Dear Readers. Hello, and welcome back to my mediocre storytelling. I do Hope you enjoy this new attempt at me telling a story. Please, enjoy. God it feels weird to be back, but a good weird.
GypsyDream.
A lot can happen in a year. A lot can be found, or lost or even destroyed. And so a lot was.
A woman found true happiness. A family of mismatched pirates lost a deeply loved member. And soon after, their ship they once called home was destroyed.
The beginning of this tale takes place another year after that, and it starts in a dark alley, in the city of London.
The gin shop reeked of sweat and stale bodies. The air was thick with smoke. Many of its loyal patrons enjoyed easy women and the drink they used to numb their horribly plain lives. In the back, behind closed doors, where the air was less disgusting, and the mood, more serious was a round table, and sat around this table was a fisherman, a desperate Duke, a drunk, and a pirate.
"Bet's to you sir Duke." The fisherman chimed with his grungy weathered voice, tossing in a couple of chips to even the bet.
The Duke pulled on this neck scarf as a hot bead of sweat slithered down the back of his neck. "To me? Right." He glanced at his cards, then at his pitiful pile of chips. "I raise, all in." He gulped down another shot to ease his nerves. "To you, sir." He nodded nervously to the man sitting to his right, whose face was shadowed by his hat.
"You don't look to keen Duke." The man joked. "Are you sure you want to keep playing?" He teased as he tossed in his own chips and called.
"I'm fully capable of finishing this match sir." The Duke miffed then swallowed hard after everyone had called.
"Let's see what ya got 'en gents." The drunk piped up and threw down his cards, revealing a pair of twos.
The fisherman had a pair of kings, the Duke had three of a kind, and the man with the hat who preferred to keep his face half hidden revealed a flush, hearts all.
"It can't be." The Duke whispered in disbelief as he watched his chips being scraped away from him and pushed to the man to his right. "Cheat, I call cheat!" He stood outraged.
"Is that a challenge I hear?" The man stood, tilting his hat up a touch to reveal vivid green eyes. He stood nose to nose with the Duke.
"I want another hand," The Duke demanded, "with a new deck."
The man with the green eyes looked thoughtfully at the table. "But sir, you're all out of chips." He pointed out, almost mockingly.
"I have something much better than chips to offer." He pulled on his collar and neck scarf again. "A ship!" He almost laughed the word, the desperation was evident.
"A ship you say?" Green eyes sat back in his chair and tilted his hat back down again. "Alright, I'll accept another hand, with a new deck."
"To my terms?" The Duke questioned sceptically.
"And what will be your terms, Sir?" The man asked.
"I win, you give me all your chips worth in coin." He wiped sweat from his brow. "You win, the ship is yours." He licked his dry lips and pulled once more at his collar.
"Fair enough," was the man's simple answer.
"I'm goin' head 'ome to the missus." The drunk staggered upright then stumbled out the back door. "'Gents." He tipped his weathered hat to them and was gone.
The fisherman decided it was late enough as well and bid his farewells.
Now there were only the two. Surrounding them were a barmaid whose shift had ended more than an hour ago, three men who weren't brave enough to bet their wages, so looked on for entertainment instead, a woman who kept a fan in front of her face at all time and the dealer.
The dealer cut a new deck of cards. He fanned them out then slipped them neatly into his one hand and dispersed them with the other.
The Duke looked at his cards, but tried to keep his expression bland and indifferent.
The other man simply glanced at his hand of cards and sneered.
"Bets to you Duke." He jeered.
The Duke glanced at his opponent and swallowed hard. "I've a full house, tens over jacks." He placed his cards down for all to see.
"Well, good show." The green eyed man in the hat blew out a breath and looked down in what appeared to be defeat.
The on-lookers whispered and commented thinking to them that the Duke was a lucky bastard.
"I've won?" The Duke stood so quickly his chair fell onto its back. "I can't believe it!" He exclaimed almost hysterically.
"Then don't." The man stood slowly and laid down his cards showing a straight, ten to ace.
"Impossible." The barmaid breathed a sigh.
"You're right," the Duke barked, "it is impossible!" He cried.
"The deed to your ship, sir?" The hatted man held out one hand.
"No!" The Duke protested and pulled his sword from its hidden place in his decretive cane.
The man in the hat breathed a sigh then looked back at the spectators. "Doesn't appear as though the good Duke here is playing fair does it?" He winked at the woman who continued to fan her face.
"No sir, he doesn't seem to be playing fair at all." She cooed and came around to stand beside him.
"He looks," one man said.
"A might bit scared," another finished.
The Duke shook slightly as the room began to feel smaller bit by bit as the people within it started to move together around him. "Stay back," he shouted, "I'm warning you."
"Oh look!" The barmaid cheered. "I love it when they warn you!" She clapped enthusiastically.
"What's going on here?" The Duke demanded as he was backed into a corner. He glanced hopefully at the dealer in hopes that he would stand with him against a now group of what appeared to be five acquaintances.
"Looks like you're time has come to pay up, Monsieur." The dealer stood and was now holding a blade in one hand.
The Duke held his slim blade aloft, pointing it from one person to the next, as his shaking became more violent. "Alright!" He finally cracked. "Take the bloody deed! The ship is yours." He took the paper from within his coat and threw it on the table, and as everyone's attention was drawn to it he fled through the back door.
"Well then, that wasn't so hard." The barmaid chimed.
"Not so hard?" The dealer peeled off his uniform vest. "Try finding ten to ace in a blink to throw a game of cards." He threw the vest down dramatically. "I almost screamed when that bloody idiot asked for a new deck."
"Yes, how did you do that Moose?" The barmaid asked.
"My dear Dot, you shall never know." He laughed heartily then scooped up the deed. "For you, Monsieur." He handed it to the man in the hat.
"Thank you." He took it, then removing his hat, locked eyes with the woman with the fan. "Shall we see our new home Sage?"
She folded the fan and taking his hand in hers, leaned in for a brief kiss. "Yes please, Falcon." And with that they all left through the back door, and headed for the docks, and home to sea, once more.
.GD.