Several months had passed
since her first meeting with Schatz, yet they remained closely linked as he was
deep within her heart. Their parting was one of sweet sorrow as she watched him
slowly disappear in the haze of a warm summer sunset. He hopped along slowly
and turned one last time to meet her gaze before he vanished into the thicket.
Although they were no longer side by side in body they would remain inner life companions. This bond was one that seemed to traverse distance and was felt
deep with Flitzen.
As time went on, Flitzen paired with another buck when the
colder month began to creep in. It had been a chance meeting, but Betrüger had
watched her from the distance for a few months. He had seen Flitzen play in the
fields nearby but stayed in the background until he found the perfect moment to
enter her world. Betrüger was a playful and passionate hare with a flair for
the dramatic. But, like a true Belgian Hare, he was highly excitable and had a
nervous energy that kept him in constant motion. Much like Schatz, Betrüger had
the ability to create a world in which Flitzen could lose herself. She and Betrüger
had played for months into the cold nights before the winter crept in. Although
Flitzen was initially hoodwinked by Betrüger’s spell, it would eventually dissolve,
and the bond they had would scatter like dandelion spores in the breeze. She was
weary after spending hours trying to pacify the unrest that had arisen from the
impromptu attack of another buck. Her unexpected freedom from Betrüger’s
ensnarement came sooner than Flitzen had anticipated and she had been initially
caught off guard. Flitzen’s ear was in
ribbons from the encounter with the other buck and as she sat licking her bloodied
wounds she felt the sudden intense sting of Betrüger’s teeth as they pierced through
her…
