Elf Maidens of Thurn

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Chapter 76: Floren

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While I have helped Tayn escape from the clutches of the Floren sailors, we are far from safe. I had never heard of the Floren until half an hour ago. Tayn said that he had previously encountered Floren in Bardos, and the sight of the Floren flag fluttering on the ship anchored off-shore made him realise the danger he had blundered across. The sailors held Tayn bound and gagged in their longboat overnight while I was frantic with worry when Tayn failed to return to our camp.

My excellent hearing... a common feature among Elf Maidens and the Tomyris race... meant I heard the sailors long before they or I could see each other. Tayn should have been alerted in the same way, but he claims that he was distracted. Apparently the cause of the distraction was the lingering vision of my naked body, which he had unceremoniously dumped in a cold stream. More likely he was in a bad mood after accidentally destroying his tent in the throws of sexual passion. Tayn and I enjoy the rougher forms of sexual play when we fuck, but that doesn't excuse his carelessness.

I focus on my current predicament. The Floren sailors appear to have given up chasing us. The three-masted sailing ship currently anchored off-shore is larger than most ships that sail these seas. Unlike ships that engage in honest trade, the Floren ship seems to be fitted with plenty of cannon. According to Tayn, the Floren sailors carry pistols, which no peace-loving mariner would normally do. Jaro and Tayn had previously told me that the city states dotted along the western mainland coast are unfriendly towards each other, and some are openly hostile. I would like to convince myself that the ship and its crew are only armed for their own protection. Unfortunately, Tayn's capture suggests a more sinister purpose to the ship's presence in these waters.

Although Madiana has been the homeland of the Tomyris for centuries, the island has been effectively uninhabited for the last hundred years. Only recently have the surviving Tomyris re-emerged from hibernation and begun resettling their island. The fortunate... if unwilling... arrival of nearly two hundred deported Thurnian elves has tripled the size of the Tomyris population, and made the chances of the community flourishing that much greater. Now everything is put at risk by a hostile ship from the western mainland. What if it seeks to plunder the undefended Tomyris settlement at Kainga?

Tayn has undertaken to warn those in Kainga while I travel north to where the Aegle Tower is located. My friend Arona and two of her adolescent helpers should be there, and I need to warn them about the Floren ship.

My route north is along the gently sloping ground between the sea to my left and the steeply rising ground a few hundred metres to my right. Trees and shrubs provide me with cover, but there are times when I must venture onto the beach to avoid rocky outcrops. Fortunately the Floren ship shows no interest in my movements, although I don't discount the possibility of another Floren shore party in the area. While the Aegle Tower is partially hidden in the trees, a pair of sharp eyes would detect the tower's location from off-shore. Numerous seamen will have seen the tower over the centuries, so the tower's location may well be known to the Floren. That thought makes me hurry onwards to warn Arona of the danger.

It's late-afternoon by the time I reach the beach where we first landed in search of the Aegle tower. There's no sign of a boat on the beach, which I take to be a good sign. While there are many indents in the soft sand, I can't tell if they are fresh footprints, or the remains of our own footprints from weeks ago. I carefully follow the discreetly marked trail that leads to the tower. There's no sign of activity, although that doesn't unduly alarm me. Arona and her assistants are likely to be busy inside the tower.

The moment I enter the tower I realise that something is wrong. Instead of finding Arona, I come face to face with four sailors, whom I presume to be Floren. The sailors seem equally surprised to see me and they stand frozen as though unsure what to do. I use the pause to turn and make a dash for the door. Unfortunately a fifth member of their group has come up behind me and blocked my escape.

While the four sailors are 'old human' and male, the woman blocking my escape has a hint of elven blood in her features. Her ears aren't as elongated as mine, and I don't detect the familiar elven scent common among all Tomyris and Elf Maidens. But her facial features and skin colouring suggest that she has an elven ancestor in her family tree.

"Senyora!" cries the woman looking at me in alarm.

She says something to the four men in a language I don't understand. The four men break out of their self-imposed stupor and make a grab for me. My efforts at resistance are quickly overcome. I carry a knife, but using it as a weapon in this situation would be ridiculous. Fortunately, the group seems intent on capturing me rather than the easier option of killing me.

The woman is clearly in charge of the group. She speaks to me in their strange language. When I look blankly at her, she switches to speaking in the Mariner language.

"Stop struggling, senyora!" says the woman in a tone that that sounds more like a request than an order. "We mean you no harm, but we must present you to the Seneschal in Floren."

"I don't wish to go to Floren," I reply in a last desperate attempt to avoid being carried off.

I struggle to free myself from the sailors' grip, but my resistance is quickly overcome and my arms are firmly bound behind me. Tayn would undoubtedly criticise the untidy bindings, but the sailors' work is effective enough for the purpose. A rope leash is fastened to one of the conveniently placed rings on my collar. While the tower's intelligent machine has remained silent throughout my ordeal, I hope that Aegle has recorded enough information to help Tayn or Arona understand what as happened. I don't hold great hopes of being rescued, but even the faint prospect of freedom is better than nothing.

Two of the sailors resume searching the tower while the other three stand guard over me. The pair report back to the woman, having found nothing to plunder from the upper levels of the tower. They try the door to the lower levels, but it is locked and they lack tools to force the door. They clearly don't know that the door will open to someone of the Tomyris race. Fortunately it doesn't occur to them to make me open the door.

It's close to sunset by the time we reach the beach. The men don't talk to me, and the woman only speaks to give me instructions. We sit on the sand as we watch the sun set over the ocean. I'm offered a drink of water from a flask and a piece of fruit which the woman holds for me while I eat. I don't demean myself by asking for more food. Two can play the strong silent game.

I see the three masted ship Tayn and I saw earlier silhouetted against the setting sun, sailing northwards towards us. My captors prepare themselves to be ferried to the ship. A longboat... presumably the same one I saw this morning... draws up to the beach and we all board. It is fully dark by the time the longboat is hauled aboard the ship with its passengers on board. We disembark as soon as the longboat is secured into its cradle on the ship's deck. I stand on the deck flanked by two of my captors while their leader goes to talk with the captain. The rest of the ship's crew look at me with curiosity, but none of them comes near me.

The woman sailor returns and belatedly introduces herself to me as Xara, the ship's boatswain, a role Nyra performed on the Esmeralda during our journey from Tewhanga. On Xara's orders, my bonds are removed and I'm shown to a small but serviceable cabin. While I'm left in no doubt that I must journey with the ship, I'm otherwise treated as a guest. The ship is soon underway although I can only guess at how long it will take to reach our destination.

The next morning I'm taken to see the captain. Xara and the captain are the only ones among the sixty crew who can speak a language that I understand. Even then, the dialect of the Mariner language they use is different from what I'm accustomed to hearing. While most of the crew are 'old human', Xara isn't the only one with a hint of elven ancestry among her predominantly human genes. That in itself is a mystery worthy of solving. In Thurn, it is commonly believed that humans and elves are physically incapable of cross-breeding.

My meeting with the captain is polite but strained. When I ask about my fate, I'm greeted with evasive answers. The only facts I learn are that this ship is named Falcó, and that we are heading for Floren. Since I appear to be the only 'guest' aboard the Falcó, I remain hopeful that Tayn has escaped recapture. That gives me a glimmer of a chance that someone will come looking for me. I know the Tomyris will be too busy establishing their settlement to waste time and resources in searching for me. Tayn is my only hope of rescue, and even that may be beyond his capabilities.

"Do you require a man to service you, senyora?" asks Xara when she comes to stand beside me.

"I don't understand what you mean. Perhaps I misheard you," I reply in my shaky understanding of their Mariner dialect.

"I notice that you are in heat," says Xara. "Do you desire a male to service your sexual needs?"

"I thought our races were incompatible for sex," I reply.

"With the right incentive, humans can overcome their lack of sexual attraction to fuck your kind," says Xara. "I, and others like me, are proof that mixed-blood children are possible. But we don't need to go to such lengths to find you a bed-mate."

Xara leaves me for a short while before returning with someone. My reaction at seeing Tayn hauled into my cabin is a mixture of delight at seeing him, and horror that he has been captured. Unlike me, Tayn has been locked in shackles and treated as a prisoner.

"I ran into another shore party soon after we parted company. I wounded two of their men in the scuffle," says Tayn, when we compare our stories of capture. "They put these shackles on me when we boarded this ship. Do you know where we are being taken?"

"Floren," I reply. "Apparently to meet with their Seneschal, whoever he or she may be."

"The Seneschal is the city's chief administrator," says Tayn. "Last time I came across a Floren merchant, he said their Seneschal was a concubine of Floren's High Marshal. The Seneschal's assistants are the High Marshal's offspring. The leaders of Floren are firm believers in nepotism."

Since Tayn and I are left to amuse ourselves we don't hesitate to do so. Tayn's shackles simply add spice to our sex, although I can't undress him entirely without ripping his clothes. As tempting as that may be, I don't lose sight of our predicament. Tayn has no hesitation in stripping me naked. My arousal is overcoming my worry about our fate. I straddle his lap, easing his magnificent shaft into my eager and ready hole. I ruthlessly ride his cock as though this may be the last chance we get. Tayn is equally eager to draw every ounce of pleasure from our coupling.

I don't keep track of the number of different positions we adopt, nor how many orgasms I achieve as we repeatedly fuck throughout the night. We eventually fall asleep, only to wake in the early hours of the morning and resume fucking. The experience is memorable, although not entirely for the right reasons. Sometime after dawn, Xara brings us breakfast before marching Tayn back to his cell. She promises us both that providing I'm well behaved, Tayn will return tonight.

The four day journey to Floren is no more uncomfortable than the long journey from Tewhanga. By the time we arrive, I'm no longer in heat, but that doesn't stop Tayn and I enjoying sex, albeit at a more subdued level. The ship's crew generally ignore me, while the captain spends his time on the quarterdeck where I'm prohibited from venturing. Apart from Tayn's nightly visits, my only regular human contact is with Xara. She checks on me several times a day, and brings me meals on occasion when the ship's cook is too busy. We hold brief conversations but Xara refuses to be drawn on what is going to happen to me beyond what she's already told me. Either she doesn't know, or she is trying to avoid trouble while we are at sea.

I've made enough journeys on ships to sense when the crew's routine is changing in preparation for entering a harbour. It's almost dawn when Tayn and I are woken by the sound of new activity. My attempt to go on deck to watch what is happening is blocked by a seaman who growls a few words at me in his own language. I may not understand his words but the meaning is clear enough. I return to my cabin and rejoin Tayn in my bed. Docking a ship of this size is likely to take some time.

When we're finally allowed on deck, I see the Falcó has moored against a quay that has seen better days. I suppose Floren is an old settlement; far older than Bardos. The predominantly industrial buildings within sight of the ship are a hodgepodge of old buildings. The dock workers are busy unloading a sailing ship moored next to the Falcó's bow. I watch as the cargo is hauled by a derrick from the ship's hold onto tramway wagons standing alongside. Like Bardos, the Floren use a tramway to carry bulk loads. However, these wagons have wooden yolks rather than a steam locomotive to haul them. I'm busy puzzling what sort of animal hauls the wagons when I see a coffle of minimally dressed men and women bound in chains brought onto the quay. Their overseers harness some of the prisoners to the yolks while others are moved to the rear of each wagon, presumably to push from behind. Xara summons me to the captain's cabin before I get to see them move the laden wagon.

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Chapter 77: The Domain

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"Don't concern yourself with the labours of slaves," says Xara.

"You allow slavery in Floren?!?" I reply, alarmed at the concept.

"Slavery is legal in Floren, and most of the city states hereabouts. Selling yourself into slavery is often the only way that the poor can survive, particularly if you are of mixed-blood."

"If those people voluntarily sold themselves into slavery, then why are they chained like that?" I ask.

"Those are probably captives taken during our last war with one of our neighbouring cities," replies Xara.

"Is Floren currently at war?" I ask, alarmed at the possible danger.

"Not at the moment," replies Xara. "Most captives taken during a war will be freed upon payment of a ransom, once a war ends. But not every captive has friends or relations who can pay a ransom. If the ransom isn't paid, then the captive forfeits citizenship of his or her homeland, and becomes a slave of their captors. Some slaves try to escape, which is why they are shackled."

I mull over Xara's words and the barbarity of the practise. I previously thought that the mainland cities would be well established centres of civilisation. What I see around me is anything but civilised.

"Word of your arrival has been sent to the Seneschal," says the captain. "You are to wait aboard the Falcó until she is ready to see you. Xara has been assigned to attend to your needs while you are our guest."

By the time Tayn and I return to the deck, the laden wagons have gone. I watch the workers busy on the quayside. There are no shackled men and women at work, but I detect from their clothing and behaviour that some groups are slaves under the supervision of an overseer. One overseer takes out a whip and lays it across the back of a clumsy slave.

"Why do your leaders allow such barbarity?" I ask Xara who is standing beside me.

"The law allows the High Marshal to punish discontent in any way he sees fit," replies Xara. "The Seneschal and her assistants ensure the people of Floren obey."

"And where do Tayn and I fit into all this?" I query. "Are we guests or slaves?"

"I don't know," replies Xara. "You will find out once the Seneschal concludes her examination of you. Most likely you will simply be released into our community once she has learned what she seeks. However, without friends or money you may find that you can't avoid selling yourself into slavery."

"What if we want to return to Madiana?"

"Hmmm. Without money that's not likely to be an option open to you. To be honest, I don't know why the Seneschal sent the Falcó to capture a specimen from Madiana. We heard rumours that the former inhabitants of Madiana had returned, but we know nothing about why our mission was necessary."

"Is that what we are to you? Specimens! " I snap.

"Until your status here is determined, then you will find yourself referred to as a Madiana specimen," replies Xara unapologetically. "Until your species is confirmed, our law classifies you as a specimen."

"I know what species I am," I reply. "On Madiana, Tayn and I are part of the Tomyris race. In the east the females of our species are known as Elf Maidens."

"Neither of those labels means anything here," replies Xara. "You had best wait until the Seneschal examines you. There's no point in worrying about the various outcomes the Seneschal may decree."

"I'll not be a slave to anyone!" I growl.

"Floren is well accustomed to handling unwilling slaves," replies Xara, unmoved by my outburst. "Admittedly a few slaves escape, but most get caught. There's a heavy price for failure. But slavery is just the worst of several possible outcomes for you both."

I'm feeling downhearted by the time we receive word that the Seneschal is ready to see us. Two sailors wait with me at the rear of the main deck. Tayn is hauled onto the deck from wherever he has been kept when we aren't together. Unlike me, he has been treated as a prisoner. His wrists and ankles are still locked in shackles.

I watch in horror as a sack is thrown over Tayn's head and he is roughly dragged down the gangplank and frogmarched out of sight. My attempt to run to Tayn is thwarted by the sailors standing either side of me, and my protests are met with stony silence.

"Where are you taking Tayn?" I ask Xara when she eventually joins us.

"The slave market," says Xara. "We were ordered to capture one specimen from Madiana. We unintentionally disobeyed our orders and seized two. The captain is rectifying that mistake. Think yourself lucky that you are the one the captain has chosen to present to the Seneschal."

"Tayn is my mate! " I snap. "I'll not abandon him. Let him go free, and I promise I'll do as you want without resistance."

"I'll see what I can do, but I make no promises," replies Xara after considering my offer.

"The captain says that he'll have Tayn returned to the ship," says Xara, when she returns from talking with the captain. "His fate will depend on your cooperation, and what the Seneschal determines for you."

Having struck the best deal I can manage in the circumstances, I allow Xara and two armed sailors to escort me through the stinking back streets of the port. Turning a corner, I see a high stone wall with a solid metal door facing the street. The wall and door look strong enough to withstand a siege. The chipped stonework and sooty marks on the wall suggest that it has been besieged at some time in the past.

Xara stands in front of the door, touching the dark metal, while the two sailors remain several paces behind with me. Suddenly Xara is immersed in a blue light originating from above the door. The intensity of the light soon fades to a faint glow. That seems to be signal for the sailors to push me forward into the blue light. Seconds later the door slides open.