Strawberry, Nildro-hain, and heading to the hills

[StoryMing]

When Hazel and company leave Cowslip's warren, Strawberry comes running after them and begs to go with them.

Okay. I want to know; am I the only reader who took YEARS, and multiple re-reads of the book, to *finally* catch on to what happened??

It was clear enough that there was *another rabbit* who met the same fate Bigwig was narrowly saved from-- I just never made the connection *WHO* that rabbit was.

 I always did wonder why, if Strawberry was "touchingly devoted" to his doe Nildro-hain, how he could have been so ready to leave without her. But I figured that he was just suddenly desperate _to get away from_ "the wires"; and that his distress was in the thought of being left behind to his fate. It never occured to me that there was another meaning entirely to his mentioning them...!

[Chipster-roo]

I didn't understand this at first either.  I did find it rather weird that Strawberry left without Nildro-hain but I didn't realize that she was dead until several chapters later when someone (I forgot who?) said that Nildro-hain stopped running.  Then I was like "huh?  When did that happen?" so I went back a few chapters, and even then I couldn't understand.  It took me several re-readings before I figured it out.

[StoryMing]

Yes, me too: Hazel- pondering the fact that they have no does- asks if they remember Nildro-hain, and someone (I think Bigwig?) replies “She stopped running. Poor Strawberry!” - I never understood how they knew that!

—I’m glad I’m not the only one...!

[florapaw]

Wow! Was I the only one to immediately pick up on the fact Nildro-hain died in the wires? I'm sure that the rabbits make some snide remark to Strawberry, telling him to go back to Nildro-hain when he gets emotional and just says "the wires."

Unless you two didn't read that line like I did. Maybe it's another false memory.

Stop making me question my memories on this book!

[StoryMing]

No, you’re remembering exactly right. You picked up on something that the author managed so subtly done that some of us slowpokes missed it!

Like I said- I had always thought that Strawberry’s emotion was due to seeing his one chance of *escape* slipping away. Rescue was in sight, and he was being left behind, left to his fate. Go back? But— the wires...!

You got it; you caught on— I misunderstood completely!

[StoryMing]

I wrote a fanfic poem about this, once I finally realized what had happened. I posted it in the creative section of the burrow here, if you’re interested.