So um, hope you guys like it... fingers crossed 🙃 LOL But I will tell you... be warned: #tearbank (or not?!) Blessings, A. R. ------‐----------------------------------------‐-----------      Dylan entered through the back door of the courtyard, scanning the space before heading towards the kitchen. Laurel usually works back here… where is she?      He shook his head, reasoning that she would be inside. He crossed the threshold into Browns villa and stopped, his heart beginning to race and his adrenaline starting to rush.      The servants were huddled around a pitiful looking doe who sat crying beside the table, her face in her hands. Laurel wasn’t among them.      “What’s going on here?” He asked, trying to sound like a captain, but he couldn’t hide the fear in his voice.      The head servant- Delta – looked up at the captain with wide eyes. “Ask Helen, sir. She hasn’t been able to fully explain it to us.”      Dylan then realized that Helen was the crying doe. He looked back at Delta who gave him a hopeful look, before approaching the emotional rabbit.      He knelt in front of her, taking a deep breath. “Helen, I presume?” He asked gently.      The doe looked up at him with red eyes and slowly nodded, her chin quivering.      Dylan held her gaze, long enough for her to see that he was not going to hurt her. Long enough for her to see he was different, just like Laurel had seen and grown accustomed to.      At the thought of Laurel his heart began to pound. He needed answers. Now!      “Helen, what happened? Can you tell me where Laurel or Fern Evergreen is?” He asked quietly.      Helen’s eyes filled with tears, and it took her a few seconds to compose herself enough to speak. Her voice was a hoarse whisper.      “T-they took her.”      Dylan looked up at her, a sharpness in his expression. “What? Who?”      Helen stifled a sob. “V-Vitton's bucks… t-they arrested her a-and-" and she began to cry.      Dylan’s breath came out in shallow, rapid gasps. No! Vitton! Arrested? Why?      As the other servants tried to comfort the sobbing doe, Dylan stormed out of the house and into the courtyard. The sun was beginning to descend from the sky; how long ago had Laurel been arrested? What had Vit been doing to her since?      Such a thought stirred his blood, and Dylan began to run towards Administration HQ. He prayed to the Maker that he wasn’t too late and that Laurel was okay.        Dylan burst through the door and charged past all the rabbits who waited  idly in the foyer and headed down the hallway. Once he reached the stairs descending to the cells, he barreled down them, nearly falling head over heels. He could hear the sounds from the hall above. It confirmed his fears.      As he ran towards the gathered bucks at the end of the hall, Dylan heard crying and the sound of someone giving instruction, followed by muffled noises.      Dylan shoved his way through the crowd and reached the threshold of the cell. He felt all the blood drain from his face.      Vitton and a few other rabbits were in the cell, all holding some instrument that could inflict any sort of harm. Two other bucks were holding Fern back who struggled against her captors, despite the injuries that weakened her.      And Laurel.      Dylan could barely recognize her. Her limp form laid on the dirty, stone floor, her fur damp with blood. Her dress was stained dark red around her middle, and her arms were covered in bruises and cuts. She was unconscious. That didn’t stop Marvin from continuing his mission. He had a rod in his hand, and he continually struck the unmoving doe.      Dylan’s anger boiled and he took a step forward, reaching to draw his sword. But the gathered rabbits stopped him, pulling him back and holding him against his will.      “Vitton!” Dylan shouted, straining against the half dozen hands that gripped his arms.      The rabbit smirked at Dylan, scratching his head a little before looking back at the horrendous spectacle.      “Vit, stop!” Dylan exclaimed, his heart beating so fast that he was sure everyone else could hear it.      Fern was crying. “Please! Leave her, she’s unconscious. I-" Vitton cut her off with a strike across her face, stunning the doe.      “Vitton, I said stop!” Dylan pleaded, his eyes wide with undisguisable fear.      Vitton glared at him. “You do realize that you’re the reason she’s here, right?” He asked.      Dylan froze. What?      Vitton smiled, a cold, thin, evil smile. “She gets in the way of your work, we take her out of the way. Understand?”      Dylan jerked his right arm loose. “Then why punish her? Punish me for my wrong!” He nearly cursed, his throat tightening with tears. He was losing time! If he didn’t do something, Laurel could-      A scream caught everyone’s attention as Fern broke free from her captors and rushed at her daughter. But she didn’t see Vit draw his sword.      Dylan felt his heart stop. “NO!”      Fern collapsed to the ground, gasping as she clutched at her wound. Vitton just smirked, studying his bloodied blade with mild amusement.      Dylan came to the dying does side and grasped her hands, hardly daring to breath. This was his fault? Guilt overwhelmed him; he knew, somehow, that it was true.      Fern tried to focus on Dylan, her eyes dimming and dilated. “T-take… c-care… of her,” she wheezed, coughing and spluttering. Dylan squeezed her hands in his, and he didn’t know if he imagined the weak squeeze was returned or not. After a painful, dreadful few seconds, Fern Evergreen fell silent.      Dylan bowed his head, trying to swallow back the tears that were determined to spring forth. Fern Evergreen was dead. He could have stopped this, could have saved her. Linden told him to watch out for his daughter; he might as well have said to care for both his family members. And now, Fern was gone. And Laurel…      He heard shuffling footsteps and looked up.      The soldiers began to file out of the cell, one after the other. Vitton had motioned them away as he paced the cell, strangely quiet.      “Well, captain. Isn’t this delicious?” He purred, removing his gloves very slowly as he shook his head.      Dylan turned and felt panic replace the sorrow in his chest. He knelt beside Laurel and could hardly comprehend all the injuries she had. There was so much blood. He knew that there was internal bleeding; if she didn’t get help, she could die.      Such a thought made him sick. Life without Laurel? Either here in Akolan, or out in the great wide world? No! That can’t happen!      Taking care to not injure her further, Dylan carefully lifted her into his arms. Once he was sure she was secure and safe in his arms, he staggered to his feet. She didn’t make a sound, other than her breathing that seemed so frail in this place.      Dylan looked back at Vitton, clenching his jaw. “I quit.”      Vit raised an eyebrow, a hissing sort of laugh the only response for the moment.      “You quit? Walters, I don’t know what’s wrong with you or who messed up your brain; but this is the best place to be. Your position, captain, is the top of the chain here. You are very well on the top with Morbin himself! Don’t you want that power?”      Dylan couldn’t believe what he was hearing. And from Vitton! Of all rabbits!      He swallowed, looking up at the blood-thirsty buck. “If having friends harmed and everyone being told to fear you is what this position offers, I want no part of it. I’ll take my place as a farmer, thank you.” And he turned out of the cell.      “WALTERS!” Vitton barked. Dylan froze in his tracks.      Vitton stepped out of the cell, his nose turned up as if some plague were near. “You can’t quit. You can have four days off but then you’re back on duty. Oh and,” he added, smiling coldly at him. “You can take care of the body. Or bodies, I should say,” motioning to Laurel’s unconscious form in Dylan’s arms.      Dylan turned and continued down the hall and up the stairs. The foyer was empty now, save a clerk who was finishing up paperwork. But he paid no attention to Dylan or the injured rabbit in his arms.      Dylan exited Administration head quarters and took a breath, looking around. The sky was dark, and the streets were nearly empty. The sky above was pitch black, save the moon that shone coldly down on the streets of Akolan.      Dylan looked down at Laurel, his heart trembling. She needed medical attention now! And he knew exactly where to find it.