The barge had not been designed with comfort in mind even at the best of times, which these were not. The passageways were crammed with armed and armored men and women, adorned with scars, tattoos, and permanent scowls. There had to be twice as many passengers as the barge was meant to transport, and then some. They shouted at each other, bantered and squabbled as they shoved past Jeremiah, who shrank and tried to disappear into the woodwork.

　　Bruno seized Jeremiah`s arm and whispered, "Quit darting your eyes around like a scared rabbit. These are some real cutthroats, and I don`t want to have to rescue you from some thug`s bit of fun." He hauled Jeremiah upright to follow Allison, who had adopted an air of bravado, exuding strength and authority as she moved through the crowd.

　　Jeremiah tried to imitate Bruno`s intimidating scowl as they descended the stairs to the lower deck, then decided he must look ridiculous and simply raised his hood to obscure his face. Hopefully it made him seem mysterious and dangerous. He reassured himself that if it came to it, a display of magic would probably dissuade anyone from a fight. Probably.

　　The air on the passenger deck was thick with the smell of tobacco smoke, booze, and unwashed bodies. Jeremiah could make out the strumming of a lyre from some corner, its whimsical melody nearly drowned out by the oppressive din of boisterous voices. By the time his eyes adjusted to the dark, Bruno and Allison had disappeared.

　　Jeremiah swore under his breath. The low-ceilinged room was packed with narrow tables and benches. He couldn`t tell where the ale was coming from, but it was flowing freely. He started making his way through the room, looking for his companions.

　　After being shoved one time too many and drawing a growl from a burly dwarf who had nearly spilled his tankard, Jeremiah decided to continue his search from a stationary position. He ducked into a narrow spot at a nearby table. The elf he sat beside paid him no mind, already embroiled in conversation.

　　"And I keep telling you, you`re mad if you think we`re headed all the way to Nosirin!" The slender elf was playing with a nasty-looking dagger, twirling it between his fingers to catch the lantern light. The pointed tip of his ear was notched with an ancient scar. "Dramir will post us on the wall and keep us plump and happy without a barbarian in sight."

　　A human with an eyepatch turned and spat in a corner. "What a waste of money! Who would hire an entire company of mercs to sit on their asses and do nuttin?"

　　"Scared rich folk, that`s who," said the elf. "Dramir doesn`t give a shit if Nosirin falls to a barbie horde, but they wouldn`t want to risk their guardsmen`s shiny armor, so they fatten our purses for months on end, just in case the horde looks southward."

　　Jeremiah`s ears perked up at the topic of Nosirin falling to barbarians. Nosirin was the closest thing he had to a home city, although he`d actually grown up several day`s journey away, and had only visited once.

　　"Nah, no one`d be daft enough to move on Dramir, barbarian or not. Even if you could take it, which you can`t, then you`re surrounded! And even if Nosirin did fall, ain`t no one can stand against Barad Celegald, Elminia, Shabad, and Tempest City all fightin together, wall or no wall. The king knows all that, so he must be sendin us all the way north." The human sat back, satisfied.

　　Jeremiah nodded in agreement inside his hood. By all accounts, the central city of Dramir was a formidable fortress in its own right. However, what truly ensured its security was the fact that if any one of the five surrounding cities disrupted the power balance by conquering Dramir, they would immediately face a united enemy from four directions. It simply wasn`t worth it. Thus, while the other cities warred among themselves, Dramir had been allowed to flourish, growing from a humble merchant`s station to the kingdom`s seat of power. Several centuries ago, an allied rebellion between Shabad and Elminia had failed to overthrow Dramir, but did bring about an agreement in which the royal families of each city would pay tithes to Dramir in return for the right to appoint Dramir`s ruler. This arrangement ensured a relative peace still enjoyed to this day.

　　A halfling piped up, moving to sit on the table for greater visibility. "I think you`re right, Jasko, but for the wrong reason." The human rolled his eyes, but the halfling continued. "We`re going to Nosirin, but it`s because King Hector is scared." She paused for dramatic effect. "He`s scared because these barbies really could take Dramir, and hold it against everyone else. He`s scared because these barbarians don`t die."

　　She spoke the last at a hiss that Jeremiah had to strain to hear, which meant he was nearly deafened by the uproar of laughter from the others around the table. "You can`t be bloody serious!" said the elf, when he had regained control of himself.

　　"She`s serious," sighed Jasko. "Got a letter from a cousin or something up in Nosirin last week and hasn`t shut up about it since."

　　"You calling my kin liars?" The halfling stood on the table now, eye to eye with the seated human.

　　"Seems a lot more likely than the alternative," said Jasko. He tucked another wad of tobacco into his lip and chewed it ostentatiously.

　　Jeremiah realized what was about to happen only an instant before it did. The halfling sucker punched Jasko and the table erupted into motion. The bench he was sitting on was knocked backwards, and Jeremiah sprawled on the floor, narrowly avoiding a thrown tankard. He scrambled away from the rapidly expanding brawl, ducking past mercenaries rushing toward the scene, and raced up the stairs to the promise of fresh air and sunlight above.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

　　Bruno, Allison, and Delilah were gathered by the gunwale on the upper deck. Delilah looked up as Jeremiah hurried over. "There you are," she said. "Bruno was worried you`d been tossed overboard."

　　"Sorry, no such luck," said Jeremiah.

　　"I was just telling Bruno and Allison that it might take a little while to collect payment for the doors in Dramir," said Delilah. "You`re welcome to stay with us at my apartment until it`s resolved."

　　Allison looked like she wanted to scream, but instead just glared at the trees passing slowly on the bank.

　　"My house, my invitation," Delilah said to the unspoken objection.

　　"What are you gonna do with the big ear?" asked Bruno.

　　"Ah! That will be our Proof of Meritorious Service` to the kingdom. No one wants a Warren near their borders, so we can get a reward for presenting evidence of having destroyed one. Or better yet, attention!"

　　"Attention?" asked Jeremiah.

　　Delilah clasped her hands with enthusiasm. "Oh yes! The right attention from the right people can open a lot of doors for us! Maybe even—" Delilah`s eyes were gleaming now, and she bounced ever so slightly— "introductions!"

　　Bruno turned dramatically to Jeremiah. "Mr. Thorn, may I please present to you Madam Delilah Fortune. Madam Fortune, please make the acquaintance of Mr. Thorn."

　　Jeremiah adopted a pompous, blustering voice. "Madam Fortune, the honor is all mine, I assure you!"

　　"Yeah, okay," said Delilah, deflating a bit. "Now imagine I`m a Duke looking for someone to manage my 6,000 acre land holdings, and you, being so upstanding and with such a prestigious introduction, would be just perfect for the job. But for tax reasons you need to be a Baron, so I intercede with the crown and from one sentence to the next, you go from tattooed adventurer bumming in his friend`s apartment to landed noble dwelling in your own estate with servants and a cycle of wealth."

　　There was a long pause. Delilah smiled sweetly.

　　"Oh," said Jeremiah.

　　"Damn right."

　　Allison slammed her fist against the gunwale. "Stop getting cozy! I won`t have you naming this whelp before we toss him out!"

　　There was another long pause, but this time the awkwardness was palpable.

　　Bruno drummed his fingers on the gunwale. "Well, I should go carouse a bit and see what sort of group we`ve got aboard, rumors and such."

　　"I need to catalogue some chemicals," said Delilah.

　　"Ugh!" Allison stomped away, leaving Jeremiah alone to watch the water lap against the hull of the barge. It was splinters all the way down.

　　Jeremiah stayed by the gunwale with only Gus for company as the wooded shore glided past. He wondered whether he was still in danger from his traveling companions. Bruno and Delilah seemed amicable enough, but Allison`s anger scared him.

　　"As far as I know, they`re going to turn me in to the authorities once we hit Dramir," he said to Gus. "But that doesn`t seem like something they`d do, does it? Maybe Allison would? Although it doesn`t seem her style to have me killed second hand."

　　The toad blinked, first one eye and then the other.

　　Jeremiah gazed at the shore. He could swim. Maybe he should just jump ship and disappear out of their lives. He`d be right back where he started, broke and alone, and minus the Red Skeleton. The very idea was exhausting. And besides, terrifying as Allison was, she hadn`t killed him when she had the chance. Part of him insisted on the hope that they could still become friends.

　　Feeling listless, Jeremiah turned away from the gunwale. The crowd had thinned somewhat as mercenaries crammed below deck for an evening of revelry. The sun kissed the horizon behind the barge, washing the placid river in gold.

　　He wandered around the deck, giving a wide berth to the clusters of mercenaries crouching in circles to drink and throw dice. He spotted Delilah kneeling beside one of the deck cabins, surrounded by bottles and jars, peering into some and rattling others. She glanced at him as he approached, expressionless, and went right back to her inventory.

　　"Do you mind if I sit?" asked Jeremiah.

　　"By all means," Delilah said without looking up.

　　Jeremiah sat back against the cabin, watching her work. There was something reassuring about her methodical movements, the sureness with which she evaluated her stock. Like it somehow added weight to the fact that she had heard his story and had judged him deserving of mercy.

　　Delilah rattled the final bottle, then tucked her entire arsenal among the folds of her layered robes and turned to him. "So. Are you doing ok?"

　　Jeremiah was startled by the question. He hadn`t expect his state of mind to be of concern to her. "I think so? I`m not angry or anything. In fact, I`m grateful to be alive. I just wish things didn`t feel so& temporary. I enjoyed delving that dungeon with you guys."

　　Delilah nodded. "Things took a pretty abrupt turn for you. I hope you at least understand our concerns. Even Allison`s."

　　Jeremiah returned the nod. "Yeah, I get it. Necromancers aren`t exactly known for anything other than atrocities."

　　"Is there a reason for that?" asked Delilah. "Why are necromancers such evil people?" At the Jeremiah`s hurt expression, she added, "Sorry. Mostly such evil people."

　　Jeremiah shrugged. "They thrive on death. In a way, death is their source of power. Most people reject that level of morbidity, so the person that would seek that power is going to tend to be the kind of person who doesn`t value life& or community."

　　"But not you?" she asked. "It seems like you value life and community. Why are you different?"

　　"I`ve spent a lot of time thinking about that. I think it`s because I never set out to be a necromancer, I just wanted to be a mage. I took the only opportunity I could. Also, I`m pretty sure that if I turned down Flusoh`s offer, I would have ended up as another body in that swamp."

　　Delilah gave a half smile. "You know he`s most likely evil right? Regardless of the philosophy he wraps it in?"

　　"I know it seems that way. But does it make sense if I said I thought Flusoh was just selfish beyond morality? Good or evil was irrelevant to him, it was just whatever he wanted to do."

　　Delilah cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, I understand. But my understanding of that is also called evil."

　　Jeremiah frowned and looked away. "You may be right. But I don`t think I`m ready to admit that about my teacher yet."

　　Delilah face turned sympathetic. "Hey, I could be wrong. Maybe your teacher was the one good lich out there and you`re the one good necromancer."

　　"Yeah, maybe." Jeremiah smiled.

　　Bruno reappeared then, making Jeremiah jump. "Not too much in the ways of news. A new gang of brigands called the White Light have started marauding in the area. The charmers downstairs were hired by Dramir, but they don`t know for what. Someone said it`s to put down some uprising in the far north, but no one knows anything for sure. We`ll have to camp on the deck, and keep watches. I don`t trust anyone on this boat."

　　"Did you tell Allison?" asked Delilah.

　　"Not yet. I think she`s downstairs somewhere, hopefully not causing trouble. Why don`t you claim a spot, and I`ll go let her know the plan." Bruno started to leave, then spun around. "Hey Jeremiah, do you know how to play cards?"

　　"Sure I do. Why?"

　　"`Cause I`ve got an idea to make some money, but I need a second set of hands."

　　"Is it by cheating?" asked Jeremiah.

　　"Oh yes!" Bruno grinned wickedly and slipped away.