“You’re worried about me?” Crow snorted. “I’m sure I’ve eaten plenty of things you wouldn’t dare to touch. Living on the run can force a man to make some… [i]unsavory[/i] decisions.” He gave a small shudder to emphasize his point.

As Hartley went to order their food, Crow noticed Penelope looking around like she was searching for something. He followed her line of sight to find a young woman staring in their direction. Her unblinking gaze set him on edge, and he wondered why she seemed so fixated on them. [i]But she’s not focused on all of us,[/i] he suddenly realized, glancing at Hartley. [i]What does she want with him? He said he’s never been to this town before, so I doubt they know each other.[/i] He then wondered if the girl was interested in Hartley. They appeared to be close in age, so perhaps she was hoping he would come talk to her. A faint smile crossed his lips. He and Penelope needed to lose Hartley before they reached the palace. If his assumption was correct, then maybe he could play this out to his advantage.

Crow turned back to the others when Penelope suggested they find somewhere to eat away from the main road. [i]No, no. That would take us away from the girl,[/i] he thought urgently. Who knew when another opportunity like this would come up again. He needed to come up with an excuse to stay long enough for Hartley to notice the staring girl.

“Why not eat right here?” Crow offered. “Sure, it’s crowded, but if we wait too much longer our food will get cold.” He tilted his head subtly towards the young woman, hoping Penelope would catch the gesture and understand what he was doing.

“That’s true,” Hartley nodded in agreement. “Cookshop food is best when it’s hot, and I want you both to try it how it was meant to be eaten.”

“See? The kid wants us to try everything at its best,” Crow grinned at Penelope. “Look, there’s a spot where we can sit over by that tree.” He pointed to a small area with public seating, offhandedly noting how the outdoor tables and chairs were something else that was unique to Younis. Such places where travelers could stop and rest without paying for an inn didn’t exist in Brerra. [i]If they did, they’d probably just get stolen and sold in pieces,[/i] he eyed the unsecured legs of the furniture.

“Perfect,” Hartley beamed, turning expectantly at Penelope. “Let’s go there.”

“Come on, love,” Crow chimed in with a victorious smirk. “You don’t want to let the kid down, right?”