The Insemination Stump
The Tree of Breeting had protected the hidden realm of the Wild Elves for three hundred thousand years when it was felled by Dark Elves in the Great War of No'aru. Now, the former forest sanctuary was teeming with orcs, demons, fae, minotaurs, sprites, tieflings, and other wicked little bastards.
At least that's what Jae told her.
It was hard for her to imagine these other evil creatures lurking in the woods, because none of them had taken her prisoner. That was the Wild Elf's doing. So now they marched, prisoner and warden, to meet the other Wild Elves at the stump of the Tree of Breeting.
"My feet hurt," Izz said.
"We can rest at the river," Jae said. His eyes never met hers. They scanned the trees. His pointed ears twitched at every rustle in the wind. He'd been like that, on edge, ever since they met.
"It's been two weeks. Can you just kill me now and be done with it? I think I'd rather die than walk another step," Izz stopped in her tracks. The rope around her hands went tight.
"Killing you would be merciful compared to what would happen if I left you here."
"I'll take my chances."
"Like you took your chances with those Dark Elves?"
"I had it under control."
"Yes, the same way I control the sun."
Jae looked over his shoulder at her. She sighed. He was right. They had traveled so deeply into the woods now even if he untied her she wouldn't have a clue where to go. There was no path. There were no signs. The sky was barely even visible through the thick canopy of broad leaves above.
Izz trudged on.
"If you'd be so glad to get rid of me, why'd you save me?" she asked, not particularly expecting an answer.
"It wasn't intentional."
"Tell that to those dead elves."
"The only good dark elf is a dead one."
"Yeah," she said and her mind flashed back to how ferociously he'd dispatched the three elf raiders. "Seems like you have some history."
Truthfully, she didn't much mind the thought of death. Maybe it even excited her. Even as a child she sought that adrenaline rush you can only find when you're teetering over the edge. She'd always thought that was just part of growing up in the ravines of the Spine of the World. It wasn't until she'd been cast out of her home and left to wander Faerun that she realized...well, maybe, it was just her nature to seek thrills.
"You could have just left me," she said, "Maybe I'd have found a traveling companion with a bit more charm."
She rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Or maybe they'd have killed you once they realized just how much you yap."
"This isn't my first adventure. I know what I'm doing," she spoke again.
"Clearly not."
"Five more seconds and I would have had the whole campsite picked clean and then disappeared into the wind."
"Then what? They wake up that night and realize it's gone. Do you know how quickly they'd find you?"
"Maybe if this was the Underdark. But on the surface they don't stand a chance."
"You only think that because you don't know what you were trying to steal."
"Yes I do. I think it was a bag of, err, some bark or something. For a potion I imagine."
"Ah, you're only half an idiot apparently. It's a lichen. And yes, it's used for potions."
"What's it for? Invisibility or something?"
The elf scoffed.
"I know who you are."
She tried not to lose her balance as his words slammed into her. Shit.
"Of course you do. I told you my name when we met. Or well, when you took me as a slave, good master."
"Yes, if i remember correctly you said: 'Izz of Longsaddle. Peasant girl.'"
"I don't recall including the peasant part. But that's all true!"
"But that's not the whole truth is it?" Jae pressed on. "I've heard the songs. The curly hair. The green and blue eyes. Not to mention the incessant talking, talking, talking. You're the Silver Canary."
He had her made. The cover was blown. Damn her unforgiving beauty and charisma, she thought to herself. No use in lying anymore.
"They do typically mention my beauty in the songs, right? Or are they not doing that anymore? I've only been thirty for a few years, so I can understand if-"
"You sweet talk your way through town after town. Stealing religious and magical artifacts and selling them for mere silver."
"I've found that gold is too heavy and I can spend it too quickly."
"You must have known what those Drow had in the bag or you wouldn't have risked your life for it."
Izz sighed and scratched the side of her nose.
"There's a chance, yes, that I was aware."
The elf nodded slowly.
"And now you know why I keep you alive," he said.
"I knew what was in the bag. But I swear I don't know what it does. And, no, I still don't understand why you keep me alive."
"Perhaps you will figure it out with time. Come. The river is just around the brush there."
"Yeah, or, you know, you could just tell me."
The rope went tight around her wrists and she stumbled forward through the brush following the silhouette of the elf.
-----
She sat on a large flat rock and dipped her feet into the cold stream. If she closed her eyes she could hear the creek back home. See the long winter frost melting upstream and swelling the riverbed. But Longsaddle was far, far, far away now and even the brightest summer days there couldn't match the heat of the jungle.
She'd learned to love the heat. The warm feeling of the sun on her skin. The sheen of sweat on her body. Above all, she appreciated being free of her thick furs and cloaks and dressing in the simple halter top and leggings or a simple linen dress.
The sun beat down on her face through a small crack in the trees. For a moment she was gone from the world.
Her tranquility was broken by the sloshing footsteps of her captor.
"What are you doing?" she asked incredulously. Partly because he began to pull her into the water and partly because he had stripped completely naked. He had waded into the water up to his navel and she did her best not to take in the sight of his impressive figure. She had heard elves were supposed to be slender and pretty. He was wider, stronger, and just... bigger than she imagined. She started to wonder what else might be bigger when his voice snapped her back to reality.
He said something, but she didn't hear him.
"W-What?" she tried to hide the embarrassment of being caught staring.
"We have to drop the scent," he said.
"Well you certainly stink, but I-"
"The scent of the lichen is all over us. All the years underground lead the Drow to developing a powerful sense of smell. This lichen is more valuable than you can imagine. Entire generations of elves depend on it. As soon as they realize what's happened to that raiding party they will come looking. Then once they realize just what is missing they will come after us."
"Huh? It's just some shitty bark. You really think it's that big of a deal?"
"This quality? In this quantity? Yes."
He stopped and looked at her.
"Are you going to walk with me or am I going to drag you again?"
He pulled the slack of the rope towards him.
"Do I have to get naked too?"
"I don't care what you do."
She thought carefully for a moment. To call her clothes tattered would be generous. Water logging them might destroy them and the thought of wearing wet clothes until they made camp wasn't very appealing.
"How do I know you aren't going to jump me?"
"If I wanted to, I would have done it by now."
"Wow. You really know how to make a girl feel special, huh?"
"If anything I should be the one fearing you. Humans are known for their sexual proclivity after all."
Izz shrugged her shoulders. She wasn't particularly active herself, though she had claimed a fair share of lovers on her journey across the various lands of Faerun. That being said, she had rebuffed far more than she ever accepted.
"You might be too if you didn't live for 800 years," Izz said.
