“That’s beside the point,” Crow rolled his eyes when Penelope accused him of never trying to appease William. “He’s never done anything to deserve my respect anyway. When he starts letting me eat when I want to, I’ll start being nice to him.” He walked beside her as they continued the trek back to the village once more. The edge of it was now within sight, so it wouldn’t be long before they were reunited with the other two knights. The thought was somehow depressing to him. He and Penelope were finally getting along so well, but what if she was just delirious from exhaustion and turned cold towards him after getting some rest? He eyed her guardedly. She claimed to have sympathy for him, but how deeply did that really impact the way she viewed him? Even though he wanted to believe her, it was hard to do after so many years of being misunderstood and hated by people of her status. He found himself swinging from trust back to skepticism until she spoke up again.

[color=fff79a][b]“William is a good knight, but he certainly relies too much on the law and not enough on his own feelings.”[/b][/color]

Crow stared at Penelope in mild surprise. He had never heard of a knight who believed in emotions over the law. It was strangely relaxing to know that she didn’t hold on to the king’s rules as religiously as her comrades did. Maybe he could trust her after all. He certainly wanted to, and at that moment she was giving him every reason to stop suspecting her of ulterior motives. Maybe he could let her get just a little bit closer to him.

“The law,” Crow shook his head. “The law is what causes the people in these villages so much pain. It’s what gives the king the right to tax them of all their earnings, what gives him the power to abuse them the way he does. I can’t stand it.” Now at the outskirts of the village, the thief absently kicked a small rock in front of him as they walked. “The law drove my mother to death, and the law is what keeps so many in poverty. I think that’s partly why I decided to rebel against it.” He held Penelope’s gaze. “Thievery is my way of trying to right the king’s wrong and restore some sort of balance to this kingdom. I know it’s foolish—I can’t really change anything since I’m just one man—but I can still make a difference in my little sphere of influence, you know?”