Penelope didn't waste much more time at her home after she had packed her belongings. Since Naida had gotten the horses ready, the two were ready to leave in no time and said a quick word of goodbye to Letitia, who encouraged them to visit again soon. Having done what she needed, the knight relaxed as they rode further into the town. Bellmare was a city filled with wealthy nobles due to its relative closeness to both the castle and river so needless to say it had a rather impressive marketplace.
The two knights dismounted their horses and walked through it, casually looking over the various goods. They stopped at one stand that had a variety of jewelry. Naida expressed interest in getting her younger sister a small gift and swept her gaze over a selection of different necklaces. Penelope stood to the side, browsing with little interest over the other pieces nearby as she waited for her friend. Her gaze eventually fell on a rather expensive looking pendant.
It was crafted to resemble the god Toreus and seemed to be made out of pure gold, all except for the eyes which were a clear crystal—diamonds perhaps? Penelope was too get at identifying stones—and gleamed in the sunlight. Regardless, it reminded the knight of her meeting with god as well as making her feel a refreshed sense of urgency to end the war.
"Alright! I'm done!"
Penelope jumped slightly as Naida stepped back over to her side, pulled from her slight trance. She looked over at her friend and gave a small smile. "Great. Let's get going then."
"Actually... I wanted to check out a few more shops. I think we should get Collin something. Like a congratulations, good luck and also sorry you couldn't make it type of gift." Naida said and then grinned at Penelope. "What do you think? What would you get him?"
"I don't know." Penelope shrugged.
"Come on. You must have some kind of idea." Naida nudged her. "Help me out."
Penelope hesitated and shifted her weight. "Well.. All I can say is that it should be practical. I have a feeling he's not one for gaudy jewelry or other such luxuries." she replied a bit hesitantly, worried that Naida might look a little too deeply into her advice and how well she knew the thief.
"So it should be something he can use often?" Naida asked with a thoughtful look.
"I think so." Penelope nodded her head, relaxing once more.
Naida fell silent for a moment before letting out a long groan. "Gods I don't even know what that would be. Everything he could possibly need to use is at the castle isn't it?"
"Well.. yeah. But there's a difference between owning something and borrowing it." Penelope pointed out with an amused look. Spotting another stand nearby, a gleam entered her gaze and she turned to Naida, unable to suppress a grin. "Wait. I got it. I know exactly what you should get him."
---
Their trip to the market ended up being rather enjoyable. Penelope hadn't bought anything herself but she had helped Naida with choosing out an item for Crow, one she felt rather proud of. It was a quill made out of a crow's feather. They also got him a journal to go along with it. The knight thought it was quite fitting since it was a reminder of his past but also one he could use for his future as a viceroy. Though Naida would be the one giving him the gift, she hoped he would like it.
As the day wore on, the two grabbed an early dinner at an inn before making their trip back to the castle. Since it was a short journey, the two were able to make it just a short time before sundown. Penelope hopped off of her horse and stretched tiredly. Though the day had been enjoyable, all the moving around had her quite tired. She collected her bags and stepped away from the horse as the stable boy began to lead it away. This time, neither of the knights objected to letting the servant tend to the horse as they were both quite tired.
"Thanks for coming with me today." Penelope said as they headed into the castle.
"Of course! It was fun!" Naida smiled brightly.
"I'll see you tomorrow then." Penelope yawned and gave a small wave farewell to Naida before turning and heading off to her quarters for the night. It was still rather early but since she had already eaten, the knight didn't see any reason not to lay down. She placed her bag down in one corner of the room and then quickly settled into bed for the night.
