The Sword of Aviondore

T'larin returned to the world of the living to feel her shoulders being shaken. Tess's face was above her, tear streaked and frantic.

"Oh my God, Oh my god, Oh my god," she repeated. T'larin smiled and tried to speak, to reassure her, but her tongue seemed cloven to her palate and at first no words came. Rippling echoes of the pleasure she had felt still ran through her body and it was only with great effort that she gathered herself and spoke.

"I'm all right, Tess,"

"T'larin! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Don't be sorry," T'larin said with an effort, her mind still absorbing what had happened.

"I never," the girl began again but T'larin brought a finger to her lips and silenced her.

"I never either." she began, then shook her head to clear it, "I mean I have never experienced anything like that,"

"Are you all right?" the girl asked, fear still showing in her eyes.

"All right? I am better than that, better than I have ever been. I asked for a lesson in human passion and you gave it to me,"

Tess smiled radiantly and her eyes sparkled, "And what did you think of it?"

"I think I will have to try it again before I can form a judgment," she said gravely. When the girls face fell T'larin laughed lightly, "Several times," she added as her own eyes sparkled with mirth.

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T'larin awoke to the sound of the wind in the leaves. She felt deliciously relaxed, refreshed and content. Tess was lying on her side with one arm thrown over T'larin's hip and her body pressed close. T'larin could feel her lover's breasts pressed against her back. She wished she had time to initiate another round of sex, but she knew that this brief interlude was over.

Rising carefully she opened the old wooden chest at the foot of her bed and began to remove her armor. Each piece was wrapped in oilcloth for it had been many years since she had donned it.

The suit consisted of a breastplate, chain shirt, bracers, grieves and a gorget. The chain shirt extended well past her hips and provided protection for her groin and upper thighs. She donned her stockings and boots and began to fasten the multitude of buckles on the grieves. They covered her lower legs from above her knee to just above her ankles. Once in place she stood and was preparing to pull on a chemise when she felt a pair of soft arms slide around her waist. T'larin was startled but leaned back into the embrace. Tess's warm lips found her neck and began to nibble.

She felt the excitement curling in her loins and sighed deeply. Tess's hands began to gently massage the area to either side of T'larin's mound.

"Tess, don't. I have to get ready," T'larin, protested half-heartedly. Tess picked her up and carried her back to the bed. She dumped the struggling Elf on the bed and placed her hands inside of T'larin's knees. T'larin felt the slight pressure and her knees parted like magic. As she watched the mop of red hair descend to the vee of her thighs she thought about saying something.

Any words were drowned in a soft moan as Tess's tongue slipped between her lips. T'larin relaxed under her lover's touch, the war could wait a few minutes longer.

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T'larin stood behind the rough barrier of logs and sharpened stakes her men had erected just within the tree line. Ral sat near her with his back to the hastily erected bulwark sticking arrows into the ground. Tess stood to her left and slightly behind her dressed in her red armor. She had borrowed a sword from someone, but had no bow. She was treated with deference by the elves, a fact that was not lost on T'larin. The rangers were a slightly different breed than the rest of elven society. They accepted their Commander's new lover with nothing more than a few sly smiles and one or two congratulations. Even Ral seemed pleased with her lover and she wondered what the old elf had told Tess while T'larin had bathed.

Only Farseer and his guard were offended by the choice T'larin had made. She found she did not really care, she was happy and staring into the face of certain doom she was glad of the few moments of bliss she had managed to snatch. She smiled at Tess who seemed rather confused by the sudden change in her status. The redhead smiled back at her and T'larin was almost able to forget the ravening horde across the river.

T'larin's battle plan centered on the ford. It was only wide enough for six men to cross abreast. She planned on letting the orcs reach the river rather than shooting them as soon as they emerged from the trees. Those who chose to try and swim for her side would be left unhindered until they climbed up the bank. Three quarters of her rangers would pour their fire into the area around the ford while the other third would pick off any swimmers that managed to make it. It was her hope to build a mound of dead at the ford entrance, which would further hinder their efforts. During the night her men had driven sharpened stakes into the ground on her side of the ford angled towards the orcs. The orcs would have to get past those before they could come up against the makeshift palisade. Once there Farseer's guards, in their heavy armor would engage them.

She held out slim hope of surviving. The defense was calculated to inflict the most damage and take the orcs the longest time to break. She did not have long to wait and consider her preparations. A grisly shrieking howl went up from the woods on the other side of the river and the orcs charged. The front ranks carried heavy wooden shields that would protect them from arrows. The lack of fire from her side seemed to confuse the orcs. The charge slowed as they neared the river. It was only when several orcs were in the muddy area before the ford that the first blast of arrows tore into them. A howl of rage went up and they surged forward. As she had hoped bodies began to pile up forcing those who pressed in from behind to try and climb over them. This in turn built the wall of dead ever higher.

Hundreds waded into the cold waters, but they did not know the river as she did. On either side of the ford the channel was over forty hands deep. It fell off steeply and those who went under seldom came back up for the water was cold and the weight of their weapons and armor dragged them down.

For much of the morning it went on with the orcs never gaining the ford. T'larin's plan was working, but it could not go on forever. Already her archers were having to draw on the last reserves of arrows. Sometime after noon the last arrows were fired and the elves cast their bows away and drew their knives. Farseer's guard moved to the palisade and waited in silence. It took the orcs a little time to realize that there was no more fire coming from the far side, but once they did they charged with renewed fury. They gained the bank and charged headlong into the woods only to be brought up short by the palisade.

The outnumbered defenders fought on with dogged tenacity. Angrost glittered cold and deadly, weaving a red swath of death around T'larin that was so intimidating she suddenly found herself standing alone amidst the chaos. No orc seemed to have the courage to face her and the blade of her forefathers.

She saw that Farseer was fighting with his men and still holding the orcs at bay on the northern end of the palisade, but already they had swarmed over the defenders closer to the center. Ral and three companions held an angle in the bulwark and no orc seemed to be able to overcome their flashing swords. On the southern end of the bulwark the rangers held them back with pikes made from living wood.

From out of the river T'larin saw the largest orc she had ever seen emerge. He was hulking and battle scared, wearing stolen pieces of a knight's armor and carrying a battle-axe that had to be as large as T'larin. This had to be the warlord and T'larin saw one last chance to save the day. Even as she thought this, the big orc spotted her and her hated blade and charged while bellowing a challenge.

Orcs were clannish and very superstitious. The death of the warlord would make them all draw back. The shamans would have to perform rituals and a new Warlord would have to prove himself in trials of combat. Often the death of a warlord signaled the end of an orcish offensive. If no strong leader emerged the different clans would simply go home leaving the horde vastly weakened.

T'larin moved to meet the brute holding Angrost aloft. When they met T'larin swung Angrost with all her strength, but even that fabled blade could not find the orc's flesh behind the stout armor. Unchecked he plowed into T'larin, knocking her back several feet. The great axe had opened a furrow in her head and blood ran into her eyes. She had lost her grip on Angrost and was lying on her back, totally defenseless when she saw him standing over her through the red haze.

She saw the massive axe descending and said a final prayer. T'larin saw a flash of red and the great orc howled in pain. His blow was thrown off and the axe buried itself to the post in the ground inches from her head. T'larin rolled over and sought frantically for her blade. Her hand closed upon the hilt and she staggered to her feet. She shook her head viciously to clear her eyes of blood and sought her opponent.

She found him in her field of vision, but several yardsaway. Tess stood before him trying vainly to parry the giant axe. Her blade shattered and she was tossed aside like a rag doll. T'larin could not tell how badly injured she was or if she yet lived. She screamed when the big Orc raised his axe for the killing blow. She could never close the distance before it fell and Tess was not moving. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, unable to watch her lover killed and too far to do anything about it T'larin acted in desperation. She drew back her arm and with all her strength hurled her sword at the giant orc, a prayer upon her lips.

Angrost was a long sword. It was never meant to be thrown. Yet who could say what enchantments the elven smiths laid upon it as they labored? Perhaps the great smith foresaw the day when it would have to serve as a missile. Perhaps LaLean heard her servant's final desperate prayer and guided the blade with her own hand. Whatever the reason, enchantment, divine intervention or the capricious will of fate the great blade struck home in the one spot where the orc had no armor. The blade may not have been made to throw, but it was made to cleave orc flesh and it did just that, tearing through bone and sinew like a hot knife through butter. It pierced all the way through the Orc's neck, nearly decapitating him.

The orcs, after seeing their leader felled, faded away without striking another blow and the exhausted defenders could not even manage a cheer. T'larin did not care, she staggered and fell, then crawled to her love. She rolled the girl over and frantically tried to wake her. Tears mixed with the blood in her eyes and stung her, but all the pain was lost in a flood of relief when Tess's eyes fluttered open. T'larin gathered her into her arms and rained kisses on her face until Tess managed to get her arms around her lover and hold her tightly. Their lips met then and their tongues twined. The kiss was deep and passionate and neither seemed to care who was watching.

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A week had passed since the battle at the ford. T'larin was still limping from the battering she had taken, but the running joke among the rangers was that she was walking that way because her new lover kept her worn out. T'larin smiled and nodded, playing along with them, but in fact she and Tess had not more than kissed since that day. The redhead had been so bruised that even the gentle ministrations of T'larin the healer made her wince. T'larin was afraid to even touch her as a lover.

On this morning T'larin woke to find Tess caressing her breasts. Her nipples were hard buttons and ached to be touched. Tess saw her eyes come open and without a word pounced on T'larin.

"Stop! You are in no condition to... Ohhh" T'larin groaned as the red head's mouth found one of her aching nipples. In an instant Tess's long tongue began to worry it.

Even as she enjoyed the sensations of Tess's pink tongue on her nipple she could see the young woman was still in great pain. T'larin willed herself to take Tess by the shoulders and gently force her to lie back. The girl gritted her teeth in pain and then relaxed with and exasperated snort.

"Damnit, this is so unfair. I can't take it anymore, lying by you night after night and not even touching," she said with a fetching pout on her full lips.

"Do you think it is any easier on me?" T'larin asked.

When Tess did not answer T'larin bent and kissed her gently on the nose. She did not dare tell the girl of how she felt; of the rising level of frustration she was experiencing. She had never felt anything like that first time and now she wanted it, wanted it more than anything in the world. She was having trouble concentrating on anything else, but she also loved Tess. She could not help but worry about her and she would never willingly bring her any pain. This was the third time she had been forced to make Tess lie back and stop. She was sure that her will power was collapsing a lot faster than Tess was mending, but each time it was harder.

This time the human girl would not be stilled. Her arms shot around T'larin and bodily dragged the Elf on top of herself. Remembering the first time T'larin had touched her Tess guided the slight woman's face to the pillows of her breasts. There was a moment's hesitation, but as Tess had hoped the Elf's fascination with her breasts was stronger than her caution. T'larin's incredibly long delicate fingers cupped her heavy breasts and her eyes grew faraway. Tess applied gentle pressure to the back of T'larin's head and moaned when she felt her nipple enveloped by the elf's firm lips.

T'larin's last bit of willpower slipped away when she felt Tess's rubbery nipple in her mouth. Forgetting her own hurts and Tess's condition she formed a seal with her lips and sucked most of the aureole into her mouth. As her fingers gently massaged the breasts her tongue lovingly twirled around the hardened nipple.

Tess's shuddering moan drove T'larin to distraction; she sucked harder now using her tiny teeth to gently hold the nipple in place as her tongue lashed it. Tess tangled her hands in T'larin's long blonde tresses and pulled her tightly to her breast. T'larin suckled for a while more and then abandoned the nipple to seek it's mate. Alternating between them she kept it up until her lover was moaning continuously and then T'larin moved down wards, tracing her tongue along the underside of one breast and along the girl's tummy to her navel. T'larin stayed there a moment, swirling her tongue around Tess's bellybutton before dipping into it and then she moved father down.

T'larin settled between Tess's splayed thighs and gently massaged her mound. She tentatively licked along the slick satiny lips and was rewarded with a sharp intake of breath from the red head. She continued to trail her tongue slowly over the girl's lips while her fingers played with the soft pubic curls she found so intriguing. As she continued T'larin noticed that the girl's lips had begun to pout open, revealing the inner folds. Rather than try them T'larin continued to gently tongue the girl's lips, wondering how far they would open. In no time they were gaping open and T'larin had an almost unobstructed view of her lover's sex.

The inner lips were a darker pink and at the top of the girl's slit T'larin noticed the small bud of her clit. T'larin was still unsure of many things, but she remembered the incredible sensations Tess caused in her body and surmised that this little button was the spot they emanated from. Spreading the lips wide with two long fingers she tentatively dragged her tongue over the hard little nubbin. Instantly Tess moaned and her body stiffened.

Reassured that her guess was correct T'larin began to flick her tongue over the sensitive nub. Tess's body began to rock and her hips jogged upward, but T'larin held on tightly and continued to worry the girl's clit.

"Ohhhh, T'larin... Ohh... Gods!"

The girls moaning drove T'larin to flick her tongue faster and faster until it was just a blur sliding back and forth over the satiny skin. Tess's fingers dug into her hair and pressed her face tight against the girl's pussy. T'larin could feel Tess's juices on her chin and lips but she refused to stop and taste them, all that mattered now was making this woman feel as good as she had made her feel.

Tess was silent in her orgasm, but judging from the way her body contorted T'larin guessed it was exactly what she had felt. She slowed her attentions until it was only an occasional flick of her tongue over the girl's slippery lips.

T'larin looked up to see Tess smiling down at her. The girl's face glowed and her eyes sparkled like they had that first evening. She sighed and licked her lips sensuously and T'larin became suddenly aware of the wetness between her legs and the longing there. She fought down the longing, Tess was still to sore to move and she knew she would just have to be patient, but her little vixen had other ideas.

"You're a fast learner," she commented at last.

"You are a fine teacher," T'larin countered with a grin.

"I think you are ready for your next lesson,"

"Oh no, you are not getting up. That's final. I won't have you reopening those wounds, I worked far to hard to save you from that brute to have you ruining my work,"

"I am not going to move from this spot," she said with a smile. She broke out into quiet laughter when T'larin cocked her head and gave her a puzzled stare.

Tess caught T'larin's arms and gently tugged until the elf lay on top of her. They kissed deeply, their tongues twining and caressing, stabbing into each other's mouth until they both had to pull away to catch their breath. Tess pulled at her gently and T'larin tried to follow the girl's lead, but she was not at all sure what was wanted. After a few minutes of struggle she found her knees on either side of the girl's head with her shapely ass sitting on the soft firm mounds of her breasts.

Tess moved slightly and T'larin groaned when that magical tongue began to nibble at her lips. Tess licked and kissed in a slow, languid progression. She worked from the bottom of T'larin's slit ever upwards, stopping often to kiss, nibble or retrace her steps. T'larin felt her breathing accelerate and her heartbeat skyrocket. Tess seemed to know exactly what felt best and she also seemed to be able to sense the level of excitement she produced. She would move from stimulation that drove T'larin towards a shattering orgasm only to move suddenly to somewhere that felt desperately good but allowed T'larin to come off the edge.

T'larin found herself moaning and her hands went back to rest on the girl's wide hips. Her own hips bucked and ground against Tess's lips as T'larin tried to steer Tess's tongue to where it felt best. Tess would have none of it, taking her own sweet time. She moved back to the bottom and tongued T'larin's entrance for what seemed an eternity before beginning the slow trip upwards towards her aching clit. A single flick of her tongue was enough to make T'larin shudder and she nearly screamed in frustration when the girl's mouth returned to the bottom of her slit.

To the very brink and back, again and again, each time the level of frustration built as well as the growing need. Tess worked her lover's body like a virtuoso worked her instrument. She drove the elf nearly insane with lust before seizing her clit and sucking hard. Once it was in her mouth Tess buzzed her tongue back and forth over the sensitive bud until T'larin screamed out in pleasure.