Shamus
The curve of a smile had gradually been forming on Shamus' face, only to immediately inverse as his whole face flashed into shock. An immense serpent had shot from undergrowth, black, fierce, and writhing. Shamus shrieked.
"HELLS TEETH!!!"
Too busy falling backwards to see Ash's reflexive rock shield, Shamus recovered at about the same time as the snake, which was shaking its arrow-shaped head. It's glistening yellow eyes reviewed the pair, seeming to notice the Saffron for the first time. Shamus died a little bit inside. He clearly couldn't outrun this thing, especially not in this sparse wood. But if running was a moonshot, fighting it would be like trying to land on a star.
The great adder began to recoil, the tell-tale sign of an impending strike. As it's head reared up for another go, Shamus frantically nuzzled inside of his satched for something, ANYTHING to fight this battle. Then it struck.
In a miraculous stroke of luck, Shamus managed to whip his heavy pack off his shoulder into the snake's path, causing the beast to get a mouth full of leather rather than wolf. The Saffron immediately pulled himself out of the remaining strap and scurried back to join Ash. Crouching behind a corpse of a fallen guard, Shamus panted out "What are you waiting for, rock wolf?! Drop an earthquake on it!"