Love Potion Ch. 03

Murmurs from outside had gathered and became louder as more voices joined the silent chorus, and they realized they weren't alone.

Her own needs would have to wait.

Zul'raja and Ithildess clumsily wiped themselves and dressed in simple troll garb they found in a woven basket, and Ithildess followed as Zul swept away the tent flap and stepped into the sun.

They were greeted by a curious mass of blue that had formed around the entrance to the shaman's tent, Ithildess had never seen as many trolls at once and attempted to step behind Zul but was kept from doing so by a familiar hand on her shoulder. She looked and saw Zul's eyes on her, and she whispered, "Prove to them." There was no room for the meek in troll society, and she would have to go outside her upbringing, her common sense, to stand out.

Ithildess did away with Zul's hand and went behind her. Just as Zul had begun to turn her head, Ithildess held her hips and spun her around to face the crowd with her back. A short silence worried Ithildess before a great laughter erupted, prompting a smile from her and confusion from Zul.

"I saw your back wasn't all healed after our first night," she said, and tapped her nails to the claw marks that still raked over Zul's back. And charged by the wild chatter behind them and several mentions of the word raja that she overheard, Ithildess kissed her, "Have I proved to them?", she asked and stepped in front of the crowd as the stares made her grow.

"Plenty," Zul'raja said and stood proud beside Ithildess, "no doubt who owns who."

The crowd parted and were silenced. An older troll, a shrunken man with a ragged white mane and long robes made his way to Ithildess and Zul, his cane sturdy in his hands. Ithildess figured it impolite to stare but the scarred stump where his left forearm should be fascinated her. Trolls have incredible regenerative abilities, they are able to regrow lost limbs and recover from injuries other races would surely die from. Ithildess could think of no other explanation than deliberate dismemberment—but the whys and the hows stumped her.

"So, Zul'raja be back, and she has a sin'dorei of all with her," He studied Ithildess through all the leathery wrinkles that obscured his eyes, far sat in their sockets. "Why are you here?" he asked,

"Zul wants me to be here," Ithildess answered with all her new confidence, "and I want to be here with her."

The old troll gave a raspy laugh, "then all is right! But that is not an answer," he turned to Zul, who had stood quiet since he arrived. She spoke something to him in Zandali with a warm, humble voice, and his face eased.

"Yaanji," he called, and the young shaman went to his side, "this elf be our guest. Take her around the village then to my hut, we will be there." He struck the soft earth with his cane, "We will take Zul'raja for a while, she has much to learn and much to listen."

Zul kissed Ithildess and in the same motion whispered, "I'll be gone for a while, but we will see each other soon. I love you." Her gaze lingered on Ithildess before breaking off and becoming one with the group, the scene of a lone traveler reuniting with friends and family. Ithildess heard her laugh out of the dozen others, and saw flashes of the incandescent joy on her face before she disappeared, and Yaanji was left with her looking in the same direction.

"Ya did not mess up de rugs, didja?" she opened the tent, then closed it as she wrinkled her nose, "and Zul'raja did take ya as a lover."

"Is it that obvious?" Ithildess said,

"Ya smell more like troll than all other trolls here, elf. De entiya village must know ya been intimate," Yaanji grinned and pushed her forward, "Jazakima want of me a guide and he get one, so come here."

Yaanji took Ithildess towards the beach, and walked between the dotted line of huts and the fine, white sands. Ithildess tried the sand between her toes, and sighed against the cooling breeze from the ocean. What paradise, she thought, even without Zul here.

"All the villagers must really like Zul," Ithildess said, and Yaanji cackled so her animal cowl slipped from her head.

"If Zul'raja did not tell ya about her greatness then I will!" She said proudly, "she never let words talk for her," she said with certain admiration. "I will say Zul'raja made dis village with her own hands, she work and work for all of us. There be no Raja'mai without Zul'raja."

Many years ago, Yaanji told, Zul'raja, Jazakima, the village chief, and Ren'jai, now the head of the village guard and the strongest warrior they had, took with them a large group of wandering trolls into the deep jungles of Stranglethorn to found Raja'mai. Yaanji told her dreamily about Zul and Ren'jai cutting down trees day and night, catching food for them to eat, teaching the younger generations hunting and fishing, working tirelessly to guarantee them safety. Even Ithildess felt a certain nostalgia as she listened, she could imagine Zul giving everything for her tribe, just as she had offered to give everything to Ithildess to realize her ambitions.

"I love her," Ithildess said as Yaanji's story died down.

She didn't answer, but instead pointed Ithildess to the wooden jetty ahead of them, and the figure sitting at the end of it, "she be de first outsider to come here, and she also take troll for a lover. She be knowin' what it mean. Come on." They approached the jetty, and as Yaanji's heavy step hit the boards the woman at the end looked over her shoulder and stood up. Ithildess was amazed to see the human girl come up to them, half-naked from the heat and thoroughly tanned from head to toe.

"Yaanji, found love at last?" the human said joyfully, in proper orcish, and turned her attention to Ithildess, "a sin'dorei too, I am very surprised!"

"Don'cha forget when you were de stranger here, Anji," Yaanji sighed, "she's wit Zul'raja, she came back."

"Two good news. I always knew Zul was the kind of troll that favored women, but elves I would never guess." Anji said and held her hand out to Ithildess, she took it and Anji shook firmly. She was strong for a human, earthy and lively.

"I'm Angelie, or Anji, it makes more sense here," she smiled, "I'm Ren'jai's mate, she's a good friend to Zul'raja, have you met her?"

"No," Ithildess said cautiously, "I'm Ithildess."

"Get her to Jazakima when ya done, I guess he be wantin' a feast tonight," Yaanji said and walked back to the village.

Anji led Ithildess by the hand to the edge of the jetty and sat down. She resumed fishing and Ithildess sat by her, staring at the first human she had ever seen at this distance.

"Strange, isn't it? Seeing a human in a troll village? About as strange as seeing a blood elf here." Anji grinned and nudged Ithildess with her elbow, "You're going to love it here, just look at the sea."

Ithildess did, and it glittered in response. Further out it was still clear enough to see the shadows of fish and underwater traps.

"It is strange, but how did you get here? You're Alliance."

"That's exactly the reason I'm here!" Anji laughed as she remembered, "I was sent to survey the jungles about four years ago. I came across this village and all the beautiful trolls here, and then I got caught." She paused, and smiled as Ithildess was drawn in, "Ren'jai caught me, knocked me out cold from what she told me. We spent the night together, funnily enough, captive and captor, and now I'm here and have been since then. Of course I follow a few parties out to hunt and trade, I still have my uses, but the main reason is because of my Ren." Anji tugged gently at the line as she spoke, "Now you owe me a story, how did you bag the great Zul'raja?"

"I don't mind telling you. But I want a lot more answers in return," Ithildess said. They were so similar, but she couldn't believe it.

"For as long as I can, or until I catch something." Anji nodded.

"Fair. I was working on turning the troll hormones that stimulates their heat into a tonic, like an actual love potion. She volunteered to be my test subject... that's how me met." Ithildess picked her words, but lost all hope of concealing any information when Anji's eyes lit up.

"An actual love potion? Wait, you took on a troll in heat? Wait, Zul'raja in heat? Just imagining that..." Anji sucked on her lips and got closer to Ithildess, rubbing against her arm, "You're not telling me something. You're blushing. If I tell you what Ren did to me, will you tell me what Zul did to you?"

"Are you serious? Are we going to talk sex just like that?" Ithildess swallowed air, and felt herself become more tense as Anji's discerning eyes picked out her weaknesses.

"I'm here for the same reason you are; I love trolls. And I can see you do as well, especially the tall, powerful females," Anji was right, Ithildess knew it, "I love how strong they are, how tall they are and how vibrant their hair is. Ren can cut a man's head clean off his shoulders but she's still able to hold me at night with all the love in the world, but don't tell her I said that." She laughed, but she seemed to focus on something inside her, something warm and gentle.

"Wait, how did you know I liked trolls?" Ithildess asked defensively.

"No, no, first you're going to tell me what you like about trolls, then I will tell you about my time with Ren, and you will tell me about your first time with Zul. Right now this is an incredibly unbalanced exchange of information, you know." Anji lifted her finger over her lips, then watched Ithildess as she kept fishing.

Ithildess became terribly curious. For a long time she thought her love for trolls had been a lonely obsession, did she really want to pass up an opportunity to share her feelings?

"Trolls are so beautiful and strong. I feel really warm whenever I see Zul, she's tall and has this figure that I can't stop looking at, then she's got these deep eyes and amazing red hair... but I most like the way she feels, how she kisses me and holds me, she is so warm sometimes I get shivers and then she looks into my eyes and I feel like I want to spend every day with her." Ithildess went silent and stared at her fingers, a soft ache in her chest for Zul's touch.

"By the light, that is so romantic," Anji said and put her hand on Ithildess' leg, "it sounds a lot deeper than sex to me, I know when to keep my distance." She went back to fishing, "I can't wait to see how you two look together. Ren kept me locked up a long time and that's when I fell for her. She was a bit cold at first but she spent more and more time with me, but was too embarrassed to ask me to stay so she didn't release me for two weeks." Anji laughed and Ithildess felt herself bubbling up as well.

"Zul was rough with me the first time, but I still loved it, I was just as crazy from her heat," Ithildess said softly, and caught Anji's attention, "after that had passed she was so kind and loving, it really felt like I wanted nothing more than her, and to give her everything she gave to me. Now it's your turn." Ithildess sat calmly, but she longed for Zul to take her in her arms, more than ever.

"You earned it. Ren put me in a very... tied situation and it was intense the first time, but then she became a big softie on me. For all that hard talk she does she really loves it when I hold her head to my chest, then we make love for hours, sometimes slow but other times we need each other, it gets urgent and almost desperate, I love that side of her."

Both women dreamed for a while and listened to the rushing swell of the waves against the jetty, Anji didn't notice the fishing line tensing until the fish had gone, but didn't seem to care. "Are you going to stay?" Anji asked,

"I don't know. Zul promised me something special, but right now this feels so much more important."

"What does?"

"Staying here, seeing Zul so happy to be back home is like seeing a whole new side of her."

Anji stood up and lodged the fishing rod between two boards and helped Ithildess to her feet, "if you do stay, I know the entire village will help you build your own home. I'll even get Ren off her lazy butt." Anji said and walked back to shore, "Jazakima is probably waiting for us."

To hell with alchemy, Ithildess thought, and hurried.

As they got further into the village, Ithildess spotted Jazakima and a fresh gathering of trolls, with Zul and Yaanji standing next to him. She saw another troll, towering above all of them, and she could never forget the dominant air she controlled. The years had done her well since she last saw her in Silvermoon, she seemed stronger and more imposing, with her red mohawk that stood taller and seemed to burst with flames from her head. Anji dreamily informed Ithildess that she was Ren'jai, captain of the guard and the strongest warrior of Raja'mai. Anji ran to her side, and the austere warrior actually managed a smile. Zul found Ithildess in the crowd, and waved to her, and embraced her off the ground as they reunited.

"I missed you," Ithildess said, flourishing as she held tight.

"I missed you too, how was the tour?" Zul asked, moving her lips only slightly before kissing her.

"Wonderful, your village is so beautiful and I am so proud of everything you've done here. I love you so much." Ithildess forgot the other trolls for a moment, a blissful space just for them. She heard Zul's laugh and saw her eyes sparkle,

"You must've really liked it," Zul said, and Ithildess immediately kissed her.

"Anji made me realize a few things."

Jazakima struck his cane into the earth, and spoke, "Zul'raja is once again with us," the crowd cheered until his cane lifted, "she bring stories of battles, of lessons and a mate you see now. Ithildess, sin'dorei. She has stilled the waters, calmed the storm, and returned to us, a new woman. A feast will celebrate the return of Zul'raja, and our guest. Show this sin'dorei how trolls eat." A grin spread his aging, leathery face, and the group of trolls dispersed, some giving hugs to both Zul and Ithildess, some looking at them sideways but all moving to prepare for the night.

"Ithildess, Ren'jai," Jazakima waved them over, "Ithildess, you will learn that we all have our place, and earn it with work. To eat by our fires, you must offer food, so take Ren'jai and hunt go into our bountiful jungles. Boar would be good for tonight."

Jazakima nodded briefly, then retreated to his hut, and the remaining four gathered around.

"Not even Anji goes huntin' with me, and you're even scrawnier than she is." Ren'jai laughed, even that sounding intimidating, but Anji pulled at her finger and it reeled her back in.

"If I find out you've been rude to our guest I'm taking all your pork. She's a dear friend," Anji winked to Ithildess.

"I know some spells that can help us, but I can't tackle a boar, no." Ithildess said, and Ren'jai glanced at Zul,

"I heard. Zul, take Riki and follow behind and try to lure one of them to us, we'll be waiting and maybe a fine spell will keep us from starving."

Before they moved past the open gate and onto a side-path leading into the jungle, Zul kissed Ithildess and reassured her, "I will be behind you, it will be fine," and Ithildess kissed her back, saying "I'll do nothing but prove myself."