Chapter Four
The Hunt
One evening, while he and his mother were indoors, Öster watched as a group of hunters descended on the forest. With them, they brought dogs- Laralet's own kind- with them, and travelled their ways growling and snarling. Laralet cowered in fear, bidding the young rabbit silence himself lest they be discovered. The hunters passed, and all the while Öster felt fearful and cold, and prayed with all his heart that there be no repetition of these events.
Over the course of his life, Öster grew into a sturdy young rabbit. He could carry a fight on his own, and come out alive, and wrestle even the most powerful bucks into a standstill. His voice carried within it a nasal air, that could, in the eyes of even the most pleasant nymph, be considered slightly irritating. The hedgehogs respected him, as did other rabbits. The leader of the rabbits, Andrei Halb, although a brutal despot, was more than open to him to join his warren. Öster refused this, for he said "I revere neither you nor any oppressive son-of-peat alive. If you had but wanted me to join your warren, then you should have considered it ere Laralet daughter of Tcharlie took me in. Moreover, should you affront me any further, I shall slay you myself." Such was his barbaric, warlike nature, that he possessed according to the wont of the rabbits. The other rabbits would cheer him whenever he expressed laconic statements such as these in public, but on a growl from Halb, they would fall silent and not have one word to say. At one time, Halb sent some rabbits to try and claim Öster through the threat of force, but the young rabbit was skilled in the ways of combat and so attacked them in divers ways that made them all retreat back to the warren
One day, more herds of dogs descended upon the forest, barking voraciously. The humans accompanying them were dressed in the manner of the Teutonic tribes that dwelt within the region in those days- rugged, dark clothes made of putrid wool or suchlike. With gallant valour, stalwart Öster fought them and overpowered the leader, pinning him to the ground with his paws and biting into his neck while the pack leader thrust his paws in the air, whimpering and pleading that he may spare his life. The humans he then proceeded to bite the heads off, and one disappeared, praying not to the Great Lioness who rules over all the worlds, but to his pagan gods. The life-blood of some deer lay sprinkled all over the defiled dell, as well as a wren that had recklessly entered into the path of one of the hunters. The forest lay silent under the spell of the aftermath of the hunt, for all the animals in the wood had fled. Not even the cock robin dared utter one cry, for the wanton destruction caused in the forest had spread exceedingly.
Laralet emerged from the woods, shaking and whimpering. Öster scratched his ear, his tail upright and his ears perched backwards. "Human dastards!" he exclaimed. "Have they not any respect for nature?" Laralet shivered and rubbed her head against his head, which is the dog mother's counterpart of a warm embrace. "Understand, my son, that I know humanity much better than all others in this forest, and they do not care. They merely consider us the background for all their cares or worries, and they do not consider that we have cares and worries, and even priorities, in addition to them. They have fulfilled the Curse of Mankind, my son. They have lost all kinds of touch with the animals, who came before them, and labour to seek but the wealth that they prize most highly."
Öster's nose twitched as he smelt the air for any olfactory traces of human presence. Andrei Halb, he discovered, lay dead on the turf, and the rabbits were gathering around him in mourning. The unfortunate rabbit was later buried, and sacrifices were made to the gods. Most were rejoicing, but in a mournful kind of way, for of course the despot had been cruel to all of them in ways you couldn't even imagine, but there were some who bewailed his passing. The funeral was marked by them digging a hole in the earth with their feet, one rabbit releasing the grip of the tyrant's corpse from within his large teeth, and letting it fall within the grave. One rabbit kicked the earth back into place with his back feet, and the local woodpecker priest gave a long prayer service to the gods, following which everyone dipped their snouts into an ice-cold lake for a few minutes and sneezed simultaneously. This was followed by a recitation of a long poem around a campfire, about some rabbit called Fredwin, as well as feasting and dancing. Laralet daughter of Tcharlie was present, and delivered a long speech about her not being a relative, and not even knowing the deceased, but that she was here because of Öster. When she finished speaking, she turned to Öster and ordered him to have a word with her in private. The rabbit went behind an oak tree with her and, on his hind legs, asked her what this was about.
"Öster," she said, "heed what I say and heed well. What I say here I wanted to say in private lest it should discomfort the rabbits overmuch, even though they celebrate the downfall of the deceased. Listen to me well: legend tells that our world and all others are nestled within a gigantic tree, which contains every world ever known to have existed. None know what lies at the bottom of the tree, but at the top is heaven. No mortal can visit it, for there is a flaming ring around it that prevents mortals from entering; it is not withstandable. I can see that you ask what the purpose is of this conversation. Whenever you feel the pain of a departure, or whenever you feel depressed, just remember that there is a heaven at the top of the great tree, and, even though Halb may or may not have passed there, if I die, then I shall be there."
Öster promised that he would not divulge the secret, and when he returned to the forest, where the rabbits were celebrating Halb's death, he kept this promise as best he could. When Halb's immediate family stepped forward, he wished them all a long life and secretly hoped that in heaven Halb would be treated well, despite his tyranny. But then he did not think that it would be for heaven that Halb was destined, for the celebrating rabbits, which made up most of the mourners, did not mourn at all. Some were breathing huge sighs of relief. Indeed, Öster did not believe that there was such a thing as a world tree; it was an idea that was simply impossible, for a tree that large could never exist. He assumed that the world tree was a story told to children to imbue upon them a sense of wonder.
***
One time, Öster was darting through the forest, when he slipped and fell down a dell, injuring himself in seconds. When he awoke, he found himself feeling a sharp pain all over his back. The pain increased further when he felt someone prick him. Öster was moreover surprised by this, for he did not know what was happening nor indeed why he was enduring what he was enduring. Curiosity kills the cat, yet Öster was immune to such lethal effects. There was some scurrying all over his back, and a high-pitched voice said behind him, "You ought not to move too much. It could make you further catatonic. Acupuncture is a delicate process-and I should know, for I took these secrets myself from far-off Cathay."
Öster did not know where Cathay was, nor the name for his mysterious physician. He inquired the identity. "Pascal Murrayne," replied his murine saviour. "I studied in far-off Jerusalem, under which, it is said, hell itself lies, and, having learned the medical trade, I decided to study abroad. My master, Master Medician Porfield, was somewhat sceptical of my aspirations, but eventually he conceded and gave me leave to go. Departing from the Sheep Gate, I travelled the world. I put that great city, the City of old David behind me and never looked back.
"Further travelling down the coast into Africa, I discovered that some animals had shortened life expectancy due to diseases such as tic fever, which is in itself popular among leonines. I was so horrified by what I saw and so full of remorse upon their account that I briefly assumed the tenure of local physick warden- after all, it is considered beneficial to aid one's fellows every once in a while. But I grew tired, and the climate made it under all my fur, and I always kept hearing sounds which damaged my hearing.
"So I travelled east, passing through the desert lands, and swam across the great sea with my paws, wherein I swam for four or five days, and I dare say assisted merfolk in my errings, although my belief that they can cause misfortune is somewhat persistent, and I have never really considered myself capable of assistance other than business"- to this, Öster reached with mild offence. "Travelling further," continued the mouse doctor, "I ventured across through cold, blinding wind and scorching desert, travelling for many days and nights, risking life and limb, surviving repeated attacks by cats, and other kinds of animal, until I reached a strange and unusual country. The buildings here had roofs with curly points, and the people were all dressed in long robes, and some even had beards, though I go no further, lest he who reads this should take offence.
"Learning from a mouse that I was in Cathay, I wandered the land, inquiring after certain ways to improve my routine, until I discovered, while looking into the window of a Chinese doctor, I saw a wonderful sight. The doctor was standing, poking all manner of queer needles into the man's back. I did not know what it was, but it seemed quite effective medically, as far as moving the vertebrae is concerned. So I requisitioned the art for my own, teaching myself the art frequently by visiting the same house and watching the doctor acupuncture his patients, and smuggled some needles out of the area in crates. I myself smuggled myself in one, and nibbled some holes into it. Evidently, there are some who do not approve of my craft." Öster winced. "I do," he said. "Continue with it; you may be a credit to the medical department."
This was but a mere ruse in order to conceal the disdain he felt, on account of all the pain that he had received. Indeed, he did not think that acupuncture would become fashionable anywhere outside of Cathay, and would be no more than an absolute fad. The rabbit turned and hopped his way home. Still, it was somewhat fascinating. Cathay, it seemed, was a land of wonders beyond his imaginings. Perhaps he could venture there, if indeed it was accessible at all. No one had been there in those days, so one could not be sure whether it even existed or what it looked like, but perhaps if Öster could perhaps gain passage to that mystical land, then perhaps he might visit it.
***
As he travelled, Öster heard the rustling of the wind in the trees. A feeling entered his heart that it was autumn, and that perhaps it would be better to ran back to the den before anything happened. Boreas continued blowing in the rabbit's direction, and when the rabbit pleaded for him that he should cease, the wind had only this song in reply:
Such cannot be stopped
Events must be let unfold
The wind blows unending
What gets old gets old.
Öster cursed the wind, tapping his foot on the ground in frustration. He continued his way up and down the dell, and at one point stopped and looked at the distant mountains. Snow capped their tops, and the sun was setting. The sooner he reached home, the better. Öster hopped down the valley, and prayed lest his mother should be extremely irritated, because there was, to a certain extent, a broad twelve-minute distance between his home and here. Perhaps she would not mind- after all, Laralet was an incredibly skilled tracker, and she had a good scent, so technically she could be able to find him.
A dog came out of the wood. It didn't look like her, but it definitely looked male by the look of it, with grey fur, foaming mouth and wild eyes. Öster tried to avoid the dog- after all, it was a mere hunting dog sent to track his kind down. This did not work, and the dog sprang on him, pinning him down with his paws, and letting dribble fall onto him. Öster sprang forward and, although he had thin teeth, bit the leg of the dog and they grappled together in the growing darkness, growling and snapping at each other. Öster found the dog a hard opponent, and desperately searched for a way to defeat him. He noticed that the dog's leg was thin enough for him to bite, and so he did so. The dog whimpered in pain, and the rabbit leapt forward and bit him in the belly. The dog groaned, "Now it's getting dark, so let me go."
Öster felt sympathy for the dog. If the dog's master discovered him with the innumerable wounds bestowed upon him by Öster, then that meant that his doom was somewhat near. The master would drive a stake through him for this grievance. Yet important matters remained, and it behoved him to address them. "I cannot let you go until you present me a solid promise. Tell your hunter in any way you can to leave this forest and never return. If you do not do so, I will find your human's house and I'll burn it to the ground, you understand. And also, I wish that you should bless me."
The dog whined, grunted, "I shall do as you command", and, upon Öster's releasing him, he darted away like a thunderbolt. Öster sighed with relief, but it also enabled him to wonder whether there HAD been any humans out at the moment, especially on a hunt. If there had been, then he desperately hoped that there should not be any massacres in all directions. The rabbit continued his descent around the dell and came across an owl sitting on a branch, an incense wand under his left foot, from which a long stream of incense poured. Incense did not suit Öster; he did not even like it. The mere smell of incense was enough to have a bad effect on him, though not for reasons of religious indifference.
The owl's eyes snapped open at that instant, and Öster started. The owl spread his wings like an eagle and, its wings outstretched in the most powerful position possible, began to speak in a terrible voice, hideous and distorted. "It is coming... the Great War cometh... between the sillipowers... rabbits will be offered up for the cause..." Öster stared up into the owl's eyes. They seemed white, as if he were blind. The rabbit was afeared, and stepped back lest he should prove himself afflicted. The next time he looked, he could see normal eyes, as if they had never been white in the first place. The owl looked at him with a perplexed look. "Who are you?"
Öster lowered his ears out of nervousness. "I am Öster son of Laralet."
The owl hooted. "Why so you are. I have not yet introduced myself. I am Kalkaas, the forest's official seer. I prophesy about future events- not that any of the other animals heed my words, of course. They scorn and disapprove. They say that prophecy is not real, and that linearity is the norm, yet here we are."
Öster began to immediately grow uncomfortable. Not that this is unusual, for those who have not been seers nor displayed any extra sensory abilities can, indeed, grow somewhat uncomfortable when meeting seers or hearing them prophesy about the future. Öster hoped lest there should be something foretold about him, and intended, should there be one, to immediately forget what it said. Within his heart of hearts, Öster felt that prophecies were no more than bunk, and that destiny was for people who were too laid-back to take responsibility for their fates.
Kalkaas hooted. "You know, I remember you when you were so very young. Your mother said that you displayed some unusual behaviours, such as early flirting and pointing out your interests in such a way that amused your elders. I made a prophecy that you would contribute to the betterment of humanity, although I do not know the exact method; the details are vague, but all that I can tell is that it will be mild, and therefore no one will dare to kill you on account of my words."
Öster could no longer bear to listen to the prophecy so he darted away into the distance, making his way towards the den. He barged into the den hurriedly, which distressed Laralet, who urged him to slow down, and then asked what ailed him. Öster told her about the prophecy, which made Laralet sigh with a sort of fondness when she remembered the strange behaviours Öster had exhibited. At length, she said, "Kalkaas is but a false seer, my son. I do not know why he made the prophecy, but it is not up to the Lioness herself to reveal what happens to us, nor unto her ministers. I myself do not believe in it, for it is naught but moonshine. Yea, you are not a hero but you have a choice in what you are to be. It will be but happy chance."
They went to sleep that evening, but Öster lay on his belly, his head on his paws, desperately repeating the words of the prophecy again and again in his mind. It aggrieved him, and he did not want to remember it, but the instinct to do what is forbidden possessed him, and left him with the prophecy repeating his head like a record.
