The collection of four rabbits, destined for a Gartuan cooking pot, were cowering on the side of the woven basket furthest away. As Olrinkya approached more closely, this only served to deepen their terror and they buried into each other, closing their eyes in blind fear, to avoid being seen by the strange form examining them. Relieved her search was over, Olrinkya clapped her hands at the rabbits, she looked up to the sky and then down to the Earth where she crumpled in her weakened state. As her body hit the ground, the Earth trembled, as her mighty magic was absorbed into the soil. Striking white channels of energy formed from her place of rest and found their way across the ground to the basket containing the rabbits.
The basket jolted under the force and the wicker morphed. The rabbits were then boosted skyward by a couple of meters, although still within their cage, the basket began to move, step by step. Olrinkya’s magic had cast a spell on the basket which had sprung to life and grown huge, long legs. The basket set off in the opposite direction to the Gartua camp. The rabbits, in a state of confusion were at least curious enough to now open their eyes. At first, they were fearful that they would fall from a great height, rabbits are fond of the ground after all, but, what caught their attention was the smoking land basin they used to call home, soon realizing that Olrinkya must have been a refugee like themselves.
After a very bumpy mile or two, without any warning, the basket dropped in height and the door suddenly flung open. Each rabbit, although still very wary, seized the opportunity for freedom and launched through the open door onto the ground below. Upon landing, each rabbit changed colour, first blue, red, green and then yellow. Amazed by their change in appearance, the rabbits stared at each other, aghast. The monstrous basket then stood up again and continued to stomp onwards on its journey to wherever a walking basket must go.
The rabbits, looked worryingly at each other, were left to fend for themselves. The green rabbit, named Miva, spoke up, “What are we to do now? Maarn, our home, is gone”. The blue rabbit, named Podall, responded “the creature that approached us at the Gartua camp, was no enemy, I now realise she must have been a forest spirit who bestowed her magical powers on all of us. Our fate is now decided by the greater forest magic.”
Miva raised his concern “We cannot stay here, it’s not safe for rabbits, we need to find food and shelter quickly”. The yellow rabbit, called Rava, spoke “Perhaps if we look around us, we may see a sign that will help ”. As the rabbits scanned the landscape of surrounding turf, a pathway of white flowers began to emerge in front of their very eyes. “There it is” cried Rava. Indeed, the forest spirit was watching over the rabbits and had set them on their path for the start of their journey to save Maarn.