The Plead (RetroXGoogle)

Stepping into the tavern had been a mistake. As soon as Raina Nelvanthar walked through the door eyes locked on to her. Clearly the patrons of the Rusty Ax Tavern and Inn weren't accustomed to having strange elves burst into their front door. From bilious smoke clouds and shaded corners, she could feel the gaze of many on her. Her own brilliant green eyes searched about, squinting in the poor lighting of the establishment. Almost everyone there had a protective air about them; being able to read people were apart of her talents. After all, one could not perform as a bard without first being able to judge the sort of audience they were to cater to.

A lump rose in her throat. Perhaps she was still in shock. Who wouldn't have been? The young elven woman found the bodies of her parents upon returning to their camp site outside of the city. At the thought of her father and mother's corpses, her senses grew sharp once more and she threw her shoulders back.

There were murmurs from the fellows. Most had noticed the blood that had soaked into her silks. The green, flouncy skirt had turned into a billow of crimson by the time it reached her feet. All had noticed the unkempt manner of her braids and curls. In anguish she had raked her hands through her hair over and over and over again, making it a horrific mess. She wondered what they had thought happened. Did they believed her attacked or did the tension in the room suggest that they thought she had taken the life of someone?

Did it even matter?

She looked from face to face (of those faces that she could see). Well, it was now or never. Nimbly she jumped on to a nearly empty table, seemingly able to dodge any drinks laying there. Those at the table she leapt upon scowled at her for the disturbance and she offered them a charming, charismatic smile. Or attempted one. No matter how talented of an entertainer she was, the pain she felt was deep.

"I am Raina Nelvanthar!" she started out, projecting her voice well over the chattering din of the crowd. No one looked up. Blood rose to her cheeks. Unlike most of her kind who were easy going, she had a little bit of a temper. She chewed on her cherry lips. How she hated to be ignored! At first they looked at her as if she were an alien and now they paid her no mind! Delicate hands balled into tiny fists and she took in a deep breath of air before continuing (yelling this time). "I AM RAINA NELVANTHAR!"

Finally head's perked up to stare at her and she sighed. "Good then. I am sorry for interrupting your evening but I am in need of assistance. Earlier in the afternoon I found my parents brutally murdered by a gang of local thieves. They did not take much; only an old amulet that my father wore. I am asking help to exact my revenge! I will be able to pay well; my family is well known and well paid for our skills! If any of you are interested, please come to me for further instructions!"

She hopped off of the table and headed towards the bar. There were a few things that she hadn't added. Like the fact that she had a piece of fabric that her mother managed to tear off of one of her assailants and a quick sketch of a symbol that had been branded onto the chest of her father. Hopefully someone would approach her and quickly.

(the blades he carries http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2011/252/9/8/dothraki_arakh_1_by_dekokatana-d49bycy.jpg )

Shaga was in a rather foul mood as he sat in a dark corner of the tavern. The mercenary had completed a job earlier that day and when he had gone to report the completion along with his evidence of a job well done the employer had tried to stiff him and of course kill him because it wouldn't to just to avoid paying him like any honorable cheat of a crimelord. Instead he had met Shaga and offered him a large bag of golden coins only to have a large number of armed men burst from the nearby bushes as Shaga reached for the coins.

He wasn't really in a bad mood because the man had attempted to cheat him but instead because they had come so under prepared for him. Cheating was something that he had come to expect in this line of work but it was always worse when the people who were sent to kill him did such a piss poor job in the attempt. He had slain them all with little effort and then taken the gold that he was owed plus some for the effort, it was only fair of course and now he was spending the coins that he had been given on some low quality ale in order to help him unwind a bit and was probably going to start a fight to make the night more exciting... after all Shaga was half orc and to him a poor fight was almost as bad as a case of the blue balls... nothing but buildup and no true release leaving him frustrated and in a bad mood.

HE watched the rest of the tavern with a critical eye, looking for the first sign of some excitement when the elf burst in and jumped up onto a table, calling for a great deal of attention. He listened to her with a careful ear, she was the most exciting thing there that night and would possibly offer him something to do on the next day. She was covered in blood, apparently looking for muscle, oh and quite attractive which was more then a slight bonus in his opinion because one never knew what might happen when one went to work on a quest for vengence.

It seemed that no one was interested in helping her though but he grinned wide, this even without the promise of payment seemed to be something that could entertain him. Slowly he rose to his feet, standing nearly seven feet tall and an easy two hundred and sixty pounds of rock solid muscle with skin poured over it, his body covered in leather with two large curved blades strapped to him. With a sneer on his face showing the contempt he felt for the others around the tavern he made his way toward the elf, towering over her and anyone else around.

“So you need some help?” He asked with a grunt as he sat across from her, looking her over critically. “I want the details of the job then and how much you will pay me... if I like what I hear then you have my help.”

The wait was positively unbearable. Each second that passed without anyone coming towards her was agony. Every moment without a word spoken to her heightened the feeling of being truly alone in the world. Although fully matured physically she, like any elf her age, had yet to reach emotional maturity. It was difficult for her not to break out crying in that moment. The fear of showing further weakness in that crowd made her simply grit her teeth and look ahead.

Finally a tall, muscle bound, and brutish looking man walked her way. His features were strong, with a heavy brow and distinguished nose and strikingly high cheekbones. At first she assumed that he was human but the closer he came to her, the more she realized that he could not possibly be just of one race.

Then again most races outside of eladrin thought that moon elves were crossbreeds. They stood slightly taller than most other of the other races of elves. In fact, at 5'5", Raina was average for her kind. At a distance her kind also looked taller than what they actually were; with longer slender limbs and small bones it was difficult to tell. Normally she would have struck a rather ethetical figure with her silvery toned skin and night colored hair but now her eyes were swollen with tears and cheeks ruddy with mourning. Her glorious hair was matted.

As he towered over her, she could not help it; she winced slightly in intimidation. If he wanted to he could crush her delicate body with one hand about her waist. Even when she stood as he sat, she had to tilt her head up a little to look at him.

"I can pay rather well," she informed him. On the purple sash tied to her waist were several pouches and she grabbed one, tossing it on the table before him. Gold and silver bits poured out as well as a few gems. "And whatever else you fancy in my family's caravan outside of this city. I have no use for any of it anymore; save for a few costumes, my bow and arrow, and my father's dagger."

After this she wasn't sure what she was going to do. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to be a bard anymore. That was something she had always done with her mother, father, and brother (before he decided to go off on his own adventures).

"If you're interested I can tell you more... outside of this place. Too many ears."

Shaga looked at her with an appraising eye, knowing that if this was some sort of deal that could sour he could quite easily snap her in half with a small squeeze of his hand around her neck, she was probably quick but he was confident that he was more then fast enough to grab her and doubted she would be able to do anything to slow him down or stop him before he was able to get that hand in place. She was attractive though, despite the look of mourning she was quite appealing to him but that didn't mean that he would discount her as a threat... more then one former employer had tried to turn on him and use lust to cloud his judgment.

He was well aware though that he looked like little more then a muscle bound thug but in truth he was really quite clever, though his intelligent was often applied to to the mercenary work that he was up to. He knew how to gauge the rough value of gems after years of refusing to accept them for payment he had taken time to learn to study them, and with a practiced he lifted one of the gems to the light of a torch and studied the light that moved through it before bringing it to his mouth and testing it with his tooth to ensure beyond any shadow of a doubt that it was real. The amount that she had placed before him wasn't small if he were to judge it... more then enough to allow him to live comfortably for some time though he would likely keep working even with that moment. Careful not to let anyone else in the bar get a good look at the valueless that he was being offered he scooped the gems and coins back into the bag and slipped it into a pocket.

“Anything from the caravan except those things?” He asked with a chuckle as he looked at her with an appraising eye similar to the one he had eyed the gems with, already knowing how he could interrupt that in order to get what it was that he desired. True he was able to pay for what he wanted but that sort of thing truly annoyed him and it was hard to find a woman who on her own would be willing to take him to bed because of his fearsome appearance and impressive build. At the very least he could have a bit of fun with this tiny elf and what she was bringing up did seem to offer at least the sort of interesting distraction that he had been hoping for.

“Don't need to know any more.” He grunted with a grin as he rose to his feet, again taking note of how much larger then her that he was. “Lead the way and we can get started on whatever it is that you have in mind... be it murder, dismemberment, or salting the earth from which their families sprang... you have hired Shaga, nastiest son of an Orc whore to ever pick up a blade and put it to proper use... but first you are going to need to bathe otherwise the blood on you will throw off my ability to track." He could probably use a dip himself because there was a bit of blood on him beneath the leather he wore and he knew some was tangling in his hair...

The young elven woman flinched as he tested the gems on a tooth. They wouldn't chip for that but, even if she had no desire for riches any longer, to see something so lovely being man handled was an offense to her senses. Finally he scooped up the coins and jewels and put them in a pocket. A sigh of relief escaped her lips and she plopped down on her chair, face supported by her hand.

"There is a chest full of more coins. We were quite famous as a troupe and got paid well for our efforts." She informed him. "The horse that pulled the wagon had been cut away but if you can find a way to get it to move, its yours as well."

Other things were there as well but she was sure that they would prove worthless to the hulking brute. Sentimental items that her parents carried around with them or magical things that she was sure he wouldn't be able to use.

Her eyes widened at the mention of his heritage. "An orc whore?"

So that is where he got his height and likely his nastiness. She eyed him carefully. This man was very much a predator then. Even in the low light she was able to pick out the places where blood had caked into his hair and where it had seeped through his leathers. She stood along with him. Well, if he was going to kill her or not that didn't matter. There was no use for revenge when she was dead.

"Well I am not exactly sure what I want to be done. I just want the men who had killed my parents and tortured them before their deaths to pay in kind."

Eyes followed the pair as they left the tavern. Hopefully after they visited the camp site and he looked at the piece of material and examined the crest burnt on her father's chest, they would know a general direction of where to go.

It did not take long to get there and, from the looks of things, it looked like she had cleaned up the scene some. A blanket rested over two figures on the ground and the torn bits of leather that once connected their horse to the caravan had been taken off and folded beneath it on the ground. They had not stopped close enough to the main road for people to have noticed what had happened. Her father preferred to be close to running water for bathing and cooking purposes.

"I assume you have low light vision?" she asked as she took out the piece of cloth from another pouch.

Chests full of coins sounded rather nice but he knew better then to take more money then he could reliably carry and never have more then you would be willing to loose if you had to flee quickly from a dangerous situation that you couldn't avoid. He was able to get a horse whenever he needed to just by grabbing on and riding it off if he needed to but a carriage would only draw trouble for him if he were to try to keep one for too long. “I will make sure that I take what it is that I want.” He informed her with a small smirk, showing that his canines were a bit more pronounced and sharpened then what one could expect from your average human, she had told him anything that he wanted and he felt that it was only fair for him to exhibit the same courtesy by teasing her with a hint of what he might be going for.

“And my father had some interesting taste.” He informed her with a small chuckle, he knew that his family was hardly the norm when most people took the time to examine where he had come from but that hardly mattered in his eyes... his unique parantage had given him quite a few advantages, some of them obvious like his large and strong body but some of them significantly more subtle and among those subtle gifts were eyes that were quite sharp in low light. As they made their way through the darkness he moved with the confidence as a born predator, his eyes easily picking out the best place to set his feet to ensure that he was always on his balance.

He looked over the campsite with a practiced eye, picturing how he would have laid out an attack on it, how he would have arranged the men who worked with him on the raid, where the attack would have originated from and where they would have gone once they left... even trying to pick up what their target might have been because he was aware that few people would attack just to kill people rather then for a greater purpose in mind.

“My vision is good enough to see that you straightened up a bit.” He commented with a small sneer, knowing that it was going to interfere with what he would be able to pick up easily and maybe even keep him from getting a proper trail. Moving too the covered forms he gently removed removed the blanket and set it aside so as not to disturb any evidence before checking the bodies for the wounds that had been inflicted. Something had been burned into the chest of the male, a crest of some kind that he wasn't quite familiar with but he knew places where he would be able to figure out where it had originated from. “Shouldn't have done that... might have seen more if you hadn't. So lets start at the beginning, tell me what you know, how many might have done this, when you discovered it... if anything was missing aside from the horses.”

IT was unsettling, it wasn't far from where he had set up his own camp site... nearby the same water source although he was near a small natural lake rather then the stream that fed it.

Even in death the two moon elves were beautiful beyond compare. Fair folk was an good term for their species.

The moon elf flushed at the sharpness of his voice. Raina had never dealt with such a thing before. Her life had been a sheltered one despite the nomadic lifestyle that her and her family had. Although she had been trained in use of a bow and daggers she never had the need to and she had been kept away from most violence. Seeing death so up close and personal had sent her into a state of bewilderment. All she could think of doing at the time was cleaning the bodies to prepare them for burial and to straighten up their camp.

"My father's amulet is gone," she told him stiffly. "I don't understand why they would only take the horses and that. Especially when the thing was worthless."

At least that is what her father had told her. He said it was simply a lead charm, covered in tin. He kept it on him for the story behind it. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought of that. When she was older, he had promised, he would fill her in on the details of that particular tale. Quickly she turned her back on him to hide her tears. Damn it. This was no time for that.

"They were dead when I returned from getting water... I should have been back sooner than what I was but the river looked so inviting that I decided to take a dip and bathe a little early. As soon as I heard some rumbling I came back but I was too late."

There was a pause and she turned to face him again, eyes still shimmering with tears she refused to let fall. She reached out the hand that had the strange, sumptuous fabric.

"I found that balled in my mother's hand. I am pretty sure that she ripped it off of one of her attackers."

He listened to her explain carefully, the placement of the foot prints making a bit more sense to him now knowing that the purpose of the theft had been on one of the victims. He doubted that the amulet was worthless but it was possible though, if it was something unique then perhaps it had been taken as proof that her father was dead which would make this something of an assassination rather then a simple murder with a sprinkle of theft mixed in with it.

“You are lucky you weren't here.” He said more then a little bit gruffly, rather bad at being careful or gentle with his words. “The people who did this knew what they were doing, I don't see any evidence that the attackers were wounded at all.” No trail of blood that he could see unless it had been ruined by her attempt to clean the camp up a bit, no stray blood splashes that hadn't likely come from her parents, the wounds were accurate and placed expertly with clear skill that only was scene in hardened killers who had plied their trade for some time.

Slowly he stood and moved back over to her, tempted to try to comfort her but having no idea how to do it, just taking the fabric from her, carefully feeling it and raising it to his face to smell it. “Silk, low quality though you wouldn't be able to tell just by looking at it.” He commented after rubbing it together for a few moments, only the friction of the fabric gave it away. “The man who wore it hadn't bathed in a few days, a human if I am right and trying to cover up the scent of his body with frankincense... a merc with some money but not as much as he wants to make people think he has... must have gotten close to finish the job with your mother.” He paused, looking to her for a moment before pocketing the fabric.

“We can track the crest down in a place I know that is nearby... a days walk away but we would be better served leaving tomorrow and we won't be staying here tonight... they might return to try to find you and I would rather be the one to find them... my camp is just a short distance away, I got some venison there and we can clean up in the lake, departing in the morning, gather your things quickly and grab me a few more bags of gems.” He didn't say another word, instead turning and starting off toward his camp, clearly expecting her to hurry up.

Shaga's senses were unbelievable! He was able to tell all of those details by a simple piece of fabric. Hearing the way her mother died had set her on edge and she wondered what had happened to her before she was killed. Lips pursed, Raina attempted to clear her mind of it. There would be plenty of time to think on the details later.

The bard was flight of feet, yes, but she was still in obvious grief. Getting the things she needed and he requested was a chore for her. Everything was a bitter reminder of her loved ones and she paused to pick up something and place a kiss on it. Moon elves were open and warm. When someone close to them died, they felt it keenly, and she was no exception.

When she finally managed to get all of her things around and the bags of gold he required, he had already been far ahead of her. She huffed loudly and dashed after the brute, cursing his name for not giving her time to properly mourn for her parents nor for giving her the time to properly take care of the bodies.

"Can you hold on for a moment?!" she asked. The running didn't seem to effect her. Endurance to cardio activities was something she had developed over her years as a bard. She was the dancer of her family troupe. "If you haven't noticed my mother and father still haven't been properly put to rest! I... I..."

She sighed. It hadn't dawned on her that they might come back. Any prolonged time at the camp site could be dangerous. Pain swelled in her chest and she looked away, remembering what he had said before he ordered her to do those things.

"I don't like being told what to do!" she finished with a resolute stomp of her foot. She was embarrassed that she had so quickly forgotten what he had said; absorbed in her thoughts. "I'm the one paying you to help me."

He had moved along slowly so as not to leave her behind but still it had taken her longer then he would have liked to rejoin him on his way to the camp that he had set up. He hadn't really known either of his parents and had grown up without a family, connections of that kind really didn't mean as much to him as they would mean to someone else and because of that he had a hard time understanding them. “There isn't time to properly put them to rest.” He pointed out gruffly. “If you want to catch up with whomever did this then we need to leave tomorrow and staying to long at your site means that we would be putting ourselves in danger and the time it would take for us to bury your parents could be better spent resting.” To him it seemed like the most logical way to look at things.

He was however not without a heart. “Look, tomorrow we will make our way into town to pick up some supplies before we head out to track down the bastards that did this... when we are in town we will pay someone to bury your folks and look after what you had to leave behind.” He expected whomever they found who would do it wouldn't try to betray her because if they did then he would happily gut them like a fish with one of his blades and then let their body be a warning to anyone else who might consider it.

After that promise though he walked in silence for just over another mile, pushing through an especially dense patch of trees before coming across a small clearing along the lakeside in which a large tent had been set up nearby the remains of a fire over which hung several cuts of meat from a freshly slain deer that he had caught and cleaned earlier that day. He had been drying the meat to work as a long term ration, already salted and would soon be perfect but it was still quite edible. “Help yourself to the meat if you want some food and there is some fruit in the leather bag nearby... apples.”

As he spoke he stripped off the leather vest that he had been wearing and set it aside before pulling off the white linen shirt that he had been wearing beneath, revealing a body that could have been chiseled from solid rock with several scars crisscrossing it. His boots were soon slipped off and as he made his way toward the lake he undid the belt that held his pants in place, entirely naked now he slipped into the water, relaxing at the natural warmth that came from a nearby hotsprings water mingling with the stream.

During the silent walk to the camp she cried. The occasional shuddering whimper broke the quiet. This all was happening so fast. Her mind was reeling from it all. The one emotion she could pinpoint was the unfathomable anger that clung on to her and she focused in on it. Whoever had killed her parents would pay, that was for damned sure.

As they pushed through a thicket to get to his site, she let out a startled gasp. He had mentioned venison earlier but she had not expected the deer to be hanging up, skinned and gutted. Such a noble and graceful creature to be displayed in such a way seemed barbaric to her but she mentioned nothing of it. That was, after all, their supper and she was not so self absorbed that she would be ungrateful for a meal.

"Apples, you say?" she asked, turning to face the large warrior. Her eyes widened as what she saw.

He was striping before her and was completely unabashed by it. Every inch of him was muscle and she felt a strange pull from beneath her naval at the mere sight. Instantly her mouth dried. What was this foreign physical feeling and why was it caused by him? Men like him repulsed her beyond measure. She blamed it on the sudden loss of her family and her gratitude towards the man for assisting her when no others would.

Without saying anything she went to the bag he spoke of and nervously dug out an apple. She took a bite out of it and moved to sit near the fire, back turned to him. She watched as it jumped and danced; the flames licking the night air. The heat felt good against her skin and she leaned towards it.

What she really wanted to do was dance away her pain. Nothing cleared her mind like moving her body. Dancing nude beneath the moon was liberating but she did not know when he would be finished with his bath and, really, she did not want him to see her naked flesh.

There would be, however, no problem with her simply dancing. After taken another bite of her apple and placing it on a stump for later, she began to move. She moved how a shadow might; with silent and elongated grace. Each twirl and bound was filled with the misery of her loss.

Normally he would have liked to have cut the deer down before hand but the completion of his job had stopping him from doing more then cutting off a few strips of the flank and cooking it over an open fire to make some steaks which he had enjoyed immensely, rare of course because that tended to be how an Orc would eat their meal. Her desire for the apples was not something he didn't understand though, the sight of a freshly killed deer carcass would likely put someone more squeamish off their apatite though she would likely have to harden herself up a bit before this job she had him on was done... after all torturing another intelligent being was worse then seeing a dead animal.

He knew the sight of his body might make her uncomfortable but that didn't bother him at all, he wanted to tease her and test out her reactions. His intention was to have her as soon as was possible and knowing how she would react would help him out wit that discovery. Still he was focused on getting clean, the slightly warm water helping peel some blood with him and being assisted with a handful of coarse sand with crushed lilies in it that he had prepared earlier, the sand scraping his body clean while at the same time the crushed flower within it dealing with the scent of his body... a natural and cheap soap that was easy enough to prepare just about anywhere that someone found water.

It didn't take too long, he soon felt quite clean and the water did a great deal to soothe the sore muscles, tight from the work of earlier in the day that hadn't even properly warmed him up or stretched him out during the fight. But eventually he felt clean and after putting aside the temptation to deal with the evidence of his arousal, his mind having wandered a bit as he cleaned himself, he began to climb from the water, shaking arms and legs to fling away most of the water but the fire light combined with the moisture that remained on his body making his limbs practically glow in the dancing light of the fire.

“You really have a talent for dancing.” He remarked after watching her silently for several moments. “Not that I can claim to be an amazing judge of talent but you clearly have more skill then the women that I end up seeing dancing in taverns... your wearing more then they are though.” The last remark was made in a tone and with a shrug that indicated he would like it very much if that were to change. “Now I suggest you go clean yourself up in the lake, you stink like blood and I won't be able to sleep with that distraction.”

She paused when he spoke, unaware that he had been watching her. There was no reason for her to be humble about her dancing. After years of practice and an unyielding passion for the art the moon elf knew she was good at what she did.

"Thank you I..." she trailed off upon seeing his body. He looked as if he were glowing in the light of the fire; the long shadows cast by the orange light making him appear like some god. How fortunate he was, she thought inwardly, to have gotten a nice mixture of the two races. "I am a bard, you know. Being able to dance comes with the territory, I guess."

Grief was making her think things she normally wouldn't have thought. That is what she pinned it on anyway. There were scores of attractive men that had attempted to get into her silks and she had always denied them. Being in mourning threw off her senses considerably. She decided that, instead of acting on the urges, she would simply write a song or a poem about them.

Her nose crinkled and she huffed when he mentioned tavern dancers. "Those women have no respect for their bodies or any idea how to synchronize with their spirits. They don't so much as dance as shamble about flashing their breasts in hopes to get a few bits of easy coin."

Raina had been, on one than more occasion, mistaken for a tavern girl and it offended her to no ends.

"A bath sounds heavenly right now." she added. She fished through one of the pouches on her belt and pulled out a bar of soap. It was one of the things that she made sure to bring with her from the caravan. The scent of jasmine and lilacs drifted up from it and she heaved a sigh. "I'll be about an hour."

She then walked off towards the lake. When she got to the waters edge, she sat down to dip her feet in. The water was just perfect and she wriggled her toes about. The bar of soap then went into her lap and she unbraided her hair. It was right mess of knots and matted blood but she was able to work through it. When that was done she began to take off her clothing.

Despite her slenderness, Raina possessed curves. Her waist was small and her hips flared out so her bottom was a delicate heart-shaped curve. Her breasts, while small by human standards, slightly overflowed her hands. Her limbs were long and, in the light of the rising moon, she looked like a wraith before she sunk into the water.

Shaga was very far from blind, his eyes able to see nearly as clearly during the night as he could during the day, especially with a bright moon in the sky and the fire crackling so close to them casting its warm light over everything. He was able to see easily how she looked at him, more then just curiosity on her part and he hardly minded. He wasn't a very religious man but if he were pushed on the topic he would have to side with the Orcs on their beliefs. The gods gave them the bodies that they had and if that were true then the urges of their bodies also came from the gods. In the same way that his amazing body and superior senses were a gift from the gods so was his instincts that saved him in a fight and his carnal desires... though Elves tended to view things differently from what he knew.

For a moment he looked at her, then started to laugh, her comment about the women who danced in provocative ways for money just downright amusing to him. “People could just say the same thing about what I do.” He pointed out with a raised eyebrow and a small smirk. “We all just use our bodies and do what we can to get by, they use their sexuality while use my strong body... many people might not think what we do is proper or pleasant but if we didn't do it then someone else would be doing it.” Of course she was a better dancer then they were so it hardly mattered at all, it was still such a strange concept that she was so passionate about being better then they were.

“Take your time.” He told her with a smile, moving toward the deer carcass and picking up a knife and carving himself off a slice from the shoulder and eating it with his bare hands, after the bath to clean himself off the food went quite a long way to make him feel spectacular. There were a few things missing from what he wanted for the day but that hardly mattered at the moment, he would be able to take care of such things in the near future but for now he was content to watch as she moved toward the water as he ate, grinning as she began to undress, though she was small her body was wonderfully sculpted for her size, perfectly built and because of his night vision he was able to see it all without any trouble.

After she had been in the water for a while Shaga had finished off his meal and moved down towards the water, slipping into it with her, still not having bothered to dress. He could smell the strong floral scent of her soap over her body's natural odor. “The water is good but you might need a little help reaching some parts.” He pointed out. “Perhaps I could help you.”

She had hoped that he had not seen her body. Although she viewed her nudity as a natural thing, she also disliked when other beings saw her disrobed. There was something so very personal about bare skin. Nothing else was as vulnerable as that. The last thing she wanted to be was vulnerable around a powerful man like Shaga.

As he ate she swam some of the lake, her lithe body moving through the glassy surface of the water much like a serpent's might. Her mind was filled with the possibilities that laid before her. It seemed like her quest to seek revenge would be fulfilled. This warrior would help her, although it cost her a small fortune to hire him, and she was confident in his tracking abilities. Not only that but she could not seem to drive the sight of his physique from her mind. He was strong and powerful and could, very likely, break her in half.

Quietly she cleaned herself. She took the time to wash her hair and between her legs thoroughly.

The moon elf was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the sound of something else entering the water. With her sharp ears she could tell from which direction the splashing came from and she turned her head in that direction.

"Shaga!" she exclaimed, instantly crossing her arms over her chest. "I do not need help cleaning myself. It is... kind of you to ask."

Certainly he was intelligent enough to know when something would be more than awkward between the two of them. Water droplets slid down her hairless body. Like all of her kind, she was hairless except for her hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes. Her radiant green eyes examined him carefully. While she was almost completely covered by the water, it barely reached his stomach.

Shaga only chuckled at her reaction, not even trying to hide the desire that was very clear in his eyes. Though the water reached his naval there was a clear disturbance beneath the water as a part of his anatomy that was like her, clean of any hair through use of a sharp razor, began to react to being so close to such a lovely naked young lady. Were he to take even a single step back it would be standing clear from the water and visible in the moonlight. Despite the fact that she clearly wasn't overly pleased with his his presence he moved closer to her, reaching out to take hold her wrists and pulled them away from her chest.

“Relax Raina.” He told her with a small smirk as he drew even closer to her, easily keeping her arms open with his greater strength, now so close that he was practically pressed against her, only a few inches keeping them separate at this point. “After all you did tell me that I would be allowed to claim anything from the caravan that I wanted in payment... and unless I am very much mistaken you were very much a part of that caravan.” He wasn't the sort who was likely to hear no and was more then willing to press the matter if she tried to fight against him, hell he might even like it, nothing like a little bit of a challenge to make the final climax even more enjoyable for him. “So you aren't planning on going back on your word are you?”

He moved a little closer to her now, closing the remaining few inches between them so that he was now pressing against her, the warmth of his body which was quite a bit hotter then the human standard against hers own.

(sorry its a tad shorter then I would like)

Helping her remove the dirt from her body was clearly not something he had on his mind. Her eyes trailed down his body she could see the disturbance in the water before him. He was aroused. A shocked cry escaped her lips as he moved towards and took up her wrists, pulling them away from her chest. Even though she fought him he still was able to pull her only defense away from her. Small pale pink nipples perk in the cool air of the evening.

Red rose to her cheeks and she attempted to pull her wrists free of his hands but it was of no use. His grip covered a good portion of her forearms, his fingers wrapping easily around her slender limbs.

"You misunderstood what I had meant!" she exclaimed. There was panic in her eyes. Yes she had found him physically attractive but this... this hardly seemed right to her. "I meant any of the gems, coins, knicknacks... I meant did not mean me."

Her heart beat wildly in her chest and she attempted to kick him. "I am not going to back on my word! I can't help that you did not understand my meaning!"

Then she was pressed flush against his body. Her head rested right beneath his chest and she felt a hardness against her stomach. Panic seized her and she attempted to twist out of his grasp.

"I am sure we can find plenty of women who would be willing to sleep with you. Prettier girls even. Girls who know their way around man. You wouldn't want me anyway. I've never been with anyone; I'd be awful!"

((That is fine. I really liked the post ))

Shaga only chuckled a little bit at her attempts to fight him, she really had a long way to go if she wanted to challenge him or get him to release his grip on her. It was more then just a lack of strength that was keeping her from getting away from him though, even he occasionally ran into things significantly stronger then him and in those cases it always came down to knowing how to fight rather then how hard you did. If she really wanted to get him to let go of her it would be as simple as a swift and powerful kick up between his legs in order to weaken his grasp of her and he knew that in his current state it would be more then enough to to get her free.

He looked down at her body on display, his tongue tracing along his lips for a moment and it was tempting just to drag her out of the water and take her roughly, leave her sore while at the same time making sure that she was entirely satisfied. However he fought that urge, instead manhandling her so that he gripped both of her wrists in a single hand and then, with her arms held above her head slowly lifting her from the water so that her body down to mid thigh was revealed to him, her hairless body quite appealing to his eyes. “Keep in mind you did list the things to me that were off limits, if you hadn't wanted me to take you as a part of my payment you should have said so.”

Her protests though were quite amusing, did she really think that telling him she had never been with anyone might scare him off from enjoying her. TO silence her he leaned in, pressing his lips to hers in a rough and demanding kiss, his tongue pressing into her mouth and slowly probing its recesses, exploring every inch of it. It was only when he needed to stop to take a breath that be broke off the kiss, grinning at her in a way that exposed his rather pronounced canines. “Really you don't know when to stop speaking do you?” He asked with a small laugh. “The simplest way to respond to your question would be to point out that many women find me to be quite intimidating... and I am sure that you will display quite the natural talent when it comes to carnal matters.”

With his left hand still holding her up he moved his right hand forward, pressing it between her legs and bringing it up to stroke over her hairless slit with a single finger, teasing her gently.

A shiver went through her body as he licked his lips. Was he regarding her as a tasty treat? The implication of it made her stomach twist into knots. A fine sweat bespangled her brow. She knew that there was no way to stop him if he truly wanted to take her. She squirmed within his powerful grasp.

He pulled her from the water, giving him a good look at her hourglass figure. Her breasts pulled upward as well, making the mounds press together. Her bottom lip quivered as he explained himself. No. She did not state that he could not have her but she didn't explicably say he could. Her gaze met his for a second, pleading for him to stop.

Instead he put his mouth demandingly over hers. His tongue easily pushed through the inviting opening of her lips. Heat spread through her body as he tasted her and shot down right between her legs, seemingly pooling there. Whenever he pulled away all she could do was stare dumbfounded up at his face. His grin reminded her of a wildcat getting ready to pounce.

"Stop!" she exclaimed as his finger moved between her legs. Shamefully, she noted, how easily his finger moved against the folds. Already she was aroused. The demanding kiss did it and now this rough behavior did it. "Mmmm... I don't like this!"

A dainty foot shot upward and she hoped to hit him between the legs. If reasoning would not stop him, hopefully pain would. Her eyes screwed shut and she thrashed about again. Perhaps she could get away even if her kick did not land. He only had one hand gripping both of her arms.

Shaga wasn't standing in a way that would make it hard for her to kick him, making it quite easy for her to attempt an escape if she would like too. He was quite distracted by the sensation that her tight little slit being teased by his finger, so smooth and so warm, practically begging him for the invasion that his cock would cause, he wanted her unlike anything else and his cock was throbbing under the water, so hard that it was nearly painful and if he didn't find a source of release soon the lust would drive him mad before very long. The longer he had to wait the more aggressive he would become and if he couldn't have her willingly then he would still need to have his release, she just may not enjoy herself as much as she would otherwise.

“You responded to my kiss pretty eagerly.” He pointed out, starting to rub her a little more firmly when suddenly her foot caught him in the balls, the water had slowed the blow down considerable but he hadn't been expecting it and the arousal he was feeling definitely made it more painful for him. The hand gripping her wrists loosened on instinct, reaching out to protect himself and dropping her down on the hand that had moments before been quite busy fondling her, gravity pressing her harder against the fingers that had teased her before she slipped into the water.

Free though she might be she made a mistake when she kicked him because now he was seeing red in addition to the lust, he had already decided that he would have her because it was part of their deal after all and now she had the gall to lash out at him after hiring him. He didn't just grab her right away though, she had challenged him and he would give her a moment to try to run or fight him if she wanted too... it hardly mattered because he was going to have her either way.

The young elven woman didn't take the time to see if he was alright. Instead she began to swim towards the bank as soon as he had dropped. Her legs and arms felt heavy, like lead. Fear and panic always made if feel as if one was moving slower than they actually were. As if the body had already giving up and the only thing pushing forward was the sense of survival.

Raina hoped that he saw sense before his lust got the better of him. Was he really going to take advantage of her right after the death of her parents? That pain was all she had in slowing him down and making him think clearly.

The spritely lass pulled herself from the water and ran towards the camp. There she would scramble and pick up the backpack that contained her costumes. She could easily change when there was a safe place to do it. Now she had one or two things on her mind; talking sense into the big galoot now wanting to deflower her or, alternatively, find a way to lose him in the city. No doubt guards would be more than willing to assist a naked elven woman from a barbaric half orc.

"Now Shaga," she called to him from behind a tree, which she used for cover. "Be reasonable with this. I am sure I can buy you a willing woman. I..."

Oh, bloody hell! He looked so angry. The orc blood was boiling inside of him. Vibrant green eyes widened and she booked it towards the camp once more.

In Shaga's mind he wasn't attempting to take advantage of a young woman who had just lost her family, she had promised him anything from the caravan and in his mind that included her... and she could probably also use a good distraction to take her mind off her recent losses. Being unacquainted with loss himself he was offering her the same sort of reprieve from the pain that he figured that he would want, his ignorance and his own lust leading him to the particular idea that he was attempting to help her just as much as he would be enjoying what was to come, her attempt to run only adding a challenge to make it more enjoyable for him.

He was moving through the water after her just moments after she started to swim away, feeling like a few seconds was enough of a head start to make thing interesting, his strong arms and legs pushing him towards the shore at a rapid pace until he reached the point where his fingers were scraping along the bottom, standing in water was wasn't even up to his knees at that point and chasing after her into the camp, his long strong legs closing the distance between them rather quickly, enjoying the sight of her firm backside as she powered along in her attempt to get away from him.

He watched as she ducked behind a tree, more then a little bit amused by the pathetic attempt to hide from him, even if he hadn't seen her do it he knew he would be able to find her just based of the smell of the soap that she had used... he would need to break her of that habit if they were going to be getting anywhere without being noticed. Instead of doing the smart thing and running through the forest though, where her smaller build would allow her to to slip between trees and escape she was running toward the camp. “A different offer!” He called out to her as he continued to close the distance between them with ease, closer to her with every step. With a final mighty lunge forward he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back to him, this time keeping his legs positioned to make a kiss like her earlier one impossible and lifting her with arms wrapped around her, pressing his erection against her backside. “If you stop fighting me then I assure you that what comes next will be much more enjoyable, or you can fight me and I will just leave when I am done... if you want my help you need to give me what it is that I want.”

Cowering behind the tree did her little good as he easily was able to grab her about the waist and pull her small body against his. In his grasp she trembled like a frighten rabbit. She was fortunate that he hadn't decided to break her back like a twig. That is what she felt like. Even his arms were thicker than she was around. What ever made her think that she could fight against his desire physically?

She choked on his words. Either she submit willingly or he would simply use her body and leave her there, not helping her. This ultimatum brought tears of frustration to her eyes. How could someone be so brutish in their dealings? Yet, if that was how he saw the offer, then she knew she had to uphold it. That was something her father had taught her. Go into a death with honest and clear intentions. Without saying that her body was off limits to the Shaga, she had left room for him to assume that he could use it. From the start he thought he would be having everything that came with the caravan if he so wished.

"F-fine," she managed to stammer out. "You will have me this one time, Shaga. Only this one time."

There. That wasn't going back on the offer she made in the least. He could have her this one night and, then, it would be back to the task he was being paid to do.

"Just be gentle. I am not sure how well our bodies will fit together. You are so much bigger than I am. You might... rip me in half."

That was another thing she was afraid of. What if he was proportioned properly? The size of his manhood was going to be huge. Although she had not brought herself to look at it, she could feel the heft of it against her. How could the copulation work? Her throat dried. For some reason the idea of him forcing the entire length inside of her made heat pool between her thighs again.

Shaga also had his own code of conduct, one that he would abide by no matter what came. He had lied to her just then, not about using her body because he would do so without issue though he would prefer her to be willing. But if he were to use her he wouldn't just abandon her for no reason at all... he had agreed to help her and even if he had to take his payment from her without her being overly happy about it he would be helping her track down the murderers of her family and assist her in doing whatever it was that she wanted to have done to them.

“I hardly seeing this as a one time thing.” He said with a small chuckle, knowing that he would have to be quite careful lest he cause her a great deal of pain. No matter what he did it would likely hurt her but given that he was quite proportional pain really wasn't something avoidable. “You need my help and I desire you... as long as you are accepting my help you will be paying me with my body... though I doubt you will have any complaints after very long.” He might be strong and an aggressive lover but that hardly made him selfish... she would enjoy herself and he would be happy to go to great lengths to ensure that despite her reservations he would have her screaming in pleasure before too long.

Reaching down behind her he easily forced a hand between her legs from behind, feeling the heat that was pouring from her body as he pushed a single finger into her slowly, well aware that he had to take the time to ready her body before he could begin to properly enjoy himself, though that didn't mean that he wouldn't be able to have a different sort of fun until that happened. Twisting his head a bit he pressed his lips against hers, his tongue soon finding its way into her mouth, exploring her with a great deal more passion then had been there earlier, an expression of the desire that he was feeling and his ever growing need, the urgency pressing upon him in a way that was almost painful. “I will of course be as gentle as I can... but if you relax and embrace what is happening then you will enjoy yourself much more.”

Sweat broke out on her body and her heart raced wildly, making her whole form feel strangely cold for it. This should not have been exciting her as much as it was. He was already possessive of her body, claiming it as his. He had told her, with a smug expression and barely hidden chuckle, that this would be far from the only time he slaked his desires with her body. For all reasons the bard should have hated him. Every iota of her being should have been repulsed by this action.

Instead it was thrilling her. The total loss of control to someone so powerful was strangely invigorating. The distain that filled her heart had also taken the pain from it for the time being. Out of fear and strange expectation, every nerve sang.

A sharp cry sounded from her throat as he pushed a finger inside of her. Her small frame and tightness made the digit feel much larger than what it actually was. She could feel that bit of skin marking her as a virgin tearing some inside of her and her eyes widened as she became acutely aware of her insides. Around his finger she'd feel wet already.

He placed his mouth on her own again to kiss her and she kissed back this time, feeling the heat pool again and, because of the digit inside of her, the promise of pleasure trickled down her thighs a little. Her hips began to move on his hand of their own accord.

"I'll try," she managed out though speaking had become difficult for the inexperienced young elf.

What would she do now? With no carnal knowledge outside of pleasing herself, she really had no clue on how to proceed with these things. Perhaps she should take cues from her hips. Although she had little control over them since she was hanging, she was rocking back and forth. The finger slipped in and out of her, sending ripples of sensation through her. His manhood was no doubt bigger... would it feel as interesting inside of her? Would the pain give way to pleasure like he promised?

"What should I do? "