Tales over Rushna

[Klinton Caer]

Topaz walked into the RDI with just enough time for a cup of coffee or two before the duels would start for that evening. She waved to Icer, the Red Dragon Inn's resident dragon, then noticed Klinton, sitting at a table. “Good afternoon, Klinton. What brings you here at this time of day?”



“Afternoon Topaz.” He looked up from the ivory figurine he was polishing with a soft cloth and returned the fairy’s smile. “I'm just here for a coffee.” A pile of figurines lay in the chair next to him. Something about them struck Topaz as odd but familiar.



“Same here. Do you mind if I join you?” At Klinton's friendly nod she slid into an empty chair and studied the figures more closely. All of the pieces were highly detailed, each a piece of fine art, and very old. Could it be that Klinton of all people owned a set of Rushna, and knew what it was, she wondered as she recognized the pieces, surprise showing in her features. “Where ever did you get those? Do you know the Rushna rules?”



Klinton gave a strange look, then showed her the figurine he had been polishing. “An old game of my father’s. He picked it up and taught me how to play. I assume I know the correct rules, but, my father may have modified things a bit.” He gave a slight chuckle and his face took on a far-away quality. He snapped back to the here and now when Topaz spoke again.



“Amazing! I've not ever seen a copy of it in Rhydin. I didn't think anyone here knew to play.” She grinned. “Well, the rules are complicated enough to serve as an excuse for any adjustment.” The rules for the game were indeed complicated and intricate. Rushna, a game of the Tuatha, was not a game one could comprehend and learn to play in a matter of days. And to hear of humans having learned to play it – well, it boggled the mind. “How often did your father let you add a troll to the map?”



Klinton smiled, apparently pleased. “Oh, I rarely beat him at it. So, maybe 5 trolls I've added, he had many more.”



She grinned at his answer. “It looks like you even have all the pieces even. Mine's missing a couple, a blue house and a purple dragon.” Regret over the lost figurines vibrated in her voice.



Klinton nodded with understanding. “I'm not sure where to get replacement pieces, so I made sure I kept them all. He said that this one was a special set as well. It has a green fairy that is hardly ever seen.”


”Really? Mine has a green fairy, too.” Topaz had not been aware of that being something special. Then again, perhaps his father had told him so to make certain the boy would treat the game components as the treasures that they were. “I do wonder where your father picked it up, though.” Her eyes started to sparkle as she thought of the prospect of actually playing the game.


Klinton gave a short laugh and a shrug. “There's no telling. I guess the first time we played he had just arrived at the Hwang Forests. Maybe it is common after all. Do you have time for a game?”



“I most certainly do have time for a game.” She beamed him a smile and helped him with setting up the map.



“I'm surprised to know another person who plays!” He seemed to be as delighted as she was. When the table was set he began dealing the cards, ten to each player.



“Is that forest known to have fae folk living in it, or perhaps even rumored to have had Tuatha city in it?”


Klinton looked thoughtful for a moment. “I believe so. I was pretty young. It was before he let me really go with him. I just waited for him mostly. “



Topaz picked up the top card when he was done dealing the stacks. “It is an old game.” Then frowned in thought at her card before looking up to Klinton. “Unless you've even worse luck than me, you'll be starting.”



Chuckling he drew the next card. “I've got the Goblet of Farfria, a value of 7.”


”Aye, you start. I have the beggar's purse. So you got to travel with your father? That must have been an interesting way of growing up.”



Klinton moved one of his goblin figurines by two spaces and discarded his card. “Absolutely. I went every where with him.” Topaz in turn placed her card face up next to the stack of her cards and switched out her body guard with her blue house. “Is this game native to Fairy Folk? I don't know its origins.”


”You must have seen and experienced a lot. No, the Tuatha brought it with them.” She watched him agonize over his next move.



We went a lot of places, that's for sure.” Klinton played his next card, which allowed him to place his Calvary halfway across the board.


“I would love to hear of them.” She turned over one of the disaster cards and gave it an odd look. “My luck had better be picking up. Well, pick a piece.”


“My deck,” he smiled, “I suppose it falls in my favor. I didn't have the luck playing against my father but then, it was his deck.” Laughing he quickly removed her blue house. “I'd rather that not be on the board.”


“Ruining my strategy already.” Topaz chuckled and surveyed the pieces on the map while Klinton placed another card and drew one of hers. “The next time I'll bring my deck.”


”Funny, I never thought I'd play it again, after Dad's murder.” His grin faded.



“Your dad was murdered?” Klinton had never mentioned that before. She watched as he merged his goblin with the cavalry, forming the goblin rider piece. “Ha!” The card she had turned over allowed her series of moves and she moved her purple dragon and goblin pieces into position and took his body guard figurine. "Now it's a game again. So, are you going to elaborate on what happened with your dad?"




“Right back in it.” Klinton shook his head and, feeling like the turn of the game forced him to do so, played his own blue house. “They caught the murderer, but tried to pin it on me. That was right after I arrived in Rhydin.”


”Wow, how did that happen? That must have been terrible, losing your father and then getting accused of the deed.” Topaz absently played her second goblin. “You had better do something or next turn, card or not, you'll lose that pretty lady.”



Klinton glanced back at the board. The tables had turned, and she was in position to take the Lady. He thought for a moment. “It was not my shining moment. They finally did get the right man.” He sighed. “I hope this card can block!” and turned over the next card. “The tower of protection.” He looked relieved. “I've got three turns.”


”Well, do your worst.” Topaz prompted, grinning. She had his body guard and therefore his options were limited in regards to the game.


”So, anyway...after that, I never had the desire to travel anymore. At least not too far.” He charged his goblin rider forward to take her bodyguard.



“I can certainly understand that.” She gave a mock frown, hoping he didn't see what opportunity that may have just opened up for her as he played another card, allowing him to build his fortification on her side of the map.


”Ahh...All I need to do now is to get your lady, and find the troll!” He sounded pleased.


”Aye, so you do.” Topaz allowed herself a little chuckle when he drew the troll card next. As he queen was still on the map, he had to forfeit the card. He also had failed to do anything about the position of her dragon figurine.


”Well, that's my three cards. You’re up.”


”So I am.” This time she kept the card she had just picked up in her hand. I shall trade my card for moving the dragon.” With a little smirk she sat her dragon on top of his stack of cards, effectively keeping him drawing any more and handed him her card. “Your turn.”



Klinton mulled over the situation. “Well, I can't draw anymore cards, unless I can move that dragon.” He then moved his goblin rider in position to take her Lady the next round. “Looks like this is coming down to the wire.”


”Well, you do have the one I gave you.” She knew full well the card she had forfeited to him was fairly useless. Klinton was laughing when he saw the card. She turns over the fate card. Reluctantly she moved his green house between his goblin and her queen.


He smiled, then played the disaster card. “Pick your piece.”


”Oh no! You would turn that horrible card into an advantage.” Eventually she decided for the option to remove his rider from his cavalry.



“You trying to end this?” Klinton chuckled.


”Isn't that the object of the game?” Topaz laughed, trying not to give away her plan to perhaps save the win yet. But the cards had definitely turned the game in his favor.



“You made it awfully easy to take your queen.” That was true enough. She turned over the next card.


”It appears you won anyway.” The moves the card allowed were not allowed this late in the game. “Well played, Klinton.”


”My deck, the cards go my way. It was well played my friend. Another game?”



“Some other time.” She smiled. “And I’ll bring my cards along then. But I believe I'm out of time for today.”


”Fair enough.”


”Thank you very much. I've not played this game in ages and sometimes I miss Lucien something fierce. You certainly helped make the time pass faster.” She gave him a warm smile as she helped him clean up the map.



“Be safe.” Klinton rose when she did.



“You too.” With that she headed out to meet with Lucien

[Klinton Caer]

Klinton sat in the Red Dragon, shuffling his Rushna cards, and again, Topaz approached. It had been a few days since there last meeting, and Klinton had made a habit of hanging around, hoping that Topaz would show up. The game was difficult enough, and Klinton found that it was much easier to play with someone who already knew the rules rather than teach anyone else to play. He was excited as Topaz walked in.

“Afternoon Topaz!”

“Good afternoon Klinton. I see you are all set up for another game.” She noted the map with a pleasant smile.

“Yes…I was hoping you may be around at some point today. Do you have time?”

“Since you have everything all set up, we may as well play.” She slid into the seat across from him. “I even have my own deck with me.” She pulled it out, showing it off. The stack was a bit larger than Klinton’s.

Klinton laughed. “Excellent! Where did you get all those cards?”

“From the forest people back when they were around.” Topaz continued as Klinton drew his first card, moving his goblin a few places on the board, “What were your dealings with them? Or your father’s rather?”

“We got sidetracked I guess. He never really told me why. We were passing through to the mountains of Pharmorah. We stopped with the Tuatha, and ended up staying in the Hwang forests for a few weeks.”

Topaz drew her own card, and smiled. She moved her cavalry three spaces. “I would love to hear about your time there!”

“Well, I was young, but if I remember correctly, there were trolls attacking the forest, and the Tuatha had asked for my father’s help.” Klinton looked carefully at his cards, and didn’t notice the inquisitive smile that grew on Topaz’s lips. She wiped it quickly from her face as he looked back up, playing his card and placing his blue house on the map.

Topaz spoke. “It seems a bit strange to me that they would need your father’s help. Usually the Tuatha would have had no problem disposing of trolls.” The Tuatha were a proud people, to the point of being snobbish, Topaz thought, and capable of great feats of magic.

Klinton shrugged. “I wish I knew more about it. My father did dispose of them, and after a week or two, we moved on.”

Topaz drew a card, and moved her bodyguard into a more convenient location, blocking any attack from Klinton’s goblin, while contemplating what deeper reasoning the forest people might have had for their actions. She could think of only one. “It was not customary of the Tuatha to ask for outside help, unless, may your father have been less of an outsider to them?”

Klinton drew another card, losing three turns. He sighed, placing the card down. As he looked at the board, he saw that she could clench the win during those three moves if she played it well.

He thought for a moment at her comment. “He traveled enough, I suppose he could have been more familiar with them than I thought. Certainly, by the end of our time with them, he was familiar. They seemed to trust him with anything. My father rarely received payment of money, usually a gift of some sort. I think that’s how he came across the game.”

Topaz won the game with the next two moves. Her cavalry first took Klinton’s bodyguard, leaving his Queen wide open for the taking. “Are there any other gifts that your father received?” She didn’t know the forest people to be this generous with any mere human.

Klinton smiled. “Tons. I believe this is the only one from the Tuatha, but, I have several other items. Not many of them have much use to me…just collectables I suppose.”

Topaz smiled. She’d love to get to look at those other gifts and if one of them may confirm her suspicion, but it would not do to rise his. “Another story for another game. Very well played Klinton.”

He smiled. “Thank you Topaz. You as well.” Klinton packed up his deck and headed for the door.

[Azjah von Drachen Walde]

We walked through the doors of the newly re-opened Outback together to find a small crowd already in progress with Destre officiating. Klinton murmured quietly, “small crowd tonight.”

I linked my arm in his, “Yes, but you should be able to get a match.” There was fighting going on, and I presumed he had planned on getting in a bout or two, but he shrugged, “not really looking for a match. Just here I suppose.” Des greeted us cheerily as we looked for a table.

I gave him a light laugh, “You’re not? So then, you can tell me about the game I saw in the library. I’ve never seen it’s like before.” Since he was not going to fight, perhaps we could simply sit and talk.

He gave me a perplexed look before my meaning became clear, “OH! Rushna?”

I poured us both water, mine sparkling with lime as I asked him if that is what it was called. He nodded, “Yes, it’s a very old game apparently. My father got it at some point. Never knew anyone that knew how to play though until Topaz, just recently.”

I sat down, “Did you play with your father then?” He rarely spoke of his father at all.

“We played several times,” he told me simply, without any elaboration. “I’m not entirely sure that I know all there is to the game, my dear, or I would offer to teach you.”

I toyed with my water a moment, “I do not do very well with games, but I found the cards and pieces interesting to look at.”

Klinton smiled, “It is quite beautiful I suppose. Have you come across any of my father’s other little treasures?”

An old familiar face walked through the doors, and mutters, “thank god,” as he walked toward the bar. Jesse had been missing from RhyDin nearly as long as I had been gone. I glanced at him, but did not say hello as he was busy bantering with Destre. I smiled back at Klinton, “So Topaz plays?”

He nodded, Yes, She’s quite good. She saw me with the cards the other day, and we’ve played since. It is a game that stems from the Tuatha I believe, so she was familiar with it.”

I was surprised, “Your father traveled amongst the Tuatha? They do not usually tolerate outsiders, do they?”

He nodded, “He worked for them at some point. Topaz mentioned the same thing...however, we were certainly tolerated.”

[Azjah von Drachen Walde]

I sipped my water, waiting for him to take a drink of his water before quietly asking him, “So, have you contemplated any names?”

He never missed a beat, “Klint….Junior?”

I gave him a soft laugh, “I do hope you don’t plan on that if it’s a girl.”

He was laughing then, “No. I don't plan on that name. I hadn't really thought....what do you like?”

“I would like her middle name to be my mother’s, if she’s a she.” My mother’s name had always conjured visions of the ocean, the majesty of that vista as you look out on a blue calm, or a storm tossed green sea.

Klinton nodded, “Ozeana is a pretty name.”

I leaned closer, whispering to him that I was late, and waited for his reaction. He’d been sitting on pins and needles for the last month, and so I wanted to let him know we were close to knowing for certain.

He smiled, flexed a bit, and was very obviously excited, “I don’t want to get my hopes up this week, let’s wait until I know for sure, we know for sure.” he told me, but he could hardly contain himself.

And so, I neatly changed the subject, “Where else did you and your father travel to?”

He smiled, “A lot of places. We ran across a traveling band one time. It’s where I got my mandolin.”

I curled up beside him, “Tell me about your father and your travels.”

He laughed then, “You’ve seen the mandolin, right? Well, I can only play that one.”

I had never seen or heard him play, and I had misunderstood his statement that he could only play that specific instrument, so asked him if practice might improve his ability, but he chuckled, “Why practice when I can play that one beautifully?”

“So what do I need ot do to entice you to play for me?” I asked as we enjoyed the moment.

He gave me a smile, “Uhh, put that mandolin in front of me and ask me to play.” He told me he had never planned on taking up the mandolin, but that this one “pretty much plays itself babe, all I do is hold it.”

I was delighted, Klinton owned a magic mandolin. He grinned, “Yeah, my dad got a lot of cool stuff.”

Now I was intrigued, “were you able to keep much of it?”

He nodded, “Most of it. They are packed up in a lot of different places, but they were now at the Palazzo, still packed away.” He had simply stored all of those things, and I smiled, “We have the room to display them, you haven’t told me much about your father.”

I was enjoying his opening up and talking about himself, and his childhood.

He nodded, “sorry, it’s been hard with the murder.” His voice trailed off a moment before he continued, “tell ya what, we’ll go unpack the boxes and I’ll tell ya the stories.”

I smiled, threading my fingers with his. “Fair enough.”

He kissed my hand, “You ready to roll?”

I smiled, “I am,” and we headed for the doorway, bidding Destre a good evening before stepping into the night.