Tender Mercies: Book 1 - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Alesha awoke instantly, a cold sweat breaking out on her skin. She shivered at the fading memories of her nightmare. She glanced about and saw Kelnozz looking at her. Hugging her arms about her to stave off the phantom chill, she rose to her feet and approached him. Already her dream was slipping from her mind and her desire and growing lust was replacing it.

"Another bad dream?" Kelnozz asked her.

Alesha nodded, struggling within herself to keep from molesting the dark elf. "I don't know why, but I can never remember it either. It's so frustrating!"

Kelnozz said nothing else, and after a moment Alesha sat next to him on the log. "Kelnozz," she said quietly, "do you think I'm pretty?"

Kelnozz fought the urge to smile. Still staring into the darkness of the swamp they'd found themselves forced into, he replied, "You are a very beautiful woman, Alesha."

"Do you ever wonder... you know, about us?"

"No."

Stung by his quick response she hesitated a moment. "Why not?"

"Nordan told me of the two of you while we were separated," he said to her.

"I told Nordan it was nothing long term, we both needed comfort..."

Kelnozz did laugh this time, though softly. "Aye lass, Nordan wouldn't mind sharing. Don't worry about him."

"Then why not? If you're afraid to share..." She trailed off, unwilling to make that commitment but considering it nonetheless.

"Nay, I think not. You would be far too much of a distraction. I never bed the women I travel with," he explained.

Disappointed, Alesha's shoulders slumped. "Oh," she said. "Damn, I'm so horny!"

Kelnozz motioned towards the sleeping for of Nordan as a suggestion. Alesha eyed the sleeping barbarian and considered him. Very attractive and manly, still she wasn't drawn to him as she was the dark elf. She had gone without any sex for nearly two weeks, since they'd left Aquinar entombed and moved onwards. She found herself increasingly preoccupied with her own wanton desires and had trouble focusing on the situation at hand.

"I was hoping to try some dark meat," she said saucily, hopping off the log and coming to stand in front of him.

Kelnozz forced his eyes to lock with hers and not drop to what he knew were her ample and firm charms. Were she some whore in a city or any other woman that he wouldn't have to deal with on a regular basis, he'd gladly take her up on her offer. He'd never seen anyone as beautiful as she was. Even elves, known for their charisma and comeliness, could not match her beauty.

"Sorry to disappoint you," he said with an apologetic smile, keeping an iron grip on his willpower.

Sighing in frustration, Alesha realized it was a lost cause. She turned and walked over to Nordan as sexily as she could. If Kelnozz wasn't willing to enjoy what she had to offer, then she hoped to let him know just exactly what it was he was missing.

Kelnozz watched her as she dropped to her knees next to Nordan and very carefully untied his breeches. Opening them up, she slowly reached in and fished out his limp manhood. Somewhat of a deep sleeper at times, Nordan smiled in his sleep when Alesha's mouth descended on him. Alesha's fingers slid beneath her loincloth and began rubbing at her sex, knowing that Kelnozz could see exactly what she was doing.

Kelnozz decided enough was enough, and he pointedly ignored what she was doing to Nordan. He hopped off of the log he sat on and quietly moved into the swamp to do some scouting before they moved out in the morning...

...They had started out heading south, but the terrain had been very rough and slow going, forcing them to turn to the southwest. Carefully avoiding two villages, one of ogres and another of orcs, they had stumbled across a large patrol of trolls. Pursuit was immediate, and they were forced even further to the west.

They had encountered a large river then, and with Nordan leading the way had tried to swim it. After a few moments he'd screamed in pain and retreated to the shore, bleeding from several small wounds. Checking the water, the saw a large number of small fish gathering where they had tried to cross. Alesha had called them Piranhas, but whatever they were, they had done enough damage to Nordan to convince them that they couldn't safely cross the stream. Turning south, they followed it into the swamp where they were now.

Thinking the trolls evaded, they had slowed down to move more safely through the swamp. After a day of travel, they were certain they were safe from the trolls, for nothing seemed to want to live in the swamp...

...It was this lack of swamp life that had Kelnozz so concerned, and that was why he repeatedly scouted out their surroundings whenever they stopped for a break.

Nordan woke after a few strokes. While a deep sleeper, he awoke almost instantly every time. This time he awoke to the very pleasant sensation of Alesha bobbing up and down on him. Sighing happily to have the two week abstinence gone, he pumped lightly into Alesha's mouth, letting her know he was awake but not wanting to choke her.

Alesha would have none of it though. Already lost in her lust, she grabbed his hips and urged him to thrust harder at her. Never one to deny a woman, Nordan thrust into her harder, but quickly they found this situation wasn't working to their advantage. Alesha rose to her feet quickly and looked at the log where Kelnozz last was. Disappointed to see him missing, she nevertheless led Nordan to it. She bade Nordan to sit on it while she knelt in front of him and sucked his raging manhood into her mouth. Bobbing her head up and down only a little, she teased him until his hands found her head and pushed her down on him.

Moaning happily, Nordan remembered she wanted to be treated roughly. A barbarian in spirit as well as body, he used his hands to pump her head up and down on his cock. Bottoming out each time, he groaned as her hand massaged his balls and urged him to cum deep in her throat. Unseen below him, her other hand plunged in and out of her drenched pussy.

Holding her nose buried in his pubic hair, Nordan unleashed two weeks of pent up tension. Alesha squealed as best she could with his cock in her throat and struggled to raise her head up. Thinking he was choking her, Nordan let go of her head. Alesha moved back enough so that he no longer pumped his seed directly into her throat, but instead it coated her tongue and roof of her mouth.

When Nordan finally came down from his orgasmic high his vision focused on Alesha whimpering as she pumped her fingers in and out of herself furiously. She continued to suck on Nordan's cock, and he could feel that she had swallowed as little of his cum as she could, savoring the rest in her mouth.

Having orgasmed once when Nordan exploded in her mouth, Alesha felt she had some catching up to do and needed more. She knew what she wanted too, so she untied her loincloth and let it fall to the ground. She swallowed some of Nordan's seed, but left enough in her mouth to let her coat him thoroughly while she continued to suck him in order to keep him hard for her. Nordan had little trouble with that, and grinned stupidly when Alesha finally released his wet shaft.

She moved over and bent forward over the log, spreading her knees to allow him to access. Nordan knelt behind her, and found that while she had been whimpering lustily, her fingers were preparing her pussy to take him. Grinning even more stupidly, he guided his glistening cock to her wet and open pussy and slowly pushed it in.

Alesha would have none of this slow action. She thrust herself back at him roughly, wanting friction and fullness. Nordan returned her eager thrust with force of his own, making her moan in surprise. The battle continued for several long minutes, each of them trying to outdo the other. Each was certain they'd end up with bruises before it was over.

Kelnozz returned to hear Alesha cry out loudly while Nordan roared. Thinking something might be amiss, he leapt over a clump of weeds and rushed through the trees to return. What he saw surprised him. Nordan was pushing himself deeply into Alesha, and she gripping the log and thrusting right back, trying to get him as deeply into her as possible. From the tension in each of their bodies, he was certain they were lost in a shared orgasm. And from the looks of things, he again rued his principles.

When Nordan collapsed on Alesha's back they both seemed to let the fight go out of them. Kelnozz clapped lightly and that seemed to rouse them from their sexual stupor. Nordan pulled out of Alesha slowly and rose to his feet. He turned to Kelnozz and grinned before fetching his breeches and putting them on. Alesha caught Kelnozz's eye and turned around slowly to sit on the log, legs still spread wide. She pressed two fingers into her pussy and then raised her slimy hand to her mouth and slowly licked her fingers clean, letting him know what he missed. Kelnozz smirked at her but otherwise outwardly ignored her attempts to seduce him.

Alesha fumed silently at his continued ambivalence towards her, and snatched her loincloth and put it back on. They began to gather their gear as well, for dawn was only moments away. They were prompted to hurry when a spear came sailing out of the trees and glanced off of Nordan's right leg. He howled in pain and went down from the shock of the wound.

Alesha froze momentarily, staring at Nordan with her mouth open. Kelnozz immediately dove to the ground, rolling near Nordan and scanning the surrounding swamp. Several more spears came flying in, which prompted Alesha to scream and dodge behind the log she had been bent over only moments before. Just in time too, for a spear imbedded itself deeply in the log scant inches in front of her.

Receiving help from Kelnozz, Nordan and the elf quickly joined her behind the log. A few more spears passed close to them before the stillness returned to the swamp. It was broken moments later by the sounds of several large things moving through the swamp rapidly.

"We must flee!" Kelnozz said, spying the first of their forgotten pursuers with his keen elven vision.

"Aye, run!" Nordan said, clutching his torn leg and lurching to his feet.

Alesha saw the first of the trolls break through into the small clearing they had made their campsite. She saw her weapon belt lying on the ground and knew she couldn't reach it in time. The large green humanoid grunted out something in its guttural language and pointed towards her. She screamed when it raised its arm and threw the mace it held in it toward her. Ducking down, she felt the vibration in the log when it hit. She was instantly on her feet, catching up to Nordan and Kelnozz and helping the elf move the barbarian through the swamp as quickly as possible.

Flanking them, one troll got close enough to force Kelnozz to tell them to move on while he dealt with it. Drawing his twin longswords, he dodged a swipe from the club and slashed deeply into the trolls upper thigh and hip. Howling in pain, the troll swung again, clipping Kelnozz along the shoulder as he tried to duck under the blow. He gritted his teeth through the pain and picked himself up from where he'd fallen in the water.

Lunging forward, he slipped inside the rapidly descending war club and pierced the trolls belly with both blades. Pulling them out in a sawing motion, he retreated quickly while the troll dropped his club to try and keep its entrails from escaping. Momentarily stopped, the troll paid no attention to Kelnozz as he run after his retreating companions.

"Did you kill it?" Alesha asked when he took her place at Nordan's side and helped the large man run.

"Nay, it's a troll, I slowed it down though."

"Bah, damn swamp... we need some fire!" Nordan spat out, the pain making him seem even harsher then normal.

"Guys! Over there!" Alesha cried out, pointing ahead to their right.

Looking ahead, they both saw a group of rocks rising out of the swamp. Grunting a compliment at her good thinking, Nordan and Kelnozz headed towards it. Reaching it in time, they climbed up on it, with Kelnozz giving the warrior a boost to clear the first couple of tall rocks. Alesha went next, and Kelnozz climbed up on it last.

It only gave them a height advantage of less then ten feet, but that made it harder for the trolls to attack them. More so as they were unaccustomed to fighting something taller then their eight foot height. Nonetheless, the trolls did their best to surround them. Behind the rock was a large pool or murky green stagnant water, preventing escape for the companions as much as it prevented the trolls from attacking them from behind.

"Watch our backs!" Nordan said, readying his hammer and forcing his leg to hold his weight. Kelnozz stood beside him but spared a brief smile for Alesha, who found herself feeling useless without her katana.

Disorganized and undisciplined, the trolls charged the rocks. Nordan took the first troll with a hefty crack in the head with his hammer, landing him in a heap on the ground. Kelnozz's blades rose and fell rapidly, hacking great wounds into the troll that came at him. As soon as the green skinned giants fell they were replaced with others.

Alesha jumped back when a severed hand landed at her feet. Overcoming her surprise she was about to kick it aside when it began moving towards her. It gained speed, finding purchase in the cracks of the rock with its fingers. She fought the urge to scream and drove her heel into the back of it, breaking the bones in it and squashing it. When she lifted her foot, she saw it still weakly trying to come at her. Repulsed, she turned and kicked it into the pond behind them.

Facing his fourth troll, Nordan was breathing heavily. Then he realized it was actually the first troll he'd faced, having regenerated enough to rise and fight him again. He cursed their unnatural healing ability and drove his hammer into the trolls shoulder, hearing the thick bones break. Cursing at a temporarily useless arm, the troll swung its mace into Nordan's hip. Nordan had turned to absorb the blow, but the shock of it made him stumble and fall to his knees.

Kelnozz swung one blade across tearing out a troll's throat, blocking a swing from another troll to his side with his right hand sword. Feeling the shock from the powerful swing up his arm, he kicked his boot into the trolls face, breaking its nose and making it take a step back. Kelnozz was able to change directions then and thrust his left hand blade into the throat of the troll that prepared to crush Nordan's life from him. Nordan regained his feet with a nod of thanks to the elf, who had gone back to his opponent and did not see it.

"Um, guys," Alesha said, glancing behind her to see the pond writhing with underwater movement.

"What?" Nordan said, breathing heavily from the exertion and his injuries. He intercepted an incoming swing from a club at a bad angle and felt his hammer knocked from his grasp to the rock behind him.

Alesha's voice died in her throat as she saw Nordan reach out and grab the wrists of the troll he battled. On even foot, the troll would have towered at least a foot over the huge barbarian, but on the rock they stood the same height. Still, with so much more mass, Alesha was amazed to see Nordan holding his own in the test of strength.

Kelnozz glanced back and saw the writhing waters behind them. Cursing inwardly at what foul turn of fate awaited them next, he turned his attention back in time to catch a thrown mace in the stomach. His breath exploded from his mouth and he found himself contemplating the way the vines hung from the trees for a few moments.

Nordan actually began bending the troll's arms back away from him. He roared loudly in the trolls face, driving it back a step with a shove so he could retrieve his hammer before battle was rejoined. His leg burned but the adrenaline within him flowed enough to allow him to ignore his injury. Hammer in hand, he met the enraged troll with a blow that shattered the troll's skull and drove it to the ground.

Alesha ran two steps forward and launched a powerful side kick into the chest of the troll that had stepped up to squash the downed Kelnozz. The troll fell back to the ground, Alesha falling with him. She scrambled to her feet quickly and lashed out with a stiff finger punch when it sat up. She jumped back at the rock and scrambled up it quickly, trying to get away. Another troll grabbed her foot and hauled her back down. The first troll howled in pain as it thrashed around, both its eyes ruined by her punch.

Alesha again sought to climb on the rock when the blinded troll tripped up the one that had hold of her foot and made it release her when they fell down together. She made it to the top of the rock but went sailing off the other side of it into the pond as a spiked club caught her just above the hip in the back.

Kelnozz was regaining his senses in time to see Alesha go sailing over him, her face a mix of silent agony and terror. He jumped back to his feet, and severed the arms of the troll that had hit her. Both men heard the splash as Alesha hit the water. He ground his teeth, knowing he had to save her in retribution for saving him.

"Get the girl!" Nordan said, blasting through the defenses of another troll to land a bone crunching hit on its ribs.

"Aye," Kelnozz said, sheathing his blades and backing up quickly before another troll could accost him. He turned to face the water and jumped in only seconds before the pond exploded upwards.

The trolls backpedaled in fear and fell to their knees as the fetid water rained down on them. Nordan turned to see glimpse a great form hurtling into the air. Uncertain of what it was, he discovered his fears were founded when it did a loop in the air and returned, flying straight at him.

Nordan dove to the side of the rock, rolling to take the impact. Where he'd stood a moment before a stream of acidic spittle passed through. Instead of finding him, it splashed into several of the trolls, causing those that weren't consumed instantly to howl in agony. Acid was one of the true fears of a troll, for they could not recover from such a wound.

The creature flew over the combatants, hissing in rage at Nordan's well-timed jump. Nordan had just seen his first dragon, and the sight of it filled him with dread. Only his survival instinct had let him escape that first blast, but now that he realized what it was he fought, he struggled against the urge to cower in fear or run in terror. The trolls seemed affected differently, for other then the ones running about howling in agony, the rest were in abject worship of the creature.

Kelnozz kicked towards the bottom, afraid to open his eyes in the water. Quickly realizing he'd never find her without his vision, he forced them open and fought the stinging pain the dirty water caused him. The frothing of the water had stirred up the muck on the bottom, reducing his vision to a few feet at best. He struggled to pierce the gloom and swam deeper. He found Alesha's hand and grabbed onto it, pulling her with him back towards the surface.

Kelnozz broke the surface in time to see the black dragon swoop low overhead trying to claw at Nordan but unable to reach him due to the rock and the ancient swamp trees growing close by. He pulled Alesha to the shore and was glad to see her coughing up the water in her lungs. He drew his swords and crouched low beside the rock, waiting.

The dragon passed by again, and Kelnozz fought the bile rising in his stomach from the fear the creature emanated. It remained focused on Nordan, preparing to launch another stream of its corrosive spittle at him. Kelnozz leapt atop the rock at the last moment he could, and swung both his blades at his target. The dragon roared in agony as both of Kelnozz's magically sharpened swords tore into its wing, one tearing through the membrane, the other actually hacking into the bone limb.

Kelnozz was knocked off of the rock by the speed of the dragon, but the beast found itself moving to quickly to land. It spiraled off balance and crashed into a copse of swamp trees, rising slowly to its feet. The trolls looked on, incredulous at what was happening, but remained subserviently kneeling.

"Come Nordan!" Kelnozz called to him, regaining his feet wearily and running after the wounded dragon.

Nordan fought off his amazement to still be alive and followed his friend, albeit limping along slowly behind him. When they got there the dragon had turned to face them, roaring its challenge. One wing hung limply, broken, and the other was torn and tattered both from Kelnozz's attack and the crash itself.

Nordan stopped long enough to pick up a dropped war club, then hurried as much as he could to join his friend. Kelnozz leapt behind a tree stump the dragon's crash had razed to avoid the acidic breath weapon. The fumes from the stump being eaten away made Kelnozz retch and his eyes water painfully though, driving him away from hiding place. In due time, for moments later the acid devoured the enormous trunk and would have caused the upper portions of it to fall on him.

Stomping forward quickly the dragon intended to make the momentarily overwhelmed elf a snack. Kelnozz blinked the last of the tears from his eyes and looked up to see the dragon almost upon him. He stood up with his swords raised, hoping to buy his friends some time with his death. The borrowed war club came sailing in then, hitting the dragon square in the eye. Kelnozz watched in amazement as the dragon altered its course, passing within inches of him. It roared loudly enough to set the elves ears to ringing, blinded now in one eye.

Kelnozz stabbed out with his blades, putting as much power behind them as possible. One of them glanced off the scales of the dragon's rear leg, but the other bit in just behind its knee joint. The wound was shallow though, and the dragon barely registered it in its already pained and aggravated state. It continued to advance on Nordan.

Thinking himself free to attack the dragon from behind, Kelnozz discovered that a dragon's tail could be a powerful opponent in itself. The elf found himself landing in a puddle of water almost before he realized he'd been hit in the chest by the gargantuan weapon. Struggling to his feet, he ignored the pain in his chest and gasped for breath as he ran back to the flying lizard.

Nordan readied his hammer, expecting to get one swing in, if that. The dragon's mouth shot forward on its long neck, open wide to display not only razor sharp teeth but its fetid breath as well. He swung his hammer then, eyes closed in anticipation of nothing but a short and painful death. He felt the hammer connect with something that gave way with a tearing sound. He heard an incredibly loud roar, then felt himself flying. Opening his eyes, he realized the dragon had swatted him with one of its arms. Then Nordan hit a tree and knew no more.

Kelnozz leapt atop the dragon's tail and nimbly ran up its back, dodging the sharp spines that announced its backbone. He stopped midway up as an idea came to him. The dragon turned to see him then, using its good eye to fix him with an angry stare. Kelnozz raise both swords before he had a chance to contemplate what he was doing. He fell to his knees as he plunged both swords downward.

Both swords pierced the tough hide, but one bounced off the spine and did little damage beyond causing the dragon pain. The other one struck true, however, and pierced the disc between the vertebrae. The dragon stared dumbly at Kelnozz, not understanding at first why its hindquarters no longer obeyed its commands. As comprehension flooded through it, it hissed in rage so intense Kelnozz was not sure he'd ever seen anything like it before.

Leaping free, Kelnozz narrowly missed the stream of acid aimed at him. He hit the ground hard though, and lay there for a second reorienting himself. The dragon dragged itself around, its tail and rear legs dangling behind uselessly. It raised one of its forelimbs to squash Kelnozz, but was caught off guard by Nordan back up and fighting. He swung his hammer with all his strength into the dragon's other arm, hitting it in the elbow. The leg trembled briefly, but the dragon continued to pursue Kelnozz.

Kelnozz rolled to the side as the mighty claws on the dragon's hand descended. He got clipped by one of the claws, tearing a gash in the back of his mail tunic and cutting deeply above his left shoulder blade. Gritting his teeth against the agony, Kelnozz kept rolling. He lay still after he'd moved out of immediate danger, fighting off blackness.

The dragon turned to Nordan then, snarling at him. Nordan noticed the bloody hole where one of its teeth had once been and fought the urge to laugh. He realized that was where he had hit the dragon earlier with hammer. He stood in front of the dragon, waiting for it to attack him. They stood there for a moment, the dragon glowering at him.

"Garrik, I am prepared to feast in your halls, but first give me the strength to bring this wyrm with me!" Nordan said, praying to the God of War.

Nordan waited a moment longer and the dragon acted. Maw open, it dropped towards him again. Feeling a sense of exhilaration, Nordan leapt as high as he could in the final moment and reached out with his free hand. He grabbed the bridge of the dragon's nose and hauled himself on top of it. The dragon struggled to focus on him with only one eye, so close was he.

Before the dragon could shake him off, Nordan let go and balanced precariously on the dragon's snout. Gripping his hammer in both hands, he raised it high and screamed in triumph. The dragon's brain sent the command to whip its head to the side a split second to late, for Nordan's hammer had already begun its descent. It connected with the top of the beasts skull, sending cracks throughout the thick bone and even managing to blast through the area where he connected.

The dragon's head fell to the ground like a rock, Nordan hitting heavily and rolling off into the mud to lay still. The dragon shuddered once or twice before its tortured and abused body gave up and it lay still.

Nordan struggled to his knees first, then his feet. The surviving trolls had gathered in front of him, yet stayed several paces away from him. Kelnozz slowly levered himself up so that he rested against the tree he had rolled behind. Sitting on the ground, he surveyed the scene and saw the dragon slain and Nordan standing alone in front of the company of trolls.

"Need any help?" Kelnozz said, ignoring the incessant pains in his body and trying to get back up. He cast his eyes about and saw one of his swords lay next to him, another a few feet away.

Nordan was glad to hear that Kelnozz was okay. Or at least conscious. Without looking at him he addressed the trolls, "Who's next?" Tapping the hammer in his palm, he hoped to bluff his way through the encounter, knowing them in trouble should the trolls attack again.

One of the trolls walked forward, clearly the leader of the patrol by his superior looking equipment. Nordan found himself admiring the look of the blackened blade of the great sword it wielded. It stopped a few feet in front of Nordan and stared down at the barbarian for a long moment.

In broken common, the troll spoke then. "Me iz Grabbil, leedur uv deez trolz."

Surprised at the trolls ability to speak, Nordan stood silent a moment before he realized it was his turn to talk. "I am Nordan Helmsmasher."

The troll nodded. "Nordan, dat gud naym. Yu iz mytee an tuff, yu bash'd da draggin dat kik'd owr buttz owt uv da swomp. We let yu skinneez liv."

After a moment of trying to figure out what the troll had said, Nordan laughed loudly. Knowing that only a show of strength would work, he said, "Aye Grabbil, and we will let you live."

Only six of the trolls remained, the rest were dead or had fled into the swamp. Nordan knew they couldn't survive a fight with them, and perhaps Grabbil knew that as well. Nevertheless, the troll guffawed then turned to his patrol and spoke in the harsh trollish language to them.

Kelnozz limped up to stand next to Nordan. "Everything under control?"

"Aye" Nordan said. "We killed the dragon that drove them out of the swamp, so they will let us leave in peace."

"Good," Kelnozz said, relaxing visibly. "But before we leave, there's something we need to do."

"What's that?" Nordan asked, following Kelnozz back to the rock where they'd made their stand.

Kelnozz forgot to answer when he saw Alesha leaning against the rock, looking as if she was in a trance. He gently shook her to make sure she was okay. Her eyes opened and she stared at the elf in alarm. Recognizing him after a brief second, she relaxed. She struggled to her feet then and arched her back and twisted around so that she could try to see her back.

Kelnozz and Nordan both followed her gaze, expecting to see some deep gashes from the spiked club that had hit her. Instead they saw bruises and pink skin that looked to be recently healed.

"How did you do that?" Kelnozz asked her.

Alesha looked at him and then at Nordan. Finally she said, "I'm not really sure. It hurt so badly and I knew I was in trouble, so I just sat down and concentrated on trying to fix it."

"Can you do it to others?" Kelnozz asked.

"I... I don't know. I mean, I can try, but I don't think so." Alesha was clearly unsure of herself.

"Worry about it later, for now we have something more important to do," Kelnozz said.

"What?" Nordan asked, reminded that Kelnozz had never answered him.

Kelnozz stared into the once again still waters of the pond. "The dragon came out of here, methinks it's lair is down there as well."

"So?" Alesha asked, eyeing the filthy water with disgust.

"Nordan, ask your friends if the dragon plundered their homes or if they knew of it taking any treasure," Kelnozz suggested.

At the thought of treasure, Nordan's eyes grew big. He turned and walked back towards the trolls, who were talking amongst themselves and keeping an eye on the three companions. "Grabbil!" Nordan called out gruffly to get his attention.

"Wut yu wont?" The troll said, walking over to him.

"Did the dragon steal your treasure when you left?"

Grabbil scowled then admitted, "We liv'd heer fer a wyl befor wif da draggin, hem mayd us bring hem fud an wutevr shineez we kud."

Nordan chuckled, putting their trolls sudden foul mood together and realizing that the trolls were waiting for them to leave so they could retrieve the treasure themselves. Nordan motioned for Grabbil to follow him and he returned to Kelnozz and Alesha.

"Grabbil says the dragon made them bring him food and treasure before they left the swamp," Nordan said, eyeing the troll carefully.

Kelnozz eyed the water a moment longer. Then he turned, "What say we enlist the help of the trolls, we slew the dragon, so we get our first choice, then the trolls and us get as much of the rest of the horde out as we can.

"Will there be enough for all of us?" Alesha asked, excited to think that she might actually have some money soon.

Nordan snorted, thinking of the size of the dragon hordes he'd heard of. Kelnozz opened his mouth to respond but Grabbil beat him to it by guffawing loudly. "Dat funnee! Der iz lotz an lotz uv shineez in der, mor den oll uv uz trolz ken tayk wifowt gittin sum uv owr brudderz."

Alesha and Kelnozz both blinked stupidly at the trolls speech, but Nordan had been growing used to it by then and said, "Aye, there will be enough for all."

Chuckling to himself, then wincing in pain as his ribs ached, Kelnozz began taking off his chain mail shirt. Next he removed his greaves and boots. Finally removing his tunic Alesha gasped at seeing his upper body nude for the first time. Finely toned, Alesha couldn't see an ounce of fat on him. What she could see amazed her, numerous cuts, scratches and scars covered his back, chest, and arms. In spite of his ebony colored skin, she could also see discolorations from the recent bruises and injuries he had taken at the hands of the trolls and the dragon.

She came forward and placed her hands on his chest gently. "Sit down," she said softly. Annoyed at the interruption, Kelnozz nevertheless did as she bade him. Once seated, Alesha knelt in front of him and closed her eyes. She left her hands resting on his chest and focused on healing him as she had herself.

Finding and understanding Kelnozz's aura was difficult for her, and after several long minutes she felt she understood it well enough to make an effort at helping him. Nearly half an hour later she opened her eyes and looked up at him, exhaustion evident in her eyes. Kelnozz had relaxed against the rock behind him as well. Alesha struggled to her feet and sat down heavily on the rock.

"My thanks," Kelnozz said, rising stiffly to his feet. His deeper and more acutely painful injuries still existed, but many of the minor bumps and bruises had been soothed by whatever it was that she had done.

Alesha mumbled something to him, but was so weary that she was finding it difficult to keep her eyes open. Her last thoughts before she passed out was surprise at how odd it was that she was tired when she had not been anything but energetic since her encounter with the forst god Carson.

"Let her sleep," Kelnozz told Nordan, who looked at her questioningly. "You stay here to keep her safe, I'll search for the dragon's lair."

Nordan nodded and sat down next to her with his hammer in his lap. The trolls had gathered nearby, but still stood a distance away conferring amongst themselves.

Kelnozz turned back to the stagnant pond and with a deep breath, dove in. He swam down, surprised at how swiftly the sides dropped away and at how deep it was. He suspected magic was at work, otherwise the surrounding swamp would have filled it in with muck. Swimming strongly in spite of his aching lungs, he reached the bottom at last. Finding it as soft and muddy as he expected, he realized he needed air and he needed it soon. He began to return to the surface when to the side he caught a glow of something in the water. Cursing his own curiosity, he turned and swam towards it.

Sure enough, an underwater tunnel led away from the vertical pond. The elf Swam hard and hoped there was air at the end of the tunnel. His lungs began to burn painfully with their need for fresh air. He forced himself to hold his breath, the edges of his vision beginning to show strange colors. He was uncertain if the glow was getting brighter or if he was seeing things at that point.

Unable to hold his breath any longer, Kelnozz exhaled. The bubbles rushed upwards around him. Weak and barely conscious, he struggled upwards, employing an inhuman willpower to not draw in a breath as long as possible. Eventually unable to stop his bodies reactions, he opened his mouth and inhaled, water rushing in. The water caused his lungs even more pain, and the resulting panic induced adrenaline rush woke him up enough to kick harder for the surface. In agony and certain he was doomed to drown, the elf still fought upwards.

He cleared the surface of the water inches away from a rock wall. Hacking and coughing, he struggled to stay above water long enough to regain some strength to find something to hold on to. Managing to make it to a shelf of mossy rock, he rolled onto his side and hacked up more water. Breathing raggedly, he collapsed on his back and gasped for breath for several minutes.

---

Finally feeling somewhat stable, Kelnozz opened his eyes and looked around. He was in a large underground room. At first glance, the only exit he could see was the water, but he was certain there must be other ways out, as the air was breathable, if a bit earthy and humid. The walls of the cave were formed of rock that was slick with water. Patches of moss covered areas of the floor and the walls. What allowed him to see was the glow coming from the impressive mounds and piles of treasure. Nowhere near the size of the hordes he'd heard stories of, this still impressed him. He wandered through it, examining bits and pieces of it and searching for anything of value.

Nordan was worried. The elf had been gone a long time. Easily half an hour, far longer then anyone could hold their breath. He knew that either he'd found what he sought or he was dead. Another ten minutes stretched by and Alesha awoke. Still groggy and tired she looked about and blinked in confusion until she remembered everything.

"Is Kel still alive?" Nordan asked her.

Blinking back her weariness, Alesha closed her eyes and focused. She found a strong and powerful thread of some mystical energy running from herself to Nordan. As for Kelnozz, she missed the faint line of energy that connected them at least twice in her fatigue. Then she discovered it and determined from the look and feel of it that he still lived.

"Yeah, he's alive," she said, collapsing back. She closed her eyes and rested, not sleeping but not entirely awake either.

Nordan grunted and returned to staring into the pond. His anxiety did not lessen until Kelnozz broke free of the water on the far side of the pond and gasped for breath. He offered a weak wave with one hand and slowly swam over to their side. Climbing out of the water he untied a rope that was around his ankle and fastened it to a nearby tree stump.

"What's that?" Nordan asked.

"That will lead you to the tunnel and the lair," Kelnozz said, sinking to the ground to rest for a moment.

"Are you okay?" Alesha asked, her eyes still closed but sensing his condition regardless.

Smiling, Kelnozz replied, "Aye, the swim down there was a tough one, but I'll be fine in a few moments." He ended the statement by coughing up some more water. "What about you?"

Alesha opened her eyes and looked at him. He could see the bags under her eyes. "I don't think I've ever been this tired. Every ounce of my is tired, from my toes to my hair."

"Go ahead and grab the first load, Nordan," Kelnozz said to the anxious barbarian. Not needing to be told twice, Nordan tore off his skins and dove into the scummy pond.

"Get some rest then," Kelnozz told her, rising back to his own feet.

"Sleep doesn't help much." She knew she was lying, but from all that she had done for the elf, she felt he owed her something and she wanted to see how far he would go to repay her.

"Why not?" he asked, sitting beside her.

Alesha struggled to sit upright and stared at the trolls for a moment. "Every time I try to do something, it drains some energy from me. I don't know how else to describe it. If I rest long enough I get it back, but I still feel empty. Whatever your God Carson did to me, it changed me. I'm constantly horny and that is the only thing that seems to give me back the missing energy very quickly."

Kelnozz smiled, even in their conditions he knew she was still hitting on him. He admired her dedication. "He's your God now, not mine," was all he said though.

Scowling at him, Alesha leaned back and rested against the rock again. As they sat there waiting for Nordan, she very slowly began to feel her strength returning. With her strength coming back, so did her passions. Building quickly, she found herself growing aroused. In a matter of minutes she had somehow been driven to the point where even the trolls were beginning to look attractive to her.

Nordan emerged from the pond then, two heavy bags in one of his hands while the other gripped the rope. He greedily sucked in air and tossed the bags on the ground, both of them spilling open to reveal countless small gems and coins of different colors and metals.

The trolls were instantly on their feet and headed over. Seeing the spilled wealth, they all dove into the pond, one after another. Grabbil stayed up top though, staring at the pond longingly but his duty keeping him behind.

"I want to go down there," Alesha said, rising to her feet shakily.

"Ha! You're in no shape to swim that, woman!" Nordan said, preparing to jump back in himself.

"I could be," she said, glaring at Kelnozz darkly.

Uncertain of what was going on, Nordan just shrugged and dove back into the pond. "Please help me Kelnozz... I would and have helped you when you needed it!" She pleaded with him.

Kelnozz sighed and looked at the girl. Still seriously wounded, he had no intention of aggravating his injuries by tumbling her. "Lass, wait for Nordan to return, I'm sure he'll gladly help you."

Kelnozz paused at the edge of the pond, preparing to dive in again. Alesha refused to be denied this time, however. Slipping into a trance she ignored the headache that was instantly upon her and focused on Kelnozz. His aura still confusing and unfamiliar, she reached out in her mind to it. A moment later Kelnozz turned to look at her, seeing her sitting there staring at him longingly.

"I don't need much," she whispered to him just loud enough to hear. "Just let me suck you off, you don't have to fuck me or anything."

Kelnozz knew something had happened to him, for his resolve against her weakened. He had to admit, she had risked her life to save him, he owed her for that. Scowling, he stomped over to her and stood in front of her.

Alesha grinned like a little girl getting some candy. She rose up quickly, her headache forgotten and quickly worked with him to unlace his breeches. Lowering his leathers to the ground, she gazed for the first time at Kelnozz's menhood. Not quite as wide as Nordan's, but it was longer. Her mouth was already watering and she nearly swallowed him whole as she descended onto his crotch.

Kelnozz felt his knees weaken as Alesha attacked his flaccid penis zealously. She ignored the taste of the briny water on him, instead focusing on the underlying texture and flavors of his rising manhood. Growing fully erect quickly, Alesha wasted no time and used the tricks she'd learned with Nordan to take him down her throat. She was unprepared for Kelnozz's greater length, and gagged at first. Berating the distraction, she dove back on him again, forcing herself to swallow him down and keep him there.

Her hands flew to Kelnozz's hips and she urged him to use her face, as she had done with Nordan. Kelnozz slowly thrust himself in and out of her throat, growing lost with the sensations.

The troll leader Grabbil looked over at the sounds of their moaning and raised his eyebrows in surprise. Alesha saw him from the corner of her gaze, staring at them in surprise.

Kelnozz was unaware of why Alesha paused to rise on her feet, while remaining bent over with his shaft couched in her mouth. Then she took two steps to the side and turned his hips to match. She stopped and spread her feet wide while still bent over and continued her oral assault. Kelnozz returned to thrusting his hips up to meet her descending mouth.

Then the dark elf saw Grabbil step up behind her. Alesha had already reached back and dropped her loin cloth to the ground. Grabbil pulled off his codpiece and stroked his green cock. Kelnozz's eyes grew wide as he saw the size of the troll's member.

Alesha's moaned lustfully against the dark elf when she felt the troll's cock press against her exposed pussy. The troll squeezed his stiffening shaft with one hand and stepped forward, slowly forcing the head of his green cock into her. The troll placed his other hand on Alesha's lower back to hold her steady as he buried himself into her. The force of his entry drove her into Kelnozz, making her nose press against his abdomen.

In spite of his pleasure, Kelnozz backed up, prepared to end what was happening for fear of her safety. He was stopped when Alesha's hands clutched his ass and pulled him against her face. Understanding what she wanted, Kelnozz relaxed and continued to thrust back and forth into her mouth. Not normally the elven way, Kelnozz was nevertheless experienced in many other cultures customs, including mating habits. Always willing to adapt, he drove himself into her throat deeply as she seemed to enjoy it.

For his part, Grabbil let out a garbled groan when he managed to bury most of his length in the human woman. Amazed that she would willingly couple with a troll, he didn't stop to ask questions. His amazement grew when he was actually able to get most of himself inside of her. With a cock nearly the size of a horse, Grabbil knew she had to be in pain, but the way she responded by thrusting back told him that she was enjoying it somehow.

A veteran of several bedtime campaigns throughout Viconia, Kelnozz was amazed at Alesha's insatiability and skill. Seeing the human woman taking a dark elf in one end and a troll in the other end was an unnaturally erotic threesome. In no time he was about to explode. He knew what she wanted, and he intended to give it to her. Fighting her grasping hands, he stepped back and pulled completely out of her mouth. Her hands moved to his wet shaft, stroking and pulling him towards her as she struggled to get his cockhead back into her mouth. Grabbil's hands pulling her hips kept her in place, however.

Stroking Kelnozz, Alesha opened her mouth and stuck her tongue out, trying to reach the purple head of his cock as she looked up at his face. The dark elf grunted and Alesha felt the underside of his shaft pulse against her thumbs. Thick ropes of cum erupted from the tip of his cock, squirting into her mouth. The hot blasts of cum pushed Alesha over the edge, making her orgasm around the thick trunk of the troll sliding in and out of her. Kelnozz shot four more strands of sperm over her tongue and into her mouth and onto her lips before he caught his breath. She took advantage of his involuntary relaxation to pull the cock back into her mouth and suck the last of his cum. Alesha devoured him like she was starving, as she finished by stroking and licking at his softening shaft.

Grabbil was unable to handle the quaking orgasm that Alesha was experiencing. Her hips quivered and her pussy squeezed the troll's cock with each spasm. He roared loudly as the viscous seed within him flowed through his cock and burst deep inside her. Blast after blast of troll semen filled her womb, eventually overflowing and dribbling out past his cock. The sensations only proved to force Alesha into another more powerful orgasm.

Kelnozz stepped away again, intent upon getting away from her then, but she held on to him and licked the cum off of his abdomen and legs. Then she used her fingers to scoop it off her cheeks and into her mouth. Finally she slapped at Grabbil's hands to release her hips and pulled herself off of him as she stood up. She clutched her used pussy with both hands, feeling the troll's cum dribbling between her fingers and down the insides of her thighs. Turning to look upon the cock that filled her so completely, she hungrily eyed the rivulets of cum dripping from Grabbil's softening green member. Her arousal was sated and caution replaced passion as she remembered he was a troll. She smiled up at Grabbil thankfully though, remembering how wonderful it had felt, as she realized that she'd just fucked a troll.

Grabbil grinned stupidly and quickly reattached his armor before any of his platoon returned.

Kelnozz and Alesha likewise dressed themselves only moments before two of the trolls surfaced, carrying a chest between them. Opening it up, inside were hundreds of coins. Alesha pulled Kelnozz to the side and gave him a hug that only served to make him feel uncomfortable.

"I just wanted to thank you, I feel so much better!" She said to him, grinning happily. "Now let's go get some of that treasure for ourselves!"

Kelnozz nodded, at a loss for anything to say. Together they dove into the water, giving him a chance to focus on something other then the strange woman that swam beside him. He cursed himself for it, but he felt like he had bonded with her somehow. He knew any other man would be glad for it, but he was not like any other man, and while few others knew it, he did.

They surfaced inside the cave, both of them not being short of breath. Kelnozz looked to Alesha and saw her smile at him and wink. Her growing powers both amazed and worried him. If they did indeed come from Carson, as she thought, then all should be well, for Carson was a benign god and the protector of nature. Kelnozz knew Carson was also mischievous and a bit of a trickster, but even that did not seem to him like a reason to demand such a sexual appetite of Alesha in return for her newfound abilities.

Inside the treasure room they saw Nordan and several trolls pillaging through it, looking to grab the more valuable stuff first. Alesha's eyes lit up with the supernatural glow coming from the treasure, and she grinned like a small child at her birthday.

"What makes it glow?" she asked Kelnozz.

"Some things possess minor magical powers that allow them to produce light," Kelnozz explained, picking up a ring with a glowing pearl set in it. He handed it to her by way of example.

Alesha grinned and slipped it on her finger. She squealed happily when it magically resized itself to fit her better. She saw something else that caught her eyes and instantly she was off. Kelnozz chuckled and started searching through the treasure himself.

Several trips later, much of the treasure had been moved to the surface. What remained was largely items not immediately useful or to difficult for them to move. Enough had reached the surface to make them all of them quite wealthy. Alesha had also discovered a cache of fine clothing in a chest which now rested on the surface. No water had gotten in it during the swim, but that small magic was Alesha's doing and not a property of the clothing or the chest.

Down for one final trip, the three companions looked longingly at the remaining treasure. They were certain the trolls would return to the swamp to get the rest of it, so they spent long moments admiring what remained. Wandering about the room, Alesha cried out in surprise. Nordan and Kelnozz hurried to her side, while the trolls looked up but remained apart.

She dropped a small chest she'd picked up and pointed to what she'd discovered. Moving the chest had dislodged a small avalanche of coins and wealth to reveal an opening in the rock wall the pile was pushed against. All three of them dug into the mound of valuables, knocking jeweled goblets, gem encrusted pieces of dress armor, and other assorted sundries aside. Soon enough of a hole was revealed to let them crawl through. Having the light-giving ring, Alesha slipped through first. Kelnozz came in behind, with Nordan staying outside due to his greater size being to much to squeeze through the crawlway.

Kelnozz saw what had captured Alesha's stare and caused her mouth to drop in wonder. It was a shortsword that rested on a stand. Not any shortsword, but a shortsword that gleamed in the light let off by Alesha's ring. The blade of the sword was a contrast to the ivory pommel and crossguard, being made of some sort of magical metal that was polished black. It looked so deep it appeared as though by staring long enough at it one could see into the depths of the blade. A fuller ran along the length of the blade on each side, providing increased rigidity. Both the hilt and the pommel were trimmed in mithril to keep the ivory from chipping on a parry. The grip itself was wrapped in what looked like griffin hide.

"Be wary, that blade looks powerful and might-" Kelnozz's words died off as Alesha stepped over and picked it up from the stand to hold it in front of her.

Staring up and down the short sword, Alesha swung it through the air a few times experimentally. "Wow," she finally said, still staring into the blade.

Kelnozz chuckled. He reached over and grabbed up the scabbard that was sitting on the stand. Handing it to her, he admired the mithril etching done along the length of the it. He was sure they were words, but he had no idea what they were.

Alesha sheathed the blade slowly, reluctantly. It was a beautiful weapon, and from the feelings she had when she first touched it, she was sure a very powerful and lethal weapon. It seemed to warm in her hands and fit nicely, while setting up a deep vibration so slight she couldn't be sure it was there. Just holding it made her feel right, as if she was somehow more powerful and complete with it.

Kelnozz picked up a pair of bracers that lay upon the bottom shelf of the sword stand. They were made out of polished black mithril as well, and had ornate etchings on them. The pattern bore no resemblance to any picture or language he had ever seen, but something nagged at the back of his mind about them. They looked too organized and purposeful to be some carving with no purpose to it. Nevertheless, he sensed nothing fey about them, so he handed them to Alesha as well.

"What are these?" she asked, taking them and studying them.

"They are bracers, slide them on your forearms, I have no doubt they are magic and you can use them to defend yourself by parrying attacks," he explained, already moving back towards the doorway of the small room.

Alesha experimentally slide her fingers into one of them, gasping when it adjusted its size to fit her hand. Slipping her arm further in it, it resized until it was firm and comfortable around her forearm. She did the same with the other one and grinned happily. She followed the dark elf out of the treasure room and happily showed Nordan her new possessions once outside. Nordan had picked up a few more baubles himself, though he didn't know how he'd carry them.

The trolls had departed the treasure trove by then, so they decided they'd better make for the surface themselves. Sighing sadly, they dove into the water and swam to the surface. Once there, they found the trolls making ready to depart. They each carried a king's ransom in wealth on them, leaving the portion the three companions had separated for themselves alone. Grabbil approached one last time.

"Woch owt fer dem elfz an da orkz an da jyuntz an da ogurz an da udder trolz. We not bash yu, but dem udderz wil. Dis bad plais fer yu tu be in, yu shuud go bak tu yer homz. May Garrik giv yu strenf tu bash yer emeneez," he said, saluting the companions before turning to lead his patrol back the way they had came.

They watched the trolls depart, glad to be rid of them for varying reasons. Once they'd left, Alesha dug through the chest she'd had rescued and started going through the clothing. Glad to be rid of it, she took her loincloth off and tossed it into the pond. Standing their nude, she lamented that she would put clean clothing on a dirty body, but had little choice for the water surrounding them was muddy and stagnant.

She was uncertain as to what she should wear, however. She had many options, but tried to outweigh what she knew she would look great in with something that would also be convenient and comfortable. She ended up slipping on some man's breeches and a tunic. Several other items she put in a backpack. She was pleasantly surprised when the pair of black leather gloves she slipped on her hands magically altered themselves to fit her. She finished off her outfit with a cloak and a pair of knee high boots that were only a little too large for her. The boots she had chosen for the daggers that each of them had concealed in them. Another dagger graced her right thigh, tied there by straps around her leg and a strap to her new utility belt. Her shortsword hung from her left side, and pouches filled with coins, jewels, and other miscellaneous equipment hung from it as well. The rest of her pack she stuffed full of coins and gems.

When she was finally dressed and ready to go, she found Nordan and Kelnozz both napping. They'd grown tired of waiting for her and decided to spend their time resting. Scowling at them, she moved over to kick them awake. She stopped to admire the new shirt Nordan had acquired. It was black with some crimson outlines, she was impressed with the tailors of whoever had owned the clothing originally. He had clean and new breeches as well. Kelnozz had replaced his torn and battered chain mail shirt with a new one. He wore bracers similar to the ones she had on, but his were far less ornate then hers. Other then that and a backpack full of wealth, he sported a longbow and a quiver filled with a score of arrows.

Suddenly curious and having some time to spare, Alesha sat down on the rock and closed her eyes. Entering into her trance, she examined the thread she had formed with Kelnozz. It was much stronger now then it had been before, though not nearly as strong as hers was with Nordan. Feeling experimental, she reached out along it and studied Kelnozz's aura again. Still difficult, she nevertheless found it a little easier to figure out the longer she pondered it. Experimenting further, she struggled to right the wrongs she found there, including what she had done to him earlier to seduce him. Removing what she had done was easy, healing his wounds still proved hard to do, however. Reaching a point where she felt she had done some good, she opened her eyes and drew in a deep breath.

Kelnozz was sitting up and looking at her. He studied her carefully for a while, neither of them speaking. Finally he said to her, "My thanks."

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Still full of energy, she nevertheless felt at odds with herself. Kelnozz turned to Nordan and began tossing small rocks at him until he finally woke up with a roar of irritation. Throwing a handful of mud his way, Nordan gained his feet and stretched. He glared at his wounded leg for trembling a little, but was otherwise ready to go.

Kelnozz dodged the mud and joined the barbarian. Alesha sighed deeply, their break was over. She looked to the sky and saw the sun marked the time as being well mid afternoon. Gaining her feet, she fell in behind the barbarian as Kelnozz scouted out a path for them through the swamp to the south.

Continued in Chapter 7

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