As the group walked along the main road in Whitebridge, Crow’s eyes wandered over the houses that lined the edge of the road. He was pleased to see that the people of this village seemed to be doing well since the last two battles. They were probably still in good spirits since the Brerratic knights had kept the Younisians away last time. The thought brought a faint smile to his lips. While most of war was terrible, and he wished it wasn’t happening, he supposed there was one good thing that came out of it. The villagers appeared to have a newfound sense of appreciation for life. Whenever battles weren’t happening, they enjoyed every moment with the people they cared about, whether they be friends or family. It was an interesting sight to see.

As they approached the tavern, he glanced down at Penelope, who had asked him if there was anything else they should know. He took a moment to ponder the question before answering, “Well, a large group would be the most striking detail to any of the people here, since most travelers are alone or in groups of twos or threes.” He looked up again as they neared the building. “Also, the last time I saw them, Jaxon’s group was made up solely of thieves from this kingdom, so if anyone says they’ve seen a group of travelers from Younis or Waithen or anywhere else, they’re not the ones we’re looking for.

“As for specific details, I can’t say for certain who is still part of his band, so it will be hard to narrow it down past ‘big group,’ unfortunately,” he shrugged. “But that should be enough, since any group of travelers larger than three people is quite uncommon out here.” He stood back as Gavin pulled open the door to the tavern for the others. He offered the knight a curt nod in acknowledgement of the gesture and then stepped inside.

The tavern was bustling with activity. Groups of peasant men and women sat around at different tables, talking and laughing loudly amongst each other. Most of them were drunk and quite rowdy, which was a good sign to Crow, because it meant they would probably be loose lipped. He smiled to himself. It seemed they had come on a good night.

Turning back to the others, he held out one hand in a sweeping gesture, “Welcome to the Wild Lion tavern.” In the next moment, he ducked as an empty ale mug flew over his head, thrown haphazardly by a man on the other side of the room.

“Charming,” Gavin muttered dryly, wrinkling his nose with distaste.

“Well, I like it,” Olivia grinned, her eyes alight with excitement as she looked over the chaotic scene. “This is my kind of place.”

“Just don’t forget the rules,” Crow reminded her with a roll of his eyes. “Also, it might be a good idea not to mention that you’re knights. Since none of the people here are very fond of nobles, I can’t imagine they’d react well to finding that out, especially since it looks like almost everyone here is intoxicated.”

“So, basically, you want us to keep every part of this mission a secret,” Gavin narrowed his eyes distrustfully.

“Now you’re getting it,” Crow smirked at him.

“How are we supposed to get anything done if we can’t specify who we’re looking for, and we can’t use any authority to get anyone to talk?” Gavin crossed his arms. “It almost seems like you don’t want us find anything out.”

“If you can’t think of any way to interrogate someone without lording your status over them, you’re more hopeless than I thought,” the thief sighed. “You don’t need any of those things to get information… You know what? I’ll show you.” He looked over the people in the tavern until he found a viable target. Glancing back at the knight, he winked slyly. “Watch and learn.”

Without waiting for a reply, he made his way through the wild crowd, weaving effortlessly between the groups with skill that came from years of practice. His target was a short, tipsy looking man with scraggly black hair and a full beard. The man was engaged in a conversation with a few friends and didn’t notice the thief approaching until he had stopped behind him and cleared his throat.

The scruffy man turned around and quirked a brow in surprise when he recognized Crow. “What’s this about, huh?” he growled. “You ain’t here to steal from me are ya? ‘Cause I don’t go down without a fight.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Crow scoffed. “I’m not here for you. I’m looking for someone, and I have a good reason to believe he passed through here recently.”

“Are you lookin’ to steal from him then?”

“No,” the thief answered airily. However, in the next moment, his demeanor changed, and he slammed one hand down on the table, causing the men to flinch. He narrowed his eyes, meeting the man’s gaze coldly. “The bastard owes me money, and I’m here to collect. Now then,” he stood up straight again, resuming his mild attitude once more. “Have you seen a big group pass through recently?—Think at least ten people. The scumbag I’m looking for would have been traveling with them.”

“Can’t say that I have,” the bearded man shook his head and turned to his friends. “How about any of you blokes? Seen any travelers like that?”

“Not that many,” a sandy-haired man shrugged. “I would’ve remembered a group that big.” The others nodded in agreement.

Crow eyed them for a moment until he decided they were telling the truth. Keeping up his act, he muttered a curse and folded his arms over his chest. “That sly bastard must have gone to Grimsby,” he said, tapping his foot with mock frustration. “Thanks anyway. Here’s a little something for your trouble.” He tossed the scraggly man a silver coin before turning around to head back to the knights.

When he reached them, he leaned forward in a garish bow and shot Gavin an arrogant smirk, “And that, good sir, is how it’s done.”