Beware The Eye

<This is not amusing, Wryn!>
 
I laughed and nearly choked on the puff of smoke I had just inhaled from my pipe. Thankfully, no one else was sitting on the run down porch of the Wink & Kiss Tavern and Inn at this late hour to see me cough a cloud of smoke out of my mouth and nose.
 
You’ll be perfectly safe and undetectable from your secret perch, Gwylim.
 
<That is easy for you to proclaim… you are not the one getting eaten by a bear!>
 
I think you are maybe being a little over dramatic. That stuffed and mounted bear head isn’t going to move any more than it has since it was originally hung there years ago. Although the taxidermist did an excellent job giving the impression the bear died with a fierce roar on its face, I’m certain the reality was it died from blood loss in a bear trap.
 

 
<That does little to comfort my fears of being swallowed and the ensuing trauma and nightmares this is sure to cause me from now on.>
 
You don’t sleep, dream or have nightmares, Gwylim.
 
<But if I did, it would be of me getting chomped on by a black bear, swallowed, digested and shat out into little Gwylim feces. Dead. Never to feel the soft caress of the widow Ethlam’s hands, or taste her magnificent black berry pie ever again. Whimper.>
 
Well, lucky for you, death isn’t a thing that you have to worry about as well.
 
<This is still creepy! And it is dusty and smells funny too.>
 
Not much longer my furry little friend. What is Srascious Kren holding now?
 
<Two crows, a snake, a queen and a fowl.>
 
I took another puff on my pipe and reached into my pocket, pulling out a piece of copper wire. I carefully wrapped it around the end of my finger a few times. Pulling it off, I hold it up to my mouth and concentrate, whispering very quietly into the little, copper circle, “Iona, he’s bluffing, he only has a pair of crows.”
 
While Gwylim couldn’t see Iona’s hand from his bear’s nest, I had magically passed along Kren’s hand so he could make the correct decision. Which apparently was better than two crows, as Gwylim informed me that Iona had raised the pot, passing back to Kren.
 
Even though Redspan was surrounded and under siege by the forces of Iuz, Srascious Kren continued to pray on its beleaguered peoples by taking what little monies they had left. Sure, one could say that anyone who went up against Kren in a game of cards, deserved to lose their fortune, for he was the sharpest card shark I had ever seen. While I was pretty certain I could count cards better than him, I, unlike Iona, was horribly awkward at reading people. Which Kren also excelled at fantastically. So I enlisted my oldest friend Iona Guile to be my face, while I was his eyes and ears. Or in this case, Gwylim was my eyes and I was silently and magically whispering into Iona’s ears from outside.
 
Sadly, anyone who played Kren these days, only wished for enough copper to buy foodstuff for their family. With the war at Redspan’s doorstep, food had become scarce and prices were outrageously expensive. Hence my crazy plan to give back to some of these poor, starving families with Kren’s ill-gotten gains.
 
I decided I wanted to watch from Gwylim’s perspective, so I sat back on the wooden bench and rested my head against the front wall. Closing my eyes, I shifted my sight and hearing to Gwylim.
 
Despite the main part of the tavern being dimly lit, Gwylim’s weasel eyes had no trouble seeing the darkest corners from his bear’s view.
 
Ew! You weren’t kidding about the smell! I think I’m going to sneeze! Don’t let us sneeze!
 
<I told you! But, NOOOOooooooo, Gwylim’s being dramatic! Serves you right if I were to let me sneeze and give away my secret position.>
 
Fine. I apologize for calling you out as the starving stage artist who clearly suffers for his art.
 
<I accept your apology, under one condition.>
 
Oh no….here it comes…
 
<That tomorrow we stop by Widow Ethlam’s and have some of her sweet blackberry pie!>
 
Gwylim, with the siege on Redspan, she hasn’t had sugar for weeks.
 
<I NEED BLACKBERRY PIE!!!>
 
Fine, I will see if we can trade or buy some sugar.
 
<Thank you.>
 
Focusing back on the table, Kren had apparently gone all in with his bluff, as the stash of gold, silver and copper pieces in the center of the table was now much larger.
 
“What do ya got there boy?” I heard Kren ask through Gwylim's ears. He threw down his cards on to the table.
 
While I’m sure Iona’s face had been emotionless this entire exchange, he broke out into wicked smile and laid his cards on the table one at a time. A dire wolf, a black cat and three white doves.
 
“Son of a hag’s whore!!! You ain’t gonna walk outta here with both nuts son.” Kren shouted in anger.
 
And with that, Kren and the two other ruffians that had been sitting at the table with Iona, all got up and pulled knives from various places. At the same time, five burly gentlemen from various spots in the tavern also rose and pulled swords and daggers too. Meanwhile, Iona hadn’t moved a hair, except to have an even bigger toothy smile on his face.
 
“Ya sees these men Kren? Each of ‘dem work for da Dogs of War. I’m sure ye heard of ‘dem right? Well, when I tolds ‘dem you was stealin’ from them families and other po’ folks, they didn’t take so kindly to that. So nows they make sures you don’ be doin’ that no mores.”
 
Kren put both hands up and slowly sat back down into his chair, putting his knife away and motioning for the others to do the same. “We don’t want no tangle with the Dogs ya hear? You won those winnings straight and fair boy.”
 
I’d seen and heard enough. Plus I wanted to pass along another message to Iona, so I withdrew my senses back to my body. Putting the ring of copper back to my lips, I smiled as I said quietly, “Iona, tell him that Nystul’s back, and that an invisible, magical eye will be following and watching his every move from now on. Beware of The Eye.”
 
That should make him behave for awhile.