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Dark Assassin Ch. 01

By: zinfer



~*~Prologue: Thieves' Valley~*~

High in the stony mountains that bordered the Dark Ocean was a foreboding castle that nestled between two jagged peaks called the Twin Daggers. The peaks were called as such because they pierced into the sky rather than rose gently, and because the men who had discovered them thousands of years in the past had not been very creative. What the men had been were two criminals that had finally fled as far from the King's wrath as they could and figured that the unforgiving valley between the Twin Daggers would make a good place to fight their pursuers and hopefully not die. But when the King's men had finally caught up with the two criminals, they had fired flaming arrows into the valley relentlessly for hours until both men were nothing but charred corpses. 

The leader of these vengeful men had been a prudent one, and knew that Thieves' Valley, as it would later be called, could be a strategic point of power to secure his King's conquest of the continent. He had lost many men riding through the Elfish lands to the east in pursuit of the criminals, and having a base from which to gather strength and wage a two-front attack on the Elves was very appealing. 

So the leader, who's name was Kane, sent half of his men back to inform the King of his discovery while sending the other half west to find a good port if there was one to be found. When the King sent more men, and Kane knew he would, it would have to be by sea. Marching an army through the Elfish lands would have been suicide. 

And so men had come, and a castle was built in Thieves' Valley and then a town around it. When the King of Men launched his campaign against the Elves, he did so from the east and from the west simultaneously, pushing the Elves south until he had them backed against the Summer Ocean. There they had surrendered and swore their fealty to the King. 

Uneasy peace lasted for almost a century, until families of men began fighting amongst themselves, as men will do, and the Elves were able to win back their land during the confusion, pushing the humans east and west until they were backed against the Dark Ocean in the west and the Gold Ocean in the east. 

Once again the Elves held sway over the middle of the continent, and the men began to unite in their hatred of the immortal race - at least in the east. Western men were too busy fighting Goblins and Dwarves, who had taken their eons-long war above ground and into the mountains the men had thought was theirs. Over the next century, these men retreated further and further into the mountain range to avoid the Dwarvish battles, their towns and holdfasts swallowed up by destruction as they ran. 

Now, only the town of Thieves' Valley and the formidable castle in its center remained to the men of the west. The tall walls that had ben built to shelter the valley were forever closed and the people of Thieves' Valley scraped a meager living growing what they could in the hard mountain soil and tending flocks of hardy goats that provided them with meat and dairy. Winters were brutal, and summers brought little relief when the ice began to melt and the mudslides came crashing down from the Twin Daggers onto the town. 

The castle that Kane and his men had built centuries ago now stood cold and abandoned in the center of the town. No lord had occupied the crumbling building for over fifty years - the last had been rooted out and hung by the townspeople when he had suggested that they try to fight the Dwarves and Goblins that had plagued them for all those years and try to win back the mountains for mankind. 

A small council that met once a month to do little but drink and tell stories ran the town now. There was not much governing to do after all - Thieves' Valley was a poor and peaceful place despite its name and everything seemed to run just right all on its own. Trouble rarely found its way inside the walls. But sometimes it did, and this is where Elaine's story begins. 

*****

~*~Chapter One: The Dark Elf~*~

Night had fallen in Thieves' Valley and Elaine slipped silent through the streets of the town. Her destination was the long-abandoned castle in its center. What waited for her there, she did not know, but the weight of her father's dagger against her thigh reassured her that whatever trouble she ran into, she could get out of.

One week prior to her midnight run, Elaine had received a mysterious note that had said simply: 

"If you want to leave, meet at the castle in seven days." 

The handwriting had been neat, but not lavish and Elaine was almost sure it was a man's. It reminded her a lot of her father's handwriting. Her father had taught her to read and write before he had died, and Elaine was certain that she was one of the last in Thieves' Valley able to do so beside the old men of the Town Council. 

Because of this knowledge, the note had immediately roused her attention. Who had known that she wanted to leave Thieves' Landing since she had been old enough to know that there was a whole world outside the tall walls? And who had known where to find her? Elaine had moved from job to job since her father's death and was currently working as a shepherd for an old blind farmer near the north wall. Those who knew that were limited to the blind farmer and his sheep. So how had she been found? 

Coming to a stop before the entrance to the castle's overgrown courtyard, Elaine pulled her dark cloak tight around her body and shivered in the cool night air. It was spring at last, and the weather was much fairer than it had been just a few weeks earlier. But Elaine had grown up hearing about the violent ghosts that roamed the halls of the castle and there memory sent a shiver down her spine. Just over twenty years old, Elaine had never seen the building occupied and it was more legend than anything to her generation. No one ever dared enter lest the vengeful spirit of the last lord hung you from his rafters like the townsfolk had done to him so many years before...

Taking a deep breath to dispel the childish fears, Elaine stepped into the courtyard and moved quickly toward the gaping hole in the east wall that had once been the main entrance. It was dark inside, but Elaine's father had taught her a number of useful cantrips right before his death, and her hand glowed with a soft, blue light as she moved through the wide foyer, deeper into the castle. 

"What are you doing, girl?" she whispered to herself as she moved slowly toward the crumbling grand staircase in front of her. 

What WAS she doing? Meeting a stranger in the middle of the night in a haunted castle with nothing to go off of but a note was incredibly reckless. Was Elaine's desire to escape the dreary town that intense?

Perhaps it was - she had nothing to stay for since her father's passing. Her mother had been some mystery woman her father had met during his travels. He never spoke of her and Elaine had learned not to ask him to. There was deep pain in the memories of her mother, and Elaine loved her father too much to inflict it needlessly. 

Elaine was ascending the staircase to the second floor landing when a deep, hushed voice called out. 

"Who's there?" it said, seeming to come from all directions. Elaine froze mid step. 

"E-Elaine," she stammered weakly. Her voice felt frozen in her throat, and she chastised herself for acting like a frightened child while at the same time she gripped the hilt of her dagger with tight, white knuckles. 

"Daughter of George?" the voice spoke again. Elaine wished she could tell where it was coming from, but it could have been anywhere and nowhere. 

"Yes," Elaine nodded, forcing her own voice to stay steady, "How did you -?" 

She was cut off by the voice, "Come to the top of the steps and I will meet you there." 

Something in the air changed and Elaine knew that if she responded to the voice, its owner would not hear. It was a simple spell, and she felt foolish that she had not realized that was what it was to begin with. 

Climbing the rest of the stairs, she waited anxiously for the stranger to appear, her hand never leaving her dagger's hilt. 

"You have nothing to fear, Elaine," a familiar voice, this time distinctly emanating from her left, said, "Your father and I were old friends." 

Elaine turned and gasped as a tall, thin figure strode out of the shadows and into a ray of moonlight that was streaming through a large crack in the ceiling. Hair as black as ink was tied neatly behind his head that contrasted sharply with the pale white skin of his face. The ears his hair was tied behind were long and pointed. Most shocking of all, however, were the blood red irises that glittered in the moonlight as the stranger regarded Elaine from where he stood. 

"Who...what...are you?" Elaine asked, and immediately regretted how rude it sounded. The stranger might have been intimidating, but her father had taught her better than that. 

The stranger's expression remained unchanged as he bowed shallowly and said, "My name is Zinfer. I am a Dark Elf." 

Elaine's mouth gaped as she stared openly and a rush of questions spilled forth, "And Elf? In Thieves' Valley? Why? How?" 

"I'm afraid there is no time to explain all that right now," Zinfer responded, taking another step forward, "If we are to leave, we must do so tonight. Time is of importance." 

"Forgive me if I'm a little hesitant about just running away with a total stranger in the middle of the night," Elaine said with intended sarcasm, "But I'm going to need a little more information first. You can understand?" Everything was happening too fast. Just over one minute ago, Elaine had never even seen an Elf and now one was asking her to just run away with him? Was this a crazy dream? Perhaps she had had too much to drink before bed...

Zinfer's face remained neutral, "As soon as news of your father's death reached me, I came as soon as I could. Your mother and father were very dear to me, Elaine, and I made George a promise long ago that I vowed never to break." 

"My father died over three years ago," Elaine pointed out, "Why are you just hearing of it now?" 

"News travels slow as sap out of these walls," Zinfer said sourly, "Had I even known he was sick..." 

"What promise?" Elaine interrupted. The less they spoke of her father's illness, the better. 

Zinfer frowned, "I cannot tell you yet but," he reached for a hidden pocket inside his cloak, which was as black as his hair, and pulled out an old and tarnished piece of paper, "He left me this as proof of our friendship." 

Elaine took the paper and read it, tears brimming by the time she reached the signature at the bottom that was undoubtedly her father's. "He wrote this?" she asked, wiping the moisture from her eyes. It had been a poem - a short one, but the words were as sweet and sincere as if her father had spoken to her directly from the page. It was more than enough proof of her father's and Zinfer's friendship. He did not hand out his work to just anyone. George had always been modest of his gift for words, and even Elaine had to goad him into sharing his creations with her. 

Zinfer bowed his head, "Your father was always writing songs and poems during his time with our people. He said that this was best work. And that you were his greatest inspiration." 

Elaine tried to hand the paper back to the Elf, but Zinfer shook his head, "It was always meant for you, Elaine - keep it. But the time for sentiment is over. We must leave now. Have I offered you enough proof of my sincerity yet?" 

After a brief moment's hesitation, Elaine nodded. Zinfer was a bit terse in character, but sounded sincere in his intentions. Elaine wanted to make sure that he kept whatever promise he had made to her father. It was the least she could do for the only man who had ever loved her like she deserved. 

"This way," Zinfer instructed, turning from Elaine to go back the way he had come. 

"Wait," Elaine said impatiently, "What about my stuff? " 

"We do not have time," Zinfer said again, "I have procured proper traveling attire and supplies for both of us. They are waiting outside the town. Now come." 

The Elf proceeded to lead the way without another word on the matter, and Elaine was forced to follow or be left behind in the dark. 

Soon they were winding through narrow tunnels and down ramps and staircases. This went on in silence for what seemed like hours and Elaine was sure that at one point they had crossed underground. Once or twice Elaine tried to ask Zinfer where they were, but the Elf had never responded, and appeared to be concentrating on leading them down the correct path. The passages branched often, and Elaine soon came to realize that they must have made a complex system right beneath Thieves' Valley, unknown to any of the residents. Gods forbid any Goblins discovered it. If the tunnels led out of the town's walls, as Elaine suspected very much they did, they would also lead inside them and that would make invasion of man's last stronghold in the west very easy indeed...

Zinfer came to a complete stop suddenly and Elaine almost ran into his back. The blue light still coming from Elaine's hand revealed that they had reached the end of a tunnel. Huge boulders blocked their passage and there had not been a split in the path for a very long time. 

"Where do we go now?" Elaine asked, suddenly feeling very claustrophobic. 

"Up," Zinfer said simply and turned to his right, "Follow me. The darker stones are footholds." 

And with that the Elf was scaling the twenty-foot wall of the tunnel with limber ease while Elaine watched in awe. And as she watched, Zinfer disappeared and she was suddenly alone. 

"Come," he called from somewhere above, "The climb is not hard. You can do it." 

Spotting the darker stones of the wall, which jutted out a little further than the lighter ones, Elaine began to slowly ascend. Zinfer had been right, the climb was surprisingly easy, and Elaine hoisted herself up when she had reached a ledge through a narrow hole in the ceiling of the tunnel. She emerged inside a cave and faint moonlight could be seen coming through a small entrance about thirty feet away. 

Zinfer was waiting for her and two packs leaned against one of the cave's walls. 

"You have to change," the Elf said and held out a bundle of dark cloth for Elaine. 

She looked down at her attire and had to agree with Zinfer. She wore shepherding clothes - a thick brown skit and white blouse, both wool, and a dirty old cloak above a pair of used boots that had almost no sole. They were no traveling clothes, not like the dark tunic and tight breeches that Zinfer wore beneath his own cloak. 

Elaine separated the bundle and found that the clothing was almost exactly like Zinfer's aside from the extra support and padding in the tunic's chest. She had removed her cloak and belt and was about to pull her blouse over her head when Elaine realized the Elf had not turned away from her and was waiting patiently for her to finish. 

"Excuse me?" Elaine said with a frown, "Do you mind?" 

"Mind what?" Zinfer asked with a cocked eyebrow. 

"Turning around?" 

"So as not to see you naked?" Zinfer asked, "Would that bother you?" 

Elaine blushed, "Of course it would! Have you ever heard of modesty where you are from?" 

Zinfer shrugged and turned his back, "It is not seen as inappropriate to view another naked, no," he explained as Elaine continued changing, "We Elves are a sensual race." 

"Right," Elaine said as she pulled up her breeches and fastened her belt around her hips. The clothes clung very tightly to her body, and Elaine felt exposed as Zinfer turned back around and eyed her openly. 

"You are a lovely woman," he observed, "You should not feel embarrassed if I admire you. It is a compliment." 

"Gods," Elaine blushed while she took a new pair of boots that Zinfer offered her, "Enough." All the men of Thieves' Valley were crude and Elaine had never wanted anything to do with them. There had been catcalls and comments plenty, but Elaine's father had taught her how to rise above such clumsy advances and eventually the whole town had given Elaine up as a spinster and left her alone. This was not ideal either, but to Elaine it beat the alternative. 

But when Zinfer spoke to her...called her lovely...she could not help but feel a pleasant fluttering in her belly. 

"Are you ready?" the Elf asked, shouldering his pack, "I would like to get as far from these lands as possible tonight. Goblins have been circling your walls for quite some time." 

"They have?" Elaine was startled, "Are they planning to attack...we can't..." 

Zinfer approached Elaine and placed a strong hand on her shoulder, looking her in the eyes, "Your town will be safe so long as they remain in their walls. The Goblins have no interest in what they refer to as 'the human pen'. It is simply a strategic spot to fight against the Dwarves." 

"Still..." Elaine was hesitant to leave the town to the Goblins' mercy. No matter how much she loathed living in Thieves' Valley, Goblins were vicious creatures that would inflict horrific atrocities on the town if they felt like it - and no one deserved that. 

"Thieves' Valley has held strong for centuries, Elaine," Zinfer pointed out, "It will not fall now." 

Grimacing, Elaine nodded and strapped on her own pack. It fit well and was surprisingly light for all the supplies in it. Elfish magic no doubt - she would have to ask Zinfer to teach her some new tricks. Cantrips were helpful, but Elaine had always thirsted for new knowledge and her father had died too soon after her training in magic. 

They set out from the cave together. Zinfer led them around rocks and cliffs as they moved first north, and then slowly turned eastward. Neither talked and Elaine jumped at every sound in the night, afraid that it would be a goblin, come to torture them before eating them alive. But Zinfer never reacted to the falling rocks and rare calls of birds as Elaine did and she felt silly for her actions after a while and began to look to the Elf for any signs of danger. 

Elaine watched as the full moon slowly made its way across the sky before fading as the sky in the east began to lighten and turn purple. They had been walking for hours and further than Elaine had ever traveled before and she was exhausted. Thankfully, he soon stopped on a wide ledge and announced that they could rest. 

Removing her pack, Elaine leant it against a boulder and collapsed onto the ground with a groan. Zinfer was more graceful, but ended up siting next to her and offering a piece of what looked like bread. 

"You did well," he said as Elaine took the food, "I know that was a hard night, but we are safer here than we were a few miles back." 

"You can say that again," Elaine groaned as she bit into the bread. It was sweeter than she expected, and she was half full after only two bites. 

"Sleep for a while," Zinfer said, "I'll keep watch." 

Elaine leaned her head back and closed her eyes, thinking that she would never get to sleep in this position. 

She awoke two hours later which her head resting against something firm and warm. It was like she was a girl again, and she had fallen asleep in her father's lap. Opening her eyes, Elaine was startled to see that she was lying on the ground with her head not in her father's, but Zinfer's lap. The Elf was staring straight ahead but looked down when he noticed Elaine was awake and said, "I was just about to wake you." 

Elaine sat up quickly and blushed crimson, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." How had she even gotten into that position? 

"Don't be sorry," Zinfer interrupted, "In fact, that was rather pleasant. I only wanted to suggest that we start moving again." 


Dark Assassin Ch. 01



Unable to find the right words to respond with, Elaine cleared her throat and stood, stretching her tight muscles. The nap had been just enough to replenish her strength a little, but what she really wanted was a full night's rest. 

'In Zinfer's arms,' an unbidden thought flashed through her mind before Elaine banished it. She had to remind herself that she barely knew the Elf, and thoughts like that were girlish and crude. Gods knew Elaine was no prude - she often stayed awake at night wishing the hand between her thighs were any man other than one of the townsfolk of Thieves' Valley. But she had also been raised proper by her father. 

They began to walk again in silence as the sun rose above the peaks to the east, the direction that they were heading. Zinfer was moving slower than he had in the night, and Elaine saw him shield his eyes from the sun and wince as if in pain on more than one occasion. 

"Are we out of goblin land?" Elaine asked quietly when the sun was about a third of the way across the horizon. It was already warm and they had both removed their cloaks and stowed them in their packs. 

"Technically not until we reach our final destination," Zinfer answered, "The Goblins live above ground and the Dwarves below throughout this entire mountain range. But if it makes you feel any better, there are very few of either along the path we're taking." 

"Not really...," Elaine mumbled. 

"Do not worry, Elaine," Zinfer said, looking back at her with a hard expression, "I will not let anything harm you." He fingered the two short blades he wore at his sides as he spoke. One was slightly longer than the other, and the hilt more ornately carved in a language unknown to Elaine. Neither, however, looked particularly deadly. Zinfer had a bow tied to his pack as well, but it would be useless if they were ambushed along the narrow trail. They would be dead before Zinfer could pull out the bow, nock it, and loose a single arrow. 

"Where exactly is our final destination?" Elaine asked, changing the subject, "You said you were a Dark Elf. I admit I don't know where that particular race hails from." 

"Much farther away than we are going," Zinfer answered, falling back a little to walk next to Elaine. She noticed not for the first time how much taller the Elf was than her - at least six and half feet where she stood five and a half. "I was adopted as a small child by a family of Mountain Elves that live in the northern foothills of this range. That is where we are going." 

"And you still haven't told me why exactly," Elaine pressed. She wanted information. The further they got from Thieves' Valley, the more she wondered if running away with Zinfer had been completely foolish rather than just a little foolish as she had believed last night. 

"Your mother and father were guests in my adopted family's land for many years. Part of my promise to George was to return you to the place of your birth if something ever happened to him so long as...," the Elf trailed off and clamped his mouth shut as if he had been about to say something very bad. 

"So long as what?" Elaine asked - she was tired of secrecy. She had learned more about her mother and father's time together in a single sentence than she had in nineteen years with her father. They had lived with Mountain Elves and born Elaine there. Her father must have left just after Elaine's birth because her earliest memories all took place in Thieves' Valley. 

"Now is not the time to tell you that," Zinfer frowned, "I am sorry." And he sounded sincere in his apology. 

"Fine," Elaine said - there would be plenty of time to find out more from the Elf, "Tell me about yourself if you won't talk about my parents." 

Zinfer's frown deepened and his thin black brows furrowed over his red eyes, "What would you like to know?" 

Elaine thought for a moment. What she had really wanted to know was how a Dark Elf had ended up adopted by Mountain Elves. From what she had heard, the various sub-races of Elves did not get along very well - and they all shared a deep loathing for Dark Elves, or Drows, as they were sometimes known. But she knew that asking about Zinfer's possibly troubled childhood would be rude so instead she said, "What do you do among these Mountain Elves?" 

"You mean my profession?" 

Elaine nodded, "Sure. You seem to be pretty adept at traveling and navigation...are you a ranger?" Her father had been a ranger, Elaine knew. Perhaps that is how he and the Elf had met. 

Zinfer shook his head, "Not anything quite so mundane, I'm afraid. I actually work for my queen." 

Elaine raised her brows, "Your queen? Did she know my father, too?" 

"Very well," Zinfer nodded. They had reached a narrow cliff face. The Elf had taken the lead again and Elaine watched as his hair bobbed in front of her. "Your mother...," again he trailed off as if almost letting something loose from he wasn't supposed to, "You will make me tell you more than I ought to at this rate, Elaine." 

"I don't see the need for secrets," Elaine said, growing more frustrated at Zinfer's mysterious attitude toward her own past. 

"To answer your earlier question," Zinfer said, leaping down the five-foot ledge before them with cat-like grace, "I am one of the queen's assassins." 

Elaine paused at the ledge and looked down, taken aback by both the long jump before her and Zinfer's revelation. An assassin? Why had her father been a friend to an assassin? And why had he made one promise to find Elaine after his death? 

"You may jump, Elaine," Zinfer said from below, holding out his arms, "I will catch you so you do not fall." 

Elaine looked at him dubiously for a second, but then nodded. She was not as adept at climbing and jumping as the Elf, and a fall on these hard rocks would very likely injure her. So she stepped to the ledge, bent her knees slightly, and leapt softly toward the waiting arms of Zinfer. 

He caught her around the rib cage with surprising ease and lowered her gently to the ground. The warm strength of his hands through her clothing left her skin tingling when he removed them and she found herself suddenly hoping that there would be more leaps of faith in the coming journey. 

'Why?' her mind whispered, but Elaine had no answer. All she could say was that the Elf gave off a dangerous, pleasant allure that attracted her to him more than she had been toward any of the men in Thieves' Landing. Not that she would act on this attraction...but it was certainly nice to be around a male who did not make her roll her eyes in disgust with every word that spilled from his mouth. Perhaps she would think of Zinfer during some future, lonely night - his mouth on hers, his hands between...

"Was my father an assassin, too?" Elaine asked, her voice higher than she intended. 

Zinfer quirked an eyebrow, a gesture that Elaine was finding increasingly alluring, and shook his head, "No." 

"So what did he do in the Mountain Elves' land?" Elaine said as they continued on their path. The trail was starting to decline steadily, and if they turned westward, the tips of the Twin Daggers could be seen piercing the sky in the near distance. Thieves' Valley was still hidden from view by what must have been miles of jagged rock. 

"Your father was in exile from the King's remaining lands in the west for some unspoken crime," Zinfer said, "He had fled through the land of the Sylvan Elves on his way west, intending to end up in Thieves' Valley, but instead deciding to stay in the foothills when he had reached them and found the Mountain Elves more hospitable." 

"Why did he leave?" 

"You are full of questions...," Zinfer sighed, "It is a welcome quality in a woman, but I tire of telling you that 'now is not the time'." 

"Fair enough," Elaine said, blushing a little knowing that Zinfer found at least part of her appealing, "Let's just walk then." 

Zinfer nodded his approval of this new plan and so they entered a long period of comfortable silence. 

As the sun climbed the cloudless, blue sky, it began to warm exponentially as it sometimes did during the early spring days in the mountains. By the time lunch rolled around, both Elaine and Zinfer were sweating profusely through their clothing. Elaine responded by rolling up her sleeves as far as they would go and adjusting her belt from time to time to give different parts of her hips room to breath. Zinfer, on the other hand discarded his shirt altogether, pulling it up over his head and stowing it in his pack with his cloak. 

Elaine stared admiringly at the Elf's exposed body. His skin was strikingly white in the bright sunlight, but a dark smattering of hair covered his broad, defined stomach and strong chest. His arms were thin but well toned and Elaine felt her mouth go dry as she watched these muscles bunch and move beneath his skin as Zinfer shoved his shirt into his pack. 

About two hours after lunch, they were faced with another ledge. This time when Elaine jumped, she gripped Zinfer's bare shoulders when he caught her, feeling their firmness - she was not disappointed. As the Elf put her down, their eyes met briefly and Elaine blushed at the deep look Zinfer gave her. She could have sworn he had read her mind at that moment. And if that were the case...

"We'll stop and make camp before sunset," Zinfer said as he placed Elaine back on her feet, his hands lingering at her waist for a few long, wonderful moments, "I think we could both use a good night's sleep." 

Elaine swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded her agreement. "As long as we are in no danger of Goblin attacks," she said in a thin, girlish voice that she immediately hated. 

"There is a cave not too far from here," Zinfer said as he once again picked up the lead, "I have stayed in it many times before and have never been disturbed. I believe it is unknown to all but me. It is quite snug though...we might have to sleep quite close together. I hope you do not mind." He ended his statement with a sidewise glance at Elaine that seemed to say 'I know you won't'. 

The prospect of sleep interested Elaine immensely. The prospect of spending a night in close proximity with Zinfer was even more inviting. There was no denying her attraction to the Elf now. As the day had dragged on, more and more thoughts of the Elf had risen to the surface of her mind. Maybe it was the heat of the day playing tricks on her, but Zinfer pulled her mind toward him in curious ways. If only she could touch him one more time...maybe then her thirst would be quenched...

They reached the cave just as the heat of the day was starting to subside, with the sun positioned just above the Twin Daggers in the west. The space was indeed cozy - nothing more than a single long tunnel through an opening that was partially hidden by a group of large boulders. The ceiling was high, and light filtered in through a number of small cracks in the stone above. Inside, there was a blackened circle left by the many campfires Zinfer had lit there. There were also two smoothed rocks near the fire pit for them to sit on. 

Setting his pack against one wall of the cave, Zinfer proceeded to pull out his shirt as well as a bundle of sticks tied neatly together. He pulled the shirt on, much to Elaine's disappointment, and untied the sticks before arranging them neatly in the fire pit. 

"Would you like to light it?" he asked Elaine. 

"With what?" she asked, furrowing her brow in confusion. 

Zinfer looked confused, "Did George never teach you a spell for fire?"

Elaine shook her head from her spot on one of the smooth rocks, "He only started teaching me cantrips right before he got sick," she explained, "But I've always been eager to learn more, if you're willing to teach me." 

Zinfer came and sat next to Elaine. The rocks were closely spaced and his arm touched hers lightly at the shoulder. "A spell strong enough to light a campfire is really no more difficult than a cantrip," Zinfer said, "Just hold your hand like this...," he took Elaine's right hand gently and positioned it over the sticks so that her thumb, index, and middle fingers were extended with her ring and pinky fingers bent at the first knuckle. 

Elaine could feel heat coming from the spot where Zinfer's hand made contact with hers, him sharing energy no doubt, as he taught her the words for casting fire. All spells came from Elves and the words for casting them were Old Elfish. No one knew how to speak the language fluently anymore for all that had been passed down through the eons of Elfish generations had been the spells themselves. 

Elaine repeated the words Zinfer had spoken into her ear and felt the energy leave her fingertips. There was a moment where nothing happened and then the sticks in the pit burst into flame. Smiling gleefully, Elaine looked over to Zinfer and found his face mere inches from hers. His red eyes flickered dangerously, sexily in the firelight. The smile dropped from Elaine's lips as her heartbeat doubled as she stared at the Elf's lips. So close...it would only take...

Zinfer leaned in and captured her mouth with his. Elaine was too surprised to respond at first, but then kissed him back, closing her eyes. He became more insistent, darting his tongue out in an attempt to gain access to her mouth. She complied and his tongue swept over hers while one of his hands tangled itself in her thick, auburn hair, holding her still as their kiss became deeper. 

This was as far as Elaine had ever gone with a boy before and her previous experiences had been nothing compared to what was happening now. Where the boys of Thieves' Valley were clumsy and aggressive, Zinfer was skilled and patient, responding to her inexperience with grace as he guided her motions with his own. Liquid heat built in Elaine's lower belly as the Elf continued to kiss her, and when one of his hands found her upper thigh she swore she almost melted. 

"Wait," Elaine gasped between kisses, trying to pull away but lacking the strength to give up the pleasure, "I...barely...know...you..." 

Zinfer pulled his lips away for long enough to whisper in Elaine's ear, "So what?" he said simply, the heat of his breath on her neck and earlobe sending shivers down her spine, "Are you not enjoying yourself?" 

He punctuated his statement with a gentle swipe of his long, nimble fingers across the covered juncture between her thighs. Elaine jumped at the contact. There was not much separating her between him save a thin pair of breeches that clung tightly to her skin. Wetness pooled at the fabric where Zinfer had touched her and Elaine moaned, allowing the Elf another opportunity to capture her mouth in a kiss. 

She returned it eagerly, gripping his shoulders to hold herself steady. Zinfer's fingers returned to the spot between her legs, skimming the dampening cloth that stuck to her outer lips. Every time the fingers reached the spot just above Elaine's slit, more moisture leaked from her opening. She could smell her own arousal in the small cave now, and all she wished was for Zinfer to stop teasing her and... 

The fingers left the spot between her legs for an agonizing moment and Elaine moaned in frustration. She had thrown herself into her pleasure and gods be damned if Zinfer stopped now. But seconds later he was back, except this time Zinfer had slipped the tips of his fingers down the front of her breeches and was now playing with her bare clitoris. Skin on skin - the first time a stranger had ever touched her there. 

"Zinfer!" Elaine cried out and dug her nails into his shoulders through his shirt, "That's..." 

"Shhh," the Elf whispered against her neck as one of his fingers traveled past her button and slipped between her slippery lips, "Just enjoy this." 

Elaine stopped talking and let her head fall sideways onto her shoulder, exposing more of the sensitive skin of her neck to Zinfer's eager mouth. This was insane...but if he told her to enjoy herself, then by the gods Elaine would enjoy herself. 

The finger between her thighs slid deeper inside her, aided by the copious arousal that had pooled there. Another finger joined the first and Zinfer began to thrust them shallowly in and out of her lips while his mouth licked and sucked along her neck. 

"Don't stop," Elaine begged. She could feel a familiar tightening in her core as the fingers plunged deeper and deeper inside her. The tightness of her virgin channel clung to the slender digits eagerly and moisture continued to trickle out between them. She felt filled to the brim - and Zinfer's fingers were not at all thick. 

"So wet," Zinfer groaned against her neck, "And what's this..." his fingers nudged gently against her maidenhood, "A virgin?" 

"I hope...that's ok...," Elaine said between gasps. Zinfer had taken to rubbing against her upper walls and this new motion was driving her rapidly toward the edge of release. 

"It's perfect," Zinfer whispered, "It just means we will have to go slow with you. Teach you all the pleasures you have a right to know." 

The sensual words were like an aphrodisiac and more moisture spilled from her lips. Elaine was very close to release and Zinfer could obviously tell. He picked up the pace of his shallow thrusting and wet sucking sounds filled the cave as her channel clung tightly to him, as if as eager for more as Elaine was. 

Removing his mouth from Elaine's neck, Zinfer kissed her lips again as her orgasm hit her. She cried out and the Elf sucked her tongue into his mouth, caressing it in time with the motion of his fingers below. Her walls fluttered violently around the intrusion and moisture spilled from her in a slow, blistering wave of liquid heat.

When it was over, Zinfer pulled his fingers from within her breeches and sucked off the cream Elaine had spilled over them. 

"You'll want to let those dry tonight," Zinfer said, pointing at Elaine's soaked breeches as he stood from his stone, adjusting his obvious erection as he did so, "Should be nice for both of us since I always sleep in the nude." 

Elaine, still recovering from what had been the most satisfying orgasm of her entire life, looked up confusedly, "So are we done?" 

Zinfer nodded, never smiling, "A rare treasure like yourself needs to be broken in slowly. Do not worry; your pleasure for the night is not yet finished. But for now, we need to take a break and eat dinner. And take off those pants, they'll stick to your skin." 

Elaine blinked and remained still for a moment, taking sudden stock of her new and unexpected situation. Just last night she had been refusing to change in front of Zinfer. Now she had let him touch her in ways she had never let a man do so before and was considering sleeping naked next to him. Or at least half naked. Did it matter? What did this make her? Certainly not a whore - hadn't Zinfer said that his culture viewed sex differently than hers? But this was going to fast...except the Elf had promised to go slow...but what did slow mean?...he promised her pleasure was not over for the night...

"Stop thinking so much and change into your skirt," Zinfer said from where he was rummaging around in his pack, "I'll make stew." 

Elaine stood and did as he had suggested, glad that at least one of them was thinking coherently...

A few hours later they had finished their dinner and cleaned the dishes and were resting pleasantly by the fire together, growing sleepy. Zinfer had placed his arm around Elaine's waist and was trailing his fingers absently along her thigh through the thick fabric of her skirt. The soiled breeches had been washed with a small amount of water and were resting a safe distance from the fire, drying. 

"Perhaps it is time for bed," Zinfer said at some point, standing up and moving to their packs. He pulled his shirt up over his head and Elaine sighed inwardly. He truly was a marvel to look at and when he pulled down his pants to stand completely nude before her, she almost fell of her rock. Long, toned legs ended in a powerful 'V' of muscles at his hips. But what was most impressive was the impressively sized penis that hung between his thighs. It was thick and long - and still flaccid. The hair that covered Zinfer's torso led to the lightest smattering of pubic hair above the Elf's shaft but his thick balls were completely bare. Elaine had never seen a man naked before and her first impressions were a mixture of intrigue, anxiety, and longing. 




Dark Assassin Ch. 01



The Elf packed up his clothes neatly, hardly taking notice of Elaine's obvious gawking, and pulled out two thick blankets from the packs. He moved across the cave with grace and laid out the blankets, one on top of another. They would be sharing their bed tonight and the prospect both excited and intimated Elaine. 

"Stop staring and come join me," Zinfer said lightly as he sat cross-legged on the blankets. His genitals hung invitingly between his legs and Elaine noticed that his shaft was beginning to slowly engorge. 

Standing on shaky, nervous feet, Elaine walked to her own pack and pulled off her skirts. She was bare from the waist down now and was debating whether to remove her shirt as well when Zinfer said deeply, "All of it." 

Elaine looked behind her shoulder at the naked Elf and her eyes widened as she beheld the fully erect shaft he was displaying. It had to be at least nine inches long and thick with blood. She swallowed heavily. There would be no way she could take that monster inside of her...Zinfer's slender fingers alone had filled her completely. 

"I...," she stammered, suddenly afraid of what she had gotten herself into, "Maybe we should..." 

"Do not worry about that tonight," Zinfer replied, reading her thoughts again in that eerie way he had before, "Just come join me. I want to feel you against my skin." 

The words were enough to undo the hesitant knot that had tied itself inside Elaine's belly. Fresh moisture was pooling between her thighs as she pulled the shirt over her head and turned to face Zinfer, now completely bared to him. 

"Exquisite," the Elf groaned and Elaine saw his shaft twitch. She flushed. Boys had always found her attractive, but the way Zinfer spoke to her with sincere adoration warmed Elaine's heart. 

She crossed the cave and knelt beside Zinfer, unsure of what to do. The fire was dying slowly, and she could see the Elf's eyes glitter in the flickering light as he seemed to inspect her. "Lie down," he said and Elaine did, resting her head on the thick blanket below her, "On your side," Zinfer finished and Elaine moved so that her back faced the Elf's front. She shivered in anticipation as he moved around behind her. 

The second blanket was drawn up over their bodies as Zinfer settled into place. Elaine jumped in mild surprise when the warm skin of Zinfer's chest pressed up against her the coarse hair tickling her back. She settled into the firm wall of his body and wiggled against the hard piece of flesh that rested against her bottom. Something warm and liquid dripped from the tip of the shaft and traveled down her skin in a lazy path. 

Zinfer moved again and Elaine felt him readjust himself so that his shaft rested between her thighs...and against her moistened sex. She became very nervous again, afraid that the Elf would try to enter her and she would not be able to take it but all he did was reach over her body and rest a large, reassuring hand across her belly. 

"Comfortable?" Zinfer whispered and the firelight suddenly died, plunging them into near total darkness. He punctuated this moment with a small thrust of his hips. His shaft slid along Elaine's lips and the head butted against her clit, making her gasp in shock and pleasure. 

"Yes," she moaned and settled more fully against Zinfer's body, "Do that again." 

Zinfer complied, his member gliding easily through the growing pool of moisture between her thighs. He nudged her clit again and she cried out softly. The fingers at her belly began to creep up her body as Zinfer continued to thrust through her lips in a slow, tortuous rhythm. Eventually his hand found her left breast and settled over her pointed nipple, rubbing it softly against his palm. It appeared to fit perfectly in his grasp and Elaine jutted out her chest ever so slightly to put pressure on her nipple. 

Elaine cried out again when Zinfer's lips began to trail across her neck. What was he doing to her? All fear of him hurting her vanished with the trio of sensations he was coaxing from her body. 

More moisture spilled against Zinfer's easily gliding shaft, not all of it hers now as warm beads of pre-cum leaked easily from the Elf's cockhead. His thrusts were coming faster, his pace increasing almost every time Elaine silently wished it would. The hand at her breast plucked at her nipple and Elaine groaned at the roughness. 

Still he did not try to enter her. 

"Tell me how this feels," Zinfer whispered against her skin, "Do you want me to stop?" His voice sounded shaky and gruff and Elaine realized that he must have been enjoying this as much as she was. 

"No!," Elaine almost shouted, "Don't stop. It feels...," she finished her thought by thrusting against Zinfer's shaft. The motion caused the very tip of his head to push through her moistened lips. She moaned. It was impossibly thick...there would be no way...

"Not tonight," Zinfer said softly, pulling back his hips, "Tonight," he squeezed Elaine's breast and licked the sweat from her neck, "Just cum for me." 

Elaine felt him resume his thrusts and this time she did not try to meet them with her own. The glide of the hot, velvet skin of his cock against her sex was enough to pleasure her, and her release was growing by the moment. 

Without warning, Zinfer growled roughly and threw back the blanket covering them before repositioning their bodies so that Elaine was on her back and the Elf was hovering over her on his knees. The suddenness of the switch had disoriented Elaine, but the confusion passed as she watched Zinfer grip his shaft and position it directly over her clit. He thrust forward and the weeping tip of his head pressed hard against her. 

"Gods!" she cried and arched her back, trying to get closer to the thing that was making her wild. 

"You're dripping," Zinfer said with was sounded like mild amazement, "I've never seen anything..." he took his shaft in hand again and this time swiped the head along her entire slit, coating it in her thick cream before once again pressing hard against her button. She could feel her honey as it slid down her sex and across her bottom before pooling beneath her. He was right - she had never been so wet when all she had were here own fingers. 

"Zinfer!" Elaine shouted and gripped the sheets beneath her tightly. This was beyond her wildest fantasies. The raw sensuality of the Elf was driving her insane - and if this was just foreplay, as he had implied, Elaine could not begin to imagine what the final act would be like. 

Zinfer continued to swipe his cock along Elaine's channel, always ending with a hard prod against her clitoris. The alternating sensations caused the coil in her belly to wind even tighter than before when Zinfer had brought her to orgasm with only his fingers, but her release was held at bay. Elaine would die like this, wound so tight with no end in sight. She needed something more - something to push her over the edge. 

Again, with uncanny intuition, Zinfer granted Elaine her wish. Reaching down he pushed two fingers through her thick cream and into her channel, stretching it with their girth while at the same time pressing his cockhead against her clit. The duel sensations tipped her over the edge completely and the world stopped and seemed to disappeared as pleasure ripped through Elaine's body. 

It started between her thighs and then rippled across her entire body. Pleasure like she had never felt seared her flesh and tightened her muscles. A cry tore through her throat as she arched upward into Zinfer's ever-thrusting fingers. Something warm and heavy slid from her passage as the coil inside her released and the pressure dissipated in slow, ebbing waves. In the distance she could hear a man groan, lost in his own pleasure, and Elaine suddenly remembered Zinfer just as something thick and hot splashed against her belly. Another followed this, higher up, and another lower than the first. A few more, smaller shots splattered near her pubic bone and Elaine came out of her sexual haze to see that Zinfer had found his release as well. 

She sat up and looked at her belly, which was covered in a thick white substance that felt oddly pleasurable. It tingled warmly against her skin as it slid across it in thick waves. Zinfer was watching her with his hand on his shaft and a distant look in his eyes. 

"Elaine," he said, his chest heaving in the darkness with exhaustion. 

"What?" she answered, gathering a small dollop of Zinfer's cum in her finger and bringing it to her lips. Elaine had always been the curious type, and she sucked the substance into her mouth. She found it pleasantly sweet and salty and it warmed her belly. It was nothing like what she had heard her more experienced friends describe a man's cum as tasting and Elaine wondered if Elves in different in that regard as well. 

"You...," he said, watching with fascination as Elaine took another taste of his semen, "Are amazing." 

Elaine quirked her eyebrow in an imitation of him and smiled before sitting up and placing a palm against his warm, sweat-slicked chest. The cum on her belly slid down toward her sex and the cum in her sex slid down her thighs. "Thank you," she said, and kissed the Elf on his lips before standing up to find something to clean herself with. 

And Elaine had meant the thanks wholeheartedly. Zinfer, the mysterious stranger who had found her and called to her with a single note. Zinfer, the Dark Elf who had known her father and kept some secret promise. Who had come to steal her away from a town she had resigned to never escape. Who had been nothing but kind to her and when her magnetic attraction to him had boiled over, who had promised her nothing but what she deserved. Zinfer, who had kept that promise and then some. 

'Thank you,' she mused to herself as she wiped the evidence of their "foreplay" off her skin. It was the least she could say...

*****

Thank you so much for taking the time to read. Please take a second to vote and leave feedback : ) 



Dark Assassin Ch. 02



~*~Chapter Two: The Foothills ~*~

The Goblins came quietly in the night. There were three of them, and they had been waiting days for the Elf to return to his cave and when he had finally done so, he had brought with him a pleasant surprise. A human female, beautiful with auburn curls the likes of which the Goblins had never seen, had accompanied their initial prey. 

At first the creatures had wanted to strike while it was still light and the Dark Elf's senses would be hindered by his aversion to the sun. They were hungry, and the prospect of extra meat had made them impatient. But the Goblins waited and had been granted an unexpected show that they could not turn away from, being the vile voyeuristic creatures that they were. 

Once the show had ended and the companions had drifted off to sleep, naked and defenseless, the leader of the Goblins announced that it was time to move. They would catch the Elf and the woman unexpected and kill the male before he could even fully awake. The female they would have some fun with her while the Elf's meat was prepared before killing her as well. They had been away from females for a long time, and all three had a lust for cunt - even if it was filthy human cunt. 

The leader led the other two into the entrance of the cave in a single file, and they were careful not to make a sound. They each held small blades that were curved and sharpened to a razor's edge. Their beady black eyes could see well in the darkness of the cave and they easily maneuvered themselves around the prone bodies of their targets. If the Elf and woman woke, there would be no way to escape the cave without going through the Goblins and getting cut down in the process. 

Looking toward his companions, the leader prepared to give the command to strike, raising one of his grubby hands. They were well practiced at this type of cowardly ambush, having killed many a tasty meal this way - mostly dwarves. 

The Leader made to lower his hand in the agreed upon gesture to attack, but instead he let out an ear-piercing howl of pain as something white-hot suddenly sliced through his bare upper thigh. The pain was like nothing the Goblin had ever felt before - and he had fought many bloody battles in his days as a soldier. It spread across his skin and through his muscles, intensifying as it traveled until his entire right leg felt like it had been plunged into liquid iron. 

There came two gurgling cries of shock followed by twin thuds as the other Goblins collapsed to the floor of the cave, dead. The leader looked up just in time to see a blur of white before the blade that had cut his leg slid across his throat. A brief moment of agony was followed by blackness as the Goblin joined his companions as a broken body, dead on the floor. 

"What were those?" Elaine asked, her voice dripping with fear. 

Zinfer turned toward around and frowned. He hated to see her so frightened so he wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulders and brought her close to him. Elaine responded by burying her head against his chest and letting out a strangled sob. 

"It's fine now," he said soothingly, hugging her even closer to him, "They're dead." 

The Elf looked down at the three Goblins where they lie dead and bleeding. One was bigger than the others, and wore an ill-fitting shirt of ring mail that Zinfer suspected had belonged to a Dwarf at one point. The other two Goblins wore nothing but dirty loincloths with crude rope to hold them up with loops tied in to store their swords. 

Zinfer felt something hot and wet against the skin of his chest and looked down at Elaine. She was crying steadily and his heart ached for her. The poor girl had seen nothing beyond the walls of Thieves' Valley her entire life and her second night out of the town she had been ambushed by Goblins. Not that they had ever been in any real danger - Zinfer always slept with his daggers close by and nothing could creep up on him, even while sleeping. 

Knowing that the Goblins were close before they had been upon them, the Elf had readied himself and wounded their leader with his venom infused blade before dropping the remaining two and then finishing up with the incapacitated leader. It had been a simple maneuver for the trained assassin but Elaine had not known that, and her fright was understandable. 

"Will more come?" Elaine was asking through her tears, obviously trying her hardest to remain strong. 

Zinfer stroked her hair and shook his head, "These three were working alone. I imagine they knew I passed through here often and were waiting in ambush. By the look of them, they haven't eaten in weeks..." he stopped talking when he saw Elaine's eyes widen in the darkness. There was no need to bother with the particular goals of the Goblins' ambush since they would just frighten Elaine even more. 

Looking down at the blankets they had been sleeping in, Zinfer was disheartened to see that they had been spoiled by the Goblins' blood. It was spreading through the narrow cave and their packs and bare feet would soon be in danger of being exposed to it as well. 

"Come," Zinfer told Elaine, grabbing her hand and leading her to their packs at one end of the cave, "Get dressed. We cannot stay here." 

They pulled on their clothing quickly. Elaine's soiled breeches had mostly dried so she chose them over her skirt before pulling on the boots Zinfer had given her before they had left from Thieves' Valley. 

Once they were clothed, the pair shouldered their packs and stepped carefully around the Goblins, exiting the cave into the cool spring night. Elaine looked around nervously. She was not able to see as well in the dark as Zinfer, and he could imagine that the deep shadows of the rocks that surrounded them were unnerving after what had just happened in the cave. 

"We are alone," he assured the girl and took her hand. 

Elaine was exhausted, Zinfer could tell, after having only a few hours sleep over two days. Speaking a soft word of Old Elfish, Zinfer felt the tips of his fingers tingle where they made contact with Elaine's hand. She took a sharp intake of breath and squeezed his hand. 

"What was that?" she asked, her voice sounding much stronger than it had before. 

"Just something to tide you over," Zinfer replied as he began to lead her away from the cave. It was a temporary measure, and the girl would feel the whole weight of her exhaustion come crashing down by morning, but for now the energizing spell he had cast would have to do. 

They started walking quickly down the path, putting as much distance between them and the cave with the Goblins' bodies as possible. Zinfer did not think there would be more, but the smell of dead flesh would attract other, darker creatures before long. All the while, Elaine never took her hand from Zinfer's. He did not mind. She fit nicely in his grasp and he found himself thinking back to the series of events that had unfolded in the cave. 

He had not meant to kiss her so suddenly and so hard. Elaine was naïve in all the ways he was not, and at first the thought of taking advantage of that innocence made him feel like an Elf without true honor. But as they had traveled through the day and saw the way Elaine had looked at him, felt the way she thought of him, the more temptation threatened to take hold. 

It had been at the final ledge along the trail, where Elaine had leapt into his arms and dug her nails into the flesh of his shoulders, that Zinfer came to the conclusion that innocent or not, the girl would be his. The look she had given him while he stared into her eyes, his hands at her waist, had been enough to convince him that the feelings he had for Elaine were mutual. Later, at the fire, with her face so close to his, her lips so inviting...

Zinfer was no stranger to the pleasures of the flesh. But the way Elaine had responded to him, first with his fingers and then later, her moisture thick and plentiful as it coated his cock, had been enough to drive him wild with lust. The fact that she was a maiden had not dissuaded him in the least, and if anything had made his blood even hotter - to be the first to enter such an exquisite creature was an honor he hardly deserved. But one he had every intention of making his and his alone. 

Zinfer's cock jumped excitedly. They continued to walk. 

=================================================================

The sky was turning a pale purple when the first, scraggly bushes began to appear along the path. They would reach the foothills by afternoon, and the forests beyond by nightfall. After that, it would be an easy trip north to the land of Zinfer's queen and the Mountain Elves- granted they did not run into any of the Sylvan Elves. These people felt no love toward Dark Elves and would very likely kill Zinfer, and Elaine by association, if given the chance. But the alternative route took them over more, hard mountain trails and, worst of all, near a great city of Goblins built at the base of an inactive volcano a few miles to the north of where they were now. The further they strayed from that particular hell, the better. 

As the pair emerged from a long passage of closely spaced cliff faces, the sun split the horizon in the east and they were treated to one of the most beautiful sunrises Zinfer had ever experienced. They could see for miles from their vantage point at the top of a steep ledge. Foothills of grass and rock shone golden in the early rays of the morning sun and beyond that green forests stretched beyond the horizon. Here and there, lakes and ponds deep in the Eternal Forest glittered like jewels. 

"Beautiful," Elaine whispered and came to stand near Zinfer, her eyes wide with wonderment. She had grown up knowing nothing but rocks and dirt and Zinfer knew the sight before her was indeed awe-inspiring. 

The Elf nodded and pulled her close to him, planting a soft kiss to the top of her head, inhaling the scent of her hair, and feeling a swell in his chest at the near perfection of the moment. 

"Sleep for a few hours now," Zinfer told Elaine. He could feel her strength waning as she sagged against him and knew that the spell he had placed on her was wearing off fast. 

The girl looked to him with concern, "Is it dangerous?" 

Zinfer shook his head and gestured toward the way they had come, "The passage is easily defendable as is the cliff before us. And we will need to scale that before it gets dark again, so you'll need your strength." 

Elaine stepped to the edge of the cliff and looked down. "No jumping down this one, huh?" she asked with a slight waver of fear in her words. 

She was right. The cliff was fifty feet high and sheer. They would have to climb down one at a time. Zinfer would take the lead, showing Elaine the easiest path as he descended. All told it would probably take them the better part of two hours, which meant that they would have to leave soon after midday if they had any hope of reaching the foothills in time to set up camp in the forest before the sun set. 

"Sleep," Zinfer insisted again, and Elaine sat herself down near the stone behind them and pulled her cloak out of her back to serve as a pillow. Zinfer removed his own pack and untied the bow he had stored there. If anything tried to come for them through the passage of stone, he could easily sink an arrow into a vital spot before it got within fifty yards. 

Zinfer moved to the spot Elaine was already drifting off to sleep and sat cross-legged next to her. Gently, he moved her head until it was resting in his lap, cradled at the juncture of his thigh and hip. Elaine shifted closer, getting comfortable. 

They stayed like that for hours and never once did Zinfer grow tired of having Elaine's head in his lap. Like her hand in his, her head seemed to be made to fit where it lay and his entire body hummed with gentle warmth as he watched the beautiful girl sleep the morning away. She hardly stirred the entire time, only moving slightly once or twice to adjust her position on the hard ground beneath her. Zinfer knew that the terrain was hardly suited for rest, but it was the best they could do now that their blankets had been ruined. The forest would have beds of soft needles to lay on tonight and Elaine could get the sleep she deserved. 

When the sun reached its highest point, Zinfer slowly coaxed Elaine awake. Her magnificent green eyes fluttered open dazedly and for a minute she appeared to be lost in some other world until she smiled up at the Elf and said "Good morning." 

"More like afternoon," Zinfer corrected, standing and stretching while Elaine did the same, "We will have a quick meal and then start our descent. Are you feeling better?" 

"Much," Elaine nodded mid-stretch, "Although my back is a little sore." 

Zinfer handed her a piece of the Elfish bread he had brought with him, "If we move quickly, we can reach the Eternal Forest by nightfall and sleep on the soft earth." 

"Then what are we waiting for?" Elaine said through a mouthful of bread. 

Zinfer shook his head with a rueful twist of his lips. Elaine's spirit was light and refreshing -much like her father's had been, and it almost felt like he was traveling with George again. Thinking of his old friend brought forth a surge of guilt in Zinfer. If George had known what he had done with his daughter. What he was planning on doing...

"So how do we get down there?" Elaine asked, pulling Zinfer partially out of his souring mood. What happened between he and the girl was of no concern to the dead. And George knew full well that Elaine could do much worse than Zinfer...

First, the packs were lowered to the ground beneath the cliff with a long piece of rope. Then Zinfer swung his legs over the side of the ledge and showed Elaine where the first footholds were located and how to properly position her body so that she could safely begin her climb down. 

"I want you to follow right after I reach the bottom," Zinfer told her as he prepared to leave, "I am going to go fast, so watch carefully what path I take. Once I'm safely down, I can guide you from there." 

Elaine nodded and watched as Zinfer took the well-practiced path down the cliff. It was fairly easy going. The hand and footholds had been made more apparent with each climb and Zinfer had scaled this rock many times before. 

When he reached the bottom, he looked up with the fear of a father watching his child ride a horse for the first time as Elaine began her own, careful descent. It was slow going, and Zinfer had to correct her path often, but in whole the girl had a natural talent for climbing and made it down without consequence. 

Overcome with relief, Zinfer pulled Elaine close and kissed her warmly on the lips. She returned the gesture, cupping his face with her hands and both were reluctant to pull away. Lust had flared immediately between them at first contact, and there was an uncomfortable stiffening in Zinfer's breeches as his hips made brief contact with hers. 

"Come," the Elf said, handing Elaine her pack, "The quicker we get to the forest, the sooner we can finish what we have started." 

Grinning broadly, Elaine nodded and followed Zinfer as they made their final climb from the mountains. An hour later they had arrived at the hills of grass and shrubbery that lay in the shadow of the great mountain range. Looking back, Zinfer was able to point out the Twin Daggers to Elaine. They jutted up further than all other peaks and looked formidable in the hazy distance, like the long abandoned weapons of a giant.

"We came all that way?" Elaine asked in mild awe. 

Zinfer nodded, "Travel down a mountain is quick work. It's getting up that's is the challenge." 

"Where now?" Elaine asked, turning away from the mountains and her back on Thieves' Valley. 

"Across the hills," Zinfer said, sweeping his hand across the expanse of terrain before them, "Be sure to stay close. There are hundreds of abandoned mine shafts from when men ruled these lands. One wrong step and you could fall." 

"Lead the way," Elaine said and Zinfer nodded. Not for the first time he admired her bravery. Elfish woman were often considered hardier than their human counterparts, but Elaine was made of even thicker stock than most Elves Zinfer had known. Then again, concerning her parentage... 

"Would you like to know who your mother was?" Zinfer asked Elaine on a whim after that had been traveling the hills a while. The grass was still short this time of year and reached only to their shins, but in the summer it would grow until it brushed Zinfer's shoulders. 

"You would break your vow of secrecy?" Elaine teased from behind him. 

"It was never a secret," Zinfer corrected with a glance back at her, "Just a matter of timing." 

"And now is the right time?" she asked, and he could hear the almost imperceptible hesitation in her voice. Zinfer could feel Elaine was not sure if she was ready to learn of her maternal heritage. 

"She was an assassin," the Elf said, figuring it would be best to reveal the truth rather than dance around it, "Your mother and I met George at the same time." 

Elaine said nothing for a long while and Zinfer read shock and confusion radiate from the girl in heavy waves. No doubt her imaginings of her mother were far removed from the reality just revealed. But Elaine's mother had been an assassin - one of the best in the queen's service. There were those that used to joke that the Mountain Elves' lands had never been invaded almost in full because of the work Zinfer and Elaine's mother had done in protecting it. 

"Was she an Elf?" Elaine asked after a long silence, her voice far away. 

"She was a human," Zinfer replied and stopped walking to turn around and face Elaine, "Her name was Laura." 

Elaine stared up at Zinfer with a distant look. Reaching out, he took her in his arms and held her. He was not exactly sure why he had chosen this exact moment to reveal to Elaine who her mother was, but it had felt right. If he were to keep the promise he had made to George all those years ago, Zinfer had to take care to handle Elaine's past delicately. There would be more shocking reveals in the days to come. 

"You said 'was'," Elaine said at last, pulling a little from Zinfer's body but not leaving the comfort of his grasp, "Does that mean my mother is dead?" 

"I'm afraid so," Zinfer nodded. Had George truly told her so little about her mother that Elaine did not even know whether Laura was living or dead? He supposed it made sense considering...but it still surprised him. 

The Elf gave Elaine another firm embrace before untangling himself from her and taking the lead again, "We should keep moving," he announced, "Feel free to ask any question regarding your mother that you wish." 

"Did she work for the queen, too?" Elaine asked, the first in a series of easily answered questions that were each punctuated by several minutes of pondering. 

"Yes, she and I were often partners on...assignments." 

Another few minutes. 

"Why did she live with the Mountain Elves?" 

"She grew up with them, although I am not sure how she came to that position. Laura never talked about her parents and they were dead long before I came to know her." A lie, but it sounded plausible enough. 

Silence. 

"How did she meet my father?" 

"In court. He was visiting with the queen when he met her. Later they would claim it was love at first sight." 

A pause. 

"And were they ever married?" 

"Elves do not honor that particular tradition. So no." 

"How long were my parents together?" 

"A number of years before they conceived you and almost a year more after that." 

"How did my mother die?" 

Zinfer had known the question was coming and he cleared his throat before answering, "Now is not the time." 

Something hard smacked him on the upper arm and Zinfer turned around to see Elaine with her brows furrowed in anger and her fist raised to strike him again. "Now IS the time," she seethed and tears were threatening to spill from her narrowed eyes, "You don't get to tell me everything about my mother's life and then refuse to tell me how she died. You just don't!" 




Dark Assassin Ch. 02



Zinfer pondered the notion for a moment. Elaine was right - it was not fair to withhold the most important moment of Laura's life, her death, from her daughter. But it was a hard truth, and would very likely cause Elaine more pain than Zinfer wished to ever inflict on the girl. 

Elaine lowered her fist and spoke again, this time with less anger and more careful sincerity, "Please, Zinfer. If you care for me...tell me how she died." And at that moment Zinfer knew that Elaine had already figured out the truth. He could read the pain all over her. 

Zinfer's heart felt like it had shattered into a thousand splinters as he took a breath to speak the truth. "She died," he said softly, never taking his eyes from Elaine's, "Giving birth." 

=================================================================

They reached the outskirts of the Eternal Forest just as the sun began to dip behind the mountains. It was called so because it was almost entirely populated by tall, piney trees that never lost their needles. When white snow buried the forest's floor, the trees remained green, standing in strong opposition to the blanket of death that covered the rest of the land annually. 

Elaine had cried silently for a long while as they traversed through the hills and Zinfer had let her be. It was a tragic sadness to discover that you were the cause of your mother's death and Zinfer did not wish it upon anyone, much less this human that he had come to care deeply for. At first he had thought she would be angry with him for telling her. But he read gratitude and sadness from Elaine, not anger, and for this Zinfer was glad. 

After entering the forest, Zinfer navigated with ease amongst the tees, taking a familiar path to a small, flat clearing that, like the cave in the mountains, was a common resting place during his travels. A thin stream ran along one end of the clearing and tall, heavy pines stood guard on all sides. Over the years, Zinfer had built up a natural boundary of stones and branches that forced any would be intruder to enter the clearing near the stream. It was almost impossible to come into the space without being detected and Zinfer was sure that they would be safe here from most potential threats. 

"Another one of your secret spots?" Elaine asked as they emerged through the trees and crossed the stream using a series of carefully placed stepping-stones. 

"Not so secret anymore," Zinfer mused, trying to keep his voice light. A single pine grew in the exact center of the clearing. Its branches offered shelter and the gnarled roots formed a soft, cozy spot for which to bed down on at night. A few feet from the trunk of the pine was an overgrown stone fire pit with a long log laid out on one side. The log had been stripped of its bark and twin seats had been carved into the wood. 

"It's beautiful," Elaine commented, leaning her pack against the central pine and rolling the knots from her shoulders. 

Indeed it was, with the last golden rays of the sun illuminating the piney, grassy earth just before it set. 

"You should wash in the stream," Zinfer told Elaine, "I will start the fire and get dinner started." 

"Promise not to watch me?" Elaine teased, all her sadness from before seemed to have dissipated. 

"Absolutely no promises at all," Zinfer replied and began his work on the fire while the girl laughed softly and crossed to the stream, peeling off her shirt as she went. 

Zinfer did his work facing the stream, his member stirring as the pale while flesh of Elaine's body was revealed to him. She knelt at the water, her back to him and her pants still covering her bottom, and she began to wash. First her arms, then her neck. Eventually, she sat up a little straighter and poured water down her front from cupped hands. 

"You'll get your pants wet," Zinfer called out and Elaine turned to look at him, her beautiful curls bouncing across her back as she did. Zinfer had gotten the fire started and was searching for dried meat to make into stew. The most fleeting glimpse of a hard, pink nipple could be seen as Elaine stood, pulled off her boots, and shimmed out of her tight breeches, tossing them all aside and once again turning away from Zinfer in a chaste, taunting manner. 

Unperturbed, the Elf stood and strode across the clearing, coming up behind Elaine and pressing his body hard against hers. She melted back into him as his hands snuck around her, one of them finding the hard tip of her breast while the other came to rest just above the small triangle of hair just above her slit. 

"You shouldn't tease me," Zinfer whispered against her ear, his tongue snaking out to lick the lobe, which caused her to moan and clutch at his forearms. He was hard and he ground the evidence into her lower back, nothing but a thin wall of fabric separating them. 

"I'll never get clean at this rate," Elaine moaned, her head falling back against Zinfer's chest. 

Reaching down, the Elf skimmed his fingers through the lips of her sex and found that she was indeed making a mess of herself between her thighs. He removed them, leaving a trail of moisture as he moved up her belly and gripped her unoccupied breast, hefting them both in his palms. 

"Fine," he told her as he toyed with each of her nipples, "First you wash, then we eat," he pinched her nipples hard and she squealed excitedly, "Then we play." 

Zinfer left her swaying near the stream as he walked awkwardly back to the fire, adjusting his impossibly hard shaft as he went. The girl burned him alive every time he touched her and he wondered how he would be able to resist deflowering her that night. The urge to take her where she stood was almost overpowering. And the way she had gotten wet for him just from being near him...

After Elaine had washed herself and rubbed herself dry with a cloth provided by Zinfer, she redressed and came to sit by the fire. 

"How did you find this place?" Elaine asked the Elf, taking the bowl of stew he offered and blowing on it to cool, "And the cave?" 

"The war between Dwarves and Goblins forces me to make many journeys up the mountain," Zinfer told her, "After a while the trail becomes like home and like every good home, there are favored rooms." 

"What did you do in the mountains all those times?" she asked. Elaine's curiosity was by far one of her greatest attributes. 

"Mostly silenced plans to invade the Mountain Elves' land," Zinfer said, "Goblins and Dwarves are greedy creatures and every once in a while some overconfident soldier will try to rouse support to raid my queen's home. It is my job to make sure such plans die with their formulators." 

"If you were always so close Thieves' Valley, how come you never visited with my father? You clearly knew there was a secret entrance." 

Zinfer gave her a bemused stare and quirked his eyebrow, "You are a clever one," he almost grinned, "Truth is, I haven't traveled this way in over a decade. The last time I was within ten miles of Thieves' Valley, you were a young girl. As far as the secret entrance - it was a secret to me until just a few scant months ago." 

"Does that bother you?" Elaine asked, placing her bowl aside and looking up at Zinfer, "That you were grown so long before I was?" 

"Are you grown now?" Zinfer asked in a low, seductive voice, placing a hand on Elaine's thigh. 

She swallowed and nodded, her pupils dilating and her heartbeat racing as desire flowed over her. The Elf could feel the need coming from her in waves and it fed his own heated lust. There was the faintest scent of arousal in the cool night air, and Zinfer's cock hardened to iron in his breeches. 

"Go to the pack, get your cloak and lay it beneath the pine," Zinfer commanded, standing up and doing nothing to adjust or conceal his arousal. It was time for Elaine to discover what it was like to be loved by him - and that meant learning to follow his direction when it came to matters of the flesh. He had promised her pleasure beyond anything she had known, and Zinfer always kept his vows. 

Elaine obeyed immediately, swaying to the pine on unsteady feet, getting her thick cloak, and laying it in the soft spot between two roots that formed a makeshift bed. 

"Remove your clothes and lie down," Zinfer told her. 

"What are you planning on doing to me?" Elaine asked in a thin voice laced with apprehensive desire as she shucked her clothes and boots, moisture glistening between her thighs in the firelight. 

"Lie down and you'll find out," Zinfer said, pulling off his shirt, laying aside his belt, and waiting as the girl got on her back. The roots were angled in such a way that Elaine was on a slight incline, her body positioned to get a view of whatever may happen between her thighs which, Zinfer planned, would be plenty. 

Without instruction, Elaine had bent her knees and spread her thighs so that her sex was presented to Zinfer's scrutiny as he knelt on his knees between her legs. She was wet and he could smell the honey that leaked from her cunt and wanted nothing more than to taste it. With a palm on each of Elaine's thighs, Zinfer pushed them further apart so he could bend down to place his mouth inches from her sex. He could feel her heat on his lips and he inhaled her scent deeply, the exotic, spicy aroma making him shiver. 

"Zinfer," Elaine moaned, looking down her body at him, "What are you..." 

Her question was silenced by a shocked squeal of pleasure. Zinfer had darted out the very tip of his tongue and flicked it against Elaine's swollen and distended clit. Holding her hips in place, he repeated the action. 

"Gods!" she cried, trying to arch her body up toward Zinfer's mouth, but he held her still. 

A small bead of moisture leaked from her slit, and the Elf gathered it on his tongue, tasting Elaine for the first time. She was intoxicating - sweet like honey and spicy like a particular Elfish wine Zinfer was fond of. He tried some more, swiping his tongue along the entire length of her sex. 

"Don't stop," Elaine begged and dug her fingers into Zinfer's hair, holding his head in place, "Please." 

Taking his right hand from Elaine's hips, Zinfer moved it to her sex and spread her outer lips, which were damp with saliva and her arousal, revealing the tight inner folds that were very literally dripping with her honey. 

"Can you touch your clit?" Zinfer asked as ran his tongue through the wet folds. 

A hand disentangled itself from his hair and appeared between Elaine's thighs, right above where Zinfer's tongue was dancing lazily across her sex. "Here?" she asked and Zinfer took her fingers with his free hand and guided them to her button. The stimulation made her buck upward as Zinfer's tongue shallowly penetrated her channel. He felt her walls flutter weakly around him and his lust was roused further. 

"Rub yourself," Zinfer growled at Elaine against her sex, "Don't stop until you spill your sweet nectar all over my tongue." 

The instruction given, Zinfer got to work. At first he planted light kisses on and around Elaine's spread offering while she rubbed her clit in lazy circles with her fingertips. Her hips held in place, Elaine writhed with bliss as the Elf continued to tease her. 

As Zinfer's kisses and licks against Elaine's folds became more insistent, she started to moan and cry out in regular intervals. Soft pleas of "Don't stop" and "Zinfer!" urged him on. Zinfer's chin and mouth were sticky with cream but he could still not get enough. It was ambrosia - a gift from the gods. In his breeches, his cock fought to get free, to plunge into Elaine's warm, wet depths and never leave. 

"Cum, Elaine," Zinfer growled, increasing the ferocity of his assault. She responded by doubling the rate of her own stimulation. Taking the hand that held Elaine open, Zinfer slipped two of his fingers through the folds of her cunt until he was met with the resistance of her maidenhood. 

Elaine stretched around him and shouted, "Yes!" when Zinfer began the familiar 'come-hither' motion with his fingers. He could not yet reach the spot halfway down Elaine's channel that would bring her the most pleasure, but the Elf shuddered in anticipation at what her reaction would be if he could coax this much from her with just the barest minimum of stimulation. 

"I need to taste you," the Elf moaned and slid a third finger into Elaine, stretching her walls even further and receiveing a small surge of cum in response. 

"Close...," Elaine mewled, thrumming her clit harder, "So close. Don't...don't stop..." 

Zinfer didn't, and a few moments later she stilled, clamping Zinfer's head in place with her thighs, and came. Elaine's inner walls clenched and released violently around Zinfer's fingers, trying to hold a cock that was not there. Honey flowed freely around his mouth and he tried to lap it all up, but most dripped down his chin and her sex, pooling beneath her bottom. Elaine cried out in the night, arching her chest and hips. 

The orgasm lasted a while, and when it was done, Zinfer's lust was almost uncontrollable. "On your knees," he commanded gruffly. He stood as Elaine sat up and positioned herself on her knees, a little dazed from the intensity of her orgasm. Zinfer fumbled with his breeches and pulled them down his hips until his cock sprung free. It was hard as steel and dripping pre cum. Taking a step forward Zinfer gripped his shaft and held it in front of Elaine's lips. She looked down at the impressive length with apprehension, but got the hint and used the tip of her tongue to taste a bead of pre cum. 

"Gods," Zinfer groaned. It was agony resisting the urge to shove his cock in her mouth and fuck her until his seed spilled down her throat. But Elaine would have to learn how to do this on her own, and Zinfer would have to be patient as she did so. 

Elaine grew bolder, licking not just Zinfer's head, but his shaft as well. They glistened in the firelight where she had wet them with her mouth and Zinfer wished it were her honey that coated him instead. Mimicking his actions on her own sex from earlier, Elaine licked Zinfer's cock from base to tip in one long motion, flicking the tip of his head and catching another dose of pre cum. 

Elfish semen was different than other creatures' and served as a mild aphrodisiac. Dark Elves had the most potent among the sub-races and the way Elaine started to suck on his head with more and more wanton need made it obvious that it had started to have an effect on her. Zinfer could smell her growing wet again between her thighs and his cock twitched at the thought of the cream running down her legs. 

"Finger your cunt," Zinfer said, placing a gentle hand on Elaine's cheek, "I want to watch you cum while you suck my cock." 

Elaine mewled and let her right hand disappear between her legs while her left grasped Zinfer's shaft and stroked it as she continued to suck on his head. Her mouth was warm and wet and soft and she moaned around him as she started to thrust her fingers into her cunt. 

"Take more of me," Zinfer guided, pressing forward a little, "Watch your teeth, I'd like to keep what the gods have given me." 

This small joke made Elaine smile a little as she took an inch or two more of Zinfer into the warm confines of her mouth. Perhaps through conversations with her peers or just pure instinct, Elaine began to bob her head back and forth along Zinfer's cock, laving her tongue along his skin as she did so. It was certainly not the best felatio Zinfer had ever received, but considering Elaine's limited experience, it was heaven. 

Elaine had taken three quarters of his cock into her mouth when it hit the back of her throat. She paused for a moment, unsure of what to do. 

"It's fine," Zinfer said gently, angling his hips backward and pulling himself out a little, "Just take what you can. It feels perfect." 

Encouraged by his words, Elaine began to suck him in earnest. Her mouth and tongue worked in unison and as she continued to finger her slit, Elaine's moans grew louder around Zinfer's shaft, driving him to new heights of pleasure. 

"Are you going to cum again?" Zinfer asked of Elaine when her moans had become an almost constant presence. She tried to respond, but forgot she had a cock in her mouth it came out as a gurgle of affirmation. "Sit back," Zinfer said, stilling her head with a firm hold and pulling out of her mouth, "I want to watch." 

A thin line of drool dripped down Elaine's chin as she pulled back and lied down before Zinfer, but the drool was nothing like the river of cream that had spilled down Elaine's thighs while she had been on her knees before Zinfer. 

"Gods," the Elf whispered and fisted his cock from where he stood. 

Three of Elaine's fingers had never left her cunt and were busy thrusting into it with wet sucking sounds. Her hips writhed beneath her and she was pinching her left nipple with her fingers while she whimpered and cried out in pleasure. Watching Elaine approach her second orgasm was pushing Zinfer toward his own and his balls tightened against his body in preparation. 

When Elaine came, it was not as long or intense as her previous release, but it still made her thighs and lower belly quiver with pleasure as she stilled herself and rode it out over her fingers. The rapture in her body was enough to push Zinfer over, and thick ropes of his cum sprung from his cock and landed on Elaine's pelvis and cunt a short distance away. She smeared this around the mess she had already created and Zinfer's cock refused to go limp at the sight of her shoving his semen into her channel. 

"Zinfer," Elaine moaned as she rubbed her slit, "I need you now. Inside me." 

Zinfer gritted his teeth and shook his head hard once, "Not tonight, Elaine." It was like trying to hold back wild horses controlling his lust, but the Elf pulled up his breeches and tucked in his cock. 

"Please," Elaine pleaded and he could see that she was still very much aroused, her fluttering channel was ejecting small waves of their mixed cum that she continued to use as lubrication to finger herself. 

"Stop," Zinfer said sternly and knelt before her, taking her hand and grasping it in his so she could not use it on herself anymore, "You need to clean up and then we need to sleep." 

"I can't," Elaine moaned and her other hand tried to reach between her thighs before Zinfer took that one as well. She looked at him with a frightening mixture of lust and terror. Something was not right. 

"Tell me what you are feeling," Zinfer asked her, concerned now. 

"Hot," the girl moaned and he could feel that she was indeed burning up despite the cool of the night, "I need..." 

Zinfer wracked his brain for anything he knew about the effects of Elfish semen on humans. There was not much known on the topic, but he recalled an old friend of his from when he was young and still lived with his race. The friend had taken a human lover for a time and had boasted to Zinfer how the woman had been unable to keep her hands off him and how often they had lain together. In the end, Zinfer recalled the friend having cut ties with the human. Apparently her appetites had been too much, even for a Dark Elf...

Stupid Zinfer chastised himself, trying to hold Elaine still as she struggled beneath his grip. She was looking up and down his body enticingly and licking her lips and Zinfer feared what she would do if he let her go. Probably screw them both until they could no longer stay conscious and end up injuring herself in the process. 

"Damn," Zinfer swore and let his magic flow through his arm and fingers as he muttered the Old Elfish words for sleep. 

Elaine's eyes began to droop immediately and it was a matter of seconds before she went limp in his grasp, asleep. Releasing her wrists, Zinfer got up and got an old cloth from his pack to clean her of their mess. When she was clean, he dressed her carefully, leaving off her cloak for fear that she would overheat in it. All the while, Elaine muttered and fretted in her sleep and Zinfer worried that she would wake up despite the heavy magic he had used on her. 




Dark Assassin Ch. 02



"I'm sorry," Zinfer said softly, brushing the sweaty hair from Elaine's face before getting up and packing up camp. They would need to reach his queen's land by daybreak. Strapping on just his pack, and leaving the other behind, the Elf gathered Elaine in his arms and cradled her against his chest. 

Strength Zinfer spoke in Old Elfish and the weight in his arms became almost nonexistent. And with a final, worried look down at Elaine, the Elf began to run.

The forest was dark, but this was the environment in which Zinfer's senses worked best. He had traveled during the day for Elaine's benefit only - the sun hurt his eyes and made him feel hotter than it would a human or other race of Elf. He slipped easily through the trees, his feet so light on the ground it was if he was flying. 

As he ran, guilt tore through Zinfer's heart and mind until it became an almost unbearable pain. He had been unthinking and impulsive - with George's daughter no less - and now the girl he had promised to protect was in hurt by his own selfish lust. 

Cragalia will know what to do, Zinfer assured himself. The queen was a powerful Elf, skilled in the ways of healing, and would do what she could to aid George and Laura's only daughter. But he had to hurry, or the fire inside the girl would burn her from the inside out. 

The fires of need could be strong and, every once in a while, enough to kill...

*****

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Each chapter will be written in the perspective of one character. Next up, we remain with the Dark Elf and meet his queen as well as a character from his past that he would rather just forget...



Dark Assassin Ch. 03



~*~Chapter 3: Talia~*~

"She is resting," a familiar voice said. 

Zinfer turned to see the queen enter the solar, graceful as always in a flowing dress of gray silk. An onyx tiara circled the top of her head and glimmered in the fire that Zinfer had lit in the stone hearth. 

"Thank you, Craglia," Zinfer said reverently, bowing deep with his right hand at his dagger and the left on his chest. 

The queen came further into the room and leaned against the back of a plush red chair, part of a very scant set of furniture that also included a squat stone table and simple wooden desk with a matching chair. 

Zinfer had arrived at the palace just before dawn. Using a secret entrance only he and a few other Dark Assassins knew of he had rushed Elaine to his private quarters, laying her on the bed before immediately seeking out Craglia. The queen had been sleeping when he found her, but come to the assassin's aid with no questions asked, shutting herself away with the ailing girl while Zinfer had waited with anxious anticipation in the room beyond. 

Elaine had been growing warmer and more fretful as they made their nightlong dash through the Eternal Forest. Zinfer had feared that he would not make it in time to save her from permanent damage, but when the had forest cleared and turned into the rolling, bountiful foothills of the Mountain Elves, Zinfer had cried out in relief and made the last mad run to the palace in a matter of minutes. 

Now with things settled and Elaine out of harm's way, the queen would have questions. Zinfer waited patiently for her to ask them. 

"Is she truly George's daughter?" Craglia began in even tones, giving none of her thoughts or feelings away. She was very good at this and was even able to mask her emotive thoughts from Zinfer's trained senses. 

The Dark Elf nodded once, "Yes." 

Craglia tossed her long silver hair and cocked her head, "What exactly were you thinking, Zinfer?" 

This time, disapproval was obvious in the queen's tone and it stung Zinfer to feel it. "I was...," he stumbled, at a loss for words. What had he been thinking? 

"The seed of an Elf is toxic to humans," Craglia explained, coming around the back of a chair to take a seat in it, "Did no one ever teach you this?" 

Zinfer, who had never felt ashamed to discuss matters of sex before, blushed, "No," he admitted, "There may have been a friend from my time in the north..." 

"Zinfer, my old friend," Craglia said with the smallest of smiles, "Sometimes I wonder about you." 

"Will she be alright?" Zinfer asked, casting his red eyes downward in embarrassment. 

Craglia nodded, "She will recover. I adopted a technique used by the Nymphs when they enter their...frenzy. It worked quite well I'm happy to say, but you must cease this affair with the girl. I'm surprised you ever let it get so far, seeing how George was like a brother to you." 

"Believe me," Zinfer said, "I did not intend it to be as such, but there is something about her I could not...can not...resist." 

"Well try to," the queen admonished, "If not for George's sake then for hers. It would not be safe to continue." 

"I will," Zinfer bowed, but did not believe his own promise. He and Elaine were connected on a level that transcended the purely physical – the thought of ending whatever it was they had before it had ever really started sounded virtually impossible. 

"What does she know of her mother?" Craglia asked, changing the topic slightly, "Is she aware of..." 

"No," Zinfer shook his head, "I did not feel it was the right time until we got here." 

"You will have to tell her now. If the promise you made to George is to be honored." 

"I know," Zinfer agreed, "But I do not know how she will react." 

"You will never know," Craglia said as she stood smoothly from the chair, "Unless you tell her. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get some sleep before the sun reaches zenith." The queen approached Zinfer and laid a gentle palm against his chest, staring up at him with purple eyes, "And I'm sorry to be the bearer of personal ill news, but Talia has returned from the north."

"Damn," Zinfer swore, suddenly very angry, "As if I did not have enough to worry about." 

"Perhaps she brings good tidings," Craglia suggested as she backed away from Zinfer and made for the door of the solar, "And besides that, she may prove a useful distraction from your current...predicament. If I recall, you two used to be rather close." 

"Thank you, my queen," Zinfer said stiffly and offered a final bow before Craglia slipped through the stone door and into the palace beyond. 

Talia! Zinfer cursed silently, shaking his head and collapsing heavily into the chair the queen had just evacuated. On top of everything, the gods damned witch had come back to the foothills. 

Talia was a Dark Elf, like Zinfer, and an ambassador for the Drow King. She also happened to be a constant thorn in Zinfer's side. They had been casual lovers once upon a time, but Talia was a cruel, manipulative female that Zinfer had come to despise as a person. Unfortunately that had not stopped him from foolishly sharing his bed with her whenever she visited the palace and Zinfer had a feeling that Talia would be expecting the same reception this time as well. Except he would not oblige – he had Elaine now, and that was enough for him. 

Wanting to take his mind off Talia, Zinfer entered his bedchamber and approached the sheets-covered form of Elaine. She was sleeping peacefully and looked worlds better than when Zinfer had seen her last. The flush in her face had receded and her erratic breathing had evened out. A mostly-empty cup of some sweet smelling liquid had been left on the small table next to the bed and Zinfer suspected it contained whatever medicine Craglia had used on Elaine. 

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Zinfer stroked the sleeping girl's forehead and sighed deeply, brushing back her hair. Too close the Elf thought solemnly. It would be best to just walk away from Elaine before he hurt her again, but Zinfer knew he could not. Whatever they had would have to play out – precautions could be taken if it came to that. 

Exhaustion washed over Zinfer and he yawned. Nearly three days without sufficient sleep will put strain even on Dark Elves. Standing, he stripped off his clothes and boots and climbed into bed. There was room enough in the large bed that he was able to take up an adequate amount of space without disturbing the peacefully sleeping Elaine. 

Dark Zinfer whispered in Old Elfish. The fire burning in the bedchamber's hearth extinguished, plunging the small room into complete darkness. Shifting onto his side, Zinfer closed his eyes. He was asleep in seconds. And he dreamt. 

Elaine appeared to be standing alone in a dark room. She was trying to tell him something, but so sound was coming from her mouth. In the distance, a small flame was burning, flickering madly. It approached them slowly, and as it came closer its movements became erratic. When it was ten feet away, now the size of a small campfire, Elaine's face suddenly distorted with pain and she stopped trying to speak. The flame crept closer and grew larger until it was a raging bonfire not one foot from where Elaine was standing. 

"Elaine," Zinfer tried to call out, but he could not speak. 

Suddenly the flames roared even higher and Elaine was engulfed in a blaze of orange and red. 

"NO!" Zinfer cried out, but the flame receded as fast as it had flared and Elaine was gone. In her place was a tall, pale, white haired woman with long, pointed ears and glittering red eyes. She was naked, standing with one hand on a wide hip. The other she held out toward Zinfer, beckoning him with a crooked finger. Her black stained lips were curled into a cloying smile. 

"Let her go," the new woman urged, "She's burned. Dust." 

"No," Zinfer shook his head and fell to his knees, "Not yet." Suddenly the woman was angry and she raised her beckoning hand as if to strike him. 

"Zinfer!" a familiar, soft voice called from the darkness, "Wake up!" 

The Elf's eyes snapped open and he bolted upright with a start, reaching instinctively for his dagger at his side. Finding nothing but soft, thick fabric, Zinfer blinked in confusion, trying to remember where he was. Bright light was shining from somewhere to his left and there was a small, warm hand on his shoulder. 

"Zinfer?" Elaine asked, and the Elf's eyes snapped to hers, finding instant comfort and grounding in them. 

"I'm fine," he sighed, "Thank you for waking me. I was having a rather...unpleasant...dream." 

Elaine was kneeling next to him on the bed. She waved her hand around the bedchamber and asked, "So where exactly are we? Last thing I remember we were in the forest..." she flushed, probably remembering some of the way she had been acting. 

"We are in the palace of Craglia," Zinfer explained, "The queen of the Mountain Elves. You were ill, she helped you." He gave Elaine a hard stare, "What exactly is the last thing you remember?" 

Elaine blushed even deeper, "I had just...you had..." she floundered for words, her naiveté showing plain. 

"Speak plainly, Elaine. There is very little modesty left between us," Zinfer supplied bluntly. 

"It was just after you had...erm...finished," Elaine finally managed, "Then I got all hot and I wanted to do...horrible things." She cast her eyes down toward her knees, ashamed. 

"Not horrible," Zinfer assured, gently cupping her cheek, "Just wanton. It was my fault and for that I feel terrible." 

"What exactly happened?" Elaine asked, frowning, "I don't know why I would act that way..." 

It was Zinfer's turn to blush. As non-prudish as Elves were, discussing the various drug-like effects of their bodily fluids was still a bit embarrassing. "It was my semen," Zinfer explained, "It has an arousing effect and it is evidently too strong for humans." 

Elaine was silent for a long moment and Zinfer could not read her emotions. And then she laughed, just a giggle, but it was enough to break the tension and warm the Elf's heart. "That is not your fault, Zinfer," she said, "And if that happens to be the case of your, uh, seed, we will find a way to get around it. That is," she looked at him demurely, "If you'd like." 

Zinfer nodded and stared back smolderingly, "I would like nothing more, Elaine. Thank you for understanding. In fact," he threw back his sheets to reveal to Elaine how ready he was to put what had happened in the forest behind them, "If you'd like to start 'getting around it' now..." 

Knock-knock-knock

Loud and insistent, someone at the bedchamber door was suddenly determined to stop whatever had been about to happen between the Elf and Elaine. 

"Enter!" Zinfer called out and Elaine moved to the edge of the bed while he climbed out and grabbed his pants from the floor. 

The bedchamber door opened just as he was pulling the black breeches over his semi-swollen cock and the tall, white haired Elf from Zinfer's nightmare entered the chamber. She was not naked in reality, but all she did wear were a black strip of silk that barely covered her breasts and a long skirt slit up on one side to show off the entirety of her shapely leg. She appeared to wear nothing underneath this skit - other than the single piece of jewelry Zinfer knew was always there – and the thin material made it possible to just make out the crease of her sex. 

"Talia," Zinfer said coldly, narrowing his eyes to slits, "What do you want?" 

"That's no way to greet an old lover," Talia smirked, her eyes matched Zinfer's in shade but danced with a malevolence that he did not possess. Elaine glanced between the two Dark Elves awkwardly as they stared each other down. 

"That is a way to greet a treacherous witch," Zinfer corrected, moving around the bed to stand near Elaine protectively, "I heard of your plot to get me deported to the north and thrown in the Drow King's jail. Luckily for me, the queen's Dark Assassins are protected against such underhanded ploys." 

"Please," Talia scoffed, "I would not have let you stay there for long. I just wanted you to come home." She took a seat at the end of the bed and crossed her arms under her breasts, pushing them up so that they were dangerously close to spilling out of their flimsy holdings. 

"I am home," Zinfer corrected, "And you have let yourself in uninvited." 

"Wrong again," Talia said and pointed at Elaine though her eyes never left Zinfer, "I am here for her. Craglia would like to speak with her." 

"Her name is Elaine," Zinfer said coolly, "And you'll forgive me if I don't trust you. Why didn't the queen come herself?" 

Talia shrugged, "She wanted to. But I insisted I fetch the girl instead. The queen is far too busy for such trivial errands." 

"Who are you?" Elaine finally spoke up during the icy lag between Talia's remark and Zinfer's half formed retort. 

The female Elf turned her eyes toward Elaine and smiled, "My name is Talia, as I'm sure you've heard. And I am Zinfer's lover." 

Elaine blushed and Zinfer could feel a volatile mixture of anger and shame emote from the human. "You are not my lover!" he shouted and instinctively wrapped a protective hand around Elaine's arm, "Now get out of here before I remind you of whom you are insulting. I am one of the queen's Dark Assassins and I will not be provoked in my own bedchamber!" 

Talia grinned and stood from the bed, "Perhaps later we can do more than just 'provoke' each other. Your human can join in if she's interested..." 

"Out!" Zinfer growled and, finally getting the hint, Talia strode out of the room, sashaying her hips as she went. 

Zinfer turned to Elaine when she had left, "I'm so sorry about her. She isn't...we're not..." 

"What a witch," Elaine fumed, but wrapped her arms around Zinfer and pulled herself close, running her hands over the skin of his back intimately, "Don't worry. I know a whore when I see one. Did you see what she was wearing?" 

Zinfer took Elaine's head in his hands and kissed her, long and deep, their tongues dancing briefly before he pulled away, his cock hard from the brief contact. "We have to see the queen," he told her, "But this will be finished later. That is a promise." 

"For real this time?" Elaine asked while Zinfer pulled on his shirt and boots and she her boots. 

"For real," Zinfer promised.

========================

The queen was in her throne room. Early afternoon sunlight was streaming through the high glass windows when Zinfer and Elaine were escorted inside by two guards dressed in onyx plated armor and carrying tall spears. 

Craglia's palace was a wide, squat granite structure built on top of an equally stout hill. It had no defending walls or real fortifications, but the surrounding terrain was so easily defendable that no race had ever attempted to invade. The land had no formal name, and was simply known as the northern foothills by most. Rich fields of grain and other hearty crops grew over the hills and great herds of cattle and sheep roamed freely. The Mountain Elves were solitary by nature and took no part in any conflict outside their lands. But in order to keep peace within her boundaries, the queen kept an elite group of killers of all races known as the Dark Assassins whose primary purpose was to stop any move against the foothills before they even started. 

"My queen," Zinfer bowed deeply and Elaine mimicked the gesture. 

"I see that you are doing well," Craglia said from atop her throne of pick marble and quartz, smiling at Elaine. The queen was wearing a silver dress that sparkled in the light from the windows and it matched her hair, which flowed around her face in luxurious waves. 

"Thank you," Elaine said, sounding and feeling unsure of herself, "My queen." 

Craglia laughed gently, "You do not have to call me queen, my child. Craglia will do just fine. I am queen only to those who serve me." 

Elaine blushed and gave a short bow. 

"You look so much like your mother," Craglia sighed and Zinfer admitted it was true. They both shared the same, unruly auburn curls and the striking green eyes. 

"But she has her father's ferocity," Zinfer noted, "A trait I find most agreeable." 

"Yes, well," Craglia frowned ever so slightly, clearly perturbed that Zinfer did not appear to have heeded her advice to forget about Elaine, "I am glad to see you on your feet, Elaine. We have some matters of importance to discuss." 

Craglia stood from the throne just as the double doors behind Zinfer and Elaine opened and Talia strolled through. Without an escort, Zinfer noted.

"Talia?" the queen looked puzzled as the Dark Elf crossed the throne room, her short white hair bouncing in time with her barely concealed breasts, "Are we meeting?" 

"We all are," Talia smiled meaningfully at Zinfer and Elaine. 

"Elaine and her affairs do not concern you," Zinfer growled, "Leave." 

"Zinfer," Craglia said, coming close enough to lay a hand on his chest and retrain him from the very real possibility of attacking Talia, "Please." 

"Affairs of the continent concern the Drow King," Talia said in response, "And affairs of the Drow King concern me very much." 

"How am I an 'affair of the continent'?" Elaine piped up and all three of the Elves looked at her in silence. 

Craglia spoke first, "You may come with us to the antechamber, Talia. But do not make instigative comments or I will have you removed." 

Zinfer wanted to protest, but knew it would have been unwise. Although she was kind and fair most of the time, Craglia had little patience for those who questioned her rule. 

Hence the Dark Assassins. 

"Zinfer," Elaine said softly as he took her hand and led her across the room to the small wooden door behind the throne that opened up into an antechamber for small meetings, "I would like some answers, please." 

"Soon," Zinfer assured her, "Now is the time." 

The private joke got a smile from Elaine as they passed into the antechamber. Inside the room was a large table made from white marble. Six wooden chairs surrounded the table, and Craglia took the largest at the head while Zinfer and Elaine sat to her right with Talia taking the chair to the queen's left. 

Zinfer stared at Talia and narrowed his eyes. He did not like that she was sitting in on this conversation and knowing that she would report on it to the Drow King made things even worse. The less that man knew about Elaine the better. 

"Did Zinfer tell you about your mother?" Craglia asked Elaine, ignoring the silent battle waging between the two Dark Elves across the table. 

Elaine glanced at Zinfer before answering, "He told me she was an assassin. And her name was Laura," she paused, taking a breath, "And how she died..." 

"Is that all?" Craglia asked and Zinfer stopped staring at Talia in order to attend what was happening. He had told Elaine the truth about Laura in all aspects but one – how she had come to live with the Mountain Elves. As far as Elaine was concerned, Laura had come under mysterious circumstances. But the truth was much less mundane. 

"Did he leave something out?" Elaine asked, exasperated but neither surprised nor angry. Things had been kept from her her entire life, what else was new? 

"You could say that," Talia interjected, but she fell silent at the glares she received from the other three parties at the table. 

"Your mother...," Craglia began, but Zinfer held up a polite hand to stop her. 

"Let me, my queen," he said solemnly, "I owe her the truth." 

Zinfer could feel fearful inquisition in Elaine as she turned in her chair to face him, cocking her head and furrowing her brow. 

"Four decades ago, King Manson, the ruler of what remained of humanity's domain in the east, was successfully overthrown by a vicious coup. The new ruler was – is – a cruel man who wanted no trace of his predecessor's line to remain, so he rounded up any of the men, women, and children he could find who shared the old King's blood had them slaughtered. Those killed numbered in the hundreds, but this new King wanted no shred to remain of the royal bloodline." 




Dark Assassin Ch. 03



"That's horrible," Elaine whispered, her eyes wide. Zinfer was once again reminded of how sheltered Thieves' Valley was from the rest of the world. There was no political intrigue within those walls, and the games played among the rulers of the continent were unknown to those like Elaine who had grown up within them. 

Zinfer nodded his agreement with a meaningful look at Talia, "Very. But the new King was not as thorough as he had hoped. One very important child – a young bastard girl of the King's who had been visiting Sylvan Elves with her mother when the coup had taken place. When news of Manson's demise had reached the woman, one of his mistresses, she ran west with the bastard, dogged by assassins and mercenaries. The flight lasted for years and eventually the Sylvan Elves got wary of having their land constantly invaded by these unsavory men. So they plotted to turn the mistress and her child over to the King. 

Fortunately for the child, someone tipped off her mother just in time, and the child was able to make it out of the King's grasp. By then the bastard was in her early teens and spent the next few years wandering, learning how to fight and survive. Eventually she made it to the land of the Mountain Elves where she found a home and trained as an assassin..." 

Elaine was staring at the table by the time Zinfer finished his short tale, her eyes moving frantically as she considered the implications of what she had just been told. There was much more to be told about Laura and her flight across the continent, but Elaine could learn of the details in due time. 

"That child," she said carefully, "Was my mother?" 

"Eventually," Craglia nodded. 

"So that means...," Elaine looked up, her emotions too muddled for Zinfer to read properly. 

"You are the last remaining heir to King Manson," Talia supplied with an impatient roll of her eyes, "And number one on King Wyatt Slynt's 'to kill list'." 

"I don't know who any of these people even are!" Elaine cried, "How do they even know I exist?" 

Zinfer could feel the anger and confusion in Elaine about to reach a tipping point so he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and said calmly, "King Manson is your dead grandfather and Wyatt Slynt is his illegitimate successor and current King of Men. And his assassins have never stopped trying to get to your mother. Word of your birth has surely reached his ears by now. News travels slowly from the foothills, but two decades is plenty of time for it to have made it all the way east," Zinfer turned Elaine's body so that she was facing him more fully, "I made a promise to your father to protect you no matter what. I suspect that there has already been plans put into motion to reach you within Thieves' Valley – three years without your father's protection was too long and for that I am truly sorry - but as soon as I heard of his death I stopped at nothing to rescue you." 

"Rescue me?" anger flared up in Elaine and she pulled away from Zinfer's grasp, "I didn't need rescuing. My life in Thieves' Valley was perfectly safe. I thought you had come to rescue me from mediocrity, not thrust me into some political strife my mother was involved with. Now what - I dodge assassins for the rest of my life because some King I don't even care about thinks I want take his throne from him?" 

Zinfer and Craglia exchanged a harried look. Neither knew what to say. Elaine had a point – what kind of life would she have? Laura had been able to protect herself by virtue of being a part of the Dark Assassins, but when word that her daughter was just a girl from Thieves' Valley, the wolves would begin to circle. Slynt would be eager to end a decades-long feud with the Manson family. He was technically an old man, but if the rumors were true, Wyatt Slynt would be King for many more years and would be happy to finish his reign uncontested. 

"You will not have to dodge assassins your life if you don't want to," Talia said smoothly from across the table. She pulled out a small rolled up piece of paper from gods knew where and handed it over to Craglia, who took it and read the short message it contained. 

"What does it say?" Zinfer asked, his eyes narrowed with suspicion while Elaine continued to fume next to him. 

Craglia furrowed her brows and glanced first at Talia, who wore an infuriating look of smug satisfaction, then back to Elaine and Zinfer. "It's from the Drow King," she explained, "It appears as if he offers us a solution to our current problem." 

"Suspiciously timely," Zinfer growled, "How would he even know of Elaine's arrival here?" 

"Very little escapes our King's knowing," Talia smiled, "He knew as soon as you left for Thieves' Valley and why you were going there." 

"Your King," Zinfer corrected, "And I told none but the queen of my departure. And I know she would not betray me." 

"You should learn how to keep your secrets more secure, then," Talia said, "Because he found out." 

"Enough," Craglia said sternly. 

Zinfer's retort fell silent and he nodded toward the queen in apology. Of course the Drow King had known of Elaine – there were no secrets safe from his dark arts. Either way, whatever 'solution' the King offered would not be a savory one. There was only one interest the Drow King served, and that was his own. In the end this would only benefit him somehow.

"What does the message say?" Elaine said with surprising control in her voice despite her continued fury, "What is this solution?" 

"Slynt has offered to cease his pursuit of Elaine's family," Craglia said, "As long as she promises to swear her fealty to him on neutral ground. This way there will be no debate over whether Elaine was coerced into this agreement nor over her sincerity. After the pledge, Elaine will be allowed to live the rest of her life any way she chooses and the humans of the East will have no doubt who their one true King is." 

"And this neutral ground is the Drow King's palace," Zinfer guessed. 

"Yes," Craglia confirmed, "He and Slynt have a good relationship. As he has with me. There is no better a place to make this deal." 

"What will it mean to pledge fealty to this Slynt person?" Elaine asked, "Will I have to serve him?" 

"Nothing like that," Talia said, "All you have to do is promise not to move against him and publically state that he is the one true King of Men. Nothing more. Nothing less." 

"Fine," Elaine nodded, "I'll do it." 

Talia smiled broadly and Zinfer slammed his fist on the marble table, "Absolutely not!" he roared, "The Drow King is a duplicitous monster. I refuse to accept any deal he offers – not while Elaine is under my protection." 

"This is not your decision to make," Talia remarked, "It is Elaine's and hers alone. You would deny this poor sweet girl her freedom because of some misguided grudge you have against the Drow King? How very noble of you, Zinfer." 

"It is not misguided!" Zinfer growled, making to stand up, but a gentle hand on his shoulder kept him in place. 

"Zinfer," Elaine said calmly, "I appreciate the concern, but from what I understand this is my one shot at a normal life outside of Thieves' Valley. What is there to lose?" 

"Elaine, please," Zinfer urged, "Think this over. The Drow King, he...he is not your savior." His eyes pleaded with Elaine, implored her to see reason. There would be nothing but pain for her in the northern lands – Zinfer knew this better than anyone else. 

Elaine frowned and looked around the table before saying, "I'd like to discuss this with Zinfer alone. Is there a time limit to this offer?" 

"Sooner rather than later would be nice," Talia grumbled, her good spirits seemingly dissipated. 

"You have until tomorrow," Craglia said with command, "Think this over carefully, Zinfer. Do not let your personal feelings for the Drow King cloud your judgment." 

Zinfer stood and bowed to his queen, "Of course. Whatever decision Elaine reaches will be well informed." 

Elaine stood as well, and with a final, smoldering look toward Talia, Zinfer led Elaine from the antechamber. 

As they made their way back to Zinfer's residence, the Dark Elf reflected on how poorly the meeting had gone for him. It had started out simply as a way to finally reveal the truth of Elaine's heritage and then deal with the emotional fallout. Then Talia had to go and bring the Drow King into the equation, wrenching control of the situation out of Zinfer's hands and putting it squarely in hers. 

What are you up to? Zinfer mused as they neared his chambers. There was never anything the Drow King did that did not serve some personal gain and if Talia was involved it was surely nothing good. 

"Zinfer," Elaine said when they had entered the solar, "Please tell me what is so bad about swearing fealty to Slynt if it means I can put the nastiness of my past - which I did not choose I'll remind you – behind me." 

Zinfer took Elaine's shoulders in his hands and looked down at her, "There is nothing wrong with swearing fealty. That is nothing but meaningless words. What is wrong is having the Drow King involved in any way. He is evil, Elaine. True evil like you have never known." 

Elaine's eyes were wide as she regarded Zinfer's words. He could read doubt on her, and that was good. Doubt could lead to reason if manipulated correctly. "Would you be with me?" she asked after a pause, "If we go?" 

Zinfer blinked. This was not the question he had been expecting. "Of course," he said, "But..." 

"Then I'll be safe," Elaine interrupted, "Whatever you think the Drow King has planned, you can protect me, right?" 

"Yes," Zinfer nodded, "But by keeping you here." 

Elaine shook her head, "I will not live in fear of assassins for the rest of my life. You saved me from Thieves' Valley. I know, it's a dramatic use of words, but I can't think of anther way to put it. You did rescue me, Zinfer. If I have to put myself in danger one more time to take advantage of that, then I will. And you're going to be there to protect me." 

"I...," Zinfer was at a loss for words. He could not convince Elaine to deny the offer, he knew that now. And if that was the way it was going to be..., "Of course I will protect you." 

Elaine smiled and reached upward to plant a kiss on his lips, which he eagerly accepted. "Discussion over?" she asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. 

"Discussion over," Zinfer growled and gripped Elaine's bottom, hoisting her up against him. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her into the bedchamber, kissing her all the way before depositing her body into the bed. 

Door, Zinfer said in Old Elfish and the doors to the chamber slammed shut and locked themselves. Climbing up with Elaine, he came over her, wedging his hips between her thighs, grinding his growing arousal against her. Heat emanated from the spot where they met and Zinfer groaned. 

Reaching between their bodies, Zinfer cupped Elaine's sex in his hand and ground the flat of his palm against her clit through her breeches. They were already damp and grew more so as he continued to rub at the swollen bud. 

Elaine's hands had been wrapped around Zinfer's head while they had been kissing, and now traveled down his back before sneaking beneath the hem of his shirt to stroke his heated skin. Nails dug into the flesh, and Zinfer sat up just long enough to rip his shirt off over his head in order to maximize the contact of her touch. Keeping clothes on around Elaine was starting to become a very difficult task. He wanted to feel her against him constantly.

"You are beautiful, Elaine," Zinfer whispered, trailing kisses down her neck and then continuing across her chest and stomach, pulling up the bottom of her shirt when he reached her pelvis and tasting her there, "And you are intoxicating." 

Elaine moaned and squirmed when the Elf pulled down her breeches just far enough to expose her sex to his mouth. He latched onto the distended nub above her slit and sucked. Elaine arched off the bed and he lapped up the small trickle of fluid that escaped her. 

"Don't tease me anymore," Elaine begged, pulling up her own shirt and tossing it aside, "I need to feel you – all of you." 

With another lingering lick across Elaine's slit, Zinfer stood from the bed and removed the rest of his clothes while she did the same, kicking off her boots and pants an then positioning herself at the head of the bed, her legs spread and her knees bent invitingly. The smell of her arousal was already filling the room and a small, thick pool of her cream was gathering on the sheet beneath her bottom. 

There was no more need to prepare her for him. It was time to finally finish what they started that night in the cave. 

Zinfer's cock was a hard rod as he knelt between her legs and gripped his shaft. More honey oozed from her slit and he gathered it up with the head of his cock, coating it and prodding at her clit just like he had the first night they had spent together. Except this time he did not intend to stop here. 

"Are you ready?" he asked Elaine. 

She nodded, biting her lip and watching Zinfer carefully as he poised the tip of his shaft against the entrance to her channel. She was molten desire against him as he breached the tight lips and buried just the head of his cock inside her. She hissed and gripped her breasts, toying with her nipples, her eyes never leaving the spot where they were joined. 

"This will sting for a moment," Zinfer warned. He could feel her maidenhood stretch as he moved forward the barest of inches and Elaine cried out. Then, without another warning, Zinfer plunged forward and buried half his shaft into Elaine's depths, breaking easily through the wall of her virginity and claiming what was and could only ever be his. 

"Gods!" Elaine cried and her walls clenched around Zinfer as it got used to the new intrusion. Her chest was flushed and heaving, and she squirmed under Zinfer as he continued to thrust himself forward into her. 

She had the tightest, wettest, warmest cunt the Elf had ever entered and he was lost in his own rapture as he finally bottomed out inside her, his pelvis against hers, joined as one at last. 

They stayed like that a moment, not speaking, enjoying the perfect way they seemed to fit together. Then Elaine said, "More," and Zinfer pulled out halfway before thrusting back in. She was wet, and they made an erotic sucking sound as they were fully joined again and Zinfer could feel a surge of cream trickle out around his cock and down his balls. 

Planting his hands on either side of Elaine's body and keeping his above her, Zinfer pulled out again until only the head of his cock remained. The rest of his shaft glistened with her cream and there was only a little blood mixed in from when he had taken her maidenhood. 

"Zinfer," Elaine moaned and tried to arch her hips into his and take him back into herself but he gripped her hips with one strong hand and held her in place. 

"Tell me what you want," Zinfer growled, keeping himself just inside her, teasing. This was agony for him too, but he wanted to hear the human say the words. 

"Please...I want you...," Elaine struggled to find the right words. 

Zinfer leaned down and whispered into her ear, "Tell me you want me to 'fuck you', Elaine." 

Her cunt clenched and gushed at the words. "Fuck me," she said and cried out when Zinfer buried himself in one thrust, wrapping her legs around his waist to hold him in place. Elaine's hands left her breasts to dig her nails into his forearms. 

"You'll have to let me go if you want me to continue," Zinfer said ruefully, wiggling his hips against her grasping legs to demonstrate. 

Elaine blushed and released him, "I'm sorry it just felt so...good." 

"How about this?" Zinfer asked and thrust his hips in a slow, tortuous rhythm. Her walls glided against his shaft with each movement, aided by the generous amount of honey she was providing. 

"Don't...stop...that," Elaine moaned with each thrust. 

"Faster?" Zinfer asked. 

"Faster," Elaine nodded. 

He picked up his pace, thrusting harder now that she had gotten used to his size. The sound and smell of sex filled the bedchamber and Elaine moved her hands from Zinfer's arms to his back, digging her nails in deep. She arched her hips upward to meet the Elf's cock and their pelvises ground together, stimulating her clit and driving her near orgasm. 

"Come," Zinfer whispered, "Spill your nectar around my cock. I want to feel you come around me, Elaine." 

She came, her walls clenching at him as honey dripped from their joining. Elaine was calling out, and writhing beneath Zinfer. Gripping her knees, he hoisted them upward, bending her almost double so he could continue to pound into her cunt unimpeded. 

"Gods," Zinfer groaned softly. He felt his balls tighten beneath him as they got ready to spill their load into Elaine's core. Zinfer had wanted this to last longer – to take Elaine in every position he knew would bring her pleasure – but he had not expected her to feel so wonderful around him and his orgasm came quicker than he anticipated. 

Angling his hips slightly, Zinfer started to thrust the head of his cock against the spongy spot halfway down Elaine's channel. She cried out and ran her nails down his back at the added sensation and more cream spilled between them. He did not let up, ruthless as he took their pleasures higher and higher together. 

When the pressure in Zinfer's balls became too much to bear, he gave one more thrust of his hips, burying himself completely inside Elaine as jets of his come filled her to capacity. Something in the moment triggered a second orgasm in her as well, and their combined come leaked out onto the sheets as they rode down from the cliff together. 

Finally, Zinfer released Elaine's legs and collapsed next to her, pulling out as he rolled away. "Don't you dare taste that come," he warned as his sweat-slick chest rose and fell heavily. 

"I wasn't going to," Elaine promised, but Zinfer felt the lie in her voice. 

"There is a washbasin in the corner," Zinfer told her, pointing, "Perhaps you should remove the temptation." 

The bed shifted as she climbed out of it and walked across the room. A thin trail of moisture trickled down her thigh as she walked. 

"Zinfer," Elaine said as she took a rag from the basin and placed it between her legs, "That was..." 

The Elf sat up on his elbows and quirked an eyebrow at her, "Was what?" 

"Amazing," Elaine finished, "Every time I'm with you, that's the only word I can think of." 

Zinfer almost smiled, "Trust me – that is nowhere near the amount of pleasure I can draw from you." 

Elaine finished washing and came back to him, lying down and draping her body over his, "Promise?" 

"Promise," Zinfer said, kissing her and rolling her onto her back, "Now it's time for dessert." And he slid between her thighs, quirking his lip at the surprised squeal of pleasure that escaped from Elaine as he delved into her. 

========================

Thank you, thank you for all the kind votes and feedback!! 

The next three chapters will leave Elaine and Zinfer for a time. Next we will meet King Wyatt Slynt, followed by the Drow King, and finally end back with Elaine and Zinfer, but from Talia's point of view. 

As you can maybe guess from the characters of focus, the following three chapters will be a little dark. There will be less focus on romance (for the most part) and all three chapters will contain more violence and more sex than these first three. 

Never fear – we will return to Elaine's point of view following Talia's chapter.



Dark Assassin Ch. 04



 As I mentioned in my last chapter, this chapter and the next two will explore some of our darker characters (King Slynt, the Drow King, and Talia). 

This is your warning There is a scene of dubious consent in this chapter. It is not vital to the plot, but displays an important character trait of King Wyatt's. It involves the use of a position of power for sexual purposes and I do not condone the practice in any way shape or form. 

In order to aid you in your enjoyment of this chapter, I will place a warning before the scene and a marker after for those who would like to skip. 

It'll also serve as a nice bookmark for anyone looking for a decently steamy sex scene ; ) (There is also a real quick consensual scene at the end) 

Thank you for continuing this story. I really appreciate the continued support. 

Happy reading, Zinfer  

~*~*~Chapter 4: King Wyatt Slynt~*~*~ 

The taste and smell of iron saturated the air of the small stone chamber while a steady pat-pat-patter of some thick liquid splashed against the floor. The walls were slightly damp and lined with oily, smoking torches that had started to sputter and threaten to go out. The light the torches cast revealed strange symbols that had been meticulously painted in white in a perfect circle on the floor of the chamber. 

In the center of the circle of runes was a shadow cast by a man who had been suspended seven feet from the ground, upside down from a hook in the high ceiling. He was naked and dirty - and covered from foot to head in blood. Blood that dripped from his matted hair and formed a small puddle beneath his lifeless body. Blank eyes stared hauntingly as the rope he had been strung with twirled, rotating the corpse around the chamber. 

Another man stood outside the circle, reciting a long, unceasing chant. This man was also naked and covered with blood. But this blood was not his own - it had flowed from the suspended corpse while the other man had stood under it, shortly after slitting the sacrifice's throat. It had been the last step in a ritual that took days to prepare and complete, but for Wyatt Slynt the benefits of the dark magic it evoked far outweighed the gruesome manner in which it was obtained. 

Already the King could feel the rejuvenating powers of the younger man's life force penetrating his skin. A man who looked and felt close to forty-five had entered the chamber a few hours before and one ten years younger would exit once the spell he was reciting was complete. 

In actuality, Wyatt was nearing a century in age. When he had seized the throne from the Mansons fifty years ago, he had successfully completed the Ritual of Youth two times already. 

As an accolade of magic in the King's palace, Wyatt had always had a penchant for dark arts. When he was a boy, Wyatt had been enthralled and disturbed by stories of dark mages who kidnapped princesses only to be thwarted by some gallant knight or prince. What young Wyatt could not understand was how the mages, with all that power at their disposal, had not been able to defeat the princesses' would be suitors. Surely great magic beat sword and armor. 

When he became old enough, Wyatt had signed on as a mage's apprentice in the small port city where he had grown up. It had not been long before the mage Wyatt trained under had taught Wyatt all he could, and wrote to the Capital on his behalf to implore that the palace mages take Wyatt on as an accolade. They had accepted, and after a short practical test of his abilities, Wyatt had been allowed to leave his family behind and start training to become a 'real' magician. 

However it was not long before Wyatt was disappointed to discover that 'real' magic was nothing more than cheap tricks that smarter men used to fool and mesmerize those who did not understand the inner workings of these 'spells'. Mixing chemicals and drugs together to produce mystical effects was not the king of magic Wyatt had read about in the stories as a boy. Where were the demons, the curses, the weapons that could strike without the wielding being anywhere near the target? 

Soon Wyatt began to turn from his teachers, spending most of his time in the palace's library where he discovered ancient tomes that described dark magic that had been lost to the ages. These books were written in a dead language that Wyatt had had to teach himself. This process was time consuming, but once he had the text mastered, the possibilities turned endless. 

As the only true user of magic among the palace mages, Wyatt rose quickly through the ranks, eventually becoming the Master of Arcana by the time he was in his early thirties. This position satisfied him for a while, but it was not long until he began to lust for even higher aspirations. He saw nothing but lesser men around him and knew that he could lead them all more effectively than any rule before. 

A whisper in the right ear, and a spell that had nearly cost Wyatt his sanity and King Manson was dead, with King Slynt as his immediate successor. Nobody's fool, Wyatt knew that his claim to the throne was contingent upon how much power he could wield over the people he now ruled. So he had single handedly slaughtered Manson's lineage. That is - single handedly, with the help of some very black magic. 

In the chamber, Wyatt ended his chant at last and stepped around the circle of runes at the other end. 

Blood dripped from his body as he stood at the door and knocked three times. An instant later, the door opened and three guards carried in a large basin of water, setting it on the floor and then retreating further into the room to start dealing with the corpse hanging from the ceiling. 

Wyatt stepped into the basin and began to wash the blood from his skin, staining the water crimson. By the time he was finished, the dead man's body was gone and a guard was waiting with a fresh pair of black robes, which Wyatt slipped into. 

Leaving the guards to finish with the cleanup, the King exited the chamber and walked down a short hall to a winding set of stairs that led up. The climb was long, but Wyatt was not at all short of breath when he finally reached the top. He felt stronger than he had in years, as was usual after the ritual, and it filled him with a heady exhilaration. 

At the top of the stairs was another short hallway. This one ended in a heavy iron door that was guarded by an enormous man who said nothing as Wyatt passed him, pushed open the door, and emerged into a small stone courtyard choked with weeds. A full moon hung above the yard, and Wyatt estimated it was three hours past midnight. 

The King kept his secret dungeon and chamber well hidden within the bowels of the palace. The courtyard from which the entrance opened from was only accessible through an old and broken part of the palace that Wyatt intentionally left in disrepair. Only a small, handpicked garrison of guards knew where the chamber was, and Wyatt had their tongues removed to keep them from speaking of it to anyone. They lived in the abandoned part of the palace and had no families and were allowed no lovers. Wyatt suspected they found comfort in each other, but that was none of his concern as long as they remained loyal. 

Across the courtyard and through another door hidden partially behind a dead tree, Wyatt found himself inside the palace proper. Through a series of hallways filled with abandoned furniture and dust, and he emerged inside the bedchamber of one of his mistresses - another precaution to keep the curious members of court away from his dark secret. 

The mistress to whom the bedchamber belonged was a mute, like the guards, but she still possessed her tongue. She had been born without her voice. Wyatt had found her in one of the Capital's seedier whorehouses where she had been prized for her inability to protest against any unsavory clients. In exchange for her service and silence, Wyatt had offered her a home in the palace. The girl, whose name was Claire, had eagerly accepted the offer. 

Wyatt found her dozing in a chair when he emerged from a secret door to the right of the hearth. She was dressed in an elegant blue silk dress and her dark hair, which had been pinned neatly to her head, was falling about her face in disarray. 

"My sweet girl," Wyatt said loudly, shaking her shoulder gently, "You should be in bed." 

Claire's eyes fluttered open and she stood up with a start, bowing deeply at her King's arrival. 

"Do not wait up for me," he told her, going to the enormous wooden wardrobe near the bed and pulling out a nightgown for Claire and a simple tunic and breeches for himself. He always kept a pair of clothes in the room in case anyone ever questioned what his and Claire's relationship entailed. 

It wasn't sex - Wyatt had never laid a hand on Claire in anger or in lust. Theirs was a purely beneficial relationship. When Wyatt needed use of his chamber for his darker magic, he made sure that the right people knew he would be spending the night with Claire. After that he would instruct her to keep the door locked at all times, and retreat to do whatever ritual he had planned for that night. Usually she waited up for him, but he had forgotten to mention the unusual length of the rejuvenating spell and she had evidently waited until exhaustion had overcome her. 

Wyatt pulled off his robe and stepped into the new breeches while Claire eyed him from across the bed. He was a handsome man - even more so now that he had shed ten years. Neatly trimmed short brown hair and an equally well-groomed beard framed a thin, intelligent face. His body was trim and toned in the right places. Not an overly powerful man, Wyatt was more cunning thief than brutish warrior and it was this attribute that the King attributed most to his rise to power. 

Claire also disrobed and reached for her nightgown. There was no modesty spared between the King and the mistress. They had known each other nearly a decade now. Claire was reaching her early thirties, but her body showed hardly any evidence of this fact. 

Pulling on his shirt, Wyatt gave Claire a grateful smile, "I hope you sleep well tonight. I will see you in a few days." And with that he departed, first through the door of the bedchamber and then the expansive solar beyond. 

The palace was silent as Wyatt walked through the halls toward his private tower. Every second or third torch was lit along the walls, but most of the light came from the moon streaming through the equally spaced glass windows. Although the eastern kingdom of man was smaller in size than it had ever been, it was prosperous under King Slynt's rule and the opulence of the palace attested to that fact. Plush carpets imported from across the Gold Ocean lined almost every hall and covered every room. The servants were well paid and well dressed and only the best warriors from the kingdom were allowed to serve as palace guards. Great feasts were hosted at every small occasion for the people of the Capital and beyond and taxes were collected based on how much each citizen could provide. 

In whole, the reign of Wyatt Slynt was multitudes better than Manson's had been. Yet many people viewed the 'new' King as a thief to the throne. Wyatt was constantly required to quash would-be uprisings. The leaders of these rebellions were almost always used as sacrifices for Wyatt's dark magic and he still had a healthy supply of three able-bodied men in a special part of the dungeon that he would use soon to gather information on any more usurpers. Sometimes good old-fashioned torture was enough to learn of any new plots, but Wyatt's favorite method was magic. 

There was knowledge hidden in the darker realms, and Wyatt knew how to get it. 

At last the King arrived at the large set of double doors that marked the entrance to his tower. It had once belonged to the palace mages, but once Wyatt had taken the crown, he had disbanded the group of tricksters and taken their home as his. 

Two hooded guards stood at the entrance, one on either side, and made not a sound nor movement as Wyatt pushed open the left door and entered the tower. The guards were not entirely human anymore, but had at one time been King Manson's most loyal advisors. Mages that had been the little whispers in the King's ear and who had been the true rulers. Too dangerous to keep alive, Wyatt had turned them into creatures whose only purpose was to protect the new King. The guards could sense intent in others and would kill any who entered the tower with harm toward the King in their hearts. 

Inside, the ground floor of the tower contained the main living area - chairs, couches, and tables of all sizes were spaced around the room for meetings and dinners of any kind. This room was dimly lit, and Wyatt ignored it as he made his way up a winding staircase that followed the wall of the tower to the second floor. This contained the library and was only accessible with a spell known only to Wyatt. He kept going, past the third floor, which contained Wyatt's workshop, where he crafted arcane objects and perfected certain spells. On the fourth floor, one floor shy of the uppermost portion of the tower, Wyatt pushed open the unlocked wooden door that led off from the landing and entered his bedchamber. 

A small basin of warm water had been left in a table in the corner and a small fire lit in the hearth opposite the enormous bed that took up almost the entire north wall. The bed had been built specially to follow the curved contour of the tower to maximize its potential. The bed could - and regularly did - comfortably sleep numerous people. Right now it was empty, and after washing up in the basin, Wyatt slipped out of his clothes and collapsed into the middle of the mattress. 

It had been a harrowing day. First he had had to deal with the Drow King and his endless political maneuverings via scrying glass, a favorite means of communication for him. This time, the Dark Elf had wanted to end a decades-long feud between Wyatt and some Manson bitch, who had escaped his purging after seizing the throne. For what purpose the Drow King wished this, Wyatt did not know. He had barely thought of the bastard princess in years and other than a hefty bounty on her head, he had given up the pursuit long ago. Now the Drow King was claiming that there were those in the continent who still believed that the Mansons could muster enough support among the Men and the Elves to overthrow Wyatt. The king had laughed at this, but wanted to keep the Drow King placated and had heard him out. If the last remaining Manson, a daughter of the bastard princess, swore public fealty to Wyatt at the Drow King's palace, then the bounty would be removed from her head and all her claims to the throne denounced. 

It seemed like a frivolous gesture, but Wyatt had been meaning to take a trip north for a while and it was as good an excuse as any. He had only one ally among the Elves and he wanted to make sure to keep it strong. If this were important to the Drow King, then Wyatt would be sure to honor his wishes. Of course, that did not mean that Wyatt would be without his own personal agenda. 

Following his conversation with the Drow the King made every excuse he could muster to get out of his daily duties in order to free up time to finish preparing for his ritual. 

After that had been the gathering of materials - including one of the rebel leaders in the dungeons - followed by the ritual itself, which had taken from nearly sundown until hours after midnight. 

Even the powerful invigorating effects Wyatt had experienced shortly after the ritual had faded completely and now all the King wanted was to forget about the realm and the world for a few hours. All of its problems and complexities would be waiting for him when he woke up...

Closing his eyes, King Wyatt Slynt drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep. 

===============================================================

 Warning: scene of dubious consent 

Wyatt did not get out of bed until it was nearly noon the next day. When he did rouse at last, he was full of renewed energy and vigor once again. Using a cantrip, he rung for a fresh basin of water and a change of clothes. He never dressed himself when he had official duties. If it were up to Wyatt, he would wear nothing but cotton breeches and tunics all the time - they were comfortable and easy to work in. But he had learned early in his reign that in order to be taken seriously as a King, he needed to dress the part. 

A female maid brought the water and clothes a few moments later and tried not to notice Wyatt's nakedness as she placed the items in their appropriate places - the water on the corner table and the clothes across the mattress. She was a small, young thing with short, straight blond hair and dazzling blue eyes. 

Wyatt had never seen her before. He liked new things. 

"What is your name?" the King asked, grasping the girl's upper arm as she made to leave the bedchamber.

Nervously, the girl looked up at Wyatt and said, "Nicole, your grace." She was almost a foot and a half shorter than him. 

"Nicole," the King repeated the name and released the maid's arm, "I've never seen you before." 

"I-I'm new to your service, your grace. Mia was sick today, she asked me to f-fill in for her. I h-hope that is not a problem." The maid was clearly terrified to be in the King's presence. And the fact that he had yet to cover his nudity was apparently not helping.

This made him smile, "Mia is an old, fat bitch," Wyatt said. It was true - she treated her girls like trash and he knew Nicole would agree with his comment. "You are a much lovelier sight than her." 

The girl blushed, but said nothing, looking anywhere but at Wyatt. 

"Tell Mia that you will be my new morning maid," Wyatt told her. 

"T-thank you, your grace," Nicole sputtered, blushing even deeper. It was an easy life to be the King's personal maid, but there was an unofficial catch. Never before had a maid in Wyatt's service failed to find her way into his bed. Even Mia had been a lovely, if domineering, catch back when he had first employed her thirty years ago. Nicole must have known this fact through reputation, because she suddenly became very uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot and adjusting her skirts obsessively while making furtive glances toward the door. 

"What's the matter, Nicole?" Wyatt asked gently. He was suddenly filled with lust - a side-effect of losing ten years of age - and wanted nothing more at the moment than for the blond maid to be squirming beneath his body. 

"Nothing, your grace," Nicole whispered, "I-is there anything else I c-can do for y-you?" She was physically trembling. 

"Look at me," Wyatt whispered. 

Slowly, Nicole looked up his body until her eyes met his. She was small - barely over five feet tall - and thin as nail. 

Pupils dilated. Wyatt smirked. 

"How old are you, Nicole," he asked, placing a single finger against her cheek to keep her head turned up toward his face. 

"Nineteen," she answered, barely above a whisper. 

"Are you a maiden?" 

"I...I...," Nicole floundered, her eyes growing wide, "N-no, your grace." 

The King stroked his beard thoughtfully. It wasn't much of a surprise. Maids and servants were always fucking during their free time. But Wyatt could tell that Nicole was still new to the world of pleasures and doubted that her brief tryst or two with a kitchen boy had been anything terribly enlightening. 

"Tell me, Nicole," Wyatt said with a half-smile, "Do you find your King attractive?" 

"Y-you are v-very attractive, your grace," Nicole nodded, "Any woman would be l-lucky to have you." 

"Is that so?" Wyatt smirked, he had her now, "What about you? Would you like to have me?" It was the impossible question - say no and offend the King or say yes...




Dark Assassin Ch. 04



"Me?" the maid blushed pure crimson and he saw her tense before him, "I...that is..." 

"It's a simple enough question," Wyatt said, taking a step forward, forcing Nicole to take one back, "If you say yes, I can have you cumming around my cock and screaming my name in no time." He was blunt - there was no need for games. 

Wyatt had continued his advance until the maid's back was up against the door. He placed his palms against the wood, between her head, trapping her between his body and the door. There was no escape. 

"I...," Nicole had lost the ability to speak. 

Taking one hand from the door, Wyatt trailed the back of his fingers slowly down the maid's cheek and neck until it came to rest just above her heaving chest. "Just say 'yes'," he turned the hand around, softly cupping the maid's tiny breast, "Or say 'no'." He rubbed his palm ever so slightly against her nipple through her dress until it was hard. 

Nicole moaned and arched her breast into his hand, "Yes," she nodded, "Your grace." 

Grinning, Wyatt began to immediately work on the stays of Nicole's simple dress with well-practiced fingers. He had it open in moments, and pulled the fabric aside to display the soft skin of her chest and breasts. Tiny pink nipples that were currently at full attention tipped small handfuls of flesh. Wyatt took one of them in between his thumb and forefinger and pinched it lightly. Nicole's breath hitched and she arched outward into his grip. 

"Are you getting wet?" Wyatt whispered, bending down and replacing his fingers with his lips, sucking at the tight nub. 

"Y-yes," Nicole moaned as the King continued to nip and toy with her breasts. 

"Show me," Wyatt commanded and stood tall, stepping a fraction of a foot away from the maid, "Undress." 

Nicole pulled herself away from the door and pulled down her dress, starting with the sleeves and then letting it fall off her body. Next came her underskirt, which was undone after a quick unlacing. It too fell to her feet leaving her in nothing but simple shoes which she easily slipped out of. Petite and slim, Nicole looked the picture of innocence as she stood shyly before the King, a modest hand held between her thighs to hide her sex from his gaze. 

"Now show me how wet you are," Wyatt said, pointing between her legs. 

The slightest hesitation, and then the hand Nicole held near her entrance slipped between her thighs. She rubbed at her slit a few times and then pulled out her fingers, holding them up for Wyatt's inspection. They were coated with a thin film of her arousal, glistening in the daylight that poured through the bedchamber window. 

Gently, Wyatt took Nicole's wet fingers and slid them between his lips, tasting her. She was tangy and spicy and unique and the King wanted more. This time he reached between her thighs himself, sliding his fingers through the slippery dew and bringing more of it to his lips. Nicole squirmed and rubbed her thighs together as she watched the King taste her for a second time. 

"You taste so good, Nicole," Wyatt said sweetly as he knelt on the carpet before her, "Spread your legs - there you go." The maid was standing before him with her legs just over shoulder width apart, exposing her pussy level to his mouth. 

"Your grace, If you'd like t-to lie down...," Nicole sounded uncomfortable having the King kneel before her. But Wyatt took great pleasure from making girls writhe before him - and if he had to kneel, he had to kneel. 

"Palms flat against the door," Wyatt told her, "If you move them, I will stop whatever I am doing." The threat may not have been potent quite then, but when Wyatt had her at the edge of orgasm, stopping would be pure torture. 

Nicole did as she was told and looked down at her King with heavy anticipation. Starting from her calves, Wyatt slid his hands up her legs, curving around the back of her thighs and gripping her bottom, pulling it away from the door so that her hips jutted out toward his face. Holding her there with one hand, Wyatt's other hand came back around front to cup her pussy, grinding the heel of his palm into her clit. 

"Your grace!" Nicole moaned, and thrust her hips forward, her palms never leaving the door. 

Moisture coated Wyatt's hand as he pushed his middle and ring fingers past Nicole's lips, into her dripping channel. She clutched at him hungrily as he thrust his fingers in and out, dragging them along the top of her walls while his palm continued to rub the hard nub of her clit. 

Nicole was biting her lip, thrusting against Wyatt's hand as he coaxed her toward release. The King stopped moving and let her fuck herself on his fingers, making sure that her palms never left the wood of the door. They didn't, and she stopped biting her lip when it became too hard not to cry out her pleasure. Nicole mewled and moaned, her hips twisting and thrusting in an attempt to bring herself over the edge. 

When Wyatt felt walls of Nicole's pussy begin to flutter in the pre stages of release, he pulled away his hand and licked the moisture from his fingers. Nicole's cry of frustration turned to pleasure when the King leaned in and sucked her clit between his teeth. A thin dribble of her honey slipped from her lips and coated Wyatt's chin while he kissed and sucked along her slit, sending the maid flying back toward release. 

Wyatt's cock was rock hard as he tasted her, and his fisted it with one free hand while the other held her open for his seeking tongue. 

"I...I'm going...to cum," Nicole cried loudly, and her body went still while her release spread over her body. Her inner walls clenched and unclenched, releasing a sweet wave of cream that Wyatt eagerly lapped up. When she was done, he stood and pressed his body against hers, wedging his cock between them. 

"Tell me to fuck you," he growled, grinding against her. The time for gentleness was gone. 

"Fuck me," Nicole gasped, "Fuck me, your grace. Fuck me!" She was wild with need, sliding her body down the door and against Wyatt's sandwiched cock. This one had been too easy...

Roughly, the King took Nicole's left leg and hiked it up against his hip so that she was splayed out for him. He then gripped his shaft and bent down to aim it at her dripping pussy. With a hard thrust up he buried himself inside her. This caused her to ride up the door a little and cry out with surprised pleasure. She was tight, and gripped his cock as he slid a little out of her before slamming back inside. 

"You feel so good," Wyatt whispered into the maid's ear as he fucked her against the door, driving her feet off the ground with each thrust of his hips, "I want you to scream my name while you cum around me. Can you do that?" 

"Yes!" Nicole moaned, burying her face in Wyatt's neck and tasting the salt of his sweating skin. Like the good listener she was, the maid had not let her palms leave the door. Wyatt decided to reward her. 

"Grip my shoulders," he said and the maid did so, digging her nails into his flesh as the King rucked her other leg up until the only thing keeping her from falling to the floor was his body pressing her against the door and his cock spearing her pussy. 

Skin slapped against skin as Wyatt's thrusts became even more violent. Nicole ran nails down his shoulders, screaming her pleasure. 

"Your grace!"

"Wyatt," the King growled, "Call me Wyatt when you cum." 

She was already dripping down his shaft and balls before she came with a gush of thick honey that coated Wyatt's pelvis with its ferocity. "Wyatt!!" Nicole yelled. Her pussy clutched at the King's shaft as he felt his balls tighten and release his seed into her overstuffed channel. 

He pressed her against the door, holding her up with the last of his strength as his orgasm peaked and subsided. Their combined fluid leaked out from their joining. 

Nicole's legs were released from Wyatt's grip and she found herself standing on weak legs as the King pulled out of her and took a step back. His cock was still hard and willing, but he had taken all he could from the sweating and exhausted girl and would have to look elsewhere for further release. 

"Clean yourself in the basin," Wyatt said, jerking his thumb to the now-cold water, "Then get me fresh water." 

The maid nodded, speechless, and hurried to the corner of the room to remove the evidence of the King's ravishment from between her thighs. Her previously neatly combed hair was in disarray, and she tried desperately to tame it once she was cleaned. Nicole got dressed quickly under the amused eye of the King, who had perched on the edge of the bed, his glistening cock still hard as steel. 

Once the maid had returned herself to proper order, she bowed and said, "Thank you, your grace," and hurried from the room to get more water for him. 

End scene of dubious consent  

Wyatt stood, cracked his neck, stretched his muscles, and let out a tremendous laugh. 

 This one will be fun,  he mused in as he waited for the fresh water. "Thank you," he muttered just as the door to his bedchamber flew open and not Nicole, but the fat bitch Mia came bustling in, fuming red. 

"What is this I hear you've replaced me with some tramp?" the older maid demanded, placing the basin she had brought herself where it belonged. She sounded stuffy and her eyes were puffy with disease. 

Wyatt growled and moved to the basin, "You are being presumptuous, Mia. Do not take that tone with your king," be began to wash the sweat and sex from his body, "You are being replaced. If that is too hard for you to handle, you may leave my employ completely." 

Mia said nothing, but blushed an angrier red before blustering out of the door, slamming the door a little too hard for Wyatt's patience. He would have her punished later for that display of insolence. Maids came and went - when they got too old or boring to be of any use to Wyatt, they were easy to replace. 

Once he was cleaned and dressed, Wyatt climbed down from his bedchamber and entered the library with a spoken word at the locked door. 

Three rows of specially designed shelves formed concentric circles around the room and were packed to capacity with books of various sizes and ages that Wyatt had imported from the palace's library. A single gap in the shelves formed a path from the door to the center of the room, which held a small reading desk, a plush high-backed armchair, and a pedestal for holding larger tomes. This currently held an old spell book that contained many useful cantrips and simple rituals that Wyatt used often. Near the top of the tall ceiling hung a brightly glowing orb that cast plenty of light around the library. The orb was powered by eternal Elfish magic - Wyatt did not allow flames of any sort to enter the library for fear of what he might lose. 

An avid reader, there were times that the King would spend all day in the peaceful, earthy-smelling library, polishing his arcana and expanding his already expansive knowledge. But today he had a singular goal, and moved down the third aisle of shelves, following the carefully crafted organization system until he came to the section on bestiary. 

Sliding one of a dozen movable ladders to the spot he wanted, Wyatt climbed halfway up the shelves - which stretched from the floor to almost the ceiling - and found what the book he had come for. The Dark Elves was written in gold across the spine of the simple, green book. 

Climbing down from the ladder, Wyatt studied it. It had been written almost a century earlier by a palace mage who had spent a large part of his life in the north of the continent. The result of his life's work was a squat book barely one hundred pages long that documented the history and strange customs of the Dark Elves. 

Taking it to the center of the library, Wyatt sat in the armchair and began to read. And by the time he was finished three hours later he was wholly unsatisfied with what he had learned.

The Dark Elves were an unpleasant race that lived in most horrid, frigid environment on the continent. Hedonistic creatures, they glorified violence and sex to an extreme degree, often mixing the two. Ruled by the same lineage for eons, they were at least a relatively neutral race, only engaging in conflicts with those foolish enough to want their baron land. This had amounted to two wars in their entire written history - one with a small, but barbarous band of men and another with a faction of Sylvan Elves who had believed in upward expansion for gods knew what reason. Both conflicts had been overwhelming victories for the Dark Elves, who did not shy away from shadow warfare and dishonorable tactics. During the war between men and Elves that had led to the brief conquering of the continent by men, the Dark Elves had remained neutral, offering no aid to either side. And when the Elves retook the middle of the continent a century later and a century ago, where the book ended, the Dark Elves had again done absolutely nothing. 

It all made Wyatt very suspicious. 

When he had taken the throne from Manson forty years ago, Wyatt had made sure to form a friendly relationship with the Drow King. The Dark Elf controlled the entire northern part of the continent, from the Gold all the way west to the Dark Ocean through miles and miles of rock and ice. If Wyatt ever needed passage west, he wanted the option of going through the Dark Elves' land - despite the environment it was still easier than crossing the Sylvan Elves' forests. 

Until recently, the Drow King had been willing but apathetic about their relationship. He recognized peaceful alliance on paper, but Wyatt had known that the Dark Elves would never come to his aide if he ever asked. That changed a few months ago when the Drow King had begun insisting that Wyatt come visit the north on a peacekeeping journey. Then, just yesterday, had come the bit about the Manson woman and fealty and unity and everything that all evidence suggested the Dark Elves cared absolutely nothing about. 

Wyatt had been too busy with his ritual to give any meaningful thought to the Drow's latest offer when it had been made, but now that his mind was clear he could try to piece together the Dark Elf's motives...

The King's stomach growled, wrenching him out of his thoughts, and he realized that he had not eaten in over twenty-four hours. Standing from the chair he had occupied for the past three hours or so, Wyatt rang for some food and went down to the tower's living area to receive it. 

"Wyatt Slynt," a lilting female voice said when had descended the stairs and entered the solar, "What happened to you? You look ten years younger!" 

The corners of Wyatt's mouth curled into a small smile as he approached the owner of the voice, a tall raven-haired beauty dressed in lavish blue silks that complimented her intelligent violet eyes. She stood, beaming at him with her hands on her wide hips. 

"Lady Katrina," Wyatt greeted the woman as he approached, kissing the back of her offered hand, "It's been too long." 

"It certainly has, your grace," the woman agreed. Lady Katrina was a member of the King's Council and the only one Wyatt trusted. She was in charge of the realm's money and was one of the main reasons for its current prosperity. More than a useful mind, the Lady also happened to be one of the King's regular lovers. As it were, her timing could not have been more serendipitous. Wyatt's newly youthful blood was starting to heat again and he would soon need to find relief. 

"Tell me you have not come to discuss business," the King grinned as the door to the solar opened and a maid brought in a platter of cheeses and bread and a large pitcher of wine. 

"Don't be wicked, your grace," Katrina teased, "You have plenty of maids lying around for that sort of thing." 

The maid who had brought the food gave the King a barely concealed look of anticipation before Wyatt dashed her hopes with a dismissive wave of his hand. Apparently he had fucked her at some point, although he could not remember when.

"But none of them compare to you," Wyatt said as he spread soft cheese on a piece of bread. 

"Maybe after we discuss business," Katrina smiled promisingly, "I'm sorry for dropping in on you like this, but I just caught word of a possible trip to the north..." 

Wyatt rolled his eyes. It was no surprise the Drow King had news of the Wyatt's upcoming trip to his palace spread throughout the Capital. If it became highly anticipated news, there would be no way for Wyatt to politely refuse. 

"The Drow King would like to mend things between what remeains the Manson family and I," Wyatt shrugged, "And believes his palace would be the best place for this to occur." 

Katrina poured herself some wine. "It would be a dangerous trip. And a costly one. You cannot enter the Dark Elves' land without a full escort, it would look bad. Like you don't care." 

"Don't I know," Wyatt grumbled, "But I have no doubt we can afford it." 

"Oh, no doubt," Katrina smiled softly, "But I'm not worried about the money." 

Wyatt took a sip of wine and nodded. "I understand your hesitations, Lady. The Drow King is an unsavory ally. But I will have plenty of protection and am no helpless weakling myself." 

"It is not the Drow King I am worried about. I'm more concerned with the Manson girl." 

Wyatt almost choked on his wine, "For what possible reason? As far as I can tell from my sources, the girl didn't even know she was of royalty." 

"But she knows now," Katrina said pointedly, "And that might put ideas of power in her head. And with the support of the Elves..." 

"She has the support of no one," Wyatt said dismissively, "The Sylvan Elves were ready to turn in her mother years ago, before she found refuge with the Mountain Elves. And those lot are less likely to get involved with matters of human power than Goblins." 

"There are still plots against you even fifty years later," Katrina said, "Right here in the Capital. And loyalty to Manson has wavered little in some of the most influential houses in the realm. If there is a Manson alive, there are still hopes for these misguided notions." 

Katrina's concern was starting to become marginally irritable. "I have put down every maneuver against my seat without fail," Wyatt reminded her, "And once the girl swears off all claim to the throne, half of these houses you mentioned will fall in line - they are honor-bound fools. Do not concern yourself with her - I certainly am not." 

"So why even go to the north?" Katrina probed, "Just send assassins after her and call it a day. Why the show?" 

"I am not going to the north in order for the girl to swear fealty to me," Wyatt explained patiently as he took another long swig of wine, "I am going to check up on the Drow King. He is plotting something, and I'd like to find out personally what it is." 

Katrina's brows furrowed, "So that's all this is? A reconnaissance mission? We have spies for that, you know." 

"The Drow King will not reveal his true hand until he believes all the pieces are in place. That means that the Manson girl and I must meet at his palace and commence with this ridiculous farce. But once I am there, I can figure out what the knave has planned. Perhaps it'll turn out to be nothing - but I highly doubt it." 

"Well," Katrina leaned back in her chair and took a bite of hard cheese, "It appears that you have everything figured out. As always. So will you let me travel with you? I wish to see how this all pans out. Plus, I could use a nice break from court." 

Wyatt crossed his arms across his chest, "What reason could you possibly have for wanting to go north? It's cold and baron and the Dark Elves are a horrid race of people." 

"Perhaps," Katrina said, lowering her voice seductively and changing the tone between her and the King instantly, "I wish to keep your grace warm in the cold and baron land." 




Dark Assassin Ch. 04



Wyatt pushed away from the table. He looked over at Lady Katrina with raised eyebrows, "And how would you service your King in this way?" 

Taking the bait, Katrina got up from her chair and moved to stand in front of Wyatt. With just a few pulls of fabric, her dress fell from her body like liquid. 

She wore nothing underneath. 

"With this," Katrina said, and cupped her shaved sex, "And these," she took a well-sized breast in hand. 

"Come here," Wyatt growled. Katrina came to stand between his spread legs. "Kneel." 

She did so while the King worked at the ties on his breeches. Getting them loose, he lifted his bottom off the chair long enough to expose his cock, which was standing at full attention. 

Katrina gripped it without instruction and teased the tip of her tongue along the head. A bead of precum leaked out, which Katrina licked up eagerly. She started to pump the bottom of his shaft with her fist while taking the other half easily into her mouth. Wet heat engulfed Wyatt and he arched upward in his seat, slipping more of himself into Katrina's mouth. 

"Don't hold back," he said, threading fingers through her midnight hair to keep her where she was, "I need this." Lust burned through him like an inferno as he writhed beneath Katrina's talented tongue. His libido, which was always fairly high, had been ratcheted up by degrees with the ritual. The side effect would dissipate in a few days, but until that happened...

Lady Katrina leant further into Wyatt's lap, taking in all eight inches of his cock. It slipped past the back of her throat but she did not choke. 

"FUCK!" Wyatt cried and gripped the edge of his chair as Katrina sucked him harder. Her tongue was everywhere at once - caressing the underside of his shaft while circling the head and dancing along its circumference. One of her hands that had been digging into the flesh of his thigh moved down to cup his balls, bringing a new dimension of pleasure to Wyatt's already overloaded senses. 

"I'm going to cum," the King moaned. It might have been soon, but he was confident that there would be plenty more where that came from. And Katrina could take it. 

This proclamation made Katrina double her efforts, rolling Wyatt's thick balls between her fingers while her tongue flicked madly over his shaft. Throwing his head back he found his release and Katrina held still while thick ropes of his seed shot down her throat, filling her. 

Pulling off him with a wet pop, Katrina sat back on her knees and pouted, "That was pretty quick, your grace. Don't tell me you don't have anything for me." 

Standing, Wyatt pushed his chair out of the way and cleared the table with a swipe of his arm along its surface. Platters of food and the half full pitcher of wine went clattering to the ground in loud clangs and bangs. 

"Get up," Wyatt said, pulling off his clothes in a mad rush. Katrina - eyes wide with surprise at the gesture - hopped up onto the newly empty table, leant back on her palms and spread her knees. 

Cream ran down her slit and pooled on the wooden surface as Wyatt moved between her legs, his cock resting against her clit. He leaned forward, capturing Katrina's mouth in a searing kiss while he ground against her. 

More moisture spilled out against him. 

Breaking from their kiss, Wyatt stood up straight and gripped his cock. The head slid easily through Katrina's slippery cream as he aimed the head against her opening. 

"Do it!" Katrina moaned, bucking her hips. 

With agonizing slowness, Wyatt shoved his cock into her. Even after all the times he had fucked her, Katrina's walls gripped him like a glove as he slid past them, stretching her to accommodate his girth. Molten honey flowed around him as he moved, easing his passage until he was fully seated. 

"Feel good, Lady Katrina?" Wyatt asked, taking her knees with his hands and spreading her further open. 

"Always, your grace," Katrina smiled, looking down at where they were joined. 

Wyatt pulled out of her until only the head of his cock remained. His shaft was wet with arousal, sliding easily back into Katrina's pussy with a single rough thrust of his hips. Katrina moaned and fell back onto the table. Her hands came up to her chest and fingers tugged at her breasts as Wyatt adopted a steady pace of thrusting which were accompanied by wet sucking sounds created by her moisture. 

Taking one hand from Katrina's knee, Wyatt pressed the pad of his thumb against her clit, rubbing as he thrust and bringing her to a quick and violent orgasm. Honey gushed from her hole as her walls clutched at Wyatt's cock. Having cum already, he was able to stave off his own orgasm and continue his hips' steady rhythm, continuously punishing Katarina with his cock. Skin slapped against skin and Katrina came again around him. 

The air was beginning to fill with the spicy aroma of their fucking and the cries and mewls as a series of micro-orgasms rocked through the Lady's body. Still Wyatt thrust into her raw and abused pussy over and over again. 

"Fuck, Wyatt," Katrina moaned, sitting up on her elbows, "Since when do you last this long?" 

"Feeling good today," Wyatt smiled. He was sweating and his skin glistened with his movements, "Had enough yet?" 

"I just...FUCK," Katrina came again, "I just don't know how much more I can cum." 

"Once more," Wyatt growled and leaned in to grip her breasts in his rough hands, squeezing and pinching her nipples with rough fingers. 

"Yes...yes...fuck...," Katrina closed her eyes and bucked against Wyatt, increasing the range of movement of his cock as it pushed into her ruthlessly. 

"I'm going to pump you full," Wyatt claimed, pinching her nipples and not letting go. 

"YES!" Katrina cried, arched her back up into his grip, locked her knees against his waist, and came once more. A small spurt of cum leapt through the air and landed hotly against Wyatt's pelvis with the ferocity of her final orgasm. 

The violent contractions of Katrina's inner walls were finally enough to send Wyatt spiraling over the edge and he stilled, fully sheathed, fulfilling his promise and pumping her overused pussy full of white hot ropes of cum. A wave of heat washed over his body and then subsided as his lust finally ebbed away, leaving the King satisfied for the moment. 

Sated, Wyatt pulled out of Katrina and watched as a thin dribble of their combined cum spilled from her pussy and onto the table. She sat up, chest heaving, and gave the King a quizzical look. 

"That is not the man I remember being between my thighs last time we did this," she observed, getting down from the table and reaching for a cloth that Wyatt had pushed to the floor earlier. 

Wyatt smiled and stretched, his cock finally softening. "I feel full of vigor, Lady," he shrugged, "Did you not enjoy it?" 

"It was wonderful," Katrina said as she wiped up the mess between her legs, "Just surprising is all." 

"Plenty more where that came from on our journey north," the King promised, "If you're still interested in coming." 

Lady Katrina picked up her dress and easily enfolded herself in it once again, "Wouldn't miss it. I trust you'll be bringing more than just me to keep you company?" 

"You know me too well," Wyatt said wickedly, collecting his own clothes, "But for now you'll have to excuse me. Our little interlude has put me a little behind schedule. I wanted to get my due research on the Dark Elves in before we set out. I wish to leave within the next day or two in order to make it to the Drow King's palace by month's end and there is much preparation to be done." 

"Of course, your grace," Katrina bowed, "I too have affairs to be put in order. Shall I send in someone to clean up?" 

"Yes," Wyatt nodded and then gave a crooked grin, "Send in the girl named Nicole." The thought of her finding the evidence of his and Katrina's fucking on the table gave him a childish little thrill. He would probably bring her along for the trip north as well - she could learn a lot from Lady Katrina. 

"Good day, your grace," Katrina said with a final, small bow and left the tower through the large double doors. 

Not wishing to stick around for Nicole, Wyatt took his bundle of clothes and climbed back up to the winding tower staircase. This time he passed the library and went one more floor up to the workshop. Shutting himself in among the various instruments and ingredients, he went to work. If he were to gain anything of use from visiting the Drow King's palace, Wyatt would have to be prepared. And there was knowledge in the dark arts. 

And knowledge, Wyatt knew for certain, was all that was ever really worth anything...

*****

 See, Wyatt's not that bad a guy...

Anyway, thank you for reading and hopefully sticking with me. 

Please remember to vote and COMMENT. I love hearing what you guys have to say about the story and the characters. What you liked and what maybe worried you. 

Next up is the Drow King. If you like evil, twisted characters than this is the Elf for you. Everyone seems to think he is plotting something...so what is it? And is he really that bad (yes, he is). 

Happy reading : ) 

p.s. I'm looking for an editor. If you're interested, go ahead and shoot me an email through the contact link in my profile