The light became weaker as he pushed his way through the dense rose bush. He got the sense he was being watched through the dim light and shadows.

“I know you’re in here.” He said nervously as he carefully navigated the thick undergrowth. Even with his skinny body, it was difficult to get through without being pricked by thorns.

He sniffed around, the intruders smelled strange and foreign. Yet, somehow familiar. They smelled almost like rabbits but that didn’t make sense. No wild rabbits had ever come near the farm before. Mossy and Stone said they always stayed clear of humans.

Suddenly, Comet was pushed to the ground. He screamed and struggled to scrabble away from his attacker. The attacker didn’t put up a fight, and Comet quickly turned to run away, only to find he was cornered in the dense bush.

His attacker wasn’t a fox, but a dark grey rabbit, and a much smaller one than him. It stared at him with curiosity rather than aggression. Comet relaxed a little, perhaps it was lost.

“I don’t know if you can understand me, but you need to leave this yard. You hurt my owner…¦ and one of you scratched my nose.” He said nervously. The rabbit came closer to him and snorted with amusement.

“We’re not leaving and you can’t make us.” He said, indicating to a strange silver necklace he was wearing.

“I don’t want to hurt you. I just want you to leave.” He said, trying to keep his voice level.

“Try and make me.” He said tauntingly.

Comet ignored the challenge. “Why were you even here? To steal my grain?” He asked.

“We‘re not here for that… though it was nice to have it while we were stuck in that shed.” He said smugly. Comet grunted with frustration.

“I thought you wild rabbits were scared of humans.”

“I’m not a wild rabbit.” He said haughtily. “We’re valley rabbits, and we’re not scared of any human.”

“Then why don’t you and your friends meet my owners?” He asked as looked for a way out of the bush.

The strange rabbit blocked him. “Ok, I’ll stop messing with you, we’re here for you. Do you really think we’d be dumb enough to come to a human colony just to eat grain?”

He was silent for a moment, tilting his head. How would these rabbits know anything about him?

“Blue! Leave the hare alone.” Said a voice from deeper in the rose bush. “The humans are going inside. Let’s talk by the log.” The bush rustled slightly. “Well, if you want to know more, follow me.” Said Blue with a mischievous glint in his eye before dashing through the rose bush.

By the time Comet got out, he was covered in scratches and his fur was a mess. The intruders were already sitting by the hollow log.

Blue snickered when he saw Comet coming over but the rabbit with white fur and black markings nudged him. They both looked at Comet for an uncomfortably long moment.

“My name is Bone, and that’s Blue.” He said finally, “He’d like to apologise for scratching your nose.”

“I would?”

“Yes.” Said the rabbit sternly.

“Oh, sorry about that. Got a bit carried away.” Said Blue dismissively. “So what silly human name did you get given?”

“Comet and I care more about my owner being alright than my nose.” He said gruffly. Glancing around, he noticed the Old Man was no longer in the yard.

Blue seemed somewhat surprised, his ears flicking. “That’s not such a bad name and we didn’t plan to injure the human, we just wanted to get away before he hurt us.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

“He wouldn’t hurt you even though Felicity might want to… Anyway, you said you were here for me, why?”

“I’ll make it simple, we want you to come with us to Eden Valley.”

“Eden Valley?” Asked Comet, his eyes wide. “The place where rabbits fight to the death and have to survive disease, poisonous plants and deadly animals?”

“You must be thinking of wild rabbits, we’re far more civilised than that” Said Bone.

“Why do you choose to live with humans?” Asked Blue. “They’re more dangerous than anything in the valley and you’re a hare, you can live wherever you want.”

“They adopted me when I was small and they’ve always protected me. Besides, what makes you so sure I am a hare? I think I would have been told if I was.”

“We were sent here to collect a hare and from what we heard, there’s no one else here who it could be…. Unless, there’s other rabbits here we should know about.” Said Bone before quickly scanning the yard.

“There were two other rabbits here, but they died a month ago.” Said Comet, his voice heavy. “But I don't think I’m the hare you’re looking for, I was told hares are brown and live alone, they wouldn’t let a human raise them.”

Blue and Bone looked at each other as they considered his words.

“No, this is definitely the right place.” Said Bone firmly. “So you must be the hare. They did warn us you had been raised like a bunny so it makes sense you wouldn’t know what you really are.”

“But I know what I am, I’m a Belgian hare.”

“So you are a hare! You thought you could trick us into thinking you weren’t. We know how to deal with your hare tricks.” Said Blue triumphantly.

“I’m not tricking you, a Belgian hare is a type of rabbit.”

“That doesn't make any sense.” Said Blue.

“I know, but human names rarely make sense.” Said Comet, less confidently now. “You should go back to the valley, the humans could be back at any moment.”

“No, we can’t go back empty pawed, you need to come with us. If there’s been a mistake, the Magia can sort it out but at least they can’t say we didn’t follow their orders.” Said Bone firmly.

“The Magia? The last I heard was that they are an evil group of rabbits trying to ruin the valley.”

“Ruin? No, they’re trying to save it, and they need a hare to help them. We can explain on the way.” Said Blue, who nudged Comet. He didn’t move.

“Can’t they just come here? I can’t just leave, my owner will miss me.” He looked around desperately. When he actually needed Felicity, she was nowhere to be found.

“We can’t have a whole Council of rabbits come out into human territory. This mission is risky enough with just us two.” Said Bone.

“Yes, and your owners won’t miss you anyway, we heard that woman yell at you, she wants you gone. I wouldn’t stay around to risk what might happen.” Said Blue with a shrug.

“The Old Man wouldn’t let her get rid of me.” He said stubbornly. He tried to crush the overwhelming fear in his stomach.

“What happens when he dies?” Asked Blue. The question made Comet sick, he couldn’t answer. “You should really come to the valley before it’s too late.”

“Maybe you could leave, and come back and check on me in a few days. I’d have decided by then.” He said hopefully.

“We don’t have time, the Magia is waiting for you and the humans would have filled in that hole again.” Said Bone.

“I’m not waiting out here in the fields for days again to redig it.” Added Blue.

“So you've been here watching me for days then? He asked, completely stunned.

“Sort of, we had to get a good idea of you and your owner's routine.” Said Bone calmly, clearly not considering this an invasion of privacy.

“And from doing that, I know we should be leaving soon” Said Blue. He looked at the farmhouse.

“I’m sorry, but don’t care if the Magia sent you. I don’t have any reason to trust them or you. You can’t just expect me to believe I’ve been a hare my whole life and leave everything I’ve known. I know my owner will protect me until he dies, I can’t say the same about you.” Said Comet.

“I understand that you’ve been told lies about the Magia but you have to trust us. We will not let anything hurt you.” Began Stone.

“You scratched my nose.” Pointed out Comet.

“I said I didn’t mean to.” Said Blue.

“If you don’t trust us, maybe you’ll trust the old hare of the valley. He’ll teach you about being a hare and most importantly, about the powers of fortune.” Said Bone.

“A hare lives in the valley? You should have told me that before. I didn’t think hares lived near rabbits.”

“They usually don’t, but this one works with the Magia. He’s getting old though which is why the Magia wants you to come and be trained by him.”

“But will he be able to tell me if I’m really a hare or not?”

“Of course.” Said Bone.

Comet sighed. It would be difficult to go back to normal life without knowing the truth at least. He looked out to the vast expanse of fields and the distant tree line, so foreign and dangerous. Yet somehow rabbits survived out there and he’d always been curious about Mossy and Stone’s old life, they’d never told him much.

“Fine, I’ll go…¦” He said reluctantly

“Yes!” Shouted Blue and Bone.

“But, only on the condition that I can come back here if I don’t like it in the valley” He said.

Blue and Bone looked at each other.

“You’re a hare. I’m sure the Magia will listen to you and let you leave whenever you want.”

“And if you’re not a hare, they’ll probably want you gone anyway.” Said Blue. Bone glared at him.

“Let’s go then, before the sun burns our fur off.” Said Blue, ignoring Bone and started hoping towards the hole.

Now he mentioned it, Comet’s could feel the heat coming off his shiny black fur. He trailed along after them.