Gnome Lovin'?

There are times in life where having a group of people to draw on works in your favour, and for this reason I am affiliated with a guild. One of my fellow members is a gnome warrior known as Phearless. He thinks of himself as something of a ladies gnome and has outdone himself and all of his aspiring competitors by extending an invitation to the women of the guild for some 'gnome loving'.

To my astonishment all have replied agreeing to attend!

I appreciate that I, myself, am a gnome, and as such I should find something to love about the opposite sex of my race. But...well...would you?

What's not to like? Well, here's a list!

1. They are short and dumpy
2. They almost all have beards
   
3. and what is with the hair!?
4. Their laugh is downright freaky
5. They dance like the nightclub letch

Their one redeeming quality is that they blow the best kisses. Seriously, they are cute enough to erase almost all of the above. Clearly that is the only reason my race has made it this far.

But when it comes down to it, male gnomes just don't do it for me.

So sorry Phearless, but I won't be attending your party tonight, I think I'm washing my hair!

Aggrion

I woke slowly, swimming my way to the surface of a very deep sleep. My limbs felt heavy and I was supremely relaxed. I let the feeling wash over me, luxuriating in it as my mind rediscovered the body in which it lived. I became aware that I was lying on something firm, and warm, not a pillow, it rose and fell everso slightly, everso slowly, my right arm flung over it. Then I noticed a weight, wrapped around my torso. I felt safe, drifting on the edge of sleep, the last thing I wanted to do was open my eyes, but the sensible part of me told me I should at least investigate. I sighed and allowed my eyes to float open, taking a minute to focus.

Skin. My head was resting on a bare chest, my arm draped lazily across it, just above another, bare arm, which I realised was the weight wrapped around me. The rising and falling was the slow, relaxed breathing of sleep and now that I understood, I could hear a regular heartbeat beneath my left ear. The rough blanket gave me no clue. Then I saw a sword propped against the end of the bed and couldn't help but laugh.

The arm around my waist shifted so fast I had no chance to move, and a hand clamped across my mouth.

"Ary, cute as your laugh is, I'm sleeping." came a deep voice from above my head, amused more than angry.
"Mmmmhmmmffff mhmmm mha!" I responded yanking at his hand which finally came free. "Aggrion let me go!"

I pushed his arm off me, he seemed in no great hurry to move, and sat up. In one swift motion I grabbed the blanket and, dancing away from the bed, flung it into a corner. Aggrion grunted and shifted the arm that had been around me to rest behind his head, his eyes remained closed, but the hint of a smile played on his lips. I took a moment to admire his well muscled torso as I straightened my robes and pulled on my boots. Shame those leather pants were practically glued on I thought, allowing myself a sly grin.

"Gah!" I exclaimed as the headache hit me. "What were we drinking last night?" I groaned, as much to myself as Aggrion.
"Too much." Was the reply. "You gonna give me the blanket back, little one, or do I have to get up?"
"You'll just have to get up." I replied, darting out of the room.

I needed something to wake me up, clear my head. I headed out the back door of the silent Inn, into a small square yard. The cold of Dun Morogh hit me instantly and I ran to the shower area, casting a firebolt at the water tank above as I moved. By the time I'd stripped off my robes and boots and was standing beneath the rush of water it was almost too hot. Steam rose around me and I closed my eyes, going over events of the previous day.

"It's been ages since we've kicked back and had some fun Aggrion!" I half reasoned, half pleaded.

"Hmmmf." Was the reply. Aggrion was hacking at a target dummy in the great caverns of Ironforge.

"I feel like I've been disenchanting for at least three lifetimes. I am so bored of casting the same enchant over and over, I don't see how it will teach me anything!" I complained. "And if I have to go on another stupid quest into another stupid citadel or tunnel with another bunch of rude strangers I will scream!"

Aggrion didn't even look up, just continued to jab, slice and thrust at the dummy in front of him.

"ARRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed.

"Ary." He looked at me with a weary expression, a slight depth of breath and colouration to his skin the only sign of his sword practice.

"It's Brewfest Aggrion! It's right outside the city gates. It's only on for two weeks a year and it's part of my culture!" I added this last bit in desperation. Of course it wasn't actually my culture, it was Dwarven and growing up around them had instilled a healthy distaste for most things Dwarf, but with so few records of Gnomish history theirs was the only culture I really had. Aggrion was well aware of this, but I also knew he believed in ceremony.

"Ok." He shrugged, sheathing his sword and rolling his shoulders. "Show me 'your' customs."

We arrived just in time for the morning "Tapping of the keg" ceremony which had all the pomp and dogma I'd grown up rebelling against. As soon as it was finished I dragged Aggrion off to try Ram Racing, not a sport for the faint hearted! I was winning right up until my ram stopped for a snack at a barrel of particularly juicy looking apples. Aggrion raced past me and across the finishing line laughing so deeply he all but fell off when his mount screeched to a halt by its own apple barrel. We staggered unsteadily around the festival stalls, sampling the many rarely seen brews and delicacies on display. Finally, pleasantly drunk and exhausted, we sat on an outcropping of snowy rock overlooking the collection of tents and stalls. As the sun began to dip behind the mountains, casting a brilliant orange-red glow over everything, the evening's Tapping of the Keg ceremony played out once again beneath us. After the days raucous behaviour it was nice to simply sit and contemplate the world. Silence was something I was used to with Aggrion so I just enjoyed the feeling of the alcohol in my veins and the beauty of the sun on the snow.

The moment was shattered by shouting from below. "Invasion! Gatecrashers! The Dark Iron dwarves are here! Get them! Grab a tankard!". Aggrion was on his feet in an instant, sword in hand. I rose a second later and forced his hand down with my two. "Look!" I said, pointing at the fight that was breaking out below. No weapons were drawn, the two sides were instead throwing empty tankards at one another. I began to laugh and to make my way down the slope. "Come on Aggrion! Lets join in! We must save Brewfest!" I chanted as I slipped and slided down. Aggrion chuckled, sheathed his sword and followed me into the fray.

And it was so much fun. Of course we had to drink whatever was in the tankards before throwing them at our targets, well before the fight ended I was unable to see clearly, let alone be sure my tankard was hitting my target. Maybe that's why I lost sight of Aggrion, maybe that's why I missed what happened until it was too late.

I heard a yell coming from behind one of the Dark Iron's Mole Machines, a horrible fear filled shout that was nothing like the good natured banter that had been taking place. Along with most of the other revellers I ran to see what was going on and was aghast to see Aggrion beating one of the Dark Iron dwarves with a bloodied tankard. Two Dark Iron dwarves and a few of the festival goers were trying to pull him back, but I could see the berserker rage had him and I knew they didn't stand a chance. I noticed the city guards making their way through the crowd and I called to him frantically but he was oblivious. The dwarf before him sagged as he turned on those at his back, the look on his face terrifying, and a desperate plan came to me. I summoned Jhorlia as quickly as I could.

"Yes Mistress?" she sneered.

"Jhorlia, Aggrion needs our help. Stop the guards now, don't hurt them, just stop them." I spoke fast and she took in the scene, a look of concern crossing her normally hard features. She nodded and made her way towards the guards.

"Well, hello boys!" I heard her say, cracking her whip.

I had to act fast, the strength coursing through Aggrion's body wouldn't last much longer and the crowd were beginning to organise themselves. I summoned my magic and pictured the most terrible evils and miseries that I had seen or imagined and sent them racing towards Aggrion.

"I'm so sorry!" I gasped as the spell left my lips.

The effect was instantaneous. Aggrion, went sheet white and ran. The crowd were dazed, I saw my opportunity and cast again. I let the images flood out from me touching all those around me and the fear and panic spread like wildfire. Complete chaos ensued. I called Jhorlia and we ran, following Aggrion's path out of the festival and into the snowy wastes of Dun Morogh.

The noise of the panic stricken festival faded until all we could hear was the crunch of snow beneath our feet and the faint crackle of iced trees. I knew my fear spell wouldn't have lasted long but I had no idea if it would break the berserker rage permanently. Aggrion could have doubled back to the festival or have found someone else to focus his rage on. Luckily the recent snowfall and the rarity of travellers in this area was in our favour and we could make out what we hoped to be his tracks. Even so it took us an hour to find him.

He was sitting at the base of a tree, sword in hand, head bowed. I don't know when Jhorlia left, I think once she saw he was safe. I walked over and knelt in front of him and touched his cold, cold hands.

"Aggrion?" I said quietly. "Aggrion it's Ary."
"Yes." came the reply, but he didn't look up.
"Aggrion, look at me." The concern clear in my voice.
"No Ary, I cannot."
"It's okay. I'm okay. I'm sorry."
"You're sorry!?" His head shot up, his eyes pierced me, reddened from the berserker rage, the fear, the flight, the cold, or tears, I didn't know which.

I flinched instinctively, pulling my hand from his, regretting the movement immediately as I saw the pain flash across is face.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I had to fear you, you were out of control, the guards were coming, the people were going to overwhelm you!" I pleaded.
"Ary. You did the right thing." he paused. "Did I kill him?"

I knew he meant the Dark Iron dwarf. What did it matter, we had killed many more in the past, but yes, somehow this was different.

"I don't know. I just followed you."

Aggrion sighed and lowered his head again.

"Will you tell me what happened?" I asked tentatively, finding it harder than ever to gauge his mood.

"Yes, I owe you that much at least." he replied in a flat, emotionless voice.

He leaned back against the tree, avoiding eye contact and stared, unseeingly, into the distance, his hands still gripping the hilt of his sword so tightly the blood was fading away from his knuckles. I wanted so much to comfort him, but I felt unsure, he gave the impression of a cornered animal, calm now, but something, anything, could tip him over the edge. So I settled on a nearby fallen branch and waited.

I thought he'd changed his mind, when suddenly he cleared his throat and began to speak in the same flat tones.

"Long, before we met I was working as a mercenary. I moved from job to job, doing what was needed, helping those I could and I ended up in Ironforge. This was not long after your ancestors had been driven from Gnomeregon and the Third War was still a recent memory.

I came across the Thorium Brotherhood and was amazed at their blacksmithing skills. I spent time working with them and had nothing but admiration for their work. They were, at the time, liaising with the Dwarves of Ironforge to protect the city and themselves from further attacks from the Dark Iron dwarves, their less amiable brothers. For the Brotherhood the Dark Irons were a constant menace and most definitely too close for comfort. For Ironforge they were an ever-present threat. So they enlisted people like me to make regular trips into the Blackrock Mountain and disrupt the Dark Irons in the hope of delaying, if not preventing, any attacks.

I was asked to join one such group. We knew it would be risky and all of us were prepared. Or so we thought."

Aggrion paused, his eyes flickering to me briefly, but away too quickly for me to give him any reassurance. I stayed where I was, afraid to break the spell, he had never talked about his past like this before, and I longed to hear more.

"There must have been an informer. Someone must have told them we were coming. We were deep in the tunnels beneath the mountain, it had been difficult, but we had got through with only minor injuries. Then suddenly we were overrun. Dark Iron dwarves came at us from all angles. They didn't just attack us, they weren't just defending themselves. They were rabid, insane....

....I, I, can't describe it. I'm not sure I can even think about it enough to do so." He looked at me, his eyes pleading.

"Ary, they ripped the group apart. I don't mean figuratively, I mean literally. Limb from limb....I fought as long as I could then myself and five others ran. We were cornered...." he trailed off into silence, shaking his head as though to dislodge the memories.

"I came to barely able to breath, suffocated by a pile of bloody bodies. I have no idea how long I was unconscious for, nor how long I lay there listening before I slowly dug my way out of the twisted corpses of my friends. I don't know how I made it out alive. Maybe their guard was down, maybe we had made it closer to the exit than we had realised, but eventually I stepped into the sunlight of Searing Gorge and made my way to the Thorium Brotherhood camp.

They took me in and cleaned me up. I think I was with them for months rather than weeks. But its a strange time for me...." he trailed off again.

"I can't begin to imagine Aggrion." I didn't have the words to express how I felt, to comfort him, to heal this pain. I was suddenly overwhelmed by how little I truly knew this Elf, by what horrors he'd experienced in his long long lifetime.

"We all have dark times and light times Ary, and we deal with them. I thought I had put this behind me. But something snapped today at the festival, I was surrounded by Iron Dwarves and the laughter suddenly sounded to me like screams for help. I was back there, under Blackrock Mountain, I was there with the people around me dying and I had to do something this time. I had to." His voice cracked and he bowed his head.

I couldn't stop myself, I ran to him and flung my arms around his broad shoulders, burying my face in his neck.

"It's okay Aggrion, I'm here, you're safe, it's okay." To my surprise he didn't shrug me off, he seemed to sink into my arms, to let me hold him, and that is how we stayed for a long while.

Eventually I managed to persuade him that we couldn't stay out all night and we walked to the nearest inn. We drank and ate and took a room as though it was a normal night. He barely spoke for the rest of the evening, not so unusual. We were drunk and tired and fell into bed gratefully.

"Ary? Ary are you awake?" Aggrion whispered.
"Nearly." I replied.
"Come here." And he gathered me close, and I fell asleep listening to the sound of his heart beating.

The cold water made me gasp and I stopped the flow, wrapping myself quickly in my cloak and dressing as fast as possible. The other inhabitants of the inn were stirring and when I stepped back inside Aggrion waved me over to to a table in the corner.

"I ordered breakfast." he said.
"Thanks" I sat down. Knowing that things would be exactly the same as always and yet never the same again.

Interesting Times

There is an ancient curse of lost origins, "May you live in interesting times". Sometimes I wonder that this was cast upon the concept of the game of chance known colloquially as 'PUGing'. Certain quests may require additional members in a party, so a 'Pick Up Group' of helpful strangers is sometimes the only option. There is rarely a shortage of people to choose from, but the resulting group can vary dramatically and the experience can be entertaining or downright miserable.

On this particular occasion we had decided to venture into the Violet Hold, in Dalaran. The Hold hosts a number of extremely dangerous prisoners. Recently, however, Malygos has sent supporters of the Blue Dragonflight to enter the Hold via magical portals with the hope of loosing the prisoners on the city. On our arrival it was clear that the Kirin Tor guards were close to being overwhelmed and they wasted no time in leaving us to it. We worked hard to keep on top of the constant flow of creatures through portal after portal. Aggrion did his best to hold the attention of our foe, but his health was wildly unstable and we feared for his, and subsequently our, life on more than one occaision. I was deeply concerned when I glanced at our priest to see him gazing vaguely into the distance. Finally a different beast appeared, immune to our attacks he ignored us and calmly released one of the prisoners. Without waiting to see the outcome he disappeared, leaving us to defend ourselves (and all of Dalaran). We just managed to best the creature, but Aggrion was looking significantly the worse for ware. During a brief pause he made his way to me.

"I'm not sure about this healer." he muttered.

"Are you having any problems?" I asked the priest.

He seemed to ignore me, staring at his feet.

"Hang in there, we'll make it through." I whispered to Aggrion without much confidence.

But we didn't. We fended off the next set of attackers but as another prisoner was loosed, our healer was simply unable to keep up with the beating Aggrion was taking and we were forced to retreat.

We regrouped outside of the Hold and re-entered and once again the guards left us to it and again we battled the creatures that exited the portals. Once again a prisoner was released and once again we bested him by the skin of our teeth.

"I don't think we can do this." Aggrion said under his breath.

He was bleeding and bruised. I did my best to help him bandage himself, I wished, not for the first time, that my first aid skills were better. I glanced over at the Holy Priest who was standing a little way from the group looking distracted, then continued my task murmering my agreement.

Suddenly the healer glanced around at the rest of the party.

"I have to go. Sorry!" he said and without waiting to hear our response he cast a spell and disappeared.

"Oh..." I gasped.

"I'm hearthstoning!" cried Aggrion, already casting.

"Ow!" I groaned as a portal guardian struck me hard. The last thing I saw was a slightly guilty expression on Aggrion's face as he teleported to safety.

He was the only one who made it out safely. The rest of us gathered ourselves and met with him at the doorway to the Hold. We still had a job to do, but we couldn't go on without a healer. So we began to ask around once again. To our muted delight and surprise we found someone who was willing to help within a few minutes.

As we entered the Violet Hold for a third time we were somewhat subdued. Not so our new Druid healer.

"Warlock." He addressed me by class, not name, a pet hate of mine.

"Great" I thought, "another unlucky roll!"

"Just go ahead and use Life Tap whenever you want, I'll have you covered at all times." He finished, flashing me a winning smile and winking.

I almost choked on my Firecracker Salmon. I'm sure I blushed an unflattering shade of red. I shot a glance at Aggrion who was clearly too busy scowling at the prisoners to have noticed my reaction.

"Um, er, thanks!" I managed to respond.

"Lets get going." Aggrion said gruffly and charged at the first guardian.

I had never expected a tree to be quite so energetic! Through the entire encounter the Druid bounced and danced his way around the prison, seeming unperturbed by his dismal surroundings or the very real danger we were in. He was like our own personal sunbeam as he waved his branches and rustled his leaves. Aggrion's wounds were disappearing almost faster than they could be inflicted, he later commented that he barely even felt the attacks so quickly were they healed!

As we laid the blue dragon, Cyanigosa to rest, we thanked him for his help. Clearly skilled at healing, it was astonishing the difference that one single individual can make to such an experience.

So, PUGing. A way to meet the best and worst people. Definitely an interesting experience, not always a pleasant one, but it is how I met almost all of my friends, so it's perhaps more of a blessing than a curse.

Endings and Beginnings

We made it! My warrior companion, Aggrion, and I hit level 80 within seconds of one another. This was by no means an easy feat and required significant amounts of co-ordination and planning. The final moment was timed and we counted down the seconds to talking to our quest giver, knowing that his reward would be the last we needed.

"One, two, three...." counted Aggrion.

(I know, I was surprised he could too!)

And then it all happened in a rush.

The wings of a great drake darkened the sky as another adventurer swooped down to converse with Thassarian.

"Wait!" I urged.
"Go!" Shouted Aggrion.

The familiar yellow glow surrounded my friend and I took just a split second to decide to go ahead and speak with Thassarian myself. I was instantly blinded by a bright light that filled me with an almost overwhelming sense of achievement. The weight of months of adventuring, working ever towards this moment lifted from my shoulders. I couldn't help but be deeply proud that we had made it so far, and done so together, a solid team.

But of course even the best laid plans of Warlocks and Warriors go awry. The interruption from our fellow adventurer, Xr had caused confusion and ruined a fantastic photo opportunity.


Even so, Aggrion appearing as a half-elf/half-gorilla beast does make for amusing if not epic imagery :)


So now we begin to explore the heroic instances of Northrend. This will be a true test of our skill and mettle and we will embark on this next phase of our careers with interest!

Gnome on a stick

The day began usually enough, inside a hot and itchy Scourge costume.

I was busy commanding Bloated Abominations to kill Drakkari Skullcrushers and their chieftans in the not-so-pleasant surroundings of the Frigid Breach. Things were going well and I had managed to take out my targets with only a few minor hiccups along the way. I had one Abomination left and he was ready to blow. No problem, I thought, I'll send him off into the....BOOOOM!

Exploded Abomination everywhere! I was bounced high in the air, which was no bad thing really as I missed all the blood and guts. Aggrion looked around wildly looking more than a little bemused and definitely not amused as he dripped with abomination entrails. I landed comfortably and called over to him to confirm that all was well. He looked around in confusion seemingly unable to place my voice. Then I glanced down and realised I was I was balanced incredibly precariously on the tip of a giant wooden stake with only my disguise between me and a great impression of Gnome kebab!

There is something deeply unsettling about a Warrior, dressed as a Scourge, covered in body parts, dripping in blood and goo, laughing uncontrollably....

Accessorising to your strengths

Not long ago I found myself storming the horde Undercity. Yes, it's a very long story that I won't go into here as I am but one of many involved and others have told the tale far better than I ever could. Suffice to say that things took a turn for the worse and I think it was only Aggrion's respect for the discipline of hierarchy that kept him, and thus me, there.

We were all given standards to carry as we charged into the city (extremely unwieldy. I would not recommend them for future attacks). Having noted a while ago that gnomes seem to be given larger mounts than other races I was quite nervous about being given a banner that would be too long to carry!

Imagine how pleased I was when it became clear that the organisers of this dash into horde territory had been thoughtful enough to stock a supply of smaller standards for the shorter recruits...

Heroic Flop

Whilst exploring the Grizzly Hills a few weeks ago we were passing an abandoned tower when Aggrion stopped, almost imperceptibly cocking his head to one side, listening. He reminded me momentarily of a hunting dog, all senses alert, poised and attentive, then the image was gone as he turned and stared at the tower (perhaps a side effect of our recent time as wolves?). I stopped watching him and heard a high-pitched voice, female, whispering urgently. Aggrion motioned for me to follow and we began to make our way towards the tower. At the base of the stairs that lead to the doorway I heard a giggle from inside. I glanced at Aggrion raising an eyebrow quizzically, he merely shrugged and unsheathed his sword, quietly climbing the steps.

The whispering grew louder and I clearly heard the words "Mr Floppy". I readied a shadowbolt as Aggrion forced open the door (heroes don't knock). A gasp came from the far corner as the door slammed into the wall and one of the largest rabbits I have ever seen hopped towards us.

"Oh! I'm so glad you're here Mr Warrior!" said a small girl as she scooped up the rabbit. "We went exploring but got lost and the wolves chased us in here and we're getting awfully hungry!"

Aggrion sheathed his sword and mumbled something, shuffling his feet slightly. The look he gave me was so full of desperation I couldn't help but giggle. Aggrion is not good with children. I stepped around him and smiled at the girl.

"Hi! I'm Ary, this," I tapped Aggrion on the knee. "Is Aggrion. Who are you?"
"My name is Emily, and this is Mr Floppy." She held the rabbit out its hind legs dangling mere millimetres from the floor. He glared at me. I glared back. I am not good with animals.

“Can you take us home?” asked Emily.

Turned out that home was the Westfall Brigade Encampment and of course, Aggrion, never one to leave a damsel in distress, nodded an agreement, took up his sword and lead the way from the tower.

We strolled through the pleasant woodland, the dappled sun warming my face, Mr Floppy pausing occasionally to nibble a blade of grass and Emily skipping at Aggrion's side chattering incessantly. The warrior's discomfort was palpable; I couldn't recall a situation that had made him so unsure and was considering rescuing him when a giant black wolf appeared as if from no-where, and launched itself at Mr Floppy.

"Eeeeek!" screamed Emily. "He's going for Mr Floppy!"

Aggrion spun and sliced at the wolf deftly. I muttered a few words under my breath and pointed at the wolf, a bolt of pure shadow energy left my fingers and smashed into its side. Seconds after the bolt hit Aggrion laid a mortal blow and the creature fell to the floor.

Emily hugged Mr Floppy who glared at me over her shoulder.

"We need to keep moving." Said Aggrion, his eyes sweeping the woods for signs of more wolves.

The pace was frustratingly slow, Emily still insisted on skipping and Mr Floppy hopped, too heavy for her to carry and unwilling to be carried by Aggrion. Finally we were within sight of the encampment when another, larger, wolf burst from the undergrowth going straight for the rabbit.

"There's a big meanie attacking Mr Floppy! Help!" Emily cried.

Aggrion was on the wolf again in seconds, but it already had the defenseless Mr Floppy in it's jaws.

"He's gonna eat Mr. Floppy! You gotta help Mr. Floppy! You just gotta!" Sobbed Emily.

I cast a curse of agony hoping the wolf would drop the rabbit in its pain, but it had locked its jaw and nothing short of the wolf's demise would release Mr Floppy. Aggrion growled in frustration, he had to take care not to hurt the rabbit as he sliced at the wolf.

I fired my full repertoire of curses at the creature, knowing they would only hit their intended target, but they are slow to take effect and the wolf shook Mr Floppy horribly. Then my curses took effect and the wolf yelped and fell to the ground twitching in agony. The rabbit dropped from his jaws and lay motionless to one side.

"Don't go toward the light, Mr. Floppy!" Emily wailed.

I watched sadly as Aggrion examined Mr Floppy (through the tangle of Emily’s arms) he looked at me and shook his head then hesitantly patted Emily's shoulder. She hugged her dead rabbit all the more tightly its weight shifting slightly in her arms and to my utter horror Emily took this as a sign of life.

"Mr. Floppy, you're ok!" She looked at Aggrion with wide innocent eyes. "Thank you so much for saving Mr. Floppy!"

Aggrion and I stared at one another in stunned silence.

"Emily..." I began. "I think Mr Floppy has gone to bunny heaven."
"No! He's fine, thank you!" She smiled at me.
Aggrion, kneeling at her side, took her chin gently in his rough hands and turned her face so she was looking at him. "No. Emily. Mr Floppy has gone." The words were firm, but said with a tenderness I'd never seen him exhibit.

"No! You're wrong!" cried Emily, placing Mr Floppy on the ground where he lay motionless. "He's just sleeping!"

We tried for an hour to convince her he was hopping in a meadow free of wolves and full of other rabbits with all the dandelion leaves he could eat. But she would not listen, neither would she accompany us to the Encampment, saying she had to wait for Mr Floppy to wake first. Eventually we had no choice but to leave her and inform her brother, Squire Walter of her situation.

Not our finest moment.

We did however make it up to her by finding her later, in the same tower of all places, and escorting her and Mr Floppy (the 2nd) safely home.