Trash Panda

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

The next day, Crow woke up to find that he wasn’t alone. Hazel was sitting on a bed on the other side of the room, chewing on the end of a writing quill as she stared down at an open book on her lap. He yawned and sat up as well, leaning back against the wall. Just like the previous morning, he felt much better rested than he normally did after having been able to sleep on a soft bed in the security of Evelyn’s house. On top of that, his wounds pained him even less than they had the day before. The rest seemed to have done quite a bit to aid in his recovery, and he felt confident that he could make the journey back to the thieves’ ravine without any trouble today.

Feeling a bit more awake, he glanced over at Hazel. She was still poring over her book and didn’t seem to have noticed that he was up now. He cleared his throat to get her attention, “Do you remember who got that book for you?”

The herbalist startled and looked up at him before regaining her composure again. “Some petty thief,” she shrugged carelessly. “I don’t remember who.”

“Come on,” he rolled his eyes. “Why are you so dead set on only remembering the one thing I did to hurt you? I did plenty to help you as well, like steal that medicinal book from that traveling physician because you said you wanted it.”

“Right,” she drawled. “Because a book is enough to make up for the fact that you took advantage of me and left without so much as a word of goodbye.”

“I’m sorry,” he said again. “I was stupid and selfish, and I shouldn’t have done that. If I could take it back, I would, but unfortunately, I can’t change the past.”

She pursed her lips for a moment before looking back down at her book, “Seven hundred and one.”

“Really?” he sighed. “Is there nothing I can do to make it up to you?”

“Hmm,” she tapped her quill to her chin. “No.”

“I give up,” Crow groaned in exasperation. He turned to swing his legs over the side of the bed and got up, heading into the other room to get away from the stubborn woman for a bit. Her vengefulness was starting to grate on his nerves, and he wished he didn’t need her help to find a cure for his illness. Unfortunately, her skills as an herbalist were unmatched in the outer villages, so she was the best chance he had. He would just have to put up with her attitude for now and hope she found the cure quickly.

In the adjoining room, Evelyn had prepared another breakfast of eggs with a side of dark bread. Three plates were already set out on the table, still fresh enough that he could see steam rising from the food. Stomach growling in anticipation, the thief sat down in one of the chairs and dug into the fullest plate. As he ate, Evelyn came over to join him.

“I see Hazel hasn’t left yet,” the tavern keeper mused. “So, I take it that means your conversation didn’t go too poorly, hmm?”

“It wasn’t completely terrible,” Crow admitted. “But you were right about her holding a grudge against me. She really doesn’t know how to let go of the past, does she?”

“It is a bit of a weakness in her,” Evelyn nodded.

“Well, she’s going to have to learn to get over it soon, because she’s going to come with me when I leave today.”

“Really?” Evelyn smirked in amusement. “How did you manage that?”

“It’s a long story,” he gave a one-shouldered shrug, not wanting to go into the details with the old woman. The less people knew about his illness, the better. “All that matters is that she agreed to come back to my camp to help me with something important.”

“Well, I’m glad you were able to get through to my daughter,” the tavern keeper said. “I only hope she proves to be helpful to you.”

“Me too,” he let out his breath quietly.

After a while, Hazel came out of the spare room to eat her portion of breakfast. As she sat down at the table, a tense silence fell between the three. Crow refused to meet her gaze, still off-put by her harsh words, but Evelyn eventually made small talk with her daughter. Everyone relaxed slightly as the uncomfortable quiet was broken.

Once Hazel had finished eating, she and Crow got ready to leave for the thieves’ camp. He put on his boots and shouldered the small bag he had brought, while she put together an assortment of medical supplies. He didn’t recognize all of it, but he did notice her stow away some dried plants, some cooking pots, and a few books that he guessed contained information she would use to figure out how to treat him. After she had gathered everything she needed, they said their goodbyes to Evelyn and began to long walk to the ravine.

For a while, neither one of them said anything, but eventually, Hazel was the one to break the silence.

“Are you still living with that band of thieves?” she asked curtly, casting him a sideways glance.

“Yeah,” he said.

“So…” she looked away from him. “Is that woman still with you too?”

“Raven?” he turned to her with a frown. “Of course. Why do you ask?”

“Just curious,” she muttered, suddenly seeming irritable.

He watched her curiously for a moment. Was she jealous? He didn’t see why she would be. She had made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing to do with him anymore, so why would she care what he did with other women? It didn’t make sense. However, not wanting to risk upsetting her more by pressing for details, he let the subject drop, and they continued walking in silence again.

After another long period of time passed, Crow was the one to speak up.

“If you don’t mind, I have one more small favor to ask,” he said hesitantly.

“What now?” Hazel groaned.

“Please don’t mention anything about my illness to the others,” he said softly, ignoring her tone. “I haven’t told them about it, and I don’t want them to find out unless they absolutely have to.”

“Still keeping secrets from the people you care about, I see,” she snorted. “You haven’t changed one bit.”

“I’m serious,” he shot her a glare. “I don’t want them to know, because they’ll just end up worrying for no reason. Just tell them I asked you to help treat our wounds in the upcoming battles.”

“Now you want me to lie for you?” she whistled. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Darling, please,” he begged. “This is important to me.”

Hazel held his gaze for a moment before she sighed, “Fine, but only if you let me take three items I want from the things you’ve stolen.”

“Deal,” he agreed, visibly relaxing as she complied with his request. Feeling a bit more at ease now that he knew he could trust her to keep his secret, he lapsed into a peaceful silence that lasted the rest of their journey to the ravine.

--

Crow and Hazel arrived in the thieves’ camp just after sunset. As he expected, the others were quick to question why the herbalist had come back with him, but they accepted his explanation that she was only there to treat their wounds even faster. With no reason to doubt her appearance, they helped make her feel welcome in the hideout. Alistair set out a bedroll and blanket for her in the shelter, Simon prepared a late dinner, and Rikki chatted with her while she set down her things.

In the meantime, Crow slipped away from them all to continue working through his own dilemma in private. With the time fast approaching for his next meeting with Penelope, he needed to decide what he was going to do. After everything that had happened that day, he hadn’t had much time to think about it.

He contemplated his discussion with Hazel again. The herbalist hadn’t been confident that she would be able to find a cure for him, but she seemed determined enough to try. Even though he didn’t know for sure if he would be healed, could he really shut down the opportunity to be with Penelope because of a chance? The more he thought about it, the more unreasonable the idea became. As long as no one caught them together, they had until the end of the war before the knight’s life would change at all. If his prospect of getting better didn’t improve by then, he could always back out later and spare her the pain of losing everything she had worked so hard to achieve. There was no point in ending things now, when he had no idea which direction his health would turn.

Feeling more resolved, he headed back to the camp to get his cloak, ready to find out what Penelope’s decision would be.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Olivia deserves it since Penelope usually doesn't tell her anything xD

I'm very amused by Crow and Hazel's interactions

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow sat across the table from Hazel, shifting uncomfortably as the silence dragged on between them. He had just finished explaining the illness he had contracted to her, as well as showed her the medicine that the Myrefall herbalist had given him to control the symptoms. However, instead of telling him that she had a solution, as he had been hoping she would, the tavern keeper’s daughter had lapsed into deep thought instead. His heart sank as he began to realize that even Hazel didn’t seem to know how to approach his sickness.

After pondering his words for a while, Hazel reached out to take the vial of medicine that laid on the table. She turned it over in her hands, examining its contents with a keen eye. “So, you said this was what than old man gave you for your cough?” she asked with a frown.

“That’s right,” Crow nodded. “Do you think it will help you figure out a cure?”

“Can’t say,” she shrugged. “I wouldn’t count on it though. It sounds like whatever you’ve got is stemming from a deeper issue than just your lungs, and this concoction only targets that part of your body.” She set the vial down on the table again. “It’s no wonder you’re still getting worse. This stuff only hides one symptom.”

“Great,” he muttered. “So, is there anything at all that I can do to get better? Or at least slow the disease down?”

“Can’t tell you that either,” Hazel shook her head. “I’ve heard of this illness, but I’ve never seen it in person before. No one’s ever come to me to be treated for it.” She frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. “I think the villagers of Myrefall have just come to accept their fate if they get it, because no one has ever cured it before. They probably think it’s impossible to recover from.”

“And what do you think?” he asked tentatively.

“I think I can give it my best shot, but you shouldn’t get your hopes up.”

Crow lowered his gaze. This wasn’t the news he had been expecting to hear at all. He had hoped that Hazel would have at least some idea of how to treat him, but instead, she sounded even more stumped than the herbalist in Myrefall. He sighed. Maybe there really wasn’t a cure after all.

But what about Penelope? He bit the inside of his lip. She was off deciding whether or not to get back together with him, while he was hiding a crucial detail from her. If she came back tomorrow and said she chose him, he didn’t know what he would do. The selfish part of him wanted to just accept her offer and pretend like everything was fine so he could have a little more time with her, but he knew it wouldn’t be right to lie to her like that. Maybe I should just tell her I changed my mind, he thought with a pained wince. That way, she doesn’t have to know, and I won’t be ruining her life for nothing.

“Crow?”

The thief blinked and looked up again, meeting Hazel’s concerned eyes. “You’re awfully caught up in thought,” the herbalist frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said dismissively. “It’s not important.”

Hazel snorted, “Well, that’s a lie if I’ve ever heard one. But fine. You don’t have to tell me… just like you didn’t tell me when you were leaving five years ago.”

“That’s a low blow,” Crow glared at her. “Besides, I already told you I was sorry. How many times do I need to apologize for you to let it go?”

“Hmm,” she knitted her brow, pretending to think it over. “Seven hundred and two.”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous,” he rolled his eyes.

“You’re just upset because you can’t count that high.”

“Shut up,” he flushed. “Besides, you haven’t had an education either, so don’t act like you’re better than me.”

“I taught myself,” she smirked proudly. “I can count up to a thousand now.”

“Well that’s good for you, but numbers aren’t useful for thieves. I’d rather spend my time learning skills I’ll actually use.”

“Jealous.”

Crow shot her another glare but didn’t respond. He knew she was just trying to get under his skin, and he wasn’t going to let her have the satisfaction. Instead, he changed the subject, “Anyway, how are you going to approach treating my illness if you’ve never dealt with it before?”

“Same way I always approach a new challenge,” she said, seeming eager to talk about healing, since it was her specialty. “I’m going to make you take different poultices until something works.” She grinned. “I already know which plants work on what, so I just have to keep mixing them together and hope I find a cure for your disease along the way.”

“How long will that take?”

“As long as it has to. I could find a cure for you tomorrow or a year from now. It all depends on luck.”

“And if there is no cure?” Crow asked tentatively.

“Then you die,” she said simply.

“Glad we had this talk,” he muttered.

“Hey,” she frowned. “Don’t go and give up on me now. This could be a real opportunity here. You said this illness was common in Myrefall, right?”

“Yeah,” he furrowed his brow confusedly.

“Well then, if I’m able to find a cure for you, then I can make more of it to cure the people there too.” She leaned across the table to give him a critical nudge. “But you can’t give up on me. The biggest thing I’ve learned about fatal diseases is that a patient’s will to live is hugely important. If you accept that you’re going to die, then that’s what’s going to happen. I need you to hold on long enough for me to find that cure. Got it?”

“Got it,” he nodded solemnly.

“Good,” she stood up from the table. “Now then, I’m going to my mother’s tavern to pay her a visit. I need a break from your ugly mug, especially if I’m going to be spending any more time around you than I already had to.”

“Whatever,” Crow snorted. “So, I take it that means you’re planning to come with me?”

“I suppose so. But don’t think I’m doing this for your sake. I’m just using you, so I can learn the cure to another disease… just like you used me when you—”

“Alright already,” he interrupted dryly. “I get it. You’re still mad.”

“Looks like you’re not a complete idiot after all,” she winked. “See you later, snake.”

“Goodbye, love,” he muttered as he watched her leave. Once he was alone, he let out his breath in a long sigh. Glancing out the window, he saw that the sky had grown quite dark. It was a bit earlier than he normally went to bed, but after a long and taxing conversation with Evelyn’s daughter, he felt ready to get some sleep. He stood up from the table and headed into the spare room, laying down tiredly on the bed.

It took him longer than he expected to fall asleep. His mind wandered back to Penelope as he mulled over what to do about her tomorrow. He couldn’t decide if he should turn her down right away or wait and see if Hazel could find a cure for his illness. On one hand, if he told her he wasn’t interested in getting back together, he would save her the trouble of losing everything for nothing if he couldn’t be healed. However, on the other hand, if he said nothing and Hazel did manage to cure him, they would have a long and happy life together, and she would never have to know he had even been sick.

It was a difficult decision to make, and in the end, his exhaustion won out, and he drifted off to sleep before he could come to a conclusion.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Nice! Gives me some much-needed homework breaks lol

Hazel is clearly still very angry with Crow xD

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow walked along the main road in Silverpool, looking out over the activities of the villagers. In the daylight, he could see some of the damage that had been caused by the battles—some destroyed homes, burnt crop fields, even a small, new graveyard—but fortunately, it didn’t look like the people here had been too badly harmed. They still carried on with their daily lives, tending fields, caring for livestock, and performing various other tasks of different trades he didn’t know much about. There was a somberness about the villagers now, but they continued moving forward in that hardy way of theirs that the thief found inspiring.

He saw a few other people he recognized from past encounters—men and women who had helped him before—and he occasionally stopped to talk with them. However, like everyone else in Silverpool, they had jobs of their own to do, so they didn’t have time to stay and catch up with him for long before they returned to their work, and he would continue on his way again.

His walk wasn’t very entertaining, but it did help him pass the time as he waited for Hazel to arrive. He found that when he wasn’t talking to villagers or observing the farmers in their fields, the time alone gave him a chance to clear his head. His mind wandered to many different things. He thought about the progress of the war, and how it seemed like neither side was gaining much ground against the other. He wondered what that would mean for the length of the war itself. Would one side eventually grow too exhausted and give up, or would they keep fighting until one kingdom overpowered the other? He hoped for the former, afraid that the latter would result in the destruction of the villages he held so dear.

He also thought about his responsibility to the other thieves. As their leader, he carried the weight of making sure they were all safe while the war was going on. He took some time to assess his own performance, thinking over the decisions he had made so far and wondering if they had all been for the best. Of course, he knew he wasn’t perfect and he never would be, but he wanted to make sure he was progressing in his ability to lead.

He smiled to himself. It was strange how different his life had become over the past year. A while ago, he never would have thought he would be in charge of a group of people, let alone traveling with others to begin with. He had always thought he would live and work alone, avoiding the responsibility of social interactions. But now, everything was different, and he couldn’t imagine going back to the lonely existence he had come from. He was much happier now that he had Rikki, Simon, and Alistair by his side.

As he continued to mull over his thoughts, the most prominent subject of all was his talk with Penelope. He felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness as he realized she would be giving him an answer tomorrow night. The split emotions left him torn in two. Half of him wanted to get it over with so he would know what her decision would be, while the other half of him dreaded to find out. Too overwhelmed to focus on it, he tried not to think about it but found that his thoughts often wandered back to the topic.

After a while of walking, Crow noticed that he had made a complete loop around the village. He glanced up at the sky to see that the day was nearing evening time. In his obsession with his thoughts, he hadn’t realized how much time had passed.

Hazel should be here by now. His heart fluttered anxiously in his chest. He was nervous to see her, but he knew he had to go. So, with one last look around the fields, he turned around to head back to Evelyn’s house, where he hoped to find the tavern keeper’s daughter.

--

Crow stood outside the front door and took a steeling breath. He could hear faint movements inside of the home, and Evelyn was working at her tavern, so he knew now that Hazel was there. It was now or never.

He pushed open the door and stepped inside, “Hello?” In the next instant, he let out a startled yelp and ducked down as an object flew over his head. Looking up, he saw Hazel standing in the middle of the room, one foot bare, as she stared at him with a venomous glower.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she spat.

“Nice to see you too,” he said dryly, eyeing her cautiously in case she tried to throw her other shoe at him. “I’m here because I need to talk to you.”

“Kiss my ass, you snake,” she snarled at him, turning to grab the bag she had just set down.

“Please,” he sighed. “It’s important. I need your help to—”

“Oh, you need a favor now, do you?” she interrupted icily. “Well, you can just forget it. Whatever it is, I’m not going to do it.” She shouldered her bag and stormed towards the door. “I’m leaving. Tell my mother to write me when you get out of this village.”

“Wait,” a hint of desperation slipped into Crow’s voice. “Darling, please. Just hear me out.”

“Go to hell, you lying bastard,” she said stubbornly, reaching to collect her shoe that she had thrown and sliding it back onto her bare foot. Shooting him one final glare, she turned and reached for the door handle.

However, before she could leave, Crow grabbed her by the wrist. “Hazel, I’m dying,” he said bluntly, getting straight to the point since she had no interest in formalities.

That seemed to stop her in her tracks. The herbalist froze. “W-what?” she stammered, and then cleared her throat to cover up her mistake. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I’m ill and I can’t find anyone who knows how to cure me,” he explained with a grimace. “I need your help. I don’t know who else to turn to.”

Hazel’s gaze softened slightly as she held his gaze. While she despised the thief, she was a healer first and foremost, so she had some sympathy for him. “Fine,” she said with a reluctant nod. “You have my attention.” Gesturing to the table in the parlor, she stepped back from the door. “Tell me what’s going on.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow spent the remainder of his night catching up with Evelyn in the tavern while she cleaned up. Even though he was tired, he wanted to take the opportunity to find out how the village of Silverpool was faring in the war. From what the tavern keeper could tell him, it sounded like they were still doing alright. They had seen a few small battles, but so far there hadn’t been anything devastating enough to cause the villagers any serious problems. Of course, they had suffered a few losses, but apart from that, they were going on with their lives just fine.

After a while, he grew too weary to stay up, so he said his goodbyes to Evelyn and headed off to her house to get some rest. As he walked down the main road, he looked absently over the surrounding houses, his mind wandering back to his conversation with Penelope the night before. It still felt so surreal. For the last two years of his life, he had thought she was gone and that he would never even see her again. Then, just a few weeks ago, he had found her again, but she seemed to have moved on with her life and didn’t want to be with him anymore. Now, after all of that, the door had been opened again for them to be together once more. He shook his head. It was hard to believe it was real.

He knew he had told her to take all the time she needed to make her decision, but the wait was already getting hard to endure. He wished he had some way to predict what she was going to choose, but he really couldn’t say. She had been willing to give up everything for him before, but now she had so much more to lose: her power, her status, her reputation, even her nobleman suitor. Would she really sacrifice all of that for a thief? Even if she still loved him just as much as before, it was a lot to ask. Part of him even hoped she would choose not to be with him, just so he wouldn’t have to bear the weight of taking everything away from her.

Feeling conflicted, Crow pushed the thought aside. He couldn’t put that burden on himself. As he had told Penelope the other night: It was her decision to make. Regardless of what he thought she should do, the knight was the one who would ultimately decide her own fate. If she was still willing to give up her life as a knight for him, then he wasn’t going to try to change her mind.

He let out his breath in a sigh. He just wished he didn’t feel so trapped. If she chose to continue on with her life as it was, he would have to suffer through her rejection twice. However, if she chose to be with him, he would be happy that they were together, but he would also feel like he had stolen her life away from her. It was a difficult position to be in.

When he finally reached Evelyn’s house, he pushed open the door and stepped inside. Since the old woman harbored thieves often, she usually left her door unlocked to make her home easier for them to access. In exchange, they promised not to steal anything from her. It was a simple system that worked well for everyone involved.

Having spent a lot of time in her house throughout varies parts of his life, Crow had no trouble navigating his way to the room she had set up for guests without lighting a lantern. He walked over to the bed, finding it already prepared with a pillow and blanket, and smiled to himself. Evelyn was always ready to have guests over, even when she had no notice of their arrival. It was one of the many qualities that he appreciated about the old woman. If he ever found himself in need of a place to stay, he knew he could count on her to take him in at the last minute.

He yawned tiredly and laid down on the bed, drawing the blanket over himself as he relaxed into the soft mattress. Being able to sleep on a real bed was luxurious to him in his sore and battered state. He knew he would have no trouble at all falling asleep on it, even with his concerns about Penelope’s decision.

And he wasn’t wrong. Almost as soon as he closed his eyes, the thief drifted off into a sound slumber.

--

The next morning, Crow woke up feeling much better than he had the day before. His body still ached from his wounds, but the pain had dulled to the point where he could almost forget it was there if he distracted himself. He sat up and stretched languidly, enjoying the feeling of being so well rested for the first time in a while. It was a pleasant change from the way he usually woke up—stiff and cold from sleeping on the ground all night.

After taking a little while longer to wait for the last of his weariness to fade, he climbed down from the bed and made his way into the main room of Evelyn’s house. The old woman was preparing breakfast when he arrived. She looked up and greeted him with a nod, “Good morning.”

“Morning,” he yawned in return, sitting down at a table in the parlor.

A brief silence fell between them as Evelyn turned her attention back to making breakfast. When she finished, she brought over two plates of cooked eggs, setting one down in front of the thief before taking a seat across from him at the table. He mumbled a word of thanks and dug into his meal, grateful that she had given him quite a bit of food to sate his ravenous appetite.

When he finished his eggs, Crow leaned back in his chair and met Evelyn’s gaze to ask, “So, do you know when Hazel will be back today?”

“I’m not sure,” the tavern keeper answered. “She only wrote that she intended to be home before dusk.”

“I see,” Crow frowned, drumming his fingers on the table in thought. “Do you think she’ll stay if she sees me here?” He was concerned that, in her hate for him, Evelyn’s daughter might cut her visit short if she knew he was staying in Silverpool. The last time they had run into each other, Evelyn had been the one to convince Hazel not to leave, and even then, it had taken quite a bit of persuasion. The stubborn girl might not be so easily persuaded a second time.

“I can’t say,” Evelyn said honestly. “You’ll just have to hope she’s in a good mood, I suppose.”

“Hm,” he grunted. “Well, in any case, if she might be a while, there’s no point in me waiting around here.” He stood up from the table. “Thanks again for breakfast. I’m going to go for a walk.”

“Mhm,” she nodded. “If you need me for any reason, don’t be afraid to ask. I’ll be heading to the tavern to open up around midday.”

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” Crow said appreciatively. “See you later, love.”

Dropping off his plate in her kitchen, he headed out to explore the town, intending to pass the time by checking up on the village as he waited for Hazel to arrive.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

That works out for me, actually.
I've got a ridiculous amount of homework to do, and I'm behind in one class because of some software issues, so that gives me time to catch up ^^

I'll get a post up after I finish my late breakfast!

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

That's one perk of our characters not interacting xD
We can get more done without waiting for each other to post

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

“I still don’t get it,” Rikki propped her hands on her hips as she watched Crow pack a travel bag. “What’s so special about this girl that you have to see her right now?”

“I already told you,” Crow sighed. “I just have some business with her that I need to take care of. It’s personal, and it’s nothing you need to concern yourself about.” He slung the bag over his shoulder and adjusted it, so it fell comfortably against his back. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back in two days.”

“Are you sure you should make this trip by yourself?” she went on persistently. “Your wounds are still far from healed.” She stepped forward. “Let me come with you! I can help you if you run into any trouble.”

Crow let out his breath in exasperation, “I’ll be fine, love. Really.” He met her gaze, feeling a pang of sympathy for the thief as he noticed how worried she looked. In an attempt to comfort her, he reached out and gathered her in his arms, pressing her head to his chest. “I appreciate how you look out for me, but this is something I have to do alone,” he said softly. “I would tell you more if I could, but you’re just going to have to trust me. Alright?”

Rikki hesitated for a moment before she finally nodded, “Fine. Just… be careful. I don’t know what I would do if I lost you, Crow.”

That’s exactly why I need to do this, he thought with a surge of resolve. “I promise I will,” he reassured her, stepping back again and meeting her gaze with a grin. “I’ll be back so quickly, you won’t even miss me.”

“I doubt that,” Rikki smiled halfheartedly. Leaning up on her toes, she pressed a kiss to his lips. He met her halfway, but instead of lingering as he normally did, Penelope’s face flashed through his mind, and he pulled back again. Now that he knew she was considering being with him again, he felt strange getting physical with Rikki. Even though he had no feelings for the thief that ran deeper than friendship, he wanted to take the knight’s offer more seriously. That meant no more fooling around.

Fortunately for him, Rikki didn’t seem to notice his discomfort. She said nothing about it as she stepped away to give him room to leave. “I’ll see you when you get back,” she said with a parting nod.

“See you then,” Crow returned the gesture. “Make sure Simon doesn’t get too big-headed about being made temporary leader until I’m back.”

“I’ll try my best,” Rikki snorted.

Crow smirked at her comment and turned to head up the side of the ravine, making his way west towards Silverpool.

--

Traveling nowhere near the knights’ camp, Crow had an easy trek through the forest. He walked at a leisurely pace, moving only as fast as he needed to reach Silverpool by nightfall. It had been a while since he had last been to see Evelyn and Hazel—he hadn’t stayed with them since before the last winter—and he wondered how they were doing now. He hoped the war hadn’t been too hard on them. The village of Silverpool was close to the Younisian border, so it wasn’t unlikely that they had seen quite a few battles already. However, even though he hoped they were doing okay, he also hoped that the fighting meant Hazel would be around to treat the wounds of the people in her home village when he arrived.

As day turned to night, Crow was beginning to think that Rikki hadn’t been completely wrong about his condition. His already sore wounds pained him even more after he had been walking for so long, and his energy waned to the point where he found it difficult to make it the rest of the way to the village. How much of the fatigue was due to his illness, however, he couldn’t yet say. All he knew was that he wanted a mug of Evelyn’s famous honey mead to quench his thirst and a bed in her home to sleep off his weariness.

To his relief, he arrived in Silverpool not long after the last light of dusk faded from the sky. He headed straight for Evelyn’s tavern, his heart beating a bit quicker with excitement at the thought of seeing the old woman again. When he reached the Black Dagger, he wasted no time in pulling open the front door and stepping inside. He made his way to the nearest table, his eyes roving over the room as he searched for the keeper.

After a moment, he spotted her carrying a tray of drinks to a group of peasant women on the other side of the room. From what he could tell, she looked to be in good health, and for that, he was glad. He sat back in his chair and waited, fidgeting with the hem of his tunic in his eagerness to see her again and his urgency to find out if her daughter was in town.

Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long.

After she finished serving the drinks on her tray, Evelyn caught sight of him staring at her and made her way over to greet him. “Look who it is,” she mused with a glint of fondness in her eyes. “It’s good to see that you’re still alive and kicking. It’s been so long since I last heard from you, I was beginning to think you had gotten killed in this war.”

“Not yet,” Crow grinned proudly. “And I intend to keep it that way.”

Evelyn chuckled in amusement at his words, “Where are those friends of yours? The ones who you showed up with the last time you visited. Are you still traveling with them?”

“I am,” he nodded. “But I came here alone.” He shifted his weight slightly as he went on. “Truth be told… I came here to find someone specific.”

“Oh?” Evelyn quirked a brow. “And who might that be?”

“Your daughter, Hazel,” he answered, averting his gaze. “I have something I wish to speak to her about.”

“Is that so?” Evelyn mused. “Well, you’re in luck. She’s coming back to the village sometime tomorrow.”

“Really?” Crow looked up at her again in pleasant surprise.

“Yes, but I can’t promise she’ll be willing to speak with you. She still seems to hold a grudge against you for whatever it was that you did to her a few years ago.”

“I figured as much,” he sighed. Hazel could be a vengeful person, so it was no surprise to him that she was still mad at him for abandoning her when she had been expecting him to court her long ago. The last time they had seen each other, he had apologized for what he had done, but she hadn’t forgiven him even then.

Evelyn’s gaze softened slightly as she looked at him, “If you still wish to try to speak to her when she returns, I’d be more than happy to provide you with a bed for the night.”

Crow nodded, “I would appreciate that, thank you. The matter I came to discuss with her is important. I can’t leave until I try.”

“Well, I wish you the best of luck, Crow,” she rested a hand on his shoulder. “I know how hard-headed my Hazel can be, but I’m sure you’ll be able to get through to her if it really is as important as you say.”

“Thanks,” he gave a halfhearted smile, feeling a little reassured by the tavern keeper’s confidence.

“Mhm. In the meantime, let me bring you a drink,” Evelyn stepped back. “You look like you’ve been traveling all day and could use one.”

“Gods, yes,” Crow groaned. “I’d love a honey mead right now.”

“Of course,” the tavern keeper chuckled. “I’ll have that right out for you.”

Murmuring one last word of thanks, the thief watched her go. He smiled to himself, propping his elbow on the table and resting his chin in his hand. Though the journey had been long and his reason for coming wasn’t the most joyous, he was happy to be back in Silverpool.

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

No worries! I’m at Sonic, so I’ll reply when I get home
My post is already like half written, so it won’t take long ^^