To Claim the Elvin Princess: Apprentice (4 page)

6

“Amein...how is it that you can speak my language?” Rasten thought to ask, lying beside Amein, propped on his elbow and playing with her lush, dark hair.

“I am unsure...when we move from one universe to the next we always seem able to speak the local language, even if there are several different ones used there! We do seem gifted for such things, as there are a dozen languages spoken on Am-Coteiru; Elvin, both the High and the common forms, four human ones, and the rest belonging to our enemies, like the Eridians.”

“What are they like...the people, not the language!”

“Large and evil ones, which are humans. They have always existed on our world, but mostly stay in the remote parts. At times their numbers increase, and they attack. We then beat them down, reducing their numbers to a more manageable size. Thye are good fighters, but are quite barbaric”

“Why not wipe them out and be done with it?”

“How would we win renown and keep our skills sharp, without a worthy enemy?” she laughed. Seeing Rasten’s disapproving gaze, she sighed.

“There are many who would agree with you, but we have not done so. Perhaps we are foolish, hoping in vain that someday the Eridians will become more civilized, and be worthy of friendship and respect. We are torn, in some ways; we are loath to visit annihilation on an entire race, yet we do get tired of our own losses and pain! As you might expect, beings that are immortal are not happy to have people die untimely!”

“You’re lucky I’m not in charge! I must be quite a barbarian!” Rasten received a strange look from the Elvin one, before she reached up and touched his face.

“Our father was not just
Sa-Taran,
a prince! He was the
Cameirin lo Hamarisei,
the Leader of the Clans. All followed his lead. It was his hope, that you would have his abilities, would master all things needful, and rise to take his place. We need that, Rasten, desperately!”

“That’s crazy!” Rasten gasped, stunned. “Why wouldn’t all your brothers, or you...anyone of you full Elvin should have more claim than me!” Amein shook her head sharply.

“You have much to learn! Our people don’t inherit position and title, they earn them! It is perhaps, our greatest strength. Many of my brothers and sisters are fine and worthy warriors, but none exhibit father’s gifts...the inner things that made him so incredible as a warrior and leader.” Amein pressed her lips tight together, trying in vain to suppress a smile.

“Something amuses you?” Rasten guessed.

“Not all of my siblings are father’s...several are from other worthy males! And too, some have a different mother, being had by father while they were within our household.”

“And your parents tolerated that?!”

“Rasten, none were conceived without the other’s knowledge and blessing. It is so within most Elvin families.”

“So mates sorta collect children from people they admire and approve of?”

“Exactly! It is good, in that it keeps our genetics well mixed, and healthy. It also goes hand in hand with the Elvin urge to have many partners. I love and have no hesitation to claim any of my siblings as my own! But this is mostly why none of the children have all of father’s gifts, even those which are his!”

“Why would I? I’m only half-Elvin!”

“But father picked your mother specifically to be able to assure that you would receive his nature...”

“You can know that?!”

“There are ways, although I can not explain how. I am no adept in such sorcery!”

“But Sayarin was?”

“He wasn’t Cameirin lo Hamarisei because he was handsome, although he was that too!” she laughed.

“Do you think I’m handsome?” he slyly asked. He received a long stare from Amein, which he found odd, before a thought came to him.

“You not only think I am, but you think all of the other Elvin females will think so too...does that include your sisters?”

“You’re impossible!” she moaned, outraged at his ability to see her worry and fears, and name them so easily.

“But am I correct?” he gently asked, leaning down to kiss her lips. She accepted the kiss, but refused to look at him. Rasten slipped his hand down, and took hold of a bit of her pubic hair, tugging on it sharply. “I think I deserve an answer?”

“Stop that!” she hissed. She glared at him a moment, before again lowering her eyes.

“Yes! Every elf girl would want to be had by you!” she snipped.

“Because of my looks or because of who my father was?”

“Both...” she nodded, still avoiding his gaze.

“Including your sisters? How about your mother?” he asked, intending to tease her. He soon regretted it, as Amein sat up, turned, and pushed him onto his back, then hopped astraddle of him, almost in one lithe movement.

“You have no reason to even consider such things!” she shrieked, grabbing his cheeks strongly, staring wickedly at him.

“But won’t you be considered a bad elf if you aren’t willing to share?” he guessed, suspecting that this was likely, based on what she had mentioned so far. Amein collapsed against him, sobbing suddenly, as he embraced her. He finally felt a small nod, and when she was down to sniffles, she sat back up, looking embarrassed and miserable.

“I’m sorry, I have no idea why I’m acting this way!”

“Are you sure you are completely Elvin? You act somewhat human, at least like a human woman would.”

“I should pee on you! That was mean and improper!”

“Elves think they’re better than humans?” he succinctly asked. This threatened to cause another embarrassed outburst.

“You will be the bane of me!” she moaned.

“Because you can’t seem to evade my insight, or omit things you’d like too? Really? Was our father this way?”

Amein’s shoulders slumped, as she sat, staring glumly at him, idly playing with his chest hair.

“Of course; he could just look at you, and know you were being evasive or less than honest! When I was very young, I peed myself several times, when I got snared by his ability! I eventually just gave up, and learned to never even try to be the least bit dishonest, no matter how embarrassing it was to tell the truth. At least that way I didn’t end up getting paddled while wearing wet panties!” she confessed, and giggled.

“How often did you get them set on fire?”

“Only a couple of times! Being paddled in front of all your siblings and others has a way of making you regret being less than proper!” she giggled.

“You weren’t slower than average?”

“Hardly!” she insisted, then looked guilty. “Honestly, I got in trouble more often than most when I was older, and started to be sexual. I was a bit more inclined to play than was considered normal!” she sighed.

“I’m guessing that not much has changed?” Rasten asked, fondling her breasts.

“Not much! Rasten, I’m quite willing and eager even by normal Elvin standards, and there’s nothing reserved or....prudish? Is that the word?” He nodded in agreement. “Then there’s nothing in the least prudish about any elf!”

“Humans here would think you’re slutty and over sexed! How do the ones on...Am-Coteiru...how do they regard your kind?”

“Much the same! We try not to display our tendencies to the humans, or even to the half-Elvin, although they too are much more inclined than the plain humans to be enthused for such play!”

“Do humans respond to you like I’m doing?”

“No. My sexual fragrance would be un-noted by a human, male or female. They would respond to the actual sex, and when they are had by one of us, they respond nicely, even if they seem a bit...overwhelmed?” she confessed, grinning while looking guilty.

“I can imagine so! I’ve never experienced such...enthusiasm for sex! I have no idea what I’d do with a whole bunch of naughty Elvin women, wanting me!” he joked. Seeing Amein’s harsh stare, he sighed. “I gather you’d prefer I stay focused on other things, and let you take care of my urges?”

“Much better! Yes, I’d like that a lot more. I have no desire to cry or feel jealous, but likely will anyway. I just have no idea why!” she declared, pouty and sad. She kissed Rasten for a time, just to make them both aroused again.

“You want more? he chuckled.

“Of course! We must leave in the morning, and there will be none of this until we are safe in Alarinad. Actually, when we return, we won’t likely have time at first, as everyone will wish to pay their respects and meet you! By the time we have any time alone, you’ll have an Elvin Princess just dying to be had on your hands!” Amein sighed, the prospect of this clearly daunting her.

“Would any other have the right to push you aside, and insist on sleeping with me first?” he wondered, curious to see how bad this might upset her. Amein closed her eyes, and sat, rubbing her temples, clearly exasperated.

“Several! I don’t think any of them would...at least I can’t recall ever doing anything to justify them wanting to make me that miserable! Not that I might not be wrong!” she sighed.

“Who might they be?”

“I’d prefer not to say...I don’t wish to make you suspicious of anyone!”

“Would your mother be one?” Rasten whispered, watching Amein’s face closely. Her eyes flared widely, before she looked away. ‘Well?”

“Of course...she does have a somewhat loftier position than I do, and thus, her wishes would override mine, at least in things not involving the sword or battle command! I forbid you to even think about such a thing!” she hissed.

“How closely do you resemble her?” he asked, and waited. “Well?” he demanded, poking her gently in the ribs with his index finger.

“I look almost exactly like she did when she was my age! She is a stunningly beautiful Elvin Princess! Just more mature!” Amein grumbled.

“I’m not all that turned on by older women!” Rasten assured her.

“You lie, nicely, but it’s still a lie! One sniff of her femaleness, and you’d want her as much as you do me!”

“Oh. Well, let’s hope she’s not inclined to take her panties off then!” he laughed. Seeing Amein’s pouty appearance, he touched her. “What’s wrong?”

Amein sighed, shaking her head.

“I hope there’s nothing she holds against me...she could punish me beyond all things, should she decide to play with you, and make me do without!”

“I’d suggest we don’t tell her what you fear!”

“Good luck with that! She is almost as gifted at reading others as father was. All of my siblings learned that the hard way!”

“Including you?”

“Especially me! I got caught merely omitting the truth once, about what I had been doing, instead of practicing my war skills. She didn’t take me to father, she paddled my bare elf bottom in public...in the great hall’s audience room, in front of a few hundred witnesses! Then made me walk all the way to my room with my red butt bare and able to be viewed by any and all!”

“Did you learn your lesson?

“Assuredly. The elf girl with the sore butt was much wiser than the one whose bottom had not felt the paddle! Much wiser! But just as naughty!” she confessed, and giggled.

7

“Princess...how many should we choose to accompany you on this...attack?” the tribal elder Hacarim wondered, obviously unsure what to call such a thing as Shocara had planned.

“How many of the terranak riders might we send forth? I want no one who is weak or injured! We need our best fighters for this!” Shocara insisted.

“I count forty who are here and worthy, and the same might come from our near villages. We could double that, if we have the Kerini join us...we can have them here by tomorrow night! If we could wait a few days...we could have even more...” he added, falling silent in the face of Shocara’s scowl.

“You know I won’t wait! We have no idea when Amein might return! I have no desire to face her in her own stronghold, where she might command a thousand warriors against us! If we lose our advantage of surprise, we will likely lose our lives as well!” she hissed at the man, her features showing her displeasure at being doubted. “Summon the Kerini.”

“I’m sure you’d hate to encounter her!” the man foolishly joked. He found the point of Shocara’s sword touching his throat almost instantly.

“You are a fool! I would welcome the chance to cross blades with her, alone, to see which of us might die! What I don’t want is to see our people die for nothing, overwhelmed by an endless foe!” she replied coldly.

“Forgive me Princess, for sounding foolish! But this is quite different from what we know!”

“I just hope the Elvin view it with as much shock and alarm as some of you do!” she sighed.

They act like scared girls, about to be stripped and had the first time on their wedding night!
she thought, this idea appealing to her sense of cynical amusement.
I never considered how much we are creatures of habit, doing things as they have always been done! No wonder the Elvin can so easily stop us! Perhaps we have found a better way...
she thought, a trace of a smile touching her lips. Seeing Garen, she called to him, waving for him to approach.

“Yes Princess?” he asked, showing neither timidity nor fear. The old Eridian had long since established his devotion to Shocara, watching over her and assisting her since she was a young girl. His love for her, though never spoken, showed in his eyes, giving her a solid and dependable anchor that no one else matched.

“Have the scouts returned?”

“Only a bit ago...they are tired and hungry, but have much to report!”

“Good!” she whispered, and turned away, to seek them out. She found the three weary ones sitting with food and drink, sprawled comfortably on the ground. Seeing her, they would have leaped up, except for a curt gesture.

“Stay...what did you find?” she asked, her impatience easy to note. The three exchanged glances, before one spoke.

“We flew long at night, and in the breaking dawn, found a place to hide and shelter in the vast forest glades. The terranaks were loath to be lead under the trees, but slowly obeyed us. We saw an occasional patrol during the day, but mostly there was little movement...at least for the first day!”

“Were these lone riders or more?”

“Mostly we saw two together each time,” the man sighed.

“Wise. They are no fools, to risk a lone one to attack, and have no one to give warning!” Shocara declared.

“True. The second day, we waited and went off, hoping to arrive at dusk. We nearly turned back, when we arrived before the light had faded enough to offer better cover! Flying out over the lake aided us, allowing the light to become weaker, so when we turned in towards the city, we were much less visible.”

“Did you see others aloft?”

“Several, and we saw three large groups returning from afar! Should we arrive timely, we would appear like any other of their own!”

“Could you make out any landmarks, which might guide us?”

“The large gathering of buildings that sits on the highest ground...that is most visible! It is at the heart of the city! There are many places near that where there are open places. We should be able to land our warriors easily on any of a dozen spots, and do much harm. Our retreat in the dark will be harder, if we have no moonlight to guide us!”

“But the Elvin would be hard pressed to follow us...that may be quite worthy!” Shocara suggested. “We can guide by the stars, if it is clear!”

“True,” the man suggested, hesitant. “Princess...we will face another foe, when we arrive, that is most...unexpected...”

“And what might such be?” Shocara wondered, puzzled.

The warrior, Atrucin, shrugged. “It will be the overwhelming sight of the city. It is staggering in its size...and as the sunlight faded, the entire place became aglow with some sorcery...there are lights everywhere! We will not be fighting in darkness, once we land!”  Shocara stood, transfixed, this possibility a new and dangerous factor she had not considered; none of her people had ever seen the Elvin city that they wished to attack.

“Then speed will be our only hope. We would be vulnerable to attack from the sky, should the Elvin be able to mount up!”

“Clearly, we must be able to land, attack any whom we can find, and then withdraw quickly! Will we have any sorcery to aide us?”

“My father says so. I must go to see him, and discover what he has wrought in that regard,” Shocara sighed. Her displeasure was impossible to overlook.

Shocara was more than loath to speak with her father. Karturic had been the main tribal leader of the Eridians nearly twenty five years, before being dislodged from his terranon, and falling a long distance into the forest canopy. The dense branches had broken his fall, but the remaining drop, hitting large branches and then the ground had broken him. He was thought dead when found, but had refused to die, the tribal healer setting his broken bones as well as he was capable. In spite of terrible wounds and injuries, he had survived, crippled, hunched and disfigured. His malevolence and hatred of the Elvin had been increased many times over, and his desire to inflict evil and destruction on them knew no bounds. That he was now dependant on others, especially his daughter, since all of his sons had fallen, only made his spite more intense.

He seldom set foot outside his small cabin, wherein he labored to concoct ever more wicked sorcery. Shocara was forced to visit him in this place, it reeking of fumes and nasty smells, from his many experiments. Worse, he kept the sun banished, working by smoky lamps.

Karturic barely glanced up when she entered. They exchanged no words of greeting, no sign or declaration of affection.

“What?” he wheezed, all he said.

“I am tired of having our people die for nothing!” she declared forcefully.

“Then perhaps you should find the will to lead them better?” he suggested harshly.

“Perhaps I have, but it requires different thinking, which you may be loath to accept!”

“Explain yourself!” Katuric invited, sounding ill disposed towards hearing her. Shocara gave him a quick summary of their observations and thoughts, eager to be free of his loathsome space.

“You have no idea if such will work, nor do I. What do the tribal leaders say?”

“They seem inclined to at least try such tactics. All are tired of the endless failure. Our people hunger for victory, for success. The large attacks have never succeeded; perhaps we may give them enough small cuts, such that they will bleed to death!”

“Perhaps. Or you may simply go off to die, overwhelmed and outnumbered. Are you eager to risk that?”

“I am tired of the endless fighting that brings no victory. Perhaps we are doomed to belong to the Elvin, and merely delay our fate! I am sick of loss, of watching our men bleed and die for what seems a fool’s errand. We must find a better way, or simply give up: I can not bear to see another woman cry over her husband or son’s body...” Shocara sighed.

“We will never surrender to the damned Elvin!” Katuric shrieked. Shocara merely stared at him.

“You would condemn our best to a meaningless end, because of your hatred and bitterness? The war ended for you when you fell to your destruction! Now others labor to carry it forward, not to victory but likely to futility! I shall try a new way...perhaps I will die in the doing of it, and that will not be unwelcome!” she loudly insisted. “Do you have any sorcery that might aid us against our enemy?” she demanded, unwilling to bicker endlessly with Karturic.

“I have found a powerful one, which might destroy large portions of an Elvin place!”

“How...can we carry them on the back of a Terronak?”

“Likely...where do you intend to attack?”

“Our spies tell us the Princess is far away...I would attack their clan home, Alarinad!” Shocara declared. Katuric’s head snapped up, and he stood staring.

“You are likely dooming yourself. Yet perhaps you are not mad...if you don’t die, you will be thought quite insightful and wise! How many will you take?

“Atrucin can muster eighty fliers...and I have summoned the Kerini to join us. I would leave tomorrow. Can you prepare for that...I wish to do as much damage as possible to the Elvin!”

“I will do what I can. Send me helpers!” he demanded, and waved her away.

Shocara turned and went out, saying no more. The clean air was almost too much to breathe, when she was outside. She went looking for the Leaders, finding them under a shade tree, drawing tactics in the dirt.

“We shall leave tomorrow...Katuric will prepare some sorcery for us to use against the Elvin. Get your men well prepared. We must travel light and swift, both on the approach, and as we depart. Any man who can’t escape will be left behind! We can’t risk losing everyone, trying to save a laggard! Make sure they all know that!”

“Princess? Can we take any of the women...Koharila especially is worthy, and wields a sword as well as any!”

“I have no objection. Be honest with her about the price of failure...no captive Eridian has ever returned from the Elvin, whether they are slaves or dead!” The Tribal leaders cringed, being reminded of this, something known, but not pleasant to mention.

“As you wish, Princess,” he mumbled.

Shocara went to find Garen, finding him checking the harness for her Terranon.

“Dear Garen...I shall leave tomorrow, to take the war to the Elvin. Have everything ready!”

“Of course, Princess! Where do you go?” he wondered, curious.

“To attack Alarinad, the Elvin’s most special place! I hope to give them a rude surprise!” Garen nodded, but turned away. Shocara reached out, turning his face to her; his eyes were wet, and he seemed quite sad.

“Do not fear for me, dear friend. I will come home...or they will sing songs of my deeds!” she laughed. She gave him a kiss on his cheek, and went out, as he stood, watching.

I hope they don’t sing of your folly!
he thought sadly, and turned back to his chore.