The next day Breelia only caught glimpses of Genna and Timmot. They seemed to be avoiding her, with good reason. Perhaps she had been too forceful. If they constantly avoided her, she would have no way to learn more about them.

She didn't see much of Lorena either as she checked and double checked the supplies that would be ordered from First Warren for the hospital and went about the rest of her work. There was also a few rabbits who would be leaving the citadel soon, she reminded herself. She'd need to rearrange the duties of those who remained.

As she went to the Mess Hall that night for supper, she didn't see Lorena anywhere. The Renthills also were not there.

She sat at a table in the corner, silently observing as she ate.

The rabbits to her left were discussing a soldier who had supposedly broken into an old buck's room in search of something. Breelia tuned her ears in to their talk, but was careful to not show that she was eavesdropping, looking instead as if she were solely focused on her food.

So intent was she on listening, that she didn't notice the three rabbits approaching her table until they stood right in front of her and Lorena slipped onto the bench beside her.

"Hi Bree!" she exclaimed, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

Breelia's gaze moved from her to the Renthills, who slipped into chairs across the table without waiting for an invitation. "I trust you had a good day?" Genna smiled at Breelia, but there was wariness in her gaze.

Breelia nodded once, and turned to Lorena, purposefully ignoring the Renthills. "What have you been doing?"

Lorena glanced down. "I didn't study." Breelia frowned, but before she could speak, Lorena continued. "But Timmot and Genna have been teaching me how to shoot. I didn't know archery was so much fun."

Breelia's lips tightened slightly as she turned to the Renthills. "I see." That would explain why she hadn't seen any of them hardly at all that day. She hardly ever visited the archery field. She would have to add that to her list of daily stops. "Who gave you permission to do so?"

Genna laughed lightly. "No one except Lor herself." She grinned at Lorena like they were friends, almost. Breelia's chest tightened.

"Which one of you shoots?"

"I do," TImmot said.

"I didn't see any sign of it the first morning you were here."

He shrugged a shoulder. "Do you expect me to be armed in a citadel? At all times?"

Breelia's eyes narrowed slightly, but she didn't reply.

"She's quite good," Genna said, glancing at Lorena as a smile spread over her face. "Even though this was only her first time."

Lorena blushed under the praise, looking pleased.

"Timmot was telling me about when he was first learning the bow," she shared with Breelia, though she spoke to the entire group. "He said that the first time he picked up a bow he got a bullseye, but couldn't get one for a year afterward." She laughed merrily.

Breelia nodded, but didn't say anything more. Lorena should be focusing on her studies and art—not some hobby taught by a buck who probably wasn't qualified to teach. She took a bite of food as her eyes flicked quickly over to the table where the conversation about the buck breaking into another buck's room had been taking place, but they were now discussing the weather.

She ate the rest of the meal in silence, extracting herself purposefully from the conversation of the other three.

Timmot was a quiet buck, she could see, but he seemed to have a smile ready when needed, even if it looked a bit forced. He was quite intelligent, and knew how to pick his words carefully.

Genna, she already knew a good bit about. She knew a lot more than she often showed, Breelia felt, and was very quick to smile most of the time. She knew how to keep a conversation going cheerfully, and how to ask the right questions to learn more about Lorena and her family.

Despite Lorena's younger age, Genna and Timmot seemed to have already made Lor at home with them. Lor could usually talk quite well with anyone, but she seemed to become animated with these rabbits extraordinarily quickly. They showed an interest in her art, her interest in learning to shoot, and whatever else she'd been doing.

Genna was sharing a funny story from her days in school, when Breelia stood stiffly, pushing her side of the bench back as she rose.

"Lorena," she said, "we had best go. You have studies tomorrow, and it grows late."

Genna had paused in her tale and frowned semi-playfully at Breelia. "It's not that late," she protested, a mischievous glint in her eye as she winked at Lorena. "And we were just getting to the good parts of the conversation."

"Never the less," Breelia insisted, glancing at Lorena, "it is time to leave the Mess." She glanced pointedly around at the many empty tables.

Genna rose with an exaggerated sigh. "I suppose I concede defeat," she grinned. "Will you go to your rooms, the both of you?"

Breelia was not going to reply, but Lorena nodded, a smile spreading over her face. "You could come and sit with me for a while," she invited. "I could show you my paintings."

Breelia felt a frown come over her face, uninvited. She glanced at Timmot in the same moment.

Genna caught her glance and nodded, smiling back at Lorena. "I'd love that!" she exclaimed, an appreciative smile showing. "TImmot has a previous engagement however, so it will just be me."

Timmot glanced at his sister, surprise showing, but she ignored him till he returned to his former position, accepting the apparent change in plans.

Breelia, mouth tight, turned to leave to go to the hospital to finish up her duties for that day.

A/N: I'm not really sure on the pacing in this story, so any thoughts/critique you have is greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading!