I'm going to start putting prompts here, so you can see where these stem from. Note that some of these will be very, very loosely based on the prompts. :)
Yesterday's Prompt: Include as many senses as you can in your story.
Rating: K
The noise was getting on his nerves. Helmer gritted his teeth. The room was too crowded. Far too crowded. He wanted silence.
He scooped up a bite of the steaming soup and sipped it, glaring at anyone who looked at him. Couldn't anyone see that he wanted to be left alone, in quiet? The seasoned carrot and celery soup was excellent, but he'd almost rather forgo Gort's cooking in exchange for peace.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Rake, Emma, and—the prince and Wilfred enter, with two younger rabbits. He narrowed his eyes. What in Natalia were they doing here? Didn't the stupid buck know there was a citadel congress soon? Not a good time for Longtreaders to show up.
He shook his head and bent over his bowl. The savory smell filled his nostrils and he focused on that, trying to drown out the constant chatter.
He glanced up briefly after several minutes and glimpsed the younger of the two unknown rabbits staring at him. He snorted. What did that boy think he was looking at? The buck turned away when Helmer met his gaze with a glare of his own. Good.
Imperceptibly, he studied the group. Wilfred, Smalden, and the other two gulped down the soup. They were certainly ravenous. He wondered where they'd traveled from. Emma ate with them, but far less voraciously.
The doe was all white, with a fresh wound in her ear. It was very fresh. It had hardly begun to heal. She was chatting amiably with Emma, but the buck—her brother, he assumed—slumped back in his seat, glowering at the room. He had a bandage wrapped around his ankle, Helmer could see. He also seemed to be failing miserably in his attempts to be at all cheerful. That was relatable.
Helmer drained his bowl and rose. Time to leave this infernal den of noise. He stalked out, giving no more thought to the newcomers. They were just another drop in the bucket of noise and more rabbits to crowd the place. He wanted to return to his tree. The wooden birds needed finishing.
He relaxed slightly as he exited the den. The smooth walls were much easier than the dining room. They were quiet and let him think.
He continued down the hall, his feet not making a sound.
Reply to Ann: Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
As you read above, yes, I am using prompts for these. I'm going to add the prompts for the previous chapters, so if you want you can glance back there. :)