Elf Maidens of Thurn

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Chapter 20: New Duties

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The terms of the agreement reached between Atene's ruling council, the Rangatira, and our group's leader, Akenehi, are more demanding than I first thought. In exchange for allowing our group to stay in Atene, and giving Cassandra and me access to study the ancient murals in the Halls of Ancestors, Drew, Seamus and I are expected to copulate with as many eager Elf Maidens as we can manage. That may sound like a man's dream come true, but after only a few days I feel this is too much of a good thing. Fortunately there will be fewer Elf Maidens seeking our attention once they become pregnant. Which, of course, is exactly what Kahu and the rest of the Rangatira want in order to stem the steady decline in the Atene population.

In my case, I have Cassandra willing to soothe my overused body. Normally she would expect me to return the favour, but she is still recovering from giving birth to Rawiri. Consequently we settle for more gentler intimate acts. In any case, at this time of year, we would need an Elf Maiden in heat to emit the powerful feminine scent required to trigger sexual desire in a Thurnian male. One of the two Definas usually performs the service for us, although she will expect her fair share of the action.

The reproductive biology of Thurnians and elves are an inconvenient limitation on each race. Thurnian women are only fertile for a few weeks each year during the Rutting Season. The pheromones that a woman in heat emits are essential for a Thurnian male to trigger sexual desire. This limitation undoubtedly reduces the level of violence and aggressive behaviour among males for most of the year, but it has other consequences which are less desirable. Not least of which has been the constant battle of both Thurnian and elven societies to maintain a viable population.

The race my forebears mistakenly labelled 'elves' has a different problem. Female elves are fertile for two or three weeks every month, but their male counterparts are unequal to the task before them. The fertility of elven males is poor, and can be worsened by disease. A decade ago, the Atene males suffered an outbreak of just such a disease which has left them almost infertile. This has decimated the population of Atene in recent years, both from a low birth rate, and an exodus of fertile Elf Maidens to other elven settlements.

A solution to the reproduction problems of both races was accidentally discovered fifty years ago. Thurnian men are able to breed with adult female elves, the ones we call Elf Maidens. However, the resulting child is always a clone of her mother. Consequently, the population of elves within the boundaries of Thurn is entirely female. Only here, outside of Thurnian territory, have Cassandra and I encountered male elves. Atene's male elves have been reluctant to accept the presence of Thurnian men, and they are protective of what they regard as their dominion. Like Thurnian men, an eleven male needs the scent of a female in heat before being able to play his part in reproduction. However, unlike Thurnian men, hormone fuelled aggression is constantly present in elven males, and it isn't always under control.

Fortunately, Kahu has made it clear to all concerned that the Rangatira have welcomed Akenehi's mixed group of female elves and Thurnian men and women into the Atene community. Kahu's proclamation hasn't created harmony, but it has at least kept the peace for now. As far as we are aware, Elf Maidens who are bonded in a relationship with an elven male haven't presented themselves to Drew, Seamus or me for sex. Unfortunately, we don't know how to tell if an Elf Maiden is bonded to an elven male, so we are reliant on her honesty. I'm under no illusion that the quickest way to anger an elven male is for one of us to make his bonded mate pregnant.

"I've discovered more about elven bonding," says Cassandra to me as we lie together in our bed. "One of the Atene elves told Aputa that she is bonded to that elven male with the scar on his left cheek."

Akeheni has assigned her youngest daughter, Aputa, to assist Cassandra as an interpreter. Although our knowledge of the elven language is improving, Cassandra and I can still only hold basic conversations with the Atene elves. As far as we know, only Kahu among the Atene elves can speak any Thurnian.

"Hmm. I know the male you mean. I keep clear of him when I can. I think he'd happily kill us all given half a chance. So what did you learn? Is bonding like our marriage?"

"Not exactly. Male elves are very territorial, and they claim a mate by a combination of intimidation and brute force. If a male desires to bond with a female elf, he first challenges other males for the exclusive right to approach her. If no other male contests his challenge, then he can approach the female for her consent to bond with him. If she agrees, then she effectively becomes his property."

"That doesn't sound like a very attractive proposition," I muse. "Why would a female elf even consider such an arrangement?"

"It's no different from Elf Maidens in Thurn agreeing to be part of a man's harem," replies Cassandra. "She gains the protection of the male, and she is no longer pestered by other males for sex. You must remember that male elves are aggressive. Not all sex here is entirely consensual. Seduction and sexual coercion are not uncommon among the Atene community."

"And yet there are plenty of Elf Maidens seeking out Drew, Seamus and me," I reply.

"There are twice as many adult females as males, and only a few males try to bond with more than one female. Some males don't bother bonding and rely on the general pool of unbonded females for sex. Only the strongest males try to build their personal harem. As I said, before they bond, males can be challenged for exclusive rights over a female. Such challenges can sometimes be fought to the death. Several of the elves you've been fucking are former bonded females whose male has been killed."

"So the victor of these challenges doesn't claim the bonded females of the loser?"

"Certainly not," replies Cassandra. "A female elf isn't a slave to be passed between owners. She must consent to a bonding, particularly as it gives the male total ownership of her body."

"I still think that sounds like slavery," I muse. "What if the male maltreats his bonded female?"

"Don't confuse the docility shown by most Thurnian elves for an inability of an elf to defend herself. You know Akenehi and her group didn't leave captivity without bloodshed. However, you are right up to a point. There are no customs or laws that protect a bonded elf from abuse by her partner."

"I don't suppose you discovered how to identify a bonded elf?" I ask, still worried about the risk of inadvertently having sex with a bonded Elf Maiden.

"Look for an ear tag. Bonded females wear a small tag with their partner's symbol in the lobe of their left ear. I thought you would have noticed that before."

Perhaps I should have noticed that before, but my eyes rarely stray to that part of an Elf Maiden's anatomy. All elves are attractive by any standard, and the Elf Maidens who have been calling on me for sex are exceptionally beautiful. I draw Cassandra closer for a kiss before my mind wanders too far down the route of comparing the females in my life. We fall asleep in each other's arms.

While I'm spending most of each day tending to randy Elf Maidens, Cassandra is busy researching the ancient murals in the Halls of Ancestors. She's decided that the trick to understanding the meaning of the murals is to work backwards. Each mural is square in shape, and consists of five pictures. There's a large circular main scene in the centre, with four smaller scenes occupying the corners. The twelve square murals are clearly in a sequence, although the time gap between each set of five scenes is undefined. Each mural is enclosed inside a narrow border of strange symbols. The artists have left their personal mark at the bottom right of each mural, indicating that up to six artists worked on each picture, and most artists worked on multiple scenes. The different combinations of artists' marks confirm that all twelve murals were painted around the same time.

"The main picture in the rightmost mural is the only one that shows both elves and Thurnians in the same scene," says Cassandra as she shows me the mural she has been studying. "This group here are clearly elves, and the group on this side appear to be Thurnians."

"But they aren't the only beings who are depicted," I reply, pointing to a third group of humanoid beings.

"Hmmm. That's true. That group are dressed like the elves, but they also seem to have protruding foreheads."

"A third race, perhaps?" I muse. "Thurnians and elves may not be the only two intelligent races to inhabit these lands."

"Surely someone, be they Thurnian or elf, would have recorded an encounter with one of these beings at some stage," replies Cassandra. "You and I have read Thurnian history going back more than two centuries. According to Akenehi, none of elven folklore mentions any encounter with a third intelligent race."

"Hmm. That's not necessarily true. Were you never told stories about goblins and orcs when you were a child?"

"Fairy tales! Just because a Thurnian explorer took one look at Akenehi's ancestors and called her race 'elves', doesn't mean that fairy tale creatures exist."

"What if those fairy tales are based on a kernel of truth?" I persist. "Most stories have origins in real life events."

"You have a long way to go to convince me that these so-called orcs and goblins exist," laughs Cassandra.

"Perhaps they don't exist any longer, but may be they did when this scene was played out."

"Those people are called Phebes," says Kahu, who has joined us in the Halls of Ancestors and has overheard our conversation. "They live on the other side of the mountains to the south of us. We occasionally receive a visit from one of their merchants."

Cassandra and I look at each other in amazement. Certainly the murals depict scenes that support the idea that these lands are home to multiple races, all sharing some commonality in appearance. But beyond that, the meaning of the scenes in the murals are still unclear. The tower shown in two of the murals suggests that Atene is the stage for these scenes.

"Are the Phebes friendly?" asks Cassandra of Kahu. "What have you interpreted from these murals?"

"The Phebes are peaceful, but their society is strictly controlled by their leaders," replies Kahu. "Apart from a solitary merchant, the Phebes rarely venture outside of their settlement."

"What have you learned about these murals?" I ask.

"I have two elven scholars studying the murals when they can be spared from other duties," says Kahu. "I'll introduce you to them later, and they can tell you what they have discovered so far."

Kahu departs, and Cassandra returns to studying the rightmost mural. I leave her in peace and go to explore the strange circular tower. The inside of the stone tower consists of stone open-tread steps winding their way up the inside of the wall to the top of the tower. Narrow metre-long vertical slits in the wall, about waist height, follow the line of the steps, and provide just enough light to see. The inside edge of the steps rests against the metal inner tower, but the steps don't seem to be attached to it. About half way up the forty-metre tall tower, the steps briefly cease their climb and form a small crescent shaped platform before resuming their climb to the roof.

Aligned with the platform is some sort of door giving access to inside the metal tower. I can't find any means of opening the door, so I continue my climb to the roof. Near the top of the tower, the metal inner tower suddenly curves in on itself to form a metal dome, leaving the last few metres of the stone tower a large empty space. The steps end at another small platform a metre or so under a stout wooden ceiling. A hatch above the platform must give access to the roof, but the padlock on the hatch prevents me from going further.

I study the stone walls carefully, but it soon becomes clear that anything of interest is inside the metal tower. I form the opinion that the stone tower is merely a protective sleeve for the metal inner tower. Slightly disappointed, I return to the Halls of Ancestors. Since I'm due to help attend to the sex-hungry Elf Maidens in a short while, I leave Cassandra to her research.

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Chapter 21: The Pussy Den

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I head across the village to relieve Seamus in the building we privately call the pussy den. It's a small out-of-the-way cabin that Kahu has assigned for Elf Maidens to visit when they want sex with a Thurnian man. I enter through the main door and see an Elf Maiden waiting patiently for her turn in the room beyond. The grunts and moans coming from the other side of the door confirm that Seamus is busy with an elf.

"Hello, Ihapera," I say as I walk past the waiting Elf Maiden. "Back again so soon?"

"Oh hi, Alex," smiles the pretty elf. "I'm only going to be in heat for another couple of days, and I really need to get pregnant."

I'm not sure where Ihapera learned to speak the Thurnian language, and she speaks it better than Kahu. While I understand Kahu's desire to halt the decline in Atene's population, and the enthusiasm of many of Atene's Elf Maidens to make the most of what's on offer, I didn't interpret Kahu's request as meaning every fertile Elf Maiden had to be pregnant by the end of the month.

"There's always next month, Ihapera," I laugh. "We aren't planning on leaving."

"I know. But any unbonded adult elf who isn't pregnant before her next cycle will be claimed by one of our males. It's a condition the Rangatira agreed with our males in order for you to be allowed to stay here. I don't want to be bonded yet, which is why I need you to make me pregnant."

I wasn't aware of any deal that the Rangatira made with the male elves, but it explains why a dozen or so Elf Maidens are behaving as though Seamus, Drew and I might vanish overnight. I know Cassandra said that an Atene Elf Maiden must consent to a bonding, but it is easy to imagine how that consent might be bribed or coerced from a young female.

"I'm about to relieve Seamus," I say. "The main room won't be available for a few minutes, but if you are pressed for time, we can use the smaller room."

"Yes, I would like that," smiles Ihapera.

I'm delighted by Ihapera's response. The young leather worker can't have been an adult for more than a year and she has all the eagerness of youth. As a race, elves are naturally attractive to Thurnian eyes, and Ihapera is a stunning beauty. Her tight cunt is a delight to plough, and her unashamed abandon as she surrenders to her powerful emotions is a sight to behold. Her strong pheromones mixed with the pleasant smell of her leather tunic turns me into her sexual plaything.

While I would like to savour my union with Ihapera for as long as possible, I'm aware that others may be waiting. Most Elf Maidens Seamus, Drew and I meet don't speak Thurnian, so our coupling is more of a business transaction. Although Ihapera says her motive for sex with me is to bear a child, she clearly enjoys the time spent with me. Her ability to have a conversation with me means that she doesn't lose interest as soon as I perform my duty. Far from it, she wants to try several different positions before we are done.

"Are you here tomorrow?" asks Ihapera as she finally prepares to leave.

"Yes," I reply. "I'll be here at this time tomorrow, and again three hours later."

Seamus, Drew and I take turns to do three one-hour shifts in the pussy den from midday until nine at night. It would be more convenient to do a single three-hour shift each day, but we simply aren't equal to the task. What's more, it isn't the only time we get to entertain Elf Maidens. The Elf Maidens who arrived in Atene with us are also starting to become sexually active once again. However, they usually prefer to use their own quarters rather than visit the pussy den. And, of course, Cassandra and Egbertha will soon be demanding their share of attention.

"In that case, I'll come tomorrow at this time," says Ihapera with a cheeky smile.

After my second shift I return to the cabin assigned to Cassandra, Egbertha, Seamus, Drew and me, to find Cassandra busy preparing an evening meal. Drew is on duty in the pussy den and Egbertha is taking her turn feeding the babies in the crèche. I'm not sure where Seamus has gone, but for the first time in a while, Cassandra and I are alone. Cassandra is humming to herself, which is an indication that she is excited about something.

"Have you made a breakthrough in interpreting the murals?" I ask, guessing at the likely cause of her contentment.

"Yes, but I will tell you about that tonight. Tell me about your afternoon first."

"Hmm. Nothing much out of the ordinary. The usual procession of Elf Maidens eager to spread their legs. Are you sure you want the details?"

"I do. And try to stop calling them Elf Maidens. That's a Thurnian term which implies they are inferior beings."

"I don't think of them as inferior, and it's very difficult to stop calling them by the name I've used for so long."

"At least don't use the term in front of Kahu or the Rangatira. Better still, don't use it in front of any Atene elf. So, details please. Which elves did you service this afternoon?"

"OK, if you want the details. I serviced five Elf Mai.... elves this afternoon. First, there was Ihapera, a leather worker. She seems anxious to become pregnant this month. Apparently any adult females who aren't pregnant by this time next month will be coerced into bonding with an Atene male."

"Yes, Aputa told me that other Atene elves are saying the same thing. I think the Atene males demanded a heavy price for their cooperation. I don't approve of what the council has done, but I'm not sure that we can do anything about it."

"Other than make all the Elf Maidens pregnant," I reply, slipping back into using the Thurnian label.

"Yes, that would solve the problem for now. So, who else did you see?"

I list the names of the other four Elf Maidens I serviced this afternoon. I'm not sure why Cassandra wants to know, but I don't intend to keep any secrets from her. Cassandra will tell me why she's so interested when she's ready. I'm surprised she is being so tolerant of this arrangement given our marriage vows.

We settle down to our meal, which we finish in time for me to go for my final shift in the pussy den. Cassandra walks with me as far as the crèche. Although the crèche operates day and night, we both prefer for Rawiri to sleep with us in our cabin. Egbertha will also bring Rangi back with her when she returns to our cabin.

Early the next morning, Cassandra and I meet with Kahu and two adult female elven scholars called Nyree and Ikaroa in the Halls of Ancestors. As soon as we arrive, I realise that this is going to be an uncomfortable meeting. Both scholars are in heat and my body is responding in its predictable way. My discomfort is only made worse by the light translucent clothes both elves wear. I bite on my tongue to prevent me from asking if I can service the two scholars before we begin.

"The history of our races is both enlightening and terrifying," begins Nyree, speaking excellent Thurnian. "We can't put a date to the events depicted in these murals, but we believe they occurred around a thousand years ago."

I look to Kahu and Ikaroa for their reaction. It's then that I notice the tag in Ikaroa's left earlobe. She's bonded to a male elf. I immediately feel a wave of disappointment. The attractive young elf is desirable beyond words, and certainly one I would like the chance to sample. However, being bonded puts her off-limits to me.