Vervain's new life Part 10

"I see, so the foxes are grouping and hunting us mathematically?"

"Yes. I've never seen foxes hunting in groups before, not unless they're family. But 20 or so foxes is a big family to feed."

"Maybe that's why they over-hunt?"

"No, I don't think so. The foxes are all clearly from diffrent families. This is something bigger. Something we can't understand."

Rhizome and Phlox were walking around the warren, talking about the situation. After short greetings, the two had separated themselves from others to talk seriously.

"So they are making their way here?" elder asked.

"Yes. They have already wiped out the Maple Woods warren. Our warren is next." Phlox said, calm.

"We have deepened our burrows, trained more guards, planted traps and even asked for some birds to watch over for foxes. But I have a feeling it won't be enough..."

"If the Maple Woods is overtaken as well, then there is very little we can do..." Rhizome sighed.

That was when Vervain hopped to them.

"Rhizome. Phlox." he greeted them, Phlox with a sneer and hate in his voice.

"I understood that we had a fox-problem?"

"Yes, but I'm afraid there is very little we can do to stop them. 20 or so sly creatures, with sharp teeth and paws to dig is too much for us." Rhizome said, sad.

"All we can do is to migrate and hope that they don't follow us."

"Not necessarily..." Vervain said, getting his brain to work out some ideas. The Watership Down rabbits had had some weird ways of keeping the Efrafa away from their warren. Maybe the Willows could do the same...

"Do you have any ideas?" asked Rhizome exited.

"I do have few. They are odd, and may seem hard to execute. But in the end they either save us, or make us get eaten slightly later." Vervain said.

"Well, you know the warren trusts you, including me. So if you have any ideas you want to try, I'm all ears!" elder said.

"Is this your right-paw rabbit?" asked Phlox from Rhizome suddenly.

"Yes and no." Rhizome smiled. "This is Vervain, I've asked him to be my right paw ever since he got here, but he keeps giving me a cold shoulder."

"Why?" Phlox asked, now looking at Vervain.

Vervain never liked this red rabbit. He had come out of no-where and seemed just... off. He was too calm to be someone who's family was under fox-attack.

That or he was just emotionless and hard-shelled.

"That, lad, is frankly none of your business." Vervain said, calmly, looking down at Phlox with the same look he had given all of the rabbits who used to work under him in Efrafa. It felt kinda fresh to be mean at someone again after all this time.

"I will call a meeting about the ideas I have in the evening." Vervain said to Rhizome, bowed and hopped away.

"I've never seen him act like THAT before..." Rhizome muttered.

"It is quite alright." Phlox said, smiling a bit. "I did come out of nowhere, and he thought I was attacking his kit. I truly hope his ideas will work."

---

The meeting was a success. Everyone loved Vervain's ideas, and those who didn't, couldn't come up with anything better and were soon silenced.

Phlox was sent back to his warren, to ask for them to join the Willow in the battle against the foxes.

Before Phlox left, Red Oak came to him and hopped on his back.

"You'll be back soon, right?" Red asked.

Phlox flashed one of his rare smiles at him "Of course, child." he said calmly.

"I'll bring my family as well and you'll have many new friends to play with!"

Vervain watched carefully from afar and felt hate boiling in him. He had to admit to himself that he was jealous. Phlox had been in Red's life for merely hours and he was already getting more attention than Vervain! He knew it was childish to think this way, and that Phlox wasn't a bad rabbit... but he could not shake the feeling that something was wrong.

---

"And then uncle Phlox said that he will bring many new friends for us to play with!" Red squealed happily.

"That sounds rad!" the twins gasped in unison.

"What do you think the Maple rabbits will be like?" Thisle asked.

"I'm sure they are nice and cool just like Phlox is!" Ivy said.

"My dad doesn't like Phlox." Red said suddenly. "He thinks he is dangerous."

"Well, new rabbits are always weird at first." Ivy said.

"Yeah, we must always be careful with new faces we meet!" Thistle said.

As if it was irony from the heavens themselves, a brush shook and a new rabbit that the kits had never met before jumped out.

"Hello children!" the buck said. "I'm looking for someone named Larch, do you know her?"

The kits got onto their feet. They did not know but this buck was Bark, the very same buck Thorn had asked to help her with her revenge.