Heat Rating: Fire

Content Warnings: GLBT-homoerotica

Can Myrran redeem his people and bring an end to a year-long winter?

Something burst through the bushes, branches snapping and snow crunching beneath rushing feet. Myrran opened his eyes, expecting to see his mother running toward him, but was instead shocked to see the rabbit return, clutching a small basket of woven rushes and grass in its front paws as it ran through the snow on its hind legs. The rabbit reached the side of the stone table, standing nearly as tall as a man, and leaned over him, nose twitching.

It jerked back, its lip curling to reveal wide, flat front teeth.

"What are you doing here, human?" it asked in a deep, distinctively male voice. "You have no place in this forest."

"F-forg-give me," Myrran said, his teeth chattering. "My people left me as an offering to appease the spirits and bring an end to this winter."

"Is that so?" the rabbit asked, his eyes narrowing. "Well, your death shall be in vain for the spirits cannot be appeased until the humans die and the fair folk return." He turned to leave.

"What fair folk?" Myrran asked, suddenly terrified to be alone, even if his only company was a giant talking rabbit. "This valley was empty when we arrived."

"Wrong!" the rabbit shouted, his voice echoing off the tall stones. He leaned over Myrran again. "Who do you think raised these sacred stones? Who laid flowers and fruit upon this altar, who sang and danced and worshipped the seasons beneath these trees? Certainly not you humans. You humans invaded my valley, drove away my people, ignored me, and now you think this is how to appease me? You are as stupid as you are selfish."

"Please," Myrran begged, cold tears slipping down his face and freezing on his skin. "I didn't know...I'm sorry...please don't let me die." The rabbit stood a minute, dark eyes fixed on Myrran, and then flicked the gathering flakes off his ears.

"Fine," he said, setting his basket in the snow. He stepped around to the head of the table and grabbed Myrran's bound wrists in his strong paws. "I didn't want your frozen corpse on my altar anyway." Hot breath ghosted over Myrran's fingers as the rabbit leaned down and snipped through the tough cord with his chisel-like front teeth. As he walked around to the foot of the altar, Myrran pushed himself into a sitting position, sweeping the snow off of himself and onto the ground.

"Thank you," Myrran said, wrapping his arms around himself. He was so cold his skin hurt; his arms and legs felt full of stones. The rabbit just grunted, twin plumes of white breath billowing from his nostrils, and leaned down to bite through the cords around Myrran's ankles. "Are- are you really the spirit of this valley?" Myrran asked, earning himself a dirty look. "Then please, please tell me what we must do to appease you."

"Leave," the rabbit said, and he bit through the last strand of sinew. He spat upon the snow and picked up his grass basket.

"We can't," Myrran said, his voice quiet. "We don't have anywhere to go. We came here after we were driven from our lands--"

"I don't care," the rabbit interrupted. "Just because you were forced from your home doesn't give you the right to do the same to my people."

"We didn't know!" Myrran cried. He scrambled off the altar, falling into the snow at the rabbit's feet and pressing his forehead to one huge, furry foot. "Please, have mercy. If you don't let the spring come we will all die."

The rabbit was silent for a long moment.

"Your empty words mean nothing to me," he said at last. "Prove your repentance and bring an offering worthy of me. Get up and take these." Myrran raised his head and sat back on his heels, not sure if his numb, leaden legs would hold him. The rabbit shoved the grass basket into his hands. Myrran looked down into the nest of dried flowers and leaves, where three white eggs lay. "Return to your village and boil these eggs in their shells. You may share them with whomever you like. However, should any of the eggs turn red, do not eat them, but bring them back here and leave them upon my altar as an offering. Do this, and I will consider forgiving the humans for their callous ignorance."

"Thank you," Myrran said, clutching the basket to his chest as the rabbit turned and headed for the woods. "Thank you, Spirit; thank you...Do you have a name?"

"Ilevet," the rabbit said, neither stopping nor looking back. In a moment, he had disappeared into the dark forest. A thick, heavy silence settled around Myrran, broken only by the muted whisper of the falling snow. Slowly, Myrran gathered his legs beneath him and gripping the edge of the stone altar, he pulled himself to his feet. Tucking the small basket and its precious contents inside his elkskin robes, Myrran began the long walk back to his village.