whispered, “I will have to choose another...” Her cheeks were flushed as she lifted her hands away from her face.
The door opened and then Ty stepped back in.
“Do not fret so, it does not become you. I will see you in the morning and so will Rhyess. I will come back, Shilastar. I always do, do I not?”
A myriad of thoughts passed through Shilastar’s mind. She wished she could tell him what she felt for him. She wished he know how much he meant to her. She said, “Go... go, go. Have a good time, and mind that sister of mine...” Shilastar even found a smile at the last, as she watched him go out the door. She heard Ty shout to Rhyess, “Off we go!” Then she listened as their footsteps fell from the range of her ears.
“Drinks are on me!” shouted Ty as he entered the bar. He winked at Triist and she obliged. He didn’t doubt what his indebtedness to her would bring him. He saw Friith’s shadow and wavered his head left and right to see around him, sighing when he only saw three stacks of dishes. For now he had other plans, but he always counted his options first. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small, square object.
As he did so something else also came out of his pocket, a necklace. Ty recalled he was supposed to give it back to Shilastar. He noted this as he shoved it back into his pocket. He sat down upon a stool.
“Sed... drew! It has been some time.” Ty had a guileful smile on his lips as he spoke, subtly setting the game on the counter and unfolding it. “What do you know...” Ty stated as if surprised, “Have you ever played before? Good, good, join me for one. I’ll even leave the wager up to you.”
“Wager?” asked Sedrew.
Ty quickly continued, “A wager is just a small agreement among friends, nothing but an offering, doesn’t have to be more than a pittance, a sum that is insignificant, paltry. Say, drinks maybe, drinks on the loser. Sound good? Sure it does! Here you can even go first...” Ty had set up the pieces as he spoke, quickly conferring the dice into Sedrew’s hand before he could object.
Triist came over and watched the two play for a time, winking at Ty as he won the first few games. Rhyess seemed to enjoy the game play and tried his hand at it a few times, and this gave Ty a chance to sit back and observe. He took the opportunity to disappear into the kitchen with Friith, helping as implied. He saw Aehrone and some others join in, and even Triist tried her hand at it once or twice.
Friith finally chased him out of the kitchen after he had attempted to taste test one too many items brewing on the stove. Sedrew was alone now. He assumed Rhyess had adjourned to the nearby rest room, and he didn’t really care where the others went, except maybe Triist.
“Try your luck again?” Ty asked.
Sedrew just glared at him, but decided to save himself the trouble and just bought Ty a drink. He eventually played another hand.
Hours slipped by, but Ty didn’t notice. He was enthralled by the game and his drink. He smiled and gave a little shout of glee as he claimed yet another victory. He was feeling quite liberal now and his mirth showed it.
“Do you really want to know the secret?” asked Ty in a slurred, heavy speech. “There’s not much to it, ya know... But it’s quite habit forming once you begin to partake of it.”
Sedrew couldn’t discern whether Ty referred to the game or the drink propped awkwardly in the hand.
“Its time to close,” implored Triist. “Are you almost finished?”
Ty looked from his hand to Sedrew, who offered no assistance. “Well, not quite, give us a few more minutes. What do you say, Sedrew? One last time?” Sedrew shrugged, but after the pieces were set up, he did indeed play again. In fact, they played several more times as Triist watched. Eventually, Ty
The door opened and then Ty stepped back in.
“Do not fret so, it does not become you. I will see you in the morning and so will Rhyess. I will come back, Shilastar. I always do, do I not?”
A myriad of thoughts passed through Shilastar’s mind. She wished she could tell him what she felt for him. She wished he know how much he meant to her. She said, “Go... go, go. Have a good time, and mind that sister of mine...” Shilastar even found a smile at the last, as she watched him go out the door. She heard Ty shout to Rhyess, “Off we go!” Then she listened as their footsteps fell from the range of her ears.
“Drinks are on me!” shouted Ty as he entered the bar. He winked at Triist and she obliged. He didn’t doubt what his indebtedness to her would bring him. He saw Friith’s shadow and wavered his head left and right to see around him, sighing when he only saw three stacks of dishes. For now he had other plans, but he always counted his options first. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small, square object.
As he did so something else also came out of his pocket, a necklace. Ty recalled he was supposed to give it back to Shilastar. He noted this as he shoved it back into his pocket. He sat down upon a stool.
“Sed... drew! It has been some time.” Ty had a guileful smile on his lips as he spoke, subtly setting the game on the counter and unfolding it. “What do you know...” Ty stated as if surprised, “Have you ever played before? Good, good, join me for one. I’ll even leave the wager up to you.”
“Wager?” asked Sedrew.
Ty quickly continued, “A wager is just a small agreement among friends, nothing but an offering, doesn’t have to be more than a pittance, a sum that is insignificant, paltry. Say, drinks maybe, drinks on the loser. Sound good? Sure it does! Here you can even go first...” Ty had set up the pieces as he spoke, quickly conferring the dice into Sedrew’s hand before he could object.
Triist came over and watched the two play for a time, winking at Ty as he won the first few games. Rhyess seemed to enjoy the game play and tried his hand at it a few times, and this gave Ty a chance to sit back and observe. He took the opportunity to disappear into the kitchen with Friith, helping as implied. He saw Aehrone and some others join in, and even Triist tried her hand at it once or twice.
Friith finally chased him out of the kitchen after he had attempted to taste test one too many items brewing on the stove. Sedrew was alone now. He assumed Rhyess had adjourned to the nearby rest room, and he didn’t really care where the others went, except maybe Triist.
“Try your luck again?” Ty asked.
Sedrew just glared at him, but decided to save himself the trouble and just bought Ty a drink. He eventually played another hand.
Hours slipped by, but Ty didn’t notice. He was enthralled by the game and his drink. He smiled and gave a little shout of glee as he claimed yet another victory. He was feeling quite liberal now and his mirth showed it.
“Do you really want to know the secret?” asked Ty in a slurred, heavy speech. “There’s not much to it, ya know... But it’s quite habit forming once you begin to partake of it.”
Sedrew couldn’t discern whether Ty referred to the game or the drink propped awkwardly in the hand.
“Its time to close,” implored Triist. “Are you almost finished?”
Ty looked from his hand to Sedrew, who offered no assistance. “Well, not quite, give us a few more minutes. What do you say, Sedrew? One last time?” Sedrew shrugged, but after the pieces were set up, he did indeed play again. In fact, they played several more times as Triist watched. Eventually, Ty
Similar Books
