The Golden Arrow [ONC 2022]

Nine

Breakfast was a joyful affair the next morning, perhaps one of the livelier meals that Robin had experienced in a good long while. Those he hadn't spoken to the evening before were eager to stop for a chat and Lynn's exuberance at waking up to find that Robin's presence hadn't been a mere dream from the night before was contagious.

Robin noticed when Karim left his tent, the genie looking surprised to see the Merry Men awake and functioning after the significant amount of ale that had been consumed the night before. In the rising light of dawn, Karim's face was illuminated and soft. Handsome.

"Morning," Robin drawled, raising a mug of tea in welcome.

Karim gestured with a hand towards the spread of breakfast that had been laid out: fruit, eggs, and porridge accompanying bread and salted meat. "Is every morning like this?"

"Most of them. We've got a big group here. We go through a lot of food."

"You can say that again," Felipe said from where he was scooping a mound of porridge onto a flat piece of wood he was using as a plate. He flashed a grin that caused the long scar across the left side of his face to stretch.

A low chuckle passed through Karim's lips, throaty and deep. Quiet as it was, Robin hadn't heard Karim laugh yet and he was surprised by the pleasure it brought him. The relief he felt to see that Karim's shoulders had, at least for the moment, lost their stiff set. Overnight, it appeared that some of the tension had eased from the genie's frame.

Good. He'd been holding onto it with a death-grip.

Karim sat nearby, accepting the mug of tea that Robin offered with a nod of his chin. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Lynn jumped off of where she'd been half-sitting on Robin's lap to inch towards the genie. She stared at him, head cocked the side, blue eyes bright.

"Hello," Karim greeted, smiling, as he blew on the steam that rolled off the top of his tea.

She waved shyly. Her eyes fell upon the glittering jewellery on his fingers and she said, "I like your rings."

"Do you?" Karim set his tea on the ground and extended his fingers out for her to see better. Lynn took another few careful steps forwards to peer at the rings. Robin found himself leaning in. He'd never seen anyone wear as many rings as Karim had on his fingers. He wore at least one on each – some slim and pain, others thicker and jewelled. "Which one is your favourite?"

Lynn considered the question seriously, her brows furrowed in thought. After a moment, she pointed to one. It was placed on the littlest finger on his left hand, the band golden and the inlaid jewel a sparkling sapphire. There was a matching one on his right hand, as well, Robin noticed.

Karim plucked the ring off his finger and held it out to her. "Would you like to have it?"

"Can I?"

"If you'd like. I have plenty of others."

She took it from his palm and placed it onto her finger but it promptly fell off. Karim laughed and picked it up from the ground where it had fallen before sliding it onto her thumb where the ring seemed to just be small enough to fit.

"There," Karim murmured. "All yours." Lynn beamed and threw her arms around Karim. "Oh!" he gasped and it quickly turned into a laugh as he hugged her back, albeit a little more reserved. Over her head, he smiled at Robin.