Elf Maidens of Thurn Pt. 03

Chapter 8

"Perhaps we need to investigate the living conditions of the adolescent elves who work on farms and in the mines," suggests Cassandra one evening a few days later. "We also need to get a better understanding of why so many adolescent elves disappear each year."

"We don't for certain that any are missing," I reply. "The census figures are unreliable. Not all employers are diligent in reporting the deaths of elves working for them. After all, adolescent elves are still regarded as animals, so no official is going to worry about a few discrepancies in the records. And the hazards of the long journey back to the city ghettos before winter can claim the lives of some elves."

"Hmm... I've heard the stories of young elves being set upon by wolves and bears. But none of those stories come from elven sources. And what of the elves' body odour. That is a natural defence against wild animals and there is evidence that it works against wolves and bears in Thurn."

I recall that I had initially planned to research the working and living conditions of adolescent elves but haven't done so to date. I also intended to check the various conflicting histories of how elves came to Thurn. Maybe now is the time to carry out that work.

My research into the origins of elves in Thurn turns out to be a scholar's nightmare. There are many conflicting tales of how elves came to be transported from the southern continent to Thurn. Thankfully, Cassandra has access to the Emperor's personal library, which contains a number of contemporary official reports. Three weeks later I'm called on to present my research to the Chief Procurator and his top advisers. I'm confident my work is as close to the truth as any historical treatise on the subject.

"Ancient Thurnian legend holds that when the world was formed, the gods created two lands separated by a vast ocean," I begin. "For no obvious reason, the land mass on which Thurn stands is regarded as the northernmost of those two lands. Fifty years ago, Emperor Rambold ordered his cousin Gregori to lead an expedition across the ocean to establish whether the mythological southern continent actually existed. Eager for fame and glory, Gregori mustered 50 warriors, 135 sailors and 24 learned men. They set sail in five ships as soon as the bitterly cold winter storms had eased. It was a risky venture for sailors who had never previously travelled out of sight of the coast. Rough seas and large aggressive marine animals tested their skills to the limit. The further south they sailed, the warmer the climate became; much hotter than the temperate warmth of Thurn. After many weeks, the expedition sighted a land covered by tropical forests. They sailed along the coast for three days without seeing any sign of habitation. Gregori ordered the fleet to anchor in the estuary of a large river and to prepare to land men on the beach. The sounds of strange animals made them cautious and initially only warriors were sent ashore.

"The twelve-strong landing party made camp on a riverbank within sight of the anchored ships. Keeping cool in the tropical heat was a challenge, and the men's long hair and thick clothing soon became very uncomfortable. However, masculine pride meant that few men trimmed their hair, or discard their jackets. Each morning they would venture into the nearby forest. Most of the animals they encountered were small and ran away at their approach. But large cats and giant lizards were not so easily scared, and they would stalk the party from the safety of the trees. The warriors soon learned not to venture too far from their comrades, and never to enter the forest unarmed. Gradually the warriors explored further up-river but found nothing of interest for several days. Then the discovery of a human-like footprints in the sand of the riverbank changed everything. On hearing the news, Gregori ordered another fifty men to be landed from the ships. Next day several parties, each of six to eight men, went into the jungle in search of the source of the footprints. Meanwhile some of Gregori's scholars started examining the diverse range of tropical flora, most of which have never been seen in Thurn.

"The exploration through the jungle was hazardous, and several confrontations with wild animals resulted in casualties. One party was rescued by a group of the human-like beings they were seeking. At first sight the Thurnians mistook their rescuers for men like themselves, but their rescuers' enlarged ears and pungent odour made the Thurnians reconsider. It is from this initial encounter that the newly discovered race came to be called "elves", although they were clearly not the creatures of fairy tales. The derogatory term "stinking elves" also came into being about this time. It would be several years before Thurnian scholars accepted the obvious, and that both the excellent hearing and pungent body odour of the elves help them survive against the wild animals of the jungle. Similarly, it was a later discovery that the odour emitted by elves weakens as they become older, making them easier prey for wild animals. Consequently, there are few elves who could be considered to be old and wise. The young elves of the rescue party took the Thurnian men to their village. Despite the difficulty in communicating with the elves, the Thurnian men soon made a fateful discovery that had far reaching consequences for Thurn, and spelt disaster for the peace-loving elves.

"Nature dictates that Thurnian men can only have an erection when they smell the pheromones of a woman in heat. In Thurn, this only occurs for a few weeks during summer, in the short period known as the rutting season. It's nature's way of ensuring newborn babies are born in spring, and therefore stand a better chance of survival over the following bitterly cold Thurnian winter. Winters on the southern continent are mild, so nature has adapted elven women differently. Elven women are fertile all year round, and in heat for ten days every month. When the Thurnian men notice their cocks swelling in the presence of elven women, they overcome their distaste for the elven body odour, and react in a predicable way. What causes the disaster for the elven community, is that after seeing the size of the Thurnian men's cocks, the elven women are equally eager to have sex with the Thurnian men. Both races are victims of their own natural desires, and neither can resist the powerful urge to mate. Elven males look on in helpless wonder as their womenfolk literally line up to be fucked. By comparison to huge solid shafts of the Thurnian men, their own cocks are puny.

"Eventually the exhausted Thurnian men retreat from the elven village, and report back to Gregori. Their tales of wild sexual abandon are initially disbelieved, and the subject of much mirth. However, a few days later elven women start appearing on the edge of the Thurnian camp. At first the women are told to go away. Whether they don't understand the meaning of the words being spoken or are deliberately refusing to leave the Thurnian men alone, is impossible to know. Before long the perimeter guards start fraternising with the elven women. Two days later, the elven women are almost permanent residents of the Thurnian camp. Even Gregori succumbs to the delights the elven women have to offer. History doesn't record who made the fateful decision to take some of the elven women back to Thurn when the expedition completes its mission. Gregori reputedly had initially refused permission for his men to have elven women on his ships, but after facing a near mutiny, he relented. As a consequence, over a hundred elven women were passengers on the ships returning to Thurn. With the need to reach Thurn before winter, the overcrowded ships set sail.

"With over twenty elven women in the hold of each Thurnian ship, the conditions on board were very cramped. Food and water supplies needed to be strictly rationed. However, the worst problem was the stench. The pungent body odour of the elves competed with the frequent seasickness among the passengers and crew as the rough seas tossed the vessels about. Fortunately for all concerned, the elven women were docile and obedient, even if they only understood a few Thurnian words. When the seas were calm, they happily serviced the Thurnian men's eager cocks. However, before many weeks had passed, the crew noticed that fewer of the elven women were in heat, which made it impossible for the men to have an erection. The elven women tried their best to satisfy their own sexual needs, but the Thurnian men were impotent without the musk of a woman in heat. Fortunately, the journey north was faster than the outward trip, and the coast of Thurn was sighted five weeks after departing the southern continent. Navigation was rudimentary, and a further week was spent sailing along the coast trying to locate a landmark that appeared on their maps. Eventually the port of Thurn was reached, and the men of the expedition were welcomed home as heroes.

"While the returning Thurnian men were hailed as heroes, their cargo of over a hundred elven women was less well received. The strong body odour of the elves was only the first of many complaints from the citizens of Thurn. For several days, the elves were confined to the ships' holds. Only when the Emperor and his council learned of the elves' ability to have sex all year round, did any solution other than banishment become possible. The ruling council hastily made several contradictory laws governing the treatment of the elves. Since slavery is abhorrent and illegal in Thurn, it was necessary to classify the elves as animals so that they could be sold to interested Thurnian men. Finally, the elves were moved to a large open shed on the outskirts of the city where their strong odour would only offend the poorer denizens of Thurn. There the elves were branded with a two letter identifier and auctioned off to a wide variety of Thurnian men. After a few months it became apparent that many elves were pregnant. A further surprise awaited both the Thurnians and elven women when it was discovered that every elven child sired by a Thurnian father was female and a clone of her mother.

"A catastrophic discovery awaited the captains of the expedition's ships. During the journey north, more than the usual number of leaks in the ships' hulls had been noticed. Once in port, a closer inspection revealed that the tropical waters of the southern continent were home to tiny sea creatures that found the ships' wooden hulls a tasty meal. The ships began sinking at their moorings. Worried that the sea creatures might infest other Thurnian ships, the Emperor ordered that the five ships of the expedition be burnt. Gregori was nearly bankrupted by the loss of his ships. He was only mollified when the Emperor offered him two elven women the Emperor had acquired. The captains obeyed the Emperor's orders, but they did nothing to dispel the subsequent false rumours that the reason for the burning was that the foul stench of the "stinking elves" had made the holds of the ships unusable. Proposals for further expeditions to the southern continent were abandoned, and the one hundred and seven elven women became the nucleus of the elven population of Thurn. Names were meaningless when dealing with elf clones, so the practise of using a serial number came into being. The number identified the original elf, and the ordinal and generation of her offspring.

"It was soon established that the strong body odour of the elves was an evolutionary development to deter the large beasts of the southern continent from attacking them. Unfortunately, the elves' natural odour was repugnant to Thurnian women. Men also disliked the smell but overcame their distaste when the opportunity to have sex with an elf presented itself. When not required for sex, elves were invariably consigned to outdoor work, or to jobs in mines and odorous manufacturing industries such as tanneries and iron works. It is through their work in manufacturing that the elven population developed excellent skills at leatherwork and metalcraft. Farmers were also regular employers of elves, using the elves' strong odour to deter wolves and bears from attacking their livestock. Although the elves were not completely immune to the effects of the cooler Thurnian climate, particularly the brutally cold winters, they adapted remarkably well to their new home. Most elves managed to survive the elements with only the thin clothing their owners provided. Although required to understand and speak the Thurnian language, the strict laws prohibited the elves from learning to read and write. However, many of the elves' own traditions and customs were allowed to continue.

"Young elven children are brought up in crèches, mirroring the elves traditional practise in their homeland. When the children reach their seventh year, they are considered old enough to work. By the time the first generation of Thurnian elves reached their teens, the laws affecting elves had been amended. From then on it is the adolescent elves who work on the farms, and in the mines and industry. The fertile adult elves were reassigned, and, as now, are mainly confined to city ghettoes. This ensured that they are more accessible for sex with Thurnian men. The older generation are now called Elf Maidens and are no longer considered animals. This change of status became necessary when some legal expert pointed out that men having sex with animals was both repugnant and probably against Thurnian law (although nobody could determine which law). In the fifty years since the first arrival of elves in Thurn, the population of elves has increased rapidly. This is despite the number of fatalities among the poorly trained adolescent elves working in the mines and industries. In addition, many adolescent elves go missing each year on the long journey between the remote farms and mines where they must work for the season, and the city ghettoes, where they stay over winter."

Chapter 9

My first report on the origins of elves in Thurn attracted few comments from the Chief Procurator. That is probably because other than dispelling various fanciful myths, my report didn't require him to do anything. My second report summarising my investigation into the living and working conditions of adolescent elves attracts greater interest. Since only a few employers were willing to allow me access to their workforce, much of my investigation had to rely on the testimony of Elf Maidens living in the city ghettoes who have only recently reached adulthood. Government records going back several decades filled in the gaps.

"As we all know, the economy of Thurn now relies heavily on the labours of adolescent elves," I begin my presentation. "The law requires them to work in the factories, farms and mines until they reach adulthood. Without the legal rights of Thurnian citizens, adolescent elves must work in wretched conditions for minimal pay. Mineworkers have a particularly harsh life, being forced to sleep in the mine tunnels. They rarely see daylight for weeks on end. Only when the mines close during winter are they released from their cruel conditions and allowed to return to the city elven ghettoes.

"As for the farms, Thurnian farmers take advantage of the plentiful cheap migrant labour provided by adolescent elves. While there are several laws forcing adolescent elves to work in factories, farms or mines, there are no regulations providing for their welfare. The law regards young elves as animals, and farmers invariably treat them as such. A daily bucket of food and a place to sleep in a damp barn are all that custom requires the farmer to provide for his workforce. Some farmers don't pay their workers at all if the harvest is bad. Without legal rights, elves are unable to do anything about it.

"The conditions for adolescent elves working in factories are better than those working in the mines or on farms. Although their pay is less than half of what a Thurnian citizen would earn, the elves are at least paid. Like their sisters in the mines and farms, they must sleep at their workplace, although that isn't usually a problem as they must work fifteen hours a day, every day. Unlike the mines and farms, most factories operate throughout winter, providing employment all year round. With dangerous machinery around them, accidents are common among the poorly trained elves and nearly half of the workforce won't survive to reach adulthood.

"In addition to the laws requiring adolescent elves to work in factories, farms and mines, the law also prohibits elves from working in occupations reserved for Thurnian workers. Since hiring adolescent elves is much cheaper than employing Thurnian workers, some unscrupulous business owners falsely describe the nature of their trade. During my investigations, I came across four elves who had previously been required to work as weavers in a 'coal mine' located in the textile manufacturing area of the city. If the city's tax inspectors had discovered the deception, then the elves would have been severely punished for working in a prohibited occupation. The business owner would probably receive nothing worse than a warning and, if he's really unlucky, a small fine.

"Each spring, having spent the winter sheltering in a city elven ghetto, adolescent elves make the long walk to the farms and mines where they will look for work. Those who want to work for the fairer employers will set off on their journey before the winter snows have cleared. The adult elves do their best to provide each young elf with a new dress and boots for the journey. Unfortunately, coats are too expensive, so the young elves must brave the chilly weather. Since elven clothing is invariably of good quality, employers will often insist their workers exchange their clothing for a poor-quality uniform provided by the employer. The profit to the employer from selling the elven clothing often covers several week's wages.

"In spring, most employers simply select the first adolescent elves to apply for the new season's work. Nobody expects skilled work from a young elf. However, a few disreputable employers force elven applicants to undergo inappropriate and humiliating inspections before being hired. Since young elves have no legal rights under Thurnian law, they must accept whatever their prospective employer demands. With her good quality elven clothing confiscated by the prospective employer, any elf who isn't found suitable for employment is sent on her way with nothing more than her panties to wear. Older adolescent elves know which employers to avoid the following season, although that doesn't stop the unsavoury practise entirely.

"Mine and farm owners will often allow their elven workforce to spend an hour once a week in the nearest river to wash off the grime from working and living in the mine tunnels or fields. Rumour has it that such generosity has a more sinister purpose, and that owners take the opportunity to identify the prettiest elves. In particular, mine owners are notorious for delaying the return of pretty elves to the city once the elf finishes puberty.

"As you are aware, upon finishing puberty, a young elf becomes an Elf Maiden. The law requires new Elf Maidens to be immediately released from their employment and returned to the city. This rarely happens in practise and the lack of any enforcement means the law is widely ignored. Those elves who reach maturity in early spring can often wait months before their employer will discharge them. Neither Elf Maidens nor Thurnian men can prevent the effects of the powerful pheromones emitted by Elf Maidens when in heat. It isn't uncommon for many Elf Maidens to be pregnant by the time they can return to the city. Fortunately, those elves in an advanced state of pregnancy are usually put on light duties.