The Gang of Five
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Watership Down

Raptor · 279 · 21951

Raptor

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Thistle heard the wistful remarks, and replied "Don't worry. We'll find someplace to settle down."

However, he added, to himself 'If only I knew where...'

The shrubs suddenly stopped, out into an clearing in the shrubs, which gave way to a stretch of distant farmland.

Plenty of the rabbits were all too relieved. They settled down to silflay almost as soon as they entered the clearing.

Thistle stood up on his hind legs, ears poised high, and nose twitching to detect any sound or scent of any danger. Sensing none, he turned around called to Walnut and Basil, who had yet to enter the clearing, "It's safe."

Upon hearing Thistle's call, Walnut relaxed, relief spreading through his limbs. He hadn't said anything, but he was starving.

Thistle went back on all fours and started to silflay, finally realizing how hungry he was.


The Great Valley Guardian

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Mayberry who had also heard Thistle's call of safety merely stood on her hind legs and kept her ears outstretched and her nose twitching for any signs of danger. She wasn't as hungry as the others and figured having someone as a lookout would be a good idea. After a moment though she looked behind her and asked a question.
"How are you feeling Walnut?"


Raptor

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"I'm okay... My foot just still stings... but I think I can walk from here..." Walnut made to get off Basil's back and place his wounded paw on the ground, then recoiled in discomfort.

"Nevermind." Walnut said.

Thistle lifted his head up, and looked around. The other rabbits were, as calmly as they could under the circumstances, at silflay. But they still looked worn out and frightened.

Thistle was about to continue feeding, but then had a sudden thought. If there was one thing that could cheer the others up, it was a story of El-ahrairah.

Thistle hopped over to a nearby rabbit, a rabbit with a reddish tinge to his otherwise brown fur, and said "Soapwort, perhaps you could tell us a story of El-ahrairah? I reckon that would brighten everyone's mood considerably."

The reddish rabbit, Soapwort, looked up and said "That's a good idea, Thistle-rah. I think I shall."

The others, who had heard the discussion, started suggesting stories.

"The Blessing of El-ahrairah!"

"The Hole in the Sky!"

"El-ahrairah and the Pike!"

"El-ahrairah and the Field of Sharp Grass!"

Thistle's ears pricked up at the last suggestion. "The Field of Sharp Grass? I haven't heard that one before."

Soapwort replied "Well, then I suppose I should tell it." He hopped to the center of the group of rabbits, and began.

OOC: Now here's the real creative challenge. We'll all take turns posting as Soapwort as he tells the story, continuing from where the other leaves off until it ends. Whoever posts next gets to start it.


Raptor

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"One evening, when El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle had returned to the Meadows of Fenlo from a triumphant raid on a nearby farm, they found Prince Rainbow waiting for them.

'Ah, El-ahrairah. I have come plant these new seeds around your warren.' Said Prince Rainbow.

El-ahrairah was immediatly supiscous. Prince Rainbow never did anything that would help him and his tricks. 'Why, whatever for?'

Prince Rainbow did not answer his question, and instead continued. 'I hope that this new grass will grow strong and thick.'

El-ahrairah could not directly stop Prince Rainbow, and could only watch as he spread the seeds all the way around the Warren. When Prince Rainbow left, El-ahrairah was suprised. He'd thought that Prince Rainbow would have waited to make sure nothing happened to the seeds. Never the less,  turned to Rabscuttle and said ' I'm not going to let that grass grow. It can't be anything good.'

So El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle went look for the seeds, but when they got there, there were no seeds to be found. This confused them both. They hopped all the way around the warren, but there was nothing. Not even the trace of a seed. They were on their way back to the warren, when Rabscuttle suddenly let out a small noise of discomfort.

'Something in the grass pricked me.' He said, as he hopped over to El-ahrairah's side. They inspected the area, and found nothing at first. But when they took a closer look, they discovered new grass, rigid with a pointed end.'

OOC: Hopefully, with this start, you'll be able to think of a continuation.


Raptor

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OOC: Eh, I'll just post the rest.

IC: "Right before their eyes, the grass grew. It grew larger and larger until it was taller then even a horse.

'What has he done?" Asked Rabscuttle, staring around at the massive grass. All of it was sharp and stiff.

El-ahrairah was angry, fo he knew exactly why Prince Rainbow had planted this new grass. He went over to one of the grasses, and started to try and bite through it. However, not only was it bitter, but it was dry, and impossible to bite through. El-ahrairah realized that Prince Rainbow's trap would be incredibly difficult to escape from. Him, Rabscuttle, and his rabbits would all be confined in their own warren until Prince Rainbow saw fit to release them.

A day later, all the rabbits had already grown listless with boredom.

Prince Rainbow returned, and surveyed the grass, and the rabbits trapped within.

"It seems that you can't be up to your old tricks, El-ahrairah." He said, upon finding the Prince with a Thousand Enemies.

El-ahrairah was sitting next to the grass. He said nothing.

Prince Rainbow became worried. "What, no reply?"

El-ahrairah did not make to reply.

Prince Rainbow left, feeling that, if El-ahrairah was planning something, perhaps he should be prepaired.

El-ahrairah had found a gap in the grass, and had Rabscuttle working at it to bend the grass. Once it was large enough, El-ahrairah himself started working at it, to make it large enough for most of the rabbits to fit through. However, one day, when he went to widen it further, he found a man with a gun waiting outside.

The man had a burning white stick in his mouth, and the gun was just beside the hole El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle had made.

At first, El-ahrairah was frightened. But then he remembered how dry the grass was. When he saw the man's burning white stick, he had a sudden idea. If the stick burned, wouldn't the sharp grass burn as well?

El-ahrairah went and got Rabscuttle, and they both waited outside the hole in the grass.

El-ahrairah explained his plan, then told Rabscuttle to get all the rabbits underground. After he had done that, El-ahrairah slipped through the grass hole. The man saw him, and ran over and prepared to shoot. However, El-ahrairah went back in.

The man made to leave, but El-ahrairah popped his head out again. The man came back, but El-ahrairah retreated. The man went to leave, but El-ahrairrah popped out again.

They repeated this several times, until the man was so frusterated that he too the white stick out of his mouth and threw it into the sharp grass. El-ahrairah bolted for a nearby burrow, and the grass burned almost instantly. Normally, the wet would have put the stick out, but this grass was dry as straw in a barn. It burned away in moments.

The man left in anger, and El-ahrairah came out of the burrow and looked around. Rabscuttle and the others left their holes too. Joyfully, they all went to silflay, free at last.

Prince Rainbow returned the next day, shocked by what he saw.

'El-ahrairah, did I not see a thick field of sharp grass here just few days ago?' He asked.

'You did. Sometimes grass dies very quickly.' El-ahrairah replied.

Infuriated, Prince Rainbow left without another word.

From that day on, no fence can keep a rabbit from betting where he wants to go."


Myrkin

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"That was a great story, Soapwort." Neltita exclaimed "I dare to say that was something we needed." Thyme snorted at that.

"Rest and food. This is what we really needed, Neltita. Story can't feed your stomach. Therefore it is not much priority for me to listen to it." he said, before returning to eating grass. One thing doe couldn't stand was a disrespect for stories of El-ahrairah, as she believed telling them was more than a way to pass the time. It was a way to teach rabbits an important lessons about their life and their past. It was almost like a religion and in her opinion it wasn't supposed to be taken lightly.

"Maybe for 'a stomach-on-legs' as you the food is the only priority, but not everybody is so narrow-minded." she stated angrily. These words, heard from the one Thyme considered to be his friend, hurt him much, but he didn't show it outside. Instead he kept his sarcastic attitude as he retorted:

"Then I will leave you for a moment, 'bright rabbit', so you could praise Soapwort more. Maybe you should become his life-mate. Then you would have a chance to listen to his stories all of the time, if you like them so much." he sneered, before hopping away (but not very far from the group).
Pessimist sees a dark tunnel. Optimist sees a light in the tunnel. Realist sees the light of coming train. And a driver sees three idiots standing on the track.

"My heart has joined the thousand, for my friend stopped running today." - Watership Down by Richard Adams.


The Great Valley Guardian

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Mayberry had taken the time during the story to Silflay shortly and then although she did enjoy a good story every now and then, she decided it would be better spent patrolling the area...and that is just what she did, but she stayed close enough that if there should be trouble she could at least warn the others before something attacked. As she passed through the bushes that separated the rest of their group from the Hrududu's path, she thought she heard something...and she shrieked in fear and jumped aside just as a homba bit down where Mayberry had just been standing.

"A bit slow on the draw are ya? Well, lets see if you can truly keep up with one the best Owsla in the warren!" Mayberry boasted as she turned and sped back towards the Hrududu path and she ran straight across as the homba followed her and tired to bite her once more, and this time was successful in wounding the doe, by biting down on her hind leg and tossing her back towards the bushes, where she rolled to a stop.

However just as the homba was advancing to finish Mayberry off and take her life a passing Hrududu flashed by and the homba had disappeared as quickly as the Hrududu had gone. Not having the strength to move she sighed and tried to keep her eyes open by praying and thanking Frith for taking the homba away.

"Nasty, vile homba...that is the price you pay...f-for messing with an Owsla Officer..."


Raptor

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Soapwort was dismayed. "I was only trying to tell a good story." He said, sitting back in the grass.

"I'm sure that they'll be fine, they've argue-" Thistle began. Then the wind changed. Thistle froze. There was the strong scent of a homba. The others had smelt it as well. For a short while, no one did anything.

Then there was a squeal of pain from the direction of the road.

"O Frith and InlÈ!" Exclaimed Soapwort, horrified.

The fear kept them rooted to the spot for a few moments more. Then, the scent of homba weakened. There was still the scent of wounded rabbit.

"We've.. we've got to help." Thistle said, the first to speak in a while.

Brich stared. "Help?! The homba might still be there!"

Thistle turned back. "The homba would have taken the rabbit with it."  Thistle hopped into the brush. He still didn't know who had been wounded.

Moments later, the others followed.


The Great Valley Guardian

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Mayberry was attempting to crawl back to the others, she didn't get very far before the pain caused her to stop and lie her head down. she wanted to cry out for help, but not for a lack of trying, she was just too tired from her wound and Mayberry wanted to have the strength to move when Thistle came for her.


Raptor

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Thistle's fear increased as the scent of both wounded rabbit and homba grew stronger. He choked it down, and against his instincts, came to stop at the side of the road. He looked to the right, and saw he bedraggled form of a rabbit slowly breathing by the brush. Thistle ran towards the form, and as he came closer, it became evident it was Mayberry. She had a large wound one one hind leg. the rest of the leg was covered in blood.

"Frithrah.." Thistle said, under his breath.

"Mayberry, can you feel your hind leg?" He asked, urgently. He had no way of knowing what happened to the homba.

Soapwort voiced his concerns for him. "What happened to the Homba?!"


The Great Valley Guardian

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Mayberry groaned as she looked up and could only see blurry images. She heard the question Thistle had asked...well most of it..and she gurgled a weak, "N-no...c-cant...feel..." she then mumbled "H-homba....g-gone...Hrududu..."


Raptor

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Thistle looked over Mayberry's body. Outwardly, the homba seemed only to have damaged her leg. However, by her behavior, it was evident that there had been further damage.

"Soapwort." Thistle said, with a tremor of fright in his voice. "You get ahold of her back leg. Birch, you get her front. We can't leave her here. I'll do my best to support her middle."

They did so. While Mayberry was a smallish doe, she was larger then Walnut and with her injuries, needed the extra support.


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Mayberry was drifting in and out of consciousness...but...she knew the others were going to help her...she just wasn't sure how.


Myrkin

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Basil, Thyme and Neltita watched as Mayberry was carried out of road.

"It looks like we have another wounded to take care of... It will slow us down greatly, I fear." Hare said matter-of-factly "Not mentioning that we will become even more an easy prey for predators."

"If any elil wil chase us, then we can always leave her behind." Thyme stated. He only said 'her' and not 'her and Walnut (who was injured too)', as he clearly did not like Mayberry and he wished that she had never joined their group. Neltita noticed that, as she said with scolding:

"She may not be the nicest rabbit in the world, Thyme, but she is a part of our group and we are not leaving anybody." Thyme just looked at her with a frown and whispered to Basil (who was between them):
 
"Basil. Could you tell that doe over there that I am not talking with her, please?"

Hare glanced at him a bit confused. Why Thyme asked him to pass his words to Neltita, if she was standing right there? Basil did as he was told though.

"Thyme says, that he is not talking with you." he whispered to doe. Irritation and anger were evident on her face as she responded aloud:

"Tell that buck over there, that I am not talking with him either."

Basil just nodded to her, then he turned to Thyme and opened his mouth, but before he could utter a word a rabbit forestalled him:

"I heard that!"

Hare glanced from Thyme to Neltita, who were looking equally upset. Rabbits! Basil said in his mind, rolling his eyes.
Pessimist sees a dark tunnel. Optimist sees a light in the tunnel. Realist sees the light of coming train. And a driver sees three idiots standing on the track.

"My heart has joined the thousand, for my friend stopped running today." - Watership Down by Richard Adams.


Raptor

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Walnut watched as Thistle, Soapwort, and Birch moved Mayberry back into the shrubs.

He was worried. While Walnut normally worried, he was more worried now. Not only was he injured, but Mayberry was as well. It was so dangerous..

For once, Walnut managed to force these thoughts from his mind, and instead focused on what lay ahead.

'If-'The thought of not reaching their goal frightened Walnut, so he checked himself. 'When we get to a good place, it's all going to be fine.'


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Mayberry had indeed heard Thyme had said about leaving her behind...and it both angered, and held some truth about their current situation. She struggled with a great deal of effort and spoke, "D..Do as...T-thyme...says...l-leave me...I'm...only slowing you....down...just...go."


Raptor

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"No." Thistle said, under the effort of supporting Mayberry's body on his head and neck.

"No one's leaving anyone behind." Thistle added. Perhaps it was foolishness that told Thistle to ignore his natural instincts, which were telling him to leave her behind. Perhaps it was bravery. Whatever the case, Thistle got her to the clearing and had the other help him lay her down.

"I can't tell if her leg's broken. It looks intact, other then the bite marks." Soapwort said, sniffing the wound.

"It must be something else, then." Thistle said, looking over the rest of the doe's leg and body.


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The moment Mayberry touched the ground she put her two front paws firmly in the grass and placed her good hind leg to try and support her body....and the first three times she slipped and fell onto her belly again, but the fourth try she managed to keep herself upright...barely as she placed her wounded leg down to try and support herself fully, she immediately cringed in pain and almost out of reflex action shot a death glare at Thyme as she struggled not to cry out loud in pain, or fall over again.


Raptor

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"Careful." Thistle said, worried.

Soapwort sniffed her leg again. "She can stand, but I don't think that she can travel for very long."

Thistle sat back. 'Frithrah! We can't stay here, because that probably wasn't the only homba, but we can't travel fo too long.' He thought.


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Mayberry took one painful step forward and still gritted her teeth as she continued to give her death stare to Thyme, hoping he wouldn't move until she was within striking distance.