"Nine of Dragons, no help there. Six of ships to you, Roget, looks like a
strait going. Finally, the dealer has Knave of Swords." C'nis flicked the
pasteboard card on top of his other four; two other Knaves looked back at
him, sitting on top of his "down" card. "Final bets, gentlemen."

"I'm out." "Me, too." He faced Roget across the table.

Outside, the wind howled louder. Small droplets of frozen rain pelted
against the wooden door. C'nis shivered; it had been a long, epic trip from
Daere, and it didn't promise to end well if the bitchy weather was any
indication. 

He scowled, an expression that came almost as easily to his face as his
practiced smile. With his luck, Velara's ghost was probably out there
throwing the weather at him just for spite. Damn the old bitch anyway,
she had plenty of chances to let him strike deals with the local nobles
(and of course, look really good in the process), but no, she had to 
hog all the fun herself. Why, it wouldn't be a shock to find out she
had bedded each and every one of-

"Are you gonna fold or not!? The bet's to you." C'nis' attention snapped
back to the game, although he had the hand in the bag already. Roget's
particular 'tell' was a tic over his eye when he had a good hand; there
was no tic now, and he had bet heavily. A bluff. With an easy grin, 
C'nis pushed a pile of gold coins across the table.

"I'll call you. What have you got?" With a smile,
uncovered a low strait. C'nis' smile was almost wistful as he turned over 
his bottom card...a fourth Knave. He almost expected the surge as 
Roget leaped to his feet and pushed the table.

"You damned dirty cheat! I'll cut you open like a fish!" Roget advanced
as C'nis stood and started to back away. He stopped as a huge hand
grasped his shoulder from behind. He looked up to see the glowering
face of a soldier he had won against earlier.

"Beat you too, did he," the large man said to Roget. "Man's been cleaning
people out all day, me included. I'd say he was just a little too lucky."

"Now, now, gentlemen," C'nis said as he tried unsuccessfully to pry the
soldier's hand from his shoulder, "I just happened to play well, and 
I just noticed your tells, that's all."

"I don't believe it one bit." The soldier was grinning, but there was no
humor in the man's eyes. His hand clamped down painfully as Roget walked
forward...

Then backed away. Neither one could follow the movement as C'nis drew his 
sword, but the soldier had released him to draw his in return. C'nis
slowly backed, moving in a slow ellipse away from both the large man
and the latest victim, until he had reached the table and swept most
of the gold into an open pouch. The two men moved to block the door.

"No way you're leaving here with that. That belongs to us."

"I won it, after all...it's a matter of honor, yes?"

"No." Both men moved to the round table in front of C'nis, starting to
move around; he feinted towards the bigger man, turned, ducked under 
Roget's thrust, stamped hard on the man's foot and ran to the heavy
door. He heard a yell of pain from Roget as the soldier reversed and
ran after him. Pelting through the already thick snow, he reached the 
corner of the building. At least he thought it was the corner of the 
building; the driving sleet was making vision impossible. He could hear
rather than see the soldier behind him, panting to catch up. He raced 
around the corner...

The soldier turned the corner, slipped, regained his balance, then stopped 
short. His sword dropped from suddenly nerveless fingers. Before him, a
dark blue reptilian monster had grasped the man, struggling wildly, yelling 
in panic, and was dangling him by his leg towards a mouth filled with 
huge teeth. The dragon paused, the man still flailing, and regarded him
curiously. The soldier wasted no time beating a hasty retreat, all thoughts
of getting the money forgotten.Behind him, the night lit up with a flare 
of dragon fire...

*Is he gone?*

<Sure is.>

*Then let me down, you overgrown lizard! What are you doing tossing me 
around like that after he's gone?*

<Just having a little fun. How many times am I going to have to do this to
you? Why don't you quit cheating the other humans out of their money?>

*Hey, I don't cheat at cards! I'm far too good at it to need to cheat.*

<If you say so, but...>

*But nothing, I really am good at it.* C'nis grinned at his aptitude. *The
winnings from tonight will give me a little walkin' around money for some 
time.*

<But->

*But what? Aren't you impressed with me?*

<No, I'm not, oh great wonderful gambler. You forgot something important.>

*And what is that, my faithful, wise dragon?*

<You forgot that we're in a snowstorm, I can't teleport in this mess, I can't
fly well because of the wind, and you don't dare return to the only inn we've
seen in hours.>

*You can't teleport in this?* C'nis' face fell. "Gods!!"

<Well, we're fairly close to the warren. We could try to fly it.>

*No, no, it's too dangerous. Let's try that cave we saw on the way here. 
We could always teleport back after the storm.*

<Sounds good. I don't want to stay here in the cold any longer. In the 
future, though...>

*What?*

<Try to lose once in a while, alright?>

*What's it worth to ya?* he thought as they took off....

===================

-Allen Veazey
C'nis and Liupeth
Keldarra Warren








 
Allen Veazey
wolf@dbtech.net
	
	"I'm not really bad, I'm just drawn that way."
			--Jessica Rabbit