Campion is perpetually confused.

Brother & Sister

Though none in Efrafa were aware of it at the time, if they ever were, the death of their Chief Basil was the first event that sped up the near downfall of Efrafa. The Owsla was ever vigilant yet slowly but surely they stayed closer and closer to the warren. The elil drew ever nearer and Thyme feared for Efrafa. She spent most days overlooking Efrafa from the rock or thinking in her burrow. Most of all, she looked after her children who most felt her change. But they never mentioned it nor did they dare bring up their father near her. Vervain pushed down his grief, doing his best to forget and move on. In a way, it was the best way to honour his father's memory. He kept his mother's words in mind and vowed not to cry, no matter how much he sometimes missed his father. Things soon returned to as good as normal and the days passed much as they had before.

"Am I hearing this correctly? You want to willingly be in close proximity to Campion?" Vervain laughed because really he hadn't heard something so hilarious in a while.

"Come on, Vervain, I'm being serious here!"

"That's the funny part."

"You're overreacting. It's not that strange of a request."

"Nashia, you can't stand Campion. Every rabbit in Efrafa, except Campion himself, can clearly see that."

"...Is it that obvious?" Nashia actually sounded surprised. Amazing.

"The death-glares and sarcastic comments are pretty much a dead give-away."

"You make sarcastic comments."

"Yes, but I don't scrunch up my face as if I just smelled a hrududu every time I lay eyes on Campion."

"You don't even know what a hrududu smells like!"

"I don't have to, I can imagine it."

Nashia hmph'ed. Vervain grinned in pleasure at his sister's reaction. He could hardly pass up this opportunity to tease Nashia. It was usually the other way around. Another idea struck him.

"Oh, wait, I see." Vervain said, barely able to keep from laughing, "This is the love-hate thing Bramble mentioned once, isn't it?" Nashia's face promptly scrunched up as if she'd smelled a hrududu at the implication.

"Hey, I've-" Phyla exclaimed happily as she hopped over to join them. She stopped short however and stared at Nashia, then glanced around before turning back to Nashia in confusion, "Campion's off on patrol, isn't he?"

Vervain just laughed some more, "Yes, much to Nashia's disappointment." Phyla looked completely lost now. "Why?"

"She wants me to talk to him for her." He answered casually.

"Oh! Just like you talked to Flax for me?" Vervain grinned. Exactly the response he was expecting. By this point Nashia looked completely horrified. "That's wonderful! This is just like that story Bramble told us!"

"AAARGH! NO! I AM NOT IN LOVE WI-" Nashia burst out.

"Oh hey Campion!" Phyla greeted the buck as he hopped over to them. The patrol must've just gotten back. Nashia crouched down, paws over her head, and grumbled something that Vervain couldn't understand. He guessed it was some insult addressed to Campion. That's what it usually was.

"How was patrol?" Vervain asked.

"Uneventful, thank Frith." He replied then nodded at Nashia, "Is she all right?"

"Oh how nice of you to ask Campion!" Phyla exclaimed happily. Vervain couldn't have said it better, only difference is that Phyla actually meant it. That actually only made it better. "Isn't it, Nashia?" Truly, Frith bless Phyla.

Nashia groaned.

"Never better." Vervain quipped, "is what she means."

"Okay?" Campion answered unsure, then carefully added, "Did something happen while I was on patrol?"

"No." Nashia grumbled as she sat up again, throwing a glare at Vervain and daring him to disagree.

"No, not really. We were just talking." Vervain replied.

"Yes, about love!" Phyla supplied happily. And though Vervain loved the look of horror on Nashia's face, he too was surprised at Phyla's comment.

"Love?" He and Campion asked in unison.

"Yes!" She exclaimed happily as she hopped a few circles before settling down again. "Flax loves me! We're mates now!"

"That's wonderful, Phyla!" Campion replied warmly. He bent over and briefly touched her head with his nose. "Congratulations!"

Vervain shared a look with Nashia and saw that she too was sceptical. Flax hadn't exactly become any wiser a choice for companion lately. Still, Phyla looked happier than Vervain had ever seen her before, so who were they to deny her that? It was her choice and they should respect that,even if they don't agree with it. Vervain remembered then, the conversation the night before that fatal raid. His father had made a choice then as well and even though his mother had clearly disagreed, she'd accepted it. Is that what love was then? A nudge in his side brought Vervain back to the present. He turned to Campion who was glaring at him before softly nodding at Phyla. Vervain saw her looking up at him hopefully but also... scared? Scared that they would begrudge her the choice? Any thought of objecting left Vervain's mind and he bent over to touch noses with his sister.

"Congratulations. I'm happy you found someone who returns your love." And Vervain found he really meant it. Nashia joined him and offered her congratulations as well. Vervain could hear hers were heartfelt as well.

When later that day Phyla told their mother the good news, Thyme genuinely smiled and Vervain realised how long it had been since she had.

Vervain felt like a messenger, hopping back and forth between Nashia and Campion. Okay, so he only had to go back and forth once but still it was rather ridiculous. If Nashia was willing to spend time with Campion, she should at least ask him herself. I mean what was she going to do at those sessions? Remain quiet and throw death glares at the rabbit that's trying to instruct her at her own request? She probably would do that, Vervain thought amused, and hopped on to look for Nashia. She hadn't been at their usual gathering place beneath the rock so that meant she was most likely off training on her own. Too impatient to even wait for his report! Well, that was Nashia for you.

"Figured you'd be here." He said as way of greeting when he'd found her. She was exactly where he'd thought she'd be. Training, as per usual.

"FINALLY!" Nashia burst out as she immediately stopped the move she was performing and dashed over to her brother. "Well, how'd it go? What'd he say? Will he do it?"

"Well, I talked to Campion about it." Vervain started, only to be interrupted by Nashia's impatient "get to the point!" He sighed but obliged, thinking he shouldn't tease his sister again and tell her the partly good news. "Right, well, Campion said he'd be more than happy to train with you. He was rather confused why you didn't ask him yourself though."

Nashia shuffled awkwardly, "You know why."

"Yes, I do. So I told him you're just shy."

"What?!" Okay, just a little bit of teasing then. You never know when you'll get another opportunity after all.

"Oh don't worry. He though it endearing." He kept his face straight and pointedly ignored Nashia's glare. She was rather good at those though.

"But he'll do it then? He'll teach me everything he knows? Everything he's learned in Owsla training with his father?" She double-checked and Vervain nodded at every question. Her face lit up with joy at every nod.

"About your other request..." Vervain started again and Nashia looked a little surprised, "You asked about that already as well?"

"Of course I did. Why wouldn't I when I was talking to him anyway?" Really, did his sister expect him to have regular talks about her with Campion? Heh, the conclusions Phyla would jump to!

"Well, I was kinda hoping you'd wait until Campion knows how good I am."

"Trust me, he knows. He said he'd ask his father if he can arrange for you to join the Owsla but he made no promises."

"I suppose that was to be expected. He can't really force his father."

"Glad to hear you're so level-headed about this." Vervain replied, amused at the indignant look he got in return. "He brought up a good point though. Why don't you just ask mother? She's Chief, it's her permission you need."

Nashia scoffed, "Mother would never let me if I asked." Vervain could hear the sadness behind her anger. He knew what she meant.

"She has been rather protective of us lately." He agreed.

"Understatement." Nashia huffed angrily but then her features softened again. "She used to be so supportive of me... but now... now I have to put my destiny into the paws of Campion...!"

"Destiny? Nashia, there is no such thing as destiny. You choose your own path in life. Remember mother's words?"

"I already chose my path long ago! But what good is choosing a path if I'm not allowed to walk it? What good are the gifts given to me when I'm not allowed to use them?" Desperation laced her voice and Vervain didn't know what to answer to that. Thyme had told them to use their gift for the good of the warren but now she was the one who stopped Nashia from doing exactly that. He knew she was worried about them, that she wanted them safe. It was obvious in the way she kept them inside the warren at all times.

"Mother only tries to protect us."

"By keeping us locked up in Efrafa?" Nashia countered in disbelief. Vervain tried to reason with her but she just shook her head and went on, her voice rising in frustration, "Easy for you to say! You don't even want to go outside with the Owsla, you don't even want to do anything! Well, you might be content to just stay in Efrafa and do nothing but I'm not!" Stunned, Vervain watched her hop off without another word or glance at him. He'd never seen his sister this upset before. They'd never had an argument end like this. I mean sure they argued and discussed but at the end of the day all was good between them despite their differences. Somehow, this time seemed different. He waited for her to come back and apologize but she didn't.

Well that escalated quickly.