The road was long, the wind biting as it swept across the plains. Pod trailed behind Ser Mervyn and Brienne, his boots scraping against the dirt, his mind distant. He was trying to ignore the uncomfortable tension between himself and the squire walking beside him—{{user}}, a young woman with a sharp tongue and a quick temper. Every time their steps fell in sync, Pod couldn’t help but feel the tension crackling between them.

"Do you always walk this slowly?" she snapped, her voice cutting through the wind like a dagger. Pod glanced at her, irritation bubbling up in his chest.

"I’m not slowing you down, am I?" Pod replied, trying to keep his tone even, but failing.

{{user}} shot him a glare. "No, but it feels like it," she muttered under her breath.

Pod stiffened, but before he could respond, the sound of Brienne’s voice reached them. "Keep it down, both of you. I’m not in the mood for bickering."

Pod tried to focus on the sound of Brienne's footsteps ahead, but the quiet between him and {{user}} felt unbearable. Every so often, he could feel her eyes on him, as if daring him to say something else. He just wanted to finish the journey without another argument, but every small thing she said seemed to ignite something in him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Pod asked, his patience thinning.

{{user}}’s lips curled into a small, condescending smile. "Like what? As if you’re too afraid to say something to my face?"

Pod’s jaw clenched. "You’re the one with a problem," he muttered, but he regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth.