Aden hated Taverns. The smell, the insufferable songs going on into the early hours, the constant drunkenness of its patrons. Ugh. Did these Aelves have no self-respect at all? Yet here he was, standing outside the dimly lit structure of a place he so despised. A battered sign swung from the small wooden door, depicting a rather toned Aelf holding a glass decanter, ‘The Muscled Spirit’ the name read in faded letters. The Aelf fought back the urge to audibly groan in exasperation as his friend appeared in front of him. “So!” Tash giddily leaned forward excitedly, “what do you think?”
Her question almost made him laugh, “come on, Tash you can’t possibly be serious! I hate places like this you know that.” He crossed his arms, pointed ears already hearing the raucous laughter through the door. “Besides, couldn’t you have asked Aleya to come with you?”
Tash’s smile annoyingly persisted, “Don’t be silly! Besides she has plans tonight anyway, something something ‘important training’ or whatever.” She grabbed his arm and forcefully began dragging him to the entrance as she spoke, causing Aden’s hands to scrabble at her wrist, but to no avail, it was like trying to prise away iron. “You were the second-best choice, plus I thought it would do you good to get you out of your shell!” His mind formed a retort at her mention of ‘second best’ but decided not to voice it. Ever so reluctantly, his legs caught up with his dragging form as they passed the threshold of the door. The wooden frame creaked open ominously, Aden shut his eyes as Tash giggled in delight, ‘by Alarielle, just let this be over quickly’ he thought with a silent prayer.
A loud yelp caused his eyes to fling open in sudden panic, a blur of blue and green livery whizzing overhead as a half-empty tankard splattered off the now-closed door just behind his head. He gaped, Tash, giving him no time to recuperate from the sudden projectile, gleefully tugged him onwards. He saw her say something, but it was drowned out by the stifling laughter of a bleary-eyed patron to his right as they pushed through the bustling Tavern together. Aden tripped and stumbled after her, the sights and sounds overwhelming every sense. Tash seemed to be in her element, she casually ducked a flying plate, sidestepped over a dozing Aelf, all the while humming and laughing to herself as they reached the bar. The bartender was old, which Aden found odd for such a lively place, a few wisps of grey poked from behind the Aelf’s ears as he put down the small glass he was rubbing with an all too greasy cloth. Tash slammed a few rolling coppers onto the chipped counter, “two of your finest Moonlily Ale’s for me and my good friend please!” She gave him a grin that could blind the sun. The bartender muttered something incomprehensible, not that they could hear him anyway, the music and chatter around them were almost deafening. He slid a few frothing glasses of yellow liquid across the bar, Tash beamed, Aden grimaced.
Making their way over to a small table was a similar battlefield as getting in, dodging flying food and other assorted detritus. Aden wondered why Avelorn’s normally dignified populace indulged in such…mortal pursuits, it felt very unbecoming of an Aelf. They managed to find a small table in the corner, and much to Aden’s slight relief, it wasn’t as rowdy as the main hall. Tash plonked herself down, simultaneously propping her feet on the table, Aden sat carefully opposite, smoothing his green tunic as Tash slid him his drink. He gave a small sip, noting his friend staring at him the whole while, the taste was bitter, like liquid sourberries, he gagged. Tash laughed, clinking her drink with his, and practically downed the entire thing in one go. The two repeated this song and dance for a while, Aden trying to force himself to drink a little more, but to no avail. Tash meanwhile was on her third, a rosy coloring on her freckled cheeks. “So why did you want to meet here again, Tash?” he quired at last.
She finished gulping down her Ale, the slurping sound so comically loud Aden couldn’t help but smile slightly at the ridiculousness of the situation. Sapphire eyes now regarded him slyly, he wriggled in his chair uncomfortably. “There’s someone I wanted you to meet.” The answer surprised him, he leaned back curiously, head scanning the crowded Tavern.
“Meet someone? Uhhh, who exactly?”
“Oh, I’m sure you’ll see her eventually.”
“What she’s just going to show up out of the blue?”
“Hmmm…not exactly.” Tash gave a wink behind her fourth tankard; Aden didn’t like the sound of this mystery Aelf already. He scanned the crowd once more, there may as well have been hundreds of female Aelves in here, no way Tash would have brought him here to meet someone! Why would he want to meet an Aelf who frequented a place like…this? A loud crash pricked his long ears up, and as if by magic, a slightly slurred voice raised above the din.
“Don’t believe me? HA, you wouldn’t believe it if a Grot punched you in the face!”
Aden’s eyes zeroed in on the sound, a few of the other patrons were elbowing each other excitedly, and it seemed that the whole Tavern was gradually gaining interest in the developing conversation, as, by some miracle, the noise and chatter quieted ever so slightly. Hazel orbs sighted the seeming altercation, a head of tangled dark hair with a cloak of flowing green was jabbing an accusatory finger at a drunk older Aelf. He heard a few other voices chime in at that moment, “you show him, Iriel!”
The female Aelf, who Aden guessed must have been Iriel, seemed to be emboldened by the other patrons. “OH, you all want to know my tale too?” She proclaimed loudly, there were a few cheers and slamming of hands-on tables in a senseless rhythm of noise. “Well come on then you bunch of knife ears, lemme tell you a story!” Now it seemed all attention was focused on her, the air hummed electric with anticipation, more cheers rose as she did a little twirl. Aden could see she was clearly enjoying the showmanship. He gasped as she suddenly jumped onto a bar stool opposite her, brandishing a small guitar seemingly out of nowhere. He was sure the Aelf would have toppled over in drunken stupor, but no, she teetered on the rocking plinth as gracefully as a sparrow, now starting to gleefully strum in a discordant melody. Her face was still hidden by dark curls, but even at this distance, Aden could tell what immense energy she must have had writ across her features. More chants and cheers sounded as she giddily leaped onto the bar itself.
“Sing! Sing! Sing!” the other Aelves all seemed to chant as one, Aden glanced over at Tash to make sure he wasn’t just seeing things, her dreamy expression told him everything he needed to know. What was happening was real all right. His attention mesmerizingly turned back towards Iriel, for the Aelf had begun to sing, her feet dancing across the wooden counter, nimbly weaving over dozing patrons and spilled liquor.
“Oh, there once was a creature of ivory and bone, who wanted to take a small town for his own,
The land he did terrorize, scared its people right to the bone!
With wails and cries, they wept his name, the one they only called the Beast!”
The song was punctuated by the cheering crowd, each line and lyrical note interspersed with a hearty clap and a delightful cry of “hey!” Iriel laughed a joyous, melodic sound, the whole Tavern looked to be enraptured as she continued.
“No one but me would come to their aid, with sword and bow I faced him alone, the one they only called the Beast!” At this she grabbed a hefty bottle of wine, the things sudden weight causing her to pitch slightly, and Aden was sure she would fall, but of course, she did not. She righted herself magnificently, lithe form swaying this way and that as her hoarse voice rose over her small instrument.
“Boom, crash! As my sword cleaved his chest!
“Boom, crash! As he roared his best!
Boom, crash! As our battle wore on!
Boom, crash! As I was sure the day was won!”
Each of her sentences was met with a roar from the crowd, old and young Aelves alike so swept up in her performance many were on their feet with her. Aden couldn’t believe what he was seeing, it was like a whole different environment from what he knew moments ago. Iriel had now leaped off the bar onto one of the tables, her landing as nimble and graceful as ever as she mimed slashing a silver blade at some invisible monster with her bottle. The red liquid suddenly flying this way and that as the cork popped off from the unexpected inertia. The crowd didn’t care one bit. She paused briefly, chugging the remaining contents of the bottle in manic delight.
“So, you want to know what I did?” She yelled gleefully.
“So, what did you do?” The crowd roared right back in equal delight.
“You want to know what I did?!”
“What did you do?!”
“Oh, I’ll tell you what I did! I struck faster than lighting cut the Beast’s head clean off!”
Her song reached its peak, the Tavern cheered louder than ever, there was a clunk as the wine bottle rolled from her grip onto the table. She gave a large bow, her face flushed red and hear matted with sweat. “Thank you, Avelorn, I’ve been your entertainment for tonight,” She laughed once more, stashing away her instrument and placing some silver coins on the Bartenders’ counter in thanks as everyone celebrated around her.
Tash snapped Aden out of his trance, “sooo what did you think?”
The Aelf jumped, he had completely forgotten she was even there, “of what?” The words were idiotic, and he knew the second he said it.
“Oh, you know the Ale,” she rolled her eyes, “no, Aden! By Alarielle, I mean Iriel you clueless sprite!”
He found himself blushing, noting Tash’s grin grow even wider at his red face, hastily he tried to hide it by turning away, but that only exacerbated the problem. “Ye-yes I mean…she’s certainly a character.”
Tash snickered, and Aden’s eyes grew wide as she yelled over the now resumed noise, “Over here, Iriel!” He watched in mounting terror as the distant Aelf’s long ear twitched towards them, an enormous smile breaking her features seemingly at the sight of her friend.
“Tash!!” Iriel practically bounded over to them, a blur of green flying over tables and stools faster than he could even blink, even with his heightened senses; she was exceptionally fast. Even Tash’s laughter was swept away as the Aelf musician wrapped her up in a crushing hug, Aden could hardly suppress his smile at his friend’s sudden predicament, seeing Tash weakly pat her back whilst her face was turning beetroot red from the physical pressure.
At last, Iriel let go, causing Tash to inhale sharply and cough slightly before replying, “Ye good to see you too, Iriel. That was quite a show.”
She beamed, her attention now turning to him, Aden felt his face getting hot under her bashful stare. Now he could clearly see her, she was exceptionally pretty. Wispy curls of dark hair fell over each side of her face, she had brushed some over her ear as she chatted to Tash, light freckles dotted her cheeks like stars. Emerald eyes met his hazel, and he felt his heart beat a million times faster at her next words. “Who’s your friend? And who said he could be that cute?” She winked at him, Aden instinctively made a noise like a strangled mouse.
“H-ah-I, I mean, my name’s Aden!” He awkwardly stuck out his hand before realising how stupid it was, hastily trying to retract it. Tash snorted hard in mirth. Iriel smiled slightly, grasping his hand firmly with slender fingers, her touch was like silk.
“Nice to meet you, Aden,” She pulled him closer in a firm grip, face now inches from his, if the Aelf’s face could get any hotter, he was sure someone could smelt a sword on it. She stared at him intently for agonising seconds with a coy smile, “you don’t come here often do you?” He tried to form a response but could only manage to mutely shake his head. She giggled before relenting and pulling back. Aden couldn’t help it; he immediately missed her closeness. “Good catching up, Tash, but” She pointed a thumb behind her at the restless crowd, “think they want round two!” A small cheer affirmed her point as she once more unslung her guitar. Iriel gave Aden another wink, smiling cheekily as his face flushed an even deeper shade of red. “See ya later, cutie, maybe I’ll see you around more often, eh? Could be fun!” She backed up merrily, already starting to strum her guitar, much to the delight of the now emboldened Aelves around her. Aden watched after her in a dreamy haze, he didn’t notice his own gormless smile until he was once more interrupted by Tash’s boisterous laughter.
“I think someone’s got a little crushhh.”
“Shut up, Tash.”
“Aleya is gonna freak when she hears about this…”
He ignored her teasing. “Hey Tash,” he paused, contemplating his upcoming question with shaky nerves, she continued regarding him, perhaps already knowing what he would say judging from her knowing expression. Aden stared back at Iriel’s dancing form at that moment, smiling as he saw her already starting up another song. “Do you think you could tell me a little bit more about her?”
Behind her newly filled Tankard, Tash smiled.