" Come, we should join the others. I'm sure by now Athan has brought the Galanthian wine, and I'm curious to try it. Maybe it will do you good to have a glass of something that will most likely kill you!" he chuckled and sat up from his chair, and made his way to the door.
" I'm aware you and Iris have had your fair share of hardship. You seem like a decent man yourself and a good match for Iris. How did you come to be? " Dakran curiously asked and halted his steps in front of the dining hall. He could hear the voices coming from inside. Haren was the loudest. If he would have to guess, he was trying to woo Maya with his usual nonsense.
Ian lowered his head. "It's a long story, but I have the witch and the red to thank for, a story for another time." he woefully said and pushed the inlaid door open, and the voices became louder and clearer.
Haren showed the women his swordsmanship skills, and Rom sat on a long cushioned sofa opposite Edýia and stared at her as if she was the only person in the room.
The others admired the buffoon, making a fool of himself while aping around the hall swinging his sword and croaking. Ian froze in his spot and looked at the scene in front of him. His lips pulled up in a crooked smile. He chuckled and looked over his shoulder.
" If you two didn't look so similar, I would have never pegged you for brothers!" he amusedly commented and walked to the others, along with Dakran.
" I know. Sometimes I have trouble myself," Dakran said and took a seat next to Maya, who shuffled further from him and glanced at him.
Ian kissed Iris's cheek and sat next to her, taking her hand in his and lightly rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb.
Iris leaned in " I think it's time for him to stop. He has been doing this since we got here." she whispered and looked at Dakran and Maya.
Ian nodded " Dakran, how about you teach us a game or a dance from the North?" he suggested over the clamour that Haren was making, and everyone's attention turned onto Dakran.
Dakran cleared his throat " Should we start with a dance? Haren and Edýia can sing. Haren is more skilled with his voice than with his sword!" Dakran jabbed with a wicked smile, and a muffled chuckle escaped Rom's lips, and Haren glared at the two.
" If you want so bad to dance. You can sing the song yourself!" Haren scoffed and plopped himself on the sofa next to Tyla, picking up a glass of wine from the table and emptying the glass in one go.
Tyla's brows raised " You should take it easy with the wine, or tomorrow your head will be heavier than a boulder." Tyla warned, and harden waved and scoffed again and picked up another glass and gulped it down like water.
Tyla shrugged, seeing that Haren was ignoring her " Suit yourself!" she huffed and sunk deeper into the cushions.
" A game it is, then!" Dakran announced and looked at the people present and saw that none was against the idea.
" Right!" he licked his lips. He took a sip of wine, his head bobbed up and down " This good!" he excitedly exclaimed and took one more sip " We don't have what we need for the game that I have in mind, but.." and he rummaged in his pocket and took out a coin " We will plass toss a coin instead, it's game for children but equally entertaining " and he looked around the room, sprung from his seat and took a small vase off the table and placed it on the floor. " Will each take a turn." he put about ten paces distance between him and the bowl and tossed the coin, which landed in the bowl.
" We will have two groups. The losing team drinks, and the winners can claim their prize at the end!" he excitedly explained, looking around.
" What is the prize?" Maya curtly asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
Dkaran scratched his growing beard " We will fulfil one wish!" he stated, closed his eyes and cursed when Maya's wickedly smiled and stood up.
" Should we make only men and women groups, then?" Maya suggested and made her way to the bowl and picked the coin.
Dakran cursed again and reluctantly nodded, with a displeased look on his face while he watched Maya approach him, halting her steps next to him. Maya gave him a menacing glance and tossed the coin that landed straight in the bowl.
" I keep track of the score." Rom offered, and Edýia shyly smiled and cleared her throat " I'll keep the score for the women!" she offered and shuffled in her seat.
Dakran solemnly smiled, looking at his sister and Rom " Let's begin!" he announced, and everyone switched places; women on one side and the men on the opposite side.
Maya took her seat opposite Haren and quickly shuffled to the side when Dakran looked at him with a punitive gaze.
Next to toss the coin was Ian, who landed it straight in the bowl, followed by an enthusiastic Athan, who sorely missed. When Haren's turn came, he gave the women a coarse smile, shook his hands and legs, making the women giggle and tossed his coin, which landed on the edge of the bowl and balanced for a while until Haren stomped his foot and the coin fell into the ball, and the men cheered as they had already won.
Maya sprung up from her seat " That's cheating, but we will win anyway!" she pointed out and took a few steps towards the bowl, but Dakran beat her to it and took the coin out for her.
" Siding with the enemy?" Haren smirked, slumping on the cushioned sofa.
" No, just being well-mannered. Something you should try!" Dakran smirked back and took his seat.
Maya took her position and threw the coin high. The coin flipped in the air several times, landing in the bowl and swirling around a few times inside the glass bowl.
Maya's lips pulled up in a satisfied smile, and she took her seat, peering at Dakran from behind her thick brown-reddish lashes.
Rhya successfully managed to get the coin in and cheered herself since no one was doing it and stuck her tongue out at Athan, who did the same and chuckled.
When it was Iris's turn, Ian was already waiting for her with his coin ready. Iris took the coin from his hand, gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and she thanked him. Haren scoffed and grumbled something unintelligible that no one seemed to take notice of. The man was a grump, insufferable.
Iris tossed the coin that skidded over the edge, landing in the bowl with a zing. Tyla missed, her mood turned sour, and she refused to play further.
" A sore looser in your fold!" Athan cheeky commented, which garnered a venomous glare from Tyla.
" Now there are three of you and four of us!" Haren pointed out with a coy smile directed at Tyla. His recent target, by the looks of it. Dakran thought.
" They can get an extra toss, or one of us will have to bow out!" Dakran suggested, and Athan stood up and sat next to Rom at the end of the large sofa.
" I'm holding you back, anyway!" he said, a little distant with his arms crossed over his chest.
Dakran nodded, fished some more coins out of his tunic and tossed one of them in the bowl and gave one to Maya, who stood up to take her turn.
Maya gave him a hard stare and pursed her lips " Thank you!" she softly said and flipped the coin in the air that landed in the bowl without any trouble.
Dakran puffed his cheeks, ran his hands through his hair and sat back down while Maya kept her eyes on him.
The game carried on for a few more rounds, which ended in a tiebreak. Until the last round, where Dakran missed, and the men lost.
Dakran stood in front of the women and courteously bowed " It has been a pleasure to play with you. I hope we can do this again in the near future." he politely said to them, but his eyes never left Maya.
" Now, please state your wish!" he politely said, eyes still on Maya, who stood up and cleared her throat.
" Stop pursuing me!" she was curt, and she was serious as she held his haze.