Time passed Sandpaw by in a fugue state. It was hard for him to keep track but he felt like he woke up dozens of times. A weakness seemed to have taken him over, a pain that he felt in his bones and blood, places where he shouldn’t be feeling for sure. Occasionally when he woke up he’d find himself alone, occasionally he’d find a bowl of water being given to him, and occasionally he’d be given food.

The food was a mush, a kind of soft and tasteless porridge that he ate mindlessly. It was weird, a part of him knew that he was feeling bad, but another part couldn’t even conceive of how many times he’d eaten the food. It filled his tummy up, but a part of him knew that he shouldn’t question how it was made. Herbcheek had gotten her name for a reason, and he wasn’t sure that it was just politics she made through that method.

Slowly he grew stronger and stronger, beginning to move a little bit at a time. It was like his mussels had grown weak, but how could that be. Was it the damage from the raven? How much time was he out. When he asked Herbcheek she didn’t reply, just looking at him with a sad kindness.

“Uh… don’t worry about that.” She said, her voice kind and a warmth filling his chest.

“But, I must give my carrot to Benjamin.” Sandpaw said, looking around. “Where is it?” The room was filled with herbs, but none of them were the full plant he’d dug from that hill and dangerously retrieved.

“Do not worry, I have already sent your prize to him. You will be judged fairly when you are better.” She nuzzled his side, her cheek was soft and fluffy and he felt a tiredness come over his eyes, weighing them down and making him want to sleep.

“B-but how long?”

“Not long enough.” She said as he slowly drifted off again.

***

After a while longer Sandpaw was moving around with vim and vigor once more. He wasn’t feeling the twinges in his mussels, nor was he feeling the weight that seemed to drag him down. He was ready, and it was a miraculous recovery for how long he’d been under. At least, that’s what he thought until he talked with Herbcheek.

“Doctor, I’m going to be ready to go soon. How much longer?”

“I’d like to keep you for another week.” She said, pushing him back. She was still much larger than him though her fur was the softest thing he’d felt, it was almost medicinal in itself and he’d been sleeping softly in her down for the entire time he’d been in her tunnel.

Stolen novel; please report.

“Week? But that’s so long. I don’t want to wait that long, what will Mr. Bunny say?”

“You have already been here for over a month. Weeks should be nothing.”

“A month? That’s impossible… It only feels like days.” He sat on his haunches and started to contemplate time, slowly thinking about everything he’d done. Sure, maybe it had been too long, it explained why he felt so weak but it also was far longer than he’d hoped. This wasn’t fair, just because he’d taken a few wounds? What were they compared to his getting a position in the tribe?

***

When he was finally let go he walked up to Elder Benjamin’s tunnel and knocked once more, watching as the larger and oddly stanced rabbit let him in and looked at his time-peice. “Hello child, you are here to request my entry once more?”

“Yes Elder, I must have it. I have seen the light. Exploration is the core of everything I care about! You must let me, I brought the carrot to you!”

“Hmm, must I? For you took very long to come to me. That is not good for your safety. What if I was to beat you right now for your tardy nature?”

“Than Elder Herbcheek would be rather cross with you I’d imagine.” Sandpaw said, shrugging. “I did not realise it would take so long, I believed the raven to be treating with fairness, but it was treacherous.”

“Well, that is at least a lesson well earned. You will not jump into deals without thinking I trust?”

“Of course not elder, my mistakes are written in the very pains of my flesh.” Sandpaw said, a soft smile on his lips. His ears had perked up, the elder was giving him more of a chance than he’d really expected. This was wonderful news.

“Well… There is in fact a second problem. One you can not weasel out of with words alone.”

“What’s that?” Sandpaw asked, frowning.

“You did not retrieve what I asked for. You got a wild carrot, but what I was looking for grows only in human gardens. You see, the carrot is a special spirit herb, and only humans know how to grow it in truth. Carrots are very good for our rabbit forms.”

“You mean?” Sandpaw asked. “Is that how you look to be one of the humans? You are so tall and stand different from the other elders.”

“Exactly, eating the carrot is the first step in becoming a member of my group. Why? Because we mimic human forms while we take from them. We explore, but more importantly we learn from the human peoples.” Sandpaw watched as Elder Ben took out many tools from his jacket pockets. They were all strange, ranging from rulers to compases and many other things.

“I see… I suppose that means what I got you would not work?”

“Perhaps it would have, but it had not grown to its full strength and I fear that may only be a thing humans can do. Besides, it is long shriveled up, no longer of use to anyone. That is due to your failings.”

“Well, what should I do?” Sandpaw asked with a light franticness, practically bouncing in his seat. “I must do something!”

“You will be tested again. But I must not let you do it alone. This time, I will send you with one of my disciples. Trust her words, okay?”

Sandpaw nodded, wondering who this would be.