Crow woke up sore and dazed on the edge of the riverbank. He groaned and attempted to sit up, but his muscles burned in protest. The effort was too straining, so he gave up and closed his eyes, laying still. Well, that plan had been a complete and utter failure. He had never expected that Penelope would be able to keep up with him in the thick of a forest. For that, he blamed his year in prison. He had been locked up for so long that he was out of practice.

But how had he ended up in a river? He struggled to remember the chase. He had been running through a valley in the forest, and then he had come across the water… Then something had pushed him over the edge. Only one option came to mind as he pondered what the ‘something’ had been. He opened his eyes again and saw Penelope lying unconscious a little farther downstream. She must have fallen into the river after him.

He made another attempt to get up. This could be his chance. If he took off now, he could put some distance between himself and the knight before she woke up. But the effort was so tiring. He glanced at Penelope again. She looked like she was out cold. He still had some time, so a little extra sleep wouldn’t hurt, right? If he just took a quick nap, he could get some of his energy back and run away before she knew what happened. He laid down again and closed his eyes, letting out his breath slowly. He would just sleep for a few more minutes, and then he would be on his way…

--

Crow grimaced as he felt a sharp prod in his side. He lazily opened one eye, and then startled when he saw Penelope standing over him.

[color=fff79a][b]“Still alive?”[/b][/color] she said coldly.

He opened his mouth, but found that he couldn’t reply. What was she doing awake already? Had he overslept? He sat up hurriedly, an action which he quickly regretted as a fresh wave of pain washed over his body. He was feeling slightly better since the last time he had woken up, but he was still quite battered from the river rapids, and the sudden movement didn’t help anything. There was no way he was strong enough to get away from Penelope now. He was at her mercy.

Crow looked up at her and offered a halfhearted smile, “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to just let me go, would you?”