|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 11:40 am
 Ninebark woke with a start, his heart knocking against his ribs as he reorientated himself with his current burrow. It was all wrong. All wrong. It didn't have the same smell and feel... No, this was his burrow. His new burrow. He dearly missed the burrow he called his own at his former warren, but this was the paw life had dealt him and he suffered through it.
The lop-eared buck groomed himself as he tried to calm his nerves. He dreamed about her, again. About Dewberry. She was long dead, now, her life torn from her body by the claws of Cocklebur and a hawk. He had hated her once, the snobby, dainty-pawed daughter of the chief. She gave him hell and yet he found himself wishing the Black Rabbit had not taken her away, like he knew he would. She had become humble... And he blamed himself for her death, although he knew death would claim her soon. He had been the one to suggest they get closer to the chief and Bramblebur, despite her extensive injuries. She went above to feed before, yet this time he had suggested it. He still dreamed about those vicious claws grappling with her. She went out fighting.
The buck took a long, deep breath as he tried to banish the dream from his mind. There were more pressing things than the past to worry about, like the coming winter and the bad feeling that was beginning to form in the pit of this stomach. He knew that feeling. He felt it when the fox stole his mother. He felt it when disease destroyed his former warren. He had no idea what was in store, yet, but it was unpleasant. Slowly, he stood and inched his way out of the burrow he had made for himself in the outskirts of the down.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 12:42 pm
 It had been ages since Marsh's first encounter with Ninebark; he'd been having some sort of fit, and a feeling of doom. She'd had to leave him in the care of one of his former warren mates, but after the ill luck of the raid that had followed she'd always... wondered. The doe had sought to keep an eye out for the red buck since then, but he rarely - perhaps never - showed his face on the Down proper. All rumors of him said he kept to the outskirts, and she'd worried after him... but rumors of his presence remained, and without news of another fit, at least that anyone gossipy had caught. Winter was approaching, though, and Marsh's worries for the loner buck took on a new urgency.
She'd gathered extra winter bedding, far more than she could possibly need for herself, with the intent of finding some way to bring it out to Ninebark. He was probably preparing himself, already... but she was still concerned. She wanted to see for herself that he was going to be properly warm and stocked up for the winter, never mind all the extra work she was going to be putting on herself for it.
First thing was first though; before she moved the bedding or started trying to gather extra stores of winter food to share with the buck, she had to figure out where he was. She had stumbled across his burrow only once and that by an accident of circumstance. She wasn't entirely certain where she'd been on the outskirts on that day when she thought about it after the fact, and right now she was wandering from bolt-hole to scrub to bolt-hole in what was only her best guess at direction. Her guess was rewarded though, for a seemingly familiar red head popped out of the ground.
"Ninebark!" She'd no idea how strange it probably was for the buck to be hearing his name called out by a cheerful voice. And it occurred to her only after she started making her way toward him that he might not remember her. He had been in quite a state that day, and hadn't seemed all there... Ah well, she was already here, she wasn't going to let something like that deter her. For whatever reason Marsh was determined she was going to make sure the lop-eared buck was going to be all right during the coming season, and once she'd made her mind up she could be stubborn about changing it.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 1:35 pm
The buck carefully eyed the sky and the thick shrubbery very near to where he had scraped out his burrow. Nothing seemed amiss and he began to heave himself out. It was when he heard his name, very loud and very sudden, that he nearly bolted out of his skin and slipped back into the safety of the burrow he called home. Of course elil did not know his name and the voice was far too cheery to be the Black Rabbit coming for him, not that a rabbit could refuse his call anyway. No, this was a rabbit of the down and one he only just recognized as such. She seemed familiar, but he couldn't recall her. Perhaps he met her on one of the few times he did choose to mingle in the warren proper.
She seemed awful cheery, which baffled him.
He slipped out of the mouth of the burrow once more, turning his pink gaze towards the doe that approached, trying to recall how he knew her. Maybe through Bramblebur or one of the other survivors, which he sometimes met with. Things were so different, now-a-days.
"Yes, I'm Ninebark. Do I know you?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 3:12 pm
So he did not remember her. At least not of his own recognizance. Marsh was a bit crestfallen, but she plowed ahead anyway and approached the buck with a wry smile. "Well... it has been some time, I suppose I'm not all that surprised you don't recognize me. You didn't seem... all there, the last time I was here. You seem better this time, I'm glad. Has your Owsla friend been visiting, I hope?" She fidgeted a bit, biting her lip. "I really should have come back to check on you after all that business with the raid, I do apologize. I hope you've been well."
Marsh hopped a bit closer and checked the skies before sitting daintily with her paws tucked together. "I'm Marsh, if that helps jog your memory at all. If not, well, I still came to check up on you, so I hope you don't mind." She bit her lip again and groomed herself a bit nervously before continuing. "I, well, I was going to invite you to come winter up at the warren with me. I was worried about you being out here by yourself. But if you'd rather stay out here I did gather some extra winter bedding to share with you, though it might take me a bit to get it all out here. And I was going to see if you needed any help gathering some silflay to help you ride out the cold season."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2012 11:06 am
"Ah, I see. Yes, he does visit me from time to time, though I suppose I would like to see he and the others more often. But really, I have been well enough, no need to apologize." To say this meeting was strange for the crimson furred buck was an understatement. At least he knew where he had met her, now. That had been quite some time ago, but now that he studied her more closely and listened to her voice, he thought he could place her in the blurriness that was his first few weeks here.
"Marsh-Marsh-Marsh, I remember you." It wasn't a complete lie, even if he could hardly remember their first meeting. He was convinced he did at least recognize her, now, what with her help in pinpointing where. What she said next, however, really caught the buck off guard, something easily seen in his somewhat uneasy expression, even if he did his best to smile and seem polite. He groomed an ear nervously as he let her finished, weighing his options. He really did not want to disappoint her, yet part of him wondered just how sincere she was. The rabbits here, most of them anyway, seemed trustworthy and she seemed rather nice. The winter would be tough, despite the bedding and flay he had been gathering in preparation. Warren rabbits tended to gather in jumbles in the winter, relying on each other for heat, something he would not have way out here.
To say he was nervous was an understatement.
"It really is nice of you to offer... But I don't want to impose."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2012 3:31 pm
Marsh smiled at Ninebark, glad he at least seemed aware of whence they'd met before... though she didn't entirely believe he honestly remembered it in any great detail. But it was enough. His nerves at her offer were fairly plain to see, as well, and she was grateful he was at least trying. She supposed it must seem awfully strange, since he was left out here to his own devices for the most part, even by his former companions by the sound of it. Despite his insistence that there was no need to apologize she felt even guiltier now, knowing how lonely he must have been out here. And it made her that much more determined to have him join her up at the main warren if she could find any way to convince him to do so.
She stepped forward again and rested a paw gently on his shoulder. "Oh psh, Ninebark. I've been thinking about this for a while now. I've plenty of room to share with another rabbit this winter, even a big fellow like you. And I've already gone and started the work of gathering bedding and winter stores for two rabbits so I can share some of it with you, whether you join me or not. I may not be viewed as a hlessi anymore like I was when I first arrived here, but neither are you, and I see no reason you should be shunted out here by yourself if you're inclined to enjoy the comfort and company any other rabbit in the warren deserves." She sat back and beamed at him. "You don't have to, of course, but you really are more than welcome to come back with me, now or later."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 12:22 pm
She had already done work to gather supplies for him. That was what ultimately made up his mind. If she planned it that way, she was a crafty doe, indeed. Regardless, he couldn't find it in himself to refuse her offer completely if she'd already been gathering the needed supplies. That would be just rude and he didn't want to hurt her feelings, especially given how she'd gone out here to find him in the first place. The red-furred buck was grateful, yet worried. Sometimes it was better, easier to maintain distance from others. Of course it was hard to make friends when you keep trying to warn them of coming death, that just made him sound crazy. He didn't like knowing ahead of time and while he greatly enjoyed socializing to an extent, he wasn't quite sure how well he would handle being around a significant amount of rabbits.
If there was anything he had learned in the treck from one warren to another as a hlessi, it was that, no matter how much he had told himself otherwise as an outskirter, he greatly loved the feeling of kinship with warren rabbits. He found himself comforted by her words and her paw.
"If you've already started gathering supplies, I can't tell you no." He sat on his haunches, paws tucked in to his stomach, as he gave their surroundings a quick look over.
"I'll come back with you... But I'm going to bring what I've gathered, too, okay?" Oh, what was he getting himself into? Hopefully she wouldn't get fed up with him and toss him out mid-winter. She didn't seem like the type at all, but that thought still nibbled at his mind. There was also the uncertain feeling in the pit of his stomach. Thinking about going to the warren only made him all that more concerned, but he wasn't sure if it was something that was to come or merely his own anxieties getting the better of him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2012 12:53 pm
Marsh hadn't been planning it that way, per say; it was more that she'd begun gathering supplies when her worries struck her as fall set in, and it wasn't until after she'd gotten a good bit of it that it occurred to her that she should probably find Ninebark and figure out what his winter plans were going to be before she did too much more. After all if she was going to need to bring it to him it was probably going to be easier from this point to take it directly to him rather than taking it home, and then moving it again later.
It didn't seem she was going to need to worry about hauling it all out here, however. At Ninebark's acceptance of her offer Marsh made a couple of joyful binkies before settling down again. "Oh good! And of course you can bring what you've gathered yourself, it would be right silly of me to make you waste all that work. And every bit certainly helps before the cold sets in!"
She peered toward his burrow, mimicking his posture of the moment and settling on her haunches. "If you want to start now, I'll be glad to help you carry it. Or if you'd rather I can show you where I'm staying first?" That might be better, honestly, just in case it proved too uncomfortable for the buck before he felt himself stuck with it. But she was going to leave the option up to him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 12:04 am
She seemed happy, which in turn cheered the red furred buck, who groomed his whiskers as he listened to her speak. Every so often he would turn an eye to the sky, but it was not the thought of elil that was troubling him. To look was merely a comforting habit, as though if he could see no immediate threat, everything would be fine. Her happiness was nearly infectious, though, and he settled down on all four paws. She wasn't badgering or bullying him in to doing as she wanted and, whether she knew it or not, it was this sort of thing that he responded best to. He could change his mind if he wanted and that, alone, was enough to make him feel more comfortable in such a strange situation.
"I'd very much like to see it. We can move things later. Between the pair of us, we should have enough to get through the winter, I'd think." There was still that gnawing feeling. Food was somewhat sparse on the down, which was problematic in any situation, but between them both, they could find enough to make do.
"So let us see this burrow, shall we?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Nov 17, 2012 4:39 pm
"I should think it will go much faster with both of us than it would individually, as well." Marsh began leading the way back toward the heart of the Down, once again heading from one bit of cover to the next. No point in being careless now. "I admit I've not gathered quite as much as I might have, since I wasn't sure where it was all going to be stored until now. I've done a good bit of scouting around for places that haven't been picked over yet. Some of them are a fair way out, I'm afraid, but not anything too horribly far either. I can show you some of those when we get ready for that though. We need to get you settled first!"
Actually reaching the part of the warren where Marsh stayed wasn't all that difficult. She made sure to point out how he could identify that he'd reached the proper entrance, and from there it was a simple matter of hugging the right wall. For all that the tunnel to reach her burrow was a tad on the long side it was actually fairly quiet, as hers was the only one on the right side here, and most of the burrows on the other side had their entrances through another tunnel. "Here we are. Cozy up near everyone else but still nice and quiet. Will it do, Ninebark?"
The burrow itself was indeed big enough to fit the both of them, with a bit of room to spare, though not a lot. It was currently a bit of a mess with moss and fluff and other bedding piled up almost at random. There were some drying plants stacked more carefully off to one side, as well. Marsh was a bit more careful with her food than her bedding, it would seem.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 25, 2012 10:28 pm
"No bother. I am sure we can gather what we will need, even during these lean times. We are resourceful."
The rust furred buck followed the doe's lead, taking care to make sure that no elil would snatch them. He wasn't particularly worried about that, as he hadn't felt the presence of such danger, but it was always better to be safe than sorry and he had no desire to check the validity of his other sense. He did feel that gnawing in the pit of his stomach grow as they approached the main portion of the warren, however, and he felt quite overwhelmed at the mixture of the unpleasant feeling and the mere idea that other rabbits were gawking at him. The latter was more his own imagination and stemmed from his own, more personal anxieties.
Her burrow was not particularly hard to find, but he listened closely and committed what she said into his memory. True to her word, it was spacious enough, yet cozy. He still could not quite believe he was actually agreeing to do this... And on his own free will to boot.
"It will be nice and warm come the cold season. It will do."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2012 3:54 pm
What Ninebark was probably not aware of yet was that, for good or ill, he'd found himself a champion in Marsh. If anyone did start gawking at him or bullying him and she caught wind of it they would get an earful of angry doe. She might not be much of a fighter, but boy could she ever make use of a soapbox. Well, so to speak. She was a rabbit after all.
"Well, I'm glad it's all right, then." Her tone remained chipper, her body language leaving no doubt that she was in fact quite pleased that he found it suitable. "So, should we start moving things? Or... would you like a bit of a tour? I wasn't sure if anyone ever really showed you around the main warren. Or we can do something else! If there's anything you'd like to do."
She was trying very hard to be a good host and help him feel more comfortable. Honestly she was sort of pawing around in the dark on this. She'd avoided having anyone in the warren as more than a casual acquaintance so far... too many bad memories of mistreatment by those she trusted at her previous warren. But Ninebark; well, he reminded her a lot of herself in the way he seemed to feel the need to hide himself away. And people just never seemed to bother not shunning him anymore, even after all this time. She couldn't help feeling he deserved better, and she at least understood... a little bit about how it felt, even if there were still some things he'd gone through that she would never fathom.
Nobody deserved to be all alone. She truly believed that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 11:00 am
"I've never had a proper tour..." Part of this stemmed from the fact that he was far too uncertain of himself to go exploring in this strange, new place and the other part stemmed from a mixture of self doubt and an unwillingness to expose himself to mockery from the other rabbits, even if none actively sought him out to do him harm. He'd somehow managed to convince himself that living on his own would be easier for everyone involved, even if he did crave company and companionship. He'd taken what he felt had to be enough risks for one lifetime. He felt safe enough on the down, even if he wasn't in the down's proper during his stay. It was far better than roving the land as a hlessi with rabbits who had been, for the most part, impatient with himself and the black doe that had also been shunned. Even if they had warmed up to him towards the end, he felt like the odd rabbit out.
Marsh's chipper, helpful attitude had won his trust, whether she knew it or not. She was a good rabbit, an upstanding one, and he'd decided to place his faith in her.
"I'd be honored if you showed me around. We can move bedding and food afterwards, yes?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:43 am
Marsh was glad he seemed to warming up to her and the idea of staying, and was also pleased he liked her suggestion. It was not a moment before she practically whisked him off to show him the important areas of the Down, and some of the not so important ones, all the while making plans in the back of her mind for the best way to move and arrange things.
No one would know it now unless Marsh finally opened up enough to tell someone, but she knew well how abusive some warrens could be to someone who didn't fit in. How hard it was to want a home... and she was going to try very, very hard to make sure Ninebark had a home here. After all, no one deserved to be alone like that, and he had her now. Even if he didn't really realize it yet.
Winter would be long and cold but... neither of them had to be alone this time. And that was good.
((And... I guess that's a wrap, pretty much!))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
