The moon hares

The departing

"Is everybody here?" Asked twain, thumping his hind legs on a tree trunk for attention. As the sound echoed around the trees, all the others looked at twain expectedly.
Twain swallowed once, before launching into his speech. "As you all know, the witchhares sensed danger on the night of the moon goddess. Dogs are coming here. We all know that witchhares are never wrong"
There was murmurs of agreement all round, as twain spoke again.
"It is therefore decided that we shall all have to leave this place"
At this suggestion, many of the hares shuffled their feet, casting apprehensive looks at one another.
"But. Where will we go?" Spoke up oakling, voicing the thoughts of all the others.
Twain struggled to maintain control, as he beckoned to juniper and buff heart. As the two hares hopped forward, a respectful hush fell upon the clearing.
Knowing that the others would without doubt listen to the witch hares, twain had wisely called them up, so that they could support the plan and voice their own opinions.
Juniper spoke first, slightly nervous to be addressing so many other hares. But she slowly gained confidence.
"There is a dreadful danger" she stated.  Many of the younger hares glanced at each other, obvious uncertainty in their eyes.
"Buff heart and I have sensed it, seen it and I have felt the overpowering terror of one being pursued by it. You all know how dangerous dogs are. You have heard the far off barking of a dog in a yonder farm? You feel the cold frost that enters your heart as the harsh call pierces you?  Imagine what it is like to be chased by such a creature... I have felt it... A fever raged through my blood, a fever of terror and the overpowering urge to run, to flee my pursuer. I cannot describe the feeling as it was. Just running... From death... Running to get away"
Suddenly she looked at the moon, her eyes wide as she sat up, seeing only what she could see.  She began to speak as if in a trance.
"It is bad to stay... Bad to go back once away...Not wise, not safe. Stop when you reach the run- down man barn. Safe there... Live there away from danger"
She shuddered slightly, but stopped as her brother pressed his warm body next to hers.
He continued from her. "You heard my sister juniper. We stand no chance against the dogs. And we know where to go to now as well. Of course, we will not force anyone to join. But I feel that they would be most foolish if they decide not to come with us"
"Stench of the moon!" Came a new, but never the less scornful voice.
It belonged to a hare named buckler, who was new to the colony of hares. He had no respect for witchhares and privately twain felt annoyed with himself about not having foreseen buckler as a problem. How were they to deal with him?
"Stories to scare leverets!" Sneered buckler again. "Dogs have left us alone, so why do you think they are suddenly coming to get us?"
Juniper, awoke from her trance, stared at the moon as she replied. "Dogs have never bothered us before. By that I mean that they have never caused death. So if we have have never seen one, let alone been chased by one how can you explain the fact that buff heart and I have told you about the feelings and terror that rage through a hare when being chased by a dog?"
Buckler snorted. "You have had so much time to make it up. How do we know you are telling the truth?!"
There was an uproar on both sides. Most hares stayed loyal to the witchhares, but some scared about the prospect of leaving or privately agreeing with buckler shouted out their opinions along with him.
"How do we know your not lying!"
"None of us have felt the terror of being chased by dogs!"
"They are lying!"
In total despair, juniper turned to twain but it was pinewood who came up with the solution.
Jumping onto the log, he thumped it with his strong hind legs, sending the noise booming over the clearing.
As all the hares turned to look at him in surprise, he spoke out in a loud voice, ringing with authority.
"Listen! We have said already that we are not forcing anyone to leave with us. But I say that it would be most wise to come. Most of you know that witchhares are never wrong. We will not judge the ones who decide to stay" turning to buckler he addressed him personally. "So buckler, if you want to stay you can stay by all means"
Nodding his head imperiously, buckler turned to his followers, trying to take charge. "Then me and my fol... Er... Friends will be staying here and not going on this idiotic journey like a dozen sun struck hedgehogs"
He lifted his head proudly as his side gave a massive cheer.
"Very well" said pinewood quietly.
Juniper raised her head, feeling a cold breeze blow the boughs above to pinewoods words. The moon is unhappy with fools. The fools who stay are closer to death than the ones who go away.
"It is time to leave" she said to twain.
Thumping his feet on the log, twain once again asked for attention.
"We are going now... To the new safe home that awaits us"