Just finished typing this up, and another piece of GE fanfiction that I will post once this one is done... Sorry for typos and let me know if you have any suggestions! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chapter 11 Hours later, Heather finished removing some bandages that an injured buck had around his arm and released him from her care. He had given her a gallant bow and almost ran out of the hospital, already itching to help with some work. Discarding the bandages, she stretched her sore neck and sighed. “You’ve been working hard, my dear.” A voice said gently. Heather turned and saw Mother, a bright smile on her face. Returning the smile, Heather hugged her mother, feeling a fresh charge of energy at her mother’s tender embrace. “Yes, but I’m ready for a break.” She admitted, pulling away to look over the hospital ward. It was slowly but surely emptying, bucks recovered, released, and ready to work in any way possible. Sween smiled. Glancing over at Dr. Zieger who leaned over a list, she asked, “Will he let you get away for lunch?” Heather nodded. “Yes, he already told me to go whenever I was ready.” Sween smiled and hooked her arm through her daughter’s, carefully stepping between cots, baskets, and tables set about in a not-so-orderly fashion as they had been weeks before. They walked up the road towards the palace, passing more groups of rabbits who had orders for different jobs. One group started to organize salvaged timber; another rooted through piles of debris for rocks and bricks that would work well for a new building of sorts. Entering the courtyard, Heather was surprised to find it so quiet. Where were all the little bucks and doe's who would play? Then, Heather stopped. Standing before them with a warm smile on her face, was lady Glen, hands folded in front of her and her head held high. “Hello, Sween and Heather. Care to join me for lunch?” She asked. Sween smiled and curtsied. “Of course, malady.” The elegant looking doe shook her head, chuckling quietly. “Come now, Sween; no formalities between friends!” Motioning them with her hand to follow, she turned and entered the palace. But what confused Heather was that she led them past the room they had been having their meals before. She even dared to ask if the lady was alright as she led them up the stairs towards the palace roof. “A lovely day for a picnic, isn’t it?” Sween whispered with a smile. Smiling back, Heather turned her focus to the ascending stairs before her. It reminded her of Cloud Mountain, the long, stone grey steps that enticed any rabbit to climb, wondering, searching for the reason of excitement that came when looking at the bright light above. The exact feeling came to Heather now as she watched Jupiter’s widow climb before her, her long dress sweeping the floor. Besides their steps, a faint swoosh echoed around them. She smiled, wondering more about this seemingly legend-like queen of old. It felt like many fantastic secrets wove themselves around this doe. And Heather wanted to know those secrets, the untold tales she had experienced. They were led onto the rooftop of the palace that overlooked the city of First Warren. It was slowly coming back to life. Turning, Heather noticed the table and benches, arranged almost perfectly against the stone wall, a hearty looking picnic already spread and waiting to be devoured. After a smile and swift motion with her hand, lady Glen began to pour some tea as the Mrs. And miss. Longtreader took their seats across from the lady. “Heather, I hear you are doing a marvelous job in the hospitals. How are those bucks doing in their recoveries?” Lady Glen asked, wrapping her black-gloved hands around the hot mug before her. After a quick sip, Heather answered, “They all are doing very well. Many will be released soon, but there are others who have a longer road to recovery.” Lady Glen nodded. “I can’t imagine how you work in such situations, especially with your own brother recovering.” Heather nodded and looked down, her heart dripping for a moment. She tried so hard to believe, to have hope that Picket would wake up. But ever so often, she would feel a wave of sorrow rush through her heart. He will wake up, she promised herself, sipping her tea. “Emma tells me that you became a trainee near the time she became a doctor,” Lady Glen spoke, subtly shifting the conversation to an easier topic. “Yes; it seemed right at the time to be working with Emma, and it turned out to be good timing.” She answered with a smile. Lady Glen returned the smile. “Yes, very good timing indeed.” They sipped their tea in silence, unsure what next to say. “Ma’am,” Heather began, trying to make sense of the question that suddenly filled her mind. “If you don’t mind me asking, what was it like when king Jupiter fell? How did things…” she trailed off, shocked at her boldness. Embarrassed, she looked up. Lady Glen was smiling. “How did things fall apart?” She finished. But she frowned. “It was very chaotic. As you know, the Afterterrors were a horrific time for everyone. I hope this doesn’t sound selfish to you, but… the Afterterrors were nothing compared to the state of my heart.” She paused, looking to the west as if searching for a sign. Then, she continued. “I was in the nursery with Smalden, Whitbie, and Emma when word was brought. When the messenger said, ‘Jupiter is dead, he was betrayed’, my heart was shattered. I couldn’t hear the questions Whitbie asked, nor Emma’s cries, not even Smalden's, ‘I love you, Mother; don’t cry.’ I felt like my very being was crushed.” Lady Glen paused, wiping her eyes with a lacy white handkerchief. “I had been in the same room at the time of the bequeathing of the Green Ember. Jupiter seemed very troubled during the days before. I was slightly confused at the sudden secret council and everything, but what did I know?” She asked with a smile. Heather smiled back. “But I knew that Smalden was the one who seemed destined for the throne, even at such a young age. I also remember that Winslow, a young buck at the time, was none too pleased with the decision. But he could do nothing. When the news was brought to us, as well as the intelligence of wolves heading into the Wood, we called a very small council. Because Jupiter had given Smalden the Green Ember before his death, and because he was very young, we knew that he would have to go into hiding if there was to be any hope of the Mended Wood. There was only a few of us, but lord Rake, Maggie Weaver, Whittle and Wilfred Longtreader beside myself were present.” Heather raised her eyebrows at this. “Was lord Rake and Maggie Weaver suspicious of my father and uncle?” Then, she paused. “Were you?” Lady Glen folded her hands in front of her, her head nodding as she thought this over. “Heather, do you know who the first to arrive after Jupiter’s betrayal, besides the messenger, was?” She asked. Heather shook her head. “Your uncle Wilfred.” Heather’s head shot up and she looked at lady Glen, then her Mother. Sween nodded, confirming this statement. “Truly?” Lady Glen nodded. “Truly. I believe that because he was the first to come and ensure the royal family’s safety and because he was the one of few rabbits who knew Smalden was given the Green Ember, that he had nothing to do with Garten's betrayal. I remember that he was still stained with battle; blood, dirt, and sweat all over him. He was injured, completely spent; but his shock, fear, and anger had fueled him to come to our aid and see to our protection” Heather processed this information. Uncle Wilfred was the first to come and possibly protect the remaining royal family? She came back to reality as lady Glen continued her story. “There was a small council that gathered then, and it was determined that it would be least expected of Wilfred Longtreader to be protecting the prince; we also discussed that Emma be raised by lord Rake, and we all went into hiding.” She stopped, a slight smile on her face. “It feels odd to be reflecting on all these events now.” Heather smiled. “But it shows how rabbitkind held together despite the difficulties.” Lady Glen smiled back at her. “It certainly does, Heather.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Well, I think thats all I can post tonight... gotta go cook supper and get ready for worship practice. Blessings and Bear the Flame! A. R. B.