Sarlene's Touch

Messandra

Calleslyn climbed the stairs at the back of the map shop. Messandra, who owned the shop, was someone she had known for a long time. She had often provided the party with interesting documents or maps, which had led them on dramatic adventures across the northern lands. The latest such map had proven particularly useful, and she deserved to know the outcome of that escapade, which was why Calleslyn was here after hours.

She knocked on the door to Messandra's living quarters above the shop, and was rewarded a brief time later when the owner opened the door. The human woman was dressed well, Calleslyn saw, wearing a rich blue sleeveless dress with a long skirt slit down the side to show off one slender leg, and ankle-length boots. A wide belt girdled her waist, accentuating her figure, and the dress itself had an open diamond between her breasts, and straps over her bare shoulders, where a necklace of amber stones hung down to her collar bone.

Calleslyn took all this in, realising at once that this was probably not her friend's casual wear. "Have I interrupted you?" she asked, "I can always come back tomorrow."

Messandra looked puzzled for a moment, and then glanced down at herself, following the elf's eyes. "Oh, nothing that can't be postponed," she said, flushing slightly, "I was just... no, it's nothing. Come in."

"If you're sure," replied Calleslyn, stepping inside. She had been in here before, but not often. Messandra kept the best and most valuable documents up here, where they would be most secure. Having discovered that Calleslyn's party paid well for such information, she had made them valued customers, as well as friends, and they were among the few granted access to her inner sanctum. A long upholstered couch occupied the centre of the room, sitting on a rich blue and white carpet before an ornamental fireplace that, at this time of year, remained unlit. Old vases and items of artwork decorated the room, showing the woman's passion for things of the past. At the back of the room a desk held a number of pieces of parchment, which Messandra was clearly in the process of examining.

"I wanted to let you know how your last sale turned out," explained the elven woman, "it was very profitable for us."

"Yes, I heard you were back," agreed Messandra, "news travels fast. Almandar and Dolrim were at the Brass Goblet just two nights ago, and already half the city knows."

Calleslyn nodded, smiling. Almandar had not returned until the following morning, which was hardly unusual, and even Dolrim had been back late. Doubtless they had spent their time regaling anyone who would listen. "So you already know the story?" she asked, slightly disappointed.

"Only the vaguest outline; you must fill it in for me. But, before that, I do have some business. I have come across a document that I think you might find rather interesting."

"We aren't about to head out again just yet," Calleslyn warned her, "but that is no reason not to take a look, I agree." If the document proved useful, it would be better to buy it now than have the risk of it being sold to other adventurers before they could obtain it. She followed Messandra over to the desk, and looked curiously at the pieces of parchment before her.

"This is the one," Messandra told her, holding up a sheaf of older parchments. "It is actually about the city, here. An old document, which came into my hands rather fortuitously. It seems to be an account of some adventurers from times past. They found something beneath the city, in the old springs, I think. Look, there are some maps in here – rather rudely drawn, I know, but they seem to be referring to something dangerous."

"Nothing dangerous enough to destroy the city in the last century or so, I take it?" replied the elf, smiling.

Messandra smiled in response, a flash of white teeth. "No, I suppose not. But interesting nonetheless, don't you think? And right here, so there will be no need to 'head out' anywhere to investigate it. I think you may find reading it rewarding."

Calleslyn nodded, "I'm interested. We can discuss prices later."

"Of course... but there is one last thing. Something I need your help with, actually. I came across another document recently. No reason to suppose it is of any particular interest to adventurers... but, well, it is in an archaic dialect of elven, which I am having difficulty translating. To be honest, I am not getting very far at all; there are just too many unfamiliar words. If you could look at it, give me some idea of whether it would be worth my while looking into it further... I might be able to give you a discount on this," she lightly patted the sheaf with the maps.

"Sure, why not? Let me have a look, and I'll see what I can tell you." Messandra handed over a few sheets of parchment, which did not look as old as the others. If the dialect was so archaic, it must have been copied several times, but the writing was clearly elven. She scanned them for a short time, and then stifled a laugh, putting her hand over her mouth to hide her amusement. "I'm sorry," she said, "It's not quite what you think. It's not really archaic... rather the opposite, if anything. But no, I can see that many of these words are not ones you would normally come across in your work. And the style is... not really one you would be familiar with, either."

Messandra frowned, looking confused. The corners of her mouth twitched, though, in sympathy with the elf's amusement, but uncertain of what the joke was. "So what is it? Is it not valuable? Tell me it's not just a shopping list, or something!"

"No, it's not that," Calleslyn was having difficulty preventing herself from grinning. It really wasn't her friend's fault that she had come across this. "And I suppose it might be worth something to the right sort of buyer. It's just that... well, perhaps I should just read you some of it."

***

The fragrant scent of roses wafted on the air, the light dappling the green leaves like the touch of sunlight on glistening water. The elf-maid waited for the blissful enrapture that would herald a fresh dawn, her heart singing a tune old, yet new, a promise of fertile awakening. Her lover's breath as soft as summer rain on her face, her kiss the promise of a future yet unrevealed. The touch of a butterfly would be as sweet, as when the elf-maid raised the glistening globes of her lover's breasts to her desiring tongue...

***

"I'm sorry – I just can't go on!" Calleslyn laughed out loud now. "But I think you get the picture. This... this is basically elven pornography. And the style is probably rather more overblown even than it sounds translated into Common. Poetic allusions and so on... people do read this stuff, but is not a part of your usual trade, I don't think. You don't want to get a reputation."

Messandra, it seemed, had a rather different reaction. She looked more flustered than anything else, her eyes wide, although her mouth was still twitching into a half-smile, as if she could at least see the funny side. He mouth opened, as if she was about to say something, but she seemed to think better of it.

"Yes?" said Calleslyn, rather more gently, although still smiling.

"But... uh... I mean, the elf-maid in the... uh, didn't you say 'her lover's'..." She left the sentence uncompleted, now starting to blush a little.

The elf immediately realised the source of her friend's confusion. Humans were usually a little different like that. "Yes," she said, looking a little more serious now, "the 'elf-maid's' lover is another woman. Without reading more, it's difficult to be sure, but there do not appear to be any men involved in this particular story."

"Is that... is that common?" Messandra's eyes were still wide, and she was now gripping the side of the desk with one hand, a welter of emotions crossing her face. She was clearly embarrassed to ask more, yet curious at the same time, wanting to know the answer.

"Among elves? Yes, it is." A straight answer seemed the best way to deal with the subject. At least the human woman had not freaked out, or reacted negatively. She deserved a clear explanation for that, at least... but Calleslyn was still unclear as to where the questions were going. "Look, basically, we elves are a free people. Sex is another experience, something we enjoy, as part of our love of nature; we don't tie it in with strict rules and regulations. And that freedom extends to our partner's gender, as much as to anything else. It's not just women; elven men are often intimate with one another in a way that the majority of human males are not. To us, it is really all part of life."

"So..." she seemed unsure of how to get the next words out. Her blue eyes were fixed on Calleslyn's own, and she swallowed slightly in her nervousness. Suddenly, it was quite clear to the elf where this was going. And she would not object for a moment, if only Messandra could get the question out. "So..." the map-seller continued, "have you actually...?"

"Made love to another woman?" She knew she was safe answering this now, and just wanted to see the human's reaction. "Yes, I have. There is nothing wrong with a man... as I said, we are free with our affections. But, despite that, there is nothing quite like the feel of a woman; they always know just where to touch. I find it truly divine." She took a step forward, so that they were just inches apart, but Messandra made no move, and her eyes had still not left Calleslyn's own.

She licked her lips to moisten them, and Calleslyn watched the pink tongue slide over her lips. Messandra's breast was rising and falling now, clearly visible through the low-cut dress. The elf wondered if the dress, attractive as it was, had been intended for her. Messandra would have known she was coming round... but she had clearly not anticipated this; her confusion on hearing the passage read had been all too clear. Perhaps she had wanted it in some deep part of her mind, but had not truly realised it until now. Now that the opportunity presented itself as clearly as it ever could.

Messandra took another breath, and then, with a voice that almost quavered, and that was barely audible even at this distance, asked, "Could you show me?"

Instead of answering, Calleslyn leaned forward, caressing the map-seller's cheek, and then kissing her on the lips. It was a mere brush, and for a moment, Messandra pulled back, unsure of herself. But only for a moment, for it was Messandra who made the next move, kissing the elven magician in response, and this time more confidently than before. Their lips parted, and their tongues entwined as Calleslyn pressed her body against her friend's, feeling the shape of her breasts through their clothing.

She pulled back, taking a good look at Messandra's face, gazing into her blue eyes, sensing the desire within that her words were having such difficulty articulating. Her sandy hair was pulled up, leaving her long neck bare, enticing. Calleslyn ran the tip of her finger along Messandra's chin, raising it up a fraction, then kissed her throat, and the side of her neck, her other hand reaching round the woman's waist, feeling the soft warmth of the fabric.

"Perhaps we should move to the couch?" she suggested. There was a bedroom here, somewhere, but the elf was too eager to waste timing moving to it, and she suspected the human woman was even more so. Better here, in this room familiar to them both. The other woman nodded, perhaps thinking the same thoughts, or perhaps too carried away in the moment to think at all.

Messandra sat down on the couch, almost collapsing into it, her legs weak. Calleslyn smiled, reaching out to touch the woman's face again. "Don't worry," she said reassuringly, "this will be good."

She half-sat on the couch beside her, so that they were still facing each other. Messandra was gripping the back, as if for support, her arms outstretched, her mouth half-open, the rise and fall of her chest more apparent than ever. A silver clasp held the fabric of her dress together over the open diamond through which Calleslyn could glimpse part of the woman's cleavage. She slid her finger down her partner's collarbone, past the jewelled necklace, then deftly undid the clasp, pulling the two pieces of fabric down and aside, exposing Messandra's breasts. The human woman made no move, as if frozen in place, so Calleslyn gave her another smile, and reached for the shoulder straps. At last, Messandra moved her arms, as if in a trance, releasing the back of the couch, so that Calleslyn could pull the dress over her shoulders, and down to her waist.

"You look lovely," she said, honestly, but the woman made no reply. They kissed again, briefly, Messandra's lips and tongue saying more in their eagerness than they could manage in words. Her bare breasts were now rubbing against the fabric of Calleslyn's own dress, but the elf decided to keep her own clothes on for a little while longer.

Ending the kiss, she looked down again at Messandra's chest. The woman's breasts were ample, larger than her own, but not over-endowed. She moved her hands over them, feeling the softness of the skin, and teasing the hard, pink, nipples. The map-seller let out a gasp at that, a squeak of pleasure rising involuntarily. Calleslyn smiled again; she was savouring this, taking her time.

She bent down to kiss one breast, rolling the nipple beneath her tongue, and making her friend gasp out again, louder this time. Her passion was rising now, undeniable, but still she made no move towards the elven woman. Calleslyn kissed the other breast, moving her hand against the free one, and then stood up. Messandra looked aggrieved for a second, clearly wanting the pleasure to continue, until she realised that Calleslyn was reaching for the fastenings of her own dress.

Unlike the human woman, she had not dressed especially for today, although, in retrospect, she rather wished that she had. She was wearing a long green dress, cut to the collarbone, but no lower, with long sleeves, and a pale yellow bodice that showed off her slender waist. Her hair was held back from her pointed ears by green bands at the top, but tumbled loose down her back, reaching almost to the top of her buttocks. Now, she undid the fastening that held the dress together at the back of her neck, and pulled her arms free of the narrow sleeves, sliding the dress down over her hips. While her friend had evidently chosen to wear nothing beneath the upper part of her dress, Calleslyn still had a shift beneath hers, soft white silk that clung to her curves. She could see the anticipation in Messandra's eyes as she took in the sight, her gaze travelling from slender calves and soft green shoes, up along the silk-covered body to the curve of her small breasts.

Protracting the moment just a little longer, Calleslyn stepped out of her dress, and removed her shoes one by one. Then she knelt down on the carpet, feeling the thick material on her bare knees. She released one shoulder from the shift, and then the other, pushing the silk slowly down her body, to pool at her waist. Messandra made no move to touch her, so she reached up slightly, and kissed her again. Their breasts touched, the elf's smaller pair pressing against those of the human. The map seller gasped at that, pulling back from the kiss, her excitement evident. Calleslyn decided that she had waited long enough.

She leaned back on her heels again, and moved her hands down Messandra's smooth belly, teasing her navel on the way, then unbuckled the belt, laying it aside before pulling the blue dress down over the woman's legs, to pool above her feet. Messandra kicked it away, eager to continue, and now dressed only in her boots and a skimpy pair of white panties. They were the next to go, although neither woman moved to take off the boots. Calleslyn gently moved the human's legs apart, and caressed the inside of her exposed thigh. Messandra shivered, suddenly vulnerable, everything exposed.

"You do want this?" the elf asked, already knowing the answer, but wanting to hear the words. But Messandra was silent, merely nodding her head in wordless assent. She ran her fingers down the woman's belly again, this time reaching further, stroking the curly hair above her pussy. Then she kneeled forward, and kissed it.

The map-seller's body arched, and she let out a groan of pleasure, the loudest sound she had yet made. Encouraged, Calleslyn ran her tongue along the full length of the woman's pussy lips, and then plunged her tongue deep into her cunt. The moan this time was louder still, her thighs convulsing, and Messandra reached down, running her fingers through the elven woman's hair, holding her against her crotch.

Calleslyn continued, sliding her tongue in and out, tasting every drop of the human's excitement, teasing her clit. Her hands caressed the woman's thighs and buttocks, lifting her up to get a better purchase. Messandra was moaning, squeezing her own left breast with one hand, and gripping the elven magician's head with the other. She spoke for the first time, calling out Calleslyn's name, her hips grinding. As the elf continued to probe, licking and flicking her clit with the tip of her tongue, she could tell that the map-seller was close to climax. All trace of her former silence had gone now, her moans of pleasure ringing across the room. She could not take much more.

And Calleslyn did not want her too.

With a long, drawn out shuddering moan, Messandra climaxed, her body arching against the couch, her booted feet drumming on the floor, her breasts heaving. The elf leaned back, watching the woman as she panted, beads of sweat now adorning her naked body.

"That was... that was..." gasped Messandra, as she struggled to get her breath back to normal.

"That," said Calleslyn, "wasn't over. I think you still want more... and I know I do." She stood up, letting the shift slide down over her legs to the floor. The human woman looked almost guilty as she did so, and then licked her lips as she took in the full view of the elf standing unclothed before her.

"I don't know if I can..." she said, imploring. "Not yet... you are beautiful, Calleslyn, and I do want to... but I need to catch my breath."

"Oh, I think you're still ready," she replied, leaning forward to kiss those lips once again. Messandra closed her eyes, the kiss lingering, and the motion of her body as their breasts touched once again convinced the elf that she was right. Which was good, because her own cunt was aching now, her pleasure too long delayed.

She took Messandra's hand, and pulled her down to the carpet, so that they were both lying face to face. They kissed again, their bodies entwining, legs sliding against each other. They embraced, Messandra running the fingers of one hand down the elf's long and silky hair, then caressing the small of her back, while Calleslyn fondled her buttocks. The kiss continued, the map-seller's body now rubbing against Calleslyn's own, her nipples hardening once more.

The elf released her, sliding her hand up to cup a breast, then rubbing a finger over the pink nipple. "See?" she said, "You're more than ready again. But this time..."

"Oh, yes," said Messandra, "I want this to be for both of us. I've so often thought of it... of something like this. What it would be like to be with another woman, but I never... I didn't think I'd have the chance. Now I do, I don't want to waste the moment."

"No fear," replied the elf, kissing her once more. Messandra's hands moved, sliding round her belly, and up towards the elf's small breasts. Calleslyn sighed in contentment, rolling onto her back. The map-seller reached over her, kissing her collarbone, cupping a breast, feeling it against her hands, but no more. To encourage her, the elven adventurer ran her own hand down the woman's belly, probing between her legs once more, finding her lips wet and swollen, still inviting.