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

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow approached the merchant’s stand and began looking over his goods. All of his interest in staying in the marketplace with Penelope was gone now that he was certain she had changed her mind. He wasn’t mad at her about that—it was perfectly understandable that she would choose not to give up everything to be with a thief—but he was frustrated that she was waiting so long to end things between them. He couldn’t just keep going about the day pretending like everything was fine when he knew what was coming. It was too painful. Part of him even toyed with the idea of ending it himself, just so he would have closure, but he couldn’t bring himself to do that either.

“Is she okay?”

He was so lost in thought that he almost didn’t hear the merchant’s question. He blinked and looked up at the man confusedly, wondering what he was talking about. In the next moment, he heard Penelope’s sharp response from beside him, and he turned to her in surprise. He opened his mouth to remind her not to draw attention to them, but then stiffened when he saw the tears in her eyes. A wave of sorrow washed over him as he realized she was probably having just as hard of a time with her decision as he was. He needed to get her out of the crowd.

“Would you excuse us?” he nodded apologetically to the merchant and walked up beside Penelope, pressing a hand to her back to usher her away from the stands. “Come on,” he said softly. “We’re going somewhere quieter.”

After doing a quick search of the area, Crow spotted an alleyway around a corner that was clear of people. He took Penelope’s hand and led her towards it, walking briskly in order to get away from the marketplace faster. Once they were out of sight, he let go of her hand and turned to face her, feeling another pang of sadness upon gazing at her face. Wanting to comfort her, he gathered her into his arms, pressing her head against his chest as he held her. Though he wanted to get closure, he felt it would be cruel to force her to talk to him while she was so emotional. So instead, he simply held her without speaking.

After a while, he pulled back to step out of her grasp, letting out his breath slowly as he braced himself for what was to come. “Penelope… we really need to talk,” he began and then paused, searching for words. “I don’t know why you’re trying to put it off, but I can’t take it anymore. The waiting is killing me.” He raked his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes. “Please, just make this easier on both of us and say it already.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope glanced up at Crow as he began to guide her away from the busy streets. She frowned a little and followed him in silence, knowing that once they got out of the street he would bring up their future. Her gaze lowered to the ground and she tried to recover from her emotional moment as they stepped into the alley way. Her gaze flickered up to him as he let go of her hand and turned to face her. The knight braced herself but instead of words, he wrapped his arms around her. She closed her eyes as she pressed against him and wrapped her arms around him

For a moment, she nearly thought he wasn't going to bring it up but that hope was quickly shattered as he finally pulled away. She averted her gaze as he said they needed to speak and felt a small stab of guilt as her attempt to push the subject away was bothering him. Penelope lifted her gaze over to him, looking a little confused by his final words as she thought it was strange he wanted her to say it rather than telling her himself.

The knight let out a small sigh and lowered her gaze to the ground. "Alright.." She mumbled, finally giving in since she could no longer avoid him. "William is right about one thing... If I go with you, I'll just bring you more trouble. I can't say how my father will react but what William said probably isn't too far off," She frowned and wrapped her arms around herself tightly. "I'm too much of a risk for you and you want to end things. And I get it. You'll be in more danger than before and I'd rather you be safe than sorry." Penelope let out a shaky breath. "I'm sorry I was trying to avoid it. I just wanted one more day before we ended things.."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow’s heart sank as Penelope began to speak. While he was the one who had pushed her to admit that she was planning to end things between them, he still dreaded to hear the words come out of her mouth. He tried to remind himself that it was for the best, that she would be better off without him, but now that the moment had finally come, it was hard for him to focus on the logic over the pain. He opened his eyes again and forced himself to hold her gaze, not wanting to come off as weak or desperate when she told him she was done.

However, as he stood there listening, her words caught him by surprise. He frowned in confusion. She thinks I want to end it too? When she finished speaking, he hesitated for a moment, unsure what to think. The conversation certainly hadn’t gone the way he had been expecting it to go. He had been sure she would tell him that she couldn’t lose her family’s respect or give up her position as a knight to be with him, but instead it sounded like she was more concerned for his sake than her own. Maybe she just wants me to not think her selfish? he wondered. Either way, he wanted to know that she was making this decision because she wanted to, and not just because she thought he was afraid for his own safety.

“Penelope,” he shifted his weight. “I appreciate your concern, but you don’t have to do this. I know that if you stay with me, I’m going to be the catalyst that destroys everything you’ve built for yourself. William was right, but he was right that I’m going to ruin your name when we get back to Brerra.” He winced at the thought. “As soon as word gets out that you’re with me, I don’t know what will happen, but I do know that it can’t be good. I love you too much to be the man who makes you lose everything.”

He smiled at her melancholically, “You’d be better off with someone who will help you rise up rather than a criminal who will just drag you down. So, please… just say that this is what you want. I need to hear it so I can let you go.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope felt her throat tighten as he said her name, figuring he was about to agree with her words and admit that he wanted to end things. However, she was caught off guard as he spoke about his concern for her when they got back to Brerra rather than the danger that she would bring if she stayed with him. The knight blinked in confusion. Wait... Does he think I want to end it? She wondered. She had been so sure that he was just trying to end things but now it seemed to be the complete opposite. Her heart fluttered with a small pang of panic at the realization they both might be making a mistake.

"Wait what? No, no, no," She said and quickly moved to take Crow's hand in hers. "That isn't what I want. That isn't what I want all!" Penelope felt a bit of hope stir in her as she now realized that Crow had been thinking she wanted to end it. "To hell with all that! I-I thought you wanted to end it because of all the trouble I would cause you."

As she thought a little about his words, she began to realize why he had been acting like that after William accused him. His worries were more about her future and decision rather than his own. He seemed convinced that she was too afraid of the damage being with him would do to the life she had lived so far. So that's why he made that expression before too... He felt guilty but not for the reason William thought. Penelope sighed softly, looking a bit relieved. The knight shook her head and held his hand a little tighter in hers as she met his gaze. "I told you before, leaving behind my life will be difficult but it'd be worse to leave you." She gave him a soft smile as she tried to reassure him. "I don't want you feeling guilty about that stuff. I'm losing a lot but not everything.. Collin, I liked my old life and I'll miss parts of it but what I want is you."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow stared at Penelope in shock when she said she didn’t want to end things. So she wasn’t acting strange because she changed her mind. She was afraid because she thought I had changed mine, he sighed. Just like I was. He was relieved that it had all just been a misunderstanding, but he still couldn’t shake his feelings of guilt for causing her so much trouble. She was risking everything to be with him. How could he ask her to do that without feeling at least a little bit bad?

He wavered for a moment as another thought came to him. She was risking a lot to be with him, but wasn’t he doing the same for her? Their situations might have been different, but he was going to be in danger of getting caught again if she stayed with him. Yet he wouldn’t want to lose her just because it would be safer to go home alone. How could he blame himself for making her life more difficult when he knew he preferred that she did the same for him? If she was truly content with giving up her status and family for him, then he had no reason to beat himself up for “dragging her down,” as William had said. It was her decision too.

“Gods, you have no idea how happy I am that you said that,” Crow shook his head and gathered her up in a tight embrace. “And the same goes for me. I know things might get a little more difficult, but I’m willing to take that risk if it means I’ll get to sleep next to you every night.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek and grinned. “I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: I don’t know what I did to deserve a woman like you, love. You’re amazing.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope smiled as Crow pulled her into a tight embrace. She wrapped her arms around him as she pressed against him. Her heart fluttered joyfully at his words. She looked up at him and gave a soft chuckle. "Well it's always nice to hear." She said smiling up at him. Her smile faded into a coy smirk. "Guess I'll have to make sure you always feel that way about me." She added flirtatiously.

She knew that now that they had figured out their issue, they should probably get back to the task at hand of getting what they needed from the market. The longer they took, the more they'd tick off William and take more time away from finding a place to sleep for the night. However, driven both from the joy of finding out she wasn't losing him and the fact that it might be their only time away from William for a while, Penelope wanted to make the most out of it while she could. As impulsive as it was, the knight gained back her previous excitement and desire to make the most of their time alone.

In the next moment, she moved to gently push him up against the alley wall, pressing her body against him to pin him there as she pressed her lips against his in a passionate kiss. She moved one hand to rest against his face while the other trailed down his side to stop at his waist. After a moment, she moved away from his lips and pressed a few kisses along his jawline. She sighed blissfully before pulling back to look up at him. She gave a sheepish smile.

"I guess we should get back to the market. We still haven't gotten anything yet after all." She said with a small chuckle. Despite the reluctance she felt, she took a step away from him so they could head back out into the market once more.

[Rogue Sloth]

“I like the sound of that,” Crow grinned at Penelope’s sordid words. He was glad they had talked and figured out that they were still on the same page after all. It felt good to be so close to her again. He just wished there was some way they could deal with William, since the knight was going to keep breathing down their necks until they got back to Brerra. Now that he was sure she was planning to stay with him even after they returned, he didn’t feel as much pressure to make the most of their time in Younis, but he still wanted to be alone with her sometimes. As long as William was around, that was going to be hard to get away with though.

At least we have right now, he thought.

Suddenly, he felt Penelope push him, and he took a step backwards, unprepared for the force of her motion. His back brushed against cool stone and he blinked in surprise; but after a split second, he realized what she was doing and his startled expression gave way to an amused smirk. He relaxed and allowed her to press him back against the wall, meeting her lips as she leaned in to kiss him and running his hands along her back. Her touch sent his heart racing and he shivered as she trailed one hand down the length of his body.

When she moved away from his mouth, he tilted his chin up to give her access to his jawline. Thrills of excitement shot up his spine, leaving him breathless, and he wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the feeling of her soft lips on his skin. As she finally pulled away from him, he opened his eyes and laughed breathily, “You’re getting better at this.”

Though Penelope had given him room to step away from the wall, Crow took a moment to regain his bearings before he tried to move. Once he felt like he was thinking straight again, he leaned away from the building and reached to take her hand as they walked back towards the market.

As they neared the end of the alley, he turned to her with a grin, “You’re pretty dangerous, you know that? You’re the only person who’s ever been able to make me lose my mind so completely.” He nudged her teasingly. “I’m going to have to watch myself around you.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope looked up at him as he turned to her. She gave a soft laugh at his teasing words. "You'll have to really watch yourself. I picked up on a few tricks from a rather troublesome thief I met." She teased in return as she smirked up at him. "He was quite charming." She gave him a wink before focusing her gaze back on the market. As they stepped out, she began to look around for the supplies they needed. She noticed the merchant with the saddlebags once more but hesitated going over there as she recalled her previous actions.

What had seemed stressful before, made the knight feel a hint of embarrassment now that she knew it had all just been a misunderstanding. Let's maybe give him a while to forget about that.. She thought with a wince. Moving her gaze elsewhere, she spotted a clothing stand. She gave Crow's hand a small tug as she began to make her way over to the other stand. "They'll probably have the cloaks we need." She told him as she stepped over to the stall.

Looking around the clothing there, she finally spotted some cloaks that the merchant had for sale and picked one up before turning to look back to Crow. "Well, this should work, right?" She asked him as she held up the clothing.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow smirked at Penelope’s teasing compliments. The longer they were together, the bolder she was getting with him, and he liked it. Bantering with her was different for him than it was with anyone else because it came from a place of good humor rather than spite. It was nice to have someone who could joke with him without underlying resentment or disgust for his decision to be a thief. Even in the outer villages, his presence rarely elicited anything more than grudging tolerance from the other peasants. He enjoyed being around someone who could look past that part of his life to see him for who he was.

He squeezed her hand fondly as they stepped back into the market, looking over the vendors in search of the supplies they needed. Glancing down at her, he nodded when she began to lead him towards a merchant who was selling various assortments of clothing, “It’s worth taking a look.” He followed her through the crowd until they reached the stand and then helped her search through the wares until she spotted some cloaks.

“Perfect,” he grinned at her after checking to make sure that the cloak she had picked up was hooded. He grabbed two more and flagged down the merchant to purchase them. Once that was done, he turned around to search for the remaining supplies that they needed. He could tell that Penelope was avoiding the vendor with the saddlebags, so he picked out another man who was selling cords of rope among other various items.

“This way,” he said, guiding her through the throng of people once again. At the stand, he selected a length of rope that looked long enough for his purposes and bought it. Turning back to Penelope, he met her gaze searchingly, “The only things we still need are the saddlebags. Do you want me to get them for us by myself?”

[BuzzingBee]

Once they had gotten the cloaks, she followed him over to the merchant selling the ropes. Penelope looked up at him as he brought up the saddlebags. "No, I'll go with you." She said shaking her head. Though her actions had embarrassed her, she certainly wasn't going to let it hold her back from going over there. She moved to continue walking over to the saddlebag place before pausing as a food stand caught her eye. "Wait, let's go over here first, then we can get the saddlebags." She told him.

Changing directions, Penelope headed over to the stall that was selling a variety of food. As she looked around, she picked out some seeds, nuts, fruit and bread. She looked down at all that she had selected, making sure it was enough to last the three for at least a few days, before heading over to the merchant to purchase all of it. Once that was done, she stored most of it away in her bag and then glanced back up at Crow. "Alright, I think we've got enough to last us a while. Hopefully until the end of this journey." She mused as they stepped away from the merchant.

She walked on towards the saddlebag merchant and stepped up to the stall. Penelope flickered her gaze over the bags and noticed that the merchant was making his way over to them. "Ah, you're back! I hope things are well now." He mused with a glance at the female knight. She forced a polite smile his way and gave a small nod before focusing her attention back on the bags.

[Rogue Sloth]

“If you’re sure,” Crow shrugged and walked with Penelope towards the merchant. He glanced at her when she changed directions and followed her lead when she headed to another stand where a vendor was selling various foods. Standing aside, he waited until she had finished selecting and purchasing food that would last during their travels and then rejoined her when she stepped away from the merchant. “I think that’s enough to tide us over as long as we don’t get delayed. But if it’s not, then we can always stop at an inn for a meal or two on our way,” he winked at her wryly. “I’ll never object to an opportunity to eat meat that isn’t poultry while I still have the chance.”

When they arrived at the merchant’s stand, he looked over the saddlebags that the man had on display. Having hardly any experiences with horses, he didn’t really know the differences between them, so he just chose two sets that looked big enough to strategically cover the objects they were trying to smuggle out of Younis. He was just about to look for the vendor in order to make the purchase, but he saw that the man was approaching them instead. He took Penelope’s hand supportively when the merchant referenced her previous outburst.

“Everything is fine,” Crow answered him with a casual shrug. Changing the subject, he went on, “How much for these two saddlebags?” He gestured to the ones he had been looking at.

“Ah, you have a good eye,” the man grinned. “You can’t find saddlebags of this quality in all of Younis. Usually, I would sell them for fifty Tael apiece, but for you, I’ll give both for ninety.”

Crow crossed his arms, contemplating the offer. While he didn’t know much about the product the man was selling, he knew enough about merchants to tell when one was trying to overcharge him. After a moment, he threw in a counteroffer, “That’s a steep price. How about sixty?”

“Sixty?” the merchant snorted, shaking his head. “These are quality bags, my friend. I’m afraid I can’t go a single Tael below eighty.”

“And I’ve got more important supplies to buy for our trip,” Crow lied airily, glancing at another nearby stand as if he was growing disinterested. “But fine. I’ll give you seventy Tael for both.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” the merchant shrugged. “I stand at eighty.”

“Well then, I’m afraid we’ll have to take our business elsewhere,” Crow reached for Penelope’s hand again and turned away from the stand, guiding her along slowly towards a vendor on the other side of the market. He muttered underneath his breath as they walked, “Three, two, one…”

“Wait!” the merchant selling the saddlebags called out after them. “I’ll give them to you for seventy-five. That’s my final offer!”

“There it is,” Crow glanced down at Penelope and smirked slyly. He turned back to the merchant and nodded, “We’ll take them.” He stepped back up to the stand and made the exchange, taking the two saddlebags and heading towards the side of the town where they had left William waiting.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope watched as Crow spoke with the merchant with a hint of curiosity. As he began to bargain with the other man, she was surprised to learn he had a bit of skill haggling with merchants. When they began to move away from the merchant, she bit back a smirk of amusement as she followed his lead and heard the merchant call back out to them. She looked back over at the merchant and stood back as Crow made the exchange to get the saddlebags.

She fell instep besides him as they began to head back to meet up with William. Penelope glanced up at him and smirked. "Well, I wasn't expecting you to be such a haggler." She said with an amused look. "And here I thought I had already seen all your skills."

The knight looked back ahead and slowed her pace, feeling reluctant to return back to William. She was nearly tempted to try and steal away a bit more time alone with Crow, however she knew that was a bad idea. The older knight was likely already growing impatient and they still needed to find a place to stay for the night. She let out a small sigh and walked a little closer to Crow. She hoped they'd be able to face William with a little more certainty now that there were no more misunderstandings between them.

As they stepped out of the street and back into the forest, she began to make out the outline of the two horses and the pacing knight besides them. Penelope rolled her eyes as she noticed William had spotted them and was sending an annoyed glare at the two. "About time." He growled. "It shouldn't have taken that long to just get a few things."

[Rogue Sloth]

“Darling, you haven’t seen anything yet,” Crow winked at Penelope. “I’ve picked up quite a few useful skills in the outer villages, and besides,” he shrugged, turning to look ahead again as they approached the edge of the town. “I can spot a swindler from a mile away. I used to use some of the same tricks as that merchant when I resold the things I stole for money. How can I call myself the best thief if I let someone else steal from me?”

As she moved a little closer to him, he smiled, enjoying the remainder of their privacy while it lasted. It was a shame that William was going to put an end to it when they reached him, but at least he knew now that they would still be together when they got back to Brerra. He was excited to be with her, free from the metaphorical shackles of the mission they were on. He planned to show her all the best parts of the outer villages, the places he was fondest of during his life there. Even though he couldn’t give her the same luxuries as a nobleman could, he wanted to do his best to make her happy.

He glanced down at her affectionately, I hope she finds peasant life as enjoyable as I do.

When they reached the spot where they had left William, the knight was quick to chide them for taking so long. Annoyed with his relentless criticism, Crow rolled his eyes in response, “If it bothers you so much, then you can go next time.” He snapped his fingers, as if struck with a realization. “Oh, wait, that’s right. You can’t go, because you can’t figure out how to mimic a simple accent. Looks like you’ll just have to leave the errands to us.”

“Watch your tongue, thief,” William narrowed his eyes warningly.

“No, you watch yours,” Crow said sharply, causing the knight to blink in surprise. “Listen here. Penelope and I have done all of the heavy lifting for this mission, and you’ve done nothing but complain and mutter about how you could have done it better. I don’t know how to get it through that thick skull of yours, but you’re not the most important person here—in fact, you’re not even remotely competent enough to be calling the shots. So, until you learn how to talk like a Younisian and start making some decent plans that don’t involve fighting anyone who looks at you the wrong way, just stand back and let us work.”

Feeling relieved after having gotten that off his chest, Crow stepped over to the stallion he and Penelope had been riding and began preparing it with the rope and saddlebags.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope looked over at Crow as he suddenly snapped at William. She smiled faintly to herself, amused by the dumbfounded expression on William. However, that expression quickly contorted into anger as he watched Crow step over to the stallion. He turned his head to face Penelope and curled his lip up slightly as he marched over to her. "This is all your fault." he growled. "He didn't have so much attitude until you started fawning over him! Just like how he attacked me in the wagon before."

The female knight snorted and crossed her arms at William's accusations. "You're being ridiculous, as usual. The only reason for his attitude is because of your attitude, not me." She replied sharply, meeting William's glare. "You just refuse to put any blame on yourself."

"Perhaps because I'm not the one sleeping with the enemy." William spat with disgust. "I'm merely treating him how he deserves to be treated. He's a heartless criminal and should be treated as such. He nearly learned his place when I intervened before but you've ruined that. Now that he has you wrapped around his finger, he thinks we're equals." The knight shook his head as if the thought was ridiculous before shooting a glare over at Crow.

"That is crazy." Penelope said furrowing her brows as if deep in thought. "He definitely shouldn't view you as an equal. I mean, he's done way more for the mission and he's a lot kinder, less arrogant. Just all around better person, in no way equal to you." She spat at William in return. It felt a bit freeing to finally snap back at William. She had been holding back since she had been worrying about what the future held. Certain that she would leave with Crow to the outer villages and partially encouraged by his own sharp words to the knight, Penelope wasn't going to hold back as much.

"Bite your tongue." William growled menacingly, angered by her words. The two knights grew tense as they glared at each other. "You know, as soon as we get back to Brerra, he's just going to toss you aside. And once word gets out, you're going to crumble, Penelope."

"I'm going to be just fine actually. So why don't you focus on getting the mission done like a good knight rather than sticking your nose in our business." Penelope responded sharply before moving roughly past William as she headed over to Crow. She let out a long exhale as she tried to cool her head a bit. Focusing on Crow, she gave him a small smile and eyed the horse's setup. "So is it going to work alright?" She asked him.

[Rogue Sloth]

As he began fixing the rope around the horse’s torso, Crow listened in on Penelope and William’s conversation. By the rising anger in William’s voice, it sounded like the older knight was getting more anxious to get Penelope to come around to his way of thinking. He wasn’t surprised that William was so upset. It had to be pretty ground shaking for the knight to see his comrade in a romantic relationship with someone he considered to be of the lowest members of society.

However, just because he understood the knight’s frustration didn’t mean he was going to roll over and let William have his way in his and Penelope’s lives. The stubborn man was either going to have to learn to turn a blind eye or change his opinion of the thief if there was to be any peace among them.

When Penelope walked up to him, he reached to put an arm around her shoulders and pull her to his side in a half embrace. “I think so,” he said with a nod in response to her question. Pulling away from her again, he gave the rope a swift tug, checking to make sure it was secure, and then moved to grab the bow and staff that were lying against a tree. He slid both into place beneath the blanket on the stallion’s back, using the cord and the saddle belt to keep them from sliding around.

Once that was done, he took a step back to check his work from a distance. As expected, the ends of the bow and staff protruded from beneath the blanket, since they were too long to be fully covered. He hoped the saddlebags they added would be enough to keep anyone from noticing the extra cargo they were hiding.

He picked up one set of saddlebags and slung them over the animal’s back, fastening them securely around its belly as he had seen Penelope do with the saddle belt a few days ago. After making sure they were on tight enough to not move, he put the arrow quiver inside of the bag on the right side of the horse’s body, closing it up again so it was hidden from sight.

“What do you think?” Crow turned to Penelope, crossing his arms. “I know the bow and staff are still a little visible, but if you didn’t know they were there, do you think you would notice them?”

“Anyone with two good eyes and a brain would be able see what those are,” William grumbled, obviously still annoyed by the thief’s outburst.

“Well then, let’s just hope the knights of Younis are all one-eyed halfwits,” Crow shot him a glare. “Unless you have a better idea, keep your complaints to yourself.”

“That’s it,” William curled his lip and marched up to him angrily.

Crow tensed, ready to run if the knight swung at him, but William didn’t seem intent on starting a fight. The knight stood, eyeing him venomously and clenching his fists at his sides. “You had better watch yourself, thief,” he spat the word with as much hatred as he could muster. “Don’t forget: Now that the staff is in our hands, you’re no longer valuable to us. There’s no reason for me to keep you alive anymore.” He narrowed his eyes threateningly. “I’m done letting you off easy. You’re a criminal, and you will be treated as such, so stop demanding anything more than that. If you step out of line again—” he glanced towards Penelope, seeming to think something over before adding: “In fact, if either of you steps out of line again, I will kill you where you stand, Lockton.”

Crow shifted his weight uncomfortably, not sure what to say. The spiteful side of him was tempted to dare the knight to try, but his logical side told him that he shouldn’t push his luck. So, he just held William’s gaze and said nothing.

William seemed to take his silence as a sign of compliance. “Good,” he stood up slightly straighter, seeming pleased to have reestablished his authority. “Now then, Penelope, come assist me in putting the saddlebags on my horse. I don’t want you near that manipulative bastard.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope stood back as she watched Crow secure the bow and staff to the stallion. She eyed over the setup and gave a small shrug. "I think it'll well enough." She mused before William added his two-cents. The female knight turned her head to shoot the other knight an annoyed look at his complaining. As William began to move towards Crow, Penelope grew tense and watched the older knight's movements with care. The two had already gotten into a fight before and needless to say, she didn't quite trust William at the moment.

She clenched her fists, feeling anger boiling inside her at William's threats. Penelope protectively shifted closer to Crow as she watched William. As he commanded her to help him with the saddlebags, she hesitated. Every fiber in her body wanted to defy him, especially now that he was threatening Crow's life. William narrowed his eyes at her as she didn't move. Penelope held his gaze for a moment before it shifted to look over at Crow. Not wanting to risk Crow's life, she attempted to bite down her anger for a moment. "Fine." She growled as she moved to begrudgingly follow William over to his horse.

William gave a pleased look at her obedience and turned to head over to the gray mare. "You'll thank me once you come to your senses." He said with a shrug at her cold glare. "Some distance from him should help with that."

He stopped besides the mare and began to pick up the saddlebags. Penelope pretended to move to help him. Now that they had stepped away from the thief, Penelope balled her hand up into a fist and cocked it back at the unsuspecting William. With a lunge forward, she landed a punch to his nose. The older knight staggered backwards and dropped the saddlebags as he held his now bleeding nose. "Penelope what the hell!?" He snarled with outrage and moved to grab the dagger at his hip. His eyes already began to focus on Crow.

"Don't forget about me you old fool." Penelope hissed as she brandished her dagger from her boot and lunged at William. He grunted as he moved to block her blade. The older knight was furious at the sudden betrayal and swiped his dagger at her side. She dodged with ease. Having fought alongside William before, she knew most of his moves. However, that also meant that he knew most of hers as well. For a moment, the two were locked in very close combat as their blades clashed with every block.

Finally, Penelope took the older knight off guard as she slipped past his defense. However, instead of holding her blade to his throat, she dealt a cut to his hand wielding his weapon. He winced and loosened his grip on the dagger for a brief moment. She used her free hand to snatch the dagger away from him before he could recover and held up her own weapon to his chest. William remained tensed as he glared at Penelope. For a moment, the two knights tried to catch their breaths. "Yield, William." Penelope finally spat dangerously. "I saved your ass from that dungeon don't make all that work go to waste."

In truth, her threats were likely hollow. She felt angry but she doubted she could so easily bring herself to actually kill her comrade. However, she knew she needed to get him to stop as he looked ready to tackle her rather than accept defeat. William narrowed his eyes at her and curled up his lip. "You'll regret this, Penelope." He threatened as he wiped away some of the blood that was still trickling down from his nose. The older knight finally backed down slightly as he checked over his wounds. "Once we get back to Brerra, you'll both pay."

"Whatever." Penelope mumbled as she let out a sigh. "Either way, you won't be killing anyone without this. And if you do try something, I'll be there to stop you, William. You can count on that." She added threateningly as she held up the daggers before tucking away both weapons into her boots. She stepped away from the older knight to move back besides Crow.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow made a bitter face at William’s back when the knight turned to walk off with Penelope. He hated how determined the knight was to tear them apart. William had threatened his life before, but this was the first time it felt like he could actually do it without hesitation. It wasn’t like the knight was wrong either. Now that he had stolen the staff, there was nothing left to stay his hand—well, except for the fact that Aeklora had told him to carry the staff until they reached Brerra, but there was no way William would believe that.

He turned to lean against a tree with his back to the knights, not wanting to even look at William while he was still angry. However, his attention was drawn towards them again when he heard the older knight shout at Penelope. Swayed by his curiosity, the thief glanced back over his shoulder to see William clutching a bloody nose. Even though the sight made his stomach churn slightly, he couldn’t help but smile. It was about time someone put that cocky man in his place.

As William drew a dagger and turned towards him, Crow flinched, expecting the knight to charge at him. However, Penelope was quick to prevent him from getting past her. The thief watched, his heart fluttering nervously, as the two knights began to fight each other. He didn’t relax until Penelope had managed to take her comrade’s weapon away from him. Even then, he eyed William cautiously, ready to draw his own dagger and come to Penelope’s aid if the older knight tried to attack her again.

Once the fight was truly over and Penelope had returned to his side, he took her hand in his and pressed a kiss to her lips, grateful that she had defended him against her comrade. He was still going to keep his guard up around William for a while, but it seemed that the immediate threat was gone for now. As long as the knight was off licking his wounds, the thief doubted he would try to attack them again.

Picking up the cloaks they had purchased from the ground, he handed one to Penelope and tossed another in William’s general direction before draping the third over his own shoulders. He looked down at the dark fabric that now adorned his body, inspecting it with interest. “You know, I just might keep this when we get back,” he mused, drawing the hood over his head and turning to Penelope with a smirk. “It could come in handy when I go on night raids.”

“I hope you’re not expecting the king to set you free after this mission, thief,” William glowered at him as he finished attaching the saddlebags to his mare. “When we get back, you’re going straight into your old prison cell.”

Crow hesitated for a moment, toying with the idea of telling William that he was going back to the outer villages just to get under his skin, but then decided it would be better to keep his and Penelope’s plan a secret. After all, he didn’t want the older knight to interfere with his escape. “That’s ridiculous,” he snorted, feigning a wary frown. “I just stole a staff that was supposed to be impossible to steal and saved our kingdom from going to war. Letting me go home is the least the king could do as thanks for my bravery.”

“Criminals don’t deserve thanks,” the knight spat, slipping on his cloak. “Don’t go thinking you’re some sort of hero. You were just a tool to be used in part of His Highness’s plan, and an insignificant one, at that.”

Crow shifted his weight in mock uncertainty. “Yeah? Well, we’ll see about that. The king would have to be pretty unjust to lock up the man who just risked his life to save the kingdom.”

“He’d have to be unjust to overlook your past record just because you did him one favor,” William retorted with a roll of his eyes. He climbed onto the back of his horse and looked down at them scornfully. “Come on. We’ve wasted enough daylight.”

Crow turned around to face Penelope, mimicking the way the older knight had rolled his eyes and then winking at her slyly. “It doesn’t matter what he thinks, because we’re getting out of here when we reach the border anyway,” he whispered to her, giving her hand a squeeze before he let go to give her room to mount the horse.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope leaned in to kiss Crow back as he took her hand. While she was glad to have taken control away from William, she still worried about what the older knight was capable of. Along with that, she was also concerned about what would happen if they were to get attacked now that one of them was unarmed. She supposed that she'd rather have a bit more risk if they got attacked rather than letting William continue to be a threat to Crow's safety. She let out a conflicted sigh as she took the cloak from Crow and slipped on over her body.

Putting the hood over her head, she looked over at Crow and smiled a little at his words. "That's true." She mused before turning her head at the sound of William's voice. Penelope crossed her arms as she listened to him go on about how Crow would go back to prison. As Crow turned back to her, she faltered slightly at his words. It had been the plan for a long time to let Crow escape once they returned to Brerra but the thought of leaving with him then wasn't what the knight had planned. She was planning to make sure that the staff got all the way to the castle and she was hoping to say goodbye to her family before she left to be with him.

Not wanting to discuss it with William around, she merely smiled a little at Crow and then turned to climb up onto their horse. She held out her hand to help him up after her and once he was on the horse as well, she began to follow William as the older knight lead the way as usual. She shifted the hood of her cloak so it covered her face a bit better as they began to ride towards the town.

"So now that we're going to be leaving the forest, where do you think we should we stay for the night?" She asked Crow, glancing over her shoulder at him. "There probably won't be much cover to just camp like we have been after all.. But I suppose inns will be risky considering what the horse is carrying."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow climbed onto the horse after Penelope and shifted in the saddle so he was sitting comfortably behind her. He slid his arms around her middle, enjoying their closeness once again as they headed into the town. While he now felt safe from William, he remained on alert for signs that any of the Younisians they passed by noticed the staff or bow he had tied to the stallion. They were quite literally hiding in plain sight by taking the main road. All it would take was one noble to catch a glimpse of their stolen cargo or even of Penelope’s face, and there would be trouble. He couldn’t afford to relax as much as he had been during their ride through the forest.

And we still haven’t caught a trace of those other people who supposedly want to stop us, he remembered as he glanced cautiously down a side street. It had been a while since the mercenary had attacked them, but the silence just set him on edge. He didn’t like how their unknown enemy was able to strike from the shadows and disappear again just as quickly. It was much easier to deal with a threat that made itself known. At least we can be prepared, he thought. We know they’re still out there, so we won’t let our guards down again.

He turned towards Penelope when she asked where they should spend the night, pondering her question for a moment before replying tentatively, “As risky as it is, I think an inn is our only option here. Without the forest for cover, we can’t camp outside without getting caught by a patrol. The only other thing I can think of is sleeping on a roof, but there’s no way we could hide the horses if we try that.” He leaned into her and sighed, gazing out at the town as he mulled over the dilemma.

After a moment, he turned back to her again, “We can stay at an inn, but we’ll need to hide the staff and bow in the stables. I’ll do that while you and William get a room for us.” He glanced up at the sky, where the sun was beginning to sink towards the western horizon, and went on in a quieter voice directed mostly to himself, “I just hope we can find somewhere to rest before it gets dark.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope moved to place one hand over his arm as she felt him lean into her back. She was able to relax slightly with Crow so close, though she did try to remain alert now that they were traveling without the cover of the forest. The task of keeping an eye out was a bit difficult for the knight as she also tried to keep her head down so her face would remain hidden from any prying eyes. She gave a small nod to his words. "Alright.. I'll try to keep an eye out for any inns." She mumbled.

She glanced at the sky as his voice got quieter. "Hopefully.. They don't seem to have many inns in these parts." She agreed quietly. Penelope focused her gaze back ahead as the three traveled onward. As it grew later, she grew more worried that they wouldn't be able to find a place to spend the night. However, she soon spotted ahead of them and looked a little relieved, feeling quite tired.

"William, come on. There's an inn off to the right. Let's go there." She told the older knight. He glanced over his shoulder at her before looking ahead to locate the inn. Silently, he changed directions and rode his mare over to the building. Penelope followed him over and commanded their horse to a stop as they reached the building. She carefully dismounted the stallion, being rather cautious when it came to the hood of her cloak.

"So what's the bright idea to hide the staff this time?" William asked bitterly as he climbed off his horse and turned to the two with narrowed eyes.

"We're going to go get the room," Penelope grumbled gesturing to herself and William. "Crow will handle hiding the bow and staff."

William grunted, not looking pleased at having to go along with the idea. He crossed his arms and turned to head towards the front door. "Let's get this over with then." He muttered.

Penelope rolled her eyes and looked back over at Crow. "I'll wait for you inside once you're done." She told him before turning to follow William into the inn.