Chapter One: Gather, Gather, and Gather Some More

It was mid-November now and this afternoon's forecast was thick and low-laying overcast with a chance of showers. The rabbit family were frantically preparing for the winter ahead as it had begun quicker than anticipated, not to Coco's surprise.

*

"BUNNIE?!"

The little rabbit popped her head up from the grass, her eyes glassy as she thought she was in trouble.

"BUNNIE?!"

She waved her arm in the air. "Over here, Mama!"

Dotty whipped herself fully around. Her expression loosened as she saw her baby rabbit was alright. She approached her awkwardly as she had tufts of grass stuck underneath her arms.

"Bunnie, you cannot disappear like that!" Dotty scolded.

"But Maaaa! You told me to go get some livin' grass and that's what I was doin'!" Bunnie scuttled around a bit in the towering vegetation, while still only her head was visible. She raised her arms high in the air and in them were nine strands of luscious, green grass. "See, Mama! I did what you told!" Her expression was scrunched at the effort it took to hold her arms that high.

Dotty sighed. "You did well, baby. You had me worried, that's all."

"Well don't fret, Mama, I am safe."

"You're dangerously close to Morne Forest! Just past that big oak tree and you'd likely to have been killed!"

Bunnie peered over her shoulder and at the massive oak tree which sprouted only a few feet from backside. "Oh, Mama, there are no hunters out THIS early…"

"You're right, no hunters, but Pappy O'Hare said he saw a lynx pack and a few martins prowling. They know not to go on our side of the oak, but you should be cautious none the less!"

Bunnie again vanished in the tall, dying grass.

"Bunnie? Bunnie?!"

"I'm on my way out, Mama, calm down!" the little rabbit's voice was muffled by the vegetation engulfing her.

A subtle crunch followed the footsteps of Bunnie and as she burst from the grass, dead pieces clung to her clothes and hair.

Dotty giggled and gestured her daughter over. When Bunnie stopped before her, Dotty began brushing the grass from her anally.

"Come on, Bunnie, we'll go back to the den now…" The mother rabbit trailed off while pushing her child in front of her.

It was a two minute hike from Morne Forest's tree line and their den. The two rodents made it there rather quickly as the winds were picking up and they didn't want to be caught up in a storm.

Bunnie entered first. Tossing her small grass bundle down before herself, the little rabbit stumbled in and continued to stumble the entire way down. Dotty winced as she watched her child fall; she scuttled down after her with much more discretion.

The little rabbit quickly clambered to her chamber at the very end of the hallway, neglecting her grass bundle which was carelessly thrown at the den's entrance. Dotty exhaled deeply and snatched up her daughter's findings, then discarded their grass in the giant pile in the living room's corner.

Coco was nimbly working away. Her hands moved across the weaves like lightning as she fastened grass strands into each other. A neatly stacked pile of her pillows leaned against the chair she sat upright in.

Coco smiled at her daughter-in-law and pat her hand on the idle stool beside her. "Come, sit. I could use your help making some more blankets, rugs and pillows."

Dotty obeyed and sat beside her. Scooping some grass into her paws on the way to the stool. "I may make some hats and mittens… it looks like you have the pillows covered."

The grandmother rabbit nodded slowly, her face moving with the snaps and rolls of her wrists.

"What's this?" Dotty asked, poking at a basket bulging with presents: nuts, seeds, wool, berries and water. All of which was topped off by an elegant, pink bow.

"A present from Doc," Coco said, her voice hastened as she struggled to get a small end of grass through an even smaller hole. She went to talk, but stopped as a cough found its way up her throat. "His niece, Pippy, dropped it off, though. She said it's a winter warming basket. It will surely come in handy," she finished once her cough diminished.

"Oh, that's wonderful! We'll have to drop by Doc's den tonight for a visit… that man is so generous."

As the two girls got serious into their weaving, their conversing ceased.

"So, how was your trip?" Coco asked plainly after minutes of comfortable silence.

"Oh, that Bunnie! She is a piece of work; into this and that, as always. I swear one of these days she'll get her tail bitten off by an owl and not even realize it!"

The corners of Coco's mouth curled. "Typical Bunnie."

As Dotty just finished her first hat, she held it out in front of her, observing her work. She laid it by her feet and scooped up more grass from the now-dwindling bundle.

"Where are the boys?" Dotty asked, referring to Gaston, Genji and O'Hare.

Coco bit her lip as she burst a string of already woven grass. "They're still outside collecting berries and nuts for the winter."

Dotty shifted in her stool and angled her head so she could peer out the hole to the outside.

"Oooh. I hope they make it back soon… the clouds look menacing this afternoon and the winds were getting strong just as me and Bunnie were coming in."

"Yes," Coco agreed quietly, "There shall be a storm tonight."