For the Whored

Zelinnia felt a little better, being back in her own clothes. She looked at Tulani who was standing there looking down at the shredded heap. Zelinnia put her hand on the woman's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Tulani shrugged. "Actually, I didn't like that dress as much as I did the others. That... well, that was the one I was wearing when the women I came with called me a "whore's toy". I kept it, and I wore it, because Elunara gave them to me. Even if they did say horrible things about it." She kicked it with her hoof. "So, I'm not so sad."

Elunara hugged Tulani. "You're never what people try to make you be." She took out a package and handed it to Tulani. "Besides, Eloise and I have been smuggling this thing back and forth for months. It's so hard to surprise you with nice clothes."

Unwrapping the package, she held up the dress. She gasped in shock. "Oh, it's so lovely! But, I can't wear it today."

Elunara snorted. "We're going to go see that asshole, and I want you to look like a Goddess."

Tulani nodded and tugged the dress over her head. She twisted and turned. "Oh, it's wonderful."

Zelinnia fingered the shimmery material. "I'm incredibly jealous right now."

Elunara laughed. "I shouldn't tell you, but I've already commissioned a piece for the woman who saved my Tulani." Elunara wrapped her arms around the Draenei and nuzzled her neck.

Elunara and Tulani walked hand in hand and Zelinnia followed behind them. Renwa met them halfway.

"I have him chained in the training yard, naked. Quite frankly, that's improper of me, but..." He frowned at Tulani. "He hurt one of our prized citizens." He finished lamely.

Tulani kissed his cheek. "You went with your feelings. I have learned to do that as well."

Zelinnia stared directly at the ground, tracking Elunara's feet and trying to hide.

"Hey, you and Renwa have something in common." Elunara's whisper was barely audible.

"Shut up." She mumbled. "You said you wouldn't say."

"And I never will."

Renwa's hand on her shoulder made her jump about a mile under her skin. "And Zelinnia, thank you for saving our Tulani. Your actions were very brave and commendable."

"Thank you." She mumbled as she shifted uncomfortably.

"Have I done something to offend you?" He cocked his head to the side as he frowned.

"N-no." She stammered. She looked up and turned scarlet and then stared at her feet again. "No."

Renwa sighed. "Elunara, did you break her?"

Elunara rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I did nothing of the sort. She broke herself." With a giggle, she winked at Zelinnia. "She slipped and fell in the bath. Gave Ina a heart attack."

Renwa chuckled. "That's nothing to be ashamed about."

Zelinnia glared at Elunara. "Wasn't my fault."

"Suuuuurreee..."

Zelinnia crossed her arms and glared. "It was not and you know it."

Elunara leaned over. "Made you stop worrying about... whatever it is that's bothering you." She whispered.

Zelinnia just stared.

Renwa looked between Elunara and Zelinnia and came to his own conclusions. He cleared his throat. "In any event, we have not scheduled a trial yet, we wanted to assess Tulani's mental state."

"I'm doing quite fine." Tulani smiled and rubbed up against Elunara. Zelinnia's blush deepened and she looked at her feet.

Renwa's thought shifted. That must have been a sight to behold. He flushed and tried to return to composure. "Well then, tomorrow we will have a trial. It's getting dark, and he's well enough chained. I have guards around the ring." She gave a sideways glance to Elunara. "More to keep you from killing him, than him escaping."

"Death is too kind." She growled.

He nodded. "In fact, it was a little difficult to post the correct guards. Everyone wants to carve a piece of his hide."

"Even you?" Zelinnia asked.

Renwa nodded.

"So, you love Tulani?" She furrowed her brow.

"I think everyone does, to some extent. I admit that I may be a little more fond of her than others, but only because I've had dealings with her. That and she is Elunara's." He shrugged.

"Do you still love Elunara?" Zelinnia heard the question come out of her mouth and she slapped a hand over it. She scooted backwards, reaching out to Elunara.

Elunara put a hand on her back and shoved her back forward. "Own your question, or it will bother you later." She advised.

Renwa blinked several times before giving a small chuckle. "I haven't even thought of that question in quite some time. Yes, I do love Elunara to some extent, but no, I do not love Elunara like that. In fact, I rather think of her as just another member of this strange little town we've woven. One that gives me a constant migraine I might add." He shot Elunara a meaningful look.

She held up her hands. "Not me. Not this time."

He considered. He took Zelinnia's hand and smiled. "Perhaps we should discuss ourselves more over a meal." He kissed her hand before releasing it. "I will see everyone tomorrow."

The entire town stood in a circle around the training area. General Renwa, General Grogek, Captain Jordan, and Tulani stood at one end of the ring. Elunara had convinced Tulani to wear her new dress. She glittered like an angel beside Renwa. In the center, still tied naked to a chair, Terrance stewed in his own juices.

"Where's the whore?" Terrance called out.

"You don-" Renwa began.

"Right here." Elunara moved through the crowd, flexing her hand so that her dagger appeared. Fist wrapped around the hilt, she moved to the center of the ring.

"Elunara, please return to your place." Renwa frowned.

A flash of silver is all anyone saw. Terrance called out in pain, and on his arm, a thin rivulet of blood dripped down. The cut was not deep, but it burned.

"No." Another flash of silver, another cut. "No, I do not think we'll do this the "civilized" way." As she spoke, she began to circle the chained man, lashing out and cutting sensitive skin. "This man is so completely full of himself, that I think I should drain him dry." She cut his face, his arms, and his legs. "You see, while everyone else was snug in their beds, this man and I had a little talk." One of her cuts came dangerously close to his eye. "It seems that this man thinks that I have corrupted his sister, ruined his life, and destroyed his family. When in fact," A cut sang across his cheek. "I helped his sister overcome a fear. Then I," She cut a deep track across his chest. "punished him for starting a physical altercation." She grabbed him by the hair and pressed the dagger just under his ear. "I hate people who think they can control the lives of others."

"Elunara..." Renwa cautioned.

She straightened up and slid her knife across his earlobe. "I had a little conversation with your sister, and apparently, you're the reason she had those fears. You've been terrorizing her for YEARS." She cut another deep track across his chest. "Haven't you, Terrance?" She tsk'd. "Making her afraid of boys, when it was you she had to be afraid of." She cut his lip.

"Aren't you going to stop this?" A desperate Terrance called from his chair.

Renwa raised an eyebrow. "Well, now she has me curious."

Elunara rubbed the small blade for a moment before slicing into flesh. "Mark was sweet on little Jenny, but you kept blocking. Then when he got a moment alone, you went ballistic. Words were said, and you two finally came to blows. Knowing what I knew at the time, I told Mark about Jenny's little crush, hoping this would all resolve itself." Terrance was covered in small slices, bleeding down into his own waste. "Instead," She sliced his legs. "I find out that Jenny got herself a black eye for the incident."

Gasps were heard. Jenny stepped forward, her hair covering her face. She looked up and pushed the hair back. Mark rushed to her side.

"Now," Elunara gave him a deep gash on his shoulder. "Jenny has been hiding, because she was ashamed of him. He's busted her up several times over the past week, and those marks on her face as just the most recent." She dug the blade into Terrance's cheek. "Then, after my heart to heart with our boy here..." She sliced his thigh open. "I learn that he knew he could never get to me. That, in order to get to me," She continued cutting pieces out of him. "That he would have to go through the things I value most." She sighed and began to tick off her fingers. "Grogek, Tulani, Darguni, Renwa, and even Zelinnia. The list is long, and varied, but the end result was the same. He would have to get to each of these things to destroy me." She went for his face and then his hands.

"Grogek was too difficult, Renwa was too strong, Darguni would be a nice choice, but he was well protected." She stopped and stared at the bloody mess. "But Tulani? Or Zelinnia? Easy pickin's. All he'd have to do was wait for one of them to be alone. Zelinnia was a bit of a problem, because she was still too cautious to be caught alone, and her favorite hang out was the training yard." Elunara shook her head. She yanked his head back. "He told me last night, that he would get all the rest soon enough, but Tulani was THE prize to go for. She was, in his opinion, the second most important thing to me. It was just to his benefit that Tulani was such weak prey."

Terrance huffed and puffed, his vision was blurring.

"So his plan?" Elunara's voice hardened. "His plan was suited to the target..." She glared down at the man. "How did you put it? Oh, yeah. "Fuck the whore's lover, and then dump the body in the street where she belonged."

Elunara jammed the blade into the man's nut sack. The scream had everyone jumping back, and even Grogek winced.

"You're so weak and pathetic, that you can't even do THAT right." Elunara growled. She yanked the dagger out. "Man that must suck." She wiped the dagger off on his leg. She pointed at Tulani. "You thought her weak? You thought her easy? Yeah, well she kicked your ass with a BASKET!" She stabbed him on the other side of his nuts.

He had nothing left to give and blacked out.

"Elunara." Tulani whispered. She walked forward ad wrapped her arms around Elunara. "You can stop now."

Elunara turned and laid her lips on Tulani's. "I was already done. I made my point."

"Elunara, please come up here." Renwa frowned.

The crowd began to murmur and Elunara dismissed her dagger. Tulani clung to her arm.

"One of these days," He sighed. "I'm going to stop you from making a public spectacle of yourself. How did you get him to tell you all of that?"

"Some of it came from his sister, some of it came from Tulani's account, but most of it came about, because he just has a good deal of mean in him. I came to him last night, all tears and hurt because, how could he DO such a thing." Elunara shook herself. "His idea for Darguni was to cut him up and give me the pieces."

Tulani gasped and dug her fingers into Elunara's arm. Grogek growled towards the bloody form.

"It gets worse, but in the end, after I got all I needed, it came down to the truth..." She shrugged. "He is a coward. I doubt he really thought he could get away with any of it. Following some of what his sister told me, he thought he had the upper hand. He THINKS he is better than he is."

"Hm. Yes, he's been a weak soldier at best." Grogek nodded. "I've tried pushing him harder, but he is stubborn, and thinks his old ways are still best. Regardless of the environment."

Tulani smiled. "Thank you." She kissed Elunara. "For the basket remark."

Elunara shrugged. "It's as accurate as the statement gets."

"But what do we do with a man like that?" Captain Jordan frowned.

"Please don't execute him on my account." Tulani frowned.

Elunara shook her head. "Execution is too kind. I want his suffering to linger." She snorted.

"I had no intention of executing him" Renwa shook his head. "After Elunara's display, we need a punishment that sticks; something awful."

Elunara snorted. "He was supposed to be on latrine duty anyhow..."

Grogek grinned. "That's my vicious little she-wolf." He put his hand over the bangle on her arm.

She smiled up at him. "As mad as Ina is, I don't think any of the healers will be fixing him soon. Which reminds me." She scanned the crowd. "Ah, there it is."

"What's in the bucket?" Renwa narrowed his eyes.

Elunara grinned at him before walking on. "Salt water."

"She isn't..." Captain Jordan asked in horror.

Renwa's tone was grim. "She is."

Elunara took the bucket from the soldier and held it up. Dumping the massive bucket of water on the man, she yelled "Wake up, sunshine!"

Terrance screamed in pain, and continued screaming and struggling against his bonds as the water dripped down his body.

"You were a mess, so I had to give you a bath." She tossed the bucket to the side. "Can't have you sleeping through your sentence can I?"

"YOU BITCH!" He screamed.

"Don't make me get another bucket." She tisked, as she walked back to stand with the rest of the crowd.

He hissed at her.

"Terrance." Renwa began. "Your crimes are numerous and sickening. However, Tulani has graciously asked for leniency on your behalf, we will not go to execution." There were a number of angry noises in the crowd, but at Renwa's stare, they silenced. "In light of this, we have decided that, since your intent was so disgusting, that you should remain where you belong. Congratulations, you are now on permanent latrine duty." More noises and Renwa glared. "That does not mean that other punishments will not include such." He warned. "Also, I think you can sit there for a little while longer, while we find other accommodations for you." Renwa nodded "That being said, I think commendations should be given to our newest resident, Zelinnia; for her actions in saving our sweet Tulani."

Everyone turned and looked at the Blood Elf. Elunara shoved her forward. "Go up there, goofball."

"I..." Zelinnia looked around in confusion.

"Go." Someone hissed, and pushed her again.

She stumbled forward and looked around as she walked towards Renwa. Tulani smiled and held out her hand. Zelinnia reached out, and was pulled over to Tulani's side.

"I HATE YOU!" The man in the center screamed.

No one looked at him.

"I am aware that some people had reservations in allowing a former member of the Horde, to live in our town. Of course, they had reservations about one of the Iron Horde joining our town, and look how well THAT one turned out."

People laughed.

"I am very glad that Elunara brought us a new ally." He turned to her and took her hand. "Thank you. You have proven yourself to all of us, in your actions toward one of our own."

Zelinnia dumbly stared at his hand. Finally, she looked up. "I couldn't let him hurt my friend." Was all she could think of to say.

Tulani hugged her tightly. "I don't know what would have happened without you." She whispered.

The crowd cheered.

Terrance sat in the center of the training area until a small shack was constructed on the outskirts of town, where he was locked in every night. During the day, a guard would escort him around to his duties. Predictably, no healer wanted to deal with a man who'd tried to harm their own. It was Tulani herself who felt bad for the man and tried to help him out with her limited abilities. She only eased the suffering. The scars along his body remained. He was only allowed pants. For a time, the men would take turns on his guard duty, so they could heap insults and kicks when no one else looked. Not that anyone cared. Soon it because a boring job that no one wanted and the man was mostly ignored.