As the horse finally slowed to a stop, Crow lifted his head and blinked tiredly. Even though he had managed not to fall asleep during the ride to the town, he had let his mind go blank for the majority of it in order to rest. It left him feeling a little more rejuvenated mentally, but his body still nearly ached with exhaustion. He hoped they would find somewhere to stop for the night a little earlier this time so he could catch up on the sleep he had been missing.

After waiting for Penelope to climb down, he followed after her. He hit the ground a little clumsily due to his weariness, but managed not to stumble. Stretching his arms over his head, he looked around to see that they had come to the edge of a bustling town. With so many people in the streets, there was bound to be a marketplace nearby. He cast Penelope a sideways glance, wondering if she was hoping to use their time alone to talk too. After all, it was a good opportunity since William couldn’t come to interrupt while they were surrounded by Younisians.

He took her hand and grinned, excited to have some time alone with her after being practically stalked by William. “Ready as always,” he said, giving her hand a tug as he started walking towards the town. From behind, he could hear William harrumph in disapproval. He looked back over his shoulder to shoot the knight a victorious smirk before taking the lead to guide Penelope with him onto the nearest street. He knew he had probably only irritated William more in doing so, but it gave him satisfaction to know that he had gotten under his skin. It was petty, but the thief could be a petty man sometimes. It was just his nature to be obstinate.

Once they had put some distance between themselves and William, Crow glanced at Penelope again. He wanted to ask her the questions that had been weighing on his mind, but he was suddenly nervous. Despite feeling sure that she still wanted to be with him during the ride, doubts were beginning to surface. What if she had just been trying to be nice to him because she knew he loved her? What if she still loved him, but not enough to sacrifice everything after all? He didn’t know what to expect anymore.

After a while of silence, he finally worked up the nerve to speak. “So, about what William said,” he cleared his throat uncomfortably and averted his gaze. “Did it… did it change anything for you?”