<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/6/6e/Amal_1.jpg)</div><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Alateer Bayran’chaan</div><div class="spoiler_body">https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=215479.msg10592836#msg10592836</div></div><br/>Alateer whistled cheerfully as he walked the perimeter of the ship, tossing his lucy belaying pin from hand to hand.  (Though he now had the sword he'd always dreamed of--and did well with it—this trusty truncheon had been his weapon of choice for several years and it still felt natural in his hands.)<br/><br/>He'd done a lot of these laps since coming aboard.  A cunning eye might catch that—though neither graceful nor klutzy—he was comfortable moving about on a boat.  From day to day, the dark haired elfkin had adjusted his 'sea legs' to include river legs.  He was also training himself to stay loose and mobile in the heavy suit of full chain he'd acquired upon quitting the sea to try on the life of a mercenary.  He hadn't exactly expected to be on the water again quite so soon.  At nights in his chambers, he'd taken to practicing tossing off the mail, but figured he would have a lot of trouble with it if he fell overboard.<br/><br/>Though his eyes scanned the riverbanks as he circled, he didn't neglect the eye candy on board, either.  Ayla Savannii'Keen, now there was a beauty to dream on.  Slender, sleek, and feminine, but with a supple power that was the epitome of what made an elfmaid arousing.  Silver tresses that seemed to go on forever, and eyes the color of snow.  Damnation, he missed the companionship of elf girls!<br/><br/>Too bad they all hated his guts.  Even the ones who'd slept with him were just doing it to infuriate their 'real' lovers.  Damnation, the fights and—more often—beat downs that resulted had been more than worth it, but the  ultimate contempt of his bed mates ultimately wasn't.  This snow elf may have been an ice queen, but at least she hadn't so far proved to be a two faced bitch.<br/><br/>Alateer had too sigh.  No, not two faced, but an ice queen nonetheless.  Even bringing her a meal and greeting her in their native tongue hadn't managed to provoke either smile nor scowl, just her signature, distracted 'why is this person interrupting my work' look.<br/><br/>Then there was Florian Giles.  Quite an affable, 'fellow'.  He was quite confident that Florian was, in fact, a girl wearing boys clothes and playing a man's roll.  Upon becoming confident of this, he'd found his eyes wandering freely over 'her' body...<br/><br/>And yet, the more they did, the more he developed the same discomfort he would contemplating a man in such a fashion.   It hadn't been long 'til he'd given up such a pursuit as a lost cause and accepted that this was a lad he was talking too and enjoyed his company in that context.<br/><br/><br/>Finally his eyes lingered over Rha.  Some found the curious—apparently orcish—name rough on the tongue.  It felt to him like the passionate rumble of a tree pard or lion king.  He quite appreciated the primitive girl's passionate nature and forthright attitude.  He'd quite thoroughly savor getting the blond too an inn and teaching her the joys of a shared bath, and all the fun a man and a maid could have with lather.  (Or just the soft sensuality of washing a girl's hair.)<br/><br/>Should they manage to find some action on this venture, the reward of proving his strength to her would be a precious treasure indeed.<br/>