The White Hare

Leatherfoot

Opening the door to his room, Jack lays down. Panting as he lets go of the dead weight of his latest quarry. The crustacean falling limp with a bit of a clack as Jack lays back and breathes. Today could have gone a lot worse to be honest. Almost getting a bad pinch from a giant crustacean is much better than getting one after all. Gave him quite the scare though.

Yet it was thankfully before the hare ran into the canine huntress. If it had been after then there was a pretty good chance he would have been too tired from running around all day to notice and then avoid the powerful pincers of the invertebrate. Something that would have put quite the hamper on his mood.

It's been three days since he and the fiery woman have resumed where they left off. He would manage to grab a couple of fish with a single other creature that he felt he could take on. Today his dinner included a couple of Blood Piranha alongside a large mudcrab. Its body was wide and flat in shape with large bone crushing pincers. A few bumps and growths along it's muddy carapace assisting in camouflage. The shell along the top of it looks like the bottom of a riverbed while the underside of the shelled creature was a cream color.

Jack stands back up with a bit of a sigh. He knew he had to be quick with his prep or else the experience would be lost. Whatever little bit he can get from the crab anyway. He hadn't leveled up yet after his first level increase but he was still hoping it wouldn't be as long of a wait this time.

Frying up the fish and then boiling the crab led to the hare quickly finishing off the meal without complications.

Now he was bored again.

Standing up, the buck starts patting the walls and floor of his room. He had assistance from his father in reinforcing the area but he still liked to be thorough.

Yet outside of the warren was something else that was being thorough. Just where Yeorin was standing guard with one of the other protectors.

"I'm not saying the little guy isn't helpful but you can't tell me that what happened before doesn't bother you." The brown and gray buck voices his opinion.

Yeorin rolls his eyes at the younger protector. One of many who were acting strange after the incident with their white furred brother. Yet as much as he wanted to deny it... He would be lying if he didn't say that he has been keeping a closer eye on the buck lately.

"Jack is still Jack. We were both there. He may have had a rough start but the heads of the warren cleared it up."

The other buck scoffs and rolls his eyes. "You mean when he tried to take a bite out of dad after he ate almost twice his weight in serpent meat?"

"Yeah." Yeorin's eyes narrow on the younger male. "You have a problem with how the patriarch and matriarch handled it?"

"That's not what I'm saying-"

"Sure as rut sounds EXACTLY what you are saying." He squares his shoulders as he faces him fully. "I know the way you look at Jack, he is just like us and if you or the others try to lay so much as a-"

"Alright! Alright!" The other buck holds up his hands as he lowers his ears. "We just... ugh... We have enough trouble with the other warrens. We don't-"

Yeorin tunes the man out as he looks at a small bunch of bushes. Two purple lights locked onto him as he audibly swallows.

Walking through the halls of the warren, Jack hears shouting coming from further up. They weren't calling people out or scolding young whelps so naturally he went up in a hurry. When he finally made it close enough to see what was happening, his heart stopped. Standing over the bodies of the protectors of the warren was a stoat. One that stood 4 feet at the shoulder and was covered in light brown fur.