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Crow sighed when Penelope turned him down and shifted on the bed to let her put some distance between them. Though he still believed they had more than enough time to enjoy the morning together, he knew there would be no changing her mind now that she’d made it up. It would be more efficient to just get up and keep moving rather than pester her any further. So, instead of insisting on his own way, he merely gave a reluctant nod when she kissed him on the cheek and sat up with her.

“Alright, fine,” he conceded, standing up to gather his clothes from where he’d left them haphazardly on the floor the previous night. “But now you owe me one, so don’t forget it.” He winked at her teasingly as he slipped his pants back on and picked up his tunic. Despite the reason for the trip and the unwarranted stares of the noble bystanders, he was already enjoying having so much time alone with Penelope. It was the first time in a while that they’d been able to talk and act so freely without fear of being caught by someone who didn’t know they were together or reprimanded by someone who did. He was glad that his father had permitted her to come with him, since it was his approval that had allowed them to have this time alone to begin with.

After taking a moment to straighten out his clothing, Crow leaned against the edge of the bed to put on his boots and grabbed the bag that the king had given him, slinging it over his shoulder so it fell comfortably against his back. “Ready to go, love?” he asked, turning to Penelope with a grin when he’d finished everything he’d needed to do.
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"I'm sure you'll remind me even if I do." Penelope mused with a small laugh at his teasing wink. She got up from the bed and gathered her clothing from the ground. She smoothed out her shirt as she slipped it on and did the same with her pants. Though laying besides Crow for so long had been rather enjoyable and comfortable, her shoulders did feel a little stiff so after getting dressed, she rolled her shoulders, causing for a faint pop to sound from them.

As Crow turned to her, she smiled back at him and nodded her head. "As I'll ever be." she responded with a smirk. A long day of traveling really didn't sound too bad to her now that she was traveling alone with him and the closer they got to the outer villages, the easier it would get. Penelope stepped over to join him and lead the way out of the room.

The knight slowed her pace slightly as they walked down the hallway, suddenly remembering that Crow had stolen from the innkeeper the night before. She hoped that since they had received no visit from the noble yet that it meant he had yet to notice that the wristband was missing. The thought of it made her all the more eager to leave the inn before he could. As they stepped into the main room, she walked over to the innkeeper to return the key to him. The knight watched as he eyed Crow warily and gratefully accepted the key from her.

It seemed Crow had been right in assuming that the man wouldn't notice. After all, he just seemed relieved that he'd no longer have the thief in his inn anymore. Penelope muttered a word of thanks to him before stepping away from the desk and heading out of the inn with Crow. Once outside she let out a small yawn and looked over at Crow. "Ready for one last day of unwanted staring?" she joked with a small smirk. "At least, I think once we leave Sarton it should start to die down a bit."
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Crow followed Penelope out of the room, letting his eyes wander over the inn as he got one last look at it before they left. It was still strange to him to think that he would be entering into this type of luxury permanently in less than a week’s time. Until now, he’d always gazed upon the lavish buildings of nobles with disgust and contempt. While he still believed the money that went into them could have better served the starving peasants in the outer villages, there was a part of him that was starting to try to associate the wealthy structures with home. It was still difficult to do at the moment, but he hoped it would get easier as he adjusted to the fact that he wasn’t a peasant anymore.

Gods, that’s such a weird thought, Crow shuddered, still unsettled by the knowledge that he was about to formally accept a noble title. He slipped his hands into his pockets and moved to walk a little closer to Penelope, looking ahead again as she approached the innkeeper to drop off the room key. As he lingered behind her, he noticed the nobleman’s eyes drift toward him and narrow warily. He just smiled in response, a gesture which, to the thief’s amusement, only seemed to frustrate the innkeeper even more.

Once the key had been returned, Crow walked with Penelope back out to the road to continue on their way north. He fell in step beside her and smirked at her comment about ‘unwanted staring.’ “I hope you’re right about that,” he sighed with a shake of his head. “I used to like the attention a lot more when I was younger, but now it’s more annoying than fun.” He glanced off to the side where, as if on cue, a small group of noblewomen began whispering amongst themselves. He was quite certain that they were formulating a rumor to spread about why he wasn’t being hanged at the gallows, so he turned away again, uninterested in their gossip.

Three years ago, he might have even encouraged the rumors that would occasionally spread about him, but he was getting tired of all the attention. He’d had his fun as an infamous thief. Now, all he wanted was to keep his head down and focus on building his life with Penelope. Unfortunately, it looked like it was going to be a while before people stopped staring, especially since he was about to become his father’s royal ambassador. He exhaled softly. Until the excitement died down, he was just going to have to put up with being the center of attention for a little while longer.

He glanced down at Penelope as they walked, wishing he could take her hand but knowing that the gesture would be too risky while there were so many other people around. “So, do you have a plan for confronting your baroness yet?” he asked, wanting to get his mind off the onlookers as well as talk about the other issue that was still weighing on him.
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Penelope nodded her head a bit absently as her gaze swept over to the gossiping noblewomen. She eyed them for a moment, disliking that they were likely creating some rumor or assumptions about Crow being allowed out of the castle alive. She sighed to herself and looked back ahead. Though she found their gossip annoying, there was nothing she could do about it and soon enough any speculating would be put to rest once he formally took the position as ambassador.

Her attention shifted back over to Crow as he asked about her plans to confront Mia. She had already been doing some thinking on how to go about it but the thought of it made her nervous. There was still a lot of uncertainty that she felt in trying to convince Mia to let her return to the inner kingdom. Even though she had been thinking over how to deal with this situation, she wouldn't know how well her plan would work until she actually spoke with the baroness.

"Sorta." Penelope mumbled as she looked up at him. "I'm hoping that if I can get her to agree with me on ending the war that she'll see reason in letting me return to the castle. If I can do that, I probably won't have to fight her too much on leaving. She'll still have one lieutenant with her after all and then I can represent her back at the inner kingdom." She gave a small shrug and paused as another concern, though smaller, came to mind.

"Also, I've been wondering... What should we tell my comrades about you, you know, not being arrested?" she asked. "I know word will eventually get out about you becoming viceroy but.. I'm not sure if it's a wise idea to mention anything to my battalion about it."
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Crow listened contemplatively as Penelope explained that she was going to use the angle of ending the war to convince Mia to let her leave early. After speaking with the baroness, himself, he took her to be the sort of person who would actually care about something like that, so the knight’s plan could work. As long as she didn’t need to get the permission of the other two barons—the ones whom appeared to be more warmongering in the thief’s opinion—she hopefully wouldn’t have a problem getting away.

As Penelope went on to question him about how they should explain his sudden reappearance to her comrades, Crow knitted his brow in thought. He hadn’t thought much about it before, but he supposed it would look strange for him to suddenly reappear in the battalion’s camp barely a week after he had left for the inner kingdom. Like the rest of the nobles he’d encountered lately, the knights on the warfront had probably assumed that the king had sent John to arrest him. They must have been expecting an announcement for his execution by now, so his return was likely going to cause some confusion amongst them.

Regardless, he didn’t think it was going to be too big of a problem for them to deal with.

“I don’t think we’ll have to explain anything at all,” he said with a shrug, pulling out the paper his father had given him before they had left the castle. “They can’t touch me as long as I’ve got this, and we technically don’t owe them anything. If anyone pesters us about it, we can just tell them that the king is going to be giving an explanation soon enough.” He returned the paper to his tunic pocket and turned to her with a smile. “I suppose it wouldn’t matter if we said something to Olivia or Gavin though. They’ve kept plenty of our other secrets, so I trust that they would go running their mouths about this.”
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Penelope looked over at the paper he pulled out. She gave a small nod of agreement as he explained they likely wouldn't have much to worry about upon returning to her camp. In truth, the knight was still a bit concerned about how her comrades would react to the thief's return. Especially her less than kind brother. Just the thought of Layth finding out that Crow would become the next viceroy made her cringe. She doubted that news would go over well and was suddenly rather glad to know he'd be stuck at the war front when it was officially announced.

As he went on to say they could tell Olivia and Gavin, she raised her brow in mild surprise. While she also trusted the two not to say anything, she was merely surprised that he suggested it, especially after how secretive he usually was. Penelope smirked a little in amusement. "I see your soft side for them is starting to show." she teased with a playful nudge.

"But I suppose we could. I trust them and I think the most we'd have to worry about is Olivia teasing you about it." Penelope crossed her arms over her chest and shook her head as she thought about her friend reacting to the news. She was certain Olivia would have a field day with the news that Crow was going to become a noble. As for Gavin, it was difficult to say how he'd react but she assumed he'd be shocked more than anything and perhaps a small bit pleased now that she wouldn't be abandoning her life as a noble.
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“Shut up,” Crow rolled his eyes at Penelope’s nudge, although his face reddened slightly at her words. “I didn’t mean we should go out of our way to tell them… It’s just that I don’t mind giving them the truth if they press for it. That’s all.” He averted his gaze uncomfortably. It still felt strange to him to put his trust in someone other than Penelope, but her friends had proven to him that they were capable of keeping a secret, so he knew he could trust them too. He didn’t think of it as a ‘soft side’ so much as a willingness to give credit where credit was due. Olivia and Gavin had earned the truth after everything they had already done for him and Penelope. That was it.

As Penelope went on to mention that Olivia might tease him about it, Crow shook his head. “I’m already expecting that,” he admitted with a shrug. Between Olivia and Gavin, he was more concerned about how the former would take the news. It was an interesting realization, since until now, he and Gavin had constantly been at each other’s throats whenever their paths crossed. Now that he was getting along better with Penelope’s former suitor, he didn’t expect the other man to react poorly to finding out that he was going to become the next viceroy.

“Honestly, I’m more worried about how my companions are going to take this,” he murmured, meeting Penelope’s gaze with a somber look. “I can’t hide it from them anymore. They don’t deserve that, so… no matter how they’re going to react, I have to tell them what’s going on.” He exhaled resignedly. “I just hope they’re still willing to accept me afterwards.”
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Penelope gave a small chuckle at his response to her words, the faint reddening of his face not going unnoticed. Though she teased him about it, she was glad to see him putting some trust in her friends. She had already thought the two to be rather trustworthy so knowing that the much more guarded thief did as well was somehow reassuring to her. As his expression dimmed slightly as he went on to mention his companions, she frowned a little and shifted her gaze to the ground for a moment.

As much as she wanted to reassure him about it, she really wasn't sure how his friends would react to learning about him becoming the king's viceroy. After all, they despised nobles and learning that their leader was leaving them to become one surely wouldn't go over well. She just hoped their care for him would be enough to keep them from resenting him completely. Penelope glanced over at him and let out a small sigh, wishing she could take his hand to comfort him about the topic.

"I hope so too... At the very least, I think they'll just be happy see you again." she mused and offered him a small, reassuring smile. "Regardless of what comes after, I don't think that will really change even if they do get upset." Even if they did become furious with him, she was at least certain that they'd still be thankful that he had lived Jaxon's attack and that they were finally able to see him again.

The knight was a bit more concerned, however, about how Rikki would take the news. The last time Penelope had spoken to her it seemed like she had finally accepted that Crow and her were together but it was hard to say if she had truly given up yet. If she hadn't, the knight imagined that dealing with the female thief would be a different kind of difficult. While Hazel and Alistair might get upset with Crow, she'd likely try to fight the decision in every way possible. The thought made Penelope let out a quiet sigh and she shifted to walk a little closer to Crow. "I just hope everything works out alright.." she mumbled.
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Crow nodded thoughtfully when Penelope said that his companions would still be glad to see him again. He supposed she was probably right about that. It had been nearly a month since he’d been stabbed by Jaxon, and he hadn’t been able to get in touch with the other thieves at all during his recovery. They were probably worried about him, so at least he would be able to let them know that he was still alive and healthy. Even if they didn’t take his decision well, they would know he hadn’t been executed by the knights. That had to count for something.

As Penelope added that she hoped everything would work out alright, he murmured his agreement. It was hard to imagine a scenario in which his companions wouldn’t be upset with his decision, but he hoped they would respect him enough not to fight about it. He knew he as going to go through with his choice, but it had been hard enough for him to choose it on his own. He didn’t need to hear their dissenting opinions about it and deal with the temptation of running back to the outer villages. After all, he still had some hesitation about becoming a noble. If the other thieves challenged him, it was going to be hard for him to stand firm in his decision.

I just have to remember who I’m doing this for, he thought, taking a steeling breath as he glanced at Penelope. Even if they beg me to stay, I already committed to taking the job for her. I’m going to keep my word. No matter how hard it was, he couldn’t go back. His companions were just going to have to accept that he was leaving. Besides, they had already made it a month without a leader, so surely they had figured out some sort of routine to get by without him by now. The thought was reassuring to him, since one of his main concerns before had been uprooting himself from their lives suddenly and leaving them without a leader. At least this way, they had already had time to get used to going on without him.

“I’m sure we’ll figure something out, even if they don’t like it,” Crow said with a bit more confidence, meeting Penelope’s gaze with a smile.

--

Like the day before, the rest of the trip to Wellspring went by without any trouble. The farther they got from the inner kingdom, the less people stared at Crow as well, which was relieving to the thief. It seemed the rumors of his supposed “execution” had yet to spread this far north. Eventually, they reached the inn, and he decided to linger by the entrance while Penelope got the key, since he didn’t want to cause another scene if the innkeeper here recognized him. While he wasn’t worried about being recognized by itself, he did worry about drawing any more attention than they already had. He preferred to keep his head down and avoid confrontation, so he could enjoy the time he had left with the knight without any unwanted interruptions.

Fortunately, if the innkeeper knew who he was, he didn’t say anything, and they managed to get to their room without any trouble. Once the door was closed and they were safe from prying eyes, Crow set down his bag and stretched to loosen up his back, which had grown a bit stiff from walking all day. “Is it just me, or did the walk between Sarton and Wellspring feel longer today than it did last time?” he said with a yawn, sitting down on the closest bed. “I feel like I could sleep for a week.”
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The rest of their trip to Wellspring left Penelope a little more relaxed as she noticed that fewer people were staring at them. With less eyes on Crow and her, she felt less on guard and was glad that the rest of their walk went smoothly enough. As they arrived at the inn, she went ahead and got them the room while Crow stood back. The innkeeper seemed to occasionally glance towards Crow behind her but said nothing about his presence unlike the one before.

She headed into the room with Crow and stretched out her arms for a moment, glad to have finally reached the inn after a long day of walking. Penelope made her way over to the bed and moved to sit down on the other side, slipping off her boots and armor for the night. As Crow spoke up, she gave a small smile and nodded her head. "It definitely felt like it took forever to reach this inn." she mused as she climbed up onto the bed.

Resting on her knees behind him, she slipped her arms around him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Unfortunately we don't have the time for you to sleep for a week." she said with a soft chuckle. "So we better get in what rest we can. At least we can slow down for a day or two once we reach Myrefall though." She added with a hint of optimism as she let him go and moved to shuffle over so there was space for him on the bed to lay down.
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Crow glanced back at Penelope as she sat on the other side of the bed and then leaned over to take his boots off for the night. After doing so much walking since he’d recovered from his injury—well, mostly; it still pained him slightly if he stressed it too much—it felt good to sit down and rest again. Letting out a quiet sigh, he straightened his posture and looked over his shoulder as he felt Penelope slip her arms around him. A fond smile played on his lip, and he closed his eyes, leaning into her when she kissed him on the cheek.

Despite his lingering concerns about facing his companions soon, he was still able to enjoy the warmth of her company, alone in their room at the inn. Hopefully it wouldn’t be much longer before they would be able to spend every night together like this. He felt like they deserved it after all the trials they had been through so far. Surely if the gods really did favor them, they would be granted some sort of reward for everything they had done. It only seemed fair.

Crow opened his eyes again to meet Penelope’s gaze as she spoke to him. “That’ll be nice,” he mused at her mention that they could slow down once they reached Myrefall. Weariness aside, he wanted to take his time saying goodbye to the outer villages since, as far as he knew, it was going to be quite a while before he could ever come back, and even if he did, nothing was going to be the same. He wanted to savor the time he had left in his homeland before he returned to the castle to begin his new life as a nobleman.

When Penelope moved away to let him lay down, Crow twisted at the waist to swing his legs onto the bed. In the next moment, he casted her a mischievous look and wrapped his arms around her middle, pulling her down with him as he collapsed back onto the mattress. He pressed a kiss to her cheek and grinned at her playfully as he held her tightly against himself, “Huh, seems like I’ve still got some energy left after all.”

Looking into her eyes, his teasing expression softened into a tender one, and he moved in to meet her lips in a deep kiss, overwhelmed with a sudden burst of affection for the knight. “I don’t think you know just how grateful I am that I met you,” he breathed when he pulled back again, trailing his fingers gently through her hair as he held her gaze. “You mean so much to me, love. Really. Before I met you, I didn’t care about anyone other than myself, but now I couldn’t imagine going back to living on my own… I think it’s a good change.”

He rested his hand against the nape of her neck, smiling softly, “I’m so lucky I’m going to get to marry my first and closest friend. I love you, Penelope.”
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Penelope blinked in surprise as she suddenly felt him wrap his arms around her middle and collapsed back onto the bed with him. She looked over at him and gave a small giggle, enjoying his playfulness. The knight returned his grin with an amused smile. "I guess so." she said amusedly. In the next moment, she noticed his playful expression soften. It made the knight wonder what was going through his mind at that moment until he leaned in and kissed her.

She met him halfway and closed her eyes as she melted into his touch. Though she wasn't quite sure where this burst of affection had come from, she certainly wasn't complaining and was quick to reciprocate it. The knight slipped an arm around him to hold him close as she kissed him back. As he pulled back, she felt warm with love for the thief as he spoke. It was strange to think that she had such a big impact on him and part of her didn't think he was giving himself enough credit.

Even back when they had first met, he had shown his care for the people of the outer villages. It was one of the reason her view on him began to change in the first place. From noticing him slipping a bit of his food to the servants at inns to him stopping at the Black Dagger to see how the village was fair, Penelope had always admired his care for others—even if he didn't think it counted since he had been living on his own and used to looking out for only himself.

"I love you too, Collin. More than you could ever know." she mumbled softly before leaning in to press another tender kiss to his lips. Pulling back, she rested her hand on his cheek and smiled endearingly at him. "Meeting you changed me quite a bit too... I certainly don't follow the laws like I used to anymore. And though it might not sound like a good change to some people, I think it is." she gave a soft chuckle and shrugged her shoulders. "I've certainly been able to do more and help more than I ever would have before."
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Crow closed his eyes and met Penelope’s lips when she kissed him, trailing his hand further down from her neck to rest at her hip. Being with her like this reminded him why it was worth it for him to lose his peasant status and enter into the world of nobility. Once he accepted the title of viceroy, all the barriers that existed between them would finally disappear forever. There would be no more difference in status, no more reason for her to lose everything she cared about, and no more bounty hunters chasing after him. Even though it wasn’t the future he dreamed about, he was excited to know that he would no longer have to wait until the end of the war to be with her, and he could truly give her the life she deserved.

As Penelope went on to say that she had changed too, Crow opened his eyes again to meet her gaze. Her words brought an amused smile to his lips. Thinking back on how she had acted toward him when they first met long ago, she certainly seemed to have changed a lot. He remembered how she had looked down upon him for stealing and even seemed to look down upon him as a person for what he did—though, to be fair, he’d been even more disagreeable than usual after spending a year locked up in prison. Now, she was able to look past what he did for a living to see who he really was underneath his title as a thief, and she knew the difference between blindly following the law and having a real sense of justice.

Crow turned his head slightly to press a fond kiss to the palm of her hand. “Of course,” he smirked when she said she had been able to do more to help people than she had before. “You figured out something that most knights never learn in their entire lifetimes: People can help others without letting the law guide their every action.” He touched another quick kiss to her lips. “I think it’s a great change.”

Settling down a bit more comfortably on the bed, he yawned and let his eyelids droop closed again. “It won’t be much longer before we get to sleep like this every night,” he murmured with a faint smile, pulling her close to himself in an affectionate embrace as he imagined their new future together in the inner kingdom. “I can’t wait for that.”
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Penelope smiled as he pressed another quick kiss to her lips and gave a soft chuckle at his words. "I figured you would." she mused with a smirk. It was strange to think how much she had changed since meeting him. Two years ago she would have never thought to stray from the law or question it. If she hadn't met him, she probably never would have gain the title of lieutenant from Mia, who also seemed to slightly admire that trait about her—provided she didn't act too recklessly.

As Crow settled on the bed, she shifted to get a bit more comfortable as well. The knight smiled at his words and nestled her head against his, closing her eyes. "I can't either." she mused softly. Thinking about their new future together, she felt a rush of affection and excitement. It was still a ways off,he still had to go through training and they'd have to start officially courting for a while before getting married,but it certainly felt much closer now than having to wait until the war's end. As always, she couldn't wait to begin her life with him and now, she'd have the additional perk of getting to keep the life she had always know.

She peeked open her eyes to look over at him and smiled fondly to herself. She really was quite lucky to have met him and to have him at her side. He was giving up so much for her and even though she had been plenty willing to do the same for him, it still felt like a favor she could never fully return. Penelope press a couple affectionate kisses to his jawline before settling comfortably in his arms. Tired from a long day of walking and at ease in his arms, she felt herself beginning to drift off.

"Goodnight, Crow. I love you." she mumbled as she closed her eyes and gave into her weariness, sinking into a peaceful sleep.
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“I love you too,” Crow yawned again. “Goodnight, darling.” He smiled tiredly to himself, enjoying the feeling of having her so close to him during the night. It was going to be difficult to get used to sleeping alone after being spoiled with her company for a whole week. Even if she managed to get her baroness’s approval to come back to the castle with him, her father surely wouldn’t allow them to share a bed as long as they weren’t married. He just hoped he could earn John’s blessing soon, so they wouldn’t have to keep worrying about sneaking around behind everyone’s backs.

He exhaled softly, resting his head against hers as he settled down a bit more comfortably against her warm body. The gentle rise and fall of her chest relaxed him, and it didn’t take long before he began to drift off into a light yet peaceful slumber.

--

The next morning, Crow was coaxed awake by the morning sunlight that filtered into the room through the window. He stretched lethargically, letting out his breath in a soft groan. Glancing at the window, he noticed that it seemed to be early, so he didn’t bother getting up yet. Instead, he nestled closer to Penelope, who still laid sleeping at his side. The room was cool from the fall air, so her warmth was comfortably pleasant to the thief. He wanted to enjoy it for as long as he could.

After a while, he opened his eyes again, realizing he must have dozed off for a bit, because the light streaming through the window was brighter now. He sighed softly, still reluctant to get up, but aware that they couldn’t waste the whole morning by sleeping in. They would be arriving in the outer villages tonight—and he would be reuniting with his companions too. They had to keep moving.

Suddenly feeling more awake, Crow propped himself up on his elbow and leaned over Penelope. He took in her pretty face for a moment before he rested his other arm behind her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her lips to rouse her. “Good morning, love,” he crooned, meeting her gaze with a grin. “Ready to go to Myrefall today?”
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As morning came, Penelope was still sleeping soundly besides Crow. It was unusual for her to not wake up early—she had grown rather used to it over her years as a knight—but being as comfortable as she was sleeping besides him, she didn't stir until she felt him press a kiss to her lips. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she smiled drowsily as she looked up at him. It was definitely a nice start to the day and something she was going to miss when they returned to the inner kingdom.

"Moring." she replied as she stretched out, trying to shake of her small bit of remaining sleepiness. Now a little more awake, she smiled at him and brushed back a loose strand of hair from his face. "I'm ready if you are." Leaning up, she pressed a kiss to his cheek and then reluctantly slipped away from him. Moving to sit up on the edge of the bed, she grabbed her boots and got back into her armor. She let out a small yawn as she got up to her feet and stepped over to Crow as she finished getting ready to leave.

Once he joined her, she moved to begin to lead the way out of the inn. She felt a hint of nervousness begin to seep into her as she thought about how they'd be reaching Myrefall by the end of the day, which meant they'd be reaching his companions as well. Though she felt sympathetic towards his companions, she was still a bit concerned about how they'd react to the news. After all, it was very unlikely they would just merely accept that their leader was abandoning them to become a noble.

Leading the way down the hallway, she stopped to drop off the key with the innkeeper and then began to head towards the exit with Crow. She let out a small sigh and glanced over at Crow. "So... Have you thought about where you're even going to start? About telling your friends everything, I mean." she asked in a quiet voice as they stepped out onto the street.
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Crow smiled as he watched Penelope wake up beneath him. Her sleepy face was endearing to him, and his heart fluttered with affection as he was reminded that she was his. When she kissed his cheek and moved to get up from the bed, he shifted off her to let her sit up. He followed her lead, putting on his boots and grabbing his bag that laid near the foot of the bed. Part of him wished they could take their time and enjoy the morning without rushing, but he also wanted as much time with his companions as he could get, since this was likely the last time he would be seeing them for a while if ever again. So, he moved hastily as he prepared for the last leg of their trip to the outer villages.

Once they were both ready, Crow followed Penelope out of the inn and then fell in step beside her when they reached the road that would take them to Myrefall. Though he had been relatively excited for most of the trip—he loved being able to travel alone with the knight—he could feel his nervousness beginning to set in now that they were so close to his companions. The real reason for their journey was coming up fast, and he still had no idea what to expect. He’d have to be crazy not to be a little worried.

So, when Penelope suddenly asked if he knew what he was going to say to the other thieves, he just shook his head in response. “I haven’t planned anything out specifically,” he answered, glancing at her as they walked. “I honestly don’t think I could, since I don’t know how they’re going to react.” He sighed softly, kicking a small pebble at his feet and watching it roll off the side of the road.

“All I know for sure is that I’m going to tell them everything,” he went on after a pause. “I’ve been keeping my past from them for far too long. Now that I’m leaving, they deserve to know the truth… about my origin and my bloodline. I know they’re not going to be happy to find out I’m the king’s son, but I don’t want to keep lying to them.” He turned to meet her green eyes again. “So… even though it won’t be easy, I’d rather face their judgment now than keep them in the dark, wondering why I left them for nobility.”
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Penelope gave a small nod as Crow explained that he really hadn't planned out anything. She supposed it would be a bit difficult to since it was impossible to know exactly how his companions would react. Still, the knight wished they had more of a plan on how to deal with this upcoming situation. "I know and I think that's a good thing." she replied as he met her gaze. The knight offered him a half-hearted smile before focusing her gaze back ahead as they walked on.

---

The rest of the day went by without any trouble just like the last. The only difference was that now Penelope was feeling worried as their reason for making this trip became more difficult to not think about as they drew closer. Between Crow facing his companions and her having to soon convince Mia, the knight was a bit on edge as they finally reached Myrefall near sundown. She glanced over at Crow and frowned faintly.

Although she was a little nervous, she couldn't imagine how he must be feeling. This would be his last time in the outer villages as a thief and he'd be delivering some rather rough news to his companions, who had been with him for over a year.

Penelope flickered her gaze over their surroundings, eying to see if anyone was watching them. Luckily it seemed word of Crow's release from the castle hadn't reached this far. Between lack of news and how it was getting late, it seemed they were safe from prying eyes. Satisfied that no one was staring, she began to lead the way off of the main road and into the surrounding forest as they began the last leg of their trip towards the waterfall.

Once they were out of the open, she pressed closer to Crow and took his hand in hers. It might still be a bit risk since local knights could be patrolling nearby but she wanted to offer him what comfort she could now that they'd soon be meeting with his companions. "We're almost there... Are you ready?" she asked softly.
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Rogue Sloth Narcolepsy Unchained

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The rest of the trip felt long to Crow. His mind was wrapped up in thoughts about how much everything was changing in his life as well as concerns about how he was going to handle his companions’ reactions to the news he was bringing them. It was a lot to take in, and he felt rather sure that the full weight of his decision to leave the outer villages hadn’t hit him yet, because when they finally reached Myrefall, he wasn’t as sad as he’d expected to be.

As he looked around the village, he felt a strong sense of nostalgia, but it wasn’t that strange, since he experienced the emotions every time he came to Myrefall. He had quite a few memories here from his childhood, so it was only natural that he’d look upon the place so fondly. It was hard to tell if his wistfulness this time was because of that or because he knew he wouldn’t be back for a long time. Either way, he was glad he’d managed to find a way to visit his hometown once more before returning to the castle.

Unfortunately, they didn’t have time to stay for long before they continued westward into the forest that led to the waterfall. Crow remained quiet for most of the walk, mentally preparing himself for the inevitable anger of his companions. While he was still hoping they would be at least somewhat understanding, he knew it was too much to expect them to simply accept his decision without fighting back a bit. He wanted to be prepared to handle their arguments when they tried to convince him to stay.

Suddenly, he blinked as he felt Penelope take his hand. Glancing down at her, he smiled, appreciative of the comforting gesture. With all the worrisome thoughts running through his head at the moment, he needed her touch. He laced his fingers with hers and gave her hand a gentle squeeze, moving to walk a bit closer to her side so their arms brushed. Her presence gave him confidence as he remembered why he couldn’t let the other thieves convince him to stay in the outer villages. He could handle their comments.

“I am,” Crow nodded sincerely when Penelope asked if he was ready. Despite his concerns, he knew he could get through the uncomfortable conversation. No matter what the results would be, nothing would change. He was still going back to the inner kingdom to begin his training as the next viceroy, and he was still going to be parting ways with them when he did. It was already decided.

When the waterfall finally came into sight, Crow took a steeling breath and let go of Penelope’s hand. The passage to the cavern was too narrow for them to walk side by side anymore, so he took the lead as he made his way to the entrance—he wanted to be in front of her, just in case the other thieves didn’t recognize them right away and tried to defend their home. Just before he rounded the bend to step inside, he wavered briefly. Once he showed his face to his companions there would be no turning back.

This is it, he thought, forcing himself to push past his hesitation and step into the entrance. Inside, he saw all three of his companions sitting by the hearth. They gawked at him in unbridled astonishment, all with bowls of fresh stew in their hands. At the sight of them, his unease gave way to fondness as he laid eyes on his friends for the first time in a month. “Guess who’s back?” he said with a grin, barely getting the words out before the band of criminals scrambled to their feet and ran to him, leaving their unfinished food behind.

“Crow!” Rikki wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace, followed shortly by Alistair and even, surprisingly, Hazel. The force of their weight crashing into him made the thief stagger.

“Easy,” he laughed. “I’m still not fully healed yet.” Despite his words, their affectionate greeting made him feel warm inside. After all, he’d missed them quite a bit over the past month too.

“Sorry,” Alistair said, pulling back with the others so they could converse without smothering their leader. “But gods, it’s good to have you back.”

“Hear hear,” Hazel sighed, meeting Crow’s gaze with a weary smile. “It’s about time you came back to us. Filling in for all your responsibilities has been exhausting.”

“I would have come back sooner, but I was a little preoccupied,” Crow shrugged, casting her a lopsided smile as he lifted his tunic to reveal the bandages around his torso.

“Preoccupied?” Hazel echoed incredulously as she studied the dressing. “You’re lucky to be alive after taking a wound there.”

“You can thank Penelope for that,” Crow glanced at the knight with an affectionate look, reaching out to take her hand again. “If she hadn’t been so determined to save me after Jaxon ran his sword through my gut, I wouldn’t be standing in front of you now.”

“I bet,” Alistair folded his arms over his chest and shook his head. “I can’t even imagine being injured so badly that I’d be bedridden for a month. That sounds like hell.”

At that comment, Crow shifted his weight uncomfortably. “Well, it wasn’t exactly a month…” he admitted, averting his gaze off to the side.

“What do you mean?” Rikki frowned. “If you weren’t bedridden, then why didn’t you come back to us sooner?”

“Yeah,” Alistair eyed him with knitted brows. “Olivia said you were still recovering in her camp.”

Already, Crow could feel his unease settling over him again. He shuffled his feet awkwardly, “That’s actually what I came here to talk to you all about… I left the knights’ camp a little over a week ago.”

“What?” Rikki’s eyes widened. “If that’s true, then what have you been doing all this time?”

Crow’s gaze flickered back to Penelope briefly before returning to his companions faces. He let out his breath in a resigned sigh, “We should all sit down… It’s going to be a long story.”
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Penelope gave a small nod and continued through the forest towards the waterfall with him. She was glad that he at least still seemed certain of his decision despite whatever concerns he had about his companions. As they reached the waterfall, she fell behind him and followed his lead. The knight remained slightly on guard, resting a hand near her sword just in case they attacked blindly. While she had no intention of hurting them, she at least wanted to be prepared to deflect any attacks.

Luckily, it seemed she wouldn't have to worry about that. She watched as Crow stepped out into the entrance and was immediately recognized. Not wanting to get in the way of his reunion with his companions, Penelope stood back and smiled faintly to herself as she watched them all greet Crow. It made her feel a stab of guilt knowing that she was the reason he'd be leaving them, even if it was his own decision to do so.

Penelope shifted her gaze to the ground for a brief moment before looking back up as Crow addressed her. She looked up at him and gave a small smile as he took her hand. Now that their greeting was over, she shifted a little closer to him once more and listened quietly as the group spoke. As Crow admitted that he had actually left the camp sooner, she shifted a bit uneasily and caught Crow's gaze as he glanced over at her.

She gave a nod as he suggested they all sit down. "We should." she mumbled in agreement. Penelope glanced over at the others, noticing Hazel eying them for a brief moment before nodding her head.

"Alright.. Come on then." Hazel said as she moved to lead the way back over to the hearth. The knight followed at the back of the group and moved to sit down besides Crow. She also made sure there was a good bit of distance between her and Rikki. Penelope was still a bit concerned about how the female thief would react and though she didn't believe she'd become violent, she couldn't help but be just a little overly cautious.

Once everyone was settled in, Hazel's gaze shifted over to Crow as she asked, "So, what exactly happened?"
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