For the Whored

As far as anyone knew, Zelinnia got hurt in the bathroom. Since a couple of people saw Renwa carry her, covered in blood to the healer's building, it was Tulani who decided that Zelinnia had cut open her leg in a bad way. Talk turned instead, to the rumor of Elunara's mysterious new power, a fact that had her beyond frustrated.

Tulani sat at the table, sewing a small section of fabric. "I find it quite hilarious that, people say Elunara is a filthy whore, and it makes her giggle. People say Elunara has mysterious healing powers, and she's fit to slice some throats."

"Maybe because one is completely stupid." Elunara muttered. She was trying to concentrate on her sketch, but it wasn't working.

"Well, most people would consider "filthy whore" to be an insult, not an occupation."

"Since when is Elunara "most people"?" Jordan retorted.

"Hm. This is true." Tulani nodded.

"This is why we love her." Grogek kissed the top of Elunara's head before sitting down.

It was a rare day when they all could eat together, and they were taking it, though Tulani was more focused on finishing the fabric rose.

"I don't HAVE Elune working through me. I don't HAVE the light within me, and I'm certainly not some unsung messiah. I liked this town better when it was afraid of me." She grumbled.

Tippy laughed as she put down their plates of food. "Elunara, you are something else."

"If you accuse me of that mess, I WILL bite your hand."

Tippy snorted. "Anyone as grumpy as you can't possibly be the bearer of the light OR Elune."

"Good woman." Elunara snorted.

"How many times have you supposedly done it?"

"Twice."

Tippy snorted. "Twice is barely a fart." She shrugged and walked back to the kitchen.

"Knew I liked her." Elunara drank.

Zelinnia came in and wandered over. She took a chair at the table. "You're not usually in here. Or all at once."

Elunara shrugged. "It's just one of those random days. How are you feeling?"

"Better. Renwa clucks around me like a mother hen. I think he thinks I'll injure myself again."

Elunara sighed. "It's his job to worry." Elunara reached over and rubbed Zelinnia's hand.

"Oh, Zelinnia, haven't seen you in a few days. How's the leg?" Tippy wiped her hand on a napkin.

She smiled sadly. "It's fine. Just throbs ever so often."

"Eh, injuries do that. It'll get your sandwich going."

"Thank you."

"Good gravy, you come in here that often?"

"It's that good of a sandwich." Zelinnia nodded. "Johnathan had them delivered to my room while I was healing."

"Sounds weird." Grogek snorted. "To hear someone not call him Renwa." Grogek tossed down his fork on the empty plate. "I'm heading out." He kissed Elunara and stood up. He dropped a kiss on Tulani's forehead and then, much to everyone's surprise, Zelinnia's head. He pointed at Jordan. "Don't care how handsome you are, I ain't touchin' you." He marched out.

Everyone at the table burst into laughter.

"If that wasn't adorable, I don't know what is." Tippy snorted as she placed the sandwich in front of Zelinnia.

"But why did he kiss me?" Zelinnia blinked.

Elunara laughed. "Knowing Grogek, he's decided you're mine." She shook her head. "And no, I didn't tell him."

Tulani sighed and tossed the object in her basket. "Dammit, I messed up the fabric."

"Ooh, too bad. Can't fix it?"

"No, it's shredded. I'll have to get a new piece of fabric." Tulani began eating her food.

"What are you working on?" Zelinnia took a bite of her sandwich.

"Final touches for the wedding. Its next week, and we're just trying to get everything ready."

"An I ee?" Zelinnia mumbled over her full mouth.

"Nope." Tulani finished her lunch, grabbing her basket and standing up. She leaned over and kissed Elunara. "Sorry, I need to go back."

"It's fine, sweetness."

"It's my wedding, why can't I see it?"

"Because I ruined it, and I don't have any others with me." Tulani kissed Zelinnia on the cheek. "Be well."

Jordan sat his fork down and stretched. "Ugh, I've got a day to get to. Sorry, Zelinnia." Jordan kissed Elunara. "Later." He walked out whistling.

"At the rate you get kissed, it's a wonder your lips don't bleed." Tippy snorted.

"Care to join the ranks?" Elunara winked.

"Noooo thank you."

Zelinnia giggled. "Busy day?"

"Not really. I'm just going to work on some overdue portraits." Elunara stretched. "Trying to return to some normalcy. I apparently have a cult following."

Zelinnia snorted and wiped her mouth. "I can't believe how upset you are that people... LIKE you."

"The like me for the wrong damned reason." Elunara sighed and erased a mistake. "It's driving me crazy. I liked it better when people glared at me. The cowering was nice... but I'd rather people be disgusted by my existence, rather than expecting me to perform some stupid miracle."

Zelinnia put a hand over Elunara's. "It was a miracle to me." She whispered. "Who knows...?"

"Don't even go there. You're stronger than you think. You'd have been on your way already."

"No. No I wouldn't. I gave up. I gave up and you pulled me back."

Elunara snapped her board closed and stood up.

"Where are you going?"

"To settle this." Elunara kissed Zelinnia's cheek and left.

"Are you in the running for the most kisses in my freaking tavern?" Tippy put her hands on her hips.

Zelinnia blushed and finished her sandwich.

"Hey, Elunara!"

She looked over at Gerald jogging up. "What's up?"

"I... well, I was thinking about taking you up on your offer."

"Oh. I have some free time tomorrow afternoon, bout three."

"I'll be there." He grinned. He stopped and watched her walk off.

She was in a much better mood when she reached the Healer's building. "Ina!"

The little dwarven woman stuck her head out of a door. "You'll have to wait your turn."

Elunara shrugged and took a seat.

A few minutes later, Ina came out, wiping her hand on a rag. "What do ye need?"

"Test me."

Ina froze. "What?"

"Just freaking test me. I want to settle this."

Ina sighed. "Fine. You know the drill."

Elunara closed her eyes and focused on the light.

"As usual, I can't find a thing."

Elunara opened her eyes. "I knew it!"

"May I try?"

Elunara frowned at Leslia. "You know what? The entire healing building can try, I don't give a damn." She closed her eyes and waited.

"But... that can't be right." Leslia frowned.

Elunara cracked an eye. "I damned well told you."

"Let us all try at once." Tia smiled.

Elunara closed her eyes and shrugged. "Knock yourselves out."

"I don't understand." Tia whispered. "All of us should have brought it out." She tapped her chin. "Can you sing for us?"

Elunara blinked. "What?"

"When you sing, you glow. Please, sing for us while we test you."

"Ugh, fine." Elunara closed her eyes and racked her brain. Finding a traditional ballad, she began to sing.

"It's... beautiful."

"What is?" Elunara opened her eyes.

Ina just stared. "She does glow."

Elunara rolled her eyes. "Doesn't mean a damned thing."

The door opened and Jerry came in holding his bleeding hand.

"Oh, Jerry, what did you do to yourself?"

"Training accident, one of the new guys tripped, flung his sword wildly and it sliced through my hand."

Elunara peered at it. "Yeah, he cut you something terrible." She pushed him into the chair she had been sitting in.

Ina examined the hand. "Eh. It'll heal. This one is pretty simple."

Elunara put her hand on Jerry's shoulder. "Might scar, but you'll be back to whacking off Louis in no time."

Jerry flushed and held up his other hand. "I kinda use this one anyway."

The three Night Elf priestesses turned interesting shades of red, but Ina, who'd heard it all from Elunara, was unfazed. "Here, let's clean it, and then I'll heal it." She washed a damp rag across the cut and examined it. "Yeah, it's not too deep, shouldn't damage any of the nerves."

Elunara held her hand on Jerry's shoulder as Ina worked her magic.

"All done." Ina smacked the back of his hand. "Give us a flex, make sure it healed properly."

Jerry flexed his hand and grinned. "Thanks Ina." Jerry blinked and looked up at Elunara. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"That you have healer abilities."

"Elune save me, don't tell me you're going to start that too?"

"Did you feel her?" Leslia asked.

"Well, no. I felt tingling in my hand, but that's it."

Ina shook her head. "No, Elunara was not there."

"See?"

The door burst open and Mark came in, hand over his bleeding belly. "Gods, that bastard should not hold a damned sword."

"Same guy?" Jerry blinked.

"Grogek is having a field day on his ass." Mark winced as Ina led him to the bed.

"This one is nasty." Ina sighed.

"Well, Grogek told him he isn't allowed to use anything sharper than a staff." Mark winced as Ina cleaned his belly.

"I'm headed back down to the yard." Jerry saluted.

"Gods that hurts."

Elunara leaned down and looked. "Oh man, a centimeter deeper and you wouldn't have made it."

"Aye, I agree." Ina carefully cleaned the wound. "I'm gonna need your help, girls."

"Of course." The others laid their hands on Mark's side and belly.

Mark reached out and grabbed Elunara's hand. "Ah, I hate to be a big baby about this..."

Elunara laughed and held his hand, putting her other hand on his shoulder. "You'll be fine." As the healers worked, Elunara started feeling light headed. She shook her head and blinked. "The hell?"

Mark frowned. "Are YOU ok?" He reached up with his free hand and put a hand to her face. "You don't feel feverish."

"I'm sorry, that was my fault." Leslia sighed.

Ina glared. "You don't pull that kind of stunt in MY office, you hear me?"

"I'm sorry. I just... I thought that maybe..."

"Elunara isn't a gifted, and even if she was, you do NOT do those things without permission from her!" Ina jabbed her finger at Leslia.

"What did she do?" Elunara growled.

"I... I thought that maybe I could pull the gift out, make you use it again. Instead I... I drained your stamina to heal the wound."

Elunara grabbed Leslia by the front of her dress. "You BITCH!"

Mark sat up with a wince and grabbed Elunara around her shoulders. "I know you're pissed, just don't kill her."

"Oh, I'll do far worse than that."

He slid off the bed, and put himself between Elunara and Leslia. "Elunara, don't make me do this, but you'll have to go through me."

Leslia ran into a back room and slammed the door.

"I'm sick of that little bitch and her goddamned CULT thinking I'm some worthless prophet!" She shoved Mark. "She freaking USED you to prove a point that didn't even exist!"

"Elunara!" Ina climbed up on the bed and cracked Elunara in the face. "Come to your senses. I know you're pissed, but you will NOT fight in my building!" Ina sniffed. "I will handle MY priestess how I see fit. Now, you need to go home. I haven't even had a chance to make sure Mark healed correctly. Would it make you feel better to accidentally kill him, just because you're pissed off?"

Elunara looked down at the dried blood on Mark's torso.

"Yeah, this kind of hurts like hell."

Elunara sighed and backed up, pushing Mark back on the healer's bed. "I'm sorry."

He laid back and grabbed her hand again.

Ina looked down and began to examine the area. "We did not complete the ritual. That might have made it worse." She sighed. "I need all of us."

Elunara laid a hand on Mark's stomach as she sat down beside him. "You may take from me. Asking first would have been helpful." She ground out. "Because I don't mind offering my stamina to help a friend."

"Good." Ina nodded. "Let's begin."

Elunara closed her eyes and focused on opening herself to Ina, and to helping heal the wound. Mark's hand tightened on hers and she returned the pressure. This time, when Ina leeched off of her, she didn't feel dizzy, she felt... important. Opening her eyes, she watched the last of the cut turn into a thin pink line before sealing completely.

"Ok," Mark breathed. "That was cool."

"Yeah," Elunara ran her hand over the lightly scarred area. "Healing is kind of cool to watch."

"No." He shook his head and laid back. "I... felt you. I can't explain it. I felt you reach out."

Elunara jerked her hands back.

Mark reached out for her hand. "No, please. I want... I want to feel it a bit longer."

She stood up and backed away. "No. No, this is not happening."

"Elunara..." Ina cautioned. "Don't pull a Zelinnia and run away again."

Elunara yanked at her hair. "Why does this keep happening?"

"Near as I can figure, it only comes out when you want give yourself to that person." Ina shook her head. "Jordan died. Dead as a doornail, there was no recovering his spirit. You went in and dragged it back. When Zelinnia was lost... you went in and dragged her back. When your temper almost cost Mark, you wanted to give yourself to fix it. You have a powerful connection." Ina tapped her chin. "I won't lie to you, Jordan came by a few days ago with a theory, and I'm going to agree with him. You never had love before. You never had a love for anyone back then. Not even yourself. Now you know love, know how to love. I suspect we have Grogek to thank for that one."

Mark half laughed. "Does that mean she loves me too?"

Ina shrugged. "No one but Elunara knows what's in her heart, but I suspect that friendship is a love that she didn't have then either."

"I never had a friend before Grogek." Elunara whispered. "Once Grogek was my friend, I was able to trace things back, and discovered I had a few friends. I just needed the definition first."

Ina nodded. "Exactly."

"I have a totally off base question." Mark winced a bit as he sat up. "The last time at South orchard, Gerald made... some odd statements."

"Yes, I heard him." Elunara sighed. "No, I'm not adding him to the fold. Gerald thought I hated him because of the day I got pissed off and almost ripped his nuts off. We cleared things. He's my friend too. That's what he was being weird about."

Mark let out a breath. "Gods, I was feeling guilty about our little... thing"

Elunara laughed. "No. Don't worry about that. He just couldn't believe we weren't friends after everything." She shrugged. "We worked it out. He'll be back to running the games next time."

Mark laughed. "You really did try to rip his nuts off?"

"Little bastard was cheating the games. Ripped about a thousand gold off of some newcomers. I don't tolerate that shit."

"Ok, yeah, I could see you being pissed about that."

"I have seen more testicle related injuries out of you, than any other reason." Ina sighed.

"Well, most of the time it's because the idiots want a little harsher play. I try to treat all my clients with respect, because I rather like when they come back. But if they piss me off, or want to try something a little rougher... eh. Most of the time they do it to themselves."

"You are strange." Whispered Tia.

"Sweetie, I have two main loves, dicks and drawing. Drawing dicks all the better. That's been my life. I draw the dicks, I fuck the dicks."

Mark snorted. "You're so eloquent."

"Speaking of which, you haven't been back. I take it things are going well with Jenny?"

"She's so perfect that, some days I'm afraid to do anything that might make her leave. I haven't exactly told her...

"Told me what?" Jenny was standing in the doorway, looking frantic.

Elunara shrugged. "That he was one of my clients before."

"He... I..." She shook her head. "I was told he was hurt."

Ina shook her head. "The healing went well, the wound closed up nicely. You're going to hurt for a few days, but nothing to do about that.

"Oh, thank the light." Jenny wrapped her arms around his neck. "I was so worried all the way over here."

"Mark here was just telling us about little miss perfect angel, and how he's afraid you'd leave him, simply because he... made use of my services."

"Oh." Jenny furrowed her brow. "But, you brought us together. So, I don't mind."

"See? Problem solved." Elunara patted Mark's leg.

"Elunara also leant her life energy to help heal him." Tia smiled.

Jenny stared at Elunara before going around the bed and hugging her.

"Oh. Please, don't. It was... he's just a friend."

"You're the nicest person I know."

Elunara groaned. "I still liked it better when people shunned me."

"I don't understand why." Jenny dropped her arms and frowned. She reached out and took Mark's hand. "You saved me from my brother, gave me a wonderful boyfriend, and then saved his life. Why wouldn't you want to be liked?"

"Because I spent thirty years of my life being completely reviled and disliked; that is something I understand. People liking me and expecting nice things out of me? That I don't get."

"Why? How could they not like you?"

"You're so sweet and innocent." Elunara sighed. "Listen, do you understand what I do?"

"You... you're an artist and... you have sex with men?"

Elunara laughed and sat down in the chair. "I am indeed an artist. I draw people and I do portraits. I also ask them to strip down while I do accurate renditions of their bodies for Ina's book project. After I've got the basics, I do in-depth discoveries of their bodies using my fingers. Once I am satisfied with accuracy, I'll ask them if they wish to continue further. From there, I follow along with what they desire and I make sure they have a good time." She shrugged.

Ina shrugged and dragged Tia and Nona out with her.

"That's just one portion. The other portion has gotten a little interesting. People come to me with their sexual problems and desires. Some of the men I usually have some fun with, but women and couples are usually asking me for ways to spice up their sex lives. I help show them, maybe even help them perform it. I've been inventing tools and useful items in these endeavors. I understand the body and how to get the best reactions and get the most enjoyment out of it. Your Mark benefitted from one of these lessons, but I have a feeling, he's been so timid with you, that you haven't enjoyed the full range."

Jenny blushed. "I'm not... well, I mean... we've..."

Elunara put her hands on the woman's shoulders. "Breathe. I've heard it all."

"She's still a virgin." Mark blushed. "I mean, we've gotten..."

"He's put his fingers there." Jenny whispered.

Elunara stifled a giggle. "Waiting for marriage?"

"I haven't decided." Jenny blushed and put her hands in her lap.

"Sweetie, you've got to commit to one idea or the other. You're just going to leave poor Mark with the bluest balls in town."

"I don't know what that means."

"Think of it this way, when a guy gets hard, his dick and balls fill with fluid. If he doesn't release, that fluid deflates a little, but it will eventually back up and it can get kin of painful. I'm going to assume that Mark is going off and finishing himself, which is helpful, but can get frustrating. You tell him now that you want to save the big finish for the wedding night, and he can prep for that. Else wise, you're just being frustrating." Elunara shook her head. "Mark's too damned in love with you to tell you that. He's also so worried about disappointing you that he hasn't come to me either. Not that I'm telling him to, or telling you to let him. YOU have to decide what you want and own it. You have the power here, because Mark damned well gave it to you."

"Oh." Jenny put her hands to her face. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize to me, I'm not the one you're driving crazy. Listen, you don't have to decide right this minute, but you need to decide two things and then TELL him. The first is, are you saving yourself for marriage? The second would be if you're not, does it bother you for him to see me? I don't give a damn either way. You can tell him that you want to wait for marriage, and you don't want him to come visit me, and not only will he do exactly as you say, I won't bother him about it. In fact, unless he knocks on my door and asks for a schedule, I'm not touching him anyway. I don't have to hunt down clients." Elunara stood up.