finally chap three ready. sorry, fanfiction was messed up for awhile. so read and review please!
Chapter Three: The Dream
Day after terribly slow day, Iris returned to the burrow of Hayfur after silfay. She felt the buck becoming attached to her but could feel nothing in return. Her instincts still told her he was not good. So, every time Iris was forced to talk with him in his burrow, she would compare him to herself. Then she would silently spit in frustration because, no matter how much she grew and healed, he was still a step ahead in strength. Then, even during some evenings when Foxglove and Iris would rest in the burrow in the evening, the increasingly ill-famed Hayfur would come and take her away for more quiet talk-time in his burrow.
Then, just as Iris began to feel safe in Hayfur's presence, her faith was shattered by the truth. She had believed he might've been kind at heart to care for a scarred, little doe.
Then Iris discovered why.
As Iris was lolloping down a warren passageway towards her mate's burrow, Nightshade had slipped past her at a slightly quicker pace. Seeing as how the buck was heading in the same direction as she was, Iris decided to indulge her mischievous side and follow him. As the scarred doe had predicted, he turned into Hayfur's home. She sat just outside to listen in as their voices floated out to her.
"I was beginning to believe you fancied Iris," Nightshade gently teased yet it seemed he was masking another tone that Iris couldn't place.
Hayfur sounded heartlessly cold. "It doesn't matter, really. Iris is docile, submissive from being pushed around. All the easier for me to control."
Iris felt someone claw her soul though there was no one there. Her eyes went even wider when the enraged voice of Nightshade crashed into her ears.
"How dare you-you use, Iris!" the formidably larger buck spluttered. "I can't believe you'd do that." There was the sound of a small scuffle then Nightshade stormed out of the burrow and ran straight into Iris. He scrambled to his paws and helped her up. Large tears were welling up in the doe's brown eyes.
"How much did you hear?" he asked, fearing that she heard his compassion. Fraternizing with another buck's doe was considered punishable in the Quicksand burrows.
"Too much," she choked out as the tears in her eyes rolled down her face. Nightshade seemed to hesitate for a moment then nosed forward and gave her an affectionate nudge. In return, Iris leaned on him for a moment.
Nightshade silently led Iris to her burrow then left, leaving Iris to wonder how he knew where her burrow was. The doe felt a soft spot for him but the shattering of faith for her mate was just to recent. She could only sleep uneasily for now.
Iris awoke to the sound of other does whispering in the darkness of her burrow.
Foxglove was talking tensely to leaner, tan doe. Iris knew her. It was the timid Sandvally who knew quite a bit. Then the other face was recognized by Iris, a tawny brown rabbit who looked deceptively meek. She was called Reed-in-Water or Reed for short.
"Reed, you've contacted all of our rabbits on the winter burrows side and I've talked to all ours rabbits on the side under that young oak. Sandvally, how far have you gotten?"
"Well," she said softly, "Everyone except your new friend. We'll tell her, now that she's awake." The other two does glanced at the scarred rabbit in surprise to realize she had just awoken and was now confused and blinking quickly.
"What are you talking about?" she asked with a nervous edge in her voice.
Little Sandvally hopped slowly to the burrow entrance, glanced out to be sure of secrecy and then gave the go signal to Foxglove. The light doe gave a quick breath in then plunged into the explanation.
"We're planning an escape Fu Inlé. All the does are coming and so are a few bucks who don't believe in the way we are treated," the little, tan doe explained. "One of them is your mate, Hayfur, I believe."
Iris then scrambled to her paws in horror. "Not Hayfur!" She whispered loudly. "He doesn't care for any of us. The wretched buck only chose me because I was weak and would be easy to control." The others only stared on in shock.
"Well, there's nothing to be done now. We've just got to hope for the best." Foxglove replied grimly. "Let's get some rest before silfay, Iris." That sufficiently concluded the meeting.
When the guard came by the let them know that it was time to eat, Iris jumped in fear then led herself silently outside as the last splash of red sunlight fell into the horizon. The evening was cool and breezy with a few clouds rolling through the indigo sky. Iris could hardly let herself relax enough to sit and eat. Her senses were on high alert. She had tried to escape once and that had not turned out so well.
Once her time was up for silfay, she found the darkness of her burrow waiting. She wanted the comfort of sleep but sleep was hardly comforting. A dream she thought she had banished from her mind long ago resurfaced.
The darkness was terrible. It wrapped silently around her throat with merciless fingers and pushed her down where she could not stand. Iris thrashed violently, fear lending strength to her body. Her paw scraped against something a mere whisker's breadth away; a fur pelt that seemed familiar.
Pawsteps echoed from far away. Iris acted desperately, hoping the noise would draw the distant rabbits closer, to save her. Then a chill wind tore at her fur, forcing her to close her eyes that could not see in this cold darkness. Then she realized the creature approaching was not a rabbit but a demon in rabbit clothing. Iris knew then that she could not let the demon any closer, that she must escape.
A shaft of light fell on the demon's face. With such contrast from pitch black to bright light, Iris had to narrow her eyes to slits but Hayfur's face was burned into her memory nonetheless.
soooo, what do you think? review please!