[IC] Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow waited for Olivia to come with the remainder of the chicken. He tore off a wing and took a bite, “You said I’d get first pick of the food if I helped you prepare it.”

“Oops,” the knight shrugged. “Looks like I’ll just have to make it up to you somehow.”

“That you will,” he chuckled. “I take food very seriously, love.”

As the thief ate, he found his eyes wandering back to Penelope. He frowned when he found her sitting alone by the wagon. Why did she go off by herself? He wondered. Suddenly, his chest tightened. Did she see…? On no. Crow paled. He had thought the knights weren’t looking when he kissed Olivia! She must have looked up right when he closed his eyes. He kicked himself mentally. He should have been more careful, but he was too caught up in his impatient lust. It was hard for him to keep his hands off the woman with the way she kept throwing herself at him.

But he couldn’t talk to her yet. It was too much of a risk. He didn’t want to lose his shot at Olivia by abandoning her for Penelope. He forced himself to turn away from her, to not focus on her disappointment. Instead, he watched as Olivia finished the last of her chicken. It was almost time.

“You’re a surprisingly light eater,” the knight commented, noticing how little Crow had taken from the remaining food.

“I guess I’m just not hungry,” he replied with a false air of casualty.

“Well, I’ll save you the leftovers,” she bundled up the rest of chicken in a cloth. “In case you work up an appetite later.” She winked at him and got up, walking over to talk to William. He could hear their conversation from where he sat near the fire pit:

“I’m going for a little midnight stroll,” Olivia’s voice chirped. “And I want to take your thief with me.”

“Why would you want to do that?” William grunted in response. “He’s a pest—” He paused, and Crow could picture him narrowing his eyes at the other knight. “You wouldn’t. Olivia, you’re a knight of Brerra. Don’t disgrace yourself with a criminal.”

“William!” Olivia gasped in mock astonishment. “How could you think that? I only want to talk to him. I’ve never gotten the chance to interview a thief before. I’m interested to hear why he chose such a depraved lifestyle.”

“Good luck getting any information out of him. The king kept that nuisance locked up for a year without learning so much as a single detail.”

“I’ll try my best. So, does that mean I have your permission?”

“Sure,” William sighed. “Just don’t be long, and don’t wander too far off. I’ll have Penelope stay awake in case you need help. She has a way with the thief that I don’t understand.”

“Thank you!” Crow could hear Olivia’s footsteps as she returned to the fire pit. She bent down to whisper, “Time to go, sweetie.”

The thief rose to his feet and grinned at her, “Congratulations on outsmarting William.”

“It wasn’t too difficult. He’s very trusting of his equals. Now come on, you don’t want to keep a lady waiting, do you?”

“Of course not,” Crow followed her to the tree line, casting a final glance at Penelope before they disappeared into the forest. Sorry, love. I hope you won’t be too upset with me for this…

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope listened to the conversation between Olivia and William. She had hoped William would be able to see through Olivia’s lies but her hope was quickly destroyed as Olivia feigned innocence. William did say some interesting things though. The knight hadn’t thought on it much but she probably knew more about Crow than most people. The thief had given her information about his past, why he was thief, and that he wasn’t able to swim. The thought was a bit warming as she was reminded of how much the thief trusted her but it didn’t last long.

As William stated she’d stay up to wait for their return, Penelope’s shoulders seemed to fall. The last thing she wanted was to be the one that greeted them once they returned. However, she found it impossible to protest against William’s words. She watched helplessly as Olivia and Crow walked off, only averting her gaze when she noticed Crow turning his head to glance back in her direction. Once the two disappeared from sight, Penelope quietly got up and walked over to the fire. She stood near it and let it warm her up. William and Abraxas were already preparing to lay down. The two were likely tired from not getting much sleep the previous night.

It seemed it didn’t matter how much the thief had shared with her or how close they had gotten, he clearly preferred women like Olivia. Bold, flirtatious, and beautiful. Not someone like me... The knight froze at the words of her own thoughts. She was comparing herself to Olivia. Not as a knight or a friend but truly as a woman. Her face flared in embarrassment. That would mean she was viewing Crow as something more than a friend. No... No... that’s crazy... She attempted to correct herself. A brief flashback to Crow’s friendly face caused her heartbeat to race and her previous correction to disappear.

Penelope gave a stressed look and ran a hand through her brown hair as she sat down by the fire. There was still no way she cared for Crow as anything more than a friend. At least, that is what she kept telling herself despite previous thoughts. Besides, even if she did, she clearly wasn’t his type. Of course someone like Olivia would suit him after all... She reminded herself with a small pang of disappointment she chose to ignore.

The female knight let out a heavy-hearted sigh and lifted her gaze up to the night sky. “Oh mother... Please let this night just be done with already....” Penelope mumbled, closing her eyes.

[Rogue Sloth]

As soon as they were out of sight from the camp Olivia turned on Crow, pulling herself close to him and kissing him again. He laughed against her lips, enjoying the knight’s wild passion. The thief didn’t skip a beat. He pushed her back against a tree and reached for the hem of her shirt. However, she combatted his attempt, pulling her lips away from his and smiling coyly. “Ah, ah,” she said in a breathy voice. “Let’s go back to my camp first.”

Such a tease, Crow rolled his eyes. “Alright, alright. Show me the way, darling.”

Olivia smirked, seeming to enjoy his impatience. She grabbed his hand and led him westward through the forest until they came to a small campsite. There was one tent and a small fire pit that smoked from having been recently extinguished. The knight released his hand and stepped into the clearing, tilting her head back to look up at the stars and spinning around in a circle. “It’s a full moon tonight,” she sighed dreamily. “You know what they say about full moons, don’t you?”

“Of course,” Crow walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck gently. He knew about the belief that the full moon caused people to act wildly. He also knew what Olivia was hinting at. The thief found her ear and gave it a soft nip, listening to her exhale in response. He reached for the hem of her shirt once more, and she didn’t object this time. He smiled, his heartbeat picking up pace, as he began to lift her shirt… and then stopped. An unexpected wave of discomfort hit him hard, right in the pit of his stomach. What was going on? He was about to sleep with a beautiful woman, yet something was holding him back. He was just as surprised when Penelope flashed through his mind. The thief knit his brow in frustration. Don’t tell me I’m spoiling this opportunity because of her? He thought. She’s my friend! It’s not like I even had a chance with her to begin with.

Olivia seemed to notice his hesitation. She took the liberty of sliding her own shirt over her head. The knight turned back around and snaked her arms around him, pressing her bosom against his chest. “What’s the matter, sweetie?” she cooed. “You haven’t forgotten how, have you?”

Crow flushed at the sight of the topless woman and averted his gaze. She was playing on his pride, and he knew it. Why does that even matter? he scolded himself. It shouldn’t be this hard. She’s practically begging for me to sleep with her. Just forget about Penelope and do it! In a short burst of defiant energy, he pressed his lips against Olivia’s, running his hands over her smooth body. He felt her reach to pull his tunic over his head, so he raised his arms, allowing the fabric to slide easily off. As it did, he felt another sharp pang of unease, but he forced it down. The thief dragged the knight to the ground and climbed on top of her, continuing to kiss her as he did so. Just as he was about to reach for her skirt, he stopped again. Another image of Penelope appeared in his head. Damn it! Why can’t I get her out of my mind?

Olivia once again noticed his hesitation. She attempted to guide his hand to her skirt, but he resisted. She stopped kissing him and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Crow shook his head and moved to meet her lips again, but she put a finger between them.

“No,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously. She pushed the thief off of her and sat up. “Look, I’m not about to waste my time here. If you can’t perform, I need to know right now.”

“I—” Crow started and then stopped. He stared down at the grass. Could he honestly say she was wrong? Every time he made a move to get intimate with her, he thought of Penelope. But that didn’t make sense; Penelope was his friend. They weren’t going to be anything more than that. He felt the pressure in his chest once more. Every time he told himself the knight was just his friend, it made him uncomfortable. He sighed, closing his eyes. He couldn’t deny it anymore: he had fallen for Penelope.

Olivia watched him, seeming to read his mind. She reached for her shirt, which lay nearby, and put it on again, “This is because of Penelope, isn’t it?”

Crow nodded wordlessly.

“I thought so,” she exhaled in disappointment. “It’s too bad, really. You’re very cute, Crow. I’m sure we would have had a good time together.”

“Yeah,” he murmured absently, reaching for his tunic to put back on. They both stood up, and he finally met her gaze. “I should go back before anyone gets suspicious. Thanks for the offer, love. I truly am sorry that it didn’t work out.”

“Me too,” she shrugged and then cast him a teasing smile. “Now, go get your love-struck ass back to Penelope.”

“Shut up,” Crow scoffed at her jibe. “Anyway, good luck getting back to Brerra. Maybe I’ll see you around sometime.” He nodded a goodbye and turned to head back to the other knights’ campsite.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope sat restlessly by the fire. She was not eager for them to return, especially since she had no idea how she was going to face Crow. Between his fling with Olivia and the possibility she had feelings for the thief, Penelope wondered how she was suppose to act. Normal would have been the answer but she thought of the many times she had blushed in front of him and worried that if things continued like that, he might discover her true feelings. He must never know.. She told herself.

The sound of approaching footsteps quickly caught her attention. She felt her heart sink as she knew it must be the two returning to camp. Though it did seem rather soon. Penelope had never spent the night with a man before but she had been around Olivia enough to feel that their return was a lot sooner than expected. She didn’t dwell long on that and quickly glanced over to confirm that it was Crow and Olivia. When she only saw Crow, Penelope felt a bit confused. Why hadn’t the knight returned with him? She was suppose to stay with them until the next day after all.

Penelope quickly turned her gaze back to the fire. Her expression remained static despite her feelings and thoughts. “You’re back sooner than I expected.” The knight mused without looking at him. “And you’re alone... What happened to Olivia?”

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow kept his eyes fixed on the ground in front of him as he walked back to the camp. He was so lost in thought that his footsteps were uncharacteristically clumsy and careless. But what did it matter if anyone heard him coming? It wasn’t like he had any reason to hide, and he wasn’t in a mood to care if he woke William and Abraxas. He still just couldn’t believe what had happened. He knew now that he was in love with Penelope, but that shouldn’t have stopped him from lying with the other knight. After all, she would never love him back. Olivia was right: he was a thief, a criminal. Why should Penelope accept his courting when she could have a man much more honorable, one who could give her everything she could want in life? Sure, he might be enough for a peasant girl, but not for a woman who was raised in the luxury of the inner city. He shouldn’t have let his pointless emotions get between him and a good time.

It took him a moment to realize he had reached the camp already. He blinked, slightly dazed, when he heard Penelope’s voice from by the fire: “You’re back sooner than I expected.” He looked to find the knight averting her gaze. “And you’re alone... What happened to Olivia?”

Crow hesitated, toying with the idea of whether or not he should be honest with her. By the sound of her voice, he assumed she knew the real reason as to why they had wandered off together. But if he told her what had happened, he would have to explain why he didn’t go through with it too, and he didn’t want to do that. It would just be embarrassing. Instead, he decided to make up another excuse.

“Olivia’s fine,” the thief said as he walked over to join Penelope by the fire. “We parted ways at her camp.” He sat down next to the knight and shrugged casually. “Turns out she was just leading me on to get information out of me. I should have known.” There was a twinge of genuine disappointment in his tone as he went on. “Of course a knight wouldn’t want to spend a night with a criminal without getting something in return. It wouldn’t make sense.” And that’s exactly why Penelope can’t find out about my feelings, he added silently.

Crow flashed Penelope an apologetic smile, “Sorry for keeping you up for nothing, love. You should get some sleep.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope felt as though a heavy weight was lifted off her shoulders as Crow claimed that nothing had occurred between him and Olivia. She looked over at him, about to question the truth of his words, until she caught the disappointment in his tone as he continued. A pang of guilt hit her for feeling so relieved. She pursed her lips together and looked back to the fire as she crossed her arms over her chest. “I suppose it wouldn’t....” She muttered quietly. Of course it wouldn’t. A knight and thief together was a ridiculous thought. She just wished it actually felt ridiculous when she thought of Crow that way.

She was pulled out of her thoughts as Crow flashed her a smile. Penelope looked over at him and smiled faintly in return. “Thanks...” she said before shuffling to stand up. The knight paused, still feeling slightly guilty and not wanting to leave Crow when he seemed quite down. For some reason, she just couldn’t leave him like that. Penelope frowned slightly and ruffled Crow’s hair.

“Sorry some knights are like that... It wouldn’t be that way if they only looked past the criminal thing. Even if only for a second.” Penelope reassured in a soft voice. “You should get some sleep too, Crow.” She added before turning and walking off to settle down for the night.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow flinched when Penelope tousled his hair. Her unexpected touch made his heart race and his breathing quicken. Stop that, he chided his own body, even though the logical part of his mind knew it was stupid. He couldn’t prevent the reaction just by telling himself to. It wasn’t that easy. He looked up at Penelope, concealing his excitement by forcing himself to keep a straight face, and nodded at her words. See? She thinks it’s ridiculous too. There’s no way she would want a romantic relationship with a thief like me.

At her mention of him getting some sleep too, he yawned inadvertently, “Yeah, I’m exhausted.” He climbed tiredly to his feet. “Goodnight.” he said before he walked over to lay down near William and Abraxas. One of them had already set out a thin mat for him to sleep on—probably Abraxas, since William still treated him like a dog—and a blanket. It wasn’t as luxurious as the thicker mats the knights had to sleep on, but it was better than nothing. Besides, he would take anything over prison stones.

Crow laid down on the mat and stared up at the stars overheard. They twinkled steadily, without any cares about what went on below. The thief found himself wishing he could be so carefree. His life used to be that way, but ever since he had met Penelope it seemed like things were much more complicated. He sighed, watching the night sky for a little while longer until he finally drifted off to sleep.

[BuzzingBee]

It took Penelope quite a while to fall asleep. She found her mind cluttered with thoughts she hoped would never see the light of day. Eventually she drifted off to sleep as her tiredness grew. The next morning came much too soon. The sounds of footsteps and the other knights shuffling around quickly woke her up. She slowly sat up and rubbed her eyes before looking around the camp. It appeared they were getting ready to move but clearly in no rush.

“Oh good you’re up.” William muttered as he spotted the awake Penelope. “There’s some porridge prepared if you’re hungry.” He nodded to the small pot that sat near the barely lit fire. Penelope murmured a word of thanks before slowly getting up and heading to grab a small bowl of food. She stretched and sat down as she quickly ate a few bites of the bland tasting food. William definitely cooked this... She thought with a sigh. The older knight believed that as long as it was eatable, it didn’t matter.

She didn’t get to enjoy a very peaceful breakfast before someone tapped on her shoulder. She looked over but found no one until she heard a mischievous snicker come from her other side. Penelope turned to see Olivia right besides her, smirking as she managed to play the small trick on her fellow knight.

“Mornin’ Penelope.” Olivia said then gave a heavy sigh. “Well... You must be pleased huh?”

Penelope still felt a hint of coldness towards Olivia. Though she was glad she didn’t have to worry about what happened between her and Crow anymore, the knight felt slightly annoyed at Olivia for not only going after Crow but also just leading him on for information. Her gaze narrowed. “Why would I be pleased?” she questioned, genuinely confused by what she meant.

“Oh you don’t have to act Penelope. I know. You were absolutely enraged that I wanted to spend the night with him.” Olivia snickered then gave a look of dull disappointment. “Really it is a shame nothing happened.”

“You’re sure acting innocent don’t you think? It was your own fault nothing happened. Even I didn’t think you’d go so far as to lead someone on.” Penelope stated sourly. She didn’t know what came over her but she wasn’t willing to just let Olivia get away with her actions. Especially when Crow had seemed hurt by them.

Olivia raised an eyebrow at Penelope, confusion written clearly on her face. “Lead.. him on?” She questioned before laughing at Penelope’s strange accusation. “Oh sweetie, what exactly do you think happened? I never lead him on.”

Penelope blinked and felt a bit flustered as Olivia quickly dismissed her words. “Yes you did. Crow said you were just trying to get information out of him.” She added quickly. Her words only made Olivia laugh more.

“That’s not what happened at all. He’s only saying that to save himself. If anything he lead me on.” Olivia informed Penelope. Penelope looked at her in confusion. “What? How?”

A wicked smirk spread across Olivia’s face and she leaned in closer as she spoke to Penelope. “I was fully ready to spend the night with him, Penelope. But he kept thinking of you. Like a lovesick puppy.” Olivia sighed and crossed her arms. “Honestly Penelope, what did you do to him? I mean sure you’re cute but you’ve never won against me when it came to looks. You have your sword and I have my charm...”

Penelope was frozen, staring dumbfounded by the information Olivia had given her. Crow had not only lied but he also had feelings for her. He denied Olivia because of me... The thought made her heart race. She barely heard a word Olivia said after as her mind was reeling. Eventually Olivia patted her on the back, making Penelope snap out of her thoughts momentarily. “Anyways, I just stopped by to say goodbye to everyone. So I’ll be heading off now. Good luck Penelope and do remember that you’re still a knight.” Olivia said before standing up and walking off.

Penelope sat there alone. Her face felt warm and her heart continued to race but she had no idea what to do with the information she received.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow slept soundly through the night, his slumber filled with dreams of his homeland. In them, he had returned triumphantly from prison, having escaped from the king by his own cunning. He had stolen gold from the king’s vault as well, and brought enough to pay the village’s taxes for years to come. He was just as successful of a thief as he had been before he was arrested. And on top of everything else, he was married to a beautiful peasant woman with brown hair and green eyes. It was perfect; he had everything he wanted in life.

The thief was disappointed when the fantasy was cut short by a prod in his side. He opened one eye and pulled the blanket down from over his head, groaning as the bright morning sunlight hit his face. William stood over him, his foot cocked back to kick him again, “Time to get up. You can’t sleep all day, fool.”

“Five more minutes,” Crow complained, drawing the blanket over his eyes. He yelped as the knight’s foot collided with his side again. “Okay, okay! I’m up!” He scrambled to his feet. William snorted, shaking his head in disgust, and walked away to continue packing up their camp. Crow made at face at his back. He yawned sleepily, raising his arms over his head in a long stretch, and looked around. The knights had already made quite a bit of progress on the demolition of the camp. All the blankets and mats—except for his—had been packed up, and the contents of the fire pit had been scattered, making it more difficult to tell that they were ever there.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Olivia sang into Crow’s ear, causing him to jump in surprise. She giggled and then pouted with a sigh. “Oh, I’m going to miss you. It’s really too bad it didn’t work out between us.”

“Mhm,” Crow grunted, gathering his bearings after being startled by her sudden appearance.

“Well, I just wanted to say goodbye to you before I head back to the king,” the knight said. “I’d steal one more kiss if I could, but… you know.” She tipped her head in Penelope’s direction, and held out her hand in a formal manner. “See you around, Crow. It’s been fun.”

Crow shook her hand, “Have a safe journey back.”

The knight walked back into the forest towards her camp, and Crow turned back to Penelope. She was sitting by herself again. He wondered if she was still upset about yesterday. He had hurt her pretty badly by spending so much time with Olivia, after all. He wanted to try and make it up to her somehow. Perhaps she would cheer up if he gave her more of his time.

Crow moved to sit down next to the knight, throwing his arm around her shoulders in a friendly manner, “Good morning, love. Did you sleep well last night?” He offered her a friendly grin. “I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see the towns of Younis. I’ve heard they’re beautiful.”

[BuzzingBee]

Being stunned to her very core, Penelope didn’t even hear the thief approaching her so when he slung an arm around her shoulders, she jumped. The knight turned her head to see Crow. Her face was red. It had been for a while now due to what Olivia told her and him putting his arm around her certainly wasn’t going to help it lessen. While the more sensible part of her knew that it was likely only him being friendly, she couldn’t help but see his actions in a completely new light. Just how long has he felt that way towards me? And what am I suppose to do now? She wondered as she stared at him.

Penelope finally brought herself back to the present as Crow continued to talk. In truth, she only caught half of what he said but she offered a smile, one that almost looked nervous. “Ah s-sorry... Olivia just-“ She paused in between her words. There was no way she could tell him what she knew. “- she just threw me off a little bit ago. Rambling on about less than decent things.” Penelope felt a bit bad about lying to him again. She had always been honest and forthright but she just couldn’t be that way about topics such as what Olivia had told her.

“But yeah, it’ll be interesting to see what Younis looks like.” She agreed blindly. Penelope was still too aware of how close Crow was to her. She began glancing around, desperately looking for an excuse to move until her gaze landed on the other two knights. “Ah looks like we’re nearly ready so um guess I better go see if those two need any help or something before we head off.” She told Crow, speaking quickly as she stood up and began to head over towards Abraxas and William. Penelope hoped she hadn’t come off as angry towards the thief since she truly didn’t want to upset him. Angry is the furthest thing from what I’m feeling... she thought.

[Rogue Sloth]

To Crow, Penelope seemed almost afraid when he sat down next to her. She mentioned Olivia and he frowned suspiciously. What exactly did that woman say to make her so nervous? For a moment his heart stopped as a fleeting thought passed through his mind: Did she tell Penelope the truth about me? But his fears were quickly put to rest when he realized that couldn’t be the case. Penelope didn’t have feelings for him, so she would have no reason to get so nervous… but that meant Oliva must have said something else to her. He wondered what it was.

“O-okay,” Crow blinked in confusion when Penelope quickly left him to help William and Abraxas. He sat alone, continuing to question what Olivia had done to turn Penelope against him so suddenly. Perhaps she lied and said I only get close to female knights for personal gain? he chewed on his lip thoughtfully. Yes, that has to be it! It made perfect sense, given Penelope’s nervous attitude around him. He sighed. It was going to be difficult to come back from that one though. Even if he told her it was a lie, she had no reason to believe him. He would have to start over from scratch to rebuild their friendship. That cursed vixen! She ruined everything.

It wasn’t long before Crow found himself with some unwelcomed company. Abraxas had stepped over to guard him since Penelope had chosen to help William finish packing up instead. The young knight stood over him, one hand placed cautiously on the hilt of his sword as if the thief could take off at any moment. Crow rolled his eyes. He knew it was technically well deserved because of his past, but he was getting tired of everybody treating him like a wild animal these days. He hadn’t had a true moment to himself since prison.

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll go wait in the wagon,” Crow muttered, standing up. He walked over to the cart. Abraxas followed. He turned back around to meet the knight’s gaze, his expression being one of mild exasperation. “What, I can’t even take two steps without a babysitter?”

Abraxas stared at him innocently, “William said—”

“Of course he did,” Crow drawled. He turned away from his guard and made his way to the wagon, climbing inside and laying down against the blankets. Abraxas stood just outside, watching him for suspicious movements. The thief ignored him. He hoped Penelope would come to her senses soon and realize Olivia had been lying, so he wouldn’t have to deal with the other two knights much longer.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope felt a bit guilty sending over Abraxas as her replacement. She knew the knight wouldn’t trust Crow with the same liberties she did. None of the other knights would since all they knew was a criminal. He doesn’t lie as much as they think.. She thought to herself as she quietly aided William. At least Abraxas wouldn’t be as bad a the older knight.

“You must have finally cracked huh?” William’s voice interrupted her thoughts. She blinked and looked over at the older knight. “What?”

“I mean you’re finally so sick of that thief you’re avoiding guarding him.” William stated. The female knight merely shrugged. “I just needed a small break from him. He’s quite easy to guard but the talking gets a bit much.” Penelope mumbled.

“Well, I wish I could say Abraxas could take over your duties completely but since we’re in Younis, you’ll have to stay back in the wagon with him. They’d probably think it strange to see a woman driving a wagon with a knight riding besides.” William said before giving Penelope a look of pity.

“I’ll manage.” Penelope said with a shrug. She was partly hoping to take over Abraxas’ position at the front of the wagon just to put some distance between her and Crow. It was a sensible move but not something she actually wanted to do. If she went solely based on her feelings, she would continued to stay close to Crow but that was a dangerous option. Love between a knight and thief was surely unheard of.

But father fell for a peasant... A hopeful voice in the back of her mind said. It was a true reminder but it made her wonder. Her father had been shunned by the family for years and was forced to the outer villages. Because of her mother, her father had lost nearly everything. Penelope wondered for the first time if he regretted meeting her mother. Their love had brought a lot of disgrace to the Vermillion family and her existence was part of that disgrace. She frowned to herself. I can’t disgrace my family again.... Penelope decided, choosing to ignore her own feelings as well as Crow’s. The two could remain as friends but nothing more. She could help but feel hurt by her own decision.

“Looks like we’re ready to move out.” William announced. Penelope nodded and went to relieve Abraxas from guarding Crow. When she saw the knight standing and watching him so rigidly, she nearly laughed. It seemed quite ridiculous and she knew Crow must be plenty annoyed. She quickly sent Abraxas on his way and climbed up into the wagon. Penelope was about to take her usual seat near Crow but one look at his face and she quickly realized she couldn’t. Her heart race anxiously once again and she moved to the sit in the furthest corner from Crow. Penelope lowered her gaze feeling guilty for having to avoid him.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow was hopeful when he saw that Penelope was the one to climb into the wagon with him. She had been so guarded before. He fully expected Abraxas to take her place on the ride to the outer villages of Younis. However, his hopes were quickly dashed when the knight sat in the farthest corner of the wagon bed. It looked like she was still distrusting of him after all. He looked away from her, absently toying with the hem of his tunic. He wasn’t sure how to approach her. He had spent so much of his life alone that social conflicts had become something of a mystery. Usually, if he didn’t get along with someone, he would just drop the person from his life and move on, but he couldn’t do that with Penelope. She meant too much to him now. Probably more than she should, he thought as he felt his heart flutter in his chest. He had to say something.

“I don’t know what Olivia said to turn you against me,” Crow said tentatively. He paused. His voice sounded too loud in the silence. He didn’t like it, but he had to keep trying. “Whatever it was, I can assure you it isn’t true.” He forced himself to hold her gaze from across the wagon, ignoring his instinct to run from the potential conflict. “I may have a history of being a liar, but that doesn’t mean I’m incapable of honesty. I may also be known for running solo, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be loyal. Look,” he sighed. “I just mean to say that I’m not trying to deceive you. I’m your friend. Nothing less, and…” the thief hesitated for a moment, finding his next words to be surprisingly difficult to say: “nothing more.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope flinched as Crow began speaking to her. She hesitated but finally shifted her gaze to look over at him. Her heart, which had been beating furiously only moments ago, felt as though it had dropped down. It hadn’t occurred to her that Olivia might have been lying. Penelope only assumed it was true. Of course it’s not true... Why would be interested in me? She scolded herself as she felt another heavy hit to her heart as he finished with a clear ‘nothing more’. The knight sighed and leaned her head back to look up at the ceiling of the wagon. Oh how foolish she had been.

“I’m sorry.” She said in a quiet voice. Penelope didn’t dare look his way. Even though she never planned to make a move towards him, her feelings remained the same and figuring out that he didn’t share them was still a slap to the face. “She wasn’t trying to turn me against you, Crow. What she said...” She paused. Penelope decided it was best if she didn’t reveal what the other knight had told her. Crow might get the right idea about how she felt. “-she said just to make a fool of me.”

The female knight let out a sighed and looked over at Crow. She thought about moving to her usual spot near him but then decided against it and remained where she was currently seated. “I’m sorry my actions made you think I was against you... Truly I wasn’t. I know you’re not trying to deceive me. Her words just... got in my head and I didn’t know how to handle them I suppose.” Penelope said, attempting to skirt around the topic of what Olivia had actually told her.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow felt a pang of guilt for telling Penelope he wasn’t a liar and then following the statement up by lying right to her face. Technically, it was true—they were nothing more than friends—but it still felt wrong to say it aloud. He wanted to be more than friends. He ached to be more than friends, but Olivia was right: Nothing good would come of it. A thief and a knight? It was unheard of. Besides, he thought gloomily. She wouldn’t be happy with me anyways. I can’t provide for a noblewoman. The best I could do would be to steal her jewelry from wealthier women, and that’s no life for someone of her status. She’ll be better off with a man who can love her properly. Crow decided to let his feelings for her remain buried. He and Penelope would finish their mission and return to their separate lives with no romantic involvement. It was better this way.

“Olivia was quite a minx, eh?” he said with a forced smile. “She managed to trick both of us. I don’t know about you, but I feel like quite a fool for getting caught in her web of lies.” The thief shook his head and let his gaze wander to the passing scenery outside of the cart. He exhaled, relaxing his tense muscles as the stress of the situation finally passed. His friendship with the knight was still intact. There was no need to be worried anymore.

Crow looked back at Penelope with a smug expression, “By the way, how is your accent coming along?” He spoke in the lilting voice of a Younisian native. “I believe we’ve reached a point in our journey where it’s imperative that you knights try to master it. You don’t want to get arrested now do you, love?”

[BuzzingBee]

“Yeah... I do as well.” Penelope muttered as she lowered her gaze. Her chest felt terribly heavy. Now that she thought about it, it wouldn’t make sense for him to be interested in her. He was a thief after all and despite being her friend, he probably still held some grudge towards her for being a knight. Especially when she had been no better then William at the start of their mission. That and he’d never view me as any more than a friend anyways... I’m just some knight he met on the king’s mission. She closed her eyes for a brief moment before turning to look over at Crow as he switched topics.

She attempted to carry on as normal and keep her feelings to herself. Penelope gave a smirk at his expression. “It’s a work in progress.” She replied attempting to slip into a Youisian accent. Her’s wasn’t close to matching the accuracy of Crow’s but she had improved since the last time they had practiced. Penelope had attempted it a few times when she was alone in order to prepare for their arrival in Younis.

“I’ve been working on it... The ones that will end up getting us arrested is William and Abraxas though.” Penelope said, still keeping the accent going. “Abraxas has difficult time with it and William is too prideful to even try.” She shook her head at the thought of the older knight before crossing his arms. “He should worry more about ending up caught by Younis knights than being embarrassed by a bad accent."

[Rogue Sloth]

It felt good to talk to Penelope so casually again. Crow felt reassured when she smirked at him and went on like nothing had changed. He stretched and nestled comfortably into the blanket pile, listening as she spoke about William and Abraxas being a cause for concern. Apparently the older knight was still too proud to even attempt learning the accent, while the younger was struggling quite a bit. The thief wondered how they might be able to make up for their ineptitude. Younis kept its borders quite closed off from Brerra, so it would be strange for the natives to see two foreign knights wandering about with a peasant and a thief in tow.

So far, their odds didn’t look good. The two kingdoms hadn’t been on good terms for almost a century. Berra’s history of greedy, power-hungry royalty was offputting to the more traditional and peace-loving rulers of Younis. They would be quick to spot and detain any suspicious characters to protect themselves from potential usurpation. Crow just hoped that he and Penelope could find a way to avoid getting dragged down with the other two. He didn’t want to deal with any more delays to his inevitable freedom.

“Sounds like a problem,” the thief nodded, keeping up his accent. He hoped that by listening to him, Penelope would better memorize and replicate the sound of it. “Well, if they get us caught, I can do my best to save you and myself from prison. I don’t know about those two though.” He shrugged. “It’s one thing to convince a Younisian soldier that two Brerratic knights took a local villager and his wife captive. It’s quite another beast to convince them that we were all on the same side and mean the king no harm to begin with. I don’t think anyone would buy that lie for a second.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope pursed her lips into a thin line as she thought about what Crow said. She continued in her accent, adjusting it slightly as she picked up on a few mistakes she was making. “At least we have that as a back up plan.” she admitted. She’d hate to have to leave behind her comrades but she was far too determined to complete this mission in order to avoid war. They could always figure out a way to get them out of prison later on.

“Another thing to worry about is how you’re going to manage actually getting inside and stealing the staff.” Penelope added giving an unsure look. Even though she was no thief, she knew that the situation must be quite difficult even if he was skilled. They didn’t have a lot of information to go off of when it came to the Younis castle. “It would probably pay off to simply camp out somewhere near the castle and get as much information as we can. Even a little bit would help at this point.”

The knight paused in her words and looked over at him. “Also... I want to go in with you. Out of all of us, I’ll be able to keep up with you the best and if things go awry, I can distract the guards so you can get out of there with the staff.” She said determinedly. She had planned to try and find a way in since the beginning of the mission only now she had another reason to accompany him. Penelope wanted to make sure the mission was a success for the good of her kingdom and her family but she was also concerned about Crow making it out in one piece as well. The thought of something going wrong and him being hurt or captured was unsettling and nerve racking for her.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow opened his mouth to make a snide comment about him and Penelope acting like they were married, but quickly changed his mind. He controlled his impulse and bit his tongue. Given everything that had happened the night before, it was still too soon to say anything about a romance between them—even a fake one. His emotions were still too raw. He needed to give himself a bit more time before he could flirt so casually with the knight as he used to.

“Another thing to worry about is how you’re going to manage actually getting inside and stealing the staff,” Penelope went on. She seemed concerned. “It would probably pay off to simply camp out somewhere near the castle and get as much information as we can. Even a little bit would help at this point.”

“Of course,” Crow nodded. “I would never go on a blind run. That’s just suicide. A skilled thief always studies his target as extensively as possible. Remember, love,” he winked at her playfully. “You’re working with a professional. I’ve spent my entire life learning and perfecting the tricks of my trade.” What he didn’t say was how long it usually took to scout out a new place—especially one as large as a royal palace. When he had attempted to steal the king’s crown in Brerra, it had taken him two months to fully memorize the layout and escape routes in that palace. He’d had to steal the armor of a royal guard and patrol the numerous hallways over and over again before he was comfortable enough to conduct the real run. And even then, he had gotten caught. The palace was just so huge that it was easy to make mistakes. The thief chewed on his lip in thought. He doubted the king of Brerra would allot him enough time to do a proper inspection of the Younisian castle before attempting to steal the staff. He just hoped the gods would be merciful to him this time.

“Also... I want to go in with you,” Penelope’s determined voice interrupted Crow’s musings. “Out of all of us, I’ll be able to keep up with you the best, and if things go awry, I can distract the guards so you can get out of there with the staff.” He blinked at her in surprise. Despite all of the planning he had done until this point, he had never taken into consideration the possibility that someone else might be coming with him into the palace. The idea of it was off-putting to him.

“I don’t know,” Crow said hesitantly, shifting his weight. His friendship with Penelope didn’t change the fact that he was more comfortable going on runs alone. The only time he had ever attempted bringing a partner, the other thief had gotten killed. It was just easier for him to watch his own back without worrying about someone else’s safety. And if Penelope came with him, he would definitely be worrying about her the whole time. “Don’t take this the wrong way, darling, but I prefer to work solo.” He shrugged and smiled at her apologetically. “I’ve been doing this for years, so I can handle myself. Just trust me. It will be faster if I go in alone.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope studied his expression as he was reluctant to answer her after she said she wished to accompany him. When he finally told her no, the knight rolled her eyes at him. “Well, frankly love, I don’t give a damn.” She stated stubbornly. Though she was only using the word ‘love’ as a poke at how he usually addressed her, saying the word out loud and to him of all people, made her briefly flustered. How he said it so casually was far beyond her understanding. Her cheeks gained a light pink shade after she realized what she had called him but she didn’t dwell on it for long and quickly continued her argument.

“You prefer to work solo because that’s what you know best. But that doesn’t mean it is best, especially for this. This isn’t just you stealing like usual, Crow. It’s the king’s mission and I know that must mean you’re at a far disadvantage. Not just in preparation but also the fact that you’ve been in prison for a whole year.” She explained. Her brows furrowed and she gave an expression of concern. Penelope scooted slightly closer to him so the distance between them wasn’t as big. It was beginning to feel weird to talk to him at such distance. “It’d be good for you to have someone watching your back in there. And if things get bad, I can make sure you have a way out. I can look out for myself and for you.”

Her soft expression was quickly replaced with a smug smirk with a challenging gleam in her eyes. “Besides, although I prefer that you just agree to my help, I’m willing to play the ‘thief might run away with the staff’ card to William. He’d of course say that someone should accompany you and naturally, I’d volunteer since he’s a bit too arrogant and Abraxas is a bit too slow.” She added mockingly innocent shrug.