For the Whored Ch. 021

The next day, Elunara sat on the hill above the training yard and captured the scene. Standing on the sidelines, a soldier snickered. Grogek ignored the man at first. She was careful to capture his expression, should she need it in the future. There was a soldier standing beside him, but the second one seemed embarrassed and didn't respond to the original soldier's sniggering.

Finally Grogek stomped over to the man.

"Something funny?"

"Not a thing." A guy smirked.

Folding up her board, Elunara walked down the hill. Grogek saw her approached and watched with interest. When she halted at the edge of the area, he walked to her. His fingertips brushed the hair from her neck.

"Going to start another spar today?"

"No. Tempting, but no. I wanted to let you know that he is one of the eight."

"Ah." He looked over to the first man and growled.

"One sec." She popped open her board and made a few scribbles "Sorry, just wanted to capture his face before you obliterated it."

Grogek snorted. She sat down on the edge of the training yard and continued to work while Grogek went to the laughing man.

"Rodger, is it?"

"Yeah what of it?"

"Get in the ring."

"What?" He blinked up at Grogek.

"You think you're so funny, get your ass in the ring and PROVE it."

Rodger cough and sputtered. He looked around. "Uh, I'm not part of this training group. I'm just visiting with the traders. I'm a guard, you see."

"THE RING, GET IN IT!" Grogek bellowed.

Rodger held up his hands. "You can't seriously mean..."

Grogek grabbed the guy's head in one hand and tossed him into the fighting ring. "In MY town, we do things differently. You want to think you're funny, you go through me!"

"Hey!" Rodger cried. "Somebody help me! This guy is crazy!"

"Grogek!" General Renwa frowned from the side. "What is going on?"

"This pup was interrupting my training."

"Oh. Continue then." Renwa shrugged.

"This is crazy!" Rodger cried. "I'm not even from this town!"

Renwa raised an eyebrow. "If you're being disruptive, then obviously you need more training; regardless of where you hail from."

"But..."

Grogek picked up his axe and held it on his shoulder. "You claim to be a guard, yet you refuse to fight me. The Iron Horde will eat you for a light snack."

"Or, you could just fess up as to what you were giggling like a loon about!" Elunara called from the side. At Grogek's snort, she smiled sweetly. "I'm sure if the joke's funny enough, we can ALL have a laugh." She propped her chin on her threaded fingers.

Rodger looked back and forth between Grogek and Elunara and turned sheet white. All at once, he turned and fled. He tripped and smashed his face, but clambered up and kept on running. Grogek burst into laughter.

"That WAS a funny joke." He laughed.

Renwa wandered over to Elunara as Grogek went back to yelling at his trainees.

"What was that about?"

Elunara smiled up at Renwa. "The same thing that's had Jordan in a fog all day."

He frowned. "I have been wondering what's wrong with him today."

She gave a dramatic sigh. "People do like their peep shows."

"You didn't..."

She just looked up at him. With a sigh, he hung his head. "How many this time?"

"Just eight"

Renwa groaned. "I'll have Gerald on latrine duty for the next year!"

"Oh, leave off. It's part of the fun."

"Only you would think so." He straightened up and looked at the crew training. "Nonetheless, I'll have to discipl- wait, you said Jordan?" He looked down at Elunara.

"Well, he was last to the party, and I was a little preoccupied, but yes. He was there, and he got quite a look." She bit her lip. "I'd talk to Gerald about the rest."

"I will be." He murmured.

"In fact... if you'd be so kind as to send Gerald to me, I'd be most appreciative."

"Oh Lord." Renwa muttered.

"Not that." She stopped his line of thinking. "We're going to have a little discussion about hedging his bets." She ground out between her teeth.

"Having an audience doesn't get to you, but betting does?" He shook his head.

"Oh, the betting is part of the fun. The cheating is what bothers me."

"You are a strange woman."

She flashed a brilliant smile at him. "And yet you love me anyway."

He froze, trapped in the moment. She had turned away and returned to her work before he was able to turn away and head back to his work.

He found Jordan sitting on a bench in the center of town. He looked dazed and confused. Renwa sat down beside the man and yet he didn't flinch. Renwa laid a hand on his arm.

"Jordan?"

"Huh?" Jordan looked around. "What?" He stared at his arm as if it were a foreign creature. He looked up at Renwa.

"Oh. General."

"What is wrong with you?"

"Sir?" Jordan shook his head. He stared at Renwa for a moment before flushing. "Sir! I'm sorry sir, I've..." He looked around. "Actually, I'm not sure what I've been."

"Do you need a healer?"

"No sir." Jordan sighed. "Sir, I've... I have to apologize to you sir."

"Why?"

"Because I saw her." He cleared his throat and looked away. "I saw her, with the orc."

"Grogek." Renwa corrected.

"Yes, Grogek." He was quiet for a time. "Sir, you've... seen her... like that... before."

Renwa cocked his head to the side. He wasn't sure what Jordan had seen, but knowing Elunara... "Yes, yes I have."

"She was beautiful." He whispered.

Renwa almost didn't hear it, and for a moment thought he'd imagined it.

"I mean!" Jordan cleared his throat and flushed. "I mean, it's just that... how can you stand it?"

"Jordan, if you would give me entire statements, this conversation would go a lot easier."

"How do you stand knowing the woman you love is giving herself to someone else? An orc no less. Yes, yes I know what he has been to us since he arrived, but he is still an orc. Not a human, not another night elf, an orc. How do you sit here and say "she belongs to him"?"

"Because she is happy." He shrugged. "It hurt. It really hurt that she chose him over me, but what did I give her?" He frowned at his own admission. He shook his head. "Elunara has always been a jovial person, but I've never seen her relax or be happy. Even when we were together, she was guarded. She reminded me every day that it was an arrangement that suited her. You were there in the woods when she read those papers. Even when she had to announce to a forest full of men, in front of the enemy, how she saw herself, she never flinched. In fact, I don't think it actually upset her. Yet, she's happy. Truly happy. I won't try to take that from her."

Jordan frowned. "I do not understand that woman."

Renwa laughed. "Who does?"

Jordan straightened up. "She has no sense of decency, going around with other men like that. She gave herself to this orc, and you claim she is happy, yet I've heard what she does. I saw what she does. In the Orchard, in view of everyone who stumbled up there!"

"She is happy." Renwa relaxed and looked up at the sky. "She is the strangest of us all, yet she's the smartest person here. She does what makes her happy. Decency? They weren't in the middle of the town. She hasn't actively gone after a single person here. Yes, she flirts; it's a part of who she is. You take that flirtatious nature out of her and you have... nothing. No life, no personality." Renwa smacked Jordan on the back. "Stop trying to figure her out. In fact, I think you just gave me the answer to my own problem." Renwa laughed and stood up.

Jordan watched in confusion as the General practically sang all the way to his office.

The next day, a messenger came to Elunara's door. "The General has requested you in his quarters."

"Uhh... ok." Elunara grabbed her board and supplies and headed up. At the door, the messenger shook his head and pointed to a small door off to the side of the office. She opened the door and walked into a small domicile. She shut the door behind her and found Renwa pacing in front of a bed. A small grin tugged at her lips.

"Finally take me up on my offer?"

Renwa stopped and looked at her. He was wearing plain clothes. Gone was his armor, but instead a simple shirt and pants.

"Elunara, I've been doing a lot of thinking lately." He pulled out a small box.

She froze, her eyes wide. "Uh..."

He opened the box and showed her a small ring.

"Jonathan, you know I can't."

He shook his head. "I bought this for you months before I left." He pulled the ring out and held it up. "You see, I had every intention of asking you to marry me. I spent days and weeks planning it out. I had a whole speech. I knew you'd never go for flowery, so I went with logical. I was going to convince you why marrying me was the proper decision. I had even convinced myself that you could still do your missions, still have other men, and it would be ok. Of course, every time I tried to set it up..." He shrugged.

"I actually gave it to Midge as a promise ring, but it never felt right. The ring was always supposed to be for you." He sighed.

She put her board on the table and placed her hand on his wrist. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "Don't be. You were never meant to be mine. I know that now."

With a half smile she inspected the ring. "It's a very pretty ring."

He nodded. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I'll admit that I've taken this ring out and looked at it every time I thought of you. I'd been going back and forth, because... while I'd like to take you to bed, you're still not mine. It hurt." He laughed. "Kind of a lot. But then yesterday I had this moment... where I realized how happy you've been. How genuinely happy you have been. And it hit me... You were never meant to be mine, and I'm ok with it."

"I... Well, I'm happy you've figured that out. And I'm glad you told me, I hope that¬ "

"Wear it." He whispered.

She stared at the ring.

"I want to take you to bed; yes I am taking you up on your offer."

"For once, I am very confused."

Taking her hand, he placed the ring on her finger. "You enjoy a good fantasy play." He whispered. "I ask you, just this once, to wear my ring, and pretend you said yes. That's all I ask."

"Oh, Jonathan." She looked at the ring on her finger and smiled. "Yes."

His fingertips lightly brushed her cheeks as he moved both hands on either side of his face. Softly, gently, he laid his lips on hers. She placed her hands on his chest and pressed into his kiss. Her hands roamed down and she tugged at the edge of his shirt, before tugging it up and pulling it off of him. He pulled her close and slipped a hand under her shirt. They wrestled the shirt off and stood there in their pants.

He devoured her mouth, one hand on her jaw, the other on her breast, she arched and pressed against him as she slipped her hand down into his pants and grabbed his ass. His hand slipped back behind her neck as his tongue and teeth played on her lips.

She knew he wanted to play it soft and slow, so she let him take the lead. Her breasts pressed against his chest as he moved his hand behind her and slid it down her pants. He cupped her ass and pressed her tight against him. Her nails lightly scratched down his back. Moving his mouth, he teased her jaw and neck, finding that spot he knew drove her mad. Gently, he raked his teeth down her throat. She shuddered under his grasp. Moving his other hand down, he slipped that into her pants and began to push them down her hips and thighs. She wiggled a little and the pants hit the floor.

Sliding her hands down his back, she slipped her hands beneath his pants and pushed them down. When they were free, he grabbed her hips and pressed her close against his erection. Grabbing her ass, he lifted her up and turning toward the bed, laid her down on it. He climbed on top but did not enter. Tugging up the blanket, he rained kisses on her face until she giggled. Slowly, he slipped two fingers in and she writhed against him.

As he moved his fingers, in and out, he began to whisper in her ear. She didn't hear much of it, but she understood his meaning. She racked her nails down his back and whispered the words he wanted to hear. With his free arm, he bumped hers away from his back; He slid his hand up her arm until his fingers intertwined with hers, and held the ring on her hand. He shifted his other hand out of her and after gripping her hip, slipped into her.

Almost painfully slow, he began to move against her. He murmured whispers of love and affection. Burying his face in her hair and shoulder, his hands roamed her body.

"I will always love you." He whispered.

"Oh, Jonathan." She breathed.

Gently, he rocked in and out as he gained momentum. His hand clamped down on her ring hand. She rocked up against him and shuddered. His other hand gripped her ass and pressed her tight against him. When he finally gave in, he lay, spent and sweating on top of her. He twisted and shifted, lying on his back as he tugged her close to him. He pulled the blanket up around them, like a lover's embrace. Elunara laid her head on his chest. She looked down at the small ring on her hand.

"Here, take it."

"No." He closed his hand over hers. "No, it belongs to you."

"But..."

He shook his head and stared at the ceiling. "It was always meant to be yours. I can't keep it any more. I don't want it anymore." He kissed the top of her head. "Thank you for this. I think I can finally get it out of my system."

She looked up at him.

He smiled back at her. "As insane as it sounds, yes it's true."

With a laugh, Elunara sat up and stretched. "Men are so strange."

Renwa rubbed his hand across her back.

"So what now?" She looked back at him. "I mean, if you're over it and all."

He laughed and crossed his arms behind his head. "I don't know. But I'm okay with that."

She got up and brought over her board. She took the moment to draw him, to capture the moment she may never see again. He looked off in the distance, as if staring holes through the ceiling and to the sky. Tucking the board away, she'd put more detail on the scene later.

With a grin she made circles on his stomach. "You can still call on me if you need me."

The muscles in his face twitched as he tried to maintain composure. Finally he grabbed her hand. "Stop that."

"You were always so ticklish." She leaned down and bit his stomach.

He sat up like a shot. "Seriously, not funny."

"Uh, huh." She slipped her hand under the blanket. "I think you quite enjoy it."

"Elunara." He warned.

With a pout, she released him. "No fun."

He slid out of bed and yanked on his pants. "I have work I need to get back to."

"Bah. Lies." She yanked on her clothes. He buttoned up his pants and she laid a hand on his shoulder. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Reaching down, he snagged his shirt. "Actually, I am. For the first time in a long time, I feel... light. Kind of free. It's weird." He yanked the shirt over his head and moved to put on his armor.

She just watched him for a time, as he transformed back into the General. She pulled the ring off and held it in her open palm. "And you're sure about this?"

He closed her hand around the ring. "Keep it. Please?"

With a nod she tucked it in her pocket. "I'll see you around then." Picking up her board, she grinned at him and yanked open the door.

Standing outside the door, Jordan was posed with his arm raised to knock. At his shocked face, she gave him a wink. With a pat on his chest, she pushed on past him.

Behind her she heard. "Ah, Captain Jordan, just the man I was going to see."