Chapter 15 - To talk on barges and other things

Yerin tended to the superficial cut across Troit’s bare midriff and chest. The barbarian was still discussing the details of his duel with the warrior woman Lydia to his comrade, all the while the rogue was shaking his head and dabbing a medley of mulched herbs onto the wound.

The half-hearted apologies following there foray and mutual agreement to fuck off out of the area had been taken with an almost unanimous agreement from both parties as the best solution to their small bout and now Ross and Wiesse’s merry band were sitting atop one of the many barges providing passage out of Jandrir, across the river and south into the heart of the Kaden Circle.

Water spat up over the rafts edges in small droplets and fine spray, the river didn’t have a heavy current but it was sufficiently disturbed by the constant workings of boats and raft that took place upon its surface that small eddies of waves splashed harmlessly against its side and showered the occupants.

By the shoreline, a small team were tugging at ropes and manoeuvring logs in a bid to dredge what looked like a dead wyvern from the bed of the water which was gaining plenty of attention from the deckhands and merchants on the boat who shouted either encouragements for the sake of the younger children in the midst of the workers or suggestions. Other voices joining the commotion were friends and those that knew one another calling out pleasantries.

“How do you go and get yourself kidnapped you big lug” Yerin reprimanded his friend hitting him gently with the towel he was using to dab the wound.

“I thought they were taking me to cookery school” Troit responded and again looked off into the distance with dreamy eyes.

Wiesse was the first to speak after he wrung out his jacket, trying to wash out the wine with the river water “Literally no one said anything even vaguely close to that Troit”

By way of response Troit merely grunted an affirmation that implied he wasn’t really listening.

“They were an odd group to be traveling together” Felicity thought aloud. She was sitting cross legged on the deck binding pieces of torn cloth around the handle of her pitchfork, when she looked up Ross had his eyebrow raised quizzically.

“If you really want to draw comparisons we’re an odd group ourselves” he said, he was sorting through a pile of old cotton rags and bandanas that he and Wiesse had in their packs and passing various threads to Felicity so she could continue customising her weapon.

“Are we really that odd?” Felicity asked looking around at everyone and stopping to stare at Lichter who kept plunging his open maw in and out of the water like a game “I guess so” she said.

“Don’t try and sound so disappointed” Yerin interjected as her tone dropped.

“It’s not that.” Felicity defended “It’s just, when I left home, I wanted to go out and adventure. I had images of strong men and women in suits of armour battling dragons and doing good. But from what we’re like and how that other group acted I should have probably realised that adventuring parties are made up of people just like me. Just regular sorts trying to chase some wanderlust.”

For a moment, the only response Felicity received was the heavy clapping together of Lichter’s jaws as he snapped at the water more, but even he slowed down his game and turned to take in the deflated looking farmer.

“Don’t let the stories Ross tells you get you down” Yerin said, turning to address her properly “Sure those big bands are out there, marching across the land doing good, looking and acting the part. But the proper adventuring, that’s what we’re doing.”

“Drinking each town dry and laughing through the night in fields!” Troit boasted.

Yerin shook his head as he continued “Every person that takes their first step out into the big world deciding to be an adventurer does so for one reason or another. If your goal is just to work under some schmuck taking orders so you can don armour and battle dragons then be my guest, we’ll hook you up with a team in the next town. But me, I started up to get away from a life like that. What I wanted is exactly what I got” as the rogue finished speaking Troit placed a comforting hand on his friends’ shoulder and Yerin patted it reassuringly.

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“I guess” Felicity said perking up “you’re right!”

“So why did you start adventuring then?” Ross asked the former farmer “life simply too much hassle with the old man?”

Felicity stopped tying the material around her weapon and instead used it to prop herself up, she dreamily looked into the middle distance as she answered “I was no good at it to be honest. My Pa’ would always get annoyed ‘cos I couldn’t do things properly or quick enough.”

“Sounds tough” Wiesse said, joining the others sitting in a rough circle, leaving his jacket to dry out on the deck.

“It was. But the thing was when we were younger Pa’ would always tell us stories of his adventures back in the day. He was part of a big adventuring group that fought in wars and took down monsters. Would have been a proper hero but- “, she trailed off and when prompted to continue she concluded sombrely “he lost an eye and some fingers during a battle. After that, his comrades told him to stay at camp. So, he sort of gave up. We could all see it in his face when he told the stories and he would get angry when drinking, talking about what he could have done, songs that should have been sung of his deeds and such. So, one day I decided I’d revive his legacy, go out become a hero like dad was.”

“A formidable reason” Troit said and he clapped his hands together with an admiring smile.

“You know I don’t think I ever heard why you started adventuring Troit” Ross stated and prompted the barbarian to tell them his tale.

“Ah I much the same as Felicity here started my life on a farm. Though I was chief among my many siblings at completing the chores and work of the land. I enjoyed the crop yield, pulling the vegetables from the land and learning how to use them each in different recipes, what each plant could do. I wanted to know more of what the land could offer, the plants and herbs that grew in foreign lands. Also, to make friends, we were so far from the city that I knew only my family for comfort. I went looking for friends and I found all of you.” He said this with a beaming smile that filled everyone with warmth.

“How about you Yerin, what’s the rest of your story?” Felicity inquired and the rogues face went sour.

“Basically, all I’ve already said. Believe me when I say this life is actually easier that my last. I was a pathfinder for the army, cartographer, scout and occasional assassin. They asked me to do things I wasn’t happy to, so I left. Running around with this lot seemed the best way to stay away from anything to dangerous.”

“Hey, we get into plenty of dangerous situations.” Ross argued,

“That’s because you’re idiots, not because you go looking for them”

Felicity laughed as the actor fumbled for an argument and turned her attention to Lichter “what about you Lich’ what set you out adventuring?”

“Oh, this’ll be good no doubt” Wiesse said and eyed up the Croc-man who was throwing his head side to side to look at everyone.

“I don’t like fighting” Lichter said with a shrug, “I know you got to from time to time but my homeland is full of war. The humans on our border take my people as slaves, we have to fight to survive. I just want to live and be free.” The Kkyrunnig said everything as casually as though he were discussing where to eat and sat with his plump legs before him kicking his feet gently and patting at his belly.

No one was sure how to respond, Ross offered a compassionate sorry but Lichter blinked at him with a frown of confusion.

“I’m guessing you two idiots have a nicer reason for setting out?” Felicity asked the acting pair.

“Same as you, we want to be known and remembered” Wiesse said.

“Just like Squiz” Ross added, and he held up his adventurers guide to show her “really we just want to make a name for ourselves. Do something that makes our story worth being told. One great feat or another, doesn’t really matter. So long as it can be recorded, and people talk about it when we’re gone.”

“They’ve just spent a long time doing nothing is all.” Troit threw in and earned some laughter from everyone.

“We realised from the get go that the important part is having fun along the way” Wiesse defended “and to be honest we’ve got a good group of friends to do that with while we figure out what great deed it is we plan on accomplishing.”

Ross nodded “Well stick with us Felicity, I can’t promise you’ll be a Hero come the next turn of the clock. But we’re setting of for great things, and you’ll be a part of that.”

“We’ll make sure you have fun too!” Lichter said returning to his game of clapping his jaws into the water.

Felicity smiled “From the sounds of it, I found the right group of idiots to make do with then” she said and the barge bustled against the shore line, groups of men throwing rope to a pier to tie the vessel sturdy to port and a burly man stood from nearby bellowing to the various passengers that it was time to disembark and be on their merry way.