It was a sunny day, and lord Frith shone high in the sky over the lowly down. A small rabbit warren lay nestled in amongst the roots of a blossoming cherry tree, which grew on the sloping hillside. Still being developed, only a minimal amount of rabbits inhabited the area. Some of which were above ground at silflay at the moment.

The Black Rabbit of Inle patiently sat on the ground, near the base of the tree, taking in all the surroundings, and watching a group of bucks and does loafing around nearby with some interest. But, he wasn't here for any of them today. Instead, his attention was diverted to a hole just inches from where he resided.

A set of black tipped brown ears emerged out of the rabbit hole. Followed by a young doe poking her head out, scanning the area for any signs of elil, or predators with her large brown eyes. Satisfied, she moved her body upwards, and out into the open with a powerful thrust from her hind legs. The rabbit hopped away a bit, turned around back towards where she had emerged from, and sat erect with her ears foreword, and eyes focused. She scanned her surroundings once more for anything dangerous that may be lurking about, before calling her kits to come up to join her.

Four tiny balls of dark brown fur hopped up silf one by one through the hole to join their marli. These kits were just barely three weeks old. Old enough to get their first glimpse of the world, and learn the skills that they would need to survive.

The Black Rabbit of Inle's gaze came to rest on a small rabbit in this litter. Not the runt, but the third largest of the bunch. A doe, one of the strongest kits of the batch. He watched the youngster start taking her first taste of the sweet grass that grew beneath their feet, and knew that something would happen to her. Only he wasn't sure what would come along to end her life.

Suddenly something struck down out of the sky like a shaft of lightening striking the earth. There was a flurry of brown fur and feathers. A long, drawn out, blood-curdling scream of terror and pain escaped from the dying kits lungs. Rabbits, including the marli, and the remainder of her litter, panicked, darting into the nearest holes for safety.

The attack was finished in a matter of seconds. Death had come flying in on the wings of a hawk, while the Black Rabbit of Inle looked on. Things were quiet now. Rabbits were slowly emerging from the warren out silf, as if they had forgotten about what had just happened. There were no signs of the bird, or the kitten's body. Save for her soul that had lingered behind for him to collect.

The doe looked up at the Black rabbit of Inle with curiosity, and wonder. She was too young to fully understand death, and probably didn't know what had just happened to her. She would never grow up or old, always staying the same age. Sure her mother would miss her. But, this was the reason why does had such large litters. Only a certain percentage of their babies made it to adulthood. In time, her heart would heal, and she would eventually have more litters during her life.

The Black rabbit spoke to the kit as she danced and played around his forefeet, his voice sounding like that of a gently flowing brook, "Come my little one. It is time to go."

He and the young one melted away into the air as they started the journey to the place where rabbits go after they die.