Sonomre Linera

## Childhood

The day was August the fourth. The sun was beating down on a forest in Crescentia making the ground go dry and the animals stay near the water. A small winding path of stone pebbles went through the forest to a secluded cozy cottage. It had a small garden that contained crops such as tomatoes, rice, and cabbage. A well nearby made of cobblestone with a small wooden roof above held a bucket and a rope attached to it. The cottage itself had some separate rooms but it was mainly a big open space where there was a couch, shelving, a dining table with chairs, and a kitchen. A furfolk bunny named Falina Linera was in the kitchen chopping up tomatoes and cooking rice in a makeshift stone pot. She was very much pregnant with a baby and was expecting any day. She finished up with the tomatoes and rested on the couch for a little while with her husband, Thalium Linera. They cuddled up on the couch when out of the blue she suddenly started feeling pain and she squeezed Thaliums hand hard and quickly he realized what was happening. He got their comfiest cloths for her and prepared a small bath as she started going into labor. They had a beautiful baby that they chose to name Sonomre.

Sonomre was raised under their kindness and was taught how to help them with a few basic chores such as helping their father with getting ripe crops from the garden and cleaning inside the cottage. Around the age of seven, the family was doing chores inside when suddenly they heard the stomps approaching of a group of humans. Thalium told Falina to hide Sonomre as "They aren't here out of kindness nor happiness." Falina put Sonomre under a blanket in the bedroom and said "My precious darling please no matter what you may hear do not make a noise or move until you are sure nobody is here." Sonomre nodded their head and Falina started tearing up and kissed their childs head for what was the last time and pulled the blanket over them, going to their husbands side. Glass shattered and fell to the ground, the wooden door busted down and muffled screams mixed with the stomps and yelling. The screams just as soon as they came just as soon disappeared. Things were crashing to the ground and being tossed around as anything valuable was taken. Eventually, the footsteps started to fade away and seemingly were gone. Sonomre came out of the blanket and went to the living room cautiously and saw their parents lying there, Thalium embracing Falina and their eyes closed. Sonomre froze in fear and started sobbing, so caught up in the emotions they started to choke up and have trouble controlling their breathing. Suddenly footsteps approached and Sonomre saw a tall human standing in front of them. The human looked to be sympathetic and offered a hand to the child. Sonomre was cautious until they realized they had nothing left here with their parents gone. They went and grabbed the blanket they had hidden under and the human put it over their ears and tail. The two then cautiously left the cottage and went to where the humans existed.

## The Human

"I miss mommy and daddy a lot. I want to go back home and help daddy with the garden or help mommy prepare dinner. She always let me measure the rice cause she didn't want to see me get cut accidentally by the sharp knives. Sometimes they even let me fetch the water from the well even though it weighed half of me! I miss the bedtime stories mommy would read to me and daddy after a long day. I miss their hugs and kisses. Mommy kissed me for the last time on that bad day when she covered me with blankie... Why did you have to go, mommy and daddy? Why can't I have been with you? I want my mommy and daddy back. The human is sometimes kind but maybe they pity me more than anything. They don't embrace me as mommy did. They don't give me compliments after picking weeds as daddy did. The sun is even warmer here without the shade of trees it hurts when we go out on the farm for long hours. Sometimes the human takes me with a cloak on to talk to other humans about buying things with these shiny things. I don't really understand it. " -December fifteenth, one and a half years after the incident.

"The human tossed my blanket... they thought it to be some used up rag after all I had slept it with every day since the incident. I feel a hole in my heart without it here. I know that I keep you both in my heart but it was the last thing I had from the cottage. The cottage is probably gone or fully raided or maybe overgrown by now. I feel lost so much without you two by my side and I know you guys wanted me to be able to grow up but I don't feel happy right now. I would rather be with you in your warm embrace." -

"The human, Mateo, has brought me along with more merchant deals, forcing me to cover my "atrocious" ears and tail though. Once I have learned all that I could I am leaving them. They do not bring me fulfillment and I rather have a change of scenery. I am trying my best for you mom and dad, you are watching, right? I won't give up, I will push through and continue to live the best love I can for the both of you."

"I had a fight with Mateo during the anniversary of your deaths and they called me an emotional beast that needs to learn its place and respect them for all they've done for me as they never had to give me a chance at life. They threatened me with a dagger they had on their side. I have decided to leave this dreaded place. I will only take some clothes, seeds, and a few rations of food. I will buy a map along the way and go to where the paths take me. Anywhere is better than with such a selfish being that thinks only of themselves and believes I have no right to feel due to my "deformities." I will do this for you, mom and dad. I won't let your sacrifices go to waste."

## Arriving and Settling

"Over my travels, I have ended up in a place called Tarn. So far I have only met good people although I will continue to keep my guard up so as to not let anyone fool me. I no longer hide my ears as I have met other furfolk along my way. I am learning to be prouder of my ears and tail. They don't make me unsightly nor beastly. There is quite a few people who have even called them cute which I might add is a bit odd... I met a few people along the paths and forests along the way and we have decided, with the permission of the ruler, to build up a farm with our own hands and sell crops. We will even be providing crops to the taverns as they need quite a bit to make their alcoholic drinks. I foresee this being not only profitable but also quite fun. Till next time mom and dad."