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

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow ate in contemplative silence as Penelope explained why she humored the other nobles. He supposed it made sense that she would do something like that, especially when considering her situation. He wondered if he would have made the same decision if he had been in her shoes. It was something he never used to think about often, but he found himself more and more curious about it as he got to know Penelope. If Albin hadn’t disowned him, would he also be running around try to please pompous noblemen in order to earn their respect?

Setting his now empty plates aside, he glanced back at Penelope, starting to understand her predicament a little better. However, when his eyes fell on her, he noticed a look of dejection on her face. He averted his gaze again, feeling a stab of guilt. She was risking everything she had worked for to be with him. If anyone found out about their relationship, she would lose the respect of the other nobles, and probably her father too. Any hope she ever had of moving up in the kingdom would be permanently dashed.

Meanwhile, he was giving up nothing for her. There was no risk in a thief falling in love with a knight, aside from the possibility that one of his enemies could find out and use it to their advantage. But even then, he had escaped from traps before, and he could do it again. It wasn’t much more dangerous than anything he had faced in the past. It wasn’t even close to the chance she was taking. Could he really ask her to do that for him in good conscience?

Maybe it was foolish of us to try to make this work after all, Crow grimaced as he finally began to admit the truth to himself. She still has a chance to make a respectable name for herself. If I ask her to stay with me, she’ll be nothing more than an outcast like I am. I can’t ask that of her—not while she still has the opportunity to have something better.

“You can still repay your father,” he said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them without meeting her gaze. “Right now, no one in Brerra knows about us… We can still keep it that way.” He hesitated, finding that the words were more difficult than he expected them to be. “I mean… I’m going back to the outer villages anyway, and you have your job in the castle. It wouldn’t be hard to keep all of this a secret if we…” he trailed off, unable to bring himself to say ‘if we stop seeing each other.’

He let out his breath in a ragged exhale, “Look, I just want to make sure you don’t regret… us. I know you had a plan for your life, and a good one too. If you think you’re going to regret giving all that up to be with me—your job, your family, your future—then this is your out.” He forced himself to meet her gaze. “I can’t promise that you’ll have a good life if you stay with me. In fact, I can honestly say that you probably won’t. So, if you have any reservations about being with a thief… you can still back out.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope blinked as Crow suddenly broke the silence. She turned her head to look over at him as he went on. Her heart sank at his words as he addressed what had been worrying her. The knight frowned as he spoke about her having a way out. The mere thought of leaving Crow and carrying on with her life as usual after the mission pained her. She reached over and took his hand, giving it a small squeeze. She fell silent for a moment as she thought about his words.

“Collin,” She began, lowering her gaze from his. “there’s a lot I’m still not sure how I feel about. Leaving behind my family, my job, that whole life, it..it’s all I’ve known and you know how important my family is to me. I’m just kinda of scared.” Penelope shook her head. “But I’ve spent every moment of my life living and working for someone else... Becoming what my father wanted me to be. Doing everything in my power just to prove those that looked down on me were wrong. I mean, I like being a knight. I’m proud of what I accomplished but it was never my desire.. my choice.

“And I think I’ve repaid my father enough..” She lifted her gaze to meet his green eyes once again. “At the end of this mission, we’ll have stopped a war, which means my family will be safe. I might miss things from my old life and my family but they won’t make me regret anything. I think I’d regret more if I left you.. Crow... Collin, you’re what I choose.” She gave him a small smile, that still held a hint of nervousness in it. She was still worried he might not want her around as she thought he might view her as too much of a risk. Maybe he said all that in hopes of me agreeing to end it... Her stomach churned at the thought. Perhaps he was just trying to say it delicately due to both of their feelings. Her smile faltered as she lost confidence.

“If you’ll have me, that is.” She added quietly.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow’s mouth felt dry as he stared down at the grass. His heart fluttered nervously in his chest. Part of him wished he had kept his concerns to himself, but he knew he had done the right thing in bringing them up to Penelope. It would have been selfish of him to make her feel like she had to stay for his sake, even though the mere thought of her leaving made him feel like he was being torn in two. He needed to let her know she could still change her mind if it was all too much for her.

As much as he tried to act calm about the situation, he squeezed her hand tightly when she laced her fingers with his. The silence between them was torturous. He wanted her to give him an answer, but he also dreaded hearing her say that she couldn’t give up her life for him. He closed his eyes, trying to shut out the pain of waiting for her response.

When she finally spoke again, he felt his stomach drop. It sounded like she was going to take the out after all. I shouldn’t be so surprised, he winced. I’m asking her to give up more than anyone ever should. She has a good life as a knight, and she’s beautiful. It won’t take long for another man to court her if she decides to settle down… I have no right to take those things away from her. He loosened his grip on her hand, readying himself to let go if she said she wanted to go back to just being friends.

After working up the nerve to accept that Penelope was going to leave him, her final words came as a shock. He turned to her, wide eyed, as she said that she was going to choose him over her family and her life as a noblewoman. A wave of relief washed over him. She wasn’t ending things after all. Part of him still worried she might change her mind as she thought more about what she would be giving up, but he pushed the doubts aside. She still wanted to be with him, and for now, that was good enough.

In a burst of passion, Crow leaned in and pressed a long kiss to Penelope’s lips, holding her hand to his chest. Afterwards, he pulled back and grinned, “Gods, I love you, Penelope. I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” He shook his head and ran his thumb gently over the back of her hand. “Of course I’ll have you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. You’ve given my life a purpose, which is to make you happy for as long as you’ll allow me.” He kissed her again. “I may not be able to give you status or money or security, but I promise I’ll love you as long as there’s still breath in my lungs.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope blinked as he suddenly kissed her. She closed her eyes as she kissed him back, her heart fluttering joyfully at his reaction to her words. As he pulled back, she smiled fondly at him. The knight savored his words, feeling glad that her worries were far from reality. Feeling another wave of affection, she placed her free hand on his cheek and looked at him lovingly. “Luckily for you that shouldn’t be a difficult job since being with you makes me happy. So much so that the thought of my old life feels lonely. I didn’t think that single person could have such an effect on me.”

She leaned into him slightly, meeting his gaze. “And I promise I'll love you until my heart stops.” She met his lips in another kiss, driven by the passion she felt from the decision she had made. Deepening the kiss, she lost herself in his touch for a moment. Her hand slowly trailed down from his cheek to rest on his neck as she pressed closer to him. She finally pulled back to catch her breath, leaning her head against his.

Her gaze drifted towards the castle off in the distance and she was quickly reminded that there was still plenty to worry about. At least, one thing felt certain to her, which was that they would be together. The question of how long seemed to be up in the air though.

Let’s hope those promises aren’t just good for one more day... She grimaced. Quickly shifting her gaze back to Crow, she smiled softly at him. "We should probably get moving again, especially if you want to start traveling during the night.” She mused as she began to move away from him. She looked out at the marketplace, recalling that Crow had stopped for supplies. “Did you get everything you needed?”

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow met Penelope’s lips when she kissed him again. He believed she meant everything she said, that she wanted to stay by his side even though it might mean giving up her old life, but it was a huge promise to make. Even if she didn’t regret choosing him over her family now, there was no telling what she would think in a day or a week or even a month. As much as he wanted to be with her, he didn’t want her to ever feel like she couldn’t go back to them. He had opened the door for her. So for now, he would just enjoy the time they had together and hope she would continue to feel the same way for him when they got back to Brerra, because regardless of her choice, he meant what he had said. He would always love her, even if she couldn’t stay with him.

When Penelope pulled back from him, he had to force himself not to chase after one more kiss. He leaned his head against hers, panting softly. He hadn’t noticed at the time, but he had gotten so lost in her lips that he had forgotten to breathe. Feeling a bit light headed, he traced his fingers lightly up her arm, relishing their closeness. It was still hard for him to believe that she loved him so much—a thief who had done nothing to warrant the affection of any woman. Yet here she was, sitting with him, holding his hand, kissing him… They had even slept together. He brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face, smiling affectionately. Here was the most beautiful woman he had ever met, and she wanted to be with him too.

As she mentioned that they should keep moving, Crow hesitated. He wished they could stay there longer and forget about the mission, but she was right. They had spent quite a while in the same place, and they needed to make up for lost time. “I did,” he answered her question with a nod. “All that’s left is to find a safe place where we can light a fire.” Climbing to his feet again, he raised his arms over his head in a long stretch before heading back into the forest with her.

Once they were out of sight from the knights in the town, he did a quick search for the tree he had stowed his bow in. It didn’t take long for him to find the notch he had carved. He climbed up the marked tree to retrieve the weapon and then hopped back down once he had slung it over his shoulder again.

“When we find somewhere to stop, I’d recommend sleeping if you can,” he turned to Penelope as they continued walking “You might not have another chance until after we get out of the castle.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope nodded her head as he told her he had gotten everything he came for and gathered her things as they set off back into the forest yet again. She waited for him as he retrieved his bow. Once he was ready, she continued onward towards the castle. “Alright. I’ll try.” She agreed with a small nod. Her gaze drifted back over to the large fortress ahead and she began to think over the plans they had made.

I’ll have to start working on my story for when I try to get in with the servants. She gave a thoughtful look. It seemed like a simple task but she didn’t want to leave any openings for suspicion. She could use the Younisian name that Hartley had supplied her with before when they had run into Malcom. It seemed like marriages in Younis were a little different from the ones in Brerra as even the peasants seemed to go through some kind of courting. He was kind when we courted but... Her thoughts trailed off for a moment as she pieced together her story. But after he learned I was barren, things changed. He changed. He started drinking. At first he was just upset that we wouldn’t have a child but before I knew it, he was angry and started hitting me.

I just had to get away.. Penelope gave a small look of satisfaction at her story. She just hoped she could make it as believable as it sounded to her in the moment. The knight focused back on their surrounding as they walked onward. Spotting a small cluster of trees not far off, she nudged Crow lightly.

“Would that work?” She asked him. “Looks like it’ll give us a good amount of coverage... I’m not sure about the fire though."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow looked up at the castle as they walked. It was much closer now, so much so that he could start to see more details in the stonework of the curtain wall. While he needed to stand next to it to really tell for sure, it looked smoother than the castle back in Brerra. For someone planning to climb up its surface without support, that wasn’t the best sign. He just hoped there would be grips along the wall that were close enough together that he could still make it up to one of the windows in the keep without getting stuck.

I guess I’ll find out tomorrow, he thought, turning to Penelope as she pointed out a thick cluster of trees near the edge of the forest. “It’ll be enough as long as I can put the fire out before dusk,” he said, changing direction to head for the shelter. He glanced back at her and grinned, “Good eye, love.” The spot was far enough from the nearest town that it was unlikely any guards would come to check it out, and they had made good time, so he would be able to finish making the poison for their weapons before darkness fell if he worked fast.

When they were out of sight of the town, Crow set down his bags and began searching for tinder to get the fire started. “Look for old, dry wood,” he said to Penelope and he paced along the base of a tree. “That’ll catch the fastest.” After finding a sufficient amount, he meticulously piled it in a small clearing and went back to his bag to get the flint and steel he had taken from the wagon. He struck them over the tinder nest he had made until it began to glow softly. Then, after fanning the flames until they were of self-sustaining proportions, he began to set up the cooking pot he had purchased at the market. He positioned it over the fire, so the flames licked at its base.

Satisfied with the arrangement, he stood back up to get the oil and henbane. “I can keep watch while this is cooking,” he said, turning to Penelope once more. “You should get some sleep. We’ll probably arrive at the castle by daybreak, and you’ll be going in first, so you won’t have much time to rest again until after we get out tomorrow night. I have all day, on the other hand, so I can stay up now.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope smiled back at him and headed for the cluster of trees. As they reached it, she began to set her bags down and looked over at Crow as he began to get ready to prepare a fire. “Alright.” She said said before helping him collect the wood. She stepped back as he began to assemble a fire. After the fire was big enough, she was about to move to sit down when he suggested that she get some sleep.

The knight hesitated, mainly because she wonder if she could even get any sleep with the anxiousness she felt of reaching the castle so soon. However, it was probably wise to at least try since she would need her energy for what laid ahead. “I’ll try.” She agreed with a small sigh. Turning, she moved to grab the bedroll and lay it out nearby him. “Wake me up when it’s time to go.” She added as she laid down on the mat.

She closed her eyes and attempted to get some sleep. It didn’t come easy though. Not only was it still light out but her mind kept wanting to wander to the worries she still felt about the mission. The knight tossed and turned for a moment, trying to focus more on what was around her rather then what lied ahead. The warmth of the fire, a cool breeze, the light sound of birds in the forest and Crow’s nearby presence. Penelope exhaled softly as she cleared her mind and began to drift off into a light sleep.

[Rogue Sloth]

“I will,” Crow agreed when Penelope asked him to wake her up when they needed to leave. He sat down next to the fire again with his supplies in hand. After tending to the flames a bit more, he poured the almond oil into the pot and dropped the dried henbane plant in with it. All that was left now was to sit back and wait for the liquid to boil long enough for it to be an effective poison. He leaned back on his palms and sighed, halfheartedly looking around his surroundings for signs of motion. Of course, there was none, so he busied himself by picking up a stick and tracing meaningless patterns in the dirt.

Time passed slowly by as he watched small bubbles begin to rise in the pot. The sun sank lower in the sky, and he yawned as his body habitually prepared to sleep. He quietly stood up and paced around the edge of the small clearing, using the movement to keep himself alert. With nothing else to do, his mind wandered absently to memories of the past. It was strange to think that this moment was the most similar to how he had lived before, yet it felt so much lonelier now. He was so used to Penelope’s warm company that doing anything by himself felt unnatural.

I went so many years without knowing what I was missing out on, he mused, kicking a small rock with his foot. And now that I’ve found it, I can’t imagine going back. His eyes wandered to Penelope who laid sleeping by the fire, and he smiled. Who would have thought that one person could have so much of an impact on another? Despite his arrest and imprisonment, he was glad things had turned out this way. It was all worth it to meet her.

--

After a while of waiting, Crow sat down by the pot again to see if it was done. By this point, the sun had almost reached the horizon, and the fire would be visible to anyone who happened to pass nearby. He swirled a stick in the oil, but having never tried to make a poison out of henbane before, he wasn’t sure how to tell if it needed more time. He drummed his fingers on his knee, trying to remember what Hazel had taught him about herbs.

Mix the plant with a cooking oil and leave it boiling over a fire, he recalled unhelpfully. Damn it, she never said how long to let it sit. He let out his breath and glanced up at the darkening sky. Whether the solution was done or not, he couldn’t let the fire burn any longer or he would risk getting spotted by a knight. Setting the pot aside, he threw dirt over the flames to put them out, covering any trace that they had been there.

Once that was done, he sat back and looked at Penelope again. It was getting dark out, but there was still some time to spare before they needed to leave, so he didn’t want to wake her up just yet. He glanced back at the pot of henbane oil. He still didn’t know if it had cooked long enough to work, and he didn’t like the idea of leaving his plan up to chance either. Maybe I can test it, he thought, tapping his index finger on the ground. It’s poison, but I only threw in one plant. It can’t be that potent, right?

Crow picked up the stick he had been using to draw in the dirt and dipped the tip in the pot. When he pulled it back out, it was slick with golden oil. He held it still for a moment before, succumbing to his curiosity, he brought it to his mouth and let a couple of drops fall on his tongue.

At first, he felt nothing but a slight tingling sensation from the warmth of the liquid, and he worried it hadn’t boiled long enough after all. However, after a few seconds, he started to feel light headed. He blinked in surprise. The unusual feeling continued to spread, until he became disconnected from both his surroundings and his own body. He tried to raise a hand to his head, but his arm wouldn’t comply. Suddenly lethargic, he laid down on the ground, staring up at the dark blue sky as the henbane took its course through his body.

At least… I know it works now, he thought sluggishly, his breaths coming to him in the form of soft panting. For a moment, he worried he might have made it too potent after all, but he quickly put the fear to rest. Even though he found it difficult to breathe, it didn’t feel like his lungs were seizing up. He would be fine once the poison worked its way out of his system.

He winced, realizing he was in no shape to keep watch anymore. From what he knew about henbane, it wouldn’t be long before he started hallucinating, and once that happened, he wouldn’t be able to tell a knight from a tree. Forcing himself to move, he reached for Penelope’s shoulder to wake her up. “Hey,” he said slowly. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth. “Keep watch for a bit… Henbane works.”

[BuzzingBee]

Even though she had managed to fall asleep, her rest remained light, dreamless and vaguely aware of sounds around her. Penelope also found herself missing the warmth of Crow sleeping besides her despite the fact that they had only shared a bed for a few nights. She somehow felt a bit more vulnerable without his arms around her. The sound of nearby movement began to stir the knight so she was almost automatically awake as she felt him touch her shoulder.

Penelope blinked and turned to look over at Crow, expecting it was time to go only to see that the thief was both moving and talking sluggishly. She gave his words a questioning look as her gaze flickered over to the pot he had been using. It quickly clicked what he meant by the henbane working. The knight sat up and shook her head. “My gods Crow, you used it on yourself?” She sighed placing a hand on his arm.

Then she recalled him mentioning something about it being poisonous and felt a flash of worry ripple through her. She frowned as she looked down at him. From his words, he seemed confident that the stuff would eventually wear off so she relaxed once again, trusting that he had some idea of what he was doing. Penelope exhaled softly, still feeling a bit concerned about his wellbeing, as she looked down at him. She finally lifted her gaze away, now more alert as she reminded herself that she was on watch. The night seemed to be quiet still but she certainly didn’t want to be caught off guard by any patrolling guards, especially with Crow in the state that he was currently in.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow managed a smile at Penelope’s words. He absently noticed her place a hand on his arm, although her touch felt distant somehow, as if the arm didn’t belong to him, and he was just observing the interaction from somewhere else. It was a strange sensation. He drew back and rested his forearm across his eyes, trying to block out the sight of the trees that seemed to be moving around him. Even though he knew it was just a hallucination, their motion made him feel nauseated.

“Seemed like… a good idea at the time,” he explained to her with a grimace. “Not so much now.” Though he was glad he knew the poison worked, he definitely regretted the method he had used to obtain that knowledge. Lying on his back, focusing on breathing all while trying to ignore strange visions that made him feel sick was not something he planned to do ever again. He just hoped the henbane would wear off quickly so he could move again.

More so than that, he also hoped no knights would find them before the poison was out of his system. It wouldn’t be hard for someone to kill him while he was unable to defend himself. He didn’t like feeling so vulnerable.

“This is the worst,” Crow groaned. “If you ever think… ‘hey, I should test this poison on myself’ just don’t… don’t do it. I’m pretty sure I saw… a deer with wings fly over us just now.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope crossed her arms as she looked down at him. She smirked a little as he mentioned seeing a deer with wings. “Well luckily I have something called common sense to keep me from doing something like that.” She teased softly. The knight leaned her head back slightly to look up at the now dark sky. Though she didn’t approve of his methods to prove that the henbane worked, she was hopeful for how it would effect their enemies in the coming day now that she was seeing it first hand. If she could successfully poison the food, it would make a good chunk of their mission a little less dangerous.

It seemed that it was just a waiting game for the henbane to leave his system but Penelope didn’t like just sitting around when there was the possibility of them being found. The knight shifted slightly as she glanced around, eying past the trees and listening for any signs of movement. Luckily from what she could tell, the forest was still quiet and they were still alone. I just hope it stays that way long enough.. She ran a hand through her hair, pushing back a couple of loose strands that had fallen into her face.

Furrowing her brow with concern, her gaze flickered back over to him. It was clear to her that he was feeling nauseated and she knew it was largely due to whatever he was hallucinating. She wanted to help him but wasn’t sure that she even could. “Do you need me to get anything to help you? Like water or something?” She asked.

[Rogue Sloth]

“Ouch,” Crow rolled his eyes sarcastically when Penelope said she had common sense. “Way to kick a man when he’s down.” He paused, flexing his right hand. It seemed like some of his mobility was coming back to him already. While it was still difficult for him to make his body move, he felt like he was steadily regaining control of it. So two drops are enough to down someone, but only for a short period of time, he noted, absently rolling his ankles. We should probably add a little bit more when we apply the oil to our weapons.

He looked up at Penelope when she asked if she could help him, blinking to see past the hallucinations brought on by the henbane. “I think it’s already starting to wear off,” he spoke a bit more steadily than before. “But yes. Water would be great, thanks.” Taking a deep breath to calm his upset stomach, he forced himself to sit up and shift so his back was resting against a nearby tree. He closed his eyes, since the world around him still felt like it was moving. Now that he was experiencing the effects of the henbane oil, he almost felt bad for the unknowing knights and staff of the Younisian castle that they were going to use it on. Unfortunately, with so little time to prepare, it was the best option they had to get in and out as quickly as possible.

“At least we can say for sure that this will work now,” Crow stretched his legs out in front of himself as he started to regain feeling in his limbs. Focusing intently, he reached for the pot and poured most of its contents back into the jar. “Take this with you when you get inside the palace,” he said, looking up at Penelope. “It’s strong enough that this should be all we need to take out the entire staff, and then we can use what’s left in the pot to lace our weapons.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope nodded her head as he agreed to having water. She rose up from where she was seated and over towards their bags. She dug into one of them until she found the canteen. Grabbing it, she headed back over to Crow and noticed that he had poured most of the henbane into the jar. “Let’s just hope I can sneak it in without being noticed.” She mused quietly. Penelope handed him the canteen. “Here’s the water. Hopefully we can find somewhere to refill it on the way back. It should be enough to last us a couple of days though.”

She glanced down at the pot and then moved to pull out the dagger from her boot. “So how do you lace it? Do we just dip in into the stuff and let it dry?” She asked curiously. Twirling the dagger in her hand, she moved to sit down besides him. She didn’t have experience with using such a technique so she was rather curious about how it worked. She’d likely find herself in an unfair fight despite, hopefully, having the element of surprise so she’d already guessed she’d be depending on this poison heavily.

“Also how long will it last on a blade? Will I only be able to use it in one fight or will there still be some left for me to use in other fights?” She added as more questions came to her mind. Penelope wanted to know as much as she could before the time came for her to use it, however, she also realized she was letting out a flurry of questions upon him. She smiled sheepishly at him. “Sorry about the sudden questioning. I just don’t really have much knowledge on this kind of thing."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow took the canteen from Penelope when she offered it to him and lifted it to his lips, downing a long draught of water. Once he had his fill, he let out a sigh of relief and set the container down in the grass. He couldn’t feel its effects right away, but he was hoping the water would flush the last of the henbane out of his body so they could keep moving. Regardless of whether he was right or not, it didn’t seem like it would be much longer before he was well enough to walk again. The hallucinations had faded for the most part, he was breathing easier, and his skin tingled slightly as he regained feeling.

“Well, oil doesn’t really dry,” he said in response to her first question, drawing his own dagger. “At least, it doesn’t dry for a long time.” He reached for the pot and dragged it closer to himself, turning his blade over thoughtfully in his hand. “I’ve never done this before either. Everything I know about it was taught to me by Evelyn’s daughter. She just said that to lace a weapon in poison, you just dip it in the solution and try not to let it rub off on anything before you use it.”

To demonstrate, Crow lowered his dagger into the pot and scraped the edge of the blade along the side until it was coated in a thin layer of henbane oil. He held it up, observing the way it glinted golden in the moonlight. It was interesting to him how the weapon was both beautiful and dangerous at the same time. He turned back to Penelope, “My guess is that you can only use it once, since the poison will come off when the dagger strikes something, but I think I have a solution for that.”

Taking a moment to steel himself, he rose shakily to his feet and stepped over to their supplies. He crouched down beside his bag and dug inside until he retrieved his old tunic, glad he had decided to stash his other clothing away when he had switched to the new outfit. Taking the fabric between his teeth, he gave it a sharp tug and ripped off a portion. Once he had that, he moved back to the pot and dipped the torn piece in, letting it soak up some of the remaining oil.

Careful not to touch the poisoned end, he folded the fabric over and offered it to Penelope, “Take this with you. It won’t dry, so you can rub more henbane on your weapon if you need to use it more than once.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope listened as Crow explained how the oil worked. She gave a small nod to his words and watched as he coated his dagger in the oil. The way it glinted in the moonlight was nearly haunting to the knight as the henbane made the blade even more dangerous than before. She looked down at her own dagger and moved to lightly swirl it in the pot before looking back to Crow as he mentioned having a solution to only being able to use the oil once. She raised an eyebrow at him curiously.

As she noticed him moving to get up, she quickly let go fo her dagger, letting it lean against the side of the pot, as she stood up to move to his side just in case he needed any help. He seemed stable enough as he walked over to their supplies so Penelope relaxed and stood back as he pulled out his old tunic to rip a piece off so he could dip it in the oil. Taking it from him, she felt a little more secure knowing that she would have more than just one chance to use the henbane with her dagger.

“Gods, it’s a good thing you found this stuff.” Penelope mused as she looked down at the folded up cloth. It was strange to think how pretty much their whole plan revolved around a plant. She moved to retrieve her dagger from the pot, making sure it was coated before slipping it away in it’s hidden sheath and stashed away the cloth as well, being careful to avoid getting any of the poison on herself.

“Guess we better lace your arrows and then get moving.. Has it worn off enough yet?” She asked him as she moved to grab the quiver and bring it over to the pot. “Or do you need more time?"

[Rogue Sloth]

“It was pretty lucky,” Crow agreed with a nod. A small part of him was still apprehensive about relying on a method he had never used before to perform a heist as big as this. He preferred to try out new ideas on much smaller targets while saving his tried and true schemes for palace raids and other such risky endeavors. However, it wasn’t like they had a better option at this point. They would reach the castle in less than a day, and they knew next to nothing about its layout and security. None of his practiced methods would work on a heist with so many unknowns. He would just have to stick to the plan they came up with and hope it would be enough to get them both out safely.

He looked up at Penelope as she went to retrieve the quiver. “I can definitely still feel it, but I think it’s faded enough that I can keep moving,” he answered, stretching his arms to check his mobility again. His body was still responding slower than he would have liked, but they couldn’t waste any more time sitting around while he waited for the poison to wear off completely. Besides, whenever he’d had too much to drink in the past, walking around always helped him sober up more quickly. It wasn’t a far stretch to say that it would probably help him recover from the henbane as well.

When Penelope brought the quiver over to him, he took half of the arrows to start lacing them with the remaining oil. He dipped the first one in and lifted it back out, letting the excess drip back into the pot before he replaced it in the quiver. He repeated the process until he had finished his half of the arrows, and then stood up to stretch his legs. The henbane had worn off enough that he could definitely make the rest of the trip now, albeit a little slower than he could have if he hadn’t tested the poison on himself.

Gathering his things in preparation to leave, Crow looked up at the castle. This is it, he thought, his heart racing with a surge of adrenaline. They were finally going to reach the place they had been travelling for over two weeks to find. He turned to Penelope, “Ready to go, love?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope nodded as he said he should be fine to keep moving. She helped him with lacing the arrows, following his lead as he dipped them in and then placed them back in the quiver. As the finished the arrows, she took in a sharp breath as she realized it was time to move again. The knight moved to collect her things to leave and felt her heart begin to race anxiously. With their time running out, she hoped all the preparation they had done would be enough.

We’ll find out soon enough.. She thought. Her gaze swept over to Crow as he turned to her. She gave him a half-hearted smile. “I guess so.” She said softly. Penelope moved to his side and took his hand, intertwining her fingers with his, as they began to walk on towards the castle. She found comfort in his touch and more importantly, a bit of her courage as she was reminded of what was at stake. The kingdom, her family and her future with him, all depended on this mission succeeding. I must be fearless. A ripple of determination swept over the knight and shot the castle a challenging look.

Knowing the henbane was still affecting him, she made sure to take a slower pace than usual so he could easily keep up. She was partly glad for the slower pace, feeling far from eager to reach the looming fortress even with her newfound determination. “So, where should I try to meet you in the castle?” She asked him, shifting her gaze over to Crow. Since they lacked knowledge about the layout of the castle, she worried that they’d end up separated or scrambling to try and locate each other. “I know we don’t really know what it’s like in there but maybe we can figure something out."

[Rogue Sloth]

When Penelope took his hand in hers, Crow felt a strange mixture of emotions. He shifted a little closer to her so their arms brushed against each other as they walked towards the castle. Her touch was calming, but it also reminded him that she was going to be with him in the castle. Even though she was fully competent as a knight, the raid they were about to perform would be completely different than anything she had done before. He tightened his hold on her small hand, suddenly feeling a wave of protectiveness. He wished she would just let him steal the staff on his own so she wouldn’t put her life at risk, but he already knew she would never agree to such a thing. She was far too stubborn to let him go in alone as long as she was still able to accompany him. There was no point in even bringing up the idea.

It won’t be the same as last time, he thought, trying to convince himself. Penelope isn’t reckless like Eligius was. She’ll be okay. Still, he subconsciously pressed a bit closer to her.

He met her gaze when she asked where they should meet inside the castle. “Hard to say,” he said, turning to look at the large wall in front of them. “I’d like to get in through one of the windows on the fifth level, since it would put me closer to the king’s chambers, but that probably won’t happen. It’s been quite a while since I’ve scaled the side of a building, so I don’t want to set a goal that I can’t currently reach.”

He paused for a moment, eyeing one window on the north face of the castle. “How about that one?” he pointed at it so Penelope could follow his gaze. “Third floor, second from the right of the battlement on the northeast corner. That looks doable enough.” He turned back to her. “We won’t be able to tell where that is from the outside, so you’ll just have to do your best to get as close as you can after you get inside.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope nodded her head slightly as Crow answered her question with uncertainty. She eyed the castle wondering what spot would be the best, until he finally came up with an answer. As he pointed out the window, her gaze followed his directions over to it and nodded her head. “Alright. I’ll try my best to meet you there then.” She agreed. Since it was only the third floor, she figured it wouldn’t be too difficult to locate the window once she was inside and if the plan with the henbane went well, she wouldn’t have to worry about any of the staff questioning her.

I wonder if the way they place the guards are similar to back home... The knight hoped that they were. She might be able to predict the path of patrolling knights and their placements but it was a long shot. Though the castle didn’t seem too much different from the one in Brerra on the outside, there was no way of knowing what it was like within. She hoped to learn as much as she could when she stayed with the servants inside the castle.

The knight fell quiet for a moment as they walked and lifted her gaze from the castle up to the stars. Her mind drifted to the legend behind the staff. Perhaps it was due to the closeness of the approaching raid, but she felt a small bubble of worry forming inside her that it might be true despite her lack of belief in such things. She glanced at Crow out of the corner of her eye before focusing back on the stars. The thought of an enemy that she couldn’t fight was a bi rattling to the knight so she turned to the only person she could think of that might help her. Oh mother, please watch over him. Let Aeklora close her eyes for one night.