"What -" Much gasped, backing away from the coy twitch of movement at his feet, " - is THAT?". He unceremoniously collided with the former tavern trickster as he crept towards the entrance of the camp, his eyes fixed to the wriggling motion on the floor of the camp.

"It's tiny," John sighed.

"What is?" queried a curious, accented voice from the corner of the camp.

"A grass snake," came the soft reply.

"Come on, Much," Robin chuckled, staggering forward to pinch the end of the creature's tail, holding the squirming length in the moonlight, "It's a baby" he fondly admired the beady eyes and subtle olive scales.

"Not being funny, fearless Hood," Allan warned, grabbing hold of Much's shoulders and slipping around the terrified outlaw, "they may look pretty, but they bite. Just like women."

Djaq rolled her eyes, "you should see the ones in Acre," she remarked in Much's direction, squatting on her heels to peer at the struggling animal trapped between Robin's fingers. "They are deadly."

"Oh, he saw them," Robin grinned up at his new pet, "but he wasn't conscious for very long."

Much was about to protest when Allan interrupted, "Not being funny, but you saw God-knows-what in the Holy Lands and then fainted at the sight of a worm?"

"Those. Serpents. Were. Huge," came the defensive squeak.

Regardless of his best friend's opinion, Robin glanced eagerly around the camp like an excited child with a new playmate. An amused Will looked up from the fire and shook his head wittingly. The last time the carpenter had seen his leader like this was at the age of twelve, his idol having captured a rat. Although only seven at the time, he recalled a young Robin chasing Much around Locksley Manor with a hairy rodent in his hands.

Robin pouted childishly.

"No."

"Oh, John."

"Just let him keep it," Will sighed knowingly, "or he'll be grumpy all night."

Djaq smiled at the source of the low response, her eyes wide as she ellaborated, "ever heard of serpent charmers?"

"Serpent what-ters?" Allan snorted.

Robin's tongue darted out of his mouth, making interesting conversation with the grass snake as he explained in enchantment, "these Saracen men sit behind these reed vases, playing music from flutes, making these snakes dance out of the vases to the music..."

"I stand correct. Snakes are like women." Allan winked at the nostalgic Saracen outlaw, to Will's slight displeasure, "easily charmed."

"Oh, please," Djaq laughed, "A woman isn't tamed by song so readily."

Much shuddered at the topic of slithery animals and sharply pointed out to his former master, "Think of the bible, Robin," he warned, "the snake from Genesis."

"Naga?" John frowned. Suddenly, this writhing forest animal didn't seem so harmless after all.

"The devil," Much hissed, much to Robin's distaste.

"Throw it," John demanded.

After disposing of the squirming grass snake, the outlaws prodded the embers of the fire and slowly returned to their cots. Robin's face remained solemn, mourning the loss of his short-lived green companion. Will and Djaq exchanged a knowing look as they crawled into their bunks. They both knew how their leader could sulk after failing an ambush on the North Road.

Much, feeling restless and guilty, crouched beside his sorrowful friend with a comforting smile, "Don't be like that, Master," he wheedled, "you're visiting the castle tomorrow morning, remember?"

"Yeah, forget about snakes," hooted Allan's voice through the stealthy darkness, "you'll be visiting your bird tomorrow."

With the mention of Marian, Robin shut his eyes with a smile of pure glee.

Oh, how I tease them so. fondly strokes little Slithers

I decided to have a little fun with our gang...

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