Part 6 - Debate
Ardel stared at the troll unbelievingly and repeated his question louder at the second time. No answer. She did fall asleep while he was talking to her.
'Bloody troll,' he muttered, more than unhappy with her at the moment. First the crude coquetting, now this. He watched as her chest rose and fall evenly. She was sleeping as peacefully as if she was in The Royal Exchange. She even took her armor off, and how stupid was that? Silithus had proven itself too dangerous to be so relaxed. No matter how sticky, smelly and uncomfortable it was, he didn't take off his plate chest and leg guards since he arrived here - and there she was, sleeping in nothing but leather trousers and a light shirt. Even the front lace of the shirt wasn't properly done in. The curves of her blue breasts were well-defined and become even more prominent every time she breathed in…
'Stop staring at her boobs, you moron,' he told himself strictly, but only did so when he felt the first sting of arousal in his groin.
Disgusted with himself he stood up and turned away. 'This isn't happening,' he thought 'you are NOT going to get excited over a troll.' Letting out a deep breath he tried to will his uncomfortable arousal away. Ardel had been considered quite a ladies' man at home, but he had never slept with anyone who was not from his own race. 'And you aren't going to start it now,' he reminded himself 'Just think what would your friends at Silvermoon say, you would never live it down.'
He could easily picture their astonished and disgusted faces. They couldn't even comprehend why he wanted to leave Silvermoon City in the first place. In his mind, he could still see Aelna, as she looked at him with a frown on her lovely face as she questioned his sanity for wanting to travel to Kalimdor. There was nothing there, she had told him, just ugly scenery and foul creatures. Her tone hadn't forbear any doubt, although she never travelled farer than Fairbreeze Village.
As she couldn't make him change his mind, she had her revenge. She had attended Ardel's good bye party with Marthen Lightsong, the son of one of the richest merchants in the city on her side, although she and Ardel had been considered to be a couple for over a year.
When Ardel, at that time quite tipsily, had questioned her, she laughed coldly and asked if he expected her to be faithful to him given the circumstances. He didn't, but it would have been nice of her to actually wait until he left…
Shaking himself, Ardel returned to the present. He no longer felt arousal, just a creeping annoyance at all the women of Azeroth in general and a slight pity for himself. No wonder he was so keyed up – he hardly had any release since he left home, and most of those were just the solitary kind.
He glanced at the troll, taking into account everything why he shouldn't have sex with her. One - her tusks. They were quite prominent as her lips were party open in sleep. Two - her very un-elfish red hair which fall down to her lean but muscled arms. Three - her three fingered hand resting on the handle of her battle axe, which belied her relaxed pose. Four – the sleeping Silthid at her unbooted feet. He had to admit despite all her trollishness she was still not an unappealing sight, but she also looked so alien, that he found he could enforce his resolve. He will make sure nothing is going to happen between them.
Cheered up a bit at his own unfaltering character Ardel sat down to keep vigil for the first part of the night.
Part 7 – The Pool
'Come again, why are we not riding?'
'Told ya already elf, Tizza is too old to carry both of us. Dis way he stays rested. Can come handy if we need an escape.'
'I still don't see why can't I ride it,' he grumbled beneath his breath, but she heard him anyway and sneered at him over her shoulder.
'Don't be lazy love, we're finally climbing downwards.'
'It's not a question of laziness,' he stated, ignoring her calling him 'love' – it was an improvement to 'elf' anyway 'but my boots keep slipping on this mud. I don't get how it can rain so much here when on the other side of the mountain is a desert.'
'Well if it's slippery, why don't ya go barefooted?'
He couldn't hide his horrified expression before he realized she was just teasing. 'Oh ha,ha…'
He opted against making a rude gesture as she had a laugh on his expense only because she had her back turned to him again. And because he needed his hands for hanging onto rocks and trees to avoid landing on his arse. The troll however seemed absolutely sure-footed, just taking a little less long steps than usual as they climbed down the slope.
'Cheer up now, I just know da perfect place for rest not far away from here,' she pointed somewhere below them, but Ardel could only see the fog pooling a bit more thickly there, nothing else.
He thought it bit early for a rest as they were far from the night still, but didn't complain. He was more tired since they started their descend to Un'Goro then he was ever before in Silithus.
As they got closer to the place Zangah showed the reason for the thicker than usual mist become visible; it was due to the vapors of an obviously warm watered pod protected by stone delve. It wasn't a dry place (too much to hope for), but to have the chance to wash away the layers of dirt from his body and armor was elevating. He didn't consider himself squeamish, but the sand of Silithus combined with the mud of Un'Goro was just a bit too much.
'What do you think,' Ardel asked after they settled down 'is it safe here?'
'Pretty safe,' the troll answered, stretching out her long limbs 'da animals of Un'Goro don't really come here as the water is not nice to drink.'
'And what about humanoids?'
'Nah,' she shrugged 'no one lives here. There's nothing to be afraid of.'
'I can't comprehend how you survived years in the wild with such nonchalance.'
'Ah come on elf, relax and enjoy,' she grinned tauntingly as she started to unbuckle her chest armor.
'This is a bad idea,' he thought, turning his gaze firmly away, but the promise of the warm water was just too hard to resist. Quickly and efficiently he removed his plate armor until he was dressed down to his undershirt and pants. He couldn't help but wonder if the troll was looking.
Without glancing at his companion he walked into the water and submerged, unable to suppress a groan. By the Sunwell, but this felt amazing, almost as good as the baths at Silvermoon City. He only looked up when he heard a splash. Zangah was sitting on a rock in nothing but her shirt and loincloths, showing her long, blue legs. Ardel's glance lingered on her thighs, which were at least twice as thick as an average elven woman's. He knew that some races preferred their females curvy, but the perfect Sin'Dorei woman was considered to be lithe and delicate (and definitely not blue), so he had absolutely no reason to find the the troll's un-elfish limbs interesting.
Sheslid in and sighed. 'Ain't it the perfect place?' she gestured proudly around, like she just conjured the pond. Ardel agreed – to his tired body it was pure bliss. They both gave over to the pleasure of floating in the warm water, occasionally scratching their bodies clean of especially clingy and itchy patches of dirt. Ardel found himself wishing that he could be nude – wouldn't that be sinfully joyous? –but banished the thought. The situation was inappropriate enough as it was.
He imagined telling her mother this part of his adventure when he got to visit. 'So I was there, swimming around in nothing but my underwear with a troll, and thinking about flashing my bits to her.' She would faint. Or more likely shout and curse. He chuckled darkly. His mother's curses were something to behold.
'What's so funny, love?' he heard the low whisper from very close. Surprised he splashed to get his footing back and got a mouthful of water. Zangah was just arm length away with a very intense look on her face. The fleeting thought crossed his mind that he didn't find her so alien and savage looking any more.
She was closing the distance as she raised her hand to smooth away a wet fringe from Ardel's forehead. With her pupils dilated and lips party opened she actually looked seductive, and the Blood Knight was too mesmerized by this sudden change to remember to pull back from her.
Her gaze passionate, she tipped her head down and kissed him. Her lips were surprisingly soft. Ardel's hand rose on its own accord to caress the nape of her neck and pull her closer. His tongue pushed into her mouth and they both moaned. He could feel the roundness of her breasts through the soaked material of their shirts. Her leg slid between his, and he couldn't resist grinding his awakening hardness against it. As the kissed deepened he felt her tusks press sharply against the sides of his mouth, and it made him realize who - what- he was kissing.
He pushed at her shoulders gently, then harder as she didn't let go. She staggered a half step back, but moved right away to close the distance again. He put his hand out to stop her.
Obviously frustrated she raked her hand through her damp, wild hair. 'What's yer problem, elf?' she asked in a dangerous voice.
'This is,' he had to clear his throat to be able to continue. 'this isn't right.' "Not right" didn't begin to cover it. He couldn't let it happen, but she shouldn't have initiated it either…
'Ah, come on elf', she exclaimed, splashing the water angrily. 'Ain't you had enough of this game yet?'
'What game, troll,' he shouted back, welcoming the anger, although it did nothing to lessen his arousal. 'There is no game! There never was! I told you NO.'
'Dat game!' she growled, pointing her finger at him. 'Ya look and ya want but ya do nothin'!
'It's not a game! And I don't – well of course I don't do anything! This is insane! Surely you must know that too.'
'Why would it be?' she asked frowning.
'Oh for… because we are different,' Ardel tried, but she seemed really not to understand. 'Because I am an elf any you are… well you are a troll.'
'I know dat,' she said puzzled.
'Just imagine what people would think!'
'What people?' she laughed bitterly, making a gesture around them. 'Are you really doing dis 'cause you're afraid what others would think? What? An elf would pop outa nowhere point and say, 'Hah, ya fucked a troll?'
Well, that was a cruel way to put it, but Ardel didn't say anything as this was the gist of the issue. This sounded offending enough, so he didn't add that if he would have ever known another elf who ever had a sex with some lower race, he would have felt nothing but contempt for them. Although he remained silent, the answer must have been obvious on his face.
'Ya know what elf? Ya should learn not to give a shit what others thinking! I did years ago,' she draw herself up to her full, imposing height, spun on her heel in the neck - deep water and marched out of the pool.
Ardel didn't left the water for at least another hour, thinking and re-thinking what he should say to her, but didn't coming up with anything that would make the situation less awkward. Under the stone delve the troll made a small fire. His skin feeling like sponge he wished he could join her. He sank lower until the dark water touched his nose. 'Or I could just simply drown here,' he mumbled into the waves.
