“Of course,” Crow flashed Penelope a smirk as she handed off her flask to him. He lifted the container to his lips and downed a large portion of the water inside, relishing the way that the cold liquid soothed his mouth and throat. With time, he hoped it would help to ease his slight headache as well.

Once he’d had his fill, he put the lid back on and was about to pass it back to her when Gavin’s voice caught his attention. He turned to see that the knight was walking towards them at a brisk pace with a serious look in his eyes despite how exhausted he had to be after staying up all night to keep watch. The urgency in his tone set the thief on edge, reminding him yet again of their conversation the night before. With the way Gavin was acting now, it was starting to seem like he may have actually figured something out. He shifted his weight uneasily, attempting to watch the two knights speak without drawing attention to himself.

As Gavin mentioned learning something from the villagers he had spoken to at the tavern, Crow felt an ominous shiver run up his spine. He looked up to meet the knight’s gaze, covering his nervousness with a fake anticipation, as if he was also eager to hear the news. As he did, he noticed the other man cast him a strange look and stand up slightly straighter in a rather haughty posture. His confident attitude made the thief even more concerned that something had come out about his involvement with the people of Wheldrake the night before. To make matters worse, his suspicion that Gavin would try to isolate Penelope from him to reveal the information had been correct as well.

[i]I can’t let him speak to her alone,[/i] he thought determinedly. Crossing his arms over his chest, he held the knight’s gaze with a stubborn air. “And do what?” he narrowed his eyes accusatively. “Keep me out of whatever it is that you found?” He scoffed. “Not a chance. No matter what you think about me, I’m just as much a part of this team as Penelope is. I want to know what you found too.”

Gavin clenched his jaw in thinly veiled annoyance at the thief’s delay, “I understand that, but I would still rather speak with Penelope about it alone first.” He studied Crow’s face suspiciously. “Unless you have a reason not to let me tell her what I know without you being present.”

“Of course I have a reason,” Crow growled. “I don’t appreciate being left out like I’m not as valuable to this group as you are. I know you don’t approve of my life choices, but the difference in our paths gives me the ability to provide you knights with a perspective you wouldn’t be able to see on your own. I think that’s reason enough to let me hear what you found out.” He crossed his arms over his chest in an obstinate stance. “And, not to mention, you’re not even the real leader here.” He glanced at Penelope. “What do you think, love?”