Crow observed the exchange between the others quietly as he sipped from his own mug, trying to formulate a more solid plan from everything that was already going on. It was clear to him that Penelope and Gavin had no intention to get drunk, and there was nothing that would change their minds. He wasn’t surprised about that, since they were both set on interrogating the villagers with clear heads.

On the other hand, Olivia, Alistair, and Rikki seemed more interested in the prospect of enjoying themselves as opposed to taking the rest of the mission seriously. Knowing the other thieves, he didn’t doubt that they were in no hurry to learn Jaxon’s whereabouts that very night. Living by their own rules, they operated on their own timetable and probably assumed that if nothing got done that night, they would just take an extra day to keep looking for the murderer.

So, when Penelope tried to convince them all to stop drinking, her words naturally fell on deaf ears. He glanced at her as she shot him a quick look, understanding that she wanted him to help calm the situation down with her. As much as he wanted to side with her, he knew he had to let the situation continue to spiral out of control for his own sake. It was his best shot at finding a way to disrupt the remainder of their mission.

“They’re right,” he sighed, turning to the three wild companions with a frown. “We should stay focused on questioning the villagers.” He took another drink from his mug before adding: “Besides, we all know Alistair would win, so you’d all be wasting your time with a competition. It would be better to put your energies towards something useful.”

At the offhanded compliment, Alistair stood up a little straighter. “Tha’s right,” he slurred. “You ladies are wastin’ your time against a man like me.” He brought a hand to his stomach, beaming proudly. “’M bigger, so I can drink more. ‘S nature!”

“That’s it,” Rikki growled, shooting the other thief a glare. “You’re on!” She snagged another two mugs of ale from the platter of a nearby wench, handing one off to Olivia. “Let’s show him how a [i]woman[/i] drinks.” With that, she brought the glass to her lips and tipped her head back to down the whole thing.

“Now yer talkin’!” Olivia laughed, following the thief’s lead.

Crow grimaced as he watched them and turned back to Penelope with a lopsided smile, “Well, I tried.”