[@BellBottomBlues]
Gurgle stopped.
The crowd hushed.
Fifty pieces? For an elf? That was an offer old Gurgle had to seriously consider. With that kind of money, he could afford to buy off the crowd's good opinion and still turn a profit. And if he could make a show of freeing her so he wouldn't have to buy off anyone, he could keep all the proceeds for himself. Considering that all she wore now was a few cloth straps, the most embarrassing way to hand her off would be to force skin contact with her new master. He grinned, baring all his ugly yellow teeth. "Very well, Ranger. You can have her. Here, take her!" He took her by the arm and dragged her part of the way, then shoved her toward Lanik. With the partial paralysis already setting in, she wobbled, stumbled, and crashed into Lanik. The crowd roared with laughter. "Not so elegant now, are you, elf?" one woman jeered. "I bet your master's going to love you in bed!" one man taunted.

Sweating profusely and drawing ragged breaths, Erudessa only had enough strength to wrap her arms around Lanik's neck and pray she didn't fall further. [i]Brutes...the lot of you...[/i] The only expression she could muster was an exhausted scowl. With her forehead buried in Lanik's neck, she got a whiff of his scent. Though she couldn't visually recognize him from the altar, his smell was more familiar to her. [i]From the forest. I think this man is a Ranger. The one I helped? No, this one's a little different. His companion. Should I thank him? What if he has a more painful end in mind for me? I'd better hold my thanks until I know what he plans to do with me.[/i]

Gurgle roared again. "Ah ha ha ha! Aw, how sweet, how touching their reunion. Look at the way she holds him, like a whore spent from a night of lovemaking. Go enjoy your elf, Ranger! Wah ha ha ha ha ha!" All the onlookers roared with him.
"Eca, a mitta lambetya cendelessë orcova," Erudessa retorted under her breath.

A guard seized the fifty golds pieces, and the auctions resumed. Erudessa looked up at Lanik.
"Hello again," she breathed.