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After having finished their dinner in a nice and cozy inn, Lambert nodded in the direction of some students. “What are they doing?”
Vica followed his look, shrugging. “Playing a game.”
“No way. You’re a smart girl indeed.” He showed his parody of a smile. “What exactly are they playing?”
She sighed and moved her head to get a better view. “Some variation of Gwent.”
“How can you vary Gwent? The rules are quite clear.”
“The loser doesn’t have to give away a card from his deck but has to take a drink instead.”
“Sounds fun, let’s do that.”
She raised an eyebrow. “No. In the last few days I taught you nearly every drinking game I know plus five dice games. I’ve been hardly sober since.”
“Because you’re a lightweight. I want to play something. Now.”
She smiled at him. “Fine then. What about one of your games?”
Lambert grinned. “I could think of a few games I’d want to play with you. Of course you’ll have to get naked for any of them.”
“We’re in the taproom.”
“We can go to my room. Better yet, to your house. Your bed’s way more comfortable than the bunk in here.”
“We can talk about that later. But first you’ll suggest a game.”
Lambert made a solemn face. “I’m a witcher, pup. My life isn’t a game but hard work, blood and sweat.”
“You forgot about the steel. And you can’t tell me that you never ever played games when you were a young witcher boy.”
“Never. I had to fight and exercise all day and at night I had to revise the theory I’ve learned.”
“Sure. That’s what your teachers wanted you to do. Strangely enough you don’t strike me as a rather obedient child. So, instead of revising, what did you really do?”
He sighed and thought for a moment. “Very well. There has been this silly little game. We called it “I kill a monster”.”
“Teach me.”
“Teach you what?”
Vica drummed her fingers on the table. “Teach me how to play.”
“Why?”
“Because I love to learn new things. Besides,” she fiddled with a streak of her hair and threw him an innocent look, “if you don’t, you’ll have to sleep alone.”
“As if I’d care.”
“You’re the one always complaining of the cold in your room. I do know some very efficient methods to warm you up, but if you insist on being stubborn… ”
Lambert’s eyes narrowed. “You little manipulating…”
“Keep it up and you’ll definitely sleep alone tonight.”
He ran his fingers through his hair. This woman really drove him mad.
“Fine. Loser pays the next round.”
She nodded.
“So, someone chooses a monster and what they’ll bring to fight it. Next player repeats the thing of the first one and adds something else. Loser is who forgets to mention something that had been brought up before.”
“Sounds fun”, Vica smiled. “You start.”
Lambert thought for a moment. “I’m going to fight a Noonwraith and I’ll bring a silver sword.”
“I’m going to fight a Noonwraith and I’ll bring a silver sword and … Specter oil” Vica added after trying to remember what Lambert had taught her about different monsters.
He took a sip of beer. “I’m going to fight a Noonwraith and I’ll bring a silver sword, Specter oil and Moon Dust.”
“I’m going to fight a Noonwraith and I’ll bring a silver sword, Specter oil, Moon Dust and…”, Vica bit her lip, “…and a Dimeritium bomb.”
Lambert applauded. “I should play with you more often, could save me quite a nice sum of money. You lose, I get a beer.”
Vica looked at him, pure disbelief in her eyes. Lambert enjoyed that sight.
“But…why? I didn’t forget about anything.”
“No, but a Noonwraith is a Specter. Dimeritium bombs don’t have an effect on them. They are for Relicts.”
“You cheated, Lambert.”
He raised his eyebrows. “I’d never cheat on you.”
“You haven’t told me all the rules.”
“Whereby I taught you a really important lesson in life: Ignorance is no excuse in law. Now go and get my beer.”