Crow looked up when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. The man that he had previously taken to be the leader of the group had returned, accompanied by a blonde woman. The thief raised a brow when he recognized her as the same noble who had attacked him and Penelope by the pond. He looked her over curiously. By the way she carried herself, there was no doubt in his mind that she was the real leader here, but he also remembered that she wasn’t a Younisian either. So why did she care about their quest to steal the staff? It didn’t seem like it would affect her in any way.

“It’s you again,” Penelope seemed to have recognized the woman as well.

“Of course,” the blonde said. “Did you think you could just knock me over the head and get away with it?” She turned to glare at Crow with her last words.

“My apologies, darling,” Crow held his hands up in a helpless shrug. “I can’t help that I make women swoon at my touch.”

“I’m assuming we’re not just here because a petty thief knocked you out cold?” Penelope said, ignoring the thief’s comment. “If we are, I think you might have some anger issues.”

The noblewoman and the knights went on speaking, and Crow listened in silence. What the blonde woman said made sense; if there was to be a war, the king would be distracted and vulnerable to an attack from inside the border. For a moment, the thief almost found himself sympathetic to their plot. He hated the king. The man was completely oblivious to the suffering of the peasants in his kingdom—all of whom made up the majority of the population—and he was greedier than any bandit Crow had ever met. He would have liked to see some new leadership installed in the throne.

However, this woman didn’t seem like the right person to take the current king’s place.

By the end of the conversation, Crow knew one thing for certain: he was expendable to her. She could use the knights for information, but what was there to gain from, as Penelope put it, ‘a petty thief?’ As things stood right now, there was nothing stopping the nobles from killing him off. He shifted uncomfortably, trying to think of something he could use as leverage, and then froze as he was struck with an idea. Everyone here, except perhaps for Penelope, thought he was a snake. Maybe he could use their misguided impression to his advantage.

“As I said before,” Crow looked up at the noblewoman with newfound interest. “I’m the most useful person here. Sure, these knights can give you battle strategies and money—and that’s only if they’re willing—but I can get you inside the palace.” He smirked slyly when he saw a hint of curiosity in the blonde’s eyes. “You know, I think you’re right. The king’s been in power for far too long now. It’s time for some changes around here.” He tilted his chin up, meeting the noblewoman’s gaze evenly. “I’ve seen the effects of his tyranny firsthand, so I want to help you overthrow him. Of course, I don’t offer my services for free. I’m a renowned criminal; my assistance is worth more than a few copper coins. If I help you get rid of the king, I want something in return.”

“You viper,” William spat, glaring at Crow with as much hatred as he could muster.

“So, what do you say?” the thief went on, ignoring the knight’s outburst. “I’m willing to negotiate if you are.”

Penelope eyed Crow as he began to try and bargin with the blonde. He was quick to earn a hateful glare from William but the female knight paused a bit before doing the same as the older knight. Unlike her comrade, she figured there was some angle that the thief was playing at. After saving and helping her more than once, the knight doubted he would suddenly turn against them. Crow had earned enough of her trust for Penelope to know better. Still, she had to do a bit of acting in order to avoid any suspicion.

The blonde pursed her lips together. She seemed reluctant but the possibility that his help held was greatly persuasive. "I suppose I might be interested..." she began rather hesitantly, exchanging a look with the man who stood next to her. "Fine... We can discuss your price. But, let's do so in a more comfortable and private setting," she mused with a glare at the knights. The blonde then turned to the man standing next to her. "Go ahead and bring him along with us to my tent. Keep his hands bounded though."

The man gave a curt nod and moved towards Crow to unhook him. "Don't get cocky with your price, thief. You're our captive still." The blonde added.

“I might be your captive, but that doesn’t mean I have to help you,” Crow pointed out as the man began unchaining him from the knights. “The type of work I perform would happen mostly out of your sight anyways, so you’ll have to give me a reason not to bail out. Make sense?” He bit his tongue to keep from smiling when the man curled his lip at him. So far, his impromptu plan was going perfectly. In one move, he just made himself the most valuable captive and increased his chances of getting away from the rebel camp. All he had to do now was keep the blonde woman interested in his proposition so he could think of a way to free the others. The game was in motion.

Crow rose to his feet and followed the two rebels into their tent. Inside, there were no furnishings except for a mat on the floor and a pile of folded blankets off to one side. A single lantern was lit in the center of the small space. The blonde woman sat down on one end of the mat and gestured for the thief to do the same across from her. The man who had been accompanying her stood watch by the entryway, folding his arms over his chest and glaring hostilely at their captive as if he expected him to try and run away.

“So,” the woman said. “Convince me. Why should I trust you to help us?”

“I hate the king,” Crow answered honestly. “He has no respect for anyone who doesn’t hold a noble status in his kingdom, and he takes money from those who desperately need it just so he can add to his own vast wealth. Now, his greed has taken over him to the point where one kingdom isn’t enough. He wants to rule over both Brerra and Younis so he can be even richer, while the majority of his people are starving in order to pay his taxes.” The thief rolled his wrists, which rubbed uncomfortably against the rope that bound them. As he went on, he slipped a little further away from the truth and began throwing in some lies, “On a more personal note, he had me locked up in prison for an entire year of my life. I want revenge, and if that means helping some rebels then that’s what I’ll do.”

The noblewoman nodded, her lips pursed in thought, “What help can you offer us?”

“I was arrested because I tried to steal the king’s crown,” Crow explained. “I made a few critical mistakes that night, but they had nothing to do with my competence as a thief. I know the layout of the palace, how the guards are rotated, which corridors are patrolled the most, and more. With my help, you can get to the king without alerting any of the knights in the castle.”

“Hm, that does sound tempting,” the woman smirked. “But what do you want in return? I hope you’re not expecting us to crown you as the next king.”

“No, no,” Crow shook his head. “I don’t want anything like that. All I ask for is a tenth of the wealth in the king’s vault, and…” he paused, looking slightly uncomfortable. “And I want you to tend to the female knight’s wound.”

“Oh?” the noblewoman raised a brow at him. “Does our thief have feelings for a knight?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Crow said defensively. He studied the blonde’s face. It seemed like she was buying his entire act, from his supposed thirst for revenge to his feelings for Penelope. If things kept up like this, he would be able to win her trust and the knight wouldn’t be too weak to come with him when he made his escape.

Crow held out his hand, “So, do we have a deal?”

The blonde thought it over with care before giving a small nod. "I believe we do." she agreed, shaking his hand. The money could easily be spared, these nobles were after power not wealth after all. "Understand that this does not mean you have earned complete freedom here. While I will provide you with better accommodations than that of the knights, I must have guards watching you at all times. I'm sure you expected such."

She then turned to the man who stood at the entrance way. "Fetch someone to treat the injured wench out there. I can handle things here." she ordered. He gave a small grumble and shot a final glare at Crow before turning to leave.

----

"Damn thief... Figures he would take advantage of this..." William growled, still furious over the current predictament. Even Penelope had to admit, he was beginning to get annoying. However, she saw it as a good chance since their guards seemed a bit amused with the knight's frustration.

"What did you expect? He has no sense of loyalty! He's a thief!" Penelope snorted and tugged lightly at the chains around her wrists. "Get over it already."

William, in a bad mood as it was, sent a glare Penelope's way. He grumbled something under his breath but otherwise became a bit quieter now. "What we need to focus on is getting out of here ourselves..." she whispered to her comrade.

Just then she noticed the guy from before walking up with what appeared to be bandages in his hand. He spoke briefly to one of the guards and then handed off the bandages to him before leaving. The guard then turned and headed up to Penelope wordlessly. The knight became tense watching him closely as he moved to patch up her injured shoulder. For now she didn't complain but occasionally winced as he worked. The guard was rather rough with his actions and merely walked back to his regular post once he was done.

“I expected nothing less,” Crow smiled. “As long as you keep your end of the bargain, I’ll be content.” Suddenly his stomach decided to chime in, letting out an audible growl. He laughed bashfully, “Although… a decent meal would be nice as well. Now that we’re working together, do you think I could get something to eat?”

The noblewoman chuckled softly, breaking her stern façade for a moment, “Of course. Come with me.” She got up and led the thief back outside. As they exited the tent, he glanced back at the tree where the three knights were still chained and let out his breath when he saw a guard attending Penelope. The rebels were keeping their word so far. He just hoped he could find a way out of the camp so his efforts to gain their trust wouldn’t be in vain. He turned away from the knights and followed after the blonde woman before she noticed his lingering stare.

“Gavin,” the woman called to a young guard. She waited for him to walk over before she went on, “The thief is with us now, but he is to be under constant observation. I’m assigning you to be his guard. All you have to do is monitor his movement and make sure he doesn’t try to run off. Is that clear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Gavin nodded.

“Good. Now then, our new ally is hungry. Show him where the food is.”

“Um, one more thing,” Crow jumped in, holding up his bound hands. “I can’t eat with these ropes on.”

“Fine,” the woman nodded at the guard. “Untie him. It’s not like it makes much of a difference now that he’s under our supervision.” With that, she walked off to speak with one of the other guards, leaving Gavin to remove the thief’s restraints.

Once he was free again, Crow sighed and rubbed his wrists in relief, “Thanks a lot, Gavin.”

“Mhm,” the man grunted noncommittally. “The food’s over here.” He turned and led Crow to another tent that was filled with a number of boxes and barrels and stood in the entryway while the thief looked around. “Take your pick, but don’t take too much. We still have to make it last.”

Crow opened one of the boxes and gave a whistle, “Wow, salted venison? I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.” He found a bowl in a box of utensils and filled it with the meat. As he did this, he also slipped a bit more food into his pocket, angling his body so the guard wouldn’t notice the motion. He closed the box of venison again and stepped back out of the tent.

“Think that’s enough?” Gavin scoffed when he saw the amount of food piled into Crow’s bowl.

“I’m a hearty eater,” Crow shrugged. He popped a strip of venison into his mouth and let his eyes wander over the camp once more, stopping to pointedly rest his gaze on Penelope. He stared at her for a moment before glancing back at Gavin, fidgeting slightly as if he were nervous, “Hey, could I go talk to her for a bit?”

The guard looked from the knight to the thief and snorted, “Got a thing for girls in armor, huh?”

“No,” Crow scoffed, looking away. “She’s not even wearing armor.”

“If you say so,” Gavin shrugged. “But I suppose I can let you speak with her for a short while.”

Crow grinned and walked over to the tree while the guard followed a few paces behind him. When he got close William shot him a furious glare, but he ignored the knight and crouched down near Penelope, speaking loudly enough that Gavin would be able to hear him, “Feeling better? I pulled a few strings so they would treat your shoulder.” He reached out to take her hands in a seemingly romantic gesture, but in reality he dropped the extra food he had hidden earlier into her palms. He lowered his voice to a whisper as he went on, “Hide that in your apron pocket until your guards aren’t looking. There’s just enough for all three of you to share.”

Penelope had been busy looking around for the weak points in the camp. She took notice how most of the nobles seemed untrained, likely why they felt the need to act much more cruel than they actually were. It was a strategy she had seen a few times when she was training to become a knight. They relied much more heavily on outnumbering their enemies rather than skill set. Perhaps none of them were related to any knight. Even she had to admit that it seemed strange that out all of his armies, the king did not have one of them in his midsts.

She gave a small sigh and shifted her shoulder slightly. It was nice to have the wound properly bandaged now. The knight was then pulled out of her thoughts when she her the sound of footsteps approaching. Penelope raised an eyebrow as Crow and Gavin approached. She opened her mouth slightly to respond to Crow but slowly closed it as she felt him drop the food into her hands. She met his gaze and gave a small nod. "Alright.." she mumbled quietly. "Ah... And thanks."

Her gaze then briefly moved away from him to Gavin. The guard was glancing over ever now at then at the two but he seemed to also be casually look around their camp. Penelope then slipped the food into the apron pocket before focuing on Crow again. "If there's any way I can help," she began, her voice barely a whisper and causing her to lean in a tad closer to him, "just tell me. The faster we get out of here, the better afterall."

Crow nodded at Penelope’s words, staring at the ground in thought. They definitely needed to get away from these rebels as fast as they could. He was no longer expendable to them because of his ability to sneak them into the palace, but now the knights’ lives were at stake. It was only a matter of time before the blonde woman decided they were useless to her, and the thief couldn’t try to save them without giving away his real allegiances. He had to get them out of the rebel camp before he would ever have to make that decision.

Crow glanced over his shoulder to see that Gavin was looking around the camp rather than keeping a close eye on him. It was almost like the young guard was trying to give them some privacy. He turned back to Penelope, suddenly stuck with another idea. “Actually,” he said softly. “There is something you can do. It will require a little bit of acting, but I think you can pull it off. Just wait here.” He climbed to his feet and stepped over to Gavin, offering the guard a friendly grin, “Thanks for letting me see her. You know, I think there might be something between us.” He glanced off to the side and then rested a hand on Gavin’s shoulder, leaning close to the young man as if he were about to share a secret. “So about these special accommodations I’m getting. Does that include a tent for the night?”

“Yes,” Gavin answered, eyeing the thief curiously. “A couple of our men just finished pitching it. Why do you ask?” He raised a brow when Crow cleared his throat and tipped his head towards Penelope. “Oh,” the guard snorted. “Sorry, but I can’t unchain her for you. I’d get in serious trouble.”

“Come on,” Crow pleaded, giving the guard a nudge. “I promise you’ll have her in chains again before the sun comes up. No one has to know.”

Gavin shifted his weight, thinking it over, and then nodded, “Fine, but just this once.”

“Thanks,” Crow grinned. “I owe you one.” He walked back over to Penelope and knelt down in front of her, leaning close to murmur in her ear, “Scrap whatever plans you had before and follow my lead. We’re getting out of here tonight.” He turned his head slightly and planted a kiss on her cheek to hide his whispering from Gavin, who had stepped over to unlock the knight’s chains. Once she was free, the thief helped her to her feet and smiled at her mischievously, “This way, love. We’re going back to my tent.”

Penelope gave him a curious look but didn't get the chance to question as he headed over to the guard. She watched them for a moment before she began to take notice of the suspicious look she was earning from William. She looked over at him a gave a sheepish look, offering him a small shrug. He seemed to be picking up on the situation but it likely still confused him. He always thought so lowly of Crow so naturally it came a shock that the thief might actually be helping them.

The knight turned her gaze back to Crow as he approached her again. "Ok.." she muttered to him glancing at Gavin as he approach but her focus was quickly interrupted as Crow kissed her cheek. She quickly figured out how she was suppose to act. She gave an embarassed look, turning her head away. The only thing she didn't have to fake was the light blush on her cheeks, something that had simply developed against her will.

With the chains off her, she rolled her wrists, glad to have the metal off. It had been a strange and restricting feeling that she hadn't enjoyed. Penelope stood up with the help of Crow and stood closely next to him. "Er..." she sent a small glare towards Gavin before looking back to Crow. Her gaze softened a considerable amount as she looked up at him. "A-Alright.."

Gavin rolled his eyes as he watched the two. "Your tent is this way." the guard stated and began to lead the two away to a rather plain and old-looking tent, much more so than the others that had been pitched in the camp.

Crow slipped his arm around Penelope’s waist as Gavin led them to the tent. The gesture was done partly to help the knight walk in case she was still feeling light headed and partly to keep up the romantic act they were putting on. However, his eyes flicked between the other guards that stood around the camp. Very few of them were actually vigilant. Most of the men were eating or talking with one another in a casual manner, which just proved their lack of discipline. If everything went according to plan, that same lack of discipline would be the factor that allowed him and the knights to escape.

When they reached the tent, Gavin stepped aside to allow Crow and Penelope to enter by themselves. He obviously planned to wait outside until the thief brought the knight back to be chained with her comrades again. Stifling a smirk, Crow walked up to the opening flap and held it aside for Penelope to go in first. Once she had, he stepped over to Gavin and placed a hand on the guard’s shoulder, “I really owe you for this one. And don’t worry, we’ll be out soon.”

Crow turned away from the guard and entered the tent. As soon as the flap closed behind him, he grinned victoriously at Penelope and held up a set of keys stolen off of Gavin’s belt while the young man was distracted by the thief’s sordid words. He moved closer to the knight and spoke in a quiet voice, “Okay, so I’m still working out the rest of the plan, but I have a general idea. I still have my dagger, so we can use it to cut an opening in the back of the tent and sneak out that way. I also have the key to William and Abraxas’s chains, and I know the way back to the village. All we have to do now is think of a way to free the others without getting ourselves killed first.” He smiled, proud of his own cleverness. “I’m sure you’ve noticed, too, but these guards aren’t very competent, so it shouldn’t be very difficult to get past them. Do you have any idea as to how we should do that?”

Penelope headed into the tent and then turned around to face Crow as he came in after her. Seeing the keys and his grin made her smirk a bit in amusement. It seemed things were moving along quite easily thanks to the thief's acting. "Well... It seems we need a distraction." the knight mumbled giving a thoughtful look. She crossed her arms and glanced around the tent. Of course, there was nothing of use. It was rather empty actually, despite a blanket and pillow that was laid out.

"We could light a fire..." she suggested. She kept her voice low still and occasionally glanced towards the entrance of the tent."From here we can head straight into the forest, light up a couple sticks and then come back. Once a few of the tents get burning I'm sure things will turn into chaos with this group. If things go right it'll give us a clear path to William and Abraxas."

Penelope looked back to Crow again. "What do you think?" she asked.

Crow laughed at Penelope’s suggestion, “I like the way you think. I’ve never actually tried a tactic like that before, so it should be fun to see how it goes.” He glanced back towards the entrance of the tent, where Gavin was supposedly waiting for them to come out. “I don’t have any fire steel on me, so we’ll have to figure out how to get some in order to light the sticks, though…” He paused for a moment and then looked back at the knight, his eyes falling on her bandaged shoulder before he met her gaze, “Actually, I do have one idea. But first, let’s go get the wood.”

Crow stooped down to draw the dagger from his boot and then stepped over to the back wall of the tent. He stabbed the blade through the thin fabric at about chest-height and slashed downwards, cutting an opening just big enough for him to fit through. The thief paused, glancing back at the front of the tent to see if Gavin had noticed the sound of the tearing. When nothing happened he waved a hand for Penelope to follow him and slipped out through the back, hurrying to the tree line before any guards could have a chance to see him in the open.

“Look for the driest wood you can find,” Crow said quietly once he and the knight were both out of sight from the camp. “We need something that will catch fast or the plan won’t work. Meet me back here when you’re done.” That being said, he began to follow his own advice, searching the forest floor for dry sticks of wood. After a bit of looking, he found the perfect candidate: a long, brittle stick that he could use as a torch. Satisfied with his finding, the thief returned to their designated meeting point, where he waited for Penelope to return.

Penelope raised an eyebrow at him as he mentioned having an idea. The knight shrugged it off and turned to follow him. She paused and watched as he took the dagger out of his boot and cut open the back of the tent. At such a time as this, she was glad she had choosen to let the thief keep the blade. Things wouldn't have gone nearly as smooth without it.

Once he signaled for her to follow, Penelope quickly slipped out through the back of the tent. It seemed that the guard wasn't listening as carefully as he should have been. Which was good news for them. Her eyes quickly scanned over their surroundings before she picked up her pace and followed him to the tree line of the forest. She felt the need to keep slightly ducked down and was continuously eyeing their surroundings.

"Alright." She mumbled giving a small nod before heading off in a different direction as she searched for a dry piece of wood. Most of what she found either wasn't very dry or was simply too short to be of proper use. The knight flashed a look of frustration as she looked hurriedly for a suitable piece of wood. Finally she came upon a stick that would work rather nicely for their current situation and quickly headed back to meet up with Crow. She soon saw that he was already there and waiting for her as reached their meeting spot. "Ok, so what's the plan from here?" she asked.

Crow didn’t have to wait long for Penelope to return. After a few moments he saw motion between the trees, and soon the knight was back by his side. When she asked what his plan was, he shook his head and gestured for her to follow him back to the rebel camp. “You’ll see,” he said quietly, turning to walk through the trees. As they got closer to the camp, he crouched down to hide behind a cluster of bushes and peered between the branches. So far, it seemed like none of the guards had noticed their absence. He smirked to himself. Good.

“So here’s what I’m thinking,” Crow murmured, turning to look at Penelope again. “We have no flint or fire steel, so the only place to catch these sticks is in the fire pit at the center of the camp. Of course, in order to do that we would have to blatantly walk in front of the guards. No matter how incompetent they are, a move like that would be practically suicidal, especially with that wounded shoulder of yours. So,” the thief turned back to watch the guards roaming around their camp. “Here’s what I’m planning instead. We’ll split up and go around to opposite sides of the camp. I’ll take the sticks and run to the fire pit to light them, and then I’ll start setting the tents on fire.” He cast Penelope a playful grin. “I figured it would be better if I act as the diversion since you’re still injured, and I have more experience outwitting guards.

“Anyways, I’ll keep them distracted so you can sneak over to William and Abraxas without getting caught. Get them out of the camp and I’ll meet up with you on the way back to the village,” Crow tossed her the keys to the knights’ chains. “Sound good?”

Penelope crouched down besides the thief as they looked out at the camp. Her gaze wandered over to her still chained comrades. She glanced over at Crow as he explained his plan. She smirked and caught the keys beofre handing him the stick for the fire. "Sounds good to me." she said beginning to move away from the bushes they hid behind.

The knight paused and glanced over at him. "Try not to be a complete idiot and get caught though. And if you need any help or anything, signal me somehow. I know you say you'll meet us on the way back to the village but I'll try to keep back just for safety reasons." she stated crossing her arms in a stubborn manner. "We still need you for the mission after all." That and the knight was a bit concerned for his safety. Perhaps it was because of the times he had helped her. Though, it was more likely because she was coming to care for him. As a friend or comrade, Penelope couldn't quite say.

With that said, she then turned and began to head off in the direction of where William and Abrxas were being kept. She remained low and along the tree line as she moved into position. The knight was careful not to make too much noise, not wanting the guards to detect her. Once she was in the right spot, she crouched down and clenched the keys in her hand, waiting.

Crow took the stick from Penelope and nodded when she told him to call for her if he needed help. “You don’t have to worry about me, though,” he assured her with a brash grin. “By the end of tonight I’ll have these guards so confused, they’ll be putting each other in chains.” While it was a slight exaggeration of his abilities, the thief was confident that he could pull off the distraction without getting caught. Besides, he had never tried stirring up a commotion with fire before. He was curious about the kind of effect it would have on the guards. If the plan went well, he could even store it away for future use when he was finished with the king’s mission. Perhaps he could use it against the knights in the inner kingdom or even His Royal Highness, himself. He laughed under his breath. Wouldn’t that be ironic?

As Penelope took off to circle the camp in one direction, Crow hurried around in the other until he found a hiding place with a better view of the fire pit. He crouched in the shadows, using the wild shrubbery for coverage, and waited to give Penelope enough time to position herself on the opposite side. He stayed still for a short while and silently observed the guards until something caught his eye. One of the nobles was pacing in front of the thief’s designated tent: Gavin. The young guard looked slightly agitated, as if his patience was wearing thin. He was probably trying to decide whether he should enter the tent and risk walking in on a couple, or stay outside and risk getting in trouble for releasing one of the captive knights. Crow muttered a curse. With Gavin just one step away from realizing that he and Penelope had escaped, the thief didn’t have time to finish planning his route. He had to go now.

Gripping the two sticks in each of his hands, Crow stepped out from his hiding spot. He walked casually towards the fire pit as if he was just another noble who had found some wood to keep it lit. He was relying solely on the darkness to conceal his identity until he got close enough to the glow of the flames that the guards would be able to see who he was. Fortunately, this part of his plan went smoothly. None of the nobles paid him any more than a passing glance as he walked by them. He stifled a laugh. After dealing with his strict prison guards for a year, tricking untrained noblemen like these was almost too easy.

Once he had a clear path to the fire pit Crow broke into a run, finally drawing the attention of the closest guards. However, they were too late to react as the thief had already reached the pit. With one hand he thrust the sticks into the flames to light them on fire, and with the other hand he reached down to collect some of the cooling soot around the far edge of the pit. He smeared the gray-black stuff across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose and then sprinted towards the guards’ tents, letting out a feral holler and raising the torches to catch the fabric as he ran. His wild act worked perfectly. The nobles froze at the sight of a seemingly crazed man armed with a set of flaming sticks. Of course, their fright was short-lived, but it bought the thief enough time to set fire to three tents before they started to chase after him.

Crow glanced over his shoulder to see about a dozen men drawing their swords and shouting frantically at one another, while another group was running off into the woods with empty buckets to collect water to put out the fire he had started. He laughed and kept running, striking one of his torches across another tent to spread the flames. The plan was working. He just hoped that Penelope was having as much success on her end as he was on his.

Penelope kept low along the tree line as she neared the other two knights. She eyed the guards that were near them. Hopefully they'd be quick to panic at the sight of the fire taking place. She clenched the keys in her hand as she saw Crow make his move towards the fire. Once the plan was in full swing and Crow had the attention of the guards, Penelope bolted over to her comrades.

She moved forward and proceeded to knock out the one guard that had stayed behind by the prisoners. His attention had been solely on the madness that Crow had caused which allowed the knight to take him out without any difficulties. Though it did cause for some soreness in her injured shoulder. It caused a small burning pain to which she winced and tried to ignore. Penelope looked over at Crow for a just a second and smirked a bit as she saw the nobles began to scramble like ants. She would have found it much more entertaining to watch if she had the time.

"What in the hell is going on?" William questioned Penelope in a quiet hiss as she knelt down besides him and the other knight to undo the chains with the keys she was holding. The knight seemed flustered and on edge with all that was happening. "We're getting out of here. The thief's causing a distraction for us so we've got to hurry. We'll regroup with him on the way back to the village." Penelope informed the two as she tossed the keys and chains away and took a step back.

William and Abraxas got up and began to follow Penelope's lead as she headed out of the camp and into the forest in the direction from where they had came from. It wasn't mentioned but there was a clear discomfort that lingered among the knights as they were all weaponless. "You're actually trusting the thief to come back?" William finally decided to grumble as soon as he felt they were hidden enough by the cover of the forest.

Penelope glanced over her shoulder at him and smirked a bit. "I think he's come to terms with the mission. Besides, he got us this far didn't he? William, you might just owe him a few meals." she snickered. William quickly shot a harsh glare at her.

She rolled her eyes at the knight's short temper. Penelope fell to the back of the group as she looked over her shoulder for signs of Crow catching up with them as they made their way back to the village. If he took any longer, she was going to assume something went wrong and go back for him.

Crow let out another adrenaline-fueled holler to keep the nobles’ attention fixed on him while he continued to set fire to their campsite. By now, more than half of the tents were engulfed in a raging inferno, and it was spreading rapidly to the parts of the camp that were yet untouched. Frantic noblemen raced back and forth, torn between their desperation to put out the flames and their determination to catch the man who lit them in the first place. It was beautiful, disastrous chaos: the kind of environment in which the thief thrived. He launched one of his torches over his shoulder, causing his pursuers to scatter as they dodged the burning stick. So far, no one had even come close to catching him. He laughed, enjoying the power he held over his enemies as he dragged them into a state of utter madness. It was exhilarating.

“Stop him!” a furious voice screamed. Crow glanced back to see the blonde woman standing outside of her tent with her hands clenched in tight fists and her eyes burning with anger. She lifted one arm and pointed at the thief. “Don’t let him get away. I want that traitor dead!” The nobles who had been trying to put out the fire reluctantly put down their water buckets and joined the chase, following their leader’s command. Crow swore. Now that the entirety of the camp was on his tail, making a clean escape would be difficult. He could already see that he was being surrounded. He needed to act fast or he wouldn’t live to see the morning.

Crow’s green eyes swept across the outskirts of the campsite as he searched for a way out, but the nobles were already taking up positions around the places that weren’t alight with flames. They were trying to block him in. Not good… he quickened his pace as the nobles behind him began to gain ground. At this rate, he was going to be caught in between the fire and their swords, and neither option sounded appealing. Come on, think! his mind raced as he worked to come up with a plan. There has to be a way out. There’s always a way out. His eyes fell on the abandoned buckets of water near the burning tents, and suddenly an idea formed in his head. Lip curling upwards in a smile, he laughed again, “You’re mad, Crow. Absolutely insane.”

The thief made a sharp turn to his left and cut across the center of the camp, sprinting towards the raging fire. The nobles that pursued him began whooping like men on a victorious hunt, seeming to believe he was backing himself into a corner. If only they knew what was really about to happen. Well, truth be told, even Crow didn’t know what was about to happen. He just hoped his crazy plan would work, and there was only one way to find out. As he approached the wall of flames, he snatched up two full buckets and turned around to face the nobles. They slowed to a stop, fanning out to surround him.

“Bad move, thief,” one of the nobles snickered, taking a step towards him. He eyed the thief’s water buckets and scoffed. “What’re you going to do? Splash us to death?” He paused while his comrades laughed, then raised his sword. “You’re finished.”

“Ah, ah,” Crow set down one of his water buckets and held up his hand. “If you attack me now, you’ll be cursed by the gods. They don’t like it when one of their own is injured.”

“You’re saying that you’re a god?” the noble drawled.

“You think I’m lying?” Crow raised a brow. He clicked his tongue disapprovingly. “Fine. I suppose I’ll just have to show you my power.” Before the nobles could react, he lifted the first bucket over his head and drenched himself in water, then did the same with the second until his clothes and hair were thoroughly soaked. In the next instant, he took a deep breath, spun around on his heels, and raced into the fire, leaving the nobles gaping after him in shock.

It only took a few seconds to run through the flames, but Crow still felt the heat burn his exposed skin. He held his breath and grimaced though the pain, forcing himself to keep going even after he reached the forest on the other side. The nobles wouldn’t take long to recover from their surprise, so he needed to put some distance between them and himself before they took up chase again. Having been too busy to check on Penelope and the others, he could only hope they made it out alright as well.

The trees soon gave way to the main pathway. It was relieving to see as it meant that the knights hadn't lost their way in the forest. From here, they could follow it back to the village and continue forth with their journey. Though, the threat of the nobles was still concerning. The three knights broke out from the forest and came to stop as they reached the pathway. All were breathing harder from their sprinting but otherwise were fine.

Penelope let out a breath and eyed their surroundings. "I think we got away completely unnoticed." she observed. For a moment, the knights fell silent as they listened to the forest around them. However, there was no footsteps or rustling besides the distant commotion of the camp. Penelope lifted her gaze to the sky watching as smoke began to fill it. It caused her to smirk a bit as she thought of the scrambling nobles.

"Great. Now where's that damned thief?" William grunted. It was clear that the older knight still didn't hold any respect or faith in the thief just yet. Penelope shifted her gaze to Abraxas. He was so quiet and laid back that it was a bit hard to tell if he was the same or not. "I'm not sure. Probably finding some way to get out of that sticky situation. Anyways, you two should go ahead." she said giving a stubborn look. It was clear she had no intent of leaving Crow behind or letting him escape if he actually decided to try it. He had fooled her once after all.

"I'll stay back and wait for the thief. If he gets in trouble I'll help him and if he decides to try and run, I'll stop him. But those nobles might regroup and try to attack us again, so it's best if at least you two go get weapons to fight back." She advised with a narrowed gaze as she looked over her shoulder into the forest. There was some hesitation but William gave a curt nod of agreement with her plan.

"Alright." William said with a small nod. Abraxas blinked and took a step forward. "Oh, if you're going to wait, you should take this." He knelt down and pulled a dagger out of his boot then handed it off to the female knight. She gave a surprised look. Penelope had been rather sure that all weapons had been confiscated.

"They're nobles, not trained guards. They figured he wasn't too dangerous and forgot to check him for concealed weapons." William explained with small scoff. The older knight gave a prideful snicker. "They beat us in numbers not skill."

The two male knights then headed off in the direction of the village leaving Penelope to wait alone. It wasn't smart to stay out in the open so she quickly took cover in the shadows of the forest. Knights normally didn't rely on things such as stealth but that didn't mean she was incapable of it. Penelope may not be an expert like Crow or other thieves and criminals, but she was still able to utilize the cover of the shadows.

She moved quietly, watching where she put her feet with care. The knight had decided to back track just a little to make sure the plan had run smoothly. Now armed with a dagger, she felt just a tad bit safer. If enemies came her way, Penelope would be ready to strike.

As she continued to move forward, Penelope began to pick up on the sound of footsteps. They were soft and hard to distinguish. If it were Crow, he'd likely be alone unless he was being pursued. Unfortunately, she just couldn't make out if it was just one person or not. She'd have to get closer.

She moved forward towards the footsteps. Her plan was to remain in the shadows until the person, or persons, were in sight. Just as she was moving so carefully, Penelope accidentally messed up her footing. A fallen stick snapped loudly under her boot, causing for a small panic. She'd rather have the upper if it were an enemy and she possibly just ruined it. Penelope, in a panic, launched herself at the assumed enemy. Her cover was probably blown and she'd rather have the first attack.

Crow sprinted through the forest until the sounds from the nobles’ campsite faded to a mere murmur in the distance. He wanted to be absolutely sure he was safe before he risked slowing down. Once he felt confident he wasn’t being pursued, he stopped, leaning against a tree for support as he caught his breath. After spending a year in prison, his stamina wasn’t anything near what it used to be, and all that running he had just done was taking a heavy toll on his strength. He hoped the knights would give him time to eat before they headed out again. The thief blinked. The knights. Where were they? He hadn’t come across them on his way back towards the village. He wondered if they had already reached the village or if they had gotten captured before they made it to the safe point. In spite of himself, he found that he hoped the former was true. At least, he hoped it was true for Penelope.

I’m just tired, Crow rationalized, starting to walk again now that he had caught his breath. Who cares what happened to them? If they were killed, I get to walk away free. It’s better for me that way. Yet somehow he couldn’t rid himself of the anxious pit in his stomach. To make matters worse, the fresh burn wounds on his arms and face were beginning to pain him. Fortunately, they weren’t very bad because of the water he had drenched himself in before he leaped through the fire, but they would definitely be sore for a while. “If they are still alive, those knights had better be grateful for what I did,” he grumbled, absently tracing a burn on his arm with one finger.

For the most part, Crow’s walk back to the village was uneventful. The nobles had given up chasing him long ago, so he was free to meander at a leisurely pace while his strength slowly returned. However, as he neared the outskirts of the village, he froze, hearing the snap of a twig. Instantly, his instincts as a thief kicked in and he tensed, ready to run at the first sign of danger. Had the nobles somehow caught up with him? He hoped not. While he had regained some of his energy, he was still too exhausted to run again. If they attacked him now, he had no chance of fighting back.

But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try.

Crow drew the dagger in his boot and shifted into a defensive stance, his eyes narrow and focused as he tried to locate the source of the noise. He didn’t have to try very hard though, because in the next moment, a figure lunged out from behind a tree, swinging a short blade at him. The thief parried the attacker’s blow with his own weapon and prepared himself to flee, but then halted in recognition.

“Penelope?” he said, lifting his hands in the air and dropping his dagger. “Wait, stop! It’s me: Crow.”

The knight clenched her teeth as the blades met. Seemed like getting the upper hand would need much harder work. She drew the blade back but halted midway as she finally looked at the face of whom she was attacking as he said her name. Penelope let out a breath of relief and quickly lowered the dagger. "Oh good." she said.

Despite her words to the other two knights, she had been more concerned about Crow getting caught than him trying to run off. It wasn't his first chance to after all so she was beginning to have a little more faith in him. In fact, it was getting harder and harder to view him as a criminal or even enemy. To her, he was almost another comrade.

"Sorry about that." Penelope apologized. "Anyways, the other two went ahead to the village. So let's get going." She turned and began to continue on in the direction of the village. She glanced over her shoulder at him and smirked. "You know the plan was to set the tents on fire, not yourself right?" she teased, having noticed the burns on him. She figured it must have happened when he was trying to find some way of escaping.