|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 9:25 am
Marsh stuck her nose quietly out of the burrow entrance, sniffing carefully before sticking her head out to peek around. It was too early for most of the warren to be up and about, though she saw an Owlsa or two out patrolling. That made her feel safe enough and so she hopped out into the gray light of pre-dawn to get an early start on morning silflay.
Even she normally wasn't up this early, but there'd been a lump or something underneath where she'd been sleeping that she had been unable to locate and smooth, and by the time she'd given up on sleeping any longer it was nearly time for silflay in any case. It just seemed more reasonable to step out and get an early start. She would tackle her lumpy bedding area when she was full and not feeling quite so out of sorts.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 9:33 am
Ninebark couldn't sleep.
No matter how hard he tried to wrestle with the darkness and how hard he tried to focus on nothing but resting, nothing he did worked.
There was a sourness in his stomach. He felt he would be sick. His joints ached. There was a fear he had not felt in some time. Not since...
Not since that horrid plague had killed nearly every rabbit he had ever known. He knew to fear this feeling, yet he still tried to pretend that it did not exist. He could feel himself slowly losing control and, after some serious debating, he left his burrow to surface outside for a breath of fresh air. It didn't seem to be helping much. He paced, seemingly unaware that hungry elil might take notice if he remained as obvious as he was right now.
"NO!"
He gave a sharp squeak of dismay as he stepped on a sharpened stone, which cut into his foot. Just another omen, right?
"Something! Darkness. Darkness is coming. Darkness." He rambled soundly to himself as he plopped on his haunches, obviously in distress.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 11:17 am
The shout reached her ears and made her look up from the dandelion leaves she was nibbling on. Marsh couldn't quite make out what was being said in the muttering that followed, but she did see Ninebark sitting further up the hill looking forlorn and distressed. Soft-heart that she was, she couldn't stand seeing anyone in such a state and so hopped closer.
"Come now, come now, you shouldn't be making a fuss out in the open like this. Some elil might see you." She nudged at him gently with her head to try and get him to move closer to a burrow, or the tree. "Let's go somewhere safer and maybe you can tell me what's gotten you in such a tizzy."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 12:15 pm
He flinched, then stiffened.
He had been completely unaware of Marsh up until that moment. At first he thought she was elil, as her voice did not quite register for some time after she actually spoke. His pale, pink eyes were wide and he seemed to be half tharn for several still, uncomfortable moments.
Either she didn't know he had been one of the diseased, or she didn't care. He hardly associated with any in this warren so far, as most avoided him completely. He had received several unfortunate meetings with a few Owsla officers before, too, that made him decide to keep himself to the more distant scrapes.
"Darkness comes this way, on swift wings, yes it does. Dark times." He murmured defeatedly, but he allowed her to nudge him towards a burrow. Hopefully there wouldn't be many around, he thought that much beneath his terrified thoughts, but didn't think it through much further. He had always lived in the here and the now as far as feelings were concerned. He couldn't help but to express what he felt loudly.
And right now it was pure fear.
And confusion. He couldn't fathom why she was speaking with him, as his former warren would of let him rave until he wore himself out. Probably hoping a homba would carry him off, or something.
He did know, for sure, that he felt a desperate need to talk to Bramblebur-rah. He would listen, right? He would listen. No longer his leader, a follower of their new Chief, but he had still been their leader at one point in time...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2009 3:44 pm
Marsh's ears flattened along the line of her neck when Ninebark stiffened and she paused to look at him with a very worried and perhaps slightly hurt expression. But she didn't let that deter her and began nudging at him again until he finally moved, proceeding then to gently herd him into the entrance of a nearby burrow. It wasn't one that was used frequently, so it wasn't likely they would be interrupted, particularly this early. And given the buck's words, that might be a good thing.
She honestly had no idea he was one of the former hlessi that had been quarantined in the scrapes until they'd survived long enough to prove themselves clear of the disease. Even if she had known... well, it had been far too long since the last of the disease related deaths had passed for her to feel afraid, and the poor buck looked not only distraught but outright terrified. Whether he was crazy, telling the truth, or had just had a bad dream didn't matter at the moment; it was obviously real to him, and he needed comfort and a friendly ear. Though considering what he'd said, she wasn't sure how much help she'd honestly be able to provide.
"Dark times, you say? What makes you think that?" It was clear from her tone that she wasn't just going to dismiss what he said, but that she did have a hard time simply believing it. "Did something happen? ... um, I'm sorry, what's your name? I'm Marsh."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 1:44 pm
He blinked his pale eyes as darkness replaced the bright light that had begun to fill the sky. The sudden change of atmosphere was safe and warm, yet at the same time gave the lop-eared rabbit a sense of being trapped and doomed. He quailed against the worn earth of the burrow and the warm body of the female that pushed him into the safety of this enclosed space.
"Ninebark. That is my name." He blurted out bluntly just after she introduced herself. He had no idea what to say or do, other than what he had always done best.
"There is a dark, bad coming. Death. For sure it means death. Saw much death. Know the feel of death. It circles near this place. It brings the darkness. It brings the elil. Something. Darkness is coming." He forced the words from between his well worn teeth.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 2:29 pm
Ninebark. It seemed an unusual name, but then he seemed an unusual rabbit. Marsh set a gentle, steadying paw upon the buck's shoulder and made some comforting noises. She wasn't really sure what else to do right now. Before the arrival of the diseased some time ago, when the entire burrow was turned upside down in a day, she'd never have believed words like these. But these days a sudden darkness wasn't as easy to dismiss... and while she didn't quite believe it, there was a peculiar sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that wouldn't allow her to pass them off as nonsense. But what could she do? True or not, she was just a little doe of no real importance, and she had no idea how to help Ninebark...
"You've felt something like this before, then?" She queeried and trailed off, beginning to feel very perturbed herself. She could take him to one of the Owsla, maybe, but that would probably be a bad idea. There was nothing to prove or disprove his words, but the Owsla probably wouldn't take well to the idea of Ninebark running around, spilling out potential nonsense about darkness and death, and worrying many of the other rabbits. But if it got him worried enough he might do that anyway, and there'd be nothing she could do. It would seem the little doe had quite the dilemma and not even the slightest inkling of what to do about it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 2:35 pm
He seemed blatantly oblivious to the doe's dilemma, still wrapped in his own turmoil. His trembling had not stopped at all and, though he had the urge to dart out and his hind foot itched to be pounded against the earth, he managed to hold himself remotely still.
"Yes..."
He drew a sharp breath and waited for some sort or repercussion, though he felt none. She did not cuff him about the head or scratch him with her claws. Rabbits were easily frightened by the unknown and fear often led to violence. He was usually met with said violence and, briefly, his mind flitted back to his former, disease ridden warren.
"The death, it danced. Death danced about their paws and stole from them their breath. They went to the Black Rabbit's warren. Suddenly. Sickly." Another shudder tore down his body, his fur bristled.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 5:10 pm
It was simply not in Marsh to attack the other simply because he was afraid of... whatever it was. This feeling he had. Perhaps she might have tried if he became truly panicked, but only to keep him from causing trouble in the main warren and getting himself chewed and clawed to little bits by the Owsla. She, at least, would not be of a mind to do him serious harm... just drive him out toward the scrapes until he'd calmed down. Hopefully, anyway.
It took her some moments after he spoke before it registered, but it did finally click; this poor fellow was one of the survivors of the diseased warren. And he'd sensed, perhaps even seen, what was happening? She honestly didn't know what to think, whether to believe he'd had premonitions about what happened previously or if he simply had horrible dreams about it now. But what was she to do with him now?
"You were one of the hlessi, from the other warren, a while back..." she murmured, more to herself than to him. If he was having premonitions, someone needed to know... even if he wasn't, she needed to find some way to calm him down, but how? Ninebark hadn't been around the main warren much if at all, that much she knew. She probably would have seen or heard about him by now if he had. Who could she take him to?...
"One of the others... I don't remember his name, but one of your friends, he's in the Owsla now, isn't he? Perhaps we should go find him?" It was the only option she could come up with. The other buck already knew Ninebark, so wasn't likely to take his head off if this proved to be a bunch of nonsense, but if it was something then someone in a position to do something would have been warned. And perhaps being able to talk to someone he knew who was also in a position of authority would help to calm the poor red buck before he worked himself into a frenzy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:34 pm
"Other! Yes!" He stumbled back in the enclosed burrow and his crimson back paw struck the earth in several, loud, swift motions in an urgent warning. Hopefully it hadn't been loud enough to cause distress to the other warren members.
"Oh! And they didn't believe me! And they didn't believe me! The death! I saw eeeeeeeet!" He wailed soundly as he stood on his haunches. His leg quivered, but he managed to keep enough control over his own emotions to keep it from striking the burrow's bottom yet again.
"And the elil! And the elil! And the elil! And the rabbits! And the rabbits and the elil!" He cowered, dropping to all fours and covering his face in his paws in a hasty cleaning ritual.
He seemed to relax slightly as she mentioned his friend...
"Bramblebur-rah, yes. He led us here. Owsla, now, for him. May he have many, long seasons."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 7:02 pm
Marsh stiffened immediately when Ninebark began thumping a warning, partly out of instinct and partly out of a genuine fear. If someone had heard, and one of the Owsla came looking... Oh dear. The thought crossed her mind to cuff him, or headbutt him, or something, but she was just too taken aback by his distraught behavior and yelling to work up the nerve. And just when she did decide she had to do something he calmed a bit, speaking now of his friend Bramblebur who was now in the Owsla.
"Bramblebur? That's his name then?" No one had yet come running, so she held hope that perhaps Ninebark's antics hadn't disrupted the warren... yet, at least. "We should go find him." Though there was the problem of where on earth to even look...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 7:43 pm
Fortunately for Marsh, and perhaps Ninebark as well, Bramblebur was on a patrol not too far off. Things had been relatively calm, but the distress in a nearby familiar voice was definitely drawing him closer. When the rapid succestion of thumps met his ears, he picked up his pace and came on up to where the two were. "Hello. I couldn't help but overhear. Is everything alright here?" The large striped buck sat up on his haunches and looked around, checking land and sky for any signs of nearby elil. His warm eyes again settled on the doe. While he and his surviving rabbits had been encorportated into the warren for a while now, he was still trying to learn everyone's names or at least get to know enough to put names to faces with a relative degree of success. "Um," He paused as he mulled over some names of rabbits that he hadn't yet met personally, "Marsh, correct? Ninebark? What's going on?"Last time Ninebark had fits like this, it was before the terrible plague that desimated the warren of their birth. Bramblebur had to hear his friend out. It certainly proved important before, so he felt that it would be best to try and make some sense out of the situation.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 8:14 pm
The two had been most fortunate that the large, striped buck just happened to be patrolling nearby, otherwise trouble might of been in store for them, the way Ninebark had been carrying on.
His floppy ears twitched about as much as their weight allowed and he came nearer towards the Owsla officer. Here was someone he knew, and fairly well. The buck had only been kind to him, and that was enough to win the crimson rabbit's full support, no matter the situation.
"Bramblebur-rah!" He cried out softly, appearing extremely grateful for his appearance. This was just the fellow he wanted to see!
"Oooh, it's so cold." He shuddered and closed his eyes momentarily as the chill only he felt passed through him. "The death, the death, the death." He stressed as he tried to make his own scattered thoughts somewhat coherent. "Something wicked, darkness, the Black Rabbit himself"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 9:23 pm
It seemed Frith himself was watching over Marsh and her wayward companion of the morn. She couldn't help but heave a huge, if mostly silent, sigh of relief as Bramblebur appeared as if on cue. "Marsh, yes..." She took a breath and related the events so far, not that there were many to be told.
"I thought it best to look for you, sir... since you know each other, and all. He said something about sensing such a thing before the sickness came to your warren, and I know that such visions are told of in the old tales... even of the founding of the Down. I... I wanted someone who could actually keep a watch on things to know, if it proves true, and I don't think most of the other Owsla would take kindly to his behavior."
She turned to give Ninebark a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Things will turn out all right, whatever happens. See? Frith knew you needed your friend and brought him, so you're being watched over. You said before... you said you saw the death dancing before, right? Stealing the breath at your old warren? Is there anything specific like that you can see now? It might help." It would seem that though Marsh had her doubts, she was willing to believe Ninebark might be telling the truth. She hoped he was wrong... but she didn't want to think of what might happen if she ignored him and it proved true. That and being a former hlessi herself made her want to believe it more than she might have otherwise...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Sep 17, 2009 4:35 pm
Bramblebur smiled at the greeting and nodded to Marsh, glad that he had gotten her name right on the first try. His smile didn't linger on his features for too long though. The buck knew that fretful tone of Ninebark's voice and listened to Marsh's telling of what had gone on until he had gotten there.
He nodded with consideration and sighed when she finished and turned her attention to Ninebark. "I see. Thank you, Marsh. You were right to want to look for me. I agree with you. Most others wouldn't take his words into due consideration.” Bramblebur looked to Ninebark and tried to figure what potential danger could be causing his friend such distress. The memory of what transpired back in their previous warren made his fur want to stand on end. The striped buck shook himself, taking a deep breath.
Bramblebur worried for the Down if it was as near as bad as what had happened previously. “Yes, Nine. Is it too soon to be clear yet what is coming? Something cold, dark, and wicked is coming. Is it similar to last time, back before we came here? I trust your words. I’ll need to know everything you are seeing so we can keep Bracken-rah abreast of what is going on. This isn't the sort of thing that should be kept to ourselves, although it may be a bit early to go alerting the whole warren.” The Owsla officer knew full well what would happen if such information was taken lightly and he trusted Ninebark as much as his own instincts.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
