Tender Mercies

"Do I truly look so evil to you, warrior? I have nothing, no weapons, no armor, no clothing." She said, holding her hands out to show she was indeed truly naked. "Your companion is gravely wounded, I can help him if you will let me. You have shown me kindness, I would like to repay you in kind."

Kelnozz studied her carefully. Her figure was slim and well toned, but curvy enough to clearly impress her womanly charms upon any man. Her breasts were small, but among light elves that was common. His eyes briefly rested upon the golden tangle of curls where her legs joined, wondering lewdly at the weapon she had down there. He abandoned his thoughts quickly though, focusing upon her eyes again.

"Aye, you have no obvious weapons, but in a matter of seconds you could be that cat again, or perhaps something even more dangerous."

"No," she explained, "I can only take the form of each animal once a day, I could become a bear, wolf, eagle, or many other things, but not a cat again. Such are the limits placed upon me by Carson."

"Please, traveler, let me aid him," she said after several long moments in which Kelnozz debated internally. "He will not survive for much longer if he's not cared for."

Kelnozz knew the last to be true, but he also knew of Nordan's hardy nature. After a few more moments of thought, Kelnozz nodded. "Alright, help him, but I will be behind you the entire time, should you harm him in any way, you'll be dead ere you can finish your work!"

The light elf smiled thankfully at Kelnozz and moved closer to Nordan. She straddled his body and bent over, studying him carefully, starting at his face and moving down to his feet. Kelnozz moved closer to her, both swords drawn and ready to strike. He watched her movements carefully, trying not to become distracted by her exposure as she bent over unashamedly. Her rosebud winked invitingly at him, and her nether lips were parted just enough to promise a sweet relief to be found inside. He shook his head to clear it of the wanton thoughts and watched her until she stood back up and turned to face him.

"I must gather some herbs to make a few poultices for his greater wounds," She explained. "Will you walk with me or trust me not to leave you?"

Kelnozz glanced to where Nordan slept. He nodded his head and turned to her, "I will follow you."

The light elf smiled, "I am known as Jethallin, and while you are within these lands nothing shall visit harm upon you or your friend."

"How can you be so certain, are you in good with the orcs and light elves in these hills?" Kelnozz retorted sharply.

She turned to look at him, a hurt look in her eyes that quickly faded. "Nay, warrior, I am a druid, as I said. I have sworn to protect these lands, from the edge of the desert to the south and the east to the swamp to the west and the mountains in the north. Nothing enters these lands without my knowledge, and any bearing ill will to the inhabitants are dealt with, harshly if need be."

Kelnozz smirked. "You're that powerful?" He said sarcastically.

"Alone I am not, but with the help of the many animals within my demesne, we are very formidable to those who would be the enemies of nature." She explained. As if to illustrate her point, they walked into a clearing with 2 deer grazing in it. The deer looked up and saw Jethallin, and walked over to her calmly. She smiled kindly as she stroked their necks. They seemed to enjoy the treatment, then caught the scent of Kelnozz behind her. Ears up, they snorted in fear at the stranger. Jethallin soothed them using words Kelnozz could not understand and by continuing to pet them. Finally she smiled to Kelnozz and motioned for him to follow her.

"I have a friend who could do similar things," Kelnozz said, beginning to drop his hostility towards her.

"A druid? I thought we were few and far between, how is it you know of one yet did not believe me?" She asked, genuinely curious.

"My friend is a ranger, he serves Carson as well... or he served him, at least," Kelnozz said, his tone turning darker towards the end as he remembered what had happened to Martin.

"I'm sorry, has he passed on?" She seemed concerned and saddened at the news, Kelnozz was thoroughly uncertain of what to make of the woman.

"Nay, he lives on, but he lost his arm a week ago."

She nodded. "I understand. If his faith is strong, he will overcome it. Why Carson himself is said to have lost his arm long ago, a magical arm crafted of metal replaced it, perhaps your friend is even closer to Carson because of this? Only the Gods can say."

Kelnozz frowned at her religious talk, but remained silent, following her deeper into the woods. She stopped and bent over again to pluck some mold from the base of a tree, and Kelnozz again found his eyes drawn to her exposed sex. He felt his blood beginning to warm, causing him to look away and blush in spite of himself.

"Will you tell me what caused those great wounds on your friend?" She asked somewhat timidly. She could sense the great hesitation in Kelnozz to tell her anything, so she did not want to make him suspicious. "I see you have been wounded as well, but you hide yours better."

Kelnozz started, surprised by her observation. "Aye, it was a great battle, but my wounds were lesser and I was able to move, so I had to do what needed doing."

She turned to face him, staring deeply into his eyes. "Yes, that as well, but I think you have a far deeper wound within you that I can't help you heal."

Kelnozz met her gaze without flinching, his first instinct was to grow angry with her prying, but her openness and honest eyes quelled that urge almost instantly. He held her gaze without saying anything until she turned away from him and knelt down in the middle of a patch of thorns.

She felt around on the ground with her fingers until she found whatever it was she was looking for, then sank her fingers into the soft earth and pulled out a few tender roots. She walked back to Kelnozz and Kelnozz noticed that not only were her hands clean and free of any dirt, but the thorns had not scratched or punctured her skin anywhere. She smiled at him and turned to walk a different direction into the forest. Kelnozz glanced back to the patch of briars before shrugging and hurrying to catch up with her.

"My companion and I are were after something Elluviatel has. He caught us unprepared though, with four other blue dragons to back him up. My friend and I ended up on Elluviatel's back, striking blow after blow while he grappled with our other companion. Finally his wounds were so great that Elluviatel was forced to the ground, with us still upon his back. My friend did not land as well as I did, and after slaying a mortally wounded Elluviatel, I carried him out of the desert."

Jethallin stopped walking to listen to his tale, her eyes wide in wonder. "You have slain Elluviatel? He alone has been a plague to me over the years, raiding the lands I protect for food and sport! He is one of the elder dragons!"

Kelnozz nodded. "Aye, and our other companion was wounded greatly himself, but he flew off, leading the remaining 4 dragons on a merry chase."

"Your other companion flew off?" Jethallin said, confused.

"Aye, he is a blue dragon as well."

Jethallin turned around again and began walking towards her next objective. She stopped after a few steps and turned around to face him, her expression one of curiosity. "Who are you? No, wait, what are you?"

Kelnozz chuckled, real amusement instead of scorn. "I am Kelnozz Risingmoon, champion of the dark elven people. My friend is Nordan, a barbarian of clan Helmsmasher, and easily the mightiest warrior of his tribe. Your people know me well, for I have fought with them many times, and it is my former companion that now leads them."

Jethallin shook her head. "I am sorry, I know little of the affairs of people, whether mine, yours, or other. I remember stories when I was a little girl living in a city far to the north of here inside the mountains you call The Periphery, but little more then that. I remember that light elves are evil, though they did not consider themselves to be so, but little more then that."

"How did you know of Elluviatel then?" Kelnozz said, his suspicion returning.

"I have tended this land for hundreds of years, Kelnozz. Elluviatel is my neighbor and has often troubled me, the animals knew and feared him, it is through them that I learned of him and fought him."

Kelnozz nodded, accepting her explanation. She stared at him for a few more minutes before finally extending her hand. "It is a great honor for me to meet you, Kelnozz. I pray that before you leave you will call me friend."

Kelnozz accepted her hand and shook it in a warriors embrace in respect of her sincerity. "Why is it such an honor, I am only doing that which I have to do."

"There is something about you..." Jethallin trailed off, staring at Kelnozz but in a way that made him feel as though she was looking at something behind him. "Yes, you have a connection to this world and nature stronger then any I have yet to see."

Kelnozz shrugged off her comments and said, "Be that as it may, Nordan weakens, we must help him, let us be about our business."

Jethallin studied him a moment longer before nodding and smiling. "I'm sorry, I've just never met anything such as you. Of course you are right, let's hurry."

Kelnozz followed her as she gathered more roots and herbs. Several times he caught himself admiring her body in ways that he felt he should not have been. Even in the most jaded section of the most jaded city the whores had some modesty. Here was someone seemed to completely lack it. Or rather, instead of lacking modesty, she simply did not understand what the concept was. Kelnozz could not understand it until they wandered by a coyote rolling on the ground trying to scratch its back, it ignored them completely, instead focusing on ridding itself of the itch. It was at that point that Kelnozz understood.

Jethallin was like an animal, she had been one with the wilderness for so long that she had forgotten civilized notions such as humility and modesty. She simply did not realize that many of her poses and positions were causing Kelnozz difficulties. Kelnozz had thought she was trying to seduce him at first, now he realized she was unaware of what her actions could be mistaken as.

Finally they returned to the campsite, Kelnozz had gotten lost in their travels, but Jethallin led him back unerringly. Once there, she used rocks to grind the roots into a paste and took some water from Kelnozz's water skin to make some poultices with the other herbs she had gathered. She wrapped them around Nordan's more serious wounds, chanting something under her breath with each one. By the time she was done, Nordan was already breathing deeper and easier, and some of his color had begun to return.

"My thanks, Jethallin, I admit to being wrong about you," Kelnozz said after he checked on Nordan and saw that he was indeed doing better. They had built the fire back up some as well to provide some warmth for the quickly approaching night.

"No thanks needed, I can see you've had a great many injuries, most are none that I can help you with, yet I offer you what peace I can. All who enter these lands with no evil in their hearts are welcome." Jethallin stood up from where she lay on the far side of the fire and walked over to where Kelnozz sat. She sat next to him and studied him carefully.

"Nordan will awaken in two or three days, and after another two days of rest he will be ready to move on, where will you go next?" She asked.

Kelnozz smiled. "Nay, if he will awaken on the morrow, he'll be ready to move the same day, or at the latest the next one. He's the strongest human I've ever met, and he's probably the dumbest as well!" Kelnozz said the last good naturedly, enjoying the chance to poke fun at his friend without him being able to retort.

"From here we must search out Elluviatel's lair to find what it is we seek, then we must set out for the lair of Cuivegirth for something he holds. After Cuivegirth we must set to with Ancaruin for the magical key he holds," Kelnozz continued.

Jethallin gasped slightly. Kelnozz looked away from the fire to stare at her. Her expression was one of surprise and fear. "What troubles you?" Kelnozz asked.

"Ancaruin," she whispered the name as if to speak it aloud would bring troubles. "I know of him. He is not of this world, he came here when the world was young, the first of his kind. If you seek to fight him, be warned, he is not a part of Viconia and will not be destroyed by normal means."

Kelnozz looked to the sky, studying the stars through the canopy of tree limbs above them. He pondered again the wisdom in the course he had chosen to follow. So lost in thought was he that he scarcely noticed when Jethallin curled up against him. He idly wondered if she sought companionship, but based upon her actions all day and even then, it appeared merely for the sake of sharing warmth as the temperature dropped rapidly for nightfall. Kelnozz soon found his own eyelids growing heavy. The pain in his side from the fight had faded to near numbness at long last and now he was simply weary. He let the weariness take him at last, drawing him into the sweet oblivion of sleep.

*****

Kelnozz awoke to feeling someone curled up against his side. He looked around, gathering his wits to him and realized he was nude. Not remembering anything, he moved and Jethallin stirred beside him. She looked at him sleepily and grinned. Stretching she rolled over and began inspecting his side. Kelnozz glanced down at it and saw that it was bandaged with a poultice similar to the ones Nordan had on his injuries.

"What happened?" Kelnozz asked, suddenly feeling the itching sensation under it.

"I woke up and noticed that you were cradling your side, when I checked more closely, I saw how blood had soaked through your mail and tunic, so I took them off of you and cared for your wound," Jethallin explained, smiling at him and handing him a skin of water to drink from. "Since you didn't tell me about that wound, I suspected there might be more, so I decided to find out for myself. You had lost enough blood that you slept through it all."

"Well then, my thanks. I would have healed on my own I believe, but with your aid I do feel better." Kelnozz looked about until he located his equipment, laying in a pile just behind him. Feeling relieved at it's proximity, he turned his attention back to Jethallin.

She was staring at his body somewhat strangely. "It has been a long time since I have had the company of people," she said, looking up to his eyes nervously. "I... um, I can help you more, if you'd like. I mean, I can help you heal some of the deeper wounds," She stammered out the last, blushing in embarrassment.

Kelnozz smiled, realizing what she was getting at. To answer her, he reached out and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. Thoughts of Alesha rushed through his head for a fleeting moment, but he pushed the away and forced himself to think only of the present.

Jethallin returned the kiss, shy and timid at first, but after a moment her enthusiasm made up for her lack of experience. Kelnozz's hands roamed over her body, exploring and groping her gently. When at last he parted the golden forest below and found the valley it hid, he found it already damp and only waiting for his presence. He gently parted her lips and probed at her with one finger, testing her out by slowly sliding it inside of her, deeper and deeper until he could reach no further. She moaned against him, trying to grind herself against his palm.

With his other hand the dark elf reached around behind her and pinched and pulled at her nipple. Jethallin squirmed under his ministrations, growing hotter by the moment. After a few minutes of this, she growled and pulled away from him. Rolling over, she got on her hands and knees and backed up to him, brushing her ass against his side.

Never one to ignore the obvious, Kelnozz moved so that he was kneeling behind her, his cock quickly coming to life in his hand as he directed it towards his intended target. Jethallin grunted when Kelnozz's cock began to slip inside of her. She thrust back roughly at him, surprising him by her roughness. A few thrusts later and she had taken all of him inside of her. She continued to thrust away at him, grunting and growling deep in her throat like an animal caught up in the throes of ecstasy.

Kelnozz found himself drawn along with her slide towards the more animalistic nature of things. He thrust himself against her harder and harder, trying to pierce her deeply with his organic spear. They rutted against each other, each striving to gain control, all the while Kelnozz fell more and more under her spell. Soon all that mattered to him was pistoning himself into her and unloading his strained balls of their powerful load.

It seemed to take forever, but happen to quickly. At long last, Kelnozz felt the familiar feeling begin to wash over him, but he was powerless to do anything to slow or aid it. Jethallin was growling loudly now, thrusting her loins back against him forcefully. Her pussy had spasmed many times already, clenching and unclenching around his manhood. She felt Kelnozz's cock stiffen and swell more then it already was, and threw her head back and howled.

Kelnozz joined her by grunting loudly as he poured his seed deeply into her womb. They crashed into each other a few more powerful times before Kelnozz's abused muscles gave in and he collapsed on top of her. Jethallin had no strength to hold him up with, however, and she collapsed to the ground as well. Gravity pulled them apart, for they were both sleeping soundly from their exertions.

When he awoke, Kelnozz found himself feeling much better. More then just physically, he felt as though a small part of his spirit had been healed as well. Rising to his feet, he gathered up his equipment and armor and donned it. Jethallin stirred herself and sat up to watch him. She smiled at him kindly, and looked to the sky. Several hours had passed, and now it was easily past the mid day. She rose to her feet and wandered off into the forest saying that she would gather some food for them.

Kelnozz checked on Nordan again, and was amazed at his rate of recovery. His wounds were rapidly healing. His breathing had returned to normal, as has his color. Kelnozz was surprised he had not already woken, in fact. He set his mind to wondering at the strange creature that was Jethallin. A light elf that was different from her kind. While possible, it struck him as odd. The way she had bucked and fought during their lovemaking had left an impression on him as well. She was certainly a creature of the wild, for he could imagine two animals mating in a similar fashion. He found himself not really concerned about it though, for he felt great. His own wounds were nearly healed as well, and inside he felt much more light hearted and optimistic about their troubles.

"What did you do to me?" Kelnozz asked her when she returned carrying various nuts and berries.

Jethallin looked at him and smiled secretly. "Sorry, it's a secret. All I can tell you that I put you back in touch with nature."

Kelnozz nodded, thoughtful for a moment, then smiling and accepting it. He knew he would not have settled for that answer a day ago, but whatever she had done to him had made him trust her.

Spreading out some leaves on the ground, Jethallin divided the nuts and berries up between them. Kelnozz frowned at the rabbit food, then shrugged and ate it. After their lunch, the druid checked and removed Nordan's poultices, saying that he would no longer need them. Kelnozz could tell she was surprised at how quickly the barbarian was healing as well.