My Kind Of Night
It was a cold night in Ferelden, with the wind so nippy that it could chill the tip of one's pointed ears solid. Seeking out shelter to shield themselves from the harsh, unrelenting winter, a group of five adventurers wandered hastily towards the only known inn on their current highway.
Consisting of two elven Wardens, Iain and Elias, two elven assassins, Zevran and Gervais, and the only human and Templar in the group, Loraine, the pack shuffled through the snow in a close pack, wrapping their arms about themselves to hold in warmth. Violent winds whipped their fur-lined cloaks about wildly, and several pairs of teeth had begun chattering.
"We're almost there," commented Loraine, taking on the leading role since she knew these parts better than the rest. She could see the faint glow of a burning torch at the bottom of the snowy mass they stood upon.
"I pray you are right, imon chéri/i," shuddered Gervais, the Orlesian assassin, attempting to hold his hood over his pointy ears as white, powdery snow clung to his black locks.
"You're not the only one," sighed the redheaded Iain tiredly, embracing his lover Zevran at the waist as they continued to trudge onward.
Raising an arm to shield his eyes from the flakes of ice, the mage Elias carefully took Loraine by her arm as they began to descend into the valley below, slowly but surely closing in on their safe haven. The inn was small, but rather well built, with its sturdy logs resisting the strength of the storm coming over them. Following the glow of the torchlight, they eventually stumbled onto the wide porch, shivering together.
Elias knocked his dark gauntlet against the thick door, trying to capture the attention of the innkeeper. There was a brief interlude –that felt like hours- before the tin peephole slid open and a pair of wrinkled eyes peered out at them.
"Well?" grumbled the elder man, his eyes shifting among them suspiciously. "State your business!"
"Are there any vacancies, ser?" asked Elias, his ears twitching as a chill swept up his spine.
"None for yer kind!" shouted the innkeeper as he spotted Elias's elven ears, about to slam the tin plate closed. Before he could, Loraine grabbed hold of the slider with great force, preventing him from shutting it on them.
"You iwill/i allow these men shelter," she said stoically as the elder man grunted, struggling to close the tin slider as she held it open with ease.
"Won't do no such thing!" groaned the stubborn, old man as he used all his strength to once again close the peephole.
"I am a Templar from The Circle of Magi," Loraine announced with a frown about her lips, obviously not too thrilled with the treatment of her elven companions. "You iwill do as I have ordered/i."
Through the peephole, the group watched the aged innkeeper's bushy grey brows shuffle a bit before he gave a defeated grumble, moving to the locks and latches upon the door. As he did, Elias stood upon his toes to brush his nose affectionately against the woman's, causing her to fight a light blush.
He then mouthed the words, "Thank you."
It was none too soon that they were allowed into the establishment, as the eye of the storm appeared to be overhead, creating such gusts that Gervais, Iain and Zevran had to work together to shut closed the door after them. Stomping their boots against the floor, they welcomed the heat from the fireplace, untying the binds of their snow-pelted cloaks at their necks.
"Speak to me brother. He's tending the bar," grumbled the old man, slouching a bit as he walked off. He wouldn't make eye contact with any of them.
"Thank you," called Elias at his back, bringing only a dismissing wave from the old man as he disappeared into the back of the inn.
"I will make payment with the innkeep. You all settle in for the night," said Loraine, placing her heavy pack into Elias's arm and wandering over to the older man acting as bartender. Before any of the four elves could object, a small, sweet-looking old lady emerged from one of the backrooms, a grin upon her lips as she balanced a large plate of cake within her hands.
"Welcome, travelers, welcome!" she announced cheerfully as she approached. "You must be hungry after such a long trip here. Please, have some of Granny Mae's famous cake."
"Oh, no than-," started Elias, who was outspoken by Zevran.
"I would be honored to have a itaste/i," said the accented Antivan suggestively, gesturing for Granny Mae to feed him a piece with her fingers. She giggled delightedly as she placed down the platter, quickly cutting a small slice for him. "iMm!/i Your cake is so sweet and imoist/i," complimented Zevran sensually, bringing a rosy color to Granny Mae's cheeks as the handsome Antivan continued to flirt unabashedly.
"Would you like to lick my iicing/i?" purred the little old lady, much to the witnessing party's horror.
"Oh, don't mind if I do…" said Zevran luridly, taking the woman's hand and allowing his tongue to lick her withered fingers clean.
Dropping the jaw of Iain, Elias couldn't help but to facepalm at the scene before him.
"iC'est affreux/i… That is horrible," whispered Gervais behind his hand.
"I am going to find my room," uttered Elias as Zevran continued on with his playful banter. Rubbing the corner of his head, he moved down one of the inn's halls where the many chambers were, seeking out one that wasn't occupied.
"I must accompany you!" Gervais announced brightly, needing an excuse to get away as he raced after the blonde mage.
"C'mon, you lech," sighed Iain, grabbing hold of the Antivan's tan ear and pulling him along.
"If you ever have a isweet tooth/i, young man, you can always call on Granny Mae," called the old woman after them, waving softly at Zevran as he was forced away. The Antivan blew a kiss to her before he was pulled around the corner.
"What am I going to do with you?" groaned Iain as they followed Gervais, who was entering a room after Elias.
"Love me unquestionably?" chuckled Zevran lightly.
"You certainly make that har-" said Iain, about to knock on the door he had seen Elias and Gervais disappear into, but the voices from within caused him to halt.
"Now that I finally have you alone," said Gervais, "I think it is time."
"Are you sure? What if someone comes in?" questioned Elias, his tone light and innocent.
"Oh, don't you worry. Gervais will lock the door, and we will have no interruptions," the Orlesian responded, surprising both Iain and Zevran as they heard the lock click on the door. They gazed at each other briefly trying to understand what they were hearing.
"Are they going t-" Iain asked quietly, quickly being issh'd/i by his lover.
"Let us listen, no?" whispered Zevran as they pressed their ears more firmly against the door.
"That armor looks terribly heavy. Let me take it off you," said Gervais, and they soon heard the thuds as armor fell heavily to the wooden floor. "That's imuch/i better, yes?"
"Are you sure we should do this? I mean, it might upset Loraine," murmured Elias in uncertainty.
"You've done this before, haven't you?" asked the Orlesian softly.
"Yes, but… not like this," explained Elias.
"What are you two doing?" came Loraine's loud voice, standing with her hands on her hips as she stood over Zevran and Iain. The two men quickly issh'd/i her, gesturing for her to kneel with them. "What are you listening to?" she then whispered, moving to squat beside Iain and press her ear to the door.
"Are you ready? This will hurt a moment," cooed Gervais in his soothing tone, his accent heavily layered.
"I know, I know, just… put it in quickly!" Elias gasped impatiently.
"iWhat/i?" erupted Loraine, standing from her crouch and preparing to charge the door. "I'm going to kill both of them!"
"Loraine, wai-" cried Iain, but it was too late. The Templar launched, ramming her shoulderguard into the door, splintering the wood and knocking it off its hinges.
Inside the room, Elias sat in his robes upon a stool, hands held collectively in his lap. At his side, Gervais stood with the mage's ear in one hand and a sapphire earring in the other. Startled by the sudden loud noise, Elias jumped from his seat, causing Gervais to sink the earring into his lobe, piercing through the skin unexpectedly.
"Ow! I wasn't ready!" cried Elias, grabbing hold of his ear and ignoring the commotion in his fit of pain. "That really hurt, you damn Orlesian!"
"Let me see, let me see! Ah, it came out beautifully!" commented Gervais happily as the blue earring reflected in the firelight. He then turned to the strange scene of the broken door splintered across the room. Loraine stood with mouth agape, a deep blush forming on her cheeks as she realized what had been going on. Iain and Zevran were sprawled on the floor behind her, having been knocked over from the momentum of the door breaking. Gervais's black brows rose in wonder. "Is there something wrong?"