“Alright,” Crow sighed in exaggerated disappointment when Penelope told him he would be sleeping in his own bed that night. He knew it was for the best, though. It wouldn’t be long before he needed to make his escape to the outer villages, and if he reopened his wound now, that was going to be a lot harder to do. As much as he wanted to sleep next to her again, it was more important for him to be recovering from his injuries at this time.

[i]At least we’ll only be apart for one week,[/i] he thought as he followed her down the hallway that led to their room. [i]It won’t be too bad.[/i]

When they stepped inside, he said a quick goodnight to her and made his way over to the bed on the far side of the room. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he managed to take his boots off without quite as much trouble as the night before. His chest still pained him when he bent over, but it was more bearable this time. He hoped that was a good sign that his wound was healing quickly.

Once his shoes were off, he laid down on the mattress and drew the blanket to his chin, exhaling slowly as he relaxed his tense muscles from the long ride. It didn’t take long before he drifted off to sleep.

--

The next morning, William was the first one to wake up. The knight got up and went to rouse Penelope first before heading over to the thief’s bed. “Get up, Lockton,” he grunted. “We need to reach the border before nightfall.”

“I’m up,” Crow groaned, sitting up on his bed and rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palm. He was still tired, but not nearly as sore as he had been the previous day. If all went well, it was going to be a more tolerable trip to the border.

[i]The border,[/i] he blinked as the realization of the words hit him suddenly. Tonight would be the last night before he left to go back to his home—before he left Penelope for a week. It felt so surreal. After spending a year in prison and close to a month with the knights, he could hardly believe he was finally going back to the outer villages.

[i]I’m almost home.[/i]

With a fresh surge of energy, he swung his legs over the side of the mattress and got ready to leave, then stood by the doorway as he waited for the others.

William eyed him suspiciously, “You’re moving faster than usual. What’s the hurry, thief?”

“I’m just done with this ridiculous mission,” Crow lied with a shake of his head. “I almost died two days ago. Do you know how terrible that feels? I’m done running around in this kingdom and risking my life for a stupid, golden walking stick.”

William stared at him for a moment longer before turning away again, seeming to accept his words, and Crow let out his breath quietly. It helped that the knight still seemed to think he was just a selfish criminal. He didn’t seem to have the faintest clue about the thief’s plans with his comrade.

[i]I might even miss his stubborn face when I go,[/i] Crow thought with an amused smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest and watched the others get ready to leave.