"Who are you?" The woman asked.

"Captain to these two." He jerked his thumb at us as he stood to his height. "Was looking for the loo but stumbled on in here."

"My place doesn't resemble a bathroom and you couldn't have stumbled in here." She stood, her hand grabbing the cane she had placed to her chair. "Leave, before I yell for help."

Captain Velwyn seemed amused as he strided up to her. He was twice her size, his grin somehow more scarier than her's.

"You're the one who wants to play a pirate game with my crew. I have every right to be here to make sure cheating doesn't happen, Love."

She eyed him. "Fine, but stay away from the table. I don't need no captain trying to get in on my game."

"Don't be like that. How about I show you how to have some real fun, Love."

"No."

"Even if it's my life I'm willing to Wager?"

"Captain!" Bondi and I said together, though Bondi's voice was much louder than mine.

I didn't need him coming in here to try and save me. Though I would have preferred Bondi being the one who would do the woman's bidding. He was the one willing to play a game of poker.

"Life? I don't need a saylors life."

"Oh Love." He loomed over her. "I'm not one of those silly saylors you have walking around outside, like they own the place. I'm the pirate who will take what is mine."

She laughed. It was deep and vibrated through the room, but it was a laugh. With a shake of her head she returned to her chair.

"Join in the game, but if you lose I'll take your life and your crew will become captainless."

"I don't lose." Captain Velwyn joined us at the table. "If I win three times, you let her go. Four times, you build us a ship. Five times, you become mine like she would've become yours."

She picked the deck up and tapped it on the table. "You think you're that lucky? I ain't seen one woman, man, or child who won more than twice in a row."

"As I said, I don't lose, Love. Not when it's a crewmate on the line."

"Very well, but if you lose, we'll up the take. I get both of them and your life."

"Deal."

"Captain!" Bondi's voice raised even more. "Don't I get a say in this?"

"No." Captain Velwyn looked at me. "You're taking part to. You win, that counts for both of us."

"You catch on fast."

"I know the rules."

"Let's have some fun. We already did a practice. You sure you'll be able to win? You can back out now and I'll keep what I said for her only."

Captain Velwyn leaned back in his chair. "Let's do this."

The game started, the cards being delt. The wagers were already made and we knew what was on the line. Me and Bondi's freedom and Captain Velwyn's life.

I knew there was more to their words than what was on the surface. He believed he wouldn't lose, but I didn't have that same faith.

I didn't know how he could win.

Three cards to each of us. She looked more than pleased as her hand was flipped over. Another queen. And a nine of diamonds and eight of clubs.

I was next.

Three of spades. Eight of diamonds. Ten of clubs.

My hand didn't win. I looked to Captain Velwyn. He flipped them over.

King of spades and a pair of twos.

"That's one win for you."

Captain Velwyn picked the cards up before tossing them at her pile. "I told you, I don't lose."

The next three matches went like that. Him winning each of them, while my hands wouldn't have stood a chance. Each win seemed to only get more and more on her nerves. Captain Velwyn's amusement seemed to grow with it.

Finally it was the last hand. Even if I lost, we would be free. Bondi, Captain Velwyn, and I. The three of use would be able to walk out of there without a loss. Yet, there was one thing that I couldn't figure out.

How Captain Velwyn's hand continued to remain the same with each round. The same three cards. The same cards that continued to win us it.

Even if she wanted to call him out for cheating, I didn't see how that was possible. Even when the cards landed in front of him, he didn't touch them until it was time to flip them.

His luck couldn't have been that good.

"You sure? If I win, you know what that means." His elbows were placed on the table as he talked. "We can stop here and you can make me the ship. Nothing else."

She scoffed.

"I'm not about to lose to a toddler or become under their control."

I looked between them.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, Darling. Let's do this."

The cards were passed out. Her first.

A queen of spades.

In the two rounds before she hadn't gotten a Queen.

The second card was a Jack of Spades.

I could already tell that this would be the hardest match yet.

The third card, a ace of diamonds.

Captain flipped his own cards over, not waiting for me.

A King and pair, again. He had to have been pulling a trick of some kind. A switch of cards. A slip of hand. Something to keep getting them.

"I win."

"You really wouldn't make a poor old woman your slave, right?'

He chuckled as he moved. "Yes, I would. When should we expect our ship to be done?"

She scoffed. "You don't know how to treat your elders. Why, I bet no one raised you right."

"They didn't. How long?"

"Four weeks."

"You have three. I'll be back than to collect you as well."

As Captain Velwyn headed for the door, I looked at my own hand to see the cards I had gotten. Confusion hit me in the chest.

How could I have the king that he had. I grabbed his cards, turning it over. I scoffed as I turned to watch him.

He cheated. He should've grabbed his red cards before leaving, so there wouldn't have been proof.

"Bastard," she hissed, her cane hitting the floor. "What are the two of you still doing here? Get out of my sight!"

I jumped from the table, and quickly followed behind Bondi.

"Why do you think he really showed up?" I asked as he hit the street.

Bondi shrugged. "He was probably already there, waiting. How he ended up in the same shop of us, I'm not too sure. Whenever we've been in a town, he's always shown up when trouble brewed."

I frowned. "That's a bit odd. He must be attracted to it."

"Probab... Crap! That's Saul."

I looked up to find Saul was there, his face looking as red as a radish. Maybe he was waiting in the shadows to bust us when we entered the town after all. Before Bondi could get away, Saul grabbed him and he did not look all that pleased at finding us running around.

[WORD COUNT: 78,454]