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He had hardly spoken since arriving back to the scrapes with Dewberry and Bramblebur. He found no need for words and the others probably knew what he was thinking, in the first place.

Two were dead.

Death still followed and he couldn't exactly see what was in store for Dewberry. Oh, there was a good chance she would die. One didn't have to have visions about that to see it, but he just wasn't sure, anymore. Still, he found himself pitying her for some reason and had nestled beside her on more than one occasion to keep her warm and to clean her nasty wounds, which Cocklebur had inflicted.

He was actually resting near her when his long, floppy ears heard a thumping sound.

"The Chief."

He whispered quietly, then promptly rested his head on his forepaws again. He spared the wounded rabbit near him a sideways glance, then searched the area for Bramblebur with his pale, pink eyes.

Things pretty much had settled down a bit around the scrapes. There had been no more close calls or major brawls, from what Bramblebur knew. Cocklebur stayed off by himself, which suited the striped buck plenty fine. The overall feel out by the scrapes was one of relieved comfort. At times a tinge of sadness or grieving quiet could be felt on the air for, not long after Amita passed, Ailein was called by the Black Rabbit.

Every so often, the Captain could be seen glancing over to the burrow that Ailein had once occupied. One of his officers had stopped running and he felt it. Bramblebur would get quiet and shake his head before going about his business. He refused to let himself stay down for too long. They had so much to be grateful for and although things were still dark, there was hope.

At present, the buck was nibbling on a patch of fresh, young clover near one of the burrow openings, within easy range of Ninebark and Dewberry. Upon hearing the heavy series of thumps, Bramblebur glanced around at his group for a quick head count before sitting up and turned his attention to Bracken-rah as he called out. "Ah, hello there. Aye, we're here."

Bramblebur moved a few paces closer towards the chief, but kept a safe distance away. He wouldn't want to get closer until he was deemed safe enough to draw near to the warren and its cheif. "To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit, Bracken-rah?" He offered a bit of a smile before it faded slightly. "Is anything the matter?"

The buck's easy smile reformed on his features at learning the reason behind the chief's visit. "Oh, well, we're happy to receive you, sir." Bramblebur nodded with a little sigh. "I thought as much. I had hoped that our arrival would be a bit less stressful for everyone. Things are going well over in the main warren?" He knew that their being nearby was bound to make some of the warren rabbits uncomfortable and anxious. The captain simply hoped that it wouldn't lead to any dissention among warren. "I understand and I apologize that things played out the way they did. Ideally, we would've all just headed over here and kept out of trouble, but things just happened differently. Dewberry was always one to have a mind to do her own thing." He chuckled halfheartedly. "It was partially my fault that it happened though, for which I'm sorry."

Bramblebur paused to scratch an itch on his side before continuing. "He's around. Cocklebur decided that he'd prefer to keep his own company than have any of ours. He has a place of his own a ways off from us," said the buck as he angled his head briefly in the direction Cocklebur had gone off to stay until given clearance to go back. "The kittens are with Ivy in a burrow a little ways off and I've been checking in on them regularly. They seem to be doing just fine over there. She's taking really good care of them."

He sighed, giving a half nod. "Dewberry's wounds are beginning to heal, but we believe that she's lost her sight. She's got some stubborness in her so I think she'll pull through." Bramblebur laughed softly. "We're getting on well and everyone appears to be settling in comfortably now that we aren't having to flee across open land from any elil that made itself known. I'm sorry to report that two of our number have been called by the Black Rabbit, a doe and one of my officers. Other than that, we're doing fine."

Althea followed her chief to the scrapes with a quiet mind. She already knew she'd do what must be done if it came to that; there was no question on her loyalty. If she would go the way of Cocklebur, so be it.

Once they were on high ground, and in easy view of the scrapes, her chief stopped and called out with both leg and voice. Settling her massive bulk right next to him, she kept her senses sharp for any sign of threat. Slowly, the diseased seemed to be stirring, until their leader stepped forth. Althea began to rise to her paws before she noticed that the stripped buck had stopped his approach, remembering his place. Settling again, she flicked an ear with unease.

She nodded as Bracken-rah glanced her way, she was ready if anything were to happen. Listening as they exchanged words, finding no reason to speak herself. Her bulk is what spoke for her anyway. Althea didn't hate them, nor wished them any further ill than what seemed to be following their band around; but her job was clear and there would be no mercy from her claws if it came to that.

She tilted her head to better see the path that Cocklebur was indicated to have taken, seeing no sign of her captain. Althea fathomed he wasn't far though, probably heard the thumping himself and might be watching them at this very moment. Which, honestly, could bode horribly for them. It was no secret that Cocklebur and Bracken-rah were at odds with each other; and though it would kill her to do it, the warren needed their chief more than their captain.

She hid any sense of surprise hearing that the kittens had been taken somewhere else. That didn't sound right to her, a single doe in charge of watching the two further away from their numbers. How would she make it by? And what if she died to leave the kittens on their own? She kept her thoughts to herself, however. If she knew Bracken-rah, their next stop would be the kittens.

Dewberry lifted a tattered ear, Ninebark's muttering catching her slightly off guard. She had been listening intently already, trying to make sense of their distant voices, though she only go a few words, she couldn't make sense of them. The much closer voice to her ear sounded so much louder through her focus, but soon there was a press against her side, stopping her from eating at all.

She couldn't say she didn't want to. There was no harm in it, was there? As long as she stopped when told and not to wander like she had when she ate. She nosed briefly in the direction Nine had been, to find where he was, before slowly standing back up on aching paws, turning her ears to listen to Ninebark's hop. After some careful listening, she noticed that Ninebark walked.. differently to others. Like he was lighter, or something along those lines. He was a rather big buck, from what she could remember of him, so maybe he was just more careful or had a limp. There was something odd about it but she couldn't place a paw on the reason.

Never the less, it made him a little easier to follow.

Commotion. At the Chief's thumping, Vreka stirred herself from her nap. She'd spent quite a lot of time dozing, listless in the aftermath of her arrival to the warren. Suddenly, without the forced need for a being in a group, she felt herself desire time alone, the one thing she'd always had plenty of before.

But now things were again in motion, and she wouldn't be caught unawares. After Dewberry's incident, never again. She knew she was a liability when panic and fear were in the air.

She nosed her way to the surface, cautious and careful, to find a meeting of sorts. A buck and a doe- no, not just a buck and a doe. The Chief, and judging from her size, a member of the Owlsa. A brief envy filled her. Once, she'd wanted to be in the owlsa, when she was still a kit. The owlsa were revered, respected- things she'd never been. But that was before she'd understood her stigma. Now, it was just one more regret in a lifetime filled with them.

Still, the black doe couldn't stop the small sigh that escaped her. Small mercies, she told herself. Savor them while they last.