Instead of heading back to his camp right away as he normally would have, Crow lingered for a little while longer in the clearing, letting his eyes wander up to the starry night sky. His meeting with Jaxon hadn’t gone nearly as well as he’d hoped, especially since the other thief seemed intent on getting rid of Gavin, but at least he and his companions had a chance to make it out of this war with their freedoms intact. He supposed that was better than nothing.

He let out a soft sigh, watching as his breath left him in a visible cloud. With the fall season just around the corner, the temperatures at night had been dropping quite a bit. He supposed it was appropriate: A cold night for a union between two cold men. After all, he couldn’t dare call himself anything else after the request he had made of Jaxon. As much as he wished there had been another way, it seemed like turning on his home kingdom was the best option he had left. At least this way, he could guarantee that he and the people he cared about would be free when Younis inevitably conquered Brerra, and they might even make a livable wage to boot.

[i]Penelope and I can have the life we want too,[/i] he added silently, feeling warm at the thought in spite of the cool air around him. Jaxon was a smart man, so Crow didn’t doubt that he would be able to convince the Younisian baron to let him and his companions join their alliance. All that was left was to negotiate the terms of the agreement, so the enemy knights would spare her too. He was just as skilled at getting what he wanted from other people as Jaxon was, so he felt confident he could do it.

Feeling content with his decision, he lowered his gaze again and began to make his way back to his camp, tired from the long night. However, he didn’t get far before he was stopped by a new figure; one that made his blood run cold. The thief froze in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat, as he watched Penelope step out from behind a tree.

Time seemed to slow down as his startled green eyes met her pained gaze. He took in everything at once, the redness in her eyes, the look of betrayal on her face, the hand on her sword… yet he couldn’t move. It felt like she had snared him in a trance. He was vaguely aware of the roar of his own heart pounding in his ears as the realization slowly struck him that he’d been caught—not “almost” caught; really and truly caught by the knight. There was no getting around it this time, no more lying to skirt out of a tight spot. She had seen him talking to Jaxon, and judging by the tears in her eyes, she had heard everything too.

[color=fff79a][b]“How… How could you? Y-You bastard!”[/b][/color]

The words wrenched his heart as painfully as if she had stabbed him with her blade and twisted. For as many times as he had hurt her before, he had never heard her speak to him like this. In that moment, he hated himself for the pain he had caused her. However, he still couldn’t bring himself to move or speak as he held her gaze like a frightened stag, trapped by his own body while he reeled from the shock of her sudden appearance in the clearing.

[color=fff79a][b]“Explain to me what the hell is going on here, Crow.”[/b][/color]

The thief tried to open his mouth to respond but found that he was unable. What could he possibly say to defend himself? She had seen it all for herself. He was working with Jaxon, and he was planning to turn on the knights of Brerra. Of course, he had his reasons for all of it, but she had no reason to believe anything he said to her. He didn’t even know the first thing to say to explain the situation he had been put in by the other thief.

Finally coming back to himself just enough to move, Crow took a step back from her, leery of her sword. If she came after him, he didn’t know if he could bring himself to fight her. “I…” he choked out, struggling to bring himself to speak. He shifted his weight slightly, leaning on his back foot as his instinct to run kicked in. It wouldn’t be hard to get away. After all, she seemed to be alone, and he could outpace any knight in the outer villages. He bit his lip, his eyes wandering to the surrounding forest of their own accord as he began to search for his exit points.

After a moment, he found his voice. “I know you have no reason to believe anything I say, but I swear, this isn’t what it looks like,” he said desperately. Even though he was preparing to run, he still wanted a chance to explain himself to her if she was willing to listen. He loved her too much not to try. “I wouldn’t be here if I had any other choice,” he went on weakly, his voice straining slightly beneath the weight of his emotions. “He… He threatened to kill you if I didn’t join him! I had to do it… I didn’t have a choice.”