05

CHAPTER 4

She waited with growing impatience for the gray-haired ranger to finish talking to the other elf, fingers twitching at her side. Outwardly, she maintained an air of calm professionalism, stone-faced, as she had been trained. Her words and actions reflected on her Lifebond; she could not show weakness.

Inwardly, however, she was close to frothing at the mouth. Her Lifebond

—

her charge, the very reason for her existence

—

was missing, and she couldn't do anything about it. The magical connection of her Oath let her know that the princess was still alive, at least.

Injured as she was, even if she did pick a tunnel to start hobbling down, she would make it as far as the first vertical surface before having to give up. And then there was the fact that there were countless tunnels

—

some natural, some artificial, all possible routes to Elestrea or dead ends that would simply waste her time.

Seeing the elf salute and jog away, she strode forward.

"Master Fern, about the search teams

—

"

The older soldier interjected before she could begin. "I'm sorry, Ilverith, but I've done what I can with the people we have. We don't know what's in these ruins; I refuse to endanger those under my command by reducing the size of the search parties even further." He paused and heaved a sigh, broad shoulders slumping. "I want to find the captain, too. If I could, I would be down in those godsforsaken holes myself looking for her. You know that. But I have my duties just as you have yours."

His tone brooked no argument, and though Ilverith glared at him, she could not deny that he was right. The sinkhole had collapsed atop the remains of a dwarven fortress from who knew what era. There was no telling what traps or other hazards lay in its depths. The stonefolk's mechanisms could last a long time, and the warren of undisturbed subterranean passages was the perfect haven for any variety of monsters.

"Reinforcements should be on their way from Sylvenholme by now. A couple of days, and we'll have hundreds of hands available." He smiled tiredly at her, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "If we're lucky, they'll have marched all this way for nothing, and the captain will greet them herself."

"It's already been five days!"

she wanted to scream. But she held her silence, understanding that the words were merely platitudes. The second-in-command of the White Stag banner was a seasoned veteran who had undertaken more than his share of search and rescue missions in the past. He was well aware of the survival rates of those lost underground, and what factor time played.

Nodding stiffly to the lieutenant, she limped away toward the main gate of the ruins. Even if she couldn't spearhead the search, she could follow up on the rooms already cleared and make sure nothing had been overlooked. The teams were pushing through quickly, focusing more on covering ground than investigating each nook and cranny in detail.

With how they had been separated, she doubted the princess was in the fortress proper. Elestrea had tumbled into one of the numerous natural cracks in the rock during the initial fall, many of which seemed to connect to a vast organic cave system further below. But there was a good chance the dwarves had hidden passages leading deeper underground to those very caverns.

If such passages existed, she would find them.

She would find her Lifebond.

=====

Ilverith grimaced as she walked along the edge of the armory, trying to focus past the sharp twinges shooting up from her right ankle with every step. She would need to see a healer again later tonight, and would no doubt receive yet another stern lecture on allowing her bones and muscles time to reknit themselves.

She paused to run her hands along an odd seam in the wall, bringing her light cantrip closer to the thin gap before growling in frustration and resuming her circuit of the room. There were many such fake hidden doors, no doubt designed to delay pursuers in the event of a retreat.

Now, they served to delay her.

Sweat trickling down her forehead from the pain, she stepped into the hallway, leaning against the wall to take her weight off her right leg. One more room. She would check one more room and then have her ankle looked at.

Sweeping her gaze one last time over the chamber strewn with broken, decayed weapons, she turned to limp her way down the corridor. And froze.

The grating of rusted metal on stone settled, then started again. A clang rang out as an axe head shifted free of a pile to fall to the floor.

Whipping her head back around, the elf stared, slack-jawed, as a section of the floor rose, shedding the jumbled remains of armaments above it like water.

Apart from the disturbed weapons, the enormous slab of masonry moved noiselessly, lifting almost a running pace high before the bottom became visible. The contraption moved so smoothly, so silently, that Ilverith didn't notice it had stopped until a string of expletives filtered through the small gap beneath it.

"Shadja's twat fucked thrice over. I think the mechanism's stuck."

And then, the sweetest sound to ever grace her ears: a drawn-out sigh, followed by a different voice.

"I suppose it was too much to hope for. We'll have to try another tunnel."

Breaking free of her stupor, she scrambled toward the raised block of stone, calling out to her liege.

She had found her Lifebond. She had found Elestrea!

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CHAPTER 5

Elestrea surveyed the woods around her as she guided her horse to follow the winding road, her eyes drifting over the diverse array of flora without truly registering anything.

The mood was distinctly somber. Keeping pace beside her on her own steed, Ilverith remained as stoic as ever, though her eyes flicked to her Lifebond every now and then as if expecting the princess to disappear. Even the typically lively Erelei was subdued. The final member of their party, Lorem, was nearly as deadpan as Ilverith by nature, yet the faintest hint of a frown dragged the corners of his mouth down as he brought up the rear.

They had just lost more of their own in a week than they had in the entire past decade. Fedris struck down by the Bile abominations; a broken neck from the fall for Faralan; and Quel'thaliel and Ges missing in action, swallowed by the depths and unlikely to ever be found. Another three injured, not including her Oathsworn.

The princess sighed, a habit she seemed to have formed in the past few days.

She had left her lieutenant, Fern, with the bulk of the company to continue their operations in the area, setting off with her small group toward the capital. The news of the Bile was too important to be trusted to a courier; she had to speak with her father directly.

Annoyingly, everyone had begun conducting themselves as if she was delicate glass ever since she and Erelei had emerged from the hidden passage. It was only with a direct order that she had "bartered" Fern down to just Lorem as an honorary guard. Ilverith, already protective, now barely let her out of sight despite the obvious pain she was in. She had backed down a bit after Elestrea reminded her that becoming lame would make it much more difficult to fulfill her duties, but she still caught her long-time companion glancing her way more often than was necessary.

The young scout riding ahead of them was among the few who didn't treat her any differently, though the ranger had her own troubles to deal with. It was the first time she had lost a comrade in battle, and Fedris's death was likely only now sinking in. Elestrea knew the two had been close. She could only sympathize and give the elf time and space.

It was nearing sundown when the light burbling of a river greeted their ears. Moving off the road, the group wordlessly made camp by the water, eating a quickly prepared soup and settling down for the night. Elestrea took first watch, to be followed by Erelei, then Lorem.

Fatigued from a day's worth of riding with her ankle barely healed, Ilverith was the first to fall asleep, the worry on her face smoothing out slightly as she nodded off. Lorem soon followed suit, his almost imperceptible snores blending with the sounds of flowing water.

Elestrea waited almost an hour, unsure if Erelei had joined the others in slumber. Her still form belied consciousness, and so the princess cautiously moved away from the camp, deeper into the copse of trees.

When she finally felt it was safe, her armor and clothes were shed, and she knelt on her hands and knees on the soft grass of the forest floor. Fingers traced along her slit, dipping into her sex briefly before settling on her clit to rub languid circles.

The strange dreams had stopped after escaping the caves, but the changes to her arousal remained, leaving her constantly wet and feeling empty.

Humming in pleasure, she continued her ministrations for a while, bringing the need that had been simmering in her all day to a low boil.

Lowering her torso to balance on her shoulder, she tweaked her nipples with her free hand, sending little jolts to her core. That hand then made its way behind her to tug at the shimmering object peeking out from between her asscheeks.

She pulled teasingly at the crystal, shivering in delight. It had been shaped into a slim teardrop, textured similarly to the much more massive dildo she had crafted, though with a flat base attached to a projection from the fatter end to give her a handle. She grabbed that handle now, stretching her ring around the toy before letting the gemstone slip back into her.

Her face pushed to the ground, she focused on the dual sensations feeding her excitement, feeling every bump and ridge on the crystal as it forced apart her pucker.

She was achingly close to completion when a light thump and distinctly elven squeak startled her.

In an instant, the princess was on her feet, pulling her sword free of its scabbard, only to find a very embarrassed Erelei leaning against a tree. The scout's hand was thrust into her breeches, the flush on her face visible even in the dim moonlight.

"I... I'm sorry. I saw you sneaking off, and then you started..." She gulped, then continued in a weak voice, "You were so sensual... I just found myself drawn in... I'm sorry."

She shrank into herself, fully expecting a tonguelashing beyond the likes of which she had ever experienced. Her captain humored her mischievous antics, but she had crossed a line here.

Elestrea's mind whirled, the shock of being found out and Erelei's confession locking her in place for a moment. A second later, her lips spread into a hungry grin.

"Strip."

Erelei's head snapped up, eyes wide.

"What?"

"I said, strip. You got to watch me, so it's only fair I see you."

Her smile was almost predatory now.

The young scout hesitated, unsure of how to react to the unexpected command.

Elestrea simply waited, still nude, nipples standing erect in the brisk evening air and womanhood leaking onto her thighs. To Erelei, it was as if a goddess of lust had taken on mortal form in front of her.

Haltingly, the ranger began removing her armor. Leather and plate were carefully laid out on the grass, her clothes folded neatly atop them, and at last she stood in the grove just as naked as the princess.

Elestrea ran her eyes up and down the other woman's body appreciatively. Her subordinate was shorter than her by a full head, betraying her Evermoore heritage, though her dusky skin was not typical for her peoples. Her long, dark hair, gathered up in a ponytail, melted to black in the shadows of the trees. Slim thighs crossed in an attempt to hide the slippery well at their junction as arms rose to cover the light brown caps of her breasts. Her display of timidness, so disparate from her usual spirited personality, only served to whet the princess's newfound appetite.

She leisurely approached the trembling elf, basking in the wide-eyed gaze that followed the sway of her hips. Backing her prey against a tree, Elestrea cupped Erelei's chin, gently lifting the scout's face to meet her own. Their eyes locked, and the mixture of fear and arousal she found there sent a surge of excitement to her already dripping pussy.

"Play with yourself."

The words came out like honey, ensnaring the floundering soldier.

As if in a trance, Erelei moved her hands down, shifting her legs to give herself better access. She gasped when the fingers of her left hand brushed her clit, surprised to find that she had obeyed the command, but continued, two digits from her right hand dipping into her quivering tunnel. Little mewls escaped her as she nurtured the blossoming warmth inside her with her fingers. All the while, her gaze never left Elestrea's.

Likewise, the princess stared back at the ranger, moving nearer so that the tips of their breasts almost touched and she could feel Erelei's hot breath on her skin. The needy sounds coming from her subordinate were intoxicating, the power she wielded in the moment more satisfying than anything in her normal life.

She closed the last bit of distance between them to capture Erelei's soft lips with her own, teasing gently with her tongue before pulling back.

Smiling at the breathy sigh that followed her departure, she leaned in for another kiss. This time, she was more aggressive, seeking entry into the younger woman's mouth. Erelei gave it willingly, parting her lips and meeting Elestrea's tongue with her own.

The two elves remained locked in their sapphic embrace, the princess hungrily accepting the little whimpers and pants her lover moaned into her mouth. Her hands roamed over Erelei's smooth skin, exploring each curve of the ranger's toned figure until they alighted on pert breasts. She dragged her nails lightly down the flushed flesh, drawing a shiver out of the smaller woman, then traced her way back up to massage the soft slopes.

Erelei's moans grew steadily more insistent, her earlier hesitation forgotten. Following her captain's orders, her fingers worked busily at her womanhood, focusing on the sensitive little button she had used to summon an orgasm earlier while spying. Urged on by Elestrea's sensual touches and her own frenzied rubbing, the beginnings of another climax lapped at the shores of her mind. Loving tweaks to her nipples brought the tide in, and then Erelei was lost, submerged in wave after wave of pleasure.

The princess had to clamp a hand over the elf's mouth to suppress the low wail that rose from her throat, but grinned at the sight of the disheveled young scout unable to contain her rapture.

She leaned in, bringing her lips to Erelei's ear.

"Good girl."

She smirked as a renewed bout of trembling coursed through her lover's body.

Waiting patiently until Erelei regained control over her muscles, she pushed the soldier to her knees. Looking down at her subordinate, her mind flashed to her second dream. But in this version, instead of her Oathsworn, Erelei looked up at her, eyes dazed and pussy covered in her juices, a picture of blissful submission.

She followed the script of her nighttime fantasy, gently guiding the elf to her soaked slit. And just like in the dream, a tentative tongue slipped out to taste her, drawing a little coo of encouragement from the princess. Another lick followed, this time moving more slowly to savor the sweetness, and soon, Erelei was eagerly devoting herself to her task.

She luxuriated in the combined feel of the writhing muscle in her tunnel and the fullness in her ass as her muscles clamped down on the butt plug.

Her denied orgasm had left her with a frustratingly damped fire in her core, and her seduction of the nubile ranger had only served to fan the flames. It didn't take long for her subordinate's enthusiastic tongue to push her over the edge.

Fighting down cries of pleasure, she held Erelei's head in place as she rode her paramour's tongue to a second climax. Feminine fluids spattered onto the grass, the musk of sex heavy in the little grove.

Elestrea panted, knees weak, as she stroked the hair of the young elf, rewarding her for a job well done. On recovering her strength, she grabbed Erelei by the ponytail, leading her on all fours to a more open piece of terrain.

The princess kissed her way down the ranger's back, taking delight in the soft coos she elicited, and spread the firm buttcheeks in front of her.

Erelei spread her legs, expecting her captain to reciprocate her oral attentions, but jerked forward when a wet tongue laved her other hole instead. Strong arms wrapped around her hips to lock her in place, and then the tongue returned, exploring her most private parts.

Elestrea smiled when Erelei stopped struggling and began to vocalize her pleasure again, the soldier letting out little "ohs" as the princess dipped her tongue into the center of the pucker. Long minutes passed as she made love to the rosebud, bringing Erelei to a shuddering release with her thumb vibrating on the elf's clit.

Satisfied that her lover was ready, she pulled the toy out of her own ass, biting her lip from the sensation, and wiped it clean on the soft grass. Erelei, lost in her own bliss, remained oblivious to her actions, though that quickly changed when the crystal began making its way into her bowels.

Kissing her way back up the young ranger's spine, Elestrea molded her body to the other woman's and nibbled her ear.

"Now you belong to me."

=====

The pair of guards at the door saluted smartly on seeing her approach, one stepping in to open the entryway for her.

"Lady Elestrea, the king and queen are expecting you."

Nodding her thanks, she continued into the room, followed closely by Ilverith and Erelei. Hearing the awed gasp behind her, she let out a small smile, reminded that this was the first time seeing the royal chambers for the scout.

Artifacts from across the world decorated the walls and display cases, mementos of adventures past and curios brought as gifts by ambassadors telling of a long, successful reign. She had grown up surrounded by these treasures and the stories to go with them, but it was more than understandably impressive to someone who had not, let alone a young commoner who had never left elven lands.

The grin rapidly transformed into an expression of shock when she heard the words following the exclamation.

"Ilsivar's left tit, that's a lot of stuff."

Barely overcoming the urge to bury her face in her hands, she spun around to rebuke her foul-mouthed subordinate when a peal of musical laughter stopped her.

"Yes, I suppose it is. Each piece has its own unique tale to tell, though, and I can never find myself able to throw them away."

Her mother, Queen Valere, swept into the room from a doorway in the back. Her father, king of the western elves and Princeps of House Virens, entered behind her.

Both cut imposing figures, the wisdom of almost a thousand years of life lending additional weight to their statuesque features. The king regularly maintained his martial skills despite his adventuring days being long behind him, and it showed in his physique and bearing. The queen, while softer in appearance, nevertheless engendered more fear among her enemies and allies alike. An accomplished mage, her eyes glinted with a deep intelligence honed both on the battlefield and in ballrooms.

"We received word about the sinkhole. Your father and I are glad you're safe, Elestrea."

Striding forward, she pulled the princess into a warm hug, stroking the younger woman's hair as if to satisfy herself that the body she was holding was real, before turning her attention back to the ranger.