Vigneshvijaykk

Rabbit walked beside Venera and Maho as they explored the small village with curiosity.

“So, this is the centre—the common hut. Maple Grove has four circles, and the common hut leads to all of them. Both the east gate and the south gate also lead directly here.

“The circle we’re entering now contains Ivy’s hut and the huts belonging to six of us—her favourite children. We still live close to the common hut.”

She paused, and her expression hardened.

“I mean, we did… until Hunter and Leo died.”

Maho gently placed an arm around Rabbit’s shoulders to comfort her. She held his hand warmly against her shoulder as they continued walking. She smiled at him and went on.

“Yeah, and our other ten siblings live in the other circles. This one is considered the important circle, I suppose. Mother is the chief, and Jasmine is her adviser. Both of them live here.”

She paused again to collect herself.

“Dear, you don’t have to continue if this is affecting you,” Maho said softly.

“No, Maho,” Venera said. “It is good for her to process her grief and learn to live with it. Let her speak.”

Rabbit nodded.

“Besides those two women, the ten elders also live here. They are usually consulted whenever the village has to make an important decision. They all live alone. They have lived full lives.”

They had just passed Ivy’s hut and were approaching Jasmine’s.

“This is where Jasmine lives. She has three children. A small family.”

They continued past the elders’ huts and reached several smaller homes.

“These are our huts. That one is mine—the pretty one with the little gate in front.”

Rabbit pointed it out with a smile.

“And now we’re entering the men’s circle. Grown men move out of their mothers’ homes and live here. Each man has his own hut.”

They walked through the circle, and the order of the village surprised Maho. The huts had been arranged in neat patterns, and everything seemed naturally organised.

Most villagers were either inside their homes or nowhere to be seen. Venera noticed the heat and understood why.

“And this is the women’s circle,” Rabbit continued. “Grown women live here with their children.”

Maho was surprised by how comfortable Rabbit seemed beneath his arm. She walked beside him as though she were Luna or Frangi.

The ease of it warmed him.

“Everything seems so structured here,” he remarked.

Venera walked quietly beside them.

“Yes. Ivy likes things to be orderly. Sometimes it’s annoying, but at other times it works well.”

At last, they entered the fourth circle and completed their route around the village.

“No one lives in this circle. The pond and gathering field occupy most of the space. We also built a library to protect the few books we have, and there is a training ground where people can learn different skills.”

Rabbit smiled and gently slipped away from Maho’s arm.

“That’s it. That’s Maple Grove.”

She bowed playfully before them, then straightened.

“So, lady and gentleman, how was the tour?”

“We had a lovely tour, dear,” Venera said. “It’s a shame we never knew we had such friendly neighbours.”

“True,” Rabbit said absently.

Her thoughts began to drift.

“If you want to hear stories about this place, there’s an old man named Thunder who has an excellent memory. He’s a little unwell now, but meeting new listeners would cheer him up immediately.”

She smiled.

“I can take you to him.”

“I would love that,” Venera replied.

“Then let me show you to his hut. This way.”

**

Rabbit gave them privacy after taking them to Thunder’s hut.

She needed space to breathe.

Her face crumpled as she sat beneath a nearby tree. She covered her face with her hands and broke down, crying as quietly as she could.

She wanted to compose herself before Venera and Maho came back out.

Memories crowded her mind.

Leo and Hunter smiling.

The time she and Lily had spent with the boys.

Orchid smirking whenever Lily and Leo kissed in front of the others simply to annoy them.

Rabbit knew she would never experience that particular joy again.

The certainty hurt somewhere deep inside her.

She allowed herself to cry for a while. Then she washed her face in the trough outside Thunder’s hut. After several splashes of water, she felt fresher.

She announced herself before entering.

“What lies are you telling our guests, old man?” she asked teasingly as she sat beside him.

“Nothing I didn’t tell you when you were a little girl,” Thunder replied with a weak chuckle.

Rabbit gently massaged his chest and gave him some water.

“He’s surviving on thin air now. Perhaps we should let him rest,” she said softly.

Thunder nodded.

They left the hut and returned to the common hut.

Rabbit then went to her own home to rest.

She was exhausted too.

**

Trekker watched his mother impatiently as she finished her stitching.

She was in no hurry.

He stretched lazily and lay on his back with his arms beneath his head.

Ivy finally noticed his impatience and stopped working.

“This looks like it may take some time,” she said, setting the fabric aside and moving closer.

Trekker did not sit up.

Ivy settled beside him and touched his face affectionately.

“I can’t believe I’ve lost two of my sons,” she said softly.

“And I have so many questions, Mother.”

“So do I.”

They remained quiet for a while.

Trekker stared at the ceiling, avoiding her eyes.

“I feel as though there is so much I don’t know, Mother. I always knew that to some extent, but I pushed the thought aside because I believed I understood what mattered to me.”

He swallowed.

“I’m not so sure anymore.”

“That’s why you should read a book or two sometimes,” Coconut said.

“Agreed,” Rabbit added.

Trekker turned his head as the two of them entered the hut.

He sat up and made room for them nearby.

“Where is Orange?” Rabbit asked.

“He’s with Luna’s family,” Ivy replied. “I didn’t want to include him in this grim conversation.”

“I didn’t realise that was an option,” Coconut said.

Nobody smiled.

“I’ll get to the unpleasant part, children. We may have to prevent Luna and her family from leaving until we understand what has happened.”

Ivy looked at Trekker.

“I know this will upset you, but I don’t see another way.”

“Why would I be upset?” he asked.

Ivy sighed.

“If you want to hear it from me, fine. I can see that you’re fond of this new girl. There’s no harm in that. She’s lovely. But everything that has happened since she arrived is suspicious. I refuse to ignore the connection.”

“She suggested herself that her family may have killed Hunter when we found his body,” Coconut added.

Ivy’s expression tightened at the mention of Hunter.

Rabbit understood immediately.

“I’m sorry, Mother. I should have told you, but I didn’t have the heart.”

Ivy nodded.

“But, Mother, I spent some time with Luna’s parents. They seem like very comforting people. I would be shocked if they had anything to do with these deaths.”

Ivy sighed again.

“Rabbit, people are complicated. Nobody is entirely evil. Sometimes we act from love and care and still end up hurting the people we love most.”

She looked at her daughter steadily.

“If that can happen to someone we love, what chance does a stranger have? Especially a stranger who may have appeared to threaten someone dear to us?”

“Do you think they may have seen Hunter and Leo as threats?”

“Possibly. I’m not drawing any conclusions, but I don’t feel comfortable allowing them to leave before we have some clarity.”

She paused.

“Besides, Luna is a sharp girl. She could be very useful to all of you.”

“Only if she wants to help,” Trekker said. “She can be as stubborn as a mule when she isn’t interested.”

“A mule?” Coconut smirked. “That’s quite a comparison.”

“I only meant to explain how stubborn she can be. I wasn’t calling her a mule.”

“Calm down, Trekker,” Ivy said impatiently, cutting off the derailing conversation. “She isn’t going to hear you and judge you.”

She looked at all three of them.

“I’ve made up my mind. As long as they don’t mention leaving, there will be no problem. But if they insist on departing, we will have to ask them to stay.”

Her tone hardened.

“If a request doesn’t work, a demand will follow.”

“We know nothing about Palm Grove or its people, Mother,” Trekker said. “Do you really want to make enemies of them?”

Coconut looked towards Ivy.

“Did you already know about Palm Grove?”

Ivy did not answer immediately.

“Rabbit, could you tell them the history of our village? A brief account might help.”

“Trekker doesn’t know much of it,” Rabbit said. “It would probably help.”

Then she began the story.