Continued from Chapter 45
Judy wandered through her village with a sense of pride, her hands on her hips. Her clothing was nearly unique compared to the other members of her tribe. She wore a very feathery garment made from the yellow, red, and green plumage of a Racer Reptavian, which she slew with the help of a fox named Nick. Often, she would regale her tribe with the story of how she and the fox took the beast down, but she noticed that when the story was retold often the help of the fox was understated or removed.
The gray rabbit also possessed two prestigious weapons: long daggers, essentially swords for bunnies, made from the longest ribs of the racer and sharpened to have serrated edges. The guards for the daggers were also tied with Racer feathers. Merely having proof of her slaying of a Reptavian was enough to propel her to the position of Leader in her tribe. Not quite to Chief, though the Chief had never slain a Reptavian, but she was female, and tradition was tradition.
Regardless, it was a good enough life, she had a lot of authority in her tribe and she was respected.
"A Reptavian! A Reptavian is coming!" A bunny lookout said from the top of a perch at the wooden walls to their tribe.
"Kind!?" Judy shouted up to him.
"Cobalt scales and sky-blue feathers," The bunny reported as Judy started to climb up. "Fifteen feet tall! Throat sac!"
"A Gusher!" Judy grit her teeth. "If it spits its water blasts at the walls, they could come down! Ready the rocks!" A bunny assembly line moved large rocks toward the walls and upwards to waiting guards. "Wait, the Gusher is chasing someone... is that...!?" A red fox was hurriedly running from the long, bipedal strides of the huge creature that was nearly four times taller than him. He was running with his stone spear out. "Nick!"
Nick hazarded a look back and yelped as the Gusher's maw closed inches from his tail. It whipped instinctively out of the way. Nick clenched his teeth in distress as he saw the aqua-colored throat sac of the creature start to vibrate; it was building up pressure. Nick yelled out and drove his spear into the ground then used the momentum to vault into the air.
PSSSSSSHHHH!
The Gusher opened its mouth and shot a blast of water that tore Nick's planted spear to shreds and burst open a sizable hole in a nearby tree. Nick landed on the ground awkwardly and continued running. He gasped as he looked forward and saw a large wall in his way and a bunch of bunny ears with stones wielded waiting.
"Don't hit the fox!" Judy commanded, pointing at the Reptavian. "Attack the Gusher!" Rocks started flying and the Gusher shrieked as it was pelted, Nick instinctively drew closer to the walls, turning around to look at the Gusher. The Gusher let loose a defiant roar. Judy recieved a rock, but she had the last one. "Ready the next wave!" The Gusher's throat started to vibrate again. "Ruh!" Judy tossed her rock violently and it smacked the Reptavian on the snout.
PSSSSHHFTTT!
The water blast was poorly aimed from the rock forcing its snout downwards and it exploded into the ground, kicking up mud. Nick yelped, as the monster shook its head and readied yet another blast, preparing a much larger one this time. Nick would have to dodge left or right at the last second, but which way? And wouldn't it blow a hole in the walls? Maybe he could escape through there. Maybe-
"Nick!" Judy called out.
Nick's eyes widened in disbelief at the sound of his own name and he saw Judy, his jaw dropping. The bunny was sailing through the air, right at him, her bone daggers drawn. Somehow, in that instant, Nick knew what he had to do. He offered his paws, catching her, crouching down and straightening back up, tossing her upwards.
"Heyaaaagh!" Judy spun through the air towards the Gusher and landed several spinning slashes on the creature's throat sac. Water forcefully sprayed from the wounds and the Gusher tossed its head back in pain, shrieking. Judy landed and dashed back to stand in front of Nick, posing with her daggers. The Gusher backed up defensively and tried to spit another water blast, but it just drooled out a small stream of water. Another round of rocks sailed through the air and pelted the Gusher again, and it shrieked and decided it had enough, retreating with heavy footsteps through the forest.
Nick gave Judy a clearly impressed look.
"Safe, Nick?" Judy smirked, using the foxish word. Nick nodded.
"Safe, Judy," Nick agreed.
The doors to the village opened and bunnies with spears swarmed out around the two. The bunnies pointed their spears in Nick's direction.
"Hey, what's going on?" Judy barked angrily. "I didn't authorize this! Leave this fox alone!"
"You know that's not tribe law, Judy," a bunny said. "We must bring the intruder to our Chief."
"No! Let him be!" Judy shouted. Nick blinked in confusion, unable to understand the bunny words. "I'm your Leader. Obey me!"
"The Chief's proclamations supersede yours," the bunny replied, poking Nick in the back. "Move, fox!"
"Judy?" Nick looked at her worriedly.
"Come, Nick," Judy said in foxish with angered determination. "We go, Nick and Judy."
Nick was brought into the Chief's hut. The Chief, a white bunny with black stripes, sat down on a chair. Nick wondered if the stripes were natural or dyed some way to show his position. He was also wearing clothing made from the Racer Judy slew. Judy had refused to make his outfit any flashier than hers, but she did make him a sort of feathery headdress.
"A fox," the Chief said. "An enlightened mammal has found our tribe." He sighed in distress.
"Chief Savage!" Judy protested. "This is Nick! This is the fox that saved my life from the Racer and helped me slay it! He was the one that delivered the deathblow!"
"Regardless," Chief Savage sighed. "We cannot trust other mammals, much less a predator. Bunnies have and always will be self-sufficient on our large numbers."
"Chief!" Judy narrowed her brow dangerously.
"The fox must not be allowed to leave the village," the Chief said seriously. "Normally, I would have him killed but seeing as he saved your life, I'm willing to allow him to become a permanent prisoner here."
"That's not fair at all!" Judy sneered. "He's done nothing wrong! This fox is the bravest mammal I have ever met!"
Nick felt nervous. He was pretty sure this argument was about him, but being around so many bunnies with sharp weapons and without one himself made him extremely uneasy.
"We bunnies did not get to where we are today by compromising our standards!" Savage leaned over angrily. Judy placed one hand on her hip, feeling for one of her daggers. Wild, illogical thoughts filled her head, like the thought of her usurping the chief-hood from Savage.
"You will release him!" Judy shouted defiantly.
"Will I?" Savage raised an eyebrow. "Then, you must make sure he never comes back."
"How am I to do that?" Judy replied.
"By leaving yourself, and following him," Savage sneered. "If you are so confident in this fox, put your full trust in him. This outsider. This predator. Maybe during the next year we will take you back, assuming you aren't dead by his own paw."
Judy's jaw dropped. "I've had my life in his paws. I do trust him. I will gladly accept exile over having my tribe enslave or kill this innocent fox!"
"A shame," Chief Savage said. "You are a brave bunny, and I was thinking you might have mothered fine, brave kits for me. But, I see your strange ideas finally coming out in the open. Leave us."
"Gladly!" Judy sneered, scoffing in disgust and grabbing Nick by the wrist.
"May Serendipity be with you," Chief Savage added. "You will need her blessing to survive outside of this village."
Judy looked over her shoulder. "Serendipity...? Serendipity brought Nick and I together, twice. I will be with him. Who of us is following what Serendipity has blessed us with?" Jack's jaw dropped and he clenched his fist, but he just scoffed and relaxed back into his chair.
Still confused, Nick was led off by the storming bunny out of the village.
"Come, Nick, we go," Judy repeated in foxish. "Nick and Judy."
A few months passed. Nick and Judy took up the life of adventuring together. Judy entrusted him with one of her daggers until he was able to make a spear again. This time, though, his weapon more resembled a large axe. Nick had found a slightly shorter, more sturdy stick to use as a handle, and by chance the two had discovered the discarded large, reddish talon of a very dangerous and large Reptavian, a Reaper. The curved, hooked talon made for an excellent blade.
Judy liked her new life with Nick. She was trying to learn more foxish from him so she could better communicate with him. As it was, Nick didn't understand why Judy was following him around. He was wondering if they were having some sort of cultural exchange or if he was being tested in some way. Whatever it was, it was lasting a long time.
"Pretty, huh?" Nick said, gesturing to some purple flowers with his axe.
"Pretty," Judy agreed, plucking them up and admiring them. Nick's eyes widened as she popped them into her mouth. "Mm, so tasty!"
"Oh, right," Nick laughed. "Plant eater." Judy smiled brightly.
Judy got a small cultural shock too when she saw Nick crouched over, looking curiously at the stream the two had just drank from. His tail swished to and fro. Judy thought he looked almost cute.
"Ah ha!" Nick said, chopping his axe into the water. When he withdrew it, a wriggling fish was caught on the blade. Judy blinked as she watched Nick set up some sticks and dry grass and rub a flint-stone with his axe, creating a small fire to cook the fish. She had to admit the smell was offensive, but it was interesting, at least. Nick seemed somewhat surprised that she had eaten flowers in front of him, after all. She watched curiously, her hands in her lap, as he ate the fish. They definitely were different species.
A little more time went by, and Judy learned even more foxish. She had refused to teach Nick any of her language, as she was pretty sure she didn't want to return to her own tribe. Nick was reclined against a tree, and it was about midday.
"Food time, Nick!" Judy said slyly, holding out her daggers, a fish impaled on each one.
"Wow, Judy, you don't have to hunt for me," Nick laughed. "I'm capable of doing my own hunting."
"It is fun," Judy replied. "You, me. We are both hunters."
"I think you know enough foxish for me to ask you something," Nick said. "Why are we... doing this? Why is it just you and me?"
"I was banish," Judy explained, removing the fish from her daggers. "For standing with you. For a year."
"What?" Nick narrowed his eyes. "That's awful. I don't want to put you through all that just for my sake."
"You save my life, Nick," Judy shook her head. "The least I can do is repay."
"You already have, bunny," Nick shrugged, creating another small fire to cook his food. "With the Gusher. We're even."
"Eh, the tribe..." Judy groaned, looking away. "It is boring. Bunnies huddle together. They are safe. Dull and safe. We farm."
"You, uh, you like hunting Reptavians?" Nick cocked an eyebrow.
"It is thrilling," Judy admitted, smirking. "You do not?" Judy indicated Nick's own clothing. He now had an outfit made from Racer feathers as well, as they had taken down another one who dared to attack the two a few weeks ago.
"Yeah, it's thrilling," Nick agreed. "Pretty terrifying, though. Reptavians have scattered my tribe twice now. I actually hope to find them again."
"Ah!" Judy nodded. "I will go with you."
Nick sighed, taking a bite of his cooked fish. "I don't know if my tribe will be so open-minded about meeting a bunny, either."
"If you want to find them, I will help you find your tribe," Judy said with determination, munching on some plants she'd also brought.
"Hm... and if I want to just stay with you?" Nick gave a friendly chuckle.
"Then, we are warriors," Judy took a couple of berries out of a pouch and crushed them, rubbing them in streaks across her cheek, staining her fur a burgundy color.
"Hm, maybe I should do that if we can find something that stains my fur gray," Nick smirked.
"Here, for you, your favorite," Judy wiggled her eyebrows, offering him some blueberries. Nick gasped in delight.
"Sorry, but I'm not wasting blueberries by smashing them on my face," Nick said, popping them into his mouth.
The two laughed. In their own way, despite their differences, they were happy together. So, they continued to go together. Nick and Judy.