Lord Sun was fully awake and visible through the bare trees of the forest. His light touched the cliff where Hue’s vision still hung in the air. Russet checked on the collapsed Basil, while Oakbud and Cinnamon groomed each other. Chimera was gone, but we still waited for Sylvia to return with Fang.
Death approached us with perfectly silent hops. His black fur was more a deep shadow in a rabbit’s shape. His eyes, despite being that disturbing red, held what seemed to be genuine concern. There was no danger beyond my own fear of what He represented. At least, that’s what I told myself as I steadied my nerves for a casual conversation. He asked, “Are you ready to go?”
Still in my body, Konal asked, “If it’s okay, sir, may I wait for my brother?”
The shadow-furred rabbit nodded. “Of course. With all that has happened, I can allow you to be there for him.”
I asked, “Are you usually this accommodating?”
“When permitted,” Death said. While his voice was muted, there was a slight slowness and some sadness. “I must take what dies; when is not my choice. Thankfully, the Seerleaf should last long enough for Fang to return.”
“Do you actually know what will happen?” I kept my voice as neutral as I could.
“Each chooses their own destiny,” Death said. “I choose to have faith in the choices of strong rabbits. And Fang. He’s stronger than he realizes. I trust his story ends well.”
Konal and I gave a nod. Although he was happy that his brother would do the right thing, Konal sighed. “For what it’s worth, I am sorry for getting Twitch killed.”
“I regret you couldn’t meet him.” I attempted to sound lighthearted, but it was clear I needed time to process. “You both loved someone who didn’t love you back.”
“You loved him. Not as he had hoped, but you loved him,” Konal reassured me. “And you helped me save Chiron. At least I got to see his old self one last time.”
I offered, “Maybe, if you are reborn as I was, you could save Twitch.”
Death gave a single cold chuckle. “I will ask Fate.”
We gaped, stunned, but Death did not elaborate.
Russet hopped away from Basil and over to us. “I can’t deal with him, Bremen. I.. the Seerleaf... I can see trees that would have grown and never were. The forest is awash with good and bad, but he...” Russet shook his head. “His futures are all the same.”
“I’m sure it’s not that bad,” I offered. “Basil is hurt–”
“I am Chimera!” Basil sat up to shout, but his eyes didn’t focus. “Basil is dead! Weak, sick seer! Father hated him! Fake friends tricked him into the woods! Basil died in those woods! Chimera will thank them for it!” With that, he collapsed again, dry-heaving in the thin layer of snow.
Russet watched and shivered. “He no longer thinks of himself as a rabbit.”
Death flicked one ear. “At the moment, I’m more a rabbit than he is.”
“We should at least get him out of the clearing,” I said.
Basil remained where he had collapsed, curled up. Reluctantly, I left Russet with Death and approached the seer. I gripped his shoulder with my teeth and dragged him into the entrance of the foxes’ den. He’d have a little shelter in there.
As we backed away, he gasped, and his forepaws tried to grasp at an imagined Konal. “Fox... don’t go... Stay.”
Chills ran down my limbs, more from revulsion than the command itself. Without Chiron and no longer linked to Hue’s vision, it lacked power.
Konal felt ill as we retreated. “Promise me you won’t be that devastated when I leave.”
“I’ll be okay,” I said. “Besides, you’re only taking one of my fox-souls.”
“True.” Konal’s brief relief returned to sadness. “But I’m not sure I have one anymore.”
“You do.” I offered, “My fox-self died a talker. Yet, my soul is no different than it was.”
Oakbud and Cinnamon rested together, but Oakbud flicked an ear in our direction. He carefully got up and hopped over. He sat back and already looked less stressed than at the start of the morning. “Bremen, may I say something to Konal? To the fox that helped my warren?”
Permission asked and granted silently; we were as one. Konal yawned and stretched his fox-self before settling down again.
“I wanted to thank you for returning my daughter to me,” Oakbud said. “You’re not of this warren, and you’re not one of us, but you risked your life for us. For what it’s worth, I appreciate what you have done.”
“Thank you.” Konal looked at the ground for a moment, then nudged Oakbud lightly.
Inside Konal, I demonstrated a joyous hop. Something rabbits do when truly happy. He chuckled, but declined to attempt one.
We turned back into my form before hopping over to Cinnamon. I asked, “Are you okay?”
“She’s gone.” Cinnamon slumped on the ground. “I wanted that for so long, but it feels empty. I’m all right, thanks to you.”
“You saved my life first.” I looked away from her. I didn’t want her to owe me. “The first time we met.”
“You would have been able to tell your story if Talus hadn’t attacked you,” she countered. “She did that because of me.”
“Chiron had already been a victim of our kind,” I said. “He would have noticed.”
Cinnamon flicked her ears and turned away. Oakbud nudged her again, and father and daughter were quiet together. I let their reunion continue and hopped back to Russet.
My brother rocked slightly, working to keep the visions from the Seerleaf in check. I nudged him with my side and settled down next to him.
Death lay down nearby. He seemed willing to talk, but I wasn’t sure what question to ask. The major question I used to have, about fox-Bremen, had already been answered. I felt at peace with that part of myself. Questions about my father were similarly silent.
Instead, Death mentioned, “I’m glad the frozen river did not get you.”
“You were that black rabbit?”
“I was,” he said.
“I thought when was not your choice?”
“There was a separate agreement to lead Rebel to dying animals. What he chose to do with them was his choice.” He gave an almost trickster-grin at that. “I suppose you’re not going to ask me what happens after you die?”
“That seems terribly rude,” I said. “And since I’m not dying, challenging you to a dare seems equally silly. Konal, you should ask something.”
The fox inside me frowned. “Rebel saved me once. Maybe twice. Is it too late to help him back?”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“Too late in this life. Still, you fought to restore balance with the other foxes. If you wish to use whatever boon that might grant to help someone who helped you, I will ask on your behalf.” Death’s eyes narrowed. “Surely, you must have more questions.”
“No more questions. Although, I will make a statement.” I said, “I thought your name was Erebus.”
“That was Death’s name for a very long time. When you tell this story, please use it, instead of mine,” Death asked.
“But, then the riddle won’t make sense,” I countered. “We can’t have that.”
“I suppose not.” Death laughed a little. The sound was hollow, but for a moment—just a brief moment—I could hear the joy, muffled but there. “You sound like a rabbit I used to know. Or the crow that taught him the meaning of stories. If we had more time, I’d love to swap some.”
I blinked at that. I decided that one day, when it was my time, I would ask Death what story he wanted to hear.
Shortly after, Sylvia and Fang arrived together. She ran ahead to greet Russet when they got into the clearing, and Fang walked slowly over to us.
Russet demanded, “What happened? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Russet,” Sylvia answered. “Fang needed an ear. We talked about Talus.”
“Talus was right about this being wrong; I just couldn’t hear it from her,” the fox grumbled. “That means dying again. Did the others leave without me?”
I let Konal change our body back to a fox. He touched noses with Fang. “I’m here, brother. But Talus left with Chiron. He said a rabbit humiliated him, but with some help from Bremen, he sounded like the old Chiron again. Talus said she was sorry.”
“If I hadn’t run, she could have told me herself,” Fang said. He looked over at Sylvia and sighed. “I’m too tired to care what Chiron’s reason was; I don’t want to be a rabbit anymore.”
Konal nodded. “We’ll go together then. One last trip as brothers.”
“Will it hurt?” Fang asked.
Death shook his head. “No, you’ve been through enough.”
I almost asked if Konal was sure, but we were one. I knew he was ready. Maybe he’d get another chance.
Konal and Fang leaned against each other. After so long trapped in the vision, and so long separated outside, there simply was not enough time. Still, even Death let them take a little to be a reunited family.
“Will we be brothers again?” Konal asked.
“I don’t know. Fate’s in charge of that,” Death said. “I am sorry I cannot offer more time. We should go.”
Once again, the energy flowed from the foxes. Konal leaving felt empty, like losing a friend. As the energy flowed into Death’s eyes, my rabbit-body returned. Tears came as I slumped, but I didn’t have much time to mourn.
Death stretched. “Now for Hue’s vision.”
Suddenly, Russet and I were standing in the snow alone, as Death’s shimmering black rabbit form floated between us. “I owe you for the foxes’ souls. Their recovery corrects a wrong in this world. I have decided what your reward will be, Bremen.
“There are those that will say your line started with your father, the first albino storyteller. But, today, the line starts with you. Four souls returned, thus four generations after your father I will guarantee. A reborn fox was the first. There will be three more; perhaps a reborn weasel. That is the deal I make with your family. That is the deal I honor now.”
Words failed me. Before coming to Foxvale, I would have been delighted to outdo my father. Yet, the only one who thought of it as a competition was me. I wasn’t sure what to feel about Death’s offer, until I realized that I’d see Twitch again.
Death turned to Russet. “With the foxes no longer tangled in Hue’s vision, it is only a place of her death. Your actions will allow me to bring her peace. What reward do you ask?”
“I want to be rid of my need for Seerleaf,” Russet stammered.
Death shook His head. “Russet, there is an emptiness inside you. The visions promise but cannot fill it. That emptiness is likewise beyond my ability to fill. Besides, you already have someone who will help you find the strength you need. Instead, perhaps, I will be sure that your child has no need of Seerleaf.”
Russet almost objected, but the full meaning of the words reached him. “Th–Thank you.”
“Both of you, please live long lives. Don’t make me collect you too soon.” It might have been my imagination, but I thought Death actually bowed His head to the both of us. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a very frightened doe to find.”
With that, Russet and I were back in the physical world. Basil was still shivering on the ground. Cinnamon and Oakbud rested next to each other, enjoying their reunion. And Fig looked at me, then bashfully looked away. I glanced above us and noticed the feeling of falling was gone.
“They’ve moved on,” Russet declared. “The warren is free.”
“I think I’ve had enough of visions for a lifetime.” I stretched, feeling the sensation of my body, appreciating the feel of a rabbit’s limbs.
Fig approached me. “Please, sir, can we speak?”
“Of course,” I said, fighting back a trickster grin. This was the wrong time for such things. Still, just blurting out he could join felt wrong. “You know about our order. And, you’ve seen what storytellers can do. Do you need to talk about it?”
“To be honest, spending two seasons trapped in my body by a fox makes whatever you did to make Fang think he was Mapleleaf seem small?” Fig sat down. “Please, I can’t just be a watch-rabbit anymore. I was going to ask about being a proper trickster… If such can be taught. Will you teach me?”
“If you wish.” I swiveled one ear toward him. “I am a specific type of trickster. If you want to learn to be a storyteller, one of us will teach you. There’s a lot to decide, and we have some time. Let’s get everyone back to the warren first, okay? Make sure everyone, including you, recovers from what’s happened. We’ll discuss what you want as part of that.”
“I can fill him in on some basics. Like what will happen if he joins the order and what happens if he wants to just be a friend,” Cinnamon said. “I really need to spend some time talking to rabbits again.”
“I’d love to hear how you became a storyteller.” I oinked lightly. “Just wondering how you managed to learn without the foxes thinking you’d left the warren. But that can wait.”
“It wasn’t a rabbit storyteller. We’ll find time to talk about her,” she said, ignoring my social overstep. “Perhaps, Bremen, you can fill me in on some things you’ve seen? Or remind me what a healthy warren should look like?”
My eartips blushed lightly. “Of course. We’ll make time to talk. And figure out how to tell the warren things are over without anyone dying of shock.”
Unfortunately, there was still one issue left to resolve before we could leave. Oakbud asked, “What do we do with Basil?”
“Chimera...” Basil whimpered. “Leave me in my den.”
“We make a grass weave and drag him back,” I answered. “He’ll need a lot of time to recover from what was done to him.”
“No,” Russet objected. The word was simple, clear, and absolute. “You go on ahead. I will deal with him.”
“We can’t just leave you two.”
Russet took a deep breath. Whatever doubt he had, whatever withdrawal he felt from the Seerleaf, was completely absent in his words. “Bremen, this isn’t a storyteller who got out of paw. This isn’t a rabbit who was pushed to the edge and lost control. This isn’t someone who gave in to temptation and was unable to pull themselves back.
“A seer’s visions are personal. They might be from outside our world, but it’s the seers’ desire that calls to it. He opened his soul to those foxes and in that, he nearly destroyed the warren. When they ravaged the warren, the others fought back, but Basil not only accepted it, but encouraged it.”
Russet sat back, softening his voice, but it did not waver. “Bremen, in your world, we would let Basil recover. After he saw the effects of his actions, he’d join the storytellers and would find redemption and a new life.”
He paused and looked briefly at Sylvia, then continued. “Only, his anger will not allow that. Chiron was not Chimera; Basil was. This was not done to him, as much as he blames his father or his childhood bullies. He did it to himself. His visions wrapped him in hate. He’s rejected his rabbit soul. That’s why you were able to beat him.
“You didn’t see, but the Seerleaf showed me. Chiron didn’t rip out your throat. Basil did. He tried to force Chiron to do it. I saw him kill you.”
Russet had made his point. Unlike Chiron, Basil rejected the idea of forgiveness. Unlike the others, he actively chose every hop of his path. The others gathered and started to hop away. Yet Sylvia and I were unwilling to leave Russet to end a life.
“Russet, I can handle this.” Even I didn’t believe my words.
“We both know you cannot kill. You couldn’t kill Konal, and the bond you made saved us.” Russet gestured to the others. “Go. Live in your world; right now I wish I could. Only another seer can understand what went through his mind; only another seer can understand what needs to be done. I will ask him, one last time, if he can live as a rabbit. I will honor his choice.”
Sensing my discomfort, he added, “I need you to protect Sylvia on the way back. And Oakbud, Cinnamon, and Fig. They’re going to be shaken.”
Reluctantly, I hopped over to the others. “Sylvia, are you coming?”
She looked at Russet.
He grunted and made two light taps on the ground with his forepaws. “I’ll catch up, I promise. I’ve looked for you for too long to lose you now.”
All of us, except for Russet, headed through the forest toward Foxvale. We were silent, lost in thoughts of what happened, and thoughts of how to move on. Before we arrived, Sylvia stopped and turned to me.
“Is he going to kill Basil?”
“Chimera killed Basil. Russet is helping a lost fox move on.”