For the Whored Ch. 083

He came out and found her sitting on the couch, board in hand, working. "Can I borrow these?"

"Yeah, sure, just remember to return them as you finish." She didn't look up from her board.

"Can I see what you're working on?"

"No, private client."

"Do you draw everyone?"

"Eventually. But, I always draw those who visit me. Admittedly, I'm not drawing you currently, because I'm busy working on this." She shrugged. "Maybe another time." She frowned as she erased a missed line.

He blinked at her for a few moments before turning and walking out.

It took him a few weeks, but he was finally able to finish her last book. He knocked on the door.

She opened the door and eyed him. "Yes?"

"I've come to return your last one."

She took the book from him. "Do you want a portrait done or no?"

"Actually, I think I do."

"I have time, come on." She gestured to the chair and put the book in her library. She prepped her board and came out.

He was sitting in the chair, a stunned look on his face. "I've read every last word you've written, and my mind is still reeling from what I have read."

She sat on the couch, popped her board and started working, her eyes flicking up and down as she worked. "You aren't the first, won't be the last."

"You've had a hard life."

"That's your opinion of it."

"Yet, not yours."

She shrugged. "I made the most of what I had to work with. I quite enjoyed myself along the way. I have spent my entire life in the pursuit of my own enjoyment."

"And taking on a boy you barely knew?"

Elunara sighed. "I've developed a habit of saving people. Annoying habit, really."

"I noticed."

"From this point, you can stand up and start stripping if you want an addition into Ina's books."

He blinked at her. "Excuse me?"

"I figured you'd be a good example to the rest of the men. Start your own body book collection. Stand up, shirt off, and then I'll direct you from there." She eyed him. "Unless you're too embarrassed." She shrugged. "There's no need to be nervous, dear. I do this all the time. Then again, you saw my books."

He frowned. "I also know what you've done with most of the men."

"Most, not all. There's a distinct line there. I don't touch men who aren't interested in it. I don't need to hunt down prey."

"Fine." He ground out.

He re-buttoned his shirt with a sigh. On the one hand, he was not about to join the legion of men who had shared Elunara's body. On the other, she had been so through and so gentle that he had to bite back the pleasure he'd taken in it.

She opened the door and the two boys bolted in.

"Momma!"

"Momma Elunara!"

"What now?"

"Everyone was talking about who was the best,"

"Of course we said you were,"

"But then the argument got said,"

"that how do you find out who's the strongest?"

"And I said, Papa's axe!"

"Yeah! No one can lift Papa Grogek's axe, except you!"

"Well, Lindsy and Aaron argued."

"That it wasn't that tough to lift."

Admiral Duchie raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't that give you a headache?"

"You get used to it after awhile." She laughed. "Come on kiddos, let's go challenge some troops." She led the way down to the training yard. Savage and Yoona sat on the edge. Yoona had gotten better and Savage didn't have to sit on her, though he often did for the hell of it.

"Grogek, my love. I need to borrow your axe."

"Oh?"

"I decided to help our kids win an argument."

Grogek laughed. "Fine." He went to the center of the ring and dropped his axe down.

Elunara walked out. "Today's challenge! Who should ever be able to lift this axe, shall earn a favor from me. You have to get it more than five inches off of the ground. If you are able to truly lift it, and sling it over your shoulder, will get a special prize." She grinned. "For the record, my mother is Tyrande Whisperwind, and I am personal friends with King Varian Wrynn. My favors go long and far. Just to lift this little axe? Come on, who doesn't want to try for that?" She walked off and climbed on the platform.

She was suddenly mobbed by kids climbing on the platform. They started cheering and calling for people to compete.

"MOMMA! YOU HAVE TO!" Yelled one little girl.

"COME ON DAD YOU CAN DO IT!" Screamed another little boy.

"Can you goofballs move out of the way?" She laughed. I'm trying to see.

They tried for hours. Even some of the town's men gave it a shot. Mark got it off the ground, but not high enough. A few others managed to rock it back and forth, but none could get true lift off of the axe.

"Why is it so hard?" One kid asked.

"Honey, that thing weighs like five hundred pounds. Grogek was practically born with it in his hand. The reason he carries it so effortlessly, is how much he has trained." She scooted off the platform and walked to the center. "Time's up!"

The kids on the platform all cried "awww".

Elunara hefted the axe up. "Maybe next time!" She chucked the axe at Grogek, who caught it midair.

"How the HELL do you DO that?" Someone asked.

"Do you have ANY idea what I DO with this arm?" She grinned. Several townies started snickering.

"Wow, Darguni." Marveled Lindsy. "Your mom is really strong."

"His dad is too." Added Aaron "Nobody could lift that even a little bit, and they throw it around like a stuffed toy."

"She's my momma too!" Bradly frowned.

"No she's not. I know your parents." Lindsy crossed her arms.

"My dad died to save someone else, and that woman is no longer my mother." He put his hands on his hips. "Momma Elunara saved me THREE TIMES, no one else has saved me once. Since she is my momma, Grogek is now my papa."

Darguni wrapped an arm around Bradly's shoulders. "And he is my brother. Anyone argues will have to answer to her." He pointed at Elunara. "You don't want to make our momma mad." He warned. "She's crazy strong and crazy mean."

Elunara flipped through papers as she opened the door. She blinked at the woman. "Can I help you?"

"I'm here to speak to you about Bradly."

"Oh Gods, what has that stupid cat done now, and how much is it going to cost me?"

"Uh, I'm not here about your... cat. I want to speak with you about Bradly."

The boys had tried to sneak in through Tulani's studio, but both froze at Bradly's name. They crept to the door and leaned over.

Elunara's ears flinched at the sound of them, but she opted to ignore them. "What do you want?" She frowned. "I can't imagine him getting into too much trouble."

"May I come in?"

"Knock yourself out." Elunara gestured to the chair. She sat on the couch and opted against the board.

"I wanted to tell you that I believe your town judged her too harshly."

"Excuse me?"

"You see, Barbara never wanted Bradly."

Bradly bit his lip to keep from crying, while Darguni patted him on the back.

"She only had him because she was worried that Harvard would leave her. Then she did the best that she could-"

"I'm going to stop you right there. There is a MAJOR difference between doing the best that you could with what you don't want, and resenting their every waking moment. I too didn't want a baby, and I too continued on to make my husband, and my wife, happy."

Darguni frowned and wished he could cry too. The two boys wrapped their arms around each other.

"The biggest difference is that I am actually doing the best that I can. My mother regretted having me, why load him down with that same burden? When I found out I was pregnant, I was so angry and upset that I screamed loud enough for Grogek to hear me down on the training yard. They like to laugh at how Grogek had to force my mouth shut just to stop the noise I was making.

I don't understand children, I barely was one myself, but I understand a child's love. I love my kid. Even with all that has happened; I still love my child. He the best child I could have wound up with. I'm going to tell you something that few people know. I was dying. They didn't know how much I had left. The priestesses of the Moon were doing their best to purify my body. Grogek and Tulani were giving me their energy, but still it wasn't enough. I was on that delicate balance between saving me, and dying. Darguni, in all of his innocence, flung himself at me and pumped his energy directly into my system. It was this amazing act that saved my life."

Bradly stared at Darguni with wide eyes. "You saved Momma?"

"I guess I did." He whispered back.

"That is the power of the love of a child. I am grateful to him for saving my life. When I first encountered Bradly, he was an angry little creature and quite frankly, I didn't like him. But soon I began to realize that it was all misplaced. When he went into the wilds of Draenor, I was the only one who could bring him back. I'm the best tracker, can survive the most hellish conditions. Barbara was so pissed off that I'm the one to bring him back, that it brought all of her rage to a head. It was her opinion that we should have sent Harvard, who had no experience and no idea where the hell to go, rather than the resident expert. I even overheard her make an asshole comments about how I should go put him back where I found him and let Harvard retrieve him like he should have."

"Oh." She frowned.

"She only wanted him to go to Stormwind with her because she felt that Harvard would trail along like a dog. He told me all sorts of things she said before that day that I threw her through the port. In the end, she was a mean, selfish bitch. That day, I didn't see a little boy that needed rescuing. I saw a kid trying to be a man in a shit situation, and a father that was too heartbroken to do a thing about it."

Both children bolted out of Tulani's studio and jumped in Elunara's lap.

"I love you, Momma." They both said in unison.

Elunara sighed and laid her arms over both of them. "Did you use Tulani's studio entrance again?"

They both turned red. "Yes..." They said at once.

She rubbed her forehead. "You KNOW you're not supposed to go in there."

"We're sorry." In unison again.

She snorted. "Don't apologize to me. You get to apologize to Tulani."

Darguni looked stricken. "But Momma Tuly..."

Elunara raised an eye brow.

"Momma, we're sorry. We didn't touch anything."

"Did you wipe your feet?"

"I'll get the broom, Momma."

Elunara raised her eyebrows at Bradly. "You forget a word?"

He shook his head. "You're my momma 'cause you want me." He wrapped his arms around her neck.

"Oh, if that's all." She wrapped her arms around him, her voice thick.

Bradly eyed the other woman. "You're Lindsy's mom. She's not very nice. She said that Elunara was not my mom. I told her that, I didn't care what she believed, because I know the truth."

"Good job." Elunara scrubbed a hand over his hair. "Now got sweep the studio before Tulani gets home."

"What an impressive thing to say." She murmured.

"I won't lie, I taught him that one." Elunara laughed. She wiped the tear that streamed down her face. "I can face down a clutch of twilight dragonkin and say, bring it on. I get undone by a seven year old."