✶𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕾𝖔𝖗𝖈𝖊𝖗𝖊𝖘𝖘✶

✧𝕿𝕳𝕰 𝕿𝕳𝕽𝕰𝕰 𝕷𝕺𝕽𝕯𝕾✧

Once, not very long after Frith made the earth and all things on it, there were three siblings, who became the lords of rabbits. Each was larger, faster and smarter than the other rabbits that they ruled.

The eldest, Owslathay, was the largest and the strongest. Owslathay protected the warrens from dogs, badgers, wolves and large, frightening things. Her legs were strong, her teeth were sharp and her fur white as snow.

The second eldest, Ruhoodu, was the second largest and the fastest. Ruhoodu could outrun horses, the northern, eastern, southern and westward winds. Ru protected the warrens from falcons, hawks, eagles, owls and fast, flying things. He would outrun them into the ground, until their wings could not move from exhaustion. His legs were long, his feet were large and his fur black as night.

The youngest, Flayhain, was the third largest and the smartest. Flayhain protected the warrens from cats, foxes, snakes, man and clever, evil things. Her ears were long, her eyes were wide and her fur gray as ash.

The three lords ruled their lands in prosperity and soundness for their long, long lives until a hunter came. She appeared in Owslathays’ meadow and shot three rabbits.

Owslathay is wiser than other rabbits and knows that rabbits die and things must eat, so she let the hunter come for three more days, each time taking three more rabbits.

Owslathays meadow began to grow scarce of rabbits and each time the hunter seemed unaffected. She did not thank frith for their lives giving to hers, tying them by the ears to her belt. On the fourth morning that the hunter came to her meadow, Owslathay stopped her.

“You may hunt here, not another day.” She told the hunter, “I am Owslathay, the lord of these meadows and the strongest of my siblings, so I do not fear you, human. You have worn my numbers thin by hunting greedily and insulted my people by not thanking frith for their flesh.”

The hunter stood down, “I will not hunt here again, my lord, I will obey.” She raised her head still, “But I hunt so much because my family must eat. I only know how to hunt rabbits. Please do not let us starve, my lord.”

“There are other rabbits in the world.” Spoke Owslathay, having the hunter take her leave of the meadows.

Then the hunter appeared in Ruhoodu’s fields and shot three rabbits. Ruhoodu is wiser than most rabbits so the next morning he waited for her to come.

“You may only hunt in these fields if you swear to take only what you need and to thank frith for the flesh of those you kill,” He spoke, “I am Ru, the lord of these fields and the fastest of my siblings, so I do not fear you, human. I will not have you wear my numbers thin.”

The hunter bowed to the lord, “I swear my lord, that I will thank frith for the flesh of the rabbits I hunt, and to only hunt all that I need.”

The hunter came and shot six rabbits each day, but because she thanked frith for their flesh, Ruhoodu trusted her until the third day.

“You will hunt here no longer, for you have broken your word to me. You have hunted more than you need.”

“I did not, my lord,” The hunter told him, “I have taken only what I need. My family needs to eat and I can only hunt rabbits.

“Did you not live on three a day before?”

“Yes my lord but we need more.”

Ruhoodu turned his back, “There are other rabbits in the world,” and he had the hunter take her leave.

When the hunter came to Flayhains hills, the lord was already waiting, for she had been watching down in the meadows and fields and knew the hunter and Flayhain was wiser than all rabbits.

“You will not hunt here, even a day.” She spoke, “I am Flayhain, the lord of these hills and smartest of my siblings, so I do fear you, human. Leave, now.”

“But my lord, my family is sick and must eat and I can only hunt rabbits.” The hunter pleaded.

Though Flayhain knew she was not lying, the lord would not trust her.

“There are other rabbits in the world.” And Flayhain turned her back.

The hunter did not reappear again for three days, until the morning of the fourth, in Owslathay’s meadows.

“I beg you, most gracious lord of the grasses, lord of snowlight, of moonbeams and avalanche strength. My family starves. All of your siblings have banished me from their lands but my lord I know only how to hunt rabbits. I cannot watch them die.” The hunter pleaded, true tears in her eyes.

Owslathay thought and felt for the young girl.

“I cannot give one more of my people's lives to you. But I know that rabbits die and things must eat. So I will let you eat me. I am worth many days of food, so that you do not have to hunt my people.”

“I am grateful, my lord, and I thank Frith for your flesh.”

Owslathay was shot by the hunters arrow, and her people wept.

The hunter skinned her perfect and moon-white pelt and took the meat to her family.

Now that Owslathay was not there to protect the meadows, the dogs, badgers, wolves and large, frightening things came back, slaughtering what was left of her people.

The hunter did not reappear again for six days. Until the morning of the seventh, coming to Ruhoodu’s fields, bringing with her, Owslathay’s pelt. Ru wept for his sister.

The hunter told Ruhoodu of her banishment, her family's trouble and Owslathay’s sacrifice.

“Please my lord. Your sister was generous but my family starves again. I beg for your help.”

Ruhoodu thought and felt for the girl.

“My sister was the strongest of us, but I know that rabbits die and all things must eat. Still, I cannot give you one more of my peoples lives. So I will let you eat me. I am smaller than my sister but I am worth many days of food, so that you will not hunt my people.”

“I am grateful, my lord, and I thank Frith for your flesh.

Ruhoodu was shot by the hunters arrow and his people wept.

The hunter skinned his sharp and ink black pelt and took the meat to her family.

Now that Ru was not there to protect the fields thefalcons, hawks, eagles, owls and fast, flying things came back, destroying his people.

The hunter did not reappear again for only three days. The morning of the fourth, she went to Flayhains hills, but the rabbit lord was nowhere to be seen.

A raven cawed from the tree above her.

“The last rabbit lord has watched you, human,” its black wings spread, “Seen her siblings death at your greed. She will not come to you easily, human,” the raven cackled, “She says you will have to hunt her down!”

“Greed?” the hunter asked, “My family must eat. I can only hunt rabbits.”

“Taking, taking, taking! Liar! Liar! Hahaha! We all reap what we sow human!”

The Raven was shot by the hunters arrow.

“I knew you were a liar.” Flayhain came from behind a heap of heather.

“Please my lord-”

Flayhain spoke over her, “I know rabbits die and all things must eat but all things must also work for their food. You have gotten by on my family's kindness for too long. You have tried to bleed my people dry and I will not let you. If you can hunt then hunt me. If you cannot catch me, you do not deserve survival.”

This made the hunter angry so she tried to shoot Flayhain.

But Flayahain tore across the hills like lightning, out running all of the hunters arrows.

“You forget I am my brother's sister! He was faster than me but I am still faster than your arrows. You are not worthy of his flesh.” She called to the hunter running off and away.

The hunter came back the next day and brought hounds. The hounds sniffed Flayhain out quickly but the hunter could only watch as Flayhain killed them all.

“You forget I am my sister's sister! She was stronger than me but I am still stronger than your hounds. You are not worthy of her fur.” Flayhain called into the hills for the hunter to hear.

This made the hunter even more angry, so she came back the next day with snares. She set the traps everywhere a rabbit could step.

She soon found Flayhain caught in one.

“It seems I’ve caught you my lord.” the hunter kneeled next to the trap, gloating her win.

Flayhain lay in the snare, struggling to breath but still she laughed.

“It also seems you have forgotten that I am still I.”

“Yes, the clever lord Flayhain. And I have caught you. I have won.”

The lord laughed.

“I have won, you foolish human. I have kept her distracted for days as my people have left. They no longer live on these hills or anywhere you will ever find them. My sister's people are dead. My brother's people are dead. My brother and sister were no longer there to protect them. All rabbits are gone.”

The hunter looked around, looked everywhere for rabbits but there was no sign. She began to weep. No Rabbits to hunt meant her family would die.

“You would die to spite me?” The hunter asked, her tears bitter.

“I would die to protect my people. You only kill. You are not worthy of our flesh.”

For three days the hunter and her family lived on Flayhains flesh and They starved for ten more, before dying, dreaming of rabbits.

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byayavich

2 years ago