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

[Rogue Sloth]

As they followed Malcolm towards the small dwelling, Crow glanced over his shoulder. He couldn’t hear the sounds of battle anymore. Though the alleyway they had run through was long, he thought that he would have at least been able to hear some faint shouting. He wondered if William and Abraxas had somehow managed to escape, or if the Younisian knights had overpowered them. Despite the fact that he didn’t get along well with either of the Brerratic knights, he felt a pang of guilt for leaving them stranded without a second thought. For all he knew, Penelope’s comrades were long dead.

Crow looked ahead once more as he entered the peasant’s house. It was quite homely, with just a parlor and a small dining area next to the kitchen. Off to the side was a wooden set of stairs leading up to what he guessed were the bed chambers. The home wasn’t anything special, but it was still grander than anything the peasants of Brerra could ever dream to own.

A tall, blonde woman emerged from the kitchen to greet them. Crow tipped his head towards her without speaking, as he was still unsure how Younisian men interacted with women they didn’t know. He decided it was safer to err on the side of tradition than risk blowing their cover by talking to her like he would a woman from his own kingdom.

He listened quietly as the husband and wife spoke, observing the way they interacted with each other. Malcolm was loud and excitable, while Lorelle was soft-spoken and meek. The stark contrast in their personalities was interesting to Crow, but he also noticed something strange about the woman’s behavior. She seemed stiff, as if she wasn’t quite as trusting of the group of strangers as her spouse. Her dark eyes swept over them and her jaw clenched ever so slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but dared not to open her mouth. He shifted his weight, set on edge by Lorelle’s demeanor.

The peasant woman invited Penelope to speak with her privately in another room, which only added to Crow’s discomfort. He wished he could follow them, but forced himself not to move. It wasn’t worth risking his disguise. Besides, what could Lorelle do? She didn’t look particularly dangerous. Perhaps she did just want to talk to Penelope without the company of the men. His shoulders fell as he relaxed.

“So,” Malcolm stepped into the kitchen. “I’m guessing you boys want a drink after everything you went though, eh?” He retrieved a bucket and set it down on the dining table, along with three mugs. “My wife and I brewed this ale up just this morning. Feel free to share it.”

“Thanks,” Hartley said, filling up a glass. He took a long drink, downing most of the ale at once, and set it back down with a satisfied exhale. “That hits the spot.”

Crow rolled his eyes as he filled his own glass, choosing to drink it more slowly. The homebrewed ale was strong, and he wanted to make sure he kept his head on straight, so he wouldn’t slip up if Malcolm started questioning him. He just hoped Hartley wouldn’t get drunk too quickly and ruin everything.

Malcolm gulped down his own mug and poured a second, “How did you end up the paws of those no good Brerratics?”

“Wrong place at the wrong time,” Crow answered vaguely. He hoped the peasant man would be satisfied by simple answers, but unfortunately, Malcolm kept digging.

“What place? What time?” he asked, drinking down more of the ale.

“Um,” Crow took another sip from his mug, buying time as he tried to come up with a lie.

“We were at a market,” Hartley jumped in, slamming down his now-empty glass. “Those guys just got us out of nowhere. I didn’t even get to finish my errands!” He moved to refill his mug, but Crow kicked him under the table, shooting the boy a warning glare. Hartley waved off his concern, pouring himself another round.

The idiot’s going to get us caught if he keeps this up, Crow thought unhappily.

“Why’d they want you guys?” Malcolm began to drawl as he finished his second drink.

“I don’t know,” Crow shrugged. “They probably would’ve gone for anyone, but we were just unlucky.”

“Hm,” Malcolm grunted. His eyes fell on Crow’s still full mug and he frowned. “What’sa matter? You hardly touched your ale.”

“I just… don’t drink much,” Crow averted his gaze.

“Come on,” Malcolm rolled his eyes, shoving the mug closer to the thief. “You don’t just come to a man’s house and insult him by refusing his homemade ale! Drink up, boy.”

Crow hesitated, “I’d really rather not—”

“C’mon,” Hartley chimed in unhelpfully, elbowing him in the side. “Live a little!”

“Yeah,” Malcolm eyed him skeptically. “Unless you have a reason you’re tryin’ to stay sober.”

Crow shot Hartley another dirty look for encouraging the situation, and then let out a reluctant sigh. It seemed they weren’t going to leave him alone until he complied. Fine. If it would make Malcolm let his guard down again, then he would have to do it. He raised his glass, “Bottoms up.” He lifted the mug to his lips and tilted his head back, downing the entire drink while Hartley let out a wild holler of approval.

As he set the mug back down on the table—with more force than he intended—Crow was already beginning to feel the effects of the potent drink. His mind was slightly fuzzy, and he felt his body relaxing into the chair. Come on, Crow. Stay focused.

Malcolm refilled Crow’s mug and then raised his own in a toast, “To new friends, and the death of the assassins!”

“What he said!” Hartley grinned, raising his mug as well. He looked expectantly at Crow.

“Yeah, those things,” Crow said dazedly. Here goes nothing… He downed the second drink, along with the other men, feeling the effects of the alcohol almost immediately.

The three slammed down their mugs, and Hartley smiled drunkenly at Malcolm, “Y’know, I like you, mister. You should join us on our journey to… wherever it is we’re going.”

“Aren’t you going home?” Malcolm laughed.

“I can’t remember,” Hartley knit his brow. He looked at Crow. “Are we going home?”

“Nah,” Crow slurred, working on his third mug of ale. “We’re gonna meet the king.”

“Really?” Hartley gaped at him.

“Really really,” Crow grinned. “I’m gonna give him a new walking stick or something.” In his inebriation, he was having a hard time keeping his Younisian accent or remembering what he was supposed to keep secret the others. Oh well. It’s probably not important.

“That’s so cool,” Hartley said.

“I know,” Crow frowned at the bottom of his now empty glass.

“Looks like we’re about out,” Malcolm picked up the bucket, swaying slightly as he returned it to the kitchen. “Sounds like a fun trip, boys. I’d come if I could, but I’ve gotta stay here with the missus.”

“Aw,” Hartley pouted. “I’m gonna miss you, Maven.”

“S’Malcolm,” the burly man corrected.

“That’s what I said.”

“No, you said Maxwell,” Crow shook his head.

“Ah, shut up, Cadby,” Hartley waved a dismissive hand.

“Wrong again, kid,” Crow ruffled the boy’s hair with one hand. He glanced towards the door Penelope and Lorelle had gone through, wondering where they had gone.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope followed Lorelle away from the others, not quite enjoying the fact that she was separated from the other two. She worried that if Lorelle or Malcom started asking more questions that they wouldn’t be able to put together the same story now that they weren’t together. The knight remained on guard, planning to try and keep the story as simple as possible. Luckily I’ve picked up a few tricks from Crow... She thought, trying to keep herself from acting nervous.

The room that the two women stepped into was a quaint den. It appeared to her that the two were using it as a storage room of sorts but it’s tidy and had a decent amount of room. Lorelle stepped over to small rack where it appeared they had a few old and worn down blankets. “I figured you could help me set up this room for you all tonight while we wait for the meal to finish cooking. We only have one bedroom unfortunately.” She said with a small smile.

It became clear to Penelope that Lorelle didn’t like just handing out help for free and since she couldn’t get either of the thieves alone, she had picked out Penelope as her worker. I guess I can respect that. Penelope thought with some amusement.

“Oh, there’s no need.” Penelope said quickly. “Like I said, we’ll be leaving soon enough.”

Lorelle laughed a little. “Oh trust me. You’re going to end up having to stay here tonight.”

“Uh, why do you way that?”

Lorelle smirked knowingly at her, making Penelope feel a small ripple of worry. “Knowing my husband, those two boys your with are going to get drunk of their asses with him.” She replied shaking her head. “Oh I love the man but he can be a bit...over-zealous when we have guests over.”

Penelope’s eyes widened in alarm before giving an awkward chuckle. “Well.. hopefully they don’t drink too much.” She said. They better not drink at all.. She thought as she glanced towards the door she had come in from. The thought of them saying too much due to the alcohol made the knight anxious. She would have stormed back into the room to stop them but she wasn’t able to without raising suspicions.

“Oh don’t worry dear. We’ll get this room ready and they can just sleep it off.” Lorelle assured as she handed a couple old blankets off to Penelope.

“Ok.” Penelope said with a small nod as she helped set up the room for them.

“So,” Lorelle asked with a devilish smirk. “Which one is your husband?”

“Huh?” Penelope blinked in surprised. “Ah neither! Neither. I’m not actually married yet.”

“What? Really?” Lorelle said with some surprise. “I’m surprised. A young and pretty girl like you usually isn’t single for very long. Why I think I was around your age when I married Malcom. So they’re just potential suitors then?"

“Yeah..” Penelope said a bit slowly.

Lorelle rolled her eyes and patted Penelope on the back. “Sorry to pry. I was just wondering.... But if you ask me, I think you and Dante would make a nice pair.” She whispered with a wink.

Penelope’s cheeks turned a bright red as she realized that the woman was referring to Crow. The blush made Lorelle smirk, which only made the knight more embarrassed. Luckily for her, Lorelle didn’t press on the subject and the two women soon finished the room and stepped back out into the parlor. Penelope frowned slightly as she quickly noticed Hartley and Crow with empty mugs and intoxicated looks.

“Hey honey.” Malcom slurred upon seeing his wife. “Where have ya been?"

“Just fixing up the backroom for our guests.” Lorelle responded sweetly as she moved forward to lean down and kiss his cheek.

Penelope walked over to the two thieves and sighed. “A good thing too since it seems you too should go lay down for a while.” She said wanting to get them away from the Younisian couple before anything worse could occur. She hoped if they had said too much to Malcom that it was just taken as drunken talk.

“But what about food?” Hartley protested.

“We can eat after you’ve sobered up.” Penelope responded with a hint of sternness in her voice. She blinked and glanced across at Lorelle and gave an apologetic look, to which the woman gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “Come one then.” She urged the two, moving in between them to help them stand.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow leaned back in his chair, tipping it onto its back legs and rocking slightly, “M’glad you made me drink that ale, my man. It’s amazing!”

“Guys!” Hartley slammed his hands on the table, wide eyed. “I have an idea. We should… we should go find those Brerra people and give em a what for.” He swung a fist in front of his face, as if fighting an invisible enemy.

“Calm down there, boy,” Malcolm held up his hands. “Yer too drunk to win a fight.” He stood up from the table, pounding his fist against his broad chest. “I’ll be the one to show those assassinators who’s boss.”

“You guys do that,” Crow waved at them from his chair, which was now precariously unbalanced as he leaned further back. “I’ll stay here and… do something.” He prodded Hartley in the arm. “Bring me back a head. I wanna give it to the king as a gift.”

“Aye aye,” Hartley gave a drunken salute.

Crow looked up as Penelope and Lorelle returned from the other room. He blinked. Was it just his imagination, or did she look prettier than usual? He grinned as she approached, “Hey, beautiful. What brings you to our neck of the woods?”

“Hey,” Hartley glared at him. “You better not be hitting on my woman, Cadby.”

“She ain’t your woman, dumbass,” Crow growled, returning Hartley’s glare. “Go play with the other kids, and let the adults talk.”

“Say that to my face,” Hartley leaned closer, reaching to grab the collar of Crow’s tunic.

“I just did,” Crow snatched the boy’s shirt as well.

“Boys, boys,” Malcolm stepped over, putting a hand on each of their shoulders to shove them apart. “Don’t fight over a woman like that. It’s unseemly.” His bearded face suddenly took on a mischievous expression. “The real way to win a lady’s heart is on the battlefield.”

“I think that’s enough, dear,” Lorelle was next to intervene. She placed a hand on her husband’s chest, shooting Penelope an apologetic look. “Let’s give them time to relax and sober up.” With that, she led the burly man towards the stairs.

“You got lucky this time,” Hartley said as Penelope moved to help the two thieves get up from the table. “But next time, I’ll show you how much of a man I am!”

“I really don’t want to see that,” Crow wrinkled his nose.

“That’s not what I meant!” Hartley flushed.

Crow just shrugged in response, allowing Penelope to help him to his feet. He slung an arm across her shoulders and staggered slightly as they walked towards the other room. He enjoyed the feeling of her small body pressed up against his side. She was so fair. He wondered why he had never tried to be with her before, but as much as he wracked his brain, he couldn’t remember the answer. It was such a waste to be in the company of a beautiful woman and do nothing about it. He would have to change that.

Crow leaned down and whispered in Penelope’s ear, breathing softly against her, “You’re so gorgeous. Let’s ditch the kid and get out of here.” Leaning in a bit closer, he brushed his lips against the skin of her neck. “I could show you a good time, love. Come on. What do you say?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope blinked as the two thieves nearly got into a fight. She was glad she had claimed them to just be suitors as their argument unbeknownst to them helped the narrative she had pushed to Lorelle. Though she was bit surprised Crow had snapped at Hartley like that. The boy had been flirting with her ever since they met him after all but she figured it was just the ale talking.

She gave a small wave of goodbye to Lorelle as she lead her husband upstairs, leaving the knight alone to deal with the two drunks. She put one arm around both of them and began to help them over to the room finding it a bit of a difficult task. Then suddenly came the unexpected whisper from Crow, his breath warm on her ear. Penelope’s face went a bright red as she felt his lips brush softly against her neck and her heart pounded against her chest.

“I-I say you’ve had to much to drink, Crow.” Penelope stuttered as she tried to regain some composure. With the couple gone, she figured it was alright for her to use their real names and drop the accent. She kept her voice low though out of caution. It’s just the alcohol talking, stop getting all worked up over it.. She told herself sternly. However, her words to herself didn’t help as her cheeks remained a bright red.

“It’s me, Penelope. Not whoever else the ale is letting you imagine.” She said as she ushered the two drunks into the room.

“I know it’s you!” Hartley said leaning his head on her shoulder and closing his eyes for a moment. “And you’re peerfect.”

Penelope shook her head at the younger boy and let him go for a brief moment to close the door behind them. She walked them over to the make-shift beds on the ground and got Hartley to his bed first. “Here, just rest for a while.” She said as Hartley lowered himself onto the bed, stumbling a bit as he sat down.

“Penelope, Penelope, Penelope.” He said as he stretched out on the bed. “S’beautiful!”

She sighed, quietly hoping they would both pass out. “Ok Crow, here’s your bed.” She said, moving to help him lay down.

[Rogue Sloth]

“I only had three mugs,” Crow argued when Penelope accused him of having too much to drink. “Wasn’t that much…” He frowned. “Okay, maybe it was a li’l more than I meant to drink, but still,” he smiled at her. “Drunk or sober, I know a beautiful woman when I see one.”

“It’s me: Penelope. Not whoever else the ale is letting you imagine,” the knight said as she guided them into their room.

“And I’m Crow,” he laughed, his intoxicated mind finding her words amusing. “What’s yer point? Am I not allowed to find ‘Penelope’ attractive? ‘Cause if that’s the case, y’should lock me up now.”

“Hey! What’d I say about hitting on my woman?” Hartley chirped, narrowing his eyes at Crow.

“I don’t know,” Crow glared back. “‘Cause you don’t have a woman.”

“Lady stealer.”

“Delusional brat.”

Hartley opened his mouth to retort, but stopped as Penelope began to help him lay down on his bed. Suddenly distracted from his fight with Crow, he gazed up at her affectionately, “Thanks, Penelope. You’re the sweetest woman in the whole world.” He yawned and collapsed on the mat, snoring quietly as he immediately passed out.

“What an idiot,” Crow mumbled. “Not even man enough to finish what he started, after all that big talk. Hah!” He walked with Penelope as she led him to the mat that would serve as his bed for the night. However, when she moved to help him lay down, he wrapped his hands around the small of her back, dragging her down with him as he fell back against the bed.

“My offer still stands, y’know,” the thief grinned at her mischievously. He toyed with the hem of her dress with one hand as he held her close to himself with the other. “Just say the word, and I’ll give you a night you’ll never forget…” He yawned abruptly as exhaustion finally struck him. The alcohol was taking its toll. “Or… I guess we could take a raincheck,” he said, closing his eyes tiredly. His grip on Penelope slackened as he began drifting off to sleep.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope let out a small gasp as Crow dragged her down with him. She looked wide eyed at the drunk thief as she was closer to him that she had ever been before. She froze there in his arms, unsure what to do. As Crow began to drift off to sleep, Penelope relaxed a little but didn’t immediately move from her spot in his arms. Being so close to him and having no one else around besides a sleeping Hartley, she felt reluctant to move.

“You’re crazy when you’re drunk...” She said softly,a hint of affection seeping into her words. She quietly studied his face for a moment longer, her heart still beating fast as she reached out to gently brush a strand of hair out of his face. I’m glad to hear you think I’m beautiful.. She thought to herself, a small smile crossing her lips. Feeling a bit impulsive, she leaned down and kissed his cheek.

It didn’t even mean anything though... She reminded herself as she pulled away. A small pang of pain hit her as she was reminded of the reality of the situation and her feelings. The knight carefully slipped out of his arms and stood up to make her way over to her own bed. She laid down and quickly threw the blanket over her head as her face was still burning from the whole ordeal.

Oh god I hope he doesn’t remember anything in the morning... She thought to herself as she tried to calm herself down. It was difficult for her to fall asleep and she spent most of the night tossing and turning.

---

The next morning came all too soon. Penelope, having a terrible time sleeping, eventually woke up at the sound of footsteps outside the room. She shot up as it took a moment for her to remember the past days events. She frowned as she recalled the comrades she left behind, once again feeling a pang of guilt even though it was the only option she had if the mission was going to succeed.

Then she recalled the two thieves getting drunk and once again her cheeks began to turn pink at the thought. She buried her head in her hands for a moment and took in a deep breath. It would take sometime for her to just completely forget about that. The knight rose to her feet and walked over to where Hartley was, avoiding even looking in Crow’s direction. The boy was still fast asleep so she nudged the mat he laid on and cleared her throat. “Come on, time to get up.” She announced

[Rogue Sloth]

Bright morning sunlight flooded the room, gently rousing Crow from his slumber. He sat up, still only half-awake, and looked about his surroundings as he struggled to remember where he was. Suddenly, he sucked in his breath and lifted a hand to his head as he was assaulted by an intense headache. It pounded relentlessly, forcing him to squeeze his eyes shut until the wave of pain was over. Where am I? he thought in a daze. What happened last night?

He mentally retraced his steps. They had left the inn to go to the next town, and then they were attacked by Younisian knights… He, Hartley, and Penelope had escaped and run into that man—Malcolm, was it?—who had taken them to his house. After that, Malcolm had brought them ale, and… Crow paled as the rest of the day came back to him at once.

Oh gods. His heart pounded almost as fiercely as the hangover that wracked his head. Oh gods, oh gods. What did I do? He groaned, laying back down and throwing his blanket over his head. This was why he didn’t make a habit of getting drunk. Drunken men were stupid and impulsive. He raked his fingers through his hair, wishing he could go back to the previous day and take it all back.

Crow stayed beneath the blanket, nursing his hangover and cursing himself for being such a fool, until he heard someone else stir in the room. He peeked out to see Penelope getting up and going to wake Hartley. She didn’t even look in his direction. He wanted to punch himself. She probably hates me now, he thought sullenly. Why wouldn’t she? I acted like a complete idiot. We’re supposed to be friends, and I tried to sleep with her. She has every right to be mad.

He stayed beneath the blanket a little while longer, until he was the only one who hadn’t gotten up yet. Bracing himself for another headache, he forced himself to sit up, gritting his teeth as the expected wave of pain struck.

“Ugh,” Hartley groaned from the other side of the room, clutching his head like Crow was. “I feel terrible. Anybody have some water?”

“If you find any, let me know,” Crow winced.

“Sounds like you’re all awake,” Lorelle poked her head into the room. “Come to the kitchen before you leave today. You slept through dinner last night, so I prepared some food for you all to take on your trip.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope turned her head as Lorelle poked into the room. “Oh, thank you.” She said with small dip of her head. Lorelle disappeared once more and Penelope focused on the gaze. She crossed her arms as she swept her gaze over the two briefly. “Well, I’d yell at you for getting drunk but I suppose your hangovers are punishment enough.” The knight said with a huff.

“Sorry Penelope.” Hartley said innocently with an apologetic look as he held his head. “It would have been rude to refuse the ale though.”

“Yeah well.. whatever.” Penelope said a bit awkwardly. The knight walked over to the bag she had taken from the wagon and rummaged around in it until pulling out the canteen of water that she had taken. She looked to Crow, blushed and then quickly turned towards Hartley to hand the water over to him instead. “Here. It’s still got some water in it.” She said.

Get it together already! He’s going to think you’re acting weird! She told herself, wishing she could just ignore everything that happened the night before. Every time she had tried to face him, she was reminded of his flirting, the feeling of his lips brushing against her neck, being in his arms and the fact that she had kissed his cheek. It was definitely going to be a long day for her.

“Thanks. You’re a life-saver.” Hartley said gratefully as he took the flask. He took a couple gulps of the water before finally passing it over to Crow.

Penelope threw the strap of the bag over her shoulder and began to pick up her make shift bed to put away. Lorelle and Malcom had been kind to them and she needed something to do to distract herself. “You’re welcome. I’ll pack up the beds and you two can nurse your hangovers a little longer.” She said waving for them to get off the beds. “I don’t want to spend much more time here.”

[Rogue Sloth]

“It was Hartley’s fault,” Crow grumbled, averting his gaze as Penelope chided them for getting drunk. “It would have been easier for me to say no if he hadn’t encouraged Malcolm.” He grimaced as his hangover plagued him with a fresh wave of pain. At least he had learned his lesson. He wouldn’t be drinking like that again for quite a while, if ever again.

He looked up as Penelope searched her bag, revealing a canteen of water. She glanced in his direction, seeming like she was going to give it to him first, but then turned away and gave the drink to Hartley instead. He eyed her strangely. It might have been his imagination, but he thought he saw a blush on her cheeks. I knew it, he sighed. She’s uncomfortable around me now. I have to apologize to her for last night.

Crow took the canteen from Hartley when the boy offered it to him, drinking down the rest of its contents. It didn’t help his headache much, but at least his mouth wasn’t dry anymore. And it should help with the alcohol on my breath, he thought, suddenly taking note of the pungent scent of alcohol on himself. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. Gods, I smell like a drunk. He hoped the odor would fade in its own as the day went on.

“I’ll pack up the beds and you two can nurse your hangovers a little longer,” Penelope gestured for the thieves to move away from their mats. “I don’t want to spend much more time here.”

Crow complied with the request, standing up and stepping away from his makeshift bed as the knight got to work putting everything away. He leaned against the wall, watching her quietly. He glanced at Hartley, who was sitting in another corner. It wouldn’t be that difficult to get the boy to leave. Maybe he could find time to talk to Penelope now.

He reached down and picked up the empty canteen, “Hey, Hartley. Mind filling this up? Malcolm and Lorelle probably have a well around here somewhere, since they brew ale.”

“Sure,” Hartley winced. “I could use some more water.” He took the canteen from Crow’s hand and walked out of the room, leaving the other two alone.

Crow turned back to Penelope, crossing his arms uncomfortably as he hesitated to speak. While he knew he had to make things right with her, part of him felt awkward about bringing up the events from the day before. He wished they could just forget it ever happened, but he knew from the knight’s behavior that she wasn’t about to do that. He had to say something to her.

He cleared his throat, “So, about last night…” He could feel warmth creep up his neck as he recalled how he had flirted with Penelope. “I’m sorry I acted like that. Truly. I was drunk, but that doesn’t excuse the way I treated you.” Taking a steeling breath, he looked up to meet her gaze. “I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope busied herself with packing everything away. She tried to remain focused on the simple task and didn’t even notice Hartley had left the room until Crow spoke. She was putting the blankets back up on the rack when she froze as he began to talk about the night before. For a brief moment, she worried that he might not have been fully asleep when she had stayed in his arms. The thought that he might call her out on that made her tense up. The knight gulped and then relaxed slightly as he went on to apologize.

She took a deep breath and met his gaze. “I-It’s ok Crow. You were drunk and not thinking clearly.” Penelope said before turning away to focus back on her work.

It was still a bit difficult to put the night out of her mind but hearing him assure her it was just the ale did help. On the other hand though, she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. Part of her wanted to believe some of things he said last night were true but that was just her being ridiculous. Why would he be attracted to her, she was a knight after all.

“I wasn’t mad at you or anything.... I..It-It just felt a little awkward this morning..” She said, trying to explain herself. She finished packing up the beds and turned back to Crow. “Sorry I made you worry about that... I was honestly hoping you wouldn’t remember.” She said with a small sigh.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow let out his breath in relief when Penelope said she wasn’t mad at him. He wished he hadn’t made her feel uncomfortable around him, but at least she seemed to understand that he hadn’t been in his right mind when he was flirting with her. He wondered halfheartedly if she would ever take him seriously if he made an earnest attempt to flirt with her. After what happened the night before, he wouldn’t have been surprised if she thought it was a joke. Not that it matters, he reminded himself. I’m never going to be with her, so there’s no point in trying.

He offered her a sheepish smile, “I wish I didn’t remember either, but unfortunately, I wasn’t drunk enough to forget.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I’m just glad there are no hard feelings.”

“I got the water!” Hartley’s voice rang out, causing Crow to flinch. The boy stepped into the room, hanging in the doorway as he looked from Crow to Penelope. His eyes narrowed as he seemed to put something together in his mind. “Here,” he handed the canteen off to Penelope. “Are we all ready to go?”

Crow cast one last fleeting glance at Penelope before he began to gather his bag and bedroll from the floor, “Seems like it.” He shouldered the supplies and looked back at the others. “Let’s get our food and keep going.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope returned his smile with a small one of her own and nodded her head. She turned to look over at Hartley as he returned. She noticed his eyes narrow and for a moment, worried that the boy would bring up a fight from the night before. She was glad he didn’t and took the canteen from him and stuffed it back into her bag.

“Yep.” She agreed with Crow as she turned to follow them out of the room. As the three made their way out, she spotted Malcom and Lorelle waiting for them.

“Ah there they are!” Malcom said with a grin. Unlike the two thieves, the burly man seemed unaffected by last nights drinking.

“Not so loud please..” Hartley whimpered with a wince.

Malcom chuckled. “Sorry. Well, I wish you folks a safe travel back to Dalry."

“Thank you both for being so generous.” Penelope said with a respectful dip of her head. “Sorry if we caused you any trouble.”

“Not at all! It was good to have some lively company.”

Lorelle shook her head and grabbed the bag of food she had prepared for the group. She walked up to Penelope and handed it to her. “Here’s the food I promised. It should keep you guys full for today.” She said with a semi-forced smile. Her smile turned into a smirk as she also quietly added with a wink, “And good luck with those two Farah.”

Penelope gave a nervous smile and mumbled her thanks. The couple walked them out of the house and said their farewells, wishing the three a safe travel. As soon as the house began to grow small behind them, Penelope let out a sigh of relief. “Thank the gods we made it out of there in one piece.” She mumbled, taking in all that had happened.

“Too bad we have to walk now.” Hartley said with a frown, his head still throbbing. “I’ll gladly carry you if you get tired Penelope.”

Penelope looked over at him and snorted slightly. “I’m fine but by the looks of it, I might end up having to carry you.”

The boy smirked slyly. “Either way.” He said cheerfully.

The knight rolled her eyes but chuckled a little. She focused her gaze ahead and frowned before glancing over at Crow. “Well, I guess this is going to set us behind a bit... Not to mention we’re down two knights...” She added the last part on a guilty note and glanced down at the ground.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow walked out of the room with the others, stopping as they said farewell to Malcolm and Lorelle. He winced along with Hartley as the burly man greeted them loudly. Malcolm was clearly immune to the effects of the strong alcohol they had drank the night before, as he showed no signs of being hungover. Crow wondered how often the Younisian man drank on a regular basis to have built up such an impressive tolerance.

He watched Lorelle as she handed the bag of food to Penelope. The blonde woman winked at her and said something that Crow didn’t catch. Whatever she had said, it made the knight fidget nervously. He frowned, wondering what the woman could have said to make her so uncomfortable. However, there wasn’t time to think about it before the group went on their way.

“Thank the gods we made it out of there in one piece,” Penelope said as they walked away from the peasants’ house.

“I’ll say,” Crow snorted in agreement. “We’re lucky this kid didn’t say something to give us away.” He nudged Hartley teasingly.

“Hey,” Hartley disputed. “You were just as drunk as I was.”

“I doubt that,” Crow rolled his eyes. “You were prepared to run out and fight the first man to look at you the wrong way.”

“I’m always ready to fight the first man to look at me the wrong way,” Hartley punched Crow in the arm. He sighed, going on to complain about walking the rest of the way and taking the opportunity to flirt with Penelope once again.

“Well, I guess this is going to set us behind a bit...” Penelope said dolefully. “Not to mention we’re down two knights...”

“It’s not that bad,” Crow strode up to walk next to her. “The king can afford to be a little more patient. A few days isn’t going to cause that much damage.” He caught sight of the guilty look in her eyes as she thought of her comrades. It sent a stab of sorrow through him. “As for William and Abraxas… I’m sure they’re fine,” he said in an attempt to comfort her. “The Younisian knights probably took them prisoner to question them. I can almost hear William throwing a fit about it. Just imagine him behind bars for breaking a law after all his speeches about criminals.” He laughed. “I’d pay to see that.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope shrugged her shoulders. She could tell Crow was trying to lift her spirits about the situation. Though she had some doubts about his words, she forced a small smile at his words and nodded her head in agreement. “Yeah. I’m sure that he’s not giving them an easy time.” She agreed softly.

The knight fell quiet on the manner and began to look around as they walked. Though the village was not nearly as busy as the market place, it still had a lively feel as locals went on with their daily lives. The streets were certainly not empty or quite as the peasants busied themselves with work for the day. One thing she had began to notice was the general public of Younis felt proud and happy of their kingdom. Likely because they have enough wealth to support themselves.. She thought, having noticed even the peasants seemed guaranteed some luxuries in their life that simply wasn’t found in Brerra due to the king’s greed. The outer villages of Younis even had a market place that likely helped with the flow of their money.

I wonder if such a thing could help our own outer villages... If only the king could take some time away from filling his own pocket.. Penelope thought with a hint of bitterness. She found herself growing a bit envious of the rival kingdom as it seemed to operate a lot more smoothly than her own. The thought of knights working with the public rather than fighting them crossed her mind once again.

However, she soon found herself wondering about the criminals of Younis and her gaze flickered briefly over to Hartley. She hadn’t thought much of it before but she wonder how he ended up as a thief when things seemed better off here. Perhaps it has to do with the thrill of stealing? She wondered. With how impulsive the boy was, the idea didn’t seem that far off. The knight’s thought were disrupted as Hartley suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. Unlike his usual self, he didn’t even notice Penelope looking over at him. His eyes were wide with alarm and he even seemed to pale slightly.

“Uh, hey guys! I just got an idea, let’s go down this other way I think there’s a short cut.” Hartley said speaking fast and nervously.

Penelope raised eyebrow at his strange behavior. “What?” She question in confusion.

“Hartley?” The boy was already turning to slip off down an alley when a questioning and cold voice sounded from ahead. She soon realized that a man was making his way towards them, his eyes narrowing in on Hartley.

[Rogue Sloth]

As they walked through the streets of the town, Crow found that he was starting to like Younisian culture. Everyone they passed seemed to be relatively happy, unlike the peasants of Brerra. There were trade shops on every corner, bustling inns, children playing outside of homes, and even a public bath house. The wealth in their surroundings was physically tangible. He realized he was beginning to toy with the idea of moving to Younis after he left the others. The kingdom was in much better condition than Brerra, after all.

Then again, he cast a group of peasant men a sideways glance. Being a thief seems a lot more difficult here. With the way the people of Younis seemed united against criminals, he would have to watch his back more than he did in Brerra. It was obviously possible to make it by stealing, since Hartley seemed to be doing just fine for himself, but he would have to break a lot of old habits and learn new ones.

Crow watched as a young man and woman walked by with their arms linked together. He exhaled despondently, I doubt any of the women in this kingdom would want to be with a thief, too. The more he thought about it, the more unrealistic it was sounding for him to uproot his life in the outer villages of Brerra and move to Younis. Even though he liked the culture, it just wasn’t for him. He had to live in a place where he could act as he pleased, and Younis wasn’t somewhere he could do that.

“Uh, hey guys,” Hartley’s nervous voice drew Crow from his internal battle. “I just got an idea. Let’s go down this other way; I think there’s a short cut.”

Crow was about to question the boy with Penelope when he heard a new voice speak up from farther down the road, “Hartley?” He turned to see a middle-aged man walking towards them. The stranger had a dark complexion with curly, ebony hair and deep brown eyes. His jaw was lined with a short, well-groomed beard that indicated a concern for his appearance that was unlike most of the other peasants they had passed by.

Hartley froze when the man said his name. He turned around slowly, keeping his eyes on the ground rather than meeting the other Younisian’s gaze. The boy shuffled his feet uncomfortably, “Hey… father.”

Crow looked between the two, suddenly noticing the resemblance: the similar curve of their jaws, their tall foreheads, the shape of their torsos… They were definitely related, but why then had Hartley tried to get away from his father? He turned to the older man curiously, awaiting his response.

“It’s been a while, son,” the man said, stepping forward. His eyes darted briefly to Crow and Penelope before returning to Hartley. “So, have you made an honest living for yourself, or are you still hopping between apprenticeships?”

“While it’s none of your business,” Hartley said defensively. “I have a job.”

“Oh, really?” the man seemed surprised. “And what job might that be?”

“Look, I’d love to stay and chat,” Hartley said with a fierce air of sarcasm. “But we’re in a hurry.” He turned to head down the alley. “See you around.”

“Don’t you want to see your mother before you go?”

Hartley stopped at that. His father noticed and took another step towards him, “She wants to see you, Hartley. You haven’t come back to visit us once, since…” His eyes flickered to Crow and Penelope once more. “Since you left.”

“You mean, since you kicked me to the street?” Hartley corrected, shooting the man a bitter glare.

“Come on, son,” his father continued. “You know I just want what’s best for you. Sending you out on your own was tough love.”

“Yeah, right. You just didn’t want my extra mouth to feed.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’ll stop being ridiculous when you start showing some respect to your own son!” Hartley snapped suddenly, causing his father to flinch. He sighed, calming down before he went on. “Yeah, I lost my apprenticeship, but it wasn’t because I didn’t try. I just—” he shook his head. “I don’t know why I’m trying to explain myself to you. Come on, guys. Let’s go.” He gestured to Crow and Penelope as he walked towards the alleyway. “We’ve wasted enough time talking to him.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope blinked as Hartley referred to the man as father. She quickly began to notice the similarities in their appearance, however she also noticed how uncomfortable his presence made Hartley. She wondered what had happened between them and stood quietly as they spoke. Her eyes narrowed at the man as she noticed his surprised look when Hartley told him he had a job. The knight felt a bit defensive of the young thief and even dared to shoot a glare at the man before turning to follow Hartley.

This time she didn’t protest to going down the alley, knowing what it was like to want to get away from one’s family. She was reminded of her own father and his own distant ways. Though he never treated Penelope like a failure, he also paid little to no attention to any of her accomplishments, not to mention he kept a great distance between them both emotionally and literally. The knight casted the upset Hartley an empathetic look.

“You ok, Hartley?” She finally asked when they had put some distance between them and Hartley’s father.

“I’m fine. He’s just such an ass!” Hartley snapped still heated up from crossing paths with his father. He then frowned as he realized who he had snapped at. “S-Sorry.. I didn’t mean to, it’s just..” The young thief let out a troubled sigh.

“It’s alright. I get it.” Penelope said putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. She barely knew him but it seemed like he had a bit of a complicated family life. Something Penelope was no stranger to. However, she was surprised to see Hartley send a look of doubt her way. Penelope sighed softly and gave Hartley a small pat before looking over to Crow.

“Maybe we should stop to eat. There’s a nice shady tree over there.” She suggested, hoping that food would give them a chance to talk and cheer Hartley up.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow watched the interaction between Hartley and his father with interest. The boy mentioned something about losing an apprenticeship. He wondered if that was what he had been talking about the day before when he had mentioned he had a reputation as a screw up. The thief felt an unexpected pang of empathy for the kid. While he had learned from a young age not to care about the opinions of others, it was still tough to live in a world where nobody approved of his lifestyle. He was sure there had been many people in his own life who had believed he was a ‘screw up’ too. For Hartley to have heard such a thing from his own father must have been world shattering.

As Hartley turned to walk away from his father, Crow followed after him without hesitation. If he had been in that situation, he would have done the same thing. He hung back slightly while Penelope attempted to cheer the boy up without much success. In the end, she suggested that they take a break to eat the food Lorelle had given them.

“Good idea,” Crow nodded in agreement. He trotted up beside Hartley as they made their way over to the tree Penelope had indicated, taking his shot at trying to liven the boy’s spirits. “Hey, kid,” he slung an arm around his neck. “Remember what I told you yesterday?”

“I’m not in the mood to reminisce,” Hartley grumbled, trying to wriggle his way out of the older thief’s grip.

Crow clicked his tongue, “That’s too bad, because if you want your freedom back, you’re going to have to refresh my memory.”

Hartley struggled against him for a moment longer before he finally gave up. “You said not to care about what other people think,” he muttered. “But this is different! He’s my—”

“No ‘buts,’” Crow interrupted, forcing the boy into a tighter headlock. “Sure, he’s your father, but that just gives you all the more reason to prove him wrong.” He stopped walking, taking on a more serious tone. “You’re not the only one who’s been condemned by his own family, kid… My father disowned me before I was even born.” At his words, Hartley stopped struggling and grew quiet. “Look, I know it’s rough, having to shoulder the weight of knowing your own flesh and blood is looking down on you, but you can’t let him rule your life like that.” He released the boy, giving him a shove to make him stand up straight. “So, next time you cross paths, I want you to square your shoulders and look him in the eye. Tell him off if you have to, but do it proudly. You told me yourself: You’re a successful thief. You have nothing to be ashamed of.”

Hartly stared at him, taken aback by Crow’s speech. “Thanks,” he said after a moment. “I… I needed to hear that.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Crow rolled his eyes. “Don’t start getting sentimental on me now. Come on, let’s go eat.” He headed for the tree again without waiting for the others.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope watched as Crow took his shot at lifting Hartley’s spirits and seeming to do so with much more success than her. She remained quiet they talked and moved to walk up besides Hartley as Crow took the lead. “Crow’s right. And if he still acts like an ass, then just steal from him.” She told the boy with a small wink. Hartley looked over at her and grinned.

“I thought you were against stealing?” He questioned with a small chuckle.

“I am... Kinda. I’ll allow for some exceptions. If a judgmental father or greedy noble is around, I might be willing to look the other way.” She said with a shrug.

Hartley’s smile faded as he took on a more serious look. “So.. You don’t think I’m a screw up because I’m a thief?” He asked softly.

Penelope shook her head. “No, of course not... Look our jobs might be total opposites of each other but that doesn’t mean I have to think any less of you. Like a said before, the job doesn’t define the person and it certainly doesn’t define how I see someone either.” She said. Her gaze flickered towards Crow as she thought about how he had more or less been the one to make her realize what she said to Hartley was true. She looked back to Hartley and noticed that the boy’s eyes gleamed at her answer.

“Come on, let’s eat.” She told Hartley as she moved to sit down near the base of the tree. The knight dug into the bag and pulled out the food that Lorelle had packed for them. She laid it out to divide it up evenly between the three.

“You’re a strange knight, Penelope.” Hartley said as he sat besides her. He had a new found interest in his gaze as he looked at her. “I mean.. aren’t you technically a noble?”

“Sorta.” Penelope answered with a simple shrug as she handed him his food. Hartley raised an eyebrow and started to open his mouth to press on. The knight sighed, figuring it was her time to share as the young thief was unlikely to let it go at the moment. “It’s a bit complicated...Dad was a noble but mom was a peasant. The, er, rest of my family wasn’t really happy about that. Actually, they still aren’t happy about that.”

“What do you mean by that? They took you in eventually didn’t they?” Hartley asked confused before taking a large bite of his food.

“Yeah,they did..The head of our family, my uncle, gave us a small home to live in on the family manor. However, they didn’t forget about my father’s affair with a servant. Especially when there was a walking reminder of it.” She said gesturing to herself as she spoke. “So basically the deal is that I get the title of a noble and a decent life but without the family benefits. One of the reasons my father trained me to be a knight was so I could avoid becoming a family servant.”

“Well, you’re family doesn’t even deserve you then!” Hartley said then frowned and gave her a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry though. That must be rough...”

Penelope gave a small, reassuring smile and shrugged her shoulders. “It’s really not that bad. I may not have my whole family to depend on nor their wealth but I’ve got a comfortable life. Plus I still have my father and brother.” She said honestly.

While the last bit about her father and brother was questionable, Penelope had very little problem sharing that part of her story. She had always held some anger towards the rest of her family for being so cruel and concerned about their nobility. Even her father couldn’t hide the truth of their hatred and disgust for her, though she suspected the stubborn old man still believed that she was buying his story about her mother being another noblewoman. However, it was rare for her to speak of it since most nobles wouldn’t be as understanding of her situation as she felt that the two thieves would.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow settled down against the trunk of the tree while Penelope divided up their food. It was strange, but he was beginning to appreciate Hartley’s company. Of course, he had encountered other thieves before, but he had never travelled with one, since most people who shared his occupation preferred to work alone. He found that he enjoyed being able to talk to someone who understood the unpleasant side of life, and who had experienced similar hardships.

But peasants like us aren’t the only ones who go through tough times, he thought as Penelope began to share her family story with Hartley. He eyed her discreetly, She’s been through her share of adversities as a noble, too. He contemplated again how similar their pasts were; how they were both the offspring of noblemen and peasant women; how both of their mothers had died; how the paternal sides of their families looked down upon them. He wondered if that was why they got along as well as they did. He may have grown up as a poor villager while she had been adopted into wealth and prestige, but they still came from the same unlikely romance.

Would we have crossed paths if our situations were reversed? Crow mused as he popped another bite of cooked rabbit into his mouth. If I had been raised by my father, and she by her mother, would we have even met? Of course, there was no way to answer the question, but he didn’t think it was likely. If he had lived with Albin, he probably would have gone into training to become the next ambassador after his father. The job would have included quite a bit of travel, but even if he somehow ran into the hypothetical peasant Penelope, would he have even spoken to her? He wanted to say that he would have remained above the pettiness of nobility, but if he was honest with himself, he didn’t know how he would have turned out in a life of luxury. He was just glad they had ended up on paths that brought them together, if only for a short while.

After Penelope had finished speaking, Hartley broke into a grin, “Don’t forget, you have us too.” He gestured to himself and to Crow. “You may not get any of your family’s money, but we can get you anyone else’s!”

“Or, if you really want your rightful inheritance, I could work something out,” Crow gave her a devilish wink. “Just say the word, and it’s yours, love.”

“Hey,” Hartley glared at him. “Don’t show up my offer.”

“Not everything is a competition,” Crow rolled his eyes. He turned back to Penelope. “All joking aside, the kid’s right. I think there’s too much weight to family. Family can be good or bad, and you’re still stuck with them. Your friends see the good and bad in you and choose to stick with you regardless. You know, I learned that from this woman I met last week. She was pretty weird,” He smiled at her teasingly. “But she was also an amazing friend and the most loyal person I’ve ever met. I’m glad I ran into her.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope blinked as Hartley included himself and Crow into the people she had. The knight smiled warmly at the two and laughed at their offers. “Please don’t steal from my family. Or on my behalf.” She said with an amused look at the two thieves she had grown fond of. In that moment, she didn’t have the heart to remind Hartley that their time together was limited. She hid away the small pang of pain that came with the thought of parting ways, especially with Crow.

She looked over at Crow as he spoke again. She rolled her eyes at his teasing look but his words were heartwarming to the knight. The compliments made a faint blush appear on her cheeks. “Yeah well, she’s glad she met you too... And thanks.” She said with a small, appreciative smile.

The knight fell quite afterwards as she finished her portion of the meal. The journey seemed a bit more enjoyable now without the other two knights around. Penelope wanted to kick herself for feeling that way but it was true as she was able to act more like herself around the two thieves rather than the two knights. Not to mention that the absence of William took away a great deal of stress when it came to how she treated Crow. The only bad part was she was tempted to get distracted now that the pressure from the older knight had been removed. I’ve got to be more efficient like William... The king might not allow us as many days as Crow thinks... She thought to herself with some concern.

Penelope glanced at the others to make sure they were done with their meal and slowly rose to her feet as she focused back on their mission. “We should get moving. I want to get as far as we can before the sun sets.” She said. “And luckily it seems we still have a good bit of day left."