Brigit's Flame December - Week 2 - Hustler
The afternoon was melting into evening in the bustling city of Stormreach. Golden sunlight, just starting to become tinged with pink, poured over the marketplace like liquid, setting the silken banners and merchants' tents aglow. The scents of cooking food, exotic spices, perfumes, overripe vegetables, and crowds of people, mingled in the gentle summer breeze.
Down amongst the acrobats and street performers, sunlight glittered off of four quickly moving seashells, creating an almost dizzying light show. A lithe halfling, dressed in clinging deep brown and black leathers, flicked the shells back and forth across a small table, long slender fingers dancing gracefully. The crowd before her watched, mesmerized. One tall, well dressed, young noble stood in front of the rest, scrutinizing the table with a look of intense concentration, bordering on pain. With a flourish, the halfling stopped the movement and took a step back, dark berry-stained lips turned up in a lopsided grin.
"Well now, on with it! Which choose you?" she said in a teasing voice.
The noble-son stared, chewing on his upper lip, and slid the two gold coin wager he had made to the front of the third shell from the right. "I'm certain it is that one!" he exclaimed, in a tone much less certain than his words.
With two deft fingers, the halfling lifted the shell to show nothing but empty space beneath. Quickly she flipped the other three, revealing the pea under the last shell. "Awww! Better luck next time!" Her words rang with mock-sympathy as she scooped the coins into a pouch already bulging with pieces of copper and silver.
With a grunt of irritation, the noble-son stepped back into the crowd, red-faced, his friends laughing at his misfortune and clapping him upon the back.
"Alrightie. Who's next? Step up! Don't be shy! Find the pea and double your coin. Find it twice in a row, and triple your coin! Find it thrice... and send me to the poorhouse!" She laughed a sparkling laugh, tucking a strand of raven-dark hair behind her ear, as she waited for the next contestant to step up.
A nervous looking man stepped up, twisting a beaten hat between his hands. He looked like he had fallen on hard times recently. His face was gaunt and haunted looking, and once nice (though far from fine) clothing was tattered and ratty. Whispers from the crowd reached the halfling's keen ears. "Poor old Nathan. Spent all he's had on his wife's illness, he has." "Bah. He's daft if you ask me. Just let the woman pass and be done with it. What good does it do to bankrupt yourself?"
Nathan drew out a faded pouch, untied the strings, and emptied the last of its contents into his dirty palm. He placed the one grimy copper on the table without a word, determination and hopelessness warring in his eyes.
The halfling's jade eyes softened, and she sighed inwardly. "Smudge, you softie," she thought to herself, "Time for a little charity, I suppose..." She nodded and smiled. Carefully, she held up the pea and then placed it beneath the first shell. She turned each shell back over with a click, and began the dizzying dance again. Graceful fingers plucked the pea from beneath the shell on the third pass, as usual, and deposited it behind a large ring on her finger. A few more passes and she stopped and stepped back with a flourish and a grin. "Which shell do you choose?"
The man's face fell, his eyes full of indecision. Slowly, he pushed the copper over to the second shell, his hand shaking. "Gods blessings, it be there," he whispered.
Smudge flicked over the shell, deftly depositing the pea beneath it. "Gods blessings indeed my friend! Care to try again? Triple your coin... Shall we see if the gods favor the bold?" She laughed a tinkling laugh.
Nathan smiled and nodded, and Smudge placed a second copper atop his original coin. Around and around the shells spun again, and again she displaced the pea. She stopped with a resounding click of the shells, and gestured for him to choose.
Emboldened, Nathan slid the coins straight over to the third shell. "Keen eyes," Smudge thought to herself, "That is indeed where it would have been." She smiled broadly as she flipped up the shell to reveal the pea beneath. The crowd, caught up in the moment, cheered for the poor man's good fortune.
"Fortune favors the bold! Well done! Third time and I go to the poorhouse!" Smudge giggled. "How about this..." She dug to the bottom of her purse and pulled forth a shining platinum piece. Deftly she flipped it over her fingers, then clinked it down onto the table. "Find it this time, and you receive this, on top of your other winnings!"
True hope flickered in Nathan's eyes, and his voice cracked as he whispered, "Indeed I would be a blessed man. Fortune perhaps favors the foolhardy?" He slid his winnings over to the center of the table and nodded.
Smudge grinned. "Okay now. Watch closely. I won't go slowly for you this time!" Round and round went the shells again. This time they seemed to blur as she slid them back and forth. Clicking them into place, she stepped back and nodded, a twinkle in her eye.
Nathan closed his eyes and slid the coins over to the last shell. Again, choosing the correct one. Ever a showman, Smudge paused a moment, watching the crowd lean closer, holding their breath.
She laughed inwardly. The crowd was so caught up in Nathan's good luck, she could read on the faces of each one the thought that they would be the next to win. Apparently charity did pay off after all!
This time, Smudge turned over the other shells first, showing them empty. Two shells were left. Looking Nathan in the eye, she turned over his shell, depositing the pea beneath. The crowd let their breath out in an explosive cheer! Nathan swayed on his feet, tears silently running down his face.
Smudge beamed at him, and swept his winnings into his hands. "Yes it does seem that Fortune favors the foolish, my friend. It does indeed! Be well, and have luck all your days, friend. It seems, however, that I cannot afford you! Keep what you have won, lucky one, and chance it no more! Lest some pixie steal the pea from underneath your gaze next time!"
Nathan nodded, and whispered a grateful and heartfelt "Thank you", through his tears. The crowd parted to let him pass, clapping him on the back and congratulating him.
"Alright, alright! Who is next! What fool shall fortune favor this time around?" Smudge called out, watching Nathan walk off, with a smile.
Two young nobles elbowed each other out of the way, trying to get to the table first. The winner plinked down three gold, and grinned boldly.
"Aye, Fortune does favor the foolish indeed," she laughed to herself, beginning the dance over again.
In the very back of the crowd, a pale, willowy figure smiled, satisfied. Almond shaped eyes glittered just slightly with the remainder of her true-seeing spell. She had seen all she needed. She turned, quietly, and began walking off, her plate armor clinking to the rhythm of her steps. She shadowed Nathan home, to be sure he made it there safely with his new fortune. "She'll do," she thought, "She'll do indeed."
Down amongst the acrobats and street performers, sunlight glittered off of four quickly moving seashells, creating an almost dizzying light show. A lithe halfling, dressed in clinging deep brown and black leathers, flicked the shells back and forth across a small table, long slender fingers dancing gracefully. The crowd before her watched, mesmerized. One tall, well dressed, young noble stood in front of the rest, scrutinizing the table with a look of intense concentration, bordering on pain. With a flourish, the halfling stopped the movement and took a step back, dark berry-stained lips turned up in a lopsided grin.
"Well now, on with it! Which choose you?" she said in a teasing voice.
The noble-son stared, chewing on his upper lip, and slid the two gold coin wager he had made to the front of the third shell from the right. "I'm certain it is that one!" he exclaimed, in a tone much less certain than his words.
With two deft fingers, the halfling lifted the shell to show nothing but empty space beneath. Quickly she flipped the other three, revealing the pea under the last shell. "Awww! Better luck next time!" Her words rang with mock-sympathy as she scooped the coins into a pouch already bulging with pieces of copper and silver.
With a grunt of irritation, the noble-son stepped back into the crowd, red-faced, his friends laughing at his misfortune and clapping him upon the back.
"Alrightie. Who's next? Step up! Don't be shy! Find the pea and double your coin. Find it twice in a row, and triple your coin! Find it thrice... and send me to the poorhouse!" She laughed a sparkling laugh, tucking a strand of raven-dark hair behind her ear, as she waited for the next contestant to step up.
A nervous looking man stepped up, twisting a beaten hat between his hands. He looked like he had fallen on hard times recently. His face was gaunt and haunted looking, and once nice (though far from fine) clothing was tattered and ratty. Whispers from the crowd reached the halfling's keen ears. "Poor old Nathan. Spent all he's had on his wife's illness, he has." "Bah. He's daft if you ask me. Just let the woman pass and be done with it. What good does it do to bankrupt yourself?"
Nathan drew out a faded pouch, untied the strings, and emptied the last of its contents into his dirty palm. He placed the one grimy copper on the table without a word, determination and hopelessness warring in his eyes.
The halfling's jade eyes softened, and she sighed inwardly. "Smudge, you softie," she thought to herself, "Time for a little charity, I suppose..." She nodded and smiled. Carefully, she held up the pea and then placed it beneath the first shell. She turned each shell back over with a click, and began the dizzying dance again. Graceful fingers plucked the pea from beneath the shell on the third pass, as usual, and deposited it behind a large ring on her finger. A few more passes and she stopped and stepped back with a flourish and a grin. "Which shell do you choose?"
The man's face fell, his eyes full of indecision. Slowly, he pushed the copper over to the second shell, his hand shaking. "Gods blessings, it be there," he whispered.
Smudge flicked over the shell, deftly depositing the pea beneath it. "Gods blessings indeed my friend! Care to try again? Triple your coin... Shall we see if the gods favor the bold?" She laughed a tinkling laugh.
Nathan smiled and nodded, and Smudge placed a second copper atop his original coin. Around and around the shells spun again, and again she displaced the pea. She stopped with a resounding click of the shells, and gestured for him to choose.
Emboldened, Nathan slid the coins straight over to the third shell. "Keen eyes," Smudge thought to herself, "That is indeed where it would have been." She smiled broadly as she flipped up the shell to reveal the pea beneath. The crowd, caught up in the moment, cheered for the poor man's good fortune.
"Fortune favors the bold! Well done! Third time and I go to the poorhouse!" Smudge giggled. "How about this..." She dug to the bottom of her purse and pulled forth a shining platinum piece. Deftly she flipped it over her fingers, then clinked it down onto the table. "Find it this time, and you receive this, on top of your other winnings!"
True hope flickered in Nathan's eyes, and his voice cracked as he whispered, "Indeed I would be a blessed man. Fortune perhaps favors the foolhardy?" He slid his winnings over to the center of the table and nodded.
Smudge grinned. "Okay now. Watch closely. I won't go slowly for you this time!" Round and round went the shells again. This time they seemed to blur as she slid them back and forth. Clicking them into place, she stepped back and nodded, a twinkle in her eye.
Nathan closed his eyes and slid the coins over to the last shell. Again, choosing the correct one. Ever a showman, Smudge paused a moment, watching the crowd lean closer, holding their breath.
She laughed inwardly. The crowd was so caught up in Nathan's good luck, she could read on the faces of each one the thought that they would be the next to win. Apparently charity did pay off after all!
This time, Smudge turned over the other shells first, showing them empty. Two shells were left. Looking Nathan in the eye, she turned over his shell, depositing the pea beneath. The crowd let their breath out in an explosive cheer! Nathan swayed on his feet, tears silently running down his face.
Smudge beamed at him, and swept his winnings into his hands. "Yes it does seem that Fortune favors the foolish, my friend. It does indeed! Be well, and have luck all your days, friend. It seems, however, that I cannot afford you! Keep what you have won, lucky one, and chance it no more! Lest some pixie steal the pea from underneath your gaze next time!"
Nathan nodded, and whispered a grateful and heartfelt "Thank you", through his tears. The crowd parted to let him pass, clapping him on the back and congratulating him.
"Alright, alright! Who is next! What fool shall fortune favor this time around?" Smudge called out, watching Nathan walk off, with a smile.
Two young nobles elbowed each other out of the way, trying to get to the table first. The winner plinked down three gold, and grinned boldly.
"Aye, Fortune does favor the foolish indeed," she laughed to herself, beginning the dance over again.
In the very back of the crowd, a pale, willowy figure smiled, satisfied. Almond shaped eyes glittered just slightly with the remainder of her true-seeing spell. She had seen all she needed. She turned, quietly, and began walking off, her plate armor clinking to the rhythm of her steps. She shadowed Nathan home, to be sure he made it there safely with his new fortune. "She'll do," she thought, "She'll do indeed."