Dark Assassin Ch. 02

~*~Chapter Two: The Foothills ~*~

The Goblins came quietly in the night. There were three of them, and they had been waiting days for the Elf to return to his cave and when he had finally done so, he had brought with him a pleasant surprise. A human female, beautiful with auburn curls the likes of which the Goblins had never seen, had accompanied their initial prey.

At first the creatures had wanted to strike while it was still light and the Dark Elf's senses would be hindered by his aversion to the sun. They were hungry, and the prospect of extra meat had made them impatient. But the Goblins waited and had been granted an unexpected show that they could not turn away from, being the vile voyeuristic creatures that they were.

Once the show had ended and the companions had drifted off to sleep, naked and defenseless, the leader of the Goblins announced that it was time to move. They would catch the Elf and the woman unexpected and kill the male before he could even fully awake. The female they would have some fun with her while the Elf's meat was prepared before killing her as well. They had been away from females for a long time, and all three had a lust for cunt - even if it was filthy human cunt.

The leader led the other two into the entrance of the cave in a single file, and they were careful not to make a sound. They each held small blades that were curved and sharpened to a razor's edge. Their beady black eyes could see well in the darkness of the cave and they easily maneuvered themselves around the prone bodies of their targets. If the Elf and woman woke, there would be no way to escape the cave without going through the Goblins and getting cut down in the process.

Looking toward his companions, the leader prepared to give the command to strike, raising one of his grubby hands. They were well practiced at this type of cowardly ambush, having killed many a tasty meal this way - mostly dwarves.

The Leader made to lower his hand in the agreed upon gesture to attack, but instead he let out an ear-piercing howl of pain as something white-hot suddenly sliced through his bare upper thigh. The pain was like nothing the Goblin had ever felt before - and he had fought many bloody battles in his days as a soldier. It spread across his skin and through his muscles, intensifying as it traveled until his entire right leg felt like it had been plunged into liquid iron.

There came two gurgling cries of shock followed by twin thuds as the other Goblins collapsed to the floor of the cave, dead. The leader looked up just in time to see a blur of white before the blade that had cut his leg slid across his throat. A brief moment of agony was followed by blackness as the Goblin joined his companions as a broken body, dead on the floor.

"What were those?" Elaine asked, her voice dripping with fear.

Zinfer turned toward around and frowned. He hated to see her so frightened so he wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulders and brought her close to him. Elaine responded by burying her head against his chest and letting out a strangled sob.

"It's fine now," he said soothingly, hugging her even closer to him, "They're dead."

The Elf looked down at the three Goblins where they lie dead and bleeding. One was bigger than the others, and wore an ill-fitting shirt of ring mail that Zinfer suspected had belonged to a Dwarf at one point. The other two Goblins wore nothing but dirty loincloths with crude rope to hold them up with loops tied in to store their swords.

Zinfer felt something hot and wet against the skin of his chest and looked down at Elaine. She was crying steadily and his heart ached for her. The poor girl had seen nothing beyond the walls of Thieves' Valley her entire life and her second night out of the town she had been ambushed by Goblins. Not that they had ever been in any real danger - Zinfer always slept with his daggers close by and nothing could creep up on him, even while sleeping.

Knowing that the Goblins were close before they had been upon them, the Elf had readied himself and wounded their leader with his venom infused blade before dropping the remaining two and then finishing up with the incapacitated leader. It had been a simple maneuver for the trained assassin but Elaine had not known that, and her fright was understandable.

"Will more come?" Elaine was asking through her tears, obviously trying her hardest to remain strong.

Zinfer stroked her hair and shook his head, "These three were working alone. I imagine they knew I passed through here often and were waiting in ambush. By the look of them, they haven't eaten in weeks..." he stopped talking when he saw Elaine's eyes widen in the darkness. There was no need to bother with the particular goals of the Goblins' ambush since they would just frighten Elaine even more.

Looking down at the blankets they had been sleeping in, Zinfer was disheartened to see that they had been spoiled by the Goblins' blood. It was spreading through the narrow cave and their packs and bare feet would soon be in danger of being exposed to it as well.

"Come," Zinfer told Elaine, grabbing her hand and leading her to their packs at one end of the cave, "Get dressed. We cannot stay here."

They pulled on their clothing quickly. Elaine's soiled breeches had mostly dried so she chose them over her skirt before pulling on the boots Zinfer had given her before they had left from Thieves' Valley.

Once they were clothed, the pair shouldered their packs and stepped carefully around the Goblins, exiting the cave into the cool spring night. Elaine looked around nervously. She was not able to see as well in the dark as Zinfer, and he could imagine that the deep shadows of the rocks that surrounded them were unnerving after what had just happened in the cave.

"We are alone," he assured the girl and took her hand.

Elaine was exhausted, Zinfer could tell, after having only a few hours sleep over two days. Speaking a soft word of Old Elfish, Zinfer felt the tips of his fingers tingle where they made contact with Elaine's hand. She took a sharp intake of breath and squeezed his hand.

"What was that?" she asked, her voice sounding much stronger than it had before.

"Just something to tide you over," Zinfer replied as he began to lead her away from the cave. It was a temporary measure, and the girl would feel the whole weight of her exhaustion come crashing down by morning, but for now the energizing spell he had cast would have to do.

They started walking quickly down the path, putting as much distance between them and the cave with the Goblins' bodies as possible. Zinfer did not think there would be more, but the smell of dead flesh would attract other, darker creatures before long. All the while, Elaine never took her hand from Zinfer's. He did not mind. She fit nicely in his grasp and he found himself thinking back to the series of events that had unfolded in the cave.

He had not meant to kiss her so suddenly and so hard. Elaine was naïve in all the ways he was not, and at first the thought of taking advantage of that innocence made him feel like an Elf without true honor. But as they had traveled through the day and saw the way Elaine had looked at him, felt the way she thought of him, the more temptation threatened to take hold.

It had been at the final ledge along the trail, where Elaine had leapt into his arms and dug her nails into the flesh of his shoulders, that Zinfer came to the conclusion that innocent or not, the girl would be his. The look she had given him while he stared into her eyes, his hands at her waist, had been enough to convince him that the feelings he had for Elaine were mutual. Later, at the fire, with her face so close to his, her lips so inviting...

Zinfer was no stranger to the pleasures of the flesh. But the way Elaine had responded to him, first with his fingers and then later, her moisture thick and plentiful as it coated his cock, had been enough to drive him wild with lust. The fact that she was a maiden had not dissuaded him in the least, and if anything had made his blood even hotter - to be the first to enter such an exquisite creature was an honor he hardly deserved. But one he had every intention of making his and his alone.

Zinfer's cock jumped excitedly. They continued to walk.

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The sky was turning a pale purple when the first, scraggly bushes began to appear along the path. They would reach the foothills by afternoon, and the forests beyond by nightfall. After that, it would be an easy trip north to the land of Zinfer's queen and the Mountain Elves- granted they did not run into any of the Sylvan Elves. These people felt no love toward Dark Elves and would very likely kill Zinfer, and Elaine by association, if given the chance. But the alternative route took them over more, hard mountain trails and, worst of all, near a great city of Goblins built at the base of an inactive volcano a few miles to the north of where they were now. The further they strayed from that particular hell, the better.

As the pair emerged from a long passage of closely spaced cliff faces, the sun split the horizon in the east and they were treated to one of the most beautiful sunrises Zinfer had ever experienced. They could see for miles from their vantage point at the top of a steep ledge. Foothills of grass and rock shone golden in the early rays of the morning sun and beyond that green forests stretched beyond the horizon. Here and there, lakes and ponds deep in the Eternal Forest glittered like jewels.

"Beautiful," Elaine whispered and came to stand near Zinfer, her eyes wide with wonderment. She had grown up knowing nothing but rocks and dirt and Zinfer knew the sight before her was indeed awe-inspiring.

The Elf nodded and pulled her close to him, planting a soft kiss to the top of her head, inhaling the scent of her hair, and feeling a swell in his chest at the near perfection of the moment.

"Sleep for a few hours now," Zinfer told Elaine. He could feel her strength waning as she sagged against him and knew that the spell he had placed on her was wearing off fast.

The girl looked to him with concern, "Is it dangerous?"

Zinfer shook his head and gestured toward the way they had come, "The passage is easily defendable as is the cliff before us. And we will need to scale that before it gets dark again, so you'll need your strength."

Elaine stepped to the edge of the cliff and looked down. "No jumping down this one, huh?" she asked with a slight waver of fear in her words.

She was right. The cliff was fifty feet high and sheer. They would have to climb down one at a time. Zinfer would take the lead, showing Elaine the easiest path as he descended. All told it would probably take them the better part of two hours, which meant that they would have to leave soon after midday if they had any hope of reaching the foothills in time to set up camp in the forest before the sun set.

"Sleep," Zinfer insisted again, and Elaine sat herself down near the stone behind them and pulled her cloak out of her back to serve as a pillow. Zinfer removed his own pack and untied the bow he had stored there. If anything tried to come for them through the passage of stone, he could easily sink an arrow into a vital spot before it got within fifty yards.

Zinfer moved to the spot Elaine was already drifting off to sleep and sat cross-legged next to her. Gently, he moved her head until it was resting in his lap, cradled at the juncture of his thigh and hip. Elaine shifted closer, getting comfortable.

They stayed like that for hours and never once did Zinfer grow tired of having Elaine's head in his lap. Like her hand in his, her head seemed to be made to fit where it lay and his entire body hummed with gentle warmth as he watched the beautiful girl sleep the morning away. She hardly stirred the entire time, only moving slightly once or twice to adjust her position on the hard ground beneath her. Zinfer knew that the terrain was hardly suited for rest, but it was the best they could do now that their blankets had been ruined. The forest would have beds of soft needles to lay on tonight and Elaine could get the sleep she deserved.

When the sun reached its highest point, Zinfer slowly coaxed Elaine awake. Her magnificent green eyes fluttered open dazedly and for a minute she appeared to be lost in some other world until she smiled up at the Elf and said "Good morning."

"More like afternoon," Zinfer corrected, standing and stretching while Elaine did the same, "We will have a quick meal and then start our descent. Are you feeling better?"

"Much," Elaine nodded mid-stretch, "Although my back is a little sore."

Zinfer handed her a piece of the Elfish bread he had brought with him, "If we move quickly, we can reach the Eternal Forest by nightfall and sleep on the soft earth."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Elaine said through a mouthful of bread.

Zinfer shook his head with a rueful twist of his lips. Elaine's spirit was light and refreshing -much like her father's had been, and it almost felt like he was traveling with George again. Thinking of his old friend brought forth a surge of guilt in Zinfer. If George had known what he had done with his daughter. What he was planning on doing...

"So how do we get down there?" Elaine asked, pulling Zinfer partially out of his souring mood. What happened between he and the girl was of no concern to the dead. And George knew full well that Elaine could do much worse than Zinfer...

First, the packs were lowered to the ground beneath the cliff with a long piece of rope. Then Zinfer swung his legs over the side of the ledge and showed Elaine where the first footholds were located and how to properly position her body so that she could safely begin her climb down.

"I want you to follow right after I reach the bottom," Zinfer told her as he prepared to leave, "I am going to go fast, so watch carefully what path I take. Once I'm safely down, I can guide you from there."

Elaine nodded and watched as Zinfer took the well-practiced path down the cliff. It was fairly easy going. The hand and footholds had been made more apparent with each climb and Zinfer had scaled this rock many times before.

When he reached the bottom, he looked up with the fear of a father watching his child ride a horse for the first time as Elaine began her own, careful descent. It was slow going, and Zinfer had to correct her path often, but in whole the girl had a natural talent for climbing and made it down without consequence.

Overcome with relief, Zinfer pulled Elaine close and kissed her warmly on the lips. She returned the gesture, cupping his face with her hands and both were reluctant to pull away. Lust had flared immediately between them at first contact, and there was an uncomfortable stiffening in Zinfer's breeches as his hips made brief contact with hers.

"Come," the Elf said, handing Elaine her pack, "The quicker we get to the forest, the sooner we can finish what we have started."

Grinning broadly, Elaine nodded and followed Zinfer as they made their final climb from the mountains. An hour later they had arrived at the hills of grass and shrubbery that lay in the shadow of the great mountain range. Looking back, Zinfer was able to point out the Twin Daggers to Elaine. They jutted up further than all other peaks and looked formidable in the hazy distance, like the long abandoned weapons of a giant.

"We came all that way?" Elaine asked in mild awe.

Zinfer nodded, "Travel down a mountain is quick work. It's getting up that's is the challenge."

"Where now?" Elaine asked, turning away from the mountains and her back on Thieves' Valley.

"Across the hills," Zinfer said, sweeping his hand across the expanse of terrain before them, "Be sure to stay close. There are hundreds of abandoned mine shafts from when men ruled these lands. One wrong step and you could fall."

"Lead the way," Elaine said and Zinfer nodded. Not for the first time he admired her bravery. Elfish woman were often considered hardier than their human counterparts, but Elaine was made of even thicker stock than most Elves Zinfer had known. Then again, concerning her parentage...

"Would you like to know who your mother was?" Zinfer asked Elaine on a whim after that had been traveling the hills a while. The grass was still short this time of year and reached only to their shins, but in the summer it would grow until it brushed Zinfer's shoulders.

"You would break your vow of secrecy?" Elaine teased from behind him.

"It was never a secret," Zinfer corrected with a glance back at her, "Just a matter of timing."

"And now is the right time?" she asked, and he could hear the almost imperceptible hesitation in her voice. Zinfer could feel Elaine was not sure if she was ready to learn of her maternal heritage.

"She was an assassin," the Elf said, figuring it would be best to reveal the truth rather than dance around it, "Your mother and I met George at the same time."

Elaine said nothing for a long while and Zinfer read shock and confusion radiate from the girl in heavy waves. No doubt her imaginings of her mother were far removed from the reality just revealed. But Elaine's mother had been an assassin - one of the best in the queen's service. There were those that used to joke that the Mountain Elves' lands had never been invaded almost in full because of the work Zinfer and Elaine's mother had done in protecting it.

"Was she an Elf?" Elaine asked after a long silence, her voice far away.

"She was a human," Zinfer replied and stopped walking to turn around and face Elaine, "Her name was Laura."

Elaine stared up at Zinfer with a distant look. Reaching out, he took her in his arms and held her. He was not exactly sure why he had chosen this exact moment to reveal to Elaine who her mother was, but it had felt right. If he were to keep the promise he had made to George all those years ago, Zinfer had to take care to handle Elaine's past delicately. There would be more shocking reveals in the days to come.

"You said 'was'," Elaine said at last, pulling a little from Zinfer's body but not leaving the comfort of his grasp, "Does that mean my mother is dead?"

"I'm afraid so," Zinfer nodded. Had George truly told her so little about her mother that Elaine did not even know whether Laura was living or dead? He supposed it made sense considering...but it still surprised him.

The Elf gave Elaine another firm embrace before untangling himself from her and taking the lead again, "We should keep moving," he announced, "Feel free to ask any question regarding your mother that you wish."

"Did she work for the queen, too?" Elaine asked, the first in a series of easily answered questions that were each punctuated by several minutes of pondering.

"Yes, she and I were often partners on...assignments."

Another few minutes.

"Why did she live with the Mountain Elves?"

"She grew up with them, although I am not sure how she came to that position. Laura never talked about her parents and they were dead long before I came to know her." A lie, but it sounded plausible enough.

Silence.

"How did she meet my father?"

"In court. He was visiting with the queen when he met her. Later they would claim it was love at first sight."

A pause.

"And were they ever married?"

"Elves do not honor that particular tradition. So no."

"How long were my parents together?"

"A number of years before they conceived you and almost a year more after that."

"How did my mother die?"

Zinfer had known the question was coming and he cleared his throat before answering, "Now is not the time."

Something hard smacked him on the upper arm and Zinfer turned around to see Elaine with her brows furrowed in anger and her fist raised to strike him again. "Now IS the time," she seethed and tears were threatening to spill from her narrowed eyes, "You don't get to tell me everything about my mother's life and then refuse to tell me how she died. You just don't!"