Hopes Awakening

This story originally appeared on Literotica as "Her First Encounter". It has been edited and revised. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing! Comments and emails are welcome. -Guinevere A. Hart

* * * * *

Adri looked around the luxuriously appointed rooms that were hers for the night. The entrance was by a seating area with soft couches and a table laden with food. There were bottles of red wine and bowls of honeyed almonds, figs, pomegranate seeds, and cherries. She saw a theme in the assortment of snacks, and giggled. Through an archway, she entered the bedroom. An enormous four posted bed dominated the center of the room. She ran her hand over the heavy, red brocade coverlet, and then pulled it back a little ways to reveal fresh linen sheets. She gave a few good pushes into the soft mattress. With another giggle, she threw herself onto the middle of the bed. Movement from above nearly scared her out of her skin, and then she doubled over in laughter as she noted the mirrored canopy.

She stared up at her reflection and wondered, not for the first time that day, if she had made the right choice to cut her hair so short. Before today, her long white tresses flowed all the way to the small of her back. If she had pulled it straight, it would reach to mid-thigh. Now it was gone. She'd had it cut short on the back and sides of her head, with a bit more length on the top. Her head felt lighter, which was interesting, but she wasn't sure she liked the look. She'd also had piercings done that day, with little gold rings glinting all the way to the tapered tips of her ears. It was painful to pierce the cartilage, but as a cleric with access to divine healing, it did not hurt for long. Adri ran her hands over her chopped hair, and again wondered if the hair cut made her ears look too big. She shrugged her shoulders. It was too late to worry about it now, she had a date to get ready for.

Another curtained archway led into a private bath chamber. There were shelves full of towels, soaps, oils, and perfumes. A mirrored dressing table sat next to a wardrobe in one corner of the room. In the center of the floor, a large sunken tub held clear, steaming water. Her hosts had set out fresh towels, soap, and a bottle of oil by the side of the tub for her. She crossed to the wardrobe and stripped, reverently hanging her white cleric's robes. Earlier that day, she had purchased a sheer, silk night dress and matching panties specifically for this evening's events. She thought the blue-violet color nearly matched her eyes. She took her new clothes from her pack and draped them across the dressing table. Before lowering herself into the tub, she added the fragrant honey-suckle oil. With a sigh and a smile she sank up to her chin in the steaming hot water.

She had not been soaking for long before she began to feel drowsy. A hot soak can make a person feel sleepy, but she thought she felt a bit too tired, a bit too quickly. Adri sat up quickly, the motion causing a wave of dizziness. Her vision blurred, and she knew that something was definitely wrong. Clumsily, she hauled herself out of the tub. Sprawling on the cool tiled floor, she reached out with her thoughts to her goddess. Her connection to the divine confirmed her suspicions that she had been poisoned. With a murmured prayer, Adri was able to slow the poison; hopefully long enough to get some help. She stood on shaking legs. If she had to fight, or run around a brothel, she was not going to do it naked. Grabbing the night dress, she threw it on over her head and made for the bedroom.

* * * * *

From his position in the shadows beneath the bed, he watched the pale skinned, high-elf woman as she entered the suite. He was not particularly surprised when she did not partake of the wine or the almonds that he had drugged. Someone was trying to kill the Duchess Adrielen De'Alathan, and that tended to make one suspicious. It did not matter, he had also drugged the bath oil. If she did not use the oil, he always had the option of a well-placed dart. He was not trying to kill her. It would just be more convenient if she were unconscious before he moved her to a more secure location. He intended to question her about the dark-elf army that she had seen recently. He wanted to know if the army was led by the same hateful dark-elf bitch that had chased him all over the Prime Material for the last several centuries. He had watched Adrielen and her companions all day. She seemed to be the most reasonable of the group, the least likely to give him any trouble, even if she was a damn female.

When she jumped on the bed and laughed at herself, he felt the corner of his mouth twitch. He quickly forced the smirk into a sneer. The last thing he wanted was to like the flighty, high-born elfess. Having followed her for a day, he had learned much about the girl. Though she knew someone wanted her dead, she wandered around town with her friends as if nothing bad could happen to her. She had stumbled upon a dark-elf encampment that looked as though they were prepping for a fight. Though concerned, she was not wracked with worry over it. She was clearly going through some sort of angst against her father. It led to a haircut, piercings, and a trip to the brothel. Though she was clearly grown, these were the actions of a petulant adolescent. Even so, there seemed to be no spite or guile in her at all. She smiled and laughed so easily. Nothing seemed to faze Adrielen. He had never seen a woman so full of such constant joy. He reminded himself that all women were conniving, manipulative, untrustworthy bitches. This one would turn out no different, given time. However, as he played the part of the monster under her bed, he could not help but wonder if he could not have just approached her openly.

He listened as she rolled off the bed and went into the bathroom. If she used the oil, there was the distinct possibility that she could drown in the tub. A dead girl floating in the tub would be a small inconvenience, but one that he did not want to deal with. He slipped from the shadows beneath the bed and silently followed after her to the curtained archway. He watched as she undressed. The elves of this realm were tall, and Adrielen was no exception. She was six feet tall and very well proportioned. Her full breasts perked up at her large, rose colored areoles. His eyes traveled down her slender belly, and noted that she had no body hair. When she bent to retrieve her night gown from her bag, he had a unrestricted view of her toned ass. His cock kicked against his trousers. He clenched his jaw, and reminded himself that he was not there for that.

* * * * *

Adri half stumbled and half ran from the bathroom. Her friend Shoska was only just down the hall. If she could get to her, she knew she would be all right. She stopped short as she nearly ran into a dark, heavily cloaked figure, blocking the archway between the bedroom and the sitting area. She took a few steps back, but made sure to stand as straight as she could. She lifted her head high and stared into the deep shadow of the intruder's hood. The drug in her system made her feel so unsteady. She wanted nothing but to sink to the floor and sleep, but she was a daughter of the Light. She would look her dark assassin in the face and not show weakness.

She watched as a pair of dark hands rose and pulled back the hood. He was a dark-elf, like the ones she had seen in the caverns she had explored with her friends. His flesh was such a deep violet that it was almost black. His face was finely carved from the very midnight itself. His white hair, as silk woven from moonlight, framed his face and hung straight, nearly to his shoulders. He smelled of herbs and exotic spices. She was shocked at her own desire to taste his fragrant skin on her tongue. He was the most beautiful being she had ever seen. Unlike the others of his kind, this one did not possess an aura of evil. She had never been this close to a dark-elf. In spite of the circumstances, she wanted to be closer still as moisture formed between her inner folds. At that moment, he stared at her; his deep red eyes locked on to hers. One fine, white brow arched higher than the other.

He coolly stated, "You have some skills." His deep voice had a rumbling resonance that sent an electric jolt down her spine, and more fluid from her core.

"I have faith, lord dark-elf," she answered him with a smile. Even though she felt like she was headed for the floor, even though she knew this beautiful and intriguing man may be trying to end her, she would go into the Light with gratitude in her heart. She could not understand how she could want this man so badly, but she was fascinated. As he folded long, slender fingers before him, she realized that she didn't care if he wrapped them around her neck or stroked her wet folds with them; just as long as he touched her.

"My name is Krellyn." That voice slid into her ear and wrapped around her spine. She clenched her hands tighter and suppressed a moan. She needed to keep her head.

"Are you the one who's poisoned me, Krellyn?" His name rolled pleasantly on her tongue.

"Only drugged. Though, you don't seem that worse for wear."

She sighed. This was the end, then. She did not have the energy to fight him, and the toxin in her system was making her legs tremble. She would soon succumb, allowing him to kill her at his leisure. "If you're going to kill me, do it quickly. I don't want to fight with you."

"I don't want to fight either. I want information."

Adri's vision blurred. Even as Krellyn's drug battered her defenses, she laughed. Her speech slurred through her laughter when she asked, "And, how do I 'inform' you while I'm knocked out?" At that, her knees dropped out from beneath her. She could see the lovely mosaic floor tiles rising up to greet her.

Those slender hands were stronger than they looked as they wrapped around her upper arms, keeping her upright. His hands were cold and hard, but his touch sent a bolt of lightning through to her very soul. He caught her up in one arm, while his other quickly disappeared inside his cloak. All she knew was that she was surrounded by his chill embrace, floating on a fragrant and gorgeous sea of darkness. Her only light was the light of the goddess that pulsed in her heart, and that light was enough. She floated, willing to drown there, until something sharp bit her neck.

A stark white light flashed behind her eyes and her blood pulsed hard in her ears. Once again, she could feel the floor beneath her feet. He still held her as she steadied herself, and she was in no hurry to move away from him. She opened her eyes to see Krellyn slip a needle back into his cloak. His red eyes locked onto hers again, watching her intently. She silently and fervently prayed that he would kiss her. Instead, he asked, "Better?"

* * * * *

Krellyn knew it was only a matter of time before the drugs that she had absorbed into her skin would take her out. Yet she continued to smile, even laugh, as if these things happened to her on a regular basis. What did he know? Perhaps they did. He watched her with piqued curiosity, wondering just how long she could hold off the sleep toxin in her system. She was not difficult to watch. If she had hoped to preserve some form of modesty by throwing that silk gown on, she had failed. It clung to her wet skin and revealed everything. His cock jumped again, becoming insistent. He ignored it.

Based on their conversation, brief as it was, he realized that he could have just asked her what he wanted to know. He had never met a guileless woman, but maybe there really was a first for everything. Her laughter and her expression faded. He tried to remain detached as he watched her pupils dilate, her eyes rolled upwards. He resisted his own cruel and haughty urge to countdown her trip to the floor. As her knees buckled, he surprised himself by catching her. Against everything in his nature, he caught her up and cradled her to his chest. He decided it was not necessary to expend the effort to transport her and bind her, though his libido suggested that such a scenario could be pleasant. This woman would answer his questions without coercion. He injected the antidote directly into her bloodstream. He watched as she opened her eyes, and her pupils began to focus. "Better?"

"Yes." She breathed, as he set her back on her feet.

"Will you answer my questions now?" He had begun to feel impatient. She made him feel uncomfortable. He wanted to tear the silk gown from her body, to touch her, to taste her. He did not want to want her.

Her voice was more stable as she answered, "Yes. But will you answer one of mine first?"

He sighed. He was the one who was supposed to be interrogating her. "Very well."

"What did you do with Starry Knight?"

His frown deepened. What was this? Was she stalling for time? "I have no idea who that is."

"He was my, um, date. He was supposed to meet me here. Did you kill him?"

Nonplussed, he paused before answering. "No, he's knocked out in his room. 'Starry Knight'? That's the guy's name? What the hell kind of name is that?"

Her cheeks blushed as she shook her head and shrugged. She laughed as she said, "I don't think his mother named him that."

Something broke inside his chest, climbed up his throat and escaped his lips in a short, abrasive noise. It was strange to his ears, throwing him off for a moment. It began to dawn on him that the noise was a laugh. He did not remember the sound; it had been so long ago. He tried to tell himself he did not have the time for this, when he actually had all the time in multiverse. "Adrielen, tell me about the dark-elves you saw. I need to know exactly what you saw and where you found them."

* * * * *

Adri wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. She felt stupid, as well as cold. She should have grabbed a towel; anything other than the flimsy gown that now clung to her body. What she really wanted was for him to hold her again, but his expression was as cold as his voice. He probably did not want her, but she ached for him. With her date passed out, she had a long, lonely night ahead of her. It was sad that she had paid three hundred gold, just to lie in a fancy bed and finger herself to a fantasy of dark-elf who did not want her. At least she was alive and healthy, she supposed.

She felt more comfortable with Krellyn, knowing that he had not killed the male prostitute that she had purchased for the evening. He only wanted to know about the other dark-elves. He had a completely insane way of asking, but he did not actually want to hurt anyone. Adri told him of the caverns that she and her friends had stumbled onto. She described the underground camp, how it looked as though the females were in charge. Her goddess gave her impressions of those she encountered, and she could tell him with certainty that all the beings in the camp radiated an intense evil. She described what she had thought was a massive a mirror on a platform near the largest tent. The cavern was only a few miles outside of the city. She told him that she could take him there if he wanted to go.

Cold, silent, and still, with the patience of a statue carved from obsidian, he listened to her story. He kept his beautiful hands folded before him. He maintained eye contact with her. His gaze made her melt, but this was important to him. She kept herself in check and told him all that she knew. When she finished, she asked him, "Are they going to attack the city?"

"I do not think so, at least not now. What you describe sounds like only a small unit." He paused for what seemed like a long time to her. During that pause he stared at her with such intensity, she began to wonder if she had done or said something offensive to him. Eventually, he said, "I think they're here for me."

She took this in like a blow to the gut, though she kept her reaction to herself. Adri did not care what crimes his people thought him guilty of. Having reached a decision, she said, "Well, they don't get to have you. Tell me what I can do to help you, Krellyn."

He blinked several times before answering. "Perhaps you could talk to your friends. Together, you could infiltrate their camp. There is a certain priestess who is leading that company. If you could eliminate her, the others would leave. Your city would be safe."

"And so would you."

"That's the idea."

"I'll talk to them first thing tomorrow. Give me the day to prepare them. We can all meet for dinner tomorrow night. Once we put our heads together, we can come up with a plan and get this taken care of." She would not suffer the minions of a foreign and evil god to invade her homeland. The fact that they threatened a man who could touch her soul this way only sharpened her resolve against them. As far as Adri was concerned, that matter was settled. "There's something else I'd like to discuss with you, if you have a moment."

She stepped closer to him, nearly closing the space between them. She was hopeful when he did not back away from her. "This night was very important to me. I had paid quite a bit for a luxurious and professional deflowering. Then you drugged my date."

She moved even closer to him as he asked, "Should I wake him for you?"

Adri dared to touch her nose to his, delighted when he still did not move away. She whispered, "I don't want him anymore." She was trying to be seductive, but had no idea what she was doing. She was supposed to be the one being seduced. She smiled and asked brightly, "So, are we going to do this, or what?"

* * * * *

Krellyn did not want to want Adrielen, did not want to trust her, and did not want to like her. He told himself that she was simply another hole that wanted filling. Her proximity and the daring in her attitude caused his traitorous prick to demand release. He certainly would not back down from her nearness and give her any indication that she made him feel uncomfortable. He searched her eyes again, looking for the deception, the viciousness, that he knew had to be there. There was absolutely nothing, just an open, honest desire. "You're rather bold."

She did not move, but simply asked, "Is that good or bad?"

"It's... refreshing." He said, just before she pressed her lips to his. He returned her kiss as he slid his hands up her arms to the shoulders of her night dress. She pulled away from him with a gasp as the silk gown pooled around her feet. She moved forward again to kiss him, but he caught her jaw in his hand. He held her with enough firmness to control her head, but not to bruise her. He was pleased when she did not flinch or fight his grip. If she was going to kiss him, she would do it properly. He let his lips brush hers as he commanded her, "Open."

She complied immediately. When her tongue met his, a tiny sound escaped her throat. She slipped her hands around the back of his neck and filled them with his hair. She readily crushed her naked body against his. He gripped her fine ass in both of his hands and squeezed as he ground his erection against her pelvis. He was painfully aware that he was overdressed. He broke the kiss, and his hands reluctantly released their grip. Her pout was lovely as he pushed her away from him, while turning her shoulders to face the other way. He pointed at the bed over her shoulder and slapped her rump hard enough to sting. "Put that ass on the bed."

Again, he wondered at her. When he slapped her, she jumped and released a little squeal, but her easy smile had returned. Her squeal was followed by a slightly breathless laugh. Without hesitation, she moved to the bed. She sat on her knees in the middle of the bed and eagerly watched him. He was surprised that she seemed to grow more turned on by his rough commands, and her quick compliance was an unexpected joy.