Wolves And Shattered Shields by Hoglorfen

Trading Tales

The spring night was dark and the stars were veiled. The swan ships in the harbour pranced and struggled against their mooring as the wind from the mountains stirred the Sea. Whindaër turned her back to them and pulled the shawl tighter around her shoulders. She could not find rest and missed the forest, but ever since the last Orc encounter she had been banned from leaving the haven altogether.
I wish that I could simply tell them the truth, she thought bitterly as she walked along the wall that surrounded the haven and separated it from the chaotic world beyond. I wish that there was someone, anyone, who would understand. But that wish would never come true, and she knew it. Orcs were little more than rabid beasts to her kin, beasts that were best put down for the good and safety of all. They had no true place in the world and caused nothing but suffering. The only good Orc was a dead one.
And it was true; uncle Theolas' wounds were a clear message for all to see. His return was nothing short of a miracle. No one knew how he had been able to crawl so far with the injuries he had sustained, and he himself would not tell. He had barely spoken to anyone since his return, choosing instead to isolate himself in his study. Whindaër did not know why and she had not asked. It seemed disrespectful to pester him with questions of things that he did not wish to speak of. Valar alone knew how she wished that she could do the same.

The watchpost greeted her with a nod as he passed. The moment he was out of sight, something stirred in the bushes below the wall. Whindaër started as she saw Graznikh's familiar red eyes peering up at her. He gave her a mischievous leer and a wink. A black-clawed finger beckoned for her to come down.
Whindaër shook her head, torn between obedience and the strong pull of the bond that suddenly blazed deep within. Graznikh's grin widened and he nodded at her. He beckoned for her again before making sure that no one would see him. Then he threw one last glance at her before scampering into the undergrowth. But he was still near; every now and then she could see his eyes watching her from the shadows. She felt determination, urgency and desire through the bond, and it told her that he would wait for her until she either went out of sight or came down to him.
Whindaër hesitated. She did not wish to anger or worry her mother, but at the same time she was upset about being caged. Whatever she may think, I am in no danger, she told herself. Not from this Orc.
The watchpost passed her again. ”Have you seen anything amiss?” he asked.
”No, but there was a badger in the bushes earlier,” Whindaër replied with a smile. The watchpost laughed quietly and Whindaër waited until he was gone before climbing down the wall. Graznikh kept calling and coaxing her to him through the bond, and she had to steady herself not to lose her footing.

Graznikh caught her the moment she entered the shadows, covering her mouth with a calloused hand and nibbling her ear briefly before letting go. Then he nodded for her to follow. As they slowly crept through the dark forest, Graznikh made sure to pick paths that even Whindaër could tread without a sound despite her inability to see in the dark and used his glowing eyes to signal for her when to stop. He seemed to know exactly when and where the border patrols would appear and covered their tracks as best he could. A few hours later, the trees grew sparse and Whindaër soon found herself standing on the edge of a tall cliff, looking out upon the Sea. The clouds had parted and the Moon was mirrored in the restless waters far below.
”Is it truly safe out here? Will we not be seen?” Whindaër asked.
”Not if we're down there,” Graznikh said and nodded towards the crashing waves below.
Whindaër stared at him. ”You cannot mean..?”
”I've got something to show ya. C'mon!” He began walking along the cliff's edge until he found what he was looking for. A little mountain stream had carved a ravine into the cliff before falling into the Sea far below. The waterfall seemed to grow wider further down, but Whindaër could not see why. Here, the cliff was rougher and for a skilled climber it was possible to climb down. As Whindaër peered over the edge, she could see a tree growing out of the rock some fifty feet below.
”Think ya can make it?” Graznikh asked as he swung over the edge. ”Only down to the tree.”
”I think so,” Whindaër replied. Now she was grateful that she had chosen to wear her tunic and leggings instead of the usual robes. She tied the shawl around her waist, then she began climbing down. Graznikh was already far below. The climb was uneventful and as she reached the tree, she noticed a large cave in the cliff side. Graznikh was already inside, leering at her.
”Ya really hafta get yourself a loincloth,” he purred as she stepped inside.
”Why is that?”
”'Cause I nearly lost my footing twice on the way here. Too busy looking at that sweet rump o' yours.” He pulled her close and slid both hands up along her thighs underneath the tunic, giving her buttocks a fond squeeze. Whindaër squeaked as she felt his claws brush her skin, but he was careful and left no lasting marks.

Graznikh took her hand and led her into the cave. It was wider further in, with hard rock making up the floor near the entrance and white sand inside. Another little stream fell down through a hole in the ceiling and formed a small pond before joining the waterfall outside. Whindaër tasted the water; it was cool and clear. The Moon shone down through the hole as well, lighting the falling water and leaving white, almost glowing patches where the rays hit the sand.
”This place is beautiful,” Whindaër whispered.
”Glad ya like it,” came a murmur from behind. She searched for Graznikh and found the young Orc sitting crosslegged on a pile of furs that he had placed in a natural corner of the cave. There was no light save for the Moon's rays, and in the alcove where he sat the shadows were even deeper. His red eyes glowed like hot coals in the night and his fangs gleamed as he grinned at her. Whindaër felt her heart-rate speed up a little as he patted the furs, remembering the way he had treated her the last time they joined and fearing a repeat. But he seemed calmer this time. Still lusting for her, still an Orc, but... calmer. As she sat down beside him, he flung an arm around her shoulders and rubbed his flat nose against her cheek, sniffing and purring softly.
”Where did you get these?” Whindaër asked, fingering the deer hide they were sitting on.
”Picked 'em up here an' there. Hunted, mostly. Why d'ya ask?”
”I was only curious.” She inhaled a little as he brushed her eartip with a claw. Graznikh shifted a little and moved closer. Whindaër closed her eyes as he began exploring her ear with tongue and teeth, grazing and soothing. After a while he could no longer resist cupping a breast in his hand and thumbed the nipple through the fabric of her tunic with circular movements. Whindaër moaned softly and he continued for a while before he withdrew with a chuckle.
”Like that, don'tcha?” He grinned as she blushed. ”But you're still afraid o' me.”
She nodded.
”Why?”
”You seem... different than last time.”
Graznikh nodded a little. ”Aye... Figured I went a little too far. I wanna do it your way this time, or more so. I'm sure you can show me how.”
”Um...” Whindaër began, then she looked away and blushed crimson.
Graznikh arched a hairless eyebrow. ”What?”
”I-I do not know the Elven way to...”
The grin froze on Graznikh's face as he processed her words. ”So...” He began laughing quietly. ”Never fucked an Elf, have ya?”
”No,” Whindaër whispered. ”The bond would not have formed had I been wed before...” The bond felt like a roiling thunderstorm on the horizon, a whirlwind or avalanche that threatened to crash into her and sweep her away at the slightest disturbance. When Graznikh lifted his head to look at her, the insane hunger in his eyes made her back away. Graznikh followed her on all fours and she whimpered as she found herself cornered against the rock wall.
”Please,” she whispered, but Graznikh did not seem to hear her. He cupped her face with his hands and forced her to look at him.
”So my little Elf was a virgin back there, was she? An Orc fucked ya right into womanhood...” He knelt before her and pulled her up into his lap. ”Had that figured out already, but hearin' it from ya like this just makes it all the sweeter,” he murmured against her neck.

He held her close for a while, nose pressed against her neck and sniffing audibly.
”Still scared, are ya?”
”Yes.”
”Wanna fuck?”
”...What?”
He grinned at her. ”I smell fear on ya, but rut as well. It's like ya want me to fuck ya proper, but're scared of it at the same time. Funny mix.” Whindaër gasped as he suddenly let go of her and began unbuckling his vambraces. The greaves, armour, sandals and his shirt followed suit before he pulled her down onto the furs and stretched out on top of her.
”Skai, you smell good,” he murmured. ”An' you never answered my question. D'ya wanna fuck?”
”I... I don't know.”
”How can ya not know? It's real simple; either you're horny, or you're not. If ya don't wanna, then tell me so; I ain't gonna force ya.” He scowled. ”Might need a good, hard wank though. 'S it okay if I look at ya while I do it?” Whindaër gave him a reluctant nod and Graznikh grinned.
”But ya still haven't answered. Fuck or not fuck?” He chuckled when she only blushed deeper. ”Little prude. Fine, I'll help ya out.” He laid down beside her and brought two fingers up between her legs.
”Feels good?” he purred. ”Want more o' this?”
Whindaër gasped and nodded.
”I wanna hear ya say it. Yes or no?”
”Yes...” she whispered and moaned as he fingered her faster. With the other hand he pulled her tunic off with a little help from her. Then he licked her neck and chest.
”Want me to lick ya?” he breathed into her ear. ”Wanna feel my tongue on your cunt, yes or no?”
Though his words were lewd and vile, the look in his red eyes was not. As Whindaër met his gaze, he gave her a hungry and almost loving smile.
”Yes,” she said, a little louder this time. Graznikh quickly slid down between her legs before she could change her mind. After some passionate licking where he drank in the scent and sounds of her arousal and savoured her taste until he was humping the furs and whimpering with need, he decided to change position. He turned until he was lying beside her with his feet above her head, leaning over her hips to reach her wetness with his mouth and rubbing his erection against her shoulder. Whindaër tried to move away at first and he could sense her unease at having that particular part of him so close to her face, but the new position meant that he could reach that particular spot where she was most sensitive better, and soon she was moaning along with every slow flick of his tongue.

After a while, he stopped and looked at her with a happy grin.
”W-why did you stop?”
”Want more?”
”Yes!”
He chuckled at the eagerness in her voice. ”Then ya gotta do something for me first.”
Whindaër blinked. ”Do what?”
”It's getting a little tight in there,” Graznikh said and nodded at his straining loincloth. Whindaër gave him a wide-eyed stare.
”Please,” she whispered. ”Please, I cannot...”
Graznikh propped himself up on an elbow. ”Why not? 'Cause I'm an ugly filthy Orc?”
”No!”
”Then why not?”
Whindaër swallowed and looked away, but he sat up and forced her head back with a steady hand. ”D'ya like me? Yes or no?”
”Yes,” she whispered. Graznikh bent down and rewarded her with a brief swirl of his tongue that made her gasp.
”Well, I like ya too. So why won'tcha help me out?”
”What... what do you want me to help you with?”
”Getting that off me's a start,” he said and nodded towards his loincloth. ”That shit hurts, ya know. Don'tcha wanna soothe it a little?”
Whindaër closed her eyes and turned her head away as he rolled his hips against her shoulder. He bit his lower lip and whined as if in pain. Then a sly leer spread on his face as Whindaër's slender fingers slowly moved closer to his belt. It was tightly tied so she had to use quite a bit of force to unbuckle it. The moment the loincloth fell off, his hard cock sprung out and smacked her in the face. Graznikh laughed out loud, hammering the furs with his fists.
”Please stop,” Whindaër begged while trying to open her mouth as little as possible. Her face had been spattered with grey precum and some of it was slowly trickling down into the corner of her mouth. ”This is not fun!”
Graznikh was still chuckling when he sat up. ”Oh come on, it's just spunk! It won't hurt ya.” He wiped some off her cheek with his thumb and licked it off, snickering at her disgusted expression. ”Stop it, it's not like yer cunt is the dryest place in the world right now either.” He helped the dispirited Elf wipe the rest off as well before leaning down to kiss her. Whindaër squeaked and turned her head away.
”Now what?”
”Not... Not when you have just...”
He chuckled. ”Ya can't say ya don't like it if you've never tasted it!”
”I like candles,” Whindaër replied, ”but I do not want to eat them!”
That made Graznikh laugh out loud. ”Fine, point taken.” He kept looking at her for a while, then he smiled and brushed her chin with the back of a finger before sitting up. Whindaër followed suit and they sat in silence for a while.
”So... You still in the mood for a fuck, or did my dick ruin everything?” he asked.
Whindaër blushed a little. ”It did not ruin everything.”
Graznikh grinned, taking it as encouragement. ”Speaking of dicks, have ya ever seen one? I mean, really looked at one?”
”A few times,” she admitted with a bashful glance.
”Oho. When?”
”When my friends and I went to bathe in the Sea.”
”Right... And did ya see it hard? Not even a twitch?” His grin widened as she shook her head.
”I did not... look at him that closely!”
”But you wanted to,” he purred. ”Admit it. I'm not judging.”
”No! I do not... I mean... I've never wanted to... Before...” She trailed off and looked away.
”Before..?” Graznikh pushed. ”Before what?” She only shook her head and it took him a while to figure out what her shy glances meant.
”Oh... Ya wanna look at my cock?” He wondered if his grin would ever come off again when she nodded. ”Oh, ya little... Oh, you! That's just cute! No, really, I'm fucking flattered here!” He chuckled as he shimmied out of his chaps and began fondling himself. ”Hey, don't be shy now. Lemme see that sweet smile o' yours!”

When Whindaër gave him one of those rare, unguarded smiles, still a little shy and embarrassed, Graznikh thought his head and heart would pop. Skai, I don't need to wank for this! Keep looking at me like that and I'll spunk without even touching it. He knelt in front of her and sat back on his heels, spreading his thighs wide to give her a good view. ”There ya go,” he purred. ”It's all yours. Look all ya want!”
Despite the indecency of the situation, Whindaër's curiosity got the better of her. Graznikh's purr filled her ears as she slowly, slowly lowered her eyes.
”So whaddya think?” he whispered after a while. ”Much different from a golug, hmm?” Whindaër did not trust her voice, so she only nodded in reply.
”How's it different? Tell me, I wanna know.”
”It is... bigger,” she whispered faintly. ”And... darker.”
Graznikh chuckled. Now that she was looking, she seemed unable to take her eyes off his cock. He took it in his hand and stroked it a little to give her a good show.
Whindaër truly could not take her eyes off it. Before this moment, she had always taken great care to keep her eyes closed or fixed on anything but him as they joined, in a vain and feeble attempt to forget his nature and the deep internal conflict his touch and the pleasure it brought caused her. But seeing the part of him that he used for such intimacies somehow made it all the more real and she knew that there would be no more escape. When she saw it the first time, she had been terrified. Not so now.
And it was different. The shaft was the same pale, grey colour as the rest of his body but the head was completely black with thick, black veins running down along the shaft giving it a gnarly appearance. The foreskin was thick and fleshy, far more so than what little she had seen of those of her own kind. As he slowly pulled it back and forth she could see it bunch and form little ridges behind the head. Copious amounts of dark grey precum leaked out with every stroke, little slimy droplets of it falling onto the furs. It was a tool built to withstand rough treatment and provide pleasure for its owner even when violently thrust into unwilling and resisting vessels. I should be finding this grotesque and repulsive, she thought. How come I do not?
Whindaër was too busy looking at Graznikh's Orcish member that she did not notice him leaning closer. She jumped a little as his hands landed on her ankles. Then he slowly, inevitably spread her legs wide and pulled her closer. She gave him an apprehensive look as he lifted her up into his lap.
”I won't force ya,” he whispered hoarsely. ”Just helping ya out a little.”
Whindaër squeaked as she felt the tip of his cock press up against her and placed her hands on his shoulders to keep from getting impaled. Graznikh chuckled and grabbed her hips but did not push her down. Instead he helped her remain like that, hovering above his crotch.
”It's all yours,” he purred as he met her anxious gaze. ”Any way ya want it. All ya gotta do is move. I can stay like this all night, so take your time, make up your mind.”

Whindaër had not anticipated this situation when she had followed Graznikh into the cave. He had always been in charge before, doing whatever he liked with her while she remained more or less passive. It had made their joinings easier to live with; a part of her still wanted to believe that he was forcing her, that she had no say in it, that enjoying it was some kind of defense mechanism that she had no control over. But this would destroy all that. Now he wanted her to take control, to do to him, with him, what he had previously done to her. This was a wholly unexpected kind of torture.
She whimpered as she felt his member pulse and move against her entrance, as if it was some sleeping beast waiting to ravish her the moment she let go. Graznikh kept studying her face with a calm, confident smile. Every time he exhaled, he did so with a nearly inaudible purr. The dark hunger still filled his eyes, but he seemed determined to have her move first. She could feel him through the bond, eager but hovering just out of reach, coaxing her closer the way he had done by the haven's wall.
”What're ya afraid of?” he whispered. ”I'm not gon' hurt ya.”
”Myself,” Whindaër whispered back and he chuckled a little.
”Well, I just hafta convince ya to trust yourself, then.” He leaned in close to her neck, not to bite but to kiss. Whindaër gasped in surprise and almost lost her hold. Graznikh's grip on her hips grew stronger and held her up while she steadied herself.
”Easy, there,” he purred against her neck. ”It's a long way to fall.”
He kissed his way first down over her breasts, probing each nipple with his tongue until Whindaër was squirming and moaning, then up along her neck and jawline. Every now and then his fangs would graze her skin and send shivers down her spine. When he reached her chin, his tongue trailed upwards until it found her lips. She caught his lips almost instinctively and returned his kiss with equal passion.
Perhaps it was his unexpected tenderness; that he treated her like a lover might do. Perhaps it was that he did not invade and overwhelm her like he had done the previous times, but waited for her instead. Whatever the reason was, Whindaër could feel her resolve slip. Her strength seemed to seep out of her with every brush of his lips against hers and the grip on his shoulders became harder and harder to maintain, his coaxing through the bond a calling too powerful to resist.
Meanwhile, Graznikh was swiftly losing what little self-control he had. This close to her he could not keep from feeling every trembling sigh and smelling her growing arousal. I can't fucking believe this! She's horny as all fuck and her cunt keeps trying to suck my dick in; what the fuck's she waiting for, the next bloody Age?!
When he finally felt her relax and sink down on him, he broke the kiss and let out a strangled cry. Whindaër gasped in surprise and tried to pull away, but he held her down.
”Did I hurt you?”
”Nar,” he gasped and let out a throaty chuckle. ”Just took me by surprise, 's all. Well, go on,” he purred. ”Don't mind me. I'm all yours!”
Whindaër did not understand what he meant at first, but then he moved his hips a little and gave her an encouraging nod. She moved her own hips a little, and after a bit of experimenting she found a position that let her move with ease, leaning back with her hands placed upon his knees. The feeling of him inside her was not as intense and overwhelming as when he was in control; it was calmer, giving her time to feel and follow. The silence was only punctuated by her sighs, the murmur of the waves and the needy growls reverberating through her Orc's chest as he let her take control.

Graznikh was not overly fond of playing the submissive part like this. It was a snaga's position and one he usually reserved for when one of the stronger Orc women bowled him over and he could not get away until she had gotten what she wanted. Bending over backwards for someone weaker, for an 'enemy' and an Elf at that... If my bandmates saw me now, I'd be back in the mines in no time. Or used for sport, more likely. But this was Whin, his band was not here and if this was what it took to make his âmbal a little more receptive of him, then he would roll with it.
And he had to admit that it was a pretty sweet sight. The pace was nowhere near hard enough to get him off, but he learned a bit from watching the subtle shifts in her eyes, face and breath as she rode him. Soon he was purring with every downward thrust of her hips and his pelvis rhythmically rose to meet her.

Suddenly Whindaër stopped moving with a gasp and steadied herself with her hands against Graznikh's chest.
”What? Why d'ya stop?”
”My legs are tired... Oh!!” She cried out in surprise as he grabbed her knees to keep their loins from dislodging and sat up abruptly, making her fall flat on her back onto the furs. His strong hands and heavy body pinned her down and filled her up; he chuckled darkly as a moan escaped her lips.
”So what'll it be, hmm?” came the gravelly purr in her ear. Whindaër tried to rock her hips to increase the pleasure but he would not let her. He simply pressed into her and held her hips in a vicelike grip even though he was trembling from restraint and his claws kept pricking her skin where he held her down. Somehow it both hurt and felt good, frightened and excited her all at once.
”Please,” she whimpered. ”Please...”
”Nar, no begging me like a snaga,” he purred. ”You're in charge now, you tell me what to do.”
”Please, let me... Give me...”
”Fuck off with that! I'm your snaga for tonight; nothing's gonna happen unless ya say so.” He ground his cock into her for encouragement, tearing another, louder moan from her before holding still again. ”Now you tell me what ya want me to do. You want me to fuck ya, I'll do that. You want me to roll over and go to sleep, I'll go bloody berserk but not at you.”
Whindaër hesitated. She wanted this, wanted him so badly... But could she do it? Words had power; could she take the words he wanted her to say in her mind and mouth without falling to corruption beyond all hope of redemption? Then all of a sudden he was so close, his face a mere finger's breadth from hers, his musky scent filling her nostrils, his smouldering eyes in the dark filling her vision and rendering her blind to all else. I am there already.
”F... f...” Whindaër stuttered and Graznikh gave her an insanely eager grin as he slowly pulled out. Oh Valar, I hope we are far enough away from the border! What if someone hears us? ”Fuck me.”
It was little more than a worded breath but close as he was, Graznikh heard it just fine. It was all the command he needed. He could feel her excitement and anticipation through the bond, pulling at every fiber of his being and threatening to dissolve him in those blue eyes that mirrored his own need so well.

Whindaër clung to her Orc as he began to move and pressed her lips to his shoulder to muffle her moans as all rational thought faded from her mind. It felt so repulsive but so good, so wrong but so right; if his grotesque member went just a little further in it would surely rend her insides beyond all healing, but somehow it never reached that point. She cried out in horror and ecstasy as his vigorous thrusting began to overwhelm her; she reached out through the bond to feel something other than the carnal invasion she was subjected to. The moment they connected, Graznikh's growl changed into a sound halfway between a bellow and a howl and his movements briefly grew even more frantic before he spent himself. He pulled out and the last few jets of black semen spattered onto Whindaër's abdomen.
”Are you finished?” she whispered as he caught his breath with his head against her chest. He peered up at her with a lecherous grin.
”Are you?” He chuckled as she shook her head. ”Well, that won't do, will it? Besides, I woulda thought you knew by now that once doesn't cut it for me.” Spittle dribbled down his chin as his cock sought and found the way back in. ”Âmbal...” His hands found her breasts and he teased her nipples as he began to thrust again, slower than before.
”Stay with me now, âmbal,” he purred. ”Don'tcha get lost in yer head again.” His voice grew increasingly hoarse as her breathing grew more laboured. ”Look at me. Shut down the rest; just feel.” One hand sneaked down to tease the sensitive spot below and his mouth found the now abandoned breast.
”C'mon âmbal,” he coaxed, ”don't stray. Come to me. Come for me.” The last sentence he growled and relished her shuddering gasp. ”Gurb âmbalai, gurb opâshug...”
”Hold still!”
Graznikh froze. ”Huh? What's wrong?”
”Don't stop!” Whindaër gasped. ”Keep touching, only... hold still inside.”
He happily obliged and Whindaër moaned as the sensation of being filled to near bursting while fingers and tongue flicked and tickled became too much to bear. The climax rolled over her like slow but strong waves, intensified by the pulsing of his cock.
”Sha kalkam!” Graznikh groaned in delight as her little nails dug into his bicep. He let her catch her breath a little before leaning in close. ”Ya finished?”
Whindaër gave him a mischievous little smile as she shook her head. ”Are you?”
”Like fuck I am,” he growled and lifted her hips up into his lap. ”You told me to fuck ya an' I will. I'll be good to ya, you'll see...”
Then he took up the same rapid, insane pace as before and pounded her well and truly into oblivion.

Later, when their heart rate and breathing had almost returned to normal, Whindaër suddenly felt the need to relieve herself. After convincing Graznikh to turn his back and making sure that he did so, she hurried over to the cave entrance where the little stream joined the larger waterfall outside and squatted in the shallow stream. When she turned back after splashing some water on her privates to clean herself she found Graznikh watching her with a lazy smile.
”You promised not to look!” she said with a furious blush.
”I don't get it,” Graznikh replied matter-of-factly. ”It's just piss. It's not like you were busy shoving a fish up there or something. Speaking of piss...” He chuckled at the perplex Elf before following her example over the cliff's edge. ”Oh, come on!” he exclaimed when he noticed her having her back turned. ”You've been all over this all night!”
”This is different!” Whindaër protested.
Graznikh rolled his eyes. Elves... He shook the last droplets off before pulling the foreskin down and returning to the furs. Whindaër was still blushing and refused to look at him, so he decided to change the subject. With a wince he realised that he had clawed her hips up pretty badly; little lines of crimson crisscrossed them where he had grabbed her in the heat of passion.
”I keep forgetting how thin-skinned you are,” he murmured as he knelt beside her. ”Gotta start minding my claws a little, or I might hurt ya bad.”
”They will heal,” Whindaër replied softly. Then she spotted the marks she had left on his arm. ”Did I do this? I am so, so sorry!”
”Nar, fair's fair,” Graznikh grinned and brushed her chin with a finger. ”I clawed ya, 's only right that you gimme a little something back.” As he sat back on his heels, he paused a moment to look at her. ”So where are they?”
”Where are what?” Whindaër asked.
”All the scratches and stuff I gave ya last time.”
”They have healed.”
”Hnh...” He looked disappointed.
”What is wrong?”
Graznikh shrugged with a disappointed little scowl. ”Nothin, I'd just hoped... Well, that I'd left something. A little mark on ya somewhere, anywhere.”
”But you have.”
”Oho. Where?”
Whindaër placed a hand over her heart with a smile. As Graznikh shook his head and began to laugh, she looked down with an embarrassed look. It was not the reaction she had hoped for. Graznikh felt her disappointment through the bond and lifted her chin with a claw, still chuckling.
”That's just cute,” he purred. ”Buried my fangs right into your heart, did I?” He stretched out beside her. ”It's good, but not very visible.”
Whindaër shivered a little as a claw scraped the skin at the nape of her neck.
”Right here,” Graznikh murmured and pinched the muscle gently. ”Right here's where I wanna place it. Then it won't be seen when you wear those clothes with high collars ya fancy, but it'll be right in sight if you strip or get stripped.”
”Place what?” Whindaër whispered.
”My mark. Y'know, mating scar. Basically, I bite ya somewhere easily spotted and you do the same on me. If you were an Orc or a Dunlending... Or a tark I guess, it'd leave a really pretty scar that'd tell others that we've fucked and that it was good. What?” he asked when he saw Whindaër's pale face and horrified expression.
”But... why?”
”To brag, of course! To show others that I'm a good enough fuck that even an Elf bit down hard enough to mark me. As for you, well I just like the thought of you having it. Knowing that even if I die tomorrow, there'll be something of mine left on ya, something that can't be washed off or thrown away or forgotten so bloody easy. By others, I mean.” He leered. ”Guess I want others of your kind to know the truth; I was there, I was first, no matter if ya find a pretty little Elf cock or ten to fill the gap when I'm gone. Skai, if I could I'd saunter right into that stronghold o' yours and tell every last golug bastard in there the truth! That you're my fuck, my mate, my âmbal, my Elf! Mine!” The last possessive words were growled into his Elf's ear. Whindaër gasped in horror and Graznikh's eyes softened as he licked her cheek.
”Don't worry, I won't do it. Or mark ya. No point if it's gonna fade the moment ya heal. But if I did, I'd make sure it didn't hurt all that bad. Perhaps I'd do it while I fuck ya, right when you hit the peak. You'd be so busy coming hard on my cock that you wouldn't even notice it. And if you wanna mark me in that way, feel free to. Do it here,” he said and pointed at the skin just below his jawline with a big grin. ”My hide's thinner there, so ya might just be able to break it. And I wanna carry it where it's spotted right away!”

But Whindaër was not worried about the pain, nor the fact that he wanted to bite her. Not at the moment. She was staring at Graznikh's chest, neck and shoulders. Never before had she wondered where all the large pinprick scars and strange bitemarks that dotted his upper body came from, but now the answer stared her right in the face. Never before had it crossed her mind that there might be others, that there were others, and many of them. Some of those scars were fresh, one not yet fully healed. Too fresh.
Graznikh yelped in surprise as she pushed him away and leapt to her feet. She ran over to the cave entrance where she fell to her knees and began to cry. Graznikh stared after her in complete befuddlement, dumbfounded by the intense grief that radiated from her.
”...Was it something I said?”
When Whindaër did not answer, he got to his feet and squatted beside her.
”Hey.” He patted her shoulder. ”Is this 'cause I wanna mark ya? I told ya I won't do it. I wanna, but I won't. Can't bloody well stop wanting it, now can I? Âmbal, look at me.”
She shook her head. Her mind babbled incoherently as she tried to comprehend what was going on within her. This was something he had never encountered, never heard of, never even imagined could happen and least of all to her, and she had no idea how to deal with it. The notion of having more than one lover was as inconceivable to her as him not understanding the concept of love.
Graznikh began to feel frustrated when she refused to acknowledge him.
”Can't bloody well fix things if ya won't gimme something to work with,” he growled. ”Don't even know what it is I'm supposed to fix.”
”You could have said that there were... others...” Whindaër whispered. Graznikh looked at her with a bewildered frown. Then he began to laugh.
”Hold on; you're upset 'cause I fuck others? Izzat it? Oh, for fuck's sake!” He laughed even harder when Whindaër nodded with a dismal scowl. He rose and tried to pull her to her feet.
”This is no laughing matter, let me go!”
”Hey now, don't struggle. It's kinda far to fall from up here.”

Once they were a secure distance from the ledge, Graznikh let Whindaër go. She turned her back to him and he hugged her from behind. She tried to shrug him off, but he ignored it.
”It's just fucking,” Graznikh murmured in her ear. ”It's no big deal! I don't like ya less just 'cause I stick my dick in others!” He desperately tried to remember what that tark Bardoc had introduced him to had said about Elves and fucking.
”So, um...” he began, but Whindaër interrupted him.
”I do not know what to do,” she said with a bitter voice. ”At times when we speak together it feels as though we are so close, almost touching, and then...” She swallowed. ”Then the ground falls away before my feet and a chasm opens, so dark and so vast that I cannot even see the other side. And I want so badly to bridge it, but when I look upon it, I know...” Her voice broke and she turned suddenly and fell into his arms with a sob. ”I look upon it and I know that I can never, ever do it. It frightens me and I fear that I will lose you forever!”
Graznikh stared at nothing in particular as his shoulder grew wet from her tears, perplexed and unsure of what to do with this. In the end, he simply hugged her and held her close, nuzzling her neck and stroking her back. Eventually the sobs died down, but she did not speak or move so Graznikh spoke instead.
”Does it make any difference that outta all those I've fucked; you were the only one I thought worth going through all the hassle to catch? T'was no bloody accident, back during the raid. I wasn't all that keen on fighting Elves, but I tagged along 'cause Tarnakh told me to. And when I saw ya standing there...” He smiled at the memory. ”Everything just faded away; the battle, the spoils... Everything. All I could think of was; there she is. There's the one I've been looking for, the one I've been waiting for. My âmbal.” He brushed the tip of a leaflike ear with a clawed finger.
”Does it help at all to know that outta all those folks, you're the only one I keep running my soles off across half the bloody mountain range for, over and over? I risk my life breaking into an Elven stronghold, even tangling with a few of 'em, just to get to you. No matter how many others there are, I'll always come running back to ya.”
He shrugged. ”And fucking others... Well, it's like wanking, only I use another body for it.” He played with a tress of her dark hair and marvelled at how soft it was. ”My heart's not in it. Half the time I think o' you when I do it. The other half I don't think at all. It's never like that when I'm with you. When I'm with you, I'm there with all o' me, all the time, from the start right 'til the end. And it's good. Skai, it's good!” He chuckled. ”Nothing like them others. Every time I stick my cock in ya, I almost feel like I'm gon' die from how good it feels. And it's not just the fucking. It's... talking, sleeping, walking, eating... All of it. All good.”
Whindaër looked at him from the corner of her eye, and suddenly Graznikh had no idea where all the words had come from. He gave her a sheepish little grin.
”Are all Orcs like that?” she asked quietly.
”Like what?”
”Doing... such things... with others? All the time?”
Graznikh chuckled. ”Nar, not all the time. And not... Well, some folks do it with several at the same time, but I've never been one for group sports.” Whindaër's disgusted scowl made him snicker. She flinched a little as he pawed her hair, but did not move away.
”So... Elves're... with just the one? Forever and always?”
”Yes... And no.”
”Huh?” Graznikh frowned in confusion. ”That's no answer.”
Whindaër smiled a little. ”We wed only the one; the bond between fëas can only form once and for all. But the... bodily union...” She blushed. ”The longing for physical touch... Only lasts for a certain while. It fades with time and is replaced by other kinds of longing, or so my mother says.”
Graznikh's face fell. ”Wait, what? You just stop fucking one day and that's it?”
”I... Suppose...”
”Well, fuck that!” he snarled. Whindaër squeaked as he made her meet his gaze. ”And I mean it! I like fucking, I like doing it long, hard and often!” He brushed her chin with a finger and gave her a cocksure grin. ”You stick with me âmbal; I'mma show ya what fucking an Orc's all about.”
Despite herself, Whindaër felt her breath quicken as he purred softly and rubbed his nose against hers. For a brief moment there was nothing but then and there, and oh how she wanted that moment to last! But...

”I cannot stay,” she whispered.
”Skai, I know,” Graznikh hissed back. ”Can we just drop that for a little while? We're here together right now, screw the rest!”
”Will there ever be a time when we must not hide?”
He shrugged. ”Dunno. Maybe some other place and time. But not here, not now. Too much old, bad blood.” He grinned. ”Maybe when I've got my own stronghold and a band o' trusty lads 'neath me. Then I'd bring ya there and we'd be together, and if anyone says shite about it I'll kill 'em. Your folks'd be welcome too, I guess, so long as they don't try to fucking kill anyone. That'd be something, eh? Orcs'n Elves working together. We'd throw the tarks right back into the Sea and then the forests and the mountains'd all belong to us!”
Whindaër stared at him for a while; then she gave him a brief smile. Graznikh returned it and hugged her a little harder.
”But 'til then, we just gotta lay low.”
”I only wish it was not so,” Whindaër whispered.
”Well, ol' Kurrush used to say that if wishes were candles, the whole world would burn.”
Whindaër surprised him by laughing a little. ”You are content then? With everything?”
”Didn't say that,” he replied and brushed a few wayward strands of hair away from her face. ”But this, right here, right now... It's worth all the wait.”

Whindaër quickly washed the blood and semen off in the clear, cool water of the pond and began to dress.
”Where d'you think you're going?” Graznikh asked as he sat down on the furs.
”Back home,” she replied.
”Like fuck you are.”
She looked up. ”But... my family no doubt worries for me. They will begin to search and-”
”Get. Back. Here.” The command was growled with bared fangs and a glare that dared her to do anything but obey. Trembling a little, she returned to the furs. Graznikh gave her a sly grin and bumped his nose against her cheek once she was back in his arms.
”There ya go. You're not going anywhere tonight. I even got us a new blanket. We've got time now; let's use it.”
Even as he wrapped the patchwork quilt around them both and settled down to rest, Whindaër remained tense. The look he had worn as he commanded her back to bed haunted her in the dark; it had brought her near instinctual fear of Orcs to the surface. Now she could not forget nor ignore his nature; it was there in his musky scent that invaded her nostrils, in the unfamiliar heat emanating from his body, in the clawed hand that rested on her hip and in every purring breath. His temper was so unpredictable and his mood swings so sudden that she had no way of knowing how he would react to even the slightest thing she said or did. She knew that he was capable of tearing her apart, and even though he had not deliberately hurt her physically she feared the moment when that would change.
”Scared again?” Graznikh asked.
”Yes.”
”But I'm just lying here.”
”I know,” she whispered. He grinned and she could see the red gleam of his eyes as he opened them a little.
”You get scared o' the weirdest stuff.”
She looked away. ”Why do you want me to stay?”
Graznikh frowned in confusion. ”What kinda question's that?”
”An honest one.”
He snorted. ”Ya don't like being with me?”
”That is not what I meant!” She gasped as he rolled over and quickly turned her back to him. He pulled her close and whispered in her ear.
”D'ya like me? Yes or no?”
”I... like parts of you. Some parts scare me.”
He grinned. ”Y'know what I think?” Whindaër shook her head. ”I think ya like those other parts too. I think this is another case of 'Elves don't do that'.” He spooned her and placed a black-clawed hand on the furs, in front of her face where she could not avoid seeing it whenever she opened her eyes.
”I think you like being scared,” he murmured in her ear. ”I think you were always a bit on the wild side. Other little Elves liked useless dresses and green stuff and pretty songs, but you ran in the forest, seeking borders and limits, hmm? Little whirlwind with long, dark hair. And then you ended up in that ambush and crossed a border ya couldn't get back from...” He nuzzled her hair as she let out a quiet sob.
”But I wanna know one thing,” he continued. ”When you saw me during that raid... Why didn'tcha run? You just stood there until that other guy bowled me over. If you'd bolted earlier, ya might've gotten away, or gotten yourself killed. None o' this woulda happened. So why didn'tcha?”
”I had a vision...” Whindaër whispered.
”Vision?” Graznikh frowned. ”What, you're a... A dushatar?”
She frowned, not knowing what that meant. ”I have the gift of Foresight, but it is nigh useless. It is too weak, too unpredictable. The visions come so close to what may happen that I rarely have time to warn others if things are to go wrong. And most of the time they are only minor, pointless visions. Before the raid, I... I knew that something was about to happen that would change everything, and that it would happen to me.”

Graznikh sniffed behind her ear as she spoke, and when she fell silent he looked at her for a while with a sly leer before he spoke. ”You're hiding something. You're scared and you're lying. Funny how the bond and your scent always say the same thing. What is it you don't wanna tell me, hmm?” Whindaër gave him a tortured glance and buried her face in the furs, unable to shut out his hoarse rumbling laugh as he continued. ”Perhaps you recognised my face the moment ya saw me..? Perhaps ya knew what was gonna happen after? What'd ya see in that vision o' yours?”
”I saw... you. Your face, above me. And I felt you, inside me.”
”What, you saw us fucking?” He chuckled a little as Whindaër nodded. Her distress was delicious, now that he knew the cause for it.
”I did not know what it meant at the time,” she whispered. ”I knew that you were not going to kill me, but other than that I had no clue what was about to happen.”
”And when ya screamed, when we woke up afterwards..?”
”I became aware of the bond forming and I understood the full meaning of the vision I had had. It frightened me, oh it still does!” She struggled as he turned her over on her back. ”Let me go!”
”Funny little Elf. You're scared o' the one who can't hurt ya, but you don't have the wits to be scared of those who might.” He leered at her. ”And if you try to run from me, I'll track ya down. I'll find ya and I'll do this to ya over and over 'til you give in. So you better get used to being an Orc-fancier, golug âmbal, 'cause this Orc sure as fuck won't let ya go.”
Whindaër stared at him with wide, pleading eyes. Graznikh grinned and pulled the quilt tighter around them both. Then he held her close as she burst into tears and cried herself to sleep against his chest.

Chapter End Notes

Gurb âmbalai – my sweetest
Gurb opâshub – lit. 'my desire-source', the source of my desire
Sha – interjection similar to English 'wow' or 'gosh'
Kalkam – leather armour, foreskin (I honestly can't remember why using that particular word seemed like a good idea)