Jack of cards

Walking in the Inn, It was a lot more crowded than the day before, people sitting on their tables mostly alone, only sparsely in pares eating their meal and having some light conversations, filling the air with their whispered breath.

He got himself quite the surprising dinner, Fish filet in a thick sauce with cooked vegetables, once again cleared of his doubt that anything extra here would cost more than normal.

He did not chat unnecessarily with the Innkeeper, the boy from the reception also only casually coming out, serving drinks, food or receiving new guests.

When finished with his meal, he already looked to the next day, which would be taxing.

'But I make good money from it, Soon I can get the equipment from that guy. But his female companion... Something around her is weird. As if she got an certain air around her that shows her nature. Really weird...'

He felt the touch of a big hand on his back, and sunken in his thoughts he flinched.

"Hi there." Beron said, and like hit by a enlightenment he remembered. 'A right, he wanted to teach me.'

"Didn't catch your name last night."

"Oh, sorry, totally forgot." he apologized, "Name's Mikael."

"Nice to see you have already eaten, we can the start right away. Follow me, we learn in the our living room, here is not the right environment."

Mikael followed, led into a room that had some boxes, shelves containing plants grown in clay pots, most likely kitchen herbs, candles and a fire place that only glimmered a bit.

"Make this light up again." Beron said to himself, throwing in some sticks to fuel it, and quarter logs to make it burn longer and hotter.

"So, take a seat." he went to a cupboard, taking out cups, a jug of water and also two slates with stick of chalk.

"We begin today with simple numbers. It is really easy, only having to learn 10 different forms, and all other are set together by these ten. The only difficult part, well not really, is..."

He laid down the slate in front of Mikael, as well as the cub of water, and begin writing on his own, showing him the forms of the number, how it can be put together and made Mikael write them on his own.

Not a whole hour later, when Mikael already had the gist of it, Beron finished their lesson.

"Already?"

"Yes, but you have made considerable progress. Math is also really easy, just taking these numbers, and either counting them together or take some off, but more of that in the following days. I Don't know if I can teach you tomorrow, we expect the arrival of some big shot and have to be more vigilant, they said. And you are also nearing your limits."

'Guess so.' he noticed, having problems concentrating, quickly forgetting the things he learned first.

"I'm immensely thankful, Mr. Beron. You taking your time to teach a foreign kid, I don't know how I could repay you."

"Don't worry. I also have something in mind you can do for me, but for now just concentrate on this. What I want from you isn't anything hard or taxing."

Mikael left, through the empty dining hall and went up to his room, quickly sleeping, dreaming for the first time about numbers, their shapes and meaning.

The next day, waking up and rubbing his tired eyes, he smelled something bad.

'Can't be anything in this room.' he looked around, but noticed then the stench came from him.

'What to expect. Have to find a barrel to wash myself a bit.'

He went out his room, all belongings by his side, and looking at all the numbers hanging at the doors of the other rooms, applying his new knowledge and counting down the numbers from 16 to 1.

Another person came out from room 02, a woman around 1.7 meters, black, long hair that was loosely kept behind her ears, a black coat hiding most of her body till her ankles. The boots she wore had no dirt on them, and were made of a thick dark brown leather.

What he saw through the bit open cloak was a dark green dress like armor, not exposing any of her skin but a bit under her neck.

A longsword was strapped at her back, looking slender and sharp. Mikael didn't know why he could make out all these details, nor why her beauty made him more afraid than mesmerized.

"Sorry kid. Didn't see you." She said in a cold tone, as she walked him almost over due to his height.

She turned towards the stairs, making Mikael see the sheath from that sword. There was a reason few wore ones sword on the back, as drawing and sheathing it could be a problem, but hers was shorter, and one side open, making taking it out easier from her position.

He stood there a moment long, her already gone downstairs, but he still did not move until he felt comfortable again.

'Wow, she was pretty.' was the first thing coming to his mind, followed by:' I hope I never meet her again.'

Mikael couldn't put his hand on it, the last few days he felt like some people had a certain air, a energy around them. Sometimes weak, other times stronger, but never seen, only like a vague feeling when wind brushes your skin.

'Well, nothing I could explain anyway.'

He walked out, this time not eating breakfast, wanting to try some fresh fruits or meat from the stalls.

"Didn't that merchant also had some?" he talked to himself.

Wandering around some more, he noticed that the main street was different, subtle, but different.

'It's...cleaner. No dung lying around, food waste, dirt water flowing. Some of the houses also were in a brighter white, and armed people dressed like guards were walking around.

Their equipment was neat, straight and freshly washed.

'Beron said something about a big shot coming, maybe a noble?'

No one really likes when important persons came to their village or town. It had many reasons, but once when he was younger the lords personal came to inspect their hamlet, and preparing their houses and street, making it passable and clean cost lots of money, which they had to save elsewhere, and his father drank that night when the delegate left, saying how their mood can determine life or death in certain scenarios.

"Didn't even left the house that time, but still had to wear my best clothes."

He didn't have many memories left of that time, but respect and fear from those of noble status was still installed in him.

'What makes them so different from us?'

He looked at himself again, already wearing his best clothes, albeit his only ones. He got some curious looks from others because of his attire, mainly the compendium that dangled down his side, another reason to avoid the alleys.

But he ignored them, already used to getting looked at. The merchant was not yet seen, as it was quite early and he had no set time to open up.

He saw a crowd of people near tho, gathered around a table on which some cards were laid out.

Curious, as he never saw this kind of play, got closer to take a look.

The man held a stack of cards, shuffling them and showing his skills by making little tricks with them.

It looked to be a fairly simple game, the cards he showed prior were laid down on the table, face down. The amount was different, sometimes fifteen, ten, five or even one. The people could bet on a card, either the amount of symbols on it, what kind of card it was, or if it was a numerical card or a picture card.

'I can do that, too.' Mikael thought. The people could bet any amount, receiving some when guessing right, and the higher the chance of failure, the more one could win.

So he played also, betting only small amounts of money, only small coppers, but soon he found himself with a plus of 2 big copper.

"Well, we have a lucky one here." The man mixing the cards said, loud and smiling towards Mikael. The others who lost money, no matter the amount, looked at this tiny person who held his won money tightly in his hand.

He wore a black west with flashy buttons, a clean brown shirt underneath and wide pants stuffed into sturdy boots.

"Wanna go another round?" he asked while juggling a card between two stacks of cards, making some whistle in awe of his dexterity.

"No need to play big, just continue your strategy."

Mikael felt really lucky right now, and he could just bet the money he won, as it was taken by betting so he could just invest that, and still go afterwards with no real loss.

"Another round, then." He said, putting 1 big copper on the table.

"Like to hear that, someone that takes a risk is my best customer, or nightmare, depending."

He chuckled, quickly facing down five cards solely for him. It seemed the others wanted to witness the fall of the kid, the harsh reality of gambling.

No one said he should quit, take his money and leave.

"It's a picture card." He put the copper on the card, voicing his bet.

"Wanna guess the symbol? You can also choose between a black and a red symbol." The dealer kindly explained before reveling the card.

"Then... a black symbol."

The man took the copper off the card, turning over his card in a motion hovering above the other cards, making it look more dramatic and exciting.

"And we have... the knight of clubs! Congrats!" he said, still smiling and showing sportsmanship, handing over three times the amount of which Mikael bet.

The onlookers also nodded, impressed the dealer handed out the money keeping his straight face, without a bit of hesitation.

"Another go?" came his question.

'Just another win, and I will have more money than if I work for some days in the smithy. Just like that.'

He nodded, placing 3 big copper on the table, a lot for a child, but they knew he won that amount by playing with them.