Chapter 29

Unwelcome Lions and other bad omens

"Much what do you mean all of our food is missing and there is a lion sleeping in our cave? The only lion you've ever seen was Wafeyy asleep in Salahadin's garden and you only saw him for a moment."

"Regardless Master, if you will not believe it is a lion, then a rather large and angry looking housecat with bad hair has eaten all of our food and is sleeping in our cave. Apparently, Guy of Gisbourne believes that rather large housecats with bad hair are an interesting oddity and has taken delivery of one from Noor. Presumably as a rather bad tempered trifle to give to Marian."

Just then the men heard Djaq scream from near the cave. One loud roar and some very disturbing sounds of snacking later, Much looked at Robin in exasperation and said, "Well apparently Master the very large, ill tempered housecat with bad hair that you believe is not a lion has eaten not only our food but has also eaten Djaq. How exactly do you expect to explain this to Allan and Will?"

"Animals that eat humans I do not like, Robin," intoned Little John sonorously. "Much find Allan and Will. Robin and I will go determine whether or not this is in fact a lion or not."

A few minutes later Much, Allan and Will met Little John and Robin at the cave where the food had been stored. To everyone's relief Wafeyy was loudly munching on the remains of a chicken as Djaq looked on in awe. "Which one of you wonderful men found me such a gift? Come tell me who – what sweet men you are to have brought me a lion."

"I thought you said it couldn't be a lion Master. What pray tell is that then, a camel perhaps?"

"Shut up Much. Apparently Guy has bought himself a lion to give to Marion and I'm sorry Djaq as of right now it's not for you. I will see what I can do to get Noor to give it or one of the cubs to you but no promises okay? It seems to have eaten all of our food and is quite comfortable where it is," Robin said with a shrug of his shoulders and a wrinkle of his brow.

"Ok here is what we'll do. Much, Allan and Will start moving everything to our backup campsite, we're leaving. Little John and I are going to go ransom Guy's pet to him and have Noor and her handlers come and take him away, without the code words we can't move him on our own, so we have to let them come here to get him. Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll eat Gisbourne." With that pleasant possibility voiced Robin and Little John began moving towards Nottingham.

As all the men were leaving the clearing Allan turned towards Robin with an impish grin and asked "Robin, what are you going to do about Marion?"

Robin turned sharply and said, "what do you mean? She isn't in trouble again is she?"

Allan shrugged his shoulders and his grin widened. "Not that I know of, but come on a lion? You have to admit that's pretty clever. You're going to have to do a lot more than flowers and pretty words to draw her attention away from a man with a pet lion."

With a grim look of determination Robin shook his head and turned away. "Don't worry Allan I'll think of something better than a lion. Wait a second! Djaq can you see if the lion has a collar?"

"Yes Robin, a large gold one with rubies set in it. Why?"

"This isn't Gisbourne's lion it's Noor's. I didn't think she would bring him a full grown lion; she'd have only brought Gisbourne a cub. Ok everyone back to camp I know how to deal with this!" With that Robin turned on his heel and bounded back towards Wafeyy.

"Master, what are you doing?" Much looked at Robin cautiously. Every time he had seen that look Robin had gotten him into trouble. Off the top of his head he could think of several instances – the Holy Wars in general, Acre and the siege of Jerusalem in particular, sneaking into Noor's garden he didn't know how many times, and now living like bandits in the woods. Yes, Much was quite concerned every time Robin got that look of smugness about him.

"We're going to return Wafeyy to Noor at the castle, Much. It gets him out of our camp, it returns him to Noor and it takes the thunder out of Gisbourne's little gift if we're the ones bearing it. Oh yeah and walking around with a lion is going to make me look really cool."

Much could only shake his head. Leave it to Robin, vanity had no equal. "Master, do you remember Wafeyy's code word?"

"Sure Much it's, it's. Oh how did that riddle go again?" Robin drummed his fingers on his forehead. Noor had teased him with this riddle endlessly that first summer after they had met. How did it go again? "I've got it! Much what are the three things that men always confuse? That's the key to Wafeyy's code word."

"I don't know Master, Noor never told me that particular riddle." Much said with ill concealed disgust.

"Like, Love and Lust, Much. Men always confuse like, love and lust. Wafeyy's codeword is love. That's how she got him. She liked lions; Salahadin lusted after her, so as a token of love he gave her Wafeyy as an engagement gift. Wafeyy's codeword is 'yuHibb'. The two things Noor respect the most – Wafeyy, loyalty, and yuHibb, love."

With these words Wafeyy roared loudly into the sky and rose onto his paws. Ambling over to Robin he made sounds of contentment that sounded to Much for the world like a very loud purr. Scratching behind his ears, Robin reached down to the cylinder on Wafeyy's collar and retrieved the note Noor had left him.

'Robin, it's all gone pear shaped as you say. Your servant mucked it up and dropped Guy of Gisbourne and the Sheriff hangs her from the North wall. Meet me at the tree line where I'm hunting and I'll get you into the castle. Noor'.

"Great! Come on everyone lets move. Apparently Marion killed Gisbourne and the Sheriff is hanging her. Noor is meeting us at the tree line to get us inside to save Marion. We need to go now." Robin was in a panic! What had Marion done? What had Noor given them? Had she dosed Guy and the Sheriff wrong? Had he forgot to tell her anything important before hand? Not to mention how did it happen that Noor was helping him to save Marion, who had been helping him to help Noor?