Okey-dokey, I am back! And, yeah. Not much to say about this one, except that it's gonna be short, and yes Fivers11 it's for you. Happy Birthday! Even if your birthday is in seven months, eight days, and three hours. Or if it's now. ;) Anywho, basically this is about Fiver(whose character I still need practice writing about), and Poppy, and probably the kits because I love 'em! Unknown, I have not forgotten you, and next one will grant your wish!
The Unexpected Arrival Part One: The Dream
Fiver nibbled absentmindedly at a patch of clover. The brown buck sensed something out of place, but he couldn't quite tell what. He could not escape the feeling that the strange dream he had had last night must have something to do with something real. Oddly, Fiver could barely remember anything about his dream. All he saw when he thought of it was a single rabbit. A doe. This alone was enough to give Fiver cause for concern. Never in his memory had he had a meaningless dream. But he had also never had he had a dream where he could only remember a single face.
At that moment, Bigwig came racing up the hill. The big grey buck was obviously quite shaken up by something.
"Bigwig, what on earth?" Hazel asked, intercepting his friend before he could trample anyone.
"Embleer Efrafans!" Bigwig cursed, "They're elil in rabbits' fur, that all they are!"
"Calm down," Hazel said, "What's happened? Has Woundwort come back?"
Bigwig took a deep breath.
"Not...exactly."
"What do you mean?" Fiver asked.
"I think you'd better come see for yourselves," Bigwig said, turning and trotting back down the hill. Hazel and Fiver exchanged glances and then followed him.
They soon arrived at a patch of bushes. Bigwig nodded at them.
"In there. I'll go speak to her, just so she's not too startled."
The grey buck disappeared into the bushes, and reappeared a moment later carrying a kitten, of all things.
"Bigwig?!" Hazel exclaimed in astonishment.
"It's not mine!" Bigwig declared, releasing the tiny brown doe, which was a bad move, because she promptly bit him in the paw.
"Ow!" Bigwig exclaimed, "You're a feisty one, aren't you?"
"I am not feisty, Mr. Fluff Fur!" the kit declared before biting Bigwig again, "I am Corydalis, and I got you!"
"I see you and I shall get along splendidly," Bigwig muttered.
"If it's not yours, whose is it?" Fiver asked.
Bigwig sighed.
"An Efrafan runaway's. She's very upset. I can't get much out of her, but from what I gather, her mate was killed helping her escape. I think maybe Fiver should talk to her."
"Why me?" Fiver squeaked.
Bigwig sighed.
"Because you're small and insignificant and because I will hit you if you don't!"
"Bigwig!" Hazel objected.
"That was a joke," Bigwig mumbled, "Seriously, though. He won't ask questions and upset her like I did."
"All right," Fiver agreed reluctantly, "I'll go."
The brown buck turned and moved slowly into the bushes. When he caught sight of the doe, curled around two kits even tinier than Corydalis, he gasped in shock.
It was the doe from his dream. The same creamy white and yellow fur, the same gentle turquoise eyes.
Fiver could only stare at her. She was even more beautiful than she had been in his dream. And yet she was covered in dirt, and was that blood on her leg? The seer's heart softened in pity.
"Hello," he said softly.
The doe started.
"You're not the big officer type that was here before," she said.
"No," Fiver agreed, "That's Bigwig. My name's Fiver. What's yours?"
"Poppy," the doe said, "I'm Poppy. This is Rowan and Violet. Corydalis is around here somewhere."
"They're very cute," Fiver said. He paused. He didn't want to push her, but the cut on her leg looked bad.
"Might I look at your leg?" he asked, "It's bleeding badly."
Poppy looked down at her leg as if just noticing the wound.
"Oh. Yes, I guess you can look."
Fiver hopped over and gently pressed his paw against the injury.
"I wish Blackberry were here," he muttered.
"I'm not hurting you, am I?" he asked Poppy. She shook her head.
"How did this happen?" he started, then realized he had gone too far. Poppy pulled away and curled around her kittens again.
"I'm sorry," he said softly, "I shouldn't have said that..."
Poppy did not reply.
Fiver had no idea what to do or say. He had never had to deal with anything like this before. That was always Hazel's job.
"And now it is mine," he thought. The seer peeked through a gap in the bushes and saw that Hazel and Bigwig were...gone?! The seer fought back panic and concentrated. He heard nothing. He hoped they would be all right, but he couldn't leave Poppy defenseless while he went to find them.
Poppy shivered as a blast of cold wind swept through the woods. Fiver sighed. At least until someone else showed up, he would have to stay with Poppy and her kits.
Feeling considerably awkward, the brown rabbit lay down next to Poppy. He wasn't about to let her freeze out here in this sudden cold spell, no matter what Hawkbit might say when he found out. Or Hazel, for that matter.
Hazel and Bigwig had not intended to abandon Fiver. They had made an unanimous decision to go back to the Down, get Blackberry, and come right back. This they would have done, had not Blackberry been occupied with Primrose. Which caused Hazel to do some very uncharacteristic things.
"Hazel, seriously now," Bigwig said, wondering how an ordinarily very sedate buck could become so excited when his mate was having kits. As if there hadn't been kits before, "This is, what, her third litter?"
"Something always happened to the others," Hazel said grimly, "You know that, Bigwig."
Bigwig sighed. He knew it was true. Something always did happen to Hazel and Primrose's litters. He hoped this time would be different...
"It'll be all right," he mumbled, "Third time lucky, right?"
"So they say."
"What wrong, lad?" Bigwig asked, even though he already knew, "The war's over, Woundwort won't be back again, everything's fine."
"He will be back," Hazel said, "That runaway proves it."
Suddenly he froze.
"We've forgotten Fiver and that doe!" he yelped, "Idiot, idiot, idiot!"
"You, me, or Fiver?" Bigwig asked.
"What did you do with that little doe kitten?"
"Um...I let Clover take charge of her. She's a pain in the neck. The kit, I mean, not Clover."
"Why are we sitting in here?" Hazel demanded suddenly, "Let's go get Fiver!"
Bigwig eyed him in concern.
"I'll get Fiver. The last time you started talking like this, you ended up shot and lying in a pipe at the edge of Nuthanger Farm, if you'll recall."
Hazel sighed.
"You're right. You go get them, Bigwig, I'll check on Primrose."
The grey nodded and hurried off in the direction of the place where he had last seen Fiver and the others.
Fiver awoke at once upon feeling a hesitant paw touch his shoulder.
The seer looked up, and to his relief saw Bigwig standing over him.
"Bigwig! Thank Frith! I was worried something had happened to you."
"We went back for Blackberry, but, she's otherwise occupied at the moment. Hazel sent me back to get you and the doe."
"Her name is Poppy," Fiver said without thinking.
"Really?" Bigwig asked, "Made a friend, have you?"
"Hardly. I asked a few too many questions."
"Happens to the best of us," Bigwig said, "Now, would you wake her for me. I don't want to scare her."
Fiver turned to Poppy, and saw that she was already awake.
"I'm coming," she said. She looked at Fiver.
"Will you carry Rowan for me?"
Fiver nodded and picked up the little tan kit gently.
"Where's Corydalis?" Poppy asked.
"I've taken her back to the warren," Bigwig spoke up, "She's safe and warm in there, as you soon will be."
Poppy again looked to Fiver for confirmation. The seer nodded, feeling odd and rather out of place as the only one she seemed to trust.
"All right," Poppy said, "Let's go."
Next part shall be up when it is finished! ;) Please review! :)
