Chapter 1
A dense fog sat over the waters of a vast, clear lake, where the autumn sun was twinkling over the ripples. All was still except for the chilly wind whistling through the branches of birch and rowan. No creature stirred but one rabbit, staring into the waters at his own tired reflection.
Fiver... could you really be on this down?
He looked up from his reflection and out into the still waters.
I had a dream about you, Fiver. 'Hazel,' you said to me. 'Sometimes I still think about that big water we found surrounded by beautiful fields. I had hoped to come back with you, but it looks like things haven't turned out that way. I'm there now, Hazel, all alone, and I'm waiting for you.'
It couldn't possibly be true, of course. Fiver's dead—fell ill and died last winter.But then, why am I looking for him? Fiver, I... I miss you. I miss your insight. You always knew what to do, and what was to happen.
You loved this place, Fiver. A big water, like nothing we'd ever seen before... And since we were alone when we found it, it was a special place for us without the others. Could you really be here now? Alive, waiting for me?
Hazel didn't know why, but when he thought about that dream he felt certain that Fiver really was somewhere in this place—and if he was here, Hazel would find him, no matter how long it took. He was very aware that fu Inlé was fast approaching, and the fog made him half-blind the way it blanketed everything, but he knew he couldn't leave until he found the truth.
But where would he be? I don't recall him having any favorite place. It was all special to us. There's that giant birch tree next to the water, not unlike the one at our warren. You spent quite a while there, just sitting and staring out at the waters.
Hazel looked out and saw the birch tree on a distant shore.
It's a bit far, but it looks like I can reach it if I circle the water. If I'm going to find Fiver, I suppose that's a good place to start.
He started down along the shore into the meadow below. At the end of it was a short, plain hill, and Hazel got the idea that he could see the path to the to the birch tree more clearly from there. Nothing else moved across the meadow but the wind. The ground was cold and hard, and Hazel's every hop landed with a loud thump.
Hazel reached the short hill and climbed up. Between him and the birch tree was an abandoned house, with a yard full of junk and broken down hrududu. Hazel and Fiver had gone around it before, but now there was a hastily-erected fence on both sides.
It doesn't look like I can go around it like last time. But I don't know what else I can do. Hazel sat and pondered. Maybe I should head down anyway. If nothing else, I should be able to dig under it. The yard made Hazel feel eerie, his heart dropping as his feet hit the rough ground. He nervously scanned the broken man-things as he crossed it.
Finally he reached the fence, and sniffed around. It was chain link, the holes too small for Hazel to fit through. He started digging under it—but it was planted deep into the ground, and no matter how deep he went Hazel couldn't get through. Must be a way, he thought.
In desperation, he started chewing the wire. But it was too hard to bite through, and soon Hazel gave up, teeth aching. This can't be happening, he thought. If I can't get through here, how am I going to find Fiver?
He sat back and looked up at the fence, distraught. Looking around, he saw that the front door of the house was open. He paused.
No, I can't go through the man-place.
But looking around, he could see no other way through. It looks like I haven't got much choice. Cautiously, he hopped up to the front door of the house and pushed his body through it to enter.
