Owin #36 — Life is a game of chance

The unloading and handing off of the cargo went much easier than the loading of it. Gwen managed to wash away the salt that had clung to her body and clothing in a nearby stream and after restocking their water barrels, she once again directed The Needle through the rocks and out to deeper waters while Owin and Arn rowed the now much light craft through the oncoming waves.

After one more night at sea, they sailed into Ertawi’s protected harbor late the next morning. Gwen stood on the prow and took in the sights as Arn carefully maneuvered his craft past large sailing ships that rocked and creaked in the waves that were made gentle by the breakers.  She had a hard time looking away from the magnificent vessels, for while Rhyl was a large and power city, it sat on a river delta and the silt left Rhyl with a fairly shallow harbor.

Ertawi was a much older city with a deep harbor and wooden docks that stretched well out into the sea.  This gave Ertawi a different class of ship for Gwen to see.  And I’ve never sailed into any port before, she admitted to herself.  Looking past the ships, she wondered at the many buildings and what appeared to even be a whole sub-city that had grown over the docks.  The buildings, stacked two and three stories high, stood as tall or taller than many of the ships.  At the dock level, where people could board the ships, a network of tunnels ran under the inns, taverns, and brothels.  Walkways and stairs covered the exteriors as ivy crept over buildings.  It was truly a sight she had never dreamt of seeing.

Once they sailed up to an open dock, Arn quickly paid the slip fee and then hired a pair of soldiers to watch The Needle. Without a full crew, there was no one left to protect the ship while they carried Calvin to the closest temple. The Dock Soldiers of Ertawi were an old order and held themselves honor-bound to guard their charges. However, they would not interfere if someone were to steal possessions they were not paid to protect.

The closest temple to the docks belonged to Valci, the god of chance. He was a god most sailors from Andra worshiped at least some of the time, for the sea claimed many men every year and those men wanted all the luck they could acquire.

“Don’t worry, Girly,” Arn said as they made their way through the narrow streets, “Calvin should have enough coin to buy some healing.”

Gwen nodded her head as she trailed behind him and Owin, who were carrying the unconscious Calvin between them. Had Calvin’s condition not been as bad, she would have wanted to stop and examine some of the weathered old buildings, but as it was, she felt guilty about having enjoyed the approach to the dock.

Eventually, they entered a large courtyard that surrounded a stone building standing three stories tall. A series of motifs depicting the randomness of life covered the outer walls. Set into the front of the building were three wooden door, each covered in ancient runes. While Elsin had forbidden Gwen to enter any of Valci’s temples, Gwen knew that the response from the priests would differ depending on the door one chose. Enter through the door that chance said was unfavorable, and you would wait until Fortune indicated you could be helped. Use the door of the fortunate, and the priests would attend you immediately. Enter through the door of the damned, and you would have to pay to have the curse removed or suffer from ill fate for the remainder of your life.

Gwen had avoided these temples, for without sufficient money, the risk of the curse was always too great because the nature of the door could change at any time.  This meant it was impossible for someone to come out and report which door to use to anyone else.

“Gwen, I want you to wait outside,” Owin said as they closed on the doors. “We don’t want to risk your fate as well as our own.”

She nodded her head, but then Arn turned to her. “You cast the stone and see which one we should use. I’ll trust your luck over my own.”

Gwen raised her eyebrows. “You sure you want me to do it?” When he said yes, she stepped forward and lifted the stone cube from the ground in front of the building. The six-sided rock was as big as a melon and weighed twice as much. However, each side was marked with the symbol of a door.  Bending over, she carefully rolled the cube. The stone tumbled several times and then landed with the image of a duck on the top.

Arn shrugged as he adjusted his hold on Calvin. “The water bird it is. I usually prefer the dog, since that’s what I am, but we’ll take your door.”

Gwen glanced at Owin and he smiled. “We’ll be fine. Just stay out here and don’t go anywhere. If we have to wait for fortune, then we might be a while.”

“I’ll wait,” she said, trying to ignore the growling of her stomach.

Without any more ceremony, Owin and Arn carried Calvin up the steps and through the door marked with the image of a duck above it. As the door shut behind them, she moved away from the stone cube and sat down with her back against the temple. Hopefully, Valci won’t mind me resting, she thought to herself.

As time passed, she began to fear she had rolled poorly and they now suffered under a curse because they entered through the door of the damned.  She forced down the fear, for Owin had taken his money with him and Arn carried Calvin’s share. If they had been cursed, they should be able to have it removed.  She clenched her firsts and swore. It’s been so long, at best, they are waiting, but Calvin doesn’t have the time.

Not wanting to feel the frustration, she leaned her head against the building. “What kind of god plays with his followers like this,” she mumbled. I know he help those with less money, but somehow it seems better to be consistent instead of tormenting people. She frowned.  Not wanting to anger Valci with her thoughts, she tried to push them aside, but now faced with the choice, she really appreciated the gods that only served those with lots of money. “At least we know where we stand.”  Bowing her head, she closed her eyes and tried to hide her doubts.

Eventually, she started to drift off, but she managed to keep enough awareness that no one would be able to come too close without her knowing.  As time stretched on, even that became difficult and when the door beside her opened, she jumped from the sudden change.

She scrambled to her feet as Owin and Arn came out the door. She looked behind them, waiting to see Calvin, and then turned back to Owin and Arn, trying to examine their faces for a hint of what happened. Their smiles gave her hope and then Calvin eventually stepped out of the temple. His movement was slow and stiff, but he had life once again in his face.  “What took so long,” she blurted out.

Arn closed on her and slapped the back of her shoulder.  “Worried?  You shouldn’t have been, Calvin’s healing took time he was so far gone.  But you chose well.  You got the proper door.”

“Indeed,” Owin said.  “I wish I could have come out to get you, but we couldn’t risk coming back in the wrong door.”

Calvin eventually pushed his way closer. The balding man reached out and grabbed her head, and then planted a hard kiss on her lips. She stood motionless and stunned as his scraggly bread rubbed against her face.

“Gwen,” he said, taking a step back. “You saved my life and so I’ll marry you.”

“Hey…” Owin said, stepping closer.

Gwen recovered from her shock. “I don’t think so,” she said, hoping his tone had indicated he was jesting with her.  She had not intention of being anyone’s wife.

“But…” Calvin said, trying hard, but unsuccessful in keeping the smile from his face. “I owe you my life. These others would have let me die and tossed me over. Anything you want, you can have it.” He looked down and his face fell as he patted his pouch. “As long as it doesn’t involve money. They took everything I have.”

Arn shook his head. “Hardly. I was there. She chose the right door and you got off cheap for how bad you were. We expect a good meal for not throwing you over.”

Gwen cleared her throat. “So they healed everything?”

“I’m a bit sore and totally famished, but I’ll live.” He smiled. “Truly, if you need anything, just ask.”

Gwen smiled as she caught Owin subtle glance. “We might just take you up on that at some point.”

Continue to next episode.