A Roll of the Dice

Ashiel watched the hazy clouds move in. Evening was falling swiftly upon Auster and the sun was slowly dipping down beneath the horizon. Clouds of pink stretched across the sky as it grew darker by the minute. With a sigh Ashiel got to his feet and moved back into the castle. He'd been thinking about Maeva again. Try as he might he just couldn't shake the feeling that he should've stayed with her. How vital was it he return to Risen? True, he had visions from time to time but with Serene feeling better Risen was no longer short an Oracle. Malleus was doing an excellent job with leadership and he was Ashiel's senior and more experienced than he. He supposed, in some ways, he was staying for his mother. Much as she tried to make light of it the absence of her brother and daughter bothered her. If Ashiel left to…

He shook his head and climbed up the stone steps to his chambers. Pushing the wood door open with his shoulder he slipped into the room. The fire was still going. Burning contentedly in the fireplace though Ashiel noted that he'd have to gather more fuel. Settling on the worn rug in front of the fire he turned to the window at the sound of fluttering wings. Griff landed at the edge of the window, a piece of deerhide in his beak that had been folded into a small sack. He glided over to Ashiel and landed next to the Abraxas male. Settling the bag down he let one of the corners go and out rolled 5 square pieces of wood.

Ashiel quirked a brow at his companion. "Griff? What are these? Where have you been."

The bird grinned. "I've been scouting as I've been able but I also thought I'd make a few useful items to wile away the lonelier nights. You see, what I have made here are dice, and I wondered if you might play a game of risk and luck and strategy with me."

Ashiel reached out a paw and gently flipped the dice over. Each one bore a marking on its side. One through six. He shrugged and then smiled softly. "Ok, let's play. I could use the distraction."

Griff hopped up onto the marble desk and pulled a pieces of dried skin off of it. The skin bore several markings from the quill and ink they'd made earlier on various occasions. The bird set the skin down next to Ashiel and glanced up at him. "Thinking of the homeland again?" Ashiel nodded softly. "I find myself constantly thinking about it, wondering how necessary it is that I remain here. Could I not fulfill my destiny back there? But I don't know what my mother would say. Sorry, I'm not the best company tonight."

Griff gently rested a wing on Ashiel's forearm. "Come, lets turn our thoughts to some superfluous things tonight. Study this chart it is a series of combinations that are worth points. The game is simple. Roll all five dice. If you wish to keep anything out of that combination then you can add it to your score. However, if you wish to try your luck at a more valuable combination you can take however many dice you want and roll the remaining but you must keep a die each time. For example." The bird scooped the dice into a rabbit skull. He flew up a little ways then tossed the die out revealing a 2,4,4,5, and a 1. "If I felt daring I would keep the 1, the 2, a four and a five and role the other 4 to try and get a 3." The bird picked up the die and tossed it but it rolled out to a 2. "Ack. And there's where risk comes into play. Now the only things I can get points for is the 5 and the 1. Here, your turn."

Ashiel gently scooped the dice into the rabbit skull, gave it a good shake then tossed the dice onto the rug. He grinned as he got a 2,4 and three 5's. He took the 5's aside and marked his score then gently gave the dice to Griff. He didn't feel like risking to much just yet. Perhaps it was more to do with the mood he was in but slowly as they played back and forth his mind focused in on the strategy elements, the measurement of risk and reward though lady luck still ruled the night. Ashiel did his best but in the end a lucky straight declared Griff the winner. They played into the night until at last Ashiel had to head to sleep. Although he didn't sleep particularly well, he tossed and turned, his thoughts refusing to settle.


"Talk"