“Well, I was sort of blocked from view because of how wide an orc body is,” said Aerhril. She didn’t truly wish to talk about this, she found, and she thought that Larha’s reaction to it all was a bit odd.
“So, you do not enjoy being watched?” said Larha, sounding disappointed to discover this. Then she shrugged. “However, you are willing with your orc? That is what I have heard? Or did he simply kidnap you and bring you all the way from the tippiest top of the north?”
“I don’t know if it’s the tippiest top,” said Aerhril. “There’s quite a bit of north above us, you know.”
“Oh, apologies,” said Larha with a shrug. “Well, anyway, my late husband, he was older than me by quite a bit, and his, you know… At any rate, it was just sodifferentwith the orc. So, um, thick.”
Aerhril could not contain the smile that wanted to stretch across her face. “You are simply appreciative of that aspectof it all, then?”
“Oh, Iam,” said Larha. “Why? Do you like yours for some other reason?”
Aerhril did not know where to begin. She opened her mouth to say something, but then nothing quite came out before Larha was speaking again.
“I was truly hoping you would understand, but it is no matter if you do not,” said Larha. “I hope we can be friends anyway. Some of the other elf women have been quite cruel to me about my choice to, erm, entertain the orcs.”
“Orcs, as in more than one?” said Aerhril.
“I have been sort of passed around.” Larha’s voice got a little throaty.
Aerhril raised her eyebrows, saying nothing at all.
“Oh, you’re judging me,” said Larha.
“I’m… not,” said Aerhril. “That only sounds a bit unpleasant.”
“It has not been,” said Larha. “Not atall. I like it, and I like them, and I wastrulyhoping you would understand. You must tell me about what it is like with your orc, I suppose?”
“Well, it’s a long story,” said Aerhril. “I’m not sure how to sum it all up.”
“I see,” said Larha. “Well, because I let them pass me around, they are all rather nice to me, and I get to stay in my old chambers and they let me do mostly as I like. Maybe it’s like that for you? Maybe that’s why you’re willing? Maybe you’re just taking advantage of what you can.”
“No, it’s not like that,” said Aerhril. “Iknowhim.” Was she allowed to tell people this? She wished she’d had more instruction from Dathor about it. “We grew up together. We were together when we were young.”
“He’s not from Arzakh?”
“He went there. He had to go across the Rathog Pass.”
“Oh,” said Larha. “So, then you are willing because you are on their side.”
Aerhril waited, worried that would not be well received.
But Larha only laughed, that delighted laugh of hers. “Well, then you and I will get along fine, I think. Wewillbe friends. Say we can be friends?”
Aerhril smiled. “Of course.”
“Wonderful,” said Larha. “Now, about yours. He doesn’t pass you around to the others at all?”
“Definitely not,” said Aerhril. “He’s possessive of me.”
Larha nodded, eyes wide. “I think Nasrakh, he’s the one who took my virtue, would like to be possessive, but I’m glad he’s not, because it would be sort of boring to only have one of them—well, obviously, not for you. And they told all the other elf women—they left alive the women—that they could choose to be with the orcs in that way, and very few of them did, so I am one of the only ones they have access to.”
“I see, and did they let you choose?” said Aerhril.
“Not the first time, but after,” said Larha. “Anyway, we can talk of something else besides orc cock. What about dresses? Did you bring dresses in that trunk?”
“I did, but I’m afraid they’ve all wrinkled,” said Aerhril.
“Oh, let’s hang them up!” said Larha. “I’ve become ever so adept at so many different activities now that half of the servants have run off.”
