Escape from efrafa pt 2

“sigh…oh mom do I really have to!?” Thistle snorted bored, “it’s the hundredth time now!”. Noor looked at her younger daughter with strict eyes, that made Thistle’s ears drop to the side of her head. “allright,allright!!...IF WE ARE ATTACKED WE MUST RUN TOWARDS THE STREAM AND HEAD TOWARDS NORTH, AND WE MUSTN’T STOP NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, I MUST KEEP RUNNING WITHOUT LOOKING BACK, I know mommy!!!”. “And you Turi?”asked Noor, looking at her older daughter, who sat right next to Thistle. “IF WE ARE ATTACKED MY DUTY IS TO STAY RIGHT NEXT TO THISTLE, I MUST NEVER, EVER LET HER OUT OF MY SIGHT, WE MUST RUN TO THE NORTH, AND NEVER STOP TILL WE GET THERE” “and what if your father and I are captured or killed?”, “WE MUST RUN AND NEVER STOP…NOT EVEN TO HELP YOU…” Noor looked at her daughters and sighed with relief. They had learned their orders well. “Remember my loves, if anything happens to us, then you’ll have to count on each other. Stay together. Always.” Thistle’s eyes shone with tears, and she had to make a great effort not to start crying like a baby. Sereturi’s noticed this, and nuzzled her sister to confort her. Then she asked “Mother, do you really think this Efrafans will attack our warren?”. Noor and her mate Hombeer looked at each other. It had been quite a while since they had heard rumors from their neighbours, about a warren called Efrafa, ruled by an evil chief named Woundwort. “I’m afraid yes my dears. We heard that some warrens next to our neighbours were raided the last moon. And those who refuse to join them, are sent to meet the Black rabbit of Inlè”. Sereturi shook her head “but why? why? why do they have to destroy everything? It’s monstrous! Frith never ment us to kill each other and…” …………………………………….. Suddenly the silence in the warren was broken by a loud sound of screamings. “what is it?!” said Noor. The family of four rabbit got out from their borrow and went to the main hall of the warren. Everyone was screaming and running to the escape tunnel at the back of the warren. “ Frith and Inlè what happened?!”, asked Hombeer to one of the owslars. “The Efrafans are here! They outnumber us!! 1 to 5 !! the captains are trying to old them at the entrance, but they won’t make it!! We must run!!”, and hopped away. Hombeer looked at his mate and daughters, and without needing to say a word, they runned to the escape tunnel. When they finally came out, they headed to the stream behind their home. Problem was that to get there, they needed to climb a high, very steep, rock face, for the easy access to the river was blocked by a huge fallen tree. Hombeer went first, while Noor and Sereturi helped Thistle with the climbing. “Damn it! It’s slippery!” hissed Noor. “Give me your paws!” Hombeer eld his paws out to her mate and daughters. “Jump! I’ll catch you!” Noor was the first to jump, then it was Thistle’s turn. But Thistle couldn’t move a muscle. To reach the top, she had to jump. But the screamings, and the fear were too great for her. She was petrified. “Thistle, jump love!” Noor would have jumped down to help her; but the space were her daughters were was too narrow, and she could have risked to push one of them down. Sereturi looked down, searching with her eyes for any sign of the efrafans. It was a matter of small time before they found the escape tunnel; once out they’d have tracked them down. But her attention was suddenly took back when she felt the ground under their paws becoming quite shaking. “Thistle, something’s wrong”, Thistle felt the shaking too and looked at her sister, the ground was collapsing under they paws. “Thistle look at me, I’ll count to three, then you’ll jump allright? I’ll be right behind you” “Turi I-I can’t! I can’t! my paw hurts!!” “You can love! Climb on my back! Quick!” Thistle was about to climb on Sereturi’s back, when they heard one of the owslars shouting “The efrafans are in the tunnel!! Run! Every rabbit for himself!”. “Thistle Sereturi jump now !! give me your paws Thistle!” Thistle had almost reached her mother’s paws when Sereturi saw the efrafans coming out from the tunnel. “.....they’re here!” “Turi what do we do now?” ……………………………… Sereturi looked up at her parents, then at her sister. “Mom!Help Thistle up!” Noor felt something strange in Sereturi’s voice. It couldn’t… She couldn’t. “..Turi?...” “Listen to me Thistle! I make a diversion, you jump! No matter what happens don’t look back!” With that words she jumped down the rock, and started to run towards the enemy.


 * I can’t fight them, but if I make them chase me, I can give mom and dad enough time to run away with Thistle*