Over the course of the next two days, the band of criminals made their way back to their hideout behind the waterfall. The journey itself was uneventful, but for Crow it a stressful time. Rikki’s suggestion weighed heavily in the back of his mind as he tried to decide what to do. While he still had plenty of time left to come to a conclusion, he couldn’t bring himself to focus on anything else. The unmade choice consumed him as he walked with his companions in tense silence.

If he took Rikki’s advice and worked for the Younisians, he would practically be ensuring his home kingdom’s defeat in the war, but he would also be able to save himself and Penelope from the consequences of that loss. They would be safe and free to have the life together that they dreamed about. The thought made him feel warm inside.

However, what would Penelope think if she learned of what he had done? Their kingdom would be conquered, her family would be lost, and ultimately, he would have turned against them all to make it happen. He shuddered. It was easy for a lawless peasant like Rikki or Alistair to understand the motive of trying to survive in a rotten situation, but he had a feeling that the knight wouldn’t be so understanding. She had a much stronger sense of justice than he or his companions did. Anything short of the “right decision” surely wouldn’t be easily accepted. Her world of black and white didn’t mix with his shades of gray.

[i]But she would come around eventually… right?[/i] Crow thought hopefully. Even if it was hard for her to take in at first, surely she would have to know that he was only doing it because there was no other choice. If Younis won, the kingdom and her family would suffer no matter what he did. At least this way, the two of them would be spared from falling into the same fate. He blinked as he realized he was starting to be swayed in the direction of working for the enemy kingdom. Perhaps his mind was more made up than he had thought.

--

The thieves arrived back in their camp just before nightfall, which gave Crow just enough time to eat a quick supper before his meeting with Penelope. After spending the last two days feeling so conflicted, he was eager to see her and get his mind off everything. It would be good to stop and destress without worrying about making any hard decisions. He couldn’t wait.

So, as soon as he finished his plate, he got up and put his cloak on in preparation to leave. Now that his companions all knew about his relationship with the knight, he didn’t have to worry about sneaking away from them after they fell asleep or coming up with an excuse to visit with her. It was a rather nice change, since it also meant he didn’t have to wait until later in the night to leave.

He exchanged a brief goodbye with them and headed out, walking quickly in his excitement to see her again and leave all of his concerns behind.