Friday, April 30

Fire, Ice, and Spirit… (Original Fiction by Xan)

The morning arrives with the sweet smell of maple and bacon; once again, Zander is up before the rest preparing his sweet salted pork and maple. The giant crouches next to the small cooking fire made from the bottom couple of rungs of the driftwood and rope ladder.
Jenny rolls over and sits up, realizing her tattered clothes had been removed she examines her bare flesh to find not even a small blemish to her milky skin.
“I wondered when you would awaken, my lady.” Zander did not remove his eyes from his pan, giving Jenny time to bundle herself up in his blanket of a robe.
“Did you do this?” She softly spoke as she raised a smooth arm into the firelight showing the unbroken skin that used to be full of festering sores and bruises. “I am impressed by your skill; you seem more apt for destruction than repair.” They both shared a soft laugh.
“Yes, it is true my blood causes more harm than good.” Zander poked the bacon around in the pan with a small knife.
“Did you also do this?” Jenny let the robe fall off her shoulder to reveal the smoothness of her bare skin. She looked to Zander with playful eyes.
“It was to see to your wounds, nothing more.” Zander assured her. “It was after all had gone to sleep, we were alone.” Zander’s face turned a slight hint of red beneath the green skin tone. Jenny stood up, wrapping the robe tightly around her slender frame.
“I’m not embarrassed,” she said as she walked towards him. She slipped her arms into the sleeves of his large robe, whipped the robe open, closed it tightly around her, and tied it tight around her waist. Zander averted his eyes after he accidentally caught a glimpse of her natural form. He blushed again as Jenny continued. “Although I cannot walk out of here in this, no matter how elegant you may think I look.” She lifted her arms out and the sleeves nearly touched the ground and fell past her hands as she placed them on her hips.
“Beasley and I procured you some breeches and a nice shirt. There is also a nice chain shirt and a sword you may be interested in as well.” Zander looked up at her. She looked like a high priestess of Sif. Sif is Othr’s golden haired warrior wife. The priestesses of Sif and the priests of Othr regularly performed rituals together. Often these rituals were ones of fertility and for harvest. Zander’s heart skipped a beat as he gazed upon her form, her beautiful Gaelic red hear cascaded off her right shoulder.
Jenny looked at Zander and smiled. “Where are they?” She folded her arms in front of her, well aware that Zander was staring at her with his mouth open wide. “Or do you want me to stay in your beautiful robe a while longer?”
“They are over on my chest.” Zander pointed with his cooking knife to a large chest with the leather shoulder straps harnessing his large hammer, it still glowed slightly. The breeches and shirt were surprisingly soft, with a small bloodstain on the left shoulder.
“What is this?” Jenny held up the shirt for Zander to inspect.
“Oh, I didn’t think your captors would need it anymore.” Zander smiled and winked at her.
Jenny smiled and tossed her hair back. “Well then, I suppose that these clothes should be put to better use.”
“That is exactly what I say!” Beasley rolls over from his comfortable sleeping corner and sits up reluctantly. “You two need to learn how to be quieter when someone is sleeping.” He scratches his head and rubs his eyes.
“Sorry little one.” Jenny said jokingly as she slipped on her breeches while still wearing the robe, seeming to not care that two sets of male eyes were on her as she did so.
“M’lady, do you think it wise to dress in front of such roguish company?” Zander said as he looked to Beasley with a protective glare. Beasley just sat and stared at the beautiful human woman before him as she turned her back to them both and dropped the robe exposing her athletic build and strong bare back.
“Don’t worry Jenny,” Beasley grabbed his blanket and threw it over Zander’s head. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t see you change.”
Beasley winked at Jenny as she glanced over her shoulder at him and just giggled. “Why thank you Beasley, You are such a gentleman.” She slipped the shirt on and rolled up the sleeves. “Not a great fit, but it may do the job.”
Zander pulled Beasley’s blanket off his head and glared at him. “Jenny, there is also a thin blade and a chain shirt there as well.”
“I hope you don’t mind,” Beasley piped up as he kept his distance from Zander. “But the chain shirt and thin blade look to be Drow made.”
“Oh?” Jenny held up the chain shirt. “Have you ever seen a dark elf wear anything under their armor?” The chain shirt seemed to make a perfect V-shape starting at Jenny’s shoulders and coming to a point just above her knees.
Zander and Beasley just looked at each other and smirked. Zander cracked a smile, winked at Beasley, and cleared his throat. “Actually, I have never even seen a ‘dark elf.’ All I know of them is they are as beautiful as other elves only with black skin and silvery white hair.”
“They are also evil by nature.” The cold voice of Solcloud seemed to nearly thunder through the holding area where they camped. “Zander, your breakfast is burning.” Solcloud pointed to the unattended pan in the fire, the pork now blackened and smoking was burned to the pan.
“DAMN!” Zander cursed as he hit the pan off the fire.
“I guess we are eating rolls and water for breakfast.” Jenny laughed. “Good morning Sir Knight.” Jenny flopped the chain mail over her arm and bowed gracefully.
“Good morning, my lady.” Solcloud did his best to bow in his full armor. “Glad to see you are well, but do you feel it necessary to don that hideous and evil armor?”
“HIDEOUS!?” Jenny nearly jumped across the room for Solcloud making such a remark. “By the looks of those ears you have elven blood in you too.”
“I am not remarking it as hideous because it is elven,” Solcloud retorts in a haughty tone. “I refer to it as hideous because it was made by dark elves, DROW.” He curled up his nose at the mere mention of that black race.
“They still be elves,” Jenny said defensively. “We will see how hideous it looks on the right person.” Jenny just looked to Zander and Beasley, winked, and then returned Solcloud’s disgusted look with one of equal disgust. “You should take pride in the craftsmanship, no matter if it be DARK elf or WOOD elf. WE are all ELF.” And Jenny stormed off down the hall to the trophy room to change.

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