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↬ "Tales" + "Rabbits"

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Small author's note: this is technically for a novel in progress, but since I can't currently place it in its timeline, I'm putting it here. Subject to be removed later.

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"Two wives! Lucky bastard; some of us struggle with the one and he had his hands full. Must be nice being king."

Elanoriel frowned, rising from the table and taking her plate of food outside as she left. She balanced it on the stone fence a few yards from the inn, nimbly climbing onto it after to sit up top. She continued to eat in relative peace, overlooking the luscious forest focusing on nothing in particular. Soft footsteps from behind drew her attention, Rhys's form manifesting at her side before she thought to turn to meet him. He sat next to her on the fence, picking at bits of the food she offered out to him. They sat in silence, watching as a fluffle of wild rabbits spread out underneath the shade of scattered trees.

"... It wasn't like that, you know."

"Hmm?"

"Your grandfather- it wasn't like that old drunkard was saying. He was a good man and a strong leader, but he had neither the want nor the ability to go skirt chasing after a priestess- or anyone for that matter. Mother says he would've been content just being king with his books, but the courtiers got on his case about finding a wife."

"I remember that story, my dad used to recite it almost every night before bed like it held all of life's answers in a convenient half hour." She paused, pushing what appeared to be rabbit meat to the edge of her plate, "I don't think I can tell it quite like he did."

"Well, it's not every day that the village you've decided to visit gets attacked by dragons. Certainly even less often is one saved by a beautiful priestess who downs the dragon charging you with a single arrow from a crossbow of all things. Can't say there would've been too many people willing to reprimand their king either, though..."

A gentle smile graced Elanoriel's lips under Rhys's stare, a soft huff of a laugh filling the space between them. A rabbit broke from the group, meandering closer with clumsy hops seemingly wherever until it'd strayed a few yards ahead of them. An endearing little thing with white fur speckled black, save for its left ear which was entirely dark; Elanoriel would've gotten closer, but refrain lest she frighten it away. It plopped down to the ground, paws tucked underneath itself and listened, eyes closed as it began to doze off.

"He did love them, you know, about as much as anyone can love their family. He'd always bring them trinkets back from his travels- a book he thought Eonel would enjoy until she fell asleep reading it, or a pretty mechanical toy Jin could pick apart and tinker with. When the festivals were set up, he'd be sure to make time no matter how busy he was to take them- try to win them prizes even, though Mother says he wasn't very good. Jin apparently won all of them instead."

He took a carrot piece off her plate, flinging it a mere inches from where the rabbit lay. It sniffed at it curiously, giving it a nudge with its nose before deciding to nibble on it.

".... Mother doesn't like talking about it, but I've heard the stories. It was cruel, and loathing. They were after the prince, trying to even out a score from the war. They didn't realize the whole family was out, it's... probably what saved him in the end." He paused, letting a second rabbit wander closer to the first. It's greyed fur appeared almost blue under the setting sun, a splotch of solid coloring marked up its left ear and for a second Rhys could've sworn its black eyes saw right through him.

"Jin fell first, trying to get to where your father played near the forest. She'd barely managed to wrap herself around him when they saw her fall. The King at her heels only had time to fling a terrified Thalion over to the knights before a dragon lunged and separated them. He clawed at their arms, and kicked, but no matter what he did, Mother wouldn't let little Thalion go. Your grandmother used every spell at her disposal, every desperate thing she could think of- even magic she'd never considered before that moment. She kept slamming spell after spell after spell, but none of it worked ... and soon enough she was gone too."

"Leaving ada to piece together a broken kingdom amidst a war...."

Rhys gave her a sympathetic nod, "And leaving this place gifted or cursed with eternal life depending on who you ask. As a sort of tribute to her, the villagers here collectively decided that none of the rabbits that came after should be harmed or hunted, though that doesn't stop the occasional poacher." He laughed, "Some of them even think the moon god took pity on these his devoted followers and turned them back to the world as some of these things."

"And do you think that's true?"

"I think it's about as true as any other story people tell to comfort themselves," he shrugged, taking the plate from her hands and hopping off the fence. "But who's to say?"

Elanoriel grew quiet, staring on ahead at the pair of rabbits as they stretched and began to withdraw into the forest. Rhys had walked halfway back to the inn when she spoke again, "... Rhys, am I anything like them?"

He considered it for a moment, "Not quite yet" before looking around to see nobody around. "... but I don't think they would have wanted you to be. Don't stay out too late." And he was gone back inside.

Elanoriel heaved a sigh, wings flopping to the ground behind her as she glanced up at the stars beginning to poke through the sky. If she hoped to find any answers there, the stars held no consolation. Her eyes met the white rabbit's as she hopped off the fence, a curious thought prodding around her head until she found herself half of the way there. She gave the inn one more look over as she stepped into the forest after the rabbit, following it down to the forest's heart.