As the others picked up their pace, Crow hurried after them, just as eager to escape the cold weather as they were. Up ahead, he could see the glow of a hanging lantern through the white flurry around them, and above the lantern was a sign that read: [i]The Grumpy Dwarf[/i]. He stared at it with interest. After going his whole life as an illiterate peasant, it felt surreal to finally be able to make sense of the symbols he had always brushed off as meaningless in the past. He had gotten used to reading words written on parchment, but it was the first time he had found a use for his new skill in a setting like this. It was oddly empowering to know that he could understand any message that had been written on any kind of surface.

The viceroy was drawn from his introspective thoughts when they stepped inside the tavern. Right away, the snow that had collected on his head and shoulders began to melt in the warm room, and he brushed it off to keep his cloak from becoming too soaked before he took a look around. Despite the fact that they were still in the heart of the kingdom, it almost felt like they had traveled back to the outer villages. Men and women talked and laughed jovially amongst each other, and the smell of ale hung thickly in the air. He felt a smile creep over his features as he took in the atmosphere. His sister had picked a great place to spend the evening.

Following the two noblewomen over to an empty table, Crow caught sight of the knights who had been staring at him. If the men had been sober, their lingering gazes would have made him bristle, but he could see the flush in their cheeks that told him they were probably quite intoxicated. Even if they tried to pick a fight, he had learned enough about combat to fend them off long enough to get away. He would just have to remember to keep them in the corner of his eye, so he would be ready to jump to his feet if they approached.

“It’s better than I expected so far,” he said approvingly, sitting down next to Penelope since Naida had pulled her usual stunt to push them together. Like everything else in the inner kingdom, he could see a blanket of wealth that separated this establishment as a place meant for the elite, but he was learning to look past the social differences so that he could enjoy himself.

“Just wait until you try the drinks,” Naida grinned, waving her hand to get the attention of a bar wench. The girl stepped over to their table, her hazel eyes sweeping over all of them and then doing a double take when she caught sight of the viceroy. Crow guessed that she was familiar with his old wanted posters, since she worked in a building whose walls would have been plastered with them.

Recomposing herself, she offered the group a small smile, “What can I get for you?”

“I’ll have a cider,” Naida chirped.

“Just a mead for me,” Crow said, shrugging off his cloak now that he didn’t need the extra layer of clothing to keep warm.

The wench nodded, scribbling down their requests and then turning to Penelope to take the last order.