Chapter Ten of The Hare, The Bow and The Girl " - It's Over Too Soon

Ten – It’s Over Too Soon

 

I can tell you I was up pretty early the next day to meet Karn again, waking with the first light. The day was warm and clear.

There was a buzz around the fair. In two days was the archery competition and then the day after the wedding. I made my way down the field where Karn and I had gone the day before and waited.

She came down into the field soon enough, her long black hair flowing in the wind, a slight smile on her face. Her very presence lifted my spirits right into the clear blue sky. When she got to me she grabbed my hands and pulled me towards her, she gave me a quick peck on the cheek and whispered into my ear. “Ready to learn how to shot that bow properly?”

I pulled back and laughed. “I think you know I can shot just fine.”

“Yes, well, you get the job done, but without much grace” she answered through a smile. “Today we work on your form, try to give it some polish.”

“Only if we loosen up yours a bit!”

She laughed and pulled the quiver and box off her shoulder. With a quick and fluid motion she strung the bow, creating a taught curved form that hummed a low note when plucked. Satisfied it was strung correctly after a few plucks, she chose a light slender wooden arrow from her quiver.  She held it in her hand, balanced it deftly. She then loaded the end of the arrow where  a small notch had been made in the wood onto the pulled tight string. She then lifted the bow with her other arm, placing the rear of the arrow in front of her face until the back end, with the notch and a tuft of duck feathers was eye level. Carefully aiming for a red circle she and I had daubed onto a far tree the day before, she aimed and then pulled the bow slowly back until the tip of the arrow lay just beyond the curve of the wooden bow. Aiming one last time she let her fingers break away from the string, causing the string to push forward, driven by the tension of the bow, hurling the arrow forward so quickly that it seemed to simply vanish from the bow even as the string reappeared seemingly in an instant. Faster than the eye could follow the arrow flew through the air, the feathers helping to keep the flight true and straight, until, not even half a second later the tip of the arrow lodged itself in the tree, almost dead center of the red circle.

Karn looked up at me and smiled. “See, effortless.”

“I dunno, I saw a fair amount of effort. In a sticky situation, like a deer running across a field, you would have missed. Watch.”

I took a deep breath. In the same fluid motion that Karn had used, but fatter, less concerned with grace, I pulled my bow out and strung it, not bothering to test or pluck it, the pull and release would prove the test of correct stringing. I then picked the first arrow I felt, having made sure earlier that day that all my arrows were in as good a shape as they could be, and loaded the arrow. As I pulled the bow I brought it up and almost as fast I released the string just as the bow got to my eye level, only glimpsing the target on the tree for a fraction of a second. The arrow flew from the released string and hit the tree, right at the edge of the red circle.

I had done all of this in less time that Karn had taken to string her bow. I turned to her and bowed.

Karn looked at me with her head tilted. “But you lost?”

“But I got the deer.”

“There is no deer. Eric, we’re talking about a competition, not dinner. Accuracy counts.”

“Maybe at the tournament, but in real life. What if we hit the deer a few inches off, you can still hit its heart. Or if you are in battle, you can’t spend endless minutes fiddling…”

“True, but for now there is no battle. Unstring your bow and start over. I’ll show you. Stand next to me and I will help you.”

“If all you wanted to do was to get close to me-“ I said, laughing. She gave me a look and pushed me away, laughing herself.

The day spun into noon, when we took a break from her kind but demanding lessons on bowmanship. She produced a wonderful lunch of roasted chicken and hearty bread. It was good to eat some meat after so many days without. After resting in the midday heat under the shade of the trees for a while, we resumed practice for the rest of the afternoon. Well, we didn’t practice all that time, but that’s none of your business!

Finally, as the shadows got longer and the light began to change, Karn called an end to our fun.

“I have to get back.”

“Stay a little longer-“

“I’ll be missed.”

“Yes, by me!”

“Very funny Eric.”

“Listen Karn, stay with me. I- I want to take you someplace tonight. I have to ask Walter first…”

“Walter?”

“The big rabbit you met yesterday…”

“Oh yes, what of him?”

“Well, I probably shouldn’t tell you, but last night… last night he let me go to a burrow-“

“A burrow?!”

“Yes, it was a party, or a gathering more like it, of rabbits, mostly, but a few people too. It was fun, although a little much at first. I am fairly sure we’ll go back tonight… maybe I can ask if you can come.”

Karn’s expression was difficult to read. She seemed simultaneously excited and concerned. Finally she spoke, looking up at me.

“I guess I could go for a while, just to see. If it is ok with Walter, that is.”

“Yes, well, let’s go find him and ask then!”

 

So Karn and I went off, back to the outskirts of town where the fair was in full swing. It took a while, but I eventually found Walter in a small knot of rabbits, who were sitting behind a tree, fairly out of view of most of the fair. I told Karn to hang back for a moment. I should have been nervous, but I was too excited at the prospect of spending more time with Karn to worry about what Walter’s reaction might have been.

As I approached Walter saw me right away.

“Walter, can I have a moment with you?”

Walter hopped over, a worried look on his face. “You haven’t done anything stupid have you?”

“No, no, well, I don’t think so.” Walter rolled his eyes. “Walter, it’s Karn, the girl-“

“Yes, yes.”

“I was wondering, if… well, what is going on tonight?”

Walter’s eyes got wide and then narrowed as he smiled. “You want to bring her back to the burrow with you?”

“Yes, yes! Exactly. Would that be… possible?”

Walter laughed. “After what happened with you last night? You are braver than I thought! Well, I suppose if she sticks with you even after seeing you get sick, then she must be a keeper.”

“Walter! That’s not what- well, I mean-“

“Calm down lad, ok. I think she can come, why not? It’s the fair after all. Alright, sure.” Walter looked up at the sky and thumped his right foot loudly three times. “It’s getting time to go anyway, why not now.”

But I was already almost out of earshot. I ran back to Karn, breathless. “He.. said. Ok!”

Karn smiled. “Oh this is too exciting. I can’t stay now, but I will go then.”

Walter hopped up to us. “Oh thank you sir-“

“Walter”

“Walter, thank you. I’ve always wanted to go to a real burrow.”

“Funny, most people find them smelly, and stuffy, makes ‘em ill.” Walter said with a laugh looking directly at me. My eyes threw him daggers.

The walk to the burrow took no time at all. Karn and I hung back from the rest of the rabbits, but we talked the whole way about the rabbits. Karn confided that she had been fascinated with the Lepus her whole life, often to the ridicule of her friends. She said that people often saw them as pests, but she saw them a people. Walter, who was a few steps ahead, gave a low gruff sound when he heard this.

“We’re not people!’ he said, half joking, half offended. “Oh. No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just that you’re not creatures either, you’re… you’re”

“We’re Lepus, plain and simple!” Walter said gruffly, but then he softened as he continued, “It is good you don’t consider us beasts, but we’re not like people either. We don’t view people as being Lepus like.”

“But why not?” Asked Karn as they walked. “Isn’t it better that we think of you are people than beasts? If you are beasts we do not owe you the same protection or allegiance, but if you are people, then we should not do you harm-“

“As if people do not harm other people.” Walter  muttered. “I see your point, but if we are like people then there are expectations that we act like people. And we don’t act that way, so people then naturally mistrust us.

“I don’t see the problem, so you’re different” I said.

“They ascribe human behaviors to us, but when we do not act that way, we do so not because we are stupid or wrong, but because we are Lepus, not human. But humans think that if we are like people we should act that way. They attribute fundamental aspects to us and when we fail to act accordingly we are wrong, we are, maybe, evil even.”

“That’s silly.” Said Karn “People have to realize you are different.”

“Oh they do, but different is often bad, no?”

“Well, no. If a child does something bad you correct it-“

Walter stopped. “But we are not children, are we?”

“No, no – of course not” Karn’s face was flush, realizing her mistake.

“We do not need to correct our behavior, rather we need to act the way we need to act. It is ok, I am not angry, the problem is that both sides see actions on the other side not as normal or benign, but rather as aggressive or evil, and so act accordingly.”

“There should be a council.  A great council between Rabbits and people, maybe even a permanent one.” I suggested.

“Only the king could call that” Walter said, eying Karn, who said nothing.

“I am sorry about what I said. I never meant to think of you are children Walter.”

“I know Karn, you see, I get angry and mistrusting too, it is not just one sided. You are good to even think about such things and try to reason through them, I suspect most people do not do this.”

“You would be right.” Karn said matter-of-factly.

“Here we are!” Said Walter and we had arrived at the bush hiding the entrance to the burrow. Karn’s expression was one of rapt attention, as if she did not want to miss a single detail.

Moments later we were inside the main room of the burrow. It was warm and thick with smoke as the night before. If possible, even more rabbits were crowded into the space. As the fair reached its climax and the day of the wedding approached it seemed that more and more rabbits filtered into the town.

“Walter, uh, how many rabbits will this place hold?” I asked him raising my voice over the din. He shrugged. “They can’t all stay here, can they?” again he shrugged. “Can’t they get room in town?” Walter shot me a look and shook his head. Karn tugged at my sleeve.

“No innkeeper would entertain a rabbit Eric. Even if they wanted too, people would stop coming to the inn, afraid of fleas or such.”

“That’s crazy! I’ve been with these guys for a week now and not one flea.”

Karn nodded yes and then shrugged herself.

Walter found a small group of friends, including Path. Path bounded up to Eric and gave him a big hug and then turned, sniffing, to Karn. He held out a furry paw, which she gently, almost uncertainly, shook.

“Path, this is Karn, she’s a .. friend.”

“A pleasure Karn, I am Path, at your service. Any , uh friend of Eric’s is a friend of mine.” Path turned back to me and, in a fake whisper clearly loud enough or Karn to hear, said “She’s a real beauty Eric, hang on tight to her!” Karn laughed and I blushed.

Karn and I sat down next to Walter, who introduced us to the many rabbits. I then got use each a bowl of the vegetable soup, which tasted slightly different tonight, and some of the bread. Karn pronounced it the best she’d ever had, causing a round of cheers from the rabbits in the circle.

Half an hour later, our bellies full of cider and soup, the lavender smoke thick in the room, I was reclining with Karn resting her head on my chest. Most of the rabbits around us had finished eating. Several lit up more lavender pipes and the smoke began to affect my head. A rabbit next to Walter drew a deep draft and then turned to Walter.

“Tell us a story Walter.”

Walter laughed “What about Black Jacob?” I snorted slightly, Black Jacob was a pale tawny brown. Karn nudged me in the ribs and shushed me.

“I dunno Walter, something good, to pass the time…”

My eyelids were becoming heavy and the room was swimming, but I propped myself up, willing myself to hear whatever story Walter would tell.

Walter looked around, his gaze settling on Karn and he smiled. Then he looked back to black Jacob.

“Well…? No requests? I have one then…” Walter resettled himself on his haunches. “It’s the story of Emerald.”

“The queen of the rabbits?” Black Jacob offered, Walter nodded his head.

“The most famous queen of the rabbits that ever was” Walter continued. “Many years ago, before rabbits came over the mountain, she ruled over the land beyond the mountain pass where rabbits lived. Emerald was a young queen, she came to the throne after her poor father had died a horrible death, poisoned by his own chief counselor in a jealous rage. The counselor, whose name was Rook, wanted to build the biggest and most elaborate burrow in the kingdom. But in order to do so he needed more gold, more jewels, than he could afford. So he began to steal from the king’s treasury, but this was not enough. Soon he began to remove precious objects from the king’s burrow itself. Eventually the king noticed, but by then it was too late. Rook had already decided that the only way he could get enough treasure was to kill the king and take over  the kingdom itself. So he had the king poisoned.

Upon the kings’ death Rook installed himself as the new king, forgetting, or really, ignoring the king’s daughter, who was the rightful queen. The Queen, Emerald, came to her father’s burrow, where Rook had installed himself on the throne.

“Why are you sitting on my father’s throne!” Emerald asked when she entered the burrow. Rook, taken by surprise, for he did not think the young girl smart enough or brave enough to challenge him, stammered for a moment. Then, composing himself, drew himself up to his full and considerable, height.

“Young lady, the throne is no place for a young girl! This kingdom needs a strong and willful hand to steer it in the right direction.”

“My father was such a hand, you are nothing but a weak, conniving coward! I demand that you remove your filthy body from that throne immediately.”

Rook laughed and summoned two guards. Two very large and imposing rabbits came and stood on either side of the young Emerald.

“Take this little girl out to the killing field and be done with her!”

The two rabbits grabbed Emerald and drug her out of the burrow and across to a large field. In the field were the bodies of dozens of the king’s old friends and advisors that Rook had condemned to death.

The twisted bloody bodies of these rabbits lay strewn across the field. Already birds were picking at the corpses. Upon the sight of this Emerald began to cry. One of the guards touched her arm gently.

“Do not cry, do not be afraid…”

“I am not afraid, I am crying out of sorrow that these fine rabbits had to die.”

The two guards looked at each other. They knew that this young girl was the rightful queen, but they feared the wrath of Rook if they did not carry out his orders.

Suddenly one of the guards pulled back, in a violent manner, the paw he was using to hold Emerald. He gave a broad wink to the other guard who wore a confused look on his face.

“Ouch! The little peffa bit me!”

The other guard took only a beat to catch on and he too violently pulled away his paw.

“Ow! She bit me too!”

The young girl looked at both of them, utterly confused.

“Run!” the first guard said under his breath. And then, louder “Oh no! She is getting away!”

The young queen took off hopping as fast as she could across the open field to the woods that lay on the edge. Behind her she could hear the curiously slow and halfhearted hops of the guards.

Within a moment she was deep in the woods. The last that she saw of the guards they were standing at the edge of the woods, seemingly lost and blind to herself as she bounded away.

That night the queen, alone, afraid and very hungry, shivered under a large boulder. She felt utterly lost. If she went back to the burrows of her kingdom she would be killed, she knew. The kingdom of the rabbits was large and she had never been outside of it, or even known what lay outside of it. She could not think of a way to escape.

She hid in the woods for three days, only  drinking water out of the tiny stream.
By the evening of the fourth day her stomach was in knots, her head was light and she was dreaming of food.”

Here, to my wry amusement, several of the rabbits made murmuring sounds, registering they dismay at the young queen’s plight while they patted their stomachs full of soup and bread.

Walter went on, “As the sun began to settle down she resolved that she had to go find food somewhere, or else she feared she would die in the woods without Rook ever having found her. She careful made her way out of the woods and came across a small burrow with smoke gently wafting out of the chimney. She could smell the wonderful smell of bread baking and stew stewing. She carefully made her way to as close to the burrow as she could hope.

Unbeknownst to Emerald, her ordeal in the woods had left her looking scruffy and bedraggled. When a small white rabbit came hopping out of the burrow Emerald attempted to hide, but the white rabbit saw her and cried out.

“Do not go! Are you hungry? You seem lost.”

Emerald nodded her head.

“Stay here my love.” And the white Rabbit hopped into the burrow. A moment later she came out with a small loaf of bread. She handed it to Emerald, who grabbed it and inhaled it with almost one bite.

“Are you lost?” The white rabbit asked. Emerald nodded again.

“Will you come in then and stay awhile? My husband should be back soon and we can eat a proper meal.”

Emerald nodded tentatively and followed the woman inside.

No sooner had Emerald taken in the small but neat burrow when she heard a booming voice call out. She must have jumped a mile because the white rabbit smiled and patted her paw. “That’s just my Carl, back from forging. It’s ok.”

Soon enough a large gray and black rabbit wriggled into the burrow with a large sack on his back. He put the sack down and kissed the white rabbit.

“Carl dear, we have a guest…”

“Martha! How many times… hello, how do you do. My Martha has a soft spot, but truth be told so do I. You are welcome to stay with us as long as you like. Are you lost or runaway?”

Emerald shook her head.

“She’s is not much of a talker” Martha told Carl. Who nodded sagely.

“Wise one then.” He said with a smile.

After a bowl of soup, which Emerald inhaled much like the bread, Carl pushed away his bowl and lit a pipe.

“There is a bowl of water in the spare room. You are welcome to clean yourself up if you want.

Emerald nodded and found her way to a small room with a bowl of water, a pile of fluffy towels and a small mirror on the wall. Emerald looked in the mirror and gasped. Her hair was matted, covered in mud and leaves. She looked more like a monster than a rabbit. Using her paws and the water she carefully groomed herself until checking in the mirror, she felt as if she was presentable again.

When she came back into the main room Carl, who had been dragging on his pipe, let out a great coughing fit.

“Well, my stars… if I did n’t know any better I would say you are the spitting image of the young Queen!”

Emerald tensed and looked for the door out. Carl laughed and she looked at him questioningly.

“Not, mind you, that I am saying you are the queen! But, “He grew suddenly serious, “if you were, I would tell you that there are many of us, maybe most of us, in this kingdom, who support you and hate that scoundrel sitting on the throne now.”

Emerald looked at the large rabbit with both fear and wonder. For the first time she spoke.

“If I were the queen where would you tell her to look for such people?”

“I would tell her that they are all around. All she need do is to stand up tall and renounce the wicked villain who sits in your father’s throne… sorry, her fathers.”

Emerald smiled, but her smile faded. “If I.. if the queen were to go out into the kingdom surely she would be captured by the villain’s men and killed?”

Carl sat there for a moment and pondered Emerald’s statement.

“Good point. Martha dear, set the kettle on, we’re going to have some company.

And so Carl set out to talk to rabbits he knew shared his hatred of the false king. Within a few days they had assembled enough rabbits to protect the young queen. When Queen Emerald  saw all of the assembled rabbits and their willingness to fight, she marched on her father’s old burrow.

The fight was horrible but swift, and when the false King’s defenders saw the mass of rabbits that had assembled for the queen, they threw their arms down and surrendered to the Queen.  By the end of the day the Queen herself had slain the hated Rook and took her rightful place on her father’s throne”

“Is there a moral then Walter?” asked Black Jacob.

“There are morals to every story! A good and rightful ruler can always rely on the people for support. A hated and unrigthful ruler never can.”

“I think there is a different moral” Karn said, sleepily, “One must always be on guard against those who seek to commit crimes against you. The old King should have seen his minister getting greedy.”

“Perhaps, perhaps” Said Walter “But often treachery comes from those closest to ourselves, and often we see it too late.”

The rabbits all began to talk at once, arguing the point of the story. Karn looked up at me and smiled.

“Thank you” she said simply.

“For what” I said, my head swimming.

“This is the best night I have ever had…”

I looked down at her face. Her brown eyes shining in the light of the fire.

“Me too Karn, me too.”

Suddenly she bolted upright.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as she stood up.

“I, it’s, I have to go back, now. It’s late Eric. I will be missed.” Genuine panic was in her face.

“Ok, ok.” I said, my head still swimming. Walter, nearby, looked over, concerned.

“I’ll be right back Walter, I have to take Karn home.”

“Just to the gate of town Eric, please.” She said in a voice that did not welcome challenge. I nodded.

The walk back to town was mostly silent, and fast. Karn all but ran. My attempts to offer help, to offer to speak to her parents, were met with hushes and worried, angry looks.

When we finally arrived at the gate it was late, night had fallen perhaps an hour ago. The stars were out. Two guards stood at the gate, neither one bothered to even glance our way, but Karn pulled up her hood from her outer coat. I tried to kiss her but she pushed me away.

“Not now.”

“But no one is even looking…”

“People always are looking Eric. Don’t worry” she said seeing my crestfallen expression. “I will see you tomorrow in the field, We only have one day to fix you” she said with a smile.

I watched her walk under the stone wall into the town and disappear into the dark streets.

 

 

I went back to the burrow, but did not feel like being inside anymore. I grabbed a blanket, and, like the night before, lay down under the brilliant starry sky. I sighed as I thought about Karn, then chuckled. I guess the course of true love is never easy. I went to sleep, thinking of Karn, a smile on my lips as the stars shone down on me.

 

The next day I was awake with the dawn, up before most anyone else in the burrow. I snuck in a grabbed some stale bread and then cheerfully made my way back to the field where Karn and I practiced. The day started out with more endless blue sky. I marveled at the weather, the crisp cool morning that bled into warm languid afternoons. No storms bothered me here.

It was mid-morning before she came. I smiled at her as she strode through the tall grass, but her face was creased with worry.

I started to say something and she put her hand up.

“Eric, listen: I can’t explain, but we can’t meet anymore,” she said breathlessly. I began to protest, but she again put up her hand. “Look, it’s nothing about you. I mean, it is about you but nothing you can help.”

“Karn, what on earth is this about? Is this about last night? Why can’t we meet? I mean, why not?”

“It’s complicated. My father got wind of us when I got in so late and put his foot down. Why are you smiling?”

“I just had no idea there even was an us.”

“Eric, I’m serious. Look, there isn’t an ‘us, anyway. I mean, not…look…I don’t know.”

“Karn, look at me,” I took her hand, she looked up. “You’re right, there isn’t an us. I’ve only known you for a few days. But I think there is something here. Maybe not an us yet, but maybe two people who like each other enough to spend time together. I’ve never met anyone, any girl, like you back where I’m from.”

Karn smiled, her eyes wet. “Me neither, Eric. There has never been anyone like you. But this is serious stuff. I can’t do this anymore.” She let go of my hand and backed up a few steps.

“Karn, let me come talk to your father. I can explain.”

“No! Please listen to me, Eric. My father is important. I mean, he would not understand. He means well but he has a lot on his plate. Listen Eric, please, listen to me now. Just don’t. If you even come into the town…I’m afraid he might…I’m afraid something bad might happen.”

Karn was holding back tears, but fighting them well. I stood there, rooted to the spot. I tried to think of what to say, but her expression and the sound of her voice made me stop short. I suddenly became aware of the day: the infinite blue of the sky, the lustrous gold of the tall grass. The air was warm but not humid, the sun shone brightly, a gentle breeze moved the grass, colors were brilliant.

But most of all I was aware of Karn: her dark hair being blown by the same small breeze as the grass, her brilliant green eyes, her red lips. It dawned on me that I was in love with her. I mean really in love, like nothing I had ever felt before or have ever felt since. It was a painful pit in my stomach, a yearning so deep that I could not forget it. I was afraid I could not fight it either.

Finally words came to me. “Will you be at the tournament then?”

“No. Maybe, I guess. But I won’t be able to see you. Eric, I would very much like to kiss you again.”

And so we did, right there in the field of tall grass, under the endlessly clear sky, in a country I had never heard of, in a life I wasn’t even sure was real. I felt like I was kissing for the first time.

After a moment she pulled away. “Good luck be with you, Eric. After tomorrow promise me you’ll go back home and forget about me.”

“I can’t, Karn”

I stood there, trying hard to take in every detail of her face, her full lips, and her deep brown eyes.

“I can’t promise either one,” I smiled at her, but she did not smile back.

“Goodbye, Eric.”

She turned and walked back across the field. I think I stood there for about an hour, trying very hard to remember that moment. I guess I did pretty much.

I decided that the only thing to do was to go to the tourney the next day. And if I was to do that, I should practice, so I was at my best. I think I had a wild idea in my head that if I won I could convince Karn’s father that I was worthy, or something.

So there I was, later towards evening, still shooting arrows when Jet and Walter came up behind me. Walter cleared his throat. I put down the bow and put the arrow I was about to let fly back in the quiver.

“Surprised to find you here, Eric. Thought you’d be making time down by the river with Karn,” Jet said, sitting down cross legged in the grass.

“No,” was all I said. I didn’t want to talk about anything yet, but Jet had other ideas.

She sprang up, “Shoot. Sorry, Eric, What happened?”

“Nothing.”

Walter put a paw on Jet’s shoulder, but she brushed it off.

“Eric, what’s going on? Did you have a fight with her or something?”

“No! Look, I don’t know what’s going on. She was late and then when she did appear it was to tell me it was off.”

“I had no idea it was on,” Walter offered from behind Jet. She turned and glared at him.

“Well, you might have picked up a clue from last night, Walter,” I answered, trying to sound flippant, but my voice gave my feelings away. “Look, her dad is upset with her seeing me. Evidently he’s a big wig and told her he’d kill me if I got near her again. It’s not worth it. You guys were right; it was puppy love.”

“I hear what you’re saying, Eric,” Jet said, “but your face says something very different.”

“True love Eric, worth fighting for.” Walter said, his voice soft.

“I don’t know Walter. I don’t know… I don’t even know where I am! This is crazy. I was just fooling myself.”

“Eric, you’re not a fool, I saw Karn last night, the way she looked at you…”Walter said, putting  a heavy paw on my shoulder.

“Then why?...” I  said.

“Who knows, things are not the same here and back where you came from, even I know that Eric.”

“Whatever.” I was tired of talking about it and tired of trying to make sense of what was unfolding.

  “Let’s just go get as much beer as we can—but not too much. I need to be ready to go tomorrow. I’m going to win this thing like no one ever has.”

Jet looked at Walter, who just shrugged his wide shoulders