The life of a ranger is not without peril. There are hazards in the wilderness so vicious and so vile that even a dwarf lord would tremble at the thought. And danger does not always lurk in the forests and inlets of the wild. Sometimes the threat comes from within, from those who should have your back, from those you trust. For a ranger, risk is an inherent component of any endeavor, but those involving family are perhaps the most perilous of all.
It was because of family that I found myself, on the evening of the Lover's Moon*, looking for a dwarf. Not just any dwarf, mind you, but a dwarf of the Baradur clan and a perilous undertaking, for sure. Clan Baradur was not known for their hospitality toward any outside their kin. They fought with the other clans over territory, jewels and gold. Humans and elves were killed for sport. As a mixture of both, I had double jeopardy. My only reprieve was my gender. As a female, I would be spared certain death, though rape and rapine were definite possibilities.
I had no choice. Ursun Bgrin was my quarry. The fifth son of Malin Bgrin, chieftain of the Baradur clan, Ursun held a special place in his father's house, as the number five held ritual significance. He also held a special map outlining the Hidden Caves of Tarnic. I needed that map, needed it badly, in order to earn a place with my mother's kin. I intended to gain it by any means available.
It was no secret where Ursun was. He liked whores. Whores were found in abundance in brothels, especially near the docks. There were no docks or piers in the mountains and foothills of his homeland, the Immdal Range, but there were docks aplenty in the neighboring province of Cassay. In Cassay, there were "hole-houses" for every taste and means imaginable. I had tracked Ursun to the Gilded Lily, a small but lively establishment catering to the short in stature.
My hopes for gaining the map rested solely on my knowledge of dwarven males and their appetites. Whether food, drink or sex, a male dwarf in his prime does not stop imbibing until his gluttonous desire is whetted. I had prayed for the blessing of Qura that Ursun would remain in the throes of sexual bliss while I pilfered my treasure. He would be twelve orgasms in the wind before he realized his map was missing.
Scaling an outer wall is nothing if you have skill. If you have skill and the abilities of your mother's elven folk, it is less than nothing. I slipped through a window on the third floor without the whisper of a sound. The energetic couple on the bed looked up with fear in their eyes. The male was not Ursun, thank Qura! A quick pass of my hand and the gentle murmur of a sleep spell soon had them dropping into slumber. I slid into the hallway, pausing at each doorway, listening for the tell-tale boom of Ursun's deep bass voice.
As blessing would have it, I heard him two doors down from my entry, and by the sound of it, he was just getting started. The thump-thump-thump of the bed posts hitting the wall coincided with the swish-creak-swish of the mattress and the breathless whoosh of the lass he was in. All the while, he was telling her what a fine piece of ass she had.
I stood with one hand on the door knob, gathering all of my forces around me. I could feel the prick of magic swirling, mixing and melding, and see the faint aura of power forming along my skin. A quick glance down the hallway assured me that I was alone. Slipping out of my clothing, I left it in a pile as I chanted the words of concealment. I wasn't worried about nakedness. The magic would cloak me as invisible. I opened the door ever so slightly and slithered in.
The room was dark; lit only by a scrappy fire in the grate. Dancing shadows played daringly along the bronzed skin of the couple on the bed. The female was a hefty wench, a dwarf maid with tangled reddish curls and hairy armpits. She had large, globular breasts that bounced with each thrust of her lover. Thick hands and feet clutched at him, slipping then grasping with each movement. A slack-faced jowl and eyes squinted tightly shut, she was no beauty to my eyes. Her body was covered by fine fuzz. It caught the firelight and limned her chunky form with an orangey halo. I thought of my own smooth and hairless skin, and was thankful for my elven blood. My gaze slid to her lover.
Though a dwarf, and a male at that, Ursun was a handsome creature. Just barely out of his youth, he had not gone to fat, as so many of his kind did. He was tall for dwarf, yet shorter than me, well-muscled and brawny. All of that muscle and brawn was currently pumping with vigorous efficiency into the whore beneath him. His hair was waist-length, in the dwarfish fashion, well braided and marking him as a warrior. Dark gold and abundant, it shimmered and shifted like a golden cloak around the heaving couple. Sigil cuffs of diamonite bound his upper arms and cords of mithral wrapped each wrist. A fifth son, indeed.
Both were totally absorbed in their kruk-fest. Lover's Moon was full upon us, weaving its enchantment of lust and love. I watched, caught in a spell of voyeurism and need. It had been far too long since I'd taken a lover. Survival had been my grandest game and love play left for those with less to lose. Yet watching the straining pair, I had flashes of yearning and stirrings of hunger.
I tore myself away from my voyeuristic feast and proceeded to ignore them. I was not there to watch, but to take. I moved silently to the other side of the room and began to go through the discarded clothing on the floor as the couple moaned and thrashed above me. Their shadows warred across the walls, appearing as magical beasts of tales oft told; a fight to the "little death", with only one victor remaining.
I would be lying if I said it didn't affect me. On the contrary, the sounds of their enthusiasm and the scent of their coupling sent my body into heat. My nipples tightened to points and hurt with an ache that set my teeth on edge. My belly clenched and flared, sending frissons of hot flame between my legs and causing my cuny to run sweet liquid. The scent of spices sparkled through the air. It could be my bane. As I knelt on the floor, I prayed again to Qura that I would find the map quickly, for a dwarf has a sense of smell as acute as any elf's. The longer I was in the room and oozing fluid like a Rohirrim brood mare, the greater my chances of getting caught. I studiously avoided looking up and concentrated on the task at hand.
After what seemed like hours, but was in fact mere seconds, my fingers caught the edge of the map in the inner pocket of Ursun's vestil. I drew it forth carefully, making sure I didn't let a crinkle of sound escape. All was well. The blessing of Qura was still upon me. The map slid out with the barest of whispers as the timbre of the lovers changed. It seemed orgasm for one or both was imminent. I sent up twin prayers of thankfulness and need. Now was the tricky part, for while I was invisible, the map certainly wasn't. It would surely alarm Ursun to see his treasure floating through the room. If he was in the throes of climax, perhaps I could escape without notice. That was the plan, anyway.
I rolled the map into the smallest cylinder possible, working quickly while listening for any change in tempo from above. The wench was screaming loudly, so I had no fear of Ursun hearing me. Her caterwauling in his ear would likely leave him deaf. I began to rise slowly, casting a final gaze toward the thrusting couple. To my astonishment, the whore was alone in the bed, staring at the floating cylinder in my hand and screaming like a banshee.
"You low-life elven bitch..." Words were growled in my ear even as a rough hand clamped on my wrist and yanked me violently upward. I cried out, watching the magic shimmer away, leaving me exposed in my crime. Ursun also began to appear. It seemed I was not the only one with an enchantment for invisibility. He must have startled the wench when he shifted. Her screaming, which I took for release, was in fright over her lover's sudden disappearance and the sight of a small scroll hovering in the air. Who could blame her? She was cowering under the covers, watching with wide eyes and an even wider mouth as her now visible patron held a naked mixed-breed female in his dragon's claw grip.
"You're hurting me!" I hissed, trying to pull my wrist from his grasp. The action only caused him to grab me tighter. My nipples flared in response. His eyes skimmed my body from bottom to top, lingering on the smooth lips of my cuny and the rounded swell of my breasts. His full mouth tightened.
"That is the least of your worries, kruk-tease." He plucked the scroll from my fingers. "And what have we here? A map? MY MAP!" Ursun's eyes blazed with fury and for the first time, I was frightened.
I couldn't show it, though. "Let go of me, you orc-fucker!" I turned to the whore. "Run for help. Tell your mistress that Lisse, the daughter of the Lady Amaril is in trouble. Tell her that a rogue dwarf ..." A rough hand clamped over my mouth before I could finish. Ursun gave his own instructions to the dwarf maid.
"Leave us," he ordered roughly. The wench nodded, obeying with alacrity as she scurried across the mattress. She paused only to gather her clothing as she hurried out the door.
"I would hate to own your fate when she sends the guards to arrest you. I will see that they turn you over to my people. Do you know what happens to dwarves who molest a female? You will be taken before the elders and tied to the Tree of Calling. All manner of magics will pierce your stunted soul before you die. You will beg for mercy before the gates of your gods."
"And do you know what my people do to thieves? Elven thieves, at that?" Ursun's questions sent chills down my spine, for I did know and I feared. "But not before I deal with you first."
"What do you mean?" I could barely speak; my throat was as tight and achy as my cuny. Dread and yearning warred between my thighs for dominance. I had not entirely forgotten the scent and sound of his sex play.
"It is the night of the Lover's Moon, elf-bitch, and you interrupted my sport. I think you owe me a long night's kruking." His eyes raked my body in another hot stare. "I've never had a she-elf before. I think it's time."
I shivered under all that heat. His large cock was thick and straining and having a definite effect on me. "I would rather die!"
"The thought is tempting, but I think I would rather take you warm and wiggling." He jerked me forward, toward the rumpled deliciousness of the bed. With little effort, he rolled me onto my back, nudging a stern knee between my thighs as I scrambled to hold myself back. It was a futile effort. I had always heard of the strength of the dwarves, but now I was experiencing it first-hand. He had the advantage, in spite of my height and agility.
"My people will kill you for this," I hissed between clenched teeth, still fighting and squirming to get away.
"Enough!" Ursun grabbed my other wrist as I tried to claw him. He held both hands easily over my head. "I tire of your silly threats. We both know you are the one who will die. But not before I taste what you so generously offered."
"Offered! How...do...you... get... that?" I heaved and twisted in a motion that almost freed me from under his body, but not from his grasp. He yanked my arms so brutally, tears pooled in my eyes, even as he plowed his other knee between my legs and spread them.
