Hiding Away PREVIEW
"That," Terry said, panting softly as he closed the door, "was close!" They had been dodging patrols for the early half of the day, taking shelter in wheat fields and moving only when the coast was clear. It had been slow going, only having moved about a mile that day, much slower than usual. He was getting frustrated, and decided it was time to hole up for the day, in hopes that the soldiers may just move on to brighter pastures in their manhunt for their quarry.
The little hovel they had commandeered looked abandoned. The hearth in the center of the one room was dark, and had gathered a thin layer of dust, the blackened stone looking time worn and lonely in the center of that dark place. There would be no fire in there today either, they couldn't risk revealing their location until night fell and the smoke would be rendered invisible to those outside. He had found this sort of thinking second nature to him, always remembering to cover their tracks whenever possible. It seemed to be working... somewhat. The heat they had picked up was making his footpaws tingle, a shiver of nerves running up the backs of his legs for only a moment before fading, leaving him standing there in the dark with Miranda, their eyes meeting in the gloom.
She was the first to speak after their quick inspection of the place, now sure it was deserted. "So... what do we do now?" she asked, looking up to the large male who looked for a split second like he had no clue before his expression cleared, and he walked around the place, searching for anything of value in the place. A roughly hewn table and chairs, a makeshift bed that looked like it might have a few inhabitants within the bedding, and some wooden bowls and utensils. It would have to do.
Terry brought a paw under his muzzle, stroking his chin lightly as he got lost in thought, now slowly walking around it. He was muttering things to himself as he walked, going around and around in an erratic pattern, like his thoughts were guiding his movements in ways he didn't exactly comprehend. The sound of his boot scuffing against something hollow made him stop dead in his tracks, head bowing as he kneeled down to the floor, inspecting the source of the strange noise.
His foot brushed the dirt and dust away to reveal a wooden trapdoor. He inspected it curiously, finding a small hole stuffed with dirt. After using a claw to clear the clotted dirt out, he hooked his finger into the hole and pulled. The trapdoor creaked slightly as it rose and gave a soft thump as Terry lowered it carefully back on the floor, revealing a lit torch in a sconce hanging next to the ladder that went about four arms lengths down into the hole below.
His eyes narrowed as he peered down into the hole. Voices... he could hear voices down there. He knelt down, flattening out down onto his belly, cautiously leaning forward and taking a sniff at the top of the ladder. There was definitely fresh scent here, and from the smell of it, the inhabitants of the passage now in view were probably as ragged as they.
Miranda was still and silent, her ears perked for any sounds outside the dilapidated shack. She could feel her chest tightening with nerves as she let a paw knead across her thigh, just a nervous twitch she couldn't help. She would never admit it, but she was frightened out of her wits now. Those people down below could be lepers... or worse... mangers...
Terry's heart leapt into his throat as he heard footsteps down below, the thump of boots on dirt approaching. Then they saw each other, the rabbit, dressed in a bright green tunic and feathered cap staring right into the eyes of the predator. Terry waited, letting him make the first move.
It took the rabbit a moment to overcome his instinctive response of freezing dead still, he then shook his head and looked back at the trapdoor, which had closed with a quick slam.
"What's wrong?" Miranda asked, her eyes looking slightly frightened at Terry's quick reactions, and also his paw straying to his belt, withdrawing his dirk from the sheath on his waist.
"Company" he replied simply, gritting his teeth as he stood at the trapdoor, ready for the hare to pursue them. They waited, waited... and then the trap door opened.
The rabbit looked up at them with a slightly confused, yet suspicious expression, his flop ears drooping across his cheeks as he asked, "You know the password? If not, buzz off!" His voice was gruff, a voice that didn't seem like it belonged to something so... fluffy.
Terry thought for a moment, relaxing his guard slightly as his stance relaxed. "Sorry, we're just passing through... We didn't mean to disturb you." He said, slowly sheathing his dirk with the small "shink" of metal against metal.
The rabbit looked the two of them over, pointing to Miranda, "Who's the wench?" He asked, looking her over with an expression Miranda really didn't like.
She scooted over closer to Terry, trying to gain a little sense of security from his presence. Even since that night in the rain, she had become her source of courage and strength, the one she could rely on in times of trouble. Now her sense of danger flared at that face the rabbit gave her. She growled softly as she said, "none of your business!"
The rabbit laughed, "I asked the male, so shut it half-breed!" He barked. "How much you want for her?" He asked again, his expression changing from smugness to shock as he saw a boot flying right for his face, making solid contact and sending him reeling off the ladder and onto the floor of the passage below, but not before knocking the torch from its sconce, making it fall with a clatter before going out in the dirt.
Terry was on him in seconds, blade drawn and at his throat, muzzle to muzzle with him in the darkness of the passage, and Miranda could only hear the snarling of Terry and the squealing of the rabbit as he heard them scuffling down there.
Miranda listened as he heard Terry's enraged voice rumbling, "You insult my mate, you son of a bitch, you insult me!" He snarled, and Miranda then heard the shink of metal against metal. Terry must have drawn his blade. This was confirmed by the increased volume of the rabbit's squealing, and the sounds of struggling.
Mate? Did he just say mate? She was completely and utterly shocked to hear him state such a thing. Her, mated to him? It violated every sense of social decency in her being, but yet the thought of being by his side like that didn't seem so terrible. In fact, it could increase the chances of their survival, and solidified the trust she could put in him to help her if things got desperate.
Terry spoke again, his enunciated voice cutting through her hopeful thoughts, bringing her back to the here and now. "Now you are going to let us down here, or I'll kill you right here, understand? And believe me, it's been a while since I've had a nice rabbit dinner." He growled, his voice dripping with venom as he spoke.
The rabbit seemed to stop struggling, and she could hear coughing, and the sounds of boots scuffing the dirt floor. "Good, now up you get!" Terry said quietly, speaking to the trapdoor, "Miranda, come down here..."
By the time she had gotten down the ladder, the rabbit had gone and taken another torch from deeper within to relight the original torch, the intense light temporarily dazzling her as her eyes adjusted to the change in lighting.
Now that they could finally get a good look at him, the rabbit didn't exactly look as menacing as before. He was about Miranda's height with a more slender build. He was short and lanky, not exactly appetizing to the two predators.
Miranda also had a little rabbit in her lineage. She would publicly deny it, but it showed in her face, which was a bit more pointed than a feline's face should be.
After a quiet apology to Miranda, the rabbit moved back to the ladder and climbed just high enough so he could get a paw on the rug that was supposed to cover the trap door, and pulling the rug over it as he raised the door, and let it fall with a soft "thunk" back into place.
"I guess you two aren't exactly law abiding citizens, so we're in good company." He said, giving them both a nervous smile, "I'm Douglas, Douglas MacDougal. Come with me, I'll introduce you to the gang, and don't worry Miranda, they won't touch you." He said reassuringly, giving her a small nod before he turned and led them down the passage.
They followed him through some twists and turns before the passage opened into a fairly spacious room, in which there was plenty of headroom (for which Terry was thankful), and two other people, two more rabbit faces looked up at them from another makeshift table and chairs, both of them flashing from relieved to nervous in an instant as the two predators entered.
The one on the left spoke up, voice seeming to have a higher pitch than Douglas's, "Oi, we got guests, Douglas? How many times have I told you, no visitors, especially their lot!" He said, looking stern as he stood up.
"Alfred, I didn't have a choice! This one," He jabbed a thumb back at Terry, "had a knife at my throat, so what could I do?" He said in his own defense, reaching up to rub his paws at his temples, as though trying to make a headache dissipate.
The third rose as well, his voice seeming to fall between the two rabbits in pitch as he asked, "He threatened you? Sorry we weren't there to help, brother. We thought you could handle anything, but I guess that isn't true!" He said with a chuckle.
"Shut up, Glenn." Douglas said curtly, narrowing his eyes at him.
Terry examined all three of them carefully, since it was fairly difficult to tell them apart. Same fur color, same ears and different markings. All three rabbits were white with black spots. Glenn had no spots on his white facial fur, while Douglas had a black spot that circled his right eye and one on his left cheek, and Alfred had one right in the middle of his forehead, as well as on his nose.
"So who are these two then?" Alfred asked rising on his toes to look over his comrade's shoulder to peer at them, scrutinizing them just as Terry had been doing to them moments ago.
Terry was unsure whether he should answer or not, but Douglas had said they were in good company, so... "Well, I'm Terry, and this is my mate, Miranda." He said, letting a paw reach down to gently clasp hers, giving it a squeeze as she leaned up against him, a little nervous smile on her face as she examined the rabbits.
Alfred, still looking a little cross, stepped forward and nodded. "Well then," he started, rubbing his paws together, "I think you've gotten our names. We're the MacDougal brothers, if you must know."
Terry had a look of confusion on his face, as though he were befuddled by the name. Then he remembered, "Ah, the MacDougal brothers, eh? Saw a wanted poster for you fellows in the town square. Wanted for..."
Alfred quickly interrupted, "Robbery, accosting a nobleman, public indecency, disrupting a town meeting, aaaand..." He rubbed his chin, "loitering! That's it, loitering!" He finished, looking rather smug as he folded his arms across his chest.
Terry stared at them for a moment. That was why he remembered it, because it was the most PATHETIC list of infractions he had ever heard of! He could hear Miranda stifling giggles as she looked up at him, seeming to agree with his unspoken conclusion.
Alfred's white fur started to get a tinge of pink beneath it as his paws clenched, his jaw tightening at the bemused looks on their visitors' faces. "What?!" he barked, "We're bad to the bone! Nobody messes with us!" He said, voicing his anger as he went into a very aggressive stance, as though wanting to box with Terry.
Terry couldn't hold it back any more. He just laughed, laughed harder than he had in days. It took him a good ten seconds to get himself under control, but once he was finished, he glared at Alfred and bared his fangs.
Alfred gave a squeak at the expression and bolted beneath the table, looking up at the two predators, who were now howling with laughter. Miranda leaned her head on Terry's chest, and Terry's wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her up against them as they laughed together.