A Monster Life Ch. 04-06

He nodded and she pointed at a wide group of rocks ahead. 'There it is.' she said and smiled.

She gestured at a wide crack in the rock face when they reached it. 'Go ahead and have a look. I'll undress and store our gear behind a bush, then join you to continue our fun.' she said and stroked him quickly to full strength while kissing him.

He grinned as she pulled back. 'Hurry then.' he said and followed the path inside the rock. The scent of warm water vapour and stone reached his nose but there was something else as well carried by the light mist. He turned a corner and stared right at a naked Elzbieta.

Iphigenia had barely undressed and tucked away everything when she heard the female scream and rushed towards the source with her cane in her hand. Elvish curses and splashing came from the spring and she found Ulric pressed against a wall hiding his crotch while Elzbieta threw clumps of mud at him while she sat in the water. 'What the..'

Elzbieta looked at Iphigenia. 'You again!? I knew I recognised that pervert!'

Ulric looked helpless at Iphigenia with his tail tucked between his legs and his ears flat against his head and she laughed. Elzbieta glared at her and she took a few deep breaths. 'I'm sorry, but it just reminded me of when he first walked in on me bathing.'

Elzbieta glared at him. 'So he's known to assault ladies in private.'

Iphigenia stared at Elzbieta, and she looked away holding her left elbow with her hand. 'You're missing an arm!?'

'She also has no left leg. Just a stump.' Ulric said.

'Leg too!? But you had all your limbs when we saw you first!'

Elzbieta turned away. 'Those are fake.'

Iphigenia sat down. 'But you moved naturally. You attacked Wolfie so easily.'

'Training.'

Elzbieta noticed Ulric glancing at her and quickly looking away. 'Yes, I know! I'm an ugly elf!' she said and gripped her elbow tighter while her lower lip trembled. 'I know I'm a freak.'

Ulric muttered a few growls and Iphigenia chuckled. Elzbieta glared sideways at her but Iphigenia gave her a gentle smile. 'He said those limbs don't matter. You're still too sexy to look at without him embarrassing himself further.'

Elzbieta glared at Ulric. 'What emba-' she said and realised what he meant. She threw more mud at him. 'Pervert! Lecher! Dog!'

Iphigenia washed the mud out of Ulric's fur while he sat with his back to the girls, after Elzbieta had calmed down. 'So, what happened?'

Elzbieta sighed and drew circles in the water with her finger. 'I was a young but talented knight at the elven court some years ago and had a perfect life. I was bound to climb up in rang as I'd get older and I caught the eye of a promising young nobleman. He was handsome and he held my heart. People expected I'd live a happy life and have a great family of my own.' She squeezed the water in her fist. 'And then the demon army came in an attempt to invade our country. They killed and destroyed anything in their path and we set out at once to meet them head on. The fight was fierce but we took the upper hand and were decimating them. The unit I was in moved towards the flank to take out mages who cast defensive spells for the front in a surprise attack.' She stared at the ripples in the water for a while. 'We succeeded, but I was hit with a desperate suicidal explosion on my left side. When I came to I lay in a clinic for recovery, without my lower arm and most of my left leg. No healing could have restored them.'

Iphigenia and Ulric watched her while tears dripped into the spring water and echoed softly against the rock.

She glared at them. 'But you know what was worse!? I could still live a happy life like that and he said it didn't matter to him what had happened to me, but he visited me less or paid attention to me over time! And when I was desperate for a drink I caught him being all over another woman! He said it didn't matter! That we would still be together!' She hit the water with her fist and watched the ripples once more. 'I broke his nose, went back home, and the court's weapon master who had been a dear friend gave me my new armour with my fake arm and leg when he heard about it. He told me they needed good fighters at Winter City and hoped I could start again there.' She took a deep breath and exhaled. 'And I did while hiding what I really am. I have a new life now and I'll live it out until the end. Even if I'll be a lone freak.'

She splashed her face and tensed when Iphigenia embraced her. Ulric growled and Iphigenia smiled gently. 'He said the guy's a blithering idiot and trash and would gladly tear his nose completely off.' Elzbieta chuckled and tears ran down her cheeks again.

Elzbieta leaned back against the warm rock after she relaxed. 'I thought I was the only one who knew about this place.'

Iphigenia chuckled. 'I found out about it when I was searching for rare herbs at one time. I thought I was the only one too and since it was on our way I wanted to fully enjoy it with Wolfie.'

Elzbieta glanced at him floating on his back. 'Where are you going?'

Iphigenia told her the whole story and the quest to kill the demon lord. 'That's madness!' Elzbieta said. 'And they said they'd even send someone to help you!?' She chuckled. 'The poor sucker!'

Iphigenia nodded as she had to agree and looked up when she heard the fluttering of wings. A little blue bird with yellow breast came down.

'What's that?' asked Ulric when the bird hovered in front of Elzbieta.

'It's a tat. It's used to send short messages to people who enabled the tatter ability to use them. We call it tatting.'

Elzbieta's eyes grew big and she groaned while the bird chirped at her.

'Bad news?'

Elzbieta sighed deep. 'I'm the sucker.'

&&&

I hope you had as much fun as I had writing it, I had a Terry Pratchett moment while writing it. :-p

Now I'm looking forward to see how Elzbieta will cope with her new assignment and the pervert. ;-)

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