The Feast of Frith (A WaterShip Down fanfic)

Chapter 9: Trapped

The wooden barn floor creaked under Walnut's heavy feet as the buck crawled into the peculiar place. His eyes and ears were on full alert, and he twitched his soft brown nose at the smell of lettuce and cabbage. Hay swished under his paws, and he stopped and sat up. There was a strange object from the back of the barn, it was like a peice of wood, but with legs; to Walnut, it seemed like a strange Man thing that would trick you into going under it, and then snatch you up. He avoided it, but he was intrigued by the things on top of it. There was some sort of metallic-smelling nest made of shiny tree roots, but there was a odd shape in it. The shape turned with a grunt "Walnut? Walnut, is that you?" It was the old voice of Ragweed. "Captain Ragweed!" shouted Walnut excitedly. "Oh Walnut, you have to help me, the Man put me in this! I must get back to the warren!" The captain squealed, kicking and shoving the cage he was in. "Who's that next to you?" Walnut asked, smelling a new rabbit. "This is Barley, and that is Tangleweed, he and Barnaby share a shiny-nest." explained Ragweed. Walnut stepped forward slightly "Where's Sedge?" he asked with an almost mean curiosity. Barley coughed a little, then announced "The poor fellow managed to escape, but the farmer caught him just before he could run out of the barn," Walnut pricked his ears for him to go on "I don't need to explain further."

Walnut chewed and tugged on the cage, trying to tear it open. "It's no use Ragweed! I just cannot open it!" he shouted angrily. Ragweed suddenly gave a flying kick, and the cage door came open. Ragweed didn't stay still, shocked as some of you might think, he just hopped out and got the others. "Grab all you can, and bolt! Don't stop for anything, and run until you get to the warren!"