“That’s Gruesome.” Swiftfoot said, backing back into the long grass at the end of the Meadow. “At least when the predators try to kill us they just take us away, not play with our bodies like toys!”

“They aren't playing, it’s harvesting.” Sandpaw said, having a softer voice than his friend’s. “Remember how Herbcheek gathers medicine and food in the woods? It’s like that.”

“But this is different!” Swiftfoot said, shaking his head. “They are cutting up the flesh of our brothers and sisters, I for one don’t want to see the guts of my kin strewn about on the grass!”

“Don’t you think the plants would say the same about what we eat? We cut away their leaves, their stems, even their skin. Just to get at the parts we can eat or use.” Sandpaw shrugged. “I mean, I don’t want to disagree, it’s not easy to see what is essentially your own body on the ground, but keep it in prospective.”

“What prospective, we eat plants! Not this meat stuff. We don’t strew blood everywhere, or remove intestines.”

Sandpaw raised an eyebrow. “Just a couple months ago I saw you eat that mouse. Wasn’t that guts, blood, and all that?”

“That’s different… I had an Iron deficiency.” Swiftfoot said with an annoyed thump from his foot. “Herbcheek gave me some of that spinach stuff and I got better!”

“Be careful though, maybe you’ll get a taste for blood. Then what will you do, how’ll you stop yourself from eating kits like a boogieman!” Sandpaw said, leaning forward and pretending to bite on his friend’s neck. “You could become a zombie… zombunny!” He giggled at his own pun.

“I’ll thank you for not making fun of my medical situation.” Swiftfoot said, starting to walk away with a huf. He kept his nose up, and began to hop back towards the edge of the field.

“Hold on Swifty, I was just making a point. I didn’t mean it like that.” Sandpaw had a hitch in his voice, feeling like a grain of his namesake was in his throat.

“And now you’re making fun of my name?” Swiftfoot kept his face forward, but his body was shuddering. Sandpaw could only imagine his friend trying to hold back tears.

“Please, buddy, I’m s-so sorry!” Sandpaw sniffled, his eyes were watering. He really hated making people unhappy. “I didn’t mean to make you upset.”

Swiftfoot stopped, and stood there, doing nothing but shudder as Sandpaw stared at him in concern. Finally, he couldn’t hold it back any longer and fell over. Sandpaw was about to go comfort him until he saw Swiftfoot’s face, and realized they were not tears of being upset but instead the tears of holding back laughter.

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“Oh you bastard.” Sandpaw said, thumping his foot right onto his friend’s ear in retaliation. “Don’t make me worry like that!”

“You deserve it.” Swiftfoot said, standing up and following his friend. “I mean, come on, you couldn’t have at least considered that I didn’t want to see that sort of thing? I mean, really, the blood and guts were one thing, but we saw some of the older bunnies die out there.”

“Yeah, that’s what happens though.” Sandpaw said, sighing as he walked to the entrance of the warren. “I mean, our people die. Unless we grow big and strong like the elders, we’re gonna die too. Short lives, large litters, that’s what keeps us still around.”

“While I’d be happy enough to help one of the brood mothers refill the population, I’m gonna be honest and tell you that I wish we just lived. Is that so much to ask?” Swiftfoot was bigger than his friend. A little longer, a little taller, and with ears that pointed up like little raydar dishes.

“Become strong like the Den Father, like Herb Cheek. It’s just a matter of strength.”

“Speaking of strength, it’s the day we become apprentices. Some of us will even be going out into the meadow to gather once more.” Swiftfoot said. “Race you.”

“You’re on.” The two began to run through the long grass until they reached a large blackberry bush. The bramble was huge, taking up an amount of space that was nearly indescribable to the little bunnies. Hundreds of their little bodies, thousands of their little paces. Within the bramble were several little holes, and the two were able to duck into them.

The holes were maintained, though there were still thorns that occasionally scraped at them. Some were larger, some were longer, but they all led to one location. This was the Warren, a large collection of bunny burrows under the thorn bushes. Set between the meadow and the woods, with the stream bordering it on one side, and an old stone wall on the other, keeping it enclosed.

As they got into the Warren, the hedges parted and they once more found themselves under open sky. This was the one thing that had really made the Warren a safe home, it had a safe place to go outside for kits. In fact, neither Swiftfoot or Sandpaw should really have been outside its borders.

“Where have you two been!” An angry voice said. The rabbit who it belonged to was tall, looking wilder and thinner but quite like Swiftfoot. “Have you two been outside the bramble again?”

“Yes Matron.” Both of the young bunnies said in unison, looking chastised.

“Oh what will I ever do with you! You are both impossible.” Matron wasn’t really her name, but it was all the younger rabbits ever called her. She was the main caretaker of all kits who were too old to live with the Brood Mothers, and a member of the council. Her real name was Willowtongue. “Thankfully you won’t be my problem any more. You’ll both be getting jobs today!”

“Well, you could have picked one of us.” Sandpaw said, a little bit cheekily.

“Oh come on moppet, you know I didn’t pick you. I love ya to bits, but you do not have the attention span to take care of children.

“Yeah, that’s fair.” Swiftfoot said, grinning. “So, you aren't going to hold us back.”

“Frith no, you’re gonna be out of my hair. Let the Den Father push you onto someone else. Assuming someone will even take you!” She giggled, grinning. “You’ll see!”

The pair nodded and walked down through the clearing to one end. There was the Den Father’s burrow, a rather large hole that allowed him to entertain guests. It was mostly to fit the Den Father’s bulk however. He was, by far, the largest rabbit of the warren.