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

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow rolled his eyes, “You have such little faith in me, but alright. If it will make you feel better, I’ll prove it wasn’t a fluke.” He reached over his shoulder to draw another arrow from the quiver, turning back to focus on the target tree again. Despite his boasting, he was surprised that he was doing so well with the bow after only two days of practice. He would have thought he’d be better with the dagger, since blade techniques required mobility and fast reflexes, two qualities he prided himself on. He never thought he would master a weapon that forced him to stand still in order to use it. The idea of it was strange to him.

He loosed a few more arrows—one struck the tree, two struck inside the box, and two more flew into the forest—before his arm was too tired to continue. Rolling his shoulders, he lowered the bow and collected the arrows he had shot, returning them to the quiver as he found them. Once that was done, he gathered his belongings and got ready to keep going.

“I hope we find a good place to sleep tonight,” he commented absently as they walked. “We probably only have two more nights left before we reach the castle, so we should take advantage of any shelter we find while we still have the chance.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope watched as he shot a few more arrows. She noticed he was growing tired from shooting the bow so she figured they were done once he lowered the bow. She helped him collect all the arrows and then headed over to pick up her things so they could find shelter for the night. She glanced over at him as they walked and nodded her head in agreement.

“Yeah.. It shouldn’t be too hard to find a decent spot for tonight. The people of Younis certainly aren’t very cautious. It’s crazy how much faith they put into that goddess, Aeklora.” She mused as she headed closer to the town that laid on right beyond on the forest. She still believed it was strange that they believed a goddess would look out for not only the king but all of them. What god would be so involved in mortal life anyways? She thought incredulously.

She shifted her focus to the town and scanned over the area for a place to stay. She spotted a stable near a lavish looking home. However, she noticed there was someone near the stable and soon realized it was a young stable boy putting the horses away for the night. “Well, that one might work but we’d have to wait out the stable boy.” She said to Crow.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow nodded thoughtfully as Penelope spoke about the Younisian people’s faith in their matron goddess. He agreed that it was odd how they believed she was looking out for all of them, but he had known a few people in the outer villages who held similar beliefs about some of the Brerratic gods. Perhaps Aeklora was one of the gods who held a stake in the mortal world somehow. If so, he wondered what she was trying to do by keeping the people of Younis safe from harm. What was so special about this kingdom that it could draw the attention of an immortal being?

He followed Penelope’s gaze as she pointed out the stable near the woods. “Looks promising,” he agreed. “We should take a break here until he leaves.” Setting down his bags, he sat down in the grass and leaned back against a tree trunk. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, letting go of the tension in his back that had built up after carrying so many supplies.

Thinking for a moment, he turned back to Penelope, “I’ve been working on the plan a little more since the last time I mentioned it to you, and I think I’ve come up with a way to give us an advantage.” He smirked and leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. “Remember the henbane I found? I can turn it into a medicinal oil that will make anyone who eats it drowsy and delusional.

“If this palace is anything like the one in Brerra, the servants will prepare the food for everyone. And if the servants take you in, you should be staying in their quarters.” He paused, giving her a moment to see where he was going with his strategy, before he went on. “If I make a draught of henbane oil, you can sneak it into the food while you’re with them and poison the entire castle staff. Just make sure it stays out of whatever they prepare for the king. Members of royalty always have taste testers, and we don’t anyone to find out the food is contaminated until after it’s been served to everyone.

“Assuming that goes well, it shouldn’t be hard for me to get in,” he continued with a grin. “I’ll climb into the castle through one of the windows in the keep and meet you inside. All that’s left will be for us to steal the staff and get out.” He leaned back into the tree, pleased with his plan so far. “So, what do you think?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope nodded her head and set the bags down. She sat down across from him and looked out at the town from where they sat. As he began to talk about his plan, Penelope listened with interest. She caught on quick to what he was saying and gave a small nod as he finished speaking.

“I think it’s a good plan.” She said, looking a little more upbeat at the talk of a plan. “So long as I can get them to take me in, it shouldn’t be too hard to do. I’m sure they’ll want to put me to work somewhere right away so I’ll just have to make sure I get kitchen duty.” The knight paused and glanced up at the sky with a thoughtful look. “Most of the night guard will probably eat the same supper as the servants... if they’re anything like in Brerra at least.

"Though, sometimes the knights have feasts of their own, separate from the king’s and servants. Especially the ones that work late night or early morning shifts.” The knight shrugged her shoulders with uncertainty. “We’ll just have to hope they’re feeling lazy that night or maybe I can figure out a way to trick a few into eating it.”

Servants and knights often crossed paths at the castle so Penelope didn’t doubt that she might be able to convince a couple weary guards to have a short food break. The knight turned her head to look back over at the stable. The place was quiet now and seemingly empty so she began to stand up. “Looks like the coast is clear now."

[Rogue Sloth]

“I’m sure you can handle it,” Crow smiled confidently. “You’ve already gotten quite a bit better at tricking people. Getting some knights to share food with the rest of the castle staff should be a simple task for you by now.” He glanced up at the sky, which had grown dark with the low evening light. There were a lot of clouds, but it was difficult to tell if another storm was coming or if it just happened to be a cloudy night. For Penelope’s sake, he hoped it was the latter.

Wanting to get out of the open before she noticed the sky as well, he peered through the trees to check if the noble’s estate was clear. “I think the stable boy is gone now,” he said, turning back to her. “We should get out of this forest before anyone sees us here.” Standing up again, he gathered his things and led the way toward the horse stables. He paused at the tree line, making sure the coast was clear, before he hurried across the open grounds.

Once inside the shelter, Crow closed the door after Penelope and dropped his bags with a sigh of relief. He looked around their temporary home. This one was larger than the last, with four horses in separate stalls lined up against one wall. Against the back, there was a stack of baled hay. For two people on the run, it would make a comfortable bed for the night. He looked up at the roof, pleased to see that this one didn’t have any warping. If there was going to be a storm, it wouldn’t be visible from inside the stables.

He walked across the room and sat down on the edge of a hay bale, leaning back to rest on his palms. “I know it’s almost dark out,” he mused. “But I’m not tired yet.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope grabbed her things and followed Crow into the stable. Once inside, she placed down her bags and rolled her shoulders with relief at the weight being gone for the night. She stretched a bit more before moving to walk over to sit down besides him on the bale of hay. “Too much excitement probably.” She responded with a small smirk as she looked over at him. Her gaze briefly swept over the thief as she recalled their day training.

As she thought about how they sparred, she couldn’t help but recall the feeling of their bodies pressed together. She wondered what it would be like to sleep with him. In the security of the stable and the hay being comfortably enough, the knight suddenly found herself tempted by a desire she wasn’t very familiar with.

The knight flushed at the thought and tried to casually move her gaze away to focus up at the ceiling. The day before she had the thunder distracting her from such thoughts but now she didn’t. She’d thought about it the first time they shared a bed but tried not to think of it since. She was inexperienced with such things and it often brought a strange mixture of nervousness, excitement and unnecessary worry. He hasn’t even really tried anything, stop getting so worked up. She told herself. Penelope couldn’t help but recall how he had been with Olivia. He had been rather obvious with his intentions then but then again, so had the other female knight.

Penelope snuck a glance towards him out of the corner of her eye. Was he waiting for her? Just try it.. Who knows when you’ll get another chance like this after all.. Came a voice from the back of her head. The knight lightly bit her tongue as she tried to think of what to say or do, swayed by the tiny voice in the back of her head. For the first time, Penelope tried to think of what Olivia normally did so she could copy her. Olivia was really the only person Penelope could think of to use as an example since most weren’t as bold as the female knight.

She pressed her side into his and felt her heart pound against her chest. She laid her head lightly on his shoulder so she’d be able to whisper into his ear. “W-Well, I’m not very tired either.... And i-it’s just the two of us soo..” She tried to whisper seductively but failed due to her unconfident stammering.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow wrapped his arm around Penelope’s waist as she sat down next to him, leaning contentedly into her side. He enjoyed the feeling of sitting beside her, alone in the stables. For a moment, he was able to forget about the castle looming on the horizon, the king’s staff, and their mission altogether. For a moment, all he cared about was the beautiful woman by his side. It was a peaceful feeling.

Holding her close, he noticed that she had gotten rather quiet. He glanced down at her and was surprised to see a blush on her cheeks. What’s going on in her mind? he wondered, finding the nervous expression on her face unusual. His heart skipped in his chest as a thought made itself apparent in the back of his mind. Is she thinking about… He swallowed, averting his gaze to look at the horse supplies on a nearby wall, as if they were suddenly very interesting.

His heart pounded with excitement, and he had to force himself not to make any rash movements. After all, just because she was blushing didn’t mean she was thinking about the same thing he was. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by being hasty when he might have misunderstood her expression.

But what if she’s waiting for me to make a move, Crow shifted his weight. Gods, this is difficult. He didn’t want to take her by surprise if he was wrong, yet he also didn’t want to appear indecisive if he was right and she really was waiting for him. Therefore, he sat still, unable to choose which course to take.

“W-Well, I’m not very tired either… and i-it’s just the two of us soo…” Penelope’s apprehensive voice commanded his attention.

He pulled back slightly to meet her gaze and stared at her in unbridled surprise. She really does want to sleep with me, he thought as a smile slowly spread across his lips. “I can think of something we could do to pass the time,” he said provocatively, reaching to slide his hand up her thigh.

His heart pounded fiercely. This was it. They were really going to sleep together. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her passionately as he moved his hand up to her chest and pushed her gently onto the hay bale. When he had her on her back, he climbed on top of her and ran his hands down the length of her body, kissing her along her neck and collarbone, then working his way a little lower to her upper chest.

He started to reach for the fastening of her dress, and then wavered, meeting her gaze once more to make sure she was comfortable with going this far with him, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope felt her heart race as he looked at her with such surprise. She smiled a little at his words and leaned in to meet his lips in a passionate kiss. The knight laid back as he pushed down onto the hay bale. She shudder as she felt his hands running along the sides of her body. His touch was electric to the knight. Penelope wrapped her arms around him and trailed a her right hand upward to toy with his hair as he began to kiss along her neck and collar bone.

She met his gaze as he spoke. She moved her hand to rest against his cheek and leaned up to capture his lips in another kiss. “I’m sure..” She said in a soft yet confident voice. Penelope hadn’t shaken that feeling of nervousness but she did know what she wanted. The knight hesitated for a brief moment then moved her hands to help him unfasten her dress.

Once the fastening was undone, she slipped the clothing off and unconsciously moved her arms to cover herself. It felt strange to be so bare in front of another person. Her bare body was small but lean from the muscle she had built over the years of working as a knight. Due to being a knight, her body wasn’t completely bare of scars. She had a small one on her lower abdomen and a more noticeable one along her thigh. Her pale skin still bore bruises from their run in with the mercenary, the worst being the one where he had punched her stomach.

Eager to focus on something other than her own exposure, Penelope leaned in to kiss Crow along his neck while her hands slowly moved away from her own body to slip under his tunic.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow met Penelope’s lips as she kissed him and smiled as she reaffirmed that she really did want to go all the way with him. He reached for the fastening of her dress, pressing light kisses along her jawline as he worked with her to take off her clothing. When she finally slid out of the dress, he pulled back to look at her for the first time. Her body was slight, yet toned from her time as a knight, but it also curved in a way he found irresistible. As his eyes moved along her bare form, he noticed that her skin was marked with scars, but he didn’t care. To him, she was perfect.

Noticing the way she covered herself, he reached to take her hands in his and gingerly pulled them away, meeting her gaze lovingly. “You’re beautiful, Penelope,” he breathed, leaning in to kiss her again. He felt her lips move to his neck and her hands slip underneath his tunic, and he shuddered, enjoying the intimacy of her touch.

Pulling back from her for a moment, he reached for the hem of his shirt and pulled it up and over his head, tossing the garment aside before he followed suit with his pants. His body was lean from his time spent in prison, but the ghost of his former strength could still be seen in the muscles that lined his torso and back. Up close, scars decorated the surface of his skin, silently portraying the danger of his life as a thief. Most were small, having been caused by arrowheads, but he also bore a few larger scars such as the one on his right side that had come from the knight’s sword so long ago.

He pressed into Penelope again, meeting her lips passionately and closing his eyes. His hands moved sensuously over her as he explored her bare body by touch. He relished the feeling of being so close to her, chest to chest, skin to skin. It was electrifying. He reached up to brush his fingers along her cheek, sighing into her ear, “Gods, I love you.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope laid her head back as he moved to take off his shirt. Her gaze drifted over his body and let one hand run over his chest. Admittedly she was a bit surprised by how many scars he bore. There was a small flicker of empathy in her gaze as she briefly thought about all he must have gone through.

However, it quickly disappeared as she was brought back to the present by his touch. She closed her eyes as he pressed back into her and kissed her. With him so close, there was no way for the knight to focus on anything but him. Penelope wrapped her arms around him once again, holding him close to herself. She light trailed her hands across his back.

She pulled back from the kiss and smiled affectionately. His warm words on her ear sent a strong wave of joy over the knight. Even though she had heard them from him before, she never tired of hearing it. She moved one of her hands away from his back to pushed back a strand of hair from his face. The thief had completely captured her heart.

Penelope rested her hand against his cheek and kissed him again. The nervousness she had been feeling before was faint now as she was completely focused on her passion for him. She deepened the kiss and pressed against him. She pulled back, panting slightly. "I love you too, Collin. I really do." She breathed.

[Rogue Sloth]

As Penelope kissed him again, he sank into her lips. He ran a hand along her supple waist, pressing in to be as close to her as he could while excited by the thought that soon they would be closer still. When she pulled back to tell him she loved him too, he smiled, savoring the sound of her words. Every time she said them, he felt like the luckiest man in the world. There had been a time when he thought no woman ever would, but that was over now. Penelope had broken down the wall around his heart, and he couldn’t have been happier.

“Let me show you just how much I love you,” he murmured seductively into her ear. Pressing a few more kisses to her neck, he began to work his way slowly down to her chest. He lingered there for a bit before he continued lower, tracing his hands along the outsides of her legs. Being sensitive to her responses, he moved to different parts of her body with his mouth and his fingers, pleasuring her until he could tell she was ready for more.

His heart fluttered with excitement as he climbed on top of her again. Knowing it was her first time, he took her hands lovingly in his and met her lips, being gentle in the midst of his passion as their bodies moved together as one…

--

Crow held Penelope in his arms, her back to his chest and his cheek pressed against hers. It had been so long since he had last slept with someone, but he was glad she was the one he had been waiting for. He ran his hand down the length of her side, trailing over the curves of her bare body. It was hard for him to believe he had just been with such a beautiful woman. She seemed so unreal… although perhaps that was just because of how dazed he was.

He pulled her closer, letting out his breath in a soft exhale and kissing her on the cheek. “So,” he smiled absently. “Did I meet your expectations?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope laid comfortably in his arms. She slipped her hand into his free one while his other one trailed over her body. She closed her eyes and let out a content sigh, still relishing their closeness. The knight glanced over her at him as he spoke and smiled dazedly. “Of course.” She mumbled as if it it were obvious.

She smirked a little. “I mean, I wasn’t really sure what to be expecting but I think it’s safe to say that you set the bar high.” Penelope turned over in his arms to face him. She leaned in, kissing him softly. After sleeping with Crow, the knight was now more understanding of the desire that came with sleeping with others. If it always feels like that... I get it. She thought dreamily to herself.

As she pulled back from the kiss, Penelope began to feel her drowsiness setting in. She was tempted to just fall asleep in his arms as they were but realized that likely wasn’t the best idea. If they needed to make a quick get away in the morning, she wanted to be dressed and ready to go. “We should get to sleep soon.” She said, holding back a yawn. She reluctantly slipped out of his hold and grabbed her dress off the ground.

While she slipped her clothing back on, she glanced over at him and smirked once again. “Well, what about me.. Did I meet your expectations?” She asked, in a playful tone. Though she spoke playfully, a small part of her was actually worried that she might not have. Penelope was aware that Crow had been with other girls and couldn’t help but wonder about how she compared to them. It wasn’t something she really dwelled on before but after sleeping with him, it was almost like she couldn’t help but think about it.

[Rogue Sloth]

“I’m glad you think so,” Crow laughed softly. He met her lips as she kissed him, wrapping his arms tightly around her and closing his eyes serenely. When they parted, he leaned his head against hers, focusing on the steady rise and fall of her chest. After a day of vigorous activity—sparring, training with the bow, and being with her—he was ready to go to sleep. His breathing slowed as he began to drift off.

Suddenly, he felt Penelope shift in his arms. He lifted his head and blinked tiredly, watching as she moved to put her dress back on. While he wanted nothing more than to lay back down and keep sleeping, he knew she was probably doing the wise thing by preparing in case they needed to leave unexpectedly. He sat up with a yawn and followed her lead, locating his clothes on the ground and slipping them back on.

“Mm?” he grunted absently when Penelope asked if she had met his expectations. Glancing up to meet her gaze, he thought for a moment about how to answer her question. In spite of her lighthearted tone, he could see a hint of uncertainty in her eyes, and he knew she was worried about how she compared with the other women he had slept with. He wanted to put her mind at ease.

Standing up from where he sat on the hay bale, Crow stepped over to Penelope and wrapped his arms around the small of her back, holding her close to himself. He smiled down at her, gently brushing a lock of hair away from her face, “Darling, it’s been over a year for me. You could have laid there motionless and it would have been enough.” He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her on the forehead. “Honestly, you were great, but you shouldn’t compare yourself to anyone else. You just can’t. Being with you is so different for me.” He sighed, cupping her cheek in his hand. “I’ve never loved anyone else the way I love you. That alone made this night my best by far.”

Tilting her chin up, he met her lips once more in a fleeting kiss and then pulled back to wink at her slyly, “Besides, it takes practice to get good at this, and I’d be more than happy to help you learn.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope glanced over at him when he didn’t reply right away. She turned to face him as he stepped up to her and held her close. She gave a small laugh at his answer but her expression faltered as he went on to address the worries she had felt. The knight let out a sigh as she realized that she must have been more obvious than she thought. His words did comfort her though, even making her heart flutter as he assured her how different his feelings for her were.

She understood what he meant, to some degree at least. Her feelings for him where unlike anything she had felt before despite them only having been together a short time and the fact that their separate careers were supposed to make them enemies rather than lovers.

She kissed him back and then rolled her eyes at his suggestive words. “Right.” She mused then shrugged her shoulders. Having pushed past the small bit of insecurity she felt, Penelope gave him a coy smirk. “Well, maybe I’ll have to take you up on that offer.” She leaned up to plant a kiss on his cheek before stepping out of his embrace.

“Come on. We should get some rest.” She said tiredly as she retired to the hay bale. Penelope let out the yawn she had been holding back as she laid down on the hay bale. She shifted to make sure there was plenty of room for Crow to join her as she curled up. For the first time that night, she realized that there was the soft sound of rain. Luckily it seemed to only be rain so the knight remained relaxed. “I wonder when that started..” She mused quietly

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow noticed that Penelope seemed to relax a bit after he spoke to her, and he was glad. He didn’t want her to feel insecure about herself when he truly felt that sleeping with her had been more special to him than being with any other woman, no matter how “talented” they were in bed. He enjoyed the newfound closeness that had formed between them. It was something he had never experienced before with anyone else.

“Maybe this is how I can pay you back for the fighting lessons you’ve been giving me,” he smirked coyly. As she moved back to the hay bale, he followed after her, lying down on his side and sliding his arm around her middle to hold her against his body. He closed his eyes, exhaling contentedly against her neck. Though they hadn’t shared beds for long, he was growing to really like sleeping beside her at night. She made him feel relaxed, and he always woke up well-rested the next morning.

As he began to drift off again, he realized that it was raining softly outside. He didn’t hear any thunder, but he pressed closer to Penelope anyway, hoping to comfort her in case she was anxious. He yawned again, unable to stay awake any longer.

“Goodnight,” he murmured, sinking into the arms of sleep at last.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope smiled softly as he wrapped his arm around her and held her close. Even though it was a bit chilly in the stables, she felt warm with Crow pressed up against her. Already she felt herself beginning to drift off, feeling comfortable and content. “Goodnight.” She mumbled in reply. She closed her eyes and listened to the soft sound of rain as she fell asleep. The weather didn’t bother her any because it wasn’t nearly as bad as the day before but also because of how safe she felt in his arms.

---
Penelope dreamed she was working at the castle in Brerra again. She blinked and looked around the castle corridor. She was searching for someone but she couldn’t remember who. The knight gave an annoyed look and came to a stop by one of the large windows. She looked outside at the kingdom of Brerra. Dark clouds loomed in the distance, making her shudder as she realized a storm was coming.

“Penelope!” Came a sharp voice. A familiar one.

She turned her head to see her father storming towards her, his normally stoic face was wrenched up in anger. “You disgrace!”

“What?” She barely managed to squeak out, confused by how angry he was. What had she done to make him this upset? Penelope couldn’t remember.

“You dare to call yourself a knight!” John shook his head and clenched his fists. “After falling for a thief, you’re no better than a criminal. You should have never come home.”

“I say we throw her in the cell. Let her rot in jail.” Layth was there now. He stepped up, giving Penelope a cold glare. Penelope flinched at their harsh words.

“You both need to calm down!” Penelope snapped, feeling defensive. “I’m your family. If you’d just listen-“

“You’re not my family.” Layth growled. “The only thing you are is delusional.”

“Ease up on her.” Came a new voice. William stepped up now with a look of annoyance. He was calmer than the other two but certainly didn’t seem anymore pleased as he eyed Penelope. “We wouldn’t have caught him again if we weren’t able to use her as bait.”

“I’m going to end this.” John snarled, brandishing his sword and turning to march off.

Penelope felt her heart drop at John’s sentence and she looked around frantically. The scenery change as she was now running through the long line of prison cells, chasing after her father, who always seemed to be just out of reach. The knight felt her blood run cold as she watched him enter one of the cells and drag out the all too familiar shape of Crow, holding the sword at his throat.

Without thinking, Penelope grabbed a brick from the ground and launched herself at her own father. She hit John away from Crow and froze as her father now stared up at her with a sad expression. He bled from a wound on his head and moved to rest a hand on her arm.

“Why... Why did you just forget everything I taught you? Everything you knew?” He choked out. “I thought, you were proud to be a knight..”

“I was, father.. I-I.. I’m sorry.” Penelope gasped, feeling tears beginning to stream down her cheeks.

“Don’t leave, Penelope... We still need you.”

---

But I need him.. Her reply that never came out echoed in her head as she began to stir awake. She woke up rather early due to the craziness of her dream. She inhaled sharply as she opened her eyes to see she was not really in Brerra but rather still in the stable with Crow. Her eyes were watery, built up from the fear and sadness her dream had caused her. As she blinked, her eyes to focus, a few tears even streamed down her cheeks.

She quickly wiped them away and then glanced over her shoulder at the still sleeping Crow. She frowned a little bit as she thought about her dream. Suddenly, she had her doubts about what would happen once they returned to Brerra if the mission succeeded. For one, she wondered if Crow would even want her to be with him. It was something she had never directly told him that she had decided on. He might think not want me around.. Especially if the other knights realize we’re together, then I’ll just be a risk for him.. A weakness. She thought with some dismay. Not to mention, she had her own hesitations about leaving behind her life.

Penelope let out a long sigh and tried to push her worries to the back of her mind for now. They still had a whole castle to get in and out of before she could be concerned about such things. She slipped away from Crow and quietly stood up to stretch. It was still early so she was planning to let him sleep a little longer. Until she heard footsteps and voices outside.

The knight froze. They didn’t sound very close, as she couldn’t make out what they were saying but it was likely only a matter of time until someone entered the stables. She turned and tapped Crow. “Hey, time to wake up.” she whispered. “We gotta go."

[Rogue Sloth]

With Penelope in his arms, Crow slept soundly through the night. He had a few fleeting dreams, but none that were vivid enough to remember. It didn’t matter to him though. He was just aware of the softness of the hay and the warmth of Penelope’s body beside him. So, when he felt her tap him on the shoulder in the morning, he just groaned and rolled over in response. “Just a little longer…” he mumbled.

She said something in response that he didn’t catch, but something about her voice sounded strange to him. It almost seemed like she was far away—outside of the stables, even. But that didn’t make sense. She had been standing next to him just a moment ago… Wait a second.

“I’m up. I’m up,” Crow said, sitting up with a start. He shook his head, trying to clear away some of the grogginess, and located his boots. Throwing them on quickly, he went to gather the rest of his belongings with her. Once they had everything, he stepped quietly up to the door at the front of the stables, cracking it open to peer outside. He could see two stable boys chatting amongst each other and making their way towards them.

The thief cursed under his breath and glanced back over his shoulder, searching for another way out. Unfortunately, there was only one door leading out of the stables. His eyes wandered to the horses in their stalls as his mind raced to come up with another way to get past the stable boys without being seen. His lip curled upward in a smile as an idea came to him. If they couldn’t sneak out, then perhaps a distraction would work.

“Stand back,” he said to Penelope. Leaving the stable door cracked open, he approached the stall of the nearest horse and grinned at the animal. “Hey there, big guy. Ready to get your morning exercise?” The horse just stared blankly back at him. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he said, reaching for the latch on the stall door and pulling it open. The horse didn’t move. He rolled his eyes and stepped over to grab a looped rope from a hook on the wall. Slipping it around the animal’s neck, he guided it into the main area of the stables and faced it towards the door.

Once that was done, he slid the rope back off and tossed it aside. Walking around to stand by the horse’s backside—he was careful to avoid positioning himself directly behind the horse, since he didn’t want to get kicked—he raised a hand and slapped it on the haunch. As expected, the horse let out a surprised whinny and took off, bursting out of the stables through the unlocked door. Outside, he could hear the stable boys shouting at each other as they scrambled to catch the loose animal.

“Let’s go,” Crow grinned at Penelope and sprinted towards the forest. He kept going until they were far enough from the estate that they wouldn’t be seen. “What a way to start the day, huh?” he laughed after they had slowed to a walk. “It’s a good thing you were up so early or we might have been in trouble back there.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope hurried to get ready to leave. She shoved on her boots and grabbed the bags. Hurrying, she followed Crow over to the front door of the stable and stood back as he peered outside. She was ready to bolt for it if he saw an opening. However, that clearly wasn’t the case as she watched him mutter a curse and begin to look for a different way out. She took a step back and began to do the same until he told her to stand back.

She raised an eyebrow at him and stepped off to the side. It didn’t take long for her to realize what he was planning as she watched him walk over to the nearest horse. Crossing her arms, she gave an amused look as she watched him send the horse charging out of the stables.

The knight nodded her head and quickly sprinted after Crow as he took off towards the forest. She slowed down besides him once they were far enough away and nodded her head in agreement. “Certainly got my blood pumping.” She said in amusement. As he mentioned how lucky it had been for her to wake up early, Penelope merely gave a small nod, looking a bit distant as she recalled her nightmare.

“You ready for more training today?” She asked to get her mind off of her worries. She looked over at him and smirked. “I’m thinking today I’ll teach you how to actually fight with a blade."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow eyed Penelope curiously as she suddenly became distant. He wondered what she was thinking about. Had the storm gotten worse after he fell asleep and kept her up? He frowned. That had to be it. He felt a pang of guilt for not staying awake longer to see if there would be thunder during the night. After sleeping with her, he had been too tired to think about her fear of stormy weather, but he wished he had at least tried to consider her feelings. Selfish.

He opened his mouth to apologize, but she spoke first, asking him if he was ready to keep training. He blinked. Her casual expression caught him off guard. He hadn’t expected her to recover so quickly. “Yeah,” he replied, his eyes sweeping over her inquisitively. After a moment, he determined that she seemed to be alright, so he relaxed again.

“I can’t wait,” he smirked back at her. “Maybe this time I’ll beat you without my ‘dirty tricks,’ as you like to call them.” He leaned a little closer to her and went on teasingly, “Although I think you liked the trick I used yesterday.” Nudging her playfully, he chuckled and looked up at the castle ahead of them. It was quite close now, since they had covered a lot of distance since it had first appeared beyond the tree tops. It seemed like his estimate had been accurate. Unless they were delayed somehow, they would only have one more night before they reached the curtain wall; one more night before they would find out if their efforts had been enough.

He shifted his weight as uncertainty crept into his mind, wishing he knew more about Younisian folklore. He wanted to believe it was all rubbish that had been invented to deter thieves, but after hearing Hartley’s story about the palace servant, he wasn’t so sure. He cast Penelope a sideways glance. She was relying on him to succeed. Whether the rumors were true or not, he had to find a way to take the staff. He couldn’t let her down just because of some overprotective goddess.

“This looks like a good place to stop,” he said as they passed into a clearing. Turning back to her, he grinned. “Ready to lose to me again?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope rolled her eyes at his teasing. “Oh shut it.” She said with a laugh as he nudged her. She followed his gaze to look ahead at the castle. It wouldn’t be long now. The castle that was once just visible in the horizon was looming closer than before. One more day.. The thought made her stomach churn with anxiousness. The time they had left didn’t seem like nearly enough to prepare everything. Even though they had a bit of a plan going, she worried it still wouldn’t be enough.

She broke from her thoughts as Crow spoke again. She looked over at him and nodded her head as she glanced around the clearing. The knight was just beginning to set her stuff down when he turned back to her. Penelope smirked at him playfully. “Hardly! You distracted me once. I won’t trust you like that again, love.” She teased with a wink.

Drawing her dagger from her boot, she turned back to Crow as she twirled it in her hand. “I want you to work on your attacks today so I’ll give you the courtesy of attacking first.” She told him, taking on a defensive stance. Already her eyes began to sweep over him, watching for any signs of what his first move would be. “Let’s see if you’ve got anything besides tricks.” She said with a grin.