Heroic Reward

A/N: Thank you for reading my story. This is something I was randomly inspired to do. It involves a human soldier and two curvy elf girls, and one of them has a little something 'extra' she can use on other girls... Yes. It's a dick. Be warned or excited! Either way, I hope it's enjoyable.

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Sometime after noon, with the sun still high above the jagged steppes and coastal cliffs cut from dry silt rock, the village stirred. With few buildings of wood or stone, the majority of this 'town', if it rated such a title, was simple hide constructs, supported with frames of wood or carved bone. Congregated around fires, with fresh hunts and the elves who caught them equally warmed, they nestled into one of the small valleys in the area. While not directly on the coast, they were nonetheless close enough to hear, faintly, the break of waves upon the rocks.

Children playing, not too far from home but on a nearby slope, spotted figures in dark blue cloaks, mounted on horseback. They were followed by a smaller group of figures in many colors, and as soon as they were spotted, the little elves ran down to spread the word to the people. By the time the two column of riders, wagons in tow, approached the village, much of the population had turned out to see them. The sight drew a general cheer.

Brought by the noise of cheering men, women, and children, the village elder stirred from his own teepee, walking with an odd, shambling grace. His fey features were stretched and wrinkled, and his hair was now white and long, but he still wore the tunic of a Wandering Hunter with pride. Even his normally stern visage softened as he spotted the woman riding at the front of the troops. She raised a gauntleted hand, and the call for 'battaaaalion,halt!' rang out. Breaking with the formation, she approached, and elves crowded around to either side to reach up to her.

If they had returned, it meant, most likely, and end to this tribe's most persistent problem short of the coastal climate, which threatened them and their roaming territory enough to finally send a messenger towards the nearest city to appeal for military aid. When the bluecloaks arrived, their best hunters and mages were ready to lead them through the tough country, right to the enemy.

Days of fearing that he had sent them to their death were over. He addressed the dark-skinned human who, on her horse, towered. "My Lady, welcome back. Fair tidings, I hope?"

"Fair enough, sir." Her voice rang like a church bell, both in tone and volume, a serious tone from a serious person. She shifted back and rested on her saddle for a moment. Under her cloak, emblazoned with the eagle of the Republican Icos Army, the officer was clad in steel plate, carved and fitted against her body to cover and protect with highly-stressed angles and plates, rather than sheer bulk. It revealed little about her physical form, at all, except that she was doubtless strong. The uniform shone when light touched the tempered steel. "I am pleased to report we made contact with the bandits, and attacked their camp shortly before dawn. I don't think they'll be back in a hurry."

Another cheer went out, and a smile reached a corner of her mouth. Her soldiers looked as pleased with their reception as she did, although they were more free in showing it, and a few reached out to take the hands of elves who rushed around them. It was surprising to these soldiers, mostly humans, that such a proud, solitary people would turn out like this for 'strangers', but it only spoke to how much trouble they'd been having. Their clothes looked humble compared to the well-tailored mounted troops, but they were well-made, rather than rags.

Her battalion had learned not to underestimate their native guides, as well. Without them, the trip would have been twice as long, at best. They had been issued no mages of their own for such a menial task, given that it rated only a Lieutenant's command in the first place, and that support had been invaluable.

Their elven support dismounted first, joining the larger mass of the villagers and talking in excited tones. A bit of it was in the common language, but more was in local dialects that even the two or three elves in her unit wouldn't be able to make heads or tails out of.

"Thank you so much, Lieutenant Mercier. You came swiftly, drove off our enemies...andwhile reviewing what our village has, I've found that we don't havenearlyenough to compensate you, or your soldiers, for the trouble." They weren't exactlypooras much as, due to their lifestyle, they hadn't experienced muchneedfor material wealth. A tribal, communal life primarily driven by hunting, with the bow and arrow and spear, wasn't going to produce piles of coins.

She brushed the matter of compensation aside completely. "Please don't concern yourself about that. We found enough from what those bandits left behind." She nodded back towards the wagon drivers, who pulled away thick sheets to reveal boxes and chests stacked high. "Even without that, though, it was ourmissionto drive them from this region. If anything, the party you attached to my command was of more use than gold."

The crowd murmured and talked among themselves, loud enough for the elder to catch snippets of conversation, and hear children talking about her in excited tones. "Even so, we must find a way to properly express our gratitude. Would you stay in the village tonight and celebrate with us? What we have gathered lately is yours to enjoy."

Mercier glanced back towards her troops and brushed a lock of short, black hair out of her eyes. "Very well. We'll be honored to stay here until tomorrow, and then begin heading home." She raised her voice. "Sergeant! We'll make camp adjacent to the village for this evening."

"Very well, My Lady! Battaaaaliooon,dis-mount! Stand! At ease!Fall! Out!" Most of the bluecloaks were just as happy to get back on their own feet after quite a bit of riding across the rough countryside. They weren't, strictly speaking,cavalry, although for troops not accustomed to the terrain of the northern reaches, moving on horseback was practically required.

"I would be grateful if they could be fed and watered, sir." She paused for a moment. "The horses, that is. Well, and the troops as well. Our battalion also has wounded to take care of, of course." Two of the wagons in the rear had remained covered up, and neither civilians nor soldiers were much interested in uncovering those, for the moment.

"We can see to that, at least," The elder nodded. "Please, my younger brother can handle all of the arrangements. He will extend whatever hospitality we can provide." The federal troops, in high spirits from the day's victory and warm reception, mingled freely with the locals as they set up army tents beside the more makeshift elven structures. Many of the Wanderers stepped in to help them out, although each had been trained for the task, andwarmlyreminded of the procedure by their Sergeant.

Any of the troopers who weren't human received special attention from the village folk, especially one of the medics, an orc who had immigrated to Iconis from beyond her shores. He was a head taller than his human fellows, and the elves were a tad shorter, so the difference added up, and having been well-trained, he rippled with muscle that many of the women appreciated quite a bit. To the amusement of her fellows, a thin and clean-shaven female dwarf in the recon company also caught several flirty looks from the young women.

Drink flowed freely, even before the celebrations actually began, and when they did, the fires roared high and tribal drums beat out traditional celebration songs. Cooked meat of various sorts, cuts, and sizes was brought out upon large tables, alongside fresh fruit picked from distant forests, and the elves' humble ventures into agriculture. Combined with the food the bandits had left behind in their camp as they retreated, it beat the Hells out of the assortment of dried and prepared goods packed as standard rations.

With a blanket of darkness broken only by a strong, full moon overhead and the crackling fires tossing smoke and sparks into the cool night, things looked a little different. Many of the men and women in the detachment took note of how these elves, particularly those who were young and strong, of any gender, wore very little. They were usually more comfortable in a cooler climate, and so felt casually dressed with thin, tight-fitting cloth wraps and woven shirts. While a bit shorter on average, they tended to be a bit wider and heavier-set, as well as almost universally physically fit. Even the young adults curved nicely.

Returning hungry stares with their own, as several of the soldiers quickly found out, tipsy elven girlsreallywanted to know what was under the casual, or battle-dress, uniforms of the bluecloaks, and they were willing to find out in the long shadows cast by the tents and teepees. Even the soldiers who had been wounded in the day's fighting weren't entirely excluded, waited on hand-and-foot by friendly locals. Most of them were lucid enough to appreciate that.

Not everyone, or even most, of the people attending were caught up in such things, but that didn't stop whispers and louder noises carried on the wind from spreading around the two camps. Even in her own tent after having eaten at the elder's table, Mercier could hardly escape hearing it as she sat at her small, easily-packed desk and pecked away at her formal after-action report.

Crossing her legs out of habit, she ended up pressing her powerful thighs together. Slowly, she flexed and squeezed until, with a jolt, she realized what she was doing. It was embarrassing, even with nobody around to watch her getbothered. An officer was supposed to set an example and be a serious person, and if nothing else, trying to take care of herself tonight would be far too likely to get her discovered. Her cheeks flushed and darkened.Thatwould break the heroic image she tried to set pretty quickly.

The few people she discussed such matters with were usually surprised she didn't have somebody waiting back home, but it was much easier to devote all her time to her career. She had worked her way to a commission in one of the best, or at least most active, units in the Republican Army. Even with the peace, there was a land full of adventure and adversity for her to protect, and none of that included settling down. A fling here or there, though? Sure, there was little harm in it with the proper enchantments on the proper items, which shealwaysmade sure to keep in stock.

Getting attached to someone outside the unit, emotionally, wouldn't be doing them any favors, though. At least fromherperspective, she didn't think she was much in the way of wife material. Or even girlfriend material, with the stern attitude and always being oriented on business. Well, and one daysomethingcould happen, and she might end up on the casualty rolls, either missing, crippled, or just dead.

She dipped her quill in ink and went back to the task at hand, letting her mind sink for a while into the details of the report, adopting a detached, formal tone. Detailing what loot they had recovered from the enemy's camp helped her to block out any further interesting noises she might have heard on the wind.

On a normal night, there would have been a guard posted outside her tent at all hours, but here, it hardly seemed necessary. After assigning some pickets to rotate out through the night and guard the outskirts of the town, and reminding them to stay sober enough until their shift was up, she had thus retired. As a result, there was nothing to stop, say, a curious elven head from poking into the tent, recognizable immediately by the thin pointy ears framed by long, snow-white hair.

"Lieutenant?" A gentle voice drew her attention from her papers, and she looked over, sitting up in her chair on instinct. "Please, forgive our intrusion. One of your men said you might be found here..." Another head popped up beside her through the cloth flap, looking familiar. Both faces were soft and looked young, and yet developed, and whereas one of them had eyes of striking blue, the other girl's were emerald green.

Given that they wereelves, though, a youthful visage could mean a number of things, and she would reserve her judgment. "Might we come in, My Lady?" The other asked, voice slightly lower, and just as quiet. They either spoke as if slightly reverent, as though she was somebody to address in hushed tones, or just as a practical matter to try and quietly slip in without others in the village noticing.

With some hope that by this point she had calmed down, and could conduct herself in a decent fashion, she nodded and set her quill down. "Yes, of course. What brings you here at such an hour?"

Before answering, the elves lifted up the tent flap and slid inside, closing it behind them. In the warm light of a lantern on her desk, Mercier saw, first from the back, and then from the front, something to take her breath away. For a moment, at least, all she could do wasstare, and then realize that her sense of self-control was in deep, deep trouble.

The girls who she'd just let in were young, or at least youthful-looking, as she'd figured. They were pale, with creamy, soft skin. Their hair was long and smooth and free from any apparent imperfection. They wore very,verylittle, only just enough to cover the most sensitive of areas on a woman's body, and even that cloth was stretched tight. They were about the same height, although one was slightly taller, and both were shaped like fertility idols.

In fact, while she recalled most of the village looking lean and active, they were all feminine curves. Their chests swelled proudly, with each breath, or even small motion, causing them to shift around as much as their restraint would allow. It might have made them appear top-heavy, if their hips weren't so thick, but it all ended up balancing out in a wonderful way. Even the way they both held themselves, with head slightly bowed and nervous smiles, was both adorable, and attractive.

"... ing you at such an hour, My Lady, but Aria and I couldn't help ourselves! We weren't able to attend the feast, you see, andeveryonewas talking about your mission. And you!" The one who wasn't Aria was talking, and eventually, the noble officer could actually pick up on that, and got most of two or three sentences out of it. She blinked.

Aria nodded in agreement. "We are the newest village mages. Neither Metra nor myself were allowed to join your party..."

The officer smiled and found her voice, and it was even mostly steady and even. "The elder worried for your safety? That might have been disappointing." It would be hard to blame him, though.

Metra let out a sigh, her attentive posture become more casual, and that did remarkable things to her sinfully-huge breasts. Said breasts were under close observation, at least as long as the gallant soldier dared. Mercier wanted to act proper, and more specificallydidn'twant to appear disrespectful, but this situation had caught her off-guard.

"Indeed. We were dispatched on an errand instead."

"It isn't just that, though! Well, it is. But there's more to it, My Lady!" Aria picked up with a nervous energy. They both seemed willing and eager to talk, even though Mercier was an outsider. "I don't know if he mentioned it, but the elder is actually our father."

Oh.

When she said nothing for a few moments, the elves shared a look. That at least shook her loose from slightly stunned staring at these beauties. They were the daughters of the leader the whole village respected. Well, that made some sense; typically leadership among Wanderers involved at least a little magical talent. Of course he would want to protect them, as much as possible, to the point of even happening not to mention them during the course of the feast.

Clearing her throat, she tried to get her stride back. "Then with respect, I'd say he's a good father, to keep you clear of a fight. I am sad we haven't met before now, though." That was the truth, for reasons she wouldn't admit out loud.

"In that case... can we assume we're not bothering you too much?" Aria's tone turned eager. They both took a small step forward together. "Forgive me, but we didn't want to wait, if you were still up to entertaining a pair of silly girls, My Lady."

"Please, not at all. It's not silly to be curious about an outsider.AndI'm off-duty." She pinched the long sleeve of her white dress shirt. "Call me Marie."

This helped a little, but the sisters were still on edge, somehow. She could see that plainly. They were young and cheerful, but possessed of the sort of eagerness that pushed ahead, and then worried it was pushing toofar. It reminded her of friends from another time. Just as she thought she could manage to keep things from devolving into staring at their chests more, and a lot of incoherent babbling, they surprised her again.

"My-Marie, I don't... um." Metra paused, her voice dying off until it couldn't be heard. Her face colored visibly and she murmured something that Mercier didn't catch.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"The, uh. Reason we came here tonight, while everyone was celebrating or sleeping, was that we wondered if you would not mind some... company. For the night." The blush spread to her sister, who just nodded, and they both held their hands together and waited, practically standing up on the edge of her toes, for her reaction, watching the human stare for a few moments.

This was unreal. Could there be some mistake of language here? They spoke with an accident, but otherwise showed an excellent command of the common tongue. "Company?"

Metra nodded quickly, her hair flopping around. "Forgive my forwardness, Marie. My sister and I, we really are curious, and interested. Your soldiers had only good things to say about you. Our brothers who rode under your banner... they all told the same story, one of your bravery."

From experience with talking with civilians swept up in heroic tales, Marie had something suitably humble-sounding ready, but it died in her throat when Aria stepped up, much closer, leaving little distance between their bodies. She looked away, face extremely red now. "We also cannot express our gratitude properly for saving the village... except withourselves."

Marie put her hands up to ward her away but didn't step back. "Please, like I said to the elder earlier, rewards areunnecessary. I was only doing my duty, like everyone else with me. Uh, and I..." How exactly was the proper way to react to getting an offer like that? Payment with one's body? Was that just their reason for being so forward? Why would any girl, especially two gorgeous mages, go through the trouble for her?

Nothing made sense. Their nervousness struck a sour note with her, so even though it was tempting, she had to raise another objection while they both pondered what to say in thesuddenly-awkwardly-smallspace of the tent. "I don't know how to ask this, but before I, uh... By any chance, were you put up to this? Did the elder send you?"

The sisters shared another look and in spite of their tension, they also shared a smile. When they saw she was quite serious, though, Aria replied, "Heavens no. If anything, we came so late to avoid our father getting word of this visit. I don't think he wouldapprove." That was a relief to hear. "Have we perhaps offended you?"

"What? No, not at all."

"Then... you are notinterested."

Oh, that wasn't true. At all. How to say so with tact? "Please don't think that I, uh. I'mflatteredby such an offer, really. I just don't think that..." Her sentence died as she watched both of them look more than a little disappointed. "I was never, uh. I just don't know what to say, to be perfectly honest."