1 | master of arms [gisborne]

Forty-one

The wind ruffled her hair as Linda sat near the valley, her knees tucked into her chest. She needed time alone, and this was the best way of getting it, in a way. The outlaws were probably at the camp, planning something utterly stupid and foolish, but it wasn't her problem. She had only one problem at the moment, but her friends couldn't help her with it. She had to do something, and that something was going to probably be as stupid as Robin's planning.

Speaking of Robin, it was about time until that little annoying bugger decided to show up.

She was staring at her own reflection in the water when she heard a twig snap. Out of instinct, she shot up from the ground and threw her dagger at the tree, inches from Robin's face.

"You could've had my eye out!" he exclaimed, looking from the knife to her in shock.

"You've got some nerve," she said back nonchalantly. She gave him a dirty look and sat back down, throwing a flat stone across the water, watching as it skipped effortlessly. Robin groaned quietly and rolled his eyes, moving to sit next to her. She pretended that he wasn't there and kept throwing stones, which was generally annoying him to no end.

"Are you not going to talk to me?" he snapped, also picking up a stone and throwing it across the water.

She shrugged. "There's nothing to talk about, Robin. But thinking... there's a lot to think about."

"Like what?"

"Like, how about the fact that you basically ruined my life yet again by trying to be the hero." Robin groaned and rubbed his temples, but Linda continued. "Honestly, can you ever not be the hero? Or do you just have to sweep in and go, 'I'm Robin Hood, your savior, and your personal expert at ruining relationships! Take me, for example, who tried to have something with Isabella, but ended up failing at that. Not only that, but I was having an affair with a girl named Genevieve, who of which has no idea I kissed Isabella. Gee, I am so great and amazing!' Some hero you are, Hood." She spat out the last part harshly, throwing the stone in her hand far across the water.

That comment struck a nerve, and Robin flinched. His face fell, and he looked to the ground, playing with a rose petal in his hand. Linda noticed his reaction when she turned to look at him, and she automatically regretted her choice of words. She sighed and picked up another stone. "Robin, I didn't—"

"No," he interrupted, his voice quiet. He inhaled sharply and looked up, staring at the valley before them. "You're right."

That surprised her. "What?" she sputtered as stone she was about to throw dropped out of her hand.

"I said, you're right," Robin repeated, still looking straight ahead. "I did ruin your chance with Gisborne, and for that I am so sorry." The outlaw paused. "And I also ruined my chance with Genevieve." He let out a bitter breath and looked down. "I was a fool to ever think that I could've ever have something with Isabella, and in my blindness, I lost her."

Linda blinked and scooted closer to him. "What happened?"

"She found out that I was with Isabella and kissed her," he answered softly. "She said that she was betrayed and..." He trailed off.

"And what?" Linda pressed, anxious to hear.

"She basically in a way told me that she never wanted to see me again. There, happy?" Robin snapped, frowning and staring at Linda.

She didn't flinch, but pursed her lips and nodded slowly. "Apparently she has a reputation of breaking men's hearts," she blurted. "Interesting."

"That's because no one bothers to talk about how amazing she is," Robin retorted. "No one bothers to talk about how kind she is, and how she will disobey me for the worst reasons, and then ends up saving me in the end."