Night had fallen and the sunlight was quite gone from the sky, although it was highlighted by an uncountable sprinkle of stars. The darkness gave the locals the excuse to come out to socialize at night because there was not enough light for good productive work. They had started making their way in small clumps of people to the best pub in town owned by a man who often wore a towel over his shoulder.
Karis casually followed the crowd nodding politely to a few women who made eye contact. She was an unusual solitary figure because she was a woman. Her outfit was a loud contrast from the normal farming townsfolk because she wore a forest green handkerchief skirt, which had deep hidden pockets, over tan leggings. She wore leather ankle high boots, and she carried a bag over her shoulder and a money pouch on her belt. While she had other small weapons hidden on her person, she also carried a pocket knife on the other side of her belt. Her hair was held up by a metal hair stick that would be strong enough to stab someone with.
Less unusual parts of her outfit were her off-white and longsleeved blouse, and she wore a leather belt around her waist. Her hair was starting to frizz because it was dirty from being unwashed and the accumulated grim from traveling. She was looking forward to the chance to comb out her locks and get a bath.
She followed a group inside the tavern. No one held the door for everyone, but they made sure it didn’t slam on the person behind them as they entered. She smiled at the man who held the door for her, but he was not looking back at her. It was brighter than the night outside, but it was dim enough that it was challenging to identify people. She noted men huddled around a circular table with money at the center. It had seemed the gambling for the evening had already begun. Would they let her, a woman join, especially since she was a new latecomer?
She tried to comb her hair before she stood up straighter and forced confidence into the way she carried herself. She may be dirty and travel worn, but she knew she was still a pretty woman. She headed in their direction checking their left hands for wedding rings, settling on a younger ringless man that she still considered a boy.
She smiled and asked him a few questions, “Hello, how are you doing this evening? Mind if I sit here?”
“Better now that you’re here,” he winked. “Please, the seat is yours. Would you like a drink? My treat,” he offered.
“Thank you,” she dipped her head shyly. “My name is Ellen. What is yours?”
“Drew,” he responded, taking her hand and kissing it gallantly.
When a barmaid came by and asked what he wanted, he ordered the drink he promised, and she also ordered the stew. They exchanged pleasantries, and she reflected what she thought he wanted to hear. She readily laughed at his jokes, leaned in to ask questions quietly in the ear closest to her, and gently touched his arm and shoulder when she spoke to him.
She managed to eat the food quickly and rather daintily if she could say so herself. She had also been watching the game carefully trying to get a sense how the people at the table gambled. She thanked him for the meal and started flirting with another man trying to appeal to his ego; he could teach her how to play this gambling game. She had quickly observed how many hands Drew lost. While Drew frowned a bit disappointed that she was moving on, it wasn’t something that had never happened to him before. As she began to play herself, as if she was learning gradually, she began to secretly slip better cards that she kept on her person for such occasions.
After winning a few hands, Marcus, who was sitting on the other side of her frowned. “Did I just see you slip a card from your pocket?”
“No, of course not silly,” she laughed. “Why would I do that?”
“I don’t know of very many people who would trust random strangers to teach them how to gamble or who would learn by gambling their money,” he continued to be suspicious.
“Honey baby,” Edmund, who she was sharing a chair with, asked, “Why don’t you just show him your pockets? You wouldn’t mess up a nice little game would you, doll?” He gently ran a hand up and down her forearm, but Karis could read the suspicion in his eyes.
“Of course,” she laughed airily.
She tried to turn out her pockets and hide the last few cards in her hand, but the rejected Drew pointed. “What are you holding in your hand?”
Reluctantly, she held up her hand. The muttering at the table quickly became angry. They weren’t sure what to do with a woman. If it was a man, they would happily drag her outside or punch her. Marcus grabbed her arm, “Let’s go talk to the owner of the bar.” He marched her over and indignantly announced, “We caught her cheating! We’re happy to do something about it, but…she’s a woman…so…you should deal with it.” The men from the table followed him over wanting to see what the bartender would do.
Spring Month: 3 
Night 
Flood Moon: 
