Huge Ajax's Arc

Chapter 219 of 619

After supper Ajax carried a cup down the row to Rowan's room. The door was open a crack. Rowan sat on the bed cleaning arrow shafts with a rag. His green shirt hung loose off one shoulder. The dark blonde hair fell past his jaw. He looked up when Ajax stepped in and set the cup down without a word. Ajax pulled a flat gold chain from his pocket and dropped it in Rowan's palm. The links were heavy and plain. "Yours," Ajax said. “Everyone wears one but you. You’re one of us now.” Rowan ran his fingers over it and smiled. "Heavy." "Good gold is." Ajax stayed by the door. "Wear it to the fire tonight. Let the men see." Rowan lifted the chain over his head. It settled against his chest, catching the lamplight where the shirt fell open. He stood. He was shorter than Ajax by a hand but held the room easy. "Shirt off," Ajax said. "They should see the chain clean." And he turned and went to the fire. Rowan pulled the green shirt over his head and tucked it into his belt at the back. Chest hair, flat stomach, the chain bright against skin. At the fire the crew was already sat. Tucker leaned against a stump with a mug. Marco was cross-legged by the coals. Asher stood at the edge with his arms folded. They looked up together when Rowan stepped into the light. Tucker whistled once, low. "Well." "Nice chain," Marco said. His voice was flat and warm. "You look good with it. You’re one of us now.” "Sworn to the gate, then," Asher said. "Sworn," Ajax said. Tucker walked over and lifted the chain off Rowan's chest with two fingers, weighed it, let it fall. "Flex for us, bowman. Show us what you’ve got." Rowan grinned at Tucker. Then he raised his arms and set his fists. The biceps rose clean. The chain swung against his sternum. Marco laughed once, quiet. Asher tipped his mug at him. Tucker felt his hard biceps and ran a hand down his hard hairy chest. "Nice, man," Tucker said. Ajax sat by the fire and watched Rowan lower his arms and take the seat Tucker made for him. The chain stayed on. The crew talked around him now, not at him. Bran came out from the hall with more wood and stopped when he saw Rowan, then set the wood down and sat. Seven men at the fire. Six sworn to the gate and one hired to hold it. Ajax drank and counted them. Two days before the Keeper reached the gate.