Endings

by Lisa Williamson

  Loralil leapt for the door but it slammed in her face. She tried to open it futility for a few

  minutes. Giving up she sat on the rumpled bed and thought furiously. Now matter how hard she tried she couldn't think of a way out of her current position. There was no window in this room and the only door was locked. She had no experience with getting out of locked rooms. In fact she had very little experience at all. She remembered being trapped in this room with no mental stimulation. Mostly just sensations. Feelings of pain, of soft materials and of a weight crushing her. And faces of human men, lots of them, all misty. Her last clear memory was of the night the village was sacked. She could still clearly see her parents as they died. But even that seemed to be wrong. She had the intense feeling that she had been watched over by her parents while she was out of her head. At the time when she seemed to be surfacing from her nightmares she could hear her mother singing a lullaby.

  Now if she just relaxed she swore she could hear the lullaby. She broke down and cried the tears she had not shed when her parents died. As she curled up and let vent to her feelings she found the lump she didn't know she carried easing. After about an hour she calmed herself down and found that she could just barely hear the lullaby that had followed her all this time. She wasn't sure how she knew that it had but she just did. She lay back on the bed and composed herself the way her mother had taught her. Breathing deeply, she centered herself and went deep into her own mind. It took a lot to ignore the body on the floor across the room.

  She found her mindscape had changed in the time she didn't know herself. There were new doors to be explored and old ones to be found again. A large part of herself was still sealed off. That which made her an elf and not a cipher. She keenly felt the loss. During her internal search she found the lullaby getting louder. She turned inwardly until she found herself getting closer to the sound. It came closer until she could see two figures walking toward her in the mindscape. She let out a little whimper of loneliness when she saw their faces, their beloved faces. It was her parents.

  They reached out for her and she jumped into their arms. "Mother! Father! I thought I'd never see you again. How?"

  Her mother stroked the long, soft hair, so much like her own. "Hush, my little flower, we can only stay a short time."

  Loralil looked up into eyes like her own. "Father....."

  "Shhhh, little one. We can only talk to you here this once. We have an important message for you." He looked over at his wife and reached out a hand to grasp hers. "We will never be able to be with you as you grow. You know this but we want you to be strong."

  Loralil nodded, listening intently to the beloved voice. "You are destined for a very hard life, my daughter. You must live and learn how to take care of yourself. The gods have granted us a short time to give you some knowledge of the future."

  "Father, can't I come and join you? I miss you."

  "No, little flower, you can not join us. It is not your time. You will live a very long life and you must find your way back to elven hands. There only can you learn about your heritage." Her mother sighed as she spoke. She knew much about what her only child would be going through in the years to come but she was not allowed to tell her. Just to give her comfort on her first day back in sanity. "We miss you too but some time in the future you will join us. We were allowed to come back this once to tell you we love you and the you must learn to be strong and depend upon your abilities and not others. You will find friends and lose them but you will always have yourself. Make yourself strong and we will always be proud of you. Know this, that no matter what, we will always love you."

  As she said this Loralil's mother started to fade. As she did she had one more thing to say. "Find your name my child. Protect the one we gave you. It is your true name and you should only tell it to those you trust. Find a working name." With this she faded out of sight.

  Loralil's father gazed at her and parted with one last thing. "My daughter, find my sword. It will work for you and you alone. You know the key word to make the flames appear. If you can find my sword and your mother's harp you will have your destiny in hand. I love you, my wee one. Take care of yourself. We will watch you from beyond." As he faded from sight she could hear him say he loved her again. Then all she heard was the lullaby. Then it too faded. Loralil came up out of her trance with tears in her eyes. She now truly felt alone. Her parents were really gone. They would never return. How was she to go on by herself? She was only a child by elven standards and would continue to be one until she reached her fiftieth year. Even with the time she had spent in this brothel she was still a lonely child. What now?

  As she lay crying into the pillow she heard the door opening. She quickly dried her tears and sat up on the bed. Looking about she tried to find something she could use as a weapon. There was only the bedding. The door opened slowly and in stepped Mother Ursa, Bobby and another young woman. The women looked Loralil over as Bobby removed the body

  "Well, Terry do you think you can do anything with her?" Mother Ursa turned to the young woman and raised an eyebrow. Terry was a sleek woman dressed in black leather and chains with short black hair. She was tall and had a hint of the cat in her movements. Her face was striking with high cheekbones and a slant to her eyes. There could just be some elven blood in her family tree.

  "I think that she has possibilities. Now that she is in her right mind. I see definite possibilities." Turning to Loralil she spoke. "Well girl, stand up, I want to look at you." Loralil raised her chin but stayed right where she was. She didn't know who this woman was but she wasn't going to make things easy for these three. "I said stand up chit. How can I evaluate you from where you are?"

  Again Loralil stayed put. What evaluate? They wanted her to continue what ever it was she had been doing in the past. She wasn't sure what it was but she knew that she didn't want to do it anymore.

  Mother Ursa looked over at Bobby. He walked over to the bed and picked the girl up and stood her on her feet. Loralil knew better than to fight Bobby. He was the size of an ox. Walking around Loralil, Terry hemmed.

  "She is a very pretty little thing." She reached forward and flicked Loralil's right breast.

  Loralil blushed. "Developed more than I expected for an elf." Turning back to the older woman. "What you do, feed her something special?"

  "No, she was that size when I bought her. I do wish she had grown a little taller but you know these elves. Never very large. She seems to be a runt though. Shorter than the other girls I've bought in the past. Maybe that's why the larger breasts. I don't have much use for a gel who can fight back though. Think you could use her in your place?"

  "Sure, I always have openings. Elves are always in high demand. Pack her up, with what ever belongings she has."

  "That's easy." She shrugged. "She has no belongings."

  "What! After ten years in your care?"

  "My guests don't tend to leave gifts for the whores. She didn't come with anything but the rags on her back. Her last owner tended to keep his slaves with very little in the way of personal equipment."

  "Well, fine. Dress her in something and I'll take her off your hands."

  Turning back to Loralil she looked her over again. Accessing how much money she could make from this body. She spoke over her shoulder to Ursa. "How much?"

  "I'll give you a real deal. Only 12 for her."

  "TWELVE! You have to be kidding. She isn't worth that. Four."

  "FOUR! Come on, she's an experienced whore. No way I could sell her for under ten."

  "Trained, right. You told me she spent the last ten years in a cloud. Her body may be trained but her mind, hardly. Besides she will have to be retrained in the techniques that my patrons prefer. I'll offer you no more than eight. That is my final offer."

  Ursa sighed and then smiled. With a shrug she said, "Ya drive a hard bargain Terry. All right, eight, but you'll have to equip her yourself. She can just have the piece she is wearing."

  Loralil had had ju
st about enough of being talked about as if she wasn't there. Who were these two women to talk of her price and her body? She was more than a piece of meat. Wasn't she?

  "Come on girl. Its time to go to your new home."

  "What are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere with you!"

  Loralil tried to dodge past the two women and out in to the hallway. She knew that if she could get out of this room she just might get out of the house all together. No such luck. The one who had just bought her grabbed her hair as she flew by. "You're my property now, bitch. Live with it." With that she slapped Loralil across the face.

  Loralil brought a hand to her face. It stung. She wanted to run but knew she would have to wait. This woman was too fast. In the hallway outside the room Madam Terry handed Loralil off to her bodyguard. A smaller man than Bobby but with a cruel look to his face. She meekly followed her new owner out of the building and down the street to her new 'home'.

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  The building she entered looked like any other on the outside. Inside was another story. The lobby was hung with plush materials, in all black, with chains and whips hanging on the wall. Overstuffed chairs and couches lined the walls. There were few men here. The hour was a tad early for Madam Terry's clientele. The girls were just coming down to arrange themselves decoratively about the place. Loralil blushed as she saw the attire on most of the girls. They wore much less than she was used to seeing. In fact even in the few memories she had of Madam Ursa's place the girls wore more. That and they never dressed in leather. These girls wore strange outfits made up of leather straps and scraps. They either just covered the essential bits or moved to display those essentials. Each of the girls had finely toned bodies with sleek muscles. Loralil felt as if she was a kitten in a den of tigers.

  She followed Madam Terry up the stairs to the second floor. They walked down the plush hallway to a panel set in the back wall. Madam Terry tapped it three times and it slid open revealing another set of stairs. She ascended them. Loralil followed. The third floor of the brothel was where Madam Terry's girls lived when they were not on duty.

  Loralil looked around as she followed the madam. This floor was much more utilitarian than the lower two. The floors were bare wood and from what she could see in the few open doors the girls lived four to six per room. Not much personal space. There were a few rooms with shut doors and just a couple with only one or two beds. Obviously for the favored girls.

  Despite herself Loralil became curious about what she was expected to do here. She remembered no training in the whores' arts. She only remembered her training from childhood in music, woodcraft and the use of small weapons. What could have made Madam Terry buy her? Madam Ursa could have just as well killed her for what she did to the man in her room. She was very confused. She continued to follow the madam to the back of the building. They entered a room like none she had ever seen. It was full of equipment that Loralil did not want to even guess the use of.

  "Now I'm sure you are wondering why I bought you. Well, Madam Ursa told me of your little error at her establishment. It is not wise to kill one of the patrons of the house you are working in." Madam Terry looked closely at the girl she had bought. "Now tell me child. Do you have any memory of the past ten years or were you just playing stupid?"

  "I have no idea what you are talking about. The last clear memory I have is of the attack on my village." Loralil looked down, wrinkling her brow. "After that I only had shadows, images that flee as I try to grasp them." Loralil truly tried to remember. She hated having no memory of so much time. The madam watched the elf maid in front of her as she worked through the lack. It was a good thing. The girl's body was remembering how the child had held it. There had been training in the past.

  "Well, that does not matter. We shall train you up proper."

  "Train, Mistress?"

  "Yes, train. You are now the property of the House of the Singing Wind. You will be trained in the specialty of the house. With your natural attributes and the training you received as a child I believe that I have the perfect position for you. It shouldn't take me more than a few weeks to properly set you up for work." She walked around her new acquisition. She liked what she saw. A small woman, well under five feet. Maybe 4'9". She had long silver colored hair freely flowing down past her calves. Large purple eyes in a heart shaped face. She looked no older than a human at thirteen. Her skin as fair as could be and looked to be free of scars. Madam Terry reached out and tore the shift from Loralil's body. Loralil gasped and tried to cover herself with her hands. Madam Terry was amused at modesty in a whore. The whole body was as fine as could be. There was good muscle tone and quite a bit of potential. It would be fun training a new girl. She hadn't had a chance to train new talent in over a year. Maybe she would indulge in a few of her milder fantasies. She was very pleased. Pleased enough that she purred as she next spoke to her waiting toy. "You're going to learn a lot in the next few weeks, my pretty. I will teach you the best ways to service my clients. But first, come here pretty."

  Loralil looked up at her new owner. What did this woman want? She felt a little premonition of fear. She was sure she wasn't going to like what was going to happen. She was right.

  Mistress Terry reached for Loralil and when she didn't move she smiled. "Good," she thought. Now I can have fun. Terry stepped forward and grabbed Loralil by the hair. She pulled her forward and with her other hand tilted her chin up. Then she kissed Loralil full on the lips. Loralil stood still in shock. She didn't understand what was going on. This woman was trying to use her body like a man! After a moment she fought back. Mistress Terry easily parried Loralil's clumsy attempt and continued her conquest. Her laughter could be heard down the stairs into the rooms the girls' worked. Those who heard shuddered in remembered pain, glad that it wasn't them and sorry for the unlucky soul in the madam's hands. They all knew well that the girl who entered that room would never be the same.

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  CHAPTER SIX

  FOUND AND LOST

  It took almost ten years for Mika and his friends to finally get a solid lead on where Greyfox had disappeared. Mika and Karleen were back in Greymer. They were staying at a small inn that Samis had just bought. Samis had decided to retire this year. His old wounds were really starting to bother him and he had met a fine woman. In fact she was the cook at the inn he had bought. One of the reasons he had decided on this particular place.

  "Good morning, friends. How was your night?"

  "Just fine, Samis. You have the softest beds in all of Greymer."

  Karleen had grown into a confident, strong woman. She no longer had the gangliness of youth. She moved with the confidence of a seasoned campaigner. "What has your sweet wife made to tantalize our palates this fine morning?"

  "Oh, mistress Karleen, you are so kind." This came from the open doorway leading to the kitchen. "I've made you my special griddle cakes with real butter and maple syrup."

  "What are you trying to do to me, Sari? Your rich cooking is going to added ten pounds directly to my hips." Karleen added with a laugh.

  "You have nothing to worry about there, Karli. You have never looked better." Mika added with a leer in her direction. The two had become quite close over the last ten years. Karleen giggled and punched him in the arm.

  "You cad! What are you implying!"

  The banter between the two went on as they walked toward the private dining area Samis had built. It was just a small room with a round table and some good chairs. The food in here was served on good wooden plates with eating utensils and bits of cloth to use for wiping your hands. Samis had dreams of making his inn one of the better places to stay. Right now his place was squeaky clean and had some of the best food for the money anywhere in Greymer. The only place you could get better food was in some of the better brothels.

  As they sat themselves down and dug into the heaping plates that Sari placed in front of them there conversation turned to a more seri
ous note.

  "Has Levy or Katlin showed up yet?" Asked Mika.

  "Not yet." Answered Samis.

  Karleen piped up around a mouth full of griddlecake. "They should be here sometime this afternoon."

  Samis and Mika looked at her with surprise. "Now how would you know that, little lady?" asked Samis.

  "I'm not sure. I just know."

  Mika shrugged. "She been coming up with these little bits of information for the last few months. I think our little healer is coming into some new abilities." He smiled at Karleen. He was very proud of the woman before him. She had taken time to get some training of her healing gift. She could heal anything up to a serious sword stroke now. The fire ant poison that had laid him up for months all those years ago would be an afternoon's work for her now. She was developing some new abilities, curious abilities. She seemed to be able to feel the emotions of those about her and to help those whose spirits were in conflict. She had found a way to ease the guilt that Levy had been carrying around for years after their failure to save his niece. It had been holding the boy back from his true potential. Now at the age of thirty Levy was the youngest human to be considered Adept class. He now had an apprentice of his own. They ate the rest of their breakfast in silence. Sari's griddlecakes were too good to waste talking.

  After their breakfast Mika and Karleen separated. Each to their own business. Karleen had duty at the healer's college and Mika wanted to check out a rumor he heard of a silver haired elven whore working at the House of Joy on Market Street. It took him half the morning to find the place and the other half to talk his way inside. They didn't like opening their doors before sunset. Most of their business was done from dusk till dawn. But Mika flashed enough gold to get the attention of the door guard. He let him through and had him wait in the anteroom while he sent a girl to get the madam.

  Mika looked about the room. It was furnished in early tacky. The madam had obviously tried to set it up as she thought the elves did their homes. There were a few things of actual elven make but most were cheap knockoffs of the more expensive items sold in the bazaar. He was studying a truly awful example of statue art when the madam breezed in.