Crow stood off to the side while Penelope went to tell William that they were leaving to ‘scout the area.’ He continued to lean against the tree, folding his arms over his chest as he listened to them from a distance. Fortunately, William only hesitated for a moment before he agreed to let them go together. The thief smiled to himself, turning to look off to the side so the others wouldn’t catch his expression. It seemed like the older knight felt like he had spent more than enough time with him today and wanted some peace and quiet before nightfall. [i]Good,[/i] he thought. [i]Maybe now he won’t be too upset if we stay out for a while.[/i]

When Penelope came back from speaking with her comrade, Crow followed her lead, heading into the surrounding forest with her while keeping his distance while they were still within sight of the camp. Once they had walked far enough away, he felt her slip her arm around his waist. He smiled at her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, affectionately squeezing her close to his side for a moment. He was glad she had come up with the idea to sneak away now rather than after dark, as they had done the previous night. This way, he could get a full night of sleep, and she didn’t have to sacrifice her watch.

“Of course,” he agreed when she said they should keep a lookout on their way back. “You should know I only agreed to come out here with you because of the prospect of food.” Casting her a teasing smirk, he leaned in to press a kiss to her cheek and then took her hand in his. “Come on, let’s find somewhere more private to stop in.” He gave her hand a soft tug, taking the lead as they wandered through the forest.

Eventually, they came to an area of the forest where the ground sloped downward on both sides, just enough that they would be hidden from anyone who happened to pass by. Crow guided Penelope towards it, making his way down to the bottom of the small valley. When they reached it, he turned to her with a mischievous grin, “I think I saw some knights in the distance. Looks like we’re going to have to stay out for a while longer to investigate.”

Sliding his arms around her lithe body, he pressed in to meet her lips. His hands traced the curve of her back while he held her to himself. As he kissed her, he leaned back, allowing himself to fall back on the sloping hillside without letting go of her, so that she laid on top of him when he landed. He moved to kiss her along her jawline and sighed, “Gods, I’m so lucky to have you.”