Part One
It was a cold Autumn morning, and Aeronwen was traveling eastward, through the Unnamed Wood. She used no horse, so as to remain as stealthy as possible. It was unlikely her father's men would come hunting this far west, but it was better not to risk it. She was headed for the hut of the alchemist Aeron (ironically, he shared her birth name), a journey that she made every three moons, made perilous by the fact that she was breaking the terms of her exile. Her father, King Elgar had made it clear in no uncertain terms that she was not to return to the province under any circumstances, barring one: that she renounce the fact that she was a girl and return to being his prince, in line for the throne. This, she could not do.
Aeronwen stole through the forest quickly and quietly until she came to a bridge covered in frost. She cursed under her breath. It would not do to stay in the open for too long, but traveling too quickly across the bridge could be perilous. She decided to compromise. Walking quickly but steadily, she made her way across, sure of foot. That is, until she heard the sound. It was a sound she knew well--a royal horn, used by her father's hunting party. She whipped her head around, looking for the source of it. In doing so, she lost her footing and slipped, falling under the railing and down into the raging waters below. She had fainted by the time she hit the water.
When she awoke, Aeronwen did not know how many days had passed. She did not recognize her surroundings. She was in a warm hut, a fire raging in the stone fireplace. She looked down. She was shrouded in a green knit blanket on a soft bed. Her clothes had been removed--she felt rather exposed. Wrapping the blanket around her in a makeshift cloak, she stood and immediately felt lightheaded and had to sit again. With her head still swirling, the door to the hut opened and a woman stepped inside, though when she removed the hood of her cloak, Aeronwen could see that she was not human. Her eyes were a bit too large, and just slightly farther apart than normal. Her ears were long and pointed. She was unusually beautiful. Though she didn't believe in them, she could not be mistaken in what she saw--the woman was an elf. "Oh thank goodness, you're alive!" exclaimed the elven woman, rushing over to her side, leaving her basket by the door. "For three long days I tended to you, hoping that you were not dead. You breathed and your heart beat, but I feared your mind had already passed on."
"Thank you," said Aeronwen. "Did--did you take off my clothes?"
"Oh yes," said the elf. "They were soaked through with frigid water. You are very beautiful."
Aeronwen blushed. "Thank you." She paused. "If you don't mind me asking, are you an elf?"
"Oh yes," said the elven woman. "My name is Aisling. What is yours?"
"Aeronwen."
"A strange name, but befitting of a human. You have such strange round ears, may I touch them?"
"Er--yes, go ahead."
Aisling caressed her Aeronwen's gently with a fingertip, sending a shiver of goose bumps down her body. "I have never seen a human before, much less touched one. It is quite exciting."
"I've never seen an elf before," admitted Aeronwen.
"Would you like to touch my ears?"
"I'm alright, thank you," said Aeronwen. This elf woman was very strange, but she had nursed her back to health, so she was grateful.
"You probably ought to take a warm bath," said Aisling, gesturing to a porcelain tub at the edge of the room.
"Yes, a bath sounds good, thank you." Aeronwen got unsteadily to her feet, the blanket still draped around her, and walked over to the tub. Aisling followed, and when they got to the tub she muttered a few words in an unknown tongue and held out her hand. The bath began to fill with warm water from the bottom up.
"You can cast magic?" asked Aeronwen, shocked.
"Yes, can you not? Humans are a very curious type of creature." Aisling shook her head, as if trying to comprehend a non-magical person. She looked at Aeronwen expectantly. "Are you going to get in?"
"Er--I was waiting for you to turn around."
"What for?" asked the elf. "I have already seen your naked body."
"Yes, but that was in an emergency."
"Alright," said Aisling. "You humans are a strange bunch." She turned away and set about preparing something in the kitchen that smelled delicious. Aeronwen dropped the blanket to the floor and stepped into the tub. The water was the perfect temperature, and as she sunk down into it her aching muscles began to relax.
She was awoken by Aisling who was covering her eyes with one hand. She hadn't realized that she had drifted off. The elf had taken off her cloak to reveal a simple sheer white gown. "I was just making sure that you were not dead," said the elf woman. "I am glad that you are not, I have grown quite fond of you."
"I'm alive," said Aeronwen. "Thank you again for saving me."
"Of course," said Aisling. "I could not have done anything else. The food is ready if you would like to eat it. I imagine you are quite hungry after sleeping for three days without eating."
"I am," said Aeronwen, "Thank you."
Aisling drained the water from the tub with her magic and dried Aeronwen off using the same means, all while covering her eyes. "I suppose you would like something to wear," she mused, turning around to look for suitable clothing. She retrieved a gown identical to the one she was wearing and offered it to her with her eyes closed. Aeronwen put on the gown gratefully and said. "Okay, you can open your eyes." The gown was rather more sheer than she preferred, her breasts were quite visible, but she figured that since the elf woman had already seen her naked it would have to do.
The women ate in silence for a while. The meal Aisling had prepared was quite good, it seemed to be some sort of lentil and vegetable stew. As she ate, Aeronwen found herself staring at the elf woman. She was almost certainly the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Aeronwen averted her gaze, not wanting to stare for too long. Then, suddenly she remembered why she had been traveling through the woods in the first place. "My medecine!" she cried. "Aisling, I need my medicine. I'm sorry but I have to leave."
Aisling looked disappointed. "I fear you may not yet be well enough to travel, Aeronwen."
"I know, but I have to risk it. You don't understand, this medicine keeps me myself. Without it I would grow despondent, perhaps even try to take my own life."
"What does the medecine do? Perhaps I can create a spell to take its place while you are still recovering."
"It--well, it made me grow breasts and become femenine. Without it I will begin to look like a man again, as I was born a boy."
"I see, that is why you have both a penis and breasts."
"Yes, that's why. Do you think you can make a spell for me?"
Aisling considered it. "I think I will have a spell made for you by bedtime if I set to it immediately."
