Chapter 6: Vervain's Friend.

"The pain started years ago, but I'd lived with it for so long at that point that I'd accepted it as an inevitable part of me."

-Ashley D. Wallis, Leaping

The early spring wind was blowing through the leaves of the many trees surrounding the warren. Among the many rabbits at silflay was a handsome black-furred buck, who was staring with admiration at a doe, further away. The two had known each other for a few months, and got along very well. That day, however, the buck was feeling mischievous. He slowly approached the doe, who did not appear to have noticed his presence. Suddenly, he put one of his front paws on her tail, and removed it instantly.

-"Chibiscuit, tail tag!" he said, running as fast as he could the opposite way.

-"Oh Vervain, you rascal," the doe said, as she started to chase him.

Chibiscuit chased Vervain across the field, before finally catching up with him, putting her paws on his tail and leaping the other way. Vervain tried to run after her, but she was too fast for him. He would have to change tactics.

Chibiscuit continued to run across the field, until she suddenly stopped. She looked around her, and there was no sign of Vervain anywhere. At that moment, she felt something touch her tail. She turned and realized she was sitting in the mouth of a hole, where Vervain was hiding.

-"Hey, that's not fair!" she said.

With that, Vervain tried to run away, but Chibiscuit touched his tail again before he managed to get out of the tunnel.

Chibiscuit and Vervain spent most of the afternoon playing their game, with a few other rabbits briefly joining in. Finally, in an attempt at catching Vervain before he could make it underground, Chibiscuit jumped into his side. The two rabbits rolled for a short distance before stopping.

Chibiscuit and Vervain remained lying on their sides in the grass for a while, trying to catch their breaths. They looked at each other, smiling.

-"Chib," Vervain said, "is it all right if I call you Chib?"

-"Sure, you can call me what you want," she replied.

-"For a few months now, we've been good friends. I..."

-"Yes?"

-"I've been wanting to ask you for a while now..."

-"EVERYONE UNDERGROUND!"

Chibiscuit and Vervain turned and stared in shock at the captain of owsla, who had just issued the order.

-"Wha- what's the matter?" Vervain asked worriedly.

-"We're being attacked. Everyone is to go underground at once."

He ran into the nearest hole without waiting for a reply. Vervain looked away, further down the field. There was a large band of rabbits there – strangers. One of them was larger than any other rabbit he had ever seen, and his glowing red eyes filled him with terror.

Vervain squealed. The red-eyed rabbit was no longer there.

Vervain had the same nightmare on a somewhat regular basis, but this time it had terrified more than ever before.

He stared at the walls of his burrow; he had lived in that burrow ever since he had become a captain in Woundwort's owsla. He recalled how he had first obtained the position.

Vervain never liked being on the losing side of things, except maybe a game of tail tag. He had quickly realized there was no chance his warren would win a battle against these invaders. He therefore decided to offer his services to their leader. While not a particularly good fighter, his knowledge of the warren's defences and several rabbits' weaknesses in combat proved to be extremely valuable to Woundwort.

The battle was over by morning. Half the rabbits in the warren were dead; the other half were taken to Efrafa, where they remained slaves for the rest of their lives. While General Woundwort lost his left eye in the battle, not a single of his rabbits was killed. Vervain was promoted to captain of owsla, and soon afterwards was chosen to lead the attack against Redstone Warren, where he kidnapped Primrose and several other rabbits. Vervain remained Woundwort's most trusted officer (along with Campion) for many seasons...until the outsiders showed up. Now, Vervain had been demoted, Campion was a traitor, and Woundwort was dead. Vervain's entire life had fallen apart.

-"Oh Chib," he said, sobbing. "What have I done?"

Vervain had never seen Chibiscuit again since that day. However, her body was not among those of the rabbits killed in the battle, nor was she among the slaves taken to Efrafa. Therefore, Vervain still hoped that she had managed to get away from the warren, and was still alive, somewhere.

Suddenly, Vervain remembered: the General was dead. The only thing holding him to Efrafa was gone forever. He had no reason to stay there. He was now free! Free to go and search for his best friend! Nothing could stop him now!

Full of energy, Vervain ran out of the burrow. He turned left and followed the run until he was outside. He stopped to feel the wind; it was very refreshing.

-"Hello Moss!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Wonderful day, isn't it?"

He ran to the edge of the pit, and effortlessly climbed out, with Moss staring at him from a distance.

-"Moss, do something!" another officer shouted. "He's going to get away!"

-"No, let him go," Moss said. "Campion was right: he IS mad. There is no way he could ever pose a threat to us. Besides, we have more important things to take care of the moment, such as finding the rabbit who killed the General."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: the character of Chibiscuit is inspired by a real person, and is used with her permission.