The first thing Chestnut heard was the sounds of the birds singing in the sky. Seeing his father still asleep, he jumped off him and hopped up to his ears tying them together. Then he slowly climbed back on-top of his father and pretended to go back to sleep.
Fiver slowly began to stir and felt some awkwardness in his ears.
"What's wrong with my ears?" he yawned.
"I tied them up, Daddy!" confessed Chestnut who burst into a fit of laughter.
"You cheeky little blighter!" chuckled Fiver and he tickled Chestnut everywhere.
"Daddy! Please stop!" laughed Chestnut.
"I'm sorry," responded Fiver. "But eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth."
Then he stopped tickling him and rose him up in the air by his feet and paws.
"Good morning, Daddy," said Chestnut.
"Good morning, Prince Winter," said Fiver."
"I had a nicer and funnier dream this time. I dreamed that Uncle Leo had a lovely green necklace on him. Dandelion took it off him and put it over himself, then suddenly, the necklace took him flying all around the down and forced him to bang his head against the tree, and then he went flying again until the necklace broke off him and he was dangling by one foot on a tree branch."
Fiver thought of this being the Necklace of Wisdom. Normally I would explain but it is really long story as to how it began in the first place.
"Have you been sleeping out here overnight?" asked Snowflake who hopped up to them, accompanied by me, Rosie, Michael and Cynthia. Jason was training and frolicking with Pipkin, Tulip, Loganberry, Acorn and Pollen down by the orchard. It strangely improved his mood and I felt no need to call him 'Droops' after all.
"I had a horrible, horrible dream, Mama," explained Chestnut as Fiver lowered him down to the grass. "So Daddy looked after me."
"What bad dream was it, dear?"
Chestnut looked a little hesitant and started to shudder so Fiver came to the rescue.
"Why don't you go get us some fresh clovers, son. I'll explain to Mama."
Chestnut hugged his father and obediently hopped away. Fiver's smile on his and Snowflake's beloved baby was swapped with a look of concern to his mate.
"So what dream was it, Fiver?" I asked.
"He had a dream I don't think anyone would normally dream, Snowflake."
And he told her all about Chestnut's dream of dreaming about Carnation getting killed and that he ended up killed, followed by falling into the Valley of Fire.
"Valley of Fire?" responded Rosie. "That isn't Hell is it?"
"It seems like it," I said understand the parallels as I was here longer than any of the other four.
"How horrid!" cried Snowflake. "He's only a baby!"
"I'd give anything to have me dream it instead of him. I might be a small runt, but I'm not afraid of anything - except what happened when I won you."
Fiver was a very honest rabbit. He never bragged and he was telling the truth; he wasn't afraid of anything and if he was, he'd admit it. He bravery is proven for what is to come soon enough.
"Neither am I," said Daffodil who was overhearing this. "Had many dreams of going to that place. I climbed all the way out. I even had those dreams as a baby and never cried. If you want him to be a braver buck, I will be kind enough to teach him."
I put a paw over Michael's path as I could see anger punching its way out from both his eyes and Rosie sighed is disgust.
"Pipkin and the others are helping look for some flayrah for the leftover storage," lied Fiver coldly.
"Can't stop then," smiled Daffodil proudly as he hopped away. "They would just love to hear the tale of how I hoarded and hid special flayrah unlike Ela-Rah and Prince Rainbow put together."
"What a buck," said Cynthia under his breath happily. "He said he does all these things. He's the one I'm looking for."
"One of these days I guarantee," growled Fiver glaring after Daffodil with an expression of fiery hatred which was incredibly rare of the quiet gentle rabbit Fiver was. "Calling our courageous little child a coward. Chestnut has his own levels of bravery."
"I will see to it he gets some lovely flayrah for such a horrible dream," said Snowflake. "Our little flower."
"That's not what's mainly concerning me however. What is concerning me is that he saw the dream as a sign that Carnation would be caught in the Shining Wire. Don't say anything to him for it may disturb him. He knows nothing about my visions."
"Carnation or Chestnut?"
"Both," Fiver gulped. "Best Carnation knows nothing and I cannot bring myself to frighten Chestnut. I love him more than myself and I love playing with him and I cannot bare to lose him on account of my - abnormality."
"You are not abnormal," said Snowflake. "How many times has Hazel told you?"
"Since it started. But like I said, we cannot tell him or Carnation. Also, he thinks his dream makes evil happenings which I think is rubbish."
"But what if it wasn't?" asked Snowflake.
"Well, I could at least convince Carnation to be careful," considered Fiver, taking precautions to what his mate had just decided. She might be right.
"Hang on a moment," said Micahel changing the subject. "Visions? What are we talking about exactly."
"Well," I explained. "You see, Michael. Fiver has this gift of see the future and when he -"
I was interrupted by Fiver who cried in horror.
"Fiver!" cried Snowflake. "Are you okay?"
"What's wrong?" panicked Rosie. "Is he ill?"
"He's having a seizure!" concluded Cynthia.
"No, no!" I took over. "This is what happens when he has a vision coming."
Fiver shuddered horrifically and began to recite:
Two brothers of the family tree, an elder left and siblings three!
Reunion comes and blood shall spill, loved one flees from guilt and chill!
Journey for us lies ahead, joined together finds us dead!
Life shall stay for groups of three, to set the many victims free!
Rosie looked petrified, as if she were told by all her theatre directors that they never wanted her on the stage again. Cynthia buried her face into Rosie's fur from horror, like a kitten hiding behind her mother (which I felt Rosie was more like to her than a sister). Michael never looked so disturbed in his life. I had always seen him angry at his enemies otherwise always smiling at people and laughing his head off at his successful pranks.
I nudged Fiver up off the floor,
"Come on," I supported. "Up you get. are you okay now?"
Fiver didn't answer. He just sat there, wide-eyed, in a bout of hyperventilation.
…
"That's it, Jason! Try again!"
"One more!"
"Nearly had it then!"
"Don't give up!"
"Yeah! That did it!"
"Way to go, Jason!"
"Congratulations!"
Jason had been giving tips with combat in the owls and he was doing really well for a first-timer. Though he did make a few little mishaps; missing his footing with a kick and winding Tulip, trying to spin-trip only to make Pipkin land of top of him crushing him and truing to charge jump only to get his head stuck in a rabbit hole resulting the four rabbits to have to pull him out by his hind-legs. He forbade any of them to pull him out by the tail not trusting how fragile it would probably be. However he carried on until he finally got into the stride and he was starting to make himself popular among the others - next to their hero Michael Dawn-Rah so to speak.
The fun was interrupted when Daffodil hopped down to them ready to be the best flayrah scavenger to grace Watership Down.
The he asked where the flayrah was, everyone just laughed.
"I guess you've completed it already," he concluded. "But do save me for the next event for I'm willing to let you learn a few of my tricks which I shall reveal in the next chance which I'm sure shall come presently."
His bragging ended when Michael, Dandelion, Hawkbit and Strawberry came hopping into view.
"Hello, all," greeted Michael. "Thought I'd just come down to see how we're all faring."
"Good thanks, Mike," smiled Jason. "Look what I've been learning."
And Jason proudly showed off his new skill mentioned above the explanation, this time no accidents.
"Very impressive," said Michael. "Dad would be impressed. He was a champion for all kinds of things when he young."
"Bet he could not handle this," remarked Daffodil. "The Upper Claw Scratch."
He tackled at Dandelion and swiped his call upwards on his belly. Dandelion quivered, but no gashes were marked upon him.
"Well," said Daffodil. "sometimes that tends to happen. Just got to be desperate with feeling whilst using it. Seeing as you are new here Dawn-Rah I expect you may not know anything so perhaps I can teach you a little kick move now."
Daffodil turned and got ready to kick but Michael head-lifted him under his belly so he went flying and he kind-kicked him and he skidded into a muddy puddle. To which everyone cheered at his unexplained talent.
"My mind just told me to do that," Michael said.
"Mind or no mind," remarked Loganberry. "You got talent, a mind as early as dawn. From now on, you're Dawn-Rah!"
"Err, okay if you want," smiled Michael.
"Dawn-Rah!-Dawn-Rah!-Dawn-Rah!" chanted the rabbits.
"Screeeeee!"
We looked up into the sky to see Scree with Hannah on his back. They headed for the hill so we raced after them. When we reached the top of the hill, they zoomed down the ground and Scree landed, Hannah jumping off like a professional acrobat.
"We're back!" announced Hannah.
"Hannah! Scree!" I cried hopping up to them. "I've really missed you both."
"Leo!" cried Scree in his high-pitched voice. He nuzzled his face into me. "Scree miss you too."
"Hello, again, Leo," said Hannah. "And company this time?"
"Ironically, yes," I answered. "This time I've brought my brother, my best friend, my doe and her sister. That black rabbit over there, that's my doe, Rosie. That brown rabbit train-fighting with Blackavar, that's my best friend Michael. The one playing Bobstones with Dandelion and Hawkbit, that's my brother Jason. And that's Rosie's sister Cynthia, the one with … Daffodil."
Daffodil was bragging about himself much to Cynthia's interest! And then I saw them nuzzling together. I don't know what she could see inside him.
"Oh him," groaned Hannah in disapproval. "Heard his stories?"
"I have," I said. "What amazing adventures he's had. How I wish I was him."
"You believe him?" cried Hannah who didn't seem to notice my sarcasm.
"Of course not," I said. "He says he's done it."
Pipkin hopped passed sadly.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"I secretly love Cynthia. I tried to ask Cynthia out but Daffodil got there before me. I heard him saying that no rabbit as short and fat as Pipkin could have a chance against a beautiful doe like her."
"I'm sorry, Pipkin," I said sadly. "You'll find someone. Look at Fiver."
Then I suddenly remembered what I was told as to why Hannah and Scree was gone.
"Oh, yes. Did you find any new rabbits?"
"That we did," smiled Hannah. "You close, Larkspur?"
"I am," said a voice, and what emerged was a middle-aged doe who looked almost as tall as Hazel and, ironically enough, bore a striking resemblance. She had a stern look about her even with her coal black eyes.
"Hello, there," I said.
"Salutations, young buck," she said in a rich, religious voice. "The home of Hazel-Rah I believe?"
"Yes, ma-am," I said.
"You look familiar. Ah, yes. You must be Leo Barning from Above, I've heard many tales about you."
"Yes, ma-am. That's me."
I took her to Hazel who was frolicking with his children just by the tree. He had just stopped laughing when he saw the doe eying him.
"Can I help you?" he asked.
"I am your long-lost relative, Hazel."
"Who?"
"Your great Aunt Larkspur."
"We had a great aunt?"
"Yes," said Larkspur. "I left your mother when your father died. I had hear many stories of you and your journey to Watership Down, the battle against Efrafa and Darkhaven, subsequent to the victories, a young rabbit who goes by the name of Leo Barning from Above came to this warren where he has accomplished many brave deeds, unlocking the power of the Necklace of Wisdom and helping you and your young brother Fiver defeat Chillblack the witch and that oafish Gooseberry. My hideout has been destroyed by Man and I am now homeless, but then this mouse and bird came to my rescue and led me here, so here I am."
What I noticed when she said all this, she kept the same stern face; not a touch of sadness or tears in sight. quite brave if her too, holding her emotions in like that
"I don't know about you," thought Rosie. "But something doesn't seem right about her."
"I feel the same way, Rosie," said I. "But we might be wrong."
Larkspur was welcomed warmly by Fiver and many of the others, even little Chestnut, but still always talked in a sophisticatedly dry manner. I couldn't even remember what she said because it was that dull no offence. Rosie eventually told me of the resemblance Larkspur bore with her Aunt Elvira after what happened; Rosie was looking after Chestnut playing Bobstones with him and he happened to tell her of his nightmare. She told him that nightmares are nothing but cowards to upset children and that he was brave for facing it. He nuzzled into her as a thank you gesture and he hopped away.
She smiled happily at FIver's sweet little baby when Larkspur appeared next to her.
"You may think nightmares are just all in your head, but it is a sign of evilness to dream such a thing."
"It isn't," said Rosie shocked. "Chestnut told me he was crying when it was over. His heart makes him what he is, not his mind,"
"The mind counts for a lot," said Larkspur with a cold smile on her face. "Frith created us, but then we create ourselves as to what we feel and think. It was an accident that the kitten was born otherwise he wouldn't dream such unholy nightmares."
And she hopped away.
Rosie was stunned with what she had just heard from her. Chestnut wasn't an unholy rabbit; he was the sweetest rabbit Rosie had ever seen on the down. He had so many good deeds round the time she saw him; he helped a little bird fly, he picked a lovely patch of blossoms for Blackberry and Leo II, picked a bramble out of Hawkbit's paw and he was constantly calling his father his best friend. Why would Larkspur think such a thing for all those things?
"He is not unholy," Rosie said to herself. "How can she think such a thing."
"People can be tragic within beliefs," said Carnation who was watching the whole thing.
"It's more than a belief," debated Rosie.
"I understand your frustration, child," said Carnation calmly. "Frustration is common upon Frith's children like yourself."
"I have a lovely cousin back home," said Rosie. "And he has a mental issue. My cruel Aunt Elvira says he shall go to Hell for being mad. Surely Chestnut won't go there for having horrible nightmares about someone getting hurt or killed."
Rosie did not dare to say that Carnation was involved with the nightmare for deciding how uncomfortable he would probably feel hearing about it. She coincidentally had a nightmare at one time about her father in a burning house and said nothing to him about it.
"Frith is open to everyone's hearts, my dear," replied Carnation. "Even the wicked deserves to be helped to show what they behave like. Your cousin is kind-hearted you say and she shall be helped by Frith. Frith doesn't answer all of my prayers but he shines over me as the sun. Prayers are answered, some prayers aren't, but you are always protected as the light of day helps you through difficult times."
The old rabbit hopped away and Rosie stared after him. What a wonderful rabbit he was; she had new faith for Donnie now.
