WAR || Deerbarrow Warren writing || DNP

[Ladyskittels]

Myrtia sprang across the ground happily, the items she had found on their previous hunt securely being held by Bittersweet so she was free to romp around as she deemed necessary on their way back to the burrow. The ghostly grey doe hummed a merry tune under her breath as she focused on her game, happy to have done such a great job and had made her warrenmate's proud. She couldn't wait to tell Igetis-rah how well she had done and, as the sun began to set, she continued her game even though she could not see very clearly anymore.

"Maybe you should stop soon, Myrtia dear," Bittersweet called after her in her usual motherly tone. "You wouldn't want to get hurt again, would you?"

Myrtia ignored her words of warning and continued to play. What does she know anyways? She isn't always right. Could she? That's impossible.... no one can be right all the time the doe thought. Soon after these words came through her mind, a sharp pain radiated suddenly from her toe which caused her to yell out in surprise and pain. "OUCH!!! WHAT JUST HAPPENED??"

Bittersweet shook her head and went to the aid of Myrtia, who was now crying and clutching her injured leg. "You just hurt yourself. Let me see," she said, passing the items to Siopi before she inspected Myrtia's injured leg. "You will be fine after some dinner and a good night's sleep. It seems that you simply stubbed your toe on something."

"I stubbed my toe?" Myrtia asked, tears falling from her ocean blue eyes that resembled the water even more as the tears welled in them. "What did I stub it on...?" She still didn't want to admit she had been wrong; she couldn't bear having had messed up again. Especially after just doing so well on their hunt earlier.

Bittersweet patted the childlike doe on the head and smiled kindly at her. "Don't worry, it will be fine. You probably just stubbed it on a rock; there's lots of them around here," the fawn colored doe wiped away Myrtia's tears as she coaxed the doe to her feet. "Come on, now. Let's get you home so you can rest."

"Can I still go on an adventure tomorrow?" Myrtia asked as they walked more carefully back to the burrow, her voice breaking slightly.

"I promise you will be able to go on another adventure just like you did today. As long as you promise to get more rest," Bittersweet said, letting her voice take on that familiar motheringlike tone.

Myrtia nodded and the trio walked into their burrow. The grey female sat on her bed and nestled into the soft bedding below her, preparing for some good rest while Siopi and Bittersweet left the main sleeping chamber to put the items away in the storage room, leaving Igetis-rah and Dynami alone with Myrtia.

"Would you like some dinner?" Dynami offered, holding out some of the cabbage leaves she had been snacking on. The doe nodded, and Dynami walked over and placed some next to the grey female. They ate in silence for a while, everyone feeling tired and ready for bed. Once they were done with their dinner, they all went to bed and dreamed about the adventures they had that day, and about all the adventures yet to come.

[Ladyskittels]

After the rabbits had broken into their designated groups following the warren meeting, Siopi led the two does out of the burrow and into the chilly autumn day above ground. He took in a deep breath, trying to catch the scent of the herbs he knew grew by the sickly sweet smelling plants that had made him dizzy the last time he and Igetis-rah had gone herb collecting. He felt a sense of pride in being chosen for the job of leading this gathering mission; their leader trusted him enough to give him such an important task. Siopi promised he would not let their leader down.

"That was a great meeting, don't you think?" Dynami asked Bittersweet as the two does followed the silent, scarred, black and tan buck across the terrain toward what could only be a place to collect herbs. "I guess I'm a little biased since it was my first one though, huh."

Bittersweet's yawn stopped midway, having been replaced by a type of snorting laugh at Dyanami's comment. "I suppose it could count as slightly biased," she said in agreement, looking forward to catch one of Siopi's eyes gazing back at her. He turned his head quickly back around so he looked forward, and she was almost certain she saw a slightly increased amount of red tinting the male's cheeks. "But it's alright. There aren't a lot of warren meetings to begin with; I'm guessing Igetis-rah is simply wanting to gather more food and herbs because it's the first winter where it'll be more than just him. We don't really see many rabbits around here, with all the hunters so close."

Dynami nodded in agreement and the trio stopped in their tracks. Siopi was on his hind legs, sniffing the air in a way that made his newly-earned scars visible to the females. "What happened to him?" She asked Bittersweet, nodding at Siopi's long, pink scars across his back and sides.

"Oh, he uh..." Bittersweet's voice trailed off as they turned and started walking in a different direction before she continued. "He saved my and Myrtia's lives once. It was really brave of him."

Dynami's eyes widened as she looked from Bittersweet to Siopi and back again. "Really? How did he do that?"

Bittersweet unfolded the tale of the time the three of them encountered the hunting dog as they continued to follow Siopi. She finished the story just when they reached a clearing full of herbs and flowers.

The trio got to work collecting what they could of the plants and herbs they recognized, every once in a while holding one up to Siopi for him to check. "Is this one okay?" Dynami asked the buck, holding up a purple flower that smelled so enchantingly sweet.

The buck shook his head violently and knocked it from her paws, recognizing it immediately as the flower that had made him feel dizzy last time he had been here. The brown and white speckled doe looked up at him with a look of confusion but he shook his head again so she would understand him. Under no circumstances was he about to let one of them discover the effects of this particular plant.

[Ladyskittels]

Dynami sighed as she wrapped her leg up in some herbs and leaves, a slight hint of pain still radiating from it. It no longer was much of a bother, although she definitely needed to wrap and treat it before it got infected or started to get worse in any way. Bittersweet was doing the same beside her. Siopi kept watch for them on top of a rock; the three were close to the edge of their border and there was much to take in; just beyond the horizon a new type of terrain could be seen, although none of the rabbits were quite sure what it was.

The fawn colored doe looked up every so often to make sure the coast was still clear as she finished tending to her wound. She then stretched out her limbs and stifled a yawn. It wasn't even close to the day being half done yet, the doe just needed to circulate more oxygen into her brain.

"So," Bittersweet said, searching for a topic to fill the silence. "Does your injury hurt much?" She finally asked, feeling a little dumb for not having anything else to say.

"Not nearly as much as when it first happened, to be honest," Dynami replied, glancing up at the sky and back at Bittersweet. "Do you ever just.... wonder about what else is out there?" She asked the fawn colored doe.

Bittersweet tilted her head in response. "Do you mean like, in the sky or.... like beyond the lines of the warren?" She asked the brown and white speckled doe, confusion coloring her tone.

Dynami shrugged and then laughed off how out there the question sounded. "Beyond the warren," she answered once she had stopped laughing. "Whatever it is, it really has Siopi occupied."

The speckled doe gestured over to where the buck stood looking out at the horizon still. Both Bittersweet and Dynami looked at him with an inquisitive look, both trying to figure out what he was so interested in.

"Who knows?" Bittersweet said with a shrug. She had no idea what went on in the buck's mind most of the time, although she wished she did sometimes. "I have no idea what goes on in his head..."

"What's the deal with the two of you anyways?" Dynami asked, watching as the doe opposite her blushed lightly.

"What do you mean? There's nothing going on between us..." Bittersweet's voice was unconvincing to even herself. She sighed and dropped her gaze, not wanting to look at speckled rabbit opposite her.

"Come on. Everyone has known he's had a crush on you for like.... ever." Dynami rolled her eyes, as if to add that it should be obvious that the whole warren knew something had been going on between the two of them.

Bittersweet didn't look up at Dynami. She pretended to be fascinated with the pile of herbs in front of her and began to pick through them slowly. She almost didn't realize that Siopi had come back to see how the two of them were doing. He turned his gaze from one female to the other, clueless as to why neither of them were talking now that he had come up to them.

[Ladyskittels]

Siopi tripped into the hole he was digging and huffed, having injured himself in the process. How is it that these things still happen? The buck thought bitterly as he forced himself back up on his feet.

"Are you okay?" Bittersweet asked the buck, concern in her voice. They weren't supposed to be digging out here and she was afraid the rah would be upset if he found out they had disobeyed direct orders and had started digging without permission. The doe hopped over to the black and tan buck to inspect his wound.

"Siopi and Bittersweet sittin' in a tree...." Hummed the brown and white doe brightly as she continued to dig on her own hole. Ever since their conversation before they started the dig, the younger doe found it amusing to hum her little song whenever Bittersweet interacted with Siopi.

"You'll be alright," Bittersweet said, feigning a smile before she turned around to glare at Dynami just as the doe slipped and injured herself as well. "Great." Bitters muttered under her breath as she made her way over to the doe.

"I'm fine, promise." Dynami insisted, trying to hide her paw from sight.

"If you were fine you'd let me see that paw of yours," Bitters retorted in her motherly voice. Despite huffs of annoyance from the younger doe, Bittersweet was able to inspect the wound of her injured warrenmate. "Looks like a little cut. You guys will be fine, but we'd better stop for the day."

"Fine by me," Dynami said as she hobbled away from the site where they had been digging in favor of a shady spot beneath what remained of the leaves clinging to the oak tree. The doe sat beneath it among the pile of fallen leaves and looked up expectantly at Bittersweet and Siopi. "You guys gonna come keep me company and take a break or what?"

Bittersweet rolled her eyes, a pang of annoyance rippling through her like a wave. "I think I'll go grab some herbs for you two back at the burrow and be right back. Just relax."

Siopi looked up at Bittersweet and nodded in agreement at her words before he made his way reluctantly over to the pile of leaves where Dymani now sat waiting for him to join and sat next to her. Wordlessly he eased himself into the pile gingerly, as if the wrong move could make him hurt worse than he did now. Dynami smiled brightly at him but he paid it no mind. Instead, the buck turned his attention to the holes they had finished digging.

He wondered what they could turn into possibly; perhaps they could be another spare burrow for the winter months when food otherwise was scarce? Or maybe this could be used for a fake burrow as a means to confuse potential raiding rabbits or Elil. The Rah would certainly not be happy with the news of their defiance at starting it's construction, but if they could somehow explain the value it could possibly have then maybe....

His thoughts were cut short by Dynami who was demanding his attention for reasons he didn't know. "Have you even been listening to a word I've been saying?" The doe asked in an annoyed tone.

The buck shook his head with a blank expression on his face. He'd much rather be thinking right now, not listening to whatever was so important that she had to say.

"I was saying; do you know what the deal is between you and Bittersweet?"

The words struck the buck and he shook his head in confusion, not knowing how to respond. What was she talking about? He thought to himself. Fortunately, he didn't need to find out the answer to her question as Bittersweet had returned once again and he gave a sigh of relief, happy that Dynami would be quiet for now. The rabbits ate their herbs in peace and talked of what they would do once they were finished.

[Ladyskittels]

Dynami sighed and closed her eyes. Her body ached from having torn a muscle in their previous patrol. "You guys go on without me," she said in a defeated tone, knowing full well that the two rabbits would not allow her to accompany them in another activity while she was this hurt.

"Don't be silly," Bittersweet retorted, suppressing a snort of laughter. "It isn't like you're too much to care for. It's just a pulled muscle. Some herbs and rest and it'll be like nothing ever happened."

"I know, just..." She sighed and muttered something under her breath that evaded Bittersweet's ears. The fawn doe didn't press the other for more information, however. She simply turned her back and went about fixing a cooling wrap of herbs for her warrenmate's leg.

Dynami rested her head atop her paws and focused on her breathing, trying not to think about much other than what she needed to do in order to get better. When she was still and quiet, her mind liked to take her back in time to her old life in the warren of the desert. She preferred not to go there if she had a choice.

Siopi came and sat beside the brown and white speckled doe, seeming to pick up on her mood. The black and tan buck had it within him to be incredibly sweet at times, especially when others were hurting. Dynami certainly could see what Bittersweet saw in him and it made sense in a way. Although, she wasn't exactly sure what the doe's problem was when it came to admitting there was something going on between the two of them. It was plain to see, at least to everyone but these two, that there was a definite chemistry there. For one reason or another it felt like the doe had been holding back her feelings.

"Thank you," Dynami breathed to Bittersweet as she pushed a small pile of herbs toward her. The brown speckled doe bent her head and began to munch on them as the fawn colored doe took a seat opposite her, grateful for an excuse to rest. They'd been at it for what felt like days- she wondered how the digging was going for the other rabbits they had left at the burrow.

"Not a problem," Bittersweet said politely, offering a pleasant smile. "Be quiet now and finish your herbs. You'll feel much better afterwards." The motherly doe yawned and stretched out her paws, enjoying the feeling of the blades of grass between her paw pads.

Dynami nodded in agreement and crunched on the bitter herbs placed in front of her, swallowing them quickly. Once they were down, she made a face and shook her head in disgust. "Never gets easier to stomach those," she said in complaint, causing the rest of the group to laugh.

"You can say that again, that's for sure," Bittersweet replied. "Took me a full year to be able to eat them without something to chase them down with and even now I can barely do it."

The group laughed again. It felt almost as good to laugh as it had to share some fun on their patrol.

[Ladyskittels]

Dynami and Siopi, both having injured themselves again, sat together beneath a tree as they waited for Bittersweet to come back with herbs for the two. To their right, a family of passing does stopped to graze, bowing their heads majestically. To the doe and buck, it appeared to be made up of two adult females and three youngsters given their differing energy levels. Dynami and Siopi turned their heads to observe them quietly, taking in the simplicity of the family's outing.

Siopi took in a breath of the crisp air and smiled to himself, as the scent reminded him of memories in his past. Some good and others bad, but still he took comfort in the fact that the past was in the past and it wasn't likely to happen again. The scent of winter clung to the air in an ominous overtone, threatening to take over at any given point, backed up by the bitter cold and the clouds gathering in the sky. Perhaps Igetis-rah had some sense to be afraid, the brown and tan buck mused as he scratched an itch on his foot. It could easily be a long and difficult winter this year, especially now that we have so many more mouths to feed. The buck's mind drifted to the burrow where their leader and their old friend Myrtia had been prepping and stabilizing the underground tunnels while they were away. He missed Myrtia, even though she could be a bit of a pain and a lot to deal with at once.

The buck shook his head which caught the attention of the brown and white speckled doe sitting beside him. "You alright?" She asked, her dark eyes inspecting him. "Just shake or nod."

Siopi nodded which seemed to satisfy her for the time being. She directed her gaze away from him in favor of watching the deer whose children had now entered a play fight session. "It's so peaceful in a way, you know? To be out here, even with the threat of winter and everything. It's nice to be out and enjoy the scenery; to have an excuse to just stop and take it all in..." the doe's voice trailed off and as Siopi watched her, she shook her head before taking in a breath and starting up again. "It's different than what I'm used to."

Siopi nodded and put his paw on hers in a sort of comforting gesture. He understood, in a way, what she meant by that. While it was stressful with all the preparations for winter and a real inconvenience to be out of commission for a little while, it was also nice to take the time to have a bit of a break and just take in the beauty of autumn before the snow came and transformed the landscape once again.

Bittersweet returned from the burrow then, and Siopi withdrew his paw from Dynami's before she could see. He didn't think the doe would appreciate him showing affection towards another warren member, even if it was in a platonic way. The fawnlike doe smiled warmly at the two before handing out herbs. "I hope you weren't bored or anything while I was away," she said, pausing to separate a few herbs that had been tangled on the journey back. "Igetis-rah wanted an update on the preparations. I told him they were almost finished, so we'd best be getting a move on."

[Ladyskittels]

The fall sky was a hazy blue hue, the ground damp with dew drops that clung to the grass for dear life. The air was so cold the breath that animals breathed was able to be seen as it turned to a fine mist. Everything was still except for two rabbits, a blotchy tri-colored buck called Lupin and a black appaloosa like doe they called Mamaro. The two were outside the lip of the burrow preparing themselves for an early morning patrol. Igetis-rah, their black and white leader, had granted them his permission the previous night, although he was unaware of what the two were actually planning on doing on this particular outing.

"There are other lands beyond this territory, you know." The tricolored buck explained, nibbling on a few blades of grass. "There's a whole big wide world out there, just waiting to be discovered. I want to discover some of it- however small a piece."

The doe snorted with laughter. "You sound ridiculous," they said, one blue eye gazing back at him while their silver one closed in a playful wink. "You for sure don't want to travel past the hills. That's where I came from. Big desert out there..." Their voice trailed off as a sadness washed over the rabbit.

"I've heard rumors of that place from your sister," Lupin said apologetically. "I am truly sorry for the terrors you must've faced. No one should have to go through that."

Mamaro nodded and looked around at the territory. "I've been to the desert, but all of this is new to me. So much green life here.... and plenty of animals."

"Yes," Lupin agreed, a smile on his face. "It would be much different than what you're used to." The buck lifted his head, eager to head out on their journey to discovery. He stretched onto his hind legs as he got the best view of the horizons that he could. "To the north is the oak forest and the lake, to the east is the pine forest, and to the south lies the twoleg camp. Beyond that, no one knows what is out there..."

"I'm kind of interested in this mystery that lies beyond the twoleg village," the appaloosa rabbit said, their coat blending somewhat seamlessly into the background of the mostly dark morning sky. "I've never seen one myself. I bet they aren't even that bad-"

"Don't underestimate the twolegs," Lupin interrupted, his voice sounding harsh. "They are not to be messed with unless it is absolutely necessary. For now we shall head north. There might be allies or other rabbits on their own who might need our help."

The doe rolled their oddly colored eyes at his words. "Okay captain," they said sarcastically, as the rabbits of the old warren once did with their old Rah behind his back. Back when they had the extra energy to, that is. "Ready whenever you are."

Lupin nodded toward Mamaro as the two rabbits took off above ground. They could easily take the underground pathway but it was easier to make discoveries above ground. Plus, once they found something of interest they would need to expand their tunnels in order to connect it to their labyrinth.

[Ladyskittels]

Lupin and Mamaro continued on their journey north, the tricolored buck leading the way over exposed roots and ducked beneath bushes that were in their way. The two were mostly quiet as they traveled through the thick brush in the forest, pausing every now and again to check their position while the sun slowly lit their surroundings. The air was still cold around the two rabbits, making their feet cold from the amount of cold dew that they accumulated.

"Are we there yet?" Mamaro asked in a slight joking tone that was clear the two sisters shared. "Everything seems to blend together in here, doesn't it?"

"I can't argue with you there," Lupin agreed as he tried to pick a burr out of his paw. "But, if you look closely, it gives you a little bit of a clue as to where we're headed."

The black appaloosa squinted their eyes at the tricolored buck as if to say, 'what the heck are you talking about?' Lupin looked up at Mamaro and smiled wisely at their expression. "You need to learn to look closer to your surroundings, Mamaro," The buck explained, motioning her to come closer as he showed her something on the ground. The two rabbits huddled over some tracks and moss as the older buck explained the way you can tell how you're going north based off of the way certain plants grow.

After a little while, the rabbits were on the move again making their way up through the forest once more. As the sun rose high in the afternoon sky, the two rabbits came to the edge of the forest and stood hesitantly at it's edge. Nearby, a river flowed lazily through a large field. It was a whole new world, it seemed.

"What is this place, Lupin?" The black appaloosa asked, their odd colored eyes taking in the huge field that was right in front of them, ready to be explored.

The tricolored buck looked to the rabbit beside him with his green eyes. "Looks like this could be another rabbit warren," he replied, keeping an eye on the exposed landscape in front of them. There were several figures in the distance that appeared to be rabbits. Lupin was watching the figures with caution, knowing from experience that not everyone you meet was friendly.

"Who is that? The rabbits who live here?" Mamaro asked, curiosity and slight suspicion. "What are we gonna do, Lupin? We can't be caught out here.... What if they aren't the friendly type?"

The buck shushed the younger rabbit and instructed them to keep close and on their toes, just in case. The two approached with caution to the figures of rabbits who had already spotted the newcomers, a telltale pose of them sitting upright position with their ears pricked. They were waiting to see whether or not Lupin and Mamaro were a threat.

"Doesn't appear to be their Rah," Lupin muttered to Mamaro as they edged closer.

"How can you tell?"

"Because, they would be more hostile and likely be checking for orders from one of them. But they appear to be waiting for us to see what we do before they react. Which tells me they're most likely not the leader." The seer and member of Deerbarrow warren paused and waited for the three rabbits to approach them.

As far as Lupin could tell, there was a large tan buck with some stripes who seemed very excited at the possibility of meeting new rabbits, beside this buck was a long bodied tan rabbit with darker stripes who was seemingly trying to rein in the buck's enthusiasm. As for the third rabbit, from what Lupin could tell, the medium sized amber spotted rabbit was somewhat curious but cautious, the most cautious of the group.

The large buck was the first to approach, a wide smile on his face and was quickly followed by the female. "HI!" came his excited greeting.

Lupin and Mamaro exchanged glances before responding to the buck.

[Ladyskittels]

After making friends with the current residents of the current warren, the duo of rabbits decided to take a small rest before heading back to the burrow to tell the others. The exhausted rabbits curled up in a tight pile in order to keep warm, the light of the moon still shining down on them. They closed their eyes and gently drifted off into sleep.

Lupin woke when dawn broke, the warmth of the rising sun filling him with a pleasant feeling. He yawned and stretched out his legs, careful not to wake the sleeping black appaloosa rabbit beside him as he did so. They were curled up and hadn't moved an inch away from the tricolored buck in their brief hours of rest, even after he had run away from her the night previous. He took a steadying breath before stepping away from the rabbit, praying to Frith that they wouldn't want to ask the reason why he had acted so odd. Truth be told, Lupin didn't really want to talk about it either. It was something he chose to hide from everyone, as it brought shame on him as he had been teased for it in the past.

Mamaro woke to the sight of Lupin grooming himself near the place they had rested for the night. The black rabbit wiped the remaining sleep from their eyes before stifling a huge yawn and pushed themselves up onto their feet. "Morning," they said sleepily to Lupin, who jumped a little out of surprise.

"Good morning, Mamaro," the buck replied as he looked up at them. "Sleep well?"

Mamaro nodded and stretched out their legs, which had slightly cramped up from the way they had slept. "Yeah, you ready to head out? We need to gather herbs on the way back. Then, we'll need to bring more rabbits back most likely so we can join the tunnels to the new warren."

Lupin agreed and after they woke up a little more, the two moved off along the path, looking for herbs as they went. They came across patches of herbs that he had seen before in his youth and picked a few of them to bring back to their warren. Mamaro, who didn't stray too far from his side other than when the path grew too narrow for the two to walk side by side, tilted their head as their odd colored eyes fell on the herbs Lupin had picked.

"What are those for?" Mamaro asked, their voice dripping in curiosity. "I've never seen those before."

Lupin smiled warmly at his fellow warren mate and held up one of the plants so they could see it better. "This, my speckled friend," he said in his best teacher and mentor-like voice. "This is the plant for which I was named; the Lupin flower. Used for food or decoration mostly, but for us they shall act as a strong preventative medicine."

"Really? How does that work?" Mamaro's eyes widened, clearly impressed with the buck's knowledge of the plant.

"Well, there are lots of good things within the plant that help rabbits stay healthy and strong so those who eat these plants regularly won't get sick as often." Lupin picked up another plant and added it to the pile he had started.

"How do you know so much about this?" The black appaloosa rabbit asked as they gathered some plants as well.

"My mother used to teach me what the twolegs talked about," the buck explained, keeping his head down. "I learned about all sorts of herbs and plants from her because the twoleg home I was born into used to grow herbs and plants they used to heal animals and other twolegs. They were very knowledgeable."

The two quieted as they concentrated on their task of picking and carrying the lupin plants as well as other herbs. The buck looked over at Mamaro, waiting for them to ask questions he knew ought to be churning through their head but the questions never came. Instead, they simply continued gathering herbs as they headed back to their burrow.

[Ladyskittels]

The rabbits had paused to take a break, both of them having injured themselves. Lupin, the tricolored buck with turquoise eyes seemed to have scraped his leg, while Mamaro, the black appaloosa rabbit with silver and blue eyes favored one paw, claiming there was something stuck in it.

"Should we stop here for a while?" Lupin asked his warrenmate as the rabbit picked an acorn shell from their paw. "I need to wrap my leg in something, would you mind grabbing me a wrapping please?"

Mamaro nodded. "Of course, I'll take care of that now. My paw feels much better anyways," they said before hopping off, leaving Lupin to rest on the ground. The black and white speckled rabbit looked high and low, on the search for a leaf they could use for wrapping a leg injury. Moving past the brush and tree roots, the rabbit eventually found what they were looking for and grabbed it excitedly before returning to the aid of Lupin, who had been licking the wound to clean it while she had been gone.

"Perfect timing as usual, Mamaro," The buck said with a smile before taking the leaf from the warren mate. "I just finished cleaning out the wound, now I just need to cover it up so there is no infection. After I wrap it up and rest for a while Ill be good as new."

Mamaro watched him carefully, his movements taking her full interest. It was fascinating to learn so much of healing from the tricolored buck; it seemed to Mamaro that he knew how to do everything. Whether or not this was true was yet to be determined but it was clear he knew a bit about herbs as they had found out from their gathering prior.

"Apply pressure just like that, will you please?" The buck asked of Mamaro and they did so. Lupin turned and nibbled on a nearby leaf for a few moments before spitting the contents back onto his paw. "And move for a moment please?"

"What are you doing? That's so gross," The black rabbit complained, but moved out of the way just the same. Lupin said nothing, he simply bent forward and placed the chewed up leaf bits onto the leaf wrapped around his leg before covering up the chewed up bits with the end of the leaf wrapping.

"Mamaro, I need you to apply pressure again, if you'd be so kind," Lupin asked and, seeing the confused expression on their face, he continued. "The bandage needed to be sealed but there wasn't any mud. Leaves, when chewed up a little, will work just as well as the mud but the only downside is that it needs pressure held on it for a little while."

The speckled rabbit laughed and shook their head. "I thought you were just going to wipe it on me to mess up my coat before we get back to the warren."

"Ah, I should've done that. I don't think I'll get another opportunity to do so."

The two rabbits shared a nice laugh while they rested. It was such a nice way to pass the time.