Finishing The Farm

The next morning I got up and headed to the farm. The cow girls were both eager to see me as usual. Delilah and Selena had both tried out the spell but they didn't get as much milk as I could. I milked them both casting pleasureful touch under my breath to make the experience more enjoyable.

Next I went to help plow the field. I taught Delilah and Selena the move earth spell cutting several hours of work into an hour letting the other girls get a jump on planting behind us. I went hunting and killed a buck and field dressed it before heading back to the cabin. I loaded him up and went to farm and grabbed the milk to take into town. Felicia and Selena tagging along. Selena sold the milk and then I gave them some coin to go look at clothes. Felicia could use some new clothes and I had yet I headed to the tavern where I saw a blonde headed new girl serving drinks while Helga tended the bar.

"Morning Handsome." Helga smiled.

"Morning. Gregor around. I have a deer to sell him."

"No sorry, but I can buy it from you. Can I get you a drink?" She nodded. It seemed to be that she was running the mornings now. I was sure Rose and Gregor helped with the busier afternoon shift when people got off of work and wanted a drink.

"Sure. My usual." I nodded and she headed over. I couldn't help but admire that nice ass of hers which gave me an Idea. "Digitus ternum tenere." I said giving her a pinch on the ass. She jumped a little and looked left and then right then at me and rolled her eyes as she smiled and brought me over my drink.

"Don't start what you can't finish." She said handing my drink.

"Maybe next time." I shrugged taking a drink

I unloaded the deer around back and then headed over to Tomen's shop. Astrid greeted me and gave me a hug, a kiss on the cheek, and a pinch on the ass. I bought some salt and a large barrel so I could cure and store deer meat and bought some hay at the market for the girls tent once the grass started dying. I gave the money to buy something in the market for dinner and sent the girls home with the cart and I took the horse. The crowds in the city seemed to have died down some but even before the city was crowded during midday.

I went to see Halley and sell the herbs I had gathered. Lastly I went to the Mages Academy and went looking for books on farming. They didn't have any but the librarian pointed me to an earth magic book that was to be thrown away. It took me a little awhile but I found one spell that could help. She said she hadn't even heard of the book until it had to be copied because of its age. I guess mages didn't want to become so mundane as farmers. I headed back to the farm and walked out to field where it looked like they had finished planting.

"All done?"

"Yep. That took less time then it normally wood" Delilah smiled.

"I have a spell that might help you out with the growing as well." I said and looked for a spot where the seeds had been planted. "Velocius herba augmentum." I said holding my hand over the area and felt the magic flow throw me into the dirt. Slowly two plants sprouted up out of the ground and began to grow. Unlike the growth spells I had learned before this growth spells effects were permanent because it sped up the natural process of growth using mana as the catalyst and not the source.

"Wow." Selena smiled.

"The only catch is the bigger the plant you try it on the more magic it takes so growing them to big could cause mana fatigue." The three of us went about making the plants sprout. Now that the farm was growing I could spend more time doing other stuff. Though I would still help milking the girls.

There where still a few hours left in the day so I headed to Hunters Rest to see the number of workers at the fort had doubled. People went where the work was. The outline of the fort had been mostly dug out which would be large enough to be a castle. Across the river I noticed the army camp had shrunk by about half. The other half must have moved north this morning. It looked like the bridge was closed as they finished the gate house so one would have to cross the river to get over. I went to the red tent where Emerald sat with her girls.

"Hello handsome." Emerald smiled as she got up and offered her hand which I kissed.

"I came by to see if you had had a chance to talk to the architect."

"Yes. He said he would need to see your paper work but he could write up the bill of sale. We could go see him now if you like." She smiled.

"Lead on." We headed over to the fort where a large open tent sat in what would be the courtyard. A guy was looking down at a map which had to have been of the fort from the look of it.

"Hey Jon, this is the guy I mentioned." Emerald smiled as we got close.

"Ah, yes. Did you bring the..." He said as I was pulling it out of my bag having a feeling I would need it. "Lets see. This all seems to be in order all be it dated. Actually the crown probably owes you some coin since part of the fort will be on your land but good back getting them to pay you." He smiled. I was sure I might be able to given my good relations with the queen but she had more important things on her mind. He pulled out a similar letter to mine bound in leather. "So I drew up a standard plot size for taverns and brothels which would sell for three gold in the city so I would estimate it one and a half gold out here and one silver per tree I estimate the land is worth thirty two silver." That was worth more then I had bought the land for.

"Lets just make it three gold." I shrugged.

"You do understand that is not how you negotiate right?" Emerald smiled at me.

"Yes." I nodded. "You still need to hire someone to cut down the trees." I shrugged.

"I am sure Jon can help with that. I scratch his back. My girls scratch his." She smiled touching his shoulder and rubbed his back.

"I can spare a couple of men for moral purposes. I am sure they would like a place to go after hours besides just the lodge." He smiled and filled out the paper work. "That should do it, all that is needed now is both signatures and me to sign as a witness." He said and we each signed it. I handed him three silvers and asked him to point any future buyers my way in return of a portion of the sell.

"Let us go get your money. If you like I can even offer you some nightly entertainment as well." Emerald said wrapping my arm in hers and we walked back towards her tent.

"I am not sure what I want is on the menu any more." I grinned.

"Hmm. I wouldn't say no. Maybe you can buy me dinner and drinks at the lodge some night. Maybe even a room. What happens after that, who knows." She smiled.

"I look forward to it my lady." I smiled.

"As for your three gold. I hope you don't mind if it is in silver and copper." She shrugged.

"Not at all. It's easier to spend that way." I collected my money and made my back home. I went inside and stashed the money in my room under one of the floor boards I hadn't nailed down. We all had dinner and then me and Felicia retired to the cabin. I taught Felicia a little more reading she picked out the book on sex as she snuggled against me. I was getting a little turned on but a knock at the door came ruined the moment.

"I wonder who that could be?"

"The winged girl." Felicia said sniffing the air. Sure enough as I opened the door there stood Araseli.

"Araseli. What are you doing here or how did you even find me for that matter?"

"The priestess gave me this." She said opening her hand to show a leaf.

"Ah."

"I need you to come with me." She held out her arm where two horses waited. Apparently she was in a hurry.

"What is this in regard to?"

"It's an elf related mater that requires your attention." She said looking at Felicia.

"Ah, okay. Felicia I need to go somewhere."

"Do you want me to come?" Felicia asked.

"No, I should be back soon. If you need anything while I am gone go to Delilah's."

"Okay." Felicia nodded and we headed for the horses.

"So where are we going?"

"Just past Hunters Rest." Araseli said. Well at least it was close. We rode past hunters rest a ways and then down several paths. I wish the path had better lite to see where in the hell she was leading me in the dark but the horse at least seemed to know where we were. We rode up to a large cabin in the middle of now where. Much larger then the one I owned. Araseli walked to the door and knocked.

"Come in." A familiar voice said. She opened the door for me to go in and closed it after I had. Before me stood Queen Rhianah.

"You Majesty." I bowed.

"Thank you for coming." The queen smiled.

"Of course your Majesty." I nodded.

"I was just about to have a drink. Would you like one?"

"I would love one." I nodded. She went to pour the drinks and I glanced at a map on the table in the center room I say figures representing the war to the north but as I looked south I noticed a symbol for the Fort at Hunters Rest and another at Rivers End and several more. They where each in a different direction from the city and all spaced fairly equally.

"Your expanding the city?" I glanced up at her.

"They said you where smart. My husband had planned to build seven forts around the city and a wall to connect them. In times like these we could provide shelter to hundreds of thousands. Sadly he only saw two of the forts begin construction before he died. I think he saw this war coming even before he married me." She brought the drinks over. "Thanks to him the crown has the money, resources, and food to last for sometime to come though how long that will take I do not know." She said taking a sip from her goblet.

"How goes the war?"

"We continue to drive the goblins back during the day but each night our men pull back least we fall under attack in the dark of night. They have however had to change their strategy and fall back to several of the cities they had burned down knowing they can not fight us in the field. A direct assault on goblintown could break their lines and force a surrender but they have at least ten thousand women and children in goblintown as well as several thousand human slaves. If not for the slaves I am sure many of my people would not show them mercy as they did not show any to our people any. A part of me even agrees with them but such a massive attack would put more of our soldiers at risk of the poison they use compared to the amount of antidote we have produced not to mention we think the ogres have access to the same poison. That is why I called you here."

"Anything I can do my lady?"

"Thanks to your discovery we have found that the flower grows in abundance in the night elves empire. Sadly we are not on friendly terms with the night elves. Certain criminal factions within the empire sell it for narcotic purposes and as such the growing of the plant is considered illegal. However there are those who are willing to smuggle them across the border. They thing that interest me most is they even know the secret to growing it."

"You want me to find out how?"

"Yes." She frowned. "With this knowledge we could reduce the number of human and elvish causalities. All of the goblins we have captured have told us that it they do not make the poison but it is provided by a third party in the east so even after we defeat the goblins other factions may continue to use it. If we would have had this flower a few months back we might have been able to save my husband."

"He was poisoned?"

"Yes, by one of his most trusted friends acting under orders of Lord Warwick, his own half brother. The poison was slow acting and we all thought it was a disease. Sadly we were wrong."

"I am sorry your Majesty." I said touching her shoulder.

"What's done is done." She gulped down her drink. "He will answer for his crimes."

"I also asked you here for personal reasons in regards to another matter. I find myself in need of someone who knows our ways and you seem to be a champion of the goddess. Why she chose you I cannot say but you are rather handsome for a human. I unlike many of my kind have learned to enjoy sex if for no other reason then to please my husband. Sadly however he is not here when I need him the most. I have engaged in relations with several of his concubines but still I feel the hunger."

"The king had concubines?"

"Oh, yes. He was human man and I was an elf and I did not mind sharing him. Several times I just watched but when the mood hit me I would even join them. Now though they are not enough to fill my needs. Nor has the potion made from dryad sap the priestess had you procure been able to ease this burden. Which is why I asked Araseli to find you. I can not have my mind distracted now. Not when so much in the balance." She looked at me touching my chest. "As many human males often have said when they don't know I can here them. I need a good fucking." She gave a little smile. I imagined she had overheard many things about her in her years as queen. "If you are willing?"

"Whatever you need your majesty." I nodded.

"Please. Just call me Rhiana when we are alone." She smiled and took my hand. I set my goblet down and she led me into the bedroom which was as big as my cabin. She let go of my hand and dropped her robe revealing a body that looked like it should have been on a woman my age. Except for the smaller breast it was clear to see where her daughter got her good looks. Why the king needed any other woman was beyond me.