Chapter 9: Biting and scratching
On the evening of the second day of their travel they arrived at the Angle, where the River Longwater Bruinen and the River Hoardwell joined. They would spent the night at a tavern, that Aragorn knew from his days as a ranger.
Selina hesitated entering the "Spirit of the River" as the weathered shield over the entrance announced proudly. The tavern smelled of beer, wine and sweat. She cringed her nose in disgust.
"What? Too good for a place like this?", Gimli mocked her.
"No, it just smells abominable!", she managed to choke out.
The dwarf shrugged and entered the tavern. Selina and Legolas were the only once to left, standing outside the "Spirit of the River".
"I'm sure that tavern is just to his liking. It's dirty, old and smelly just like him!", she complained.
Legolas laughed and replied, "Do not be so hard on him! He has his good sides, too. Though you just have to muster a lot of patience to discover them!"
He went over to the horses and produced a black cloak, which he then offered to her.
"What would I need this for?", she asked him incredulously.
"To cover yourself. If you go inside dressed like this.....", he paused and indicated her clothing "you will surely provoke a sensation!"
"Then let me provoke a sensation! I don't care!", Selina answered with fire in her eyes.
The elf sighed and nodded. "As you wish, but lets at least enter together!", he said in defeat.
Before the Selvadage'tok woman entered the tavern she took a deep breath of air, like somebody who dives under water for a long time would do. This way she would at least be able to step over the sill of the "Spirit of the River". With her head held high she marched into the tavern, with Legolas following on tail.
She was greeted by the sight of at least twenty five men, whose heads seemed to whip around simultaneously, when she entered the room.
Selina looked from face to face. They were all looking shabby and dirty. Their clothes had been bleached, from being constantly prone to the weather and gave them away as travellers. All in all the "Spirit of the River" was filled with shady characters of all sorts.
They spotted their companions sitting on a table near the window and were just about to walk over to them, when suddenly a particularly nasty looking fellow who was standing at the bar with a stein in his hand, called out, "Hey Elf, what do you take for one night with her?"
Booming laughter filled the tavern. Selina turned around and saw a cold fire burn in her companion's eyes. She stepped closer to Legolas and lay a soothing hand on his arm.
"I should have listened to you! But don't worry I'll take care of this myself!", she said ruefully.
"You cannot attack him he has at least eight friends with him! It would be dangerous, especially as they are all drunk. One can never know what they will be capable of in this state!", the elf explained to her in a hushed voice.
"Do not worry! I only intend to hurt his pride!", she grinned at him.
She turned and slowly sauntered over to the bar, swaying her hips sensually.
Legolas just watched her incredulously. What in Middle-Earth was she up to? Mixed with his astonishment there was another feeling. He didn't want her to go over there, because the mere thought of her approaching that man enraged him immensely, though he couldn't explain why. In the mean time Aragorn had come over to ask him what the commotion was all about.
"What is going on here?", Aragorn inquired with a worried frown on his face.
"I suppose she is going to teach that rascal a lesson.", Legolas answered with raised eyebrows.
Selina had arrived at the bar and was now standing in front of the man, who had insulted her with his offer.
She fought against the feeling of nausea that rose inside of her, when she looked at his disgustingly dirty face and clothes, but forced herself to stepped closer. They were now only mere inches a part. Selina was engulfed by the smell of beer and sweat. With much effort she managed to suppressed her urge to make a disgusted face. Instead she batted her eyelashes seductively and let one hand run through his dirty hair.
Suddenly all conversation inside the tavern ceased and it became very quiet. They were watched curiously by a few dozen pairs of eyes. The man gulped nervously.
"You wanted me and you shall have me! But I have to warn you...", she purred in a velvety voice, just loud enough so everybody around them could hear.
"I don't hold back! In the heat of passion, I let my instincts take over.", she flashed a grin at him, making sure he got a good look at her sharp fangs.
"I bite and scratch like a cat. Pain and pleasure mix perfectly, rest assured. And your senses will be especially keen during lovemaking... You will even feel the tiniest wound on your hot and sweaty skin with the tremendous intensity of a sword's strike.", she said, scratching slightly with her nail over his stubbly cheek.
"I will have you screaming and begging for mercy all night long, while I just laugh in your face and urge you on.", Selina smiled at him sweetly, while her golden eyes sparkled dangerously.
The man squirmed in front of her like a worm. His cocky smirk had, in the mean time, turned into a grimace of sheer despair. The man was nervously looking for a possibility to flee from this dreadful situation.
She extended her hand to him and said in a seductive voice, "Let's leave this place and go somewhere quiet, shall we?"
He hastily shook his head, "I am sorry! I.......um....rather have another beer with my friends!" He indicated a table on the other side of the tavern, which was conveniently the farthest distance he could put between himself and this "mad woman".
The men scurried away quickly, as if the devil himself was following him.
Selina just shrugged her arms and returned to her companions with a huge grin plastered over her face.
"Well, that was fun!", she smirked triumphantly and walked past Legolas and Aragorn towards the table, where Gandalf and Gimli sat.
"Do you think she was serious about the biting and scratching part?", Aragorn asked Legolas with a bemused expression on his face.
The elf just shrugged his shoulders and grinned at his friends. "Whether it was the truth or not, it effectively scared away all the potential trouble makers."
They walked over to the table to sit down with their companions. When they were arriving Gimli was shaking with laughter.
"Have you seen the face of this scoundrel, he looked like he was about to wet his pants!", the dwarf managed to say between laughing fits.
On the evening of the second day of their travel they arrived at the Angle, where the River Longwater Bruinen and the River Hoardwell joined. They would spent the night at a tavern, that Aragorn knew from his days as a ranger.
Selina hesitated entering the "Spirit of the River" as the weathered shield over the entrance announced proudly. The tavern smelled of beer, wine and sweat. She cringed her nose in disgust.
"What? Too good for a place like this?", Gimli mocked her.
"No, it just smells abominable!", she managed to choke out.
The dwarf shrugged and entered the tavern. Selina and Legolas were the only once to left, standing outside the "Spirit of the River".
"I'm sure that tavern is just to his liking. It's dirty, old and smelly just like him!", she complained.
Legolas laughed and replied, "Do not be so hard on him! He has his good sides, too. Though you just have to muster a lot of patience to discover them!"
He went over to the horses and produced a black cloak, which he then offered to her.
"What would I need this for?", she asked him incredulously.
"To cover yourself. If you go inside dressed like this.....", he paused and indicated her clothing "you will surely provoke a sensation!"
"Then let me provoke a sensation! I don't care!", Selina answered with fire in her eyes.
The elf sighed and nodded. "As you wish, but lets at least enter together!", he said in defeat.
Before the Selvadage'tok woman entered the tavern she took a deep breath of air, like somebody who dives under water for a long time would do. This way she would at least be able to step over the sill of the "Spirit of the River". With her head held high she marched into the tavern, with Legolas following on tail.
She was greeted by the sight of at least twenty five men, whose heads seemed to whip around simultaneously, when she entered the room.
Selina looked from face to face. They were all looking shabby and dirty. Their clothes had been bleached, from being constantly prone to the weather and gave them away as travellers. All in all the "Spirit of the River" was filled with shady characters of all sorts.
They spotted their companions sitting on a table near the window and were just about to walk over to them, when suddenly a particularly nasty looking fellow who was standing at the bar with a stein in his hand, called out, "Hey Elf, what do you take for one night with her?"
Booming laughter filled the tavern. Selina turned around and saw a cold fire burn in her companion's eyes. She stepped closer to Legolas and lay a soothing hand on his arm.
"I should have listened to you! But don't worry I'll take care of this myself!", she said ruefully.
"You cannot attack him he has at least eight friends with him! It would be dangerous, especially as they are all drunk. One can never know what they will be capable of in this state!", the elf explained to her in a hushed voice.
"Do not worry! I only intend to hurt his pride!", she grinned at him.
She turned and slowly sauntered over to the bar, swaying her hips sensually.
Legolas just watched her incredulously. What in Middle-Earth was she up to? Mixed with his astonishment there was another feeling. He didn't want her to go over there, because the mere thought of her approaching that man enraged him immensely, though he couldn't explain why. In the mean time Aragorn had come over to ask him what the commotion was all about.
"What is going on here?", Aragorn inquired with a worried frown on his face.
"I suppose she is going to teach that rascal a lesson.", Legolas answered with raised eyebrows.
Selina had arrived at the bar and was now standing in front of the man, who had insulted her with his offer.
She fought against the feeling of nausea that rose inside of her, when she looked at his disgustingly dirty face and clothes, but forced herself to stepped closer. They were now only mere inches a part. Selina was engulfed by the smell of beer and sweat. With much effort she managed to suppressed her urge to make a disgusted face. Instead she batted her eyelashes seductively and let one hand run through his dirty hair.
Suddenly all conversation inside the tavern ceased and it became very quiet. They were watched curiously by a few dozen pairs of eyes. The man gulped nervously.
"You wanted me and you shall have me! But I have to warn you...", she purred in a velvety voice, just loud enough so everybody around them could hear.
"I don't hold back! In the heat of passion, I let my instincts take over.", she flashed a grin at him, making sure he got a good look at her sharp fangs.
"I bite and scratch like a cat. Pain and pleasure mix perfectly, rest assured. And your senses will be especially keen during lovemaking... You will even feel the tiniest wound on your hot and sweaty skin with the tremendous intensity of a sword's strike.", she said, scratching slightly with her nail over his stubbly cheek.
"I will have you screaming and begging for mercy all night long, while I just laugh in your face and urge you on.", Selina smiled at him sweetly, while her golden eyes sparkled dangerously.
The man squirmed in front of her like a worm. His cocky smirk had, in the mean time, turned into a grimace of sheer despair. The man was nervously looking for a possibility to flee from this dreadful situation.
She extended her hand to him and said in a seductive voice, "Let's leave this place and go somewhere quiet, shall we?"
He hastily shook his head, "I am sorry! I.......um....rather have another beer with my friends!" He indicated a table on the other side of the tavern, which was conveniently the farthest distance he could put between himself and this "mad woman".
The men scurried away quickly, as if the devil himself was following him.
Selina just shrugged her arms and returned to her companions with a huge grin plastered over her face.
"Well, that was fun!", she smirked triumphantly and walked past Legolas and Aragorn towards the table, where Gandalf and Gimli sat.
"Do you think she was serious about the biting and scratching part?", Aragorn asked Legolas with a bemused expression on his face.
The elf just shrugged his shoulders and grinned at his friends. "Whether it was the truth or not, it effectively scared away all the potential trouble makers."
They walked over to the table to sit down with their companions. When they were arriving Gimli was shaking with laughter.
"Have you seen the face of this scoundrel, he looked like he was about to wet his pants!", the dwarf managed to say between laughing fits.
