One
When Adder woke, all the matured males were gone. They were always up first. Among them was the male she met before she fell asleep. She so badly wanted to find him again. But he was nowhere in sight. Her heart sank. She did not know why she wanted to see him again. It was a strange longing. She felt a kind on loneliness deep within her. But why? Soon after she left, the scent of a male snake started to drift into the air. He was excited and this did not smell anything like her male that she had met.
She whirled and saw a tawny colored male watching her, slowly approaching. Adder raised herself and hissed irritably at him, backing away. When the male wouldn't back away, she turned her tail and fled, but the male chased. A shadow flew over her and blocked her from the male. He gave a yelp and left. Adder turned and saw Owl land and turn to face her. "Owl! Thank you so much! Thought he would…get me…if you know what I mean." She said. "You're welcome, Adder," She said. Owl looked down at her. "You'll have to find a mate soon or you'll have males after you until the breeding season is over. Best to find a mate when you're young. It's…hard to find one when you're as old as me…" She sighed. Adder raised her eyebrow. "What are you getting at?" She asked.
Owl shrugged. "You'll find it silly," She said. "No I won't," Adder hissed. "I've been…thinking about finding a mate," Adder blinked and smirked. "A tatty old bird like you?" She said this in a playful way. "Well…yes…maybe I'll find a nice handsome owl who might love me for me," Adder had a feeling that having a mate love her for who she was felt like paradise. The mating urge was starting to grow, she knew it, but wouldn't believe it.
"I'm going to find the others. If I have any hope of finding a mate it's going to be outside the park," Owl said. Adder's heart sunk. "But…there are plenty others here, Owl!" Adder said. "That is true, but…none of them suit me. If I do leave…well, consider this good-bye." And she flew off. Adder blinked. Owl could be leaving.
She only shook her head and found a place to sleep on a rock. The scent of a male snake drifted into the air and she could tell that he was calm, waiting for the right moment to show himself. He was going to wait for her. Feeling secure, Adder drifted to sleep.
later
The Weasel and Measly's screaming interrupted Adder's sleep. She uncurled as a stag ran past her, chasing them. When they were out of sight, the male snake came out from the grass-the same male she met before hibernation. "Did they wake you?" He asked. "If you must know, yes!" Adder responded, trying to stay calm. He was very eased when they met before hibernation, but she had to be careful if his mating urge was high.
"Troublesome things, weasels," The male snake swayed gently. "Yes," Adder agreed and curled back down. The male got a bit closer to her and cleared his throat. "I'm Sinuous," He said. Adder, thinking he was using the adjective 'sinuous', relied, "So am I," She waved her tail flirtatiously about in the air. The male only shook his head with a smile. "No, no, no, no, no, it's my name, Sinuous," He hissed. Adder smiled. "Very apt, I'm sure," She said.
Sinuous moved closer to her, and Adder did not react. She could tell that he was perfectly calm, and he had no desire to chase her around against her will; but by his scent, he wanted to curl around her and cuddle with her-or perhaps more than just cuddle. Suddenly, Toad's voice boomed, "Ho ho, mateys! Spring's in the air, I see!"
Adder opened her eyes, glaring at the toad, and uncoiled. "Yes! And isn't it the toad eating season, Sinuous?" Toad blinked. "That's not very friendly, matey, what about the oath?" He hopped away. Adder and Sinuous chuckled at him as he disappeared into the trees. Then, Adder looked at him with a look of great love in her eyes. "Sinuous," She whispered. Sinuous hissed in reply. Then there was silence. The two snakes looked deeply into each other's eyes, as if they were in a kind of trance. The moment seemed time stopping, and Adder felt as if an entire new feeling and emotion had overwhelmed her like plunging into water. Sinuous blinked and looked away.
"I'm sorry, I…" He cleared his throat. He gathered his senses and striated himself. "That oath that the toad mentioned…are you the…Farthing Wood adder?" Adder smiled and nodded. "Yes," She said silently. A look of absolute shock showed in Sinuous' eyes. Adder was amused. He had fallen in love with her without even knowing who she was.
"Surprised?" Adder asked and poked him with her tail. "Yes," Sinuous muttered. "Not entirely?" Adder repeated. "I never suspected you were the Farthing Wood adder. I've heard very little about you," Adder gawped, as if he said something that would have offended her. "Stupid foxes…" Sinuous muttered. "…Always taking everyone's glory. Why, the only thing that's mentioned about you is being cruel to other animals, distracting farm dogs and saving one of the foxes from a hunt…" Sinuous seemed very sour about all of it. "Did the stories mention killing rival fox?" Adder asked. "Barely," Sinuous replied. He glanced at her tail. "It's too short," He said. "That's because of the rival fox" Adder answered. Sinuous scoffed "Never glory for us snakes is there?" Adder nodded in agreement. "It's always the furred ones; seems as if they don't care about us!" Sinuous bobbed his head. "Stupid, flea-ridden things…" He growled to himself. "If any of us deserve glory," She smirked as Sinuous raised himself in suspense. "Toad does. After all, he brought us here, not that stupid fox." Sinuous cocked his head. "True…very true…" He said.
"But enough of that…" Adder looked at him. "Tell me about yourself." Sinuous' eyes turned toward the sky. "Well…I came here from a forest not far from here. My original intention was refuge. Like yours, humans invaded and destroyed my home. I arrived at the end of summer last year and I've been seeing you torment the frogs. At that point you didn't seem so interesting."
Adder's jaw dropped, as if in a huff. "Now don't give me that response." Sinuous hissed. "When we were about to hibernate I decided to stay with you because you weren't staring at my every move gawping at me!" Adder relaxed a little bit as he spoke. "When I woke up this morning the first thing that came into my mind was a mate," He looked shyly at Adder. "To think the first female I decided to talk to was you."
Adder straitened herself. "Wait a moment! I thought you weren't interested in finding a mate!" Sinuous shook his head with a chuckle. "Well…hormones, you know," He said with grin. Adder jerked her head away from him. Sinuous laughed again. "You certainly don't seem like the mating type." He said. "You're on target." She hissed. "What a pity your scent doesn't agree." Sinuous smirked and inched onto the rock with Adder. Her first instinct was to move backwards away from him, but she didn't. When Sinuous saw she wasn't moving, he edged closer.
Adder looked irritably at him, forgetting the overpowering feeling of affection toward him. "That's as close as you'll get to me," Adder hissed. Sinuous pulled away. "Stop being an O'Hara, Adder; not after how beautiful you were when you looked at me so sweetly."
"Are you trying to overpower me?" Sinuous shut his eyes impatiently. "Bachelors have a hard time with females about to go into their heat cycles." He said plainly. Adder's expression softened. "That you can get away with." She hissed. Sinuous smiled at her, looking at her as if he had known her his entire life and fell in love with her long before his last hibernation, rather than just recently. Adder smiled modestly. "Sorry, I'm not used to…someone talking to me like that," She said. "You don't seem very accustomed to talking that way either," Adder blinked, and tried to talk back, but she couldn't think of anything to say. "You're right," She said quietly.
Suddenly, Toad's voice shouted "By the way, Owl's gone!" Adder turned to Toad, who had distanced himself. "She told me it was her only other choice if she wanted a mate," Adder hissed. Toad nodded. "Err, yes; she's looking for a mate, and she doesn't think she'll find one here." He looked at Sinuous and nodded. "I'll be seeing you," He hopped off toward the pond. "Are you friends with the owl?" Sinuous asked. Adder nodded. "Good friends,"
The second week
"No, you stay in the burrow next to mine!" Adder hissed at Sinuous. "Is there anything wrong with me staying with you?" Sinuous asked with a smirk. "Privacy!" Adder replied quickly. "Good enough answer." Sinuous turned and crawled down the old rabbit warren that was dug into the hill a few meters away from Adder's. "Good to see he has a sense of respect unlike others," Adder scoffed, and ducked into her burrow.
The third week
Sinuous was now living with Adder in her burrow. She kept him out of her sleeping chamber, but he was not bothered by it. When she was ready, she'd let him come in. At least it would be easier than tracking her scent or having to go to Toad to ask where she was. He stared outside the opening of his chamber, watching Adder disappear from it. He sighed and closed his eyes. "It took her a week to let me stay with her, it'll take me a week for her to let me sleep with her," He sniggered. "…And another for her to let me sleep with her." He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "Just a little time before she makes up her mind,"
Adder's voice shouted, "I can hear you!" Sinuous smirked. I hope she can't hear my thoughts, He smiled. She'll make up her mind,
Adder shook her head. "He thinks it'll be that easy for me to let him come in here." She looked outside her chamber. "I feel so violated letting him stay here." She gulped. I won't think about it now. I'll think about it tomorrow.
The fourth week
Sinuous peered into Adder's chamber. She was in the middle of the floor, curled up, but with her head elevated. "Um…come in!" She stammered hurriedly. Sinuous grinned and crawled in. "Am I being invited into the sanctuary?" He asked. "You've been waiting to." Adder hissed. "You have very keen hearing," Sinuous lisped, curling up beside her. He shifted closer to her, attempting to curl up around her. Adder glared at him. "Not yet!" She hissed. "Oh, I'll give you a week to make up your mind," Sinuous rolled his eyes, staying where he was. Adder uncoiled and moved a few inches away from him. "Suit yourself," Sinuous smirked.
The fifth week
Adder shivered, brushing against Sinuous' side as she moved. He opened one eye, staring at her. "Are you cold?" He asked. Adder jerked her head towards him. "A little bit!" She hissed. "'A little bit,'" Sinuous repeated, scoffing. "Don't mind if I snuggle down beside you?" Adder asked timidly. "Be my guest," Sinuous grinned. I'll never live this down, Adder thought as she rapidly uncoiled and curled up closer to Sinuous. He gently wrapped his body around her. Adder flinched and gulped. I've got to get used to this! "Is that better?" Sinuous' breath pricked her neck as he laid his head on it. "I suppose so…" Adder responded quickly. She had to admit, she did feel a bit warmer, but nervous. She felt Sinuous rubbing her neck and cheek, breathing gently down her scales.
the next day
Fox and Vixen strolled through the park on their evening walks, ready to begin a night's hunting. They stopped in their tracks and looked in the direction of the forest. Fox's ears pricked forward. He swore he could hear Adder giggling pleasantly. "If that's Adder, then something completely different is going on here." He said. Vixen pushed her ears forward like a deer at the sound of a hunter crushing a twig. "Yes, I hear it too…and someone's talking to her-a male." She quickly added. Fox chuckled. "If Adder's decided to take a mate, I'll eat my fur." He said. They went in the direction that they were hearing Adder from and peeked under the vines and twigs that grew up and around the trees, something that would make a suitable den for another animal. In a wide space, Fox and Vixen smirked at the sight of Sinuous draped over Adder's back, whispering to her inaudibly. Adder giggled at what he was saying. "Adder," Fox began. The snakes stopped, their eyes were wide and stone like, and they slowly turned in Fox's direction. "Who is this beau of yours?" Vixen smiled. Adder wiggled a bit beneath Sinuous. Fox's eyes averted to their tails and shook his head with a smirk. They hadn't 'connected' and didn't seem like they were going to, but it looked like they could.
The snakes' eyes were wide with a mix of shock and humiliation. "It…" Adder looked at Sinuous with uncertainty, and then reverted to her usual behavior. "It's none of your business!" She snapped. Fox and Vixen looked at each other with smiles. Sinuous rolled his eyes and crawled beside Adder, getting off her back. "He's just…I mean…" Adder was completely lost for words. Fox and Vixen continued to smile at them. "Oh you…" Adder began to say. "Calm down," Sinuous hissed to her. Adder turned her head up irritably. "These are the foxes of the 'Old Association', as you call it, Sinuous." Sinuous raised an irritable brow at them. "So, Sinuous, is it?" Fox asked, hearing Adder address him.
"How long have you known each other?" Vixen asked. "Five weeks," Adder replied dryly. "Have you…" Fox began. "…'gotten cozy' yet?" He raised a brow with a grin. "NO!" Adder and Sinuous gasped at the same time. "Not until we're ready…I mean, when SHE'S ready…" Sinuous balled his tail up with a nervous chuckle. "She seemed ready a few minutes ago." Vixen laughed. "We were just…" Adder's eye twitched. "Go away!" Fox and Vixen chuckled. "As you wish then," Vixen stood up and walked away. Fox winked and followed her.
"Why would they think that I was ready to…?" She looked at her tail, then Sinuous'. Sinuous chuckled. "Soon enough," He teased. Adder nodded. "I suppose you're right." She yawned. "You've worn me out." She said. "I'm going to sleep."
"Novel idea," Sinuous lisped, lying down beside her. It was not long before they fell asleep.