Post by cassidy on Dec 22, 2006 2:28:40 GMT -5
Burrowed Meadow
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Coriander - Male adolescent rabbit, son of Captain Blackbriar and Nightshade
Sunflower - Female adolescent rabbit, daughter of Captain Blackbriar and Nightshade
Bracken - Male adult rabbit
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The meadows are quiet, muffled by a thin coat of white. The sky is heavy, dark, and close, moving silently in a wind so far from earth that it rustles no twig nor laps at the unfrozen pools. The snow is light and powdery amongst the burrows, building in weak piles around runs and making the holes quite starkly visible. Out of the shade of one hops a young buck, his nose uncertainly twitching as his paws shuffle in the snow. It's wet and cold and quite unpleasant. Coriander tilts his ears back and makes his way as best he can, pushing aside snow with his forepaws and nose, and exposing small patches of pallid, unsavory grass. He grazes silently, his eyes constantly roaming the meadow. The quiet is unsettling and he feels very exposed out here in the cold.
Another is peeking out of the hole that he just came from. Sunflower blinks as she eyes the newly fallen snow before hopping out and lands right in the cold white fluff. She holds back a faint erk at the coldness that dampness her fur while lifting a forepaw to lick at the white stuff that has clung to her paw. Sorta tastes like water she thinks.
Coriander flicks an ear back at the shuffling sound of another rabbit. He turns his head a bit and watches his sister test the snow, a soft smirk tugging at his lips. "It's just wet. And cold." He shivers involuntarily, illustrating the point. The young buck pauses, looking at the snow at his paws and then raising his head, getting a panoramic view of the snowy countryside. "If you sit in one place for a while it melts."
Sunflower glances over and grins. "I know.." She offers while hoping over to where he is and sits up to peer around herself. "Its all over the place huh?" Her ears twitch one way and then another while she sniffs at the cool air.
Coriander nods quietly, chewing on the cold, dry flay. Winter might be pretty, he thinks, but it makes for a poor silflay. He pulls back onto his haunches after a moment, peering about in the same manner as his sister. "Yeah, I hope it means the elil are all holed up in their dens."
Sunflower nods while making a face. "Me to." She offers as she settles back down so she's sitting and glances over the damp ground. She sticks her tounge out at it before leaning down to get hold of some grass and chew on it as her ears twitch one way then another.
Coriander stays sitting up for a few moments, watching his sister thoughtfully. He runs a paw down the bridge of his nose then settles back onto all fours with his paws tucked carefully beneath him for warmth. "So... I don't really talk to you much, Sunflower. What do you think of... all... this?" He gestures around the meadow. "I mean, about the new chief and all?"
Sunflower glances over to her brother curiously at the questions and lifts a forepaw to half scratch at her cheek once she swallows down what she was chewing on. "The chief? I think MytrleRa will have some problems.. As we saw but I think she'll do fine." She offers with a smile and nods. Looks like the young doe likes the new leader.
Coriander nods a bit. "Yes, she seems to be a competent chief, at that. I didn't get to see the... ah, the initiation, but I hear it was rather a sight." He pauses and idly scratches at his ear. "I'm a bit worried about father, though. I hope he takes her orders to heart. I don't think Brack - er, that anyone should be persecuted for speaking their mind."
Sunflower grins and nods. "It was great.. She taught that one buck a good lesson!" She was so glad she got to see that. Her head tilts and she ohs softly while her nose twitches. "I'm sure father will listion and do as his told. His never went against orders before." She shrugs. "I dono what that one said.. But one shouldn't talk about another so harshly around others."
Coriander frowns, scrunching up his nose distastefully. "I suppose." He scratches at the cold ground with his foreclaws, scraping up a small amount of frozen earth. He crawls forward a bit, uncovering a frosted dandelion with his nose. "Hm. You want this, Sunflower? I'm pretty sure it's the last dandelion we'll see until spring."
Sunflower tilts her head while watching you curiously a few moments. "Well..I wouldn't want anyone talking harshly bout you, mother and father out among the rest. Well I don't want to to happen period but you know what I mean." Her ears prick at the word dandelion and her nose twitches before she just smile. "No no, you go on an have it."
Coriander smirks and plucks it dextrously with his teeth then places it in front of his sister. "Nah, I'm not that fond of dandelions." He smiles a bit and then turns to eat some grass before she can object.
Sunflower tilts her head about to say something, she smirks and chuckles a bit before picking it up and eats it happly. Alright so she really like dandelions but she was being nice to her dear brother. "Thank you Coriander." She evens gives his side a faint nuzzle. Taw.
Coriander snickers and cuffs her playfully. The young buck hops a few lengths away, pausing to sit up on a small hillock and look around the eerily quiet meadow once more. "I hope this snow melts soon." He shudders and lowers back onto all fours, tucking his ears back. "A one-eyed lendri could have spotted me just then, white as everything is."
Sunflower smirks and gives herself a shake after getting cuffed. She peers after him and yawns a bit. "Maybe you should be more careful then.. I dono think it'll melt anytime soon, getting cold after all."
Coriander snorts in agreement and the warm mist of his breath in the cool air curls up and away like a wraith. The young rabbit nibbles at an itch on his flank and hops back towards Sunflower. "Do you know if mother and father intend for you to be in the Owsla?" he asks, his tone thoughtful. "Mother's in it, after all. I don't see why you shouldn't be."
Sunflower settles back on her haunches, forepaws pulled close to her chest while her ears perk at that talk of that and she grins. "No I did not.. Sounds alright to me, means having to train hard I'm sure though." Her tail twitches some. "What bout you?"
Coriander considers this for a moment. "Well, I figure I'll be, of course," he muses, his tone matter-of-fact. "Shouldn't be too difficult. I don't mind the training and what-not, it would make for a nice change." The young buck grooms an ear absently, pondering. "And I think I'd rather enjoy going down to the farm. You know, to raid the garden." He grins a bit. "And just to see something new, of course."
Sunflower blinks and chuckles softly while pointing a paw at her brother. "I see why you wana do it." She offers with a playful tone. "Though I have to agree, it sounds rather interesting. Growing up with are mother and father I think got use use to some training we might get to."
It's been a day or two since Bracken was seen around the warren after being confronted by Blackbriar and the others, but now the rebellious buck seems to have had his share of solitude (or perhaps it's the fact that he's been roughing it without the comfort of a proper burrow that has coaxed him back). Either way, he approaches rather cautiously, hopping a few paces and then nibbling at a blade or two of grass in a feigned display of relaxed, casual browsing.
Coriander chuckles, nodding in agreement with his sister. His ear flicks suddenly, the sound of another rabbit having caught his attention. Coriander glances around and brightens when he spots Bracken. He hops over to the older buck, tilting an ear forward in greeting. "Hullo, Bracken. Welcome back."
Sunflower lifts her head and glances over to Bracken while tilting her head. She doesn't really know that buck, though so far she doesn't really like him. The young doe hangs back and just goes about eatting some grass.
Bracken is relieved to see only the two youngsters above ground, and seems to brighten up considerably himself as Coriander comes to greet him, perking up his ears. "Hello, Coriander... and thanks. Wasn't exactly expecting to be welcomed back." He gives a half-smile and sits up a bit for a better look around, but only briefly, as he's still wary about being conspicuous. "Not about to get chased off, am I?" He asks as he flicks a bit of snow from his paws and then returns to all fours.
Coriander glances over his shoulder and frowns a bit at Sunflower's reluctance to come forward, but says nothing of it. He tilts his head in Brackens direction, considering. "No, Myrtle... ah..." He hesitates, squinting. "Myrtle-rah told my father to be easy on you." He smiles a bit, not sure how the older buck will react to that.
Sunflower glances back at her brother, ears lowering a bit as she seems unsure about moving forward. Though if she's going to be a Owsla she needs to act like one. With a flick of her tail she hops forward and offers a nod an slight smile to Bracken. "Ello." This offered as she settles next to her brother.
Bracken can't help but quirk a brow at Coriander's reply. "Easy on me?" No, he doesn't quite know how he should react to that. If another confrontation were imminent, he might have had more of an idea of how to respond -- sort of the old fight or flight instinct. "Hmm, well. I suppose that's probably for the best. Wouldn't be much good for me to get myself thrown out of the warren in this weather." He gives a slight shake, then perks an ear towards the young doe as she approaches. This time she doesn't receive any unfriendly looks from Bracken. "Hello, Sunflower."
Coriander smiles softly at his sister as she sits down beside him before nodding towards Bracken. "Yes; although, if you need help digging out a scrape sometime I wouldn't mind lending a paw." He scratches at his ear, musing over the passing conversations he'd had with his father and the new chief. "She's not a bad chief, Bracken. I know it's unnatural, but... Well, it would have been better if my father had taken over after Rowanoak-rah, he's the captain, after all... but I think it will be all right."
Sunflower keeps her smile and nods to the older buck once more. "Guess you got a bit cold out der?" She questions curiously seeing how it started snowing early and all. A ear twitches as she listions to her brother and slips quiet curious at what Bracken might say.
"No use trying to make scrapes now, unless you fancy digging through stone." Bracken says with a bit of amusement, tapping on the frozen soil with his claws. He sits back again and listens to the younger buck's next words about the chief. His whiskers seem to droop a bit, and he shakes his head a little sullenly. "Well, I still don't think it's right. But I suppose there's not much to be done about it just now." He perks an ear again towards the young female, nodding. "I'd hate to be a hlessi at this time of year. I was only out there for a couple of days and thought I'd freeze my ears off before I got back."
Coriander allows himself a small smile at that. "Yeah, this snow is bloody annoying." He stretches out a hind leg and kicks out the clinging bits of snow. "And the food is terrible." He smirks, glad that the moment of discomfort has passed.
Sunflower nose wiggles while she eyes Bracken a bit, at least he didn't say anyhing wrong. She nods and soon smiles a bit. "Ya, i'd hate to be out here on me own to."
Bracken leans over and scratches at his neck for a moment, then sits up again at Coriander's mention of food and glances off westward, an almost wistful look on his face. "Aye... I'm almost tempted to risk another trip to the farm, at this rate, just to see if the man's thrown anything good out. Found half a cabbage and a few apples last time I went down there." Just the thought of flayrah is enough to make his mouth water, and he tries to usher them out of his mind with a shake of his head, glancing down at a sad little twist of dried grass at his paws.
Coriander's eyes widen considerably. "You've been to the farm? I thought only Owsla went to the farm..." He sits up and peers off at the western horizon, a similarly wistful look on his face. "What's it like? Outside the burrows? I haven't been five fox-lengths away from a burrow in my whole life, and that's the truth of it." The young buck frowns, furrowing his brows impatiently.
Sunflower peers at the older buck and glances to where she farm is. "Isn't that sorta dangerous.. Don't he have dogs all over he place?" She questions before glancing back to Bracken.
"It's dangerous. There are more of the thousand around there than anywhere else I've been -- the place reeks of them. But once you get a taste of flayrah, you'll know why it's worth the risk." Bracken sits back and grooms his nose and whiskers thoughtfully with his paws. "I'd tell you more about it," He goes on after a pause, "But there's really no way to describe a man-place. It's stranger than a yona in a tree if you've never seen it, I'll tell you that much."
Coriander tilts his head, listening intently to the older buck's words. "Well, it does sound rather frightening," he concedes, his eyes squinting towards the ground. "But... Well, I would like to see it." He nods a bit and settles onto all fours again with a slight droop to his ears. He snickers after a moment. "A yona in a tree -- That's a thought, now."
Sunflower blinks and hehs softly at Bracken while lifting her forepaws to rub across her nose and maw a few times. A ear flicks to her brother. While he seems eager to see the farm she thinks she could do without it. "Have you seen on in a tree Bracken?"
The older rabbit looks to Sunflower with a bit of a grin. "I should hope not, or I think I'd have to start questioning if I'd lost my wits." He chuckles softly and settles down to nibble at a few more blades of grass. When he speaks again, his tone is a bit more serious. "I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a risk.. but what's life without a bit of adventure now and then, eh? There's risk in coming above ground at all, if it comes to that, but that's not going to keep rabbits from basking in the sun or kits from playing in the grass."
Coriander nods solemnly. "You just have to be full of tricks." The young buck smiles, drawing on one of the many stories he's heard in the Honeycomb and as a kit, holed up in a burrow.
Sunflower grins and nods. "Well.. I wasn't sure, figured that much." She offers and lowers her head to scratch at her cheek, a ear flicks to her brother. "One would have to be full or more then jus tricks I can imagen."
Bracken nods briskly to Coriander, seeming pleased by the younger buck's statement. "As Lord Frith intends us to be." An ear perks towards Sunflower, and he pauses again thoughtfully before replying. "Well, you have to be fit for it, that's for sure. You'd be better off walking up to a homba and asking him to eat you than going to raid a garden with a bad leg or dull senses."
Coriander smiles, feeling proud of himself. He scratches at his chin thoughtfully, recalling the rest of Frith's commandment. But first, they must catch you. The young buck smiles, imagining grand schemes and raids in his mind. "What of pfeffil, of cats? I've heard a big rabbit can fight a cat," he says, a bit ashamed of the sophomoric eagerness in his voice. He laughs a bit after saying it to dull the enthusiasm.
Sunflower has disconnected.
"Well, if you can see them coming. It's when they catch you by surprise that cats are really dangerous." Bracken replies. "They're sly beasts, and quick too -- but not as quick as we are, at a sprint. That's the trick of it, to get them to chase you. It sounds foolish, but it's the only way to lose them cleanly." An ear twitches at the thought of fighting a cat. "I don't fancy tackling one myself, but I bet a big rabbit could face a cat, if it didn't catch him off-guard. Or maybe a few together could fight one."
Coriander smiles, very much enjoying the little lesson. If this was a taste of what he was going to learn training for Owsla --! The young buck shuffles his paws, his nose twitching happily. "Have you ever seen a cat, Bracken? Or been chased by one? What about a dog? Have you seen a dog?" Coriander's ears flick forward, an intent look in his eyes.
"I saw two dogs when I last went to the farm, and a cat the first time I went. None of them chased me, thankfully enough -- and I'm glad enough of that." It's clear that Bracken is enjoying this little discussion as well. He lays his ears back contently, every now and then nibbling at the grass. "The dogs are easy enough to avoid, if you keep your head down. It's the cats you want to be really wary of. And the man, too, though that danger is more to do with luck than anything. There are rats, too, but any rabbit fit enough to go to a farm should be able to handle those with no trouble."
Coriander grins, thinking of it all. "Well, I hope I can go someday. Maybe you can be in the Ows-" he cuts himself off, his brows furrowing. "Well, maybe we can go together sometime, anyway." He clears his throat self-conciously, tilting his ears back.
Bracken brushes off the mention of owsla with a dismissive flick of his ear. Whatever was to happen with that situation, he'd be going back to the farm sooner or later. "Sure enough! In the summer, when the garden is -really- worth raiding." He replies, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Wait until you see it, Coriander. Rows of lettuces, cabbages, carrots, turnips... Stuff that's hrair times better than cowslips, even. You'll have a hard time trying not to stuff yourself to the eartips. I always do."
Coriander grins, imagining it quite well without the difficulties of imaging a yona in a tree. The young buck flicks his ears forward and laughs. "I can't wait! But..." he yawns, stretching out his paws languidly. "I think I'd better get some sleep for now." He smiles and pivots on his hind legs. "I'm glad you're back, Bracken." With that he slips into a nearby run and disappears underground.
Bracken is even more glad. He sits in the fading sun for a few moments longer, sniffing at the chilly air, then follows Coriander into the warren, relieved that he won't have to spend another night out in the open.
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Coriander - Male adolescent rabbit, son of Captain Blackbriar and Nightshade
Sunflower - Female adolescent rabbit, daughter of Captain Blackbriar and Nightshade
Bracken - Male adult rabbit
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The meadows are quiet, muffled by a thin coat of white. The sky is heavy, dark, and close, moving silently in a wind so far from earth that it rustles no twig nor laps at the unfrozen pools. The snow is light and powdery amongst the burrows, building in weak piles around runs and making the holes quite starkly visible. Out of the shade of one hops a young buck, his nose uncertainly twitching as his paws shuffle in the snow. It's wet and cold and quite unpleasant. Coriander tilts his ears back and makes his way as best he can, pushing aside snow with his forepaws and nose, and exposing small patches of pallid, unsavory grass. He grazes silently, his eyes constantly roaming the meadow. The quiet is unsettling and he feels very exposed out here in the cold.
Another is peeking out of the hole that he just came from. Sunflower blinks as she eyes the newly fallen snow before hopping out and lands right in the cold white fluff. She holds back a faint erk at the coldness that dampness her fur while lifting a forepaw to lick at the white stuff that has clung to her paw. Sorta tastes like water she thinks.
Coriander flicks an ear back at the shuffling sound of another rabbit. He turns his head a bit and watches his sister test the snow, a soft smirk tugging at his lips. "It's just wet. And cold." He shivers involuntarily, illustrating the point. The young buck pauses, looking at the snow at his paws and then raising his head, getting a panoramic view of the snowy countryside. "If you sit in one place for a while it melts."
Sunflower glances over and grins. "I know.." She offers while hoping over to where he is and sits up to peer around herself. "Its all over the place huh?" Her ears twitch one way and then another while she sniffs at the cool air.
Coriander nods quietly, chewing on the cold, dry flay. Winter might be pretty, he thinks, but it makes for a poor silflay. He pulls back onto his haunches after a moment, peering about in the same manner as his sister. "Yeah, I hope it means the elil are all holed up in their dens."
Sunflower nods while making a face. "Me to." She offers as she settles back down so she's sitting and glances over the damp ground. She sticks her tounge out at it before leaning down to get hold of some grass and chew on it as her ears twitch one way then another.
Coriander stays sitting up for a few moments, watching his sister thoughtfully. He runs a paw down the bridge of his nose then settles back onto all fours with his paws tucked carefully beneath him for warmth. "So... I don't really talk to you much, Sunflower. What do you think of... all... this?" He gestures around the meadow. "I mean, about the new chief and all?"
Sunflower glances over to her brother curiously at the questions and lifts a forepaw to half scratch at her cheek once she swallows down what she was chewing on. "The chief? I think MytrleRa will have some problems.. As we saw but I think she'll do fine." She offers with a smile and nods. Looks like the young doe likes the new leader.
Coriander nods a bit. "Yes, she seems to be a competent chief, at that. I didn't get to see the... ah, the initiation, but I hear it was rather a sight." He pauses and idly scratches at his ear. "I'm a bit worried about father, though. I hope he takes her orders to heart. I don't think Brack - er, that anyone should be persecuted for speaking their mind."
Sunflower grins and nods. "It was great.. She taught that one buck a good lesson!" She was so glad she got to see that. Her head tilts and she ohs softly while her nose twitches. "I'm sure father will listion and do as his told. His never went against orders before." She shrugs. "I dono what that one said.. But one shouldn't talk about another so harshly around others."
Coriander frowns, scrunching up his nose distastefully. "I suppose." He scratches at the cold ground with his foreclaws, scraping up a small amount of frozen earth. He crawls forward a bit, uncovering a frosted dandelion with his nose. "Hm. You want this, Sunflower? I'm pretty sure it's the last dandelion we'll see until spring."
Sunflower tilts her head while watching you curiously a few moments. "Well..I wouldn't want anyone talking harshly bout you, mother and father out among the rest. Well I don't want to to happen period but you know what I mean." Her ears prick at the word dandelion and her nose twitches before she just smile. "No no, you go on an have it."
Coriander smirks and plucks it dextrously with his teeth then places it in front of his sister. "Nah, I'm not that fond of dandelions." He smiles a bit and then turns to eat some grass before she can object.
Sunflower tilts her head about to say something, she smirks and chuckles a bit before picking it up and eats it happly. Alright so she really like dandelions but she was being nice to her dear brother. "Thank you Coriander." She evens gives his side a faint nuzzle. Taw.
Coriander snickers and cuffs her playfully. The young buck hops a few lengths away, pausing to sit up on a small hillock and look around the eerily quiet meadow once more. "I hope this snow melts soon." He shudders and lowers back onto all fours, tucking his ears back. "A one-eyed lendri could have spotted me just then, white as everything is."
Sunflower smirks and gives herself a shake after getting cuffed. She peers after him and yawns a bit. "Maybe you should be more careful then.. I dono think it'll melt anytime soon, getting cold after all."
Coriander snorts in agreement and the warm mist of his breath in the cool air curls up and away like a wraith. The young rabbit nibbles at an itch on his flank and hops back towards Sunflower. "Do you know if mother and father intend for you to be in the Owsla?" he asks, his tone thoughtful. "Mother's in it, after all. I don't see why you shouldn't be."
Sunflower settles back on her haunches, forepaws pulled close to her chest while her ears perk at that talk of that and she grins. "No I did not.. Sounds alright to me, means having to train hard I'm sure though." Her tail twitches some. "What bout you?"
Coriander considers this for a moment. "Well, I figure I'll be, of course," he muses, his tone matter-of-fact. "Shouldn't be too difficult. I don't mind the training and what-not, it would make for a nice change." The young buck grooms an ear absently, pondering. "And I think I'd rather enjoy going down to the farm. You know, to raid the garden." He grins a bit. "And just to see something new, of course."
Sunflower blinks and chuckles softly while pointing a paw at her brother. "I see why you wana do it." She offers with a playful tone. "Though I have to agree, it sounds rather interesting. Growing up with are mother and father I think got use use to some training we might get to."
It's been a day or two since Bracken was seen around the warren after being confronted by Blackbriar and the others, but now the rebellious buck seems to have had his share of solitude (or perhaps it's the fact that he's been roughing it without the comfort of a proper burrow that has coaxed him back). Either way, he approaches rather cautiously, hopping a few paces and then nibbling at a blade or two of grass in a feigned display of relaxed, casual browsing.
Coriander chuckles, nodding in agreement with his sister. His ear flicks suddenly, the sound of another rabbit having caught his attention. Coriander glances around and brightens when he spots Bracken. He hops over to the older buck, tilting an ear forward in greeting. "Hullo, Bracken. Welcome back."
Sunflower lifts her head and glances over to Bracken while tilting her head. She doesn't really know that buck, though so far she doesn't really like him. The young doe hangs back and just goes about eatting some grass.
Bracken is relieved to see only the two youngsters above ground, and seems to brighten up considerably himself as Coriander comes to greet him, perking up his ears. "Hello, Coriander... and thanks. Wasn't exactly expecting to be welcomed back." He gives a half-smile and sits up a bit for a better look around, but only briefly, as he's still wary about being conspicuous. "Not about to get chased off, am I?" He asks as he flicks a bit of snow from his paws and then returns to all fours.
Coriander glances over his shoulder and frowns a bit at Sunflower's reluctance to come forward, but says nothing of it. He tilts his head in Brackens direction, considering. "No, Myrtle... ah..." He hesitates, squinting. "Myrtle-rah told my father to be easy on you." He smiles a bit, not sure how the older buck will react to that.
Sunflower glances back at her brother, ears lowering a bit as she seems unsure about moving forward. Though if she's going to be a Owsla she needs to act like one. With a flick of her tail she hops forward and offers a nod an slight smile to Bracken. "Ello." This offered as she settles next to her brother.
Bracken can't help but quirk a brow at Coriander's reply. "Easy on me?" No, he doesn't quite know how he should react to that. If another confrontation were imminent, he might have had more of an idea of how to respond -- sort of the old fight or flight instinct. "Hmm, well. I suppose that's probably for the best. Wouldn't be much good for me to get myself thrown out of the warren in this weather." He gives a slight shake, then perks an ear towards the young doe as she approaches. This time she doesn't receive any unfriendly looks from Bracken. "Hello, Sunflower."
Coriander smiles softly at his sister as she sits down beside him before nodding towards Bracken. "Yes; although, if you need help digging out a scrape sometime I wouldn't mind lending a paw." He scratches at his ear, musing over the passing conversations he'd had with his father and the new chief. "She's not a bad chief, Bracken. I know it's unnatural, but... Well, it would have been better if my father had taken over after Rowanoak-rah, he's the captain, after all... but I think it will be all right."
Sunflower keeps her smile and nods to the older buck once more. "Guess you got a bit cold out der?" She questions curiously seeing how it started snowing early and all. A ear twitches as she listions to her brother and slips quiet curious at what Bracken might say.
"No use trying to make scrapes now, unless you fancy digging through stone." Bracken says with a bit of amusement, tapping on the frozen soil with his claws. He sits back again and listens to the younger buck's next words about the chief. His whiskers seem to droop a bit, and he shakes his head a little sullenly. "Well, I still don't think it's right. But I suppose there's not much to be done about it just now." He perks an ear again towards the young female, nodding. "I'd hate to be a hlessi at this time of year. I was only out there for a couple of days and thought I'd freeze my ears off before I got back."
Coriander allows himself a small smile at that. "Yeah, this snow is bloody annoying." He stretches out a hind leg and kicks out the clinging bits of snow. "And the food is terrible." He smirks, glad that the moment of discomfort has passed.
Sunflower nose wiggles while she eyes Bracken a bit, at least he didn't say anyhing wrong. She nods and soon smiles a bit. "Ya, i'd hate to be out here on me own to."
Bracken leans over and scratches at his neck for a moment, then sits up again at Coriander's mention of food and glances off westward, an almost wistful look on his face. "Aye... I'm almost tempted to risk another trip to the farm, at this rate, just to see if the man's thrown anything good out. Found half a cabbage and a few apples last time I went down there." Just the thought of flayrah is enough to make his mouth water, and he tries to usher them out of his mind with a shake of his head, glancing down at a sad little twist of dried grass at his paws.
Coriander's eyes widen considerably. "You've been to the farm? I thought only Owsla went to the farm..." He sits up and peers off at the western horizon, a similarly wistful look on his face. "What's it like? Outside the burrows? I haven't been five fox-lengths away from a burrow in my whole life, and that's the truth of it." The young buck frowns, furrowing his brows impatiently.
Sunflower peers at the older buck and glances to where she farm is. "Isn't that sorta dangerous.. Don't he have dogs all over he place?" She questions before glancing back to Bracken.
"It's dangerous. There are more of the thousand around there than anywhere else I've been -- the place reeks of them. But once you get a taste of flayrah, you'll know why it's worth the risk." Bracken sits back and grooms his nose and whiskers thoughtfully with his paws. "I'd tell you more about it," He goes on after a pause, "But there's really no way to describe a man-place. It's stranger than a yona in a tree if you've never seen it, I'll tell you that much."
Coriander tilts his head, listening intently to the older buck's words. "Well, it does sound rather frightening," he concedes, his eyes squinting towards the ground. "But... Well, I would like to see it." He nods a bit and settles onto all fours again with a slight droop to his ears. He snickers after a moment. "A yona in a tree -- That's a thought, now."
Sunflower blinks and hehs softly at Bracken while lifting her forepaws to rub across her nose and maw a few times. A ear flicks to her brother. While he seems eager to see the farm she thinks she could do without it. "Have you seen on in a tree Bracken?"
The older rabbit looks to Sunflower with a bit of a grin. "I should hope not, or I think I'd have to start questioning if I'd lost my wits." He chuckles softly and settles down to nibble at a few more blades of grass. When he speaks again, his tone is a bit more serious. "I'd be lying if I said there wasn't a risk.. but what's life without a bit of adventure now and then, eh? There's risk in coming above ground at all, if it comes to that, but that's not going to keep rabbits from basking in the sun or kits from playing in the grass."
Coriander nods solemnly. "You just have to be full of tricks." The young buck smiles, drawing on one of the many stories he's heard in the Honeycomb and as a kit, holed up in a burrow.
Sunflower grins and nods. "Well.. I wasn't sure, figured that much." She offers and lowers her head to scratch at her cheek, a ear flicks to her brother. "One would have to be full or more then jus tricks I can imagen."
Bracken nods briskly to Coriander, seeming pleased by the younger buck's statement. "As Lord Frith intends us to be." An ear perks towards Sunflower, and he pauses again thoughtfully before replying. "Well, you have to be fit for it, that's for sure. You'd be better off walking up to a homba and asking him to eat you than going to raid a garden with a bad leg or dull senses."
Coriander smiles, feeling proud of himself. He scratches at his chin thoughtfully, recalling the rest of Frith's commandment. But first, they must catch you. The young buck smiles, imagining grand schemes and raids in his mind. "What of pfeffil, of cats? I've heard a big rabbit can fight a cat," he says, a bit ashamed of the sophomoric eagerness in his voice. He laughs a bit after saying it to dull the enthusiasm.
Sunflower has disconnected.
"Well, if you can see them coming. It's when they catch you by surprise that cats are really dangerous." Bracken replies. "They're sly beasts, and quick too -- but not as quick as we are, at a sprint. That's the trick of it, to get them to chase you. It sounds foolish, but it's the only way to lose them cleanly." An ear twitches at the thought of fighting a cat. "I don't fancy tackling one myself, but I bet a big rabbit could face a cat, if it didn't catch him off-guard. Or maybe a few together could fight one."
Coriander smiles, very much enjoying the little lesson. If this was a taste of what he was going to learn training for Owsla --! The young buck shuffles his paws, his nose twitching happily. "Have you ever seen a cat, Bracken? Or been chased by one? What about a dog? Have you seen a dog?" Coriander's ears flick forward, an intent look in his eyes.
"I saw two dogs when I last went to the farm, and a cat the first time I went. None of them chased me, thankfully enough -- and I'm glad enough of that." It's clear that Bracken is enjoying this little discussion as well. He lays his ears back contently, every now and then nibbling at the grass. "The dogs are easy enough to avoid, if you keep your head down. It's the cats you want to be really wary of. And the man, too, though that danger is more to do with luck than anything. There are rats, too, but any rabbit fit enough to go to a farm should be able to handle those with no trouble."
Coriander grins, thinking of it all. "Well, I hope I can go someday. Maybe you can be in the Ows-" he cuts himself off, his brows furrowing. "Well, maybe we can go together sometime, anyway." He clears his throat self-conciously, tilting his ears back.
Bracken brushes off the mention of owsla with a dismissive flick of his ear. Whatever was to happen with that situation, he'd be going back to the farm sooner or later. "Sure enough! In the summer, when the garden is -really- worth raiding." He replies, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Wait until you see it, Coriander. Rows of lettuces, cabbages, carrots, turnips... Stuff that's hrair times better than cowslips, even. You'll have a hard time trying not to stuff yourself to the eartips. I always do."
Coriander grins, imagining it quite well without the difficulties of imaging a yona in a tree. The young buck flicks his ears forward and laughs. "I can't wait! But..." he yawns, stretching out his paws languidly. "I think I'd better get some sleep for now." He smiles and pivots on his hind legs. "I'm glad you're back, Bracken." With that he slips into a nearby run and disappears underground.
Bracken is even more glad. He sits in the fading sun for a few moments longer, sniffing at the chilly air, then follows Coriander into the warren, relieved that he won't have to spend another night out in the open.