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Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

She kicked his sorry ass xD
Also, Crow brought up the other point they haven't talked about yet: Whether or not Penelope would be going to the outer villages with him when they get back
He thinks she's planning to run away with him

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow made a bitter face at William’s back when the knight turned to walk off with Penelope. He hated how determined the knight was to tear them apart. William had threatened his life before, but this was the first time it felt like he could actually do it without hesitation. It wasn’t like the knight was wrong either. Now that he had stolen the staff, there was nothing left to stay his hand—well, except for the fact that Aeklora had told him to carry the staff until they reached Brerra, but there was no way William would believe that.

He turned to lean against a tree with his back to the knights, not wanting to even look at William while he was still angry. However, his attention was drawn towards them again when he heard the older knight shout at Penelope. Swayed by his curiosity, the thief glanced back over his shoulder to see William clutching a bloody nose. Even though the sight made his stomach churn slightly, he couldn’t help but smile. It was about time someone put that cocky man in his place.

As William drew a dagger and turned towards him, Crow flinched, expecting the knight to charge at him. However, Penelope was quick to prevent him from getting past her. The thief watched, his heart fluttering nervously, as the two knights began to fight each other. He didn’t relax until Penelope had managed to take her comrade’s weapon away from him. Even then, he eyed William cautiously, ready to draw his own dagger and come to Penelope’s aid if the older knight tried to attack her again.

Once the fight was truly over and Penelope had returned to his side, he took her hand in his and pressed a kiss to her lips, grateful that she had defended him against her comrade. He was still going to keep his guard up around William for a while, but it seemed that the immediate threat was gone for now. As long as the knight was off licking his wounds, the thief doubted he would try to attack them again.

Picking up the cloaks they had purchased from the ground, he handed one to Penelope and tossed another in William’s general direction before draping the third over his own shoulders. He looked down at the dark fabric that now adorned his body, inspecting it with interest. “You know, I just might keep this when we get back,” he mused, drawing the hood over his head and turning to Penelope with a smirk. “It could come in handy when I go on night raids.”

“I hope you’re not expecting the king to set you free after this mission, thief,” William glowered at him as he finished attaching the saddlebags to his mare. “When we get back, you’re going straight into your old prison cell.”

Crow hesitated for a moment, toying with the idea of telling William that he was going back to the outer villages just to get under his skin, but then decided it would be better to keep his and Penelope’s plan a secret. After all, he didn’t want the older knight to interfere with his escape. “That’s ridiculous,” he snorted, feigning a wary frown. “I just stole a staff that was supposed to be impossible to steal and saved our kingdom from going to war. Letting me go home is the least the king could do as thanks for my bravery.”

“Criminals don’t deserve thanks,” the knight spat, slipping on his cloak. “Don’t go thinking you’re some sort of hero. You were just a tool to be used in part of His Highness’s plan, and an insignificant one, at that.”

Crow shifted his weight in mock uncertainty. “Yeah? Well, we’ll see about that. The king would have to be pretty unjust to lock up the man who just risked his life to save the kingdom.”

“He’d have to be unjust to overlook your past record just because you did him one favor,” William retorted with a roll of his eyes. He climbed onto the back of his horse and looked down at them scornfully. “Come on. We’ve wasted enough daylight.”

Crow turned around to face Penelope, mimicking the way the older knight had rolled his eyes and then winking at her slyly. “It doesn’t matter what he thinks, because we’re getting out of here when we reach the border anyway,” he whispered to her, giving her hand a squeeze before he let go to give her room to mount the horse.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Yeah, I have multiple projects due on the weekly now :'D

William couldn't handle being undermined by a thief anymore

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

As he began fixing the rope around the horse’s torso, Crow listened in on Penelope and William’s conversation. By the rising anger in William’s voice, it sounded like the older knight was getting more anxious to get Penelope to come around to his way of thinking. He wasn’t surprised that William was so upset. It had to be pretty ground shaking for the knight to see his comrade in a romantic relationship with someone he considered to be of the lowest members of society.

However, just because he understood the knight’s frustration didn’t mean he was going to roll over and let William have his way in his and Penelope’s lives. The stubborn man was either going to have to learn to turn a blind eye or change his opinion of the thief if there was to be any peace among them.

When Penelope walked up to him, he reached to put an arm around her shoulders and pull her to his side in a half embrace. “I think so,” he said with a nod in response to her question. Pulling away from her again, he gave the rope a swift tug, checking to make sure it was secure, and then moved to grab the bow and staff that were lying against a tree. He slid both into place beneath the blanket on the stallion’s back, using the cord and the saddle belt to keep them from sliding around.

Once that was done, he took a step back to check his work from a distance. As expected, the ends of the bow and staff protruded from beneath the blanket, since they were too long to be fully covered. He hoped the saddlebags they added would be enough to keep anyone from noticing the extra cargo they were hiding.

He picked up one set of saddlebags and slung them over the animal’s back, fastening them securely around its belly as he had seen Penelope do with the saddle belt a few days ago. After making sure they were on tight enough to not move, he put the arrow quiver inside of the bag on the right side of the horse’s body, closing it up again so it was hidden from sight.

“What do you think?” Crow turned to Penelope, crossing his arms. “I know the bow and staff are still a little visible, but if you didn’t know they were there, do you think you would notice them?”

“Anyone with two good eyes and a brain would be able see what those are,” William grumbled, obviously still annoyed by the thief’s outburst.

“Well then, let’s just hope the knights of Younis are all one-eyed halfwits,” Crow shot him a glare. “Unless you have a better idea, keep your complaints to yourself.”

“That’s it,” William curled his lip and marched up to him angrily.

Crow tensed, ready to run if the knight swung at him, but William didn’t seem intent on starting a fight. The knight stood, eyeing him venomously and clenching his fists at his sides. “You had better watch yourself, thief,” he spat the word with as much hatred as he could muster. “Don’t forget: Now that the staff is in our hands, you’re no longer valuable to us. There’s no reason for me to keep you alive anymore.” He narrowed his eyes threateningly. “I’m done letting you off easy. You’re a criminal, and you will be treated as such, so stop demanding anything more than that. If you step out of line again—” he glanced towards Penelope, seeming to think something over before adding: “In fact, if either of you steps out of line again, I will kill you where you stand, Lockton.”

Crow shifted his weight uncomfortably, not sure what to say. The spiteful side of him was tempted to dare the knight to try, but his logical side told him that he shouldn’t push his luck. So, he just held William’s gaze and said nothing.

William seemed to take his silence as a sign of compliance. “Good,” he stood up slightly straighter, seeming pleased to have reestablished his authority. “Now then, Penelope, come assist me in putting the saddlebags on my horse. I don’t want you near that manipulative bastard.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

“Darling, you haven’t seen anything yet,” Crow winked at Penelope. “I’ve picked up quite a few useful skills in the outer villages, and besides,” he shrugged, turning to look ahead again as they approached the edge of the town. “I can spot a swindler from a mile away. I used to use some of the same tricks as that merchant when I resold the things I stole for money. How can I call myself the best thief if I let someone else steal from me?”

As she moved a little closer to him, he smiled, enjoying the remainder of their privacy while it lasted. It was a shame that William was going to put an end to it when they reached him, but at least he knew now that they would still be together when they got back to Brerra. He was excited to be with her, free from the metaphorical shackles of the mission they were on. He planned to show her all the best parts of the outer villages, the places he was fondest of during his life there. Even though he couldn’t give her the same luxuries as a nobleman could, he wanted to do his best to make her happy.

He glanced down at her affectionately, I hope she finds peasant life as enjoyable as I do.

When they reached the spot where they had left William, the knight was quick to chide them for taking so long. Annoyed with his relentless criticism, Crow rolled his eyes in response, “If it bothers you so much, then you can go next time.” He snapped his fingers, as if struck with a realization. “Oh, wait, that’s right. You can’t go, because you can’t figure out how to mimic a simple accent. Looks like you’ll just have to leave the errands to us.”

“Watch your tongue, thief,” William narrowed his eyes warningly.

“No, you watch yours,” Crow said sharply, causing the knight to blink in surprise. “Listen here. Penelope and I have done all of the heavy lifting for this mission, and you’ve done nothing but complain and mutter about how you could have done it better. I don’t know how to get it through that thick skull of yours, but you’re not the most important person here—in fact, you’re not even remotely competent enough to be calling the shots. So, until you learn how to talk like a Younisian and start making some decent plans that don’t involve fighting anyone who looks at you the wrong way, just stand back and let us work.”

Feeling relieved after having gotten that off his chest, Crow stepped over to the stallion he and Penelope had been riding and began preparing it with the rope and saddlebags.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

No worries! I'm getting projects dumped on me from all of my professors, so I'm pretty swamped too ^^;
Also, I started world building for a novel I want to write, so that's keeping me entertained in my free time x3

I'll get started on my reply now though!

--

EDIT: I imagine William will try to complain to Penelope about Crow's outburst xD
He would think it's her fault that Crow has more of an attitude with him now

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Sorry that one took a while. I was making lunch cx

Crow is a bit of a thief when it comes to haggling too xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

“If you’re sure,” Crow shrugged and walked with Penelope towards the merchant. He glanced at her when she changed directions and followed her lead when she headed to another stand where a vendor was selling various foods. Standing aside, he waited until she had finished selecting and purchasing food that would last during their travels and then rejoined her when she stepped away from the merchant. “I think that’s enough to tide us over as long as we don’t get delayed. But if it’s not, then we can always stop at an inn for a meal or two on our way,” he winked at her wryly. “I’ll never object to an opportunity to eat meat that isn’t poultry while I still have the chance.”

When they arrived at the merchant’s stand, he looked over the saddlebags that the man had on display. Having hardly any experiences with horses, he didn’t really know the differences between them, so he just chose two sets that looked big enough to strategically cover the objects they were trying to smuggle out of Younis. He was just about to look for the vendor in order to make the purchase, but he saw that the man was approaching them instead. He took Penelope’s hand supportively when the merchant referenced her previous outburst.

“Everything is fine,” Crow answered him with a casual shrug. Changing the subject, he went on, “How much for these two saddlebags?” He gestured to the ones he had been looking at.

“Ah, you have a good eye,” the man grinned. “You can’t find saddlebags of this quality in all of Younis. Usually, I would sell them for fifty Tael apiece, but for you, I’ll give both for ninety.”

Crow crossed his arms, contemplating the offer. While he didn’t know much about the product the man was selling, he knew enough about merchants to tell when one was trying to overcharge him. After a moment, he threw in a counteroffer, “That’s a steep price. How about sixty?”

“Sixty?” the merchant snorted, shaking his head. “These are quality bags, my friend. I’m afraid I can’t go a single Tael below eighty.”

“And I’ve got more important supplies to buy for our trip,” Crow lied airily, glancing at another nearby stand as if he was growing disinterested. “But fine. I’ll give you seventy Tael for both.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” the merchant shrugged. “I stand at eighty.”

“Well then, I’m afraid we’ll have to take our business elsewhere,” Crow reached for Penelope’s hand again and turned away from the stand, guiding her along slowly towards a vendor on the other side of the market. He muttered underneath his breath as they walked, “Three, two, one…”

“Wait!” the merchant selling the saddlebags called out after them. “I’ll give them to you for seventy-five. That’s my final offer!”

“There it is,” Crow glanced down at Penelope and smirked slyly. He turned back to the merchant and nodded, “We’ll take them.” He stepped back up to the stand and made the exchange, taking the two saddlebags and heading towards the side of the town where they had left William waiting.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

No worries! I was out most of yesterday too and then finished up another exam last night xD
Also, that was perfect timing because I just got home again like 15 minutes ago
I'll be on except for 6-9 for my weekly Sunday meeting

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow smirked at Penelope’s teasing compliments. The longer they were together, the bolder she was getting with him, and he liked it. Bantering with her was different for him than it was with anyone else because it came from a place of good humor rather than spite. It was nice to have someone who could joke with him without underlying resentment or disgust for his decision to be a thief. Even in the outer villages, his presence rarely elicited anything more than grudging tolerance from the other peasants. He enjoyed being around someone who could look past that part of his life to see him for who he was.

He squeezed her hand fondly as they stepped back into the market, looking over the vendors in search of the supplies they needed. Glancing down at her, he nodded when she began to lead him towards a merchant who was selling various assortments of clothing, “It’s worth taking a look.” He followed her through the crowd until they reached the stand and then helped her search through the wares until she spotted some cloaks.

“Perfect,” he grinned at her after checking to make sure that the cloak she had picked up was hooded. He grabbed two more and flagged down the merchant to purchase them. Once that was done, he turned around to search for the remaining supplies that they needed. He could tell that Penelope was avoiding the vendor with the saddlebags, so he picked out another man who was selling cords of rope among other various items.

“This way,” he said, guiding her through the throng of people once again. At the stand, he selected a length of rope that looked long enough for his purposes and bought it. Turning back to Penelope, he met her gaze searchingly, “The only things we still need are the saddlebags. Do you want me to get them for us by myself?”