[color=fff79a][b]“Get up. Time to go.”[/b][/color]

Crow let out an exaggerated groan as he forced himself to sit up. His sporadic naps hadn’t lasted nearly long enough, and he was still feeling bruised. He also wanted to stall for as much time as he could get before they returned to the other knights. It was petty, but he wanted to get back at Penelope for capturing him in any way he could. Wasting her time was the easiest way to do so.

He raised his arms over his head in a long stretch and then slowly rose to his feet, wincing as if the effort pained him. Technically, it [i]did[/i] hurt to stand up, but his soreness had faded to a dull throb. He looked around, trying to think of other ways to delay her. Pretending to be wounded would only get him so far. He needed another tactic. He glanced back at the river, following its winding path with his eyes. From what he could remember about this area, they hadn’t been swept terribly far from where they had started. His gaze drifted up towards the darkening sky and then back to Penelope. Despite her tough act, he could tell that she could barely stand on her feet without swaying. It wasn’t much, but at least now he had something to work with.

“I hope you’re feeling well-rested,” he taunted. “Because you shouldn’t keep William waiting.” He turned and began walking upstream, back in the direction they had come from. If he had been with a less observant knight, he might have tried going downstream to send them in the wrong direction, but he knew Penelope would never fall for such a simple trick. It would have been pointless to even bother.

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to have a little fun with her.

As they walked, Crow began to hum a simple, lilting melody. He glanced discreetly at Penelope and then looked away again, pretending to observe their surroundings as he quietly carried the tune in the hopes of lulling the already tired knight into an even less wakeful state.