Captured by the Elves Ch. 08

Note: All of the characters in this story are over the age of 18. The elves even more so. This story does not represent any real people or groups. It is literally a fantasy. Any errors or omissions are my own. Looks at the story tags. As this is part 8 you should know what to expect. This story does contain a magical transformation. Sorry that it took longer than I hoped it would to get this out. Enjoy.

I was in awe of the human encampment. I'd been somewhat familiar with how modern armies handled themselves, though my own experience was on the lower end. I had some information from growing up the son of merchants as well. The scale was something else though. My breathing became staccato as they carried me in. The pain in my knee was absolute near to the point of consuming me. My only hope at relief was to try to distract myself by taking in my surroundings.

The humans had dug a trench around the entire camp. Anyone who made it beyond the trench would meet a wall of sharpened wooden stakes. A simple construction in truth, but it made it much more difficult to get near the men who were already trying to kill you. Put a line of pike men behind the stakes and archers behind them...that amounted to a lot of death. This camp was the sort that Brendan and I had wanted to be a part of when we were still men. Times and people change. However, I saw other things as well. The amount of wood they'd been harvesting was immense. An impromptu storage area had been set up, and there were men and mules hauling wood away towards the east. They're going to build siege engines, I thought. Such things would not be practical against the elf settlement, so these must have been bound for the other war.

Lloyd, the big man in his great armor was there with me the whole time. He wanted to be associated with my capture. Surely in an effort to claim the ducats that the men had been talking about. He said, "Ain't it pretty, darlin'? A nice little camp for us to sleep in. Don't get too excited. I don't want to be sharing you too much. We'll get your pretty little knee looked at, and then bring you before the man himself."

We passed several tents on the way. Simple tents for the men-at-arms, but there were larger ones for the smiths and craftsmen. Even more elaborate ones for the officers. Some of which bore the crests of great noble houses by the look. I even saw at least one decorated with symbols of the faith. Priests, I wondered. I hoped that no paladins had come. According to the stories they often made the difference in battles.

"Don't be too spooked by the priests," said the big man, almost reading my mind. "They're like to be scared of you."

"Why me?"

"Cause you're different," he said. "Ain't no more complicated than that."

Apart from the other tents I saw a small cluster of shelters made from fine green fabric. They were far too fancy for common men-at-arms, and my curiosity was answered when the occupants came out to see what the commotion was about. These were the mundane elves. They didn't call out like the human soldiers—only stared at me with little emotion. I remembered hearing stories that the elves could communicate with only thoughts. If that was true, none of them felt the need to share those thoughts with me. I did find them to be quite attractive though despite my situation. There was an older one among them that I took to be their leader. He had very long hair and wore it done up in elaborate pleats. At that moment I wondered whom I was more like: the men or the elves? Perhaps neither. I feared them above all else. What they might know about me. What they might ask. However, Lloyd was in no mood to stop. There was business to attend to.

We came to a large tent covered in red and white stripes. From inside there were terrible wails and moans. The big man took me in, and I saw several injured men in various states of treatment or no treatment at all. There were only a few cots and the rest were in heaps upon the floor. Bloody rags and discarded bandages were everywhere. In the corner was a basket swarming with flies that contained things that I tried not to remember. Some of the men were still coherent enough to notice me. They screamed and cursed when they saw what I was.

"Get that fucking monster out of here," said one. He tried to sit up and draw a knife from a table.

The big man drew his monsterous mace and held it over the man. He said, "If your pain is too bad, I could knock your brains out of your head. Would that help?"

The inured man sunk back down.

"That's right," said the big man. "Keep your brains in that pointy head of yours where they belong."

I was finally brought to hobble before the camp physician. I don't believe that he was that old of a man, but stress and weariness had taken such a toll on him that it was hard to tell if he was thirty or fifty. He wore an apron that was so covered in blood that I could scarcely tell that it had once been white.

"What's all this then?" he said. Then he took a good look at me. "By the gods, you caught one."

"Aye," said the big man. "She got a little damaged as it were. You're not allowed to cut off her leg though. It's too pretty."

The physician took a breath. "Get her on the table then."

I spent the next several minutes being carefully examined. The doctor was a gentle man, or at least he was extra careful with the special creature that had been caught. It didn't take long for word to spread through the camp, and soon I could hear a veritable crowd that had gathered outside the tent. My stomach sank. Captured, fearing death, my knee on fire, and now I was to be made an exhibit of. My life made total sense.

I didn't speak. The physician assumed I didn't understand anyway, and he gave his orders to me in gestures. I nodded or shook my head. That seemed to work. He cleaned all the blood off of me to make sure that none of it was mine. He was gentle, and even mussed with my short hair. It confused me more than anything. The physician set my knee right, which made me scream. He wrapped my knee as cold sweat covered my head. Then he lapsed into what must have been routine with the rest of his unfortunate patients, and offered me a spoonful of poppy syrup. I took it willingly and thought nothing of it.

The doctor stared at me.

He said, "Do you know what this is?"

I nodded, and instantly regretted it. Shit, I thought. Why did I do that? I didn't want to give them anything, and now I had. I was too weak.

"What else do you know?"

I stared at him. Not giving anything up. I'd been given no instructions from the elves, but I remembered my training as a human: don't give them anything. It was better to die in silence.

The big man spoke, "Will she be all right? She has an appointment with my lord."

"Yes...she'll be fine if she's allowed to heal. She seems young enough to spring back. Please, don't harm her. The College of Physicians will pay for her. I can swear here on their behalf."

I wasn't sure about the healer. He seemed nicer than the rest, but I could only speculate on the College of Physicians. I knew who they were. My parents often sold to them. I almost laughed. I could've told the healer what the college looked like. I'd been there more than once.

The big man wasn't moved. "I'll keep that in mind," he said. "If there's gold to be had then I'm always interested."

I wasn't allowed a stick to walk on. Instead, I had to cling to the steel-covered arm of my captor. There wasn't going to be some miraculous escape for me. Raina would likely fight until the bitter end when they beat her to death, but I wasn't crafted from such stern material.

As we were leaving, the physician came up to me one last time. He actually tried cleaning himself off with some rags before he did so. "I hope to see you again," he said. "Not all of us want to hurt you. I pray that you understand."

I turned with the big man to leave, but there was something there to compel me. I turned back around to the physician, and strangely enough the big man actually let me do so.

"Sulfur and flowers," I said. "That's the smell inside the college. Past the front door is a wall of bones. At least at the college in Peltest. It's very warm inside as well."

The physician's eyes were wide and his mouth agape.

"Thank you," I said.

Lloyd, the big man, took me out of the medical tent. A line of guardsmen was now outside to join up with us. The crowd of men was kept at bay. "You're so funny," said Lloyd. "That old doctor's head almost popped. I thought about telling him you could talk, but so many of these idiots wouldn't believe it. I know it though."

We slowly worked out way towards one of the largest tents at the center of the camp. The guards outside of it let us in. It was furnished with a rather nice desk and several chairs. The first thing that I noticed however, was the large wooden cage that was waiting for me. Another guard was there as well. I stopped in my hobbled tracks, and shook my head furiously. The big man looked down at me like I was daft.

"Where did you think you were going, eh? His lordship is a busy man. Don't worry though, he'll be joining you shortly. Now, you're going to be a good girl, right?"

I didn't have it in me to resist. It wouldn't have served any purpose. The guard opened the door, and Lloyd urged me inside. "That's a good girl," he said. "Now don't go and panic."

After Lloyd put me in the wooden cage I was left alone for some time. Even the guard had left. There was a modest bedding area composed of straw and some blankets. I eased myself onto it and waited. I'd been wrong to assume that I'd be given the treatment one would expect of a captured enemy soldier. I was different, as Lloyd had told me before. The elves had generated such a vicious mythology around themselves. I began to understand why so many of the men had called us monsters: they really believed it.

It finally began to sink into me just how important that distinction had become. I recalled how Dane had tried his best to appeal to my former self. He'd assumed that underneath my well-endowed feminine exterior was a man desperate to escape and find a comrade. That didn't work out for Dane. The odd thing was that his belief was not necessarily misplaced. I had been just as scared as he was that night. However, Dane had been there facing the transformation for himself. These men didn't see that reality. I was simply one of the monsters.

I had time to consider all of that from within the cage. It was a simple cage, but strong. The wooden bars were reinforced with iron bands and iron plates protected the hinges and the locking mechanism. They were not taking the chance of their prize escaping. And that's what I was. The pain in my knee remained despite the poppy syrup. It prevented me from laughing at my fate once again. I'd become a special prize that had been captured.

Eventually the men began funneling into the tent. It was more than I expected. The crowd that had gathered outside the physician's tent had followed, and apparently some of the lower ranks managed to get in. Their proximity to me seemed to be related to their importance. A dignified looking man with a neatly trimmed beard and expensive surcoat stood by his desk. He offered no emotion. Only appraised me as if I were some livestock that had wandered onto his land. Other men were not as reserved. Some continued with the hate-filled taunts which I'd already heard while others had moved on to more lewd suggestions once they were aware of my more feminine assets. Still others only stared. The priest stood there in holy vestments and looked positively disgusted by me. I wondered if he had that reaction to all elves.

The dignified man held up his hand and all the men around the tent were silent. He said, "To be honest: I find this revelation to be somewhat anti-climactic. Are you certain that this isn't some unfortunate normal elf that you captured in the forest? They have a town that is not too far away."

"This one ain't as tall as the others," said the big man. "Not as fierce either. She's the extra pretty one."

Several of the other men agreed and there were more lewd calls directed at me.

"Enough," said the commander. He brushed at his neat beard, and then called for the doctor. The physician squeezed out from the crowd at his call. "You did examine this creature. Didn't you?"

The doctor nodded. "I treated her injury. She should live."

"That' all well and good, but I meant a true examination. Do you understand? You didn't do that. Did you?"

"No. I cleaned her, but I didn't remove her clothing."

"I understand. The College trains you to be nurturing and polite. However, these are dangerous times and those concerns supersede your tenderness. Do you understand?"

The doctor nodded solemnly. He walked towards the cage like he was going to the gallows. I decided to spare him the torment, and began taking off my clothes. He stopped in his tracks, and everyone was left staring at me as I opened my vest and pulled my tunic up and over my head. The simple bra I wore came off, and the men in the tent whistled at the sight of my breasts.

The commander silenced them again. He looked at me. "You understand us, don't you?"

I nodded.

"Speak."

I waited for a moment, and then said: "What would you have me say, my lord?"

They were both shocked and amused. The big man assured them that he's known the whole time. He was that smart.

Suddenly the priest crept forward and spoke up. "She has not been fully examined," he said. "We must be certain."

The commander motioned to me, and I complied pulling of my leggings and the panties beneath them. I stood up straight to give them all a good look at my cock and balls in all their glory.

The priest moved closer. He said, "It's true then? You were once a human man?"

"It doesn't matter how I answer you," I said. "I'm sure that you have your conclusions all ready."

The commander smiled. "You know," he said, "I'm sure that your voice changed following this...transformation. However, I detect something of the western valleys in your speech. West of Peltest then?"

I didn't answer and frankly I knew that I didn't have to.

"Several men from the west have vanished," said the commander. "Not entirely unexpected considering how poorly the western kingdoms are managed. You may be one of those soldiers that I was promised. Or are you an older creature? You don't look to be. I think that you are what I say. By your accent and the way that you called me 'my lord' like you were trained to do so."

The priest had been edging closer to me. I assumed that he was just ogling my generous breasts, but he pointed at what was hanging between them. He went pale. "You wear a copper star," he said. "Where did you get that?"

I clutched at it. Damn, I thought. I probably should've taken it off. Delphi would've understood. "I found it."

"That's a lie. There are no paladins out here."

"Not anymore," I said. "You killed her."

Things escalated quickly with anger and disbelief. The priest whipped several men up into a frenzy at my suggestion that a holy paladin could ever fall prey to the heathen elves. The commander didn't appreciate that though. With a word several men wearing his colors entered the tent in full armor and armed to the teeth. The chaos came to an abrupt end.

"Everyone out," said the commander. "Captain, post guards. If anyone approaches the elf without my leave that man will be executed and put on display outside the tent. The next man will fair much worse. Is that clear?"

One of the armored men saluted. "It shall be as you say, my lord."

The others soon funneled out as quickly as they had entered leaving me alone with my true captor. Even the big man didn't have the clout to remain.

The commander motioned to my clothes. "Cover yourself," he said. "I'd been relying on that bloody doctor to confirm beforehand. I've had officers beaten for making assumptions and here I did so. I apologize."

I covered myself and waited for the next part. He poured himself a horn of wine and sat at the desk with a tired sigh. "It is rather complicated," he said. "How do I address you? Despite what you are, I am compelled to be lenient with you because you remind me of a woman and I was raised as a noble man. Yet you are what you are."

"Now that you have your proof, will I be killed or something else? A hundred gold ducats are a fine bounty for something disposable."

He laughed into his wine. "I suppose that you want to be valued more."

"Are these pure gold ducats or eastern sovereigns? That makes a big difference."

"You keep revealing more of yourself. It's interesting how willing you are to do so. Would you tell me your name? Both of them. I imagine that you have two."

"I'd rather not, my lord."

"I am Lord Jonas Collins. Keeper of Tamwellon and its castle. Third Commander of The Allied Army."

"You're a long way from home, my lord."

"You are as well." He pursed his lips in thought, and then said: "Have you in your time here come across a young man named 'Henry'? Hair and features like mine. No beard. At least not the last time I saw him. Good natured. Brave."

"No. I'm sorry. I haven't."

"You truly were changed?"

"Why can't you just leave us alone?"

"I thought that if it were true, then surely one of you might see this as your rescue. Your salvation."

"What would you offer me? Shall I go back east with you and expose myself to more gawking men? Will they throw coins at me?"

The commander didn't let my jokes get to him. He said, "The mundane elves told me that the...afflicted often forget their old selves. You seem to remember much. Could others remember as well?"

Long had I thought on that, and even then, I wasn't sure. Some did. "You want me to offer you some kind of hope," I said. "People die in this region quite easily. I've not seen any sign of your Henry. Is that what this whole thing is about? Why do it this way?"

"This is what works. As unpleasant at it must be. My doctor seems riddled with guilt and the priest that they saddled me with is liable to kill you. Perhaps you should have lied and said that you had been the paladin or at least an acolyte. The fact that you haggled with me about money...perhaps you are lying. I shall learn the truth of it. Surely there is a leader that I can negotiate with?"

"Why were the mundane elves not in here?"

Collins poured himself some more wine. "They objected to my doing this. Said that they were the experts on these matters and that I should yield to their experience."

I understood. I said, "They wanted to talk to me before you did."

"That wasn't going to happen, and while my army is a mixed thing, I made sure to have a good deal more of my own men just in case. So, the elves and their chief are outside. Tomorrow I will allow them to see you. As a sign of cooperation. So, once again: is there someone who will negotiate with me?"

"Please leave," I said. "Let me go and I'll tell the others to let you leave. No one else needs to die." I meant every word of it even if I didn't believe that my pleas would take. I shook my head. The tears not quite leaving my eyes.

We were there silent together for long moments. Finally, Lord Collins said, "The rather vulgar details of this...curse as the normal elves call it...The priest may take things on faith, but I am a man who believes in what he can see and what he can recreate. If my son...if this fate befell him then I would see it for what it is. Vulgarity and all."

I stared at him. "No...you can't be serious. My lord, you seem to be a reasonable man. Please...don't."

"I tried that approach. Now, I must learn more before I make another strategic decision. I suspect that you were once a somewhat educated man. A merchant perhaps. That seems likely. Very well, if I'm to pay good money for one of the mysterious wild elves then I should want to know that I had the genuine article. Wouldn't you?"