Crow slept quite well that night, surrounded by his companions and the woman he loved. He felt secure in their presence—so much so that he let himself sleep more deeply than usual. Because of this, he didn’t wake up right away when the others began to stir. It took a kiss from Penelope and the murmur of her gentle voice on his ear to finally rouse him from his slumber.

He yawned broadly and buried his head against her neck, not wanting to move while he was still pressed so comfortable against her side. “Morning,” he mumbled, touching a weary kiss to her jaw and wrapping his arms around her more tightly. She was so warm. Maybe he could sleep for just a little longer…

“Breakfast is ready.”

Crow blinked and lifted his head tiredly to see that Rikki had appeared by the entrance of the cave. In the next moment, he slowly became aware of the smell of cooked food. His stomach let out an involuntary grumble, and he forced himself to sit up, enticed by the aroma. “When did you get eggs?” he asked, rubbing his eyes as he tried to clear away his lingering grogginess. As far as he could remember, they had only restocked on chicken, bread, and vegetables.

“Hartley and Hazel stopped went to the marketplace in Wheldrake last week,” Rikki answered with a proud grin. “I figured your visit was a good reason to cook them up.”

“Thanks,” Crow smiled back at her before turning to Penelope. “Looks like we’re being spoiled, huh? Usually, we just have rye bread every morning.”