For the Whored Ch. 016

The following day she headed out to the training yard. She picked up a staff and examined it.

"What are you doing out here, love?" Grogek called.

The entire training yard turned in her direction. Inwardly she preened. Giving the staff a testing twirl she pouted at Grogek. "I'm bored. No one comes to play with me." She gave the staff a little shake. "How am I supposed to hone my skills, if no one will let me practice?"

Grogek laughed. "I'm sorry, heart of mine. I'd drag down a hundred tasty morsels for you, but you told me the rules are different here."

"That they are." She twirled the staff and sighed. She slammed the staff into the ground. "So let's play."

He grinned. "Now, in front of all of them?" He teased.

Once again she twirled the staff, twisting it up and down and around her before slamming the end into Grogek's stomach.

"Play." She purred.

"What my she-wolf wants, my she-wolf gets!" He roared.

The ring was cleared and they faced each other. He with his axe, her with the staff. He lunged at her and she dodged. So the battle began. He swung his axe down, she blocked with the staff. He took many swings and she dodged them. He came perilously close to cutting her, but she was faster. She hit him several times with the staff. He jumped and she ducked. She jumped, he swung. She ran up the blade of his axe and jammed her heel into his hand. He dropped the axe. She darted around, skimming up under him and whacking his thigh with her staff. He growled and grabbed for her. She darted left and right. After whacking his back again with the staff, she discarded it. They grappled. He lifted her up and flung her, but she was quick and merely bounced her feet off a nearby cart. She jumped and he caught her arm, yanking her down. She twirled and kicked, her foot jamming into his sore thigh.

They grappled with each other, her unseating him several times, him tossing her around like a ragdoll. All at once, his armor pieces fell to the ground. He roared in laughter as he swung out. They landed glancing blows, and performed amazing acrobatic feats as they fought with each other. Elunara went in for a running charge, but stumbled and fell. Grogek scooped her up before she hit the ground.

"Are you alright? We've been at this quite a while."

Elunara shook her head. "Bah."

He sat her back on her feet.

"I need to go get something to drink."

"Are you certain?"

She waved him away. "Just fine."

"Alright." He watched her walk away. When he saw her head for the healer's hut, he frowned.

"Ina!" Elunara didn't bother to knock.

The stout little dwarf glared up at Elunara. "You're late."

"Shit, yeah." Elunara flopped down in a chair.

"No need to swear."

"Sorry."

Ina dug around and came up with a cup. She filled it before handing the thing to Elunara. "Drink it. It's a bigger dose because of how late you are. Next time, I go knocking on your door."

"I said I was sorry." She muttered, before chugging the cup of tonic.

"I swear." Ina huffed and puffed. "A girl like you should be more vigilant about this kind of thing."

"Yeah, well. You took me from a daily to a monthly, it's kind of hard to re-" Elunara doubled over, grabbing her stomach. Her eye sight had gone fuzzy.

"Oh, oh dear." Ina tugged her around and pushed her on the cot. "Lie down now." She put a hand to Elunara's head and tisk'd. "That's quite the reaction. Let me look at you."

Elunara stopped listening and tried to focus on something, anything. She was vaguely aware of the door opening. Words were said, but they didn't intrude on her consciousness. Grogek face filled her vision and she tried to focus on him, but found herself staring a fang instead.

"Hmm." Ina pushed at a cut on Elunara's shoulder.

Elunara hissed and writhed.

"Look here." Ina pointed. "She's got some kind of poison in this."

"That cut is from our spar." He sniffed at it. "I recognize this. It's from the Laughing Skulls. But how would they..." He frowned and laid a hand on Elunara's hair. "Why would they poison my axe?"

"Not the skulls." Elunara moaned.

Grogek stooped down. "I will write you a list of what we need." He looked at Ina. "Your fastest runner, no... your fastest fleet of runners. It will be dangerous and I dare not risk her."

"I'll see to it." Ina nodded.

He began to murmur to her in orcish. It was the last thing she remembered.

When she next awoke, the General came in. "How is she doing?"

"Hiiiii!" She called as she reached out to pat his crotch. "It's nice to see you again!" She called brightly.

General Renwa frowned and pushed her hand away.

Grogek tucked her wrist back into the bed. "Don't be angry with her, she is hallucinating."

Renwa stooped down and frowned. He laid a gentle hand on her head. "She is on fire."

"The Laughing Skulls are a strange lot. Their poisons are designed to incapacitate the largest of prey, and force enemies to spill secrets. I hope we can get all of the reagents in time."

For the longest time, Renwa knelt beside her cot, his hand in her head, his thumb brushing her temple. "I will ask this only once. Did you know?"

"And risk her?" Grogek growled.

General Renwa stood up and nodded. He turned and left.

Later, Elunara groaned and rolled her face into her pillow. She tried to push herself up, but rolled to the side instead. Grogek's hand came to her face. She blinked up at him. Off to the side, Renwa leaned against the wall.

"Not the Skulls." She whimpered.

"That much we gathered." Renwa frowned as he walked to her.

"If Grogek cut himself, then he is gone." She breathed. "If Grogek cut me, then I am gone." She shook her head and wiped the drool off her face. "If Grogek cut a trainee, then Grogek pays." She rolled on her back. "My books." She writhed and panted. "Look at the training... pictures."

Grogek lifted her into a sitting position and poured something in her mouth. After she swallowed, she blacked out.

Elunara opened an eye and stared. Sitting in a chair next to the bed was a familiar face.

"Hello Johnathan." She mumbled.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like a clefthoof tap-danced on my head." She rolled up over on to her back.

Renwa rubbed his hand on her arm. "It's been a rough few days, but after the fever broke, Grogek said you'd be alright."

"Where is the big brown lug?" She laid her arm on her forehead.

"We've been working together to determine who did this. He's keeping up the ruse of training, while we search the cabins of some of the faces you gave us."

"Gave?"

"Your books are quite impressive. Looking at the training pictures you've been drawing, we've been focusing on those who look the most disgruntled by having an orc trainer."

"Hmmm." She sighed. "My head."

"I'll summon Ina." Renwa stuck his head out of the door and then sat back down.

"Still not sure why you're here."

"Can't I visit an old friend?"

She just looked at him.

He laughed. "It seems Grogek and I have come to an understanding." He sobered. "He really loves you. You know that right?"

"Johnathan..."

He sighed. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm actually a little bit jealous." With a shake of his head, he ran his fingers through his hair. "I thought I had that with Midge. I thought she understood me. But when I didn't give her what she wanted..." He frowned.

"I could love him." She murmured.

Renwa's head snapped up.

"I wasn't just being weird when I said he found my heart. He unlocked this part of me I didn't even know existed. It wasn't that I had hidden it away, or denied it. I just never felt it. Like something was disconnected in my heart. And the strangest part of it all is that it doesn't change who or what I am."

"It always bothered me that you used the term "what". Like you were an object, not a person."

Sitting up, she shook her head. "Not an object, but a name. Like a perverse title. I am "the whore". And I actually like that about me. That I can use my body to its best potential. That I play with men as a cat would a mouse. I always knew that hurting them was bad, and so I tried to not. But everyone made me into this horrible creature." She laughed. "I always assumed that no man would understand me. At the best I was a trophy to be had, at worst a demon to be tamed. Either I was what they expected of me, or I was nothing at all." She picked at her blanket.

"I knew what you were."

She looked at him.

"A wild creature that enjoyed my company, but would never be just mine. You weren't there to tame." He scratched his head. "Part of me wanted to tame you. To have you in just my bed for the rest of time. But I knew you'd slit my throat before I asked the question. When I found Midge... she was so calm and tame in public, but wild at night. But she was also so damned clingy. I thought... I thought I replaced you. For a time anyway."

"Aren't we a mess?" She laughed.

"Grogek has the right of it." Renwa sighed.

Elunara blinked at him.

"You are a unique creature." Renwa smiled sadly. "We were all wrong. Every man who's ever experienced the full of you." He shook his head. "You're an amazing woman with a hell of a talent and a spectacular hobby. Instead of trying to keep either to ourselves, you should be allowed to enjoy them."

Renwa laughed and stared at the ceiling. "You go against convention. That's what everyone hates. You don't follow the so called rules we impose on ourselves. That is my one true jealousy. I don't even like being a General." He grinned at her.

With a sigh she stared at the door. "Not that anyone wants to help me with my "hobby"."

Renwa snorted. "Well, not until Jerry started running his mouth, that is."

"Is that so?" She considered.

"In fact, I had to turn away a couple of volunteers while you were out of it."

Her fingers twitched. A knock on the door had Renwa up and over. He brought back a drink. While she chugged it, she examined her face.

"Grogek says it'll still be a few days after you wake up before you'll be walking straight. I'd take the time to rest."

"Me? Sit still?"

"I know; such a travesty."

He took the cup from her and laid a hand on her arm. "I don't think I have to tell you to be kind to them, correct?"

"How long have you known me?"

He smiled. "Long enough." He stood up. "I've sent for Ina. Once she's here I have to go."

"K."

He paused at the door before looking back. "I might actually take you up on that offer."

She grinned as Ina walked in and shut the door.

"I see you're feeling better, if you have the wherewithal to flirt with the General."

"Oh, Ina."

"Now you just sit back and let me take a look at you." She tisk'd. "I'm a priest, I don't deal with poisons. I have to take Grogek's word on the whole mess. It's ridiculous how much that orc loves you." she muttered.

Elunara laughed. "Ina, in my own way, I actually love him too."

The short woman seemed to gain two feet of height as she stretched out. Her eyes wide, her mouth open, a strange sort of strangled sound came out. Abruptly, Ina threw herself on Elunara. "OH! I'm so happy! With all those rumors going round, I just thought that..."

Elunara disentangled herself from the quite heavy dwarf. "Ina, I am still who I am."

Ina slid to the floor. "You can't mean..."

"I am who I am."

"But I always thought that..." She trailed off and frowned. "I always felt that you had been hurt in some way. That you did those things with yourself because you... well, you were..."

She shook her head. "I never was. I always did the hurting because I didn't understand what hurt meant."

"But how could you still do those things if you... if you truly love him."

"Because he loves those things about me."

Ina just blinked.

"Weird, I know."

"I will give that thought some time later." Ina said simply. "For now, I must attend to my patient."

Ina spent some time checking out Elunara, and making her drink, and poking at the cut on her shoulder. Ina flittered around like deranged bird.

"I respect what you're trying to do."

Elunara blinked at the woman. "What?"

"With the book, and the pictures." She sighed. "I've lost track of the dead. I can't identify them all. I've been at this too long. I am liking the idea of your drawings. It will help aid in healing as well. I have to admit I ignored the cut on your shoulder at first, because you come in with so many."

"It's a selfish idea."

"Oh, I now that. But your heart is in the right place with it."

The door was thrown open and Grogek barreled in. Elunara was squished before she could open her mouth.

"Oh, my love, you're alright." He released her for only a moment before squishing her again. "I was so worried. I knew that even when the fever broke that... Laughing Skull poison is so difficult."

"Can you let go?" She mumbled into his shoulder.

He released her again. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He sat on the edge of the bed, her hands in his. "How are you doing?"

"Tired and dizzy."

"That's fine." He brushed her hair back.

Neither really heard Ina's "I'll leave you two alone."

"I was so afraid." He whispered.

She laughed. "I don't know how to take that."

"Renwa is looking for the bastard. He'll find them soon."

She laid back. "You sound confident in him."

"We've come to an understanding."

"That's what he said." She eyed Grogek.

"Did you KNOW the man is in love with you?"

She blinked a couple of times. "Was that what he was trying to say?" She rubbed her forehead.

He laughed. "I get the feeling you're used to that outcome."

"What's kind of strange; is that I think he's my friend."

"Oh, really?"

"I never saw it before, because I wasn't looking. He was my commander, I was the mission specialist. He was a guy who didn't mind who I was."

"You said who, not what." Grogek murmured.

She held her head. "Everything is changing too fast."

The door burst open and a soldier practically fell through the door. "Sorry for the intrusion, but we got him."

Grogek growled as he jumped up. Elunara swung her legs out of bed. Grogek pushed her back down. "No, stay. You need days yet."

"I want to see the bastard."

Grogek nodded and helped her up. He gave her the dignity of his shoulder, rather than to grab her up. Once outside, they followed the messenger to the soldier's barracks. Grogek wanted his axe so they stopped there first. General Renwa and Captain Jordan were leading a man out in chains. They marched the man towards Grogek and Elunara. Grogek dropped the head of his axe down and put his palms on the hilt. Elunara kept one hand on his arm, but held herself straight. General Renwa stopped in front of the pair.

"Soldier, would you care to explain why you almost got my best agent killed?

Elunara did not know his name, but she recognized him from training.

"I wasn't after the whore. It's the orc we need to be rid of."

Grogek grabbed the prisoner by the throat.

"General, do we really have to go through the same "justice" from Stormwind out in this backwater town in the middle of the wrong era?" Elunara asked mildly.

The General considered. "I'm trying to figure out a good explanation as to why."

Grogek tightened his grip and the prisoner began to struggle.

"However..." The General began as he laid a hand on Grogek's arm. "If we do not maintain some sense of justice" Grogek relaxed his grip and let the man gasp. "Then we are no better than the land around us. We will give him a proper trial." He looked up at Grogek. "At which point, it will be fitting for you to be executioner."

Grogek nodded and released the man. Without a word, he hefted his axe on his shoulder, and escorted Elunara back to bed. Where he tucked her in and climbed up beside her, wrapping his arms around her.