Ta-da! Here it is!! Hope you guys enjoy! Sorry, we ghosted yesterday, had a busy day....anyway we back for now...lol...

Jaidie

“Let my brother go!”

Rexly words echoed through the square. All the rabbits turned and looked up at him, squinting against the bright sunlight. Peter felt the buck’s grip on his arms tighten as he yelled, “Well if it isn’t the little thief Rexly, was it?”

Rexly looked confused as he glanced toward Peter. Peter looked away ashamed, how could he have been so foolish and given up Rexly’s name. He was such a fool, a scared, little fool. Now there was no escape, there was nothing he could do. They would both be caught and either tortured, hanged, or killed then shipped to Morbin in a bag for his feasts. Peter shivered at the thought and struggled against the buck but the buck’s grip was that of iron. Unbreakable. Instead of getting free Peter was kneed in the gut.

He gasped as all the air left his lungs. He felt his feet buckle beneath him but the buck held him up as he whispered in his ear, which made a shiver go up Peter’s spine, “How do ye like that bucky?”

Peter coughed but didn’t say anything, speaking would only make matters worse.

“Stop. Stop it, leave him alone or you’ll regret it,” Rexly yelled, pulling back his bow.

The buck holding Peter laughed, “What are ye going to do thief? Shoot me?”

Rexly adjusted his grip on the bow and closed one eye as he said fiercely, “I might only be twelve but don’t you doubt for a moment that I won’t shoot because I can and I will.” Rexly leveled his bow at the buck.

The buck laughed again and moved Peter in front of him. “Right, ye go ahead and shoot me then. Daggler and his guards will be here anytime. If ye shoot me ye are a dead boy.”

Rexly moved his bow around, away from Peter, and leveled it at the buck again. “Well, as far as I can remember the punishment for stealing is death, so I think I’ll take my chances,” Rexly said as he released the string. The arrow whizzed by in a blur, and the buck holding Peter cried out and released him.

Peter fell to the ground in a heap at the now cursing buck’s feet. The buck pulled the arrow from his arm with a hiss, either from pain or anger, Peter couldn’t tell. All the other rabbits seemed unsure of what to do. The buck clutched his arm and looked at the other rabbits.

“Why are yens just standing there, get them! Get them ye fools!” The buck yelled as blood trickled between his fingers and onto Peter’s face.

Peter felt the warm blood clinging to his fur and wanted to wipe it away but he was too scared to move. So, he stayed still. After a while two other bucks stepped forward, swords drawn, they stepped closer to him.

Peter was still in a heap, unable to gain his feet in time. He gulped and curled into a ball hugging his knees and trying to look as scared and small as possible. Hoping that maybe if he looked scared enough the does might feel pity for him. But it didn’t seem to be working.

Rexly jumped down from the roof and knocked an arrow as one of the bucks reached Peter and jerked him to his feet. The buck put his sword to Peter’s throat.

Peter felt the cool steel against his throat and wanted to struggle to get free but he knew he couldn’t. So instead, he tried to stay completely still but he could feel himself trembling by the way the blade kept tapping his neck.

Rexly’s eyes filled with fire as he pulled back his bow. “Stay away from him!” Rexly released the arrow and quickly knocked another. He released it all in the blink of an eye. The buck cried out and dropped his sword, Peter once again fell to the ground.

The other buck came for him but then he screamed and fell to his knees, an arrow embedded in his right shoulder. Peter scrambled to his feet and drew his sword. A buck charged him but he quickly moved out of the way. The buck’s sword only barely nicked his arm.

Peter brought his sword around and cut the buck down with one fierce strike. He turned to his next opponent. The buck swung his sword at Peter’s head, but Peter ducked making a clicking sound with his mouth. The buck charged again but Peter sliced his leg and the buck fell to the ground with a cry.

“Ha, how’s that for a twelve-year-old?” Peter said with a smile.

He quickly scanned the crowd for Rexly, finally, his eyes rested on him. Rexly stood on a cart in the middle of the square firing arrow after arrow at the bucks who charged him. He fired two arrows at once disabling two bucks, they fell to the ground with cries of agony. Rexly fired another and made to nock another but he froze, fear and anger mixed with sorrow filled his once fierce eyes. Rexly was looking past Peter.

Peter turned around and that’s when he saw where Rexlys strong emotions came from. He froze staring into the dark evil eyes before him. He gulped and felt himself begin to shake uncontrollably as he felt the sharp tip of a blade pressed under his chin. He dared not move too afraid of what that might mean for him.

Daggler smiled at him an evil, sickening smile of delight one that a predator might make before devouring its unfortunate prey. When Daggler spoke, his voice was that of pure delight, smooth and terrifying for anyone who heard it and knew who the voice belonged to. It was especially horrifying if you were standing face to face with him.

“Going somewhere thief?”