Robin was immensely enjoying teasing Marian, while he scrubbed his upper body in the stream and watched her scowl superciliously down at him from her position on the stream bank. There was nothing he wanted more than to charge her, pull her into the water with him, and kiss the scowl right off her lips.

He had no right to do so. It would be boorish, and wrong. Nonetheless, he couldn't help feeling tempted.

"You know, Marian," he continued, smugly smiling, "in the Holy Land, they have public baths. Entire groups of people bathe together. It's very sociable."

Both Marian and Cecily colored. For the first time since Marian had joined them, Robin remembered Lady Cecily's presence. He grew embarrassed, recalling his words and impudent behavior.

"Not even if you were to bathe every day of your life, you couldn't wash away your obnoxiously bad manners," Marian stormed down at him, picturing him cavorting in a tiled bath filled with dark exotic beauties.

"Sess," Robin said contritely, ignoring Marian's latest jibe, "forgive me. I forgot you were here."

Marian's jaw dropped. Sess? Sess? The all too familar name on his lips sent Marian's blood boiling. And the complete nerve of him, begging Cecily's forgiveness! His manners, so flippant and insulting to herself, were courteous and kind to the Lady Cecily!

She would make Robin of Locksley pay for his behavior!

Without thinking, Marian ran to the edge of the water and scooped up his clothing.

"Marian, what are you doing?" Robin asked nervously.

"Just doing what you should have already done. I saw that poor woman in your camp, belted up in your cape so she can't even move her arms! How would you like it if someone did that to you?"

"Leave my clothing alone, Marian," Robin warned her in a low voice.

"No! I'm taking it to give to that poor woman. You can trudge after her and wear your cape yourself, since you're so fond of flaunting your body before the eyes of people who have no wish to see you!"

So saying, Marian rushed away, carrying Robin's clothing in her arms.

Lady Cecily watched Marian retreat in alarm, and then grew pleased at the lady's rash behavior. Robin couldn't like that! No indeed, he did not look at all pleased.

"Marian!" he called after her. When she didn't return, he swore silently under his breath. "Now what?" he muttered, continuing to scrub himself.

...

"Here! I've brought you clothing!"

Marian dropped the bundle of Robin's dirty clothes at Maggie's feet.

Maggie poked at the brown leather trousers with her toes. "You brought me his things?" she asked, incredulously. "What the hell is he gonna wear?"

"That is none of my concern," Marian stated. "I only want to free you so you may have use of your arms again."

"Marian, what did Robin say to you now?" Much asked, spotting the telltale signs of their quarrel.

"Obnoxious, disgusting words I'll not bother you with, Much," Marian answered him.

"You stole his clothes?" Allan asked, laughing. "Good one! Not bein' funny, but you're alright!"

Maggie poked at the pile of clothes again, then protested, "I'm not puttin' these on! They're crawlin' with vermin!"

Much rushed forward and lifted them with a stick, then put the entire bundle into a pot of boiling water, over his cooking fire. "Unbelievable! No wonder he needed soap!"

"And you wanted me to put them things against my body!" Maggie stormed. "Just because I'm a whore, don't make me invite every piece of vermin to sample me! I got my standards!"

"I'm sorry," Marian apologized. "I didn't know." She cringed, then smiled, thinking of Robin suffering from the creatures' bites. Vermin attacking vermin! It served him right!

All at once, she realized she had left him alone, without a stitch of clothing to his name, with Lady Cecily at the stream.

"Much," she said, "what else does Robin have to wear?"

"He has a green woolen shirt and that splendid embroidered vest, in the Huntington green and gold," Much explained. "And his dark leather vest, with his medals attached. And leather thigh-high boot toppers he wears over his trousers, to protect his legs from...from...to protect his legs. But ask him if they kept out the sand in the Holy Land! They might have helped, but even they couldn't-"

"Is that everything?" Marian interrupted. "No other trousers?"

"No. Why do you ask?"

Marian thought. "That might present a problem."

At that moment, Will and Djaq returned to camp. Djaq presented Maggie with a pair of boots and a simple gown.

"It's the best we could do," she told her.

Maggie was so thrilled, she pushed herself free of Robin's belted cape and dressed herself in the gown, right in front of everyone. Much's eyes bulged from their sockets more fully than Will's, for the young carpenter cast his eyes to the ground as soon as he realized what was happening.

Marian regained Much's attention by shoving Robin's discarded cape into the servant's arms. "Take him that, and his green shirt. Let him see how it feels to wear something awkward and inappropriate for a time."

So saying, she put her foot in the stirrup and climbed onto Vesper's saddle.

"Marian," Much objected, "you're not leaving without telling Robin goodbye! Surely not!"

"Why not? Isn't that what he did to me the day you two gloriously rode off to battle?"

"But that was years ago! Surely you've forgiven Robin by now for serving his King?"

"I'll say goodbye to you, Much. I don't feel like wasting my breath on fools who enjoy flaunting themselves in front of ladies. You can find your master at the stream, putting on a show for Lady Cecily's pleasure. Please tell him the only pleasure I gained today was kicking up the dust in his camp as I rode away."

With that, she made good her words and galloped off.

"Unbelievable!" Much cried, taking the shirt and cape to the stream, so Robin could dress himself.