“That’s good,” Crow nodded when Penelope said he hadn’t missed anything. While the reunion with his companions seemed to be going well enough so far, there was a small part of him that had been worried the others wouldn’t be as friendly if they had the knight alone. Fortunately, it seemed like his fears were unfounded, so he was able to relax again. He trailed his hand calmly down her arm, letting his eyes wander briefly over the rest of the group before returning to her face as she continued to speak.

“I do,” he returned Penelope’s smile when she thought he would want to spend more time with his companions. Letting his gaze return to the others, he went on in a low voice, “It wouldn’t feel right to leave them so soon after everything I just told them.” That, and he was already finding it difficult to leave. It had been a while since the last time he’d been able to return to their hideout, and now that he was here, part of him wished he could stay. He sighed softly. As much as he wanted to forget about his decision and move back in with the other thieves, he knew he couldn’t do it. His time here was ending so that he and Penelope could start their own life together in the inner kingdom. As hard as it was, it was for the best.

Crow leaned his head against the knight’s, relishing the time he had left in the outer villages. “As much as I’d like to stay for a while, we should probably go to your camp tomorrow evening,” he murmured. “I told my father that I would come back in a week, and I want to make sure we have enough time to wait for your baroness’s decision without returning to the castle late.”