Palentil tapped the cage a little with his foot, then looked up at the elleth who was huddled against the tree, a shawl wrapped around her. Beside her, Cat, the black panther, sat with his tail wrapped around and across his front paws, still despite the rain that slid from his sleek coat.
“Well, now what do I do with it?”
Iolana looked down and tilted her head. “What were you planning to do with it once you caught it?”
Palentil gritted his teeth and tapped the cage again. “I... I don’t know.” He bent down to get a closer look in the darkness. “I didn’t think I was actually going to catch him. Or her. It. Poor thing. If I don’t feed it, do you think it’ll die?”
“Well. Yes.” Iolana glanced down at Cat, who yawned his boredom and bared his teeth. The rabbit in the trap shuddered and huddled closer to the side that Palentil was on, despite his being so close.
“Really?” Palentil’s voice was distraught as he looked up at his wife, rather sadly to think of the fate of the little creature he had caught.
“That usually is what happens,” confirmed Iolana.
Palentil reached his gloved hand into the cage and tried to touch the frightened rabbit. “I should feed it then. I wonder what it eats.”
Very slowly, and with painstaking calm, Iolana turned to look at the nearly destroyed vegetable garden, the very reason for the trap that was set, which lay in ruins near the base of their tree. “Oh, I could guess, but I may get it wrong,” she said, though only Cat and the pair who were watching this scene from their canopied balcony caught her sarcasm.
“What do you think it eats?” Palentil had given up trying to pet the rabbit and was now attempting to open the cage without scaring the creature more.
“Strange thought, but rabbits I seem to recall do enjoy carrots and lettuce.” Iolana turned her head, catching the light of a lantern not far off, and smirked in the shadows at Lady Galadriel and her son Orophin, who were grinning back.
“Do we have any we can give this poor little thing?” Palentil continued to fumble with the cage as Iolana and Cat squished through the wet grass to the garden. Although the lettuce had been nearly chewed to the roots, there were a few young carrots that Iolana pulled up from the soil. She returned to find Palentil holding the rabbit in his hands with an apologetic look, though, the apology was for the rabbit, and not his soaking wet wife. “I don’t want to hurt him. I know I said I would drown him, but I came out here and look at him, so helpless and cold and wet.” He held the rabbit out toward Iolana, back legs dangling and front paws steadied on Palentil’s hands. The rabbit blinked and gave his best little pout to Iolana.
Setting the carrots on the ground, Iolana said, “I think it best to leave him out here. Between the cats and the falcon, he’s safer outside.”
“But... do you think he will survive out here?” Palentil turned the rabbit around, looking at him from arm’s length. “With all the rain?”
“He will most likely hop right back to his burrow and be safe and warm and never come back here again.” Iolana paused and added, “If I were him, I know I wouldn’t come back.”
Palentil set the rabbit down and then stood back up, observing the creature’s next move. For a moment, the rabbit crouched down. Then, he sprang forth and leaped away, hopping across the grass, weaving between the trees.
“There. He will be-“ Iolana stopped and watched as the rabbit suddenly returned, springing back to where he had been put down. The rabbit began to nibble on the carrots she had left, paying no mind to the elves or the panther.
“He missed us,” Palentil said dotingly, until movement caught his eye in the garden. “Ai! There’s three more!” He ran to the edge of the rows of radishes. “Shoo! Shoo!”
Iolana shook her head and walked to her husband’s side as the rabbits boldly plundered the garden. “Come, my soft-hearted sweetheart. We need to dry off and warm ourselves before bed and I must awaken early.”
“Why early?” questioned Palentil, giving his garden one final look.
“Because I think I shall need to go to market to get fresh vegetables.”
- - -
On the balcony of the nearby tree, Orophin was stomping his foot and watching the scene below in delight, his mother having gone inside to avoid the night chill. “Whatever are you doing, brother?” asked the voice from the doorway.
“I’m watching Palentil fatten up the rabbits for hunting,” snickered Orophin as Haldir joined him at the railing.
Haldir frowned and looked down at the damp critters that hopped between the desecrated patches of greens. “You mean you’re watching him fatten them up for hibernation, so they do not get cold in the wintertime.”
Orophin sighed. “Really, Halli. You take all the fun out of it. You and Palentil both. Tis rabbit hunting season soon,” he said, leaning over the rail.
“Who wants rabbit, anyway? There’s hardly any meat on them, and they’re cute.” Haldir turned to Orophin and said, “You should hunt ducks instead. Ducks are ugly creatures, either dingy brown or all mismatched.”
“Rabbit season,” Orophin mumbled to himself.
Haldir narrowed his eyes. “Duck season.”
“Rabbit season,” Orophin argued back.
“Duck season.”
“Rabbit season.”
“Duck season.”
“Rabbit season.”
“Duck season.”
“Duck season.”
“Rabbit s-“ Haldir shut his mouth suddenly, with Orophin now snickering beside him. “Oh, be quiet.”
“Wabbit season!” called out Orophin as Haldir stuck his tongue out as he retreated back inside.
“Duck season!” shouted Haldir, and he shut the door before Orophin could get the last word in.
