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The Hlessil; Anyone is welcome to join; this follows a band of warrenless rabbits and their adventures.
Topic Started: Jul 19 2016, 05:32:23 PM (901 Views)
Chipster-roo
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Growing Tree
[ *  *  *  *  *  * ]
OOC: It's all right, I've been busy too.

IC: “I did,” said Nettle. She smelled the air for a few seconds, then continued. “I don't think it's this afternoon's homba. It doesn't smell like it. But just what that smell is, I don't know. I'm going to see if I can find out.”

She slowly started approaching the tree from behind which the shadow had come, trying to see what was lurking behind it.
Edited by Chipster-roo, Aug 4 2016, 08:35:38 PM.
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Nildro roo
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Hlessi
[ * ]
Nildro glanced at her friend, and in that instant, instead of Nettle, she saw her brother diving into the foliage.

"No! Don't!" She planted hersalf firmly in front of the bewildered doe.

The flashback suddenly faded, leaving Nildro feeling as stupid as a tharn kitten. "I-I mean, 'no, don't hesitate'. Let's go before something bad happens."

She backed away and tried not to look at Nettle.
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Chipster-roo
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Nettle remained there, staring in shock at Nildro.

“Perhaps I was a bit hasty,” she said. “Whatever is in there, it's probably better left alone. You're right, let's keep going”

She moved away, to a safe distance from the tree, but continued to stare at Nildro.

“She seems to be hiding something.” she thought. “Why did she seem so terrified at me going to see what was over there?”
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Nildro roo
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Hlessi
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Nildro-roo stammered an excuse about being jittery from walking all day, and Nettle seemed to accept it. Gratefully, the trembling doe straightened up, took a few breaths, and skipped on.

They continued on their journey, Nildro often catching Nettle staring. Well, of course, Nildro thought, I would probably do the same if Nettle were acting so strangely. She figured that she would have to tell Nettle eventually, but the present was not the proper time.

At around fu-Inle, they came upon a small clearing, the perfect digging spot for a scrape. Nildro turned to her friend.

"What do you say we stop here for the night? I'll keep first watch."
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Chipster-roo
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"That seems reasonable. After all this travelling, I'm sure we could use some rest."

With that, Nettle started to dig, but still glanced at Nildro occasionally, as her friend's strange behaviour slightly worried her.

"I think it's large enough now," she said after she had finished digging. "I'll go to sleep, if you don't mind."
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Nildro roo
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Hlessi
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Nildro nodded her fuzzy head.

"Yeah, that would be okay."

As soon as Nildro thought Nettle was asleep, she poked her head cautiously out of the run. She sniffed the air, then wriggled out of the burrow. Glancing back, she hoped Nettle was truly asleep.

She came a few feet away from the holes, staring up at Inle and all the stars. Taking a deep breath, Nildro closed her eyes and began to pray.

"El-ahrairah, wherever you are, please watch over my brother. He needs you."

With that, she opened her eyes and slumped back, the moonlight glistening over her fur. She whispered her brother's name and then turned around.
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Chipster-roo
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Nettle moved a little, and opened her eyes.

"What's the matter?" she asked. "I thought I heard you talking..." She suddenly got up, ready to run if necessary. "Is there any danger?"
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Nildro roo
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Nildro started at Nettle's voice. She had thought her friend was asleep.

"Oh! Sorry, I didn't know you were awake, I-I mean, I didn't... " She looked confused for a minute, then sighed. "I have always been a terrible liar."

With that, Nildro stared pointedly at Nettle. "First things first: you start. Tell me the story of how you came to be a hlessi, and I'll tell you mine."
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Chipster-roo
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Nettle did not know how to react to Nildro's unusual behaviour. She hesitated for a few moments, wondering whether telling her story was a good idea, but decided that there would probably be no harm in doing so.

"The warren where I lived seemed nice at first sight," she said. "There were hardly any elil, and the owsla wasn't bullying everyone around. It was a peaceful place to live, but it was also rather boring. Nothing exciting ever happened. So, I just left, and I doubt anyone missed me. What about you?"

"Hopefully this will explain why she behaved like she did," she thought.
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Nildro roo
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Hlessi
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Nildro-roo began. "My warren was perfect--no elil, flayrah every day, and all sorts of interesting... things. We had shapes, we sang like the birds--" Noticing her friend's confused expression, Nildro skipped the rest.

"Anyways, I lived the ideal life, until my brother, Elil-ela, and I were out hrair days ago. He was digging in the leaves... when the snare... " She choked for a second, then continued. "He stopped running, and I had no reason to stay. I became a hlessi, going from warren to warren, neither declined nor accepted in the communities. So, there's that."

Nildro broke off as Frith peeked over the horizon. "Well, I guess we'd better be going."
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Chipster-roo
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Nettle nodded, and soon the two rabbits were on their way.

"That could probably explain everything," she thought. "But what can I do? I can't bring back her brother, or replace him. I'll do what I can to help her, but that probably won't be much..."

"That's...terrible," she said simply, after a while.

"My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend's brother stopped running," she whispered.
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Nildro roo
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Hlessi
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Nildro was about to say something, when suddenly a pfeffa leaped out from under a nearby fence. Until that moment, neither rabbit had taken notice of it, but they both realized that they were right next to a bustling farm.

"Nettle! The human burrow, it-- " Nildro was suddenly tackled by the pouncing cat. She shrieked as she was pinned by the feline.
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Chipster-roo
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Nettle had not heard or smelled the cat; by the time she had realized its presence, it had already attacked Nildro.

Without thinking, Nettle leaped at the cat, crashing full force into its side, and slashing it across its whiskers. The cat got up and scratched Nettle's side, but she managed to bite one of its hind legs. The cat, tired of all this fighting, walked away, hoping to find some easier prey elsewhere.

"Are you all right, Nildro?" Nettle asked, while licking her wound.
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Nildro roo
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Nildro got up shakily. "Ye-yes," she said, looking upon her friend with new respect.

"Thank you. Let's take another path, shall we?"
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Chipster-roo
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Nettle considered the possibility of stealing some flayrah, given their proximity to the farm. However, while the cat had not been able to hurt Nildro, she was still shaken up by the incident. Nettle herself was not really better, with the scratches the cat had made.

"We could always try again later on," she thought, "when we have recovered."

"If you feel well enough to travel, I'm ready," she said.
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