Chapter Twenty.

Jihae's heart was racing as he entered the library, a part of him longing to be alongside Winter again. He knew she had gone out to meet with Jieun but she did not know he had gone here. A concerned expression flickered onto Jihae's face as he noticed who he was looking for. Up ahead sat Jiwoo, the male rabbit completely alone at a table. Before approaching him Jihae wondered how Winter was doing at the beach. Would Jieun want to move in with them? Doubt filled his heart, knowing he would meet with him tomorrow. If the answer was yes then why would he want to meet him alone tomorrow? He couldn't help but feel that tomorrow was going to be an unpleasant day.
"Do you plan to stand there all day?" Jiwoo's voice snapped making Jihae fall out of his thoughts.

The high class spotted rabbit looked up at him in annoyance, a look Jihae had grown used to. Jihae didn't respond to his comment, deciding to take a seat opposite him. The small table he was sat at had several books piled to one side, the titles of them suggesting they were mostly romance novels. Paper with scribbled notes sat in front of Jiwoo, the rabbit noticing his gaze immediately as he hurriedly covered them.
"Hey they're not to be looked at!" Jiwoo angrily said, hiding them under blank pieces of paper but the damage had already been done. Jihae had already spotted what was written on them; Jiwoo had been writing a journal of some sorts dating back to the summer. Was this how he was going to deal with the memory loss? As annoying as this rabbit could be at times he was pretty smart so Jihae took note, wondering if he could do a similar thing to remember himself.
"What do you want anyway? Why come bother me? Can't you see I have a busy life to live?" Jiwoo spoke again and Jihae turned his attention back to Jiwoo, unfazed by his annoyance.
"It's about-" Jihae started off but was cut off.
"What? You need romance tips?!" Jiwoo quickly butted in with glittering eyes, a smirk playing on his lips as his annoyance faded away.
"No" Jihae sharply said, a faint blush creeping across his cheeks as the rabbit snorted under his breath.
"Good, wasn't going to give you any in the first place. Well?! Why are you here?" Jiwoo responded, his annoyance back in a flash. Jihae was surprised that Jiwoo hadn't been kicked out of here yet, although he wasn't shouting yet his voice was loud. Thankfully there were only two others sitting several tables away, unfazed by Jiwoo. They were probably used to it by now if they came here often, he doubted Jiwoo behaved well when spending time in the library. Jihae shook his head, getting his thoughts back on track. A part of him wondered if he should have gone to Winter first but he threw that thought away, there was no harm in asking Jiwoo the questions he had. He wondered if Jiwoo had the answers in the first place. The surname Tucker had been bothering him; Winter had claimed it was her surname back but it rung alarm bells in his head. Why though? Was it something to do with her mother or perhaps even her father? His mood dampened at the thought of her father; surely that was the reason why the surname was bothering him.
"What do you know about the surname Tucker?" Jihae asked, his voice low as he looked the rabbit in the eye.

All colour left Jiwoo's face, his emerald eyes wide as his fingers curled. Slowly Jiwoo leaned forward in his chair, his eyes sharp as he eyed up Jihae.
"Wha-why-why do you want to know about the Tuckers?" Jiwoo shot in a whisper, his tone slightly shaky. Jihae was surprised at such a reaction but he knew that Jiwoo had the information he wanted… why though? Jihae was unsure of how to answer him, he didn't want to say it was Winter's surname but he needed to know why the surname reminded Jihae of something he couldn't quite remember.
"I heard it a few weeks back" Jihae lied with an innocent look,
"It sounded familiar…" he added, not explaining it any further. Jiwoo squinted his eyes, easily detecting there was more to it.
"And you think I know something?" Jiwoo quickly shot out, his hands still clenched. Jihae could see the defensiveness in his eyes, it was clear that this topic was not a pleasant one. Did Jiwoo know the Tucker's were a part of the assassins? Jihae had to think quickly, he didn't want Jiwoo to dismiss him without getting any answers.
"I… well you always claim to be smart… huh I must have been wrong…" Jihae responded after a moment of silence, biting back his victory smile as Jiwoo took the bait.
"I am smart! Dumb rabbit, I never said I didn't know anything!" Jiwoo snapped back, his eyes closing as he recomposed himself. Jihae leaned forward, wanting to hear his tale.

Jiwoo lowly sighed as he unclenched his hands, setting himself into a more comfortable position.
"The Tuckers…" Jiwoo breathed, his eyes closing for a moment as he found the words he wanted to say.
"There are only a few of them, word goes that they were considered royalty among that crazy assassin cult down Darkened Burrow in Grass. 'The darker the coat the better they are' people would say… dumb saying if you ask me; a lot of rabbits have dark fur and they're useless" Jiwoo explained to him making Jihae frown. Jihae doubted he would have heard the surname from those within the assassin cult; they would stay clear of Jihae, especially after he became a knight.
"Doubt you would have heard it from that" Jiwoo knowingly said, easily reading Jihae's expression.
"They're dumb but not dumb enough to say it aloud, no…" Jiwoo continued on, thinking back in time. Memories of his family and merchants came to mind, their stories mixed but similar.
"Erwin" Jiwoo blankly said, the name ringing alarm bells in Jihae's head… Jihae had heard that name before but where..? Surely that was not the name of her father… it sounded feminine.
"A common rabbit who lived in Grass, she was often mocked for her fur colour. 'Black as night' they would say, 'bet she's a Tucker'. She mostly grew up in Grass but then she'd disappear for months on end, travelling from place to place. The rabbits always noticed when she disappeared, the merchants often making wild stories about her. Their tales spread like wildfire among the common people, I remember the merchants constantly retelling the tale in Kanos. Such a boring story if you ask me, a six year old could have done better. Folk said she visited Kanos often; I never saw her there but word said that she would gather information. When she got what she wanted she would return home. The rabbits would always notice when she returned to Grass, the words 'Erwin T' chanted down the streets" Jiwoo explained to the silver rabbit and Jihae was surprised at how much he knew.

Jihae thought back to his time in Grass, the name Erwin T familiar to him now but he couldn't help but feel that it wasn't the reason he had alarm bells in his head. Did Winter have a younger sister? Or perhaps that was her mother's name.
"But then the Duke of Grass was assassinated… That was the last day anyone muttered the name on the streets… People feared her, believed she had gone wild and was killing everyone she crossed paths with. There was a wild hunt for her head, she was never found though." Jiwoo finished off, his eyes clouding over.

As Jiwoo mentioned the assassination things clicked into place; Winter had mentioned she had been there, her memory of the event lost though… Was Winter's real name Erwin? As a knight he had heard of the hunt for her head, he was never assigned the job though for he was assigned to remain by Jieun's side at all times. Jihae studied Jiwoo's face closely; it was as if he had seen a ghost. Jihae frowned at his expression making Jiwoo spark back to life, tilting his head down to avoid his eye contact. Jihae shrugged off his expression, believing he had got all the information he wanted.
"Thank you" Jihae softly said, his eyes off Jiwoo. He probably could have got all that information from Winter if he'd asked. With that in mind he stood, hoping to have this discussion with Winter at some point.

Jihae shook the thought from his mind, pushing the chair under the table as he made his leave. He strode forward, passing Jiwoo's side without another glance but Jiwoo harshly grabbed his arm, his grip firm. Jihae set his eyes back onto the rabbit, confused by his sudden action. Jiwoo's face was scrunched up, it was as if the rabbit was slowly summarising their conversation. The Kanos rabbit was smart, something he prided himself in, but right at this moment he wished he was dumb. A painful memory attacked him, one that often gave him nightmares and left him breathless. Realisation fell on his face, the pieces to his puzzle put together.
"This… this is about her… about Winter... it makes sense now" Jiwoo breathed in disbelief.
"…her black fur, her injuries…" Jiwoo continued on, his skin pale. Jihae panicked, how could he have linked it together? Jihae hadn't mentioned Winter once…
"Like you said a lot of rabbits have dark fur-" Jihae quickly quoted, keeping his calm but Jiwoo cut him off before he could finish his sentence.
"None exactly like her… Don't play me as a fool…" Jiwoo sharply said, his eyes snapping to Jihae's surprised blue ones. Jihae was shocked; all youth left Jiwoo as a mature atmosphere filled its place. Had he seen Winter before? He mentioned he never saw her in Kanos, it didn't make sense. Jiwoo sounded so sure of himself though, could he be mistaken?
"You… you wasn't there, you didn't see…" Jiwoo shakily said, his hand still on Jihae's arm.
"What do you mean?" Jihae asked in confusion.
"I… uh… nothing. Go… go away, you've bothered me enough!" Jiwoo quickly said, his usual attitude returning. Jihae didn't move though, Jiwoo's hand was still gripping onto his arm and Jihae wanted some sort of explanation. As if realising this Jiwoo sharply removed his hand from his arm, his emerald eyes landing back on his desk.
"Rabbit…" Jiwoo murmured under his breath, knowing that Jihae could hear him. There was a long pause, Jihae questioning if Jiwoo was going to say anything more.
"There was another there the night the Duke was assassinated, a grey cat. All is not what it seems" were the words that followed his last. His words were dark, as if something terrible haunted him. Why would Jiwoo say something like that? What would a Kanos rabbit know? The assassination happened in Grass… had he been there? Had he travelled to Grass to attend the event?
"No-now go, I've already said too much" Jiwoo quietly said.

Jihae had so many questions, ones that he'll never get the answer to and he couldn't help but feel unsatisfied. Did Jiwoo know what happened at the event? If so why didn't he say anything? Jihae's heart twisted in dread… he knew Winter had no memory of the night but if Jiwoo had the information she missed would she want to know? Jihae remembered a past conversation he had with her about the topic, the black rabbit mentioning that perhaps it is best she didn't know. Would her opinion of that change if there was a chance to know? Reluctantly Jihae left the library, his mind muddled and confused. The silver haired elegant man glanced up at the darkening sky, knowing he was to meet with Winter at the park later. He couldn't keep something like this hidden away from her; he knew he had to tell her of what he learnt.