Darker grew the night until Frith's light had melted entirely in the
distance. Shadow had done well keeping images of her family's death out of
her mind but as she hopped along, the thought of what was hiding in the
dark made her lose control.
"I should think of the night as a blanket to protect me," the young doe thought. "But in this darkness anything could be waiting for me and so far, it has only been something to run from." Her legs moved faster again and sped up. The sky was growing cloudy, making the night darker and hiding even more. A rustling noise startled her and she froze, moving no more than a rock embedded in the earth. "I told you, no elil around. Haven't run into a bit a embleer scent might I add," came the voice of a young buck. "But if we did run into elil, we'd be dead and we have been lucky so far, Pecan," answered another buck. Shadow knew that they were other rabbits, but were they safe?
"Hey, I smell something. It smells like another rabbit... Who is that?" came another voice, this one from the second rabbit. "We are a large group of rabbits, but we don't mean any harm," yelled the other. "Shut-up" "What?"
Shadow hopped slowly towards the bucks until she could see their figures. Only two rabbits were there and she suspected they were hlessil. "I'm Shadow...a hlessi," Shadow spoke slowly. The bucks came closer to her and sniffed her; Shadow could tell that the bucks were close in age to each other, maybe around four months old. "This is Pecan, and I'm Elm," the slightly larger rabbit introduced himself and his companion. In the darkness it was hard to make out their faces.
"Would you like to come with us," Pecan asked. "We are going to a warren. 'Bout a days walk 'till then, when we arrive that is."
Shadow didn't like how close they stood to her but they seemed nice enough. "I'd love to," she responded, taking a small step back. Again, the bucks moved closer to her and sniffed at her. Shadow thought about sniffing them too but instead she froze until Elm spoke, "Come on then with us. Stay close. Never know when elil will jump out."
In the darkness, the three rabbits moved. Shadow felt some comfort being with other rabbits, ones with out a home like herself, but they couldn't save her if elil came. The more rabbits, the more elil. "Lets stop," Elm spoke after a while of travel. We'll rest in that tree trunk. See? There is a hole in it. Shadow, you in first. We'll just be talking over directions but we'll be to sleep shortly."
While staring into the hole, and smelling its damp, near rotten bark, Shadow placed her front paws in the hole and lifted herself up inside. Shadow sat down and was about to wash her paws when something told her to stop and listen to the two bucks... Their talking was quiet but she could still hear:
"I say I found her first. This was my idea and by the time breeding season starts she'll be about ready anyway."
"Oh yeah? I came along too you know. I helped find her just as much as you did. You couldn't even fight off the other bucks. You know you'll never grow to full size. Hraka warren for having so few does."
"Well why go back to the warren then? Keep her out here and you can find a doe in the mean time."
"A doe won't have kits out here, stupid."
Shadow swallowed. "Want me they will not once they get a good look at me in the morning," she thought. "I'll wait until they fall asleep and then I will leave." Full of fear and disappointment, Shadow rested her head and closed her tired eyes. Badly her body needed rest and it felt like her heart was sour from beating so much and so fast.
By the time the bucks fell asleep, Shadow was in a very deep sleep. Frith's light was glowing warmly, making Shadow's eyes flutter open. "Oh no," said in her mind, realizing that it was morning: she had slept all night. Elm's ears twitched and he opened his eyes. Shadow knew what he was thinking as his eyes scanned her body. It felt like he was cutting her up like the weasels had, cutting her up again. "Wake up," Elm shook his friend, who immediately understood the reason he was awaken.
"How did you get like that," Elm asked Shadow in an irritated voice, making her feel incredibly uneasy. Shadow took a step back, her ears were held firmly to the back of her head. "Elil," she answered, voice quivering. "They.. killed my family." Elm kept his eyes on the doe but spoke to his friend. "We wouldn't want to bring that back with us," he said, knowing that his friend would agree. "But a young doe is still a doe so... Lets both mate with her and leave her," answered Pecan.
Shadow backed up again but this time her heals were against wall of the hollow and she had no where to go. A flood of horror overwhelmed her body. Waves of desperation crashed inside of her heart and she could hear them louder than her own thoughts. Elm was blocking the way out but she was small... If she ran towards them swiftly enough then maybe she could squeeze past. The fact that she had a plan gave her no comfort. 'Now Shadow! Just run,' she kept saying to herself over and over. 'Oh Frith! Help me again!' The young doe pushed her back legs out and sprung across the hollow. Elm jumped at the doe's sudden move and Shadow was able to free herself. There was still danger! She had only escaped the hollow but the bucks could run, she was sure of it. Faster and faster her legs moved and kept moving. On and on she ran for what seemed like forever. Finally, Shadow collapsed on the ground. The bucks were gone and her legs felt like jelly... Her heart was broken though, she was alone again, like she had wanted..
"I should think of the night as a blanket to protect me," the young doe thought. "But in this darkness anything could be waiting for me and so far, it has only been something to run from." Her legs moved faster again and sped up. The sky was growing cloudy, making the night darker and hiding even more. A rustling noise startled her and she froze, moving no more than a rock embedded in the earth. "I told you, no elil around. Haven't run into a bit a embleer scent might I add," came the voice of a young buck. "But if we did run into elil, we'd be dead and we have been lucky so far, Pecan," answered another buck. Shadow knew that they were other rabbits, but were they safe?
"Hey, I smell something. It smells like another rabbit... Who is that?" came another voice, this one from the second rabbit. "We are a large group of rabbits, but we don't mean any harm," yelled the other. "Shut-up" "What?"
Shadow hopped slowly towards the bucks until she could see their figures. Only two rabbits were there and she suspected they were hlessil. "I'm Shadow...a hlessi," Shadow spoke slowly. The bucks came closer to her and sniffed her; Shadow could tell that the bucks were close in age to each other, maybe around four months old. "This is Pecan, and I'm Elm," the slightly larger rabbit introduced himself and his companion. In the darkness it was hard to make out their faces.
"Would you like to come with us," Pecan asked. "We are going to a warren. 'Bout a days walk 'till then, when we arrive that is."
Shadow didn't like how close they stood to her but they seemed nice enough. "I'd love to," she responded, taking a small step back. Again, the bucks moved closer to her and sniffed at her. Shadow thought about sniffing them too but instead she froze until Elm spoke, "Come on then with us. Stay close. Never know when elil will jump out."
In the darkness, the three rabbits moved. Shadow felt some comfort being with other rabbits, ones with out a home like herself, but they couldn't save her if elil came. The more rabbits, the more elil. "Lets stop," Elm spoke after a while of travel. We'll rest in that tree trunk. See? There is a hole in it. Shadow, you in first. We'll just be talking over directions but we'll be to sleep shortly."
While staring into the hole, and smelling its damp, near rotten bark, Shadow placed her front paws in the hole and lifted herself up inside. Shadow sat down and was about to wash her paws when something told her to stop and listen to the two bucks... Their talking was quiet but she could still hear:
"I say I found her first. This was my idea and by the time breeding season starts she'll be about ready anyway."
"Oh yeah? I came along too you know. I helped find her just as much as you did. You couldn't even fight off the other bucks. You know you'll never grow to full size. Hraka warren for having so few does."
"Well why go back to the warren then? Keep her out here and you can find a doe in the mean time."
"A doe won't have kits out here, stupid."
Shadow swallowed. "Want me they will not once they get a good look at me in the morning," she thought. "I'll wait until they fall asleep and then I will leave." Full of fear and disappointment, Shadow rested her head and closed her tired eyes. Badly her body needed rest and it felt like her heart was sour from beating so much and so fast.
By the time the bucks fell asleep, Shadow was in a very deep sleep. Frith's light was glowing warmly, making Shadow's eyes flutter open. "Oh no," said in her mind, realizing that it was morning: she had slept all night. Elm's ears twitched and he opened his eyes. Shadow knew what he was thinking as his eyes scanned her body. It felt like he was cutting her up like the weasels had, cutting her up again. "Wake up," Elm shook his friend, who immediately understood the reason he was awaken.
"How did you get like that," Elm asked Shadow in an irritated voice, making her feel incredibly uneasy. Shadow took a step back, her ears were held firmly to the back of her head. "Elil," she answered, voice quivering. "They.. killed my family." Elm kept his eyes on the doe but spoke to his friend. "We wouldn't want to bring that back with us," he said, knowing that his friend would agree. "But a young doe is still a doe so... Lets both mate with her and leave her," answered Pecan.
Shadow backed up again but this time her heals were against wall of the hollow and she had no where to go. A flood of horror overwhelmed her body. Waves of desperation crashed inside of her heart and she could hear them louder than her own thoughts. Elm was blocking the way out but she was small... If she ran towards them swiftly enough then maybe she could squeeze past. The fact that she had a plan gave her no comfort. 'Now Shadow! Just run,' she kept saying to herself over and over. 'Oh Frith! Help me again!' The young doe pushed her back legs out and sprung across the hollow. Elm jumped at the doe's sudden move and Shadow was able to free herself. There was still danger! She had only escaped the hollow but the bucks could run, she was sure of it. Faster and faster her legs moved and kept moving. On and on she ran for what seemed like forever. Finally, Shadow collapsed on the ground. The bucks were gone and her legs felt like jelly... Her heart was broken though, she was alone again, like she had wanted..