Killing Beauty

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Kalan readied himself to leave Lascana alone. He needed to check out the mountain pass, and he needed to decide on how he was going to get his target out of the woods. There was one thing that he knew would draw the marchwarden out, and that was fire. Burn a few of his precious trees and Kalan would probably have a sizable elven force to deal with. It really wasn't a good plan, but it was all he had for the time being. A dark figure on a dark horse, he rode out of Lascana in the direction of the Kirksten Pass.
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Ashva tried hard not to laugh as the cousins appeared out of the woods much to the dismay of Haldir. Atluf and Etta who had come along because they knew the mountains better than anyone were genuinely pleased by their arrival. And Max and Mani were with them. Rumil was so happy to see that they were safe and that he even knelt down to take a face full of wolf kisses.

"So very touching," Orophin mused behind Haldir. "I wish I had someone to hug and kiss."

"Take your pick," Haldir growled back. "Three foul smelling men or two very excited wolves."

"I would not take Rumil's pleasure from him," Orophin replied easily, "and I think Etta is sweet on one of the cousins. Since I do not know which one it is, I will control my urge."

Haldir gave his brother one of those looks that said he was of a mind to throttle someone and he didn't care who. Orophin took the hint and went over to see how the wolves were doing. By now Rumil probably had their language mastered.

Seeing Ashva's amused expression, Haldir said, "This is not funny."

"They know the mountains better than I. If there is a shorter way to the high pass, then they will know it," she assured him.

"It is still not funny," he growled. "We might as well announce to the world that we are here."

One of the cousins, a stout man with a full red beard and hair, grinned at Ashva and opened his arms for a hug. "You had us so afraid," he said and clasped her tightly to his chest. Haldir could not hide his smirk as Ashva gazed pleadingly up at him for rescue, but Haldir decided it served her right for having such unclean friends. He didn't even try to stop the other two cousins from embracing her.

Finally getting free of the last cousin, Ashva introduced them to a most indifferent Haldir. "Haldir, may I present Hod, Therod and Fell."

"Our pleasure, I assure you," Hod the red greeted the elves. "Ashva kept us entertained with stories about your home."

"Did she?" Haldir asked and gave Ashva a look that indicated he would be interested in knowing what she had told them.

"Just nice things," she reassured him, wishing now that she had chosen a different route into the mountains.

"So where are you good folks headed?" Hod asked curiously.

"The high pass," Atluf answered. "There will be Os riders coming through in a couple of weeks, maybe sooner. We're going to check it out."

"Is there anyone on the mountain who does not know my intentions?" Haldir swore under his breath.

"We should continue," Ashva spoke up. "We should be able to see the narrowest part of the pass before night fall. After two days of climbing, I'll be glad to get there."
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Kalan had to leave his horse tied to a sapling and continued into the mountains on foot. It was dark but he had no trouble making his way upwards. What did catch his attention was the light of a small fire. Hunters. Not really of any interest to him, but still....
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Haldir sat with his back against a young tree wishing he could simply rid himself of the hunters by mercifully killing them. That he was so tempted said a lot about his demeanor. They were roasting an animal over a fire, which had the wolves salivating so hard a continuous stream of saliva fell from their lips. Even Rumil who was taken with the beasts found it unpleasant. And then there was Etta's beau, Fell, who was tripping over himself trying to impress her enough to get under her blankets. Ashva was melting some ice for water, while Atluf watched her with longing in his eyes. Orophin and Therod were lying to each other. It was as close to a perfect camp as Haldir could hope for, if he were so inclined towards nightmares.

Once the beast was finished cooking and everyone, including Haldir, had had a piece, the remains were turned over to the wolves who settled down to a loud and terrible sounding feast. Ashva watched them a moment and then looked back at Haldir who had not smiled all day. She was half tempted to find her own tree to lean against, when he moved his cloak and raised his knees so she could sit between them and lay her head on his chest. It wasn't an inventation but a command. And she decided it was wise to humor him. Slipping off her cloak, she took her seat and used the cloak to cover them. It wasn't long before she was nice and warm. What she didn't expect was Haldir slipping his left hand under her tunic and cupping her right breast, his thumb resting over the nipple. And that was all he did. This was her punishment for whatever crime he believed she had committed.
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The fire was little more than red embers when Kalan peered around the tree to see who was there. A wolf raised its head and looked at him, driving him back behind the tree. When it did not give voice or get up, he looked back and was surprized by what he saw. There were hunters in the camp all right, but AShva was there, too, and her lover. And there were two other elves present, one of them poking a stick into the fire. Ashva and her lover were on the mountain!

Kalan's heart beat faster, but he resisted the urge to strike and held back. One elf he might take, but three would not be possible. So he waited. And he watched. He remembered Ashva's lover only because As'pa had stopped to torment him that night he escaped. As'pa had wanted him and had even suggested they borrow him for the night. Surely the two of them could control one beligerent elf. Oh and the look in the elf's eyes when he thought he was going to be raped. Such fear. And hate. As'pa had loved it. Forcing a rag into the elf's mouth, he had kissed him and had caressed him, practicing his talent on unwilling flesh. The proud elf had actually tried to kick As'pa away. But that had been a mistake. As'pa had avoided the kick, but the elf was now stretched out from the effort and As'pa sat on his thighs. Deft fingers had unlaced the leggings, and As'pa had been about to jerk them down when Lady Melann arrived and stopped him. She had nothing against her son tormenting the elf, she just didn't want his flesh torn, which was exactly what As'pa had wanted to do.

Kalan didn't want to rape him; he wanted to kill him. Open him from groin to breast bone. Lady Melann wanted him alive; he wasn't certain he could do that. Maybe she would be content with one of the others.

Several hours before sunrise one of the men got up and disappeared into the woods. Kalan slipped silently behind him and laid a blade across his throat as he finished pissing. "Say nothing," he told the man and turned him around, the blade staying on his neck. Dragging him back down the slope, his own steps as sure backwards as forwards. "Why are there elves on the mountain?" he finally whispered coldly.

"They've come to stop the horsemen," Therod answered quickly in terror. "Catch them in the pass."

Kalan smiled. He now knew how he was going to catch them. With a flick of his hand, he slit the man's throat and left him dying on the slope. A shove from his boot sent the man over a crevace. It didn't take Kalan long to find to his horse.
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No one noticed that Therod was missing until Hod checked his bed roll after sun up and found him gone. Haldir didn't pay any attention to them. Ashva, who had slept fitfully against him, was waking, and he needed to let her up. As much as he had enjoyed reminding her that he had power over her body, that he could deny as well as satisfy, he needed to stand. His legs were sore from staying in one position all night.

Ashva, once free of his wandering hand which had last laid over her pubic bone, turned to face him, her face flushed from unsatisfied desire. She kissed his lips, let the tip of her tongue tease his mouth, and then she whispered, "I will pay you back for that."

"I don't think so," he retorted as if daring her to contradict him. "WE have too much company, unless you want them to watch."

"Hey!" Hod suddenly yelped. "I've found some blood here!"

Haldir gently moved Ashva away from him as his brothers also leaped to their feet with bows at ready. Sprinting through some trees and down the slope, they found Hod standing over a wild splattering of blood.

"Big cat must of carried him off," Hod observed remorsefully. "Same as what tried to take Ashva." Since Haldir was not familar with mountain cats, he accepted Hod's opinion with a nod. "A big cat can kill you before you can make a sound." Orophin and Rumil glanced around unsure if they wanted to see a mountain tiger or not.

"Come, we need to check the pass now that it's light," Haldir said. "If we see the tiger, we will kill it for you."
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