Darkthorn’s Blog

The three immerged onto a rocky outcrop, apparently in the middle of nowhere. The cave nearby appeared empty, as did the surrounding trees. None of them were awake to see this though, Ishton and Blackmain were comatose with exhaustion; the journey had indeed taken all that was left of their energy. Julia of course was still oblivious to her surroundings, the dream still firmly holding her in stupor. They lay in a heap, unconsciously taking warmth from their combined bodies.

The tracking charm which had automatically activated when they arrived hovered over their heads, providing a point of reference for the other elves in the area. It was intended to ensure that visitors would not stray into the elven paths and could be gently shuttled away by the other protective charms. Ishton was a native, so instead it would alert them to the fact of his homecoming.

Slowly, even as the night drew even closer around them, other lights began to approach. The elves surrounded the three with sighs and murmurings, very little which would have been decodable by the average listener. The majority of their communications was in their heads, thinking was relatively safe this far into the woods. Most were able to hold very firmly onto their thoughts and project selectively, with minimum interference. Anyone who overhead would most likely think they were going mad anyway, as the thought-language elves used was very distinct and virtually impregnable. If a couple of elves could be found to cooperate with humans, directions to the generals and significant authoritarian figures as they staged their petty wars would be impossible to replicate. Fortunately, very few elves associated with humans, Ishton was an exception, especially within this much sectioned clan.

Ishton and his experiments in the lands of humans were frowned upon by his clan-mates. His new plan, and his involvement with Blackmain, had almost led to a rift forming between him and the elders. Luckily, the relatively younger elves could see the wisdom in his plan. To have a human ruler that was allied with the elves would help stop their steadily decreasing numbers from dwindling further, promoting dalliances and fewer deaths. The times were changing for the elves as the forests grew smaller, and humans became cockier about their invulnerability. Elves would not resort to becoming simple consorts, or second wives to gain a hold on the human lands – it would be an all or nothing.

Sad as Julia’s plight was, it was convenient for the other elves that lacked Ishton’s morals. She could be healed with difficulty, and it would take many more weeks of work. In the mean time, they could happily entertain Ishton, to persuade him to remain a longer time with them. Ishton was famous for his exploits, especially the tale that had cost him his beautiful visage. This made him a much wanted bed-partner, but he habitually turned down anyone’s advances as well as making his visits back to the clan infrequent because of his attachment to Blackmain.

Attachment to any human was dangerous to elves, because of humans’ short life-spans and correspondingly rapid changing nature. An ally one day could become your deadliest enemy the next week. Elves were no strangers to corruption and betrayal, but the form that humans’ practiced was ill-planned and rough in comparison. Mere death was little to an elf, their life-length often was more a curse than a boon, watching any human companions die and the world being destroyed around them as their own ageless beauty lasted. Elves perfected the art of torture to entertain themselves in their long lives, both on themselves and others. Eventually, some of them grew to love it so much that they combined it with their love-making, pleasure combined with exquisite pain. Some of the more private clans were said to take pleasure only in pain, raping their human servants, and taking amusement in their pathetic lives.

Luckily for Julia, Ishton’s clan was more involved in the healing of minds touched by rape. Her mind, trapped in the dream as it was, was not an uncommon sight to the mind-healers, who had helped those with worse traumas, such as incest. Julia was indeed more warped than those others, a combination of anxiety, depression and guilt that could hardly be replicated. If such a thing could be bottled, it would prove the elf’s successful mastery of magic, and attribute him to Adept status. Very few were able to do this successfully, without becoming trapped themselves, nor have access to such a wealth of pain. In the weeks to follow, Julia would become the subject of a very intense healing. Her healing was all the more prominent by her beautiful continence, and her need for mating as part of the healing process.