The Tongs
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“Sorry,” said Karl, grimacing contritely. “It’s just unusual to see elves ‘round here.”
“At least she doesn’t seem to be like the fellow who just left,” said Klaus with a wry smile. “Excuse our curiosity. My name’s Klaus, and this is Karl.”
He looked from Illiiya to Raffy, seeming to relax a little for the first time since ‘Rafale’ had appeared. It was Karl, however, who spoke:
“Some friends of ours should be arriving soon. I’m sure they’d be very interested to meet you both, if you cared to stick around.”
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The Crow
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”You can buy us a round if’n you like, soldier boy,” leered the winner, leaning back in his chair. “After all, you won big last night, din’t you?”
“’Yeah,” said another man despondently, looking up from counting his sadly-depleted coins. “We ain’t the Baroness, mister.”
“Her daddy, he’s a sharp one,” said a third man. “Got the Baron all tied up in lawyers, so I heard. My mate Gulli’s a stable-boy up at the Castle, says His Nibs is in a right bind.”
“That’s what you get for forgettin’ you’ve gotten old,” said the winner, leaning forwards. “Now, are we talking or are we playing dice?”
The stakes remained the same, the bone cubes rattling on the scarred table – this time, the pot went to one of the less obviously skilled of their company as Lady Luck decided to take sides. With a little good-natured grumbling, the coins were redistributed.
“Higher stakes, I think,” said the winner from the last round. “How’s eight schillings sound?”
“I’m out,” said the man who had just won. The rest stayed in, pushing their money into the centre of the table.