Drinking Daisies (Jelly!)

[zozee9]

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.

[Anadwen]

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.

[zozee9]

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?"

[Anadwen]

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?"

[zozee9]

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."

[Anadwen]

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.

[zozee9]

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?"

[Anadwen]

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.

[zozee9]

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.

[Anadwen]

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.

[zozee9]

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.

[Anadwen]

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.

[zozee9]

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?"

[Anadwen]

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.

[zozee9]

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.

[Anadwen]

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.

[zozee9]

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.

[Anadwen]

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.

[zozee9]

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.

[Anadwen]

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.