17 Day Sixty-Seven, Dark
"To Armand," Amerella toasted, lifting a mug of ale into the air. "An honest man with a heart of gold. He will be missed."
"He ain't dead!" a gnome yelled from the crowd, inciting laughter and cheers as the trader crawled up on the bar with a fist in the air.
"My friends," he hollored out, quieting the crowd. "My friends, my customers -"
"Ya thief!" a voice hollored back in a joking matter, causing the laughter again.
"Hey, I only stole hearts!" The crowd quieted again and all eyes fell back on Armand.
"My friends, it has been a long while since I came to Ommaxam. It has been longer since I had to travel to find a shop. All I have to say before I go is, let us all have one last night to remember; remember the good times, the laughter and the gold you all made me!"
More raucous laughter, drinks were thrown into the air and frivolity was shared.
Eve helped Amerella behind the bar as the crowd laughed and drank and ate. Lav even came out from the kitchen and drank with Armand. The gnomes began a drinking game, one gnome would sit with a mug on his head while others would walk in a circle until the center gnome yelled "Attack!" Then the circling gnomes would throw fists until one got the ale.
Eve thought it was barbaric, seeing the teeth gnash and fists fly just to get a drink. 'It's better than the dwarves game, I guess,' she thought and looked over at Markium, running across another circle and head butting a dwarf for a separate mug of ale.
Eve leaned over to Amerella, pointed over to the spinning man and whispered, "When do we start watering down the idiots drink?"
Amerella looked at him and nodded, saying, "Now."
Eve walked out from behind the bar and walked over to Markium. Dwarves running at each other stopped in their tracks and stepped back, some forcing themselves to fall instead of hitting the pregnant half-elf, others helping her through the crowd.
She helped Markium back to his feet and walked him outside. "You okay, sweetie?" she asked, sitting him down on the steps outside.
"You have a concussion," Markium spoke monotone, like he was reading a prompt.
Amerella came out with a mug of water and placed it in his hands, saying, "Bottoms up, boy."
He took the mug smiling, and downed the whole thing.
"Probably did not taste it," Amerella joked and she and Eve laughed. "You doing alright, hun?"
"Eve," he called out, looking around them like he couldn't find her
"I'm right here," she whispered, her hand cupped his cheek and pulled his gaze toward her.
He put his arms around her waist and nuzzled her belly softly, mumbling quietly.
"That man worships you," Amerella laughed and went back inside.
Eve smiled and helped Markium back to his feet. "Let's get you to bed," she whispered and walked him upstairs to their room.
"Eve, I gotta tell you-"
"Not now. Get you to bed." She stripped him to his underclothes and helped him to bed.
"Eve." He pulled her down on the bed with him and kissed her passionately. He pinned her into the bed next to him and pressed her body to his.
She felt a heat pulse between them as his hands unlaced her dress. "Markium," she whispered softly. "You're drunk. And slightly concussed." She gently grabbed his hands from undressing her.
"I've never thought more clearly in my life," he whispered back, kissing her neck and collarbone.
"And what are you thinking?" she giggled softly.
His hands travelled around her body and pressed against the small of her back, pulling her against him. He kisses around her neck, into her hairline and whispered, "I love you."
