Crow was a bit disappointed when Penelope announced that she was going to sleep so Abraxas could take over guarding the camp. Although with Hartley’s appearance, it didn’t make much of a difference anyway. The boy was too protective of Penelope to leave them alone again after he had found out they were talking together in the middle of the night. The thief let out his breath in mild annoyance. It would be no problem for him to find time with Penelope if William was the only one keeping an eye on them, but with Hartley on the lookout as well, they might have a bit more trouble than Crow first thought.

“Goodnight,” he said, finally letting loose the yawn he had suppressed earlier. He laid back down on the ground and drew his blanket over himself, this time facing towards the camp so he could see the others. He watched as Penelope woke Abraxas to take over and then settled down on her makeshift bed. Hartley naturally took up a spot next to her, but his proximity to the knight didn’t bother Crow much anymore. It was apparent that the boy’s flirting was a nuisance to Penelope. It wasn’t something to be concerned about.

His eyelids drooped as weariness overtook him. His nap during the day hadn’t been enough to restore his energy after everything that had happened. He closed his eyes, allowing himself to drift off as he hoped their next day in Younis wouldn’t be as eventful.

--

Crow woke up to the bustling sounds of the camp being torn down. He pulled his blanket down from his head, blinking against the soft morning sunlight. William was covering up the fire pit while the others were just beginning to stir. He sat up and stretched, looking up at the sky confusedly. The sun had just barely begun to rise over the edge of the horizon. It was much earlier than the group usually got up.

“What’s the rush?” he called to William from across the camp.

“Get up, thief,” William grunted in response as he kicked some dirt over the charred remains of their fire. “We’re making up for lost time today.”

“I see,” Crow muttered. He picked up his blanket and shook it out, sending a cloud of dust into the air as he cleaned the fabric off. He glanced at Penelope—he didn’t want to risk approaching her with William still watching them—to see that Hartley had taken the liberty of waking her up.

“Good morning, sunshine,” the young thief crooned in her ear.