The Cookie Game

Writers: Emma, Paula
Date Posted: 31st October 2008

Characters: Sh'dori, I'lan
Description: Sh'dori invites I'lan to join a game of dragon poker.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 12, day 7 of Turn 4

"Really, the time and the distance are the same thing. That's how dragon's travel /between/," A'dori explained.

"A'dori, shut up. I don't want to hear your theories. We are here to play cards," glassy eyed Sh'dori told him. His greenrider brother was probably genius and half of the time Sh'dori didn't even understand what he talked about.

"Yeah," Sh'lua, Sh'dori's bluerider son agreed. "But we could use more players."

"Lemme see..." Sh'dori said and scanned the dinning cavern for familiar faces. He spotted one. "HO I'lan!" he called and stood up, gesturing for the young bronzerider.

"Sh'dori," replied the bronzerider with a nod to the others. "What can I do for you?"

"Would you be interested in game of dragonpoker? We are bit short of players," the brownrider asked.

"What are the stakes?" I'lan didn't have much money, maybe a mark at most and he wasn't going to lose it all on a game he was none too good at.

"Cookies," Sh'lua said. "We are all bit short on cash." the bluerider grinned.

"That is, if Sh'dori hasn't eaten them all before the game begins," A'dori added with laughter.

"Cookies I can manage. But I might have to go beg some from the kitchens, and hope that they don't think it's my canine who really wants them."

"Try my mother, Balidora, she's a cook," Sh'dori adviced.

"I'll do that," and it wasn't long before the bronzerider returned, baring a plate of still slightly warm cookies. "I thought I might have to bake them myself," he joked. "But when I mentioned your name, these were produced."

"She's got a soft spot for me, " Sh'dori grinned. "Have you met my brother A'dori or my son Sh'lua?"

"I don't think I have."

"Well, now you have. A'dori, deal the cards please," Sh'dori said.

The greenrider nodded at I'lan and started to shuffle the deck. "Which version shall we play? Hold'em all, Stud or Draw?"

"I think we would need even more players for Stud," Sh'lua commented.

"How about Hold 'em," suggested I'lan. It was the only version he felt confident with.

"All right," Sh'dori and his brother agreed.

But Sh'lua groaned and slid down in his seat. "Uncle A'dori always wins in Hold'em. He can sharding _count_ the odds to win."

The greenrider gave him a slightly smug smile when he dealt and said: "You could learn the math too if you bothered to."

I'lan grinned. He didn't use maths, just tried to remember what other people said they had had in previous hands to work out where cards were.

"The starting bet is one cookie, all right?" Sh'dori suggested.

"Let me guess, winner eats them all?" joked I'lan as he put a cookie down.

"Well, of course!" Sh'dori said.

"I might decide to share them with someone though," said I'lan.

"Well, that's up to you, if you win. I raise with a half cookie," Sh'dori replied.

"You're bronzerider, I'lan, have you got a chance to meet our new Weyrleader?" Sh'lua asked curiously.

"Not properly, despite being in his wing. I've seen him at wing meetings though."

Sh'lua grunted. "I wonder if it had any effect, them being from same weyr, the weyrwoman and new weyrleader I mean."

"Wasn't she origanally from somewhere else then Dragonsfall?" Sh'dori asked. "I don't think dragons think stuff like that."

"I think so, and I know she still has a lot of friends there, at Dragonsfall I mean."

"Enough of gossip, " A'dori said, "Will anybody rise anymore?"

"Another half a cookie," I'lan broke one in half and added it to the pile.

"I'm folding," Sh'lua said and tossed his cards to the table with a sigh. "Anybody want an ale?"

"I do," Sh'dori replied, A'dori shook his head.

"I'll have one," I'lan said as he looked at his cards. They weren't the best he'd ever seen, but if other people were folding he might just stand a chance.

Sh'lua got up and went to fetch the drinks.

"We'll all get to meet the new weyrleader soon enough," said I'lan. "It's going to be interesting."

"It always is, when the weyrleader changes. This time it's more interesting since we don't know the guy," Sh'dori said. Sh'lua returned with large ale-pitcher and three pints. The game continued.

And it wasn't much longer before the bronzerider was at a point where he needed to show his hand. "Sure you don't want to fold?"

"Fold no, lose, yes," Sh'dori grumbled goodnaturedly.

Another half cookie was added to the pile. "That says I'll see you."

Sh'dori had absolutely nothing but a one ace. He still added his half cookie to the pile. A'dori smiled faintly. "I rise with a whole cookie," the greenrider said.

Slowly I'lan turned his cards over, or at least the ones that mattered. A pair of twos lay on the table.

Sh'dori turned his hand over: nothing.

A'dori turned over his cards: pair of sevens. "I believe I won."

"Looks like you get all the cookies then," remarked I'lan.

"He almost always does."

"But are you going to share them with us?" asked the bronzerider.

"Of course," the greenrider said generously. "I'll get fat if I eat them all by myself."

"I don't have such issues," Sh'dori said and snatched few cookies.

"Me neither," I'lan said as he reached for a fruit cookie he'd had his eyes on. "These are good."

Last updated on the October 31st 2008

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