Chip had begun the meal preparations for the three guests. Mindlessly he washed the dishes while his uncle dried and set the table. They were using their best clay pots, the ones that cost almost a clams worth of company scrip. Sam and River, in otter form, had arrived early and were talking excitedly in the other room to the rest of the raft about their plans to win big.

“Sela is late huh?” Stone asked, placing the last plate, “You think for how much trouble you guys give him, he’d be on time a little more.”

“Well, you win some, you lose some,” Chip said the common riverfolk refrain.

“But the house always makes its money,” Stone said.

Stone grabbed the cutlery from where Chip had started piling it up. Chip stopped, turning to look to the elder otter.

“When you… when you decided to join a raft… was it …like all at once? Or did you negotiate each deal one at a time because… Sela is like a delicious sweetroll, but Sam is the ingredients that make it delicious….”

Chip trailed off, looking to the crop of vegetables he had to work with. Because the harvest was still going strong, they had options. Turnips, beets and carrots chief among them. The root vegetables would do well with Sams seasoning.

Sam appeared at the doorway, winking at Chip.

“River thinks he’s about to show,” she said, “She won’t explain why.”

Chip stopped what he was doing as he placed a bag of flour down.

“Quick! Act natural!” River’s voice from the main room, sounded like she’d been prepared.

Chips muscles all gave out at the same time, and it was only because he had leaned over Sam to look that he was still upright.

“Excuse me!” Sam whispered, “As much as this is my dream come true, do you think that you could not be boneless for a minute? Or at least long enough for me to get out from under you? There’s enough time for that later.”

“Sorry!” Chip whispered back.

Regaining his composure, he saw that Stone was giving him a bit of side eye. Chip straightened his apron and returned to his duties. Turned away from the doorway, Chip felt more than heard the steps of a dense topical otter. The kind of otter that you apply all over yourself, Chip thought, before snapping himself out if it. Chip hadn’t even negotiated opening terms with Sam or Sela and it was all barreling very fast for him.

“I got the thing …uh… fish… daddy?” A strong voice said.

Stone snickered as he stepped out of the room. His last piece of cutlery in place, the elder otter escorted Sam out.

“Let them talk,” he said over her adorable silent gestures, “Then you can have your say.”

Chip turned to see Sela holding a fish shaped tin about the size of two paws across. His eyes bulged.

“Sela, thank you.. I …”

“I can get more.”

Taking the tin, Chip examined it.

“More? How much did this one cost you?”

Sela blushed.

“I just flirted with the smith a little.”

“Hold on, you mean to tell me that people just give you things for free because you hit on them?”

Sela, who hadn’t quite understood his situation up until now, nodded.

“Not because you’re handsome?”

“I … well that might play a part in it.”

“As long as we’re on the same page. Damn I wish I had special powers like you or River…”

Chip walked to the doorway, past Sela and looked straight at Sam.

“Sam, do you have any special powers that you want to reveal? Can you call upon Mirus blessing and just make us win?” He said.

The group in the living room kept talking as Sam looked back at Sela.

“A lady never reveals all of her secrets.”

Her coy voice was joined by a curtesy.