Duuhra lifted the jug and uncorked it, handing it to Dinae. The elf lifted the jug to her mouth and felt the fire of the orcish spirits wash across her tongue. She lowered the jug and coughed, but took another drink before setting the jug down. When she sat back, Duuhra rested her large hands on the elf's shoulders and pressed her firmly back into the chair.
"Try to relax," Zar said. "I know you have the strength for this, and it must be done."
"This will protect you among our people, tell everyone you belong to us," Duuhra explained.
Dinae was still scared, but their calm voices helped. She took several deep breaths, still unsure what was going on but knowing that it was going to involve pain. They didn't sound like they were going to torture her, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad. She reminded herself that she trusted Zar completely, and was growing to trust his mate as well. She was strong, she reminded herself. She was proud, and brave. She was going to be the mother of Zar's child so must be all those things for him, and for the baby. After another minute to steady herself, she nodded. She reached up and grabbed Duuhra's wrists with both hands and closed her eyes.
"I'm ready."
She heard Zar grunt and then heard him moving items on the table. She peeked once, and he seemed to be soaking some of the metal items in the alcohol. Unable to watch, she squeezed her eyes shut again and waited for whatever painful custom the orcs were about to perform on her. After another moment of waiting, she felt his thick fingers grab her left nipple firmly.
"Zar?"
"Shhh," Duuhra rubbed a thumb on Dinae's shoulder to comfort her, but didn't let go. "Relax."
Her nipples were almost always hard. Being pregnant and exposed all the time made her overly sensitive. When Zar grabbed her it sent a shock through her body, but right away she could tell he wasn't doing it for fun. He deftly locked a metal clamp on her nipple that pinched it firmly and held it distended. It was painful, but also deeply pleasurable. Her heightened nerves and wildly overactive hormones were sending shockwaves through her, and at the epicenter was that hard nipple pinched in the clamp. She couldn't help it, she had to look again.
Zar had the needle pinched between his thick fingers. He took hold of her clamped nipple with his other hand and looked at both sides as if sizing it up. It began to dawn on Dinae that Zar was going to put that needle into her nipple, but why? Then she remembered, Duuhra had a metal ring in her nose. She remembered seeing orcs with metal jewelry through their skin. It was a strange custom, not practiced by her people, but orcs had many strange customs. The other slaves! They'd all had chains and collars, like the one lying on the table, but she'd never been close enough to see how they were attached. This was Zar and Duuhra claiming her.
"Duuhra?" Dinae was on the verge of panic. She knew this was coming, just not what form it would take. Suddenly, her sense of survival was trying to take over her conscious desire to be with her lovers. Her masters. She'd accepted her fate. There was no other way to remain with Zar, to save her friends, and to have her baby. None of that mattered as adrenaline pumped through her and she tensed up.
"Hush now, pet," Duuhra soothed. "It will be over before you know it, but you must relax."
"Dinae," Zar's voice captured her attention and she looked up into his dark eyes. "This is the only way you can remain with us. I do not wish to hurt you, but it is unavoidable here. It will hurt more if you tense up and fight it."
Dinae nodded. Zar was right, it was the only way. She took a deep, shuddering breath and forced herself to relax. Then she took another, preparing to let Zar know she was ready. When she let that breath out she felt a sharp, biting pain in her nipple. It lasted no more than a heartbeat, but the pain lanced all the way through. She bit her lip to keep from crying out, but couldn't keep the tears from springing to her eyes. Zar released the clamp and blood rushed to her nipple, driving an entirely new feeling of exquisite pain to her tortured nub. Her nipple was on fire as she watched Zar deftly replace the needle with the silver ring on the table, sliding the ring on as he removed the pin. When it was through, he crimped the ends of the ring closed with a small tool that pinched the metal together tightly.
The weight of it should have been nothing, but suddenly it felt like the whole world was pulling at her with that ring. That was it, no turning back, no changing her life. From that point forward she was truly someone else's property. She still trusted, and loved Zar'ahk, but she was forever changed by this. She had always expected to have children. To love, to marry, to live with someone were all events she had expected. Not this. It all flashed through her mind in an instant. What if she hadn't gone into the woods that day? What if she hadn't helped the wounded orc? She would still be with her people, destined to marry some elven warrior she might have loved. Living in Trulean until the end of her days. Would that version of her have wondered what would have happened? Did it really matter? The decisions she'd made led her here. She couldn't change them. She could only move forward.
"Almost done," she heard Zar say through the pounding in her ears.
She felt him clamp her other nipple and that mix of pain and pleasure rushed through her again. The anticipation of the pain made her want to crawl out of her skin, but she fought it. She took several deep breaths until she no longer felt the shudder of fear in her throat. This time, with her eyes squeezed tightly shut she nodded. As she took another breath, and let it out, she felt the piercing jolt of the needle puncturing her flesh. She groaned, but didn't cry out. The pain was there, and gone in an instant, replaced by a dull ache in her chest.
Dinae felt Duuhra's hands loosen their grip to rub her shoulders. She opened her eyes and saw Zar securing the other ring through her sore nipple. She felt a sense of relief, though the ache still remained. He set the tools down and picked up the delicate silver chain.
"Almost done," Zar said. "This is not just the mark of your place among us. It is the mark of our responsibility."
Dinae looked into his eyes, "What do you mean?"
"It is our responsibility to protect you," Zar explained. "This is a duty we do not take lightly. I do not want to put these chains on you, but until we get our friends back it is the only way you will survive. The only way any of us will survive. When we have Tessyn and Aasha, the five of us will decide what to do. When that time comes, you will not need these."
Dinae realized how serious this was for all of them. They were creating a bond here that was more than just servitude. Zar and Duuhra were putting their lives at risk for the elves, their enemy, beings that orcs believe are inferior. She believed him when he said he didn't want to put her in chains, and could see the struggle in his eyes. She reached up and took Duuhra's hand in one of hers, and touched Zar's face with the other.
"I know," she said, barely above a whisper. "I trust you both."
Zar affixed the chain to her new nipple rings using small silver clips. The single chain had a larger ring in the middle, which fell toward her growing belly. The weight of even that delicate chain was enough to send shocks through her sore nipples. Next, he put a leather collar around her neck and attached a third chain which connected the collar to the ring between her breasts and pulled it up. It helped relieve some of the pressure by taking the weight off the engorged tips of her heavy breasts. Finally, Duuhra picked up the folded leather garment.
"Stand, pet."
She stood, and found her knees shaking. The adrenaline rush had faded, leaving her light-headed and feeling weak. Zar stood to steady her and handed her the jug. She took a quick drink without making a face or coughing, handing it back with a nod of thanks.
Duuhra unfolded the garment, which was essentially two long, wide pieces of leather attached to a belt. She opened the belt and wrapped it around Dinae's waist, buckling it over her right hip. It served to cover her in front, and back, though her nethers were still open to the air, reminding her that she was still naked. The split up each side let her legs move freely.
When Duuhra was done, Dinae looked down at herself. She had to admit, there was something alluring about the jewelry displayed at the tips of her growing breasts. The silver chains and collar felt wrong, but in a way, erotic. She was constantly aware of her nipples, tingling and sore, distended by the jewelry. Being covered, but not, it all drove tingling waves to her pussy. By the looks of it, both Zar and Duuhra also appreciated her new appearance and could smell its effect on her.
"Come," Duuhra said after a moment. "Let us finish dinner."
She led Dinae back to the kitchen area while Zar put the tools away. They cut the rest of the vegetables into the stew, and Dinae began to prepare the herbs they had picked on the way back from the springs earlier that day.
