Watership Down

Raptor · **Reply #220 on:** July 28, 2009, 02:17:43 PM

"I'm simply waiting to make sure everyone's here." Said Thistle, in a level voice. The bridge seemed safe enough, but it was a man-thing, so it was liable to be dangerous.

"Everyone's here? Good, let's cross." Thistle hopped for the bridge.

Myrkin · **Reply #221 on:** July 28, 2009, 03:25:12 PM

"Oh... After you, Mayberry." Thyme said bowing lightly to doe "If you are so willing to go across this bridge, then show us how it is done properly, please." he asked Mayberry with a wide smile.

The Great Valley Guardian · **Reply #222 on:** July 29, 2009, 03:11:23 AM

Mayberry stepped forward after hearing Thyme speak and she couldn't help but smile.
"I suppose only a true Owsla captain can cross first...it would be the wisest thing to do..." However as she stepped up to the edge of the bridge she glanced down and almost froze...almost. Mayberry then shook her head and with several quick jumps in succession she was across the bridge and looking back at the others with a wide smile.

"You boys aren't going to let a girl beat you are ya?!" She commented after a moments silence.

Raptor · **Reply #223 on:** July 29, 2009, 09:39:32 AM

Thistle had become worried when Mayberry had paused while crossing the bridge, but her recovery had returned his confidence. The bridge was now proven safe, and the others would now be quiet eager to cross.

"Come on." Thistle said, now standing on the dge of the bridge. The other rabbits were quick to follow, Walnut being the first to make to the bridge. The group continued across as fast as possible, alert for any dangers. It was also important that no one fell in, for there were elil in the water as well.

The Great Valley Guardian · **Reply #224 on:** July 29, 2009, 12:51:29 PM

Mayberry continued to smile as she could see the others crossing the bridge. She was however keeping her ears open and being alert for any elil that might be around.

Myrkin · **Reply #225 on:** July 30, 2009, 04:35:41 PM

"Now she is clearly very self-confident, wouldn't you say, Nel?" Thyme asked a doe, talking about Mayberry "That is a big change since a moment before, when we were at the river bank..."

"I don't think it is a bad thing that she has recovered from that panic attack, Thyme. It lifts up everybody's else spirit, seeing her at ease." Neltita responded, crossing the bridge with others. So far, there was no human in sight, which lifted rabbits morale too.

"Yes, it does. For now. I just hope she won't go tharn like that one before once again." Thyme said seriously.

Raptor · **Reply #226 on:** August 01, 2009, 12:09:37 PM

Thistle paused, and turned to see everyone else cross. Sure that they were safe, Thistle turned to the literal path ahead. Through the forest, there was a winding path; like a hrududu's trail, but made of dirt. Beyond it, the forest seemed to open up again.

"I'm not entirly sure if this path will be safe, but it does seem to take us directly out into the fields again. I'm sure none of us want to stay in this wood for much longer. But it still seems unsafe..." Said Thistle.

Myrkin · **Reply #227 on:** August 07, 2009, 05:20:10 PM

"There is no man on this path, so I say it is quite safe." hare stated looking straight ahead.

"And if any shows up we can quickly hide in those bushes along the road." Thyme added, before taking his time to scratch his ear with his back foot.

In meantime Neltita was thinking: they had came through two obstacles on their way to place where they could settle, but there was still one thing they yet had to reach... Man's Warren. Something was telling Neltita that crossing that place may prove to be more difficult than what they had to face so far.

"Nel? Are you still with us?" she heard somebody talking to her. She looked around. It was Thyme speaking.

"Good you are done with your absent-mindedness. I thought for a moment that I might have to bite your tail to get your attention." Thyme joked, grinning.

"You sound like you've already tried this trick on some particular doe back home. Did it work?" Neltita retorted with smile equal to that of Thyme. The buck stopped smiling though and gave her a 'will you ever let me hear the end of this?' look. Although, outloud he said:

"We were wondering if walking this path is good idea. What you think?"

"Well... I am not certain, but I don't sense any danger yet." doe answered "I think we can go along this path, but of course you are the one to decide this, Chief Rabbit." she said to Thistle.

Raptor · **Reply #228 on:** August 09, 2009, 11:04:25 AM

"That settles it. We're going to continue along this path." Said Thistle. "If anyone spots any sign of men, then alert everyone and get to cover as fast as you can."

Thistle took th lead once more, hopping down the path.

The Great Valley Guardian · **Reply #229 on:** August 13, 2009, 02:33:17 AM

Mayberry still holding to her word stayed towards the back of the group just to ensure their safety, although by this time the doe felt that this path was rather safe, and should anything be dumb enough aside from man to try and stop them, then Frith help them. "Can we pick up the pace...I'm starting to get bored back here!" she called out hoping Thistle would get the message and move along.

Raptor · **Reply #230 on:** August 13, 2009, 12:43:40 PM

OOC: Thistle is moving forward. He's leading the others down the path.

The Great Valley Guardian · **Reply #231 on:** August 18, 2009, 03:06:37 AM

OOC: I know, but Mayberry wants him to move faster, she's nervous about being so close to a path made by man.

Mayberry sighed kept her pace swift buy short so as not to bump into any of the other rabbits, but she also kept her ears open for any danger. Truth be told she was getting extremely tense about being in the open for such a long amount of time, but was fiercely determined not to show it to the others.

To keep her fears at bay she tried to strike up a conversation with Neltita.
"So...uhh...what made you leave your warren? Was there disease, or another reason?"

Myrkin · **Reply #232 on:** August 20, 2009, 01:50:18 PM

OOC: Sorry for not giving any sings of life for so long, but I had been camping for a few days in Italy and I rather couldn't use Internet then. Luckily I am back now.

"Disease." Neltita replied "The first rabbit who fell to it died a one moon ago. Since then it was only getting worse and worse. When finally some of us had decided to leave, it was already too late for most rabbits..." she didn't mention she was the one who warned Chief Rabbit about this disaster. She sighed, wondering why Frith had chosen to inflict so much harm on them? Or maybe it wasn't him? Perhaps they just had a bad luck? Either way, they will have to start a new life somewhere else, as they ancestors did many times in the past...

"How about you, Mayberry? Why you ended up all by yourself in middle of nowhere?" Neltita asked other doe. She wanted to get to know more about her, since Mayberry was still (almost) a total stranger to her.

The Great Valley Guardian · **Reply #233 on:** August 27, 2009, 01:26:25 AM

Mayberry looked at Neltita and gave a sigh as she spoke up.
"Well you see, I was an Owsla captain in my old warren...and my two brothers were out on patrol when we ran into a homba, and it chased us towards a river near our home, and it caught...and killed my brothers...and all I could do was sit, and watch." She shook her head for a moment and the continued.

"It was a horrible day. I watched my brothers die, and couldn't cross the river afterwards, and when I finally did I was put on trial and for my punishment for being incompetent in the line of duty I was sentenced to execution...and you can guess how well I handled that...as I fought my way out, killing several other Owsla that stood in my way and wounding the Chief rabbit as well. And I haven't looked back since....but now you at least know why I froze up at the river before."

As she finished her story she looked to check Neltita's reaction.

Myrkin · **Reply #234 on:** September 11, 2009, 05:16:50 PM

Neltita glanced at Mayberry with compassion in her eyes. Now, as she knew what the other doe had to go through in her life, she felt sorry for her. It must have been terrible to lose two brothers on the same day and then had to run away from home. Neltita was going to say something that would be suitable, but Thyme was quicker:

"You killed several Owsla members and you wounded your Chief?! What kind of military you had there? Do you want us to believe, that you are really so strong that you were able to accomplish such deeds?" he asked in total disbelief. Although he could see that Mayberry isn't some weakling (he still remembered that hit she gave him the other day), but it was hard for him to imagine a doe killing a number of warren warriors without her being killed in process or at least seriously wounded.

The Great Valley Guardian · **Reply #235 on:** September 12, 2009, 04:10:27 AM

Mayberry turned to face Thyme and shouted aloud, "Listen! If I said it happened then it did!!! And how dare he question me! I'm an Owsla officer! I lost everything that day and you have the nerve to tell me what did or did not happen to me in my own warren?! NOW JUST ACCEPT WHAT I'VE TOLD YOU AND LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" She then continued to hop along in silence and kept herself quiet.

Raptor · **Reply #236 on:** September 30, 2009, 07:31:43 PM

Concerned, Thistle rounded on the squabbling rabbits.

"Enough! This is the last thing we need. Haven't you noticed that we're in a wood?" It was obvious, of course, but that wasn't Thistle's point.

"Elil could be watching us as we speak. I've run out of patience! We're all scared. We're tired. We're hungry. You must be two. So either you stop your squabbles, or we leave you behind!" Thistle was clearly furious. His anger was partially fueled by fear and exhaustion, but he'd had enough of the arguing.

The Great Valley Guardian · **Reply #237 on:** October 01, 2009, 03:27:15 AM

Mayberry glared at Thyme and Thistle and stubbornly sat down and said "Fine. Leave me here then! I'll be fine on my own!" Truth be told she wasn't sure how long she'd last out here by herself, but she'd take that over those bucks questioning her life and what she knew to be the truth of it all.

Myrkin · **Reply #238 on:** October 01, 2009, 07:10:19 AM

Basil sighed and rolled his eyes. Rabbits were supposed to live in a group, but obviously couldn't do that without (almost) constant bickering.

"Listen Mayberry. You really want to leave, because Thyme didn't believe in your story? Let's assume that you will live long enough on your own long enough to meet another rabbits and they will welcome you to their group. At some point they will ask you about your past and what will you do if some of them won't believe you? Will you run away again?" Basil asked doe and after a moment of silence he continued:

"If you keep doing this every time somebody don't want to take your word for it, then you will eventually stop running for good. I might be a simple hare, but I sure know that going away for such reason isn't the wisest thing to do... To say the least. And as for you, Thyme..." he turned to gray buck "If I were you, I would apologize Mayberry. Not believing her isn't an excuse to hurt her feelings about her past." with those words Basil finished his little speech.

The Great Valley Guardian · **Reply #239 on:** October 12, 2009, 01:39:00 AM

Mayberry let Basil's words sink in for a moment before she sighed aloud.
"I...I guess you're right Basil." She then looked up at the hare with a sad smile. "Thank you for talking me out of making another mistake..." she then gazed over at Thistle and Thyme and said, "I'm not good at these...but...I...I'm...sorry, I should know better than to be so pushy and bossy. Please let me stay with you." she asked with a sincere voice.