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

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow walked along the main road in Silverpool, looking out over the activities of the villagers. In the daylight, he could see some of the damage that had been caused by the battles—some destroyed homes, burnt crop fields, even a small, new graveyard—but fortunately, it didn’t look like the people here had been too badly harmed. They still carried on with their daily lives, tending fields, caring for livestock, and performing various other tasks of different trades he didn’t know much about. There was a somberness about the villagers now, but they continued moving forward in that hardy way of theirs that the thief found inspiring.

He saw a few other people he recognized from past encounters—men and women who had helped him before—and he occasionally stopped to talk with them. However, like everyone else in Silverpool, they had jobs of their own to do, so they didn’t have time to stay and catch up with him for long before they returned to their work, and he would continue on his way again.

His walk wasn’t very entertaining, but it did help him pass the time as he waited for Hazel to arrive. He found that when he wasn’t talking to villagers or observing the farmers in their fields, the time alone gave him a chance to clear his head. His mind wandered to many different things. He thought about the progress of the war, and how it seemed like neither side was gaining much ground against the other. He wondered what that would mean for the length of the war itself. Would one side eventually grow too exhausted and give up, or would they keep fighting until one kingdom overpowered the other? He hoped for the former, afraid that the latter would result in the destruction of the villages he held so dear.

He also thought about his responsibility to the other thieves. As their leader, he carried the weight of making sure they were all safe while the war was going on. He took some time to assess his own performance, thinking over the decisions he had made so far and wondering if they had all been for the best. Of course, he knew he wasn’t perfect and he never would be, but he wanted to make sure he was progressing in his ability to lead.

He smiled to himself. It was strange how different his life had become over the past year. A while ago, he never would have thought he would be in charge of a group of people, let alone traveling with others to begin with. He had always thought he would live and work alone, avoiding the responsibility of social interactions. But now, everything was different, and he couldn’t imagine going back to the lonely existence he had come from. He was much happier now that he had Rikki, Simon, and Alistair by his side.

As he continued to mull over his thoughts, the most prominent subject of all was his talk with Penelope. He felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness as he realized she would be giving him an answer tomorrow night. The split emotions left him torn in two. Half of him wanted to get it over with so he would know what her decision would be, while the other half of him dreaded to find out. Too overwhelmed to focus on it, he tried not to think about it but found that his thoughts often wandered back to the topic.

After a while of walking, Crow noticed that he had made a complete loop around the village. He glanced up at the sky to see that the day was nearing evening time. In his obsession with his thoughts, he hadn’t realized how much time had passed.

Hazel should be here by now. His heart fluttered anxiously in his chest. He was nervous to see her, but he knew he had to go. So, with one last look around the fields, he turned around to head back to Evelyn’s house, where he hoped to find the tavern keeper’s daughter.

--

Crow stood outside the front door and took a steeling breath. He could hear faint movements inside of the home, and Evelyn was working at her tavern, so he knew now that Hazel was there. It was now or never.

He pushed open the door and stepped inside, “Hello?” In the next instant, he let out a startled yelp and ducked down as an object flew over his head. Looking up, he saw Hazel standing in the middle of the room, one foot bare, as she stared at him with a venomous glower.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she spat.

“Nice to see you too,” he said dryly, eyeing her cautiously in case she tried to throw her other shoe at him. “I’m here because I need to talk to you.”

“Kiss my ass, you snake,” she snarled at him, turning to grab the bag she had just set down.

“Please,” he sighed. “It’s important. I need your help to—”

“Oh, you need a favor now, do you?” she interrupted icily. “Well, you can just forget it. Whatever it is, I’m not going to do it.” She shouldered her bag and stormed towards the door. “I’m leaving. Tell my mother to write me when you get out of this village.”

“Wait,” a hint of desperation slipped into Crow’s voice. “Darling, please. Just hear me out.”

“Go to hell, you lying bastard,” she said stubbornly, reaching to collect her shoe that she had thrown and sliding it back onto her bare foot. Shooting him one final glare, she turned and reached for the door handle.

However, before she could leave, Crow grabbed her by the wrist. “Hazel, I’m dying,” he said bluntly, getting straight to the point since she had no interest in formalities.

That seemed to stop her in her tracks. The herbalist froze. “W-what?” she stammered, and then cleared her throat to cover up her mistake. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’m ill and I can’t find anyone who knows how to cure me,” he explained with a grimace. “I need your help. I don’t know who else to turn to.”

Hazel’s gaze softened slightly as she held his gaze. While she despised the thief, she was a healer first and foremost, so she had some sympathy for him. “Fine,” she said with a reluctant nod. “You have my attention.” Gesturing to the table in the parlor, she stepped back from the door. “Tell me what’s going on.”

[BuzzingBee]

As the day wore on, the two siblings eventually turned around and head back to camp. As Penelope suspected, they had no success in finding any of the thieves. The two didn't talk much after their discussion of the past and a heavy silence lingered between them. However, Penelope was glad that Layth seemed to eventually cool down by the time they reached the camp and didn't even blame their lack of success on her. Instead, he merely headed off in a different direction, looking for their uncle to report back to.

Spending time with Layth usually wasn't enjoyable but Penelope found herself thankful for the time she spent on patrol with him. The knight was able to come to a conclusion. She wanted to be with Crow, even if that meant leaving everything behind. Guess I really only needed two days. She thought with some amusement as she looked up at the evening sky. Having come to a decision, she couldn't help but notice how clear-headed and joyful she felt. Her heart raced excitedly at the thought of seeing him again and telling him. She smiled to herself as she thought of being in his embrace again.

"Well, well, well someone looks awfully happy."

A familiar voice broke her thoughts and she turned her head to see Olivia had wandered over. The other female knight smirked at Penelope and crossed her arms. "What's going on? You have something that you're hiding... And I have a couple guesses!" She chirped.

"Oh here we go again." Penelope rolled her eyes. "Let me just start by saying, no I didn't sleep with him."

"Ok but it has something to do with him." Olivia nodded her head with an amused gleam in her eyes. "You've finally accept that you're still in love with him though haven't you?" Penelope opened her mouth and Olivia held up a finger to silence her. "You better not lie to me, Penelope. You're clearly lovesick and I don't want any excuses this time. I think I've earned the truth after not only covering for your ass but also being the one that helped you meet him again. Honestly you owe me big time."

"Alright, alright." Penelope rolled her eyes but smiled a little amused by her friend's persistence. She paused and glanced around before beginning to head towards her tent. "Let's get out of the open first."

While the knight didn't plan to disclose every detail to her friend, she figured she might as well tell Olivia part of the story. Olivia had proven to be trustworthy enough after all and if it got the drama-loving knight off of her back as well then it was a win-win. Plus, Penelope found herself wanting to speak to someone about it and Olivia was the best option she had. So long as she was careful with what she chose to share, there likely wouldn't be a problem.

Penelope stepped into her tent with Olivia and the two sat down. "Alright, spill it." Olivia grinned.

Penelope rolled her eyes. "Ok yes I still love him... I realized it a couple days ago and well...I kinda told him." She blushed and scratched the back of her head awkwardly.

Olivia looked rather surprised by her admission and let out a small whistle. "Ok well.. I wasn't expecting you to go that quickly but ok good." She chuckled. "I'm assuming he still loves you too. He might look different but from what I could tell he still had those lovestruck puppy eyes." She snickered and leaned back on her palms as she looked over at Penelope.

"Yeah, he does.." Penelope mumbled with a small smile.

"Well, all I can say is, you're welcome." Olivia smirked confidently. Her smirk fade and she gave Penelope a questioning look. "Anyways, I'm not sure how you two are going to work this out but whatever... I'm curious though, what are you going to do about Gavin?"

Penelope blinked. She had momentarily forgotten about Gavin and quickly remembered why she needed three days. She may have come to her decision but there was still one more loose end that needed to be dealt with. The answer was simple, she just needed to end their courtship. What worried her was what would happen if Gavin chose to go to her father about it. Then it would be much more difficult to get out of it. There was also a pang of guilt, as part of her felt that she might have accidentally led him on even though that had not been her intent.

Olivia bit her lip but unable to hold back, the female knight bursted out laughing. "You forgot about him didn't you?" She giggled holding her stomach. "Oh that's too perfect."

"Shut up." Penelope grumbled burying her head in hands.

---

Night eventually fell and Penelope headed to take her post as one of the guards. After speaking with Olivia, she had spent most of the evening alone and avoiding Gavin. She was preparing for tomorrow, for when she would end things between them and begin things again with Crow. She felt bad for having to let Gavin down, especially after he had proven how much he cared for her through his unwavering loyalty. However, she knew that things wouldn't work between, especially when her heart belonged to another man.

Penelope shifted a bit uneasily as she tried to think of how she would approach letting him go. She knew she would likely be hurting him regardless of what she did but if there was a way to ease the blow, she was determined to use it.

Under the night sky, she stood quietly watching her surroundings while spending her time thinking of the day to come. Her heart raced with excitement and nervousness. Lost in thought, her guard shift went by quickly and she was soon taken off by Nina. Tired from a long day, she headed to her tent and fell asleep almost as soon as she laid down.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow sat across the table from Hazel, shifting uncomfortably as the silence dragged on between them. He had just finished explaining the illness he had contracted to her, as well as showed her the medicine that the Myrefall herbalist had given him to control the symptoms. However, instead of telling him that she had a solution, as he had been hoping she would, the tavern keeper’s daughter had lapsed into deep thought instead. His heart sank as he began to realize that even Hazel didn’t seem to know how to approach his sickness.

After pondering his words for a while, Hazel reached out to take the vial of medicine that laid on the table. She turned it over in her hands, examining its contents with a keen eye. “So, you said this was what than old man gave you for your cough?” she asked with a frown.

“That’s right,” Crow nodded. “Do you think it will help you figure out a cure?”

“Can’t say,” she shrugged. “I wouldn’t count on it though. It sounds like whatever you’ve got is stemming from a deeper issue than just your lungs, and this concoction only targets that part of your body.” She set the vial down on the table again. “It’s no wonder you’re still getting worse. This stuff only hides one symptom.”

“Great,” he muttered. “So, is there anything at all that I can do to get better? Or at least slow the disease down?”

“Can’t tell you that either,” Hazel shook her head. “I’ve heard of this illness, but I’ve never seen it in person before. No one’s ever come to me to be treated for it.” She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. “I think the villagers of Myrefall have just come to accept their fate if they get it, because no one has ever cured it before. They probably think it’s impossible to recover from.”

“And what do you think?” he asked tentatively.

“I think I can give it my best shot, but you shouldn’t get your hopes up.”

Crow lowered his gaze. This wasn’t the news he had been expecting to hear at all. He had hoped that Hazel would have at least some idea of how to treat him, but instead, she sounded even more stumped than the herbalist in Myrefall. He sighed. Maybe there really wasn’t a cure after all.

But what about Penelope? He bit the inside of his lip. She was off deciding whether or not to get back together with him, while he was hiding a crucial detail from her. If she came back tomorrow and said she chose him, he didn’t know what he would do. The selfish part of him wanted to just accept her offer and pretend like everything was fine so he could have a little more time with her, but he knew it wouldn’t be right to lie to her like that. Maybe I should just tell her I changed my mind, he thought with a pained wince. That way, she doesn’t have to know, and I won’t be ruining her life for nothing.

“Crow?”

The thief blinked and looked up again, meeting Hazel’s concerned eyes. “You’re awfully caught up in thought,” the herbalist frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said dismissively. “It’s not important.”

Hazel snorted, “Well, that’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one. But fine. You don’t have to tell me… just like you didn’t tell me when you were leaving five years ago.”

“That’s a low blow,” Crow glared at her. “Besides, I already told you I was sorry. How many times do I need to apologize for you to let it go?”

“Hmm,” she knitted her brow, pretending to think it over. “Seven hundred and two.”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous,” he rolled his eyes.

“You’re just upset because you can’t count that high.”

“Shut up,” he flushed. “Besides, you haven’t had an education either, so don’t act like you’re better than me.”

“I taught myself,” she smirked proudly. “I can count up to a thousand now.”

“Well that’s good for you, but numbers aren’t useful for thieves. I’d rather spend my time learning skills I’ll actually use.”

“Jealous.”

Crow shot her another glare but didn’t respond. He knew she was just trying to get under his skin, and he wasn’t going to let her have the satisfaction. Instead, he changed the subject, “Anyway, how are you going to approach treating my illness if you’ve never dealt with it before?”

“Same way I always approach a new challenge,” she said, seeming eager to talk about healing, since it was her specialty. “I’m going to make you take different poultices until something works.” She grinned. “I already know which plants work on what, so I just have to keep mixing them together and hope I find a cure for your disease along the way.”

“How long will that take?”

“As long as it has to. I could find a cure for you tomorrow or a year from now. It all depends on luck.”

“And if there is no cure?” Crow asked tentatively.

“Then you die,” she said simply.

“Glad we had this talk,” he muttered.

“Hey,” she frowned. “Don’t go and give up on me now. This could be a real opportunity here. You said this illness was common in Myrefall, right?”

“Yeah,” he furrowed his brow confusedly.

“Well then, if I’m able to find a cure for you, then I can make more of it to cure the people there too.” She leaned across the table to give him a critical nudge. “But you can’t give up on me. The biggest thing I’ve learned about fatal diseases is that a patient’s will to live is hugely important. If you accept that you’re going to die, then that’s what’s going to happen. I need you to hold on long enough for me to find that cure. Got it?”

“Got it,” he nodded solemnly.

“Good,” she stood up from the table. “Now then, I’m going to my mother’s tavern to pay her a visit. I need a break from your ugly mug, especially if I’m going to be spending any more time around you than I already had to.”

“Whatever,” Crow snorted. “So, I take it that means you’re planning to come with me?”

“I suppose so. But don’t think I’m doing this for your sake. I’m just using you, so I can learn the cure to another disease… just like you used me when you—”

“Alright already,” he interrupted dryly. “I get it. You’re still mad.”

“Looks like you’re not a complete idiot after all,” she winked. “See you later, snake.”

“Goodbye, love,” he muttered as he watched her leave. Once he was alone, he let out his breath in a long sigh. Glancing out the window, he saw that the sky had grown quite dark. It was a bit earlier than he normally went to bed, but after a long and taxing conversation with Evelyn’s daughter, he felt ready to get some sleep. He stood up from the table and headed into the spare room, laying down tiredly on the bed.

It took him longer than he expected to fall asleep. His mind wandered back to Penelope as he mulled over what to do about her tomorrow. He couldn’t decide if he should turn her down right away or wait and see if Hazel could find a cure for his illness. On one hand, if he told her he wasn’t interested in getting back together, he would save her the trouble of losing everything for nothing if he couldn’t be healed. However, on the other hand, if he said nothing and Hazel did manage to cure him, they would have a long and happy life together, and she would never have to know he had even been sick.

It was a difficult decision to make, and in the end, his exhaustion won out, and he drifted off to sleep before he could come to a conclusion.

[BuzzingBee]

Waking up late the next morning, Penelope felt her stomach twist nervously. It was the third day and there was still one last thing to do before nightfall. And it wasn't something she was looking forward to. The knight groaned and laid her head back down, thinking over her plan to speak with Gavin. She'd take a walk with him away from camp and once they were completely alone she'd tell him she wished to end their relationship and after that, she'd just hope for the best. She still cared about her suitor, after all he had been there for her little over a year now, but she knew her feelings for him didn't run deeper than friendship.

Finally forcing herself to get up, Penelope headed out of her tent and went to grab some breakfast. She sat down with Olivia and the two chatted until she spotted Gavin walking with Alan nearby. She had been avoiding him since the previous day and now it made her unsure how to approach him. However, it was something that she had to do. She hesitantly got up from where she was sitting and made her way over to Gavin.

The male knight paused in his conversation with his friend as he noticed Penelope approaching. He mumbled a word of goodbye to Alan before moving to meet Penelope halfway. "Hey.. What was happening yesterday? I barely saw you and then I heard you went on a patrol with Layth." He asked as he looked down at her questioningly.

"Just decided to bother my brother for a little." Penelope mused with a shrug. She paused and looked up to met his gaze. "You know.. I have some time today.. Why don't we go take that walk you talked about the other day." She said quietly.

"Uh sure." Gavin said with a small nod. "We can go after breakfast, if that works?"

"It does.. I'll meet you by my tent." She told him.

---

Having filled their stomachs, Penelope soon met up with Gavin again as the knight met her as planned. The two headed out away from the camping, walking into the forest towards Norcrest. They talked calmly as they walked, Gavin being quick to question about her patrol with Layth. She didn't go into very much detail about it and instead was worrying about when the right moment to bring up her choice to end their courtship came up. A silence eventually fell between the two and Penelope sucked in a breath.

"Gavin... Listen I," She looked over at him and gave a small frown. "I want to-"

"You want to end our courtship." Gavin finished for her with a hurt look spreading across his expression. He came to a stop and turned to face her. Penelope looked up at him with mild surprise that he was able to guess what she was going to say, and he seemed to notice that. "I figured something was off.. You've been more distant than usual lately."

"I'm sorry.. I had a lot to think about these last three days." She mumbled.

"Not just the last three days... More like the whole time we've been out here." Gavin corrected frowning as he looked down at her. He fell silent for a moment and averted his gaze. "Just tell me one thing, Penelope.. It's because of him, isn't it? That thief you claimed to have befriended.. He isn't just a friend huh?"

Penelope fell silent for a moment, surprised by his sudden and correct accusation.

"Just admit it.." Gavin muttered softly. "It's why you were so willing to risk everything to save him and why you were so eager to sneak off and see him again..."

She shifted uneasily. Part of her thought it wouldn't be wise to tell Gavin anything about Crow being the reason she was leaving him. He could use that information against her if he was acting out of hurt and that would easily cause for quite a bit of trouble for her. Even though she planned to be with Crow, she still wanted to see the war to its end. However, she found it difficult to lie to him at the moment. He had helped her and even kept a few of her secrets, perhaps she could trust him with one last truth.

"It is." She finally admitted. "... But nothing happened between us while I was with you. I do care about you, Gavin but I'm sorry. I love him."

Gavin shook his head. "How... How can you even be with him? You're going to end up having to give up everything you've worked so hard for. Penelope, I love you," He reached out to take her hand in his. "I can give you a good life and you won't have to throw away your future. You may not love me now but given time, maybe you still can. We could be happy together."

Penelope looked away at his words. She probably could be happy if she stayed, after all her life had been just fine without Crow until now. If she stayed, she'd be able to stay with her friends and family, all the people that she knew she'd miss once she left. However, that didn't get rid of a great longing she had to be with Crow and live with him in the outer villages. Though leaving them would bring her some sorrow, she knew from experience the sorrow that came from leaving Crow behind and didn't intend to go through it again. The knight had made her decision and it wasn't something that would change.

She gave his hand a small squeeze before pulling away. "I'm sorry. But that's not what I want. I tried to convince myself for a year that was what I wanted and it didn't work. That's a life that would make me content, not happy." She shook her head and took a step away from him.

"So you're just going to leave everything behind?"

"Not until the war is finished." Penelope replied. She looked over to met his gaze. "I hope you can do me one last favor and keep this a secret. I promise I won't drag you into anymore trouble after this... I've already caused you enough."

"You know you can trust me, Penelope.." Gavin mumbled with a small crack in his voice. "Just know.. I'll still be around.. Until this war ends."

Penelope frowned at his words and turned to head back towards camp. "Please don't wait for me." She told him softly. Feeling they needed space from each other, she set off towards the camp alone, but was all to aware of Gavin watching her leave. Her heart felt a bit heavy, like she had just lost a friend. However, the knight tried not to focus too much on it, instead thinking of what was to come once night fell and she'd meet up with Crow. With everything finally settled, she'd be able to answer him properly.

[Rogue Sloth]

The next day, Crow woke up to find that he wasn’t alone. Hazel was sitting on a bed on the other side of the room, chewing on the end of a writing quill as she stared down at an open book on her lap. He yawned and sat up as well, leaning back against the wall. Just like the previous morning, he felt much better rested than he normally did after having been able to sleep on a soft bed in the security of Evelyn’s house. On top of that, his wounds pained him even less than they had the day before. The rest seemed to have done quite a bit to aid in his recovery, and he felt confident that he could make the journey back to the thieves’ ravine without any trouble today.

Feeling a bit more awake, he glanced over at Hazel. She was still poring over her book and didn’t seem to have noticed that he was up now. He cleared his throat to get her attention, “Do you remember who got that book for you?”

The herbalist startled and looked up at him before regaining her composure again. “Some petty thief,” she shrugged carelessly. “I don’t remember who.”

“Come on,” he rolled his eyes. “Why are you so dead set on only remembering the one thing I did to hurt you? I did plenty to help you as well, like steal that medicinal book from that traveling physician because you said you wanted it.”

“Right,” she drawled. “Because a book is enough to make up for the fact that you took advantage of me and left without so much as a word of goodbye.”

“I’m sorry,” he said again. “I was stupid and selfish, and I shouldn’t have done that. If I could take it back, I would, but unfortunately, I can’t change the past.”

She pursed her lips for a moment before looking back down at her book, “Seven hundred and one.”

“Really?” he sighed. “Is there nothing I can do to make it up to you?”

“Hmm,” she tapped her quill to her chin. “No.”

“I give up,” Crow groaned in exasperation. He turned to swing his legs over the side of the bed and got up, heading into the other room to get away from the stubborn woman for a bit. Her vengefulness was starting to grate on his nerves, and he wished he didn’t need her help to find a cure for his illness. Unfortunately, her skills as an herbalist were unmatched in the outer villages, so she was the best chance he had. He would just have to put up with her attitude for now and hope she found the cure quickly.

In the adjoining room, Evelyn had prepared another breakfast of eggs with a side of dark bread. Three plates were already set out on the table, still fresh enough that he could see steam rising from the food. Stomach growling in anticipation, the thief sat down in one of the chairs and dug into the fullest plate. As he ate, Evelyn came over to join him.

“I see Hazel hasn’t left yet,” the tavern keeper mused. “So, I take it that means your conversation didn’t go too poorly, hmm?”

“It wasn’t completely terrible,” Crow admitted. “But you were right about her holding a grudge against me. She really doesn’t know how to let go of the past, does she?”

“It is a bit of a weakness in her,” Evelyn nodded.

“Well, she’s going to have to learn to get over it soon, because she’s going to come with me when I leave today.”

“Really?” Evelyn smirked in amusement. “How did you manage that?”

“It’s a long story,” he gave a one-shouldered shrug, not wanting to go into the details with the old woman. The less people knew about his illness, the better. “All that matters is that she agreed to come back to my camp to help me with something important.”

“Well, I’m glad you were able to get through to my daughter,” the tavern keeper said. “I only hope she proves to be helpful to you.”

“Me too,” he let out his breath quietly.

After a while, Hazel came out of the spare room to eat her portion of breakfast. As she sat down at the table, a tense silence fell between the three. Crow refused to meet her gaze, still off-put by her harsh words, but Evelyn eventually made small talk with her daughter. Everyone relaxed slightly as the uncomfortable quiet was broken.

Once Hazel had finished eating, she and Crow got ready to leave for the thieves’ camp. He put on his boots and shouldered the small bag he had brought, while she put together an assortment of medical supplies. He didn’t recognize all of it, but he did notice her stow away some dried plants, some cooking pots, and a few books that he guessed contained information she would use to figure out how to treat him. After she had gathered everything she needed, they said their goodbyes to Evelyn and began to long walk to the ravine.

For a while, neither one of them said anything, but eventually, Hazel was the one to break the silence.

“Are you still living with that band of thieves?” she asked curtly, casting him a sideways glance.

“Yeah,” he said.

“So…” she looked away from him. “Is that woman still with you too?”

“Raven?” he turned to her with a frown. “Of course. Why do you ask?”

“Just curious,” she muttered, suddenly seeming irritable.

He watched her curiously for a moment. Was she jealous? He didn’t see why she would be. She had made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing to do with him anymore, so why would she care what he did with other women? It didn’t make sense. However, not wanting to risk upsetting her more by pressing for details, he let the subject drop, and they continued walking in silence again.

After another long period of time passed, Crow was the one to speak up.

“If you don’t mind, I have one more small favor to ask,” he said hesitantly.

“What now?” Hazel groaned.

“Please don’t mention anything about my illness to the others,” he said softly, ignoring her tone. “I haven’t told them about it, and I don’t want them to find out unless they absolutely have to.”

“Still keeping secrets from the people you care about, I see,” she snorted. “You haven’t changed one bit.”

“I’m serious,” he shot her a glare. “I don’t want them to know, because they’ll just end up worrying for no reason. Just tell them I asked you to help treat our wounds in the upcoming battles.”

“Now you want me to lie for you?” she whistled. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Darling, please,” he begged. “This is important to me.”

Hazel held his gaze for a moment before she sighed, “Fine, but only if you let me take three items I want from the things you’ve stolen.”

“Deal,” he agreed, visibly relaxing as she complied with his request. Feeling a bit more at ease now that he knew he could trust her to keep his secret, he lapsed into a peaceful silence that lasted the rest of their journey to the ravine.

--

Crow and Hazel arrived in the thieves’ camp just after sunset. As he expected, the others were quick to question why the herbalist had come back with him, but they accepted his explanation that she was only there to treat their wounds even faster. With no reason to doubt her appearance, they helped make her feel welcome in the hideout. Alistair set out a bedroll and blanket for her in the shelter, Simon prepared a late dinner, and Rikki chatted with her while she set down her things.

In the meantime, Crow slipped away from them all to continue working through his own dilemma in private. With the time fast approaching for his next meeting with Penelope, he needed to decide what he was going to do. After everything that had happened that day, he hadn’t had much time to think about it.

He contemplated his discussion with Hazel again. The herbalist hadn’t been confident that she would be able to find a cure for him, but she seemed determined enough to try. Even though he didn’t know for sure if he would be healed, could he really shut down the opportunity to be with Penelope because of a chance? The more he thought about it, the more unreasonable the idea became. As long as no one caught them together, they had until the end of the war before the knight’s life would change at all. If his prospect of getting better didn’t improve by then, he could always back out later and spare her the pain of losing everything she had worked so hard to achieve. There was no point in ending things now, when he had no idea which direction his health would turn.

Feeling more resolved, he headed back to the camp to get his cloak, ready to find out what Penelope’s decision would be.

[BuzzingBee]

Having settled things with Gavin, the knight spent the rest of the day trying to keep herself distracted. She took on a guard shift and spoke a little with Tomas and Nina, keeping away from Gavin. She still felt rather bad about having to end things with the male knight, especially when he did seem to truly care for her. Part of her wished they'd be able to eventually rebuild a friendship between them even despite her plans to leave. However, she didn't want to cause him any more pain so she figured it would be best to just leave him alone.

As night began to approach, a fresh wave of excitement and nervousness over took the knight. Her focus was now on the fast approaching meeting with Crow, where she'd finally give him her answer. She felt her heart beat a little faster in her chest. Though she was excited, part of her felt nervous to tell him her decision. Things had occurred rather fast because of the storm after all and perhaps he had been caught up in the moment. Maybe he'd changed his mind after having time to really think about it. She had been the one to leave him behind.. Twice. She frowned to herself as she walked towards her tent, still thinking over the possibility that Crow might have a much different reaction. The knight felt her excitement less slightly as her worry grew.

I'm probably being ridiculous... He said he loved me still after all. Both when we first reunited and again the other day., She tried to assure herself. Her rationalization helped ease her worry some. Crow had been consistent in his feelings, even when she herself had not. Though a hint of doubt still lingered, Penelope relaxed again and was able to rekindle her excitement.

Stepping into her tent, she changed into her usual disguise and threw her cloak over her shoulders before heading out. Trying not to get caught up in her excitement, she was cautious as she slipped out of the camp and into the forest as she headed towards Myrefall. Her heart raced as the time had finally come to meet up with Crow. A soft smile found its way onto her lips as she thought about being with him again. It had been two years since their time together in Younis and she had never thought that she'd get a chance to be with him again after all that had happened. The knight was relieved to know she was wrong.

As she reached the two, she walked down the street, recalling the way to his childhood home. It felt a bit strange to not meet him at the tavern. She had grown a bit used to meeting him there after going their for the last few weeks. However, she didn't mind the change of setting, especially since they weren't meeting for a formal reason.

The houses began to grow smaller and closer together, making her realize she was getting close. It wasn't long before she spotted the home. She paused as she grew closer, feeling her nervousness grow again. She took in a steeling breath and then headed for the front door, opening it slowly and stepping inside.

[Rogue Sloth]

“Where are you going?”

Crow flinched at the sound of Hazel’s inquisitive voice. He had just put on his cloak and had been about to head up the side of the ravine to meet with Penelope when the herbalist had approached him with a suspicious glare. “It’s late, and I happen to recall that you don’t like to go out drinking,” she went on. “Where are you going at this time of the night?”

Crow opened his mouth to respond, but Rikki, who had taken notice of the two, beat him to it. “He’s just going to meet with a knight who made a deal with him to be our informant for the war,” she explained, stepping over with a grin.

“A knight, huh?” Hazel quirked a brow in surprise and turned back to Crow. “I knew you were a silver-tongued bastard, but I suppose it’s impressive that you managed to get one of the king’s men under your thumb.”

“It wasn’t like that,” Rikki frowned, not seeming to like the herbalist’s harsh tone towards him. “He said they knew each other before, so I’m sure the knight is just helping us because she trusts him.”

“She?” Hazel blinked. “Oh, I get it now. You’re sleeping with this woman, aren’t you?” She shot him an accusing glare. “I knew you were a snake, but to do that with a noble? You’ve sunk to a whole new low.”

Crow just rolled his eyes, “I would tell you you’re wrong, but I know you won’t believe me, so I’m just going to leave.” He turned to Rikki with a nod of goodbye. “I’ll be back later. Don’t wait up for me.”

“See you tomorrow,” she offered him a friendly smile.

“Don’t wait up, because you’re going to be out late disgracing yourself with noble scum, right?” Hazel prodded dryly, seeming determined to have the final word. “But of course, I’m sure you’ve convinced yourself it’s necessary to manipulate this woman, just like you manipulate everyone else. She’s just another tool for you to use and throw away.”

Crow glowered at her, biting his tongue to keep from retorting. He knew the herbalist was just trying to get him to fight back so she could say she had won, so instead, he took a calming breath and turned to climb up the side of the ravine without another word. It didn’t matter what Hazel thought anyway. He wasn’t going to let her bitter attitude ruin his night with Penelope. After all, it was almost time to find out whether or not she wanted to get together with him again. His heart beat a little quicker with excitement.

--

In his eagerness to see Penelope, the journey to Myrefall felt painfully long to Crow. He traveled as quickly as he could while still remaining alert in case there were any knight patrols in the area. At one point, as he was nearing the village’s edge, he saw a few guards walking nearby, so he had to take cover until they passed, but other than that, his trip was pleasantly uneventful.

As soon as he reached the village, he made his way down the street that led to his old house. He walked briskly, a mixture of excitement and nervousness bubbling up inside of his chest at the thought of seeing her again. It wouldn’t be long now. Of course, he still had no idea what she was going to choose—she could easily say that she couldn’t give up her life for him now—but he was glad to have a sense of closure either way. Besides, even if she turned him down, it didn’t mean they would never see each other again. He still intended to do what he could to help her during the war, and he knew she would do the same for him. He had meant what he said when he had told her he would be content with her decision, no matter what it was.

Eventually, Crow made it to the house. He stepped inside and looked around, but it seemed that Penelope had yet to arrive. Closing the door behind him, he walked over to the table in the corner to light the oil lamp. Once it burned steadily, he moved it to the center of the room to illuminate the space. He slid his cloak off his shoulders and rested it over the back of a chair before moving to sit on the edge of the bed, fidgeting with nervous energy as he waited for Penelope.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long.

After a short time, he heard the door handle turn followed by the sound of creaking wood as it swung open and the knight stepped inside. Immediately, Crow stood up from the bed and made his way across the room to greet her. However, when he reached her, he hesitated, unsure how to approach her since he had yet to find out what her answer would be.

So, instead of closing the distance between them as he wanted to, the thief lingered back slightly, holding her gaze as he asked, “What have you decided?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope stepped inside and turned her head to look over at Crow as the thief made his way towards her. The moment had finally come and suddenly the knight felt a bit tongue-tied as he immediately asked her about her decision. The moment felt a bit unreal and her nervousness made her hesitate in giving an answer, still feeling that he might have changed his mind. She let out a quiet exhale and took a step forward to close some of the distance between them.

She took his hand in hers, regaining a bit of her confidence in the comfort of his touch, and held his gaze. The knight briefly thought of all she had done in the last three days to reach her decision. From her talk with Mia, to her talk with Layth and her ending things with Gavin, she felt a new wave of certainty as she stood in front of him. Her old life wouldn't be easy to completely let go of but it'd be worse to lose him again. While his friendship was another option, she knew it wouldn't truly be enough for her and they'd eventually have to part again once the war finished.

"I told you before, you make me happier than any amount of wealth or high title could." She told him. Now reminded of the past, Penelope shifted slightly and offered him an apologetic look. She felt a stab of guilt as she thought about how she had rejected him before. "I was foolish to think I could change that even two years later and I'm sorry for everything that's happened.. I never wanted to leave you back then and when you found me again, I just thought my life was what I wanted." She sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry it took me so long to realize I was wrong.. Crow, after this war ends, I want to be with you."

[Rogue Sloth]

The short pause of silence that fell between them felt like an eternity to Crow. He held his breath, heart pounding as he waited for her to tell him her answer. This was the moment he had been anticipating for three days. He was finally going to find out if she was going to choose to keep her current life or give it all up to be with him.

His stomach churned anxiously as she stepped forward to take his hand in hers. He couldn’t tell if she was trying to reassure him that everything would be fine or ease the blow when she let him down. Either way, the gesture did nothing to calm the nervousness he felt as he waited for her to speak.

After another moment, she finally went on to tell him her decision, and he held her gaze, listening intently. He was a bit confused by her apologetic expression, until she brought up her initial rejection of him. The reminder sent a dull wave of pain through the thief, as he recalled how hurt he had felt when she had told him she didn’t want to be with him anymore. However, the negative emotion faded quickly as she explained that she had never really wanted to leave him.

When she finally announced that she wanted to be with him after the war, Crow was able to breathe again. “Oh, thank gods,” he sighed in relief, closing the distance between them by wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. “I know I said I would be fine with whatever you chose, but this is so much better than losing you again.” Pulling back slightly, he met her gaze and smiled. “I love you, Penelope, and I’ll do everything I can to give you the life you deserve. You have my word.”

With that, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss, relishing the feeling of being able to be so close to her again. He ran his hands over her body, tracing the curve of her back and trailing his fingers through her hair. It felt like dream to hold her in his arms again. For two years, he had never thought it was even possible, yet here she was, kissing him once again, alone with him in the house of his youth.

“I can’t believe this is really happening,” he breathed, shifting lower to press a few kisses to her neck. “I’ve missed you so much.”

[BuzzingBee]

The doubts and worries she still had were quickly put to rest as he wrapped his arms around her. Penelope quickly moved to wrap her arms around, pressing into him as he held her. She felt a burst of joy at his words and returned his smile. As he leaned in to kiss her, she didn't miss a beat and leaned into meet his lips with equal passion. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the moment. It felt surreal to be so close with him again. Though the two years had brought some change, his touch still felt as electric to the knight as it had in the past. For a moment, she could almost believe they had never even parted.

"I missed you too." She mumbled, tilting her head back slightly as he kissed her neck. She trailed one hand down his side, resting it at his waist, and used the other to lightly toy with his hair. Penelope let out a happy sigh and pressed another kiss to his lips.

As she pulled back, she breathed out softly, "Gods, I love you, Collin." She had avoided using his real name for two main reasons. The first was because she was worried about who might happen to overhear since they usually met in public places. It simply wasn't safe. While this did play a factor, the more prominent reason had been because of how distant they had been with each other until recent. They had been on rocky terms and she hadn't wanted to make it worse by using his real name. However, with that distance gone and in the privacy of his childhood home, she finally felt comfortable enough to use it again.

Penelope kissed along his jawline before pausing to look up at him with a coy gleam in her green gaze. She shifted her head to rest a little closer to his ear. "You know.. No one should be looking for me at camp for a while, maybe even until morning.. I think we should make the most of our time." She whispered suggestively. "What do you think?"

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow’s heart fluttered as Penelope called him by his real name again. For a while after they had met up again, he had regretted telling it to her, since she seemed to have moved on from him, but now that they were together again, he was glad she still knew it. He trusted her more than anyone else, and he was glad she remembered who he really was. Even after traveling with the other thieves for a year, they still only knew him as Crow. To that day, the knight was still the only one who knew his first name.

He closed his eyes, shivering at the touch of her soft lips as she kissed his jaw. Tracing one hand around her waistline, he held her close to himself, relishing the feeling of her body pressed against his. It had been so long since they had last been together, he had forgotten how good she made him feel when they kissed like this. The thought reminded him of the night they had spent in the stables long ago the first time they had slept together, and he suddenly found himself tempted to push for a little more.

However, Penelope surprised him by making the suggestion first. He opened his eyes to glance at her in amusement as she whispered that no one would notice if she gone for a while longer. Her newfound boldness sent his heart racing, and he leaned in to kiss her neck once more. “Well, I suppose I can spare a bit of time,” he winked at her teasingly.

In the next moment, he pressed in again to meet her lips, kissing her deeply as he slid his hands around to the small of her back and pulled her back towards the bed. When they reached it, he turned so that she was the closest to the edge and gently pushed her onto the mattress without parting from the kiss. Feeling a bit playful, he used his weight to force her onto her back and pinned her beneath his body, running his hands sensuously down her sides as he nipped at her ear.

After teasing her for a bit, he moved back to kiss her lips again, propping himself up on one arm while he traced the outside of her leg with his free hand. “If I remember, you still owe me from last time,” he murmured with a devilish smirk as he recalled the night he and Penelope had parted two years ago. Leaning a little closer, he whispered in her ear, “I think I want to cash in.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope smiled at his teasing and leaned in as he kissed her again. She followed his lead as he pulled her back towards the bed. Falling back onto the bed as he pinned her beneath him, the knight felt a shiver of excitement as his hands traced down her sides. It had been so long since they had last been together and the thought left her feeling rather eager for the time they had together now.

She looked up at him as he brought up the time they had parted at the border and quickly remembered what he was talking about. Her heart raced as he leaned in closer and she felt his warm breath on her ear. Penelope gave a small laugh and smirked up at the thief. "I see you didn't forget about that." She mused before trailing one hand down to toy with the hem of his tunic. She leaned in a pressed a couple kisses to his neck. "Well a promise is a promise." She murmured against his skin.

The knight had more experience and confidence now than when he had known her. The first year they were apart she had engaged in a few flings, which was partly due to Olivia's influence as well as the hole that was left after having to leave him behind. Though it had been a while since she had actually slept with someone. Gavin and her had had a rather formal courtship for the most part and she hadn't been with anyone else during their time together. Being with Crow again made her feeling like she had just been waiting for him after all this time.

She felt a rush of affected for the thief and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. Pulling back slightly, she finally took hold of the hem of his shirt and helped him to remove it.

[Rogue Sloth]

“Of course not,” Crow smirked when Penelope noted that he hadn’t forgotten their deal. “I take this very seriously.” He closed his eyes and sighed softly as she kissed his neck, and his heart beat excitedly as she reached for the hem of his tunic. She was taking more initiative than he was used to her doing, but her new enthusiasm thrilled him. He wondered how else she had changed during the time they had been apart, and he suddenly felt a rush of eagerness to find out.

As she pulled at his shirt, he shifted to allow the fabric to slide easily over his head and then tossed it onto the floor. His upper body was adorned with bandages that wrapped around his arm and waist to protect his still-healing wounds. However, not wanting Penelope to dwell on that fact, he leaned down again to meet her lips as he worked the fastening of her peasant dress. He knew that as long as they were careful to avoid putting too much pressure on any of his injuries, he would be fine.

Sliding the clothing off of her once he had loosened it enough, Crow took a moment to look at the knight. She bore a few new scars, but he still found her just as beautiful as he did before. He met her gaze and smiled affectionately, feeling lucky to be with such an attractive woman.

“What did I do to deserve you?” he laughed softly and shook his head. Leaning in once more, he kissed her deeply as he explored her body with his hands. He enjoyed the intimacy of being with her like this, and he didn’t even feel his usual urgency to get straight to sleeping with her as he did with other women.

After a bit, he took her hand and gently guided it to the hem of his pants, allowing her to remove the clothing for him as he continued to kiss her along her collarbone.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope faltered slightly as she caught sight of his bandages. It was a quick reminder of what her brother had done and she frowned a little. She was about to question if he had healed enough but didn't get the chance to as he kissed her again and began to undo the ties of her dress. Due to that, she hesitated for a split second before kissing him back and helping him remove her dress, figuring that he seemed to deem himself healed enough.

As she slipped out of the dress, she placed it down on the floor and looked back over at Crow. Her body hadn't changed much besides a few additional scars. She suddenly felt a bit bashful, finding a bit of shame still lingered from the large scar on her torso as it had always been a reminder to her of everything that went wrong. However, it was quickly forgotten at Crow's affectionate look and words. As he kissed her again, she smiled against his lips and kissed him back, closing her eyes serenely as she felt his hands travel over her while they kissed.

She felt him move her hand to the hem of his pants and went on to remove the clothing. Penelope moved her hands sensuously over him as he kissed along her collarbone, driven by her desire, until they finally began to move as one...

--

Penelope let out a content sigh as she laid facing Crow. She nestled her head against his and rested one hand on his chest. The knight fully understood what he had meant when he had said being with her was different for him back when they had first slept together. There truly was such a difference in being with him versus the few other men she had slept with. None even came close to making her feel the way she did when she was with him.

"Damn I've missed you." She mumbled dazedly, closing her eyes for a moment as she enjoyed their closeness.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow laid against Penelope with his arms wrapped around her, trailing one hand absently down the length of her back. It had been a long time since they had last slept together, and he had forgotten how much better it was to be with her than with any other women whom he didn’t care about in the same way. Even when he had slept with Rikki, a thief he considered to be his closest friend, he hadn’t felt the same happiness and peace that he felt afterwards when he was with Penelope. Being intimate with someone he loved was simply too different to compare.

At the thought of Rikki, he felt a wave of unease. He didn’t intend to tell any of his companions about his renewed relationship with Penelope, but it was going to be difficult to keep the secret from the female thief after they had established a rather physical friendship. If he wanted to keep her in the dark about everything, he would have to start thinking of excuses to put some distance between them and hope she didn’t question him about it too much. He just prayed she wouldn’t be too suspicious.

“Damn, I’ve missed you.” Penelope’s dazed voice drew his attention, and he smiled, nestling a bit closer to her on the bed. There was no point in worrying about Rikki now. He had plenty of time to do that later, so he wanted to enjoy the rest of his time with the knight while it lasted.

“I think it’s safe to say I’ll never look at this place the same way again,” he laughed, glancing up at the room before he turned back to kiss her on the forehead. “I never thought desecrating the memory of my childhood home would be so much fun.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope looked over at him and gave a soft chuckle. "Maybe this wasn't the best place to meet again after all." She mused shaking her head as she glanced around the room. She fell quiet for a moment as her gaze fell on the door, wondering how much more time she could spare before she'd eventually have to leave. Her gaze flickered back over to Crow, realizing they still had a bit more to figure out now that they were back together.

"So.. What is the plan now?" She asked curiously. "I mean, we still have a war to get through before I can leave." She knew she still planned to meet up with him to give him the information she was able to find out thanks to her position but she couldn't help but wonder if that was the only time they'd be able to spare to be together. It'd be lying to say that she wasn't hoping they could find time in between the formal meetings. However, she wasn't sure if it was possible.

Between her being a lieutenant and him being the leader of a band on thieves now in the middle of a war, she doubted either of them would have much time to be spared and meeting too often could prove risky. The knight paused as Gavin crossed her mind again and she felt a little uneasy.

"When I ended my courtship with Gavin.. He pretty much already knew you were the reason why." She admitted to him quietly. "He wasn't happy of course but he said I could trust him.. Otherwise I might be forced to leave sooner than planned.." The male knight had assured her that she could trust him but she worried that he might become vengeful once he truly accepted that she wouldn't be returning to his side. If he decided to rat her out to the barons, it'd be difficult to find a way out of that situation, if there even was one. She could only hope that he'd keep his word.

"This can never just be easy can it?" She said with a small sigh. Penelope met his gaze and leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek. "I know we'll figure out but still."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow thought for a moment when Penelope asked him what the plan was now. Honestly, he hadn’t thought that far ahead. He had been so caught up in trying to figure out his own problems that he hadn’t even considered the trouble they would face now that they were together. However, he was sure there had to be some way for them to spend time together. Whether it would mean sneaking out in the middle of the night more often or coming up with some other clever way to slip out of their camps without being suspected, he was willing to try anything to be with her.

He met Penelope’s gaze again with a concerned frown when she mentioned that Gavin already knew she was with him again. She seemed fairly confident that her former suitor wouldn’t tell anyone about them, but he wasn’t so quick to trust a man he barely knew. He wondered if there was some way that they could trick Gavin into believing they hadn’t actually gotten back together or that it wasn’t working out between them. Unfortunately, no simple solutions came to his mind.

In addition to the problem of Penelope’s ex suitor knowing about them, Crow was also going to have to make sure the other thieves didn’t find out too. If they learned he was in love with a knight, he didn’t know what they would do. They definitely wouldn’t approve of his relationship with her. Every single one of them hated nobles with a passion—especially Simon. He shuddered to think what the anxious thief would say if he learned his leader was so close to one of the people he loathed. For the sake of avoiding that conflict, he was going to have to tread carefully around his companions until the war was over.

He pulled Penelope a little closer and let out his breath in a long sigh. “I wish it was, too,” he murmured, nestling his head against hers. “But unfortunately, the world we live in isn’t very accepting of a relationship like ours. We’ll just have to do what we can with the hands we’ve been dealt and remember that things will get better once this war is over.”

Crow couldn’t wait for that. Once the war ended, he would be free from the responsibility of protecting the villagers, and the other thieves wouldn’t need him as much, so he wouldn’t feel guilty for leaving them. He and Penelope could move away from everything to live in by the lake in Farhill, where they would be able to move on with their lives without the unwanted judgment of others. It already sounded like a great life to him.

“I don’t know how often we’ll be able to meet for now,” he said after taking some time to think over her initial question. “But I don’t want to only see you during our formal meetings… Maybe you could pretend to go on a patrol and meet me here tomorrow?” He blinked as another thought came to him and then shook his head. “Damn. I forgot I told Simon that I would go with him to Younis tomorrow. We’ll probably be gone for a few days, so that won’t work.”

Sighing again, he met Penelope’s gaze with a halfhearted smile, “Sorry, love. We might have to stick with our regular meetings for now… but at least we can use this place.” He glanced up at the room. “We’ll have some privacy, so we can talk openly and ‘make the most of our time,’ as you so elegantly put it.” He winked at her teasingly. “Do you think that’s alright? I’ll try to think of something else, but for now, this is the best I can come up with.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope gave a small nod of agreement at his words. She had always longed for the end of the war, wishing it had never even started, and being with him again only increased it as she thought of life after. However, it did leave a small feeling of unease in her as the situation felt rather similar to the journey before. There was still something standing in the way of them being together and the knight couldn't help but wish they could just leave it all behind. She knew that was impossible though. They both cared about too many people to do such a thing.

She looked over at him as he tried to come up with a solution and admitted that he also wanted to see her more than just during their usual meetings. The knight raised an eyebrow as he mentioned traveling to Younis but didn't question why. Instead she focused back on the matter at hand and gave a small shrug. She blushed and rolled her eyes at his teasing words, a little embarrassed. Though she was more bold than before, a bit of bashfulness still remained.

The knight nodded. "Yeah, it'll work." She mused, leaning over to press a quick kiss to his lips. "At least until we can think of something better." Penelope let out a small, reluctant sigh and shifted away from him to gather her clothing from the floor. "As much as I hate to say it... we should probably get going soon. Especially since it sounds like you should be getting some sleep before you go traveling to Younis." She shot him a small smile then moved to sit on the edge of the bed as she slipped the dress back on over her head.

Straightening it out, she turned her head to look over her shoulder at him. "So when do you want to meet again?"

[Rogue Sloth]

“Alright then,” Crow said when Penelope agreed that the meetings they had for now were good enough. He met her lips as she kissed him and then nodded. “I’m sure we’ll think of something.” As he spoke, his mind was already working to figure out how he could steal more time alone with her. He didn’t know much about how the knights’ camp operated, but he could figure a few things out on his end. The biggest barriers he faced in making time to get away from the thieves were the frequent raids they went on. The trips often required a bit of traveling, and he didn’t have much of a chance to slip off without his absence being noticed. If he wanted to get away in the future, he was going to need a believable excuse.

As Penelope announced that they should get going, he nodded reluctantly. He knew she was right, although she didn’t know the full extent of the truth in her words. The raid he had planned with Simon would be his first since the beginning of his spells of fatigue, so he wanted to be well rested before they left. He hoped that in getting a bit more sleep, he would minimize his chance of passing out in the middle of the robbery. Of course, he had no clue if sleeping more would actually have an impact on his illness, but he was willing to try anything by now.

Following the knight’s lead, Crow got up from the bed and located his clothes on the floor, putting them back on in preparation to leave. He wished they had a bit more time together, but it seemed like they would be parting ways like this often until the war ended. For now, he would just have to content himself with the brief moments he had alone with her and hope the war came to a conclusion soon.

“Let’s see,” he mused aloud after Penelope asked him when they should meet again, stepping over to collect his cloak. “We won’t be able to meet again until I’m back, so… four days?” He met her gaze as he slung the fabric over his shoulders. “Is that a good time for you?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope tied the fastening of her dress again and smoothed out her clothing as she readied to leave. She threw her cloak over her shoulders and turned to face Crow as he answered her. She thought over his words before nodding her head. "Four days works" She told him. She'd have to make sure that she wasn't scheduled for guard duty that night, though,even if she was, she knew she could likely find a way out of it. The knights usually didn't have plans for late unless supplies were coming in or they were either returning from or preparing for a battle. Since both of those were likely a while a way, she was certain she'd be able to make it out without much trouble.

She gave him a small smile and stepped over to wrap her arms around him, kissing him on the cheek one more time. "I'll see you then." She told him, lingering close to him for a moment longer before finally letting him go and stepping over to the door to leave. Penelope pushed it open and glanced over her shoulder at him. "Be safe." She advised him with an affectionate look. The knight turned and headed out the door, reluctantly parting ways with him.

Though she had wished they had more time together, Penelope still felt warm with joy of being with him again. They had quite a few troubles to face but that had never stopped them before so she remained confident they'd eventually figure out a way to still more time together than just their basic meetings. At the very least, they at least had the privacy that his home offered now. She thought over ways to get out of camp more frequently and for longer. It'd be difficult due to her higher position. Once morning came, she usually took time to speak with Mia and the barons or even just Tomas at the very least. Sneaking out would only get her so far, she'd likely have to come up with a few excuses if she truly wanted to buy time away.

The knight shrugged to herself and focused her gaze back ahead as she neared her camp. Eying the guards and their usual positions, she was careful to sneak around them without drawing attention to herself, something that was becoming rather easy to do as she did it more and more often. She slipped into her tent and stretched, feeling a bit tired. Slipping out of her peasant clothing and back into her regular shirt and pants, she headed to bed, falling asleep rather quickly as weariness took over.