BuzzingBee

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Penelope looked over at woman as she spoke to Crow. She was a bit curious as to who his new comrade was, especially since she seemed to know Crow well and even came off as a bit protective of him. The knight was also a bit confused why Crow wouldn't leave with her. As much as they might had wanted alone time together, she doubted that the thief was thinking about buying them some time now, especially when it was risky. As the woman ran off, Penelope found herself a little confused with the situation. But there was simply no time to question it.

"Of course." She told him with a small nod as he thanked her. Her gaze flickered around their surroundings with caution and she adjusted the hood of her cloak slightly to make sure it covered her face. "I should go too. I'm suppose to still be in camp right now." Penelope paused before taking a quick step towards him to press a hurried kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you tonight. Be safe."

The knight then turned to leave, about to head off back in the direction of her camp when movement to the right of them made her falter. She froze as four knights moved into view, eying their surroundings. Penelope felt herself holding her breath, as if that would stop their gazes from ultimately landing on the pair. One of the knights spotted them and immediately alerted his companions shouting, "Over there!" as he pointed at the two.

Her eyes widened and quickly turned back to Crow. It seemed they had both been spotted, but luckily the knights were at a distance and didn't seem to realize who she was yet. "Crap." She hissed under her breath as she reached to grab his hand and take off sprinting away from the approaching patrol. Already being caught with him, she had no intention of leaving the thief behind. "Come on, I was able to hide away from them earlier so I might know a place we can lose them... I'm also open to suggestions if you have any."

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

No worries xD That took me longer than it should have because my friend randomly stopped by lol

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Penelope raced towards the ravine, trying her best to avoid the patrols. She had to hide away a few times when she came across other knights, ducking behind trees and slopes in the forest so she was able to sneak around them without being detected. After a bit she lost track of the patrols that she had come across and only hoped that meant that they had gone in the wrong direction. As she drew closer to the hideout, she spotted two figures.

At first, her instinct was to duck away and hide, thinking they were knights. However, she quickly realized that wasn't the case as she quickly recognized one of them. Crow! She felt a small wave of relief at the sight of the thief. The knight was worried she might not make it to him in time to warn him and was glad she was wrong. Her gaze flickered to the woman he was with, briefly wondering who she was as she clearly wasn't the female thief he had introduced her to before. Penelope didn't ponder about it for very long as she focused on the reason she had snuck out of camp.

She changed her course from the ravine and hurried over to them. She waved to them to get his attention, hurrying up besides Crow. "Oh thank gods I managed to get here in time." She breathed as she slowed to a stop, her heart still racing in her chest. Penelope met Crow's gaze and frowned. "The knights are sending patrols out everywhere looking for you and the others. They're not going easy this time either." She told him quickly, not wanting to waste any time. "A few are heading this way. I'm not sure what their exact course is by they were instructed to look around in this area."

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

That sounds good! I think it'll work pretty well since I kinda made it so Penelope's also trying to avoid the patrols right now.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

"Penelope! Are you up yet? Mia's requesting for us."

The next morning she was awoken by the sound of Tomas' voice outside of her tent. She blinked and slowly lifted her head, wondering why the baroness was getting such an early start on the day. Usually their meetings were held later in the morning, causing for the knight to worry something had gone wrong. "I'm up.. I'll be out in a second." She responded before hurrying to get her armor on once more. She stepped out of the tent and turned to face Tomas, who gestured for her to follow him as he began to walk towards the center of camp.

As she followed him, she noticed that quite a few of other knights were up as well. She eyed them curiously, noticing how many were forming small groups. Patrols.. The knight faltered at the thought and turned her head to look over at Tomas "Uh.. What's going on?" She asked, hoping he would prove her assumption wrong.

"Mia finally came up with a plan to handle those thieves... It involves quite a few patrols it looks like.. I don't know the details yet. She sent me to get you first." Tomas explained with a shrug.

Well that wasn't good. A feeling of anxiousness swirled in the knight as she thought of Crow. By the looks of it, the patrols would leave well before it was even noon, meaning that she wouldn't be able to wait until their meeting at night to warn him. She glanced ahead, seeing Mia come into view as they reached the large tent. Penelope wondered if she'd be able to slip away from camp to try and warn him before the patrols left. It seemed unlikely since Mia had requested for her but she had to try.

"There you two are." Mia said waving them over as she stood besides the other two barons and Layth.

"So, I see you've already started your plan... Without informing us." Edward muttered accusingly.

"Well your lieutenant seemed to approve of it, so I assumed I had your approval as well. Unless you don't trust his judgement." Mia responded sharply.

"We'll handle those thieves before the end of the day, uncle." Layth assured. Edward sighed and gave a small nod.

"So what exactly is happening?" Penelope asked, hiding away the concern she felt as she crossed her arms and looked to Mia for an answer.

"I'm curious as well." Bennet agreed raising an eyebrow at Mia.

"We're sending out a large number of patrols. Five will head north towards Whitebridge and Grimsby where the thief was spotted in battle while another five with scour the south past Myrefall, where Layth had captured him before. A few patrols will head inland towards Norcest as well. Between these three locations the thieves are bound to be somewhere. We'll focus on tracking traces of them down.. Any signs of people camping or passing through the forest will be thoroughly examined." Mia explained to the group. "Our patrols will leave no stone unturned."

"Won't we be spreading our forces a little thin with that many patrols." Penelope spoke up, allowing for a hint of worry to cross her face even though it wasn't for the safety of the camp.

"I understand your concern Penelope but the camp will be fine. We'll still have enough knights here to keep things running smoothly and I doubt we have to worry ourselves with any opposition from the Younisians for today. The last few days have been peaceful enough." Mia told her with a small smile.

Penelope shifted uneasily, trying to find a way to poke holes in Mia's argument without causing for any suspicion to grow. However, she wasn't able to and merely fell silent once more, giving a small nod of agreement. Layth shot her an overly confident smirk as he held his head a bit higher, seeming pleased that Mia finally seemed to be siding with him. He turned back to the barons and looked at Bennet and Edward expectantly. "Those bastards won't have anywhere to run today."

"And we should be able to retrieve our supplies if all goes accordingly." Bennet said, sounding pleased.

"Let's not waste any more time with this discussion then." Edward said gruffly before turning to Mia. "We're all in agreement. Let's start sending out the patrols at once."

"Of course." Mia said calmly. She gave Layth a wave of dismissal that he seemed to understand the meaning of as he dipped his head and hurried off. She turned to face Tomas and Penelope. "Tomas, I'd like you to lead a patrol near Whitebridge and Penelope..." She paused and let out a small sigh. "I trust you but given recent events, it might be best for you to sit this one out."

Penelope blinked in surprise as Mia hinted at the time she had 'lost' Crow when he was in camp. The baroness hadn't held it over her before but perhaps that was just because she hadn't been focused on trying to catch the thieves like she was now. The female knight paused, thinking the situation over for a moment. She certainly didn't want to push to get on a patrol since it would make things difficult to sneak off to the thieves' camp and staying in camp only to leave would make her a little suspicious. However, if she did get caught sneaking out, it seemed she'd be able to make up a believable story about wanting to redeem herself by catching the thieves on her own. Perfect.

"I understand." She mumbled with fake reluctance as she lowered her gaze away from Mia. Mia rested a hand reassuringly on her shoulder before moving on to dismiss the abrupt meeting so the patrols could begin to make their way out. Tomas headed off to join a patrol while Penelope turned to head back towards her tent. She walked briskly, trying to not bring any attention to herself while also attempting to hurry. She wouldn't have much of a chance to beat the patrols out, especially since it seemed some of them were already beginning to leave as Layth went around giving them instructions.

She ducked quickly into her tent and took off her armor, hoping that by traveling lighter she'd be able to get ahead of the patrols heading in the right direction. Penelope grabbed her cloak and flung it over her shoulders before stepping out of her tent. She was just about to make sure she wasn't being watched when she saw Gavin walking up. The male knight frowned as he noticed her outfit.

"I hope you're not here to try and stop me again." Penelope said cautiously as she met his gaze.

"No.." Gavin said then paused. "You're going to warn him right? Let me help you."

She looked at him with unbridled surprise. Quickly recovering from it, she shook her head. "No. It's best if you don't get involved. I can do this on my own."

"But-"

"I don't have time to argue with you Gavin. I'm sorry but I don't need your help." She stated impatiently. Penelope swept her gaze over their surroundings, making sure no one else was looking before she turned sharply and headed off into the forest. She pulled her hood up over her head and picked up her pace as she raced towards the thieves' hideout. She casted a glance over her shoulder to make sure Gavin or anyone else wasn't following her before focusing on making sure she didn't run into any of the patrols that had already left as she hurried to warn Crow.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Sounds good

I'm not totally sure. Penelope would definitely sneak off to warn him but I could see it going two different ways :

1. She runs into him as he's escaping a patrol and throws off the patrol by pointing them in a different direction before they're able to relocate him then doubles back to him while the patrol goes the wrong way.
2. Or maybe she's trying to sneak around the other knights so she wears a cloak to hide herself when she goes out to warn him. They can get spotted together and maybe the knights mistake her for Rikki so they have to escape together in order to both avoid getting caught.

Penelope's getting too relaxed xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Penelope spent most of the day practicing with her sword, even sparing with a couple of her comrades that came by to practice as well. Since it would likely be a while before the next battle, she wanted to make sure she remained as ready as usual. Plus practicing her swordsmanship always tended to help the knight relieve a bit of stress that tended to build up. As night eventually fell, she headed off to bed, finding herself thinking about what the next day would bring.

The supplies were supposed to be coming in but Penelope wondered if they'd actually make it. Crow might have been going to Younis with Simon but that still left two of the other thieves unaccounted for. The knight wouldn't be surprised if the supplies never made it to the knight's camp. She wasn't sure what that would mean for the knights or the thieves. After what Layth had said and pushed for, she could guess it would just mean more patrols again.

Mia's not fond of that idea though so it'll probably be a while before the barons come to an agreement on what to do.. She thought, relaxing slightly as she laid down for the night. The barons likely wouldn't come to a decision before her next meeting with Crow so there was no use in worrying about it at the moment, especially when she wasn't truly sure if the thieves would take the supplies or not yet. Instead, she thought of meeting Crow again and let out a soft sigh. Two more days.. She thought eagerly as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

---

Tension was high within the knight's camp the next day and it seemed largely due to Layth, who was waiting for the supplies to finally reach the camp. Her brother seemed to have been spreading the word about the lack of action taken to prevent the supplies from being stolen again. Though she didn't care much about what the thieves did, trusting that Crow wouldn't do anything that would overly sabotage them, she wished that for once they would leave the incoming wagon alone, mainly out of worry for what her brother might be able to do if his words proved to be right.

She went to a meeting with the barons around noon. The usual group was present, except for Layth who was intent on waiting for the wagon. They were just nearing the end of their meeting when Layth suddenly bursted into the tent. Penelope blinked and turned her head to see her brother's face contorted with a look of fury as he pulled in one of his companions that had gone to protect the supplies.

"Tell them what you told me." Layth quickly instructed.

"The supplies are gone." The man announced gravely.

"What happened?" Bennet asked, visibly becoming tense.

"What do you think happened!?" Layth spat. "Those damn thieves took everything! I told you we must handle them at once!"

Penelope sighed a little at her brother's words and looked over to see her uncle turning to Mia with an enraged look. "Don't tell me you still disagree with us. My lieutenant is right. They must be dealt with, otherwise we'll lose this war." Edward argued, clenching his fists at his sides.

"Perhaps.. It would be wise to consider some course of action.." Tomas mumbled quietly. Penelope stiffened slightly, surprised to hear the older lieutenant agreeing. He had been against the patrols as well so it was a bit worrisome to hear him calling for action as well, even though he did seem reluctant.

Mia folded her arms and let out a small sigh. "Perhaps... Regardless I have no intent to agree quite yet." She responded with a calculating look. Her gaze flickered between the two barons besides her. "There will be a plan of action gentlemen, I assure you.. However, I don't think our plans have been working so I'd like to take some time to come up with something more effective if you don't mind."

"How long will it take?" Edward growled. "We need our supplies back as soon as possible."

"Not long. By tomorrow morning, we'll have a plan of action against the thieves." Mia promised him before her gaze flickered over to Layth. She gave a look of annoyance before reluctantly adding, "Layth I'd like to spend some time with you going over what you've done so far in your attempts to capture the thieves. Learning from your mistakes, I'm sure we can find a solution to getting rid of these... vermin."

"Of course." Layth smirked proudly.

"I'd like to dismiss the meeting now... We've got work to do." Mia announced as she slowly stood up.

---

Night had fallen and Penelope paced uneasily outside of her tent. There was no word yet on what Mia was planning and the silence made the knight worry. Mia was a smart woman, someone Penelope admired, and she usually didn't spend her time chasing criminals, which made the knight worry about just what she was capable of now that she was chasing after Crow and the others. She sighed and came to a stop, glancing up at the stars above.

It'd be fine. Even if Mia's plan was effective, Penelope would be able to prevent it from succeeding since she was meeting with him tomorrow night anyways. Reassuring herself of this, she was able to relax slightly, also finding a bit calmness in looking up at the stars.

After a moment longer of gazing at the stars, she turned and headed into her tent, settling down for the night. However, she wasn't able to fall asleep quickly, feeling a small rush of excitement as she thought about meeting up with Crow again. Eventually, her mind quieted down and she drifted off to sleep.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Nothing good xD Also are you thinking we do the idea with Crow running into the patrols and Penelope finding him before their next meeting? I figure she'd warn him before hand so it'd probably be difficult to do it after unless you have something in mind c:

Cute cx

Alan's a petty child and Gavin's basically a mom friend xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

The meeting lasted most of the day. The barons spoke about possible plans and hashed out a few details about their next move when the supplies arrived. Penelope mainly hung back from the conversation, doing more listening than anything else since she didn't feel the need to add anything. At the end of the meeting, Layth volunteered a couple of comrades he happened to trust to be sent to help protect the incoming of supplies. The idea of them being picked by Layth made Penelope a bit uneasy but unable to come up with a reasonable excuse to have someone else go, she didn't oppose her brother. The barons agreed with his picks and as the meeting was dismissed, he quickly headed off to alert his companions to their new task.

Penelope stepped out of the large tent and glanced up at the sky. It was early evening and before long night would fall, at which time she'd have to go on her guard shift. The knight headed to her tent to get some rest before she had to take over the late guard shift. She retired to her tent and laid down, soon falling into a light sleep as she still felt a bit drowsy.

Her sleep didn't last long as it was soon time for her guard shift. Luckily she didn't sleep for too long and woke up in time to head to her post. She stretched and threw on her armor before heading off towards the south end of camp. As she drew closer, Alan came into view and she gave him a small wave in greeting. However, he didn't return it. Instead he looked at Penelope with a hint of annoyance in his gaze.

Gavin must have said something to him.. She flinched, quickly guessing the reason for Alan's coldness. The two were close friends and Gavin wasn't exactly subtle in how he was hurt over how things had ended between them. Her stomach churned nervously, wondering exactly how much he had revealed to Alan. Taking in a shaky breath, she stepped over to the male knight. "Hey Alan.. I'm here to take you off."

"Obviously." Alan said rolling his eyes before beginning to move past her. However, he paused and looked over at her with narrowed eyes. "I'm curious though... Last time I checked, when your parents got you into a courtship, aren't you supposed to stay in it?"

"Probably. But my father's not here to stop me from making my own decisions and Gavin respected my choice." Penelope responded, holding his gaze.

"You messed up and one day you're going to regret it. I just hope Gavin is sensible enough to turn his back on you when that time comes." Alan sighed crossing his arms. "You were lucky he even wanted to marry you.. A peasant playing noble." He taunted.

"A peasant who outranks you might I add." Penelope said feeling a bit of anger spark from Alan's words. She usually stayed above getting worked up over such a thing. It wasn't like she hadn't heard it before but Alan had been someone she had gotten along with up until now. Plus she didn't like Alan giving his input. "Go to bed Alan."

He shot her an glare but turned and headed off towards his tent anyways. Penelope let out a soft exhale and moved to focus on her guard shift.

---

Penelope didn't wake up until late the next morning after her guard shift. The day started as usual and without a meeting between the barons and lieutenants, she decided to practice a bit with her sword. She headed off to the spot in the camp that the knights had made into a makeshift training site. However before she reached it, she heard someone call her name.

"Penelope! Wait a second."

She turned her head to see Gavin heading towards her, dragging Alan with him. The female knight stopped and looked over at the two questioningly. Alan had appeared rather clear on his poor opinion of her and she thought Gavin was still avoiding her so she was confused why they were suddenly approaching her now.

Gavin avoided meeting her gaze and instead gave Alan a shove forward as they reached her. "Go on. Tell her." He grumbled.

"I don't understand why you're making a big deal about this..." Alan grumbled, shooting his friend a glare. He looked over at Penelope. He wrinkled his nose then let out a sigh, muttering, "I'm sorry about what I said last night.."

"And?" Gavin inquired.

"And it's none of my business and I should have just kept my opinions to myself." Alan grumbled, before adding in a quieter voice, "even though most of them are right." Gavin shot a glare at his friend before looking apologetically at Penelope. Alan rolled his eyes and pulled away from Gavin, looking a bit embarrassed. "You're both ridiculous." He muttered before turning to storm away before Gavin could stop him. Gavin sighed and looked back at Penelope. "I don't know exactly what he said but from what he told me it wasn't anything good. I forget how childish he can be sometimes. I didn't think he'd go running his mouth like that... I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Penelope assured, a little amused by the scene. She looked up at Gavin, meeting his gaze for a moment until he looked away causing for her to do the same. She shifted a bit awkwardly. "You didn't tell him the whole story... Right?"

"Of course not." Gavin told her with a small frown. "I told you, you can trust me Penelope.."

She gave a small nod then turned to continue on her way. "Thank you, Gavin." She mumbled before heading off to practice alone with her sword.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Oof good luck!

I gave us a little bit of a setup for after the supplies get stolen cx Mia will be kinda pressured to change her tune after the supplies get taken