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Pepper gave a nod to Bracken-rah and turned towards Ivy. Ready to follow her where ever she was to take them. He wouldn't let the situation get to him however, as it would do no good to worry and fear. Instead he gave a grin and sat on his hunches. Mud was the only thing keeping them from moving forth.

"I'm ready when you are"

As Thyme reached the warren he stopped just outside one of the entrances to clean his face some more. The stinging had become a dull pain which seemed to cover the entire left side of his face, and he still wasn’t able to open his eye fully, “Bound to lose my sight, tis not good, not good at all” his mutterings were interrupted by a single thump to the ground, and sitting up on his haunches, Thyme looked around for what might be the threat. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary up here, everyone was chatting and the smell wasn’t as strong up here, though, now that he thought about it, why would the smell be up here at all?

Vreka shuddered at Ninebark's pronouncement. She crept closer to the lop. And as Bramblebur called down, she only shuddered worse. "No," She called, numb at the news of Amita's passing. "I've not seen the princess since before we moved to the scrapes."

So. Still cursed were they. Had they really left anything behind by running? Or had they just made things worse, bringing taint to those not deserving of it? "Alas, alas. Even small mercies are denied us." Suddenly, the gift of the scrapes didn't seem so comforting.

Blackwort had been patrolling the Down when he had heard the bellow from his fellow Owsla officer, Cocklebur. Tattered ears instinctively turned to the source of the noise, and the owner of them wafted his nose towards the direction in which the sound had come from. His nose immediately crinkled in distaste.

"Something stinks..." He muttered aloud to himself. The fact that his officer was yelling though.... it worried him. He immediately bounded off towards Cocklebur, ready to defend him if he was in trouble, or act as backup if it was required.

"What's all this, then?" He said suddenly as he approached the older rabbit, immediately turning his attention to the hlessi doe, glaring at it. "What are YOU doing?"

The warren entrance wasn't that far from Zorn's Rock, where he and Sparrow had been sitting. The large black and white male puffed up as he moved slowly towards the entrance, though Cocklebur's words were loud and aggressive. He wanted to see just what would happen and if the Captain really would run her off. It was a sticky situation, what with that diseased doe being anywhere near.

Hearing her mouth off to the wickedly tempered rabbit made him shake his head and tut with shame for her. Her words would surely earn her harsh reprimand, regardless of illness or not...

"This is not good, not good at all. She's diseased, Blackwort, sir, mightn't want to get to close." He warned gently.

Cocklebur looked most indignant as the little doe dared to talk back to him. She was in no position to be telling -him- off! Although Bracken had allowed them to stay in the scrapes he had clearly ordered them not to be anywhere near. Was this doe daft? Or perhaps driven mad by whatever illness plagued them. She was in clear violation! However, it seemed that she had no intention of leaving and as she prattled on, Cocklebur's anger only rose.

The captain clacked his teeth angrily and a growl boiled up from deep within his throat. Half driven mad by the rancid smell, his instinct to rip her apart and rid themselves of the disease, the captain lept for her with claws aiming to rip into Dewberry's flesh.

"Cocklebur! STOP!" Bracken shouted as he finally made it to the top of the hill just in time to see the captain going after the doe, but it was too late to stop it now. Hopefully Dewberry had the sense to run back to her companions rather than just sit there and let the big buck rip into her.

The worst mistake Dewberry had ever made just happened now. She didn't move a single muscle, not even blink! The thick-headed pfeffa colored rabbit had never for one moment in her life ever even smelt what it was to be in true danger, and so didn't recognize this big dark buck lunging for her as one of them.

There was a streak of pain across her face, suddenly turning her whole amount of vision a thick red as the other hit her dead on in the eyes, tearing those deadly claws down her white face, two of her most important sences had been taken in one shot. Her wounded eyes now unable to see, and her nose filled with blood. Only now did the message hit her loud and clear. She was in grave danger.

But something clouded her decisions much more than the fact she could die at any moment in the moments before Cocklebur's next strike. He had ruined her perfect, beautiful face. The blood would be staining her fur, she would never be able to see how handsome the buck who finally wooed her over would be. It sparked a new rage within the small doe, and she lunged back, beserked by such an attack on her. If she was truly diseased, she'll leave a lasting mark on the other, just a small scratch or bite on the owsla and he would have it too, doomed to be treated like her other warren-mates.

This new goal was what drove her on, dispite the rain of claws that tore into her shoulder and ears, removing her of what beautiful grace she may of once had.

Bramblebur sighed when no one reported her as being with them, his erect ears promptly dropping to his back. Dewberry had disobeyed him, yet again. Knowing her, the doe was sure to have gotten herself into some trouble or other.

"I'll have to get see where she wandered off to then. I must deal with her."

The buck gave a half smile. "I don't think denied. Perhaps handed out sparringly, sure. But, completely denied, no." He sighed. "Wish me luck."

He turned and went off in search of the wayward Dewberry, silently praying that she wouldn't call the wrath of the whole warren down on their heads. Bramblebur knew very well how wordy their little princess could be and, knowing her, she had probably found her way to some of the local bucks to find a paramore of some sort.

Little did he know of the sort of danger that Dewberry was getting in to. He knew not of the ensuing fight between her and none other than the brute Cocklebur.