New chapter time~
Also returning to the original story after this chapter (:


Ash awoke from his dream with a start, tears falling freely over his cheeks, tears that were spilling and swallowing the earth beneath him.
In his ears echoed a thousand laughing ghosts. He could make no sense of where he was; a dark, stuffy burrow and began to struggle in the dust, feeling the claustrophobia grasp at his lungs.
It didn't smell like home. There was no welcoming touch of Poppy's hand brushing his hair out of his eyes and lulling him back to sleep with her words. But there was a new warmth that filled the small space. It gripped him now, as two fairly large hands reached out and took his shoulders firmly.

"Hey, Bucko! Cool it! Don't fret!" the voice was deep but kind as if verging on friendly laughter. Ash's body went still apart from a shudder that coarsed briefly through his body.
"A-are you Inlé…?" he croaked in fright. The soft, husky laughter he had anticipated before filled the room with happy sound.
"Frith no! Me, I'm just a lowly servant."

Ash relaxed and the stranger sensing this, gently withdrew his hands. Sensing no immediate danger, Ash decided to sit up and survey his unfamiliar surroundings.
It was a small, cell like burrow with a low ceiling and just enough room for two — maybe three— full grown rabbits. It was terribly dark which Ash hated. Poppy had always made sure there was a skylight for the moon and afternoon light to stream through.
He was petrified of the darkness.

The stranger— Captain Bailey— sensed that the boy was distressed so decide to strike up some conversation.
Somehow, he'd managed to convince the head Officer to let him house the boy and stay beside him to help him settle. Though he had no idea why for what use was this boy to him?

"Tell me, you must seem pretty confused I apologize, but just how old are you?" he asked softly.
"I'll be seventeen in September coming." Ash replied absently. Bailey nearly choked. Seventeen?

He certainly didn't look his age though, it was obvious from the oppresive silence that questioning his age was what usually was asked of him. Not wanting to create any glitches on their first meeting, Bailey continued with his questions as calmly as he could muster.

"Sixteen, ok. So what's your name? I'd rather like to get to know you. I'm Willow. Captain Bailey Willow, call me Baily."
"Ash. It's um… Very nice to meet you…" The boy sounded nervous which, for reasons unbeknown to even himself made Bailey frown.
"Say, Ash, are you alright?" he asked.
Ash fidgeted. Aside from being kidnapped and being seperated from my only living relative...
"…the dark always makes me… Y-you see I just don't…"

Bailey nodded but, realising that his young aquaintance couldn't really see, he quickly scraped the ceiling away until strands of hot amber sun rays drifted into the chamber.
Ash took a shaky breath and let his pulse slow as he assured himself he was fine. After a few moments of calming, he stole a glance at his company, receiving a slight shock when he realised that it was the same handsome young man he'd been captured — metaphorically speaking— by yesterday.

"Oh! You're—!" he gasped.
Blinking in the faint light, Ash felt the tears still staining his dirt smeared cheeks and swiftly began to rub them away, shyly eager to impress this man.
"Don't be bothered so much about appearances Ash, I'd rather we got to know each other first." Bailey gave the younger rabbit a heart stopping smile. "Please, share with me whatever you'd like. It's completely confidential."

He hated to sound cliche but the awestruck little rabbit seemed not to care. Ash felt no reason to distrust or dislike this man and suddenly an emotion described only as despair welled in his throat.
The running, Poppy, lying in the field- it all came flooding back in horribly reality. Suddenly without warning or consideration, everything gushed out at top speed as fresh tears formed in his eyes and he began to shake and tremble from the effort of speech.

Edging closer, just as he finished, Bailey wrapped Ash in a safe, secure hug. Some few minutes later he felt dampness soak his shirt and the undeniabled hiccuping sobs. Then, later still, the younger buck began to shift slightly and breath softer as he drifted into troubled dreams once more.
Captain Bailey sat stroking Ash's hair, chewing the story that had been spouted from this strange child's lips moments before. He couldn't quite grasp how he had managed to get himself stuck in Vaorah warren while Poppy — his sister— fought off a good deal of their rabbits. Sighing, he shifted the teenager onto his lap where he kept his head rested in a safe cradle of his arm, the other hand brushing hair and tears from the lonely rabbits soft, sleeping features.


To Be Continued...