Chapter 8 How Elf Maidens arrived in Thurn

“Perhaps we need to investigate the living conditions of the adolescent elves who work on farms and in the mines,” suggests Cassandra one evening a few days later. “We also need to get a better understanding of why so many adolescent elves disappear each year.”

“We don’t for certain that any are missing,” I reply. “The census figures are unreliable. Not all employers are diligent in reporting the deaths of elves working for them. After all, adolescent elves are still regarded as animals, so no official is going to worry about a few discrepancies in the records. And the hazards of the long journey back to the city ghettos before winter can claim the lives of some elves.”

“Hmm ... I’ve heard the stories of young elves being set upon by wolves and bears. But none of those stories come from elven sources. And what of the elves’ body odour. That is a natural defence against wild animals and there is evidence that it works against wolves and bears in Thurn.”

I recall that I had initially planned to research the working and living conditions of adolescent elves but haven’t done so to date. I also intended to check the various conflicting histories of how elves came to Thurn. Maybe now is the time to carry out that work.

My research into the origins of elves in Thurn turns out to be a scholar’s nightmare. There are many conflicting tales of how elves came to be transported from the southern continent to Thurn. Thankfully, Cassandra has access to the Emperor’s personal library, which contains a number of contemporary official reports. Three weeks later I’m called on to present my research to the Chief Procurator and his top advisers. I’m confident my work is as close to the truth as any historical treatise on the subject.

“Ancient Thurnian legend holds that when the world was formed, the gods created two lands separated by a vast ocean,” I begin. “For no obvious reason, the land mass on which Thurn stands is regarded as the northernmost of those two lands. Fifty years ago, Emperor Rambold ordered his cousin Gregori to lead an expedition across the ocean to establish whether the mythological southern continent actually existed. Eager for fame and glory, Gregori mustered 50 warriors, 135 sailors and 24 learned men. They set sail in five ships as soon as the bitterly cold winter storms had eased. It was a risky venture for sailors who had never previously travelled out of sight of the coast. Rough seas and large aggressive marine animals tested their skills to the limit. The further south they sailed, the warmer the climate became; much hotter than the temperate warmth of Thurn. After many weeks, the expedition sighted a land covered by tropical forests. They sailed along the coast for three days without seeing any sign of habitation. Gregori ordered the fleet to anchor in the estuary of a large river and to prepare to land men on the beach. The sounds of strange animals made them cautious and initially only warriors were sent ashore.

“The twelve-strong landing party made camp on a riverbank within sight of the anchored ships. Keeping cool in the tropical heat was a challenge, and the men’s long hair and thick clothing soon became very uncomfortable. However, masculine pride meant that few men trimmed their hair, or discard their jackets. Each morning they would venture into the nearby forest. Most of the animals they encountered were small and ran away at their approach. But large cats and giant lizards were not so easily scared, and they would stalk the party from the safety of the trees. The warriors soon learned not to venture too far from their comrades, and never to enter the forest unarmed. Gradually the warriors explored further up-river but found nothing of interest for several days. Then the discovery of a human-like footprints in the sand of the riverbank changed everything. On hearing the news, Gregori ordered another fifty men to be landed from the ships. Next day several parties, each of six to eight men, went into the jungle in search of the source of the footprints. Meanwhile some of Gregori’s scholars started examining the diverse range of tropical flora, most of which have never been seen in Thurn.

“The exploration through the jungle was hazardous, and several confrontations with wild animals resulted in casualties. One party was rescued by a group of the human-like beings they were seeking. At first sight the Thurnians mistook their rescuers for men like themselves, but their rescuers’ enlarged ears and pungent odour made the Thurnians reconsider. It is from this initial encounter that the newly discovered race came to be called “elves”, although they were clearly not the creatures of fairy tales. The derogatory term “stinking elves” also came into being about this time. It would be several years before Thurnian scholars accepted the obvious, and that both the excellent hearing and pungent body odour of the elves help them survive against the wild animals of the jungle. Similarly, it was a later discovery that the odour emitted by elves weakens as they become older, making them easier prey for wild animals. Consequently, there are few elves who could be considered to be old and wise. The young elves of the rescue party took the Thurnian men to their village. Despite the difficulty in communicating with the elves, the Thurnian men soon made a fateful discovery that had far reaching consequences for Thurn, and spelt disaster for the peace-loving elves.

“Nature dictates that Thurnian men can only have an erection when they smell the pheromones of a woman in heat. In Thurn, this only occurs for a few weeks during summer, in the short period known as the rutting season. It’s nature’s way of ensuring newborn babies are born in spring, and therefore stand a better chance of survival over the following bitterly cold Thurnian winter. Winters on the southern continent are mild, so nature has adapted elven women differently. Elven women are fertile all year round, and in heat for ten days every month. When the Thurnian men notice their cocks swelling in the presence of elven women, they overcome their distaste for the elven body odour, and react in a predicable way. What causes the disaster for the elven community, is that after seeing the size of the Thurnian men’s cocks, the elven women are equally eager to have sex with the Thurnian men. Both races are victims of their own natural desires, and neither can resist the powerful urge to mate. Elven males look on in helpless wonder as their womenfolk literally line up to be fucked. By comparison to huge solid shafts of the Thurnian men, their own cocks are puny.

“Eventually the exhausted Thurnian men retreat from the elven village, and report back to Gregori. Their tales of wild sexual abandon are initially disbelieved, and the subject of much mirth. However, a few days later elven women start appearing on the edge of the Thurnian camp. At first the women are told to go away. Whether they don’t understand the meaning of the words being spoken or are deliberately refusing to leave the Thurnian men alone, is impossible to know. Before long the perimeter guards start fraternising with the elven women. Two days later, the elven women are almost permanent residents of the Thurnian camp. Even Gregori succumbs to the delights the elven women have to offer. History doesn’t record who made the fateful decision to take some of the elven women back to Thurn when the expedition completes its mission. Gregori reputedly had initially refused permission for his men to have elven women on his ships, but after facing a near mutiny, he relented. As a consequence, over a hundred elven women were passengers on the ships returning to Thurn. With the need to reach Thurn before winter, the overcrowded ships set sail.