Chapter Forty- Seven

A Slight Complication

Campion didn’t really sleep. His eyes would drift close then snap open alertly as soon as he heard so much as a pebble shift out in the run. Finally, he heard something coming in their direction. Quickly, he put his nose to the air and sat up excitedly.

Blackberry entered the burrow with a small sniff and her eyes down. Though from where Campion was sitting he could still see the stain the small river of tears had made in her silver grey fur.

“Campion!” she said joyfully and a light came to her dismal eyes. She hopped up onto the nest and went to nuzzle him affectingly. Before he knew what he was really doing he inclined his head back and avoided her advance. He was shocked at himself but the same words keep flashing through his head, don’t touch me!.... You’re not the same rabbit anymore… He tried to tell himself it had been a dream and the real Blackberry was still with him but he couldn’t distinguish a difference.

Blackberry didn’t force the affection and backed quietly away. Her eyes held no real shock, instead they held despair and guilt. Campion felt terrible because he had mistaken the look on her face as hurt. “How are you feeling?” he asked shakily, trying to get past the moment.

“I’m….” She felt like saying, I’m not fine at all. I miss everyone, you, the kittens and home. I’m confused about the coming kittens and feel alone on what to do. I have been forced to invade your mind and cause you terrible hurt and pain that I’m afraid you will never forget and now you don’t know how to act around me, through no fault of your own. Instead she sighed and whispered, “I’m fine, just…. tired.”

“Blackberry, come.” Robin indicated towards the nest then turned to the large pile of leaves and herbs foraged from the woods. Campion hastily rose and sat down beside Moss, though keeping a sharp eye on Robin.

He turned around with two strange herbs in his paws. “I can tell you know now whether it’s a buck or doe or both,” he suggested.

Blackberry looked anxiously at Campion who returned her gaze, determined not to divert his eyes in case it caused her hurt again. She took this as an indication he knew so she asked him, “What do you think?”

He nodded and said, “Sure.” Robin left one herb down and gently placed another under Blackberry’s nose for her to sniff. Tensely, she obliged and sniffed. Her face scrunched up a little and she turned her head away, muttering, “Disgusting.”

Robin gave a small smile and inclination of his head as he confirmed something to himself. “You are either going to have a single kit or a same gender litter,” he said to them both. “Now try this.”

He held out yet another herb Blackberry didn’t know the name of. “Just to be doubly confirmed,” he stated. Blackberry was instantly attracted by the scent and lifted it off the healer’s paw, starting to chew slowly. 

Campion leaned forward with a slight gleam of apprehension and excitement in his eyes. Robin sat back on his haunches. “Well?” Campion asked.

Robin frowned slightly at him and said to Blackberry, “You have a daughter.”

Blackberry managed a smile and looked up at Campion to see his reaction. He had no qualms about bending down to nuzzle her this time, it was as if the spell had been broken by the excitement and innocence of a kitten.  Blackberry was so happy when he nuzzled her, it meant so much. His hurt hadn’t been permanent, and he was glad about the kitten. She hadn’t realised how much she had been worrying about that. She seemed to have developed so many fears since entering this warren.

“May I?” Robin asked, with his paw inches away from her stomach.

“Of course,” she said and tried to lie still as he poked and prodded a little.

“Unusual….” he muttered.

“Something wrong?” Campion asked quickly, trying to catch his eye.

Robin ignored him yet again and told Blackberry, “You have a single kit. It is unusual, but I suppose it was stress that prevented more.”

“She is strong enough, isn’t she?” Blackberry asked, twisting her head around.

“With no siblings to kick it and use up all the room, she should be very strong.”

“How long?” Campion asked, though not expecting an answer. “Robin?” he insisted.

He answered without moving his eyes. “Three quarters of a moon. Plenty of time yet.”

Campion nodded, maybe they would be out by then. He sighed as he saw the hopeless situation and like Blackberry, imagined Hemlock’s anger.

“Robin, a moment?” Campion asked patiently.

“I’d rather not leave the patient…” Robin mumbled.

Campion gave a hinting glance to Moss and smiled gratefully when he discreetly stepped out of the burrow. “What’s wrong Robin. Have I offended you?” he started.

“I’m sorry,” Robin cut in. “I just thought patient confidentiality was important, is all.”

“I’m in this situation just as much as Blackberry,” Campion replied, with his brow furrowed in confusion at what the other rabbit was implying.

“Are you? You are the father?” Robin asked quickly.

“Of course I am!” Campion exclaimed, with eyebrows raised. “Blackberry?”

“Robin, you have to trust me and stop asking,” Blackberry sighed in annoyance. “Am I done here?”

“Yes, take this nettle.” He dropped a small bundle at the entrance to the burrow.

She got up and picked up the bundle in her mouth. Then she left and Campion made to follow her but Moss quickly stopped him.

“You’d better not pal.”

“Moss, would you take me back to my burrow please?” Campion sighed. This excursion had just made him more depressed.

…….

The down was silent in the early morning light. Even the bird song was absent. The long grass just off the wood on the down rustled and shivered. It was difficult to tell if the wind was moving it or if something there was hiding.

Suddenly, a flash of brown interrupted the unpleasant grey of the sky as it soared high and caused a satisfying grunt from its target.

Mallow didn’t move from where he had been tackled onto his back and gazed wryly up at Swift. The attacker smiled coyly and slowly removed himself. Just then Keharr swopped down low, his feet skimming the grass, and toppled Snowdrop and Gillia over, behind Mallow.

The three lay in shock in a small bundle and watched five angry, blood thirsty looking young rabbits approach them from all round.

“Surrender! We surrender!” Gillia panted, still sprawled out on his pelt.

Swift looked satisfied and raised his paw into the air with authority. “Team Watership! Retreat and form up!”

The other four kittens sat in a perfect line and Keharr landed awkwardly from the sky. The rain had made it hard for him to fly. The brown youngster shook his coat in a vain attempt to dry out, then straightened up in respect for Hazel who came over to give his advice.

“Nicely done, Swift, Ash, Rosa, Spring and Iris,” Hazel praised heartily.

“Father!” Mallow moaned. “We are tired of acting out the enemy team.”

“Yes,” Snowdrop cut in, “let us be team Watership. Give us Keharr and Hannah.”

“You should be able to handle the kittens,” Fiver laughed.

“You are just about adults now,” Hazel reminded. “Though maybe Mallow could pass as a kitten.”

Mallow huffed and crossed his arms. He did not like to be made fun of because of his height.

“We’re not kittens, Uncle Fiver!” Iris exclaimed. “We are more… young adults.”

“Right, we’ll see about that.” Hazel smiled at the silver doe. “Fiver? Keharr and Hannah? A word please.”

The kittens went off for endurance training around the down, leaving the two rabbits and the aerial scouts to talk.

“What is it Hazel? Has something else happened?” Hannah asked from Keharr’s back.

“No.” Hazel assured the drenched field mouse. “It’s a lot to ask I know, but could you and Keharr go and have a look at the enemy warren?”

“Hazel, I’m a lot more worried than I should be,” Fiver whispered worriedly. “What exactly did Hemlock say he would do with everyone?”

“He said he hadn’t decided what to do with the bucks yet, I mean what way to kill them.”

Fiver gritted his teeth, though said, “Hopefully he still hasn’t decided. It would buy us a few more sunrises. I don’t know about you Hazel, but I haven’t an idea under Frith about what to do. My seer sight is being unhelpful.”

Hazel just looked away, his eyes were preoccupied.

“What exactly are we looking for when we get there Hazel?” Hannah wondered.

“Just see if you can see anyone, talk to them if you can. Also, I need some information on Hemlock.”

“Will do,” Keharr replied. He attempted to shake out his feathers again then took off heavily.

“Fiver? Tell everyone that I’m in my burrow and not to be disturbed will you?” Hazel asked.

……………..

They ended up inside an empty burrow. “They must be up at silflay, come quickly, you all only get a short time up,” Moss said.

Bigwig, Hawkbit, Dandelion, and Holly were huddled together and surprisingly, not spending their valuable time eating.

“What’s wrong?” Campion asked, and hopped up to them.

The ever persistent rain streamed down their faces and made them look even more serious.

“Dogwood and the rest of his cronies took Yew and Vervain down into the warren,” Bigwig told him.

“Yew?” Campion asked worriedly. “Vervain? Why Vervain?”

“They actually thought some of us wanted to join their owsla,” Dandelion said angrily.

“Apparently one of us did,” Campion said. “Vervain…..I officially hate him on a whole new level.”

“You’re not alone,” Bigwig answered. “After all we have done for him!”

“How did Dogwood take it?”  Campion inquired. “I mean, the rest of you not joining?”

“Not well, he shouted and had a tantrum for a bit. Then he hurried in out of the rain,” Hawkbit said.

“And Yew because…” Campion started.

“Because of him being a captain here before? Yes, he left involuntarily,” Bigwig stated.

“What does that mean for us?” Campion questioned slowly.

“I don’t know,” Bigwig said. “By this rate though, he’ll have us starved to death.”

At this, everyone automatically started to eat off the mud strewn ground. Bigwig looked annoyed and frustrated when he ate a large amount of mud along with a few strands of grass.

No one asked why Campion looked so down and didn’t join in on the scattered conversation. Bigwig didn’t know what to think about his trip to the Healer, he had taken a very long time.

“I and Yew overheard something very interesting this morning,” Bigwig said ominously.

Everyone lifted their heads and Strawberry and Blackavar came over to hear.

“Well, as you know, the burrow I’m in is very close to Hemlock’s, so naturally I began to listen to their conversations.” Bigwig said. “This morning Hemlock was talking to a couple of his officers about the possibilities of flooding.”

“They started building when they had no does. Does would have known that a place such as this would be vulnerable to floods,” Strawberry realised.

“He said,” Bigwig started again. “To leave us here… while the burrows fill with water.”

“Fabulous,” Campion muttered. “What a wonderful way to die.”

Hawkbit’s mouth snapped shut as the words were taken from his mouth. He made a face and said to Campion, “What’s got your tail in a twist?”

Campion blinked the water away. “Later.”

Just then, one of the around the clock patrols returned and the rabbits noticed a strange scent among that of their enemy.

There was a dark grey doe with them, with a bit of dark brown mixed in her coat and with a dull grey streak from muzzle to the tips of her ears. The grey also reached her cheeks and her eyes seemed to be the same flat colour. She wasn’t the prettiest doe and her small size paled in comparison to the bulks of the owsla.

Bigwig tutted sympathetically and said, “Poor thing, I hope Primrose and the others make her feel welcome.”

The quivering doe noticed the strange group of wayward bucks standing close in the rain and examined their faces. She tried to break free and run over but was restrained.

“Campion!”

“Hmm?” The brown rabbit lifted his head from disinterested foraging and looked around him. “Didn’t someone just call me?”

Bigwig nudged him and pointed at the doe. “She did.”

Campion peered intensely over and remained clueless. “Am I supposed to know her?”

“I have no idea at all how she knows your name,” Bigwig replied.

“Maybe there is a Campion flower behind us, and she likes flowers?” Hawkbit suggested.

Bigwig paused to give him a look. “Maybe you should go over Campion.”

“What will I say to her?”

“Just act normal and say, ‘pardon, who in the name of the Black Rabbit of Inle are you?’” Hawkbit put in.

“Quick go, before you take Hawkbit’s advice,” Bigwig urged.

Campion cleaned the mud and rain out of his face so that he could see clearly and hopped hesitantly over.

She had convinced the owsla that she just wanted to silflay, so they had left her do it. She looked at him with an expecting look and they greeted with the customary rabbit sniff.

“Yes?” Campion asked questionably, leaning back.

“You have no idea who I am, do you?” she asked quietly.

Campion shuffled uncomfortably. Was he supposed to know? “Amm…. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologise, why would you remember a lowly slave like me?”

“Slave?” he asked, and then it clicked. “You’re from Efrafa?”

She nodded sadly. “My name is Fog. I was with the slave diggers that you supervised often.”

“Oh,” was all he said. He thought that the name suited her perfectly. “Shouldn’t you be…. afraid of me or something?”

She managed a smile. “You weren’t the scariest captain there.”

“Remembering Vervain?” he suggested.

“Yes! You used to sneak food to my friends and I, remember?”

“Lavender…Daisy and Tulip?” Campion recalled faintly. “Yes, I do remember. Those three were runners every day. They sure kept Captain Vervain and I on our toes. And, by Frith, they were fast.”

“Yes, those ones. We did appreciate the food though. Vervain never let us have our full time above ground.”

“Sounds like him,” Campion sighed. “I don’t mean to be rude Fog, but was there something in particular you wanted to talk about?”

“Am… yes. I wanted to ask you if you would help…” She swallowed. “Get me out?”

He didn’t answer immediately so she continued on hurriedly. “I understand if you don’t want to risk it. I just thought, what with you being so high up in the owsla you could get away with more…” She trailed off feebly.

He honestly felt bad. “I’m sorry Fog, I have no position at all in this warren, except being a prisoner like you.”

She hid her disappointment well. “You’re a prisoner huh? Long story I presume?”

“Very,” Campion agreed.

“I’ll see you at next silflay, right? Tell me then.”

“Okay.” He shrugged and watched her leave. What an unexpected encounter, he thought shaking his head.

……..

After Campion had left Bigwig appraised his boredom. “Anyone up for an excursion?” he asked slyly when he say a comfortingly familiar pair of rabbits come above ground.

“Where to?” Dandelion asked with interest.

“To visit…. female company.” Bigwig smiled coyly

“You’re crazy. They’ll never let us over.” Hawkbit tilted his head to the guards.

“Since when could the Watership Down owsla not defeat two rabbits?” Bigwig asked in annoyance.

“Since there are only three of us.” Dandelion shrugged.

“Where’d they get off to?” Hawkbit cried in surprise.

“They’re away to spy on Campion and that new doe. They said they were going.”

“This rain is messing with my senses.” Bigwig shook his head. “Let’s go lads.”

“Three, two, one,” Hawkbit said sarcastically as Bigwig sprinted away immediately.

Dandelion and Hawkbit shouted like maniacs to each other when they followed. “To your left Hawkbit!”

“Behind you!”

Bigwig got there first and puffed his chest out proudly, acting as if half the owsla weren’t running to get him. “Hello sweetheart,” he said to Spartina. “Primrose, how are you?” he continued politely.

“Hawkbit stop!” Dandelion shouted. Hawkbit slipped in the mud and skidded into Bigwig who fell forward, head first into a puddle. Dandelion tripped over their fallen bodies, and then as he began to regain balance he toppled backwards and landed on the other two.

“Oh well done Hawkbit,” Bigwig said sarcastically, his face still obscured. He was too embarrassed to look at the does who he could hear laughing faintly.

“My bad,” Hawkbit apologised.

“I thought it was fun,” Dandelion said.