Crow leaned against the side of the wagon, his arms folded over his chest, as he watched Penelope and Hartley walk off together. He had been hoping William would let him go in the boy’s stead since it did make more sense for the female knight to be escorted by someone closer to her in age. Unfortunately, the hardheaded man cared more about punishing him for “causing trouble”— Crow still maintained that the mess in the marketplace had been Hartley’s fault—than he did about seeming believable.

“Don’t make me repeat myself,” William grumbled, gesturing for Crow to get into the wagon.

“I’m not going back in there,” Crow said without meeting the knight’s gaze. “If you get to take a break and stretch your legs, then so do I.”

“You should know better than to test my patience, thief,” William rested a hand on the hilt of his sword.

“And you should remember I’m the reason you’re here,” Crow retorted. “The king sent me, not you, to do this mission, and I’d like to be in condition to carry out the job. That includes taking a break from that cramped cart every once in a while.”

William glared at him for a moment before he finally stood down, “Fine. For the sake of our performance in Younis, you are permitted to remain outside until Penelope returns.”

“Thanks for your generosity,” Crow drawled sarcastically. He turned away from the knight and glanced back at the forms of Penelope and Hartley as they receded into the distance.

As long as he was free to be outside, he decided he might as well genuinely gauge his level of fitness. Since the beginning of their journey a week ago, he had put on a little more weight. He wasn’t as rail thin as he had been the day he left prison. Additionally, the fights and other trouble he had encountered had helped him regain some of his former strength and stamina. He had noticed that he was able to run faster and longer when he had escaped from the noble camp than when he and Penelope had gotten away from the same group at the Gods’ Mirror Pond. It wasn’t much overall—he was still far from his peak—but it was something.

Crow stepped over to a nearby tree and gazed up at the branches. They looked sturdy enough to hold his weight. He reached up and grabbed the lowest branch with both hands, giving it a few sharp tugs. It held firm.

“What are you doing, thief?” William asked cautiously, watching him from off to the side.

“Just testing something,” Crow answered vaguely. He turned his attention back to the tree. Inhaling sharply, he jumped, lifting himself off the ground. His underused biceps flexed, straining against his weight as he hauled himself onto the branch. Though climbing was a bit more difficult for him than it had been a year ago, he managed to swing somewhat gracefully into the tree.

“Get down from there,” William snapped.

“Relax,” Crow grinned at him, rising precariously to his feet. “I’m training for my assignment.” Ignoring the knight’s protests, he reached for another branch over his head and ascended higher into the tree. He enjoyed the feeling of working his body in ways that stretched its abilities, and climbing was one of the best ways to do that. He relished in the cool breeze on his skin, the burn in his arms and legs, and the pumping of his heart. It made him feel alive.

When he reached a point where the branches grew too thin to hold his weight, Crow stopped going higher. He sat down, dangling his legs over the edge of the branch he was perched on, and looked out over the town. Being so far above the ground made him feel powerful. He could see everything, but he was untouchable without a bow. It was an incredible sensation.

He peered down to see a red-faced William still shouting up at him. “I have permission to be outside as long as Penelope is gone,” he called down to the knight. “You never said [i]where[/i].”

“Damn thief!” William spat. “Come back down here [i]now[/i]!” He suddenly noticed Penelope and Hartley as they approached from the town. He turned to his comrade, somewhat reluctantly, for help. “Penelope, get the idiot out of the tree. He listens to you for some unknown reason.”