Crow didn’t have long to himself before he heard the sound of footsteps outside the tent. He sighed to himself. Of course he should have known better than to expect that John would leave him alone while he was off speaking with the barons about their coming departure. The knight must have found someone else to replace him until he could come back. He looked up to watch the entrance of the tent, waiting to see which noble had come to guard him this time.

However, when the figure stepped into the room, his disappointment was quickly replaced with a rush of excitement. He grinned as his eyes fell on Penelope’s warm face. Of all the knight who could have come to guard him, he was glad it was her. After going the last few days without seeing so much as a glimpse of her, he was eager to make up for lost time.

“Surprise,” Crow held out his hand in a sweeping gesture when she commented on the fact that he was standing up. His smile broadened slightly as she kissed him on the cheek. With her father around all the time, it had been difficult for them to ever find moments alone, so her touch thrilled him even more than it usually did. He slid his arm around her waist, feeling a burst of affection for the knight as he held her gaze.

At her following words, he nodded in agreement. It felt good to be able to stand beside her again. He much preferred it compared to having to look up at her from a bed all the time. However, her comment about ‘good timing’ reminded him of something else they needed to talk about.

“Speaking of your father,” Crow said in a low voice, lowering his gaze. “I’ve… come to a decision about what I’m going to do.” He paused for a moment before going on. “I’m going to go with him to see my father. I have to know why he’s been trying to contact me.” Pulling Penelope a little closer, he leaned his head against hers and exhaled softly. “Unfortunately, this also means I’m going to be leaving the outer villages for a while. I’m sorry, love.”

He closed his eyes and pressed a long kiss to her temple, feeling the weight of his decision more prominently now that she was right in front of him. When he left with John, he was going to have to leave her behind too. The idea of doing that didn’t sit well with him, but he couldn’t think of any other way around it. “I wish you could come with me,” he murmured, trailing his hand absently up to her shoulders. “Aside from the fact that I [i]really[/i] don’t want to part again, it would be nice to have you at my side when I talk to my father.”