A montage type piece I did of Ragwort and Sowthistle and how they became friends within the pit in the time before Sowthistle was traded back to Buttercup Hill ;v;
Start in the Top Left then follow the arrows
1) Ragwort introduces himself to Sowthistle <A discussion between weeds> and she decides to take on him as a 'sort of de-facto apprentice'. She really hates feeling like she's not in control and having someone to train helps her pass the time and feel like she has a purpose again. She is, of course, careful not to teach him anything that he could use against Buttercup, just basic self defense moves and general knowledge of the world outside the pit.
2) Mentor or not, Ragwort has no plans of being overly respectful towards Sowthistle. As he's not a real prisoner, the guards won't stop him sitting on top of the pit some afternoons. He enjoys 'people watching' rabbit watching i guess.
3) Despite her age, Sowthistle is a formidable fighter and Ragwort soon realizes he can actually learn a lot from her. Maybe, just maybe, he can learn enough to be made a real apprentice. A dream he had given up on long ago.
4) Because of her arrogant air and easily provoked nature, Sowthistle is often tormented by the younger privates of Bogweed looking for a fight. This includes Ragwort's own brother, Wintergreen.
5) Ragwort notices Sowthistle always appears anxious when a certain private is on duty, a tall, silver doe called Hemlock. Sowthistle confesses to him that the doe is her estranged daughter, and she fears what Hemlock may do to her now she is in control of watching the prison. "I was... never kind to her, even as a kit. Perhaps she wants revenge for that."
6) Ragwort replies that his own family are not on good terms with him either. After finding out he would never recover, his siblings moved on to become privates, with very rare visits, even rarer were the ones that didn't involve pity or teasing. His parents has all but given up and abandoned him and it was hard not to feel a sense of betrayal at that.
7) Some time passes and a Sergeant Jekyll comes to take some of the prisoners away. Ragwort is woken from a deep sleep to Sowthistle shaking him, telling him she is to be taken away, for what is not known to start with and Ragwort fears the worst.
8-9) They share a rushed farewell, which starts as a formal nose-to-the-forehead, as is typical between mentor and apprentice. But as he comes to grips with the fact he is losing the only rabbit to see potential in him, Ragwort buries his head into Sowthistle's thick-furred shoulder and lets out an involuntary sob. She rests a paw over his bony frame and tells him, "I am... so deeply sorry Ragwort. Please believe me when I say, given the the choice I would take you with me. I was a terrible mother to Hemlock, but... you feel like a son to me, and I am so proud of how far you have come." And with that she is whisked away by the Sergeant, only having the chance to look back briefly and see Ragwort's crumpled form sobbing at the corner of the pit.
Nutmeg is returned minus a chunk of ear, but Sowthistle and another doe Ragwort doesn't care about are not seen again. Rumor has it they are safe, but Ragwort is still broken by the loss of yet another parent.