Over the next few days, the thieves returned to their normal routines. Alistair and Rikki took it upon themselves to lead a small raid on the knights’ supplies to pick up the few things they were still missing, along with some extra bandages since they had used up many of theirs after the last battle in Grimsby; Simon continued to go on solo patrols once a day to keep watch for knights; and Hazel worked diligently on a new recipe of an herbal remedy for Crow, who spent most of his days sleeping or otherwise resting in the camp, since he was no longer able to leave without help.

As the days dragged on, the thief began to grow more and more restless. He felt trapped by his own body and often stared longingly at the entrance of the cavern during his waking hours, wishing he could go out and do something—anything—besides lay in bed. He finally understood how his mother must have felt when she had been on her deathbed, and he had been the one to take care of both of them. It was ridiculously frustrating to be unable to move on his own.

Fortunately, with the amount of sleep he was getting, his illness didn’t seem to get any worse. He only had one concerning episode that occurred on their second day back in the camp, when he’d had a coughing fit that ended in him spitting up more of the viscous blood that he’d seen during the battle. Hazel, who had been present at the time, seemed alarmed after seeing it for herself and spent even longer hours poring over her medicinal books as she tried to figure out what could be causing it to happen.

During this time, she was often accompanied by Simon, who had begun courting her after their late-night walk. The thief helped her find herbs in the forest and went over her books to see if he could catch anything she may have missed. Between the two of them, Crow hoped they would find a cure quickly. Being confined to a bed against his will, he had a bad case of wanderlust and was also starting to worry a bit more about whether they would find a way to heal him at all.

Another concern he had was for his fast approaching meeting with Penelope. Though he couldn’t walk on his own, he still clung to the hope that he would find some way to get to Myrefall to see her. After going another whole week apart, he missed her and desperately craved to be with her again. So, when night fell on the third day, he grew much more restless than before as he hurried to come up with some way to make the trip.

Hazel, who had been working on his next poultice, noticed his change in mood. “What’s got you so worked up?” she asked, glancing over at him as she crushed plant leaves in a bowl.

Crow averted his gaze, “I’m supposed to meet with Penelope tonight. I need to get to Myrefall, so I can—”

“No way,” Hazel cut him off. “Are you insane? You can’t even stand up without support, dumbass. There’s no way in hell you’re going all the way to a village.”

“I have to,” he argued hotly. “She’s probably already there. I can’t just ditch her.”

“You don’t have much of a choice,” she snorted. “Just keep resting. She knows you’re sick. I’m sure she’ll understand.”

“I can’t do that,” he shook his head in frustration. “She worries about me. If I don’t go, she’ll just think something happened. I have to tell her I’m alright.”

“But you’re not alright,” Hazel set down the bowl and turned to him with a glare. “In case you hadn’t noticed, you’re officially bedridden, idiot. Face the facts and let it go already. You can see her again when I figure out this godsforsaken cure.”

Crow lowered his gaze, staring down at the ground in silence. His heart sank as he realized that, as much as he wanted to see Penelope, there was no way for him to make it to her now that his illness had progressed so far. After a moment, he looked up at the herbalist again, “Okay, fine. I can’t go, but someone has to. I can’t just leave her waiting.”

“No. Uh uh,” Hazel shook her head vigorously. “I see where you’re going with this, snake, and there’s no way in hell I’m going to meet with a noble for you.”

“Please,” he pleaded. “You’re the only one I can ask. Raven is still mad at me, and Simon and Alistair can’t find out about us. It has to be you.”

“That’s just too bad, because I’m not going to do it.”

“Please,” he said again, taking on a desperate tone. “I’m begging you, love. You don’t have to stay long. Just tell her what happened and that I’m okay. I need her to know I’m not dead.”

Hazel looked over to meet his gaze, opening her mouth to argue, but then wavered as she caught the despondent look in his eye. She pursed her lips and then sighed, “The things I do for you… Fine. If it will wipe that pathetic expression off your face, I’ll do it.”

“Thank you,” he said in relief that she agreed. “We’ve been meeting in an abandoned house on the western side of Myrefall. It’s on the second street from the edge of the village, eight houses down from the southern side…”

--

[i]I can’t believe I agreed to this,[/i] Hazel thought bitterly as she trekked through the forest towards Myrefall. Clutching at her cloak, she pulled the fabric a bit more securely around her shoulders to warm herself against the cool night air. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to turn around and forget the whole thing. After all, she could just hide out for a while and tell Crow she had met with his noble lover. He would never know the difference.

Unfortunately for her, she had at least something of a moral compass, so she couldn’t lie to a man who was possibly on his deathbed in good conscience. Besides, it wasn’t like he’d asked her to have a full-on conversation with this woman. All she had to do was go in, tell the knight he was alive, and get out. Simple, right? She hoped so.

When Hazel reached the village, she replayed Crow’s directions in her head, following the streets he had described to her until she came to a dilapidated old house in the middle of a small dirt road. There was a light in the window, so someone was obviously inside. She just hoped it was the noblewoman she was looking for. The herbalist cringed to herself as she imagined walking in on some strange family in the middle of the night.

Sending up a quick prayer that she’d found the right place, Hazel opened the door and stepped inside.