Crow glanced over his shoulder once more as he sprinted through the back alleys. Whether Penelope had fallen for his trick or not, he still couldn’t hear her coming after him. She must have been distracted at least long enough for him to pull ahead of her. He smiled to himself, pleased with how well the chase was turning out. It seemed it was just as easy for him to get away from her as it was from any other knight when he wasn’t hindered by time in prison. He couldn’t wait to hear her give up.

Rounding another corner, the former thief slowed his pace slightly. Having not come across sight nor sound of Penelope, he felt comfortable letting his guard down a little. Even if she managed to catch up with him, he would hear her coming. He tossed the coin purse in his hand, strolling through the shadowed street at a leisurely walk. Even though the challenge was fun, he hoped the knight wouldn’t hold out too much longer. He wanted to get back to the castle in time for supper.

Passing across an intersection with another alley, he glanced down either side to make sure he was still alone. Of course, there was still no sign of Penelope, so he walked across to the other side without any trouble. Before he could reach it, however, he froze as he saw a flash of movement in front of him. It seemed Penelope had taken another street that intersected with the one he was on now a few yards ahead.

Cursing under his breath, he slipped into the street he was crossing now, hoping the knight hadn’t seen him during the brief window in which she’d had the opportunity. Regardless of whether she had or hadn’t, the safest option was to assume the worst. He took off at a run, hurrying to distance himself from her again before she could catch up.

As he headed down the alley, his eyes darted over the sides, searching for an exit. Luckily, there was an adjoining path not too far ahead. He hastened his pace, nearly skidding as he turned down the street. When he rounded the corner, he slowed down again, catching sight of a stack of crates pressed against the back of a building. His gaze flicked back over his shoulder once more, and a grin spread across his lips as an idea began to form.

Without sparing a moment, he sprinted toward the wooden boxes, using his momentum to leap up the sides. When he reached the top of the pile, he put the drawstrings of the coin purse in his mouth, jumped up and caught hold of the edge of the flat roof. He could feel the strain in his arms as he hauled his weight up and over the building until he had hidden himself from sight.

Panting from the exertion of climbing, he laid on his stomach away from the drop off, staying still and hoping Penelope wouldn’t think to look for him above the ground.