Tanya took a hearty sip of her beer and sighed. Glancing around the tavern, she rolled her eyes and then laid her head sideways on the counter of the bar like a lost puppy. She had wanted something different. That's why she ordered high quality aged beer and went to a bar that she had never been to before... one of the few in town.
But everything still seemed the same. Her beer still tasted like beer and the boys of the bar were still eying her like she was a piece of fresh meat. Normally she would have eyed them back the exact same way, but this day just didn't feel normal. She needed something different.
Some guy had tried hitting on her ten minutes earlier, and she kicked him in the crotch... with her heel. He left (with the help of some of his friends) and she managed to scare away whatever other pitiful fools were planning on coming to her, but she could feel that one of them was going to get brave enough to try to flirt with her again. And that was fine—people could flirt with her all they liked—but she wasn't going to have any of it unless he was different this time. All guys seemed to be the same, and Tanya was too bored to put up with it.
Anoriel stumbled into the room of a small tavern, yawning, and dusted her guard's uniform off. Such a hot afternoon... It was like getting near her brother, enraged to the point where he set himself on fire. She chuckled at the though, and quickly sat down before the counter.
The innkeeper lazily approached her. "Good evening, Anoriel. What will it be this time?" he asked. Anoriel put her arms onto the table and took off the gauntlets. "Give me the biggest, coldest beer you have. And give it quickly." she ordered, and put her head down onto her crossed forearms. After being on duty since morning, she didn't want to think about guards and errands till she will wake up the following morning.
Her mouth opened in a yawn again as the innkeeper brought her a great jug of beer. Drops of water, condensed on the glass, dripping off it, sparkled on the counter. Anoriel's hands picked it up, and she turned it to herself. A long while passed, and she still didn't lay it down...
Delicious, she thought to herself, finally laying it down, a good quarter emptier.
Tanya watched wearily (and sideways) as people entered the bar, hoping that someone would catch her eye. And, to her surprise, someone did almost immediately.
A tall and elegant elf walked in, garmented in a guard's uniform. She looked like she should be from the moon, with her silver hair and grey blue eyes. Even still, none of this would have grabbed Tanya's attention for much longer if it wasn't the actions of the elf. Tanya watched as a big jug of beer got delivered the elven lady, and continued to watch with a smile on her face as the elf drank a good deal of it.
It had been a while since she had found a girl worth playing with, but it seemed like she had found the perfect one.
Her head still resting on the bar counter, Tanya decided to make a move before anyone else could approach either of them. "That all you can do?" she spoke loudly so that her voice would travel far enough. The girl was only a few spots away, but she had to make it clear who she was talking to. "Well, I must admit, that's pretty impressive for a little elven girl... especially one that appears to be a guard?"
Anoriel giggled, glancing at the stranger that just spoke to her. It was one of those dark-haired, tan-skinned adelan women, lazily leaning on the counter, and there was a jug of beer before her, which appeared even bigger than her own.
"Brother taught me! He'd down this were it filled with wine." she replied with a grin. It was, off course, Athran that showed her taverns and wine when they were both young. She stretched herself on the chair and smiled at the girl.
She took another drink from her beer. A grin spread through her face, and she wagged her head towards the barrels behind the counter. "And you? Can you show me what you can do with a nice jug of wine or beer?"
Tanya laughed as the girl's enthusiasm. "It seems that I must meet your brother someday, then. But surely he isn't as attractive as you?" She winked and added, "If he is... well, then Angsar would have blessed your family more than any other."
Finally taking the energy to sit up straight again, Tanya took her own jug of beer and raised it up as if cheering, causing a little to spill out and fall onto the bar. She brought it down to her lips and was just about to drink before an idea came into her head. Looking at the elven girl and smiling coyly, she challenged, "How would you like to have a drinking contest? I wasn't planning on getting too drunk... then again, maybe I'll win before that even happens."
Anoriel laughed. "Athran's face is even fairer than mine, as they say. He'd have half of the ladies in the town if he wasn't so strange..." she explained, and shook her head. Athran was a mystery to her, and she gave up on trying to understand him. A long time ago.
At her challenge, she raised a brow, then smiled. "Gladly. I'm off duty for two days... I can drink a river!" she replied, and gestured to the bartender to refill her jug. "We can race till we drop! But I'll warn you... The Daineth house can take a lot of ale." She cheered. The man, till now sitting on the stool between them, left in the middle of their conversation, and she felt free to take his place to get right next to Tanya.
Tanya smiled at the girl and shouted towards the bartender, "Give me whatever she has! And keep it coming—for both of us." Glancing around the bar, she smiled mischievously and continued yelling, but this time to everyone. "Us two lovely ladies are having a drinking contest now! So for those of you souls who wish to make bets, well, it's your chance!" Tanya's shouting, as always, grabbed the attention of many others.
The bartender brought her her order. "Thanks." He looked at her expectantly and Tanya sighed. Right. She hadn't been to this bar before... most bars knew that she always had an excess of money and that she also always paid no matter how much she drank. "I'll pay when we're done?" He kept looking at her so she pulled a gold coin out of her corset and slapped it onto the counter. "I promise there's more, so stop staring at me like a starving puppy. I'll pay when we're done."
He walked away content and the other drinkers at the bar had started to set up a seating arrangement around the two girls. Even those that had missed her shouting were joining in and asking what was happening. Smirking, Tanya looked the elf in her pretty blue eyes and asked, "This isn't too much pressure, is it?"
Anoriel shook her head in laughter. "I'm usually among the audience, but trust me, I'm no newcomer to drinking races!" she assured the woman, and winked at the people around. "Make bets! Who drops first loses, and we drink till one can't continue!" she shouted.
The bartender laid down two full jugs of cold beer, and leaned on the counter, watching them curiously. Anoriel was known as a good drinker around the town, more known and more favored by people than even her brother - unlike him, she had a habit to pay with a smile, instead of a threat, or not paying at all.
"We drink at three!" she cried out towards Tanya, and picked up her jug.
They drank. And drank and drank and drank. Tanya smiled up at the girl on occasion, surprised that she was able to keep up. It had been a while since she had had a true drinking contest, since most people passed out way before she would have. But this girl could keep up.
Somewhere in the middle of her third drink, Tanya felt a hand on her shoulder. She removed the jug from her lips and looked up. There he was, with one hand on her shoulder and one hand on the elven girl's. Albacore. Tanya's mouth dropped open as she saw his red eyes and rosy cheeks—he was definitely drunk.
"Hiya Tanya!" he exclaimed. "Howa ya doin? Suth a purty younga lady like you shouldn't be here ath the bar. Here, I can help ya two go some'ere else!" And just like that, Tanya and Anoriel disappeared from the bar.
And reappeared in the middle of some woods.
Anoriel dropped her jug onto a pile of ferns, surprised by the sudden transportation, looking around with her confused blue eyes. She glanced at Tanya.
"Hey... Where the heck are we?" she asked, louder than one should have in the middle of the woods. Her voice echoed through the silence of the forest. It was already dark, the twilight rested upon the world like a cover of silk, only stars occasionally twinkled on its dome. The breeze gently shook the branches of trees, and except for that, the forest was silent.
Somewhere in the distance howled a wolf, and another one answered him, a bit closer, and sounding from the north. Anoriel took a step back, closer to Tanya, and looked around herself, searching for the wild beasts in the darkness of the forest. "Do you think they're close?" she whispered.
Tanya glanced at the girl and her now empty hands. Smirking, Tanya lifted up her drink and finished it off. With a big smile, she held it up and exclaimed, "I drank more!" Pointing the jug towards the elven girl, she demanded, "Surely I must get a present for winning! How about a kiss from the lovely lady?" Smiling, she used her empty hand and pointed to her lips to let the girl know she wasn't kidding.
Anoriel bent her head back in laughter, then narrowed her eyes, looking at Tanya. "A kiss, you say?" she laughed. She reached after Tanya and puled her to herself, giving her a fleet kiss on her cheek.
The wolves howled again, this time sounding from a much shorter distance. A beast's glowing eyes appeared between the trees, and suddenly, they were surrounded by wolves, standing in the shadows.
They stood around in a great circle, all but their heads hidden in the shadows, but they appeared far bigger than normal beasts - at least as big as a small horse. Anoriel has heard of wolf-riders in the forests and mountains, outlaws and thieves, but she never believed in them...
"I hope these are just normal beasts..." she whispered, grabbing Tanya's shoulder.
Pouting, Tanya quickly replied, "That wasn't a real kiss, you know."
With a sigh, she glanced around at all the surrounding creatures. Maybe she should have taken some fighting lessons from Eirdis. Alas, she hadn't.
Turning back towards her companion, she whispered, "Maybe we should play dead?" Wait... that was just for bears. "Or climb high?" Tanya kept going through her head on things to do when you met giant wolf beasts, but nothing was coming to her mind. "Or find a cat for them to chase?"
Anoriel shook her head. "No... These are big... Aren't they the big dire wolves? How do they just call them..." she scratched her head, nervously staring at the huge beasts.
Suddenly, one of them stepped forth. Its eyes glowed orange like fire, and only then she saw the figure in dark clothes, sitting atop the wolf. Outlaws! They were close to the mountains... Only there they could meet those thieves and murderers.
She screamed and held onto Tanya's shoulder. She didn't have her bow! And those wolves were running around them in circles....
At the wide, tall shoulders of every one of them, even taller than the two girls, was a dark figure. They were surrounded.
Tanya laughed as the girl screamed. She was so antsy! There were people, so now they didn't really have to worry about the wolves. Well, not as much, at least.
Waving her hand, Tanya decided that she should probably come up with some sort of plan. These men didn't look like the most friendly of people. "Hi!" she said with a wide smile. "May we help you guys with anything?" With the current set-up, there was no way her and her little elven companion could run away. So they'd have to try a different method.
One of the wolf-riders laughed. Suddenly, an even larger animal leaped forth, and a couple of heavily armoured arms picked both of them up, hanging them over the wolf's back.
A couple of thin fingers stroke both Tanya's and Anoriel's cheek, and the hands of the outlaw suddenly pressed onto their mouth.
"Shhh. If you'll be quiet, it will go nicely and nobody will get hurt." Aldanith snickered. Anoriel tried to bite into his hand, but it was covered in hard leather, giving her no option to attack him.
Her companion might have been busy trying to bite the new man's hand, but Tanya just kissed it with a smile. It seemed like a questionably dashing knight had shown up to rescue them. Giggling, Tanya winked at him and then glanced over at her companion. Why was she struggling so much? Clearly that would do no good.
Anoriel attempted to kick the wolf, but her foot couldn't do anything except bashing into the thick, rough fur. Aldanith's hands have begun tying the girls up, binding their hands to each other to stop them from trying to escape. He wasn't rough at all, and his moves were surprisingly graceful for an outlaw, but strong like iron at the same time.
She cringed when she felt something cold on her skin, and her eyes saw a part of his right hand appeared darker, glinting like metal. She tried to bite into his fingers again, but they indeed did feel like cold steel... Her elbow poked into Tanya, but Aldanith's hand immediately gripped her neck. He pressed one finger onto his lips, twisted in a smirk, and shook his head.
"I told you to keep quiet. Your pretty throats will remain intact like that for a longer time." he whispered, bending above them. A couple of chains and rings in his ears glinted in the starlight, and his sharp white teeth appeared right above their heads, so close it was scary.
Tanya hummed under her breath, quiet enough that the others wouldn't be able to hear her, but loud enough that the man tying her up as well as her companion probably would. She had no plans on defying the strange man, but surely she could enjoy herself while she was being captured? She smiled at some of the wolves, wondering what Soren would think of the whole thing. Then again, most werewolves didn't communicate with normal wolves. It wasn't like he was really talking to her much anymore, anyway.
The outlaws rode on, and by the time they got deep into the heart of the Thunderblacks, both girls were tied up, secured on Uthrang's back. The group rode into a cave, eventually slowing down, and stopped in one wide hall, enlightened by the shine of two solitary torches on the walls.
Aldanith sled off the wolf's back, still holding his captives. Anoriel has already fallen asleep through the ride, but his steady grip awoke hew when he picked both her and Tanya up, dropping them onto the cold ground. A couple of other outlaws appeared by his sides, grinning just as devilishly as himself.
Similar to her companion, Tanya had fallen asleep on the back of Uthrang. However, unlike her companion, she kept sleeping even after she had been dropped on the ground.
Lots of nights of sleeping with various people had made Tanya accustomed to all sorts of things. Noise no longer woke her up, and neither did being kicked, shoved, nor rolled off her bed onto the ground. In addition to that, the alcohol flowing through her body did little to strengthen her senses. So a nice drop to the ground didn't stir her slumber in the least.
Aldanith carried the two up to his personal chambers. Gold was glittering in the candlelight around, and he put them down right onto the large pile in the middle of the chamber. The opulence, the wealth was seeping from the very walls, and the bound girls rested on the gold like precious trophies.
He shook them to wake them up, and begun taking off his armour, opening a bottle of ale in the meantime. Anoriel was already wide awake when he begun taking off the binds at her wrists with his teeth, provocatively grinning into her face. It was disgusting how he carried himself, with almost enormous confidence... He was arrogant, so arrogant that her stomach was turning upside down inside her. She growled at him, but he only laughed.
"Such a pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty face. Don't fight..." he whispered.
Tanya looked at her elven companion, then the man, then back at her companion. The girl wasn't thinking much, was she? Better fix that. In a swift movement, Tanya leaned over and kissed her. She hoped that would startle her enough from doing anything stupid.
Turning towards the man, Tanya asked, "Do I any of that ale? Ooo and maybe a fancy dress to wear?"
Anoriel gulped when Aldanith's lips touched her cheek, not warm at the slightest, but remained silent. He appeared amused when Tanya kissed her, and seemed to copy her...
At her surprise, Aldanith handed them the bottle, and perched on the top of the pile, somewhat above them, he watched with expectations. Anoriel only handed the bottle to her companion. "Here's your ale!" she growled.
Tanya's enthusiasm over the ale completely canceled out the lack of enthusiasm her partner had. Raising it into the air, she yelled, "Thank the gods for alcohol!" She then took a hearty sip and licked her lips happily. Holding it out for the girl to take back, Tanya added, "You should have some. It's good quality stuff... at least ten times better than that nastiness we had in the bar. Not like that's saying much."
Aldanith cackled. "Off course it is... Only the best for a couple of such lovely ladies." he grinned, taking the bottle, and pulling one of Tanya's sleeves down as he sled between the two girls. Anoriel growled as his other hand unbuttoned the guard's hauberk she wore, but he paid no attention to that, and gave her just a lightheaded laugh.
"It's way too warm here to keep all these clothes on, beauty."
Tanya looked over at the kidnapper and, contrasting her behavior so far, finally asked a serious question. "So, do we get the pleasure of knowing why we were kidnapped in the middle of the woods, brought here, and given something to drink? Because—and correct me if I'm wrong—I believe that isn't something that normally happens... isn't it just thieving with the occasional murder? That sounds much more common."
"You two," Aldanith pointed at her and Anoriel, "are pretty. I'd be sorry to slit the throat like one of a graceful swan! A golden necklace adorns it better than streaming blood, does it not?"
He pulled Anoriel's chainmail shirt off, and left her there only in a tunic that she wore underneath, scowling so grimly that a single glance would make a songbird drop dead. It appeared that Aldanith was more interested in her than Tanya, as he made her sit, and begun putting chains of silver and gold onto her neck and head, garbing her like a queen. "Just look at it... Glimmers and shines like molten stars..." he whispered into her ear, and kissed her on the cheek.
Soon after, he did something similar with Tanya, covering her in exquisite jewels, and he sat there with his arms around the shoulders of the two, glancing once at one, then at the other.
Tanya paused for a second, staring off into the distance as if she was seriously pondering his question. It was only after she was covered with jewels that she responded. "Yes, I suppose a golden necklace is better than blood. Even still, booze is better than it all!"
She couldn't care less for jewelry. While it would occasionally make a good accessory, it was much easier to have none on at all. Most jewelry just seemed like a way to show off wealth, something that Tanya had no interest in.
Aldanith pulled the girls down beside him, fiercely kissing once one, then the other, covering them in more gold and gradually taking off the rest of their clothing. He gave both of them more booze, drinking from a large bottle himself, and it was starting to be obvious that he's at least slightly drunk.
Anoriel only pretended to drink, not too eager to sleep with a bandit. She kept her bottle full, and every time he took some of her clothes off, or unbuttoned something, she immediately closed it again. It appeared that he didn't notice it...
She had to come up with something to get them out, or else bad things would follow, she was sure of that. But what?
Tanya went along with the elven man, drinking when he drank and letting him slowly take off her clothes. She played the same trick as her companion by fixing at least some of the clothes he messed up. She planned mostly on stalling him, so that he would drink more. After all, while she didn't necessarily have anything against having sex with the elf, she did like the idea of being able to leave afterwards.
Rolling herself so that she was partially on the elven man, Tanya stepped up her game. She got him to drink more and become more aroused therefore, in effect, distracting him from the other girl. Turning her head to the other girl (who at this point was at least mostly free from the affections of the drunk), Tanya glanced over at the door. While she was willing to bet it was locked, she hoped her elven companion had at least some knowledge in escaping.
Finding Tanya a far better option than Anoriel, who wasn't amused at the least, and did her best to push Aldanith away, he turned away from the silver-haired elf, and aimed all his attention on the other girl, offering her the golden mead from his own bottle and completely recklessly pulling away parts of her clothes, almost ripping them from her figure while making out with her and drinking.
Anoriel used the lack of his attention to shake off what he has hung on her, and slipped from the pile of gold towards the door. It was only luck that Aldanith was turned away... And the door wasn't even locked! She knew what to do...
"Entertain him!" she hissed at Tanya, hiding behind her. "And try to get him onto the bed!"
Tanya cocked an eyebrow at the girl. Try to get him onto the bed? Try? Surely the girl didn't know a thing about her! Something like that would be easier than getting an alcoholic to drink beer.
She stood up, placed his hands on less than appropriate places, and pulled him up by the collar of his shirt. She placed her warm hands onto his chest and pressed her body close, slowly guiding him closer and closer to the bed all while keeping his lips busy. At this point she was still clothed, though barely so. Then again, it wasn't like she covered up too much of her body in the first place.
Tanya pushed him 'playfully' onto the bed before sitting on his lap. She glanced over at the elven girl, wondering what her plan was. Assuming she had one. Otherwise... well, there was a bottle of beer in his hand that Tanya would be able to take pretty easily and slam into the side of his head.
Anoriel grabbed a few strong, big chains from the pile of gold, and sneaked up to Aldanith from behind. He has already finished a second bottle of mead, which appeared pretty strong, and Tanya kept all his attention...
She stroke his shoulder, her hand slowly sliding to his wrist, and picked up his arm, moving it closer towards the chain which held the bed up. She winked at Tanya as she twisted the golden chain around his forearm, tying it to the thick irons of the other one, and completely fastened it to the bed.
Barely managing to contain her laughter, Tanya kept kissing the man as he was being chained. Apparently two bottles was too much for the poor guy to handle. He didn't even seem to process that he was being tied up. Tanya gave him one last passionate kiss before climbing off of him and standing up.
Or falling over.
Well, apparently she had a tidbit too much herself. Laughing, Tanya stared at the ornate ceiling. "Want to help me up?" she asked sweetly to her elven companion.
After she finished tying Aldanith to the chains of his own bed, and immediately noticing how his face changed from content through confused into the pinnacle of rage. It took him only a moment to realize that he was chained... But by then, Anoriel was already rushing Tanya out of the chamber.
He pulled the chains with as much force as it was only possible to use, growling. "Come back, you f***ing w****s! You liars!" he shouted after them, followed by a rain of curses and obscenities. A thud sounded as he kicked into the bed's front, but he was unable to set himself free just like that.
Anoriel helped Tanya up and pushed both of them out into the corridor, closing the door behind them. "Now we have to get out through this... Labyrinth. Do you remember the way?" she whispered.
Tanya looked around the different paths and then, on an impulse, sat down. "Hmm... now I kind of wish I could have finished through with him before we left. I mean, he certainly knows how to please a girl. Booze, money, jewels... though I guess the kidnapping was a bit out of the ordinary. But who am I to judge? Everyone has their own thing." Her drunken rambling continued, being perfectly understandable and yet perfectly strewed at the same time. It was clear, based on her behavior, that Tanya had no plans on moving unless another impulse passed by or she was made to.
Anoriel frowned, crossing her arms on her chest. "I didn't like him. First, because he was shameless and rude. Second, he was cold like a chunk of ice. And he was handling me like a dead deer!" she moaned.
After a while of thinking, she pointed at one of the paths. "This one could work! Just hope we won't run into more outlaws."
"Wait!" Tanya shouted, holding up a drunken hand. She squinted and stared down the path. Shaking her head slowly (but then abruptly ending because a headache was growing), Tanya pointed to the path on the left. "Take that one instead."
Using the wall to help herself, Tanya stood back up. She started stumbling down the path that she had just pointed to. And to make things more enjoyable, she started singing a bar song... which, by definition, meant she was singing obnoxiously.
Anoriel pressed one of her hands onto Tanya's mouth almost immediately after she started singing. Why can's she just stay quiet? This would only give them out!
The other hand grabbed her by the shoulder and dragged both of them down the path as quickly as it was just possible - before Tanya could attract some outlaws. Being found out wouldn't help them! As if it wasn't enough that Aldanith was surely still screaming up there!
Tanya froze as a hand was pressed against her mouth. Then, after a few seconds of being dragged, she finally reacted and gave the cold hand a quick little lick. A content smile grew on her face and her eyes lit up. It was such an adventure!
Unable to withstand the silence, however, Tanya continued the song she had been singing before. But because her mouth was covered, she was restricted to simply humming it. Which, in her drunken mind, was more than enough fun.
"Shut up already!" Anoriel hissed, pushing Tanya forth down the corridor. But before she could add another snarky remark, it ended. Before them was a hole in the wall...
She stepped forwards into the empty space, and looked out. They were on a narrow stone terrace, far above a valley in the mountains. "I guess... We're not getting anywhere from here... It's steep as hell." she whispered.
Tanya leaned over and looked out, going farther over than was safe given her intoxication. But she managed to not fall and instead cocked her head sideways after standing up straight again. "Huh," she muttered, confused. "I know we came from this direction." That's why she led them down the path, after all. "Maybe there is a hidden door somewhere? Or maybe this view is just an illusion!"
And just like that, Tanya started to take a step over the ledge...