We said we were going to post every Friday, but this Friday we have to set stuff up for our sisters wedding, then the wedding is Saturday evening, and we have to clean up on Sunday... So the weekend is going to be long, but fun! So, we thought we would go ahead and post so we could get back to everyone who comments tomorrow.....

Hope you guys enjoy!

Josiah stood shoulder to shoulder with Joseph on one side and some black rabbit whom he didn’t know on the other. The black rabbit seemed rather serous but there was a hint of mischief about him. It was the first day that they, the new recruits, had been assembled after King Jupiter’s speech. They were standing here waiting to be assigned to a unit of the army and he was thinking about his parents and Tawny, when he was startled by some saying, “Hey.”

He looked at Joseph, but it wasn’t him, so he looked at the black rabbit. “I said hey.” The black rabbit said, raising an eyebrow.

“Hey?”

“What’s your name?” the black rabbit asked, in nonchalant sort of way like he really couldn’t care less.

“Josiah, and yours?”

The black rabbit grunted, then turned to the white rabbit beside him and said, “Hey, Snoden can you believe this he doesn’t know who I am.”

“That’s a hoot,” the white rabbit said, laughing softly, “Since when has anyone ever known who you were Helm.”

“Ha, ha, very funny Sno, what a clever joke,” the black rabbit said, glaring.

“Why don’t you just tell him who you are Helm, I’m sure you’ll get a reaction then,” Snoden said smiling at Josiah and winking.

The black rabbit shrugged and said, “The names Helmer.”

“Okay, nice name,” Josiah said shrugging.

Snoden started laughing as he said, “Like I said Helm, since when has anyone known who you were, I mean besides me, Airen, and Hewson of course.” Snoden slapped his knee, “What did you think he was just gonna know who you were.”

“Wait you two know Lord Hew’s son?” Josiah asked.

Helmer grunted and started to walk off as he said, “You just wait, one day everyone will know who I am, just like they know who Hewson is. One day everyone will know my name.”

“That’s right dream big you ole coot,” Snoden called after him, he winked at Josiah again, and then ran after Helmer.

“Well that was weird wasn’t it, Joseph? Joseph?” Josiah looked over, but Joseph wasn’t beside him anymore.

Jonathan stood atop the seventh standing stone, looking down at the field outside the town where all the young bucks were gathering. He had been helping his father, but they had finished up early so he had come here. He knew his brothers and Darren were down there somewhere. He wanted to be down there, but at the same time he did not. He fingered his bow which was laid across his lap, should he stay, or should he go? He shook his head not everyone could go traipsing off to war, someone had to stay and take care of their parents. He would join later once he had mother and father settled nicely and once, he had settled things with Lea. He didn’t want to run off and leave her either.

He looked over as he heard footsteps. Another rabbit, a black doe, walked up onto the standing stone and nodded to him before taking a seat on the other end. He smiled at her then looked back out over the field scanning it for his brothers or Darren. To his surprise he actually spotted Joseph winding through the crowd of bucks. He watched as a soldier bumped into Joseph and then rounded on him. It was obvious the soldier was mad and yelling at Joseph, but Joseph was just holding up his hands. Probably apologizing, though Jonathan knew he had no reason to be sorry, the soldier had bumped into him not the other way around. He watched as the soldier grabbed the front of Joseph shirt and then punched him in the face.

He stood up quickly and watched as Joseph and the soldier became a tangled mass on the ground. A crowd soon gathered, and it wasn’t long before he could no longer see what was going on. The doe was looking at him and then she peered out over the field again.

But then he saw someone shoving their way through the crowd it was Darren and Josiah. Darren was pointing and Josiah was shoving rabbits left and right. An opening appeared in the crowd and Jonathan watched as Josiah jumped into the fight. Not long after he saw a black and a white buck pushing through the crowd from another direction. The doe stood and watched more intently. The black buck then jumped into the fight as the white buck dragged Joseph away from it. Jonathan flinched when he saw his brother, even from this distant he could tell that Joseph had taken more than a few punches to the face.

He turned and looked at the doe as he heard her say, “Awe! Come on Helm, you can do better than that! Right hook, left hook, kick him in the gut! Teach him what it feels like! Yeah, kick dirt in his eyes, that’s more like it!”

Jonathan looked over at her, surprised that a doe would be encouraging a fist fight. “That’s right you hold him, and Helm will hit him! Get him!”

Jonathan looked back toward the fight and saw Josiah kick the soldier in the gut. The soldier stumbled back, and the black rabbit kicked dirt in his eyes and then knocked his feet out from under him and sat on him.

“That’s right Helm!” the doe said throwing her fist in the air.

Jonathan smiled glad that the fight was over, then said, “You know someone down there?”

“My brother Helm and his friend Sno,” She said pointing at the black buck and the white buck. “What about you, which one did you know, the one who started the fight or the innocent by stander?”

“The innocent by stander, and the one who jumped in towards the end they’re my brothers,” Jonathan said as he looked down at the field again, it looked like the fight was over a another soldier was there now yelling at everyone.

“I’m Airen,” the doe said extending her hand.

“I’m Jonathan,” he said shaking her hand. She was definitely different than any other doe he had ever met. He smiled, then said, “I better go.”

Airen shrugged and turned to look back over the field, as Jonathan hurried down from the standing stone.

Joseph didn’t know what was happening. One minute he was walking through the crowd of buck trying to get back to Josiah and the next thing he knew he was bumped by a soldier, and then being punched by the very soldier who had bumped into him! It didn’t make sense and he had even apologized when the soldier was the one who should have apologized. Then thank goodness Josiah had jumped into the fight. But he was still getting stepped on and when ever he tried to get out from under their feet the soldier would kick him knocking the breath out of him.

His vision was starting to blur when he felt himself being dragged away and heard a friendly voice say, “I’ve got you friend and Helm will make sure justice is served. He hates it when bucks pick on each other, especially when we’re on the same side.”

“Who are you?” Joseph asked as he looked back at the white rabbit who had stopped dragging him and was now bending over him and looking him over.

“The names Snoden, but my friends call me Sno,” the white rabbit smiled and added, “You don’t look so good friend I wouldn’t try to move for a little while.”

“But my brother is in there,” Joseph said as he started to sit up grimacing as he did so.

“Don’t you worry about your brother Helm’s got his back, and when Helmer Cove has your back everyone else better run,” Snoden chuckled.

“He’s that bad huh?” Joseph asked laying back slowly, his head was swimming.

“Nay, he’s that good. He can give you a hurting you won’t forget in a hurry, trust me he’s given me one a time or two,” Snoden said flashing him another smile.

Snowden then stood as a shout rang out, “What’s going on over here? Someone answer me!”

“That soldier bumped a buck and then laid into him for no reason, I saw it all from the standing stones,” a buck’s gruff voice said.

Snoden helped Joseph to his feet and whispered, “As long as that story is true just agree with it. Don’t talk if you can help it, this soldier is a mean one, me and Helm went to school with him.”

Joseph nodded it was hard enough for him to stand while leaning on Snoden’s shoulder. His thoughts didn’t want to form, so not speaking was fine with him.

“Is that right bucks?” The first voice asked, Snoden and him moved through the crowd and Joseph saw it was a grey buck, also a soldier but obvious higher ranking than the first.

Many of the gather bucks nodded and Snoden said, “Look what Dag did to this poor fellow, he can hardly stand.”

The Lieutenant looked over, then looked back at the soldier, Josiah, and the black buck, Snoden had called Helm. “Who are you?” the lieutenant asked looking at Helm he then added, “Its obvious the other one is that one’s twin, but who are you?”

“My name is Helmer Cove sir,” the black buck replied standing in a, I don’t care sort of way. He seemed totally unfazed even under the stare of the lieutenant.

The lieutenant nodded then looked at the soldier as he said, “You get one more chance Daggler, now back to your training unit.”

The soldier threw a glare at all of them then sauntered off. “As for the rest of you, no more fighting. We will assign you to your units soon.” The lieutenant turned to leave, but stopped and said, “Helmer Cove,” he looked hard at Helm then said, “I guess you think you are special because you’re related to Brindle Cove, honored King’s buck.”

“No sir,” Helm replied, looking unconcerned as he added, “I plan to prove my worth to the Cause like any other buck.”

“Good, now all of you go clean up then report to unit four, ask for Lieutenant Frye when you get there.”

The lieutenant then walked off as they said, in unison, “Yes sir.”

Well that's it for this week, sorry it was a little long, would love any feedback or ideas for how we could improve it...thanks so much!😀😀😀