The man’s bushy mustache twitched.
I gripped my hand tighter on my staff. Robert pulled the string of his bow a little tauter.
Then the man raised his hands to the sky, in a sign of surrender. “Name’s Armison, sir. One o’ the Muddy Meddlers.”
I tilted my head. “Muddy Meddlers? Never heard of you.”
“Not many have. We’re called that because we’re always stickin’ our feet in pigshit.”
“Purposefully?”
“Huh?”
“Never mind. That’s a nice story, Armison.”
Armison’s mustache twitched again, with a smile this time. He looked like a squirrelly fucker. “You might not know us, sir, but I reckon I know you.”
“Oh? Do enlighten me.”
“You’re Little John of the Merry Men.”
I glanced over at Robert. He gave an almost imperceptible shrug.
“Right you are, Armison of the Muddy Meddlers. What is it you want?”
“Wanna mingle our group with yours, sir.”
“Stop calling me ‘sir.’ I’m not your superior.”
“Wanna mingle our group with yours, m’lord.”
I rolled my eyes. “For fuck’s sake, man.”
He smiled wider.
“Afraid that’s not possible,” Robert called out, taking my position.
Armison’s smile vanished. I glared at Robert, quickly, for speaking out of turn. He wasn’t used to being second-in-command, and I supposed, technically, I was second-in-command here.
Armison’s arms, still hanging in the air, drooped a bit. “Haven’t even told you how many we number.”
“Exactly. We’re all out of space.” Robert loosened the hold on his bowstring, disarming himself.
Dropping his hands, Armison rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, fuck. You’re supposed to be the guiding light of us bandits.”
“We never asked to be that.”
“Robert . . .” I muttered, my lips barely moving.
“What? It’s true, John. We just finished with this argument back at camp. We have no room for stragglers.”
“What do you think your sister would do in this situation, hmm?”
Robert blinked. “She’s not here.”
“Don’t be an ass. Just because you might be my ‘superior’ here, doesn’t mean you’re right. And you know it.”
Robert’s shoulders slumped a bit. He was certainly taking some losses today, and I wondered if he regretted ever getting on a horse beside me.