Shadow blinked her eyes and then lifted a paw to get a speck of hard dirt off of them. Talking could be heard down the run. The kit listened quietly, not moving much at all. "Hey, how many cowslips have you found today?" she heard one young buck ask another enthusiastically. "None," the other buck answered, some disappointment in his voice. "Well, I found three..." the first buck said.
Cowslip. That sounded good right now to Shadow. Her marli use to pick out the best flay for her back at home. A moan came from her stomach. Shadow made a few marks on the ground in front of her and then decided to go silf. When she took a step to leave, she almost tripped over herself. Another rabbit walked in front of her. This rabbit had a sleek gray coat and silvery eyes. The doe looked to be young, but not as young as to be a kit. "Hello," she said to the kit softly, trying to act as friendly as she could so she would not frighten the kit. "I've heard about you. Some does in the run said you needed a marli." Shadow swallowed and looked at the doe timidly. Her old marli was dead, she didn't want another. The thing that she wanted the most now was her marli, her real marli. "It is alright little one," the doe said again in that soft voice that reminded Shadow of warm milk. She licked her lips and then swallowed again. "I have kits of my own your age. You'll fit right in. Of course you'll need to be bathed..."
Shadow tried to smile a little but her eyes watered over. The doe looked blurry to her now and she tried to get rid of the tears. "You are coming with me," the doe announced in a voice more firm. With a slight nod of the head, Shadow followed the doe to her burrow where three kits slept in a cozy pile in the center. "You can call me 'marli' if you'd like," she said to Shadow. Shadow just tilted her head and then shook it quickly but only slightly. "I h.. had a.. My marli is dead," Shadow answered, her voice breaking like ice at the end. The marli seemed to understand, which gave Shadow some relief. "You may call me 'Sandy' than," the doe told Shadow. "These are my kits: Daisy, Willow, and Wild Grass." Shadow nodded and tried to block out the memories of her marli and siblings. They hurt too badly. "Hi," she said to the kits. The kits blinked their eyes and went back to sleep. Sandy seemed to be happy with the way everything was going. Before Shadow had time to think, she was being cleaned by Sandy. Her body felt soar and every lick still hurt.
After being cleaned, Shadow laid down next to Sandy and the other kits. Her eyes closed and she tried to get some rest. Safer was how she felt compared to last night. If it wasn't for the smell that surrounded her, she would have thought that she was cuddled up to her real marli, that she had dreamed the last few days or however long it was. Her mind couldn't think up something that horrible though. It was too dreadful to be imaginary or fictional. Shadow slept and had dreams. Images of the weasels haunted them. They were after her marli, then her siblings, then they went after her. Shadow felt fear rush through her and she fought the weasels. A scream woke her up and she was thrown across the burrow. Dirt flew up into her eyes. "Inlé! What are you doing?" Sandy yelled. Shadow's head turned and she realized the question was directed towards her. Her whole body was shaking. The other kits were awake. Shocked expressions and deep scratches covered them all. "I don't want you around my kits anymore. Get out of my burrow," the doe said, raising her voice near the end.
Shadow, confused, scared, and upset, exited the burrow quickly. She rounded the corner, breathing heavily. Tears fell down her cheeks. The doe kit curled up in the run and fell asleep.
Cowslip. That sounded good right now to Shadow. Her marli use to pick out the best flay for her back at home. A moan came from her stomach. Shadow made a few marks on the ground in front of her and then decided to go silf. When she took a step to leave, she almost tripped over herself. Another rabbit walked in front of her. This rabbit had a sleek gray coat and silvery eyes. The doe looked to be young, but not as young as to be a kit. "Hello," she said to the kit softly, trying to act as friendly as she could so she would not frighten the kit. "I've heard about you. Some does in the run said you needed a marli." Shadow swallowed and looked at the doe timidly. Her old marli was dead, she didn't want another. The thing that she wanted the most now was her marli, her real marli. "It is alright little one," the doe said again in that soft voice that reminded Shadow of warm milk. She licked her lips and then swallowed again. "I have kits of my own your age. You'll fit right in. Of course you'll need to be bathed..."
Shadow tried to smile a little but her eyes watered over. The doe looked blurry to her now and she tried to get rid of the tears. "You are coming with me," the doe announced in a voice more firm. With a slight nod of the head, Shadow followed the doe to her burrow where three kits slept in a cozy pile in the center. "You can call me 'marli' if you'd like," she said to Shadow. Shadow just tilted her head and then shook it quickly but only slightly. "I h.. had a.. My marli is dead," Shadow answered, her voice breaking like ice at the end. The marli seemed to understand, which gave Shadow some relief. "You may call me 'Sandy' than," the doe told Shadow. "These are my kits: Daisy, Willow, and Wild Grass." Shadow nodded and tried to block out the memories of her marli and siblings. They hurt too badly. "Hi," she said to the kits. The kits blinked their eyes and went back to sleep. Sandy seemed to be happy with the way everything was going. Before Shadow had time to think, she was being cleaned by Sandy. Her body felt soar and every lick still hurt.
After being cleaned, Shadow laid down next to Sandy and the other kits. Her eyes closed and she tried to get some rest. Safer was how she felt compared to last night. If it wasn't for the smell that surrounded her, she would have thought that she was cuddled up to her real marli, that she had dreamed the last few days or however long it was. Her mind couldn't think up something that horrible though. It was too dreadful to be imaginary or fictional. Shadow slept and had dreams. Images of the weasels haunted them. They were after her marli, then her siblings, then they went after her. Shadow felt fear rush through her and she fought the weasels. A scream woke her up and she was thrown across the burrow. Dirt flew up into her eyes. "Inlé! What are you doing?" Sandy yelled. Shadow's head turned and she realized the question was directed towards her. Her whole body was shaking. The other kits were awake. Shocked expressions and deep scratches covered them all. "I don't want you around my kits anymore. Get out of my burrow," the doe said, raising her voice near the end.
Shadow, confused, scared, and upset, exited the burrow quickly. She rounded the corner, breathing heavily. Tears fell down her cheeks. The doe kit curled up in the run and fell asleep.