Elf Maidens of Thurn

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Chapter 10: A new job

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My extensive research and recommendations on improving the life of Elf Maidens and their offspring attracts some tentative support from the Emperor. However, like many wealthy and powerful Thurnian men, he and his advisers soon succumb to their own personal interests. The radical changes I proposed in my report soon get watered-down by the Chief Procurator and his allies. Eventually they are virtually meaningless tokens disguised as progress. I'm frustrated that months of my work is distorted and manipulated, and that my report is likely to be consigned to some dusty archive.

As the daughter of the Emperor, Cassandra is less constrained in voicing her opinion about the dismissal of my report's main recommendations. However, her father won't be swayed. With so many powerful men relying on the cheap labour that elves are forced to provide, there's no appetite to make more than cosmetic changes to the law. The Chief Procurator is ecstatic at my name being added to the list of men who have attempted and failed to solve the so-called Elf Maiden problem.

As an added symbol of his victory, the Chief Procurator persuades the Emperor to 'reward' me by appointing me as the Thurnian trade envoy to the newly discovered elven forest community at Hapori Ngahere and any other elven communities that might exist. Despite my job's grand title, the role is a meaningless position. The elven community I discovered is more than capable of trading with local Thurnian settlements without the need for an official trade envoy. Unfortunately, the appointment carries the Emperor's seal, so I cannot refuse.

"When do we leave?" asks Cassandra.

"In a few days. I will understand if you wish to remain here, near your father," I reply.

"Nonsense. I'm your wife. We go together. I think our two Elf Maidens intend to come with us."

The contracts I have signed with Defina35 and Defina36 don't require them to follow me to the far reaches of Thurn and beyond, but I will be glad of their company. Not simply because they are good company and excellent sex partners, but their knowledge and skills will be useful in establishing trust with any remote elven communities we encounter.

The Chief Procurator is his usual vague self when it comes to telling me what is expected from a trade envoy to the elven communities. While he doesn't openly admit that he has created my new role simply to keep me out of the way, he doesn't say or do anything to dispel that impression. The elven community I met in the southern wilderness don't regard themselves as part of Thurn. Even Isbjerg and the Thurnian settlements east of the Reakie River are only nominally part of Thurn. Isbjerg fiercely defends its quasi-independence. Nobody there is going to welcome an imperial official of any description being based in their city. My previous trip to Isbjerg was received with surly tolerance and begrudging assistance from city officials. Fortunately my experience in dealing with the Chief Procurator has given me skills at circumventing the obstructions unwilling officials are likely to throw in my way.

"We should establish contact with the elven community at Hapori Ngahere before deciding on which Thurnian town or city to use as a base," suggests Cassandra when I pose the problem of where to go first.

Her suggestion is the opposite of what the Chief Procurator had in mind. The Chief Procurator suggested making contact with various Thurnian merchants to see what products they need, or can sell to the elven communities. That, of course, assumes the merchants are willing to trade with elves; which is far from certain. Not only is there racial bigotry to overcome, but transporting goods through dense forests inhabited by dangerous animals would make all but the bravest merchant prefer to trade elsewhere.

I value Cassandra's opinion far more than that of the backstabbing Chief Procurator. We therefore make plans to travel directly to Hapori Ngahere which I visited during my earlier travels. With winter only a couple of months away, we can't afford to delay or we may end up spending the entire winter snowbound in a remote elven village. The shortest route would be to travel south along the highway between Thur and the town of Stormguard. The highway follows the fertile valley that provides western Thurn with most of its food and minerals. But the highway ends at Stormguard. Only farm tracks and forest trails extend beyond it. Even they end after a short distance. Without an elven guide we could never find our way through the wilderness to Hapori Ngahere. During my visit a few months ago, the citizens of Stormguard made it clear they want nothing to do with elves. Consequently, waiting for an elven trader to arrive in Stormguard would be a waste of time.

The alternative route to the Hapori Ngahere requires us to take a longer, more northerly journey, initially going east, parallel to the coast. Unfortunately, rugged hills and fast-flowing rivers are obstacles that force lengthy detours, making an overland journey frustratingly slow. However, that route will take us to the northern edge of the wilderness where there are several small Thurnian settlements that regularly trade with the elves from Hapori Ngahere. Travelling to one of them, and waiting for an elven trader, provides a much better chance of reaching our destination before winter.

"What if we hire a small ship to take us as far as Reak?" suggest Cassandra as we study the map.

The Reakie river was once a major trading route in the years before the highway between Thur and Isbjerg was completed. It is one of the few rivers that is navigable to small ships far inland. The township of Reak was once much larger, and boasted docks and warehouses where trade goods from Isbjerg and the eastern towns arrived overland by caravan, and were transferred to ships bound for Thur. These days those trade goods travel along the highway, or directly from Isbjerg on ships large enough to brave the treacherous waters along the Isbjerg coast. Reak, and its river, are now rarely used as a trade route.

Since the main tributary of the Reakie river passes near settlements that trade with the elves, Cassandra's suggestion has merit. We could travel by ship to Reak, and from there follow the river as it curves to the south-west as far as one of the settlements we seek. It sounds easy in theory, but can we find a suitable ship at short notice? Furthermore can we buy what we need to complete our journey in Reak? The government records about Reak are so out-of-date as to be worthless.

Fortunately, Cassandra and the two Definas are willing and able to organise storage of our possessions and find transport as far as Reak. That leaves me free to attend to the paperwork and politics surrounding my appointment as trade envoy to all the elven settlements (known, and so far unknown) in the southern wilderness. My official warrant is purely for the benefit of any Thurnian official I come across in my travels. Elves conduct their trade without fanciful contracts and written agreements. Somehow I doubt they will understand what a trade envoy does. I'm not so sure about that myself.

Two days later the four of us depart Thur on board the Fair Catch, a fishing vessel that is only just large enough to be described as a ship rather than a boat. The crew of three men are all part of the same family. The ship's compliment is boosted by two Elf Maidens who prepare the meals in addition to providing the usual sexual services for the crew. The Elf Maidens' inclusion at least means Defina36, who is in heat, isn't expected to service the crew as well as Cassandra and me.

Since the sea is calm and the prevailing wind blows in a favourable direction, there is plenty of time for both crew and passengers to relax. Given the cramped conditions on board the ship, we all soon agree that sexual activity need not be confined to the few private corners of the vessel. This is apparently the usual arrangement the crew and their Elf Maidens, CE42 and AS37, have while at sea. Cassandra and I soon shake off the remnants of our strict upbringing regarding proper behaviour in mixed company. The Fair Catch is soon home to what can only be described as a seaborne orgy.

I'm exhausted by the time we reach the estuary of the Reakie river. We wait until dawn before turning south, and enter the Reakie river. From here on the crew will need to pay closer attention to sailing their ship, and less to playing with their Elf Maidens. Although Cassandra and I aren't needed for sailing the ship, we cease our sexual activity for completely different reasons. Firstly Defina36 is no longer in heat and Defina35 isn't due to start for a week or so. Secondly, Cassandra discovers that she is expecting our first child. We are now in the period when Thurnian women usually discover the outcome of whatever sexual activity they engaged in during their fertile period during the Rutting Season. In Cassandra's and my case, sex was a several-times-a-day occurrence, so her announcement is hardly a surprise.

Having made good time from Thur to the river estuary, our journey slows considerably as the crew sail against the strong current of the Reakie river. We need to anchor whenever the wind drops to avoid the current pushing us back downstream. Fortunately that isn't very often, and we don't need to resort to towing the ship with the small rowing boat stored on the cabin roof. Later that afternoon we reach the first and largest of several lakes along the river. The northern end of the lake is the location of the ferry crossing that links either side of the Thur to Isbjerg highway. By my estimate, we have saved more than a day's travel to this place by travelling by ship. We don't stop at the tiny village on the eastern bank, and we push on towards Reak at the far end of the lake. We arrive in Reak four hours later, much to the surprise of locals who haven't seen a ship as large as the Fair Catch use their dilapidated quayside for many years. Our arrival is a cause for celebration among the townspeople.

"We don't allow elves into the town," says one of the town aldermen when he notices the Elf Maidens with us.

Unfortunately, the alderman's attitude towards elves is common in many of Thurn's provincial towns and villages. Even larger towns aren't immune to the hypocrisy of profiting from the cheap labour elves provide while denying them access to the town's facilities. Cassandra is about to launch into a protest, but I quickly calm her anger. We will need the alderman's assistance to acquire suitable transport to complete our journey. The ship's crew are treated as celebrities and they lap up the attention. They either fail to notice, or simply don't care, how their two Elf Maidens feel about being confined to the ship.

Cassandra and I don't linger in Reak any longer than necessary. We soon find a local trader with a small boat who is willing to transport our party to one of the settlements we seek. To the south of Reak, the Reakie river flows from a south-westerly direction with a high ridge dominating the south-eastern bank. The ridge, which the locals unimaginatively call the High Ridge, acts as a barrier to travel between Isbjerg and the wilderness to the south. Nobody knows how far the ridge extends to the south, but there is a narrow trail bypassing Reak that winds its way over a saddle in the High Ridge. It's the route that elves fleeing from Isbjerg invariably take to reach the southern wilderness.

We say farewell to the crew of the Fair Catch who are still sobering up from the previous night's celebrations. I don't know what their plans are from here. The much shallower river upstream means that the lake is as far as the Fair Catch can travel. If we can establish a regular trade route from Hapori Ngahere, and any other elven wilderness communities we find, then there is the possibility of Reak re-establishing its former role as a trade hub. But not if Reak's citizens keep refusing to have anything to so with elves.

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Chapter 11: Arrival at Fallowfield

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Our journey up the Reakie river is uncomfortable. The trader's boat is a glorified raft, relying on a large sail and huge rear oar for propulsion. The trader and a burly oarsman are the only crew. They have a rapport that suggests that they've made this trip together many times before. We sit among the crates and sacks that the trader is transporting. There's nowhere to lie down and we will need to go ashore to sleep overnight. The trader estimates our journey will take three days providing the weather holds. The river current is sluggish at the moment, so it offers little hindrance to our progress. However, the trader says that the river can rise quickly in wet weather, and the current become too strong to battle against.

We halt our journey at midday for a brief rest and a light lunch. To our left, the High Ridge towers above us, and the forest on the bank to the right is too dense to risk going far. Indeed, there are only a few places along the river where a boat can safely put ashore. We stop at a small riverside clearing on the shores of a small lake. It must be a regular way-point for the trader. Fortunately neither the trader nor his oarsman have any biases against elves, so Defina35 and Defina36 are treated as equals. Given the cramped conditions on-board the raft, it would be difficult were that not so.

"You seem puzzled," I say to the trader as he checks the stowage of his cargo before we resume our journey.

"Yes. I've occasionally lost goods overboard in my travels, but never have I acquired unexplained extra cargo mid-journey. I loaded two dozen sacks of flour at Reak, and now I have twenty-six sacks."

The mystery is soon solved. Inside two of the large sacks we find CE42 and AS37. They initially refuse to say how they came to be here. It is only when Defina35 and Defina36 admit to helping them stowaway on board the raft do we get to the truth. By confining the elves on-board the Fair Catch, its crew had broken their contract with their two Elf Maidens. Consequently they decided to leave. The easiest way of doing so was to join us in our travels.

The rash action of the Elf Maidens may place us in an awkward situation should we cross paths with the crew of the Fair Catch. However, there is nothing illegal in the Elf Maidens' departure. In any case, we may never meet the crew again. From what AS37 says, the crew will quickly find replacement Elf Maidens once they return to Thur. The close friendship Cassandra and I enjoy with Defina35 and Defina36 wasn't replicated between the crew of the Fair Catch and their Elf Maidens.

After renegotiating the price of our journey with the merchant, everyone on the raft seems happy with the new travelling arrangement. The fact that CE42 is in heat quickly smooths out any lingering problems with the merchant and his oarsman. They at least control their urges until we stop for the night at a small island in the middle of yet another small lake. Once the tents are erected, the two men don't waste any time in taking CE42 inside.

Our journey south-east resumes the next morning despite the oarsman looking worn out. CE42 is still in heat, and she looks ready to resume last night's activities at any time. If it wasn't for Cassandra having a bout of morning sickness, I too might have succumbed to the effect of CE42's strong pheromones. As it is, I focus on attending to Cassandra's needs as best I can. It's common for many Thurnian women to be in the early stages of pregnancy at this time of year. Most pregnant Thurnian women suffer from morning sickness, so Cassandra's suffering isn't unusual. It is another of those differences between the biology of Thurnian women and Elf Maidens, who rarely suffer from the discomfort of morning sickness.

Fortunately the wind is blowing up-river, so the sail takes most of the strain. The oarsman only needs to use his oar to steer, while the merchant adjusts the sails. As anticipated, we arrive at the small Thurnian settlement of Fallowfield on the third day after leaving Reak. The warm reception we all receive confirms that the inhabitants have regular dealings with elves. Now all we need to do is to wait for someone to arrive who can us through the wilderness to Hapori Ngahere.

The trader soon completes his business in Fallowfield, although he lingers for a few days while CE42 remains in heat. He even tries to tempt her into joining him on his return journey to Reak, but CE42 wisely declines. She won't be welcome in Reak, and we don't know whether the crew of the Fair Catch are still there. We wake the following morning to find that the merchant and his oarsman have departed on their way back to Reak.

We only need to wait another two days before four adolescent elves enter the village. I didn't see them arrive but the local villagers say the elves came from the forest to the south rather than along the eastward track leading to the saddle over the High Ridge. Defina36 soon establishes that the elves come from a community I didn't visit on my previous journey to this region. Only one of the elves has a Thurnian serial number tattooed on her inner arm. The other three must be native to the wilderness. The elves have come to trade for flour which they intend to purchase with some of the gemstones they have mined from the huge network of caverns they call home.

The villagers have just received a delivery of flour, so meeting the request isn't a problem. However, I can't see how these four elves can carry even one of the heavy sacks back to their community. That doesn't stop the villagers from selling six of the flour sacks the merchant delivered a few days ago.

The four adolescent elves are happy to socialise with the four Elf Maidens in our party, but they look at Cassandra and me with suspicion. While young Thurnian men periodically visit the elven communities for the plentiful sex on offer, they are usually from local villages. A male visitor from Thur, travelling with a Thurnian woman, must be something that none of these young elves have come across before. Fortunately, they haven't journeyed to Fallowfield alone. A short distance from the village is a group of three more elves, waiting with six pack mules ready to transport the flour back to their elven community. The leader of the elven group is an Elf Maiden called Akenehi. I know from my previous visit that the Thurnian numbering of elven clones has no place among the elven wildness communities.

"What business do you have with our commune?" asks Akenehi.

"I have been appointed by the Emperor of Thurn as a trade envoy," I reply. "My task is to improve trade between the elven communities in the wilderness and the towns and cities of Thurn."

"And why are you here?" Akenehi asks of Cassandra.

"I am travelling with my husband. We have both been making efforts to improve the treatment of elves living in Thurn."

"Hmmph!" snorts Akenehi. "I fail to see how providing greedy businessmen with greater opportunities for profit is helping the treatment of our exploited sisters in your factories, farms and mines."

"Perhaps this is something we should discuss with your leaders," I say. "Will you guide us to your commune?"

"All who come in peace are welcome in our commune," replies Akenehi, as though by rote. "We shall be leaving as soon as our trade here is finished. Are you ready to depart?"

"We only need to fetch our belongings," I reply. "We can be ready in twenty minutes."

Akenehi merely nods in acknowledgement of my reply. Fortunately, we are travelling with minimal baggage, so we have no difficulty in being ready in time. As it turns out, the elven group needs slightly longer to complete its business. Apparently, the adolescent elves we first saw are on their first trading expedition. They are in need of additional guidance from Akenehi and the two more experienced adolescent elves. The problem appears to be that the odour of the younger elves, which acts as a natural deterrent against wild animals, is annoying the mules. The older elves keep instructing the younger ones how to manage the problem.