Crow smirked when Penelope whirled around and grasped at the air by her hip where she had been carrying her sword before. He found it amusing that he could startle the knight like that, even if it only lasted for moment. However, he didn’t dwell on it for long when she answered his question defensively and told him to go back to sleep. Whatever she was doing, it was clear that she didn’t want him to come with her. It wasn’t shocking. She might have shown him a semblance of friendliness at dinner, but he was still a peasant and a thief that she had been charged with guarding. If she had opened up to him about her midnight walk right away, it would have been astounding.

Still, he wasn’t going to give up that easily. “I napped on the way here,” he frowned in response to her order, sitting up slightly straighter on the floor. “I’ve had plenty of rest. Besides, you’re the one who woke me up in the first place.” Quietly, he tossed his blanket aside and indicated the table on the far side of the room with a tilt of his head. “Take me with you. William put the key to my chain over there.”

Since he was already up, he didn’t feel like going back to sleep right away; but that wasn’t the only reason why he wanted to leave the room. It was also the perfect opportunity for him to steal some alone time with Penelope. If he played his cards right, he might be able to work on his plan to trick her into relaxing her guard around him. He couldn’t pass up the chance to move his plan along, especially when they would reach the outer villages in just a few days at the most. Given the way the knight had been watching him so closely, there was no way he would be able to escape without getting caught. He needed to change that.

“I swear I won’t try to run off,” Crow simpered at her and placed one hand over his heart in a sincere gesture. “I’ve never been to this village before, so I wouldn’t get very far, even if I wanted to. You could even bring your sword if it will make you feel better.” His eyes flicked toward the bed he was chained to when he suddenly heard one of the other knights stir. After a moment everything was calm again, and he turned back to Penelope with a pleading look on his face, whispering softly, “Please? I promise I’ll behave.”