The morning was a pleasant one. Ninebark usually slept away from many of the other warren members. He still had nightmares of the illness that claimed most of his old warren-mates and this new place, while he had been welcomed here, still felt off.
The dark furred buck inched out of his burrow, his vibrant eyes scanning the horizon for signs of danger. Seeing and scenting none, he hopped out fully, stretched his long limbs, and groomed his face. The sun's early light washed over the hillside and the twitter of morning birds was like music to the lop rabbit's ears. Hopefully, today would be a good day.
Roserain
A dark nose twitched curiously, eyes focused on her newest addition to the doe's odd collection. Nudging the feather, she marveled over how something so fragile could grant a bird flight. It was a nice one too, not ratty or torn. Delighted, she gripped it in her teeth and brought it with her along the Down, setting it beside her to silflay in the early light.
When she exhausted her grazing spot, the doe simply picked up the feather and relocated, searching about for a mouthful of clover, if any where to be found. If there were other rabbits about, she paid them little mind in her search, too preoccupied with her own doings.
Siflay was a rather droll affair, just the way he liked it. He'd had enough adventure for one lifetime, thank you very much. If there was one thing he had to admit, it was that he hadn't expected to live quite so long, nor had he expected to come to rest at such a peaceful place. He'd had terrors concerning the bad that would happen, but he hadn't had a notion at the light at the end of the tunnel... Er, if there was a light. Part of him worried that this was just a rest, a brief respite before terrible things happened again.
He didn't like to think about it too much.
Instead, he shoved the unhappy thoughts away and continued to fill his belly with tender shoots of grass. He was rather engrossed in what he was doing and while he was aware of the other rabbits that had decided it was a pleasant time to feed, he didn't bother acknowledging them... At least until he came across a feather and the doe that grazed near it.
"That... That is pretty." He voiced after a moment, before sitting up on his haunches and scanning the area again.
Roserain
An ear swiveled towards the buck as she continued to rip at the foliage, chewing slowly as she sat up. He was not looking in her direction though, and for a moment she debated on ignoring him altogether, but she looked at him closer after she swallowed. They hadn't met before, she knew, but that didn't mean she'd never seen this buck around. Skittish one, wasn't he? Koi'ain couldn't recall. Her ears rotated to face him as she let curiosity get the better of her.
"Beg your pardon?" Now that she thought on it, she couldn't remember exactly what he'd said, only that she was sure he'd spoken.
"Beg your pardon?" Now that she thought on it, she couldn't remember exactly what he'd said, only that she was sure he'd spoken.
"The feather... It's pretty." He offered what he had said once more, but the inflection in his tone spoke volumes about his uncertainty. He'd seen this doe, but he didn't know her. Come to think of it, he didn't know many. He really should rectify that, so he thought, but he wasn't sure if he could. Instead, he did his best to act as though he was preoccupied more with their surroundings than small talk. Maybe he should have just kept his mouth shut, after all.
He did mean it, though, he thought the feather was pretty. Doing a den up in rocks and feathers and the like might be a good idea.
Roserain
The doe glanced back down at the feather before tilting her head left, then right, as if she could visibly see the way her thoughts were darting. A moment passed and she sat back on her haunches, nodding to herself.
"You can have it, if you like. I have many others, all sorts and colors too. I'm sure one won't be missed."
Though his posture told her the buck had other things on his mind, she still picked up the feather and dropped it next to him as a friendly offering, knowing she would find another.
"They remind me of old stories, like the white bird that turned into lightening."
Her eyes focused on him, waiting expectantly. She mused that perhaps he was simply very hungry this morn', and if he continued on his way she would simply let him and go back to her silflay.
"You can have it, if you like. I have many others, all sorts and colors too. I'm sure one won't be missed."
Though his posture told her the buck had other things on his mind, she still picked up the feather and dropped it next to him as a friendly offering, knowing she would find another.
"They remind me of old stories, like the white bird that turned into lightening."
Her eyes focused on him, waiting expectantly. She mused that perhaps he was simply very hungry this morn', and if he continued on his way she would simply let him and go back to her silflay.
"Are you sure?" The young buck ran his paws over one floppy ear, before setting down on all fours once more and inspecting the pretty, delicate little feather more closely. Yes, this would look lovely in the burrow.
"Thank you. I don't think we've met proper. I'm Ninebark." He offered her a shy smile. She seemed alright. He didn't get a bad feeling in his gut from her and she did just give him, a stranger, the little prize she had found. He would cherish it.
Roserain
The doe nodded, happy to see he was more responsive now. As he introduced himself, she wondered that perhaps her initial judgment of him being aloof wasn't quite right. Her dark nose inching closer to his as she sniffed in a friendly greeting, she settled into the warm grass and returned his smile.
“Hello, Ninebark. I'm Koi'ain, vao sai*.”
Ears twitching as she looked around, all seemed well and she relaxed a bit more.
”Lovely day Frith has given us, a peaceful one.”
Peaceful days rarely made for good stories though, and she resigned herself to another lazy morning.
* - Vao sai – lapine; vao is good or well, and sai is meet, to meet someone – I meant is as a greeting, similar to “Well met.”
"Koi'ain." He nodded his head slowly, his floppy ears swaying with his movements, though he paid them little to no heed. They were always there, always in the way, yet as much apart of himself as his red fur or his bizarre hallucinations. It was life, what he had been either blessed or cursed with, and he didn't wish to seem too ungrateful for his lot in life.
"A pleasure... And a fine day, indeed! Frith above keep it that day, aye?" Any day where he didn't have terrors or see phantom predators prowling was a fine day. He was in higher spirits than usual, a doe's kindness being all it took to pry him at least somewhat out of his shell. He turned in on himself, sitting on his hind paws as he ran his forepaws across his face and long ears.
"Uhm, you mentioned the bird that turned to lightening... Would you be interested in telling it?"
