“You think I’m distracting now,” Crow laughed softly, meeting her lips as she moved in to kiss him one more time. “But I’ve been holding back. Trust me, love; you’ll know when I’m [i]really[/i] trying to distract you.” He winked at her coyly and stepped back so she could move away from the wall.

Picking up the bow and quiver again, he took a moment to examine the weapon had stolen. The bow was made of finely crafted ash wood, and the string smelled like it was made of hemp. He knew very little about the quality of bows, but from his experience stealing them from Brerratic knights, he could guess that this one was on the higher end.

He absently plucked the string, listening to the soft [i]twang[/i] it made in response. It was still strange to think that he would be intentionally learning how to use a weapon like this. In the past, he had only learned how to use weapons by coincidence—usually when he was attacked and just picked up the first thing he could find to defend himself. When it came to swords and daggers and the like, he honestly knew next to nothing. He had always just let his instinct drive him when he found himself in a position that required their use. To actually study the proper use of a weapon was both intimidating, because of his lack of experience, and comforting, because he would finally have a means to fight that didn’t rely on guesswork.

Crow slung the leather strap of the quiver over his head so it fell comfortably across his chest. He eyed the bow for a moment, trying to remember how he had seen archers carry them, and then did the same thing again. He positioned the weapon so the string fell against his chest and the wood laid against his back.

“I feel like a pack mule,” he muttered, shaking his head. Between the bag, bedroll, quiver, and bow, he was quite weighed down. He much preferred to travel light since, as a thief, he often needed to be quick on his feet at a moments’ notice. [i]At least it’s only for a few more days,[/i] he thought irritably, adjusting the supplies and following Penelope down the alleyway.

“It’s probably going to make it more difficult to travel,” Crow said thoughtfully when Penelope spoke up about the bow. “We already stand out because of our bandages, and now I’m walking around with a knight’s longbow strapped to my back.” He sighed. “I don’t think we could get more conspicuous unless we were shouting that we were going to raid the castle.”