Trash Panda

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow returned to the ravine just before dusk to find that the camp was still empty. He walked over to a fallen tree that the thieves had converted into something of a bench and sat down, feeling relieved to be the first one back. After casting a quick glance around to be absolutely sure he was alone, he drew the vial that the herbalist in Myrefall had given to him and popped the top open, eyeing the dark liquid curiously. It reminded him of a mint leaf dressing he had tried at a banquet in Farhill many years ago.

Just a few drops, huh? he thought. It was interesting to him how something that looked so innocent could be so potent. Nevertheless, he followed the herbalist’s instructions, lifting the vial to his mouth and allowing three drops to fall on his tongue. In the next instant, he coughed roughly, however this time it was due to his surprise at the powerfully bitter taste of the draught rather than his illness. Even though he had only taken a small amount of it, the liquid made his mouth feel like it was filled with cotton.

“Gods, this stuff is rancid,” he muttered, wrinkling his nose as he capped the vial again.

“Hey, Crow!”

At the sound of the unexpected voice, the thief jumped and fumbled to stash the medicine back inside of his tunic. He turned around to see Alistair and Rikki climbing down the side of the ravine, having returned from their trip to spy on the battalion knights. Covering his surprise at their sudden arrival, he stood up and walked over to greet them, “Hey, guys. How did it go?”

“Eh,” Alistair waggled his hand in the air. “They didn’t notice we were there, but they didn’t give anything useful away either.”

“Yeah,” Rikki shrugged. “I saw some of them go into a tent at one point, but we couldn’t get close enough to eavesdrop. They probably did all their strategizing in there.”

“We ended up taking bets on how many servings of lunch this pudgy knight would eat instead,” Alistair snickered.

“I won,” Rikki cut in, shooting the other thief a mischievous smirk. “He had three.”

“No way,” Alistair combatted, leaning down so they were nose to nose. “He clearly went back for a fourth.”

“Doesn’t count. He didn’t fill his whole plate.”

“He still ate more than three!”

“Alright, alright,” Crow rolled his eyes as the two went on to argue over the results of their gambling. He moved to get between them before things turned violent. Alistair and Rikki were the most hotheaded members of the group, so their fights often came to blows if no one stopped them.

“Sorry, boss,” Rikki shrugged haplessly.

For a moment it looked like the tension was over, but then Alistair leaned in one more time to whisper in her ear, “It was four.”

“Why you—!” Rikki spun on him and threw a punch at his face. Alistair dodged her attack and proceeded to wrestle her to the ground, where they continued to fight in the dirt.

Crow just shook his head and walked away, leaving them to work things out on their own as he noticed Simon appear at the top of the ravine. The blonde thief worked his way down into the campsite and met him halfway, “No money yet.”

“Damn,” Crow sighed, crossing his arms. He had been hoping the knights would pay them quickly so they could give the villagers of Myrefall enough to get through the end of the season, when the tax collectors would be arriving.

“Don’t worry,” Simon said confidently. “They’ll pay up soon enough. They can’t risk being short on weaponry when Younis could attack at any time.”

“I hope you’re right,” Crow nodded. “But if worse comes to worst and they refuse to pay the ransom, I’ll go to Younis and sell everything off to their knights.”

“You know… we still have the option of sabotaging the Brerratic knights for a wage,” Simon said hesitantly. “The Younisians would pay us handsomely if we work for them during this war.”

“No,” Crow shook his head. Simon had brought up the idea to him before, but he always shut it down. “I’ve told you before: It’s too much trouble to take sides. If we work for Younis, it’ll put an even bigger target on our backs and give the knights from our kingdom a reason to come after us. As long as we continue to steal indiscriminately, we’re not too big of a threat to anyone, and neither side will have a reason to spare knights to track us down.”

“Whatever you say,” Simon said, seeming unconvinced. However, he didn’t challenge Crow’s authority and instead walked away to find a quiet place to read his book before the sun disappeared.

--

The thieves spent the rest of the evening enjoying each other’s company. Simon mostly kept to himself, although he often joined in conversations that piqued his interest, while the other three gambled with dice that Alistair had carved from soft stone a while back. Overall, it was a peaceful night.

That is, until Crow caught the sound of footsteps near the top of the ravine.

He looked up sharply, his eyes sweeping over the tree line, before he turned to get the attention of the other three. “Someone’s coming,” he said with hushed urgency. Immediately, the thieves stopped what they were doing and hurried to the closest hiding places with rehearsed efficiency. Crow appreciated that, despite how carefree they usually were, they knew when to stop playing around and take a situation seriously. It was the main reason why they hadn’t lost any members during the past year that they had been together.

Crow took cover behind a boulder near the edge of what used to be a river in the center of the ravine, watching as the others did the same. Simon crouched behind a bush, while Alistair and Rikki climbed up separate trees. Once they were all in place, they drew their weapons and fixed their gazes on the edge of the hillside, waiting for the intruder to show their face.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Makes sense.
Simon is going to be super skeptical of the knights because he doesn't trust anyone

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

As planned, Crow headed to Myrefall by himself to speak with the local villagers. In truth, he didn’t have much that he needed to do there. He had just needed an excuse to avoid going to Norcrest so he wouldn’t chance running into Penelope again. After she had told him she didn’t want to be with him anymore, he didn’t want to see her—not for a long time, if ever again. He wanted to let go of her now that he was certain there would be no future for them, and that meant staying as far away from her as possible.

He ambled slowly through the forest, moving as a casual pace since he wasn’t in a rush while still keeping a close watch of his surroundings in case there were any knights nearby. The local guards were well aware of the thieves in the area, and he knew they were on the lookout for them, so he kept his guard up and his hood drawn.

Of all the thieves in the group, he had to be the most cautious. Because of his past reputation, many of the knights who had been working in the outer villages for a long time already knew his face. Rikki, Alistair, and Simon had the advantage of being able to walk around in public, since they weren’t known by the local guards, but Crow couldn’t share in the luxury. In a way, he had recently come to regret how well known he was in Brerra. It was a pain to have to keep a low profile everywhere he went.

After a while of walking and letting his thoughts roam, Crow arrived in Myrefall. He made quick work of his errands, speaking to a couple of the village elders—contrary to their name, they were all in their thirties, since the people there died so young—about the state of the village and passing off some gold that he and the other thieves had procured from their last heist. The gifts he brought were the main reason why the villagers of Myrefall tolerated his presence, since, as an infamous thief, he otherwise just brought them trouble.

Even though he finished what he had told the others he was going to do, he didn’t leave Myrefall right away. Instead, he made one more trip to a man that lived in a small, run-down house at the northern edge of the village.

Crow stood in front of the door and took a deep breath. He knew that as soon as he stepped inside, he would be admitting he needed help. Part of him was still stubbornly clinging to the hope that he would be fine on his own, but it was becoming harder and harder to deny the truth. He couldn’t do this alone anymore.

He lifted a hand and knocked on the door.

A muffled shuffling sound came from inside the house until the door swung open, revealing a rather short man with a bald head and a scruffy, braided bread. The man squinted up at him, eyeing the thief with a scrutinizing stare. “What do you want?”

Crow shifted his weight, averting his gaze uncomfortably as he found it difficult to look him in the eye, “I heard you’re the one the people of this village come to for medicine.”

“That’s correct,” the man confirmed brusquely, his calculating gaze wandering up and down the thief’s body as if he was trying to diagnose him just by sight. After a moment, he grunted and shuffled back into the house. “Come inside.”

Crow hesitated for a moment before he followed after the man. As he entered into the tiny home, he took a moment to look around. It was small, definitely intended to shelter just one person, and he wondered absently if the herbalist had built it by himself. In addition to the small size, the space felt even more cramped because of how filthy it was. Dried leaves and dirt littered the floor, and the walls were covered in yellowing paper depicting hand-drawn images of plants. Used pots and jars cluttered what looked to be a makeshift kitchen. Overall, his first impression was that the man was a bit unusual.

“So,” the herbalist sat down heavily at a table covered with more plant drawings and gestured for Crow to do the same. “What brings the most infamous thief in the kingdom to my humble abode?”

“You know me?” Crow raised a brow as he sat down across from him. He had heard that the man was reclusive and didn’t often leave his home, so he was mildly surprised that he had heard of him before.

“Of course,” the herbalist waved a dismissive hand. “Everyone in this village knows who you are,” he smirked, seeming to read the thief’s mind. “…even a hermit like me.”

“Hm,” Crow grunted, leaning back in his chair. “I don’t know whether I should be flattered or concerned.”

“Take it as you will,” the man shrugged his narrow shoulders. “I care not. However, you seem to be avoiding my question.” He leaned forward with a curious glint in his eye. “You look healthy enough, so I ask again: Why exactly are you here, thief?”

Crow shifted in his seat, “I fear I’ve caught the illness that plagues the people of this village.” He forced himself to meet the herbalist’s gaze. “I was hoping you might have a remedy.”

The man clicked his tongue, crossing his arms over his chest. “Unfortunately, if you’re right, then there isn’t much I can do.”

“I was afraid of that,” Crow’s heart sank.

“However, I do have something that could ease your symptoms,” the herbalist went on. He stood up and moved to open a drawer, retrieving a vial of green-black liquid, which he offered to the thief. “This won’t cure you, but it will suppress the coughing and chest pains. I’ve given it to other villagers before, and it’s had much success. It’s potent, so a few drops a day is all you’ll need.”

“Thanks,” Crow slipped the vial into his tunic, though the man’s gesture did little to improve his mood. He looked up again as a question came to him that he both dreaded to ask, yet needed to say, “So, if I’m not going to get better, then what should I expect from here? I have to know.”

“Are you sure?”

Crow nodded resolutely, and the herbalist eyed him for a moment before answering, “The disease is known in these parts as Creeping Death. It strikes subtly at first but progresses slowly until it leaves its victims bedridden. The first stage, as I mentioned, is coughing and chest pain. This can last anywhere from a month to a year. Next, you’ll start to experience spells of dizziness and fatigue. This stage can also last from a month to a year. When you begin to cough up blood, that’s when you know the illness is starting to take its final course. At that point, all you can do is pray that death comes quickly.”

Crow nodded wordlessly, unnerved to hear the gruesome prophesy of his fate. Part of him regretted asking, but it was better for him to know what to expect now rather than be caught by surprise later on. Stomach churning, he stood up from the table and drew a small pouch of gold from his tunic pocket. “Thanks for your help,” he said quietly with a polite dip of his head, holding out the money to the herbalist. “Here. This is for the medicine.”

“Of course,” the man nodded in return as he accepted the pouch. “I’m truly sorry you weren’t able to escape from the clutches of the disease, and I hope your experience is more peaceful than those who have succumbed to it before you.”

The thief nodded appreciatively at his words and turned to leave the herbalist’s house. Having completed everything he needed to do in Myrefall, he began to make his way back to the hideout, trying to ignore the weight of dread in his chest at the thought that there was nothing he could do to change his fate.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Fair warning: It's probably gonna be pretty dangerous for the knights to go to the thieves' camp. Crow is still merciful for the most part, but the others are definitely not ^^;
It's very possible that they'll end up fighting at first, or that the thieves will hear them coming and hide to ambush them

I'll get started on my reply when I get back from my run!

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

I like that idea!
I don’t have anything specific in mind, but I’ll let you know if I think of anything

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

So do we have any short term plans for this part? Just wondering if you had anything in mind, like battles and all that ^^

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

The next morning, Crow was awakened by warm morning sunlight that filtered down through the makeshift roof of the thieves’ makeshift shelter. He sat up and yawned, looking around tiredly. Alistair and Rikki were still sleeping soundly, but Simon was nowhere in sight. He blinked, wondering where he had gone until the smell of cooking meat wafted into the hut, giving him his answer. He was mildly surprised that Simon was preparing breakfast. Usually, the anxious thief woke up early to scout the area for knights, not make food.

Still waking up, Crow didn’t feel like getting up just yet. He continued to sit in the shelter beside his still-sleeping companions, slowly recalling the events of the previous day. However, as he did this, he remembered his brief encounter with Penelope, and he winced, feeling a fresh stab of heartache. He ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes. Had that really happened? It felt so surreal. Penelope was really alive and in the outer villages… and she had chosen not to be with him anymore.

Another stab of pain.

Suddenly feeling antsy, he climbed quietly to his feet and exited the shelter, stepping out into the ravine and stretching his back to shake off the last bit of weariness. His green eyes swept over the campsite, and he spotted Simon sitting by the fire pit, squinting down at a ragged old book. The blonde had a strange affinity for literature that Crow would never understand. Back when they had been living in the inner kingdom, he had often picked up books and scrolls when they stole from noble families. It was unclear how much he was actually able to understand, since he was only somewhat literate, but he seemed determined to improve his ability to read and write.

Simon caught sight of Crow from the corner of his eye and looked up, “So, one of you decided to come back from the dead, I see.”

“Long night,” Crow shrugged as he walked over to sit across from Simon by the fire.

“Please, spare me the details,” Simon shook his head.

“You sure?” Crow smirked at him, taking the opportunity to prod at the other thief. “We did it twice this time.” He snickered as Simon hurriedly brought his hands up to cover his ears.

“Stop now, or I’m literally going to hang myself.”

“Alright,” Crow raised his hands in defeat. “Your loss.” He leaned a bit closer to the fire, trying to get a better look at the food the other thief was preparing. “So, what’s for breakfast? It smells great.”

“Chicken,” Simon answered, visibly relaxing at the change in subject. “But I managed to steal some spices from the knights we raided yesterday, so it won’t be nearly as bland as usual.”

“Way to think ahead,” Crow nodded appreciatively.

Simon sat up a bit straighter at the compliment, “Thank you. I’m glad at least one of you tunnel-visioned thieves pays attention.”

Crow snorted at his haughty remark and opened his mouth to reply, but stopped short as he suddenly felt an all too familiar tingling sensation rise up in his chest. He swallowed and stood up, moving to grab an empty leather water flask. “I’m going to go refill this. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” Simon nodded, busying himself by checking on the chicken in the fire pit.

Crow hurried out of the hideout, following the length of the ravine as he walked towards the river that flowed down the far side. However, instead of going to refill the water as he had said, he slowed to a stop as soon as he was out of sight from the camp. After casting a quick glance over his shoulder to make sure he was alone, he doubled over as a violent fit of coughing seized his body. Unable to move, he let it take its course for a short time before it finally passed, leaving him panting as he caught his breath.

It’s getting worse, he thought concernedly, leaning against a tree and closing his eyes as he slowed his breathing. If he remembered correctly, his mother had only lived for two or three more years after her coughing fits had begun. For the illness to have already progressed this far in his body was worrying. He sighed. Perhaps it had been for the best that Penelope had turned him down after all. It was starting to look like he didn’t have many more years left.

Once he had recovered from the brief episode, Crow walked the rest of the way to the river and filled up his flask before turning around to go back to the hideout. When he returned, he found that the others had woken up and were gathered around the fire, eating the chicken that Simon had prepared.

Rikki looked up when he came into view, and called out through a mouthful of food, “Good morning!”

“Not so loud,” Alistair hissed, clutching at his head with one hand.

“You were the idiot who decided to get blackout drunk last night,” Rikki rolled her eyes. “I have no sympathy.”

“Morning,” Crow greeted Rikki with equal enthusiasm when he reached the fire pit, causing the hungover thief to grimace.

“You’re both jerks,” Alistair groaned. “I’m going to eat in the shelter.”

Crow and Rikki laughed as he got up and took his food into the hut. Once he was gone, Rikki scooted closer to sit beside Crow, “So, how’d you sleep, boss?”

“Fine,” he answered, tearing off a wing from the freshly cooked chicken. “You?”

“Slept like a rock,” she answered with a wink and then clapped her hands together. “Okay, business time. Who’s going to check the tavern in Norcrest for our ransom money today?”

Crow shifted his weight slightly as Rikki and Simon turned expectantly towards him. He knew that as the elected leader of the group, a job like this would usually fall on his shoulders, but this time, he was hesitant. Traveling to Norcrest would mean traveling past the knights’ campsite again, and he didn’t want to risk running into Penelope after what had happened the previous night.

“I think Simon should do it,” he suggested tentatively. “I’ve been meaning to check in with the villagers in Myrefall about a few things, and the whole trip might take up most of the day.” He met the blonde thief’s gaze from across the fire pit, hoping he wouldn’t oppose the idea. “What do you think?”

Simon stared at him for a moment before a pleased grin crossed his lips. “Of course. Being the most level headed one here, I’m the most natural choice to go on this trip alone. You were wise to think of me.”

Rikki stuck out her tongue, but the prideful thief just rolled his eyes in response.

“Great,” Crow smiled, glad that the matter had been settled so quickly. “I’ll go to Myrefall, and Simon will go to Norcrest. Rikki, you and Alistair should spy on the knights. See if you can find out when the next battle will happen so we can prepare.”

“You got it,” Rikki nodded and stood up, marching into the shelter as she called loudly: “Alistair! Get your lazy ass up. We’ve got a job to do.”

“I should get going as well, since Norcrest is a bit of a walk, and I want to be back by nightfall,” Simon rose to his feet, slipping his book into a pocket on the inside of his shirt.

“Alright,” Crow nodded. He hastily swallowed a few more bites of chicken before standing to join the others. Grabbing his cloak from off of a tree branch that he had hung it on the previous night, he turned to them with a nod. “See you all tonight.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow has no idea how to handle his emotions

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow held his breath as he waited for Penelope’s response to his question. He didn’t know what to expect. Part of him still clung to the hope that she still wanted to be with him too, but it had been two years. Perhaps her feelings for him had faded with time or she had changed her mind about running away with a peasant criminal. His stomach churned anxiously as she finally opened her mouth to speak, and he held her gaze intently.

“I can’t, Crow.”

The words sent a knife through his heart. He listened solemnly as she explained that she had a new suitor now, one that she had grown rather fond of. He averted his gaze. He should have known not to get his hopes up so high just because he had learned she was still alive. She’d had two whole years to meet other men, ones who were much better suited to court her than he was. Who was he, a mere thief, to expect that she, a knight and noblewoman, would ever wait so long for him? It had been foolish to expect anything more.

Even as she finished speaking, he could already feel his heart growing hardened again as he bottled away his pain from her rejection. He nodded absently, trying not to feel betrayed—trying to bury his emotions with the logic of the situation. It didn’t matter that he had opened up to her more than anyone else, that he had shared his hoped and fears with her, or that he had even told her his name. In the end, she was still a knight, and he was still a thief. There was simply no getting past that.

“I guess that’s it then,” Crow said, hating how hoarse his voice sounded. He backed away from her slowly, casting a furtive glance back towards the knights’ campsite. He had already spent far too long there. He needed to leave before anyone else noticed him. Turning back to Penelope once more, he tipped his head in a curt goodbye and drew the hood of his cloak over his head, turning to run back into the woods without another word.

--

Feeling numb, Crow headed back to the thieves’ hideout in the ravine outside of Myrefall. He arrived to find that the other three had already come back from the tavern. Simon and Rikki talked in hushed voices near a small campfire, while Alistair laid nearby, fast asleep. As he walked over to join them, Rikki looked up and feigned an accusing frown, “Hey, Crow. You said you were going to meet us at the tavern. What happened?”

“Something else came up,” he answered vaguely, sitting down next to her by the fire. “Turns out, it wasn’t very important though. Don’t worry about it.”

The female thief narrowed her eyes at him, seeming unconvinced, but to Crow’s relief, she didn’t push the matter. That was one thing he enjoyed about traveling with the other criminals: They all had their own secrets, and they all knew not to press each other for information. It was an unspoken rule amongst them, but it was strictly followed nonetheless.

“You didn’t miss anything important,” Simon muttered, prodding the ashes around the base of the fire with a long stick. “Alistair just got drunk and passed out, and we had to carry him back.”

“I’m glad I missed that,” Crow chuckled softly, drawing his knees to his chest and crossing his arms over his legs as he watched the embers burn. “He’s a pain in the ass when he gets drunk.”

“You’re telling me,” Simon snorted. “Just imagine! If we had been seen by a patrol of knights, we would have been sitting ducks. He could have gotten us killed.”

“Oh, lighten up,” Rikki gave the anxious thief a shove. “We made it back just fine. No trouble at all.” She glanced towards Crow again and pursed her lips, noticing that he was being unusually quiet. “Come on,” she said, climbing to her feet and dusting herself off. “We’re going for a walk.”

Simon wrinkled his nose. “Really? A walk? Come on, Rikki. Even Alistair would know what you’re talking about if he was awake right now.”

“Shut up, Simon,” Rikki lifted her leg and shoved him between the shoulder blades with her boot.

Crow smiled a bit as he watched their antics, feeling a little better now that he was among his companions again. I don’t need Penelope, he thought, trying to convince himself. I’ve lived without her for two years, and I’ve been perfectly happy. This is where I belong. He stood up and slid his arm around Rikki’s waist, holding her slender body against his side. It was no secret amongst the group that the two were sleeping together, so he didn’t bother trying to hide it in front of Simon. “Where to, love?” he asked, shooting her a wry wink.

“It’s a surprise,” Rikki grinned back at him. “Come on. I’ll show you.”

“I can’t wait,” Crow said earnestly, allowing her to take him by the hand and lead him back out of the ravine. He needed a distraction after being rejected by Penelope, and he hoped that the female thief would give him exactly that. With that hopeful thought in mind, he walked with her into the forest, leaving Alistair and Simon behind.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Poor Crow has no idea Penelope has a suitor