Crow nodded when Penelope said they probably didn’t have much time before they had to leave for Aramoor. Based on where he guessed they were at the moment, he estimated that they would arrive around dusk if they traveled at the same pace as they had the day before. Considering how far south the village was, they were making good time in his opinion.

He rose to his feet with her as she stood up, moving slowly since his muscles were still stiff from the night. Already, the distance between them felt tangible, and he had to force himself not to reach for her hand or seek any other form of touch. It was difficult to do, since he always sought comfort in her when he was feeling distressed. However, he knew he was going to have to relearn to find that comfort elsewhere if he let her go. So, he kept his hands at his sides, fidgeting slightly with the hem of his tunic to occupy himself so he wouldn’t instinctively reach for the knight.

He turned at the sound of Gavin’s voice, tensing as he saw that the knight was walking over to them. With Gavin’s words still fresh in his mind, he found it difficult to meet the other man’s eyes, instead averting his gaze to look over the camp, as if their supplies were suddenly interesting to him. He hated how inferior he felt compared to Penelope’s former suitor. He considered his confidence to be one of his most unwavering qualities, but now, he couldn’t even bring himself to pretend like he was her best choice—not when he knew there was someone else who was much better suited for her than he could ever hope to be.

Crow turned back to Penelope as she offered to let him have the rest of the stew. He shifted his weight, not quite sure what to say. Normally, he would have jumped at the offer, but with his stomach twisted from his conflicting emotions, he wasn’t sure if he could keep the heavy stew down. However, he didn’t have time to come up with a reasonable excuse before she stepped over to join the others by the pit. Not wanting to draw attention to himself, he followed after her and took a seat by her side.

When he had settled down, the thief glanced at the pot of leftover supper. There was about one portion left, but with no appetite, it would be too much for him to finish alone. Casting Penelope a sidelong glance, he reached for two bowls and split the remaining food between them. “Here,” he said, offering one to her with a soft smile. “You should have some too. I had a lot to eat last night, so I don’t need this much.” He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek, ignoring the discomfort that bubbled up inside of him when he did. “Besides, we might not have time to stop for lunch, so you should eat a little more before we go.”