Crow listened as Penelope gave him her update on the knights’ activities. He was relieved to hear that there wouldn’t be any more patrols coming after him and the other thieves aside from Layth’s. The others didn’t try to hide the fact that they were getting annoyed about being so confined to the southern side of the forest. He was sure they would be excited to hear that they could start going out on raids again without worrying about knights hiding around every bend.

He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair thoughtfully as she went on to explain how the barons didn’t intend to launch another attack on the Younisians until the king replenished their supplies. While the news by itself was encouraging, he also wondered if there was some way that he could use such information to his advantage. Perhaps if he and his companions raided the knights again, they could keep delaying them from starting up another battle. He made a mental note to work on that idea more later.

As Penelope suddenly trailed off and muttered something to herself that he didn’t catch, he raised a brow at her in confusion, wondering what had caused her abrupt change in demeanor. In the next moment, he blinked and looked up at the ceiling as he took notice of the pouring rain outside. Not paying much attention to the weather on his way to Myrefall, he hadn’t realized the clouds he had seen before were storm clouds. The rain must have started after he got inside.

Crow turned back to Penelope as she hurried to get up from the table. “O-okay,” he frowned, still a bit taken aback by her sudden urge to go back to her camp. He stood up to follow after her, reaching up to draw his hood over his head, but then faltered as he remembered the time two years ago when they had been trapped in the stables by a storm in Younis. She had been too frightened back then to even think straight.

And now she was heading right into a rainstorm by herself.

Muttering a curse under his breath, the thief moved quickly for the door and pulled it open. He stepped outside and looked up and down the street, trying to see if he could figure out where the knight had gone. Unable to see the her, he guessed she had already started back towards her own camp. For a moment, he contemplated going home as well. After all, he remembered that she had been afraid of thunder, not rain, and he had yet to hear any. As long as the storm didn’t get any worse, she would be fine.

As if the gods were mocking him, a flash of lightning lit up the sky almost as soon as he finished his thought, followed by a deafening roar of thunder. He flinched slightly at its intensity. Well, any hope he had of going back to the ravine now was gone. Without another second to spare, he turned and ran down the road towards the northern forest, calling out for Penelope as he looked for her in the alleyways between houses.