Chapter 2
Chapter 2: The Threarah
Disclaimer I own neither HTTYD or Watership Down.
(Hiccup slept soundly in the warm darkness of the burrow he shared with Toothless. Suddenly he startled awake, kicking and struggling with his back legs. Something was crawling over him, did a ferret creep in while he slept. But there wasn't any scent of ferret, only him and Toothless's. No instinct told him to run. His head and vision finally clear. Toothless was what was crawling over him, whimpering and scratching.)
(Hiccup wiggles away and to his feet. He pushes Toothless down and holds him.)
Hiccup: (shaking him) Toothless! Wake up! Your going to hurt yourself or me in a moment! Wake up!
(Toothless stops struggling. One wide green eye shoots open and focuses on his brother.)
Toothless: Hiccup, I was dreaming. I…it was awful. I dreamed we were floating down a river on a board like the one in the field. Other rabbits were with us, Bucks and Does. Captain Throk was yelling, and there ..was screaming. (whimpers) Then I …saw the..Bo…board was made of bones and wires. You said swim, everybody swim! I was looking for you and dragging you towards a hole in the bank, but you said that the chief rabbit must go on alone. Then you vanished down a dark tunnel of water.
(Toothless finishes. Hiccup looked himself over from Toothless crawling over him.)
Hiccup: (irate) You hurt my ribs, you know? (snorts) Tunnel of water. Captain Throk can take care of himself. (sighs) They usually do in the Owsla. Can we go back to sleep, now?
Toothless: No, no sleep. The foul feeling I got still her, Hiccup. You said if it personally today, we'd go see the Threarah.
Hiccup: Go see the chief rabbit? Go see him and tell him what?
Toothless: Tell him we need to leave the warren. Before it's too late.
Hiccup: (incredulously) Leave? The Warren, just the two of us?!
Toothless: (shakes his head) No, not just the two of us. The whole warren needs to leave….tonight.
Hiccup: (dry laugh) The whole warren? You've lost your mind, Toothless. He won't listen to us, we're outskirters, remember? No one will listen to us.
Toothless: Then we make them listen. If we can convince Mildew that we need to leave, they'll listen. If not, and they're here when the danger comes, they'll all be done for. (to Hiccup, imploringly) Hiccup, please, you must listen to me. As your brother…as your friend, we have to get out of here.
(Hiccup thought it over. He really wanted to go back to sleep, but Toothless seemed so sure and frightened. Plus, he was usually right about these things.)
Hiccup: (sighs) Well then, we better go see the chief rabbit then. You can tell him about your feeling or I can try to. Come on.
(Together, Hiccup and Toothless exit the burrow. Since it was afternoon, many of the other rabbits were still in their burrows. Two of their friends were out, however, and close by. They had most likely come out to pass hraka. One is the chubby black earred Buck. The other is the sandy furred doe. She has long legs and pale brown eyes. )
(Both notice Hiccup and Toothless and lop over to join them.)
Black earred Buck: Hello, Hiccup. Your out early today,is something wrong?
Hiccup: Toothless seems convinced there's a danger coming to the warren. We're on our way to see Mildew.
(The sandy furred doe stretches her legs.)
Sandy furred doe: So, what does Toothless think is gonna happen?
Hiccup: Ruffnut, I don't rightly know. He got a feeling in the field yesterday. I told him if it continues today, we'd go see the Threarah. I'm hoping seeing Mildew clears things up for me as well. Now, if you'll excuse us.
(Hiccup and Toothless, leave Fishlegs and Ruffnut and head towards the woods that held the Chief rabbits hole. After exchanging a look Fishlegs and Ruffnut hurry over to follow them.)
Fishlegs: (curious) Actually, if you don't mind, Hiccup. We'll come along too, I'm curious to see what all this is about.
Hiccup: If you wanna come, your welcome to. I won't stop you.
Ruffnut: I think it's Tuffnut's turn to guard the Threarah also.
(Tuffnut, Ruffnut's twin brother was once the most trouble making kitten in the whole warren. In their younger days, the two would run all over, screaming that Elil or men were coming to the warren. The Twins father, a highly respected member of the Owsla began training Tuff before he was even at full weight. Soon, the trouble making kitten was a high ranking member of the Owsla.)
(The four rabbits scurry into the woods. Soon they were thirty feet in and weaving their way towards a large oak tree that marked the entrance of the chief rabbit's burrow.)
(There were two rabbits guarding the burrow. One was hopping a small distance away, stopping every now and then to nibble on a patch of clover. The second was sitting among the tree roots. He was large, even more than Dogsbreath, but not as heavily built, though still heavy compared to Hiccup and Toothless. He had dark grey, almost storm cloud grey , fur with lighter tones of sandy fur mixed in with the grey, faint scars crisscrossed his face and body, noticeably a small nick taken out of his left ear. The most curious feature of his was a thick tuft of sandy fur on top of the his head, almost like he was wearing a helmet. It gave him an odd appearance. He bent down to nibble on a nearby coltsfoot, when he suddenly became aware of the fours presence, he sat up, ears twitching.)
Buck: (mouthful, without looking) Go away, he's busy.
(When he didn't hear the sounds of leaving footsteps, he turned and bound towards them. His nose works rapidly, when he saw who it was, he relaxed.)
Buck: Oh, its just you, Hiccup. I thought it might've been something dangerous. (curious) What are you doing here?
Hiccup: We've come to see Mildew. It's important, can you help us, Tuffnut?
(Tuffnut glanced over at Toothless, Fishlegs and his sister.)
Tuffnut: We? Are all of you coming to see him?
Hiccup: Not all, just me and Toothless here.
Tuffnut: Well, what's so—
Voice: Tuffnut!
(All rabbits start as the other guard spoke up. He was bent over a patch of sweet vernal. His fur was tannish, red grey-brown with a black patch of fur on his nose.)
Owsla #2: (mouth full) What do they want?
Tuffnut: They've come to speak with Mildew, Captain Throk.
Throk: (takes another mouthful) What for?
Tuffnut: I don't kn-
Throk: (irritable) Well , send them away. He's busy, you know this.
Tuffnut: (frowns) I'll take care of it, Throk.
(Tuffnut turns back to Hiccup.)
Hiccup: (reasonably) Tuff, you know me. When have I ever asked to speak to the Threarah about anything, before?
(Tuffnut is silent. He pulls up another mouth full of Coltsfoot and chews, grey-blue eyes bore into Hiccups green. He scratched a faint scar on his muzzle. He swallows and sighs)
Tuffnut: (hmmm) All right, go on. I've known you since we were kittens, Hiccup. I know you're a sensible guy. I'll see if he can see you, but I warn you. He's getting on in the years…
(Tuffnut makes for the burrow. Hiccup and Toothless follow.)
Tuffnut:...wait here.
(Tuffnut disappears down the run. Hiccup, Toothless, Fishlegs and Ruffnut crouch low and listen as voices come from within.)
Mildew: …I'm busy.
Tuffnut: Came to see you…sounds important…sensible.
Mildew: Send them in.
(Tuffnut returned up the run. He took up his original spot and indicates with his head that Hiccup and Toothless had been called inside. Before he entered, however, he blocked Hiccup with a paw.)
Tuffnut: But if he bites my head off after this, its you I come looking for, ya hear?
(Hiccup nods, and Tuffnut allowed him to enter. Hiccup and Toothless follow the run until they reach a side burrow. The Threarah Mildew sat with. He's an elderly white rabbit, with long teeth. Laying around him are lettuce leaves.)
Mildew: (politely) Ah, Barf…it is Barf isn't it?... Or is it Belch?
Hiccup: Hiccup, actually sir.
Mildew: Ah, Hiccup. I knew your mother well, and your Father… finest Captain of Owsla I ever knew. (sees Toothless) And…your friend…
Hiccup: Brother, actually.
Mildew:…your brother.
(Mildews voice holds a "don't correct me, again")
Mildew: Well, what can I do for you? Do tell me how I can help. Are you hungry? Have some lettuce.
(Lettuce is a treat outskirters like Hiccup and Toothless seldom or never saw. Hiccup takes a small leaf of the offered vegetable and nibbles on it. Toothless refuses.)
Mildew: Now, what can I do for you?
(Hiccup stops nibbling on the lettuce. Up at the entrance, Fishlegs and Ruffnut step closer to the burrow to listen.)
Hiccup: (hesitant) Err, well it's because of my brother. Ever since yesterday evening, he's had this feeling of danger, coming. He sometimes gets these, and I've often found he's right. He knew the flood was coming last autumn, and the snow last spring. You remember that, it took the Owsla a week to dig all the snow out of the burrows.
Mildew: Yes. Yes. (turns away to nibble on the lettuce) How upsetting, …and what has he "sensed" this time?
(Toothless speaks up.)
Toothless: I don't know, sir. But it's bad, very , very bad.
Mildew: (to Toothless, mouth full) I see. Now what do you suggest we do, about it?
Toothless: Go away from here. We all must. Now!
Mildew: Leave? In May, fine May too. During the mating season? No elil for miles, at least that's what the Owsla tell me. (to Hiccup) What do you think of this?
Hiccup: I don't really know. He can't control these feelings he gets. He just gets them.
(At the entrance to the burrow, Fishlegs leans closer to listen. Suddenly, Throk appears before him snarling, Fishlegs haistily steps back.)
Mildew: (as Hiccup finished) I see,…well I'll give it some very serious though and—
Toothless: (insistent) Your not listening! Theres a danger coming! We have to leave, Threarah! Now..NOW!
(Toothless's voice echoes up the run. At the entrance, Tuffnut, Throk, Fishlegs and Ruffnut jerk their heads at the noise. In the fields, rabbits coming out of their burrows, raise up to look in wonder.)
(Inside Hiccup stares at his brother in disbelief. Mildew remains silent.)
Mildew: (chews his lettuce)
Hiccup: (apologetic) I'm sorry, sir. He gets like this, sometimes.
(Mildew looks up. When he speaks, his voice had a edge to it.)
Mildew: I see, how very unfortunate. (up the run) Tuffnut! (to Hiccup) Hiccup, I believe your brother is unwell. Why don't you take him outside for a sniff of air?
Hiccup: (as Toothless tries to protest) Yes, sir. Thank you for your time.
Mildew: (up the run again) Tuffnut!
(Hiccup leads Toothless back up the run. They pass Tuffnut as he comes down. As they exit, the hear Mildew speaking.)
Mildew: (calm) What was that all about?
Tuffnut: Well, sir—
Mildew: (interrupting) What's your job, as an Owsla?
Tuffnut: To defend the Warren, but—
Mildew: (angry) BUT NOTHING! I TOLD YOU I WANTED TO BE LEFT ALONE , YOU FOOL! AND YOU LET A COUPLE OF OUTSKIRTERS IN HERE! WAKE ME UP!
(Not wanting to hear anymore, Hiccup, Toothless, Fishlegs and Ruffnut head away towards the field. The sounds of Mildew giving Tuffnut an earful follows.)
(Like he said, Tuffnut was getting his head bitten off.)
Hiccup: (to Ruffnut) He'll come looking for me.
There you go. Yes, Tuffnut, my favorite HTTYD Character I portraying my favorite WATERSHIP DOWN Character….Bigwig.