Redeemed
Joxer weaved a bit of tangled vine in between his paws as he watched Uzo and Maze began to tunnel through the thick vines of the bramble patch they had recently come across. He was more sure than ever that this was the perfect site for his new domain. The difficulty Uzo and Maze were having just beginning to penetrate its dark depths is exactly what he wanted in a well fortressed warren. Once they created the burrows within, this would be a well-protected place to begin a kingdom. The Tanglewood was protected from the elements, isolated from other potentially dangerous warrens, a good source of food, and hard to sneak up on. It was a perfect location to lay out the plans he had been dreaming of for so long.

It had been a long journey through the various lands to find this place. Uzo, Joxer, and Maze had left their serene home in flowing meadows in search of something more. Joxer had always known he was destined for more. From the time he was a young kit, he learned that others would listen to him and follow his directions if only he displayed a power they didn’t understand. He quickly became a rabbit to avoid by many of the other young kits running around the meadow. Well, until they needed something, then they would all come to Joxer and he would help them with their troubles, for a price. As he grew and matured, he slowly began to understand how the world really worked. All rabbits were such insecure, frightened little things, they needed a leader to guide them and protect them, and in turn they would do anything. He began cultivating a small group of companions around him. Rabbits with traits he admired and knew would make excellent advisors for the empire he was building in his mind. If only he had a place to build it. Once that thought had entered his head, it wasn’t long before he left his home meadow, with Uzo and Maze in tow, to find just that.

He smiled to himself as he continued to weave the vines he had carefully gathered. The thin, whip like vines easily twined around themselves and he took a few of the beautiful feathers he had collected along his journey and wrapped them into the loops. Finally, satisfied with his work, he stood up on his hind legs, the slowly rising sun framing his back, and placed the completed crown upon his head. He looked out over the patch of his new bramble kingdom and watched as leaves from the trees above fell in a gust of wind. A smile formed across his face as his loyal companions Uzo and Maze disappeared from sight into the burrow they were diligently making work of. This was the beginning of something magnificent and Joxer's brain was working overtime on all the ways his empire would run. He was finally becoming what he was always meant to be. A leader, a ruler, a king.

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