Wings of Grace

Chapter 31

      "Tell me again why we got the short end of the stick?" Strauss complained, throwing a stone into the lake, watching the ripples radiate across the silvery-blue water's surface.

     He looked wryly at John. The two of them were outside, guarding the cave entrance where Lara, Greno, Ennar and Alexis had gone looking for the sword of Troner. The beginning of the rise of the Blue moon had provided them with the necessary light to make their job a lot easier, lighting up the surrounding area as if it was daytime; better than just a lantern.

     "I don't know... this lookout business is not all that bad." John contradicted, stretching his arms out as he sat, decked out in all his armour, leaning against the rock wall of the cave, admiring the blue moon's reflection in the water.

     "Easy for you to say, you're not the one doing all the leg work." Strauss continued, walking along the lake's edge, keeping sentry. Suddenly he stopped, turning his large frame to look at John reproachfully "Speaking of which, why aren't you up here doing the leg work? I distinctly heard Alexis nominate both of us to do guard duty"

     "I beg to differ. Can't you see I'm working really hard."

     "What, on your backside with your eye's closed?

    "Did I not point out that intruder?" John corrected him.

     "Yes, of course you did. What was I thinking? How could I forget?" Strauss raised his arms ceremoniously, as he faced the blue moon again. "We all owe you our lives. That was one ferocious fluffy bunny. When it looked at me with its enormous merciless eyes, it had me shaking in my boots."

     A small pebble hit him square against his back armour plate.

     "You'll thank me one day. Those bunnies maybe small but they're mighty conniving, mark my words. They have a vicious streak when they're not playing cute and stealing your heart. Sure, they look innocent, enough, with those big inviting eyes and the floppy ears. But it's all a ploy I tell you, to win your affection and as soon as you turn your back... they'll no sooner cuddle you than sink their big sharp teeth into your ankle flesh and leave you bleeding, without even a single goodbye.

    "Just because maybe I forgot to feed them that morning, and the night before, it was no reason to get that sadistic look in their eyes and treat me like I was the worst boy in the kingdom." John sniffled, wiping his eyes with his hand. "Rabbits are extremely...dangerous, and should be kept at a distance...." John broke down crying. His shoulder length tendrils covering his distraught face, shaking his head, when a shocked Strauss came quickly to his side.

    "John... I never knew."

     "It still affects me, even now, and I was only ten at the time." John wiped his eyes. "Mr Snuggles.... I thought he was my best friend and he just up and left me. How could he do that? How could he leave me?" He shook his head. Pouting. " I was so adorable at that age. I never..." he let out a sob "saw him again."  The words started John wailing again as he  leaned his forehead against Strauss's shoulder.

     Strauss felt awkward dealing with this emotional side of John, but was doing his best to comfort his friend.  "Ah...alright...that must have been very er...upsetting for you..."he croaked.  As John nodded, he felt obliged to continue. " Ten eh...I guess you'll be scarred for life..."

     "I hope I'm not interrupting anything." The men sprang apart as Alexis came towards them. She had been standing in the cave entrance, watching the two soldiers before they realised they had an audience. Alexis had trouble hiding her grin, quickly biting her bottom lip.