Arrival 4

Fuzzy stood in front of the burrow doorway holding his breath. Sunflower had eventually come here after work and a few side trips. According to the tracker she'd stayed here all night as well. He was pretty sure it was her burrow. It didn't look fancy enough to belong to the kind of buck she'd be interested in. Those burrows didn't start until another four cross tunnels eastward. He waited for her to leave in the morning and now sat in front of the door hoping it was the right one. After all, the earbows trick was his last option and the batteries wouldn't last long enough to get another fix. He rang the buzzer. After a while a large brown doe opened the door. Large but with that angular sleekness he found so attractive. If only she were a little older. Her voice startled him out of his reverie.

"Hello. How can I help you little bun?"
"I have package ... for Woodsorrel."

She blinked her large brown eyes and he tried not to be obvious about staring.

"For me?"
"If you Woodsorrel."
"Er... I'm Woodsorrel, yes."

Fuzzy slipped out of his beat up knapsack and dug around in its depths until he pulled out a square styrofoam box.

"You not expect package?"
"I'm expecting ... oh!"

Fuzzy turned his head to one side and perked his good ear.

"What's your name?"
"I Mudpaw."
"I've been expecting you. Please, come in."

He passed the foam box over to her and slipped past dragging his pack into the burrow.

"Hope they not spoil. Took long time, find you."

Woodsorrel touched the smooth cool surface of the box. She opened it, looked inside and quickly shut it again. She quickly scanned the tunnel for passersby and then shut the door.

"Don' touch steamy stuff. Ver' cold."
"Toes! Real toes! How?"

She noticed him watching her with clear sharp eyes.

"I shouldn't ask, should I?"
"Mister Fuzzy send them. He gave more but had to use some."
"You did? For what?"

Woodsorrel opened the box again and watched the dry ice deliquesce, trickling tendrils over the side of the box and onto the burrow floor. Her nose wrinkled at the irresistable scent.

"Presents for policebuns. You not get toes much here?"
"There's an agreement with the Hunters about harvesting. I could get in so much trouble over these."

Her mouth watered and her eyes remained fixed on the open box.

"So eat. No trouble if in belly."
"You must have one too."
"OK, but your gift. I take smallest."

Fuzzy speared one of the toes on a foreclaw and lifted it up in front of his muzzle.

"You first though. Rude if I first."

Woodsorrel smiled and took the largest toe out of the box, leaving one behind snuggling in a nest of fog. She bit into it, face suffusing with the pleasure and chewed dreamily.

"Oh. s'delshus."

She finished the toe swallowing, face beatific.

"You still want leave warren?"

She noddled

"We go tonight then, hope no guards."
"Why would there be guards? Don't worry, I know lots of ways out of here."
"You know where Buffpaws lived?"

Woodsorrel shook her head.

"No, but I'm sure Sunflower would."

Fuzzy looked at her, bad ear twitching slightly.

"Oh. I see, that's how we give directions here. <fluffgiggle> They probably told you to turn by where the Buffpaws used to live."
"Yep, never find. Never find Buffpaw either. After while stop looking Sunflower, just look for Buffpaws."
"I don't think I've ever met a Buffpaw. I wonder what happened to them?"
"Not stay around long enough to find out."
"No, I suppose not. We leave tonight?"
"Yep. You know how submentat look?"
"I think so. I've seen Mentat Monkshood."
"Like that, but not crazy."

Woodsorrel perked up.

"I saw Mentat Gloria too. I'll be like her then. She was very grand."

Fuzzy nodded and got his pawtop out of the pack. Woodsorrel's mouth frowned a little, worry lines around the eyes.

"Well, maybe not so grand as her."
"You plenty grand. Where printer?"
"Sunflower has one over there."
"Good. Make papers. Lotsa warrens not let you in without right papers."

Woodsorrel thought about this as Fuzzy held up the pawtop so that the camera eye faced her.

"Look like Mentat."

She adopted an imperious and stern face, sitting up straight head slightly back. The flash popped and she relaxed. Fuzzy lowered the pawtop and started entering from the keypad.

"Rhode Island must be very behind the times I think, Mudpaw."
"Is Rhode Island, not DenverWarren."

He giggled and turned the screen to show her.

"Hee. You Submentat Buffpaw now. SavannahWarren."
"Should I speak with a southern accent?"
"No, unless real good and do all time. don't."
"You certainly are good with making papers."
"Is software mostly. Even regbun can do."
"Did Fuzzy teach you?"
"Yep. He boss. I do what he say."

Fuzzy plugged the pawtop into the printer input and waited. Shortly the printer spat out some brightly colored pages. Fuzzy took them out, razored a few pieces out with his claws, laminated them with a little kit from the pack and bound the rest into a little booklet. During this, Woodsorrel wandered off into the kitchen for some snapple. She hopped back in just as he finished and licked a few stray droplets off her whiskers.

"Split the last toe with me?"

He blushed to his eartips and looked downward.

"You don't know?"

Woodsorrel took the toe, bit into it and held out the remaining half while she chewed.

"What? Did I say something wrong?"
"Where I from, sharing toe is mating thing."

She stopped chewing and her own eartips reddened.

"Oh. Um. Well, not where I'm from."
"And you do buck part."

Woodsorrel smiled.

"But as long as you don't think ..."
"No, I regbun. Be silly think you my mate."
"Well, you'll make a fine mate for a regbun doe someday."
"Had one. She die."
"I'm sorry Mudpaw."
"S'OK. You not do. You finish toe though."

He scratched his good ear with a hind paw.

"I too old for you anyway."
"Well, I'm too young for most buns. I just turned one a few months ago."

Fuzzy's ear twitched slightly at this.

"You make young buck happy though. Real happy."

She giggled prettily.

"I'm not so sure Mudpaw."
"I turn ..."

Fuzzy paused, lips moving slightly.

"lots."

Woodsorrel finished the toe and cleaned her paws.

"When get to KingdomWarren. You fight them off. with stick <noddle>"

She smiled and preened her fur.

"You think so."
"<flopnoddle> We go first though. Sunflower not back before 6?"
"No. Not usually."
"You go pack what you want take. I call for ride."

He dug around in his pack and recovered the card Bubba had given him. It seemed like he'd had the card for months. He plugged the headset into the pawtop and dialed the number.

"Bubba, this Mudpaw. Need ride to airport. No, gotta escort 'nother bunny. You be here 5:30. Rose Garden? Good."