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

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow cringed as William prepared to swing at him again, taking a step back to run. However, he didn’t need to move because Penelope was quicker. His eyes flitted between the two knights as she stopped her comrade from swinging at him again and moved to put herself between the two men. He was relieved that William seemed to backing down for now—at least, he wasn’t trying to throw anymore punches—but he remained tense, ready to bolt if the situation got worse.

Well, if there was ever any hope of him respecting me, it’s gone now, he winced at the hate-filled look on the older knight’s face. He shifted his weight uncomfortably, not sure what to do as the others began to argue. Part of him wanted to defend Penelope, but he knew anything he had to say would just further infuriate William and hurt her honor. There was nothing he could do but stand aside and let her fight her own battle.

After a moment of silence, William turned to him and told him to go back to the camp. The quiet tone of his voice sent a chill down the thief’s spine, like the calm before the storm. He swallowed, hesitating rather than following the knight’s command immediately. He didn’t feel right about leaving Penelope to deal with her comrade alone, but he knew he couldn’t possibly do anything to help her. The older knight thought he was a snake. Staying would only make things worse than they already were.

Crow glanced back at Penelope. He wanted to kiss her or squeeze her hand or do anything to show her that he would support her from a distance, but he didn’t want to risk setting William off again. So instead, he simply gave her a nod to silently convey that everything would be okay, and then turned to head back to the camp by himself.

“Damn it all,” he muttered as he walked through the trees. How had William found them? They had been so careful to make sure he didn’t know what was going on between them. He exhaled in frustration, tilting his head back to look up at the darkening sky. Now that the knight had caught them, he didn’t know what to expect. He’s probably going to make sure we never have another opportunity to be alone, he grimaced, imagining all of the creative ways William could keep them apart. This is such a mess... Why did he have to show up!

After a while, Crow made it back to the clearing. It was strangely quiet without the other two around. He sat against a tree and looked over the camp, finding the silence to be disturbing rather than peaceful. He wished he had some way to know how their conversation was going. The stress of not knowing was eating him alive.

Unable to sit still any longer, he got up again and picked up his bow, busying himself by shooting at a tree as he waited for William and Penelope to return.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope watched Crow as he left, letting out a soft sigh. She didn't know how she was going to handle William and now, she had to do it completely alone. Shifting her gaze back over to the older knight, she took in a steeling breath. She might not have to fight him in a physical battle but she knew their coming conversation was a battleground nonetheless. William made sure Crow was gone before his gaze narrowed back in on Penelope.

"Why are you disgracing yourself with him?" He demanded, searching Penelope face for clues. He's acting like this is an interrogation.. She thought bitterly.

"I love him." She responded bluntly. William blinked in surprise and wrinkled his nose in disgust.

"You've got to be kidding me! He's a criminal. The only thing he's good for is rotting in a prison cell." William snorted and shook his head.

"He's not just a criminal damn it." She told him sharply, feeling her own anger begin to bubble up. "If you were able to form your own opinions about people rather than just relying on what the king or law says like some kind of obedient dog, maybe you'd be able to see that. He's a good man."

"Good man my ass." William snarled, his anger rose again with Penelope's insult. "He's stolen and broken the law. He's known for lying and being untrustworthy! He's clearly just manipulating you. Gods, Penelope, how can you be so naive!"

"I'm not naive and he's not manipulating me, William."

"Oh yeah?" William took a challenging step towards Penelope. "It seems to me you didn't learn a thing from your experience with Cedric. He was just a knight but he played you like an instrument from what I heard."

Penelope's confidence suddenly faltered. She averted her gaze and clenched her fist at her side as she recalled the only other man she had been with. "He was just another greedy nobleman that looked down on me as soon as he realized I didn't have the money he was after. It's not the same." She growled.

"He might not be after your money but he's after something. To make a mockery of knights or maybe he just wanted someone to entertain him. You've bought into his lies so much that you think it's love." A look of disappointment flashed across his expression as he looked down at her. "You were a good knight, Penelope. It's time to come back to your sense and start acting like one again."

William's anger nearly seemed to begin to fade as he thought he was getting through to her and even moved to place a firm hand on her shoulder. It'd be a lie to say that she remained completely unshaken by his words, mainly because of the bad memory they had stirred. Stop it.. Stop comparing them... He's nothing like Cedric. Penelope chided the tiny voice in the back of her mind that seemed to echo nothing but doubts. She tugged her shoulder away from William and took a step back. She glared up at him.

"Enough! You're wrong about him and you're wrong about me. He isn't lying and the only fool here is you." She snarled.

"So you're just going to turn your back on everything? And for what, him?" William snapped, his anger quickly returning. "You'll be the biggest disgrace in your whole family! All that work you've done will be worth nothing. I can't even imagine how your father will react."

"Me neither." Penelope admitted with a soft sigh. She lifted her gaze and smirked a little. "The thing is William, I started out as the biggest disgrace in my family when I was born. So to answer all your questions, yes. For him, I will."

"I'll stop you. I bet I can even get him to admit that this is all just a game to him."

"You can try." Penelope shrugged. Her gaze hardened into a cold glare. "But don't you dare harm him. You'll have more to worry about than just me hurt your pride as a knight." She warned venomously. The female knight pushed past him, signaling that she was done with their conversation for now. Though her last words had been cold and confident, she was truly flooded with worry. She mainly feared what William would do to keep them apart but his words has also left her with unnerving thoughts of how her father would react when he found out and bad memories that seemed tempted to loosen her trust in Crow. Penelope picked up her pace as she headed for the camp, vaguely aware of William following her. She just wanted to get back to Crow, desperate for a reminder that things for them would be alright.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow reached over his shoulder to grab another arrow, but his fingers brushed only air. He had emptied his quiver. He lowered his bow, breathing heavily from the exertion of loosing so many arrows. His arm ached, but he welcomed the pain because it distracted him from thinking about Penelope. He glanced towards the side of the forest where she and William were still out talking somewhere, hoping they would come back soon so he could finally know what had happened.

Intent on focusing on something else, he turned to look at the tree he had been shooting at. The trunk was riddled with arrows at varying heights and depths. Setting down his weapon, he stepped forward and began collecting all of the arrows to return them to the quiver. He gripped the first one by the shaft and pulled hard until it came loose from the tree. These arrows had penetrated the target deeper than the other times he had practiced, though he wasn’t sure if it was because he was getting better with the bow or he was merely fueled by his frustration.

He continued gathering them until all of the arrows had been returned to the quiver. However, just as he was putting the last one away, he heard the sound of a twig snapping just outside of the clearing. Heart racing with nervous excitement, he looked up to see that Penelope had come back. And she was alone.

Without thinking, he dropped the quiver of arrows and hurried over to her, wrapping his arms around her and pressing a kiss to her lips. He pulled back to meet her gaze and noticed that she seemed upset. That’s not good, he frowned, brushing her hair out of her face. “Are you okay?” he asked her concernedly. “What did he say to you?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope melted into his arms as he embraced her. She closed her eyes tightly as he kissed her. She was about to press deeper into the kiss when he pulled way. The knight shifted her gaze away at his question and let out a soft sigh. "I'm alright." she assured him, meeting his gaze once again. She let out a soft exhale and leaned her head against his chest.

She paused as she thought about how to answer his second question. She wanted to leave out certain details, mainly because she didn't want to admit to him that William had shaken her slightly. However, she didn't want to lie to him. The knight was worried that if she explained everything he'd think that she actually doubted him and she didn't want that. "He probably said everything you would expect him to. All the 'he's a criminal and you're disgracing everyone'. Oh and of course he made sure to try and convince me that you're just using me for some reason." Penelope explained to him. She shifted slightly in his arms. "And he brought up my family too of course."

Penelope pressed closer to Crow and frowned a little. "We certainly didn't reach any understanding though.. He's still pissed." She mumbled. Knowing things would get more difficult once William returned, she leaned in to press a passionate kiss to his lips. It helped spark a bit more determination in her to take on whatever William threw at them. As long as they could avoid an actual fight, Penelope regained confidence that they'd be able to handle this new situation. She pulled back and gave Crow a small smile.

"I think that's enough." William snapped as he stepped back into the clearing. Penelope glanced over her shoulder to see the older knight still fuming with anger as he glared over at them. She paused, seeming to debate moving, before she finally took a very small step back from Crow.

[Rogue Sloth]

Though Penelope said she was okay, Crow wasn’t sure if she was being completely honest with him. When he had seen her face a moment ago, she had looked pretty upset. He held her tightly and rubbed one hand down and up her back as she pressed against his chest, listening to her go on about what William had said to her. He knew she loved him, but her words sent a flutter of nervousness through his heart. It sounded like William had brought up some valid points, ones that he was concerned about as well.

While he knew he wasn’t trying to manipulate her, he was also aware that by being with her, he was causing her to risk everything she had. He wasn’t just a criminal; he was the most wanted thief in the Kingdom of Brerra. There would be no hiding that when they got back. If she stayed with him, it was only a matter of time before someone found out they were together and told her family. In fact, William probably intended to do so, himself, now that he had caught them. It may have already been too late to save her reputation.

He looked down at her, wanting to reassure her somehow, but not sure what to say. However, he didn’t need to say anything at all, because in the next moment, she leaned up and kissed him again. Closing his eyes, he met her lips with equal passion, letting go of his fears as they pressed into each other. When she pulled back again, he returned her smile, feeling a little better now. She said she wants to be with me no matter what, he reminded himself. I should stop feeling so guilty. This was both of our decision.

“I think that’s enough.”

Crow looked up to see that William had returned to the clearing, his face scrunched in anger at the sight of the two of them kissing again. Feeling a pang of annoyance, the thief returned his glare. He held his ground without moving, unwilling to give in to the knight. It was too late to go back now. William already knew they were together, so there was no point in pretending like they weren’t. If he didn’t like it, then that was his problem.

Suddenly, he felt Penelope move in his arms, taking a step back from him. He glanced down at her in surprise, wondering why she was giving the older knight what he wanted. It wasn’t like he could do anything to stop them, after all. She had no reason to comply.

“As for you,” William’s eyes hardened as he met Crow’s gaze. He moved towards him, and the thief stepped back, uncomfortable with the lack of distance between them. “You may have fooled her, but I will not be so easily tricked,” the knight went on in a threateningly quiet tone. “I don’t know what sort of game you’re playing, thief, but believe me, you’re not going to get away with it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Crow curled his lip. He averted his gaze and forced himself to take a calming breath. He knew that William was just trying to get a rise out of him by getting in his face, but it was hard not to let the man get under his skin.

“Please,” William spat, noticing that the thief was struggling to keep a handle on his temper. “You really expect me to believe a low life like you would pursue a knight without an ulterior motive?” He stepped even closer before going on. “So what is it? Do you think you’re going to make a mockery of knights somehow? Or is it something pettier, like trying to ruin her name?”

Crow flinched despite himself at the last accusation, and William smirked, seeming to think he had found a lead.

“I see,” the knight purred. “You know you’re never going anywhere in society, so you just want to drag her down with you. How pathetic.”

“Shut up,” Crow muttered, narrowing his eyes at him warningly. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides, trembling slightly as he fought to hold back from swinging at the knight.

“You’re never going to get away with it,” William prodded. “As soon as her father catches wind of this little romance, he’s going to have you arrested so fast, you won’t even know what happened.”

“Shut up,” Crow repeated, a bit louder this time.

“And you won’t just go back to prison this time,” William smirked cruelly. “Oh no. I’m sure he’ll have you hanged for disgracing his daughter.”

Unable to hold back any longer, Crow threw a punch at the knight’s face. However, William was prepared for the attack. He caught hold of the thief’s wrist, pulling him sharply to the side and twisting his arm behind his back to restrain him. “I should break your arm for that,” he growled.

“I’d like to see you try,” Crow challenged. In an attempt to break free of William’s grip, he drove his heel into the knight’s foot. Instead of releasing him, however, William just grunted and twisted the thief’s arm further behind his back, causing him to bite his tongue to keep from crying out in pain.

“Miserable wretch,” William snarled. “Don’t forget your place.” He turned to Penelope. “Do you still say he’s a good man? You saw the look on his face when I accused him. He’s just using you for his own selfish ambitions, Penelope! I cannot allow you to throw everything away just to be manipulated by some heartless criminal.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope tensed as William moved towards Crow. Given William's history with the thief, it was needless to say she didn't trust him. Especially since he was trying to get a rise out of Crow. Unsure what to do, she stood back and glared at William as he continued on about Crow having ulterior motives. What did catch the knight slightly off guard was when she saw Crow flinch at William's words. She blinked. Why did he flinch? She couldn't help but wonder, feeling a bit of worry build up.

She faltered as William brought up her father again. Her heartbeat quickened anxiously at the thought of William's threats to Crow. The knight wanted to say he was wrong and that they'd be fine but the truth was she doubted her father would react much better than William. Penelope lowered her head slightly as she averted her gaze. In the next moment, Crow suddenly swung at William and Penelope hesitated, unsure what to do. Her gaze flickered away from Crow as William turned to her again.

"Stop this." Penelope growled, moving forward to shove the older knight away from Crow. William released the thief from his grip as he stepped back, glaring at Penelope. Her fists were clenched at her side, nearly looking ready to strike the knight herself. She moved to stand by Crow as she glared at her comrade.

"The only reason you even care about all this is just because he's a criminal. You're just concerned about some stupid reputation. You call me naive but you're blinded by your own pride!" She spat crossing her arms.

"I'm trying to save you from being humiliated by this criminal." William snorted. "He couldn't even deny it when I caught onto him!"

Penelope began to opened her mouth to protest his words but hesitated. She gave an annoyed look and shook her head. "I'd argue with you but I'd be wasting my breath... Look it's getting late and we still have a mission to finish. So unless you'd prefer to stay up all night fighting about this, I'd recommend that we get some sleep and you can wake me up when it's my watch." She grumbled.

William paused. His anger didn't fade and for a moment, Penelope nearly thought he'd deny her advice. "Fine." He growled. He shot Crow a hateful look. "But don't think this is over thief."

[Rogue Sloth]

As soon as William loosened his grip on him, Crow slipped out of his grasp and moved to stand at a distance where the knight couldn’t reach him. He rolled his shoulders, grimacing in discomfort as his right arm, the one William had pinned, smarted in response to the motion. He was glad that it hadn’t been dislocated, but he could tell that he was going to feel it in the morning.

While Penelope and William argued, he stood back to listen from a safe distance in case the older knight tried to go after him again. Fortunately, it seemed like William’s anger had cooled off enough that he was finished fighting with them for now. At his final threat, Crow rolled his eyes, “You’re wasting your time. For once in my life, I’m not lying.”

“You keep saying that,” the knight glared at him. “But you already slipped up once tonight, thief. It won’t be long before you do it again, and when that happens, I’ll be there.” With that, he turned to take up a watch on the far side of the camp, signaling that he was finished with their conversation.

Once the knight was out of ear shot, Crow sighed and turned to Penelope. He reached to put and arm around her shoulders to hold her close to his side. Her touch calmed him, and he needed to relax after getting so riled up. For a while, he said nothing as he focused on letting go of the tension that had built up inside of him.

He was partly frustrated with himself for letting William get to him. It was the second time now. Normally, he prided himself on staying above petty fights, but the man had a way of saying all the right things to make him lose his temper. It was infuriating, but even more so than that, he hated that the things he had said were true. If he stayed with Penelope, he was inevitably going to drag her down with him. What sort of life was that for her when another man could give her everything she could ever want? Was love by itself really a good enough reason for them to be together? His ever-present doubts began to pull more strongly at his heart.

Having calmed down from the fight, he looked down at Penelope and offered an apologetic smile, “I’m sorry about that, love. He just knows exactly what to say to get under my skin.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope gave a soft sigh of relief as William moved off to the far side of the clearing. Her gaze shifted over to Crow as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and held her close. She leaned into him and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to push away the worries that William had given her. Normally, it worked and she found comfort in his touch. However, these worries weren't easily shaken. The thought of her father hunting down Crow after he learned about them reminded her of the nightmare she had before. It made the knight shudder to think there might come a day when she'd have to go against her own father to keep Crow safe. Not to mention that he might be the one to use her as a trap for the thief. Penelope couldn't help but wonder if Crow was really ready to risk such a thing. He had assured her that he wanted her with him at the time but Penelope feared that in the future, he might come to regret that.

And why did he flinch? Penelope looked up at him as he smiled down at her. She wanted to ask him. She wanted to hear him say it was nothing. However, she couldn't bring herself to ask. Part of her feared the answer while the other part feared that he'd be hurt she didn't trust him enough. The knight forced a small smile back at him. "It's alright. I wanted to punch him too." She mumbled, glancing at William before her gaze focused back on Crow.

"Well, at least we don't have to worry about try and hiding now." Penelope muttered, not sounding as optimistic as her words. She moved to take Crow's hand. "Come on, we should get some sleep." She lead the way over to the grassy patch. She supposed one positive to the situation was that they didn't have to hide, which meant she could sleep besides him again. Her heart felt heavy as she was still rather upset but she hid it under a mask of calmness.

Her gaze shifted over to Crow as she let go of his hand and moved to lay down. She was nearly tempted to speak to him about what she was feeling but fear kept her mouth shut. If I'm a fool... then please just let me be a fool a little longer... She thought as her gaze shifted up to the darkening sky above.

[Rogue Sloth]

“That’s true,” Crow nodded when she said they wouldn’t have to hide anymore. They would probably still need to get away from William if they wanted to talk or be together in private, but he was glad that they didn’t have to pretend to just be acquaintances in front of the knight anymore. Maybe, with time, William would even get used to seeing them together and stop making bitter comments. He hoped so. The fight that had happened that night could have been much worse, and he didn’t know how much more prodding he could take.

He followed Penelope to the patch of grass as she said they should get some sleep. When they reached it, he laid down beside her and slipped his arm around her waist to hold her close to himself. Though he was relieved to have her beside him again, sleep didn’t come easily. His mind raced, filled with countless worries about the future. In Younis, they hadn’t needed to concern themselves with all of the barriers between them, but it wouldn’t be long before they reached Brerra and all of those barriers would come slamming down.

Now that William knew about them, any hope that they might have had to keep their relationship a secret from Penelope’s family and the other nobles was gone. The knight had made it perfectly clear that he intended to tell her father about them, and that was going to bring an entirely new wave of problems that the thief had never thought much about. He usually concerned himself with Penelope’s future, but now he was beginning to fear for himself as well.

If what William had said was true, he would need to be even more careful when he returned to the outer villages. He had only worried about his current enemies finding out about Penelope and trying to use his love for her against him. He hadn’t considered the possibility that John would hear about them and send knights from the inner kingdom to capture him. The wrath of an angry father was a beast he didn’t want to poke.

Unable to free himself from the thoughts that ravaged his head, Crow nestled closer to Penelope in the hopes that her presence beside him would help him find peace. Unfortunately, despite how exhausted he was from the events of the day, he still couldn’t sleep. Shifting restlessly, he let out his breath in a long sigh. Please, just let this night be over quickly…

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope closed her eyes as she felt Crow wrap his arms around her. It was nice to be able to lay besides him again and she had missed it but she found the moment to feel more bittersweet than anything else. She tried to push away the bothersome thoughts that seemed determined to keep her awake. Focusing on the tiredness that had built up since the night before, she eventually managed to drift off into a light sleep.

--

The sound of approaching footsteps stirred the knight from her light slumber. William had walked over to wake her up for her watch and now paused as he noticed she was already awake. His gaze remained cold as he looked down at her and Crow before giving a snort. As Penelope slipped away from Crow, William marched off to the far side of the clearing to lay down for the night.

The female knight sighed and stood up. She walked off to the edge of the clearing and leaned back against a nearby tree. Normally she found her watches peaceful, as she was able to organize her thoughts and clear her mind. However, this time her mind was a cluttered mess and no quiet forest night could help her with that. Her mind buzzed as she swept her gaze over the forest. Eventually her green eyes traveled over to Crow and she couldn't help but frown.

With the others asleep, she didn't bother to hide any emotion and let an upset expression take over her face. She ran a hand through her hair and looked back out into the forest. She thought about how her father would react and the danger she'd be putting Crow in by being with him. Could she really do that to him? Even if he didn't end up getting caught, surely the amount of obstacles would eventually make him resent her. Perhaps he didn't think about that before we he said he'd have me.. She thought.

He might still be able to get out of that kind of trouble. She thought as her gaze shifted over to William. I can act like I decided to end things and William will likely keep his mouth shut about us. It'll be like he never even knew me once he got back to the outer villages.. Penelope felt her throat tighten with sadness. She tried to push it away as she averted her gaze to the ground. I have to act fast though.. At the rate William and Crow are going, William might build up enough hatred for him to actually say something at the end of the trip..

She took in a deep breath as she tried to assure herself it was for the best. If it was what he choose, he'd be safer and they'd both have their old lifes to go back to. Tomorrow... I'll figure out a way to make time to tell him tomorrow.. Penelope told herself firmly despite the aching of her heart in her chest. She just hoped she could muster up the courage to do it. She watched the sky in silence as night began to give away into morning and glanced at the other two, knowing she'd have to wake them soon.

Collecting herself, Penelope began to make her way over to Crow, bending down to place a hand on his shoulder to wake him up. "Time to get up."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow eventually managed to drift off to sleep, though he couldn’t remember when it had happened. One moment, he was laying on the ground with Penelope in his arms, and the next, he felt warm sunlight on his face and someone’s hand on his shoulder to wake him up. He sat up and blinked against the light, disoriented from his fitful sleep. After a moment, he slowly realized that Penelope was the one standing over him. He yawned and looked up at her, about to greet her but then pausing as the events from the day before came back to him.

Everything is confusing now, he lowered his gaze. He wished William had never found and confronted them. It was all so much simpler when they were in their own world, ignoring all of the problems of the future. Now, with someone on the outside to bring up the barriers they were going to face, he felt like he was being constricted.

Forcing himself to meet Penelope’s eyes, he offered a tired smile and greeted her as he was already going to, “Morning.” He didn’t want Penelope to know how torn he was feeling. He didn’t want her to worry about him or think that he was having second thoughts about their relationship.

Would she really be wrong though? a disdainful voice whispered in the back of his mind. He swallowed. As much as he wished it wasn’t true, the problems that had come up the day before were tempting him to run from it all. It had always been his first instinct to leave whenever he encountered difficult situations.

But this is different, he tried to reassure himself. I love her. I can’t leave just because I don’t want to deal with the repercussions of being with her. Besides, going on without her would be so much worse than dealing with a few more knights. The thought gave him renewed confidence that he was making the right decision. He just needed to focus on how terrible it would be to go back to his old life without her by his side rather than the troubles that were going to come from being with her. He sighed. Even though his old life was lonely, it had been a lot simpler than what he was going through now. I’ve gotten myself into quite the mess, haven’t I?

Standing up from the ground, he stretched and gathered his things, heading over to join the knights as they prepared for the next leg of their journey. He naturally gravitated to Penelope’s side and reached to take her hand. “How did you sleep?” he asked quietly, keeping his voice down so William wouldn’t hear him. Judging by the fact that his night hadn’t been the greatest, he guessed that she probably hadn’t slept much better, and he wanted to see how she was feeling.

[BuzzingBee]

"Good morning." Penelope greeted returning his smile, trying to ignore the pause he had before greeting her. He's still thinking about yesterday too... She realized before she turned away from him to go wake up William. Looking down at the older knight, she felt her frustration with the situation build up slightly. She gave his boot a soft kick and crossed her arms as she watched the older knight jolt awake.

He narrowed his gaze up at her as he slowly got up. William grumbled something under his breath about her rudeness before moving to get the horses ready. She let out a sigh and followed him over to help. She began to get ready to leave when Crow stepped up besides her. She turned her head to look over at the thief as he took her hand.

"I slept alright." She sighed and gave a small shrug. It had been a rough night but Penelope didn't want to discuss it too much. At least, not yet. I should enjoy this day while I can. She told herself, feeling a small yet bittersweet spark of determination. Putting on a soft smile, she met his haze and gave his hand a comforting squeeze. She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"Can we get moving already?" William growled as he mounted his horse.

Penelope pulled back to shoot the older knight an annoyed look at first before smirking. "Sure." She mused before getting up onto the horse and then helping Crow up besides her. She looked over at William with almost amused expression as the older knight glared at them as he tried to figure out a way to separate them. Finally he gave up with a sharp huff and turned to begin to ride onward.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow just nodded when Penelope said she had slept alright. From the tone of her voice, he could tell that her night must not have been much better than his. He wanted to talk to her and find out if she had changed her mind about being with him after listening to William’s criticisms the day before, but there wasn’t time for that at the moment, since the older knight was standing nearby and they needed to keep moving soon. He felt slightly more at ease when she squeezed his hand, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed between them. Whatever it was, he didn’t like it.

He met her lips when she kissed him, shooting William another glare when the knight curtly insisted on leaving. As if they didn’t have enough to worry about already, it looked like William was planning to stand between them as often as he could. It was going to be especially annoying to be around him for the remaining part of the trip.

I wish I had socked him when I had the chance, he shook his head.

Crow stood aside as Penelope mounted the horse and then took her hand to climb up after her. He adjusted himself so that he was sitting comfortably behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle. Already, he could feel the effects of his lack of sleep. With that in addition to the swaying of the horse and the comfort of having her beside him, it was going to be even more difficult for him to stay awake than the day before.

“When we get to the edge of the forest, you and I should go to the market to buy what we need,” he suggested, wanting to talk about anything that would take his mind off of how tired he was. “William has the accent mostly down, but it isn’t perfect yet, and I’d rather not risk sending him into a crowd of Younisians that might notice his mistakes.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope felt a small wave of tiredness sweep over her as she rode. She was nearly tempted to lean back into Crow and close her eyes for a little bit. However, she knew that wasn't the brightest idea and tried to fight off the sleepiness she felt as she focused her gaze ahead. She glanced over her shoulder as Crow spoke, glad to have the distraction to keep her awake.

"Alright." She nodded her head in agreement. Her gaze focused on William and she let out a soft sigh. "It's going to be even worse trying to teach him the accent now.." She muttered. It seemed that William's discovery and disapproval of their relationship would affect their journey back in more ways than one. While his words put a strain on them personally, his actions would make the rest of the trip difficult as well. I can't imagine getting into a fight now. She thought worriedly. At least before the older knight seemed to tolerate Crow better than before. However, that was clearly gone and it only meant it'd be harder to rely on each other in such a situation.

"Well, at least we'll get some time away from him at the market." She told Crow, leaning her back against him slightly. At her own words, she considered using that time together at the market to bring up the doubts she had. However, the idea didn't sit well with the knight, mainly because she had been hoping to push it off until the end of the day. I still can.. She thought with a glance up to the sky. I'll just get us away from William when we stop for the night and that's when I'll bring everything up to him.

The female knight closed her eyes tightly, wishing there was a way to buy more time despite understanding that she needed to bring everything up to him. However, with William being the way he was, she feared that waiting too long would cause the older knight to not back down from telling people about them, mainly her father, if it meant getting back at Crow.

[Rogue Sloth]

“He knows enough that he should be able to keep practicing on his own,” Crow said hopefully when Penelope pointed out that it would be more difficult to teach him the accent now. In all honesty, he hoped that William knew enough so he wouldn’t have to face him again. After everything that had happened the day before, he couldn’t even stand to so much as look at the knight, let alone try to have a decent conversation with him. He was confident that if they argued again, it wasn’t going to end well. And for the sake of keeping their heads down, it wouldn’t be good if they got into another fight while they were in the town.

Crow hugged Penelope to himself when she leaned into his chest. “Thank the gods,” he sighed, resting his chin on her shoulder. While he was glad that they would be alone because it meant he wouldn’t have to be around William, the thief was also hoping they would have a chance to talk about whatever it was that was happening between them. Even though he was afraid of what she might say, he didn’t like sitting around and pretending like everything was fine when there was now so much that they had to discuss.

She’s acting like she still wants to be with me, he glanced at her curiously. If she had changed her mind, wouldn’t she be trying to put more distance between us to make it easier? The thought gave him a little more hope and he tightened his embrace around her. Maybe he was worrying for nothing. Maybe William’s words hadn’t gotten to her like they had gotten to him. And I’ve already made up my mind, he took a calming breath as his heart skipped nervously in his chest. It won’t be easy… but I’d rather have a hard life with her than a simple life alone.

He kissed her softly on the cheek and closed his eyes, trying to rest without fully sleeping until they reached the town. After all, it might turn out to be a long stop, and he wanted to be awake for whatever was going to happen.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope smiled as Crow rested his chin on her shoulder. Though things seemed to be uncertain between them, she was glad he wasn't already trying to distance himself from her. It meant that she could at least try to enjoy the day. However, his actions made her unsure what he was currently thinking about their situation. He had clearly been affected by William's words but the female knight had trouble figuring out which ones specifically.

She glanced over at him affectionately as he kissed her cheek before she focused back ahead. They rode on quietly for a while and Penelope honestly found some peace in the quiet as it seemed to make time slow down, if only slightly. It wasn't long before the end of the forest came into amongst the thinning tree line and she peered ahead into the town. It seemed lively and busy despite the distance so she guessed that it'd be rather easy to fine the market. As they came into a clearing, Penelope slowed her horse to a stop.

"Let's stop here." She told William. William glanced towards the town then nodded his head in agreement. Penelope slipped off of her horse and waited for Crow to do the same before tying the stallion up. Her gaze flickered over to William. "Crow and I will go into the town to get all the supplies we need. You'll have to stay here."

"Why would I let you go alone with him?" William challenged as he narrowed his eyes on the thief. "You wait here and I'll go."

"Now see, that might have worked if you had taken the time to learn the accent better before." Penelope snorted. William flinched slightly. "So unless you want to risk getting caught, I suggest you stay here until we get back."

William glared at her, reluctant to agree with her words. Unable to come up with anything else, he grumbled in agreement before moving away from them. "Just don't take too long." He growled.

Penelope rolled her eyes and then turned back to look over at Crow. She let out a quiet sigh and moved to take his hand. "Ready to go?"

[Rogue Sloth]

As the horse finally slowed to a stop, Crow lifted his head and blinked tiredly. Even though he had managed not to fall asleep during the ride to the town, he had let his mind go blank for the majority of it in order to rest. It left him feeling a little more rejuvenated mentally, but his body still nearly ached with exhaustion. He hoped they would find somewhere to stop for the night a little earlier this time so he could catch up on the sleep he had been missing.

After waiting for Penelope to climb down, he followed after her. He hit the ground a little clumsily due to his weariness, but managed not to stumble. Stretching his arms over his head, he looked around to see that they had come to the edge of a bustling town. With so many people in the streets, there was bound to be a marketplace nearby. He cast Penelope a sideways glance, wondering if she was hoping to use their time alone to talk too. After all, it was a good opportunity since William couldn’t come to interrupt while they were surrounded by Younisians.

He took her hand and grinned, excited to have some time alone with her after being practically stalked by William. “Ready as always,” he said, giving her hand a tug as he started walking towards the town. From behind, he could hear William harrumph in disapproval. He looked back over his shoulder to shoot the knight a victorious smirk before taking the lead to guide Penelope with him onto the nearest street. He knew he had probably only irritated William more in doing so, but it gave him satisfaction to know that he had gotten under his skin. It was petty, but the thief could be a petty man sometimes. It was just his nature to be obstinate.

Once they had put some distance between themselves and William, Crow glanced at Penelope again. He wanted to ask her the questions that had been weighing on his mind, but he was suddenly nervous. Despite feeling sure that she still wanted to be with him during the ride, doubts were beginning to surface. What if she had just been trying to be nice to him because she knew he loved her? What if she still loved him, but not enough to sacrifice everything after all? He didn’t know what to expect anymore.

After a while of silence, he finally worked up the nerve to speak. “So, about what William said,” he cleared his throat uncomfortably and averted his gaze. “Did it… did it change anything for you?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope smiled as they began to head off towards the town. She felt a bit of excitement stir in her as he seemed so eager to head off into the town. She followed him onto the nearest street and began to look around for the marketplace. With how busy the streets were, she didn't doubt that it would be nearby. She barely even noticed that a silence had fallen between the two. As he finally broke the silence, Penelope faltered at his words.

She looked over at him to see that he had averted his gaze and she felt her heart sink. It must have changed something for him. The knight thought with a pang of sadness. That had to be it. It was just leading up to the answer she had figured was coming anyways. This wasn't good. She didn't want it all to come to a halt yet, especially when she had been looking forward to their time away from William's disapproving glare. Her gaze flickered around rapidly as she tried to think of a way to avoid answering him.

"Wha-" She began to say, trying to buy some time. Her gaze landed on merchant stalls in the distance. The market! She thought with relief. "Hey look there's the market!" She said forcing a smile his way and picking up her pace slightly. "Hopefully they have everything we need." She spoke quickly, hoping he'd get distracted with their task of stocking up on supplies.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow stared at Penelope in unbridled surprise when she changed the subject so abruptly. He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting her to say, but it certainly wasn’t ‘there’s the market.’ He frowned. She must have changed her mind after all if she was avoiding his question. I should have known not to expect anything more, he thought as he followed her into the market. Of course she wouldn’t choose to stay with me. All I could do is bring her trouble. It’s better that she goes back to her family and forgets about me.

Though he tried to convince himself that it was all for the best, he couldn’t stop the sinking feeling in his heart. It was just his luck that the one woman he fell in love with happened to be a knight of the king’s army. He wished things had been different, that she had been a peasant or—as much as he loathed the idea—that he had been a noble. He sighed. If only her mother hadn’t died or his father had taken him in, then maybe they would have at least had a chance to make their relationship work. But, alas, he was still a thief, and she was still a knight. It had been foolish to ever think they could overcome such a wide gap in status.

Wanting to distract himself from his depressing thoughts, Crow began to look over the wares of the merchants they passed in search of the supplies they needed. He spotted a man selling saddlebags and indicted him to Penelope, “Look, that’s one thing off the list.” He glanced down at her and then looked away again, biting his tongue. He hated how businesslike his tone was, but it was hard for him to be carefree when he knew she was planning to end things between them. He wished she would just get it over with so he could let go of any part of himself that still hoped she would stay with him.

“Let’s get what we need and go,” he said mirthlessly, guiding her through the crowd towards the merchant. “I’m tired, so I want to get to the next resting point before sundown.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope looked around the market, keeping an eye out for the supplies they needed but she also used it as a way to avoid looking at Crow. She feared he'd bring up the topic again if she met his gaze. When he finally spoke up to point her in the direction of the merchant with saddlebags, the knight flinched slightly at how serious his tone sounded. He had seemed happy to get away from William when they had left but now it sounded like he wanted to make the trip as fast as possible. She frowned to herself as she followed him over to the merchant.

Was he that eager to end it? She wondered, sneaking a glance over at the thief. Or perhaps that was just to get under William's skin. Her chest felt hollow at the thought that his eagerness had been merely to piss off the older knight rather than actually looking forward to their time together. As her thoughts began to spiral, she became less aware of the world around her, barely even noticing when they had reached the merchant. Perhaps Crow's actions were because of something else. The knight faltered as she thought about how he had reacted to William's accusations again. Whatever it is, he's mad at me for changing the subject.

Damnit! I just wanted one more day! She clenched her fists tightly at her side. Emotions swirled uneasily inside of her. Heartache over Crow's decision, doubt towards his intentions, and frustration over her inability to get a grip on both herself and her thoughts.

"Is she ok?" The merchant asked quietly as he leaned over to speak with Crow. Penelope lifted her gaze to see the man eying her with some concern.

Realizing her eyes had grown watery, she quickly wiped a hand over them, hoping to avoid any tears running down her cheeks, before she shot a defensive glare at the merchant. "I'm fine." She snapped. Penelope flinched at her own voice and averted her gaze to the ground. "Sorry.." She mumbled meekly before turning and taking a few steps away from the stand. The knight turned her back to Crow and the merchant as she took in a deep breath, trying to collect herself.