Crow looked over the knights individually. The eldest was a man who looked to be in his late forties. He had shoulder-length brown hair that was well-maintained, even for a nobleman. His face was dour and his jaw was tight. The female knight was just as harsh looking. Her light brown hair was pinned back in a pristine bun and her jade green eyes were piercing. Even though she looked to be about the same age as him, her sternness gave her the appearance of a more mature woman. The youngest knight, however, seemed to be a bit out of place among his older companions. He had an absent look about him, with sandy, unkempt hair. If he hadn’t been wearing the same armor as the others, the thief would have thought the boy to be a poet or a wandering artist.

As the trio stood and walked over to stand beside their king, Crow kept his eyes fixed on them untrustingly. He had never had a good experience with a knight before, given the types of interactions he’d had with their kind in the past. When he’d been a free man, they had always hunted him with weapons drawn and hateful words on their lips. When he’d been a prisoner, they had shoved him around and spat in his cell. He loathed the thought of spending any length of time in the company of a whole group of them, and it looked like they weren’t any more excited about acting as his new guards. The older two gazed upon him with disgust, as if he was a bug they wanted to squash, while the youngest studied him with interest. He could already tell he was going to have to assert himself if he didn’t want to be trodden under their boots.

While the two older knights addressed their king, the thief scrutinized them in his head. The woman had the sense to at least pretend like she was happy to be there, but her companion wasn’t nearly as congenial. The man’s spiteful words plucked at Crow’s temper, and for a fleeting moment, he narrowed his eyes. As he’d suspected, his unwanted guards were going to be just as terrible as the men who’d overseen him in prison.

Returning to his apathetic mien, he raised one of his bound hands to garner the monarch’s attention. “I agree completely,” he chimed in. “Your Majesty, how can you expect me to work with these awful people? I suggest you keep them, and I’ll go ahead by myself.” Without waiting for a reply, he spun around on his heel to leave, but the lean guard grabbed hold of his chains before he could take two steps.

“Nice try,” the king snorted. “They’re coming with you whether you like it or not, thief. And William,” he turned to the oldest knight. “You only have to put up with him for two weeks. Please, try not to kill him in that span of time.”

Crow stiffened. He didn’t like the idea of traveling with the knights because he wasn’t fond of the way they treated him. He hadn’t even considered the possibility that they would use their swords to put him in his place. “[i]Kill[/i]?” he squawked, too agitated to keep his qualms to himself. “Your Majesty, please! These people are dangerous. Let me go by myself.”

“Make sure he behaves himself,” the king went on to the knights, ignoring his outburst. He signaled to the lean guard to remove the thief’s chains so he could move freely. “Your supply wagon should be ready for you outside. You may depart immediately.”