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 Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 3:39 pm
"It's long, long gone. Left and far away." The crimson hued buck replied in a hushed tone as he looked over the severely injured Dewberry. Indeed, a prayer to Frith would be the only cure and she was far too gone. Why did she continue to fight against the Black Rabbit? Death would of been a merciful thing for the blind, wounded doe.
"Long gone, but took none with it. Only attacked Dewberry and thyself." He stiffend slightly as Shire slid into the hiding place, behind him, but relaxed slightly on recognizing the buck that had been just as helpless as he to do anything about the situation. Had they run out,t hey may very well of been taken, too. One could not blame them for hiding, could they?
"Bracken-rah and the big doe, they are safe if I am correct. Shire is here, now. Safe. Sound." He sat back on his own haunches and groomed his long, floppy ears anxiously as he glanced from Dewberry's torn haunches towards their Captain's clawed stomach, then pinioned his gaze on her wounds again.
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 6:59 pm
"The Chief and his Owsla are untouched." Shire confirmed, tonelessly. He would know, wouldn't he? Seeing the leader tucked safe under the bushes while his guard denied the hlessi a haven. Cruel. Not unnecessary, but cruel.
He would approach the fallen doe, not getting so close to touch her but close enough to see her wounds. His heart fluttered in dismay, finding them just as bad as he thought. He looked to their leader, "Bramblebur-rah, what can I do? Perhaps I am not so fast or strong, but send me and I will go as fast and as hard as I can. Is there any hope for her?" Bramblebur had proved his worth to Shire with finality. He had followed the buck as he who was in charge, but only now was he accepting him as his leader. He was a much better lapine that Shire at least ten times over for throwing himself headlong into danger for the sake of the doe. He just desperately hoped there was something. He didn't want to see any more death in their tiny group.
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 8:45 pm
"Good," Bramblebur huffed in relief at hearing the hawk had moved off empty taloned. "I'm glad to hear that no one had been taken by that fiend." He paused to lick at one of his scratch marks, but was finding it difficult under the twisted branches of the bush. The buck sighed softly. "Since that Elil is gone, let's see if we can move her to the safety and comfort of an actual burrow. That way we can see if there is anything that can be done for her."
He shifted his attention to Shire. "Thank you for your offer, Shire, but I think you'd be more useful here." The buck did manage a bit of a smile. "There is always hope, and our Dewberry has shown us what a fighter she is. Could you and Ninebark help me get her out from under here? I'm afraid that I may have some trouble with these fresh wounds of mine. Hm?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2009 11:52 pm
As things seemed to calm down, Bracken finally emerged from the bushes and out into the open again to see Ninebark and Shire joining the others across the way. Coming back onto the rise, Bracken sat and sighed. He had seen everything that happened with Dewberry. In fact, he had never seen anything like it and could hardly believe it. But... had the damage already been done?
"Is everyone safe?" he called out, knowing that as much as he wanted to go down to the others it was still not safe. He worried now for the kits. Hopefully they hadn't caught the eye of the hawk as well. He wondered if there was anything he could do for these poor rabbits, but for now, he knew it was unlikely. This situation frustrated the chief to no end.
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:21 am
Her breathing began to grow fainter as she shifted lightly, the dulled pain bringing her worn out, blurry senses back to life as she came around. She could hear voices, though they were recognizable, they certainly wasn't understandable to her at this moment. They echoed and merged for a while, had she had sight, her vision would be blurred and spinning.
She coughed, lightly, shutting her sightless eyes as blood welled into her throat and mouth, nearly choking her briefly. Her torn ears lifting lightly to try and make better sense of what was going on. She was.. alive? Barely. The hawk appeared to have gone and all seemed well. The other's seemed somewhat happy, concerned, but happy. She wasn't hawk food, and neither was anyone else.
That was what mattered to her.
She may have once been a useless, naive spoilt brat, but she had escaped a hawk, twice. blind. There was no way she could've birthed and passed on "knowledge" to her kits, as Ninebark had encouraged. But she finally had found something within herself to be proud of.
She smiled faintly in her weakened state, when something strange, cold, pressed against her nose in greeting. She couldn't smell or see the stranger, but the way her body shivered instantly told her exactly who it was.
It was time for her to go.
It wasn't hard for her tattered soul to pull from her body, and she merely stood, looking around at the other's as they spoke, seemingly unaware that she was no longer among them, her sight fully restored. She couldn't help but watch them a while, before turning to follow the one that had called upon her.
Personally speaking, she likely couldn't think of a more favorable death. Despite how she had been the whole journey, she was much happier to have finished unnoticed. She wasn't sure she could stand to see their reaction.
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:49 am
Althea watched everything with silence. Her body nearly ached with how tense she was, poised to attack or run. Ears twitching, she watched Bramblebur's heroics, knowing full well that she'd have done the same for one of her own. He was Owsla, ex-Owsla, but still.
Althea gritted her teeth as Bramblebur nearly escaped, and mentally cheered when the doe wrenched herself free for the second time and fled the hawk. Now there was a fighter! Blind, broken, and still conquering elil like a true warrior. She let the smallest of grins slip as the hawk flew off, denied her dinner.
When things were safe again, she turned to her chief, waiting for orders. She followed him out of hiding and onto the rise, still mute as she surveyed the rabbits below. Her mind was also on the kittens, there was nothing for them here, nothing they could do.
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:18 pm
"N-n-no. There won't be burrows."
Ninebark spoke softly, feeling an icy coldness, like the claws of a frosty morning, grasping at his body. He touched his dark, red nose to Dewberry's tattered body and knew for sure. The pfeffa hued doe had stopped running, this time for good.
While her death would be a blow to the ever decreasing group, he could not help but feel a smidge of relief for the blinded, torn doe. This was her time and he was sure that the others must feel some hint of relief, too. He could only imagine the physical and mental pain that she had been in before the Black Rabbit finally claimed her.
"N-none. He is d-d-done dancing at h-her paws."
He forced the words out as he backed away from the corpse of the doe who had been there only moments before. Her spirit would live on in the form of stories, he was sure of that much. Never had he seen such a fighter.
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:56 pm
Bramblebur shifted a dark tipped ear as Bracken-rah called out. He didn't answer immediately. He would be okay for the time being but poor Dewberry looked like she was in a terrible state. He watched her grow deathly still and drew his ears back against his skull saddly as Ninebark confirmed what they had bore witness to. She had been called by the Black Rabbit. The doe was no more. The buck sighed sadly and closed his eyes. Her passing was a heartfelt one, but he did feel a measure of relief for her. Dewberry had gone through so much, came so far, and received more than her fair share of wounds. At least now she would be able be away from her pain and suffering. "No. You're right there, Ninebark. There will be no more burrows for her."
Reopening his warm brown eyes, Bramblebur looked to Ninebark and Shire. "She no longer needs us then. Let's let her rest and go on out to tell the others of our brave Dewberry." In some odd way, he had been fond of her feistiness and of how she was so self-confident. He slipped out from underneath the bush, glancing back to make sure the two bucks wouldn't linger. "Come along then, you two. I would like company."
The buck's movements were slower than usual, half from his wounded sides and half from the grief of another downed companion. Bramblebur moved away from the bush and sat in a patch of sunlight, looking towards Bracken-rah and his owsla. "I will make it, but Dewberry has stopped running. She didn't make it." He glanced around the area to see if his group were still in hiding or if they had made their way back out into the open. "If I am not mistaken everyone else made it into safety."
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Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:44 pm
Bracken waited ever patiently for the others in the bushes to answer. Obviously at lease two of them were wounded, and he could wait. However, they soon emerged and Dewberry was not among them. Bramblebur then confirmed that she had indeed passed on. The chief was silent for a few moments before speaking up again in a somber tone.
"I am terribly sorry. May Frith smile upon Dewberry on her flight to the great prince."
Bracken knew full well that it was partially his fault for her death. More like Cocklebur's but the captain was under his authority. Had he not torn her so, she might still be running with them even now.
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:21 pm
The buck nodded his head appreciatively. "Thank you, Bracken-rah. She is most certainly gone to a place where she can be her unique self and finally get the attention she often felt that she deserved." Bramblebur gave a soft laugh and shifted himself, wincing at the stinging from his sides. The warm sunshine did help him feel a little bit better at least.
He flicked an ear. Everything had been going swimmingly up until that elil had to go hunting for its meal. Now, Dewberry was dead, he was wounded, and there was a definite change of mood out at the scrapes. "Shall we go check on Ivy and the kittens? I'd like to see how they are doing. I'm due to go visit anyway." Bramblebur looked down at his chest and sides, his ears lowering slightly. "Er. Perhaps after I get myself cleaned up." Perish the thought, if he were to go see the youngsters with such fresh wounds. He would hate to give them a fright over a danger that has already moved away from the scrapes. He flashed a bit of a smile to the chief and his owsla. "I'm afraid that this whole hawk thing has put a noticeably dimmer mood in my head. I believe I could use a bit of a nap soon." His wounds weren't too terrible, but a nap was a good excuse to slip off by himself to mourn their fallen friends for a few moments.
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 11:22 pm
It was some time before their leader emerged, and she appraised his wounds in a few glances; deeming them not all that threatening, but more than likely scarring. A reminder then, of how he risked his life for another. There were less honorable tokens, to be sure. She was quickly saddened however, at the news of the doe's passing. Dewberry was it? She would close her eyes for a prayer later, there was no room for sentiment here while she was on watch.
Making a mental note to tell of the doe's bravery to their warren's storytellers, she turned to her chief, commenting in quiet tones.
"Do we wait for him, sir? I beg your pardon but the sooner we're off and away, the less chance for... accidents to occur. I must admit this is seeming rather hazardous."
Normally she would've kept opinions to herself, but time was a pressing matter, and she'd rather be on the move than sitting here asking for a situation to arise.
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Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2009 11:39 pm
Bracken was about to reply when Althea spoke up and he paused a moment, before nodding to her. She had a point after all, and besides, Bramblebur was injured.
Looking at the former Owsla captain the chief sighed. "We shall go visit the kits ourselves. You should rest. With such fresh wounds, you could possibly attract more elil while wandering about." It was true after all, and it wasn't just because Bramblebur might put them at risk, but he himself as well. He was their leader after all. What would his group do if they lost him as well?
"We will send word to you about Ivy and the kits. Do not worry." Although Bracken knew that full well and understood Bramblebur's dampened mood. He just lost a member of his group after all. That was certainly enough to sadden anyone.
With that, the chief nodded to his officer again before beginning to hop away from the scrapes and in the direction of the place the kittens were staying.
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Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2009 12:04 am
She could have sighed with relief when he nodded, but instead simply dipped her head with respect and perked an ear. She rose on her hinds as she spoke, sniffing and glancing around, making sure there wasn't something they'd missed before setting off. This whole event had been rather haphazard, and the last thing she needed was a surprise. She finally brought her front paws back down to earth, giving an apologetic look to Bramblebur. She rather liked their chief of sorts, but could brook no extra possible liabilities. He would be needed here after all. She caught Bracken-rah nodding to her again before heading off, and paused for just a moment longer to look down into the scrapes at the unluckiest rabbits she'd ever met before following her chief.
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Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 11:07 am
Ninebark's crimson fur had yet to settle against his bulky frame. His pink eyes were still wide and fear still coursed through him, though the Elil had long since past and their injured, blinded companion had finally been called away by the Death he swore he saw at his paws since they left their former warren for a chance at escape from the disease that had clutched them so long ago. It had felt like it had been darn well nearly forever since they fled.
He watched silently as Bracken-rah and the officer that had accompanied him left swiftly, heading towards the scrapes that Ivy and the two youngsters were taking refuge in. He wanted nothing more than to return to the large burrow he had claimed for himself. Rest was what he wanted, as well as escape.
"Darkness is what awaits them. I can feel it, I still feel it. A cloud hangs in that direction. Dark. Dark. Heavy with rain." He whispered softly as he quivered slightly, then peered about their surroundings. He saw no other danger, well, any danger other than what he thought he saw in the distance.
Yes.
Rest and some shut eye would do him a world of good at this point, even though he felt too restless to settle down for good.
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Posted: Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:44 pm
The buck nodded soberly. "Of course. It would be best if I rested a while away from the eyes of any passing elil. I wouldn't want to bring any undue risk to the kittens." He offered a ghost of a smile towards Bracken-rah and his female owsla. "Tell them that I'll be okay. Ivy in particular. I would appreciate it greatly. A good day to the both of you."
Bramblebur dipped his head in thanks at catching Althea's apologetic look. He rose from his sunny spot in the grass and turned toward the scrapes, slowly making his way towards the burrow that he claimed for himself. It was fairly deep and had enough room to turn around. He looked to those rabbits of his group who were around. "If any of you need me, I'll be in my burrow. Just thump before entering, please." His steps were small so as to not stretch and risk further damage to his fresh wounds. The striped buck's dark tipped ears were low over his back as he slipped into his burrow. Making his way to the back, he half turned then laid down on his side, careful to keep his wounds out of the dirt. Bramblebur licked the wounds on his chest, working delicately towards his sides. He huffed softly at the friends and companions that he had lost.
It hurt, but it couldn't rain all the time. Things would get better and Amita, Ailein, and Dewberry were in a better place, which offered the captain some sense of relief.
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