“Good enough, huh?” Crow echoed with a hint of disbelief. Just by looking at her face, he could tell she hadn’t slept very well. They had been together long enough that the shadows under her eyes were a dead giveaway to him that the floor hadn’t treated her kindly overnight. Although she tried to cover up her weariness, he hoped they would be able to secure a room with enough beds for everyone when they reached Wellspring.

Thinking about the next town, his thoughts returned to his companions in the northern region of the outer villages. The only idea he could come up with to see them was to part with Penelope the next morning, so that she could tell them to meet him halfway between Myrefall and Silverpool the following night. He held her tightly, disliking the prospect of losing a whole day with her. He had to honor his promise to the other thieves though, and he did miss their company too. This was the only way he could meet with them without alerting the rest of the knights to his intentions. No one else could know that he was still in contact with criminals since he had taken the title of viceroy. He didn’t trust most of them not to report the news to Albin.

As Naida approached, Crow let his arms fall away from Penelope and turned to his sister. “It’s better than walking all the way to the Younisian castle,” he pointed out with a shrug. Having done both, he preferred the mildly uncomfortable experience of sitting on a horse’s back over sore feet and a slower journey. However, Penelope’s suggestion was even more appealing.

“Gods yes,” he groaned, resting one hand on his stomach while the knight took the other. “Let’s get something to eat at the inn before we leave.”

“I’m sorry, Lockton, but we’ll be having breakfast on the ride,” Otto interjected before they had a chance to take one step toward the door. “Because of the heavy traffic between the castle and the warfront, we need to arrive at the next town even earlier to ensure that we’ll have a large enough room for our group. There is bread and salted meat for anyone who’s hungry in the attendant’s saddlebags.”

Crow watched with a frown as the baron directed Preston and Percival to retrieve their horses from the stables without leaving room for debate. “So much for hot food,” he muttered to Penelope. He would have tried harder to convince the older man to let them eat before they took to the road, but since the lieutenant had gotten a poor night of sleep, he silently agreed that it was better for them to make sure they had enough beds this time.

Using the thought to take the edge off his disappointment, he followed the Therouldes as they led the way to the front of the building.