[IC] Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow didn’t know what he had been expecting when he had asked her his question, but silence certainly wasn’t it. He stopped what he was doing and leaned up to try and meet her gaze, concerned that something was wrong. Still focused on the present moment, his first impulse was to mentally review his own performance under the assumption that he must have done something she didn’t like. However, as she continued to avoid his gaze, he began to wonder if it was more than that. Surely she wouldn’t be so upset with him as to give him the silent treatment just because he wasn’t at the top of his game that night? She wasn’t the type to behave that way; it had to be something else.

He was just about to ask her if she was alright when she finally spoke up to say that trying something else wouldn’t matter. As she shifted to put some distance between them, he moved off of her to lay on his side, getting the hint that she was done. Of course, he was disappointed that she didn’t seem to be in the mood to sleep with him, but it was clear now that she was too distracted to keep trying. If there was something on her mind, it was more important for him to be there for her than try to force a round of intimacy that ultimately wouldn’t be very enjoyable for either of them.

As she assured him that it wasn’t anything he had done, Crow relaxed slightly. Even though he’d already had his suspicions that her distraction was related to something else, it was nice to hear her confirm out loud that it wasn’t because of anything he had done wrong. However, in the next moment, he frowned as she trailed off, clearly wrestling with telling him what was on her mind. He reached out to take her hand in an attempt to ease whatever discomfort was preventing her from being honest with him as well as sooth his own worries as his mind began to work on deciphering what would be so difficult for her to say to him.

It was hard to tell if his gesture worked, but after another moment, she finally admitted that something actually had happened at her camp. He blinked in surprise, not expecting that she would have lied to him before. He’d thought that she still trusted him completely, but apparently that belief had been wrong. His heart sank at the realization that they perhaps weren’t as close as they had been before now that he was working for Jaxon.

Can I really blame her? he thought sadly. I’ve been lying to her every day we’ve seen each other lately. She has every reason not to trust me. The realization stung, and he had to force himself not to let the pain show on his face as he listened to her go on about what had actually happened in her camp.

At the news that Gavin had been attacked, Crow couldn’t stop his eyes from widening in shock. He gritted his teeth, his sadness giving way to anger as he made the connection right away that Jaxon had been behind the attack. I told him not to get involved, he thought scathingly. That double-crossing bastard! However, in the next moment, he faltered as he remembered that the other thief had told him he would only send someone to deal with the knight if Crow proved that he couldn’t handle him alone. The thought made him pale slightly. Perhaps Jaxon wasn’t as unaware of Gavin’s confrontation as he’d thought.

When Penelope finished speaking, the thief didn’t respond right away. Instead, he let a brief silence fall between them as he took some time to process everything that she’d said to him. It was a lot to take in. “I-I can’t believe that happened,” he finally said after a pause. Though he couldn’t tell her everything he knew, he wanted to be as honest with her as he could. He was sick of lying to her all the time. “I’m glad you were there to save him, but gods,” he shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “I don’t even know what to think. I’m just sorry you had to deal with that.” He finally looked up, trying to meet her gaze. “Is Gavin alright?”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope glanced over at Crow as she waited for his reply. She noticed that he looked a bit shocked by all that she had told him, which admittedly caused for her to feel a bit of relief. It seemed that he hadn't known anything about the attack, unlike what the male knight had suspected after nearly getting killed. It gave her a bit more confidence that she was right in assuming the attack had just been a failed raid. Afterall, if Crow was working with Jaxon, surely he would have known she had been lying to him. As the silence dragged on for a moment, she began to worry that he might have been a bit hurt that she had lied to him before.

As he finally spoke up again, she relaxed slightly as he just seemed to have been taking in all of the information. Penelope gave a small nod and laid her head back in the grass, looking up at the sky as she went on to answer him. "He's fine... Just angry." she admitted quietly. "Of course, he's convinced you're the one that sent that killer after him.. I've been trying to talk some sense to him but you know how that goes."

The knight shook her head and turned over to face Crow. She reached out to rest her hand on top of his. "I think I've managed to calm him down enough for now." she assured him. Though, the only reason Gavin likely hadn't gone after Crow after that incident is because she finally gave in and agreed to see what the next night would bring them. Of course, she decided to keep that additional detail to herself.

[Rogue Sloth]

As Penelope assured him that Gavin was fine, Crow let out his breath in relief. Even though he didn’t like the knight, he had meant it when he’d told Jaxon that he didn’t want the man to die. That hadn’t changed even after Gavin had confronted him six nights ago. Still, it was unnerving to know just how quickly Jaxon had sent someone to kill the knight. It seemed the other thief didn’t trust him to handle his own affairs after all. He felt a pang of frustration. Hating the way the thief leader handled his enemies, he wanted no part in the murders Jaxon was willing to commit, but it was starting to look like it would be harder than he thought to stay away from them.

He shook his head as Penelope told him that Gavin was convinced he was behind the attack. While the knight’s guess wasn’t right, he supposed he couldn’t blame him for thinking that way. He’d tried to warn the other man not to stick his nose in Jaxon’s business, but Gavin had seemed to believe he was threatening to kill him if he continued getting involved. He sighed. If or when he ran into the knight again, he was going to have to watch his step. Penelope may have believed her former suitor had calmed down, but the thief wasn’t so trusting. If there was even a chance Gavin would try to retaliate against him, he wanted to be prepared to defend himself.

“I hope so,” Crow murmured when Penelope finished speaking. He shifted to lay closer to her and wrapped one arm around her back, pulling her to his chest and pressing a long kiss to her forehead. After a moment, he pulled back to meet her eyes and offered her a melancholic smile. “Things just seem to keep getting worse, don’t they?” he shook his head. “I wish we could just stay here and forget about it all.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope closed her eyes for a moment as he pulled her closer and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Feeling a little better after speaking with him about it, the knight was able to find a bit more comfort in his touch again. As he pulled back to met her gaze, she let out a soft sigh at his words. "I wish we could too.." she murmured in agreement as she felt a stab of longing. As if the war itself wasn't already enough, a band of murderous thieves working against them certainly didn't help. Mixed with Gavin's confidence that Crow was the enemy, things seemed to continue to get more complicated and difficult as time wore on.

She wrapped an arm around him and nestled her head underneath his as she held him close. The knight stayed like for a moment, merely enjoying his presence besides her while she longed for simpler days. She thought of the future they had planned after the war and found herself hoping they could prevent Younis from doing any more damage. As much as she wanted the future with him after the war, she also wanted to make sure her kingdom came out as the victors. Her family and friends would be safer if Brerra won and she wouldn't have to worry about what Younis would decide to do to the people of Brerra.

After some time, she pulled away from Crow and offered him an apologetic smile. "Sorry tonight didn't go the way we had originally planned." she told him softly before leaning in to press a soft kiss to his lips. "I'll have to make it up to you next time we meet." And by then, this whole mess will be a little less complicated.. she thought with newfound certainty. By then, Gavin would see once and for all that she was right about Crow. And once he did, they'd be able to focus properly on the real enemy.

"I should probably get going soon.." She added on a more reluctant note as she shifted out of his embrace and moved to collect her clothing. Penelope grabbed her shirt and glanced over her shoulder at him. "I'm thinking we should meet in another four days.. Does that work for you?"

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow closed his eyes as Penelope nestled against him in the grass, enjoying the time they had left before they would inevitably have to part ways again. He wished he could keep her close. The attack on Gavin had been surprising to hear about, but it also stirred a deep fear inside of him that Jaxon wasn’t finished yet. It was possible that the other thief had only gone after the knight because he had been suspicious, but if he found out that Crow’s secret was hanging by a thread, he might decide to end their deal and send someone to kill Penelope next. The thought made him shudder faintly and tighten his embrace around her protectively.

The not knowing was stressful, but at least he wouldn’t have to wait long before he could question Jaxon about it. Since they were meeting again the following night, he could find out for sure what was happening on the other thief’s end. He just hoped he wasn’t too late to convince Jaxon that he was still valuable enough to keep around, despite Gavin’s incessant need to get involved. If he could just do that, then he could also keep the murderer from going after Penelope, since he wouldn’t work for him unless she stayed safe.

After a while, he felt her shift against him and looked down to meet her gaze as she apologized. “Don’t worry about it,” he shook his head, offering her a reassuring smile. “You obviously had a lot on your mind tonight.” He leaned in to meet her lips as she kissed him, and then laughed softly at her following words. “Right. You can be sure I won’t forget that.” He winked at her coyly and hugged her close, pressing a playful kiss to her nose before he loosened his grip on her again.

As she moved to collect her clothes, Crow followed her lead, reaching out to grab his pants that laid on the ground nearby. He stood up and slipped the clothing on, glancing up at her as she suggested meeting again in four days. “I’m starting to suspect that you enjoy making me wait,” he smirked at her teasingly as he bent over to pick up his tunic. Sliding the fabric over his head, he stepped over to wrap his arms around her and touch a quick kiss to her lips. “But alright,” he gave an exaggerated sigh. “I suppose I can manage four more days if that’s what you want to do.”

Chuckling softly, he kissed her once more and then stepped back again, “I love you, Penelope. Please be safe until the next time we meet.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope rolled her eyes playfully at his teasing words as she slipped her shirt back on. She grabbed her pants and slipped them on as well before stepping back over to him. "Thank you." she said with a soft laugh before she leaned in to kiss him back. As he stepped back, she smiled at him. "I love you too, Collin. Be safe." Having said her parting words to him, she pressed one last kiss to his cheek before turning and beginning to make her way back to her camp.

As she walked to her camp, her thoughts immediately wandered to what would be coming the following night. After talking to him, she felt a little more confident that Gavin would be proven wrong. Crow clearly had no idea about Gavin getting attacked and whatever had occurred the other night must have just been a coincidence. However, she did still have a small bit of worry that continued to linger. What if she was wrong? What if he was just lying to her like Gavin insisted that he always did?

She shook her head. It seemed the troublesome thoughts were hellbent on sticking around even though she did feel better after speaking with him. Glancing up at the stars above, she let out a long sigh. There was no sense in worrying about it now. Nothing would lead her to a solid answer until the following night. Reminding herself of this, she was able to clear her head a bit as she continued on her walk back to camp.

Once she reached the camp, she did a quick survey, checking to see if any other trouble had arisen during her time away. However, it seemed to be a peaceful night as she watched the guards, who were all in pairs now, quietly watch from their positions. Glad that nothing more had gone wrong, she carefully slip past her comrades and headed to her tent to lay down for the night. Once she was settled in, the knight wasted no time in drifting off to sleep.

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow smiled as Penelope called him by his real name again, feeling his heart swell with affection for the knight. Even though she’d known it for a long time now, the fact that she couldn’t speak it often made it feel more special to him whenever she did find the opportunity to use it. It made him feel closer to her, since it reminded him that she was still the only one who knew who he really was aside from his title and reputation as a thief. He was glad that he’d told her.

When they parted, he made it back to his camp quickly from the clearing, since it wasn’t a long walk, and slipped past the waterfall into the cavern. All three of his companions were fast asleep on their mats and barely stirred when he returned. It was obvious that they were exhausted from the journey to and from Black Hollow. Crow wasn’t much better off. He yawned tiredly as his exhaustion hit him at once and made his way over to the sleeping area after he’d taken off his cloak and boots, collapsing less than gracefully onto his bedroll.

Once he had settled down comfortably, he drew his blanket over himself and closed his eyes, drifting off to get some much-needed sleep before he had to face Jaxon tomorrow.

--

The next morning, Crow was the last to wake, which was to be expected after he had stayed out so late the night before. After he got up, he and the others ate a small breakfast of dark bread together. He had been expecting them all to want to spend the day searching for Jaxon again, but to his surprise, none of them seemed interested in leaving the camp this time. There was an air of defeat amongst them as his companions seemed to give up on the hope of ever catching the murderer after three false leads.

While their hopelessness saddened Crow, he couldn’t say anything to change their minds about it. After all, they were right. There was no chance that any of them could bring Jaxon down when they were just chasing shadows. So, instead of complaining, he took the rest of the day to think through how he was going to approach Jaxon, since there was quite a bit he wanted to say this time.

First of all, he intended to confront the other thief about his attack on Gavin. He needed to know why Jaxon had tried to have the knight killed and whether or not he planned to go after Penelope too. He also planned to ask more about the upcoming raid that the murderer had planned. With the knights’ next shipment still so far from arriving, it might just mean the end of their battalion if Jaxon’s thieves stole the rest of their supplies and Younis attacked again.

Once he covered both of those questions, Crow was going to ask Jaxon if the Younisian baron would still be receptive to hiring himself and the rest of his companions to help sabotage the Brerratic knights.

With so many different things to think about, the day went by quickly for the anxious thief. The sun sank, and supper came and went, and it wasn’t long before he volunteered to wash everyone’s dishes again so he’d have an easy time slipping away for the next meeting.

[BuzzingBee]

The next day went by fairly quickly. Penelope managed keep busy with her work in camp, which helped to keep her mind off of her plans to sneak off with Gavin later. The camp had made a fairly decent recovery over the week and now it was just a matter of holding off until their supplies came in. She hoped that the battalion would make it without being attacked until then. If they did, it was fully possible for them to make a comeback from their current defeat.

As the sun began to sink in the sky, she finished off her last bit of work for the day before going to meet up with Gavin. Now that it was getting closer to time, she felt her stomach churn anxiously as she thought about what they were going to do and the question of who was right and wrong began to plague her thoughts. It's fine.. I have to be right. Crow's on our side and Gavin's going to see that tonight. she told herself firmly as she took in a deep breath.

"Are you ready?" Gavin asked as he reached her side. The two stood near the edge of camp, away from where most were getting their supper for the night. He eyed her with a hopeful gaze. "You're still going with me tonight right?"

"Yes. I told you I would." Penelope said with a small nod. She looked up to meet his gaze with a stubborn look. "But if we don't see anything tonight, you've got to accept that Crow's innocent and that we have to focus on finding Jaxon, the real criminal."

"If I'm wrong, then I will." Gavin muttered and shook his head. "But I won't be and you're going to realize that soon enough, Penelope."

"We'll see." she grumbled, trying to hide the nervousness she felt at his words. Shifting her gaze away from him, she swept her gaze over the camp. The sun had began to sink in the sky, signaling that it was nearing the time for them to depart. The female knight shuffled her feet uneasily and then turned back to Gavin. "When should we leave?"

"The sooner the better." Gavin replied as he eyed the sky. "I don't want to be late or miss him when he slips out... Let's leave now." As she gave a small nod, he turned to lead the way out of camp. However, before he moved any further, he paused and looked back down at her with a softer expression. "Penelope... Listen.. I just want you to know that I am here for you and I'll have your back if anything goes wrong."

"Thanks but I don't think this is going to go how you think it is. Now let's go before someone notices us." Penelope muttered, avoiding his gaze. Gavin let out a sigh and nodded before beginning to lead the way out of camp.

---

The two traveled a path that Penelope was all too familiar with. As they drew closer to Myrefall, she began to realize that Gavin was leading her straight towards the clearing where she usually met with Crow. So that's how he found him before.. she thought. The male knight must had backtracked to here when he was after the thief the first time. Crow must have crossed through it before.

Soon the two knights arrived at the clearing and Gavin directed her over to hide behind some thick bushes. The two crouched down together, neither speaking as Gavin had his gaze trained in on the clearing looking for signs of Crow while Penelope glanced around the forest, silently praying that the thief wouldn't make an appearance.

[Rogue Sloth]

Having finished washing off all the dishes from supper, Crow got up from where he had been kneeling at the riverbank and wiped his wet hands off on the bottom of his tunic. Just like the last time, his stomach churned anxiously as the time grew near for him to meet with Jaxon again. However, this time, the feeling was even worse. He leaned down to pick up the clean pots and plates, carrying them back to the hideout as he went over his plan again. Even though he knew what he wanted to say and how he wanted to say it by now, the thought of confronting a man who killed others without remorse sent a shiver of fear up his spine. He just hoped Jaxon would be in a good mood tonight.

Once he finished depositing the dishes, he quietly put on his cloak and headed out again, making his way east towards the clearing near Myrefall. As he walked, the memory of Gavin’s confrontation flitted through his mind, and he tensed, suddenly more alert to keep watch for movement in the trees around him. His eyes wandered over the shadows around him, and he glanced frequently back over his shoulder as he hurried through the forest at a brisk pace.

However, the longer he walked, the more he began to question if he was just being paranoid. Why would Gavin follow him twice? The knight had already caught him with Jaxon once before. Surely there wasn’t anything else for him to gain by spying again. Besides that, Penelope had made it sound like her ex suitor hadn’t overheard very much of his conversation with the other thief. What were the odds he caught wind of their plan to meet again tonight? The more he thought about it, the more he convinced himself that he was worrying for nothing. Despite this, he continued to remain alert, just in case the knight would try to go after him again.

Of course, the trip was uneventful. At one point, the thief thought he heard the sound of a twig snapping behind him, but upon whirling around with his daggers drawn to confront the source of the noise, he had only seen a lone stag that loped off in fright at his sudden movement. After that, the woods remained quiet, and he relaxed as he decided he was alone, after all.

When he finally came to the clearing, he saw that Jaxon had beaten him there as usual. The cold man smiled as he stopped on the opposite side of the space. “You know, I think I’m coming to enjoy these meetings of ours,” he said with a false air of sentiment. “They remind me of the good old days, when you and I were still working together, and you didn’t have your ridiculous notions of morality.”

“Save it,” Crow rolled his eyes, unamused with Jaxon’s fake friendliness.

The other thief’s smile vanished as he clicked his tongue. “You’ve become quite a troublesome mutt,” he said in a warning tone. “If you keep misbehaving, I can always find another dog to train.”

Crow clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to spit at the man. He forced himself to take a calming breath. He couldn’t prod at Jaxon—not tonight. There was too much on the line. As much as he hated the thought of it, he was going to have to submit to the other thief if he wanted to have any chance of getting what he wanted from him. “I’m sorry,” he muttered through gritted teeth.

“What was that?” Jaxon quirked a brow.

“I said I’m sorry,” he repeated more loudly this time, balling his hands into fists at his sides. “I’ll stop fighting with you.” He averted his gaze. “Let’s just get this meeting over with…”

Jaxon studied him for a moment, and then nodded, “That’s better.” He waved a hand. “Now then, tell me what you’ve learned about the knights since the last time we met.”

Crow took another slow breath, relaxing slightly as he launched into the meat of their meeting, “From what I know, the knights know nothing more than they did last week, and they haven’t been able to focus on their search for you after the Younisians attacked their camp. They’re just trying to recover and wait out the draught until their new supplies come in.”

“Good,” Jaxon nodded thoughtfully as he considered Crow’s words.

The thief shifted his weight as he realized the current subject could be a good transition into one of the questions he planned to ask the other man about. “Speaking of which,” he said slowly, looking up again to meet Jaxon’s gaze. “Your next raid. When is it going to be happening?”

Jaxon stared at him for a moment before an amused smile spread across his mouth. “You really think I trust you enough to give you that information?” he chuckled. “How cute.” He folded his arms loosely over his chest as he answered: “You’ll find out when the raid will happen at the same time as those knights you seem so fond of.”

Crow felt his heart sink in his chest at the other thief’s vague reply. He was starting to think it would be harder than he thought to get the information he wanted out of him. But he couldn’t give up yet. “Alright then,” he narrowed his eyes slightly. “If you won’t tell me that, then maybe you can explain to me why you sent one of your murderers after the knight I told you about? I specifically told you that I would take care of him, myself.”

“You did say that,” Jaxon shrugged apathetically. “But I told you that I would handle your mess if you couldn’t clean it up on your own. Our meeting last week proved you’re incapable.”

So he did know Gavin followed me, Crow thought, eyeing the other thief warily. Though he was certain of it now, he couldn’t help but wonder how Jaxon had figured it out. Gavin hadn’t shown his face until after the two thieves had parted ways. “You knew he followed me,” he said after a pause, trying to coax the other man into telling him the answer. “Why didn’t you stop him before?”

“I would have,” Jaxon shrugged again. “But I only learned about his unwanted appearance after you two had your little spat.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jaxon just smirked in response and snapped his fingers.

Crow stared at him confusedly until another figure stepped into the clearing from behind a nearby tree. His eyes widened slightly as he recognized Colton, one of the criminals in Jaxon’s band. The other thief shot him a toothy grin, “Hey, Crow. Nice to see you again.”

Crow just nodded wordlessly in response, still processing everything that was happening. Now it was all beginning to make sense. Of course Jaxon wouldn’t travel alone; Colton must have spotted Gavin after their meeting and stayed behind to investigate why the knight was there.

“If you heard about the thief I sent after that knight, then I’m sure you also heard that he was killed,” Jaxon went on with a cold edge to his voice. “That knight spilled the blood of one of our own, so he will be dealt with accordingly.”

Crow shifted his weight, catching the warning in Jaxon’s tone. He could already tell that if he tried to convince the other thief to leave Gavin to him, it wouldn’t go over well. He muttered a curse under his breath, wishing again that the idiotic knight hadn’t followed him. Now that one of the thieves had been killed, Jaxon would stop at nothing to get his revenge, and there was nothing he could do to stop him. So, instead of trying to save Gavin, he forced himself to swallow his pride and focus on the only thing left that might still be within his control.

He dipped his head slightly, keeping his own voice level as he reluctantly replied, “I understand.”

“Excellent,” Jaxon smiled. “I promise you it won’t be much longer now before that pest is out of our hair for good.”

Crow just nodded again, feeling sick at the thought that he could do nothing to stop the murderer from killing Gavin. He couldn’t even imagine how Penelope was going to react when the thieves took the life of her former suitor and close friend. The image of her heartbroken face made him shudder.

“If that’s everything you had to say to me, then I’m going back to my camp,” Jaxon said. “You’re free to go, Crow.”

Snapping out of his thoughts, Crow looked up again just as the other two thieves prepared to leave. “Wait,” he said, taking a step forward. “There’s… one more thing.”

“Oh?” Jaxon quirked a brow. “Is there something else I’ve done that’s offended you?”

“No,” he muttered, fidgeting with the hilt of his dagger uncomfortably as he worked up the nerve to bring up his final question. “I just wanted to know… Do you believe the Younisians are going to win this war?”

Jaxon studied him for a moment before he answered, “Undoubtedly.”

Crow swallowed. “Very well then,” he inhaled slowly, forcing himself to hold the thief leader’s gaze. “I want in… And I’m not just talking about the petty little deal we made.” He stood up slightly straighter as he went on. “I want the money and the perks and the support of the Younisian battalion—the same deal that baron offered you—and I want it for all of the thieves in my group. Can you make it happen?”

Jaxon stared at him, seeming surprised by his request, “You’re willing to sabotage your own kingdom for a wage?”

Crow nodded solemnly, “The Younisians are going to win regardless of what I do. My companions and I have already discussed it, and we’ve agreed that we want to be on the winning side when this war is over.” He hesitated slightly before adding: “If that means turning against Brerra to survive, then that’s what we’ll do.”

“I’m impressed,” Jaxon chuckled. “Perhaps you’re smarter than I thought… I’ll see what I can do.” He glanced at Colton and tilted his head, gesturing for the thief to follow him as he began walking towards the edge of the clearing. “I’ll see you in one week, Crow. You’ll have your answer then.” With that, he and Colton disappeared into the darkness of the surrounding forest, leaving Crow behind to reel with relief that his request would be made heard.

[BuzzingBee]

The longer the two waited the more certain Penelope became that she was right. Unfortunately, she wasn't able to enjoy that feeling for very long. The sound of footsteps caught her attention and she felt Gavin gently nudge her side before nodding his head in the direction of where an all too familiar figure appeared. Penelope felt her heart begin to drop as Crow came into view. Just because he's out here doesn't mean anything.. He could just be going on a walk.. she told herself trying to steady herself as she prepared to follow him.

Gavin rested a hand on her shoulder, signaling for them to wait a bit before moving to follow the thief. He had picked up quick on how alert the thief was as he walked through the forest and made sure to be extra careful that they weren't spotted as they tracked him through the forest. The closest they got to discovery was when a nearby stag caused some sound and forced them into further hiding as Crow noticed the noise. Luckily that was the closest they got to being discovered and made the rest of the trip to the clearing without issue.

Penelope felt her heart pound anxiously in her chest, racing faster every step they got further from his camp. Eventually the clearing came into view and suddenly she felt a numbness take over her as she noticed another man waiting there for Crow. She froze and paled as everything came crashing down on her as she began to realize how wrong she had been. Gavin was right. What other reason was there for this meeting? He would have no reason to meet up with the same villager again after going to Black Hollow.

"Follow me.. We'll be able to hear them a little from over here." Gavin whispered. She was vaguely aware that he had taken her hand and lead her over to a few bushes they could duck underneath. Coming out of her shock a bit, she knelt down besides the male knight and tried to listen into the conversation as she tried to come to terms with the reality of Crow being the enemy.

"...they haven’t been able to focus on their search for you after the Younisians attacked their camp.."

"Good."

"....when the raid will happen at the same time as those knights..."

Penelope clenched her jaw in frustration as she strained to hear anything that they were saying. No wonder Gavin hadn't been able to tell her much. With the distance, it was nearly impossible to make out their words. She had to get closer. She needed to know exactly what they were talking about. Perhaps it would help her understand why Crow was working with him in the first place. Her green eyes flickered around until they landed on a large tree that was closer to the clearing and would provide her with just enough cover thanks to the undergrowth around it. She shifted carefully, preparing to make a dart for the better coverage.

With the thieves focusing on the presence of a new person, she hurried towards the tree and ducked behind it. She held her breath, hoping that her movement hadn't been noticed by the three. As they continued to speak, it seemed she had gotten away with it, as only Gavin, who was staring towards her with wide eyes filled with worry, seemed to notice. She let out the breath she had been holding and tuned back into the conversation the three were having. Now much closer, she was able to hear them clearly, even if she wasn't able to see them as she had her back to the tree to avoid getting spotted.

“That knight spilled the blood of one of our own, so he will be dealt with accordingly.”

Gavin. Penelope tensed at the realization and glanced back towards the male knight. It had been an assassination attempt and it wouldn't be the last by the sound of it. She closed her eyes, waiting for Crow's response as she held onto a small hope that he'd sway them against taking action. As a simple 'I understand' came from the thief, she felt a lump form in her throat. It felt like another stab to the back as he merely agreed to the murderous thief's words. He was just going to let the man try and kill Gavin. The thought sparked a small flame of fury in the knight, unable to comprehend why he was doing all of this.

She nearly thought it was over until Crow made one last request to the other thief. One that made the knight's heart feel like it had shattered.

“The Younisians are going to win regardless of what I do. My companions and I have already discussed it, and we’ve agreed that we want to be on the winning side when this war is over....If that means turning against Brerra to survive, then that’s what we’ll do.”

Covering her mouth to make sure no gasping noises came out, she closed her eyes tightly as she felt her heart break at his words. Gavin had been right all along about everything. He had manipulated her, he had lied to her, and he had been working with Jaxon. And now he's going to fully turn on his whole kingdom... On me... The knight trembled, feeling weak and ashamed for having been so trusting of the thief. She became aware of the tears streaming down her cheeks and she was so caught up in her swirling emotions of shame, betrayal, fury and most of all, pain, that she barely even registered that the meeting had come to an end.

Coming back to herself a bit, she curled her lip and wiped away her tears. She couldn't afford to wallow right now. Not when she needed answers from him. Trying to focus on the fury rather than the pain, she got up to her feet and placed a hand on the hilt of her sword as she prepared to confront him.

"Penelope, wait." she heard Gavin hiss in the distance.

Unfortunately, his words fell on deaf ears as she moved to step out and cut Crow off before he could get too far from the clearing. As her gaze fell on him a mixture of anger and pain took over her expression and she suddenly found herself struggling to say anything without exploding with emotion over his betrayal. "How..." the word came out weakly as she glared at him. "How could you? Y-You bastard!" She felt herself tremble as she strained to keep her voice from cracking. "Explain to me what the hell is going on here, Crow."

[Rogue Sloth]

Instead of heading back to his camp right away as he normally would have, Crow lingered for a little while longer in the clearing, letting his eyes wander up to the starry night sky. His meeting with Jaxon hadn’t gone nearly as well as he’d hoped, especially since the other thief seemed intent on getting rid of Gavin, but at least he and his companions had a chance to make it out of this war with their freedoms intact. He supposed that was better than nothing.

He let out a soft sigh, watching as his breath left him in a visible cloud. With the fall season just around the corner, the temperatures at night had been dropping quite a bit. He supposed it was appropriate: A cold night for a union between two cold men. After all, he couldn’t dare call himself anything else after the request he had made of Jaxon. As much as he wished there had been another way, it seemed like turning on his home kingdom was the best option he had left. At least this way, he could guarantee that he and the people he cared about would be free when Younis inevitably conquered Brerra, and they might even make a livable wage to boot.

Penelope and I can have the life we want too, he added silently, feeling warm at the thought in spite of the cool air around him. Jaxon was a smart man, so Crow didn’t doubt that he would be able to convince the Younisian baron to let him and his companions join their alliance. All that was left was to negotiate the terms of the agreement, so the enemy knights would spare her too. He was just as skilled at getting what he wanted from other people as Jaxon was, so he felt confident he could do it.

Feeling content with his decision, he lowered his gaze again and began to make his way back to his camp, tired from the long night. However, he didn’t get far before he was stopped by a new figure; one that made his blood run cold. The thief froze in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat, as he watched Penelope step out from behind a tree.

Time seemed to slow down as his startled green eyes met her pained gaze. He took in everything at once, the redness in her eyes, the look of betrayal on her face, the hand on her sword… yet he couldn’t move. It felt like she had snared him in a trance. He was vaguely aware of the roar of his own heart pounding in his ears as the realization slowly struck him that he’d been caught—not “almost” caught; really and truly caught by the knight. There was no getting around it this time, no more lying to skirt out of a tight spot. She had seen him talking to Jaxon, and judging by the tears in her eyes, she had heard everything too.

“How… How could you? Y-You bastard!”

The words wrenched his heart as painfully as if she had stabbed him with her blade and twisted. For as many times as he had hurt her before, he had never heard her speak to him like this. In that moment, he hated himself for the pain he had caused her. However, he still couldn’t bring himself to move or speak as he held her gaze like a frightened stag, trapped by his own body while he reeled from the shock of her sudden appearance in the clearing.

“Explain to me what the hell is going on here, Crow.”

The thief tried to open his mouth to respond but found that he was unable. What could he possibly say to defend himself? She had seen it all for herself. He was working with Jaxon, and he was planning to turn on the knights of Brerra. Of course, he had his reasons for all of it, but she had no reason to believe anything he said to her. He didn’t even know the first thing to say to explain the situation he had been put in by the other thief.

Finally coming back to himself just enough to move, Crow took a step back from her, leery of her sword. If she came after him, he didn’t know if he could bring himself to fight her. “I…” he choked out, struggling to bring himself to speak. He shifted his weight slightly, leaning on his back foot as his instinct to run kicked in. It wouldn’t be hard to get away. After all, she seemed to be alone, and he could outpace any knight in the outer villages. He bit his lip, his eyes wandering to the surrounding forest of their own accord as he began to search for his exit points.

After a moment, he found his voice. “I know you have no reason to believe anything I say, but I swear, this isn’t what it looks like,” he said desperately. Even though he was preparing to run, he still wanted a chance to explain himself to her if she was willing to listen. He loved her too much not to try. “I wouldn’t be here if I had any other choice,” he went on weakly, his voice straining slightly beneath the weight of his emotions. “He… He threatened to kill you if I didn’t join him! I had to do it… I didn’t have a choice.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope clenched her jaw as she waited for Crow to respond. The moment of silence that seemed to drag on killed her as she waited for an explanation. The knight prepared herself to deal with whatever lie he was going to tell her now. She had caught him, but that didn't mean he was just going to give up. Crow could be a stubborn after all. Unfortunately for him, she was done falling for his lies.

As he finally spoke, she let out a scoff at his excuse. "Even if that was the truth, it wasn't your only choice!" she snapped out of frustration. "You could have told me. We could have figured a way to use his threat against him. You could have made your own choice! Not just roll over to the will of someone else." The knight shook her head and took a step back from him. She had to remind herself that he was probably lying to her again. The strain in his voice had nearly been enough for her to trust his words.

"I don't know why I'm even bothering... You're probably just lying again." her voice cracked slightly and suddenly she couldn't bring herself to look at him. "Because it sure sounded like you had a choice when you asked to get in on the deal with Younis. First signs of the war going south and you hurry off to join the enemy. You may have learned how to fight, but you're a coward."

She finally lifted her gaze to shoot him an accusing look only to crumble slightly at the sight of him. As she looked at him, she felt a fresh stab of pain, worse than any injury she had received. She loved him so much and yet, he had turned on her. The knight removed her hand from the hilt of her sword. Even in her current pain and rage, she knew she couldn't bring herself to use it against him. Tears began to stream down her cheeks again and the knight felt her lip quiver as she tried to restrain herself from crying.

"Gods I'm a fool.." she choked out between the tears. "I trust you. After every lie and secret, I still trusted you... I just.. I don't understand.. Has anything you told me been truthful?"

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow’s heart sank at Penelope’s response to his explanation. It seemed that he had been right. She wasn’t going to believe a word out of his mouth, regardless of whether it was the truth or not. He averted his gaze, pained by the venom in her words. Everything she said felt like she was just twisting her sword further into his chest. He wished he could make her see that he wasn’t lying, and that he really hadn’t had another choice. If he’d gone to her like she suggested, and Jaxon found out… He closed his eyes, unable to bring himself to finish the thought.

The worst part was that it didn’t even matter anymore. None of it did. All of his efforts to keep her safe were meaningless now that she had found out about his dealings with Jaxon. As soon as the murderer found out about this—and Crow was certain he would—he was just going to kill her like he did everyone else he saw as a threat, and there was nothing Crow could do to stop him. The thought made him feel like he was drowning.

The thief winced as Penelope called him a coward. The accusation hurt, especially because he knew it to be true of himself. He was a survivor. It was the only way he knew how to live. He would do or say whatever he needed to see another day, regardless of the consequences to anyone else. There was simply no room for justice or loyalty in the life of a criminal. He’d thought things were different after Penelope had come into his life, but it was clear to him now that the only thing that changed was the inclusion of her safety in his survivalist mentality. He still had no allegiances to anything or anyone else.

Crow blinked as he noticed her remove her hand from the hilt of her sword and looked up again, slightly hopeful that perhaps she was changing her mind. However, that hope was quickly dashed when he saw the tears streaming from her eyes. He felt a lump in his throat at the sight, destroyed by the knowledge that he was the one who had caused her that pain. At her following words, his eyes widened in a mixture of shock and betrayal as she questioned if anything he’d said to her had been true at all.

“Penelope…” his voice failed him yet again, and he bit his lip as he felt his own emotions threaten to boil over. Taking a shaky breath, he forced himself to go on. “I love you… You know I’ve always loved you. If you just take a second to think back over everything we’ve been through together, you’ll see that I’ve never lied to you about that.” Momentarily forgetting his intent to run, he took a hesitant step towards her. However, he didn’t get any closer before a second figure suddenly emerged from the trees behind her.

He stumbled backwards in surprise as Gavin marched towards him with his sword drawn and his face contorted with rage. “Stay away from her, thief,” the knight spat threateningly as he planted himself protectively in front of his comrade.

Crow’s eyes flicked between the two nobles as it hit him that he was now outnumbered. Bristling nervously, he stepped slowly back towards the other side of the clearing, seeking to distance himself from them in case either one went after him. “Penelope, please,” his voice cracked as he turned back to her with a pleading look, growing more desperate to convince her that he wasn’t the enemy. “Just hear me out. You can still trust me… I promise you can still trust me.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope winced as Crow said he loved her. Normally the words brought her joy but in that moment they just stung like salt on an open wound. Though she didn't want to believe a word he said at the moment, she found herself at least accepting that to be true, though she now questioned the value of such words. Did such feelings even matter when he had been willing to turn on her like this? Perhaps his version of love was much different than what she felt.

Before she could respond to him, she noticed a figure suddenly force themselves in front of her. She blinked, a bit surprised. Caught up in her emotions and confronting Crow, the knight had nearly forgotten that she had come here with him. His sudden appearance caused her to feel a stab of guilt. Gavin had been honest with her this whole time and tried so hard to show her the truth. She owed him an apology for all the trouble she had caused him.

She didn't get a chance to dwell on that thought long as Crow spoke up again, pleading with her. She studied him for a moment with tearfilled eyes. Despite everything, part of her craved to give into his words and trust him. But too many people had gotten hurt and if she did give in, there was a chance even more would get hurt. She couldn't risk being such a fool again, blinded by her feelings for him. Not to mention that she was far too hurt by what she had overheard.

"Hollow words just like all the ones before." Gavin snorted as he glared at Crow hatefully. "This game you've been playing is over, thief." Penelope stepped up besides Gavin's side and placed a hand on the male knight's arm that had the sword in hand. He glanced towards her and reluctantly lowered his blade, though he refused to put it away completely. Though she was hurt, she didn't want him to harm Crow in his anger.

"I shouldn't have even trusted you before..." she mumbled quietly in agreement with Gavin. "And you haven't given me any reason to trust you now. Especially if you're planning to run off and aid Younis." Penelope took in a shaky breath as she tried to regain some control over her emotions as she met Crow's gaze with a hint of determination. "I'll give you a chance though."

"Penelope, don't." Gavin frowned as he looked over at her. "He's just going to use you against to hurt our comrades again. Let's just end this now."

"I won't let that happened, Gavin." she assured in a weak voice as she felt another stab of guilt. However, she didn't move her gaze from Crow. "I'm not going to just forgive you for this. Not like before. If I can trust you, you're going to have to prove it." her gaze narrowed on him. "You must know where Jaxon's located since you've been throwing us off his trail this whole time. So you can start by telling me where he is."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow’s eyes flicked towards Gavin as the knight tried to get involved. He clenched his jaw, wishing Penelope’s former suitor would stay out of their affairs. His blind hatred wasn’t going to help anything when the thief needed her to see that he wasn’t trying to deceive her anymore. The sword in his hands certainly wasn’t helping either, since the thief had to keep it in the corner of his eye at all times. If the knight charged at him, he needed to be prepared to escape.

His eyes drifted back to Penelope in mild surprise as she gestured for her comrade to lower his weapon. Holding his breath, he let a small bubble of hope rise up in his chest. Was she going to give him a chance after all? It certainly looked that way, since she had stopped Gavin from attacking him. Perhaps there was still some trust inside of her despite everything that had happened. His heart pounded nervously as he forced himself to wait patiently for her reply.

Unfortunately, her first words were far from what he had expected them to be, and his hopes were dashed once again as she said that she shouldn’t trust him. He bit his tongue, fighting the urge to tell her how wrong she was. He may have sided with Jaxon, and he may have been willing to work for the enemy kingdom, but everything he did had always been for her. In every decision he made, she had been at the forefront of his mind. He just wished there was some way to make her understand that.

“I’ll give you a chance though.”

Crow nearly swayed on his feet, he was so weak with relief. Even after she had seen him with their enemy, Penelope was still willing to let him prove himself to her. He couldn’t begin to express how grateful he was for her patience. Of course, Gavin tried to intervene and change her mind, but she seemed firm in her decision. He opened his mouth to tell her that she wouldn’t regret showing him mercy and that he wouldn’t let her down again, but she spoke first.

His resolve wavered slightly as she told him that he was going to have to earn her trust back this time, and he shifted his weight uncomfortably as she demanded to know where Jaxon’s camp was. “I do know where it is,” he admitted quietly, lowering his gaze. “But… it’s not that easy.” He forced himself to look up at her again with a grimace. “He made me pledge that I wouldn’t tell anyone. If he finds out I did, he’ll kill all of us.”

“I knew it,” Gavin scoffed, turning to Penelope. “See? This bastard isn’t going to help us. All he cares about is protecting his criminal friends. We need to end it before he lets anyone else get hurt.”

“That’s not true,” Crow snapped suddenly, narrowing his eyes at the knight. “Why can’t you see that I’m trying to protect you both? I always have been. It’s what I was doing when you followed me the last time too! I wasn’t threatening you when I said you would die if you didn’t keep your nose to yourself, I was trying to warn you that Jaxon would kill you if you insisted on getting involved. But of course, you didn’t listen, and now look what happened! You killed one of his men, and now he’s hellbent on getting revenge.” He curled his hands into fists, trembling slightly as he tried to reign in his temper. “Now, he’s just going to keep sending assassins after you until you die, and there’s nothing more that I can do to convince him not to.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope felt a small glimmer of hope rise in her as Crow admitted that he knew where Jaxon was located. It was quickly dashed as he seemed hesitant to tell her were the murderous thief was. She clenched her fists, suddenly feeling wary as she wondered how true his words were. Was he concerned for their safety or was Gavin right in assuming he was just trying to protect the other criminals? Once she would have been sure he was on their side but that still felt up in the air. It was frustrating when she felt like she had no way of knowing the truth without putting it to the test.

As Crow snapped at Gavin, she frowned as he brought up another concern. Crow was right at least about the man sending more assassins after the male knight, she had heard that much for herself. "I don't know how much you heard from where you were Gavin but it's true... He mentioned that they'd deal with you." she said as she glanced at her friend with a concerned look. Looking back to Crow, she shook her head. "And that's exactly why we need to deal with him before anyone else dies."

She took in a shaky breath and stood up a little straighter. "He's going to get people I care about killed and I'm not going to stand back and let him, or-"she faltered a bit as a look of hurt crossed her expression. "or even you, get away with that. I don't want your protection. I don't need it. You said we were suppose to be a team... You even said you'd start acting like it.." Penelope felt her lip quiver as she grew emotional again over her own words. "If.. If any of that was true, I need you to tell me where that bastard is located."

Penelope forced herself to hold his gaze. "Just tell me." she pleaded, with a hint of desperation. "You don't have to get involved further then that. You can run or escape from him any way you want just let me know where he is so I can figure out a way to end this before he gets someone else killed."

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow felt his chest tighten as Penelope used his words to Gavin to insist that they needed to capture the other thief. This wasn’t what he had been trying to do at all. The only reason he had brought up Jaxon’s threats was to prove to the knights that he was on their side and that the murderer was too dangerous to make an enemy out of. It might have been too late for Gavin, since he had killed one of Jaxon’s men, but he and Penelope still had a chance to get out of this mess with their lives intact—assuming he could keep her discovery of his deal a secret, that is. Suddenly wary that they could be being watched, he glanced out at the surrounding trees, standing tensely as he looked for signs of movement.

His attention was drawn back to Penelope as she went on to say that she didn’t want his protection. He felt a stab of hurt as she even brought up his promise to her, averting his gaze guiltily as the mention of it only served to remind him of his failure to be the man she deserved. At her final words, he looked up to meet her gaze again with a pained expression. She really thought he would abandon her to save himself? He may not have had a sense of loyalty to anyone else, but he would never do something so callous to her.

“I’m not going to leave you,” he murmured. “I really meant it when I said we were a team… I’m just sorry I haven’t been a good partner.” Shifting his weight again, he toyed absently with the hilt of his dagger as he considered her words. Even though he was worried about the consequences of getting the knights further involved with Jaxon, he was beginning to wonder if he was making the wrong decision. Maybe he needed to start being a better teammate.

Taking a steeling breath, Crow forced himself to hold her gaze. “His camp is in the forest halfway between Aramoor and Wheldrake,” he finally confessed. “But there’s more to it than that.” He wavered slightly before going on. “I’ve been to their camp, and there are more of them than there were when I saw them last… a lot more. If I had to take a guess, I’d say I counted at least thirty thieves.” He shook his head, running a hand nervously through his hair. “They’re practically a battalion by themselves, and they’re much more ruthless. I honestly don’t even know how you could expect to approach them and win.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope fell silent as Crow said he wasn't going to leave her and that he had meant what he said before. The words didn't bring much comfort. Part of her was actually hoping that he would agree to keep out of the rest of the mission since she wasn't sure how well she'd be able to handle working alongside him again. Not to mention Gavin having to work with him. She snuck a glance at the male knight besides her, who was still tense with rage.

Looking back to Crow as he finally revealed where Jaxon was located, the knight couldn't help but feel a small bit of relief and hope. Everything wasn't repaired simply because he had given her the information she was looking for but it did restore a small hint of trust in him. Perhaps he was still on her side after all. "Why should we even believe you're telling the truth? What makes this any different than the other false leads you've given us?" Gavin growled, quickly shooting down the small bit of hope that had bloomed in her. Before, she would have dismissed Gavin's words but after seeing where that had gotten them and having so little trust in Crow at the moment, she listened to him a bit more.

"There's a possibility that it is another false lead, but I don't think we can afford the time to debate it." Penelope responded to Gavin after a small pause of thinking over the situation. "You got lucky that I happened to get there before the first assassin tried to kill you. There's no telling how long that luck will be able to last you if he's intent on having you killed. Plus I heard them mention something about another raid... if that happens, we'll never be able to recover in time to properly defend ourselves against Younis. It's the best chance we've got to end this mess before it ends this war."

Gavin studied her for a moment, clearly wanting to protest. However, he seemed to struggle to come up with a proper argument against the points she made and finally gave a small sigh of defeat. "I suppose you're right.. I just hope this doesn't form into some type of trap for us." he growled as he casted Crow an accusing look.

Penelope frowned a little at his words but said nothing about them as she turned her attention back over to Crow. "The numbers are... concerning but I'll figure out a way to deal with it." she responded with a shrug, her mind already beginning to think of ways to handle this new situation. The knight hesitated as another concern came to mind. "Do the other thieves know you're working for him? Are they working for him too?"

[Rogue Sloth]

Crow glared at Gavin as the knight accused him of giving them another false lead. He wished the other man would just give up on fighting with him already. Why would he lead them astray again when they had already caught him speaking with Jaxon? He wasn’t stupid. His cover was gone, so if he lied again, he would practically be turning himself in as a traitor. Not knowing what Gavin might do to him in his anger, he wasn’t about to risk playing with that fire.

Besides the more logical reasons, he also desperately wanted to earn Penelope’s trust back. It pained him to see her look at him like he was an enemy. He knew he had messed up pretty badly when he had gotten caught working for Jaxon, but he was still the same man she had fallen in love with. His heart felt like it was being constricted every time she casted her cold and hurting gaze upon him, and he could practically see the wedge that was driving them apart. Even if he continued to be honest with her, there was a part of him that wondered if it would ever be enough to restore their relationship. In the situation as it was now, it seemed unlikely.

He lowered his gaze to the ground, wallowing in his heartache as the two knights continued to speak as if he wasn’t even there. He longed to speak to Penelope about everything that had happened, to tell her why he had been working for their enemy, but he knew it would have been pointless to try. She didn’t even trust him enough to give her a real lead, so there was no way she would believe everything else that had happened. The thought made him feel hollow inside as he wondered if she would even want to be with him after this. He was starting to think that she wouldn’t. After all, why would she choose a thief who had lied to her and let her comrades die? It didn’t make sense. He bit the inside of his lip as he felt his emotions threaten to overtake him again.

Crow was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t hear Penelope ask him her question. What did get his attention was Gavin’s loud voice that followed. “Hey,” the knight said sharply, making him flinch in surprise. “Answer the question, thief.”

Crow stared at the two knights blankly. “S-sorry,” he stammered after a moment as he realized he must have missed something. “…What?”

Gavin ground his teeth in frustration before repeating his comrade’s question in a growl, “Do those other thieves of yours know about all of this?”

“No,” Crow answered in a quiet voice, shifting his weight as the question raised another concern in his mind. His companions were another issue he had yet to deal with. They didn’t know about his involvement with Jaxon, but now that his cover had been blown with the knights, there was no more reason for him to keep them in the dark. He shuddered to think how they would react if they learned he had been working for the man they all loathed so much… especially Hazel. The image of her distraught face appeared in his mind, and he cringed. He couldn’t tell them the truth.

“I’m the only one who’s been working with Jaxon,” he went on after a pause. “The others don’t know I have been either, and I don’t want them to find out.” He forced himself to hold their gazes seriously. “They can’t know I’ve been helping that murderer, so please… don’t tell them.”

[BuzzingBee]

Penelope watched Crow as she waited for a reply. As a silence dragged on from him, she became a little more tense as she wondered what was going through his mind to have him so distracted from answering her questions. She glanced towards Gavin as his patience ran thin with the thief and he questioned him again. At Crow reply, she let out a small sigh as it seemed she wasn't the only one he had been lying to.

"We won't." she agreed with a hint of reluctance as she exchanged a glance with Gavin, who gave a hesitant grumble of agreement. She wasn't exactly fond of the idea of keeping this secret of his and had even considered denying his request for them not to say anything. However, it wasn't her place to tell his comrades about it. I should warn Olivia though.. Penelope believed his comrades didn't know anything as there had never been any evidence of them sabotaging the investigation but she didn't want to leave anything up to chance anymore. She would at least make sure Olivia knew to not share any of the knight's information with Alistair.

Feeling that she had gotten enough answers for now, Penelope moved to take a small step back. "Gavin we should start heading back to camp. It's getting late and we have a lot of preparation to do tomorrow if we're going to go after these thieves." she said with a small sigh. She needed to put together a plan to deal with Jaxon but she also needed to figure out how she was going to leave camp without Mia or the other barons stopping her. It would be difficult, especially after all the failure they had previously had.

"What about him though? He could run off and alert them before we even get there!" Gavin glared at Crow. "Do you really want to risk that?"

"I doubt he will." Penelope mumbled shaking her head. She paused and looked over at Crow. "You said you weren't leaving but...are you sure you want to get involved with our plans? It might be best if you just stay out of it... We'll likely have to get other knights to help at some point."