Chapter 12: Violet Hued Promises
The young fox walked the now quieted path he had taken that straddled the farm where a good portion of that day had taken place. He beamed, This place is awesome! He thought to himself taking it all in, from the clean smelling air to the open fields all around. And true to what his friend Gazelle back in Harima had said, prey were pretty cool. True they had been skittish at first but just like she had won him over he had won them over by smiling and generally friendly demeanor.
"Hey fox." A taller older rabbit said from beside a post that lined the road. Nick lost in his own thoughts didn't' notice the snide tone.
"Hey." He said in a friendly tone in response. Another rabbit, teenage from their height he noted came up at the post next to the first and another on the left hand side.
"Where you off to?" The first rabbit said in a low tone. This time it having caught his attention, they were still shorter than him, but the dirt and stock of them told him they worked the fields. They presented a more intimidating presence as their numbers quickly grew to six and then seven.
"To the inn we're staying at while passing through." He offered feeling the tension of the situation.
"Yea, some rich fox type stinking up our burrows. Why can't you guys just go through and stay at Zootopia, save us from your stench?" The rabbit scowled.
"Zootopia is usually filled by some of the northern provinces and their entourage." Nick said solemnly as the noticed the mot of rabbits begin to surround him.
"Hey that's right, even now with a predator emperor he likes prey lords more then you stinky mangy predators." The rabbit spat. "Never trust a fox, saw you playing with Leaps kids today. What you trying to pull? Convince them that your kind aren't disgusting savages?" The words continued to sting, his ears lowered with a reserved posture.
"What do you guys want?" Nick said sourly.
"Thought I made that clear, I don't want you stinking up the place. Worse enough we have to put up with you coming into town. You don't even have the decency to stay at the inn." The rabbit spoke with unwarranted hatred he noticed but he wasn't new to it. It was a lot more indirect in Harima where here the group of glowering rabbits seemed to revel in their uncivil behaviour. He felt alone with the sudden realization of the foreign lands. Where in Himeji he was never more than a short earshot from help if he needed. He felt his own paws shake at the nervous tension.
"I don't want any trouble, I'm just heading back to the inn now." He said, but when he tried to walk passed the group a set of them stood in his path.
"Yea, you should have stayed there though. See now you already gone and ruined my day with your stench by not staying there." The rabbit said smugly as the group laughed threateningly. "So I figure a lesson might help remind you where your kind belongs, under our feet. Just like in the good ol times where you mangy predators came begging for food." He laughed openly now the auburn fox himself couldn't believe his ears.
"How dare you, I belong to a noble clan. I won't let some backwater… Hick! Like you look down at me." Nick glared at the rabbit who backpedaled for all of two seconds before smirking.
"Oh don't like the truth? Huh flea riddled mutt." The rabbit retorted shoving him. His own feet caught under him causing him to fall with an oaf.
"Your kind may pretend at being nobles, heck even the emperor is a predator now. But don't you forget the shogun is still prey and he holds all the real power. Under our feet just where you belong." The rabbit mocked as the fox himself felt tears welling up in his eyes. Getting up quickly he moved to get through a small gap in the group of bullies but they closed it as quickly pushing him back again. "Oh, don't think so mutt." The rabbit said smirking as he turned over a rock in his grip. "Alright, let's get the lesson going!" He encouraged the others when he threw the first projectile. Nick screeched at the first impact feeling it cut at his right arm slightly.
"Hey knock it off!" He yelled but just as soon a second impacted the back of his head. Reaching up and around his head he felt the moist red blood from the slight wound. A cacophony of laughs and snide prejudiced insults welled from the group. Cradling his head in his arms with his tail around him one by one the impacts continued. He cried from within the barely helpful protection of his own arms. His heart beat faster and faster with each painful impact, till he felt himself snap. Tears of sadness were replaced with snarls of rage. "Stop!" He yelled diving forward at the first assailing rabbit. The once cocky laughter was replaced with panic and tear when the auburn mammal pinned him to the ground and began punching him.
"Get off! Damn mutt, that hurts!" The rabbit said through sudden sobs as Nick wailed on him yelling in rage. He grabbed the rabbit left ear yanking it up with the rest of his head before landing another good fist into the rabbits face. Crack! The sickening sound was followed with blood when one of his buck teeth now showed a noticeable chunk missing with blood present.
"Hey you savage, get off him!" One of the other rabbits said tackling into the fox. A furious flurry of swings followed. Each time Nick moved to punch viciously with snarls and barks of rage one of the others would catch him from a blind spot. Moving to respond and retaliate was when the others joined in.
"Cowards!" He snarled to no effect as they kept up their cheap shots. Even with their numbers their kicks and punches hurt as they landed, his ribs, muzzle and arms constantly pulsed with fresh bruises and aches. Eventually he was just outnumbered just beyond his ability to keep to his feet. Knocked over they ganged up on him.
"Stupid fox!"
"Mangy mutt!"
"Savage!" they yelled out in a way that constantly felt self justifying to him.
Fist and foot connected with him, yelling grunting, cursing, swinging to no avail. Every time his defensive strikes connected causing a rabbit to back up another took its place to keep hitting him. He caught one of their hands in his jaw the taste of blood when he bit down to stop the offending fist from striking. Another two caught the back end of his feets claws another he smashed square in the jaw. Rage and fear continued fuel him when through tears and blood.
"Lord Wilde!" A loud voice yelled on approach. The assailing rabbits looked up in terror. Four large wolf samurai approached with weapons drawn. Several of the rabbits bound off. Ones hurt by Nicks defensive strike and the screaming one whose hand was still in his sharp teeth weren't so lucky. "Grab them! Master Wilde will want them dealt with." Wolfard helped the young fox up, he recognized the loyal soldier as a skilled samurai of his father's friend lord Snarlov. The three other wolves took hold of four of the rabbits that attacked him including the apparent leader that had started it all. "You alright?" He asked Nick standing defiantly, bruised and cut with blood of his own and the other rabbits covering him. He looked defeated yet refused help while they walked back into town.
"The four rabbits hollered and yelled drawing the attention of onlookers as they passed back through the town, Nick couldn't find that same awe and beauty in it anymore. This time when he watched the questioning looks of the onlooking rabbits he felt their gazes. Their angry hating expressions while they looked at the blood on him and the four rabbits that fought their captors screaming of it 'not being their fault' or 'The fox started it.' and any other flagrant lie.
"We're taking you to warlord Hopps estate, your father is meeting him discussing trade. The lord's will discuss how this is handled." Wolfard stated looking over the hurt fox. "Do you want your wounded treated while we deal with this." He asked. Nick held the same resentful expression as before shaking his head from side to side definitely.
"No, I want to be there when their punishment is decided." He spoke with ice in his veins. The four rabbits hearing this froze in their places. The threat carried in his tone sent shivers down their spines as they came to the late realization.
The estate was manned by a few rabbit guards who looked on in growing confusion and worry as the wolf samurai approached.
"Were here on order of lord Wilde and Snarlov to return lord Wildes son safely to him. Please request his presence as we found his son assailed by peasants in the north west countryside." Wolfard said professionally with an air of authority, the rabbit guard nodded before darting inside. A moment, then two, then three.
"They what!?" A loud voice rang from just inside. Nick recognized his own father's voice and feared how much trouble he would be in now. The sliding door of the entrance flung open with the concerned lord running off the porch. Nick looked up at his father tears still welling in his eyes. But instead of anger he saw furrowed sadness on his father's expression. Wordlessly he broke down into tears running to his father who knelt embracing the sobbing child.
"What happened?" Stu, lord of clan Hopps said from the entrance looking over the confusing scene from his porch with lord Snarlov beside him.
"We were sent to collect master Wildes son, from what we heard, was playing over with some farm children on the far end of town. When we arrived we were horrified to find he had been ganged up on by these vermin." Wolfard spat, the four rabbits silent till then animated again.
"He started it!" The leader said tears in his own eyes. It had turned out his was the mauled hand caught by Nick earlier, blood from it visible.
"Silence!" Wolfard barked at the rabbit, him and his caught cohorts instantly quieted. "We only caught four of them another three involved fled. Would you like us to hunt them down sir?" Wolfard asked the air of assuredness about him as he asked Stu and his own lord Snarlov. There was no mistake given his nose he would find them.
"Let's take a moment, treat their injuries and collect the offender's parents and have this settled." Stu nodded fervently.
"Their injuries." Lord Wilde spoke with Nick still embraced before standing with him in his arms. He turned back to the noble ruler of Kozuke. "Look at my boy." He spoke with a cold tone. "Look at his injuries. They ganged up and beat him viciously. And you want to treat them?" John scowled. "These… Vermin." He bared his fangs looking over at the four rabbits who looked terrified at their situation. The whole moment had grown tense at the emotional scene unfolding. "They attacked a lord's son, my son." He emphasised, tears could be seen in the warlords eyes.
"I will have justice." He demanded Stu exuded his nervous posture.
"We can't be hasty, we'll collect their respective parents and treat their wounds. We'll have the other assailants identified and then punished fairly." Stu spoke attempting any authority he had. But the cold glare returned to him was violent and vicious in the clenched teeth he bore freely.
"Fair?" The fox lord seethed. "I come peacefully to your province, to your own village, to discuss continued trade and commerce between our two provinces. I come with friendship and alliance. Ready to put aside old hatreds between our species." He approached climbing the stairs with his son in his arms walking over to the patriarch of clan Hopps. "And instead I get my son assaulted in your own fief, a noble, by some low born rabble." The fox seethed with rage now almost nose to nose with the rabbit lord. The nervous rabbit guards drew their swords in a moment of chaos. Wolfard and his team did the same dropping the four rabbits in tow.
"Woah, weapons DOWN!" Snarlov spoke with authority, Wolfard and the three samurai immediately following command.
"Do the same, lower you swords." Stu rasped at his guards. They didn't. "Lower your weapons, NOW!" He yelled, this time they did cautiously and nervously.
"You don't even have the respect of your guards." The fox lord spoke eerily. "I won't find justice here. I am leaving, lord Snarlov, thank you for your mens assistance in this matter." The fox's lords expression instantly sank into an honorable one as he bowed at his friend before looking the rabbit lord in the face. "Goodbye lord rabbit." He spat before leaving. Two of the four wolf samurai there followed the fox lord as he left the estate his son still in his arms. Wolfard and another black wolf remained the guards of Snarlov. The wolf lord in question looking at the rabbit lord a more neutral tone.
"I am afraid that we no longer pursue trade relations with clan Hopps of Kozuke, I take my leave lord Hopps." He spoke in a more even tone but it swelled with silent seething at the rabbit lord. They left in much the pronounced steps the fox lord had before them. The silence could almost allow for the rapidly beating hearts of the present to be heard.
"Finally, mangy mutts." Stu heard one of the four accused rabbits say. His immediate glare landed on them.
"Treat their wounds, bind them and arrest them." Stu said but nothing happened. "Now!" He yelled again as the two present guards followed suit. "You will tell me of the others involved, you will all be punished publicly to the full extent of your crimes." Stu seethed and his words bore their threat clearly.
"There we go. Hows that feel?" The older arctic fox spoke to Nick. His father had returned to the inn they stayed at with his guards and other entourage. The fox in question was Suzans mother, a herbalist and healer. She treated his wounds with readily made ointments and herbs with bandages. One on his cheek where he had been hit by a small rock before required some stitches. Nick took them all without complaint.
"Thanks." He smiled warmly at the motherly vixen.
"What were you doing!" His father present in the room said. His voice was a mix of rage and worry. "You should have stayed with us. Or waited and asked for a guard. It's not safe." He said kneeling before his son who sat there with a somber, down and tired expression.
"I know, I'm sorry. I just thought this place was better than old stories. We had so much fun, I thought they were different." A new tear followed the line of fur from his tears earlier.
'Gazelle was wrong' Nick thought to himself, he had been nothing but nice and friendly. And still even seeing that the rabbits hated him and attacked him just for what he was. She was wrong and he was wrong for believing her. His thoughts returned to the violet eyes that looked back at him. The mutual admiration with the rabbit he befriended that day. 'To prove that she could.' The words ran over and over again in his head.
"Father." Nick said sitting straight trying to exude a strong appearance. He looked up the most serious expression that had ever crossed his face. "I want to be trained as a warrior, I want to be a samurai." He said adamantly. His father sat back looking over his son with furrowed brows mixed with worry. Nick didn't know if he could ever prove that a fox could be honest, trustworthy and loyal. But as he thought about it he couldn't think of a better way to prove it. An honored and respectable warrior, loyal, skilled and lethal. He tried again and again to tell himself that it wasn't about the anger he felt towards the ignorant prey that goaded, insulted, humiliated and attacked him. But he wasn't about to start his path of honesty by lying to himself. "I want to be able and ready to stop things like that from happening. Be just and fair and honest. I want to prove I can." He said looking his father square in the eyes. A beat passed before his father bowed his head affirmatively.
"Alright." The fox lord smiled warmly. Nick smiled running over and hugging his father again. "It will be no simple task, you will have to work at it, years of practice and it will take great dedication. You'll need your mother's permission and you know how she dotes on you." He smiled as his son laughed.
"Yea, thats true. But I can… I will." His expression turned serious again. His father couldn't help but laugh to himself how how adorable his small sons attempts at looking serious were.
He went to bed that night with fear and anger waring for control of his goals. But memories crept into his fading consciousness of the violet orbs that held so much determination. How much more sure and strong she seemed in her dreams than him. He felt guilt even jealous of her. He didn't know if you could ever change things. He didn't know if he had the strength to but now he knew where to get the strength, he could see it in thous same violet eyes.
I don't know if I can ever prove that a fox can be honest, trustworthy and honorable. I promise to try, I'm just gonna borrow your determination. At least until I figure it out ok?
He asked to the violet memory, almost a mantra as he fell into the deepening and welcoming embrace of the darkness behind his heavy eyes.