“I’ve told you before never to trust a thief,” Crow leaned into Penelope’s side teasingly. “Although I think it’s much more fun when you ignore that advice, because this thief will always keep you on your toes. That’s a promise.” Giving her hand a gentle tug, he guided her toward the southern hillside. As they walked he was careful to follow a path that would be easy for the knight to take without tripping, since he didn’t want her to get hurt. Fortunately, it wasn’t much of a concern because the place to which he intended bring her wasn’t terribly far from the thieves’ makeshift camp.

Crow led Penelope through the forest for a while, not speaking much since he was mostly focused on making sure she had a clear route between the foliage. Already, he could feel his heart beginning to race with excitement. He had been looking forward to sharing this place with the knight for a long time now, and even though this hadn’t been the way he had expected it to happen, he was glad she was finally coming with him to see it.

Eventually, he began to notice familiar scenery, indicating that they were almost there. “Alright, we’re getting close, so no peeking,” he said to Penelope, giving her hand a stern squeeze.

After walking just a bit further, he came to a stop and let go of Penelope’s hand, moving to stand behind her as he rested his hands on her shoulders. “We’re here,” he said, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek once more before reaching to lift the blindfold from her eyes. Once he had taken it off, he wrapped his arms around her torso and rested his chin against her shoulder, taking in the sight as she did.

They were standing on the edge of a short cliff overlooking a lake. The ridge circled around the water to the right, where a distant waterfall could be seen, reflected in the moonlight. Below, the dark water of the lake mirrored the moon and stars above. However, because of the cascades of the waterfall, the reflection was distorted in rippling waves that gave it an almost dreamlike quality. It was a peaceful spot, and it was one of the thief’s favorite places in the outer villages.

“Well, what do you think?” Crow turned to her with a smile. “Was it worth the walk?”