When morning came, Penelope woke up nearly thinking that the night had before had just been a dream. She slowly sat up and ran a hand through her hair as she recalled everything that had happened. Her heart raced a little as she thought of how Crow still loved her and how close they had been, even if it was only for a moment. The knight closed her eyes and let out a long sigh as she had to face the more challenging part of the memory, finding out her answer. 

She stood up and headed out of her tent to start the day, grabbing breakfast and sitting down with a few of her comrades. As she ate, she spotted Gavin approaching out of the corner of her eye. The sight of him made her a bit nervous as she was suddenly unsure how to act around her suitor while she was considering leaving him for Crow. "Morning." She finally greeted him as he sat down besides her. 

"Morning." Gavin said offering a small smile. He eyed her for a moment before resting his hand on hers and she tensed slightly at his touch. He frowned and looked over at her questioningly. "Did you sleep alright?"

"Yeah.. The storm made it a bit difficult but I managed." She lied, still not wanting him to know about her fear. "At least the weather cleared up today though."

Gavin nodded his head in agreement. "So what's the plan for today? If you're not too busy, I was thinking we could get away from camp for a bit." He offered quietly. "I'm sure we could both use a break from people like your brother constantly complaining about what happened with the thief." He smiled hopefully at her. "What do you think?"

Penelope faltered slightly at his offer. With everything she was considering, the female knight wanted to put a little bit of distance between her and Gavin until she was able to figure out if she was going to stay with him or not. She returned his smile. "That sounds nice but I'm afraid I'm booked for the day. I need to speak with Mia for awhile about some plans for future battles.  Sorry." 

"It's alright. Maybe a different time." He mused with a shrug. Penelope gave him an appreciative look, glad that he didn't push for her to find the time. 

---

"The battle at Grimsby was sloppy. See that's what happens when you let a fool like Bennet make a few decisions." 

As morning turned to day, Penelope had stayed partially true to her words to Gavin. She joined Mia alone in her private tent, speaking with the baroness about the last battle. Mia sat back in her chair with her arms folded across her chest and a look of annoyance on her face as spoke about their loss. It seemed that the woman didn't take defeat very easily and from what Penelope could tell, she was planning on avenging the loss the Brerratic troops had suffered. 

"I'm sure we'll be able to take back Grimsby." Penelope mused with a shrug. 

"Of course we will. With those two half-wits chasing after a petty thief, I'll focus on making sure the Younisians suffer a complete defeat." Mia stated confidently. 

Penelope smiled in amusement at Mia's words. She looked over at the baroness and hesitated. Mia was a strong and powerful woman, someone she greatly respected. The knight let out a small sigh, wishing that she could simply ask Mia for advice on her current situation. Though she couldn't ask directly, perhaps there was some way to still have Mia help, even if indirectly. She glanced curiously at her higher up. 

"Mia... I was wondering, why did you choose me to be your lieutenant?" She asked. "I mean, you approached me about it right after my failed mission. Surely there had to be someone else better suited.. And besides you already have Tomas."

Mia looked over at Penelope and raised an eyebrow. "Why are you asking this now?... Is this because of what happened with that thief? Honestly Penelope you shouldn't worry about such things during a war."

"No, no it's not just that." She said quickly. "I just wanted to know. I've always been curious."

The baroness eyed her for a moment before giving a small nod. "Well.. If you must know, it's because I think you're capable of great things. You see, you're an interesting person, Penelope. You're a noble, but you're not blinded by wealth or power.. Much unlike most of your family." She smirked and stood up, walking over to Penelope. "Even I get wrapped up in such things but I have yet to see that happen to you.. Also, your views are quite different than my own. I like to focus on our borders, fighting for them, expanding them, guarding them. You, however, like to focus on what's inside them. Your family, your friends, even the people out here in the villages."

"While I appreciate the praise, I'm not the only one like that." Penelope said as she held the baroness' gaze. "Like Gavin for example."

Mia gave a soft snort. "While I understand your fondness for your suitor, he is not the same as you, Penelope. He may share similar values but you're much different. Gavin works within the premade laws, doing what he is suppose to, doing what he is told to. You, however, do what you can. You change the rules." Her eyes gleamed. "Just like how you got an extension for your mission from Younis. That's what first got my attention. I'll admit, I was worried I had misjudged you but when we fought at Whitebridge and you took matters into your own hands again, I knew I had made the right choice." 

Penelope fell silent for a moment as she took in Mia's words. She wasn't sure she completely agreed with them. One had been a desperate and rather impulsive act to try and retrieve the staff merely because she had been too stubborn to let go of Crow easily. The second, she had just been desperate to end unnecessary slaughter of the villagers. They didn't seem to deserve the praise that Mia was giving them. But, the knight trusted the baroness' judgement so she didn't argue against her words. However, it left her wondering what Mia expected from her after the war. 

"I see.." She mumbled with a small nod. ".. Then, what exactly do you see for my future, Mia?"

"No one can predict the future dear." Mia said before giving a sly smirk. "But I can try. After this war you'll have gained great experience and a good reputation so long as you continue as you are. I can't guarantee how far you'll be able to go but I don't think you should limit yourself. You're a bright girl with a strong head and heart. Perhaps you'll rise to my rank one day. Or perhaps even further. I'm not sure. It depends on what you want and what you're willing to do to get there." Mia paused then looked at her questioningly. "What's with these questions?"

"Nothing. Just... thinking about after the war." She replied absent-mindedly. Mia's words circled in her head. Part of her liked the sound of continuing to rise up in her career and Mia seemed rather confident that she'd be able to do it. As a baroness, the things she could do would be far greater than what she was currently able to do. However, her desire to go chasing after such things was small. Titles and power had never interested her very much and they still didn't. While she might be able to help more, Penelope felt doubtful that was what she wanted the more she thought about it. Crow had always helped the outer villages and she was sure she could find a way to do the same. 

The two focused back on battle plans now that Penelope had gotten a bit of what she was looking for out of Mia. She was grateful for the baroness' willingness to speak with her about such things and felt like it would help her decide her future when the time came.