For the rest of the ride to Sarton, Crow paid much closer attention to his surroundings than he had during the first half. Although nothing happened, and he still doubted that a mercenary would try to attack them while they were so close to the heart of the kingdom, he wanted to brush up on old habits that had become dusty since he had taken the title of viceroy. In the outer villages, he had been better about watching his own back no matter where he was, since there were people throughout the whole of Brerra who had wanted to see him dead or imprisoned again. If he had let his guard down the way he had been recently, he might not have escaped from some of said people who had tried to capture him themselves.

So, by the time they arrived outside the inn, he was mentally exhausted from keeping watch and physically exhausted, since it had been over two years since the last time he’d been on the back of a horse from dawn until dusk. He slid down from Baine’s back with a relieved sigh, his legs slightly sore from straddling the stallion’s back all day. There was still a long way to go until they reached the Younisian castle. He hoped his body would adjust to the strain of riding quickly, so he wouldn’t show up to the negotiation bowlegged.

“Thank the gods we finally reached [i]supper[/i],” he corrected Penelope with a smirk as Preston took his horse’s reins to bring him to the stables in the back. There were far too many of the beasts for him to handle alone, so Percival, the second lowest ranking among their group, collected Otto’s, Rayner’s, and Naida’s in addition to his stallion. He took two sets of reins in each hand as he and the attendant headed off to set all seven horses up for the night behind the inn.

“I’ll alert the innkeeper to our arrival,” Otto announced, turning to head inside the building.

Crow nodded wordlessly behind the baron’s back. Otto had earned some points with him for keeping Naida occupied during the remainder of their ride that day, but he still didn’t know what to think about the older man, so past prejudices kept him slightly cold. It was the same with Rayner, who seemed uncomfortable in the presence of the others now that his father was gone. It was difficult to tell if he was just shy or if he felt out of place because of the closeness that had already developed between Crow, Naida, and Penelope long before he’d been chosen to accompany them on the trip. Whatever the case, his awkwardness was tangible as he shifted his weight and continually glanced at the door to the inn, as if eagerly awaiting the baron’s return.

“[i]I[/i] can’t wait to get some sleep,” Naida groaned, reaching her arms high over her head in a long stretch. “I didn’t know how tiring these long rides were going to be. It would be nice if there was a way for us to get to Younis without sitting on a horse all day.”

“It’s called a wagon,” Crow laughed. “And it’s how we traveled the first time we went to Younis.”

“That’s not fair,” his sister crossed her arms. “Why don’t we get have a wagon on this trip?”

“Because all of us know how to ride horses,” the viceroy shrugged. “The king said we’ll cover more distance if we don’t have such a heavy burden dragging us down.”

“I’d prefer a long, slow ride over this,” the princess protested.

“Too late to change it now,” Crow pointed out and then turned back to Penelope. “We should go inside to get a table. I’m not going to sleep on an empty stomach.”