It was one of those rare occasions where Loa was boared.
She had spun every tale she knew and sung every song in her vast inventory.
"It`s not my fault, it`s just plain dead in here tonight."
She thought to herself and looked around the room.

In opposite corners of the room sat Ash and Lady Bliss.
They sat there and glared at each other from across the room.
"Obviously another spat."
Loa thought to herself.

On the other side of the room sat Jaeden and Kw`nart.
They appeared to be discussing policys and politics.
"No fun there." She thought.

In the center of the room sat Shayanna.
Shayanna sat in deep thought, empty flasks of wine littered the table.
"Great. She hit the Elvenblossom again."
Then she noticed the floor was covered in wood shavings.
Shayanna was carving the tables....AGAIN!!
"I HATE when Shay does that!"
Although Shayanna would never admit it, Loa knew She secretly loved combat.
The Great Warlady had not battled in days and was obviously extreamly bored.

"Are you okay Shay?"
Shayanna sighed and looked at her with those sad eyes.
"Nay Loa. Do ye think Sir Kethrys likes me not?"

"ARRRGGH!! I REALLY hate when Shay does that!!!!!"
She thought to herself.
Although Shayanna is extreamly intelligent, her lack of wisdom was legondary.
Coupled with the fact that Shayanna was a slow learner,
her inability to understand Human customs,
AND her total lack of interest in learning how to speak proper English.
Shayanna appeared to be quite stupid.
Hence Loa almost ALWAYS got nailed with the responsibility of being Shayanna`s
personal counciler, adviser, and confidant.
This did not bother Loa.
But when Shayanna had love problems she had to draw the line.
She would NOT!
Be blamed for screwing up anyones love life!

Loa had to do something fast or else she would have to listen to Shayanna`s
pouting ALL night.
"That would be HELL!" Loa thought.
Then an idea struck...


"Anyone up for a friendly game of spades?" *S*

An evil grin slowly formed on Ashes face as he got up
and walked over to the card table.
Lady Bliss seeing Ash go to the table decieded to go herself.
Shayanna gave Loa one of those confused looks where she cocks her head to the side,
raises an eyebrow, and her left ear starts twitching badly.

"Spades? What is that?"
Lady Bliss called Shayanna over.
"Come here me sis. I will explain ye the game." *S*

15 MINUITES LATER

Loa and Ash were teamed up against Shayanna and Lady Bliss.
Each player appeared confident and eager to play.
Shayanna`s big grin led Loa to believe Shay had a good hand.
But she slowly realized Shay was just excited and enthuiastic.

Across from her sat Ash.
The perfect shifty eyed pokerface.

Lady Bliss sat across from Shayanna.
She was cracking up over Shays facial expressions.

"Yes. Things are going well." Loa thought to herself.

25 MINUITES LATER

The game was a close one.
Tannas was walking around the table giving Loa a telepathic image of
what cards the others were holding.

Ash griped the pommel of his sword Soul Crusher.
The Demon sword was letting him know who held the jokers and the deuce.

Bliss and Shayanna grinned at each other across the table.
Their ears twitching and cocking in a language only they understood.

4 HOURS LATER

Anger was apparent on everyones face.
Tannas was leashed securely to the bar and was not pleased.

In Lady Blisses lap was Ashes sword Soul Crusher.

Bliss and Shayanna were a hilarious sight.
Both were forced to wear bandanas on their head to cover their ears.
One was red and the other was blue giving them a silly gangster look.

Normaly the calmest person in the Castle,
Loa was EXTREAMLY PISSED OFF!
Ash had started cutting her high cards and she returned the favor.
Now they were losing.

Ash was annoyed with Loa.
He had underbid his hand a few times and compensated by
throwing his high cards on top of hers.
Why was she pissed at him!?

Lady Bliss wanted to leap over the table and stranggle Shayanna to death.
"If Shayanna renigs one more time I will rip her limb from limb!"
She thought to herself.

Shayanna was frustrated.
She had reniged about 11 times tonight but considering
it WAS her first card game she thought she was doing well.
"If Bliss does not quit giving me those dirty looks I will smack her." She thought.

5 MINUITES LATER

Bliss was estatic!
Shayanna had reniged again but Loa and Ash had missed it
because they were to busy cutting each others cards.
They would win and Shayanna would be forgiven!!

Shayanna looked at her cards with confusion.
"Uh, I think I reniged again.
I threw a spade but I still have a club left."

Bliss lost it.
"SHAYANNA DANIELLE GRIFFINSBANE!!!
YE ARE THE STUPIDEST ELF I HAVE EVER MET!
AND TO THINK I CALLED YE SISTER!!!!!!"
Bliss stood up hand on her sword hilt.

Ash, not sure what was going on, called His sword to his hand.

"Whats with the sword Ash?"
Loa asked as she pulled out her lute and clutched it like a bat.

At this time Stryder and Lord Dread showed up.
The notorious Spade champs of the Castle
strutted over to the card table with a cocky air.
Stryder spoke first.

"Move over scrubs! The card sharks have arrived!
Who`s the first to get their asses kicked?" *VBS*

Bliss, Loa, Shayanna, and Ash angerly stared
at them and the whole room went silent.
You could have heard a pin drop.

Lord Dread sniffed his arm pit and raised an eye ridge.
"WHAT!? DO I STINK OR SOMETHING!?"

Realmscat went to cat form and darted behind the Bar.
Although normaly in the middle of Castle chaos,
She just HAD to watch this one.

Jaeden was pulling Kw`nart to the otherside of the room.

"I want to watch! Its getting interisting!"
Jaeden was no fool.
"You can watch it from the other side of the room.
It is about to get ugly." *G*

The Royal Rumble that followed was spectacular.
Dread and Stryder crawled out of the wreckage first.
"Well Dread, thats the last time I try to play with that crew." *G*

Dread gave Stryder an annoyed blank look.
"REALLY STRYDER? NO SHIT!?
WHAT THE F*CK GAVE YOU THAT IDEA?"

Ash was the next to stagger out.
Confused and dazed with a lute wrapped around his neck,
he went straight for the door.

Bliss kicked Shayanna one more time in the ribs for good measure.
"RENIG THAT!"
Then she left after Ash.

Loa`s anger had subsided.
She was once again her calm self.
"Okay. Thats over. What else could possibly go wrong?"

Shayanna looked up at Loa from the floor.
"Loa? Do ye think Sir Kethreys likes me not?"

Loa kicked Shayanna dead square in the face
and proceeded to walk out the door.

"Loa wait! How about a game of Hearts same time tomorrow?" *G*

"Sure Shay. I`ll tell the others."

ßack to me Ğen

Read another §tory! *S*