Crow noticed that Penelope was strangely quiet as they walked along the road. He wondered what was on her mind that was so captivating. Perhaps she was starting to regret letting him steal from the peasant home? It wouldn’t have surprised him since she was still trying to remain true to her values as a knight. Or maybe she was just tired and didn’t have the energy to talk. The more he thought about it, the latter actually sounded more likely.

As they strolled along, the buildings around them gave way to more trees. He searched the edge of the forest, looking for a place where they could stop and rest. “This way,” he directed her towards a nearby stream that flowed just beyond the tree line. When he reached the bank, he sat down, stretching his legs out and setting the bag of coins down beside himself. He patted the ground, “I can tell you’re getting tired. Let’s stop here for a bit, and then we can turn back.”

He waited for her to comply, leaning back on the palms of his hands and listening to the water trickle over the rocks. The stars overhead were bright in the cloudless night sky. He tilted his chin up to look at them, trying to find familiar constellations. [i]It seems the same stars look down on both Younis and Brerra,[/i] he mused absently as he found the arrangements of stars that he knew by heart.

[i]Beautiful, yet none are as beautiful as her,[/i] Crow glanced at Penelope again. Her fair skin seemed to glow in the moonlight, making her look like a wood spirit. He shifted a bit closer to her, tempted yet again to take her hand or hold her or do anything to close the distance between them. He bit the inside of his cheek, forcing himself to look away. [i]We’re just going to take a quick break and then go back to the inn,[/i] he thought, trying to ground himself. [i]Dammit, stop thinking about trying to make a move on your friend.[/i]

“We’re lucky we haven’t run into any storms on our journey,” he said, breaking the silence. He flushed. [i]Smooth, Crow… Talk about the weather a bit more, why don’t you?[/i] he chided himself silently.