The crackling fire reflected off the surface of the gleaming metal. Wary, experienced hands caressed, polished and nurtured the pointed object of survival. Up and down they went, slowly, almost lovingly. The tavern smelt of spicy wine and fried cheese, sweating barbarians and lusting assassins. The noise was deafening, yet soothing. A mishmash of disputes, songs, bets and secrets. A startling woman entered the crowd. High leathered boots, a brisk chemisier and an imposing belt. Snowflakes kissed her eyelids and melted in her fiery hair. Revolvers hugged her hips, while she left wet footprints on the wooden floor, - which had never been treaded on by such beauty - cracking now and then before she sat down. The silence was thick and musky, floating dust of desire, but mainly apprehension. Everyone was waiting, not daring to breathe, suffering with nervousness.
Her slender fingers placed a heavy brown sack on the table. It was dripping with gold. She grinned knowingly at the greedy eyes which had stopped roaming over her exposed skin. She clicked her tongue and stood seductively over the bone dices.´´Now´´ she said as she took the pair in her hands, ´´who wants to play with me?´´. The observing figure that had sat by the fire walked slowly to the opposite end of the table. She smirked at the show of innocent courage. ´´I have to warn you.´´ She whispered delighted. ´´They call me Miss Fortune.´´ And the dices rolled.

It did not take long for the drunken cheering to start up, and even less for the bets to be layed. Coins were thrown, tossed and taken. Gallons of liquor were consumed, watery beers were served - for such a riot was not expected - and greasy food was eaten. The first rounds had been pretty equal, but according to her name, she had quickly doubled her initial bet. ´´Why don´t you just surrender?´´ she asked the mysterious stranger. She felt a little tingle in her stomach when the husky voice replied ´´Never.´´ The game continued for a few more minutes, until the stranger barely had three gold coins left. Smiling, she tied her hair in a quick ponytail. ´´I´ll make this last a little longer.´´ The crowd was astounded by the turn of events. ´´I have been wondering what you look like under that secretive cape and mask of yours.´´ A thought many echoed. She stood up and prowled towards the calm stranger. She sat on his lap and marvelled at the muscular arms that were firmly placed on her lower back. Maybe she wouldn´t have to sleep alone tonight. She bit her lip and smiled. What an interesting night this had turned out to be. She embraced the stranger and straddled him, convincing everyone that had tried to make a move on the godly beauty that she wasn´t going to be available. She licked the bottom of her teeth and whispered into the strangers ear - or where it was supposed to be - ´´I´ll play for your cape and mask, and then, maybe even for your body.´´ The crowd had stopped cheering, hoping to grasp a little of the conversation or of the consequences that might ensue. The stranger pushed Miss Fortune away, slowly and frankly, rather gracefully. ´´I will play only for money.´´ Disgusted, she laughed. The crowd froze. She had pulled out one of her guns and was pointing it straight to his head. ´´I always get what I want.´´ She sat down on the table - she wasn´t going to risk another rejection - and skillfully armed her other revolver. ´´Now, how about finishing that game?´´

Breathing when your face is covered with a black, opaque mask is hard. Concentrating with a heart-racing and nerve-seducting young woman in front is harder. The two combined can lead to interesting situations. The stranger seemed unexpectedly twitchy when Miss Fortune claimed she was ´´burning´´ and ´´on fire´´, whilst her ´´wildest desires´´ were ´´physically impossible´´ and might not be ´´satiated tonight´´. No one was surprised when she opened windows, doors and made a few holes through the walls in order to reveal a brush of thin wind. She smiled when it softly caressed her skin. Nobody payed attention to these details nowadays. She shook her head and felt the gaze of the stranger on her. She was feeling rather playful tonight and was solemnly convinced she´d find a way to intrigue the stranger. He was the only one that had said no, in all these years! She couldn´t let him go. The fact that his face might not be good enough to look at had crossed her mind, but she could always put his mask back on if necessary. After all, there are many ways to enjoy one´s self. The cape was a bright shade of velvet red, golden details tugging at the fabric, like a heartbroken lover. It was breath-taking, nearly arousing. The stranger had an intriguing figure. Not exactly broad and square, yet not exactly thin. He was certainly muscular, she felt it when he had tensed under her touch. When she came back from her daydreaming, she had lost two thirds of her fortune. The bile in her throat hurt, but she had made a mistake, she had no one to blame.

The crowd was roaring, they had never seen such a long game of dices. Even Miss Fortune thought she had found an opponent of her caliber, thought that had to be determined later on. Drastic measures had to be taken for this game to finish the way she had intended it to. She called for the musician to play whatever she inspired in him, and when the slow hissing of the flute trickled down her neck, the unholy thoughts were unleashed. She turned around, unbuttoning her shirt to the rythm of the provoking melody. Her hips moved in a manner many would be ashamed to repeat, soft curls of copper flowing down to the valley of her soft back. Little freckles formed a seductive trail to her neck, lips and some more fortunate might even dare to say chest. On the final note, she blew him a kiss and promised wonders with her eyes. It was an easy finish, the stranger had dropped the dices on the floor. She heard him curse profusely. Slightly amused by the situation, she pushed him to the wall and insinuated many words - most, unkown to the stranger, yet they seemed oh so charming! - and heavens she´d take him to. Seeing her plan had left him momentarily at a loss for words and actions, she seized this opportunity to make him hers. The outline of the lips on the mask seemed to smile when they crossed the entrance to the room, hand in hand.

When she had secured the entrance with a table, a chest, a few chairs and a self-made trap, her eyes lingered on the furtive object of her nightly desire. His demeanour was charming, calculated yet somehow cold. Was she going to be the first one to taste the sweat on his skin? She smiled, it had been a long time since she had the chance to have that privilege. Her fingers expertly undid the buttons of the cape, slowly letting it crawl to the floor and hide from adult desires. She heard him sigh heavily, full of lust yet tainted with fear. Good. She was definitely his first. She was relieved, she had thought he might not want her. She had a reputation to stand up to. They´d kiss slowly at first, explore and understand each others cravings and aspirations, once the cadence was settled she´d see what she would do. She couldn´t plan ahead, he was too different. No boasting, no talking. Simple and plain unspoken attraction. She sat on the bed and timidly looked through the window. No stars to lay a look on their loving. Soon, curious shadows would let the full veil of the night in, and who knew where they´d be by then? When she looked back to where he was standing, the mask was laying next to the cape, and the stranger was gone with the silence of the wind.