Watership Down

Myrkin · **Reply #40 on:** May 13, 2009, 09:49:24 AM

"Yes. He is called Basil. He decided to join us and help us get to the place we are going to." Neltita answered.

"Whatever that place is. You didn't say much about it." hare said, looking around the rabbits "But I can surely lead you through this forest... Anyway, who is in charge here?" he asked. "If I heard correctly, you rabbits can not move far without some sort of leader around. Is that right?"

Raptor · **Reply #41 on:** May 13, 2009, 03:09:00 PM

"Um..." Thistle stopped speaking. He wasn't really sure. He'd made several chief-like decisions, but hadn't considered himself a true leader. However, when faced with the questions, he had only one answer.

"I guess I'd be the leader. At least for now." Answered Thistle. He couldn't see any of the other rabbits calling him Thistle-rah, except maybe Walnut and Neltita, but he'd led them for short time now.

The Great Valley Guardian · **Reply #42 on:** May 13, 2009, 05:50:02 PM

Mayberry stood stock still and looked over at Thistle for a moment. She then did the one thing she vowed never to do again...pledge her loyalty to another rabbit.
"Thistle...I mean Thistle-rah, if you are indeed chief rabbit....then you'll need Owsla officers, and as I was a former captain it is the wisest for you to rightfully appoint me as captain once again...and of course I will accept with honor."
She then scowled and replied, "But don't think that this will change anything else...I will still be as aggressive as I need to be to keep these other rabbits in line!"

Myrkin · **Reply #43 on:** May 13, 2009, 06:36:26 PM

"You will keep us in line? How you planning to do that if you couldnt keep yourself in line, when we were running from man?!" Thyme asked angrily. He didn't have much problem with accepting Thistle as leader, but he simply could not stand Mayberry's bossy attitude. She had joined barely this morning and she was already trying to order them about, not asking them if they had somethng against her being in charge. From his point of view it was a case of insolance on her part.

"If you are so confident in your ability to rule us, oh great 'former captain', then maybe you should suggest Thistle to abdicate on your favour?" he countinued his tirade. "'Thistle-rah, I think I am far more competent as a leader than you will ever be, so it is wisest for you to step aside. Appointing me as a rah will be your first and last best decision." he said, mocking Mayberry's way of speaking.

The Great Valley Guardian · **Reply #44 on:** May 13, 2009, 06:58:39 PM

Mayberry's anger rose almost immediately and at once she tackled Thyme and began scratching at his ears. "How dare you mock a Owsla captain! Try it again, and I'll take your life! Now step aside!" She said with an air of hostile authority.

Myrkin · **Reply #45 on:** May 13, 2009, 07:57:55 PM

Thyme was surprised by doe's attack and in effect he was knock over, but he quickly recovered himself as he strongly hit Mauberry's stomach with his back feet. Maybe he wasn't a very experienced warrior and he still wasn't cured from his earlier sickness, but he had a determintion to put up a fight.

The Great Valley Guardian · **Reply #46 on:** May 13, 2009, 09:18:58 PM

The kick to her stomach was enough to get Mayberry to back off from her attack. She then stared Thyme down and said, "Now...WHO is Owsla captain?! Let me hear you say it!"

Myrkin · **Reply #47 on:** May 14, 2009, 10:50:58 AM

Thyme got up from the ground and faced Mayberry. "I am sorry, but I didn't hear your question. It is perhaps because of scratching my ear. Could you repeat it to my other ear?" Thyme sneered with evil grin.

"Stop this at once! Both of you." Neltita shouted hopping between Mayberry and Thyme. She was determined to end this fight, before somone would get seriously hurt. "We have enough trouble without bickering among ourselves. You are acting like a kittens!"

"Or like two bucks in mating season." Basil stated calmly, almost as if he was bored with all this accident "Actually, we have a late spring now, so it would fit, if it wasn't for the fact we have a female fighting against a male here."

The Great Valley Guardian · **Reply #48 on:** May 14, 2009, 01:22:42 PM

Mayberry turned to face Neltita and frowned for a moment as she spoke.
"Fine...but only if Thyme agrees that I AM Owsla captain! If he does not agree then you will have to get out of my way!"

Myrkin · **Reply #49 on:** May 14, 2009, 01:36:48 PM

"Well... Technically, Thistle-rah hasn't made you an Owsla Captain yet, Mayberry." Neltita said patiently. "Untill he does that, I dont think that anybody has an obligation to recognize you as one. Being once a Captain in other warren doesnt automatically make you an officer in every rabbit group under the Frith's gaze. You surely realizes that, right?" she asked, trying to be polite.

The Great Valley Guardian · **Reply #50 on:** May 14, 2009, 03:13:28 PM

Despite Mayberrys current mood, she kept her mouth shut as she nodded her head in response to Neltita's comment. "I...I suppose you are right...but Lord Frith has always looked after me, so what ever choice Thistle-rah makes...will be under Friths order." said Mayberry with an air of calm in her voice.

Raptor · **Reply #51 on:** May 14, 2009, 03:22:52 PM

Thistle broke in. "We haven't found anywhere safe enough to settle down yet. I'm not going to make any decisions like that until we've settled down." His expression betrayed his shock. He'd be thuroughly suprised at everyone's willingness to accept him as Chief Rabbit.

Thistle hadn't really thought about being Thistle-rah, at least not until the Hare, Basil, had asked about who was leader.

The rabbit who had complained about not being able to silflay, a rabbit by the name of Birch, said "Thistle-rah? I'm not calling him that." Thistle heard it, but there were more pressing matters at hand.

Thistle turned to Basil, and hopped a bit closer to him. He turned back to Thyme and Mayberry, and said, angrily, "You shouldn't have fought like that. If either of you were injured, you'd have been forced to travel with injuries." But he couldn't dwell to long on the fight. They needed to eat, and the hare knew about the path ahead.

"Now, where to we go from here?"

Myrkin · **Reply #52 on:** May 14, 2009, 04:07:05 PM

"The shortest way through this forest is the way I and Neltita have came here." Basil answered "We will have to cross hrududu's trail, so I hope you all are able to run fast for short distance." he added, looking at Walnut meaningfully, who was probably the smallest rabbit in a group. Neltita seeing his look said firmly:

"We will make it." Basil just made a motion, which would have been an hare's equivalent of human's shrug.

Raptor · **Reply #53 on:** May 14, 2009, 04:20:33 PM

"We have to make it." Said Thistle. Walnut hopped up next to Thistle. "A.. a hrududu's trail? Thistle... Thistle-rah... don't the hrududu go.. very fast on there?"

Thistle hadn't ever seen a road. But he'd heard stories. "They do, Walnut." He answered, turning to the nervous rabbit. "But we'll cross before one of them comes." In truth, he was very worried about that, but he mentally reassured himself that they'd be able to cross without hassle.

'The stories say that rabbits can get across if they move quick enough.' He thought. 'We'll be fine.'

Thistle cleaned his paws, then rubbed them over his nose, a common habit in rabbits, and turned back to Basil.

"Lead the way."

Myrkin · **Reply #54 on:** May 14, 2009, 04:34:56 PM

"Alright. Just stick close to me." hare said, hopping towards the centre of a forest. The rest of rabbits followed him as closely as they could. Neltita didn't have much problem with keeping up, as she was a very fast runner. Thyme on the other hand was slower, as he hadn't recovered fully from a cold and fight with Mayberry yet. He still did his best not to lag behind.

The Great Valley Guardian · **Reply #55 on:** May 15, 2009, 03:03:49 AM

Mayberry despite her reservations of following a hare through the woods, and although she wanted to take the lead behind Thistle she settled for staying at the very end of their group so should they come under attack from any Elil behind them, she'd be the first to know about it. "I do wonder if that hare is to be trusted?" she said aloud while keeping her place.

Raptor · **Reply #56 on:** May 15, 2009, 03:19:06 PM

Walnut, who was lagging behind, heard Mayberry's comment. He'd overcome most of his fear, although he was still edgy.

"Why are you so suspiscous of him?" He asked, looking back over his shoulder as he hopped along. "Thistle-I mean, Thistle-rah trusts him, why don't you?"

However, the reached the road before an answer.

Thistle hopped to the edge. Every instinct was screaming that the large expanse of concrete was dangerous. It smelled of noxious fumes from the hrududu, and it also smelled of death.

However, Thisle was determined to keep reseverved. There were no hrududu nearby. "Well, now's as good a time as any. Let's cross."

The Great Valley Guardian · **Reply #57 on:** May 15, 2009, 06:51:24 PM

Mayberry turned to Walnut and replied as she waited to cross the Hruduru trail.
"I know nothing about this Hare, and personally even if I did know him better I still wouldn't completely trust his word! I'm just not the kind of rabbit to give trust to anyone other than the chief rabbit...who in this case is Thistle-rah."

Raptor · **Reply #58 on:** May 16, 2009, 12:07:55 AM

Thistle started across the road, along with the others. The crossing seemed to take forever, although it was really only a few seconds.

The concrete was still wet from the rain, so it wasn't dusty, and most of the debries had been washed off the road.

Thistle was the first to reach the other side, and as soon as he did, a feeling of relief washed over him.

He remebered the others, still crossing, and turned to watch for any oncoming hrududu.

There were none.

Several of the rabbits were a little slow to cross. One of these rabbits was Walnut.

He was still on the road when the others had made it to the other side.

"Walnut!" Called Thistle. "You need to hurry, a hrududu-"

Walnut screamed, and fell.

Even from here, Thistle could see a splash of blood from the bottom of Walnut's front right paw.

"Walnut!" Thistle made towards where Walnut had fallen-

And then there was a rush of sound and fear. A massive blue shape obscured Walnut from view, passing directly infront of Thistle. Thistle's ears went flat, and his eyes widened. A cloud of water vapor was thrown up, further obscuring what had happened.

Then, the hrududu was gone.

All that was left was clearing water vapor, and some sad, pathetic, unmoving shape in the road.

The Great Valley Guardian · **Reply #59 on:** May 16, 2009, 12:39:24 AM

Mayberry still not having crossed the road was visibly shaken by what she could see and ignoring her own safety ran out onto the Hrududu's trail and stopped next to Walnut. She could see his front paw was injured badly...in another moment of terror she turned to Thistle and screamed "THISTLE-RAH! H-help....Walnut is hurt badly! Please...come and help me carry him across!!!"