I was sleeping peacefully after last night when I was nudged softly awake by Hazel who was smiling at me.
"Good morning, Leo."
"Good morning, Hazel," I yawned. "Good morning, Fiver."
Fiver was still sleeping under the huge leaf like a dog snug in its basket.
I got up and stretched my arms and legs but then I suddenly felt an itch in my ear. I tired to reach it but my arms were too short.
"What's wrong?" asked Hazel.
"My ear is itching like crazy," I replied. "And I can't get at it."
"I'll show you," said Hazel as he sat up. "Sit up like how I am now. Droop your itching ear, now use your foot to scratch the spot."
It felt very nice doing so.
"Thanks, Hazel," I said. "I'll just be outside for some morning air."
Hazel watched me hop off as he hopped over to his brother.
"Good morning, Fiver," he whispered.
Fiver turned his head away.
"It's time up to wake up, little brother."
Fiver started to snore which seemed on purpose.
"You can't fool me, Fiver. Time to wake up."
"I'm too comfortable to wake up," Fiver murmured.
"We'll find you another leaf, now come on."
"Make me," smiled Fiver.
Hazel pounced on his little brother and started to tickle him everywhere.
"Stop it! Stop it!" laughed Fiver.
"Not until you accept it's morning," said Hazel who was now pinning him down and tickling under his feet.
"Okay! Okay! Okay! Good morning! Good morning!"
Hazel released Fiver who lay on the ground gasping for air from laughing.
"That's what happens when you challenge your big brother," smiled Hazel.
"Cruelty," laughed Fiver. "That was nothing but cruelty."
I was standing outside watching the sun shine over us, morning mist floating pass the mountains in the distance and birds singing. I could see the silhouettes of Skree and Hannah up above.
"Good morning, Hannah! Good morning, Skree!"
"Morning, Leo!"
"Look, Mrs. Pratter!"
"Rabbits, Mrs. Pratter!"
"Can we near them?"
I turned to the left to see about seven or eight children with their teacher. They all had lunch boxes clipboards and a pencil with them. They were obviously on a school trip to study nature or something. I remember when I was young our teacher took us to the Birthplace of Dylan Thomas and we went into a playground and outside it was a field with many rabbits.
One went close to me but the teacher called out, "Timmy! No! That rabbit might have rabies on it."
"I shower every night where I come from, toots," I responded.
The boy sulkily walked away from me and the class marched away.
"Leo!" croaked a voice behind me next to a tree; it was Dandelion. He was lying o the ground and looking very hurt.
"Dandelion!" I cried running over to him. There wasn't a cut or gash on him but he looked in pain.
"Are you alright? What happened?"
"Darklunn," he said in shock. "I tried to stop him from getting you and he attacked."
"You're going to be okay," I said, looking around for my foe in fear and at the same time tending to Dandelion. "What can I do?"
"Just one thing," Dandelion gasped. "Beware. Save your coat."
"Arrrrrrr!"
Someone had roared and pounced on me. I screamed in panic with the fear that it was Darklunn - but it was Hawkbit.
They both fell about laughing, tears streaming from their cheeks.
"You should have seen your face!" chortled Dandelion.
"I never knew you to be that easy to trick!" laughed Hawkbit.
"Prats! Rapscallions! Frog-slime lickers! The both of you!" I snapped angrily. "Why do you think I got myself trapped here in the first place?! It's bad enough with Jason winding me up with such things."
Don't get me wrong, I do have a sense of humour, but for things like this. How spiteful could they be to prank me with my own fears?
"Who's Jason?" asked Hawkbit who still hadn't finished laughing.
"My younger brother. You two are just as bad as him. Have you any idea what I dreamed about last night?"
"Umm, Darklunn made you apologise for taking the Necklace of Wisdom and you gave each other a great big hug?"
"Shut up!" I growled as they laughed at Hawkbit's unamusing joke.
"Come on, Leo!" said Dandelion. "You sound almost like Bigwig when we wind him up."
"And you will sound like your own moaning selves when he forces on military exercise while we silflay."
Bigwig was behind them both, looking very aggressive.
"But Bigwig-" started Hawkbit.
"No buts!" he snapped. "It's not funny when it comes to serious matters such as Leo and Darklunn. Now get a move on, the pair of you!"
Intimidated, they began their military exercise.
"Thank you, Bigwig."
"No need to thank me, lad," he responded. "You're a brave buck, Leo."
"After falling for their prank? Yeah, real brave."
"I mean you're brave to not take it form this pests."
"I should at least be physically brave and not let my anger sync form them both."
"Well, you do need to toughen up," said Bigwig. "No one is going to let your rest otherwise - Darklunn for that matter. Come with me."
We went to a small field where there were just tree plants which led to outer meadows over hills in the far off distance.
Bigwig positioned me and then himself.
"Now," said Bigwig. "Imagine I just had you in the face. What are you gonna do?"
I never really fought back before so I just hopped up to him and pushed him gently.
"Alfalfa!" criticised Bigwig. "Even Hannah can push me harder than that."
I went back to my position and ran up to him and pushed him hard to the floor.
"That's more like it!" he praised getting back up. "Now, try to pin me down."
I tried to push him down with force but he kept pushing me back, encouraging me more. I knocked him down with my head and tried to jump onto him to keep him pinned down but the next thing I knew, his feet were on my belly and he sprung me a distance away. I landed on my back and Bigwig appeared pinning me to the floor.
"No match at all," he said harshly but encouragingly.
"We'll see," I said and I broke from his grasp and pinned him down to the ground as hard as I could.
"Ow! Okay! You win! You win!"
I released Bigwig who sat up and coughed.
"Are you okay?" I asked patting his back. "I'm sorry if I hurt you."
"Ah!" He said quickly. "If there is one thing you cannot do in combat training, it's never apologise. Apologise for each training session and you'll lose your Owsla spirit. You show elil who's boss. Understand?"
"Yes, Bigwig. Thank you so much for this session."
"'Tis is my job, lad. Now let's let's get some breakfast."
He hopped on before me. For a little laugh, I decided to impress him. I ran after him, leapt onto his back and knocked him to the ground. We rolled about until I was on-top of him, keeping him pinned down. I looked down at Bigwig and smiled.
Smiling very impressively, Bigwig remarked, "I've never seen so much potential since Strawberry or Pipkin. Well done, lad. That Gorwood bloke probably wouldn't stand a chance against you."
"Thanks," I said. "Neither would you one day, probably."
"Kindly remove yourself from my chest."
I enjoyed a hearty breakfast of grass blades which again Captains Broom and Holly praised my appetite. Hawkbit and Dandelion had returned from military exercise, exhausted and puffing like frogs.
"Never again!" panted Dandelion.
"I never thought you'd run out of breath being a beanpole, Dandelion," remarked Strawberry.
I laughed at his joke out loud.
"You can laugh," panted Hawkbit lying on the ground. "It might be your turn one of these days."
"It already is," I said. "Oh yes, I didn't tell you. I was chased by a cruel man down into this world and now a rabbit has sworn to do away with me."
"For once we have someone else for sarcasm," chuckled Spartina.
"Sleep well, Leo?" asked Campion coming out of the hole we dug last night.
"A bit awkward but okay," I replied. "You?"
"Same with me," he said. "I can't stop worrying about Blackberry. All alone in the warren brewing up our future lives and I'm not there for her if it happens."
I couldn't blame him for worrying. Blackberry, aside from how to get home again, was one of the main things stuck to my mind since this journey. She was a very motherly character and she was very kind to me. I would have given anything to be with her if she was in trouble.
"You can go back if you're concerned," I said.
"No. I cannot back down on my companions. Besides, you yourself need all the help you can get."
"Almost don't," said Bigwig sitting on his front finishing off some clover. "Been teaching Leo some combat and he's already got good at it."
"Oh," groaned Hawkbit. "Now he's gone crying to Bigwig for help?"
"He'll become dangerous one these days, Hawkbit so you had been shut your trap before you victimise yourself," growled Bigwig.
Fiver, who was silfaying next to me, suddenly gasped.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"N-nothing," the runt stammered. "Just a stitch."
But he started to go all sharp-eyed, his mouth open as if he were entranced by a floating bubble from a child's bubble mixture.
"He's off again," I said.
"O' Firth. He's never been like this before," grumbled Hawkbit as he and Dandelion settled down to eat.
"It's alright, Fiver," said Hazel, "I'm here. Now what is ahead for us?"
The first challenge that lies ahead
Does not involve in dropping dead
Two dimwits shall lose their heads
But one will help to show he cares
And Fiver fell unconscious.
"Sounds more like a joke than a hint of danger," commented Bigwig. "'Two dimwits shall lose their heads'".
"I hardly run from any danger," said Pipkin. "I couldn't possibly be one of the two."
"We'll know when we approach what's in store," said Bigwig. "I trained you well enough, Pipkin. So I have a hunch who it might be."
He exchanged a mirrored look at Hawkbit and Dandelion pigging out on the grass.
Hawkbit looked up.
"Say something Bigwig?"
"Just keep your noses clean," said Bigwig. "Who knows what lies ahead?"
I didn't know what was to come but I had a feeling that this was probably to do with unlocking the first souvenir from the soul.
"This might be your first task, Leo," said Fiver.
"Probably," I said.
"Hope I didn't frighten you."
"Not at all," I said smiling kindly. "This is supposed to involved two dimwits. I wonder who they could be," I added sarcastically looking at two particular rabbits whom I was annoyed with.
