Piper's Descent Ch. 02

Thank you everyone for the lovely feedback on the first chapter. Also thanks for the constructive criticism. It is always good to hear what people truly think. Hope you enjoy xx

***

"Piper."

A loud commanding voice rang through the still air. She froze. How did he know her name? She turned slowly to find the clan standing just beyond the tree line. A small body clutched in the leader's grasp.

"Patrick!" She screamed and rushed towards the towering creatures. Piper had never felt such fear. Not when they were chasing her. Not when she was shot by a forest elf. Not even as a child when she got lost in the woods. Her fear rose from her stomach and consumed her chest. Her lungs felt as if they were going to collapse and breathing became increasingly difficult.

The creature's wrist flexed as Piper drew closer cutting off Patrick's air supply. His hand appeared to fully encase the young boy's throat and Piper felt her breathing cease simultaneously. She stopped. She stopped breathing. She stopped running. If Piper still had her bow she would have released it that instant. Instead she herself dropped to the ground, words escaping her.

"Wise choice, Piper," growled the man towering only a few feet before her. His grip loosened around her little brother's neck and Patrick took a giant, spluttering breath. Piper released her own breath, one she wasn't aware she had been holding. She stared at the trembling boy in the giant's grasp and struggled to reassure her brother with a small smile. His eyes were wide with fear and his bottom lip quivered as the poised man bent over to his level. Piper watched as his index finger gently wiped beneath the young child's eye destroying the evidence of his tears. Her stomach churned at the sight.

"Pipe?" the small sound escaped from the terrified boy in the form of a squeak. Piper's own fear bubbled under the surface threatening to escape as the Gulder returned his attention to her.

"Patrick, everything will be okay. Just stay there for now," Piper spoke the words with all the confidence she could muster. She hoped that he would believe her. She wished she could believe herself. She raised her gaze to the man who seemed to be controlling her every movement. He had returned to a standing position, his hand pressed to the back of Patrick's neck and his eyes fixed upon hers. The handsome creature raised one eyebrow yet again as if urging her to make the next move.

As scared as she was anger boiled and Piper snapped. "Get the fuck away from him! I swear to the gods if you hurt my little brother I'll..." A raw cry passed her lips as the bewildered girl received a sharp jolt throughout her entire body as a result of her empty threat. The corners of the giant's lips curved and Piper's eyes narrowed. Never had she felt such hatred. Piper shifted to pounce at the leader of the clan. Her arms stretched out to wrap around his own throat as her powerful legs attempted to push off the dirt. A sudden heaviness came over her and moved through her, as if lead had replaced limbs. Her muscles relaxed enough to return her to the ground and the heaviness dissipated.

"You would do well to remember your place, human."

"And where would that be, Ezven? At the feet of an elf lord not fit for the title?" The giant raised his gaze to the man standing behind Piper and a grin slowly formed. Unwittingly his grip tightened somewhat around Patrick's delicate neck, a reaction to the sudden change of atmosphere.

"So I see you decided to join us, Harrison. I thought you would never show, old friend." The leader of the clan, Ezven, spoke as he took two calculating steps past the line of trees towards the human male wielding a well-crafted sword. Four younger males created a V formation behind their father, all brandishing different weapons, none of which phased the dark elf. Patrick struggled to remain at his side. It was as if the elf had forgotten the small life clutched in his grasp. Either that or he didn't care.

Piper noticed her father tense at Ezven's words. "Leave," her father spat the word at the dark elf as if it pained him to continue being in his presence. His eyes burned with rage but Piper couldn't help but notice the way his left eyelid twitched, a sign of her father's growing anxiety.

The elf released Patrick as he took another step closer to Harrison. The forgotten young boy ran straight for Piper and crouched behind her trembling and holding the back of her shirt tightly in his grasp. "Leave? Why would we do that, Harrison? We have a fair bit of catching up to do I would think." The elf's voice was light as if talking to a friend, as he had claimed, but his body language spoke of his hostility. The strange encounter intrigued Piper nearly as much as it terrified her. Her father had only spoken of Gulders a few times and he had never mentioned personally knowing one. In fact, everything she had learnt about Gulders had come directly from her father. He had portrayed them as a fierce race of creatures that you were never to come in contact with unless you had a death wish.

"Get. Out. I swear if you take one more step onto my property then I'll..."

"This was never your forest, human," Ezven bellowed across the closing space between the two men, "we merely allowed you to inhabit what is ours. Don't mistake our generosity for a lack of intelligence." The elf appeared to be irritated by the delay and the five armed men were only seen as an annoyance as they charged for him. The eight Gulders standing in the shadows at the tree line made no move to assist their leader but instead seemed disinterested in the whole affair.

Years ago her father had been right. As soon as he raised his sword above his head and took a leap towards the elf leader his legs collapsed and Piper witnessed her father plummet to the hard ground. Just as quickly Piper's brothers were stopped in their tracks as black magic forced their eyes to glaze over faintly. The elf named Ezven wore a smirk that could silence a thunder storm. His bright green irises glowed with amusement as his gaze lingered over the frozen men before stopping on Piper's form. Piper felt her flesh prickle with tiny bumps as a shiver ran down her spine. She didn't have long to contemplate the emotions that had forced this reaction before the giant took a step closer to her.

Fear. Definitely fear.

Piper squeezed her little brother's hand and willed him to run. She wished she had never been so foolish to think that her family could fight these monsters. Instead she had put everyone she loved at risk. Piper gave Patrick a small nudge and this time he let go of her. Pausing briefly to look to his only sister the little boy sprinted to the wooden house nestled amongst hundreds of trees.

Ezven's eyes grew darker as they shifted to Piper's father still kneeing on the ground only feet away from the dark elf. "I believe it would be wise of you to give in willingly," growled the monster towering over Harrison, "we need the female. Either she comes peacefully or we will take her. It doesn't matter to us." The startled look on Piper's father's face matched her own. It had never occurred to Piper that the elves had been targeting her when they raided the forest. Her mind had only entered survival mood as the creatures had pursued their prey. A victim that she had believed to be random.

"Screw you, asshole!" Piper gritted her teeth as the words barely escaped her lips. She wasn't entirely sure if she had imagined the elf's ears twitch as she spoke but his eyes slowly focused on hers removing any doubt that he hadn't heard her. He didn't touch her but she could feel him. His presence consumed her as she felt a wave of nausea wash over her.

This time she didn't awake from her dreamless stupor.

***

The aroma of roasted meat greeted the girl when she finally regained consciousness. Her head hurt and she felt as if she had developed bruises on her stomach. Piper's legs felt stiff and her jaw was tender. The haze gradually cleared from her mind as the cold whipped against her bare legs. Without opening her eyes Piper began to assess her situation. She could hear voices right in front of her. It felt as if they were only meters away from where she sat but she couldn't quite make out what they were saying. The hushed tone of the men intrigued and worried Piper as she strained to hear her enemy's conversation. She was seated against a familiar solid mass. Piper couldn't comprehend why the Gulders had tied her to a tree if they could incarcerate her body in mere seconds.

"Good evening," a deep, sensual voice disturbed Piper's thoughts. Her eyelids flashed open at the alarming proximity of the man. Ezven. It was dark which meant that they must have travelled a long way or she had been unconscious against the tree for some time. A marked hand appeared in front of her face, a flask clutched tightly. "Drink," muttered the dark elf. Piper clamped her lips shut determined to fight this man every step of the way. That damn eyebrow again. "Please yourself, human. Once again it doesn't make any difference to me but I would think if you were planning to attempt escape again," his bright green eyes skimmed over her bound form with a smirk, "you might want to be hydrated at least." Piper started loathingly at the back of the man as he walked back to his company by the warm fire.

He infuriated her. So smug, so commanding, so fucking hot and so dead. He was right of course, she was planning her next escape already but this time she wasn't just going to run. She was going to take him down. How dare he uproot her from her family? Her life, everything she had ever known, had come crashing down around her in less than 24 hours. Piper furled her brow as she stared daggers into the Gulder's back. His clan was sitting around a large camp fire with Ezven sitting directly in front of her. Only a few meters away. If she wasn't tied to this damn tree she could probably sneak up behind him and wrap her fingers around his throat as he had done to her little brother. Squeeze and squeeze and squeeze.

As Piper fantasised about how his life would feel clutched in her grasp the Gulders ate. Hunger pains cramped her stomach and she tried to recall the last time she had eaten. Times had been hard for her and her family. The morning that the dark elves had invaded her life she had been hunting for food. Piper had risen early in an attempt to put food on the table before anyone else was awake. Instead they had awoken to a threat far beyond anything she could comprehend.

Lethargically the dark elves retreated to their tents for the night. Piper had underestimated how civilized these creatures would be. They seemed very human. Even at a glance one could simply mistake them for one. They were extremely tall and muscular but she had seen a few humans that resembled their stature. The black marks that marred their skin could not be hidden but some may believe that they are only intricate tribal tattoos. Even their slightly pointed ears could be overlooked if their hair fell the right was. As human as they looked Piper was still surprised to find that they slept indoors unlike most elves.

Ezven was the last to move from his seat. Piper watched him rise slowly and saunter towards the closest tent to her. He pushed aside the flap of material that acted as a door before he paused. Looking back at Piper he sighed. "Your choice, girl. You can either stay out her and freeze or share a tent with me." His eyes glowed in the moonlight and as mesmerising as he was his proposition lacked. She would not give in that easily. Piper glared at the man not saying a word. He shrugged and turned his back on her before retreating to the comfort and warmth of his tent.

As the flap of material swung back into place the fire was suddenly extinguished. Her last small luxury was gone.

***

Piper tried to sleep but her shorts and shirt failed to provide her any coverage from the elements. She found herself trying to push her body as close to the tree trunk as she could to minimise the amount of skin that was being attacked by the icy wind but no matter what she did she couldn't get comfortable. Her hands were tied behind her back with the rope securing her to the tree trunk making it very difficult to move in any direction.

After what felt like hours of hopeless pulling on her binds Piper broke down. The cold had evoked bumps all over her flesh and the tears that ran down her face chilled within seconds. She was a mess. She could feel blood begin to run down her wrists from where she had relentlessly been tugging at the coarse ropes. She had a headache, she was cold, her stomach was cramping from hunger and her mouth was parched. She wanted to go home.

She closed her eyes and relaxed into the tree at her back. Feeling defeated Piper let out an audible sob before biting her lip so nobody would hear her. She struggled to breathe in a steady rhythm in an attempt to calm herself. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a slight movement from the material tent that Ezven inhabited. Piper's eyes strained as she attempted to focus on the figure approaching her. At this point she was nearly happy to see him. Nearly.

Without a word Ezven untied the rope around the tree. Leaving her wrists bound together he grabbed her shoulder and yanked her to a standing position. Piper's knees collapsed forcing Ezven to hold her against him. "Bed time," Ezven murmured into her ear and Piper tensed pushing herself away from the elf. He had removed his layer of thin black amour and was only left in a black shirt and loose-fitting pants. His boots were unlaced and his short dark hair was messy.

He chuckled at her quick movement but let her shift away from him. Once again he turned his back on her and walked to his tent. Piper couldn't believe how smug he was. To turn his back on somebody that wanted to kill him yet still hold the power in the situation. How did he do that? Holding open the flap Ezven gestured for her to follow. After a couple of moments and a stern look from the Gulder Piper slowly moved towards him and the daunting tent.

The interior of the tent was simple. There was a thin double mattress lying in the middle on the ground. Discarded across a chair was the Gulder's armour and sword. Next to that an oil lamp sat on a small table illuminating the inside of the tent. Piper froze just inside the door, she didn't know what to do or what the Gulder expected of her.

Ezven pulled his shirt over his head revelling a chiselled upper body. Piper took a sharp intake of breath at the site of his markings over his naked torso. He was covered. Elaborate designs ran all over his chest and up to the throat she wanted to wrap her fingers around. They extended over his wide shoulders and down his powerful arms. Though his stomach was not untouched his tan skin was more prominent than the black markings unlike the rest of the body that he had just exposed. She noted two simple but striking designs framing the V that extended into his pants, her eyes lingering.

He was curiously staring at her gauging her response. A sly smirk spread across his face as he took in her surprised expression. Ezven moved to the mattress and sunk into it without breaking eye contact with the terrified girl. A single word reverberated around the tent, commanding and ominous, "come." The girl shook her head violently as her eyes widened with terror. "I won't say it again, Piper." Still she didn't move.

The elf's bright eyes narrowed dangerously and his smile disappeared. Piper noticed a small pattern that marred his neck. At first she couldn't comprehend why this particular marking stood out to her but she felt an overwhelming urge to touch it. Piper tried to fight it but after a few moments of a devastating internal battle she felt her legs move towards the beast. Within an instant she stood in front of him, hands tied behind her back, tears running down her face and dirt caking her boots.

His hands reached for her and she tried to dodge his touch. His arms wrapped around her waist and grasped her hands behind her back. The contact seared her frozen skin. The heat only lasted for a split second as his arms retreated back to his side along with the rope that had bound her. Rubbing the tender skin around her wrists Piper stared down at the man. She thought that in such a position, him on the floor and her towering over him, she would hold the power. Instead his eyes controlled the situation and Piper felt like a tiny mouse clutched in a lion's jaws.

"Boots, now," his voice commanding as ever. Piper kicked off her brown hiking boots sending them flying across the tent. If he disapproved of her show of temper he didn't reveal as much. Crossing his legs under himself he looked like a schoolboy looking attentively at his teacher waiting for her next move. Piper nearly laughed out loud. How could he look immensely dangerous but so innocently curious at the same time?

"Now everything else," his next words interrupted her daydream and her mouth opened in shock.

"You have got to be kidding me? You can't be serious?" Piper's feet tried to backtrack out the door but she was frozen to the spot.

"Trust me, Piper. I'm not and if I were you I wouldn't test how serious I am," she looked down at him but couldn't bring herself to reply. "Now, Piper. Do not test my patience." She stared blankly at the creature in front of her shaking her head, eyes wide and trembling.

"Get fucked, asshole. If you think I will bend to your will that easily then you are surely deluded," Piper retorted, her voice shaking slightly, not quite convincing herself.

"Oh baby girl, you already have," the endearment uttered under his breath sounded more like an insult than a loving nickname. Piper stiffened, she knew he was going to make her do it either way whether that be on her own accord, under his influence or by force. She hesitated for too long as he made up her mind for her. Her mind didn't haze like when he knocked her out but she couldn't stop her arms from moving. Slowly she lifted the bottom of her top over her head revealing her flat stomach and plain black sports bra.

Horrified Piper tried to cover herself as his influence dissipated. "Now your turn, Piper. I got you started now you have to finish it," Ezven's voice washed over her body, menacing but oddly captivating. Why was he making her consciously do it when he could just force her, either physically or mentally? He wanted to see her suffer.

"Over my dead body, elf," Piper hissed at the dark figure before her.

That eyebrow. "That could easily be arranged, Piper, but I much prefer my prisoners alive. You wouldn't do me any good if you were dead,"

"Why me? What do you want?" Piper's voice shook and her brave face faltered.

"Don't worry, love, all will be revealed. For now you need to get into bed and get warm. Now strip." The last word was nearly spat at the quivering girl and she jumped at the sudden harshness that had entered his tone. Quickly Piper unbuttoned her shorts and let them fall down her slender frame. She stepped out of them and turned her eyes to the floor, away from the penetrating gaze of the Gulder.

"Good girl," he said as he patted the edge of the bed. Slowly she sunk down beside him as silent tears choked her. He enveloped her with an embrace that was meant for lovers not a captor and his prisoner. Ezven pulled her to him as he lay down, her body weight pressed against his chest. As much as she didn't want to admit it she loved the way that his body heated her icy skin. Fear held Piper still as the dark elf embraced her, his marked skin burning against her pale flesh.

Piper jumped at the sudden intrusion of a finger against her slit. She dug her fingernails into his chest as the thin material of her underwear was pushed aside.