Lady Cecily effectively steered Robin's mind away from Marian with questions concerning the battle that had taken her brother's life.

She knew that Robin did not like to talk of war, and she certainly had no desire to reopen her own emotional wounds by hearing grisly battle details, yet she was accurate in supposing that Robin couldn't resist talk of the role archery had played in the Crusader victory.

"But how did you get into Acre?" she asked, feigning wide innocent eyes. "Hadn't troops under Sir Guy of Lusignan been trying for two years to break through the city walls?"

Robin smirked. He had no love for Sir Guy.

"On our voyage to the Holy Land, the king discovered a heavier, heartier type of stone in Cypress. It was backbreaking work, loading the hulls of our ships with them! But they worked. Soon as we arrived, we built trebuchets, and hammered down the walls. That was when I first learned what a Saracen bow could do!"

"Please tell me."

If it had been any other man discussing weapronry, Lady Cecily would have been hard pressed not to yawn with boredom. But this was Robin of Locksley, standing naked in a stream before her, his incredible blue eyes sparkling brighter than the sunlight dancing on the water surrounding him. And so, she listened, with rapt attention.

"Have you ever seen a Welsh longbow?" he eagerly asked her.

Cecily nodded, though she didn't know nor care whether she truly had or not.

"Then you know how far one can shoot! I've shot them myself. You can send an arrow soaring so far, you can't tell where it lands! But they're awkward. Tall as a man stands, and heavier than you to carry."

"How heavy is that? Oh, Robin, I wish you had one here! I'd challenge you to pick one up, and then me, and then decide which weighs more."

"I can tell just by looking. You couldn't lift one, mila-Sess."

Cecily batted her eyelashes and looked pleased. Robin returned to discussing bows.

"The Saracens used to laugh at our English bows. They don't shoot far, and our soldiers couldn't get close enough to hit anything. Until I arrived, and became known as 'The Mad Archer.' "

"I heard they called you that!"

Robin smiled proudly. "Not just the Saracens. It was my own men who first gave me the name."

"No! Really?"

"Once Acre's walls started falling, I grabbed any foothold I could, and took aim. The enemy's sentries fell before they could shoot us."

"No one could hit you!"

"My chain mail took a few arrows, but nothing pierced through it. Looked like a hedgehog, with Saracen arrows sticking out of me."

"You're so brave!" Cecily sighed longingly, just as Much burst through the foliage with Robin's cape in his arms and a frown on his face.

"Robin! What did you say to Marian?"

Cecily could not get over the servant's gall, upbraiding his master with such familiarity. But her noble face betrayed nothing more than slight disapproval.

"Is that my cape?" Robin asked, ignoring Much's question. "What's Maggie wearing? She's not wearing my clothes, is she?"

"Will and Djaq returned, with a gown for her. She's delighted with it! Thinks she looks grander than Queen Eleanor! And I'll tell you something you don't know. Maggie's not really a redhead!"

"How did you figure that out, Much?" Robin asked, already having known no person on Earth could grow hair that bright.

Much looked sharply at Lady Cecily. "Never you mind!" he told Robin. "It's not something I can talk about in front of...in front of...you know...her."

Robin was growing impatient. "Then where are my clothes?"

Much shifted back and forth on nervous feet. "Well, they were boiling, over my cooking fire."

"WHAT?"

"You should thank me! I was trying to rid them of vermin. Now I know why you needed soap!"

Robin shot Much a look, not wanting Lady Cecily to know his body had been infested. "I need my clothes, Much," he ordered.

Much cleared his throat, nervously. "Yes. Well. That's difficult."

Robin looked at Much from under raised, inquisitvely accusing brows.

"Well. You see, when I put them in a pot of boiling water, to clean them, you understand, I didn't realize they would shrink quite so much."

"Shrink? You shrunk my clothes?"

"Only your trousers."

"Much! What am I supposed to wear?"

"Marian suggested...Marian thought you might like to wear your cape. Carefully closed, of course. And I think, if we tie it around your waist, like a skirt, and close up the back, it might look rather, you know, dashing."

"Excuse me," Cecily said, not wishing to endure the exchange between master and servant any longer.

Once she had gone, Robin felt he had no choice but to let Much dress him in his cape. He emerged from the stream, pulled his green shirt over his head, donned his loose green and gold vest, but did not look at all dashing with his cape loped around his waist, like a full skirt, more appropriate for a lady to wear at a dance than for an outlaw to wear in the forest.

"How am I supposed to rob anyone in this?" Robin demanded. "A fine sight I'll make! Robin Hood, prancing through the forest in a long skirt! I can hear Gisbourne laughing at me now!"

"If anyone can pull it off, Robin, you can! I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if men don't begin copying your style! Capes around the waist might just become the rage. You never know..."

"No. I won't wear it."

Much began sputtering. "But, but, but, you can't walk around naked!"

"I'm not going to. I'll wear it, but only until I can get my hands on some trousers."

Robin seized his bow and quiver, and took off running, but almost tripped when he got his legs tangled in his "skirt."

"Master! Where are you going?"

"I told you, Much. I'm off to get some trousers. Aylesbury's ought to fit me."

"Martin of Aylesbury? Robin, haven't you pestered him enough for trying to win Marian? He's no threat to you!"

"This has nothing to do with Marian, Much."

"Please! Everything with you has to do with Marian! And while we're on the subject, what did you say to her? She left here in a huff, I've have you know!"

"I owe Marian an apology," Robin confessed, determined to find her first and ask forgiveness. "I'll be back. Look after Lady Cecily for me while I'm gone. I'm counting on you."

"Lady Cecily?"

Much had the feeling Lady Cecily wasn't half so helpless as she tried to appear. "Fine!" he muttered, after Robin had gone. "But if you ask me, you're the one who needs looking after! That Lady Cecily has plans for you, and you're so thick headed, you can't see them!"

He hmphed. "And they call me an idiot! Please!"