Elf Maidens of Thurn

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Chapter 7: A glimmer of hope.

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Over the next few days, Cassandra is a whirlwind of activity. Our plan to reassign the cloisters as a home and workplace for the elves starts coming together. Thur's Elven Council has confirmed the cloisters are suitable, and the Emperor has given his approval for the cloisters to be re-designated as an elven ghetto. It would be better if the law requiring elves to live in ghettos was repealed, but that would be a step too far in the current political climate. Arrangements are made for the elves to move to the cloisters in stages spread over a few weeks.

On a personal note, DF36 came into heat today, and I wasted no time before taking advantage of the opportunities that her news presented. We've both been waiting for this moment to cement our contractual relationship. My relationship with Cassandra has developed far beyond the close friendship we had when we were studying history together. I'm still not certain what her feelings really are about my relationship with DF36, other than she is eager to participate in a ménage à trois.

Cassandra seems to be in a lustful mood when she joins us at my house later that afternoon. We spend several hours playing increasingly lewd and fanciful sex games. This is a side of Cassandra I never knew existed but I'm eager to participate in satisfying her sexual cravings. My cock is getting plenty of exercise and so far I've not had to plead for a respite. That, in part, is because DF36 and Cassandra seem happy to use DF36's leather cock to satisfy themselves while I'm recovering from my latest exertions.

I invite Cassandra to stay for an evening meal, which she readily accepts. That in turn leads to her staying the night. Her appetite for our sexual games seems to know no bounds now that she's discovered the pleasures she can enjoy.

The sleeping arrangements in my bed are cramped, but no worse than the sleeping spaces in the elven workshops. I'm sure Cassandra will be used to a large bed all to herself, but she is enthusiastic enough to snuggle close to DF36 and me.

The next morning it takes over an hour of sexual games before we mutually agree that we should all do some work. I leave DF36 to her work while Cassandra and I return to my office. During our walk to work, Cassandra reveals her idea of how we might be able to improve the life of elves and make progress in addressing the so-called Elf Maiden problem. I mull over what Cassandra proposes.

"So you are saying that men, like myself, with an Elf Maiden companion, should share the sexual experience with a Thurnian woman. Much like the three have been doing?"

"Exactly," says Cassandra.

"But how are Thurnian women going to make their interest in participating known?" I ask. "It isn't the sort of thing you can just walk up to a stranger and ask them. The Thurnian women I know would never venture into an elven House of Delight."

"Perhaps there will need to be more long-term relationships between Thurnian men and women. Casual sex works alright when it is confined to the Rutting Season, but for longer term unions, I think a more permanent relationship needs to be formed."

"Do you mean like marriage?" I ask.

While long-term relationships and marriages between Thurnian men and women are rare, they aren't completely non-existent. If Cassandra's idea takes root, then it is likely there will be an increase in formal and informal marriage arrangements. However, such a social change will take years to become common. I doubt the Chief Procurator is going to be that patient for a solution to the Elf Maiden problem.

"So how do you propose to get the whole idea started?"

"I shall use my influence in Thurnian society to set an example. I shall marry a Thurnian man and move in with him and his Elf Maiden."

"And who have you chosen for this honour?" I ask.

"Silly man. You, of course. I presume you will agree to marry me?"

"Um... Err... Yes, of course. But my modest house is going to be a bit cramped with three of us living there."

"There will be four of us," replies Cassandra. "I think we should invite your Elf Maiden's sister to be a part of our arrangement. That way we have an Elf Maiden in heat for most of the month. I have money of my own, so I'm sure we can find suitable accommodation for the four of us."

"DF36 has a name," I reply, trying to prompt Cassandra to use it.

"No, that's her serial number. It's a cruel imposition our forebears used as a tool to humiliate and demean elves. I fully intend to have my father repeal that odious law."

By the end of the day, we have developed the idea Cassandra proposed into a detailed plan for the Emperor's approval. If enough Thurnian women adopt the idea, then a solution to the housing of Elf Maidens could soon be found. While marriage has previously been a rarity, many Thurnian men and women have close friends among the opposite sex. Long-term relationships could soon develop from those friendships. If one or two Elf Maidens were included in each new relationship, then the law requiring Elf Maidens to live in ghettos would soon become obsolete.

We return to my house after work and join DF36 for an evening meal. Afterwards we discuss Cassandra's proposal with DF36, and discover that she wholeheartedly supports the idea. She even offers to approach her sister about her joining our new family arrangement.

When we are ready to resume our sex play, DF36 shows Cassandra her latest leather creation. It's the oiled leather cock Cassandra ordered. Only this is quite different from the one DF36 uses. Cassandra's leather cock seems to have two cocks back to back. The design starts to make sense when DF36 demonstrates it's use for Cassandra. If they position their bodies so they lie cunt-to-cunt, they can use Cassandra's leather cock to fuck each other at the same time. If my cock wasn't so exhausted I would feel a twinge of jealousy. However, it is only the start of a wild sexual adventure as we each push each other's boundaries.

"Do you really think the women of Thurn will abandon decades of their prudish attitude towards Elf Maidens and embrace this new lifestyle?" I ask Cassandra while the three of us are lying side by side on my bed.

"We only need a few at first. I intend to influence a few of the wealthier women, particularly those who associate with men who have their own private harem of Elf Maidens."

"I can't see many Thurnian women wanting to join a harem full of Elf Maidens," I say.

"Nor can I. At least not at the moment. But occasionally participating in sexual games may break down some barriers and soften some attitudes. And there will be plenty of men like you who enjoy satisfying a Thurnian woman outside of the Rutting Season."

"Hmm. True. But what are you planning on doing about giving elves the right to have proper names?"

"I've discussed it with DF36. Since the hereditary numbering system works well when it comes to differentiating one elf clone from her kin, I suppose we would need to retain it. But prefixing the number with two letters is demeaning. I propose that in DF36's case she would be called something like Mary thirty six."

"But all elves recognise the two letter identifier of our forebear," says DF36. "If you must give us a full name, then at least use our two letter identifier within the name. The DF's could become Defina or something like that."

"I've never heard of anyone called Defina before," I say.

"It's an elven word," replies DF36. "Besides, I think elves should have names which are uniquely their own. Can you imagine the complaints from those who don't approve of elves if they find themselves sharing a name with one."

The next morning, Cassandra and I are going over our proposals with the Chief Procurator prior to our meeting with the Emperor. He's torn between supporting our proposals, and thereby admitting I've made some progress with my task, and criticising our work and risk incurring the Emperor's displeasure. He settles for a ten minute monologue during which he contradicts himself several times.

Our meeting with the Emperor is more productive. He listens to Cassandra's proposals with interest, only interrupting to ask for clarification. Of course he doesn't fully support every idea, but he at least agrees to recommend the main changes Cassandra is proposing to the ruling council.

The slow turning cogs of the Thurnian legislative system will take months to remove some of the restrictions under which Elf Maidens must live. Even then, Elf Maidens will still be a long way from having equal rights to Thurnian women, but it's a step in the right direction. They will be allowed to have names along the lines that DF36 proposed, although even that simple change could take a year or more to implement.

Cassandra and I marry in a very public ceremony. Not only because Cassandra is the Emperor's daughter, but because she wanted as many Thurnian men and women as possible to see the opportunity long-term relationships could offer. The timing of our marriage is also influenced by the upcoming start to the Rutting Season when Thurnian women are fertile. Although it will be months before elves can legally use full names, Defina35 and Defina36 choose not to wait, and they use their new names at once.

My contract with the two Definas doesn't proscribe them from having sexual relations with other men. So far they haven't shown any inclination to seek sex elsewhere, but it keeps me from becoming complacent and ignoring their sexual needs. I just hope I have the stamina for the task ahead.

So far, I've only scratched the surface of solving the so-called Elf Maiden problem. However, I feel Cassandra and I have started us on a long path towards resolving the different racial issues between elves and indigenous Thurnians. Deep-seated attitudes will be slow to change. However, Cassandra and I don't intend to simply walk away from the work that still needs doing.

"Perhaps we need to investigate the living conditions of the adolescent elves who work on farms and in the mines," suggests Cassandra one evening. "We also need to get a better understanding of why so many adolescent elves disappear each year."

"We don't know for certain that any are missing," I reply. "The census figures are unreliable. Not all employers are diligent in reporting the number of elves working for them. After all, adolescent elves are still regarded as animals, so no official is going to worry about a few discrepancies in the records. The hazards of the long journey to and from the city ghettos before and after winter could be claiming the lives of some elves, but nobody records how many."

"Hmm... I've heard the stories of young elves being set upon by wolves and bears as they make the annual trek to and from their winter quarters. But none of those stories come from elven sources. And what of the elves' body odour. That's a natural defence against wild animals. There's evidence that it works against wolves and bears in Thurn."

Clearly the time has come for me to research the living and working conditions of adolescent elves. I should also check the various conflicting histories of how elves came to Thurn. Putting the record straight on the origins of the Elf Maidens of Thurn would be an achievement in itself, and a platform for correcting the wrongs of the past.

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Chapter 8: Origins of Elves in Thurn

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Fortunately the elves arrival in Thurn occurred within the last century, so studying the relevant era isn't proscribed. Nevertheless, my research into the origins of elves in Thurn turns out to be a scholar's nightmare. I don't understand the paranoia those in power have about Thurn's ancient history, but there is clearly something in our past that our ruling council wants to keep secret.

Since the official records of Gregori's expedition have been destroyed, historians must rely on less reliable accounts of what happened. Some of those accounts are inconsistent, and a few stretch plausibility to the limit. Thankfully, Cassandra has access to the Emperor's personal library, which contains Gregori's memoires, written several years after his ships returned to Thurn.

After two months of research and analysis, I'm confident my work is as close to the truth as any existing historical treatise on the subject. Cassandra and I sit down to discuss my research.

"Have you been able to determine the accuracy of some of the commonly held beliefs about the origins of the elves?" asks Cassandra.

"Lord Gregori's own memoires confirm that he was commissioned by Emperor Rambold to explore the seas to find a legendary land to the south of Thurn. I haven't been able to establish the origins of the legend, other than it supposedly refers to a vast area of land that exists far to the south. Lord Gregori assembled a fleet of five ships and a party of two hundred men. Once the winter ice melted and the storms eased, the expedition set sail from Thur half a century ago... fifty-two years to be precise. It was a risky venture for sailors who had never previously travelled out of sight of the coast.

"None of the surviving documents agree on how many weeks the expedition travelled. Lord Gregori didn't record the duration in his memoires, and all his sea charts have been deliberately destroyed. It isn't even certain which direction the fleet sailed when it departed Thur. To reach the south by sea, a ship must first travel east or west to clear the northern coast of Thurn. Common belief holds that the fleet sailed west before turning south, but I can't find any conclusive evidence that is so. Furthermore, we have no idea whether the fleet travelled on a steady course, or meander about in search of their goal.

"Gregori's memoires confirm the widely accepted stories about the expedition finding a new land and disembarking in a wide river estuary. The climate was hot, and the land's flora and fauna was very different from Thurn. Large cats and giant lizards were the most dangerous of the many animals they encountered. Those facts also appear in the sagas that elves pass down from one generation to the next."

"Is it possible the elves' sagas have developed from the stories Thurnian men have spread?" asks Cassandra.

"It's possible, but I think it unlikely," I continue. "It's the only set of facts where Thurnian records and elven sagas agree. Thurnian records suggest the female elves were eager to be taken aboard the ships and brought back to Thurn, whereas elven sagas repeatedly refer to them being kidnapped. Nor is clear whether the settlement where Gregori's expedition encountered elves was a permanent settlement, or a temporary encampment. Gregori refers to the elves as being nomadic, but the elven sagas suggest otherwise.

"The only conclusive evidence I can find is that one hundred and seven very sea-sick elven women disembarked in Thur in early winter of that year. They were herded into a disused warehouse to await their fate. Fortunately for us, the harbourmaster's logbook survived the destruction of official documents about the expedition. The log book records the number and condition of elven women who disembarked. It also records that the five ships were promptly ordered to be burned. According to the harbourmaster, the ships' wooden hulls had become infested with an unidentified breed of sea worm that ate into the planking. Apparently, three of the ships were leaking enough water to require constant pumping of their lower holds."

"I thought Gregori's ships were destroyed because the residual stench from the elves in their holds was beyond cleaning," interrupts Cassandra. "Isn't that where the phrase 'stinking elves' originated?"

"That's a popular myth. The harbourmaster's log says otherwise," I reply.

"Then why lie about the reasons for destroying the ships in the first place?" muses Cassandra.

"I think money had a lot to do with it," I say. "I also suspect there was a degree of xenophobia. Gregori wanted compensation for the loss of his ships. However, Emperor Rambold refused, citing the stench of the elves as the cause of the lack of the ships' seaworthiness. Rambold decreed that it was Gregori's decision to transport the elves to Thurn, so Gregori must suffer the consequences. However, Gregori had the last laugh.

"Having declared the elves to be Gregori's property, Rambold was unable to benefit financially from the elves acquisition by eager Thurnian men, who soon learned of the elves ability to have sex all year round. The ruling council hastily made several contradictory laws governing the treatment of the elves. Since slavery has always been abhorrent and illegal in Thurn, it was necessary to classify the elves as animals so that they could be acquired by interested Thurnian men. While all this was happening, the elves were housed to a large disused warehouse on the outskirts of the docks where their strong odour would only offend the poorer denizens of Thur. At some stage the elves were tattooed with the two letter identifier; a system of identification still in use today. As the weeks progressed, it became apparent that many of the elves were pregnant.

"The elves were dispersed around Thur and nearby settlements. When not required for sex, elves were invariably consigned to outdoor work, or to jobs in mines and odorous manufacturing industries such as tanneries and iron works. It is through their work in manufacturing that the elven population developed excellent skills at leather-craft and metalwork. Farmers were also regular employers of elves, using the elves' strong odour to deter wolves and bears from attacking their livestock. Despite coming from warmer lands, the elves adapted remarkably well to the cooler climate of their new home. Most elves managed to survive the elements with only the thin clothing their owners provided. Although elves were required to understand and speak the Thurnian language, the new laws prohibited the elves from learning to read and write. However, many of the elves own traditions and customs were allowed to continue.

"As occurs now, young elven children were brought up in crèches. When the children reach their seventh year, they are considered old enough to work. By the time the first generation of Thurnian born elves reached their teens, the laws affecting elves had been amended. Adult elves became known as Elf Maidens and they were no longer classified as animals. That meant adult elves could no longer be owned. Consequently, adolescent elves became the ones to work on Thurn's farms, and in the mines and industry. Elf Maidens were reassigned, and, as now, are mainly confined to designated ghettoes. This ensured that Elf Maidens were confined while being accessible for sex with Thurnian men."

"Yes, I remember hearing that the change of status for adult elves became necessary when some legal expert pointed out that men having sex with animals was both repugnant and probably against Thurnian law, although nobody could determine which law," says Cassandra.

"Anyway, in the fifty years since the first arrival of elves in Thurn, the population of elves has increased rapidly," I continue. "That's despite the number of fatalities among the poorly trained adolescent elves working in the mines and industries. In addition, an unknown number of adolescent elves go missing each year on the long journey to and from their winter quarters in the ghettoes, and the remote farms and mines where they must work for the rest of the year."

"Have you made any progress on researching the working conditions of adolescent elves and identifying how many go missing?" asks Cassandra.

"Only a few employers were willing to allow me access to their workforce, so much of my investigation had to rely on the testimony of Elf Maidens living in the Thur's ghettoes who have only recently reached adulthood. Fortunately, the two Definas were able to introduce me to several young Elf Maidens. Government records going back several decades filled in the gaps.