any celebrations. A brief moment of silence rolled over the compound, then Kelnozz regained his wits and was off at a run again, sprinting towards the main gate in hopes of getting their before the light elves could react. Beginning to tire, a run of two hundred yards was beyond any hope and he knew it.

Nordan and Alesha reached the courtyard to see Kelnozz disappear in a group of easily twenty light elves converging on him. She started to run forward to help him when Nordan grabbed her from behind. He shook his head and limped off towards the side to hide behind a building to the left of the rock wall.

"What now?" Alesha asked, winded and stunned at the loss of Kelnozz.

"The fool elf gave his life so we could escape," Nordan said, exercising his wounded knee cautiously.

"How?"

Nordan looked up and saw the wooden wall of the fort beside them. He looked about a moment longer before he grabbed hold of Alesha by the waist and hoisted her up so she could grab the pointed tops of the logs forming the twelve foot tall wall. She grabbed on to it and managed to swing herself over. The tower guards were preoccupied with the continuing battle in the center of the courtyard, allowing her to escape unseen. She dropped to the ground, rolling when she hit.

A moment later she wondered how Nordan was going to get out when she saw his hands at the top of the wall. He pulled himself over as well, hurrying to avoid discovery. He fell to the ground and landed with a thud. Struggling, he regained his feet and limped over to where Alesha waited. She put her arm around him and felt something wet. Looking at her arm she saw it was blood.

"How did you get hurt?" she asked him, concerned.

"Was in a hurry, tore my side on one of those logs. No time now, worry about it later," he said, wincing with each step.

Escape was moments away for them, with all the elves attention directed inwards toward the events unfolding in the courtyard. With Nordan trying his best to erase their tracks, they disappeared amidst the forest of evergreens surrounding the light elven outpost.

---

Kelnozz fought like a man possessed. It was easily his finest moments as a warrior. In moments a handful of his skilled and dangerous opponents lay dead or dying around him. Still more pressed in, stepping over their fallen comrades in hopes of defeating the invader.

The hairs on the back of his neck raising to let him know he faced a new threat, Kelnozz glanced upwards and saw a wizard screaming at the light elves surrounding him. Not waiting for them to hear, Kelnozz seized the initiative and ended the life of another elf in a fountain of blood from his neck. He sprung through the opening before it could be filled and ran like the wind. His fatigue was forgotten amidst his exhilaration.

The light elves shouted and gave pursuit, screaming at him like dogs yapping at his heels. The wizard's commands started to be heard, however, and the pursuit lessened. Kelnozz ran for the gate, seeing it close but low enough that it looked easier to climb over it then anywhere else. In a situation with no options, it was the best chance he had.

Risking a look over his shoulder, he saw the elves had stopped chasing him. Looking up nervously, he saw the wizard finish his incantation and gesture towards him. A fiery ball sprung forth from his hands and rushed towards him. Kelnozz scowled and dropped to the ground. The magical bolt passed just over his back, warming him with its passage. It slammed into the gate of the complex and exploded violently. The force of the explosion washed over Kelnozz, stunning him for a moment. In spite of the concussive effects, he stumbled to his feet off balance and half ran, half stumbled towards the gate again. The fireball had blown the gate off its hinges, allowing him an escape route if he could make it.

Screaming in outrage, the elves charged him again, gaining ground at first but not enough by the time the dark elf had shaken the effects off and was moving at full speed again. The wizard called for the pursuers to hold back again, but his plea was lost in the chaos. Scowling, he began his spell regardless.

Kelnozz made it through the destroyed gate and lunged to his right. Just in time, the wizard had sent an arcing bolt of lighting towards him. Three elves closest behind him took the brunt of the bolt, their screams of agony frozen in their throats. It passed close enough to Kelnozz that he still felt the muscles contract in his left leg, forcing him to drag it painfully for a few steps before it began to obey his commands again.

Out of immediate danger from the warriors in the outpost, he opened up his stride and worked the kinks out of his leg, grunting at first with each painful step but soon enough feeling it return to normal. The remaining warriors charged after him out the door, distance very slowly opening up between them.

An arrow from one of the guard towers narrowly missed Kelnozz, imbedding in the ground. Cursing the Gods under his breath, he began weaving back and forth as he ran. More arrows followed him, one ripping a hole in the side of his tunic and deflecting off his chain mail. The steady flight of arrows kept his pursuers from getting too close, however, so as long as he could avoid them he counted them a blessing.

His blessings ran out when an arrow impaled him through the right calf. He stumbled with the injury, and that saved him from the flight of arrows aimed at his head. Another one did catch him in the left side of the chest, hitting a ring in his chain mail perfectly. Grunting at the shock of the wounding, he reached around to his side and snapped the arrow shaft off outside the wound. Grimacing, he fought against the agony and forced himself to move into the cover of the evergreens, following the cliff wall that formed the back wall of the outpost to the right of it.

The trees provided him cover from the archers, but allowed his pursuers to close with him. Limping along, he cleared the forest and stared ahead at a clearing that ended in a cliff overlooking some sea. He reached the edge of it and peered over the edge. Straight down, waves crashed against the rocks of the cliff. Behind him the elves spread out, knowing him wounded but still very dangerous.

"Time for you to die, cousin!" One of them said, stepping forward and raising his katana to attack position.

"Perhaps, but not at your hands," Kelnozz said, leaping with his unwounded leg off of the cliff. The fall seemed to last forever, weightless and flying. The elves above stared in disbelief at his suicidal plunge. An unheard and barely seen splash marked where he hit the water.

---

Nordan shivered in the surprisingly cool night air. He had taken fever with the injury he'd received in his side. Alesha had cleaned and dressed it with a skill he found surprising. She mentioned something about learning to be a healer before she had come to Viconia when he asked her about it.

Then they'd moved out again, heading further west. Not only west, but they'd also climbed steadily. Uncertain of where they were, they made a cold camp and went again without any food. Alesha knew that they would have to eat soon, especially if Nordan was to overcome his fever, but their exhaustion overrode their hunger.

---

When they awoke the next morning, Nordan was even worse off. Having taken off his dressing, Alesha found his wound to be angry and enflamed with infection. Nordan had trouble staying focused and was sweating profusely.

"We won't survive without food," Alesha said, rubbing her hands in the brisk morning air. "And I won't survive without clothes!" she quietly added to herself.

"Can you set snares?" Nordan said through the haze of fever.

Alesha shook her head, worried that they might have escaped impossible odds to be claimed by hunger. She looked away from Nordan so that he would not see her eyes tearing up in frustration. She looked back after she'd gotten it under control and saw him slowly rising to his feet.

"What are you doing?" she asked, seeing the look of pain on his face.

"We need food," he explained, shaking his head to clear it and testing his arm on his wounded right side. "You can't hunt, so I must."

"But you're sick! Without rest you might die!" She stammered, standing beside him and helping him stay balanced.

"Aye," he admitted, closing his eyes for second, "without food we'll both die."

Alesha stood there watching helplessly as Nordan slowly bent to pick up his hammer then straighten and move away from their campsite. "What can I do?" she asked meekly, considering herself a failure.

"I'm not sure," he stared at her for a moment. "What can you do?"

Stung, Alesha stayed motionless. Nordan turned and half walked, half teetered into the woods. Once outside of the campsite and around some boulders, he shook his head to clear it again and straightened himself up a bit. Walking more normally, he set out to gather some game.

Alesha looked about the makeshift campsite, looking for some meaning behind it all. She tried to figure out what it was that she could do. She ground her teeth in frustration, tears coming to her eyes again. Had she the tools and technology she was accustomed to, it would be so simple for her. Penicillin, needle and thread, anti-biotics, proper bandages, even hot water would have helped her treat Nordan's injury. Learning how to hunt instead of opposing the senseless killing of innocent animals while younger, taking more interest in useful skills instead of socializing and trying to be a prim and proper person.

"I can help."

Alesha's breath caught in her throat. She spun about quickly, her wet face and running nose forgotten. The source of the voice was a man dressed in a simple brown woven robe. While his robe was simple, nothing else about him seemed to be. Alesha could only think of him as beautiful. Brown wavy hair and a deep blue eyes, she felt an instinctive urge to trust him.

"Where did you come from?" she said, self consciously wiping her cheeks clean of tears.

He smiled, and Alesha was stricken again by how handsome the man was. "That's not important," he said, his voice a melody in her ears. "I heard you crying and came to investigate. Tell me what the problem is, child, and I will aid you if you simply ask it of me and accept my help."

Fear not holding her anymore, she opened her mouth and it all spewed out. Her sense of loss, her feelings of frustration and inadequacy, her uselessness, loneliness, and her history since come to Viconia. Whether the strange man understood all of it or not, he smiled and nodded encouragingly to her throughout. When at least she was finished, she again wiped the tears from her cheeks and blushed with embarrassment at unloading so much on a stranger.

"Please," she asked, "who are you?"

The man smiled encouragingly at her. "I roam the world looking for those to help further my cause, perhaps you are one of those people willing to do so?"

Alesha found herself nodding, knowing nothing bad could come from someone so beautiful.

"Good, then my child, I can help you with many of those things, perhaps all, though some must come from yourself, do you want me to do that?"

Alesha nodded again, entranced by him.

"Then all you must do is ask for it and accept it," he said, smiling again.

Alesha stared at him a moment, wondering at the strangeness of it all. A cool breeze blew through, reminding her of how much time had passed and how Nordan had not returned yet. "Please help us...me. Please help me."

His grin this time was one of triumph. "Place these roots and herbs on your friends wound, it will help him heal and fight the fever," the man handed her a small pouch that was full of roots and herbs she could not identify.

He then held out his arms and she instinctively approached him. Stepping within his arms, she let him hug her to him. He felt warm through his robes, making her realize she had forgotten how much chillier it was where they were. His hands pulled her face up to his from where she had buried it in his shoulder. His lips then touched her forehead, so hot they nearly burned her. She felt the warmth spread throughout her body. Certain she was imagining it, she found herself much calmer and more relaxed then she had been. She almost felt as though she had gained more awareness.

"Tell no one of our meeting," he cautioned her, stepping away from her. "I am a strange man and I like to be left alone in my travels. You are deep within the Periphery, and few men would come here that could be called good or noble."

Alesha nodded, accepting what he said. She noticed again how beautiful he was as he backed away from her. "Wait!" She said, "Is there nothing I can do for you? You have helped me, can I not take some of the loneliness away from you?" she took a step towards the man, moving with a fluidity and sensuousness she hadn't thought she possessed.

He smiled at her, "You are a quick learner, child, and you shall do well. I will visit you again in time, but for now look to your companion, he is an hours walk to the west, falling unconscious as we speak. Look for a stream that bends about a rock fashioned to look like man's manhood, you will find him near there."

Alesha remained standing motionless. While not sexually experienced, no man had ever turned down what she offered whenever she had offered it before. She felt a sense of longing for him, but he turned and walked into the woods to the west.

She snapped out of her momentary daze and hastened to grab up the few belongings they had. She hurried to the west, following the man, but could find him nowhere. At a loss, she continued west, wondering how she was to find Nordan when she often had trouble finding her way to the outhouse.

After several minutes she looked about and wondered at how much clearer things looked. She could smell the sparse forest around her better, the colors seemed more vivid, and she even felt more in touch with what was going on around her. So much so that she wasn't surprised when she saw a wild turkey nearby drinking from a stream. Slowly and carefully, she drew her katana. Stealthily, she approached the turkey from behind. Over the babbling brook, it never heard her approach. Her cut was so swift that it never felt her blade bite through its neck either.

Having found a stream, she continued to follow it west, the sun dipping dangerously low and making her think she was lost before she found the penis shaped rocks. Two small rocks indeed sat at the base of a longer one sticking into the air. Not only that, but the top of the rock seemed larger then the shaft of it. She blushed at the sight of it, and glanced around quickly. Braced against a tree and hidden behind a screen of brush, she found him.

"Nordan!" Alesha said softly, gently nudging him with her hand. He stirred and slowly opened his eyes. He stared at her for a moment before comprehension dawned on him.

He opened his mouth but she put her finger to his lips to keep him silent. Working quickly and efficiently, she put the contents of the pouch in a new bandage and applied it to his side, which had grown even more infected looking. It had began to stink as well, making her wonder if it wasn't to late.

She had him drink from some water she brought up from the stream cupped in her hands, then set about making a fire while he fell back asleep. Taking flint and steel from his pouch, she gathered some brush and for the first time in her life managed to start a fire without having a flame provided for her.

Taking a dagger from Nordan, she dressed and cleaned the turkey. Using a stick she found, washed, then dried and hardened over the fire, she impaled the turkey and made a spit. Wandering about a bit, she found various herbs and spices that she hadn't known about before. Using them on the turkey, she soon had dinner ready for them.

The smell of cooking meat finally woke Nordan up. Still weak, he was nevertheless ravenously hungry. Between the two of them, they ate the entire turkey, though the large barbarian had more then Alesha did. Soon afterward, he fell into a healing sleep. Alesha checked him again and found his fever reduced and even the swelling around his wound receding. Amazed, she let him sleep and took watch so that she could ponder the strange events of the day surrounding her.

Another thing that she soon found herself amazed by was the temperature. She knew beyond a doubt that it was growing cold again as night fully descended, yet she felt comfortably warm. She could also somehow identify the plants surrounding her without a problem, and she'd never been interested in gardening before. Even flowers never did much for her, for that matter!

As night deepened, the temperature lowered further. Alesha remained comfortable in spite of that, uncertain as to how she could feel so warm when she could see her breath in front of her face. She checked on Nordan and discovered that his fever had broken. He slept now to regain his energy, not to fight the infection. However, she could see how chilled his weakened body was.

Making a decision, Alesha laid down beside him, cuddling up against him and twining their bodies together so that she could hopefully share her warmth with him. Nordan clung to the warmth she provided, relaxing a bit in his sleep.

When they awoke in the morning it was still chilly out, but by sharing their body heat they had survived the cold. Alesha bit her lip, afraid to move but afraid to stay there, wrapped in Nordan's arms with her back to him. His breathing changed and she knew he was awake. Her worries were confirmed when his hand slid slowly down her arm to rub over her side and hip.

Nordan pulled his arm away then and cleared his throat. Alesha laid there, temporarily disappointed as he rolled away from her and stood up. She shook her head slightly and stood up as well, turning to face him.

Nordan took the bandage off of his side and stared at the wound in shock. A weeks worth of healing had taken place overnight. "How did you do this?" he asked her, staring at her in surprise.

Alesha blushed, but was unable to tear her gaze away from his. "I um... In my world I was learning to be a healer... They taught us how to do things like this there," she mumbled the last, knowing it was a lie but hoping he'd believe it.

"Is it magic?" Nordan asked, suspicious.

She shook her head quickly to allay his suspicions. "No, it's just what we learned to do. In my world there is no magic."

Nordan nodded slowly. "Sounds like a good world."

Alesha smiled at the memory then looked around her. "No, I think I prefer your world more, it's more clean and untouched."

Nordan grunted, his attention caught up again by her body. In spite of having seen her in the same or less every day for the past month, he was stricken again by her beauty. Shaking his head at the thoughts, he turned and worked at restarting the campfire.

"Why don't you look at me?" Alesha asked softly, stepping towards him.

Still gazing at the slowly growing flames, Nordan answered after a moment, "You are for Kelnozz, not for me."

Alesha pondered that for a moment, wondering if what he said made sense. Realizing it was of no concern, she said, "But Kelnozz is dead."

Nordan took a deep breath and looked up at the sky, as if searching for something. "No," he said, "he is still alive, I think he will outlive us all."

Alesha laid her hand tenderly on Nordan's shoulder, getting his attention. "Right now you and I are here, am I so ugly you don't want to look at me?"

Nordan turned around slowly, then stared into her eyes for a moment. Finding himself drawn to her, he crushed her to him and kissed her passionately. Their hands flew over one another, caressing, holding, stroking, and removing clothing.

They ended up on the ground, with Alesha reaching down to find Nordan's manhood. Stroking his already erect cock, she guided him towards her open legs. Never known to waist words, Nordan let her lead him into her wetness. Surprised at how ready she was for him, he was able to sink his entire barbaric girth into her with ease in spite of her tightness. He groaned happily as Alesha moaned in fulfillment.

As Nordan began thrusting into her, Alesha felt totally satisfied and content. Right then, at that moment, everything was perfect for her. She moaned and panted nonstop, her senses opening up to everything around her. She felt the energies of the elements surrounding her, infusing her. The air, the earth, the water, and the flames they had rekindled. Nordan lost himself inside of her clutching sex, grunting mindlessly as he pounded into her time and again. Nothing mattered except driving her to her climax and then filling her with his seed.

Alesha's cries of passion urged him on, as well as her legs wrapping around him and pulling him into her as deeply as possible. Having seen Nordan's cock, she was amazed she could take all of it as easily as she did. Thick and long, it nonetheless slid within her easily, setting up wonderful friction. With each thrust his pelvis ground against her slit, teasing her clit and making her gasp.

Soon Alesha found herself growing more excited then she had when Garet had mated with her. Her fingernails scratched at Nordan's back, raising welts and drawing blood. The pain drove Nordan crazy, making him pound against her furiously.

Alesha found herself reaching a plateau of pleasure. Everything around her took on a surreal cast, allowing her to see the aura surrounding the living things around her. She gasped in surprise at the beauty of it all. Nordan found himself on the edge, driven to thrust into her faster and harder. Alesha urged him on, begging him to fill her and never stop.

Nordan had no recourse but to meet her demands. Inhaling deeply, then letting out a loud grunt, he slammed his massive cock into her sopping pussy one final time, knocking the breath from her. Nordan shuddered as Alesha's quim massaged and sucked at his exploding manhood. The seed rushed from him in powerful spurts that made him gasp in pleasure and pain. Alesha gritted her teeth to keep from screaming as her climax overtook her.

After several post-coital thrusts, Nordan stared down at her with a strange look in his eyes. Alesha finally opened her eyes, a look of peace and happiness on her face, and stared back at him.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly, her hand coming up to rest on his cheek.

"Just wondering what will happen when we find Kelnozz," Nordan said.

Alesha smiled and used her muscles to tease Nordan's spear that impaled her. Nordan groaned at the sensation. "What ever happens, happens," she explained grinding herself slowly up against him. "This was my way of saying thank you for all the help you've given me. I don't want you to think this means anything beyond how much I appreciate your companionship."

Nordan nodded, both grateful to hear that and a bit disappointed. He pulled himself back from her then, sliding out of her clutching sex reluctantly.

"I hope to show you my thanks many more times as well," Alesha said, taking his limp cock and licking up and down it before sucking it into her mouth to clean their juices off of it.

Nordan grinned and when she released him, returned to stoking the campfire with fresh deadwood. Once it was blazing away, he pulled his breeches back on and picked up his hammer. "I'm going to find some breakfast," he said, staring at her nude body laying in the sun with latent lust.

Alesha winked at him and smiled. "Can you leave me your sharpest dagger?"

Nordan shrugged and pulled a dagger free from his boot. He handed it to her and then walked off into the surrounding wilderness to find something to eat.

Alesha took his dagger and moved to the cool stream. She waded into it then sat down on a rock just under the surface of the water. She could feel the texture of the water, and it felt delicious on her skin, but she remained comfortably warm in spite of it. Shrugging, she used the edge of the dirk to scrape away at the hair that had grown on her since she had entered Viconia. Unable to find an appropriate blade, and more concerned with other things, she had let her body hair return. Realizing how disgusting she felt with it, she endured the razor burn as she shaved away all of the hair under her arms, on her legs, and surrounding her recently deflowered pussy.

As the flowing water of the stream washed over her and cleaned her out, her sexual high began to abate. She started wondering what it was that had come over her. Always afraid of Nordan, she had been certain to avoid letting anything of that sort happen before. Sure, she found him attractive, he was quite possibly the largest and most powerful man she had ever seen. Incredibly muscular, she had no doubt he could have easily defeated any of the men she had known in her life in tests of strength. But that strength also scared her.

Not only that, but she had even cleaned him off after he had finished fucking her! She was amazed at her audacity in doing that. She had given guys blow jobs before, that was nothing new to her, but she'd only tasted herself a couple of times. It was wrong to do that, a crime against nature! Secretly she'd always reveled in it, and she knew that, but she refused to accept it.

Outside of her alarming sexual behavior, she was confused about the other changes coming over her. Being able to identify and use the plants around her, sneaking up on the wild turkey from the night before, seeing and feeling the things she had felt. It was all so much for her to become accustomed to. And she knew that the strange man from the day before was responsible for it. It scared her and at the same time it made her feel more comfortable. For once she felt like she was not helpless and lost in this strange new world.

Nordan returned with a rabbit, already skinned and cleaned. He stared at her for a moment as she rose from the water, glistening and wet. Alesha had to suppress the urge to seduce him again as he looked at her, and she sat on a rock while Nordan cooked the rabbit. By the time they had finished cooking and eating the rabbit in silence, Alesha had dried off enough to put her loin cloth and belt back on.

"How do you know Kelnozz is still alive?" she asked Nordan at last.

Nordan kicked dirt over the fire and pondered the question. "Not sure, I just don't think he is dead."

Alesha nodded and wondered herself. "How do we find him then?" she asked.

Nordan finished burying the fire then looked at her. "You are the one full of surprises lately, why don't you tell me?"

Alesha could see there was no malice in him, but some suspicion and uncertainty. She sighed deeply and wondered if perhaps she did know something. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Thinking of Kelnozz, she pictured him in her mind and slowly turned. At first there was nothing, but as she turned she began to feel a pulling.

"He lies that way," she said, opening her eyes and pointing forward. She was pointing to the Northeast.

"How?" Nordan asked, glancing to the Northeast then looking back at her.

Alesha shrugged. "I don't know, Nordan. I honestly don't know."

Still eyeing her suspiciously, Nordan turned to the direction she had pointed and began walking that way.

"Wait!" Alesha called out, running up to him and grabbing his arm. He turned to face her, his face unreadable. "Yesterday, when you left, a man found me and came to me."

Nordan's eyes widened as the tale spilled out of what had happened. She finished it by saying, "He was a beautiful man, Nordan! Simple and dressed like a monk or a woodsman, but so handsome he didn't even seem human!"

Nordan nodded his head then. "Methinks you have met Carson, God of Nature."

Alesha's jaw dropped and her hands flew to her open mouth. "You mean... a God? They can do that?"

Nordan's laughter bellowed out. "Aye lass, they can do most anything! That's why they be Gods!"

The blood slowly drained from her face, she took a couple of staggering steps and sat down on a fallen tree. "But do they do stuff like that?"

Nordan shrugged. "I've heard stories of men and women saying they have met the Gods."

Alesha remained sitting for a moment, still stunned and unable to comprehend it all. Then the irony of it struck her. Twenty plus years spent on her world worshipping the one true God with no sign or proof or appreciation, and less then a month here and already having met and apparently been claimed by a deity. She started laughing just short of hysterically. After a few minutes she wiped the tears from her eyes and stood up. Nordan looked at her questioningly but she merely motioned for him to lead the way.

They set out, stopping every couple of hours for Alesha to try and determine if they were still heading in the right direction. It grew increasingly difficult as the day progressed. Likewise Alesha grew increasingly flushed and aroused. Uncertain as to why, she nevertheless had a difficult time waiting through dinner before she bedded Nordan again.

After a fit of passion to rival the mornings events in duration and excitement, if not release, Alesha found herself easily able to locate Kelnozz... or what she thought was Kelnozz. "We're closer," she said, thrusting her cum-filled slit back against Nordan who was kneeling behind her and breathing heavily from his release.

"Huh?" Nordan asked.

"We're getting closer to Kelnozz."

Nordan scowled and pulled himself free of her. "You think of him while we do this?"

Alesha spun about quickly, feeling the loss of having him inside of her. She squeezed her muscles tightly, trying to keep his seed inside of her. "No!" She said desperately. "I wasn't doing that, I noticed how much harder it was for me to find him as the day went on and I got hornier, I wondered if I would be better at it if I was relaxed."

Nordan still looked at her suspiciously, leaning back against a rock. "Please Nordan," she said, crawling over to him, "understand that when I'm with you, you're all I need to think about!"

To empathize her point, she scooped him up in her mouth again to clean him off. He groaned at the sensation, but let her continue. In a few moments she could tell his reservations had faded away. He began to grow hard again in her mouth as her tongue worked over the slit in the end of his cock.

Alesha's head continued to bob up and down on his member, her jaw felt stretched as far as it could go when he was as hard as he could be. Her hand wrapped around the base of it and stroked it up and down in time with her head. Nordan's hands found their way to her head, not pushing or demanding, simple letting her know he enjoyed what she was doing.

Relaxing herself further, Alesha pushed deeper with each thrust. She straightened out her head with her body as much as she could and forced herself to ignore her gag reflex as the head of his cock repeatedly brushed the back of her throat. Nordan was moaning happily by that time. Growing accustomed to the feel of him, Alesha took a deep breath and pushed a little deeper, having trouble getting it past the bend in her neck until she swallowed. Then it slid down her throat easily. She pumped him in and out of her throat a few times, actually wishing that he was longer so that she could take him deeper. Then again, any longer and she might begin to wonder if she was having sex with a horse! That obscene and disgusting though made her moan.

Nordan couldn't believe what she was doing to him. It felt incredible. He had lain with many woman, and performed all sorts of sexual acts, but never had one been able to do what she was doing to him. Unconsciously, his hips bucked up against her face in time to her descending head. He let out a cry of frustration when she pulled her head free of him. She breathed in deeply and went at him again, licking the spit from her mouth and throat off of it. The aggression that she displayed while sucking on him drove him crazy with need. He wanted to mount her again, but the feelings she was giving him now were as good or better.

Having caught her breath, she again held it in deeply and swallowed his cock. Nordan felt himself growing faint as extra blood poured into his manhood. He was close and he knew it. His hands tightened their grip on his head and he began thrusting himself into her mouth. Alesha smiled, lost in her depravity. Her hands flew to his hips and urged him to fuck her face. Nordan needed no urging, he pistoned in and out of her rapidly, bruising her lips with his groin.

He lost track of himself when her hands reached down to fondle his sack. Unable to breathe, he exploded violently in her throat. Alesha let the first blast slide down her throat, but pulled his spouting volcano back to her mouth to taste his spooge as it drained from him. Having tasted sperm once before on a date long ago, she was certain she would hate it again, but she was so caught up in the moment she was behaving like someone else entirely. Instead of it tasting disgusting, she found herself shocked to learn that it was delicious. She sucked at his cock, squeezing and pumping it to get every last bit out of it.

Nordan at last had to fend her off of him, pushing her away from his sore and shrunken penis. Looking at her, he saw a sex starved animal. In spite of his greater size, skill, and strength, he was afraid of her for a moment. He brushed the thought away from him quickly and grabbed onto her as she came back towards him. He shook her roughly, snapping her out of her sexual frenzy.

"Oh my God... I... I'm sorry, Nordan," Alesha said, sitting back on her legs as she realized what she had been doing. "I've never been like that.... That was... well, it was incredible!"

Nordan laughed and nodded. "Aye lass, that it was! You might want to clean your face up though."

Alesha's hand rose up to her face and she wiped a glob of cum with her finger. She looked at it then stuck her finger in her mouth and sucked it off. After a low moan, her finger returned and tried to scrape the rest of his seed into her mouth. When she could get no more of it, she stopped and came back to earth.

"What's happening to me?" she asked a bit nervously.

Nordan had already moved closer to the fire and laid down to sleep for the night. "Didn't notice anything, just you relaxing and letting yourself have some fun."

"But I have never been this much of a sex fiend!" She protested.

"The Gods play games with us often. He gave you a gift, perhaps the price is becoming aware to you now," Nordan offered, drifting rapidly towards sleep.

Alesha pondered what Nordan had said, wondering if that was the case and if so, what it meant. Would she gain more power each time she had sex? Would she lose her power if she did not have sex? Thoughts and questions plagued her mind as she fell asleep curled up against Nordan's body.

---

They continued their journey at dawn, after sating Alesha's growing lust. Walking through the day, the traversed great hills and forests. Days turned into a week, always leading them to the Northeast. Each morning and night, and occasionally during a mid day break, they coupled with each other. Nordan had never known a woman so completely lacking inhibitions, and Alesha slowly became accustomed to the incredible sexual hunger she felt... as well as how it grew in her.

At long last they came upon a ridge overlooking a valley. At the end of the valley sat a castle long since gone to ruin. Alesha no longer needed to close her eyes to locate Kelnozz. "Kelnozz is there," Alesha said, pointing to the castle.

Nordan grunted, figuring as much. He looked around for a way to get down into the heavily wooded valley. "Let us camp here for the day and head down there at night. Should be easier to get in then."

Alesha agreed and they set up a cold camp, unwilling to alert anyone by lighting a fire. "Want to help me recharge before we head in?" Alesha asked Nordan, running her hand over one of her breasts and idly pinching the nipple between her fingers. Nordan laughed and caught her up in his arms.

"Today we enjoy each other's company, for tomorrow we may be dead!" Nordan quoted a barbarian proverb.

Words were soon lost to them, to be replaced with more animalistic grunts as they went after each other in a sexual frenzy.

All to soon they climaxed together in powerful orgasms. Kissing passionately through to make as little noise as possible, Alesha's teeth drew blood from Nordan's lips as he spewed his load deep inside her.

After a few moments of laying their locked together, they reluctantly parted and set about watching the castle for any signs of movement and to plan their assault.

---

The dark elf awoke sore and weak. He looked around him and saw that he was in a cave. He was resting on some bedding made from several cured animal hides. Underneath it was the rocky floor. A small campfire burned nearby, the smoke wafting up through a fissure that went he knew not where. He saw his clothing and equipment was stacked nearby, including his weapons.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he wondered how he had come to be there. And where exactly he was.

Continued in Chapter 5

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