With William satisfied that he had asserted his dominance, Crow’s nap went by peacefully. He eventually woke to find that the wagon had stopped in the forest, far from any town. He yawned and sat up, waking up slowly as the others started preparing their camp for the night. He didn’t really feel like helping set up after the earlier events of the day, and fortunately for him, no one bothered to ask him to do anything.
He climbed to his feet and hopped down from the wagon. The clearing the knights had chosen was small. There wasn’t much for him to do since William would give him trouble if he tried to wander off on his own, so he contented himself by strolling around the edge of the tree line. He gazed longingly into the trees, wishing he could take a walk to set himself straight. Even though he and Penelope hadn’t been friends for very long, he couldn’t deny that she had changed him in ways that would be detrimental to him later on. He had to remind himself of who he really was:
He was a thief, hardened by his experiences in the world. He had no compassion for anyone but himself. He watched none but his own back. He couldn’t afford to get close to anyone or be tied down by feelings for a woman. It was why he had never made long-term friends or settled down in a committed relationship before. Such trivial things would only drag him down and put him in danger. This was the life he had chosen, and he was happy with it…
…Am I really happy?
Crow blinked in surprise as the thought appeared—quite unwelcomed—in his head. It made him pause though. As hard as he tried to convince himself, he had to admit that his time with Penelope had been more fun and relaxing than anything else he could remember. Maybe his lonely existence had been missing out on something after all. But it doesn’t matter, he reminded himself sadly. You heard what she said. It’s over—everything is over between us. She chose her side, and it isn’t with you.
“Crow,” Hartley’s voice jarred him from his thoughts. He looked up to see the younger thief bounding toward him.
“What do you want?” Crow said. He wasn’t in the mood to talk to the excitable boy at the moment.
“Hello to you to,” Hartley rolled his eyes and went on dismissively. “First, I just wanted to say: Damn! That fight was awesome.” He held a hand to the side of his mouth, speaking quietly. “Between you and me, I think you won. If you hadn’t spared that guy’s life, his head would have rolled.”
“Thanks,” Crow winced slightly. He knew he couldn’t have killed William even if he wanted to. The thought of taking another man’s life made his stomach churn.
“Anyway,” Hartley went on, oblivious of Crow’s discomfort. “I came over here because I had a question for you. Man to man, what do you—”
“Man to kid,” Crow corrected, placing one hand on Hartley’s head to emphasize the difference in their heights.
“Whatever. Just hear me out. What do you think Penelope would say if I asked her… y’know… tonight…”
“I wouldn’t try it if I were you,” Crow looked over at Penelope, who was helping the knights finish setting up camp. “She’s a knight, and knights don’t like our kind very much. You’d be lucky to get away with just a ‘no.’”
“But I’ve been working on wooing her all day,” Hartley frowned. “Surely that has to count for something.”
“I’ve been watching you, and what you were doing was not wooing, kid. You have a lot to learn about women.”
“Oh yeah?” the boy crossed his arms defiantly. “Well if you know so much about women, why haven’t you slept with her, huh?”
“It’s not that simple,” Crow sighed. “Like I said, she’s a knight. Even if I tried, we’re from two completely different worlds. She just looks down on us for what we are.” His expression turned dark. “She can’t understand what life is like for guys like us who have to steal to survive.” He shook his head. “Trust me. Don’t waste your time on her. There are plenty of peasant women who would love a kid like you.”
Hartley’s gaze dropped to the ground, “I guess.” He paused for a moment and then looked up again to meet Crow’s gaze. “You know what? I’m not giving up. I’ll just play a slow game. Just you watch: In the next few days, I’ll have her swooning over me!” With that, he took off, returning to Penelope’s side to continue with his “wooing.”
Crow watched him go with a roll of his eyes. The kid’s hardiness reminded him of himself when he was younger. He hoped Hartley never learned just how unforgiving the world could be.
--
Everyone finally settled down for the night when the sun had sunk past the horizon. Crow chose a spot on the ground away from the others, since they obviously didn’t want him around. William and Abraxas unfurled their sleeping pads near the extinguished fire pit, while Penelope took the first watch. Hartley laid down about an arm’s length away from the female knight, giving her a little space while remaining close. It seemed he had been earnest about wanting to keep winning her over.
Crow rolled over on the ground to face the forest. Without a friendly face to talk to, the trip was becoming much more difficult to bear. It honestly reminded him of prison. He exhaled as he began drifting off to sleep, sending a quick prayer to the gods that the journey would be over soon.
--
“Hey, Crow…”
He groaned drowsily as he felt someone tapping his shoulder. Upon opening his eyes, he saw that it was still the middle of the night. He knitted his brow in confusion. What could someone possibly want with him at this time of the night? He looked up to see Penelope staring down at him. Her long, unpinned hair fell around her face like a curtain and her green eyes reflected the moonlight. Her close proximity sent his heart to racing, despite himself, and he had to take a calming breath.
“What’s this about?” he stifled a yawn as he propped himself up on his forearms, meeting her gaze in the dark. “It’s not often that I get woken up by a woman under the stars. Don’t tell me you’ve come to my side of the woods because you’re feeling lonely.” He knew it was petty, but the petty part of him hoped his sordid words would make her uncomfortable.
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