Chapter 14 – Not Alone (William)

William fell onto his bed, expelling a deep sigh. In the span of a few minutes, what was meant to be a night of celebration had turned into an agonizing ordeal. Keeping Leon calm was difficult, and despite his best efforts, the bridge between him and the brothers had been burned. What was the point of being in the guild if he would be all alone? Jacob was the only one who understood his dilemma with amnesia, and now he couldn't even speak to him.

Was it his own fault, for letting his curiosity lead him into Corvo's illicit plan?

"Hey hero."

Speaking of the Snivy, William tilted his head to look at him. He sat on his bed across the room.

"Don't know how you pulled that off," Corvo said, "keeping sawjaw from blowing up. But good job."

"I can't tell if you're being sarcastic," William replied dryly.

"No sarcasm here, brother. Believe me, this ain't the first time someone got pissed at me. And knowing that hotheaded Toto, I'm surprised things didn't get ugly."

William stared at the ceiling. "If you ask me, it did get ugly."

"Well, we walked away without a scratch. An' sawjaw's not gonna go squealing to the guys in charge o' this place, so I call that a win."

"That's not my concern," William said, turning his head toward the ceiling. "Leon and Jacob were some of my only friends here, but now our relationship is strained."

A few seconds passed before Corvo spoke again. "…Oh. Yeah, that's a bummer. But it's not like you knew 'em for that long."

Technically, William has known the brothers for all of his known life. He turned to Corvo. "Is it not possible to form a close relationship in a short span of time?"

The Snivy's mouth twitched. "Well…" He put a hand to his own shoulder. "Nah, it can happen. I've had friends come an' go. So, I guess I know where you're comin' from."

"You have?" William sat up slowly. Corvo seemed more open tonight than he had been this past week. "Who were they?"

Corvo's expression soured. "Doesn't matter. Not now, anyway. Point is, mons come an' go," he shrugged. "Not much we can do when those cookies crumble. Just gotta dust ourselves off an' keep movin', brother."

William rested his head on his hands. "I'll be honest, that doesn't make me feel much better."

"Didn't expect it to." Corvo raised his leafy tail. "But I know something that might cheer ya up: that party they're havin' just down the hall. I bet they've bounced back now, an' have some pretty tasty pickins there."

William hadn't eaten since noon, when he and Corvo took a lunch break during the hunt. Though hunger wasn't on his mind right now. "I can't conjure up my appetite right now," he said, putting his hands on his knees.

"Well, how about thirst?" Corvo grinned. "I got somethin' that'll lift your spirits." He reached into his bag and pulled out a small, ornate glass bottle. It contained a gold-colored liquid that seemed to glow in the candlelight.

"Is that what I think it is?" William asked.

"Heh, you better believe it," Corvo said. "Want a swig? It'll be on the house!"

William could recall what liquor was, so maybe he had used it before. Would drinking some help him feel better? Maybe, but it could also lead him to making more mistakes. "Thank you, no. I prefer to have a clear head."

"Well, I've got plenty more where that came from, in case you change your mind." Corvo stowed the whisky away.

"Where did you get that, anyway?" William asked.

"From the pantry, just last night. This place has got all kinds of top-shelf drinks. And I've got a little bit of all of 'em right here."

The guild kept alcohol with the rest of their food stores? It wasn't served during meals, were they saved for special occasions? "I would not have guessed that you're a connoisseur, Corvo."

"Who, me?" He chuckled. "Nah, I'm not too crazy about this stuff, either. It's all about supply and demand."

The pieces started falling into place. Corvo didn't raid the pantry just to find extra food. "So you're planning to sell that, then?"

"Hmm, that's right. Kids go nuts for this stuff," he patted his bag. "They'll jump through flaming hoops just for a sip. No idea why. But hey, they're more than willing to pay for folks like me to get it to 'em."

Despite the circumstances, the familiar allure of curiosity brightening William's mood. "So last night's errand was just a prelude to your next job? Smart."

Corvo's grin grew ever wider. "Yeah. And like I said, I'm always looking for extra hands." He paused for a moment, and his smile faltered. "…Course, if you'd rather sit this one out, considering, just then… Well, I won't blame ya." He spoke with much less confidence.

William rested his head on his hands, taking his time before answering.

"No, I think I'll come with you again."

Corvo's eyes grew wide. "Really?"

"Yes. I'm still not too happy about our… disagreement, with Leon. But I don't blame you for it, Corvo. I made my own choice, and tried to keep Jacob away from it. But now it's unlikely that he'll follow us again. With just the two of us it should go much more smoothly. And I'm still quite curious to see more of your work."

Corvo stared at him. He looked surprised, but not unpleasantly so.

"…Just like that? After a setback like that and you're already willing to get back into the thick of it?"

William shrugged. "I may as well, right? Despite the setbacks, I have to admit that working with you has been fascinating, and I'd like to see more of what you do. Getting extra money in the process is nice, too."

Corvo laughed heartily. "Brother, you're nuts, but I like the way you think. Alright, first order o' business starts tomorrow. And the first step to that end is making sure the right story gets to the right pairs o' ears, so I'd best be going."

"And those pairs of ears would be at the celebration, right?"

Corvo nodded. "Exactly."

William pushed himself off the bed. "On second thought, I think I'll come with you."

Corvo smiled. "Sounds good! Come on, you'll see who's who."

The guild's party took place in a gilded hall, second floor of the east wing. The space glowed with chandeliers, portraits, and coats-of-arms. Along the wall was a long table draped with a gold and purple cloth, serving food and drinks. All throughout the room were guild members– both new recruits and longtime members.

"No sign of Leon or Jacob here," William remarked after he walked around the room.

"Makes it easier for us," Corvo replied as he helped himself to honey-roasted pistachios.

"So, are we meant to be doing anything particular?"

Corvo paused as he crunched his snack. "…Just mingle around." He waved an arm around the room. "Get a feel for 'em. See if anyone might be interested, but don't say anything. Just lemme know if you find anyone who might be a customer. I'll handle 'em later."

"Okay," William nodded.

Though he actually had little interest in scheming at this party. On one hand, he trusted Corvo could handle his own 'business'. And on the other hand, he had other reasons to talk with other people tonight. Despite spending two weeks at the guild, he hadn't spoken with many people. It would be good to branch out and hear a variety of perspectives, rather than listening to just Corvo. It would also help keep his mind off of recent events.

As he glanced around for possible conversation partners, ringing sounded off from the other end of the room.

"Your attention, please."

It was the Arcanine Guildmaster, tapping a goblet. The room went quiet as she siphoned everyone's attention to her.

"Good evening," she orated. "I would like to once again congratulate our latest recruits in passing the initiation test and becoming full-fledged members of the Wolfhaven Guild!"

The crowd responded with cheers and applause throughout the room. When they settled down the Guildmaster continued her speech.

"So you're all informed, the new recruits will begin official guild business after the weekend. You may rest and recover over the next two days, but come Monday you'll be assigned fieldwork. Mons from all over are always in need of help. Whether it's finding a lost item in a dangerous location, escorting them to the next town over, or indeed, perilous rescue missions, we are here to help those in need.

"Starting off, you'll be set up as small groups of two or three. If you'd prefer to be paired with anyone particular, let us know. Once that's settled, members from high-ranking teams will oversee your fieldwork. They will select job offerings posted on the bulletin board, and you will accompany them. Once you've gained enough experience, you'll have more free reign in what kind of fieldwork you would like to pursue."

The recruits murmured amongst each other, wondering aloud what it will be like to take on real jobs. There was a mix of excitement and apprehension in the air.

"Corvo," William spoke, "I think it would be a good idea if we paired up together, for fieldwork."

"Gotta agree," Corvo replied. "Better you than some square, heh."

"You'll still need to keep up with training as you advance," the Arcanine continued. "Though mandatory sessions will not be as frequent. So continue to attend training and classes with the Quartermaster and Professor. But in the meantime, enjoy yourselves. And once again, congratulations, welcome to our guild!"

Another round of cheers and applause, then everyone went back to snacking and chit-chatting. Corvo tilted his neck left and right, popping his joints three times with each motion. "A'right, let's go meet the crowd. We'll split up, meet more buyers that way."

"Okay," William said. "I'll rendezvous with you later."

"Whatever that means."

Corvo left to go rub elbows with the crowd, leaving William to go about his own business. With so many mons to talk to, who should he approach first? He wasn't sure if the other recruits were still upset with him over that incident in the classroom about two weeks ago. Maybe he could speak with someone who he knew for sure wouldn't have a negative disposition of him?

So he walked across the room, approaching the Guildmaster before someone else could take her attention. "Excuse me," William spoke up. "Guildmaster?"

The Arcanine turned at the call of her title, and smiled as he approached. "Hello William," she greeted. "I hope the evening is treating you well."

"Thank you. Though, forgive me," he glanced away. "I'm a little surprised you remember my name, given that we haven't spoken much."

"True, though I make a point to remember the names of everyone in our guild." She waved a paw around the room. "So, is there something you wanted to ask of me?"

That was the real question, wasn't it? He had the Guildmaster's attention, which was easier than expected. But where should he begin?

"Well," William idly tapped his leg with his bone club. "I suppose I just wanted to ask for your perspective on things. What it's like, being in charge of a guild? How long have you done it?"

"That's a widely-encompassing question." The Arcanine's eyes swept around the room. "This will be my tenth year, running our guild. If I had to summarize it, I would say that it's like a constant push and pull between routine and change."

"Routine… and change," William repeated. "How so?"

"Like all guilds, we have rules and traditions to guide us. Though trying to keep things exactly the same, always, is a fool's errand. Things are always changing. Like you and the other new recruits– you're not the same as the ones who joined us last year. You all have different skills and obstacles to overcome. Change is simply the nature of the world, and guilds are no exception."

William raised his bone club, letting his chin rest on its bludgeon. Meanwhile, the Floatzel professor walked over, whispering something to the Guildmaster.

This talk of inevitable change reminded William of his own circumstances. How his relationship with the brothers changed, and even before that, how his life doubtlessly changed because of memory loss.

As professor Veronica stepped away, William asked the Arcanine another question. "Do you ever wish it were not so? That there could be less change in the world?"

The Guildmaster's expression changed slightly. Her eyes conveyed a sense of longing, like nostalgia. "Occasionally. But, if things never changed, that would mean you and your peers wouldn't have a chance to live your lives. Even if shifting times aren't always pleasant, we can move only forward. For our own sake, and everyone else's sake, too."

That was a fair assessment. Parting ways with the brothers still stung William, but there wouldn't be any point in dwelling on it forever.

"Is there any particular reason why you ask?" The Guildmaster inquired.

"Well," William let his club rest at his side again. "It's just that I recently had a… disagreement, with some friends. I was hoping we would work together, since we enlisted together. But now…" His voice trailed off. He obviously wasn't going to tell her all the details, and he felt that he conveyed his point well enough.

"I see," the Arcanine nodded. "Rifts between friends are never pleasant. But they're not unexpected, either. It's why we don't allow recruits to form teams until they've had six months of training with us."

"Six months?" William looked to the Guildmaster again. "That's quite a long time."

"It may be, though it is necessary. In the past we've had groups of friends come in and make teams right after passing their initiation test, only to crumble within weeks. It takes time to discover whether or not we work well with others. Like the Quartermaster and Professor– when we were all recruits, I didn't imagine that I would one day be working with them. Yet we came together, got along well, and here we are."

So, tension between friends in the guild was a normal occurrence. The Guildmaster herself allied with mons she didn't expect to, and it worked out well. Was it possible to mend things between him and the brothers? Could even Leon and Corvo one day respect each other?

"That makes me feel a little better," William said, and the Arcanine smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, William. I encourage you to go and meet your fellow recruits, see who you could work well with. But more importantly, enjoy yourself. And again, welcome to our guild."

William went back to wandering around the room, just as an Absol came to speak with the Guildmaster. He spotted Corvo chatting with a Seviper near a portrait of a previous Guildmaster, but he decided not to stop by just yet.

First he approached a Venonat who stood near a bowl of fruit punch, at the end of the food table. Though the bug was quite timid and moved away shortly after William said "hello" to him. He then walked down to the other side of the table, towards a Fletchinder and Trumbeak. As the birds chirped in a lively conversation, he tried to greet them. The two went silent and gave William a pointed look before promptly ignoring him.

After those fruitless conversation attempts, William walked toward a lone mon standing in front of a half-circle window. The blue and cream-colored mon before him was a Quilava, staring out over the training field.

The slender fire-type shifted his gaze to the right, noticing William's reflection in the glass. "Need something?" the Quilava asked.

"No," William answered. "Just wanted to say hi."

"Hmm, " the Quilava grunted.

"My name is William. And you are?"

The fire-type blinked slowly. "Enzo."

"Nice to meet you Enzo," William nodded cordially.

Enzo offered no reply. He and William stared at each other's reflections in the window. They both stood in dark blue glass, with the dusky training field as their backdrop. A shadow of a mon walked in the distance, probably Aaron heading back to his hut.

"I approached you," William said, "because I noticed that you were by yourself."

Enzo cocked an eye at him. "And?"

"Aren't you lonesome?"

"I prefer it," the Quilava answered bluntly.

Wanting alone-time didn't sound unreasonable to William, but the disdain in Enzo's voice made him doubt his answer. He sounded as though he didn't want to simply be alone, but rather, he was averse to being with others.

"Why do you prefer to be alone?" William ventured.

Enzo tilted his head away. "I want to get stronger."

William tapped his bone club, processing Enzo's laconic answer. Did he believe that there was a correlation between strength and how independent one could be? How did he come to a conclusion like that? Rather than asking him directly, William approached it from another angle.

"How do you measure that, then? How strong someone is?"

Enzo blinked. "What?" he turned his head toward William, staring at him instead of his reflection.

"How do you determine how strong you are?" William elaborated, meeting his gaze. "Is there a metric you check, or a goal you strive towards?"

Enzo's expression softened for a few seconds, as if a new thought had crossed his mind for the first time. He stared out the window, with the only sounds coming from the party behind them. Then his face hardened again and he shook his head. "That's a distraction."

"What do you mean?" William asked.

"You want me to worry," he cocked his head away. "That's a waste of time."

"I don't want you to worry," William clarified. "I'm just wondering why you believe what you do. From your words and demeanor, I get the impression that you hold some intense views. And not necessarily good ones."

Tendrils of flame geysered out of Enzo's red patches. "You're mocking me."

"Again, no," William kept his voice calm. "I can somewhat understand where you're coming from. Relying on oneself instead of others."

Enzo's flames shrank, though they still burned as a hot-red shimmer. "It's the only way."

"What if you have to cross water?" William proposed. "If a guild job requires you to reach an island, what will you do then?"

"I–" Enzo exhaled. The shimmering flames on his head ceased glowing, leaving only a wisp of smoke. He glanced away from William, remaining silent for several seconds. Outside, a tiny flame appeared in the distance. Maybe it was Aaron lighting up an oil lamp.

"I'll leave you to your thoughts if that's what you would prefer." William said, and he turned to wander elsewhere.

"…What was your name, again?" Enzo asked.

William turned around and saw the Quilava wasn't looking at him directly. He was at the Cubone's reflection in the window again.

"My name is William," he repeated.

Enzo gave a small nod. "I'll remember that."

Enzo turned back to his reflections, and William returned to the crowd. After a Swoobat flapped over his head, he found Corvo cozying up with a Bulbasaur near the snack table. Maybe it was Chase? He helped himself to some peanut-butter filled pretzels and joined the two grass-types.

"Brother, you can't be serious," Corvo said.

"And why not?" replied the Bulbasaur.

"What's going on?" William asked. "Disagreement?"

"There ain't nothin' to argue," Corvo responded. "This guy, Chase, was it? He's nuts, plain and simple."

"Oh come off it," Chase laughed. "What's wrong with that?"

"Why would you touch that stuff?" Corvo said.

"What are you even talking about?" William asked, confused.

"Fire!" The Bulbasaur answered enthusiastically. His eyes certainly looked as if they had fire in them.

"He says he wants to learn to breathe it," Corvo added. "Take a good look at what he is. Do you see a problem with that?"

"Hmm… no." William responded, trying not to burst out into laughter at Corvo's shocked face.

"See, this guy gets it!" Chase beamed. "Hey Will, can you light your bone on fire?"

"Wait, what?" Now it was William's turn for bewilderment. "What makes you think I can do that?"

"I heard that some Cubones can make green fire with their clubs!" Chase beamed. "How about you? Can you show me?"

William turned his club over, once again inspecting the strange symbols engraved on the other side: a circle, within a triangle, within a square, all contained within yet another circle. "If this one can, I wouldn't know how to."

"Well, that's usually an islander thing," Corvo added. "Even then, far as I know only the Marowaks can do that."

"Oh." Chase's face drooped. "Aw."

"Corvo does have a good point though," William said. "You're a grass type. Why the fascination with fire, of all things?"

"Well, why not?" Chase's eyes glowed. "It's so pretty, so warm… And so, powerful!" He clapped his front paws together. "I'd take a warm fire over a cold blizzard any day."

Corvo put a hand to his chin and straightened his tail. His eyes glimmered as if he was recalling a memory. "…Yeah, I can agree with that, at least." Though he shook his head. "But still, you're gonna end up burnin' your bulb."

"He's pursuing his passion," William countered. "Nothing wrong with that."

Corvo shook his head. "You're both nuts."

"The world was born of fire you know," said Chase. "Before anything could walk on this green planet it was covered in jagged rock and molten lava."

"There ain't no proof of that," Corvo argued.

"I don't know, Corvo," William added. "Chase is pretty smart. He knows a lot about history."

Chase's mouth widened into a proud smile.

"Well, I think we're just about done here," Corvo said to William. "I'm about ready to hit the hay. How 'bout you?"

William nodded. "I could use some rest, too."

"Right then… Don't burn your bulb off brother," Corvo said to the Bulbasaur.

"Not a chance!" Chase said.

The two walked out of the gilded hall and into the dimly-lit main hall. The difference was so stark, it was as if they had stepped into a dark cavern.

"So, found any buyers?" Corvo asked in a low voice.

William shook his head. "I don't think so. Sorry."

"It's all good," Corvo assured. "I found a handful of takers in there. If I did this right, and, heh, I think I did this right, folks will be lining up for us as early as tomorrow. I'll show you the pickup point by then."

So just like that, Corvo had another adventure lined up. Maybe it would be against William's better judgment to come along, considering the risks and how their last 'trip' went. Yet all the same, he found himself wanting to see more of how Corvo lived his life. Not to mention, William's interactions with the other recruits had made him come to appreciate his company more.

If he would be taking that risk, perhaps there wouldn't be much harm in taking another one before bed tonight?

"Speaking of our stock," he said, "I think I've changed my mind."

Corvo tilted his head. "What'cha mean, brother?"

"The whisky you offered earlier. I'm feeling a bit thirsty, now."

Corvo grinned. "I think I'll join ya."

William couldn't describe how he felt as he sat on the edge of his bed. He held a pocket-sized bottle of liquid gold, with only a tiny sip left. His head was swimming and he rocked back and forth, smiling contently. Every now and then Corvo, sitting on his own bed, broke out into a fit of giggles, making William laugh back at him.

If this is what whisky did, maybe he'd become one of Corvo's customers, too.

"So then that sheriff," Corvo continued his story, "heh, that Houndoom starts to get all uppity with his 'lil Houndours. He says–" The Snivy covered his mouth as another fit of laughter seized him. William snorted in laughter, too, until Corvo composed himself.

"He says, 'Sonny, I've been the sheriff fer over a decade now. Never once had I let a crook slip by us, and I don't intend to end that streak now. Spread out!' I was on the next rooftop over watching the whole thing, they had no clue!"

Corvo slapped the side of his bed. "Suckers! The lot of 'em!"

William joined Corvo for a round of laughter, throwing himself back in his bed. Never had the blankets felt so soft! And laughing at just about everything, too. Why was he worried about anything before?

"I was outta town by dawn the next day," Corvo continued. "Then I found myself here in this town. Was tryin' to just get by like always, 'fore I wound up here with y'all."

William had lost track of Corvo's story. But judging by the details, it sounded exhausting, always moving from one place to another.

So he sat up, propping himself on his elbow, and looked Corvo in the eye. "Does it ever wear you out? Picking up everything you have, and just moving? Not to mention the law coming after you?"

Corvo let an episode of giggling subside, and his wide smile went flat. "I, well…" He shrugged, sounding not so whimsical anymore. "Hadn't really thought about it. Guess I'm just… used to it."

So he's been at it for so long, the chase was normal for him? Like some kind of routine? "If you had a choice," William continued, "would you stay in one place?"

"I mean… It can be a pain, luggin' yer stuff from town to town. Specially when you got those so-called 'heroes' on yer tail…" Corvo snarled. "Friggin' air-headed pricks. But it ain't all bad, bonehead. I– hic. …Get to see lots o' nifty places. Meet some 'interesting' folk. Like that Bulby boy from earlier, all bent on burnin' himself up."

That was probably more of a silver-lining than a reason to keep moving, but fair enough. "So then, of all the places you've seen, which was the most interesting? And of all the people, same question?"

Corvo put a hand to his snout, pondering.

"Well, coolest place I've seen, hands-down, is the old Waterworks. It's this town buried down in a ravine, see, almost underground. Folks– hic." Corvo paused and shook his head. "…Folks there got this setup to pull up fresh water far down unda' the surface. It's up north, right next to the border o' the Frontier."

"The Frontier," William began. "That's the land north of Chronovania, right? The land that has no government, from what I've read."

"That's right," Corvo answered. He tilted his head back, bringing his fingers together as he stared at the ceiling.

"And the most interesting mon I've met is… well…"

A long pause wedged itself between the two of them. Outside, they could hear some other recruits run by, as if they were chasing each other.

"Is something wrong?" William asked.

Corvo scowled at nothing in particular and took another sip of his drink. He seemed to mutter something to himself, then spoke.

"Hey, can I get a turn at the questions for once?"

"I mean, sure," William said. "You're always welcome to, no need to ask."

Corvo blew a breath out. "So, tell me somethin' bonehead." He put his pocket bottle to the side. "Is it really true? You don't remember who ya are or where your folks might be?"

"I wouldn't be telling people that, otherwise."

"Right-right-right-right-right," Corvo put his hands up. "Not goin' on the offense here, just wanted to make sure– hic, dammit!" He pounded his own chest, trying to get the hiccups to stop.

William shimmied and stumbled off of his bed. He wobbled his way over to the water barrel behind his desk, grabbing an empty cup along the way.

"…So, you ever wonder about that?" Corvo asked. "Finding out that stuff?"

"Of course I do," William answered as he turned the spigot, filling the cup with water. His past was the one thing he hadn't stopped thinking about since they arrived. Though Corvo's drinks actually did take his mind off of it for a short while. "It's part of why I joined the guild."

"Uh, yeah," Corvo shook his head. "Nevermind, that was a dumb question. Forget I asked. I-It's just that…" He went silent, looking down. His hand slipped into his bag, retrieving a silver coin, and he fiddled with it absentmindedly.

William stopped filling the cup and turned around, approaching Corvo. A new question crossed his mind: where was Corvo's family? Did he have anyone close to him? Tempting as it was to ask, William decided not to pry about it– not yet.

"Hic. Dammit," Corvo grumbled.

"Here," William offered him the cup of water.

Corvo's eyes widened a little bit, though he still accepted the drink. He tilted his head back, gulping water as a couple droplets dripped down his chest. "Thanks, brother."

"No problem," William replied as he climbed onto Corvo's bed.

Corvo set the cup in his lap. "So, whaddaya you think of all this?" Corvo asked. "Wolf guild and all?"

"To be honest, it wasn't my idea at first," William answered. "I was going to keep wandering around, but then I encountered Leon and Jacob again. They convinced me to join this place with them."

"Again?" Corvo leaned in closer. "You mean, you ran into 'em before? Then split up?"

William nodded. "First thing I remember is Leon waking me up in the woods. Things went crazy really fast– Jacob got mugged by a Staraptor. I helped fight him off and got Jacob's pocket watch back. But I was injured really badly. They took me to the clinic here in Wolfhaven while I was unconscious. But in the morning I overheard them talking, and Leon said he didn't trust me."

Corvo scowled and angrily mumbled something to himself.

"We met up again later on," William continued. When you had sent them on that… 'errand.' Jacob made the case for joining and, well, lo and behold; I'm here."

"Heh," The Snivy's expression softened. "You and me both, brother."

"So how about you, Corvo? Why did you choose to stay here?"

"Pfft, before I joined up with y'all I was livin' under a bridge… literally. Place like this is like a palace compared to the holes I've had to sleep in."

"I see." William didn't want to imagine what sleeping under a literal bridge was like. "I'm sorry you've had to put up with that, Corvo."

"Ah, it ain't nothin'." Corvo turned and gazed out the window for a moment. His eyes softened. "So, if ya happen to find your folks," Corvo asked slowly, "what'll you do?"

"Hmm…" William lifted his skull helmet off and held it on his lap, staring into it. "Honestly, I haven't really thought about that. I've just been preoccupied trying to catch up on… Well, everything. I don't think I'll find my family anytime soon, but…" He shrugged. "I'm just focusing on 'here and now,' I suppose."

Hesitantly, Corvo turned back at William. His mouth opened and closed a couple times, like he was trying to figure out how to say something. "…So, uh, I've been meaning to ask… why do you…"

Another silent pause filled the room, leaving William to speculate. Why did he… what? Care so much about unearthing his past? Go along with Corvo's plans? While he wanted to fill in the blanks, William quietly waited for Corvo to gather his words and say what he wanted to say.

After a drawn-out silence, Corvo looked down and squinted his eyes shut. "Actually, you know what, forget it. That's a dumb question too."

The anti-climatic response caught William off guard. "Corvo?"

The Snivy yawned. "Boy, what a day! I'm ready for some shut eye." He stretched and laid down on his bed. "Hey, can ya take care of the candle?"

It was disappointing, but William decided not to press the issue. "Sure, I suppose." He picked up his helmet, slid off of Corvo's bed, and walked toward the lit candles on his own desk.

"Gotta get up early tomorrow," Corvo said. "Never know when our 'customers' might show up. And I promised ya, I'd show you where we'd take care of business."

"Alright." William blew out one of the candles, then hung his helmet on the bed post.

"So uh, you good for tomorrow?" Corvo asked.

"Of course." In the end, Corvo's cop-out was just a mild dampener on the evening. Overall, things were still looking good. Or at least, as good as they could be, considering the circumstances.

William blew out the other candle, extinguishing the room's amber glow. He walked through the dark, back into his own bed, and crawled beneath the blanket.

"Good night, Corvo," he said.

He heard a light chuckle.

"Good night… William."