*Theodore’s perspective*
It was the usual weekend card game with the guys, Friday night. Theodore was thankful for the distraction and his friends always made sure that they played. They all needed the reprieve as much as he did, especially now that “They” were back in the village.
‘Valkyrie’
The men all had similar brown hair and eyes, being from the same village. Some people in Yore were blond and had fairer skin though that was down the road a trip and not someone from Ril. Theo figured he was probably the strongest out of his friends. He had hard packed muscle on his frame from years of work. He also tended to be the one that that people called for when someone had a cart stuck in the mud or needed help raising a new roof. That was by no means saying that he was one of those muscle bound idiots in the infantry brigade back when they were irregulars. Men that curled iron because they didn’t have enough work to do. His muscle came from hauling sheep up out of gullies or the never ending mending of fences, house, and out buildings on the ranch.
To his left was March, a much more lean man than the rest of them. He still ran like like he had when he young, it was nothing short of impressive. March was a swift hunter that could track a mouse through a field of tall grass. His Short bow leaned unstrung against a wall with a full quiver of arrows, always in reach of March’s hand. At the moment March was currently giving Red a critical look.
‘Probably Something to that.’
Not surprising, March had a knack for noticing things. His knack seemed to get him into trouble more often than not and people didn’t like how he knew peoples secrets. The man in front of Theodore was Redghar but everyone called him Red. Red was purposefully ignoring March and seemed very intent on his cards. The man loved his blades, a good fight, and a bad woman, and usually in that order. One hand held his cards while the other was a wrist flick away from a wicked looking throwing dagger that he sometimes fiddled with on the table. Red traveled doing something loosely connected to the kings army and he was usually gone during the week. When the rest of them managed to get out of the service he had stayed in the ranks. Red was also the most travelled of the three.
The career soldier did manage to get home most weekends and it was rare they didn’t get to play their Friday night game of cards. When he didn’t make it back in time there would be a note and later a new scar and story. People in Ril, normally decently patriotic, long ago decided Red was a scoundrel. They were mostly right based on his roguish behavior; though the man was always there for his friends. When they needed him Red would arrive… somehow aware… with blades out.
Finally to Theodores right was Stan, the fourth player, he was mostly average except for his talent with numbers. The odd man out. Stan had joined their card game on his own invitation, when the tradition began, about ten years ago. No one at the time had “uninvited” him and he dutifully attended ever since. Stan became the host for the game a few years back when he married March’s sister much to the surprise and disappointment of March. The couple’s home was in a convenient location and March’s sister typically baked something for the occasion. Her cooking skills probably explained why Stan was a little pudgy and he was happily humming to himself while organizing his own cards.
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Theo looked at his cards, five crowns in seven, it was almost time. “I never thought I would see one again.”
Red leaned back sensing the mood. “You think it means something?” Red said leaning farther back rocking his chair back on its back two legs.
March was still watching Red but glanced down and threw a card to the center of the table. A Sul card, a direct and aggressive play, perfect. “Probably”
“As long as what ever it is doesn’t find its way to the ranch…” Theo said as he threw out a crown making the Sul card someone else’s problem.
“Did you guys like Julie’s cake?” Stan said smiling like an idiot and threw out his own crown.
“You seem to like my sister’s cake too much.” March said while giving Stan a withering stare that Stan failed to notice.
“She bakes so many good cakes, and her meat pie is divine!” Stan added eagerly.
“Give the guy a break, he likes your sister’s meat pie… March” Red said with a wicked grin directed at March as he threw in three crowns.
It would have been an impressive play in most games.
A three crown play would usually lock the board and win the game in a turn or two. The theatrics of the move were not lost on March who looked livid after the verbal jab at his sister. Effectively the game was over and Red would be able to gloat about it for days while tormenting March.
Except there shouldn’t be three crowns left in the draw pile. The reason Theodore hadn’t played his three crowns earlier is they could be countered by a single crown if other crowns were still in play. He had counted the crowns in the deck and waited.
His next turn was supposed to be the big reveal, when he could be sure of the move. The last spare crown had just been played by Stan and there might have been a good alternative play if Red wasn’t cheating. But not an option that wouldn’t set him back for a turn. Dealing with Sul cards wasn’t easy. It was a challenging strategy, crowns represented the actions of kings and queens and the powerful card was useful for getting out of messes. Like an incident with Sul to the north, which the Sul card aptly represented. The Sul strategy was direct and effective. Once they started a march on the south lands it was hard to find ways to counter them. Kings and queens might rule here but all nations kept an uneasy eye on the hornets nest in the north.
March favored Sul card strategies, it suited him, though he wasn’t normally this blunt with it. Valkyrie in Ril probably helped Theo in cards even if the implications of one being here wasn’t ideal. People around Valkyrie tended to die, everyone was on edge.
‘A weak strategy made strong’
Crowns were good in a crisis but not overly powerful on their own without other powerful cards on the board. The power of the triumvirate, three crowns to face any foe. The game today had been about pushing March into action. Getting him to act out his aggression and create an opening. Red had played as Theo’s ally for most of the match and then betrayed him. Cheating was part of Reds charm but they wouldn’t let him get away with it.
“You are cheating Red! There is no way you have three crowns in your hand!” Theo said. He stood up with so much force it knocked Red out of his chair and on to the floor.
“You can’t know that!” Red said throwing his arm out for dramatic effect. He did it a little too dramatically after his fall and a card caught on his wrist halfway out his sleeve.
“Liar! I can see a card in your sleeve! Grab this bastard and let’s see if he has anymore tricks and cards on him!”
March never needed much convincing to jostle Red and Stan enjoyed being included so they followed the orders immediately. Soon an accosted Red had cards and knives scattered around him on the floor.
“No one likes cheaters” said an unfamiliar girlish voice. A chill ran down Theodores spine. And his shoulders jerked as he carefully looked around trying to find the person spying on them. March noticed but must not have heard the voice.
“You doing well, Theo?” March asked his eyes growing sharp. Theo nodded and used scout hand code that March and Red should recognize.
Danger
Leaving
Follow
“I think I’ve had too much to drink, time for me to go home.” Theo said
March shrugged hiding his own scout sign.
Yes
“Who cheats when we aren’t even betting, you’re lucky it was your friends you idiot.” March said, It sounded forced, but hopefully whoever they were didn’t notice.
Theodore walked out into the cool night and walked out of the village. At the edge of his vision March was visible just long enough to let him know that he was following with Red.
He made his way to a big field they could fight in away from Ril and started talking to the sky.