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

[Rogue Sloth]

Over the course of the following two days, Crow’s life finally returned to something of a state of normalcy. After he had told Hazel about his physical improvement and she had seen it for herself during his sparring match with Rikki, the herbalist had finally backed down from trying to make him stay close to the camp to rest. Instead, she simply focused on making his medicine and asking him about the state of his health at the end of each day.

He spent most of his free time with Rikki—and Alistair whenever the thief joined them. Now that the tension between them had fully died off, he had a hard time telling if she was still trying to win him over or not. One moment, she would act affectionate and caring in a seemingly romantic way, and the next she would offer to go on another walk with him to help him keep tricking the other thieves. Her back and forth attitude confused him, but as long as she didn’t push his boundaries, he decided he was just going to deal with it. After all, he had stopped instigating all physical interactions between them and had told her directly that he was in love with Penelope, so she couldn’t accuse him of leading her on again.

So, when the day came at last when he was going to see Penelope again, he didn’t think twice about accepting her invitation to go to the marketplace in Wheldrake to get more supplies. They left just before noon, heading south through the forest on their way to the village. A comfortable silence fell between them, which Crow spent thinking about the coming night. As the sun made its course through the sky, his excitement to see the knight grew, and he was glad that Rikki had suggested they go on this trip since it would make time go by faster.

After they had walked for a while, the female thief finally broke the silence between them. “So,” she started in a tone that made him think she had something planned to say. “I was thinking… Maybe we could turn this trip into a real getaway.” She looked up at him with a light blush on her cheeks. “I know it’s been a while for both of us. We might as well have a little fun… blow off some steam, if you know what I mean.”

Crow turned to her, surprised at the forwardness of her words. “Why would you even suggest that?” he asked. “It doesn’t matter how long it’s been. I’m still with Penelope. That hasn’t changed.”

“Come on,” she rolled her eyes. “You’re not married to the woman, and you certainly aren’t making any effort to court her. What’s the harm?” She sidled up a little closer to him. “You know just as well as I do that noblewomen are often courted by more than one suitor. Why can’t you have the same luxury?”

Crow averted his gaze, “She left her suitor for me. She’s serious about our relationship, and so am I.”

“You haven’t even seen this knight for nearly a month,” Rikki slipped her arm around his, pressing ever closer as she caught sight of a hint of uncertainty in his eyes. “You barely have a relationship. I’m sure she would understand that you can’t keep waiting around for her. You’re a man with needs, and I’m a woman who can meet them.” She leaned up to whisper in his ear, “I can be there for you until the end of the war. It’s just a bit of harmless fun.”

Crow shuddered at the feeling of her warm breath on his ear. He hated that her words were actually tempting to him, but she made some valid points. It was true that there was technically nothing to keep him loyal to one woman outside of the bonds of marriage, and it was also true that it had been a while… His eyes wandered to Rikki’s attractive body as he felt swayed by her seduction. No, he closed his eyes. I’m faithful to Penelope. I can’t ruin what we have over a stupid fling. Taking a calming breath, he pulled his arm out of her grasp.

“I’m faithful to Penelope,” he repeated out loud, speaking to the thief this time. He met her gaze sternly, “I would be upset if I found out she had slept with someone else. I’m not going to cause her that pain.”

“She doesn’t have to know,” Rikki murmured, leaning into him again. “We don’t have to tell her.”

Crow stared at her, shocked to hear such words come out of his friend’s mouth. Suddenly, everything snapped into place. The friendliness, the playful touches, the help she had been offering him; it had all been leading up to this moment. “You’ve been planning this from the start,” he said slowly as he pieced it all together. She had been gaining his trust to seduce him into sleeping with her and tarnish his relationship with Penelope. It had all been one long con.

And he had almost fallen right into it.

“I can’t believe this,” he stepped back from her, curling his lip. “I thought you were the one person here that I could trust. To do something like this… Maybe you’re not the woman I thought you were.”

Rikki crossed her arms defensively. “I was doing you a favor,” she snapped. “Penelope is a knight. Wake up, Crow. It doesn’t matter how much you think you love her; you’re just going to get hurt. I just figured it would be better for that to happen sooner rather than later.”

“Stop acting like you know her,” he narrowed his eyes. “None of you do. You’re all too blinded by your prejudice against nobles to see that she’s different from the rest.”

“Did you ever consider that maybe you’re too blinded by your infatuation to see that she’s playing you like a lute?”

“Not even for a second,” Crow took another step back from Rikki, appalled by her sudden change in attitude. No, not sudden. She’s believed all of this from the start. He suddenly felt the intense urge to get away from her. “You can finish your errands alone,” he spat, turning to walk away from her. Without waiting for her to respond, he stormed off into the surrounding trees, not caring where he was going as long as it was away from her.

--

Crow spent the rest of the day away from the camp, wanting to avoid any chance of running into Rikki again before his meeting with Penelope that night. He was still seething that she would have tried such a dirty trick on him, and he shuddered to think what would have happened if it had worked. He could have lost Penelope’s trust, or worse, lost her completely. Just the thought of it sent a knife through his heart.

When night finally fell, he made his way to the clearing in the north, more eager than ever to see her and put this whole mess behind him. He walked cautiously through the dark forest, his eyes flitting over the shadows as the more paranoid part of his mind worried that Rikki would follow him and somehow find another way to ruin his relationship with Penelope. Of course, no one was there, and he made it to the clearing without trouble.

His eyes swept over the space to find that it was empty. He was the first to arrive. Glancing into the trees around him, he began pacing agitatedly as he waited for the knight to appear, hoping she would reach him soon.

[BuzzingBee]

The day went by relatively quick, something the knight was incredibly grateful for. Tomas taught her a few different moves with the shield and Penelope even found herself improving quite a bit at using it. It still felt strange to wield the weapon alongside a sword so she doubted she'd be using the combo in battle anytime soon though. They ended their training in the late day and Penelope spent the rest of her time with Olivia, relaxing a little before the time would come for her to sneak off to see Crow.

Luckily it wasn't long before the sun fell from the sky and Penelope made her way out of camp. She weaved carefully away from the tents, making sure she was alone as she began to travel towards the meeting place. Follow the river from the waterfall. She repeated the herbalist's words in her head as she headed towards the river. The knight was a little worried she wouldn't be able to find the meeting place, after all she hadn't been to it yet. However, Hazel had made it sound like it was easy to find so the knight focused on following the river.

Passing the waterfall and heading further upstream, the clearing soon came into view and with it so did Crow. Penelope smiled and picked up her pace to see him, but faltered as she noticed how he was pacing around the clearing. Perhaps he was just impatient? She glanced at the sky, wondering if should have left camp earlier. The knight didn't dwell on it for too long as excitement of seeing him again took over.

She stepped into the clearing and smiled at him affectionately. "Hey stranger." She paused for a moment then quickly closed the distance between them overcome by her excitement of seeing him again. She wrapped her arms around him as she pressed a passionate kiss to his lips. After a moment, she pulled back and looked up at him as she let out a peaceful sigh, "Thank gods it was only three days this time."

[Rogue Sloth]

As Crow waited for Penelope to arrive, he couldn’t stop replaying the events of the day over in his head. He still couldn’t believe Rikki had tried to seduce him, and for such a malicious reason too. A tangle of negative emotions weighed heavily in the pit of his stomach, making him feel sick. He had never been betrayed by anyone like this before. It was painful to have been so hurt by someone he had thought was his friend. He didn’t know what he was going to do when he saw her again. In fact, he didn’t even know if he could face her.

He stopped pacing as a figure appeared from the southern side of the clearing, and his heart leapt with excitement as he recognized her to be Penelope. She had finally made it. He stepped towards her, hurrying to meet her halfway as she moved to close the distance between them. As soon as they met in the middle, he wrapped his arms tightly around her and pressed into her lips fervently as she kissed him. Her presence was comforting, and he soon began to relax into her embrace.

When she pulled back, he shook his head. “You have no idea,” he breathed, leaning in to meet her lips again. He kissed her with zealous passion, losing himself in her touch like a strong drink. Only when he needed to pull back for air did he finally part from her, panting as he caught his breath. “I love you so much, Penelope,” he murmured, holding her close and touching a few affectionate kisses to her jawline. He shuddered as he thought again about how close he had come to losing her that day, and suddenly he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to have her.

With a subtle change in his demeanor, Crow met Penelope’s lips with renewed energy. He ran his hands sensuously over her hips, leaning into her to push her back against the nearest tree. When he had her pinned with his own weight, he began to kiss her along her neck, working his way from her collar to her ear. “I want you now,” he whispered against her skin, fingering the clasp of her dress before moving to undo it.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope pressed into him as he kissed her again. Though his touch sent her heart racing like before, there was something slightly different in his kiss. The knight wasn't sure quite what and didn't think too much about it, caught up in her own passion for him. She panted as he finally pulled back and smiled at his words. "I love you too," she mumbled in return, closing her eyes serenely as he kissed along her jaw.

As he kissed her again, the knight was unable to shake the feeling something was off again and this time she didn't dismiss it so easily. Penelope held him tightly to herself, blinking in surprise as he pushed her back against the tree. There nearly seemed to be a desperateness mixed with his affection and it made her wonder if something was wrong. She shivered at the feeling of his lips and his warm breath against her skin. Combined with his alluring words, it was nearly enough to make her ignore whatever was off so she could fully enjoy her time with the thief, especially after how long it had been.

He hadn't kissed like that even when they had first reunited after the three weeks so surely something had changed. Did it have something to do with his illness? The thought was enough to bring the knight to a clearer state of mind amidst her passion. Hazel and Jane seemed certain they had reached the closest thing to a cure and that Crow would live but perhaps they had been wrong. She shuddered at the thought. Worried that such bad news was why he was kissing her so fervently, she could no longer ignore it.

Penelope slid her hands down his arms, reached to take his hands in hers rather than helping him undo the fastening of her dress. "You're kissing me like you're going somewhere," she murmured softly, as she gently moved his hands away from the strings. She leaned her head back against the tree look at him with concerned frown, studying him as she tried to figure out what was wrong. "Crow.. Are you alright?"

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow was just about to lean in to kiss Penelope again, but he faltered when he felt her take his hands in hers. At her words, he averted his gaze, hesitant to tell her the truth. He still considered Rikki his problem to deal with, and he also didn’t want to make her believe there was anything to worry about. Rikki had managed to tempt him once, but now that he knew her motives, he wasn’t going to fall for her enticing words again. He refused to betray Penelope’s trust the way the thief had betrayed his.

“I’m not going anywhere, I just…” he trailed off, shifting his weight uncomfortably. He knew that if he told her what had happened, he would have to explain everything, and he was ashamed of himself for even considering sleeping with Rikki. However, it was too late to lie and tell Penelope that everything was fine. She had caught the desperation in his actions. She knew something wasn’t right. He sighed and squeezed her hands, taking comfort in her touch as he steeled himself to explain why he was acting strangely.

“I just want to start by saying that nothing happened,” he said, looking up again to meet her gaze sincerely. “I need you to know that first.” He paused, taking a moment to overcome his hesitation before going on, “Earlier today, Rikki tried to seduce me into sleeping with her.” He swallowed nervously. “I think she was trying to take advantage of the fact that you and I haven’t been able to be intimate in over a month. Even if she didn’t know exactly how long it’s been, she had a pretty good idea. She timed it perfectly.” He shook his head. “She waited until we had gotten just close enough that I would listen to her lies. I’m sorry to say that it almost worked.”

Crow grimaced and let go of Penelope’s hands, feeling a pang of guilt. “I shouldn’t have trusted her,” he lowered his gaze again. “She’s a thief, and thieves are manipulative. It’s just part of how we live. I guess I just never expected her to try to deceive me like that.” The tangle of hurt emotions from Rikki’s betrayal started to surface again, and he closed his eyes, forcing them back down.

“I don’t want her to have power over me anymore,” he took a shaky breath. “I know nothing happened today, but every time I think about what could have happened if I hadn’t said no…” He faltered and went on meekly. “I could never forgive myself if I hurt you like that. I love you, and I don’t want to lose you, Penelope.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope looked over at him as she waited for him to explain. A brief look of confusion passed over her expression as he assured her that nothing had happened. That is, until he went on to tell her about Rikki. It wasn't the news that she had been expecting, which she was partly glad for, however that didn't make her anymore eager to hear that Rikki had tried to seduce him. The part that made the knight uncomfortable was how he had admitted that it nearly worked.

She shifted her gaze away as she felt him let go of her hands. So it seemed Rikki didn't let go of finding out about them as easily as Penelope had hoped the thief would. She lifted her gaze back over to Crow and frowned a little as she noticed how guilty and hurt he was over what had occurred. The bit of uncomfortableness that she had felt died down as she realized how hard he was taking the situation. Rikki had been someone he had trusted quite a bit from what Penelope could tell so she didn't doubt that her actions had hurt him.

"I'm sorry Rikki betrayed your trust like that." she told him sincerely. "Being a thief doesn't mean you should have expected it from her. After all, I don't think her intent was completely to hurt you..." Penelope paused awkwardly in her words, shifting her gaze off to the side as she thought about Rikki's feelings for him.

Though she wasn't aware of the whole situation, the knight guessed that Rikki's feelings also played a large part in why she had tried to seduce him. Gavin came to mind as the knight was reminded of his words to her about waiting for her. Though she was rather certain he had moved on, she figured Rikki had similar feelings with Crow, even though she had gone a different direction in her approach. It made the knight suddenly grateful for Gavin's unwavering loyalty as her friend. "As much as I don't like it, I wouldn't be surprised if she was hoping that you'd change your mind after and go back to her.."

She shook her head then moved to wrap her arms around him in a comforting embrace. "And you won't lose me. Nothing happened and I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." she promised him softly. She pressed a tender kiss to his lips before pulling back to meet his gaze with a small, reassuring smile. "I love you, Collin, and I still trust you."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow nodded faintly when Penelope said she didn’t believe Rikki was just trying to hurt him. He didn’t think so either, especially since she had told him that she was ‘doing him a favor.’ As twisted as her method had been, he knew her well enough to know that she had been trying to protect him in her own way from what she thought was a relationship with an expiration date. Still, it didn’t change the fact that she had tried to manipulate him. He wasn’t going to be so quick to let that go.

As Penelope reassured him that she wasn’t going anywhere, the thief felt himself relax slightly. Her warm embrace was comforting to him, and he wrapped his arms around her as well, leaning into her lips as she kissed him. He appreciated how well she was taking everything he had said. If their positions were reversed and she had told him that one of the knights had tried to bed her, he knew he wouldn’t have been nearly so mild mannered about it.

“Thank you,” he sighed, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek as she said she still trusted him. “For what it’s worth, I can promise you that it won’t happen again. I’m not going to let her get between us.” He rested his head against hers. Even now, he was already thinking of ways to prevent Rikki from catching him off guard again. When he got back to his camp, he intended to make sure she never had another opportunity to try and tempt him again. Of course, the best way to do that was to return with a right frame of mind.

In a more controlled and tender approach, Crow shifted to kiss Penelope along her neck, tracing his hands desirously over her supple waist. Though it had been difficult for him to confess to her what had happened between him and Rikki, he was glad she had questioned him. It felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His initial urgency to sleep with the knight was gone, replaced now with a loving passion that gave him no reason to rush.

He met her lips again, holding her by the small of her back as he pulled her close him himself and ran his free hand sensuously over her body. For a while, he didn’t push for more. Instead, he simply enjoyed the sensations of being with her like that, until eventually, he slipped his finger through the loop of the fastening on her dress and gave it a gentle tug to pull it loose.

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope gave a small nod as he assured her it wouldn't happen again. "Good." she mumbled softly. Though she hadn't been overly upset about what had occurred, there was still a small feeling of unease that lingered due to him nearly falling for the temptation but his words comforted her enough to lessen it. He had remained faithful to her so she remained trusting of him and the promise he gave her.

The knight closed her eyes serenely as he began to kiss along her neck. With the issue discussed, she was able to lose herself more deeply in his touch, which became more familiar now that it lacked urgency. She relaxed in his arms and trailed a hand up to rest against the side of his neck as he kissed her again. As she felt him loosen the fastening of her dress, she didn't stop him and instead helped him remove the clothing. She took a small step back from him to slip out of the dress.

Letting it fall to the ground, Penelope pressed deeply into him again and kissed along his jaw. She trailed kisses all the way to his ear, pausing only to take the lobe between her teeth in a gentle yet playful bite. Her heart raced excitedly, driven by both passion and affection that felt like they had been building up during her three weeks apart from him. However, now along with it, was a desire to give him more of a reason to remain faithful to her.

That uneasiness she felt didn't disappear completely. He had nearly been swayed by Rikki and though she trusted his word, part of her still felt worried the female thief might still figure out a way to get between them. After all, Penelope was only able to see him on occasion while Rikki saw him every day and slept near him every night. Knowing that, the knight felt a bit pressured to make sure he had good reason to wait for her in between their meetings. Her hand slipped down to the hem of his tunic, beginning to help him take it off while her fingertips traced over the sides of his torso.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow’s heartbeat quickened as Penelope allowed him to remove her clothing. Once the fastening was undone and the dress fell to her feet, his eyes wandered desirously over her body. After waiting for so long to be with her again, he found her even more attractive. He slid his hands over her slender form, sighing softly as her lips moved over his skin. Her touch made him shiver, and he closed his eyes as he felt her nip at his ear. He was glad he had stayed strong when Rikki had tried to tempt him. Being with the thief was nothing like being with her. Even if there had been some way for him to sleep with Rikki without ruining his relationship with the knight, it wouldn’t have been worth it. He only wanted to be with Penelope.

He felt her reach for the hem of his shirt and shifted away from her, lifting his arms so she could pull the clothing over his head. As her fingers trailed up his sides, he shuddered and grinned at her, “Gods, you’re so attractive.” Tossing his tunic aside, he pressed into her lips again with fervor and ran his hands down the length of her back. After a bit, he pulled back just enough to remove his own pants before moving in again to kiss her a little lower along her collarbone and trace his fingers over her bare hips.

He enjoyed the feeling of being so close to her, without even clothing to separate them. Every time they were together, he felt like the bond between them grew a little bit stronger, as did his love for the knight. His heart fluttered with a mixture of desire and fondness for her. He loved being intimate with her and was excited by the fact that that soon they would be more intimate still.

Pushing her back gently against the tree—he was careful not to move her roughly against the bark—he pressed one hand on her waist and slid his other hand behind her leg, pulling it up to rest against his side. He met her gaze briefly before leaning in to meet her lips once more, kissing her passionately as their bodies moved against each other as one…

--

Crow rested his forearm against the tree above Penelope’s head, panting softly as he touched his lips to her forehead in a soft kiss. Meeting her green eyes, he laughed a bit disjointedly and shook his head, “That was so worth the wait.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope leaned her head back against the tree as she caught her breath. She smiled as she felt him press a kiss to her forehead. The knight chuckled at his words. "I'm glad to hear that." she mused, leaning in to kiss his cheek. Feeling a little relieved by his words, she shifted away from the tree and instead leaned into him, resting her head against his shoulder.

She closed her eyes and let out a small sigh, "It's crazy to think I went two years without you..I can barely even handle a few weeks." Penelope shook her head and pressed a couple affectionate kisses to his neck before finally stepping back from him. She moved to collect her clothing, slipping the dress back on. As she began to retie the strings, her gaze flickered up to the night sky and she frowned a little.

"We probably shouldn't stay out for too much longer.." she mumbled reluctantly as she turned back to him. "I promised Hazel that we wouldn't stay out late enough to compromise your sleep. Which I'd rather not break, since I think she might actually not hate me as much anymore." The knight smirked a little proudly as she looked over at him. Penelope was actually glad that the herbalist didn't seem as cold to her as she had originally been. Though Hazel still referred to her as rat, the venom in the word seemed to have lessen since they first met, which the knight considered quite the accomplishment. "I might be even be able to get her to tolerate me at some point."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow wrapped his arms around the small of Penelope’s back as she leaned into him. He rested his head against hers and closed his eyes, smiling serenely as he relaxed against her. At her comment, he chuckled softly, “I’m glad we’ll never have to do that again. I just hope the time comes soon when we don’t have to separate for longer than a day.” He couldn’t wait for that. The thought of spending the rest of his life with her by his side sent a thrill of excitement through him.

He looked up again when he felt her pull away from him to collect her clothes and then followed suit, picking up his pants from the ground and putting them back on. Just as he began to reach for his shirt, he glanced at her with a frown as she said they should part ways soon. “I’m glad you’ve managed to get on her good side,” he said, bending down to retrieve his tunic and straightening again. “That’s not an easy thing to do if she already has a vendetta against you. However, whatever she said to you before doesn’t matter anymore.”

He slid his shirt back on and stepped over to the knight, taking her hands in his and grinning at her proudly. “I proved to her that I’m feeling much better, and I’m perfectly capable of managing my own health without needing her to tell me what to do.” He leaned down and kissed her playfully on the nose. “We can stay out as long as we like, darling.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope looked up at him questioningly as he told her that she didn't need to worry about what she had talked to Hazel about before. As he assured her that they were fine to stay out longer, the knight grinned a little. "Well, then no arguments here." she chuckled. She was glad to find out that they had more time than she had originally thought as well as that he was feeling better. She pressed a kiss to his cheek then moved to sit down under a nearby tree, patting the ground next to her in a gesture for him to join her.

She knew they didn't have quite as much time as she would actually like since she'd have to get back to her camp well before the sun rose but at the very least, she was intent on making the most of what time they did have. Penelope tilted her head back to look up at the stars for a moment, falling briefly quiet as she enjoyed the peaceful moment besides him. His company was relaxing and after nearly three weeks of worrying that she might lose him, the knight was quick to bask in it now that the threat of his illness was virtually gone.

Eventually her gaze shifted back over to him and she smiled at him as she moved to intertwine their arms as she took his hand in hers. "How have you been? I've only heard a little about you from Hazel during the meetings and I couldn't really ask for more since Jane, the physician, was with me. The most I heard was from the first meeting.." she frowned a little as she recalled all that Hazel had told her during that time. "She told me a little about how you leg hurt in battle and then about how it pushed your illness into the final stage."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow smiled as Penelope kissed his cheek and then moved to sit down with her beneath the tree when she gestured for him to join her. Leaning against her shoulder to shoulder, he tucked his left knee to his chest and stretched out his right leg, keeping it straight since his wound was still healing. He sank back against the tree trunk, and glanced at the knight, noticing her gaze wander up to the sky. Not wanting to interrupt the comfortable silence they had lapsed into, he did the same.

Sitting with her like this reminded him of when they had been riding in the wagon to Younis two years ago and had exchanged stories about their beliefs about the stars. Back then, they hadn’t even confessed their feelings for each other yet. He shook his head, reminded of how oblivious they had both been, but thankful they had ended up where they were now.

His eyes flicked back to Penelope as he felt her reach to take his hand, and he leaned contentedly into her side, enjoying the closeness he had missed for the last three weeks. At her question, he paused to think before answering. “Yes, that wasn’t one of my proudest moments,” he grimaced at the memory of his accident in the stables. Unsure if Hazel had given her many details, he supposed he should explain a little more about what had happened, just in case the herbalist had made him come off like he had broken his promise to stay safe during the fighting.

“I was using a bow during the last battle to stay away from the worst of the fight,” he said, turning to meet her gaze. “I climbed up the rafters in a stable because there was a window at the top that gave me a direct view of the main road. It seemed sturdy enough to hold my weight, but I suppose I overestimated it.” He shook his head. “The beam I was standing on broke when I was going to climb back down to retrieve my arrows, and when it fell, part of it snapped off and drove itself right through my leg.” He rested his free hand on his thigh to indicate where the splinter had stabbed him. “I had to pull it out, and after that, some Younisian knights found me. I tried to fight them off, which of course, didn’t go well, and in the end, Rikki was the one who killed them.”

He shifted his weight. “Unfortunately, by the time she’d found me, I’d already lost quite a lot of blood from my wound. I think the stress it put on my body was what made my illness worse, not the fight with the knights.” He shook his head. “It was unlucky, to say the least, but I’m glad Hazel and your physician friend were so quick to find a medicine that worked. I was only bedridden for about a week because of their efforts.”

He sighed, squeezing her hand and trailing his free hand absently up the length of her forearm, “I still have a bit of a cough on occasion, so I’m not cured yet, but I’m hoping it won’t be long before I’m fully healed of his cursed disease.” Leaning a bit closer to her, he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek and then grinned at her amusedly. “Enough about me. Tell me what you’ve been up to for the past three weeks. Hazel hasn’t told me anything aside from that you didn’t seem to have any visible injuries from the battle.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope listened to him as he explained what had occurred in the stable. Now having more of the details that just the simple explanation Hazel had given her, it did sound like Crow had truly tried to stay out of harms way during the battle like he promised her before. Although she still wished he would have just stayed out of the battle all together, especially after hearing about what the outcome of it was. Had she have met with him soon after the battle, the knight likely would have lectured him on his refusal to stay out of the fight, however, it was all in the past now so she didn't even think much about it.

As he admitted he still had a cough, the knight glanced over at him, wondering if the herbalist had mentioned to him that he could possibly never fully get over the illness. "Hopefully." she agreed with a small smile as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. She quickly decided not to bring it up. There was still a chance he would completely heal from the illness so there was no sense in bringing it up if he didn't already know it. As he asked about her, Penelope gave a small shrug and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"Well, the battles were.. messy." she frowned a little bit. "I got a cut on my side but it wasn't anything serious. The real issue was Alan dying.. Alan was the son of Bran, the noble who runs the cavalry amongst our group, and Gavin's best friend. They both took the loss pretty hard.. Although Gavin managed to bounce back a bit after a nearly a week. Bran didn't though and it started to become a problem." The knight let out a soft sigh as she thought about the older knight and how upset he had been. "The barons eventually decided to have someone take over his job for a while and I was the one that had to come up with suggestions as to who. One of them was Gavin and that's who they ended up choosing so he's been filling in that job lately.

"I started going on more patrols with my brother lately too." Penelope shook her head and groaned, "He's a pain in the ass like usual. But I managed to get him to take a bit of his focus off of you guys. Now he's a little more concerned about the war with Younis so most of his partols stick closer to the border now. So I doubt he'll be coming anywhere near your camp." Another thought crossed her mind as she spoke and she sat up with an amused smirk. "Also I'm beginning to think we might not be the only thief and knight pair around here anymore. Well.. I'm not totally sure but Olivia's been acting a bit different lately when it comes to that one friend of yours."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow stroked Penelope’s arm gently as she leaned her head on his shoulder and finally told him what she had been going through since the last time they had been able to really talk. He was a bit confused at first when she brought up the death of one of the knights. They were in the middle of a war, so a lot of people were dying on all sides. He didn’t understand why she thought it was important to mention a particular knight he didn’t know.

However, as she mentioned the name of her former suiter, he listened a bit more attentively. By the sound of what she was saying, it seemed like she as still spending time with the nobleman. He frowned, unsettled by this new information. While he trusted Penelope wholeheartedly, he didn’t like the fact that this knight was still lingering around her. What reason would Gavin possibly have to keep contact with her after they had broken off their courtship? It seemed suspicious to the thief.

Trying not to get hung up on the detail, he fixed his gaze on her eyes as he listened to her go on about her patrols with her brother. It was good to hear that Layth seemed to be redirecting his focus off of him and his companions. The thieves preferred to go about their business relatively ignored. When attention was off of them, they had more freedom to steal without worrying about being caught. It was good timing too, because he suspected they were going to have to raid the knights’ camp for more food soon now that their supplies were starting to dwindle.

As Penelope finished by mentioning that Olivia seemed to be acting differently around his friend, he quirked a brow in surprise. “That’s funny,” he said. “Because Alistair’s been a bit strange as well. He often goes through phases of taking interest in a woman, but I never really thought anything of it since they usually just end up leaving him because he’s a thief. If Olivia is interested in him too, he might have better luck this time.”

Crow fell quiet for a moment, glancing away from Penelope as his mind wandered back to her mention of her former suitor. As much as he tried to ignore it, he couldn’t disregard the twinge of annoyance he felt that this man was continuing to linger around the woman he was with. After a moment, he cleared his throat awkwardly. “So, you’re still spending time with Gavin?” he asked, trying to keep the displeasure out of his voice. He eyed her curiously, “I would have thought he’d move on after you ended your courtship with him.”

[BuzzingBee]

"Maybe." Penelope mumbled with a little uncertainty. Knowing Olivia rather well, she still wasn't completely sure about the other female knight's feeling. It was rather likely that Olivia was just somewhat fond of the man she was having a fling with and still had no intention of considering anything long term, especially with a thief. Although, here we are. she thought, glancing fondly at Crow.

She let a small silence fall between them as she thought about the situation for a moment longer before Crow spoke up again. The knight frowned a little as he was quick to bring up Gavin. Even though he tried to hide it, it was clear to her that he wasn't pleased about hearing that she was still hanging around her former suitor. It was one of the reasons she usually didn't bring Gavin up when telling Crow about what was happening at her camp, although this time it would have been difficult not to.

"Well.. Yeah, we're still friends." she told him with a small shrug. The knight was reminded of Olivia's words about Gavin and him likely still hoping she'd have a change of heart. Penelope shifted her gaze to the ground, once again having to wonder if her ex-suitor understood that she was only interested in a friendship with him, especially now after hearing about what Rikki had done to Crow. Gavin wouldn't do that though... I shouldn't even question this, he knows I'm with Crow and he's been nothing but a loyal friend.

Feeling a bit more confident, she looked back over at Crow, meeting his gaze. "He distanced himself from me for a while so he did move on.. But we started hanging out again before long and he knows I'm with you now. He actually helped cover for me quite a bit when I went missing for that full day before." she mused then gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "He's just good friend."

[Rogue Sloth]

“I see,” Crow muttered when Penelope told him that she was still friends with Gavin. Lowering his gaze again, he felt a pang of jealousy that she was still giving the nobleman any of her time. Perhaps it was selfish, but he wanted to be the man she was closest to. It was hard for him to believe that he still held that position in her life when he was only able to see her once or twice a week, and her former suitor was able to be around her every day.

Part of him wondered if he was being hypocritical, since he had been hanging around Rikki too, and she obviously had feelings for him. But it’s not the same, he reasoned. We were never together like Penelope was with him. Besides that, he wasn’t sure if he was even going to continue pursuing a friendship with the thief after what she had done to him. If she was going to continue to be openly hostile about his relationship with the knight, he wanted nothing more to do with her.

He glanced up at her as she tried to reassure him that Gavin had moved on and was just being a good friend to her. Despite the confidence in her words, he couldn’t bring himself to believe that what she was saying was true. It didn’t make sense to him that this nobleman had truly moved on yet felt the need to continue spending time with her. Something was off.

“I’m sorry, love,” he shook his head. “I know you trust him, but I just can’t do that.” He moved slightly against her side, shifting into a more comfortable position. “As a man, I can tell you he’s not staying by your side because he’s content with being your friend. We’re not that selfless. He’s waiting for something to change—for some opportunity when he can show you just what a great companion he would be for you.” His lip twitched up in a knowing smirk. “You can argue with me if you’d like, but I know I’m right about this.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope rolled her eyes at him as he insisted that Gavin was playing at an angle. "If I remember correctly, didn't you settle for friendship between us right before I decided I couldn't?" she said giving his side a soft poke as she recalled the storm they had gotten trapped in. It was a bit strange to think about how distant they had been during that time, especially now since it felt like not much had changed between their two years apart. "He could have settled too you know."

She sighed and looked over at him. She let go of his hand and wrapped her arms around him as she felt a sudden burst of affection for the thief after recalling what it had felt like to not have him by her side. The knight couldn't help but feel grateful that they had ran into each other again and had another shot at the future they had wanted before the war. Feeling a bit playful, she smirked mischievously and suddenly leaning her full weight into him to gently push him over into the grass.

Climbing on top of him, she hovered above him, using her elbows to prop herself up, and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead. "Even if he is waiting like you believe, he's going to have to give up eventually otherwise he'll be waiting for the rest of his life." Her smirk softened into a loving smile as she looked down at him. "You're the man I love and if I've learned anything, it's that nothing is going to change that. Not our statuses, time, Rikki or Gavin." She leaned down and trailed kisses from the bottom of his neck to his jawline.

She didn't want him to be concerned about Gavin, regardless of what the male knight was thinking, or feel any uncertainty about her own faithfulness to him or give him any reason to break his promise and give in to Rikki. Stop that. she chided herself silently at the thought of him falling for Rikki's temptation, faltering slightly as she kissed him. Penelope hated to admit that it was still bothering her but the knight couldn't help it after hearing how close he had gotten. Pushing the worry back down she let out a soft sigh against his skin, "I love you, Collin."

[Rogue Sloth]

“I suppose so,” Crow admitted when Penelope brought up how he had been willing to be friends with her before they had gotten back together. Reflecting back on it, his situation with her had been far different than Gavin’s though. He didn’t think it was really fair to compare the two. However, before he had a chance to say anything, he blinked in surprise as the knight suddenly wrapped her arms around him in an embrace. Smiling fondly at her, he moved to return the gesture, but in the next moment, he caught sight of the mischievous glint in her eye and felt her bowl him over.

He laid back in the grass and rolled his eyes, laughing softly at her spontaneity. For the moment, his concerns about her former suitor fled, and his attention was focused solely on her. He reached up with both hands to hold her at her waist as she climbed on top of him and kissed his forehead. As he gazed up at her, his eyes wandered over her body, and he was struck again by how beautiful she was. He still couldn’t believe how fortunate he was to be with a woman like her.

When she spoke again, his green eyes flicked back up to meet hers. Her words sent a thrill of elation through him that made him smile and intensified his affection for her. He closed his eyes blissfully, tilting his head back as she began to kiss him along his neck. While he had never been concerned about her love for him wavering, he liked hearing her say it out loud. It made him feel good when she said it with such confidence and certainty.

“I love you too, Penelope,” Crow grinned up at her, wrapping his arms around her back to pull her down onto his chest. He pressed a kiss to her cheek as he held her in a tight embrace. “And I hope it goes without saying, but the same goes for me,” he said, meeting her gaze tenderly. “I don’t want to be with anyone other than you, and nothing will ever change that.”

He kissed her again on the lips this time, loosening his hold on her to run one hand gently down and up the length of her back. His lighthearted expression wavered slightly as he thought again about what Rikki had tried to do with him that day. “I know you’re convinced that Gavin has accepted being your friend and nothing more,” he said suddenly, holding her gaze a bit more seriously. “But just do me a favor and don’t let your guard down completely around him, alright? It’s true that I was willing to be friends with you, but that was only because I care about you and want what’s best for you.

“At the time, you were with a noble who wouldn’t force you to give up everything to be with him. That’s why I was willing to back down. As far as I knew, it sounded like he was a better option for you than I was.” He smiled up at her a bit melancholically, running his fingers through her brown hair that fell like a curtain around them. “On the other hand, you left him to run off with a criminal,” he went on. “If he really cares about you as he seems to, I can’t imagine he’s going to simply stand by and watch. As long as he thinks he’s better for you than I am, he isn’t going to settle. I can promise you that.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope grinned back at him as he returned her words and kissed her cheek. She leaned down to meet his lips as he kissed her. The knight closed her eyes peacefully as she sank into his touch. However, the peace didn't last long as Crow spoke up again. She looked down at him, noticing his change in expression rather quickly. She fell silent as she listened to him. His last words hit a bit stronger than the ones before as she recalled how Gavin had tried to convince her that Crow was dangerous. Though the male knight had seemingly dropped that argument, she supposed that didn't mean his opinion had changed quite yet.

That and she suspected that Crow was still thinking about what Rikki had done. Wanting to put his mind at ease, she nodded her head. "Alright." she agreed softly as she moved to rest one hand against his cheek as she held his gaze. "I won't let my guard down around him, you have my word." Penelope leaned down and pressed another kiss to his lips and then shifted to rest her head against his chest.

Comfortable in his embrace, she felt a bit of drowsiness begin to set in as she rested on top of him. Penelope closed her eyes for a moment, feeling all too tempted to fall asleep in his arms. It had been so long since she had been able to sleep in his arms as well as wake up in them. Penelope sighed, wishing the day came soon when they wouldn't have to part so often. "I should get going soon. Otherwise I might just pass out here." she joked half-heartedly. The knight rolled off of him and laid in the grass besides him. Laying on her side and propping herself up with her elbow, she looked down at him with a more serious gaze.

"We shouldn't wait too long for the next meeting though." she told him and paused before adding,"Not just because I want to see you again as soon as possible but because another battle's coming up soon too. The barons haven't set an official day yet but I'm sure it won't be long now."