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 Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2009 10:57 pm
Bramblebur drew his ears back as Cocklebur spoke, his teeth giving a click almost as if in a subtle warning to the Captain. The buck paused and took several slow, deep breaths. This was no time to let frayed nerves set sparks 'a flying. That helped a bit and he leveled a neutral gaze on those gathered. He nodded at Bracken-rah's words, and dipped his head at his instructions.
"Of course, Bracken-rah."
With that the striped buck moved to stand near the four white rabbits.
"Hello. My name is Bramblebur, a member of this warren's owsla, and I will be seeing to it that you four get settled here. If you have any questions or concerns, please voice them to me and I shall help you to the very best of my ability. There are a few things that need to taken care of. Have you eaten recently? If not, I can show you a few places in which to browse for flay. I recommend we find a burrow for you first." He looked around and skyward before resettling his warm gaze on the four hutch rabbits. "What are your names, so that I may address you in a more polite manner?"
Bramblebur looked to Sparrow and moved to sit between the group of pure white rabbits and the Seer. "Hey now," he soothed in a low, steady tone. "Let's not worry them right now. There's been big changes for everyone." He watched the buck turn and dart off.
He looked to the four and bowed his head. "That was Sparrow, one of our Seers." Bram sighed and briefly closed his eyes. "We all must be careful. While we live fulfilling lives here, there is always a need for a degree of caution. There is no farmer to protect or feed us out here. We take care of ourselves. There is danger from elil, any number of the thousand, but if you keep alert and don't wander off alone, you can well live a long and happy life among our number." He smiled and opened his eyes. "Shall we start getting you settled? We can talk as we go."
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 9:07 am
Dropwort felt his fur bristle as the seer approached them and spoke cryptically. Of course they would have to be careful, the aging rabbit knew that well enough although he had never lived outside a hutch before. The going would be tough, that was certain, and he longed for the warmth and safety of the place he had called home. They all were safe there and he never exactly wanted to be free. Things had happened so fast he could hardly wrap his mind about it.
He shifted to his haunches and tucked his paws to his chest. His movements were slow and any of his daughters ought to have been able to recognize the fact that he was having a little bit of joint pain. They had come an awful long way and the weather was beginning to get a little chilly.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, son." He spoke in his raspy voice, but with a nod and a smile.
"I am called Dropwort and these three lovely, young lasses are my daughters; Yarrow, Chamomile, and Daisy. It is a pleasure to have the opportunity to live in your warren. I appreciate your kindness and we will certainly try to do our best beside you."
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:56 pm
Blackthorn had been watching the rabbits still remaining above ground move about and greet one another, though the air was mostly despodant as those that had not gone on the raid learned about the deaths, they were still nevertheless grateful their own family and friends had made it back safely.
Grooming an ear distractedly, he sat patiently, waiting for Bracken-rah to call him wihen the Chief was ready. Yet as Cocklebur loped up, the dark officer couldn't help but send a covered glare at his captain from behind his ear as he groomed. No, the entire raid hadn't been totally planned, but Cocklebur had certainly made sure the non-owsla rabbits had the poorest chance possible of surviving.. that much was painfully obvious.
Dropping his paws to the ground as his Chief finally spoke, he nodded and turned, waiting for Bracken-rah to pass before following the brown buck into the shadows of the friendly tunnels. Pausing at the entrance he glanced back at Cocklebur, Ginkgo and Badassi, then after a moment vanished down the run, headed to Bracken-rah's den.
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Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2009 4:03 pm
Cocklebur snorted as Bracken took his leave, knowing that the chief was too cowardly to defend himself in front of the other rabbits. It was true, Cocklebur was the one that deserved to be chief, not that sniveling bleeding heart of a rabbit.
The Captain watched as Bracken disappeared into the burrows, while also catching Blackthorn's eye as he followed. The captain gave a hard look in return, but said nothing.
With the group having returned and the hutch rabbits now being tended to by Bramblebur, Cocklebur's work was done for the evening and he also took his leave. Perhaps he would silflay before retiring to his own burrow for the night as well.
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Posted: Thu Nov 12, 2009 10:52 pm
 The return should've been joyous, filled with pride and nervous energy as adrenaline highs wore off. Not this.
The large doe walked closely next to Crow and Faili, simply shaking her head as Raven ran up ahead to pace her parli. Everywhere she looked there was sorrow. Confusion. With the except of the naive like Raven, there was not a bright set of eyes to be seen. She worked her jaw in nervous thought, trying to comfort her shaken son and injured daughter by just being there; slow and steady. The blood on her leg had dried and crusted, pulling at her fur annoyingly with each step, but she didn't let it change her gait lest she worry her offspring. It was no real damage, and lots had fared a good deal worse.
Every wheeze from Faili stoked her anger, and Althea couldn't help but glance at the white hutch rabbits every now and again. They weren't the cause of the suffering, she knew that, but she couldn't help the vexation that it was them walking here now and not Cowslip or Blue Flax. She turned her head in disgust, besides herself in her turmoil.
Her ears perked as a familiar voice reached her, and Althea looked up to see U'tuhlroo approach; questioning. What was she to say? The memory of his broken body hanging loosely in that blasted dog's mouth was still fresh in her memory. As well as the memory of him nuzzling his doe's forehead just this morning. Alive, well and whole. She had failed miserably as an Owsla.
She couldn't meet the doe's eyes as her ears drooped and she simply shook her head, not having words to express it better. But then they crested the Down, and there was Bracken-rah as well as many others, all waiting for answers as well.
She watched distantly as many took familiar positions. Instead she sat near her kittens and the rest of the survivors; rather sick of the politics at the moment. But something Cocklebur said made face around with ears pricked. His conversation with Bracken sent her mind reeling again. Yes, Bracken could've stopped this whole mess, so why didn't he? Surely he knew that a raid with this number would've been a disaster. But it was Cocklebur's fault four, most likely five, stopped running. Was he not the one that sent the incompetent to the most dangerous locations? With little or no support?
She sat up on her hind and seethed at the both of them. This was never about the raid at all. Politics, all of it. Did it not matter that their bickering resulted in deaths? In kittens without fathers and does without their mates.
She was going to chew someone's ears off for this. She'd had quite enough of it all as it was. She didn't even notice that her teeth were clicking in her anger. Crow couldn't remember walking to the Down at all. Just one moment he was pressed against Faili, holding her up, and the next he was laying in the grass on the Down. Things were so scattered in his mind, and nothing was clear just yet. It was like waking from a bad dream only to be unable to recall it a little while later. He breathed in the sweet smell of home and splayed out further into the dirt, not caring who saw his silly behavior. This was all he wanted, Frith warm on his fur, soft grass tickling his belly, and the comforting smell of rabbits all around. He wasn't at all his normal self, but right now he couldn't remember what that was. Instead, exhausted, the outskirter curled up right where he lay near his marli and slept.
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Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 12:47 am
Dispite her promise to herself to rest only when she made it back to her burrow, she could only handle so much, and that level was a lot less that she had first imagined. As they all slowed to a halt, she once again started to cough and wheeze. The change in pace changing her breathing which in turn agitated her neck. It felt swollen and raw, yet it was merely bruised somehow. She couldn't understand how it could be acting this way when the memory of the snare was long behind. He only real signs it had happened was her now damaged windpipe: Something beyond her understanding, and of course a very sore patch around her neck from her initial struggling.
The snare was the last thing on her memories, no, instead she could remember the scent of the weasel, fused to her brain; she'd never forget it as it leapt out on the strongest buck in her group. The fear that froze over the garden as that hawk flew overhead.
But worst of all must've been that shattering blast, and the strong, unnatural smell of gunpowder that came from Taxus who she knew almost instantly that he wouldn't be running with them out've that horrid place.
He would've made a fine owsla, in her head. All aside from Cocklebur had been kind yet with an authority. It made sense to her now. Discipline was necessary, yes, but so was the need to get along as a team. To co-ordinate better and make plans work. That's what was needed in the owsla.
And looking up, wearily at the two strongest rabbits in the warren, bickering like kittens. A single seed of doubt was planted in her mind about her father's greatness. A seed she was a little too tired to do anything about right now, and collapsed next to her brother, allowing it to fester and grow in her haunted dreams, wheezing as she slept soundly to show she was still alive.
~+~
Chamomile slowly looked around at all the rabbits around. She could feel a sense of sorrow and tension in the air. Maybe the strange runt had been right, but there was little that could be done about it now.
A new buck approached them, one who had joined them as they left the smells of home. He seemed just a little different from the others. Maybe he was an outsider too.
However, concern showed on her face, and she stepped in front of her farli, to catch the striped owsla's attention.
"Um. Excuse me, I do hate to be a bother. . ." She started, with a soft, quiet voice that was clear she didn't often use, before looking up the crest of the hill.
"Is there.. Um.. Is there a spot where we could rest a while along the way? We have come an awfully long way and it's quite a stretch for our legs. The coral left much to be desired for running space."
She was speaking mostly for her old, aching parli. She herself could easily run up that hill, what with the small drop of excitement running through her blood. Yet she wondered if the old buck could make it without injuring himself.
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Posted: Fri Nov 13, 2009 9:55 am
The striped owsla officer dipped his head to each of the white rabbits as Dropwort introduced himself and his three daughters; Yarrow, Chamomile, and Daisy. He offered a bit of a smile to the old chap. He felt tired and angry at Cocklebur, but he was going to be polite and see to it that the four hutch rabbits had everything they needed in order to get settled in.
"It is a pleasure to meet you all as well. Things may be rough at first, but I'm sure you'll be feeling at home in no time. I have faith that you will."
When the doe Chamomile, stepped forward and spoke. Bramblebur set his ears forward to listen to what she had to say. He shook his head once she finished. "Oh, no bother at all. I'm here to make sure you get comfortable, and while I can't speak from experience as to running room in a corale, I understand that the day has been a long one and you four are out of your usual comfort zone. We can take it slow and pause to rest if need be. Most of the runs are centered up at the top of the down, but there are a few entraces around the hill sides for convience sake."
The older buck's body language and his movements showed that he was aching. The air had been getting chillier lately. Looking the group over, Bram motioned with his head towards the top of the hill. "We can take our time. Dropwart, if you feel the need to stop, then by all means say so. Now, I believe one of the bolt holes I mentioned are only a little further up, so we won't have to go all the way to the top of the hill. It's warmer in the warren so that may help."
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 1:35 pm
Althea said more with that simple shake of her head than she could have done with words, and U'tuhlroo found herself frozen where she stood. The Owsla moved on with what must be her kittens, leaving U'tuhlroo standing there with her jaw slightly open as this harsh new reality started to sink in. No! He couldn't be! It wasn't fair but there was nothing she could do about it.
"No," she whispered, "NO! The embleer idiot."
And she had just started to like him. It wasn't fair, it wasn't right and she desperately wanted to chew someone's ears off for this. She was just not sure who to blame, or what to blame. Herself? Disgusted, she went to drop off the flay-rah before going to find her sister. She needed someone friendly right now.
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Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2009 4:26 pm
Yarrow nodded to her farli. "I promise that my ears will be yours." she said, curiously looking at the other rabbits all around her. She took a few lopes forward, then paused and nibbled a patch of dry grass. She gnawed, paused, and let it drop.
"What horrid flay." she said, scraping her tongue with a paw. "Augh! Its like soiled straw!" she shook her head. She was used to getting fresh lettuce and radishes. She had to be nice and plump, always plump. Always well fed. She didn't know the obsession with it, but she was happy in the hutch. She had no real idea that she and her sisters were just rabbits that were easier to kill for the farmer.
A sudden wind blew up her back and she trembled, her teeth chattering. She slunk back to her fafa and nuzzled against him, half to keep him warm and half to help him up the hill, her bright red eyes making everything seem much less sharp and misted around the edges.
---
Sandbur watched from her warren. She knew rabbits were missing. She counted four...five in total! Shaking her head and lowering her ears, she called down to the white rabbits fearlessly. "Not even the four of you are equal to one of them!" she had her ears up and her teeth showing. She knew nothing good would come of this. These rabbits would only bring the farmer after them. And then poison flay, smoke in the burrows, dogs breaking in and ripping unborn kittens from their mother's wombs.
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