Chapter Seven:

"Over the hills and far away,
she prays he will return one day.
As sure as the rivers reach the seas,
back in his arms he swears she'll be."

Images flashed before Chance's eyes. He and Blossom, mostly. And then, in between the fog of memories, he saw a wavering black shadow.

"What do you want now, Black Rabbit? Have I come through all this to die here?"

"There is something you must see," the Black Rabbit insisted, "Look!"

Chance looked past him again, and saw, to his horror, Mallow-rah pinned to the ground by two Owslars. Mallow struggled, and one of the Owslars cuffed him, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Do you like that, Mallow?" a familiar voice asked.

"Why, Shay? What have I done to you?" Mallow gasped.

"You have done everything, you weak fool!"

Chance gasped. Shay had stepped out of the shadows and was glaring triumphantly down at Mallow.

"You have held this warren back from what it could truly become! We could have an empire here on Watership Down, but no! There must be mercy, kindness...weakness! That era dies with you, Mallow!"

Mallow stared in disbelief into the smirking features of his Captain of Owsla. That face was the last thing he ever saw, apart from his own blood as it gushed onto the burrow floor.

Shay turned away from Mallow's body in disgust.

"Find the daughter!" he told the guards. "I didn't frame Chance for what happened to Mallow's kits to be stopped by Blossom. If she will not rule this empire by my side, then she will die!"

Chance felt someone pulling him from the water, and very faintly he heard someone screaming his name.

"Chance? Chance! Don't let this go wrong, you bumbling idiot! Wake up!"

His eyes snapped open, and he found himself face to face with Svetlana.

"Did you just call me a bumbling idiot?" he demanded.

Svetlana grinned cheekily at him.

"If anything would wake you, that would."

Sander appeared from behind Svetlana. The big dark grey buck smiled coldly at Chance.

"Glad you made it," he muttered, "You were under there for a long time."

It all flooded back into Chance's mind then.

"Svetlana, Sander," he said, "There's something...I mean...I need your help."

"We already helped you escape..." Sander started, but Svetlana cut him off.

"We'll help, Chance. What's wrong?"

Chance took a deep breath.

"You know how Granite is always talking about this Black Rabbit of Inle character? Well, he exists. As a matter of fact, he's why I'm like this. My fur used to be sienna, not dark brown. I know it sounds crazy, but while I was under the river, the Black Rabbit told me that my home warren is being overthrown by the rabbit who got me banished. He's going to kill the only surviving heir to the Chieftainship, Blossom, if she won't agree to be his mate. I have to save her. Sander..." he glanced at the grey buck, "Sander would do the same if it was you, you know."

Svetlana and Sander exchanged a few words. Then they turned back to Chance.

"We'll help," Svetlana said, "Command us, Chance-rah!"