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It was almost dusk when Seth made his way to the Salty Wench. He entered the lively tavern and scanned the room for the bartender. It wasn’t long until he found his old friend. “Seth! How can I help you today? Some rum before tomorrow’s trip?”
“Oh, nothing of the sort, Bill. I actually wanted to talk to Patricia.”
“The soothsayer? That’s odd. I didn’t think you were into that sort of thing.”
In truth, Seth really wasn’t. Unlike most sailors in his small village, he was not a particularly superstitious man. However, after much prodding from his family and friends, he decided to see what fate had in store for him during the upcoming voyage. “It’s just a fun thing to do. Besides, it won’t hurt anybody.”
“Very well. She’s on the second floor, third door to the left.”
After thanking Bill and tipping him, Seth followed the instructions and knocked on the wooden door.
“Come in.”
The first thing Seth felt as he entered was the overwhelming scent of incense. Patricia was seated in the dark room, lit only by a few candles. “I don’t see you here often. How are you, Seth?”
The young sailor smiled and sat down. It was a small enough village that everyone knew each other by name, even if they weren’t particularly close. “I’m alright. I, uh… Just want to try this out.”
“A fine enough reason to have your fortune read. I assume this is about tomorrow’s trip?”
Seth could hear the shuffling of cards as she spoke. “Yeah. I don’t have any particular questions, just curiosity.”
“In that case, I will keep things relatively simple.” Patricia placed three cards face down before him. She flipped the first one over, a card with the image of a snake. “Temptation… Someone will try to seduce you,” The woman flipped the second card, one with the image of a book. “A scholar. Hm…” She then flipped the final card, depicting a scythe. “Oh dear.”
“Is it that bad?” Seth scoffed.
“Yes, in fact. Your heart will be at the mercy of someone who desires knowledge. This person will hurt you. There will be a reckoning.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
Patricia placed a card face up next to the scythe card. This card showed a tower. After a few moments of thought, she placed a second card face up, with the image of a heart. “Isolation from love… I believe this person will hurt you, but you will eventually distance yourself from them, maybe even finding some sort of forgiveness.”
Seth nodded, lost in thought. He didn’t see himself as particularly romantic, however, he was young and somewhat good-looking, so he didn’t immediately discard the thought of someone trying to seduce him. A scholar trying to get knowledge out of him seemed a bit too far-fetched, though.
“The road ahead will be tough, but I’m sure you’ll brave through it.” Patricia smiled at the sailor, snapping him out of his trance.
“Right. Thank you, Pat.” With that, he tossed a few coins her way and headed to his family’s house. He would not be prepared for what lay ahead.