All the snails were alerted by rustling bushes, huddled close together all eyes pierced the bushes as a few snails emerged. The snail leading the group caught Williams eyes, it was the same snail from his dreams, the one from the battle.
"We are here in peace, I come here with a few of my friends to bring you help." The snail said dropping a few and leaves, William smiled softly at him. Maybe all snails weren't that bad after all.
"And how do we know your not trying to poison us?" The lead rat stood up and hissed at the snails.
"That's for you to decide," The snail said before slipping away, the other snails following him, leaving the herbs behind.
"I'm willing-" William coughed, "to try them." He stood up waddling over to the pile of herbs on the ground, he could feel his mothers glare on his back but he ignored it as he leaned down and licked a few of the leaves. He choked a little being hit by the slightly bitter sweet taste but his throat almost instantly felt better.
"Woah! I feel much better now, I had a sore throat before but now it's eased!" William turned to his mother and his best friend, "You guys should try it!"
Another snail walked up to the pile of herbs and sniffed it, it was one of the more elderly rats. "He's right," the rat lifted her head, "this seems to be a mix of peppermint and sage, not much but it can be a natural remedy for sore throats."
William smiled softly at her as other rats came up and ate the herbs and leaves, instantly feeling better and getting more of their friends to try some. He saw his mother lingering at the edge of the clearing, watching all the other rats.
He walked up to her, "You should try some, it really helps."
Her sharp gaze slowly turned to him, a look of disgust and hatred locked on him, making William almost recoil in shock. "I've seen the way you look at that snail." She hissed, short and sharp at him before waddling off to the pile of herbs in the middle.
He sat there staring at the spot she was once standing, mixed emotions spurring through his veins. A feeling of loss was over washing all the other emotions though. His fathers words rang through his ears, before he scoffed to himself and walked out of the clearing, away from all the other snails.
