Fiver went to talk to Hazel that evening. As he had learned to, Hazel agreed with Fiver and promised to send the Lienahlayn rabbits away in the morning.

When morning came, he went to speak with them.

"Chief Gentian," he greeted the little buck. "We've enjoyed having you and learning of your warren. However, my brother feels that something may be amiss with letting you stay too long."

"Really - how do you mean?" Gentian looked curiously over Hazel's shoulder, where Fiver sat a little ways off.
"He gets these feelings - and I've never seen him wrong. It's only because of Fiver that we made it here," Hazel told Gentian. "And I can't say - well, he can't say - what it is that makes him feel like you and your captains ought to go, but he definitely feels that it isn't safe for you to stay."

Gentian nodded. "I see... Well, I think that, if you should let us, I'll get some grass in my captains' stomachs before we go."

"I see no reason to object."

And with that, the trio of Lienahlayn bucks went out to feed. Only one rabbit was out there - Thethuthinang. Indeed, she often fed first in the mornings, and always alone. She was generally rather fine with feeding along with her thoughts, but on this particular morning, Gentian thought she looked lonely and went to feed with her.

"Oh? Hello, chief Gentian," she greeted, looking up in surprise. Her pale blue eyes reflected the sky, flashing a bit with sunlight. "How are you?"

"Doing very well," he told her. "A bit better being out above ground this particular morning."

"It is a fine one," she told him, smiling. She paused to feed a few moments more. "But you know, it's going to rain," she added, sitting up.

Indeed, when Gentian scented the air, he nodded. "It's a way off. Does your warren leak?" He asked the beautiful doe, who turned to him. "Lienahlay never has, but I certainly have heard of warrens that do."

She shook her head. "How a group of rag-tag hlessi bucks ever constructed such a fine warren, I'll never know," she chuckled.

"Oh? Did they?" Gentian tilted his head. This was something he hadn't been told.

"In fact, they did." Thethuthinang told him. She paused. "I sometimes envy all the things they've seen. I travelled here from Efrafa, yes - but they've seen far more than that."

"You could see more," Gentian told her, staring into her eyes. "I could show you more."

She looked a bit startled. After a few moments, she answered. "No, I couldn't. I have a family here - I have Bigwig and a litter of kits. But I'm sure you could propose the idea to Hazel if you need does."

Gentian shook his head. "I don't believe that's necessary." He told her. With that he made his way over to his captains. He nodded to them, and they sat up. He turned to Thethuthinang. "Well - with that we'll be off."

And off they were.

But for Gentian, it didn't quite feel it. He certainly could not get the image of the doe on the down out of his mind. Somehow, no doe in Lienahlay was sufficient. He had never seen a doe like Thethuthinang - and one who wanted to see more. One who wasn't content in the warren.

One he could rule with.

Once they reached home, he turned to Lindri and Rush. "Rush, gather my Owsla. Lindrithray, do you think there are any promising young bucks I might want?" he planned on having Thethuthinang, even if that means fighting for her. He didn't care if she had a mate - he could put in any effort in order to bring her kits safely. 

"Yes, sir," Lindrithray said, looking surprised, but not unpleasantly so. "I know of a few." It was clear - though he didn't understand what would come - that his chief who he supported for so long was back. "Would you like me to bring them here?"

"Yes," Gentian told Lindrithray. "But first-" he looked around, noticing for the first time the condition of the rabbits around him - what he had let his warren become. "Who has caused all this damage? This buck over here - who ripped his pelt up like that?"

"That'd be Ragweed, sir," Lindri told him. The stripe-faced buck sounded disdaneful. "Him and his little pack - Pokeberry, Raggle, Snakeroot and Nayeer."

"Well," Gentian frowned. "Bring 'em to me. I have something they ought to know about. And then go right to bringing me some replacements. Make them well-behaved, would you? A warren like this isn't fit for visitors, not with rabbits ripped apart and afraid of the Owsla that's meant to protect them."

Lindrithray nodded, smiling. "I'll get right to it, sir." He bounded off, exceedingly pleased at what this meant. Lindri's chief was back. Lienahlay would suffer no more. 

----------------------

"Well, they've gone, Fiver," Hazel turned to his brother in the last of the sunlight.

"Thank you, Hazel," Fiver told the chief uncomfortably. "Something's not quite right all the same. Like they aren't quite gone yet."

"Well, I think you're quite crazy this time, Fiver," Bigwig interrupted. "They seemed decent enough but if you say otherwise, I'll go ahead and agree with you because you've never been wrong. But Holly, Blackavar and I have all been all 'round the down - Fiver, they've gone home. What d'you mean, 'not quite gone?'"

"I mean... Oh, I don't know. It feels like our business with them isn't done," Fiver told him. "For the most part, I think they're fine - Gentian-rah seemed a bit off. So did that Rush. But - I think they're decent, like you said, Bigwig." He paused. "Just... misguided... Misguided and something else, too."

Bigwig snorted. "Well, fine, then. We'll send 'em off if we see 'em again... I dare say I'm not looking forward to another battle like Efrafa, so I should hope I don't have to cause this Lienahlay not to like us."
"I hope not too," Fiver agreed. He threw a glance toward Thethuthinang, who was feeding quietly beside her mate, listening. "But I feel as if maybe... Maybe we can't avoid it. Maybe if that's what happens, it won't be because of anything we do."