Chapter 4 – Everything Is Going as Planned

One morning, almost two weeks after her capture, Elana awoke even more reluctantly than usual. Rising to go to the chamberpot, she was swept by a wave of nausea. When their usual breakfast of dry bread arrived accompanied by two raw eggs, the nausea returned. When she saw Roswyn crack hers onto a slice of bread and start to eat, she had to run to the chamberpot to be sick. Roswyn looked at her sharply.

“When did you last have your moon time?” Roswyn questioned.

“About, oh, two weeks before the raid, I think. Why?” Her stomach felt greatly relieved after vomiting.

“I think you’re pregnant already. If you are, they’ll stop the rapes.” Roswyn went to the cell gate, and called for the orc guard.

Elana was beset by a storm of conflicting emotions. The thought that the offspring of her monster rapist had taken root inside her was horrible. But the prospect of not having to face the daily nightmare was a desperate hope. And deep inside was a touch of wonder that life, any life, had been kindled in her body, accompanied by a bitter grief that reality was so different from the fond dreams of her childhood, when she’d imagined with longing the day she would take her place among the women and mothers, with her own babe warm and heavy in her arms.

Elana was taken to yet another chamber in the stone warren – was there no end to the tunnels and rooms buried beneath the ground? This one had a waist high stone table in the center, and against the walls were racks of strangely shaped instruments. Elana was stripped and laid on the table, her arms tied down at her side. A different half-orc, younger looking than Burnruk, entered. With swift efficiency he began examining her, prodding her belly and breasts – she winced when they were unexpectedly tender - and using a metal tool which allowed him to peer into her inner parts. Elana’s body protested this different sort of violation, but she bit her tongue and did not resist, hopeful of what he would find.

The half-orc left the room, and she lay for an interminable time, tied naked on the stone bed. Finally he entered again, and busied himself about the room, ignoring her completely. Soon Burnruk entered.

“Well, Obstuk, what did you find?”

“Oh, she’s pregnant all right. Looks like you picked a fertile one this time. Guess Argluk gets his fun cut short, huh?” he said with a leer.

“Excellent,” Burnruk said, ignoring Obstuk’s banter. “Everything is going as planned. Looks like we’ll have a good crop of cubs this season. Have her returned to her cell.”