Chapter Eighteen

Epiphany Moment

Yew led Campion around the warren perimeter; it wasn’t much, just the iron road and a lot of forest.

“We’ll go supervise a digging team now,” Yew said in his quiet manner.

Campion liked Yew.  He hadn’t shown any unnecessary cruelty to any of the warren rabbits so far unlike many of the others and reminded him strongly of Moss, his old best friend from Efrafa.

“So where did you all come from? I don’t remember you being around here before,” Campion asked.

“Why would you? Weren’t you travelling when the owsla picked you up?” Yew replied.

Campion studied his face; there was no sign of suspicion there, just curiosity.

He longed to tell Yew everything, about Watership Down and their fierce battle for freedom against Woundwort and now against the Shadowsky chief.

“Amm, I just meant we hadn’t passed any tracks when entering this territory,” Campion replied finally.

“We just came here when the white blindness destroyed our last warren, it was a massive warren though more than half of it died. Every one of the none owsla as it happens, none of them were strong enough because they were crushed under Hemlock’s rule,” Yew said, looking away.

Did Campion detect a hint of regret?

“So Hemlock is the name of the chief then?” Campion said.

“Yes,” Yes said. They had arrived at the digging grounds.

Campion saw Blackberry digging in one of the far burrows and saw her do a double take at his gash on his left hind leg.

“Do you mind if I go over and speak to that doe a minute?” Campion indicated with a jerk of his head towards Blackberry who was trying quite unsuccessfully to act normal.

“Of course,” Yes said, smiling and nearly laughing.

“What?”

“Nothing.” He left smirking to go supervise the shoulder mark.

“How are you making out Blackberry?” Campion asked.

“I’m alright,” she sighed. “And what happened to you?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Well pretend to be digging or something,” Blackberry lowered her voice.

“I’m in the owsla, captain of the left hind mark. This place is more like Efrafa than I would have thought,” Campion said wryly.

“I know, I’m starting to know how the Efrafans felt day in day out.”

“Listen, somehow I’m going to get you and Swift out. Hemlock won’t know what hit him.”

“Hemlock?” Blackberry exclaimed.

“Yes, that’s the name of the chief. What’s wrong?”

“Remember in Darkhaven I was under the protection of the speaker of the past?”

“Yes,” Campion replied starting to feel nervous.

“Well she taught us that the name of Woundwort’s father was Hemlock!”

“This is more complicated that I thought……but we need to get out soon, before the owsla mark you and Swift.”

“I agree with you on Swift but I can handle it.”

“No,” Campion said firmly. “If you have any ideas please don’t hesitate to tell me because right now I can’t see a way out,” Campion finished before leaving.

“Are you sure you don’t mind?” Fiver asked Ivy for the hundredth time.

“Fiver of course I don’t,” Ivy said firmly as the four sleeping kittens surrounded her. “Anything to help Blackberry. I just hope she’s alright,” Ivy whispered sadly.

“Campion wouldn’t let her get hurt,” Fiver soothed, nuzzling her nose.

“Well I think it’s time we forced these kits to silflay. They can’t sit in here forever,” Ivy said finally.

Fiver picked up Ash, who was suffering the most from his mother not being there and required more attention.

The sky outside was grey and bleak, reflecting the rabbit’s moods perfectly.

Hazel and Bigwig were grazing side by side in silence until Bigwig sat up with an air of finality.

“Right Hazel I want to get them out of there, we can’t just leave them.”

“I know Bigwig but from the report that Fiver and Ivy gave us we are seriously outnumbered,” Hazel said with a tone of impatience.

“Again,” Hawkbit put in.

“We also don’t know what has happened to Swift either,” Bigwig said.

“I’m assuming that if those rabbits can catch Campion and Blackberry they would have no trouble catching a kitten on his own,” Dandelion pitched in.

Suddenly a large cry of a bird echoed across the down, causing all the rabbits to blot for the holes.

“Keharr!”

There was a mighty crash and a white gull picked himself off the grass and started strutting around the down.

“But where is everyone?” he muttered loudly.

“Keharr it’s you!” Pipkin cried happily, running out and enclosing the big bird in an awkward hug.

“Oh es good to see ya Pipkin,” Keharr said.

“Yes hello Keharr, it’s good to have you back.” Hazel remerged from the warren.

“Oh ya hello ‘azel, where is everyone else?”

“Underground at a meeting, but you’d best not come down. It would just confuse you since you don’t know what happened last autumn.”

“Oh dat okay ‘azel, Pipkin can tell me wat es happened,” Keharr smiled down at the young buck.

“Sure Keharr,” Pipkin said, not minding about missing the meeting just excited to have his friend back.

“Say, Keharr where is Gluck?” Hazel asked remembering the female gull Keharr had brought back last year.

“She es staying bevind wif baby chicks cuz they no learn to fly yet,” Keharr said proudly, puffing his chest out.

“Congratulations Keharr.” Hazel smiled. “Now please excuse me I have a meeting to go to.”

“I’d like you to escort me on patrol with my two other captains at present,” Hemlock said to Campion using the sort of voice that made it clear that he was going to have to whether he liked it or not.

“Yes sir, when?”

“Now, and do strictly as I say,” Hemlock said jumping down from the small crevice in the wall that had been dug out to act as a sort of throne.

“Dogwood! Yew! Hurry it up!” Hemlock shouted dangerously.

“Sorry sir we had a bit of trouble with a young buck,” Dogwood panted, entering.

“Surely you can handle a kitten!?” Hemlock cried.

“It’s all under control now sir,” Yew replied calmly.

“Well let’s get a move on then!”

Yew hesitated before following, falling into step beside Campion who saw it as an opportunity to question him.

“That buck you were talking about, was it brown?” Campion asked quietly.

Yew nodded. “Do you know him?”

“It’s my son,” Campion said gravely.

“Friendly warning, you might want to talk to him. He’s causing the owsla a lot of trouble and is starting to get on their nerves,” Yew whispered back.

“What are you two whispering about? The chief wants to talk to you,” Dogwood said with an annoyed look.

Campion resisted cuffing him there and then for talking to him in such a way but followed him up to Hemlock.

“Do you recognise that scent?” Hemlock asked, rather forcefully.

Campion placed his nose to the ground and sniffed cautiously and tried to remain expressionless when he recognised it as Fiver’s.

“Nope never smelt it before,” Campion replied straightening up.

Dogwood just looked at him, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Oh great, another Vervain, Campion thought to himself.

“We’ll follow it and find what this rabbit was doing in my territory. Lead us Captain Campion,” Hemlock retorted.

 “Fiver?” Bigwig asked, cautious of disturbing the seer’s thoughts.

“Yes Bigwig?” Fiver replied without turning.

“How are you holding up lad?”

“I’m okay and so is Ivy and the kits, or as well as they can be expected I suppose.”

Bigwig sighed and joined Fiver in looking up at inle. “We’re no closer to getting Campion and Blackberry out of the unknown warren I’m afraid.”

“Something will come to us,” Fiver said confidently.

“I hope you’re right lad, but I can’t see a way out…. Fiver what’s wrong?!” Bigwig said loudly as Fiver kneeled over.

“The evil may be gone, but yet is still here, time seems as if played over as the threat draws nearer.” Fiver cried, falling unconscious and leaving an eerie silence upon the down.