Vervain's new life Part 2

When Vervain finally woke up, he found himself from a small, yet dry, warm and comfortable burrow. He was laying on thick layer of hay, and when he rose up to see around himself, he noticed some flayrah laying on the ground next to him.

Black rabbit looked around and tried to figure out where exactly he was.

"Hohoho, looks like you are awake, my boy!"

Vervain jumped a bit, but calmed down when he saw an elderly brown buck enter the burrow.

"You seem fine, just bit tired and knocked all over, hoho." the old rabbit said calmly, laughing a bit with warm smile.

Vervain looked at the older rabbit looking bit worried and scared. He was in a warren he didn't know, surrounded by rabbits he had never met. He just hoped that no-one knew who he was, and what he had done in his past.

"Do not look so scared, my boy. You are free to stay in our warren as long as you wish! No-one is going to chase you away as long as I'm the chief-rabbit, hohoo!" the old rabbit spoke again, smiling widely.

Vervain felt bit better, and laid back down, feeling his legs still too tired to stand too long.

"... so, you are the leader of this warren..?" Vervain asked, wanting to know more about where he had been brought, how, and who had done it...

"Yes indeed, my boy! They call me Rhizome-rah, but I prefer to be called just Rhizome. This little warren of ours, that me and my brothers found long ago, is called Weeping Willow's burrow!" the elder told Vervain, pushing a turnip with his nuzzle closer to the dark rabbit, encouraging him to eat and gather his energy.

"We, brothers and I, named it because of all the willows we have on the area."

Vervain took the turnip in his paws, but stayed alert. "Who brought me here, anyway?" he asked, as he took a nibble of the turnip.

Finding nothing wrong in it, he started to eat faster. He had not noticed how hungry he actually was.

"Oh, it was one of my generals, Pinecone! But the one who found you was one of our does, Larch. She was the one who rushed to get Cone to carry you here."

Vervain's ears perked up. Larch? So, she was the voice who he heard before blacking out. Vervain blushed a bit remembering the sweet voice in his head, but brushed it off as nothing.

"To be fair, she was the one who brought you all this food. She has been running between the close by farm and this burrow for hours. Poor girl, she really was worried about you, my boy. I say, she might even taken likes on you, hohoho!" Rhizome laughed, and Vervain almost choked on a piece of turnip.

"She doesn't even know me!" Vervain said, bit embarrassed. "Why would she care about me if she doesn't even know my name?"

"Does can be tricky, my boy." Rhizome said, smiling widely again. "Now that you said, I don't think I caught your name either?"

Vervain's feet went cold. What if these rabbits knew who he was? What if he wasn't far enough from that damned place called Watership down? What if they would chase him away, or even kill him..? He had to take a risk.

"Vervain. My name is Vervain."

"Pleased to meet you, Vervain my boy! Tell me, where are you from? And why are you here all on your own?"

"I, uh... Come from far from the east. My... warren was destroyed. My leader and owsla killed. I decided to run and find new, better life somewhere else." Vervain told Rhizome, not quite lying though. It was all true. He just left out the parts where his chief was a bloodthirsty bastard. And where he was a traitor and a bully. And where he was one of the captains of the Owsla.

"I'm sorry to hear that, my boy." Rhizome said, sounding sincerely sorry. "If you want, you can always stay here with us! We need more brave and smart rabbits on this warren!"

'Smart I may be...' Vervain thought. 'But for bravery you need to ask someone else.'

"Thank you for the offer. I'll think about it." Vervain said, nibbling on the turnip. "Can I ask something first?"

"Of course my boy"

"... how far am I from Watership Down?"

Rhizome laughed again, and Vervain looked at him confused.

"I have never even heard of such a thing, my boy! Is that a name of a Warren?"

Vervain understood that he had ran so far that rabbits around here had never even heard of that bloody place! He felt a smirk rising on his face.

"Yes. It is. Nasty punch of rabbits they are, friend!" he lied. Then again, the High hill-rabbits had talked about working together and trying new things. Heck they even worked together with some elil! But forgiving Vervain for what he had done out of fear? Out of question! What a bunch of lairs they were...

"Well, we better stay far away from them then!" Rhizome said. He was going to continue, but noticed something on the burrow's door and was interrupted. "Aah, Larch, my dear! You're back!"

Vervain turned around to finally see this mysterious Larch who had saved him. And when he did he found no words...

Larch was small, golden brown and black doe with long, floppy ears. All this was enough to make her beautiful doe, but... her eyes. They were black as night sky, round as moon, and yet, they were so... pretty. She was standing there, holding a carrot in her teeth. She seemed to be paralyzed by something, and her cheeks were red from the blush.

Vervain could not take his eyes from the doe. He had never really cared about does in any way, but THIS one. He wanted to know her. He wanted too hear her voice again. He wanted to protect her and make her happy. All just because of one look. The black rabbit told himself that he was going crazy, but frankly, he didn't mind at all.

"Larch my dear, come inside and let me introduce you two!" the elder chief rabbit said. The doe seemed to gather her courage and leaped closer. Vervain got back on his feet and tried to hide his blush. He tried not to look directly to her, fearing that he might go crazy doing so.

"Larch, this fella is called Vervain. He is a wanderer, and I asked if he would like to stay here for good." Rhizome told the doe.

"Vervain, this is Larch, the doe who found you and brought you all the food."

Larch dropped the carrot in front of the black buck and looked back at him, smiling shyly. Vervain tried not to look at her in the eyes, but failed. How could someone be so beautiful? And then... she spoke.

"Hello Vervain. I'm glad to see you're feeling better."

Her voice was like singing of the nightingale! So silent, yet so strong. Like shingling of raindrops...

"I hope you enjoy your stay on our little warren, and find it good enough for you to stay. I'd love to have you here forever..." she continued, and smiled sweetly to him.

"Th-thank you... I quess..." Vervain stuttered. Larch giggled a little bit and turned around to leave.

"If you need anything, just call!" she said, jumping off.

Vervain stood there, not saying a word. Finally he let out a deep sigh. "Rhizome. I've made my decision of staying here." he said simply, still looking at the way Larch had went.

Rhizome laughed kindly. "Hohoho, I thought you had, Vervain my boy!"

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