Crow clicked his tongue disappointedly when Penelope told him that the servants took inventory of the supplies in the castle. “Too bad,” he sighed, withdrawing his hand from the dusty jug and shoving it into his pocket. Though he wasn’t overly drawn by the idea of stealing alcohol, he knew his companions would have liked to try the strange, fruity drink when he returned to them. [i]‘If’ I return,[/i] he corrected himself yet again. The question of his fate was still up in the air until he made his decision about the offer his father had given him. Still, it was hard for him to imagine not going back to the other thieves after this. They had all been an important part of his life for the last year, so the idea of giving them up was unsettling to him.

He was drawn from his thoughts when Penelope went on to remind him that he shouldn’t draw attention to himself. “I know. You’re right,” he frowned, glancing back at the jugs once more before he headed back to join her by the door. With some distance between himself and his potential targets, the temptation to steal grew a bit dimmer as he focused instead on the knight. “Lead the way,” he smiled at her fondly and followed after her as she stepped into the hallway again, eager to see what else she was going to show him before supper.

As she explained that she was just going to show him some of her favorite spots, Crow nodded. “That’s probably for the best anyway,” he said, casting her an amused look. “I like to think I’m good at memorizing buildings like this, but I don’t think even I could learn the layout of this whole castle in a single day.” Shifting to walk a little closer to the knight, he nudged her blithely in the side. “Besides, I’d rather take extra time to see all the places you like best, love.”