Jewell looked down at her cards, fingering a few before she set three face down on the table and slid them towards the middle. The four men she was sitting with in the run down tavern, in nature only knows where, were doing the same; one of them dealt out cards to replace the ones they had all given up. Jewell was idling her time away while Stephen had went off to meet with a contact. They were only in port?some run-down, out of the way, port town, mostly forsaken and forgotten?for the day, for the express purpose of the meeting. Jewell had insisted on going ashore with her husband all the same, not caring to squander away the day on the ship without him. He had left her in town as he went to meet his contact, however, explaining that her presence was neither expected nor would it be appreciated by the contact.

She had spent some time wandering around the run-down market under a heavy disguise of glamour. She couldn?t rightly pronounce the name of the place they were at, but wherever it was, they were not friendly to the supernatural. She strived to look as ?normal? as she possibly could, having illusioned her ears into small, rounded ones and her blue locks into thick black curls that she used to sport for some time. Coupled with her grey eyes and still pearly complexion, she thought she looked like one of the selkies Stephen had expressed admiration for when they had first met, and it made her smile. As she wandered, she picked up a knickknack or two to bring home. Stephen was amused and a touch exasperated by what a packrat she was becoming as they traveled, wanting to buy something in every place they went. She had explained that she needed such knickknacks to remember everything they did together and everywhere they went; the items were physical manifestations of those memories. She didn?t want to forget such things, even a short stop in a dilapidated port town, centuries hence. Each item was imbued with a memory and locked away in a large chest of her own personal treasures. There were no more discussions over her spending of money on such things after that.

When wandering and exploring got old, she entered the tavern where she was supposed to meet up with her husband an hour or so hence. She did not look wholly out of place as she stepped inside, exuding the air that she knew where she was and belonged there even if, by the looks she received from the gathered locals, she did not. Stephen had instructed her how to dress when they went ashore earlier in the day and so she had abandoned the pants she often wore on board the Fury and had adorned herself in one of her dresses she had purchased before they had set sail: a full navy blue dress that held her in tightly with a silver, brocaded, bodice before flowing out into a full skirt that fell past her ankles; over it she wore a captain?s styled jacket in that same navy that went wonderfully with her natural hair color.

She frittered away some time alone at a table before approaching a small gathering of men at another table, noting the familiar card game they were playing. ?Do ye lads mind if I joined ye for a hand or two?? She smiled disarmingly at them, looking just a touch na?ve and rich enough for them to agree; easy winnings, right?

?Sure lass,? said one of them, a man of the sea around forty years old with the craziest beard Jewell had ever seen, as he kicked out the empty chair across from him, ?Take a seat.?

She gladly and gracefully did so, entering the game by tossing a few coins into the pot and picking up the hand that was dealt to her. With a grin that fell just shy of sly by mere will power, she looked around, ?Is there a limit on how much I might spend?? There was a resounding chorus of ?no?s in some shape or form before the game was afoot once more.

A half hour later, Jewell was keeping afloat in the game quite nicely, much to the groups? displeasure and her own amusement. She didn?t really have time to relish the situation, however; using her glamour to cheat at poker was taking a lot of concentration.

She slowly set her cards face up on the table, trying not to smile too much at the groans of the men when they saw her straight flush. It was a good hand; it won her this round and quite the hefty pile of gold coins from the other players. Seeing all those gold piled before her, it was worth the trouble she had gone through to get it. A few hands into the game, she had been passed the cards to shuffle and deal. It hadn?t taken too much energy to use her magic on the cards, it was a simple enough illusion: cause all the cards to reflect what was on their face side on the back side for her eyes only. The pain and exertion came in maintaining the illusion while she tried to play, uphold conversation, and discretely look at all the other players? cards before she further disguised her own into a winning hand. She was going to need a nap when she got back to the Fury later.

??ey, wha? the ?ell is this?? The exclamation shocked her out of whatever gloating reverie she was entertaining herself with. Oops! The game seemed to be up as she stared at the Queen of Hearts that she had set down before her and the Queen of Hearts the man who had originally agreed to let her into the game, the one sitting directly across from her, was holding. This couldn?t possibly end well. She tried for a moment to look outraged, as if the other man was the one pulling a fast one on her here, but it didn?t have its desired affect. All the men were friends, or at least familiar with one another, and all eyes were now on the strange woman in their midst.

She would later be impressed, upon reflection, regarding how fast the man to her left, Mauricio, had his pistol out and pressed up under her chin. ?Up,? he barked at her and she complied, hands up where they could be seen as she rose from her seat slowly. The other men were getting to their feet as well, each fingering their respective weapons. ?Didja jus? think ye could cheat us, woman?? The tavern had not been loud to begin with but it was eerily silent as Mauricio cocked the pistol he had pressed to Jewell?s neck. ?An? ?ow?d yah do it, eh? Without us noticin???

?Seems like witchcraft to me,? one of the other men muttered, looking at her darkly.

Jewell found herself in quite the pickle. She could easily extricate herself from the situation without getting shot but only if she used magic. However, magic was off limits. That made it not so easy to extricate herself from the situation without getting shot. She eyed the men, looking for a way out, but no; the man holding her at gunpoint was too trigger happy, she could see that in the way his finger moved against it as he waited for her response.

?Answer me, woman! Didja think yah could jus? cheat us? Did we look stupid tah yah??

?Really, I think this is all just a misunderstanding,? she projected fear out to them as she shifted nervously. She wasn?t truly frightened, but she thought it was a good idea for them to think she was.

?Misunderstanding my arse. If yah don?t tell me whatcher up tah in our town here, I?m gonna shoot yer pretty little head right off.? He shoved the mouth of the pistol against her throat harder but did not get to fulfill his threat.

The sound of another pistol being cocked had all eyes turning to the one that now had his pistol pressed to Mauricio?s temple. ?Don? think it wise tae be threatenin? me wife, mate.? Stephen stated, looking over the men who were now fumbling to draw their pistols at the presence of a new threat.

?Stand down, men.? Another man, older, stepped up besides Stephen. He had the well-weathered look of a seasoned sailor and the way he held himself around the other men, as well as the way he dressed, indicated that he was possibly a captain.

Jewell had used the distraction Stephen had caused to draw a knife from somewhere, holding it to Mauricio?s throat just as he threatened her own with his pistol. The other men blinked as they hadn?t even noticed what she had done, her gesture executed smoothly and with the ease of a seasoned bar fighter. Mauricio lowered his pistol now after his captain gave him a look, but neither Jewell nor Stephen removed their weapons from his person until the pistol was completely away from Jewell. Even then, Stephen?s pistol was not returned to its holster and Jewell?s knife hung idly between her fingers.

?Wha? new trouble ?ave ye been causin? ?ere, muirn?n?? Stephen questioned his wife with a frown.

She looked almost offended that anyone, least of all her husband, would suggest that she was causing trouble. Her chin tilted up in that aristocratic way she had perfected years ago, ?I don?t know what you?re talking about.?

?She were cheatin?, sir! And not just normal cheatin?, she were usin? witchcraft!? One of the other men, still standing across the table, shouted out.

The other captain, Stephen?s contact Jewell guessed, raised his salt and pepper brows, ?Did she now??

?Oh nonsense.? Jewell sighed, exasperated. ?So I cheated a little!?

?That?s me wife,? Stephen muttered with a shake of his head, watching the situation carefully.

Jewell continued on as if he hadn?t interrupted her, ?But I would hardly call cheating witchcraft.?

?Yeah? Then where were yah keepin? the extra cards, miss??

?In my bosom, where else?? As if this was the most natural thing in the world.

?Lemme see,? Mauricio said as he stepped closer to her.

He was restrained by Stephen?s hand on his shoulder, the grip painfully strong. ?I dinnae think so, mate. Muirn?n, why don? ye just show these fine men yer cards and we can be on our way?? He suggested to his wife, certainly hoping that she was able to do that.

She rolled her eyes before digging into her bodice and removing a card, the Ace of diamonds. She waved it around for the men to see before tucking it back in where it belonged. She certainly couldn?t leave it on the table for them to examine later, it was just an illusion after all. ?Happy now??

?See men, there be no witchcraft going on here.? The other captain smiled at them all around before clapping Stephen on the shoulder. ?It was nice doin? business with ye again, Captain Kidd.? Mauricio?s eyes widened a touch, as did the rest of the men?s, as he realized just whose wife he had been threatening. ?I?ll settle with these men, ye can just take yer wife there and get on yer way like I know ye be wantin? tae.?

?Aye, mate, fair winds tae ye.? Stephen let go of Mauricio?s shoulder and tipped his hat to the captain as he finally reholstered his pistol. ?Muirn?n,? Jewell followed his lead by tucking her knife away before Stephen stepped to her side and curled his arm about her waist. With a nod to the other men, they left the tavern.

?See, this be why men dinnae have women on board their ships. Ye be nothin? but trouble, the ?ole lot of ye.? He shook his head as they walked down the street back to the Fury. Jewell just rolled her eyes at him, still a bit sore about her loss of the money she had, at least in her mind, rightfully won. ?Now, did ye really have that card tucked away in yer bosom??

?Of course not, I was using magic the whole time. It?s much more effective.?

?Aye? Then how?d ye get caught?? She just gave him a dirty look, provoking the laughter that shook his frame. ?Ye?ll be a decent pirate yet, muirn?n.?