| “ | The boy was Rusty’s favorite victim . . . and his only excuse for a friend. Some relationships answer only to their own secret logic. | ” |
–Croaker, "Shaggy Dog Bridge" | ||
Robin was a sworn brother of the Black Company during the events of "Shaggy Dog Bridge" and "Bone Eaters", and mentioned in "Chasing Midnight". He was the only friend of the bully Rusty, a newcomer from Chimney, and simultaneously Rusty's "favorite victim". Robin's origins are unspecified but his closeness to Rusty suggests he may be from the same city. During their time in the western wilderness, he defended Rusty for reasons that were inexplicable to Croaker the Annalist.
"Shaggy Dog Bridge"[]
Robin was a member of a reconnaissance team led by Elmo and was accompanied by Rusty, Whittle, Zeb the archer, the wizard One-Eye, and the Annalist Croaker (who joined the group without authorization). As they investigated the territory ahead of the main encampment of the Company, they discovered a mysterious, centuries-old bridge over the precipitous Rip that was hidden with sorcery.
When Whittle angered Rusty, Robin restrained Rusty from responding with physical violence. Robin was aware of a pool the other Company men had established to bet on when Rusty would be killed.
Robin took several orders from the veteran sergeant Elmo during the Company's brief alliance with the strange flying sorceress called Blind Emon. He acted as a lookout while Rusty, Goblin, Croaker, Elmo, and One-Eye rigged Blind Emon's explosive barrels in the trestlework beneath the bridge, and notified them when Emon approached.
"Bone Eaters"[]
In "Bone Eaters", Robin tried to stop Rusty from raping a young bandit girl called Chasing Midnight. Rusty struck him and attempted to assult her anyway, but her keep-off-me spell made him impotent. Robin implored Croaker to intervene, but Croaker accidentally fell off his horse and Rusty kicked him too. After Darling arrived to bring order to the situation, she held Robin’s hand briefly, and he "took that as a divine dispensation."
Silent delegated the care and feeding of Midnight, her brother Chasing Moonlight, and their cousins (whose names were later revealed to be Chick, Fade, Haru, and Yuko) to Robin. Robin later confided to Croaker that he was developing feelings for Midnight, and Croaker believed she was at least partially interested in him too. Robin remained at Rusty's side after the Company entered the backwater city of Rue, and may have been aware that one of the hungry ghosts possessed his bully of a friend. After Rusty deserted the Company in Rue one week after Midnight disappeared, Robin "went half crazy with worry" when no one else cared.
"Chasing Midnight"[]
In "Chasing Midnight", Chick mentioned that he saw Haru with Robin near the Company's barracks in Rue. Midnight remembered Robin fondly.
Robin's fate after these events was not recorded in the Annals. However, as he was not among the 10 Black Company survivors of the Battle of the Barrowland several years later, he must be either deceased, missing, discharged, or possibly even a deserter by the end of The White Rose.