A bard in time saves...

[Lanya Caliope]

Resting had not been on the bard's mind for a long while. She stood silent and still with her ear pressed against the door, listening closely to hear if Metarie might be in danger. She wasn't entirely certain what she could do to help the elven warrior, but she wouldn't preemptively assume there was danger unless she received clear signs.

It remained calm outside. Nothing happened, and nothing happened, and finally she pulled her head away to look at Kona where he stood by the bed. Surely if there were some threat outside the dog would have been attacking the door in the effort to leave. The healer was in no danger; Lanya was left to choose what she would like to do.

Again she looked towards the trap door. The impulse to run overwhelmed her, and she spent a moment imagining herself crawling through the crawlspace, emerging outside, and leaving all of this behind.

The moment passed as it had before, though the residual desire to leave still poked at her. She wanted so badly for this nonsense to end. She wanted others to stop being hurt on her account. The dream roiled through her thoughts, reminding her of the lives which had suffered on her behalf. She didn't know what Metarie planned to do with the bulky guard, but she was locked in this room for a reason. It didn't take long for the connection to occur to her - Metarie was a healer who worked with herbs. The smell of cooking food wafted into the room and the bard shook her head a bit.

It was a relief to have someone so clever looking after her, but once the guard was out, what then? How would they hide him, or alternately explain the situation to the captain? Would they need to leave Metarie's home to be safe? If she didn't kill the guard - and Lanya had to assume this wasn't the plan - then he would still know where they were and be a threat.

And why had the captain sent such a man? Was he unaware of the type of man Idonir was? Perhaps he needed to be informed before the man raped some poor woman. Assuming he hadn't already.

If they did have to uproot themselves for safety, removing Metarie from her own home to protect Lanya, it would only become another nagging guilt on the bard's conscience. With pursed lips, she approached the bed once more and laid down. She didn't want to sleep for the dreams she knew would come, but her exhaustion was powerful. She was fighting every moment to keep herself awake, and if Metarie could take care of herself, there was no reason for Lanya to remain awake, eavesdropping at the door.

She pulled the blanket above herself, snuggling into the warmth. A quiet dove's warble sounded next to her head where Flame rested, once again sunk into the other pillow. She didn't turn to look at him for comfort; the dream remained heavy against her eyelids. She remembered wrenching him to death and moments later throwing his corpse to the side with no emotion, and felt ashamed that even her subconscious could produce such cruelty.

Still troubled, she closed her eyes and began the steady trek towards sleep. As always, she sent a silent prayer to whatever might be listening to have mercy and spare her dreams, just this one time.

It never did work.

[City Guard]

Idonir closed his mouth and stifled a belch. He kept looking at Metarie, but she was ignoring him. The bitch was caught up in some book, which annoyed him again. Reading was something he couldn't do, so jealousy played a hand in his aggravation, along with the fact that she wasn't giving him what he wanted. Never mind that he was too full to stand up.

He took another swig of the ale. It was starting to get to him already.

If you're done I'll just clean up the dishes.

He threw up his arms to indicate that she was free to take the bowl away any time she wanted, and remained planted in his seat. It would be several minutes before things settled in his stomach and his digestion started tackling it. He stifled another belch.

[Metarie]

Clean made Metarie happy. "A place for everything and everything in its place," was an axiom she had said more than once - usually to herself. Catching up the pot and other dirty dishes, Metarie carried them to the sink. She ducked down for a moment, to pull a scrubber and a natural-based cleaning product from the cabinet. She then, turned on the water and added the product. While the water began to flow into the sink, Metarie retrieved a large, ceramic bowl and scraped the remains of the meal into the bowl. The bowl was then coverd with cheese-cloth and placed to the side. Making sure to be conscious of how much water she used, Metarie stopped the flow when there was a sufficient amount for cleaning.

A little cold water was added to the mix so she would not burn her hands and then she began to scrub the dishes. Her reflection was visible in the glass of the shuttered window over the sink. Her back was to Idonir yet again. As she finished each dish, these were placed in the opposite side of the sink, rinsed, then placed to dry. With methodical care, the stove, the counters, and finally the table were wiped down. Metarie looked around to survey the area with a critical eye. Everything was in its place except the huge bulk of Idonir taking up space in her house.

Metarie crossed her arms and leaned against the counter. She had offered to play games with Lanya, but their plans had got turned around a little bit. At least they could pass the time if they played.

"Do you play any games?"

[City Guard]

Idonir continued to just sit there, drinking his ale and staring at the wall while his tummy worked away at the stew and bread. He scratched himself, and occasionally struggled with the armor so that it would let him sag more comfortably in the chair, but he did not care what Metarie did as long as her behind was within view so that he could enjoy it.

"Games?" The ale was going to take him out completely in another three or four glasses. "Sure."

Cards were quite common with the guardsmen. Even in his sorry state, he could manage a game of cards.

[Metarie]

Metarie moved past Idonir, catching up the book she had been reading, on her way to the livingroom to get a pack of cards. She figured Idonir could at least play cards. If Lanya, clever as she was, couldn't read Metarie made a guess that Idonir could not either. That was something she would need to speak to Camulous about. The Guards should be able to read.

Metarie was getting tired as well. She had spent the day working and then used considerable energy to heal Lanya's knee; something Metarie wished she could have done better. Pity the knee had gone so long without proper care.

Metarie returned to the table, took a seat, and began to shuffle. Finally, she dealt out a hand and waited on Idonir. The game would be readily known to Idonir. Metarie had dealt a a local variation of 5-card played by the guardsmen often.

"If I win you have to fix the gash you made in the wall." Metarie smiled. "If I lose it's 10 bishani to you."

[City Guard]

Idonir snapped out of his daze and looked down at the cards. On impulse he scooped them up and stared at his hand, quite buzzed from the ale but more than accustomed to playing cards that way. It was common practice for the men in the barracks to pass time drinking and playing 5 hand. Indeed, they had their own traditional set of rules designed to confused and swindle new recruits out of their first month's wages.

His hand wasn't very good, but it was winnable. His head swayed a little bit and he blinked at the cards. With a loud sniff he rubbed his nose and applied his poker face, which failed due to his sniffing and obvious display of "this is my poker face" transition. He glanced at Metarie and tried to figure out his odds.

"Five daggers spoil. Two in the bucket, piglet trumps all."

He recited the local rules. The first two were standard rules, while the piglet referred to a gag played on rookies. The piglet hand belonged to whoever among the veterans claimed it. The winner later divvied up the winnings among the other veterans who agreed that yes, indeed, his hand was a winner. He was testing her familiarity with the guard. If she wasn't too old, she would know their rules.

[Metarie]

Metarie knew he was trying to play her by calling the piglet gag. Piglet meant the lowest card in the hand was declared the winner, trumping all other true wins. Why not let him think she was a rookie? A reverse-play would be well-deserved. Metarie studied Idionir as if a little confused by what he said.

That man is drunk, she thought. Metarie was a little surprised by that. Idonir and the Smith were of equal size and the smith seemed to be able to down the ale easily. She nodded slowly as if uncertain.

"I accept."

Her hand, too, was winnable, especially if she called Piglet with the single ace she had in her hand. Metaire frowned slightly and bit her lip as she looked at her cards.

"It's still your turn." Metarie looked up still wearing the bite-lip expression and waited for Idonir to play.

[City Guard]

Idonir did his best not to grin when she accepted his rules. The stupid wench didn't know much about the guard obviously. She must not have served with any of the men directly, or she was so old that she predated the game. Idonir, on the other hand, was introduced to it when he was 18 and had used it on many rookies in his day.

"Right."

Placing Idonir in his element - gambling for money - helped to sober him up immediately. He was drunk, but he was no longer overcome by that drunkenness and his full stomach.

He considered his cards again and traded three of them, no longer caring much about what hand he got. If he got a great hand, he would claim that piglet meant nothing. If he got a terrible hand, he would claim it was a winner. Either way he was going to win, and could rely on Camulous to back him up in the event of a dispute.

The cards were decent, and gave him a high hand. It made him grin finally, and he looked to the elf smugly and waited.

[Metarie]

Metarie held her cards in her hands. Metarie looked up thoughtfully, while hesitantly hovering her finger over her cards. Five daggers get the spoils meant she'd have to have any 4 Daggers and the Suicide Mage -the Mage of Cups- to win the pot when the hands were called. Two in the bucket meant they had to go for two rounds of betting, making the pot 20 Bishani and 2 types of labor if she won.

Metarie frowned a little, and shook her head. She looked up again to find Idonir smugly smiling. She gave a smile back, "I'll keep my cards. Your bet." She did wonder how well he'd react to losing. Maybe she shouldn't play him after all, but the principle of it rankled her a bit. She decided she wouldn't let it go.

He thought she was just another woman, easily impressed and easily bested. But, there was more to this elf than many knew. Things she had spent years hiding so that she would not be obvious, not stand out, except in those things she chose to advertise - healer, archer, tracker, herbalist. The wave of self-pride that had welled up gentled and smoothed. Some knew, of course, in Marn someone always had to know. Camulous was one, perhaps this was why he kept her at such a distance. She was sure if Idonir knew, he would not be so keen to be here. Metarie sighed a little, wool-gathering while waiting for Idonir to place his bet.

[City Guard]

Idonir did not put much thought into his next actions. Either way she was going to lose, so what did it matter what his bet was? He wasn't even sure what was an appropriate ante when they were playing for repairs. He damn well wasn't going to offer to clean her house. That would be to demeaning.

"I'll raise you twenty on top of fixin' the wall, elf girl."

Twenty was fair enough. He was willing to go as high as a hundred when he knew he was going to win, but his mind was keen on the subject of gambling and hustling. The more he tried to get out of her with the piglet lie, the more likely she was to look into it and figure out what was going on. 20 Bishani and Camulous' support would likely slide.

"Unless you'll take another prize."

He grinned and lowered his cards. He expected her to fold and be done with it, or show him some glorious hand which he would trump regardless of what it was.

[Metarie]

Metarie's eyes widened when Idonir bet 20 bishani.

"20? Really...?" She looked down at her cards and thought about it.

"I will put in another 10." Metarie smiled. 'Efl-girl,' indeed! Suddenly, the slight bit of guilt she was feeling about duping him didn't seem so important. So, now the question was whether he was willing to keep going or if he was going to call her hand.

Metarie placed her cards face down on the table and propped her chin in her hand once again. She raised her eyebrows and looked at Idonir.

"Your turn... human-boy."

[City Guard]

The elf was willing to keep going, and she wasn't backing down to his taunts. She didn't back down earlier, and she wasn't going to back down now. Such behavior would have the normal Idonir furiously showing her exactly what kind of a human boy he was, and what big human boys could do to teach little elf girls where they belonged...

But this was not the normal Idonir. This was the experienced gambler Idonir who spent years playing with unscrupulous soldiers, and who had learned the hard way not to be manipulated in card games. He stuck to his strategy of not shaking things up enough to prompt Metarie to doubt his trump hand when he called it in.

He considered his cards again. The hand was worse than the one he began with. Anything would beat it, which made the piglet story more likely.

"Ten it is."

He spread the cards down on the table for her to see his hand. Two candles, a pair of wyverns, and a broken mirror. It was a low hand that was worth nearly nothing points wise. He had no reason to be so smug.

[Metarie]

Metarie's hand wasn't really much better, but just because she wanted to see Idonir's eyes bug out of his head she saved the piglet 'til last.

She looked at his hand and then began flipping her cards. First was the Suicide Mage. Then, a dragon. Two guards followed. Metarie looked at her cards for a moment and then plucked up the last card.

Holding the last card between her index and forefinger, she looked Idonir in the eye as she said, "Piglet," and put the card down on the table.

[City Guard]

Idonir watched each of the cards as Metarie lay them forth one at a time. His confidence driven disinterested expression broke only after the last card went down and he heard her call of piglet.

The bitch was hustling him! She knew exactly what he was playing at all along. Her hand was the worse, and by any stretch of the rules having a worse hand and calling piglet pretty much ensured that anyone would give her the game.

"You little bitch!" Idonir had had enough of her.

The elven woman had been messing with him from the moment he walked through the front door until now. The piled on embarrassment, combined with the alcohol in his system, pushed the large man past his tipping point.

He grabbed the edge of the table and stood up, lifting that edge in the process. With what could be considered minimal effort, he hurled the table to the side, throwing the cards and everything else off of it. The table came crashing up against the wall violently.

"What the fuck d'you think I'm playing at here?"

He eyed her as he spoke, and started approaching in a threatening manner, hands held at his sides in an aggressive stance that would let him grab her if he could close in.

"Lets see how that little elf body of yours holds out when I stop playing nice."

[Metarie]

Metarie watched Idonir. The expression on his face changed. She sat up. He yelled. Metarie and her chair scooted back, away from the table, quickly.

At Idonir’s bellow, Kona came to full attention and for the first time since Lanya and Idonir had been there started truly barking. Rushing the door he began sniffing at the bottom of the door and clawing upon the door while continuing to bark loudly.

The table flew to the right as Idonir tossed it. Cards fluttered down between them like confetti. Like a rabbit, she felt cornered for a moment. The table was rolling on its edge side to side. Idonir’s chair had fallen backwards.

"What the fuck d'you think I'm playing at here?"

Metarie’s head went back at the vehemence in his voice and he took steps toward her. "You lost fair and square!" The distance across the space where the table had been wasn’t far for a man as tall as Idonir. If she stayed put, all he would have to do is reach out and grab her.

"Lets see how that little elf body of yours holds out when I stop playing nice."

Like that little rabbit, Metarie bolted. Clipping her leg on the rolling table, she stumbled into the hallway. She felt confident the door to the bedroom would hold if he tried to get to the Lanya. So, she just needed to get outside. She could easily outdistance him and double-back. Her hand-to-hand skills were not well developed. Yes, she had the sedative, but she’d be better off leaping onto his back and jabbing him, than going trying to jab while defending herself.

She could hear Kona barking frantically, but turned her eyes to the front door and headed for it recovering from the stumble to begin a run toward the door. Out...