Chapter Fifty Three

The Dream Lives On Forever

 

 Blackberry’s last tear fell onto the floor. “Marli, we don’t know exactly what’s happened, but we know parli would know you would never hurt him intentionally,” Swift begged with her.

But the silver doe knew that there was only rabbit that could make her truly believe that. “It’s not too late…” she whispered to herself. There was still time before they would set off to Shadowsky. Hazel didn’t need to tell her this because she knew they wouldn’t sit here and wait for them to die.

Blackberry wasn’t angry. No, too much of that emotion was directed at herself, but maybe they needed another rabbit. A healer to treat any injured. Suddenly, with a purpose she could focus. The unfamiliar burrow walls stopped spinning and she sat up.

“Rosa? Could you stay in this warren with Cascade, please?” she asked. Her young were surprised that she finally complied to talk, so Rosa agreed almost instantly, not even questioning who Cascade was.

“Ash, Swift, Spring and Iris? Are you ready to go to war?” Blackberry said, pained, but they needed rabbits for diversions.

Their young bodies trembled with anticipation and fear. “Stick with Hazel. He’ll keep you safe, and whatever is happening, whoever you feel like you need to help, tell one of the older rabbits or me and get out of the target line. Clear?” Blackberry instructed.

“We heard you. Every step of the way we have each others’ backs. We’ll be fine,” Ash replied. Blackberry looked at the runt of her first litter and admiration took over her. He used to be frightened and timid, afraid of his own shadow, but with the patient training of Campion and the inescapable reality he has been forced to grow up in, he turned into a brave rabbit.

“I’m so proud of you all,” she murmured, but they heard. They pulled her into a hug and she held them tight for a moment. “Go you four. We’ll be free once more.”

Blackberry raised her head after the five had left and met them of her mate. “Campion, I-“

“Hazel told me everything,” he spoke first. “Blackberry, you have to stop this.” He knew all there was to know about guilt and he didn’t want her to have to experience that black pit of ghosts that kept telling you more could’ve been done or that you could have made a difference. The past was the past and he never blamed her.

 Afraid that his words had been too harsh he embraced her for the first time in about a month. “Cloud’s gone,” he whispered into her ear, “we are free to go ahead to Shadowsky.”

But Blackberry just wanted to stay here forever, so didn’t reply right away. Instead she hugged his shoulder tighter.

“Are you fit for this?” he asked with a hint of concern.

“I’m fine,” she assured him. “The last battle….again. There are only so many times we can get lucky.”

Campion gently pulled away and held her gaze. She stubbornly did not expand or explain what she had said. He propped her chin up with his paw so that she had to look straight into the dark green orbs.

“Are you afraid?” he spoke so low it was hard to make out.

“Not for myself,” was Blackberry’s hesitating reply.

“Don’t you worry,” he said in a shaky voice, “we’ve had enough worry for a lifetime.” Then he pressed his muzzle against hers and mentally prepared himself to leave to go to war.

…….

“Is this enough?” Hazel hissed to Bigwig. They were in the largest chamber in the warren, surrounding by half their owsla. “True, we don’t want a full army as we don’t plan to fight unless necessary, but I want to be sure and safe.”

“Then this is enough.” Bigwig nodded. “Shadowsky’s owsla were rundown and tired when I escaped. They will not be prepared for an attack.”

“Here’s Campion, now. You two better get going,” Hazel said. Campion and Blackberry sat quietly in front of them as Hazel told the two captains some last minute instructions. “Remember, if you get into any serious trouble, leave it and get out.”

“We will not leave them, Hazel,” Bigwig said in surprise.

“I’m just saying, there is no point in losing two good rabbits when we don’t have to,” Hazel explained. “Shadow will escort you there.”

Bigwig did a double take at the black rabbit that materialised beside him. “Am…..good. Off we go then.” Campion nodded discreetly at Blackberry then hurried along after Bigwig. When she had told him that she was coming along, no negotiations, he had been surprisingly easy to persuade. Must have been the tears.

“Blackberry?” Hazel questioned her presence with an air of preoccupation.

“I am coming,” she said slowly and determinedly, “you will need a healer there. None of us can deny there are going to be casualties.”

“Fine,” Hazel gave in quickly.

Just then, Blackberry tensed and her eyes shot to one of the side entrances. Hazel twisted his head around and widened his eyes at the rabbit. Dogwood, or a rabbit that looked faintly like him. His expression was contorted in pain and his steps, slow. His eyes, unseeing and confused, flickered from left to right, and he vainly pushed his nose into the air.

He had no guide by his side, so Blackberry swallowed and hopped over. “What are you doing, Dogwood?” she asked with a strain in her voice.

“Blackberry.” He jumped as he said it. “I heard all the noise and- “

“We are going to get our friends out of Shadowsky, if you really care,” Blackberry snapped and made to move away, but his paw caught hers. She resisted the urge to bolt. “Let go,” she hissed.

They were becoming the centre of attention in the chamber that had gone eerily quiet. “Dogwood, release my paw. Now,” she growled.

Dogwood looked hurt and a little abashed as he slid his paw off hers. “Let me help you.”

“Help me? How can you help me?”

“I can get Hemlock and at least half the owlsa away from the warren on some wild excursion to give your captains time to get in and out with the prisoners.”

The flaws were obvious, but Blackberry felt something strange in herself at his offer. Dogwood, turning good? Impossible surely! “Dogwood…I’m not sure.”

“Please, I need to thank you for all you have all done for me,” Dogwood pleaded.

“No, Dogwood. You’re a liability,” Bigwig retorted. Blackberry did her own little jump of surprise. “Blackberry, can you get Fiver to Hazel, please? I’m away now.”

Blackberry hurried away before she could get too emotionally intertwined with Dogwood’s depression. Campion pulled himself slowly away from the red rabbit, though giving a threatening but low growl to remind Dogwood that he was present.

“Right, Shadow. Campion and I are ready to leave when you are,” Bigwig said to the black buck, unable to stop the slight fringe of nervousness that overtook his voice.

Shadow pulled his paws across his face in a relaxed manner. “Off we go then,” he said. His eyes were hard and more than once Bigwig had caught him casting eyes upward. What was he looking at? Lord Frith? The thought made him quiver excitedly, and then he remembered Shadow could read his thoughts so he quickly composed himself. More desperate than ever to get there, Bigwig cast the sadness about Spartina out of his mind. Get on with the job.

………

Spartina let the first tear fall. It was silent as snow but caused as much impact as an earthquake on the others. Their strongest doe had been broken.

Spartina‘s glassy eyes stared forward without seeing. The sight of Yew and Brunnea lying close beside one of the burrow banks tore another little chunk out of her heart. Bigwig had not left her! No! He cared about her, and their kittens. She knew that deep beneath and wasn’t crying for her own life, but the fact that she was powerless to do anything to save them.

The chocolate brown doe watched the others around her crumble to pieces and felt an urge to be strong, if not for them, then for herself and Yew.

 “I’m glad Ivy’s safe at Watership Down,” Brunnea said finally to Yew.

Yew raised his ears after long disuse and gave her his undivided attention. “There is something good about this,” Brunnea said bravely. “Hazel, Fiver, Ivy, Pipkin, Bigwig, Campion, Blackberry and all the younger ones are safe. It’s not as if Watership Down is really being destroyed, is it? There are more left now than there were at the very beginning of the warren. It’ll survive.” Brunnea finished by nodding her head in a matter of fact way.

“How do you do it?” Yew whispered. “See the good in everything?”

“It’s either that or wallow in our misery. Life is for living. If we aren’t happy, we aren’t living are we?”

“You’re amazing,” Yew said. He stared down at their paws for a moment, deep in thought. “Any regrets?”

“Sure.” Brunnea gave a small shrug, as if indifferent. “I would have loved to be a more important member in the warren. Blackberry was training me to be a healer, but of course I never got to finish. I would have also loved to be a mother.”

Yew nodded silently and looked into the distance. “I was nothing before I came to Watership Down. The place gave me purpose, meaning and love. I can’t believe it’s over.”

“Watership Down isn’t over,” Brunnea said quietly. “We have just lost it.”

“Heads up!” shouted one of the owlsa. “And neck’s exposed!”

………

“Are you sure you can run fast enough with that paw?” Bigwig hissed across to Campion under the cover of the trees. Shadow slipped away from them like a ghost, there was nothing he could do at the moment.

“I don’t have much choice, Bigwig. Here I go.” Campion took in a lungful of air and flexed his claws. He hopped purposefully out into the rain and calmly met the eyes of Hemlock that shot to his like lightning.

Hemlock’s muscles tensed and his eyes shone with disbelief but they still motioned for his owsla to get ready.

 “I trusted you, Hemlock,” Campion said angrily. “That night in the forest, you gave me your word.”

“My word means nothing, Campion. Now you will die,” Hemlock sneered. “How stupid a rabbit must be to dander right back into their demise. You will need to have the wings of a bird to escape!”

“Or the heels of El-ahrairah,” Bigwig corrected. The grey rabbit was nibbling innocently at the flattened grass and he stopped to scratch his ear. He was about half the clearing away from Campion. “Seriously, Hemlock. You need to learn your biology. Do we look like birds to you?”  Campion gave a small smile.

“Well, you better have as much courage and resistance to pain as you much as you have cheek, for when my owlsa catches you, your death will be slow and at my paws.

Bigwig tilted his head downwards at Campion, an inconspicuous signal that meant the world to them. Lives placed down on the table, free for the taking. It was frightening being totally in charge of your own life, whether it was taken from you in the next short time was up to only you.  In a flurry of action, they were off. Left and right. Desperately trying to run silently was no easy task.

“Are we nearly there, Bigwig?” Campion panted across to Bigwig. They were pleased to see at least two thirds of the owlsa present in the clearing pursuing them, but of course it also meant more chance of them getting caught.

“Yes, slow down.”

Campion let his strides shorten. It timed perfectly. As he felt a claw try and grip his heel, he stopped and flung his body backwards and his head forward onto the earth. The body crashed into and through the tangle of weeds and tall grass just in front of him.

Bigwig saw the figure of his chaser also hit the water that had been concealed by different types of shrubbery and had been part of their plan. The river was well over its banks and was a mud brown colour. Branches and debris of all sorts took sail downstream.  Just then, he heard Campion cry out. The majority of their chasers must have followed him!

………

The buck was so heavy on his back! Each second was another second won by luck by twisting and turning and Campion knew it would not last for much longer. His forelegs were pinned by his sides and the claws dug painfully into the fur. At every lunge he felt a muzzle trying to grip the back of his neck, just missing because of his frantic struggles. Campion remembered something with a cold heart but a focused mind.

“If you need to kill, do it.” Hazel had said.  He gave himself only one moment to consider it before he whipped his head around and sank his teeth into the warm flesh and tenderness of the throat just above his nose. The owlsa member fell off limply and Campion sat up, shaking. He was disgusted with himself. The warm and sickly sweet taste of death was in his mouth and he couldn’t swallow. Rushing over to the water, he rinsed the blood off his muzzle, choking.

Bigwig approached him slowly. “You had to do it, huh?” he murmured. Campion nodded his head with his eyes shut.

“I would have too if my life had been suspended before my eyes,” Bigwig said pityingly. He hulled the lifeless carcass to the water and let it be taken from him.

The ground began to quiver underneath their paws and the banks cracked. The water swallowed up the land like it was an empty part of the riverbed it had forgotten to cover. The two rabbits leapt and managed to hold onto the trunks with their claws until strength was conjured up to crawl forward and out of the mess. The rain and floods were reaching their ends.

“Three down, hrair to go,” Bigwig said, without confidence. He had a shallow cut running down his shoulder, but he was good to go on. Campion’s paw was a mess and he was unhappy with what he had had to do, but he too showed no indications of stopping. They had no choice.

“We had better get back to the enemy warren. They’ll need our help. Quietly now.

…..

Hazel, Fiver and Blackberry worked quietly at the back entrance to the burrows. So far, so good. The Shadowsky rabbits were still around the front and Pipkin was keeping them informed if Hemlock was making any suspicious movements.

Blackberry’s paw pushed away the little grains of soil that could be found amongst the mud above her head and the burrow trembled. “Hazel, Fiver, get out now!”

“Another burrow done,” Fiver said as soon as they were outside.  Around them lay collapsed burrows, either already helped along by them, or the rain.

Hazel was frowning, and his eyes were clouded with indecision. “Here comes Shadow,” he said, absent minded. The black buck was still looking into the sky but didn’t look worried.

“Shadow, are Campion and Bigwig alright?” Blackberry asked quickly.

“Yes. They are coming back here at this moment.” Shadow’s head then trained at the forest.

“Where were you?” Hazel asked hesitantly.

“I was away to see Cloud. He will be along soon also. To help.”

Blackberry took a few hesitant steps backwards and couldn’t deny the fear that she felt.

“Don’t worry, Blackberry. I will not permit Cloud to hurt you with his gift,” Shadow said gently. “You will not suffer in that way again. Hazel.” Shadow turned to him and his eyes had a gentle edge. “You are not killing them. You are freeing them.”

“But how?” Hazel whispered. “It is a brilliant plan, Shadow and I don’t doubt for a moment you can do it, but I can’t. It’s against the law of nature…..It’s monstrous.”

 “Hemlock is monstrous. He is not a rabbit. Not a member of my kingdom. The soldiers he has under him are no different…some of them anyway. We’ll give them a chance to surrender, and I’ll know if they are sincere.”

“Trust him, Hazel,” Fiver said, and placed his paw on his shoulder. “They’ll feel no pain?” he asked Shadow.

“None at all, I promise you. It’ll be as peaceful as closing one’s eye after a hard day. They won’t know it’s coming.”

“This exempts Moss, though, doesn’t it? Hazel interrupted rapidly.

“Of course, as it does Robin, Nettle, Bramble and Briar. I know every one of my rabbits. I know their hearts. It won’t be you who is taking them from life, really, it’s me.”

Hazel’s head was bowed in submission and Fiver and Blackberry silently went back to work with a few glances towards each other.

……

“What’s happened?” Hawkbit hissed to Dandelion. “Are they mad?”

“It’s probably a plan of Hazel’s. I don’t see how it can work though, unless we’re meant to attack these rabbits?”

Hawkbit narrowed his eyes in thought. “After all, we are equal in number. What are we waiting for?”

Dandelion’s face was wrung with indecision.

“I say we do it.”

It was Primrose that had spoken. “What have we got to lose?” she continued angrily.

Bigwig and Campion burst from the woods once again and stood in stillness. This was the place where the plan stopped. What now? The large clearing was like a mine field. One movement would set off an explosion.

The two owsla captains were noticeably tired. Weeks of barely any food, plus stress and worry had taken its toll on them. Ribs peeked through muddy and matted coats and legs were unsteady, though they were in better shape than the bucks that had been imprisoned for the longest.

It was this fact that made them slow to attack. Campion snuck a look over to Bigwig. His eyes were concentrated on the group but his legs were still braced to run or fight. A rustle made all hrair of them swing around to its source. Pipkin was standing at the head of the junior owsla, just beyond the burrow entrances. What were they doing? Distractions were all they were needed for. Here in the midst of a brewing battle was not a good idea! Pipkin was just old enough to join them, maybe. Perhaps even Hazel’s kits, but not his own!

“What have we here?” Hemlock spat angrily.

“Get out of here,” Campion spoke across to them urgently. Swift’s eyes caught his desperately and his paw was frozen in front of him. Then he tried to move his siblings back.

“But we-“ Ash began, then choked off. Hemlock had leapt the short distance to them and had grabbed the small black buck between his paws. “Move one inch,” he spat, as Campion had ran a couple of yards then stopped, “and young bunny here will see the Black Rabbit.”

For the first time in his life, Campion felt hopelessness and vulnerability, not even anger. Hemlock wasn’t even a rabbit, because no rabbit would use one’s young against him. Though no fighter would ever admit it, there were unspoken rules and boundaries one did not pass in combat or war. The would come up top. It was beyond sadistically cruel, more evil than killing a hundred times over because it would cause a pain that cut too deep to even heal to a scar.

“What do you want me to do?” he whispered hoarsely.

“Lie there and wait for my owsla to deal with you,” Hemlock said in delight. He had finally found a weak spot. “Be assured that it will be long and lingering.”

“Let him go then,” Campion said, as he lowered himself to the earth, not really hearing his words.

“I will keep him until it’s over. Maybe he won’t have to meet the Black Rabbit.”

“He’s already met him,” a voice cold with anger whispered into Hemlock’s ear.

Hemlock then felt the full force of Shadow impact with his side and he was flung mercilessly to the side. Ash panted and struggled to his feet. In seconds, Campion was up and out of the paws of the owsla and had snatched up Ash. Surprise had given him a definite advantage. Still sprinting he went to where the rest of his warren were working undercover.

Blackberry stopped digging and hurried over to take Ash’s scruff from him. Her eyes asked him urgently what had happened. “Hemlock discovered that he could use Ash against me. Keep him around here out of harm’s way. Stay here too, at least until some of the fighting is over,” Campion panted, before nodding and sprinting back the way he had came.

Blackberry was speechless and laid Ash carefully onto the ground whilst he returned to the fighting that had erupted. The terrified youngster clung onto her and tears escaped noiselessly from his eyes.

“Are you hurt?” she asked gently.

“My leg,” he whimpered. It was at an awkward angle and he wasn’t putting weight on it at all.

“Hraka Rah!” Blackberry burst out. “What gives him the right! What gives him the Frithing right?”

“Blackberry,” Hazel said hesitantly, one paw in the dirt, another about to reach out and prevent her doing anything stupid.

“No, Hazel! This is the last time he hurts me or someone close to me!”

Blackberry raced off. Hazel was without words. That was when it happened.

 The sky gave an almighty roar and the earth shook. Lightning flashed everywhere and forked light owned the impending grey clouds.

Each and every single rabbit was pressed close to the grass, totally tharn and terrified near to death.

A crescent moon painted itself into the sky, blood red and huge. Then another. This continued until a ring of them surrounded the rabbits. Moons caught fire and breathed smoke. A glimmer of an eye seemed to live in them. Shadows seemed to evaporate from the amber moons and they became round.

It had the desired effect as the rabbits bolted for the holes, or at least the ones that had broken out of their retrieve.

Campion only caught hold of sanity when he seen Shadow’s eyes glowing and worked it out. He managed to pull his feet under him at the last second before entering Shadowsky warren. “Never again,” he said under his breath. Rabbits pushed by him, left and right. He was getting frustrated until he recognised one. “Blackberry! Stop!” He gripped her paw and tried to calm her.

“Let go!” She struggled frantically.

“It’s me. Calm down, it’s a trick remember? Blackberry, remember?” he begged. He should listen to his own words too. His heart was beating a hundred miles an hour.

Blackberry’s forelegs that had been pushing against his chest, paused, and her eyes reduced in size a little. “Where are the kits?” she shouted over the chaos.

“I don’t know. Are you good? We can go and look for them now and prevent them from going underground.”

………

“Does it hurt a lot, Hawkbit?” Blackavar questioned. He pressed the herb a little more against Hawkbit’s head. He had managed to get a deep wound from the stampede whilst trying to escape.

“I want to go and hop in the sky with Rosby Woof,” Hawkbit replied dreamily. Dandelion, who was holding Hawkbit upright, raised an eyebrow. “The lettuces up there are splendid.”

“By Frith, I pray this is the right medicine,” Blackavar muttered worriedly, and tried tabbing it instead, but it was difficult work for paws.

“Here,” Brunnea picked up one of the untainted leaves from the small pile beside them. She carefully twisted the green between her paws until a liquid dripped out and then held it to his head so that the wound could receive the moisture. Primrose was over silently in moments and helped finish the job. A large leaf that resembled a weed was placed perpendicular to the line of the injury and held due to the sticky blood.

“That should hold,” Primrose confirmed. “Who else has injuries?”

“Better not to ask,” Yew said tiredly. “Everyone has a scratch or two. Does someone know where Hazel and the captains are?”

“I lost them in the confusion,” Fiver said unhappily, appearing beside them. “Hazel was right beside me and I don’t know why he moved. Maybe, he went to rescue one of our rabbits. The whole warren isn’t here, you know. Apart from Campion and Bigwig, Blackberry and all the kittens are missing.”

“Fiver, I’m glad I’ve run into you,” Moss called out. The grey rabbit hurried over. “My rabbits and I heard what was happening and I’m here to offer you an alternative. We are prepared to welcome each and every rabbit from Shadowsky a place at our warren. At Rising Hope, we are all broken in one way or another. We believe we can heal the scars and give them a new life. Will you accept?”

Fiver gaped at them. “Moss, nothing would make me happier. I’ll try and find Hazel and Shadow and inform them before it’s too late!”

Fiver whisked out of sight and away into the dark night. “Moss, are you sure that you really want Hemlock?” Dandelion said sceptically.

“Well, everyone except him,” Moss corrected himself.

……

Campion and Blackberry pounded through the underground tunnels. “They went this way, alright,” Campion panted, with his nose in the air. Blackberry halted also and looked back fearfully the way they had come.

“We don’t have much time,” she said. “The stampede would just have weakened the walls and ceiling. You’re absolutely sure you scented them, Campion?”

Campion nodded. He was sure of his own nose. “Maybe you should-,”

“No way,” Blackberry cut him off. “We don’t have time for this. I’m staying.”

Campion flicked his ears uncertainly and was just deciding what to do when Hazel skidded around a corner, closely followed by Shadow.

“Shadow, thank Frith you’re here,” Campion exclaimed.

“Will you help us?” Blackberry asked rapidly. Her heart was just waiting for him to refuse and say something like this was fate and he could not interfere with it.

“I know where they are but we have to hurry, and you two need to be strong.”

The two parents exchanged uncertain looks but nodded together. “Lead us,” Campion said.

“Hazel,” said Shadow, turning to him, “you’ll have to come along with us, now. All the other entrances are blocked.”

Hazel looked nervous but went to stand beside the other two confused and frightened rabbits.

Shadow was very fast, and he navigated through the tunnels like he had lived there all his life, which was very contrary to the truth, but they supposed the Black Rabbit would know these sorts of things.

Campion resisted the want to stop when the injury on his paw split open. Now was the least convenient time and he had to continue. He muttered profanities under his breath and was content to drop behind the group a little, making his one goal to not let them out of sight. Hazel was going fast, but limping ever so slightly. One of the jagged and cutting stones had fallen from the ceiling and sunk into the floor. Hazel had not detected it quick enough, and fell heavily. Campion tried to jump over him, but his paw wouldn’t support him, and he too was also down.

“Shadow,” Blackberry shouted out urgently.  Neither rabbit attempted to pull himself to his feet, until Blackberry butted them determinedly with her head. “Up, you two. We can’t afford to stop.”

Her expression wavered when she saw the blood littering the ground from Campion’s paw and Hazel’s hind leg shaking from exhaustion, but her eyes were fiery. With gritted teeth and great resistance to pain, legs were forced into running motion once again.

……..

Fiver searched everywhere. Surprising calm took over when he considered possibilities. Where could Hazel have gone? Unless….

“No!” Fiver shouted. “Great Frith, no!”  Recklessly he dived for the last opening to the warren. The impact of his body hitting the ground shook the fragile muddy soil and the ceiling collapsed like dominos behind him. After tumbling for about ten yards, Fiver got to his feet, coughing.

“Hazel?” he shouted, feeling very alone and in danger. He stumbled forward over debris of the collapsing warren.

Fiver was just about to curse himself when he caught his brothers’ scents. He wished for his inner sights to lead him to them. “They must be trapped……” he muttered to himself. Fiver was sniffing the ground so intently that his face was almost pressed against it. He didn’t know the warren and was filled with despair. Whilst he was studying the earth an unnatural glow give him light to see by and he snatched his head up. His heart thundered and claws gripped the ground slightly tighter. A set of red eyes conveyed him calmly.

“Shadow?” Fiver whispered. No response. He tried to reach out his paw to check if the eyes were even attached to a body, but they skirted backwards then remained stationary.

“You want me to follow you, huh?” Fiver said. “Okay then, it’s not as if things could get any weirder.”

………………..

“There you are!” Blackberry said. The four kittens jumped and looked over fearfully. “Marli, how do we get out?” Spring begged. Blackberry dropped her ears and looked over at Shadow. “I don’t know. How did you get here?”

“Ash and Spring bolted,” Iris explained. “We tried to get them to se reason in time, but then got lost in these burrows.” The two said rabbits cowered into the corner.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get out,” Campion said. “What are we to do, now?” he asked Shadow.

Shadow seemed to muse and placed his paw, claws upwards, onto the roof.

“Parli, your ear…..what happened to your face?” Ash asked in confusion. Campion barely heard him. “So we are to dig? Is that what you are suggesting, Shadow?” he questioned the Black Rabbit.

Shadow nodded mutely, and cast a faraway glance at some forks in the burrow. “We need careful digging to target the weak spots in the ceiling,” he said, absent minded.

“That’s me out then.” Campion nodded, and picked up his injured son. “Blackberry,” he mumbled out of the side of his muzzle, “do you think you can do it?”

“Leave it to me,” she confirmed, and once again started to scratch away, teetering with on her toes.

The bucks waited in tense silence. Spring and Ash cringed between Campion’s forelegs, watching with guilty eyes.

“I can’t reach any further!” Blackberry panted. “Would it do no good to dig horizontally, Shadow?”

“No, we don’t have that much time,” Shadow said doubtfully. “Watch!” he shouted. Hazel fell flat on his face from the impact of the rush of water on his back. The water splashed against the walls and made the space above their heads, shake.

“Everyone stay absolutely still,” Hazel said slowly and in low tones. “It must be starting to flood.” Blackberry’s breath caught, but she obeyed, just reaching down gently to take Iris’s scruff. The kittens were having trouble keeping their muzzles above the water, and had never swam in their lives.

Shadow offered no help or words of wisdom. Instead, he turned tail and left the burrow, trudging through the water. Campion cast a worried look at his retreating tail and back at his family. “Spring and Swift? Can you climb onto my back if I crouch down?”

They coughed in agreement and gratefully pulled themselves upwards. They tried to balance on the broad back, and stood shivering. Campion then pulled the lower half of his face back out of the water and surveyed Hazel and Blackberry with a lost look. Hazel looked surprisingly calm. His eyes watched the water as if the shimmering depths of doom were the most interesting thing in the world.

“Sorry, about that,” Shadow said, suddenly splashing in back beside them, “but I found a certain someone.”

“Fiver?” Hazel said first. “By Frith, no! Why are you under here?”

“To find you,” Fiver stuttered, looking at every face in there and being awfully surprised at the big turnout. “Why are you here?”

“Originally to stop as many rabbits as I could going under,” Hazel sighed. “I’m sorry, Shadow. I couldn’t be part of it.”

Shadow made no comment, just ushered Fiver over to the centre of the burrow. “What?” Fiver asked, utterly lost.

“We need you to connect with Cloud’s mind and tell him to get his hind over here, or rather up there and dig!” Shadow shouted.

Fiver jumped to the side in shock. “Alrig…alright,” he mumbled, and closed his eyes quickly.

After only a couple of seconds he huffed and shook his head in denial. “I can’t even sense Cloud’s presence anymore.”

Just then, a painful squeal interrupted Fiver’s sentence. Campion was down and continuing to yelp. The rabbits were frozen in fear, except Shadow who looked on calmly. Campion tripped himself up and fell onto his side. Spring and Swift made a valiant attempt to leap off and across to their mother’s back, but landed into the water. Blackberry spared no time in catching them by lowering her belly so that Spring and Ash could take refuge on her. Hazel didn’t need to be asked to pick up Swift.

“What’s happening?” Fiver shouted, shielding his eyes from the water flying through the air.

Shadow pounced onto Campion’s paw, and even the large rabbit could not escape the hold. “Campion, open your eyes. Is he in your head again?”

“No,” Fiver whispered, “he can’t be. We got rid of him, didn’t we, Campion? Campion?”

“You are fools for thinking that I would be gotten rid of that easy, or that I couldn’t connect again as simply,” Campion spoke, with his eyes still tight shut. “Hemlock is coming for you. He didn’t fall for your trick. He knows the faithful walls will hold until their leader deals with those that he has sentenced to death. Pray to Frith all you want for an easy death, but nothing will work.”

Shadow slapped the brown buck with a firm expression. “As I thought. Cloud is using him. Fiver come here quickly, and go to Cloud through this mind. Make him dig below to here, speak with his voice to our friends beside him, unaware of his doings, and they’ll hear. But do it, now!”

………………………………

Cloud smiled to himself. Deal with that, traitors! No more little nice rabbit! It wouldn’t be much longer he would have to deal with the stolen thoughts, for when he and she died, they would exit his head. His head was hot and excited with the praise he would receive. For the rest of his days he would be treated as a prince, and maybe even get the honour of killing one of them that had turned his life hell. It was these things that give him strength at the prospect of dealing with their memories forever.

Then something gripped his dream and twisted it. His head was like a vice. “No, Fiver! Please!”

But this seer, so much weaker than himself had managed to control his mind. Him!  What was the meaning of this?

You should never try that, Cloud. Not when the Black Rabbit himself is on their side!

Whose voice was that! What was happening?

Primrose’s eyes watched him warily. “Are you alright, Cloud?”

Stupid doe, shut up, he thought with malice. He couldn’t prevent what was happening.

“Help us! Help us!” Cloud pleaded, and everyone’s heads whipped around to him. “It is Fiver. I’m with Hazel, Blackberry, Campion, the kits and Shadow trapped underground. The only way out is up! Can you dig downwards directly under you? Quickly! We don’t have much time left! And whatever you do, don’t let Cloud out of your sight!” Cloud gave a desperate gasp and clawed at his own face, painting it with blood. Rage and angry fed through his veins, boiling them.

The Watership Down rabbits were fast and calm. Yew and Dandelion pressed the writhing Cloud against the earth and Primrose, Brunnea and Clover dug so hard and fast that paws bled.

…………….

Underground was silent. The time had passed for panics and had come for patience when it mattered most. Campion slowly opened his eyes, his movements practiced and almost none. He resentfully shook the water out of his ears and sat up. His legs were shaking a little and he wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes. After about two minutes, scratching could be heard from above, that turning into frantic pounding. Blackberry once again tried to reach her paw upwards but trembled on her toes. “How are we going to get up?” she said nervously. Campion wordlessly limbed over to the centre and lay on his stomach, staring at her until she hesitantly proceeded. Using the wall to help her balance the tips of her ears comfortably touched the ceiling, She gave a sigh of relief when soil started to gently shower them and light sneaked through invisible holes. Campion’s head was strained above the water line now and Fiver had been forced to sit back on his haunches.

“We found you!” Primrose cried. She carefully reached over the edge to take Iris from Blackberry. “Pass the other kittens up!”

When the time came for the adults to start the ascent, Blackberry planted her paws on the slippery ground and tried to pull herself up. Campion helped hoist her up, then Hazel and Fiver, until he was left staring awkwardly at Shadow.

“You go on, I can get up by myself,” Shadow urged. Campion waded back a couple of metres then took a run and jump, just managing to use all his strength to lift his lower body over.

The light from Frith was dull, so the day must have been drawing to a close. Campion lay with his paw into himself, and absolutely glaring at Cloud. The young grey seer was so still on the earth that it was eerie. The sky gave a final crack of thunder as Shadow hopped easy out of the burrow escape route and gave a last look to the demolition zone. For a couple of seconds, the rain got heavier, then ceased to nothing. The warren gave a final shudder, and gently lay to the ground, sagging.

The want to jump for joy and celebrate burned alive in all of them, but their bodies were near broken. Bar a few, every rabbit was lying on the earth without a care for anymore danger.

Shadow seemed to bow to the sky, then to the Watership Down rabbits behind him. “It’s been wonderful knowing you all. You’re just as brave and clever as Lord Frith told me.”

“You’re leaving…” Hazel realised slowly.

“I have to go and help other worthy rabbits, though I doubt there are any like you.” Shadow nodded his head, absent minded. “Will you do something for me?”

“Anything,” Fiver breathed.

“You are a family, all of you. The love that bonds each and every one together is strong. Love one another, and care for them. Never let anything break you.”

Some of them looked like they were going to cry, though all of them were standing close, sides touching and ears pricked.

Shadow made to turn away, but Campion hobbled forward quickly. “I never got a chance to thank you properly,” he explained. “Black Rabbit, you have done so much for me. Thank you for my life and my families, we wouldn’t be here right now if it wasn’t for you down there. Also, thank you for letting Cascade live, for I know she shouldn’t have.”

The Black Rabbit give a very small nod and smile. “You’re a good rabbit, Campion. Run safely and have a good life, you’ve earned it, until we for the last time.”

“Until then.” Campion nodded, and went back to where he was standing.

“Thank  you, Shadow!” Hazel called after him, then the whole warren shouted their own words of thanks to a rabbit they would never forget.

“It’s over,” Fiver said.

“What abou-“ Hazel started, swivelling around to look at Cloud. Rabbits can sense death just as keenly as they can hear and smell and Hazel was in no doubt. A sombre Bigwig broke then line behind them and pressed his paw against the neck of the young buck.

“Dead,” he confirmed, with his eyes shocked.

Campion dropped down onto all fours hesitantly then frowned. “He lied to me, and used me.”

“It’s all over now, Campion,” Fiver assured him. “His evil ways of using his gift killed him. I guessed as much would happen. He was a very good actor.”

“Maybe he did want to change,” Hazel mumbled, “maybe he did, than Hemlock found him again and brainwashed him.”

“I expect we’ll never know for sure.” Fiver shrugged. “Hemlock’s gone too, the own walls of his warren took his life.”

“Shall we?” Hazel asked nervously. Everyone nodded after hesitant decision, even Campion and Fiver.

“Our hearts have joined the thousand, for our friend stopped running today.” Each voice held their own hint of sadness, but joy seeped through. “Many lives have been lost today. We pray that they will face the true happiness that is to be gained from life up with Lord Frith.”

“It’s not all bad news, Hazel!” a voice called out. It was Moss, who was beaming. Behind him were five or six rabbits, bedraggled and scared, but very much alive.

Campion recognised a few, mostly sentry posts, but when he saw Robin, he automatically tensed. The other rabbit bowed his eyes respectfully and gave a slight inclination of head.

After a couple of moments, Campion mimicked his movements.

“They are all coming to stay with me,” Moss explained, “we’ll show them a new life. A real one.”

“I’m glad, Moss,” Hazel said with gratitude, “I hope none of your owsla were hurt?”

“We were barely needed, Hazel, so we’re all good. We have the energy to go back to our warren, now. What is your plan of action?”

Hazel made a face as he considered options. “The down is in a bad state, I’m not sure if everyone can make it all the way home.”

“Stay with us, only you’ve all rested,” Moss suggested. “Anyway, you’ve forgotten something.” He smiled at Blackberry. “Stay as long as you wish.”

“I don’t believe it,” Bigwig said quietly.

“It’s really not that surprising is it?” Moss laughed.

“It’s Vervain!”

The black rabbit crawled, exhausted from the forest. He had a few scratches, but his face was drawn with fatigue.

“Vervain, you did it! You actually had the courage!” Yew cried.

“What did he do?” Hazel’s voice was toned with surprise.

“He led them off! At the time Bigwig and Campion spoke with Hemlock here, only about half of the rabbits Vervain had originally lead on a hunt to find them returned, so I suspected something. Hemlock never got time to ask Vervain what had happened.”

“You did that for us?” Hazel was amazed.

Vervain turned his head to the side. “It was the least I could do.”

“Anything is possible, eh?” Moss smiled.

“And the rest we can deal with,” Fiver sighed happily.

……..

The down was in full bloom with wild roses, daffodils and campions. It was a very happy picture. Young rabbits ran playfully after one another and the adults lounged together under the branches of the protective Beech tree.

“What is this? A pensioner club?” Swift moaned, tugging at his father’s ear.

“Not quite there yet, Swift. Give me a couple of years,” Campion said sarcastically, pushing him off his head.

“Come on! You said you would play with me!”

“I did!” Campion exclaimed, finally consenting to open his eyes. “Why don’t you go and help Bigwig train Lily and Grit?”

“Lily’s a doe!” Swift pulled a face.

“That never bothered you before,” Campion muttered. “Oh, joy. I now have yearlings to deal with.”

Ash skidded into Swift and teased his brother. “Ha! Who’s the slow one, now?”

“You’ve asked for it!” Swift warned, flying off.

Campion gave up trying to sleep, and raised his head, surveying them. His ears twitched as he thought about the last few months of peace. It had been a dream, an ultimate gift from Frith, literally, but scars remained. He looked at the pale, pink line running across his paw and the long horizontal line across the sleeping doe’s back beside him. Dogwood. He had felt the yearning for revenge inside him, but couldn’t understand why he couldn’t carry it through. Maybe it was that he felt he owed too much to the Black Rabbit to harm another, or that he was happy to be content with peace and a mind of his own. Whichever it was, he had not harmed the other buck, who had remained at Rising Hope . He didn’t think he would ever harm another again, and knew he wouldn’t be the only one happy with this arrangement.

He nosed the small sleeping kitten wedged in-between him and the silver doe. The creamy doe rolled over onto her side, totally at comfort, and gave a little yawn. He let Cascade sleep and laid his head on his paws, content to watch the world go by.

He heard a noise beside him, and snapped his head around to see who had disturbed his contemplations. The pale black rabbit squeaked a little, and hurriedly pushed his feet back up under him, about to slink away.

“Vervain?” Campion said hesitantly after him, “you can lie there.”

Vervain twitched his nose, as if trying to sniff out any threats of danger, and nervously lay back down.

Campion closed his eyes again. Making peace with Vervain was something he felt he had to do when he helped out on the day of the final battle. The confused Vervain still kept a little distance and also tried to doze.

The young rabbits and kittens that ran joyfully around the hill were more treasured than ever, something short of miracles after everything that had happened. So many happy couples tried in vain to rein in their kits, without real want. It was real happiness. Bigwig and Spartina had newborns, Lily and Grit, Blackberry and Campion with newborn, Cascade, Fiver and Ivy with Wish and Yew and Brunnea with little ones on the way. Watership Down was to have a bright future. No one was surer of this than their faithful chief.

“We did it, didn’t we?” Hazel mused to Bigwig, beside him.

“Hmm? Did what?” he said sleepily.

“Found a new warren, raised it from the ashes, insured a future for it, and hrair other things.”

Bigwig smiled. “We can now live as rabbits were meant to. Thank you, Hazel,” Bigwig turned his head to the other side, “and you, Fiver.”

“We all did it,” Fiver insisted.

Hazel got up slowly and went to sit at the edge of the down. Bigwig and Fiver were fast to join him. Campion and Blackberry raised their heads, and sensing something special, went over also. After a few more came, Hawkbit and Dandelion and Primrose, he began to speak.

 

 

“Thank you, Frith. You have guided us through thick and thin, life and death, gave us hope when there was none, gave us courage when we lacked strength. The dream lives on.”

“Forever,” everyone finished.

 

 

……….

It’s over                       I’d like to thank everyone that reviewed. You guys are so awesome:

·         fivers11- most faithful reviewer, I really appreciated it! :D

·         Myrkin- Detailed reviews of the fourth series, they were great! J

·         CrispinVCampion- Have your own Watership Down fic to concentrate on but still reviewed, thanks! J

·         BookworM4Life- love your long and explaining reviews, they boosted my writing! J

·         Guest ( with long reviews)- your’re so cool! Thanks for taking the time! J

·         Digibutterfly1287-Your reviews made me smile! J

·         Eternal0snow92- You absolutely loved my story and encouraged me throughout, and shared ideas, I’ll owe you forever! :D

·         Another guest-I loved reading your reviews and think you’re great for reading my story!

·         Bluebell-Rah- WSD fic pal! We had good times writing at the same time! :D

·         BlowYouAway- Your review was loved and appreciated! J

·         LoonaticsWSDFanxxx- You loved my story almost as much as I did! Thanks!! J

 

And thanks to my brother ( sarcastic voice) the amount of times you wrote hahaha Watership down aross my work was really brotherly encouragement!

 

And the readers have to get a moment. Without you all, I wouldn’t have a story! It’s not just the writers needed to create a true story, you guys too! I’ll never stop appreciating that you took the time to read it, and hope that you may reread it again one day .

 

ITS NOT TOO LATE TO REVIEW ;) ILL EDIT ( if I forgot your name plz pm me or let me know via review)

 

Loved this journey and I hope you did too <3