Two Stowaways

Had Antonidas known that Liam was targeting his apprentice and daringly planning to stow away on her ship, he certainly would not have teleported back to Dalaran after saying only a few words.

Now that the Archmage was no longer there to keep watch, it was easy for Liam, a rogue, to find out Jaina's itinerary. As long as Wilton arrived in time to rendezvous before departure, the two of them could simply sneak onto the ship and stow away.

As for the original, unreliable plan to steal a ship, Liam naturally cast it to the back of his mind. Any vessel the two of them could manage to sail on their own would surely be small; crossing the Great Sea would be impossible. A plan conceived on such a whim was better off forgotten.

The following evening, Wilton appeared at the tavern where they had agreed to meet, arriving well ahead of schedule.

"It seems we heirs of great families are truly dispensable. I haven't been home in over three years, and the only person who even remembered me was that slightly senile groom."

When Wilton stood before Liam's table, his expression was gloomy. His usual smile had vanished, replaced by the sullen look of someone who had suffered an injustice and wanted to vent to a close friend—he looked thoroughly childish.

But that was as it should be; after all, he was only a sixteen-year-old boy. Constantly wearing a mask of composure would have been the real problem.

After downing the remaining half-glass of ale in front of Liam, Wilton plopped into the chair opposite him, causing the table and chairs to rattle with a loud thud.

Watching Wilton's sudden display of childish temper, Liam finally realized the impact these three years had had on the boy before him. He couldn't help but smile at Wilton. "An heir might not be important to a great family, but you must remember: no one in this world is truly dispensable."

"Then why did hundreds of people on the island not even bother to mention my name?" Wilton was clearly incensed by the attitude of his kin. Liam didn't know what had happened during this trip home, but it certainly didn't look like a pleasant "family visit."

"How is your brother doing?"

Liam suddenly changed the subject, but after years of companionship, they had developed an unspoken understanding. Wilton immediately grasped what Liam was implying.

"How else would he be? With me gone, he's naturally the first in line for succession. He's living quite the high life; he took over several of the family's farms a while back, and word is he's managing them quite well."

"There you have it. You're just overthinking because you care too much. Come, sit and drink." Seeing Wilton's tone soften and the indignation fade from his face, Liam knew he had worked it out.

"Yeah, you're right. I've effectively withdrawn from the competition, after all. It wouldn't do them any good to keep bringing me up."

Wilton took the ale the waiter brought over, clinked his glass against Liam's, and took a deep gulp, his expression finally returning to its usual calm.

"Exactly. Listen to me: even for an heir, it takes ten or twenty years of grinding before you can truly take charge. Who knows what the world will look like in twenty years?"

"Fine. Tomorrow I'll go scout the situation, and we'll set sail immediately. Lake Darrowmere is too small; it doesn't suit our status. From now on, only the Great Sea is big enough to hold us."

As Wilton spoke, he slammed his glass onto the table with a loud clack. Having suddenly broken free from his melancholy, he appeared somewhat agitated, drawing the gaze of many in the tavern.

"You really are a quick-change artist. Don't worry, I've already picked our target. We don't need to waste effort finding a ship this time—we're stowing away."

Seeing Wilton's mood improve, Liam was pleased and told him about meeting Jaina and the subsequent plan to stow away.

"Stowing away? Kul Tiras? Are you familiar with that place? I've never been..." Wilton asked, somewhat skeptical of a plan that sounded only marginally more reliable than stealing a ship.

"Yes, I am. We'll go to Kul Tiras, poach some talent, bring them back, and then use our own materials to build the best ship in the world!"

Liam spoke with high spirits, his face beaming as if the plan had already succeeded and the world's greatest ship was already complete.

Wilton, sitting opposite him, was speechless. That little wreck last time was only brought back because I was the one steering... when will he ever break this habit of biting off more than he can chew?

Liam wasn't ready to discuss the future of the Barov Family with Wilton just yet. Even though they were good friends and partners, it was better to avoid acting on foresight.

Besides, there was still quite some time before Ner'zhul finished dealing with the spiders digging tunnels underground, unified Northrend, and turned his attention to the human kingdoms. It was hard to say what would happen in the coming years; there was no need to start worrying about a decade from now.

Furthermore, the Barov Family's calamity stemmed from their original sin—their insatiable greed. Even without Kel'Thuzad and the Lich King, they would have colluded with others regardless.

Getting Wilton out was enough; Liam had no grand ambition to save all of humanity. The Barov Family's domestic affairs were best left for Wilton to resolve himself.

The next morning, Liam appeared before the Mist of the Maiden, Jaina's ship, clutching a small box.

"Halt! Who goes there!"

A sentry shouted a warning, blocking Liam just as he was about to step onto the gangplank.

"This is the new cook for the ship. He'll be under my direct supervision from now on. You go back to your duties; no need to worry about this."

A voice came from behind Liam. The guard was very familiar with both the voice and the face—it was the second mate of the Mist of the Maiden.

"That's strange. When did we ever have a cook on board? Let alone a new one." The guard found it odd, but since his superior had spoken, he stepped aside without further questioning.

Not long after, the guard saw the second mate walking over from the distance again, heading straight for the ship without so much as a greeting.

The guard instinctively asked, "S-second mate, when did you get off the ship again?"

"What do you mean, 'get off the ship again'? Keep your post! Do I need to remind you how important today is? If anything goes wrong, I'll hold you accountable!"

The second mate was annoyed by the nonsensical question, snapped a warning at the guard, and headed straight onto the ship.

"You sneak people onto the ship yourself, and now you're acting like it never happened while lecturing others! If any trouble starts, I'm throwing you under the bus first," the guard muttered indignantly, ignoring the minor incident and returning to his post.