Captured by the Elves Ch. 07

Note: Great to be back folks. Sorry for the delay. All the characters in this story are over the age of eighteen. The elves even more so. This story is a fantasy. Literally there are elves. It does not represent any real people or groups. Any errors or omissions are my own. Look at the story tags, though honestly this is part seven so you should know what you're in for. One other disclaimer though: this part does contain scenes of battle and related blood. Nothing too crazy, but it's a fantasy story. It was going to have some eventually. Enjoy.

The humans didn't attack the next morning. Our sentries waited and with the newly arrived elves supporting it the settlement had the ability to counterattack if need be. However, despite our concerns the attack didn't materialize. Rays from the first bit of sun began to penetrate the forest canopy and drove away the darkness and the creeping chill. I rolled over in bed and mused how these elves knew nothing of cold. Back in the northern climes of my former home there were places where the peasants froze to death in their houses in the middle of winter. Their frosted bodies sometimes not found until weeks later. I finally opened my eyes to see Braith staring down at the bed.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She smiled. "Nothing. Doesn't she look so adorable?"

I turned over to see the warm lump that I thought had been Braith was the newly converted Dane, who was still asleep and lightly snoring. Every conversion was bound to be different, I thought.

"She's definitely yours," I said. "She even looks a little like you."

"Do you think so?" Braith almost sounded hopeful. She said, "Of course she's still taller than me like everyone else." She sighed. "You're right by the way."

"I'm what?" I was still trying to wake up.

"She was converted by me near as I can tell. She hasn't woken up yet but I can feel it."

"The bond?"

She nodded, and bit her lower lip in thought.

"It must be nice to feel that for someone that you want to be with," I said.

Braith came over and picked me up in a big hug. "You're mine, darling. If you want me to send her away...I'll do it."

"No."

I knew that I could never ask her to do that. She would never admit it, but it would wound her more than anything. More so that I asked her to do it. I decided to be positive and said, "As you said: we're a couple now."

She beamed. "Yes! And this beautiful creature here...she's like our daughter now. Which means that you need to set more of an example now."

"Me?"

"Yes. The community is going to have a whole group of new girls soon. They'll be a little confused and probably scared at first. You will be expected to be a role model."

"I'm no one's role model."

She pinched my nose. "You are. I love you, Kiari, but you must know that you're not typical. I've recognized it and have tried to keep you for myself. Landa knows it and she wants you. Teagan sees it and resents you. Your old friend Raina knows it as well. That's why she made that scene."

"I don't see what's so special about me."

"I don't know. Something. You're meant to do something for our people. Let's not rush things. Once these troubled times are over, we'll think on it more. For the moment, we need to wake her up and get dressed."

"The funerals?"

"It works differently our here, but yes. Hannah was a dear, and Delphi...we really are less without her."

She touched the copper star hanging between my breasts. Delphi's blood was still on it. "I'm glad you kept this. I'm not as familiar with it as you. Maybe I knew once but I've forgotten."

"Delphi was a paladin," I said.

"These are important people?"

"Paladins are holy knights. They serve at the seats of kings or the Holy Father himself. In the old days a paladin could execute a king."

"Delphi was definitely the type. Teagan was very proud of converting her."

"How many people have you converted?" I asked.

She looked at me for a moment. "Over the years I've made fourteen of our sisters. Landa and Teagan have done more though. They do it mainly for sport. I made conversion part of my occupation."

"Do you feel the bond with each one?"

"It's complicated. More or less with each one. The bond can be a fickle thing. Some will only convert one person ever and others none. Yanitza and I will always care for each other but we drifted away. You and Raina...perhaps one day you'll make peace. Either way, you'll convert someone one day."

"I won't. I can't."

"You will. It's okay. Maybe it will be one hundred of your human years from now and you'll feel differently. You'll have a much longer life as one of us."

"How old are you?"

She pinched my nose again. "It's rude to ask a lady her age. If you must know though...not quite three hundred years or so. Give or take."

"Is that old?"

"Are you calling me old?"

"No...I..."

She laughed. "Don't worry. One day you'll be answering the same awkward question for your own convert. I hope that I'll be around to see that. It's going to be lovely."

She shook Dane awake. "Wake up, new girl."

The newly-made she-elf opened her eyes slowly. "What's happening?" she asked.

Braith said, "We're getting dressed. It's an important day. You'll be a good girl, right?"

"Yes, Mistress Braith."

Braith looked to me. "Help her. We'll worry about the details later. She'll have to pick a name." She looked to Dane. "What will your name be?"

"I don't understand."

Braith shook her head. "Sometimes the change strips a little more out of the person. It can actually be a benefit." She looked to me. "What do you think, Kiari?"

I thought about it for a moment. "Where I'm from, we heard about a noble lady who was taken to the capital as a potential bride for the prince. Her name was Danica. Close enough to Dane to not confuse her."

"Not sure that matters anymore. Cute name though. Do you like it?" Braith asked Dane.

Dane smiled and "Danica" was official. On short notice it seemed to work. We quickly dressed in plain blue tunics. Braith and I would serve as Danica's protectors for a time. She told me that sometimes unscrupulous she-elves took advantage of new converts who didn't know any better. I asked her if I'd received the same such protection.

"More than you'll ever know," she said.

Braith led Danica and I back to the clearing of the great tree with its bright blue flowers. Overnight much of the overgrowth had been trimmed and tidied up to create a much more hospitable space. It was crammed with as many elves as could fit inside of it. All of them dressed in similar blue tunics. I'd learn that this was one of the few old traditions that they kept. The elf chieftains led the proceedings.

Delphi and Hannah were both wrapped in sheer silk sheets, and would be buried before the great tree. Later, Braith would explain to me that wherever these elves established a village one of those trees would sprout and grow of its own accord. It would be cared for, but never intruded upon needlessly, which was why if no one had died for a long while the area leading to it could become overgrown. Death was a rare thing for them and as such it had taken on a certain auspicious nature compared to humans who lived with death as part of their everyday life.

Landa knelt before both the bodies and invoked the name of the goddess. "Angelanhala," she said. "We send you two of our sisters. They were taken from us too soon and with tragic violence. In your name: we swear vengeance on the perpetrators of that crime. In your name: we have added new sisters to our ranks. We ask that you look after Hannah and Delphi in the great forest beyond. May we all be reunited with our friends later."

Teagan moved forward and knelt next to Landa. The tall blonde already looked stronger and much recovered. She put her forehead to the dark earth of the forest clearing.

"Goddess," she implored. "Grant us strength against our enemies and wisdom in our dealings with each other." Teagan turned to address all of us. "Pray," she said. "Pray for us all."

I knelt and prayed along with Braith and the rest. Danica didn't understand at first, but Braith and I pulled her down and told her to at least be quiet. I prayed for our safety. Granted, I'd never been the most religious person. I'd seen too many bad things and people, and that was before I went off to war. As a soldier I learned to pray because most everyone else did. When fear and starvation are your constant companions you will be begging for some higher power to help you. Some of the men who didn't opened up their veins in the cold of the night and ended their misery. Those of us who prayed were always wondering if the "miracle" that was going to save us would be happening on the following day. So, we naturally had to stay alive to see if it happened. It was one of the only subjects that we spoke about when we did speak. I remembered that we'd prayed on the morning of the day that the elves had captured me.

That was it for the ceremony. Hannah and Delphi were placed in the earth and reverently buried. It didn't seem all that different from other funerals that I'd been too in some ways. Everyone stood up and in groups began to file out of the area with some staying behind and talking amongst themselves. The ritual as simple as it was had a sense of comfort to it. My old army had buried or abandoned so many men on the march east that we'd barely had time for regret let alone for final words. Despite my transformation I'd retained all of those memories. I looked over at Danica, who was busy giggling as Braith discreetly tickled her. It was impossible to know if the old "Dane" was even there. On some level I envied her. If my memory and doubt could've been removed then perhaps that would've been worth the loss of my old self.

In the distance I saw Raina standing by herself as the others left the area around her. She stared at me. I can't say that I recognized an emotion on her face. She just stared for the longest time, and then she turned and left. Raina hadn't come near me since she lost her bid to claim me. What that did to her I couldn't know. Our relationship wasn't in a good place at the time.

Landa appeared by my side. She didn't say anything. Just watched the others leave. After a moment, she said, "You look well today, Kiari. Even in the worst times I can appreciate a beautiful lady."

I found myself suddenly amused. I whispered: "I'm sure the old you would've been quite dangerous with the noble ladies in the capital."

She laughed. "Yes, I'm sure that I was. Scandals and many illegitimate children surely followed. I have vague memories of such things. I've often wondered have I fathered more children as man or converted more men into our kin. I suppose that a legacy is a legacy. Even if it is in my own mind."

"My father would sometimes speak like that."

"Truly? Sounds like my own father." She laughed. "If only they could see us now. If they could accept us as we are then surely, they would see us as something greater than what we were."

She pointed over to Braith as Danica. The famously cruel Mistress of the Bathhouse could hardly keep her hands on the freshly made elf girl. Danica offered no resistance. She loved every naughty moment of Braith's affection. Both of them were already aroused and I wondered if they would disappear to be alone shortly.

Landa said, "Looks like things went well for you two last night."

"Braith was pleasantly surprised."

"I see that. What's this delightful treasure's name?"

"Danica," I said. "That seemed appropriate or at least easy."

"A name that's as cute as she is. Braith seems to like her a great deal."

"So she does," I said. "The bathhouse might start to feel a little crowded."

"You'll always have a welcome home with me. If you choose."

"That...that means a lot to me. Thank you, Landa."

She beamed at my approval. "You remain remarkable to me," she said. "Delphi said that you have a good soul and I completely agree with her."

"What happens now?"

"We're making plans. The humans may yet retreat after the resistance that we've shown. If they do, we'll harass them all the way out of the forest to make sure that they remain scared to return for a generation. How do you feel about that?"

"They deserve it."

"No lingering human connections?"

"Humans kills each other all the time. Brendan and I were marching towards that very thing."

"We'll see, Kiari. Tonight, if we're not attacked, there will be a feast. We'll see where we go from there."

It was hard to believe that we could prepare even more for the trouble, but we did. The influx of newly arrived elves had definitely put a strain on things. Those elves from other communities had traveled at great speed to arrive, and so they were unable to bring many supplies. We were going to endure it though. The rationing of food and new roommates were well worth the added security. New defenses were constructed outside the main walls and the guards and patrols were increased. Naturally, with the influx of new inhabitants came even more news and rumors about the humans in the forest. Some told that the humans were only the spear tip of a great army that had united peoples from several lands and cultures. Each of which had come together to destroy the wild elves that had terrorized them for generations. These rumors and stories became almost apocalyptic. While the fortification continued outside, preparations for the feast were underway.

Braith and I opened up some of her last casks of mead. With the recent troubles going on, she hadn't had time to begin brewing new batches. Mead could take a long time. I knew this from my old life. My parents often traded the honey wine from one town to the other. There was some of the ale leftover from what had been taken from the humans, but the last night's festivities had consumed most of it. Braith was interested to learn that I knew a little about brewing. What my parents could not acquire cheaply from one source they often tried to make themselves. Sadly, they were not there, so word was being passed around to the residents to offer any of their own private stashes for the enjoyment of the community welfare.

Braith said, "If we run out of drink, I fear that the humans may be doomed. The girls have developed a substantial thirst over the years."

For blood or alcohol, I wondered.

Danica was underfoot the entire time that we worked. The new elf girl would follow Braith along like a puppy, or me if Braith ordered it of her, and asked a constant barrage of questions. Most of which were quite obvious or foolish, but she always had an innocent smile to disarm our annoyance. She took to her new existence well, and I wondered if there was anything of Dane left inside of her. Perhaps that was going to happen to me as well, but my change would simply take longer. Even Braith seemed uncertain as to when I would ask about the nuances of the change.

"To be honest," she said, "After some of us change we could care less about our old lives after a while. I wouldn't exactly say the person dies, but...things change." She took my hand. "Are you worried about yourself...being gone?"

I didn't know what to say, and she understood this without me telling her anything. She said, "Kiari... I can't predict the future. When I was converted...it was hard. Some of those memories are gone, but some are clear. The odd thing is when I recount some of those events, I will picture myself as I am now. I know that wasn't the case. I was different, but also the same. Do you follow?"

"I'm not sure."

She smiled. "You'll learn one day."

I wasn't so sure that I would, but I had nothing else to offer her so I agreed hopefully. We worked right up until the word was passed around that the feast was to begin, at which point Braith ordered that Danica and I needed to get dressed. When I saw what she had in mind I wasn't excited.

"Seriously?" I asked. "Do we have to wear these?"

Braith shrugged sheepishly. "All the new girls are going to be there tonight. Landa wants a show of sorts. It's an old tradition that I thought maybe they would grow out of, but these are troubling times and our people need some levity."

Danica was all bright eyes and smiles and the sight of the new outfit. "For me?" she asked.

It only took a slight nod from Braith before Danica stripped naked and began putting it on. The nipples of her pert breasts were already hard. There was no shame in her. The whole thing was one big fun experience. Normally, I would've been wondering how much I should have been envying her, but I'd been hoping that once I'd been converted some of the exploitation would stop. That was a little too much to ask for.

I sighed. There was no escaping. A new girl was a new girl, I supposed. I stripped, and put on the flimsy outfit as quickly as I could. I said to Braith, "I hope that the others appreciate this. I don't know when it is that I'll actually be trusted by the community,"

Braith smiled and gave me a lovely wet kiss. "I'll always trust you. I know that it's silly, but traditions like this keep the community alive. Once this is over, all this sordid business going on, we'll start planning for our wedding. I promise that your outfit will be better for that."

I stared at her. My large breasts were barely contained within what had at one point been a simple tunic, but someone had removed more and more material from the top and the bottom. This coupled with the fact that we wore nothing else meant that Danica and I had only a slight drape of material covering our cocks and that our plump asses were on full display. I could only imagine who had designed these for the new girls. Their intentions were rather obvious. We were sexual objects and I already had the notion as to what the feast was going to be culminating in.

The night air was colder at first than I thought it would be. I felt it all over my exposed flesh. Eventually though, as we made our way to the central area of the settlement we began to be surrounded by the inhabitants and whether through the collective warmth of all around or through the embarrassment the cold was forgotten. Several of the she-elves that I had either been with sexually before or who had expressed interest came forward to either make lewd comments or to just grope me. This only went on for a while before all of us new girls were ushered towards a specified area. The elves had erected a small platform for us to stand on and bare ourselves to the community. Once we were all assembled onto the platform the majority of the elves in the settlement had surrounded us all for a look.

Benches had been set up, and it appeared as if the call for everyone's private supply of alcohol was paying off, as the were flagons being passed around to fill several horns of mead and ale. A wonderful smell drew my attention drew my attention to one side of the event. Two she-elves were working to roast a freshly killed boar. The ladies didn't often eat meat according to Braith. They had an affinity with the environment and the creatures that called it home. However, once in a while many of them would partake of flesh if they animal was slain appropriately and thanked before consumption. Did I understand the nuances of such things? No, I was more concerned with the fact that I was nearly naked and on display. Braith had assured me that this was a brief affair. I was determined to soldier through as I often did. I told myself that at least I would get a chance to get some of that slow-roasted pork.

Danica stood next to me in the same ridiculous outfit and while I was trying to act like I didn't like it, she was thrilled to have so much attention. She responded to the cat calls from the ladies in the audience and even flashed them her breasts and plump ass when they asked for it. I wanted to point at her and call her a slut, but then I remembered everything that I had done and had been done to me. Was I really one to judge? The other girls were a mixture of nervousness and confusion. I'm sure they have been prepped for the event by whomever was caring for each of them. Yet they wore the same revealing garments that we did. There was no sign of Raina. I expected her to be standing there in a silent rage, but of my former friend there was no trace.