Day 3

My old self was always good when it came to waiting - a farmer had to be -, but he was also quick to get angry when things didn't go his way, even if just to go right back at it with vicious determination.

I hadn't changed in that regard. If anything, i got even more patient and stubborn.

As i worked, failed and started back up, annoyance sparked inside of me, just to drown under waves of grim determination.

There was another side to that, though, one that disquieted me. It was a certain attitude i felt at the back of my mind, a push toward inaction. I felt that if i hadn't an immediate problem in front of me, i'd far too easily sink into passivity. Like a tree, i suppose. I'd more easily tolerate a hurricane blasting over me than rip my roots from the ground and search for a safer place; more easily regrow a limb burned by a fire than try to move it away.

My old self liked his quiet times, but was never one to stand still and take it. It disturbed me to find an inclination like that inside of me. It was wrong, it wasn't me, and sure as heck i didn't want to give in to it. As it was, i was only too eager to focus on the matter at hand.

More or less.

As time passed, the rabbit mother's conditions worsened far more than i hoped. She slumped down, her eyelids drooping and her breathing turning ragged.

I was both confused and concerned by the changes. It seemed a fever from an infection, but the wound looked mostly healed and there was no red skin or swelling.

I didn't understand.

The poor bunnies circled with uncertainty their mother, licking her from time to time, trying to comfort her. They could smell the sickness on her but didn't know what to do.

Poor little critters. Seeing them like that broke my heart and only made me more determined.

I had a nice tendril by then, a vine long enough to snake around an adult bunny and to hold it still. I tested it a few times, then, satisfied by its flexibility, i sent it toward the sick rabbit.

The vine snaked down from the tangle of my branches, brushing against the rabbit's mom fur. I tried to be as silent and discreet as i could, but there was only so much i could do when moving a vine among a bunch of crackling branches. The rabbit felt me arrive and whirled her head around, trying to catch my vine with her horn.

I don't know how effective that thing would have been apart from entangling my vine and honestly, i didn't care to know. Thankfully, i was ready for it: i snatched my vine away, making the horn cut only the air.

That had to sap the last of her energy, because she slumped down, panting. She couldn't raise her horn again after that.

Feeling guilty, i carefully laid my vine over her.

The bunnies had jumped back at their mother's sudden movement. Now, as they noticed the vine, they panicked, hopping and kicking in distress. One of them, the boldest i suppose, actually shook his front paws in challenge. Calm down, kids, i don't want to hurt your mother. I only want to help her.

I thought that, but honestly i had no idea of what to do. With no swelling and no redness, there was no infection, and so i didn't know the reason for her distress.

Still, that didn't mean i couldn't try to find out. Somehow.

Tentatively, i laid my vine over her back. Part of me was curious how my sense of touch would fare. I didn't need to be concerned: the vine felt better than my own finger.

My relief lasted a moment. The rabbit was trembling and felt as hot as coal left over the fire. That was some fever alright.

I wondered what the reason could be. My eyes kept going to that wound of hers, but, again, it was mostly healed. It had to be something else.

I carefully brushed her fur with my vine, counting possibilities in my head. All of them were bad, because i had no way to treat them and…

I stopped and if i still could, i would have blinked too. For a moment, something had appeared in front of my mind's eye.

Without thinking, i had taken my vine off the rabbit. Thinking that my head was playing tricks on me, i laid it down on her once again.

And there! That image again!

I had a clear image of the rabbit, clearer than any eye could offer. Following my instinct, i focused on it and as i did so, it turned more and more sharp and definite.

I felt the rabbit. I felt her scalding skin, her trembling form under my fingertips. Deeper, i felt her pumping, fatigued heart, beating with angry defiance against the sickness. It was a tough one, this mother, a proper warrior. Deeper still, i felt the light. The same that had filled me after i took from the air, sun and earth, the same that i turned into more of myself. Now, i felt it inside of her. But it was different. This wasn't "mine", it was "hers", different as an apple could be different from a pear, and yet remaining a fruit all the same. And inside of that light, like an ugly tadpole, a black stain.

Seeing it made my skin crawl, and i was sure at once that it was the reason of the rabbit's sickness.

Anger swelled inside of me. The light was pure and beautiful. Seeing it so tainted outraged me on a level so primal that words weren't enough to express it.

I knew that by being angry i wouldn't get anything done. Still, it took me a good minute before i managed to regain my calm. Once that happened, i started regarding the rabbit's light with more detachment.

I didn't know what exactly was that ability, being able to perceive the light, - life? - of the critter, and of the impurities polluting it and honestly, i didn't care very much. It was something i had, might as well look at how to make good use of it.

But how?

I passed some time experimenting. First, i tried some ways with which i could interact with the rabbit's light. I did so with the utmost attention, fearing that i could hurt her. Luckily, or not, my attempts all ended in vain. No matter what i tried, my will couldn't exert itself over her light. It made only sense. It was hers, not mine. A part of me felt strangely reassured by that, but that didn't erase the fact that i was stumped once again.

I changed my approach. If i couldn't directly touch her light, i had my own to work with.

Before, i had let the light go in an unfocused manner, sent it to the act of "growing" like one could throw a rock toward a big lake, without much thought. Then, i had tried to focus it, impressing my will over it so that the "growing" took a precise form. Now, i tried to change the intent itself. From "growing" to… something else, i wasn't exactly sure what. I just reasoned - once again, going on a wild goose chase - that if i had light and she had light, maybe i could… reinforce? Purify? Eliminate the infection? I was groping blindly there, but i felt it was worth the shot.

After some consideration, i impressed a new intent over the light, the will of "healing". Then, slowly, very slowly, i started letting go of it. It was like trying to keep hold of a loaded spring. Holding with all the hand, letting one finger go, then another, then another…

I realized that that was the wrong method too late. My grip trembled with exertion. I tried to hold on, but the spring was too much to hold now. It sprung out of my grip and spiraled out. I felt it like a lightning bolt, launching for me and diving into the rabbit. For a moment, we were connected, and i felt her start, her muscles tighten and her fur straightening up in fright. Then she launched a shrill cry and crashed to the ground like a cut log.

I almost died of a heart attack there and then. I had killed her!

The poor bunnies sprang off at her cry, tumbling and rolling in their haste to escape. Thankfully, they couldn't easily leave the fissure, or who knew where they'd have ended to. Instead, they just tumbled back down and ran to hide behind rocks or under each other.

I barely noticed. I had eyes only for the poor animal i had chopped down like it was a dried stump. That wasn't supposed to happen! I wanted to heal, not to hurt!

Fretting anxiously, i laid my vine over the rabbit. I searched for a pulse and after some frantic attempts, i found it. It was weak, but it was there. I didn't kill her!

Not gonna lie, i almost melted with relief. If i killed that poor critter while trying to save it, i wouldn't have been able to forgive myself.

Gingerly, still fearing i had done some unfixable damage, i checked her conditions. I paused when i took in her light.

If i still could, i would have wiped at my eyes in disbelief. Her light… it was weak, it wavered like a candle under the wind. But it was pure. The stain was nowhere to be seen.

I was speechless. Did i do that?

I'd lie if i say i wasn't disturbed. That stain had felt like something nasty and deep. Seeing it erased like that felt wrong, felt like too much power in my hands. Power that could go out of control, that could turn bad, as it had almost happened right there.

Not wanting to dwell over those thoughts, i kept on checking on the rabbit. Apart from seeing her light, touching her with my vine allowed me a good vision over her vitals and conditions. Everything told me the same: fatigued, deeply so, but healthy overall. She only needed rest and food and she'd be back on her feet in no time.

That both relieved and disturbed me. It felt… too much, too sudden. Sicknesses shouldn't be healed so easily, especially not that one.

Feeling uneasy, i retreated back into myself, leaving my vine just to check on the rabbit's health.

I needed some time to think, to digest what had happened.

I passed i don't know how long reflecting on the miraculous healing i had performed. And there was no way to deny that "miraculous". Everything in my memory, fuzzy as it was, told me that it was just so. Sickness wasn't erased just like that. It took medicine, it took time. Even more because, as i thought about it, i realized what exactly i had erased from the rabbit's light.

Poison.

Some insidious, life-eating thing that had been eating at her from inside. I had no idea where it came from and no idea what it was exactly. But i felt for certain, through the same metaphysical sense that allowed me to see the light in me and in others, that it had been a dreadful toxin, powerful enough to lay a bull low.

That brought the question of how that poor rabbit had managed to survive so long with it in her body, and why the wound that supposedly brought it in the first place looked almost healed already.

But those questions kept second place in my mind.

The truth was that i was concerned, even scared. That power felt like a miracle, like magic. I wasn't at all sure i could deal with being able to perform such a feat, let alone deal with the burdens it brought.

That power… how could i carry it? Was i worthy? I certainly didn't feel so. The responsability was way too heavy, the possibilities to harm even more so.

I was stumped.

Eventually, the soft sounds of rustling and padded feet shook me out of my troubled thoughts.

Having retaken courage, the bunnies hopped with uncertainty back to their mother, the boldest leading his more bashful siblings. They couldn't smell the sickness on her mother anymore but still knew that something was wrong with her and were wary.

They flinched when she stirred. Weakly, she lifted her head, and blinked at them, nose twitching slightly. Still, they hesitated.

I realized what the problem was. My vine was in the way.

As soon as i lifted it away, the bunnies hopped to their mother. They touched nose with her, then, realizing that she was better, they started to groom and lick her in earnest. The boldest actually jumped and kicked in happiness!

The scene moved me.

Right, i thought. Burden or not, this ability can be used for good. I just need to smooth the kinks out. One step at the time, yes?

And talking of steps, there was one to take right away, and that i had forgotten like a moron.

I sent my vine toward the wall. It was wet alright, some of the stones almost drenched by minute drops. As i took a big one, a small dribble fell from the hole, the water moving between the rocks.

I felt a wave of apprehension. I didn't open a hole in a river, right?

Thankfully, the water didn't increase, but i made a mental note to keep an eye on it. The place where i was planted was kind of a hole. The last thing i needed was to have it filled with water.

Deciding that i may as well use the chance, i used my vine to dig a small channel, just enough for the water to flow in the direction of the rabbit. The intelligent critter was quick to notice, and so were her bunnies, that observed with various degrees with wariness, but didn't dare to move.

It was okay.

Taking a stone, i sank it into the water, turning it around until it was thoroughly drenched, then pushed it toward the rabbit.

The animal hesitated, but then the thirst must have overcome caution because she started licking it. I repeated the process until she didn't accept any more water. The bunnies i didn't even try to convince to drink. They looked far too wary and honestly they could do it by themselves.

Once done, i mentally sighed in relief. At least the water problem was solved for now. Hoping that hole didn't widen. I didn't want to have to build a dam or something.

For the unpleasant part, i used my vine to snatch some of my branches - ow! I hoped it didn't become a habit, or that was going to be the root of some problem - and laid it close to the rabbit. And with that, even the hunger problem was solved for now. Never say that trees don't offer a branch when needed.

I decided i had done enough for the day. It was time for some well-deserved R&R, and that meant soaking my beautiful light to restore my reserves and grow back some. Helping out was fine and dandy, but i didn't want to become a bald bush.

As i rested and soaked, i felt the rabbits nibble on the food i left them. Umph, they better appreciate it!

After the fear of the day, the bunnies didn't feel like playing, and their mother was still too weak. So after a bit, they all fell asleep, the babies bunched against their mom like they feared they could go away. I didn't miss how the boldest took the side from which my vine had come down.

With a sigh, i extended my branches to cover the small family better.

Day 4

It was impressive what a good night of rest could do.

The rabbit was in no shape to move, but after that close call, i was impressed by seeing her weakly shuffling around, usually to drink and eat. Her children carried my branches to her and she never missed on touching nose with them when they did so, or grooming them softly.

What a fighter!

For my part, when i wasn't building up my reserves and working on my growing, i kept a rigorous watch over her conditions. The fact that i could do so by resting my vine close to her helped a lot.

On a side, i was kinda relieved that she needed time. It proved that whatever power that stuff was, it wasn't some miracle. Call me stupid, but i felt more comfortable with things being like that. I am no miracle worker and sure as hell i don't aspire to be one. Too many headaches.

That said, what exactly was i then? The word magician came to mind, but i wasn't a fan. I never believed in magic and it felt silly to do so now, even after everything i saw. Still, something strange had happened, no doubt about it.

I couldn't just keep it in the air. I needed a name.

I decided to go with "shaping". Light-shaping in my case. It felt appropriate, it felt what it was. More importantly, it felt grounded, and i liked to have my roots on the ground.

Inspire, breath the light in. Hold it, impress your will over it, give it a form. Expire, let it go toward its destination.

Shaping.

I was pretty satisfied with it.

Name done. Now to understand more.

It was clear to me that the light was a thing positive to life. It couldn't be any different. If i had to call it, i'd say that it was life energy itself, pure and bright. It made too much sense that infusing it into a living being would heal.

Still, when i tried to cure the rabbit, i lost my grip over it and the energy had got out all at once, like a bullet. That had healed the critter, but it had worked just as well as shock therapy, busting the poison just as it almost busted that poor animal down.

What a moron i had been!

It was lucky that i didn't charge more light into it or who knew what could have happened. I needed to find a way to heal in a less crushing way or i'd just be better off with a hammer.

Still, if that light was supposed to be "life", it meant that you couldn't just infuse a creature willy-nilly. Every living being had to have a limit to how much light it could receive at once. Too much in a single shot was as good as an attack.

I'd lie if i said that those conclusions didn't excite me.

I felt like i was just scratching the surface of a frozen lake, a treasure trove of knowledge and abilities just waiting for me to unlock its mysteries.

I didn't care for power, but the possibilities! Movement, healing and who knew what else. I was almost dazzled. The old me would have been much less excited, worrying more on the possible downsides. And maybe that would have been wiser. But i was green and young like a newly sprouted stalk, and for the moment, i couldn't think of anything bad.

Struggling to rein in my excitement, i divided my time between keeping an eye on the rabbit and working on my branches.

Without anyone else on the line, i threw myself into experimentation with enthusiasm and it wasn't long that a small array of different branches sprouted from me, each with its own properties, be it flexibility, toughness or rigidity.

I soon realized that i had to be cautious in this as well. Each new branch cost some light to keep alive and not all of them were good to gather more. The only ones that could do so were those able to sprout leaves and this ability had its cost, standing against stuff like resistance and strength. It was all in the structure, you see. A leaf was complicated, i found, while a tough branch was simple enough. They were difficult to mix together.

I found that with each new leaf, i was able to gather more light, that then i was able to gather in my trunk. This one was still thin, but its storing capacity was quite substantial and had no problems there. The light was the basis for everything: the more of it i invested into a shaping, the more noteworthy the branch that i could grow. Still, it was just that: an investment. The amount of light had to be carefully balanced toward things like strength, size, toughness, rigidity, flexibility or light gathering ability. And like i said, some of these properties worked against each other. You couldn't just go full throttle with one or the other, or you just ended with a useless thing like an unmovable limb or a limping noodle. Nor like i could just invest all of my light at once. Some of it, i soon found, had to go toward keeping me alive.

In short, it was meticulous work, a tune-in that required my complete attention.

Once grown, each branch could easily be a deadweight and had to be discarded. I did so by using my vine to pluck off the useless ones - ow -. After all, the more i had the shorter my supply of light became and that meant the less remained to grow more. That said, each branch given completely to light gathering - in this instance, a nice limb packed full with leaves - outweighed its maintenance cost substantially.

I wondered if i would be able to grow indefinitely if i devoted myself completely only to growing and gathering. The prospect was kinda appealing, but i pushed it away. There had to be some kind of ceiling, being in the water one could find and the nutrients in the ground.

That made me realize that what i was doing wasn't anything truly miraculous. That light i gathered came from somewhere, a gift from the world around me, from elements and stars and minuscule beings working in silence. I only used it to grow myself.

That realization made me feel truly blessed. What kindness was given to me! Compared to that, what was giving away a few leaves to feed a family of poor critters? Nothing. Less than nothing.

Crack my trunk, i could feel myself tear up…

My thoughts were interrupted by the sudden sounds of snuffling and rasping.

I tensed immediately, and so did the rabbits. Something was coming.

The new intruder pushed its head through the hole a moment later.

You got to be barking me!

It was a damn bear!

Rather, a bear if it got mixed with a slobbering old dog. This one had drooping eyes and a long tongue dangling from the side of its mouth.

But you can be sure that i wasn't watching that.

The bear's head was so thick that he barely managed to fit it through the opening. Dagger-like fangs filled its mouth, catching the light as he slowly looked around.

I am not going to lie. I was terrified. That thing's head alone was almost as big as me. It could probably rip me out with one bite if it wanted.

The bear slowly turned his head around, panting slightly as he drooled.

The rabbits hid beneath my branches, standing so very still apart from the little movements of their chests.

But the bear had to have their scents already and after a while, he spotted them through my foliage.

As he did so, his eyes flashed with hunger and he tried to reach them. He hadn't to be very smart because instead of trying to widen the hole, he just forced himself forward, with the risk of actually ending jammed. Too bad that instead of that happening, that only meant that his muzzle ended brushing against my foliage.

If i was able to shiver, i would, from the tip of my roots to my tallest leaf. The bear's breath stank like a sewer - did you know i was able to smell? Lucky me! - and more than a few of my poor leaves ended ripped apart from his fangs. Ow!

While the bear rustled and struggled, triggering dribbles of dirt to fall from the wall, the poor rabbits loafed themselves beneath me, trying to make themselves as small as possible. Poor critters! What else they could do? There was no way to run from there.

And poor me!

Since he didn't manage to reach them, the bear got more frantic, breaking the branches he could reach and sending my leaves scattering.

Stop it, you dumb beast! You'll only end up jammed like that! Aaaaargh! My work!

Eventually, and with my great relief, he seemed to get the message. With a disappointed growl, he started to draw back. I was just starting to hope that the worst was gone than he suddenly stopped. Sniffing, he moved his muzzle left and right, before diving it back into me. Let me tell you, having a bear sniff straight in your face is not pleasant, especially if said bear then starts to munch on your branches right after.

As he clamped down on the first and pulled, i was sure he would rip me out from the ground. Thankfully, the branch broke first. The bear munched contentedly on it, limb and all. He repeated the motion three more times, ripping a bigger part each time, before finally deciding that it was enough and retreating.

I didn't need to tell you that i was out of my mind.

If i could, i would have screamed. The bear had ripped off almost half of my branches and sent a lot of leaves fluttering away. My flourishing look was gone and now i looked as wonky as a half-scuttled ship.

More importantly, i could feel the beast still out there, munching and ripping.

I didn't hope that he would leave. The rabbits were still there, easy prey just waiting to be reached and no predators gave up easily on that. He would try to reach them again, and maybe this time he would manage to, maybe by widening the hole. Big as he was, i didn't doubt that the feat was well within his possibilities. And if he managed to enter, he would be able to snack on what remained on me.

Losing my work was one thing, but now i realized that there was my life on the line there. This was truly dangerous!

Panic, anger and outrage. They flooded me like the bear's bad breath had done. I vaguely recalled that some carnivores liked to snack on leaves and the like to calm stomachaches.

Outrage surged, trumping all the rest. I wasn't going down for some dumb beast trying to calm his gullet!

I didn't blame the rabbits. Poor little fellers were just trying to survive and it wasn't like they wanted to put me in danger, if they even knew such a concept.

But that didn't change the situation. We were in danger and i needed to come up with a solution.

I started scheming right away.

I couldn't hope to square off with the bear in a contest of strength but the environment was at my advantage, if only i could use it.

I threw away all my projects, snipping all the branches i didn't need and focused completely on one thing and one thing only: a big limb, strong yet elastic, tough yet flexible. A big club to show trespassers what happens when they step foot on the wrong root.

Despite my previous work, it got me some time before i managed to grow something i was satisfied with.

It was tense work, with the poor rabbits shivering beneath me.

Despite being still convalescent, it was the mother to offer shelter to her children, allowing them to press themselves against her fur while she kept an eye over the hole above.

I wondered what she'd do if she wasn't still weak. Maybe she'd use that horn of hers to try and fend off the attacker.

Don't you worry, mama. Uncle tree is going to take care of all.

The bear came back a few times, each making my heart jump in my trunk. Thankfully, he still hadn't worked out how to widen the hole, probably because his claws weren't made for digging. He mostly ended working his fangs on the dirt or ripped some more of my branches out of frustration. Every time i expected to see the wall come tumbling down but every time the bear just drew back.

I didn't count on that going on indefinitely though. Not with the drizzles of dirt falling down the fissure from his efforts.

With that one hell of an incentive, i worked hard and fast.

Eventually, my efforts paid off.

I don't think it ever existed a plant looking what i looked in that moment. My trunk was thin, sprouting a dizzying array of branches, stumps and leaves, some broken, some worse or wear and very few still untouched. My appearance was roughed up at best, but honestly, i was just happy to be still in one piece. Still, what truly made me look like a freak was the big branch sprouting from my top. Almost as long as i was tall, it was tough and flexible at the same time, enough to double up as a whip if i felt like it. The most elastic part, and the one i invested the most, was the segment where it connected to my trunk. It allowed me to keep the whip down so that i didn't have to bear its weight. Honestly, it was quick and rough work, with a horrible expenditure and even worse balance compared to the rest of my body. But damn if it was going to do its job.

I was fiercely proud of it.

My admiration for my work was interrupted by the bear's snuffling getting closer.

All right, time to pull my roots up and go face destiny.

There was not enough space to pull the club all the way back, so i just leaned it on the wall behind me.

Like that, i waited, ready for everything.

The bear had to have gotten comfortable with pushing his head in the hole because his head appeared soon after. He looked left and right, his saliva falling on the dirt, before his eyes looked on the trap.

And that's when i struck.

My new limb sprung like the arm of a catapult, smacking the bear straight on the nose. It felt like hitting a mound of bricks and i was happy i didn't have much in the way of feeling pain.

Don't get me wrong. I don't really think i could hurt him. But let me tell you this. You don't want to be hit on the nose. Be it you a wolf, a mouse, a bear or a man, that's not a place you want a branch to smack straight into.

The bear launched a surprised yelp. He tried to stand up, with the only result of smacking his head against the wall. I swear that i heard tremors in my roots then but i tried my best to ignore them. The dust falling from the ceiling was enough for my nerves.

Gathering my limb back, i struck again. Smack! Straight on the nose!

The bear whined sharply but this time had the quickness of mind not to hit his head again. Instead, he drew back, disappearing.

I heard him growl and rustle, followed by the sound of something breaking. Oh boy, i made him angry.

Beneath me, the rabbits were getting disquieted by the ruckus. I would have liked to reassure them, but no mouth for me to coo there.

A moment later, the bear forced his head back in. He had his fangs out now and growled angrily. The moron still hadn't got that he needed to dig to win that contest.

I whacked him again, eliciting a cry of rage.

He disappeared and for a moment, i hoped he had enough. Bark luck. I started hearing the sounds of angry digging and snuffling.

Oh goddammit.

I drew back my limb, preparing myself for the worst.

Thankfully, the waiting had to have frayed the animal's patience already. Instead of digging until he could enter easily, he scratched and rasped only until the hole was a bit bigger. Then he showed his angry muzzle back in.

What a moron. I made to whack him again.

And that's when i realized that i was the moron. In its anger at being attacked, that beast must have forgotten about the rabbits. He had dug just enough to turn his neck, so that he could face my assault better.

I realized that just as i let go of my limb. Far too late to stop.

The bear turned his head and grabbed my limb in its mouth.

I panicked. It was one thing to have my branches ripped off, but i had come to know that bear's strength. With a good grip, he could pull me out of the earth, roots and all. And my super branch wouldn't break as easily as my earlier ones.

In a panic, i tried to pull my limb back but it would have been easier to pry open a steel trap. I underestimated that animal. He could be dumb when it came to opening his way but he was an experienced fighter.

The bear sank his teeth in my limb and started to pull.

And that's when mama saved me.

She must have been gathering her strength because suddenly, she made an incredible jump, four times her body length, i reckon. She brought her horn up as she ascended and the tip of it found the bear's face.

And it drew damn blood.

The bear let go with a surprised yelp and i snapped back, smacking against the wall behind me. I was sure that my brain would have flown out of my ears if i was still a human. Even my perceptions got all scrambled.

Trying to regain my bearings, i brought my attention back to the hole, just in time to see the bear disappear.

Tense moments passed, with me and mama keeping an eye on the hole. We could hear the bear's moaning and snuffling.

He reappeared after a while, peering from the hole far more cautiously than before. Nose bleeding slightly, he looked at us.

The rabbit moved her head slightly, her horn cutting the air. I snapped with my whip.

That had to convince him.

Animals could be stubborn, but they won't risk their life if they can avoid it. They fight to survive, not to pull stunts.

The bear let out a disgruntled growl and drew back. After a moment, i heard his stomps getting away.

Relief washed over me and i left my branch to fall down. I couldn't believe it! We did it! We won!

Whatever strength she managed to summon left her, and the rabbit slumped to the ground. Her babies were by her a moment later, hopping concernedly.

They scattered when i gathered their mom with my vine. Softly, i laid her beneath my branches. God knows that she deserved some rest. What a champ! She saved me! She deserved all the leaves of the world.

Leaving for a moment the rabbits to their devices, i brought my attention toward the hole. My metaphorical heart was still pounding but the lesson from that encounter wasn't lost on me.

That place wasn't safe, especially not with that little family of rabbits close by. Throwing them out - and i wasn't sure i could bring myself to do it - wouldn't change much. Any big animal could come around and start to snack on me. That left only one choice: i needed to relocate.

The thought was as exciting as it was intimidating, but i didn't doubt i could pull it off.

Time to grow me a pair of legs.