Miles To Go Before I Sleep

Retaliation

Retaliation

...

"Gah!" Jack jumped, leaping out from the shade of the tree he'd been leaning against.

"What's your problem?" Bunny asked, looking up at him from where she'd been tending to one of her flowerbeds.

"I thought something touched me," Jack replied absently, scanning the spot he'd been sitting in and then his clothes for any bugs or creepy crawlies.

Bunny raised a brow but returned to what she'd been doing.

Jack shrugged off the feeling and sat down again; under a different tree this time. He watched Bunny gently lift the petals of a flower like she was trying to coax it out of the ground for a moment before curiosity got the better of him.

"What are you doing?"

Bunny paused again to look at him. "Gardening."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Yes, thank you for that."

"It's earth magic," Bunny smirked, returning to the flower. "Like how you use ice magic, I use earth magic to keep the garden in here alive."

"Oh." That was kind of cool, actually. But there was no way he was going to say that to the female rabbit's face. "Can you do other stuff besides growing flowers?"

"Like what?"

"Like throwing rocks around like they do in that show–" Jack cut himself off as something cold (and not the good kind) grabbed his arm. He flung himself forward with a cry, gripping his arm where whatever it was had touched him.

Bunny was staring at him again, but Jack paid her no mind as he cautiously returned to the spot and poked around with his staff. But there was nothing there.

"You alright, mate?" Bunny asked, a frown in her tone.

"I felt it again."

"You're prob'ly just imagining things."

"…" he checked behind the tree and even scanned the branches, but in the end he was forced to conclude there really was nothing to be found. "Yeah, maybe you're right." That didn't stop him from sitting over by Bunny this time, though.

"Don't freeze my flowers," Bunny said without looking up.

"Not intending to."

They sat in silence for a good while, Jack enjoying the warmth of the light in the Warren without overheating and Bunny's company, even if they didn't talk. In all honesty he should have been huddled up at one of the Poles but there was only so long he could stay inside the Workshop and as much as he loved the penguins, he didn't particularly feel up to dealing with their antics today. Sometimes he just wanted some silent company and Bunny was the perfect candidate. The female Pooka never said anything, but Jack had a feeling she liked the companionship, too.

When he could no longer contain his fidgety self in one place, Jack hopped up from his cross-legged position and strolled over to one of the sentinel eggs with his staff slung across his shoulders.

"So did you make these guys?" he asked, inspecting the happy face closely.

"Earth magic."