Yet another uncomfortable moment of silence dragged on between the two women, and Hazel inched towards the door, hoping to leave. Penelope was confusing to her. She didn’t act like the nobles the herbalist had known before. There was a kindness about her that was reminiscent of the way peasants treated one another, which wasn’t a characteristic she wanted to associate with a knight. She preferred her world to be clear cut, black and white, good and bad. Nobles were supposed to be selfish, vain, and cruel, not sweet and empathetic. The fact that this noble was breaking down those preconceptions was not a positive thing to her.

As the silence continued, she grew impatient. Whatever was going on in Penelope’s head, she wanted no part of it. After all, her job here was done. There was no longer any reason for her to linger when she had already fulfilled Crow’s ridiculous wish. [i]What am I still waiting around for anyway?[/i] Having made up her mind, she tipped her head in a curt and wordless goodbye to the knight and turned around to head to the door, eager to let her and this unpleasant meeting fade out of her mind.

Just as she began to reach for the door handle, the knight spoke up again, but this time her words made the herbalist stiffen. [i]Ah, there’s that classic noble arrogance,[/i] she thought, her lip curling upward in a pleased smirk. [i]She thinks her fancy, educated healer is better than me. Hah![/i] Whirling around, she prepared to shut down the conversation, but then faltered as she met the other woman’s gaze. The mixture of determination and desperation in her eyes was not what she had been expecting. It brought to mind the image of a despondent lover, clinging to anything that might save her dying suitor or husband. It was an expression the herbalist was quite familiar with in all her years of medicinal practice, and it was an expression she never thought she would see on a noble’s face over a thief.

[i]I don’t understand,[/i] Hazel thought as Penelope went on to try to convince her to change her mind about the physician. [i]Why is she trying so hard?[/i] She remained silent, listening to the knight go on about how she actually thought she understood the herbalist’s hatred for her kind and about why she believed the herbalist was making the wrong decision by denying the physician’s help. It was quite the haughty little speech, in her opinion—how could a knight possibly know full extent of what peasants went through?—but something about it did give her pause.

Four days ago, she wouldn’t have given such a proposal even a second thought, but with Crow’s health declining so rapidly, she was getting desperate to figure out why her medicines weren’t working. Despite her careless and often cold words to him, she didn’t really want to see him die. She would never admit it out loud, but he wasn’t all bad as a person. Since joining him and the other thieves in their camp, she had seen a side of him that she hadn’t known existed, a determinedly compassionate side that swayed her vengeful opinion of him and even reminded her why she had once wanted him to court her all those years ago. There was a fire in him for the people of the outer villages, a fire that she found that she truly admired because it drove him to do anything he could to protect people who couldn’t protect themselves.

She didn’t want to see that fire go out.

She eyed Penelope contemplatively as she thought about her offer. Even if her remedies hadn’t been enough so far, would it really make that big of a difference if a second healer joined the search? Sure, there were benefits to having two people working on the same problem, but it didn’t guarantee that they would figure it out. It didn’t even guarantee that anything would change at all. She wasn’t sure if she was willing to work with a noble when there was no way to know whether the noble’s assistance would make a difference. Besides, she was perfectly capable on her own. She had found cures for diseases before, and she could do it again.

Suddenly, the image of Crow’s coughing episode the day before appeared in her mind, and she wavered in her resolve. While she had confidence in her own abilities, there was no denying that he was running out of time. If he died now, could she really say she had done everything in her power as an herbalist to save him? Perhaps there was a reason to accept this physician’s help after all, if only to be able to say she had tried everything. That way, she would have some peace of mind if he still succumbed to his illness.

“Fine,” she said after a long pause, crossing her arms again as she held Penelope’s gaze coldly. “You win. I’ll meet with this physician of yours on a [i]temporary[/i] basis, provided she doesn’t get in my way.” She fell quiet again for a moment, her hard expression fading as she looked away from the knight. “Why do you care so much about him, anyway?” she murmured, shaking her head as she finally gave in and asked the question that had been gnawing at her all night. “I just can’t wrap my head around it. What could a noble like you possibly have to gain from being with a thief? He can’t give you anything you don’t already have. Honestly, no matter which way I look at it, the only thing he can do for you is take it all away. Why would you want that?”