Run and Hide

Thea had no chance against an enemy she could not even get a firm look at, let alone figure out how many enemies there were to face. A wild beast she could hunt or face down. Even a person she could protect herself from. But whatever was up in these trees… she could not face them straight on. So instead, she picked the direction she thought the least of them were in and ran for it. Bolting blindly through the forest she heard the giggling stop suddenly and the rustle of leaves start above her. Glancing over her shoulder she saw half a dozen balls of different coloured light racing through the trees after her. Multiple voices started to call after her.

“Why are you running little elfie?”

“We only want to play. Come back and play with us.”

“Play with us!”

“When we catch you… we’ll be sure to play so many fun games with you.”

“Stop running now and maybe we’ll even give you a chance at winning some of them.”

“Or don’t. I love it when they run. Makes it all the ore fun when we catch you. The games will be oh so much more fun.”

Laughter echoed behind her as Thea ran harder to try and escape the voices. She barely managed to climb over fallen logs and scurry under partially collapsed trees unscathed. Her agility was put to the test as she jumped and tumbled over broken vegetation. Ducking low hanging branches and dodging around shrubs. She could hear the laughter growing fainter but she dared not turn around to check upon her pursuers. Before her she saw a small, almost hidden, overgrown dry creek bed. It was a good drop down that Thea could not make out from this angle, but she did not have the time to analyse it further or slow down for that matter. She reached the edge of it in a few long strides and then she leaped, her foot outstretched to land upon the other side only to fall short.

She tried to grab onto the edge of the opposite bank, her fingers grasping roots that broke away as she went tumbling down. She fell a good 10 feet landing hard upon her back and groaning as the pack full of supplies dug into her. She felt some of the reinforcing she had added to her leather armour strain and split, loosening her tunic, but not coming away fully. Thea sat up and came face to face with a bound and gagged orcish woman. She was not that larger than Kilm, with rippling muscles, wild brown hair, tattoos across her forearms and barely more than some tattered furs upon her. Thea did notice that the boots she was wearing were made of fur and muddied. She also could not help but note that the orc’s bindings were thick vines that seemed to hold her in place.

The orc grunted into the mass of vines that made up her gag. Her yellow eyes were wide and Thea could see her cries for help within them as she lay there, bound like a prized hog. Thea put her finger to her own mouth as she pulled herself steadily up to her feet. She was listening for… laughter. She heard it from above her. Coming closer. Glancing around Thea pulled herself back into a mass of overgrown roots that hung down over the side of the dry creek bank. She pulled her pack up over her silver hair and ducked down low. She really needed a hood. Thea concentrated on concealing herself best she could as three of the lights descended down into the creek. She froze the moment they came into sight.

The lights, red, blue and green, dimmed as they slowed down till they were hovering between Thea’s hiding spot and the bound orc. As they dimmed, she made them out to be these small six-inch glowing women. Each of them had these iridescent butterfly-like wings that trailed glowing dust with each lazy flap. Each of them were naked with little more than these tiny bows no bigger than toothpicks but no arrows. They were exactly what Thea had been told to avoid. Fey. Worse yet, pixies. Pranksters. Mischief makers. Six inches of trouble and sexual deviancy.

“This is a waste of time,” the red one growled as she glanced around the creek, her orange eyes passing over both Thea’s hiding spot and the bound orc. “We should be looking elsewhere with the others.”

“She may have come this way,” the blue one said in a calmer tone. Her icy eyes were locked on those of the orc as she floated down towards the woman in bondage. “It’s where this big strong brute of a woman fled too.” Her little hands reached out and caressed the orc’s cheek, frost forming around her as little snowdrops bloomed across the gag around her face. “And we caught her…”

“She was fun to play with,” the green one giggled as she brushed back her mossy hair. “The plants enjoyed having their way with her. Didn’t you my babies?” The vines shifted around the orc and she let out a muffled cry of protest that devolved into a moan. “It seems they still enjoy playing with her…”

“None of that is getting us any closer to catching the elf girl!” the red one yelled her flaming mohawk, that was literally made of fire, flaring brightly. The orc whimpered as something Thea could not see moved beneath her. “Marigold! Stop that. It’s not helping.”

“Spoil sport,” Marigold said, rolling her golden eyes but there came a whimper from the orc as whatever was happening to her ceased. “Hey Blueberry…” She flew down to the blue pixie. “Get a load of miss fire crotch over there. Wake up on the wrong side of the leaf today or what?”

“Marigold stop antagonising her,” Blueberry said without even a glance at either of them. Her own hair was spiked up like little icicles, dribbling water down her face. “And settle down Cinder. We can find the elf if we all remain civil and calm.” Both fellow pixies gave each other one last glare before coming together besides Blueberry. “We should check the creek here…” Marigold puffed up at this. “… but not for too long or we may lose her if she is elsewhere.” Cinder huffed and smiled. “Marigold, ask the plants if they have seen her.”

“I am trying but they don’t want to talk about her.”

“Probably because they hate her or are scared of her,” Cinder growled. “I bet she’s no better than any of these orcs barging through our lands. Probably in league with them… tearing down our trees, stomping over our houses, stealing our mushrooms for their filthy soups…”

“I don’t think so,” Marigold said with a hum. “If they hated her, they would help us capture her like they did our plaything here.” She gestured to the orc and the vines lifted her up ever so slightly as if to make a point. “I think they like her or respect her enough to tolerate. They won’t help us capture her… but won’t hinder us either.”

“Will they help her?” Cinder asked and Marigold shrugged. Thea suddenly felt a strange sense of safety from behind the roots she was hiding in. “What about her?” Cinder gestured to the orc. “We should question her.”

“Good idea… Marigold?” Blueberry asked and the green pixie waved her hands as the vines reseeded from the orc’s mouth. As they did Thea noticed that there was a lot more vine than just enough to gag her and fill her mouth. In fact, the mass of vines that came out of her were strangely phallic and must have been long enough to go at least a few inches down her throat. “You, orc…”

“Please… please… please… just let me go,” the orc wheezed her slobber and spittle dribbling out her mouth along with what appeared to be some pink coloured sap. “Or at least let me cum… this is ****.”

“Shut it orc,” Cinder growled. “Be thankful we have fed and cared for you as it is. You have no right to make demands or requests or…”

“What my friend here means is we may let you cum,” Blueberry said crossing her arms over her ample bosom. Well ample for her height… of six inches. “But you need to answer a question for us and do remember that as angry as my friend is right here, she does have one use. She can sense lies.” Cinder perked up at this, giving a fanged grin. “And remember what happens when you lie to us… because I am sure Marigold here does.” The pixie in question gave a little wave that made the orc shudder and whimper before nodding. “Very good. Now tell me… did an elf come through here?”

Thea held her breath. She could hear her heart beating in her ears. Her fingers twitched towards her dagger. There was not enough room here to fire her bow let alone even draw it back from her hiding spot. So, when the orc inevitably gave her away Thea needed to be ready to strike. Blueberry was the leader so maybe a dagger to her back and then dealing with the other two? Then again Marigold clearly had amazing powers. Control over plants in an area like this where plant life was everywhere. That was dangerous. But she had said they may not be willing to turn against Thea. Perhaps Cinder had some brawn to back up her talk. She might be the one to take out first. Either way the moment the orc spoke and revealed Thea’s position she would need to…

“No,” the orc said shaking her head. “An elf did not pass through here. At least as far as I know.” Huh. Thea supposed that technically the orc had not lied. Thea had not passed through here. She was still here. Now to see if that worked for the pixies or not.

“She’s not lying,” Cinder said her tone as if that was almost as bad as if the orc had lied.

“Then perhaps you were right Cinder, and this was a waste of time,” Blueberry sighed. “Alright, Marigold, wrap back up our toy for later and let’s get back to searching.”

“Awwwww but I wanted to play with her some more,” Marigold whined as she pouted at the orc. “I have some new fun plant spells to try out.”

“You can use them on the elf,” Cinder said as she turned her back on the orc. “Bind her back up and let’s go find that elf!”

“Wait don’t…” the orc was silenced as the vines went back into her mouth. “Gulk!” There was a noticeable bulge in her throat, and she groaned as they started pumping in that weird pink sap. Thea could see her eyes roll back even from here and she swore that despite her protests there was a strange look of bliss upon her face as the vines wrapped tighter around her and pulled her back down into the hog tie position.

“Let’s move out!” Blueberry exclaimed and together they flew out of the creek.

Thea gave it a few moments before stepping out cautiously. She had a good look around, waiting and listening for any sign of the pixies. When there was none, she turned back to the orc. There they were, those begging eyes, pleading with her. Thea felt like she owed the orc at least something for having kept her hidden from the pixies. The very least she could do was try and free the orc but how? Her dagger perhaps? But would that hurt the plants? Turn them against her? Would the pixies know? Perhaps there was another way. What had that pixie talked about? Plant magic? Thea had heard stories of her elven ancestors possessing such magic. Could she do… what? Talk to it? Command it? Maybe the dagger was the better option. Certainly, more within her skillset.