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__________________Mud--

Mud bared his teeth in anger, he knew they would soon find out what he did. Although he wish they wouldn't.

"Yes sir Cocklebur"

he said angry that Cocklebur would even compare him to that crazy bunny who just about right now seems right.

He tried to move closer but was stopped by Brackenrah himself. He looked at this wise leader with disbelief could he not smell what everyone else could?

"Bracken-rah sir, please I do not think of it as me jumping look at them smeell them, but if you think it's safe fine I will listen, I know cockelbur can take care of himself but he is still outnumbered."

His claws dug into the earth with anger and stress, he prepaired himself for the worse. As the Chief said he was not owsla yet he gritted his teeth.

"Sometimes I wish I was" he muttered to himself.

He did not return but stood by his chief watching with anticpation.

"we should have drove them away" he whispered to Birch who was not to far off.

Mud froze as he heard cocklebur speak again.



_____________________Duskshadow--


Duskshadow looked at mud she knew this was hard for him and she too looked at there leader with disbelief, what were they thinking sending off there best fighter alone to rabbit that may be diseased. She tensed up waiting for there response to Cocklebur.

"oh prince of a thousand enemies keep the black rabbit away" she whispered to herself in her sweet singing voice.

She smiled to reasssure Rosewood and Birch that she would help them get away if they needed, but Duskshadow knew rosewood would be able to get them to safety with her life.

She turned to Rosemary with pain and worry in her eyes.

[OOC: hey BP I posted in mud and duskshadows rp with cocklebur]

Well aware that the stink of disease still clung to his fur, out of courtesy, he took a step or two back. His hunch had been correct that the buck in front of him was the warren's resident Captain.

Dipping his head in a respectful greeting before sitting back up to his full height, Bramblebur answered Cocklebur. "My name is Bramblebur. I was the Captain of Owsla back in our warren before we fled. Beg your pardon for not announcing ourselves properly. A plague fell upon our warren and we ran with all those who were left alive. There are only nine of us now, myself included. Four does and five bucks. We humbly come requesting a safe place to live and to rest our weary bones. From our trek, I can tell you that these are hardy rabbits who were and can be again upstanding members of a warren."

Briefly, Brambluebur glanced over his group of rabbits to see how they were. They were all so close, and yet so far. It was all depending on how they were received by this Cocklebur and his Chief. The striped buck shifted his attention back to the Captain. "We'll keep our heads down and keep away from the main cluster of your number. We come not meaning any harm."

Pepper's single seeing eye twinkled with curiosity of the strangers. Being so young in age, he knew not that there were dangers outside of the normal predators. Thus not knowing that the strange group could be dangerous themselves. Deciding that this needed a closer look, the young rabbit took a few tentative hops towards the other party. Ignoring the members of his own warren for the time being.

His eyes filled with excitement at the prospect of meeting others whom didn't consider him a burden; due to his blind right eye. Sniffing at the air, Pepper stared at the group. "Hello" His voice was soft, like a soft spring breeze.

Swift-claw's eyes narrowed at the words of Cocklebur. He would not tolerate being spoken to in that manner. Pinning his ears back in obvious anger, he stood tall. His jaw clenched tight, hissing words between his teeth. " You hold your tongue! How dare you consider us not worth this warren. What makes you so special to decide if we perish?." Swift-claw took a step towards Cocklebur, a challenge clearly swirling in the depths of his eyes. He was tired of letting others walk all over him.

"Swift-claw," Bramblebur said, a definite tone of warning set in his voice. "Steady yourself."

"Now, see here. We are the survivors. Those of our number may have escaped before the disease had a chance to settle onto them or there are those who may be unaffected by what befell our warren. I will not stand for you slandering warrenmates as fine as those that I have gotten the pleasure to protect and get to know." The striped Captain could handle insults getting slung his way, but if those were turned on his group, be prepared for one testy rabbit.

Before he got a chance to really get up in airs, Cocklebur's chief made his way down the hill to where they stood. The large buck dipped his head low as Bracken introduced himself. "It is an honor to be able to have an audience with you, sir." He straightened himself again. "It feels like I've lost track of how long we've been on the run, but if I were to guess, I'd say we've been travelling for upwards of a week or more." This was the truth. He spent a good deal of his energy just ensuring the safety of his eight other survivors. He scarcely counted the days, simply happy to have been able to find relatively secure places for them to rest each night.

He glanced over briefly at noticing the approaching youngster. Bramblebur smiled warmly and nodded to the kitten. "Hello there, curious one," he responded softly. The young male was a welcome sight for the buck, having not seen a healthy kitten since before the zorn came to their home.

"Dewberry, please don't get too close."The striped buck whispered to the female.

Sparrow quivered, watching the events down before them down on the plains surrounding the large hill they were stationed upon. They could see for miles, and yet they couldn't see the dangers lurking in the bushes. At the introduction of Swift-claw, the dark coloring sent shivers down his back.

He could remember the tales his mother once told him about General Woundwart, using him as a device to quell his "imagination". He was such a skittish buck even back with his littermates, who had all but grown up by now, a few taken by the black rabbit. There wasn't such a thing as picture books or photos so he had never seen the General, but he could imagine him being a lot like Swift-claw down by the hedgerows.

He bounded around nervously, before heading back for the great tree, barely being able to hold himself. "I can't take it.. they'll spread the death here.. The black rabbit follows them where ever they go.. You'll see it, you'll see it soon. You'll hear it too. They'll sing, they'll cry into the night as they die one by one, spreading the death to us all!"

It was certainly not a pleasant thing to be saying. It couldn't be the white blindness, no, if it was, they'd already be dead by now, surely, or someone would have the signs. No this death was hidden, it crept around them, toying with them. Though thought of it alone causing Sparrow's imagination to run riot. They wasn't anything like true visions, like what Zorn-rah would have, but more traumatic visualizations of what his fear was telling him.

He was hopping around the whole of the warren now, pretty much telling everyone that was up to silflay in the drizzle. No doubt he'd cause a panic, but he couldn't help himself. His fear had started to drive him genuinely mad again.

Tension seemed to be running high and while Ninebark would have rather kept in the back, to himself, he felt the need to express his backing of their Captain. The large lop slid slowly forward, behind Bramblebur, and puffed out his chest in an attempt to look tough enough to defend his fellow hlessi. He did not speak, but held his tongue. To rant and rave before the Owsla Captain of this new warren would certainly dampen their chances of staying, though their chances seemed drenched already.

Instead, he stood silent and staring, ready to pounce if need be. There was one of him at the moment, and three former Owsla (he didn't count himself because he really was unsure of just how much use he could actually be, what with being worn, weary, and having such long ears, which would surely of gotten in the way), so surely they would be alright until others of this warren arrived, right?

He tensed as harsh words were exchanged between Cocklebur, Bramblebur, and Swift-Claw, but Bracken's arrival did set him at ease. The warren chief seemed much more willing to hear them out.

Oh, Frithrah! They weren't being run off. At least, not yet. A place to stay, perhaps not a home, but still a place to stay. Sure, Vreka still had the lingering thought that there might be an ulterior motive for such consideration, but a place. A place not filled with the dead and dying. Such was a cause for elation.

The black doe only allowed herself a small sigh of relief at not being run off. She still didn't think this warren would react to kindly to her appearance. Relaxing her guard could be fatal. She didn't think she could hide forever, but the less attention drawn to her, the better. Which is why she remained at the rear of the group, huddled quietly, hoping and praying for no undue notice.