CherryShovel hopped over to his favorite spot, indignation burning his pelt. He munched on a daisy, though it did little to calm his nerves.
As he ate, his thoughts drifted over to his father. His father, Scourge, called himself "romantic". Or, in a doe's terms, annoyingly persistent. He had fallen for DrinkingJicama, a strange looking doe. CherryShovel had never really trusted her, he always felt her sharp fangs were terrifying, and the eye on her tail just creeped him out. She obviously wasn't a normal rabbit, though everybody in his warren seemed to trust her. He didn't understand how!
He remembered one day, that fateful day where his simple mistrust of DrinkingJicama grew into terror. He saw DrinkingJicama sneaking away from the Warren, nothing unusual. In fact, she did this quite a lot. Except for this time, CherryShovel spotted his father following shortly after her.
CherryShovel was scared for his father, as he didn't trust DrinkingJicama, so he decided to follow. He made sure nobody was looking, which took longer than he would've hoped, then snuck out after his father and DrinkingJicama. He caught the scent of a dead rabbit nearby, and considered turning back, but then thought of his father. He might also be in danger! He continued forward, following the scent of where they went off to.
CherryShovel remembered all to vividly what he'd seen. His father was dead, and DrinkingJicama was eating his carcass like a fresh patch of dandelions. CherryShovel couldn't keep in his shock, and he gasped. He wanted to flee, but the terror was forcing him to stay frozen. DrinkingJicama looked up at his gasp, her eyes like those of a predator who had just hunted.
He'd seen enough. The terror that was forcing him to stay put finally let him go. As fast as he could, he fled.
CherryShovel shook himself out of the memory. It wasn't time for that. He had to find a way to convince his warren.
He remembered how angry Daffodilpatch had gotten when CherryShovel tried to tell him. He had been talking to his daughter, Daisyflower, when CherryShovel went up to tell him what he had seen. Daffodilpatch wasn't usually angry at rabbits, especially those of his warren. But accusing someone of murder, especially one of Daffodilpatch's best friends? Daffodilpatch wasn't going to take it. CherryShovel could see the disappointment in his eyes, and the pity in Daisyflower's. He couldn't take it, and dejected, returned to his den. He tried many times to convince Daffodilpatch, but he got angrier each time, even seeming to dread whenever CherryShovel came near.
He didn't understand. Daffodilpatch was his leader, and his own grandfather! Why wouldn't he believe him? Instead, he said that Scourge was killed by a predator, and although the warren grieved, nobody even considered what CherryShovel had said. They'd always believe their warren leader over a juvenile buck.
CherryShovel munched on another daisy. Too lost in his thoughts, he'd to eat. He'd even forgotten to keep watch for predators, which is why it was more shocking when he heard a predatory, yet rabbitlike, growl. He quickly bolted, terrified. He heard the thumping of paws behind him, the predator was chasing him! He spared a glance behind him, only to see DrinkingJicama, the glint in her amber eyes reflecting a predator on the hunt. He tried to quicken his pace.
If he survived, the warren would have to believe him. They couldn't not! She had tried to hunt him down, probably to protect her secret!
He saw a tree, and using all the strength he could muster into his hind legs, he leapt. He barely made it onto a branch, but his body was swinging in midair, with only his forelegs to keep him up. Horror lurched inside him as he felt his claws slipping, and he fell, right into the jaws of his hungry predator.
