Bulbous black clouds roiled over one another as a thundercloud engulfed the skyline of the far distance. The air was crisp, and the last dregs of sunshine made the chill breeze pleasurable.

Ross was staring up into the sky trying to appreciate it and hoping to drown out the sounds of Lichter busking nearby by singing loudly at the streets edge.

The village they found themselves in was a basic affair for the smaller habitats along the major road which ran parallel to the river. It had inns and markets for the merchants that travelled along the road and traded wares and exotic trinkets for local knickknacks and tatt that no doubt were sold elsewhere as mysterious artifacts. A Single tavern was present, built into one of the inns to serve the weary and local alike, and there was a Guild Hall for the adventurers that came by looking for fame and fortune. Farmland was dense on the outskirts and a windmill stood not far away bold and large on the horizon.

Other than that, it had… well not a lot.

Felicity nudged Ross with her foot, she leant against the side of a stone building, Ross sat beside her on his folded coat still eyeing the clouds intently trying to ignore her.

“He’s not bad you know, what do you think?” she said, nodding towards the crooning Lichter as she did. Her tone was without a hint of irony which caused Ross to pull his attention away from the sky and give her as baffled a look as he could muster. It seemed the only reasonable response, as if there were any words that existed to tell her how utterly wrong she was Ross didn’t know them. Though he was certain the sentence would involve the phrase ‘fucking seriously?’ used a lot.

Felicity had taken the news that the troupe initially tracked her down with the intention of returning her to her father rather well. Though as she explained around the campfire a day after, it is hard to be too pissed off with people that just saved your ass. She also appreciated that it had been a job and no one, except Yerin, wanted to send her back once she told them she had ran away purposefully. Since everyone was heading the same way to the next town it was put to a near unanimous vote that they all stick together along the road. Then as it turned out Felicity got on well with Lichter who she had appreciated for playing the biggest part in her rescue. Lichter then disturbed everyone by being ‘nice’ and he even let her ride on his shoulders from time to time while she recovered from her injury.

When they got to the town where they were meant to part ways Wiesse, Yerin and Troit took all the money to the Guild Hall to get a new job and Felicity simply stuck around while Ross and Lichter skulked through the streets. It was her that suggested busking to get a few more coins and she spurred an unsure Lichter on. People were stopping to look, but people normally stopped to look at the near alien presence of a Kkyrunnig in these northern lands regardless. Ross had no doubt that no one was stopping to take in the song.

“Oh gee, how can I put this” Ross starting, entertaining Felicity’s question “Lichter singing sounds akin to a boat sinking… by way of explosion. Oh, and some squid are involved somehow, I’m not sure how yet but if he keeps trying to hit those high notes, I might yet figure it out.”

She kicked him playfully and they both watched the Kkyrunnig conclude his song, he awkwardly finished the final note, then stood and stared. So did the audience.

Gormless open mouth faces looked back at the crocodile man whose long snout jumped from left to right as he looked about shyly. Then a lone child started clapping and themother shook herself from her bafflement and gave them a small copper piece which the child gleefully tossed onto the ground in front of Lichter. Others then continued about their business. The only other profit Lichter made was a silver piece a nearby merchant produced, asking him not to try singing again unless it was near some of the competing market stalls.

“That was great!” Felicity said as he slumped back over to the pair, Lichter said nothing but Ross recognised a frustrated Lichter immediately.

“Hey Lich’ man I have to say nicely done”

“You liked it?” the Croc-man asked taken aback

“No” Ross said flatly “Nicely done stopping. It was awful. But I will give you credit for actually going and doing that in the first place, took balls.”

Lichter chuckled slightly “Didn’t see you volunteering actor boy. Thought this was your domain”

Ross simply waved the comment away and patted the ground beside him indicating Lichter should sit down.

Before the Croc-man could move though Yerin, Wiesse and Troit returned. Wiesse looked pale and Yerin, well Yerin may have looked unnerved but it was always hard to tell beneath the heavy cloak and cape. Troit for his part simply stood beaming like he always did.

“We have a problem” Yerin said, he was sombre and skittish, looking around suspiciously.

“You all heard Lichter’s singing too? It really is problematic” Ross tried joking, his normal tact was to dispel serious situations with comedy, but no one reacted.

“What’s the matter?” Felicity asked

“Don’t worry, this doesn’t concern you” Yerin dismissed “Ross, Lichter let’s find somewhere quiet and have a little chat”

Felicity awkwardly stared around at everyone, Wiesse and Yerin didn’t catch her eye, Troit smiled back at her inquisitive look, Ross shared her baffled expression and Lichter caught her glance before apologetically staring at his feet.

Ross stood up and everyone made to walk away when Felicity called for them to wait “Look, I don’t really know where I’m going from here or what to do. I don’t know what’s wrong, but I might as well help you guys out. If you let me stick around, I’ll help out where I can for my fair cut.”

Feet kicked at the dirt and the crew looked around trying to discern one another’s thoughts, Lichter was the first to speak “I’m for it” he said.

“I second the notion, more friends are always good for the heart” Troit added

Ross and Wiesse shared an unspoken conversation through expressions that had been learned over years of friendship and eventually the pair shrugged “We have no problem with it” Ross said at last. Felicity perked up as the majority was won and Yerin sneered his disapproval before ushering her along whilst the group ventured into one of the few secluded areas the village had to offer.

-

“Wow, so you guys have a bounty on your heads?” Felicity gasped, genuinely gobsmacked. Everyone was gathered in a circle behind the largest inn, it backed onto the river and planks had been lain down to make a roughshod patio that sat unused, likely abandoned as the rivers changing water levels had warped the dirt into thick mud in places. They stood looking over the scroll that detailed Ross and Wiesse’s bounty.

“I thought we burnt this?” Ross asked, looking to Wiesse for confirmation

“It’s a new one” he said rolling it up and stowing it

“I still think it’s a very good drawing of you both” Troit threw in. No one responded.

“Why the hell are they putting out a second bounty for us?” Ross asked and Wiesse just shrugged “Well if we took this one up, we don’t have to worry right?”

“Wait. Did you say a second one?” Felicity asked

“We took a bounty from the same town as we got the job for you. I know we pissed these people off, but I didn’t think they would care enough to actually place a second bounty.”

“Eager aren’t they,” Lichter added “it’s only been a few turns of the clock since then”

“That’s not how it works.” Said Felicity shaking her head “Bounties are issued to the Guild who then have them press copied and run out to all the Guild Halls to cover as much ground as possible”

There was a brief pause as everyone processed this. Then there was the swearing. A lot of swearing.

“So basically” Yerin finally chimed in “walking around with you two is a death trap”

Wiesse threw an offensive gesture Yerin’s way “If this is the case, we have to be really careful about how we move about.” He looked up at the inviting structure of the inn and then over to the fast-approaching thunderclouds “after this night we should probably avoid towns and cities and sleep rough until this all blows over. It will help us save coin too”

“We picked up a courier job” Yerin said, and he hefted a leather satchel to show their cargo “we could get a start today, camp in the woods and get our reward on the next turn”

Almost on que a bolt of lightning flashed in the air and then the thunder rumbled around them.

“Yea I think we’ll stick with the Inn tonight please” Ross said, and the rain began to fall around them.