The Beauty
70 Spring 218, 2 days after Safeharbor
As with anything, there is a learning curve. And after the first night of gambling, Ethan had learned a great deal. Garth appeared (possibly) low key jealous that Taren won that cool sword. Pelham is the best player. York thinks the game is rigged. And Easter is just happy to play.
With the second night of games, Ethan changed the setup. Using funds he took from a desperate (and vaguely entitled) Northgate citizen who attempted to bribe Ethan (who was disguised as a Swan), Ethan decided that all the players would walk away with something beyond just a good time. One silver piece was divided into ten copper that was tossed into the pot that would be split evenly among the crew – two copper a piece. So, at the end of the night, the big winner took home whatever that evening’s prize would be plus two copper, and everyone else walked away two copper richer. At this rate, Ethan could hold about ten games before the funds would run out. Hopefully, he could earn, steal or pillage additional funds before that occurred.
For the second evening, the prize was a masterwork breastplate. Lightweight and sturdy, the armor was worth its weight in silver and invaluable in a fight. At only 10lbs., it was useful even to men who spent their lives on the water; while heavy, it was not enough to drown a competent swimmer before she could make it to shore.
A strong hand and a solid bluff early in the night made it seem like the game was Ethan’s to lose, but a few poorly placed bets and missed opportunities (possibly attributable to indulging in a little too much whiskey that night) saw his lead slowly erode as the hands continued. By the end, Pelham proved once again that he was indeed the best player at the table, taking home the breastplate and a couple copper pieces.
This game was by far one of Ethan’s favorite that he’d played in a long time. For once, he wasn’t trying to win anything for himself or manipulating things to ensure a particular player took home the prize. He simply observed the game, the men and their play styles, and let the best man win.
After all, he can’t have York thinking all the games are rigged. Where’s the fun in that…?
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