Author's note: I discovered a deleted storyboard that told the origin of Woundwort's past. There was more to it than just losing his family to a fox, for there were originally two foxes that destroyed Woundwort's warren and scratched his eye, then a brief scene of Woundwort and another rabbit living in a hutch with him, later both escaped into the night and locating Efrafa. Read and enjoy it.
Fire everywhere, engulfing the farm house and destroying all signs of life inside. Neither of the humans could deduce how it started or who caused it. They were helplessly trapped and their cries for help unheard. Fiver watched as the father's body caught flames and stumbled out the window, then he was forced to watch the mother impaled by the wooden beam, but his heart cried out for the little boy and his pet rabbit as they lay helpless on the floor, mortified by the deaths of the human parents. The child coughed violently, trying not to inhale the smoke but Fiver knew the little boy was suffocating and choking in a black cloud. Then something else caught his attention; a giant rabbit with a white eyed scar, taking pleasure in the suffering of the inhabitants of the house. His cruel face landed on Lily, frozen with fear. He raised his paw, extending claws, intent to attack her. The little boy's arms scooped her up just in time, and he tossed her out through an open hole in the wall. Fiver grew astonished that such a human at a young age would perform such heroic task for his kind, but another dreadful event occurred that made him ashamed of his own kind. The giant rabbit with the scar crept up on the suffocating child's chest, and he reared his head back to take a bite out of the child's throat as if he was an elil with fangs.
"Noooo!" Fiver screamed, sweat formed on his head and his body trembled whilst his arms and legs waving violently.
Holly and Bluebell leapt up, alarmed and awakened. The two bucks noticed Fiver's strange behavior and the look on his face, deeply worrying them.
"Fiver? Fiver, wake up!" Holly desperately shook the runt's body and then cuffed him in the face to bring him back to reality.
The cuff in the face woke Fiver up. His eyes widened as he stared at the two bucks staring in agitation at him. His body still shivered, the vision of Lily's human family's death left quite a traumatizing impact on him.
"Are you alright?" asked Holly.
"I had a vision, one that I have never seen before, but I should have told it to you sooner before left the warren!" Fiver fessed up. "I saw Lily living with Henry and his parents, but they were caught in a fire. The father was burned, the mother impaled, and Henry... he saved Lily's life by getting her out of the farm house to safety. But there was someone else in the fire. Another rabbit, his scar as white as the moon, he murdered Henry in cold blood!"
Holly and Bluebell gawked at Fiver in horrified bewilderment.
"Are you sure about this, Fiver?" Holly questioned, unsure whether to believe his own kind were capable of doing such a murderous deed.
"He wasn't wrong about Sandleford laid to waste and the evil of Cowslip's warren," Bluebell warned. "But, why would a rabbit kill a human child? Do you think he had something to do with the fire?"
"I have no doubt about it," Fiver said. "But Lily doesn't know about this, and she doesn't know of the danger she's thrown herself into."
"What sort of danger?" Holly was now beginning to feel anxious.
Before Fiver could answer, a rustling of the bushes not far from them sounded off. The three bucks stood close together, alert and ready to run if elil attacked. "Did you hear something?" Fiver looked around, warily. "What was that?"
"I don't know, but we should stay together," suggested Holly. "Bluebell, you don't have to, but tell us a story to lighten the mood."
Bluebell thought for a minute until he came up with a rather spooky tale. "Once upon a time, in the darkest and cruelest winter the world has ever known, El-ahrairah's people were starving. So, El-ahrairah set out to find the only being he thought could save them... the Black Rabbit of Inle. He struggled on and on until eventually, he arrived at the Caves of Inle, the mouth which appeared before him, like the maw of a giant monster trying to eat the sky-"
"And before the prince, the nightmare figured emerged..." Orchis's weasel-like voice came out of nowhere, but it wasn't part of the story, as he appeared out of the darkness, "...like a toxic void, and in his heart, El-ahrairah knew that there were no more tricks to be played." He finished the Bluebell's tale with a sadistic chuckle, just as more large bucks came out of the darkness, surrounding the trapped outsiders. "The old yarns are the best and you spin them so well, storyteller," Orchis complimented, rudely.
"Err, thanks. Who are you?" Bluebell whimpered.
"My name is Captain Orchis," he introduced himself with a sinister chuckle, "my friends and I are from a warren nearby called Efrafa. We'd love you to join us."
"And what if we refuse?" Holly immediately grew to dislike this nasty buck.
"I'm glad you asked." Orchis snapped his fingers with his paw to summon the others to demonstrate the downside of the outsiders' refusal.
Out of the shadows came a thud and a cry of anguish as Lily was shoved to the ground, held down forcibly by Vervain with one paw on her head and the other paw pressed down on her back. His claws felt like knives pricking her body, ready to slash her fur open at any second now.
"LILY!" Holly, Fiver and Bluebell cried in horror.
"Here's the deal," Orchis snickered, callously. "Come with us to our warren, or little Miss Lovely Bunny will never run again!"
Holly hesitated, he had never been in a situation before where a doe's life was threatened by enemies. But this is Lily here, the doe whom he arrested back in Sandleford and unknowingly played matchmaker to her and Bigwig, and a loyal companion to the rabbits back at the warren. He glanced behind him at Fiver and Bluebell, he could see how terrified they were, as the two bucks exchanged frightened faces with him. Fiver seemed to silently tell him not to do anything reckless or they will lose a fellow rabbit. Holly gazed at Lily with deep concern as she whimpered, then he glared at Orchis before bowing his head in surrender. Lily stared at him in disbelief on why Holly would do this, after how he treated her.
"I knew you would come around sooner. Now, come along." Orchis took the lead of bringing prisoners back to Efrafa.
The bucks started to shove Holly, Fiver and Bluebell to go forward and to follow Orchis. Most of the strong brutes kept surrounding them in case either of try to escape. Lily was still a captive of Vervain as he pushed her roughly onward, though she stole a sorrowful glance or two with her three companions. They hoped to figure out a way to get out of this or else the foursome will be meeting the Black Rabbit of Inle.
The journey to Efrafa took a whole night to get there, until the next morning the captives found themselves arriving in Efrafa itself. The top of the chimney probably came from part of a factory that must have been demolished long ago, as Lily believed.
"Holly, I don't have a good feeling about this." Fiver feared the worst.
"Same here." Bluebell shivered.
"Stay calm, everything will be fine." Holly had maintained calm and brave throughout their journey, despite the terror he felt in his heart.
"Easy for you to say." Lily trembled.
Several other big bucks on sentry duty guarding the entrance stood in position when Orchis, Vervain, Campion and a few others arrived with their prisoners. They were all just about close to Bigwig's height, but possibly a little taller and stronger than Bigwig if he ever fought them and lost in mortal combat. The bucks growled or sneered directly at the four captives, causing Lily to shrink at the size of them or tremble at their growls, which sounded like a fox or dog whenever they did so.
"That is the biggest rabbit I've ever seen." Bluebell grew startled at one of the bucks who appeared to resemble an ogre, as the buck glowered down at him.
Now that the four captives have a clear view of Efrafa; the warren held a giant tree with a hole as an entrance to get inside with wires and sticks around in the grass, bucks stood on the tree's long branches to supervise, the ruins of the two separate chimney stacks were connected with the tree, as if they were guards shielding off the warren from the far open land beyond, and some does were silflaying but they were on watch by the guards. Sometimes if they misbehaved or did the slightest harmless thing, they were warned or punished by a cuff in the face.
"Rabbits weren't meant to live like this!" Fiver whispered in disgust by the bucks' cruelty.
"What is this place?" Lily questioned.
"Welcome my esteemed guests to Efrafa," Orchis chuckled, evilly.
The soldiers continued to force the captives to march toward a small railroad track that connected to the former factory probably to trade supplies. Coming to a checkpoint, the foursome witnessed a large stocky brownish grey buck with dark brown eyes by the name of Charlock, who proved to be a ruthless and cruel soldier as he did the unthinkable.
"Get back to the warren, does!" Charlock struck a poor doe in the back of her head, making her collapse to the ground, but she quickly stood back up on her feet to join her fellow does back to their burrow.
Fury boiled inside of Holly that he attempted to intervene and teach Charlock a lesson in manners, but another buck stood in his way. Bluebell and Fiver gazed sympathetically at the cruelty those does endured, especially Lily. But she noticed Campion's dark expression aimed at Charlock for such an act. Perhaps this Campion is not like the rest of the soldiers and could provide them means of escape. Then Charlock began telling off a pale green buck with a light green mask around his eyes, which stretches down his nose and mouth, by the name of Moss, near the small group of does.
"Are you the fool who's supposed to be supervising this mark?" Charlock questioned.
"Well I don't-" Moss tried to explain but he was struck down.
"Concentrate, Corporal. Give these does an inch and they'll be gone!"
"That's enough, Charlock!" Campion immediately rushed in, glaring daggers at Charlock and helping Moss back on his feet. "We're Owsla, not mad dogs!"
"I'm Captain, and I will do as I please!" Charlock ignored the brown buck.
Lily grew surprised by Campion's sudden concern Moss. No one in this wasteland warren showed compassion toward a fellow rabbit, but the look in Campion's icy blue eyes told her there seemed to be a bit of compassion for his fellow soldiers behind his eyes, including the does.
"Thank you, sir." Moss thanked Campion for preventing Charlock from tearing him to pieces, then he escorted the three does back inside the warren.
"Uh, Captain Charlock-" Orchis interrupted.
"What is it?" Charlock turned his attention from a harsh staring at Campion to annoyance at Orchis.
"Ahem!" Holly cleared his throat politely. "We have come to ask-"
"Silence! You'll speak when you're spoken to directly and not before!" Charlock shouted in a harsh authoritative voice that kept Holly's mouth shut.
"I picked these up on the wide patrol... and the doe smells of Man," Orchis added, then smirked teasingly. "And she just outran the best officers in the warren, she made complete fools out of them!"
"Shut up, brother!" Vervain snarked, he didn't like to be teased as Lily realized that the two bucks were actually related.
"I'll shut up the both of you if you don't clam your jaws shut!" Charlock threatened, raising a paw to strike them, but Orchis and Vervain cowered instantly.
Lily shuddered when Charlock approached her, sniffing her fur. He could tell Orchis was correct, the scent of Man was on her. As he stared at her, his scowl intimidated Lily that she moved her head back from avoiding physical contact with his face as he grew closer.
"Hmm... one for the Council." Charlock stepped back and took charge of the captives. "I'll take them down with me."
The guards forced the small group of outsiders to follow Charlock, entering the opening of the tunnel within one of the chimneys. It was gloomy, dark, a few lights from the gutter, and several does whimpering or crying nearby. The group halted at the pit of the core to the warren. Vervain shoved Bluebell into the pit, later joined by the others as they fell where the blue buck landed. Charlock lead them to a waiting point, where a small opening contained a bunch of does whispering amongst each other.
"Wait here until Council is ready to see you," explained Charlock, before he left to make his report and left a few guards to watch the captives.
"What if they separate us?" worried Vilthuril, a doe close to Fiver's size and height, probably a runt herself.
"They won't, leave the talking to me. So long as we stay together..." the doe who seemed to be in the center of the bunch was a pretty one, coco brown fur with pale blue eyes that held the soul of a rebel and a fighter, she was called Hyzenthlay. She noticed the four captives' attention focused on her and the does. "Can I help you with something?"
When Holly first saw Hyzenthlay, he was instantly spellbound by her. He said nothing but his dark red eyes never left Hyzenthlay's pale blue ones, as she herself was captivated by this strange pale grey buck. At that time, Vilthuril had her first sight of Fiver, she smiled shyly at the runt. Fiver was also smitten with the female runt of Hyzenthlay's group, his eyes never left contact with the doe. Bluebell and Lily stared at the two couples exchanging a love at first sight moment, delighting Lily and making Bluebell very envious.
Suddenly there came a weak grunting from another tunnel. It was a young blackish brown buck with dark blue eyes limping on his right hind leg. By the looks of him, he received quite a brutal beating from the soldiers. His ears were ripped to shreds, claws and bite marks imprinted everywhere on his body. He had head fur on his head like Bigwig, but it seemed more like a hair piece that is shaggy and wild. Everyone knew him by the name of Blackavar.
"So, they got you in the end, then?" Blackavar spoke, rather weakly.
"I'm sorry?" Holly grew puzzled by his words.
"Three days ago, a little way from here. I'll admit, but it was definitely you," he replied. "I told you to run for your life with your comrades." Blackavar realized that the rabbits accompanying Holly were not the same rabbits he had seen with the grey buck a few days ago.
"Is he the same rabbit you saw when you and the others were searching for us?" Bluebell asked.
Holly nodded, and Lily gently approached the poor buck, saying, "What happened to you?"
"Blackavar is to parade around each of the marks silflay as an example to remind them if they try to escape," explained Chervil, a light brown buck with black circles around his eyes. He ushered the torn buck down another burrow, ordering, "Sainfoin, take him down to the deep burrows. After that, these does are to be separated and re-marked accordingly."
Another buck, Sainfoin, a white and grey mix buck carried out the order to escort poor Blackavar away. Hyzenthlay and Blackavar cast a brief sad frown at each other before he disappeared in the tunnels with Sainfoin pushing him on.
At first, Lily felt there might be something between them and it could ruin Holly's chances of romance, but she noticed Holly wasn't bothered by competition for a doe. He was disturbed by how Blackavar was violently punished by the Efrafans as he shot a cold glare at Charlock.
"You lack animality," Holly growled.
Charlock paused, then turned back towards him. "What did you say to me?"
"You have no integrity. Animals don't behave like men. If they have to fight, they fight. If they have to kill, they kill. But they don't devise ways of hurting other creatures." Holly stood his ground, calmly and angrily looking his enemy in the eye with a strong spirit.
Charlock lowered his eyebrows in hatred as he neared Holly's face, and everyone thought he was going to strike him, but instead he warned in an icy tone, "If you speak out of turn to me again, I will have your tongue. Next time you see me, you'd better wish you were invisible." He dismissed himself as he stood by the Council's chamber entrance. "Right, vermin, you're in first."
Holly ventured in first, followed by Fiver and Bluebell, although Lily joined in last as she began a silent prayer that a miracle will save them if the Council harms them or if Hazel and Bigwig will becoming to rescue them from the clutches of their own kind. The ginger doe wished how she could have spent her last moments with Bigwig in a better moment instead of arguing about humans.
"Bring the slaves to the Council's chamber! Everyone gets to witness the General to decide the fates of these four intruders!" Vervain ordered the rest of the guards as they carried out their orders.
Soldiers rushed outside to force the does back inside from both areas of the warren, out by the chimney stacks and by the tall crooked tree. The does had no idea what is going on, but Hyzenthlay knew it was about the four rabbits who had come to Efrafa.
Upon crossing a wooden plank used for a bridge that took them to the chamber, Lily looked down and saw dismayed does there were in open shade as the scorching sun beat down on them. The does were exhausted, starving, or longing to be free, or worse wishing they were already dead. "Ohh... poor rabbits..." she whispered.
After managing to cross the bridge and entering the council chamber, there stood five large rabbits, probably held in equal ranks of the Owsla to be judges or jurors. The balconies were overcrowded by does as they were forced to watch this awful event.
"These are the rabbits that Orchis, Campion and I captured when they were assessing the wide patrol sir," Vervain explained.
Groundsel, the head judge of the council, studied the rabbits carefully. "Where did you find them?" he interrogated.
"They were down by Casear's Belt," Orchis told him, before he started to chuckle. "The blue one tells stories. And the doe here, she smells of Man, not to mention she outsmarted our best captains when they pursued her."
"I just thought of a joke," Bluebell whispered at the idea of it.
"Don't you dare!" Fiver whispered sharply at him to silence him. "What did I say about inappropriate jokes?"
"Now is not the time for this!" Lily scolded in a whisper.
"You, at the front. Speak." Groundsel demanded, pointing at Holly.
Keeping calm and his poker face on, Holly cleared his throat as he stepped forward. "We're from a warren not too far from away. We came to request that some of the does be asked if they'd like to join us."
The does began to murmur, either some were pleased at the idea of moving out of this dreadful place, or others had doubts believing Holly's request to be a trick.
"Let me get this straight," Vervain snickered. "You came to Efrafa to ask if you could take our does?" And he, Orchis, Groundsel, Charlock and the rest of the council members burst out laughing, except for Campion.
"ENOUGH!" a harsh, raspy voice echoed in the chamber room, silencing the mocking laughter in an instant.
Everybody looked up and there on the platform stood an exceptionally large and savage rabbit that Lily and her friends have ever seen in their lives. He had ragged dark grey fur, extremely masculine in size, torn ears, his right eye yellow, the other blind by a life long injury as white as the moon. The rabbits reacting at his presence told Lily that he must be the leader of Efrafa, but staring at this scarred rabbit brought a sudden memory back for Lily; the fire in the farm house, Henry lying on the floor, and Lily confronted by the very same giant scarred rabbit. She realized it at once, he was not part of a nightmare, he was a part of her past. How he got in her house and if the fire was his doing, she didn't know yet.
"It's him!" Lily gasped quietly, and her three companions looked at her in surprise.
"You look like you've seen a ghost!" said Holly.
"I have." Lily's eyebrows lowered.
"General Woundwort!" Groundsel gasped at the sudden presence of the giant rabbit.
"Vervain is right," Woundwort spoke. "Gifting our does is out of the question."
"I take it back. That's the biggest rabbit I've ever seen." Bluebell shuddered at the sight of this enormous buck.
"No, no! We can't leave here without putting our case forward!" Holly protested, sternly.
"Leave here? Who on earth said you were ever going to leave here?" Woundwort interrupted.
"However, we really do feel it would be beneficial for both our warrens for a matter of peace instead of war, uhh..."
"My name is Woundwort... General Woundwort."
"And why should we stay in a warren where you poorly mistreat your does?" Lily chided, angrily. "Rabbits need to respect their does, not abuse them or take advantage of them like the savage beasts you are!"
The Council gasped, so did the soldiers, but Woundwort remained oddly calm as he mused, "Perhaps instead of being marked, I could have all of you executed right now."
Lily gasped, wishing she had not opened her mouth to speak her mind.
"Now you've done it," grumbled Bluebell.
Fiver's body began to tremble, his eyes shut tight. He knew a vision was coming, but nothing like this one.
"You ask which I prefer; war or peace," Woundwort announced. "I answer: war. You ask which I prefer; life or death. I answer; death."
"But-" Holly tried to object.
"All your questions answered... execute them on my command!" ordered Woundwort.
Lily, Holly and Bluebell gasped, horrified. Fiver didn't seem to take notice. Blackavar and Hyzenthlay gasped sharply as well.
His Owsla surrounded the four captives, leaving them no chance to escape. As Lily looked at Campion, she realized perhaps she was wrong about convincing him to let them go after witnessing his defense of Moss. They are all alike in Efrafa; ruthless monsters with no hearts.
"Unless you want to live, tell me this... where is your warren, outsiders?" demanded Woundwort.
"I'm afraid we can't do that, General," answered Holly.
Angered, Woundwort scraped his claws and growled, "You claim you're from another warren. I will destroy it, and your people will become mine."
Noticing Fiver's strange body gestures, Lily grew concerned and asked, "Fiver, what's wrong?"
"They will obey me, and live through me!" Woundwort continued. "Those who don't will die!" Turning to his captains, he gave the command of execution, "STRIKE!"
The Owsla smirked when they were about to kill the four captives, whom huddled closer together or ready to fight back. Campion wasn't smirking like the others, but he hesitated before he obeyed.
All of a sudden, Fiver began to scream out loud in agony, as if he was in extreme pain. "Ohhhhh! Darkhaven is destroyed!" he cried.
Hearing that particular word, Woundwort raised his head in surprise, and just as the soldiers were about to attack when he yelled, "Hold! He said Darkhaven!"
"Fox in the garden... Hemlock killed... fire in the field... the man with a gun... save him, Laurel!" Fiver visioned, his eyes shot open and rolled in the back of his head, displaying the white as he stared at no one in particular, although his eyes put the fear of the Black Rabbit in the Owsla and the does.
"Hemlock... Laurel... my father and mother..." Woundwort's voice lowered, shocked to hear the names of his parents come from this runt with a strange power that no rabbit could ever possess. "Clear the does of the chamber, everyone underground!" he bellowed.
The guards quickly scattered to escort the does back underground to their assigned marks. Campion, Sainfoin, Vervain, Orchis, Charlock, Groundsel and the rest of the Council remained behind, all staring at Fiver in bewilderment.
When Woundwort hopped off the platform, he studied Fiver curiously, finding it impossible that a runt could know about his past. "Only the Black Rabbit of Inle could know these things."
"A weasel coming through the bushes... getting closer and closer... smelling the blood. Too tired to run away! Too tired to run!" Fiver continued, ending his vision.
General Woundwort had gone tharn, his mind traveling back to a traumatic part of his childhood that regarded going to a Man's garden to steal flayrah with his father, Hemlock, and his elder brothers. Woundwort was born as the weakest in a litter at a burrow within the bowels of Darkhaven; Mugwort, Milkwort, Figwort, Soapwort, Lousewort, and finally himself. His family and several others moved to smaller warren just beyond Darkhaven and outside a cottage to avoid overcrowding in Darkhaven. His small size and timid nature made him the target of bullying from his brothers. His parents still loved Woundwort and had high hopes for their son when he grows up. However, the only friend whom Woundwort ever had was none other than Groundsel.
On that day, Hemlock brought his sons to the cottage's garden to take some flayrah back to the warren. Woundwort volunteered to be the lookout. Hemlock, Mugwort and Figwort lolloped inside the garden and discovered a row of delicious cabbages growing nearby. All of a sudden, Woundwort felt a sudden and strange presence close by. He felt the fear take hold of him. He stood still, frozen and paralyzed to say a word. Hemlock noticed his son's behavior, wondering what the matter is, until he realized his son had gone tharn.
All of a sudden, a fox ambushed and killed Hemlock by sinking his jaws into the rabbit's throat, before another fox, probably his mate, pursued the terrified young bucks back to their warren, where the vixen slaughtered one rabbit after the next. Milkwort, Lousewort and Soapwort couldn't escape in time as the vixen slaughtered the poor young does in cold blood. The fox later caught up with his mate, joining her in their killing the rabbits for an easy meal. Woundwort and his brothers attempted to escape, following a young Groundsel through the thick brambles. Unfortunately, Figwort and Mugwort lost their lives when the fox caught up to them.
In the process, Groundsel and Woundwort scrambled inside the brambles for cover, although the fox's sharp jaws barely caught them. Panicking, Woundwort tried to run but he got cornered by the fox. The elil scratched him in the left eye, blinding him. Suddenly Laurel, Woundwort's mother, bravely lunged out of nowhere and maimed the fox in the neck and tore it open, allowing her son and Groundsel to escape. Seconds later, she joined them. With the fox dead, the enraged vixen resumed pursuit, but Laurel lead her to gas pump, accidently creating a small explosion and killing the vixen. Laurel made sure her son was alright, though he was frightened, but he was safe. Groundsel had managed to return to the warren.
Unfortunately, the smell of the blood on Woundwort's eye attracted another elil; a weasel. Laurel realizes there was no place to go and her son was too tired to run. Taking one last loving smile at her son, the doe heroically lunged at the weasel, but the weasel succeeded in winning the battle by overpowering Laurel and killing her by tearing out her throat. Woundwort shielded his eyes to avoid witnessing the death of another loved one. He prepared for the worst when the weasel came close to killing him when a gunshot rang out, killing the elil. The fire had been put out by a man, who discovered the pair of orphaned young bucks and decided to take them in and raise them.
Locked inside a hutch for the past few seasons, Woundwort and Groundsel were given food and water by the kind human. However, Woundwort could only growl or bite him whenever the Man tried to feed them. It was by now when Groundsel noticed this violent change in his friend, and he grew concerned with each passing minute. The once timid and weak little Woundwort had a black scowl on his expression, combining with his new scarred eye made him appear threatening and cold. Nearby, a black cat was dozing off in his basket. He belonged to the Man, yet the cat disapproved and hated these newcomers in his territory, thus took the opportunity to torment the rabbits whenever his master's back was turned.
Examining the wires of his cage, Woundwort concocted a plan to make their escape. He began to knaw and bite at the wires, though it was a long and tireless job, the young buck was determined to escape this prison. The life of a hutch rabbit wasn't suited for him. He continued to do this all day until the sun started to set. Groundsel had fallen asleep when he heard a pained howl and a shriek. Waking up, he found a large hole had been chewed open in the hutch and Woundwort absent. Looking around, Groundsel discovered the cat hiding underneath a self of kitchen appliances, trembling and licking at the blood oozing from a huge gash in his leg. Groundsel couldn't believe it. Did Woundwort really maim that cat? His question was answered when he found Woundwort standing on a wooden drawer and in front of the window, wiping the blood off his lips. Groundsel didn't need to be told twice to climb out of the hutch and leapt onto the drawer, climbing out of the window with Woundwort to make their escape.
The two bucks escaped the cottage and bounded off into the night, searching for a new home and a new warren to stay. They could have gone back to Darkhaven, that is until they discovered another warren. It was ruled by the cold-hearted and stubborn Fiorin, nevertheless he took them in with plans to train them as part of his Owsla. However, Woundwort concocted a secret plan of his own to usurp Fiorin's leadership and conquer his warren.
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" The now adult Woundwort screamed, grasping his paws at his forehead.
After the entire vision had ended, Fiver fainted but he was caught by Lily. Holly and Bluebell were baffled at such a vision their friend had spoke of, for all they knew Fiver could only predict the future, but nothing like this.
"Who are you, and what in Frith's name is he?!" Woundwort questioned, as the Owsla surrounded them again.
Fiver regained consciousness, just as Holly answered boldly, "I told you. We are from another warren, a great warren. My Owsla is as strong as your own. Silent as the night, and even if you could not see them, they could be all around you."
"Your Owsla?" Orchis repeated, staring at Holly in disbelief. "You're a captain?"
"Captain Holly, if you please, just as you are one, though I dare not call you captain because you and all Owsla in Efrafa lack animality!"
"Don't challenge them!" Bluebell warned.
Campion was intended that he would dare challenge an enemy rabbit but he was forbidden to by his chief rabbit.
"Hold it!" Woundwort had been thinking over what Holly told him, and after witnessing Fiver's gift, he decided to lay down an ultimatum. Maybe these four rabbits can be useful for his warren, until he finds their warren and enslave all who live there. "Perhaps the execution was too fast. After you're all marked, I'll find some use for all of you."
"But, General-" Groundsel objected, but the scowl Woundwort gave him reminded the large buck to keep his mouth shut.
The four rabbits exchanged concerned faces, but since Fiver had saved their lives, maybe there is a slight chance of this turn of events to escape.
"It appears we have no choice," Holly decided, feigning acceptance to live in Efrafa.
Lily, Bluebell and Fiver nodded, agreeing with him.
"Campion, Vervain and Orchis, have them taken to be marked and then escort them to their burrow with a few of the other slaves," Woundwort commanded. "Sainfoin and Charlock, get back to your duties! And bring in Bugloss, I have a job for him."
"Yes, sir!" The five soldiers obeyed, and then left their separate ways, although the three chosen bucks forcibly escorted the prisoners out of the council chamber.
Back on Watership Down, Hazel and Bigwig and Pipkin had made the journey to Nuthanger farm, puzzled at Fiver's absence since he was supposed to go with them, because Kehaar said he had gone to pass hraka at a bad timing. Nevertheless, things did not turn out quite smoothly when they failed to liberate Clover and other does. Returning to the down, Hazel and Bigwig were absolutely livid when Kehaar and Hannah admitted of Holly's plan to bring back does from this warren in the east, but the worst of it is that Fiver and Bluebell had gone with him, distressing Hazel. Not quite as bad as Bigwig discovering Lily's absence when she hadn't gone somewhere alone right after Holly had unleashed his temper on her. The lion buck flew into a rage of fury, but he grew utterly devastated that he might never see Lily again if nobody can find her. Hazel did his best to calm him down and convince Bigwig to start a search party for Lily and the others. So Hazel set off with Bigwig and Silver on their journey. It was late afternoon when the sun began to set long after the three bucks left the high hills. Blackberry had been left in charge until their return, much to the bucks' dismay as the blue doe had them continue digging.
"Frith above, why did Lily have to leave us?!" Bigwig lamented, concerned and frustrated at himself for not seeing this sooner. "If anything happens to her, I'll never forgive myself."
"Don't worry, mate. Fiver, Bluebell and Holly probably found her and asked her to join them..." Silver realized he wasn't helping as Bigwig scorned in his face.
"Need I remind you that Holly is the reason she left us!" Bigwig shouted, thoughts of gaining revenge on the pale grey buck ran through his mind. "Next time I see him, I'm going to tear off his ears and SHOVE THEM DOWN HIS THROAT!"
"We don't need any fighting when we find them," Hazel reprimanded.
"You mean if we find them," Silver dryly pointed out.
"We will find them, I guarantee it."
The search party traveled through the forest for an hour, continuing their journey to Efrafa. Neither of them had a chance to rest, except when eating silflay or drinking from a pond. But they didn't stay long to eat as silflay was very short. Bigwig was the most pushy one of the group, determined to find his beloved doe before anything bad happens to her.
"Where are they taking us?" Holly questioned, right after the three captains had a few does accompany him and his comrades to be marked along with the outsiders.
The tunnel had grown darker by the minute as everyone ventured deeper in the underground burrow, putting a dreadful fear in their souls.
"You're going to be marked," Hyzenthlay explained. "On which leg determines where you'll live in Efrafa, what time you can go out, to eat, or pass hraka."
"This is... it's just a prison!" Fiver complained.
"They tell us it's to keep us safe from humans or elil. But most of all, they tell us Man will find us and infect us with the White Blindness." Another doe called Nettle scorned. "They tell us it's better to give up a little liberty in exchange for safety, but it's a load of old lendri beard!"
"Nettle, be careful!" warned Hyzenthlay.
"I don't believe Man infects rabbits with this white blindness." Lily rolled her eyes in displeasure. "It's an excuse to keep you all in Efrafa."
"We believed it at first as kittens, but as we grew older we realize it is just a pathetic excuse," Hyzenthlay agreed.
The group of rabbits arrived at a darker part of the warren, where a guard stood at the entrance, clearing the way for them to allow access. It was a small round staircase that lead deeper underground. Lily noticed the open roof above where the sky was a mixture of lovely colors, a sign of what could have been a beautiful sunset she would've loved to have seen if not trapped inside this prison. In a small basement, there stood a huge creepy rabbit with droopy ears and a sharp buck tooth. He sharpened the longest nail on his left hind leg. The high pitched scratch of the nail on the iron hurt their ears.
"Who's first?" Vervain looked at the prisoners, waiting impatiently.
Neither of them spoke or tried to move, cause they weren't willing to go or were afraid to go through with this.
"I'll go. I'm not scared," Nettle volunteered, and she went down before sliding on the iron grate to reach the bottom and approached the creepy rabbit.
"Why don't the rabbits here try to escape? Uh, Hyzenthlay!" Holly asked her through a whisper. "Your name is Hyzenthlay, isn't it?"
"Keep your voice down!" Hyzenthlay hissed. "In Efrafa, even the soil has ears. If by some miracle we did manage to get out, they destroy everyone you left behind."
As they watched, the droopy creepy rabbit pressed Nettle down on the iron ground. Sniffing and grunting at her, Nettle bravely extended her front left leg. Then, he started to mark on Nettle's left hind leg. Lily couldn't bare to watch as she pressed her face against Bluebell's shoulder, and the blue buck tried to offer her comfort by patting her shoulder.
Noticing how Campion turned his head away from the suffering of the mark, as if he's seen enough horror in his life before, Holly said, "Don't avert your eyes, Captain Campion. You're a party to this."
"I'm following orders," Campion denied. "That's what soldiers do."
"Take it from me. What makes a good soldier is not always what makes a good rabbit," advised Holly.
When it was over, Nettle lumped as she climbed up out of the basement back to the others. Orchis ordered the next prisoner to go in, so Fiver volunteered silently as he hopped down the iron grate and calmly awaited his mark.
"What are your names?" Hyzenthlay asked both Lily and Bluebell their names, noticing hos terrified they were.
"I'm Lily, and this is Bluebell," the ginger doe introduced themselves.
"Listen, I want the both of you to close your eyes and think of something you really like," Hyzenthlay advised, as one of them could be next to receive a mark in order to make them feel better.
"Spring morning, eating sweet sow thistle," Bluebell said. "The sun on my back-"
"You're next!" Vervain ordered.
Bluebell was pushed forward to go in. He passed the already marked Fiver, who limped badly, and slid down the iron grate to receive his mark.
"What I like to think of is living back on the farm with Henry, eating carrots, sitting on the beach with his family..." Lily sighed, dreamily.
"What is a beach?" Vilthuril was puzzled. "Where did you say you're from?"
"Ridgeway farm, it was my home until a fire started," explained Lily. "But living here would be far worse than what happened to Henry... I just hope he's okay..."
Fiver sighed, realizing that he had to tell her the truth about Henry's fate sooner than he thought.
"Hyzenthlay, I can see you're a good rabbit, a strong rabbit," Holly commended, sincerely. "Let's make a break for it tonight. We'll take as many with us as we can."
"You know nothing of me, Holly, and I know nothing of you," Hyzenthlay refused, glaring suspiciously. "How do I know you're not one of them?"
"You knew he wasn't one of the Efrafans when you were staring into his eyes like they were filled with carrots!" Lily chided, quoting Bluebell's words about love at first sight.
Hyzenthlay whirled her head around to scowl darkly at her, though her cheeks were as red as the sky above.
"But what about you?" Fiver asked. "What makes you happy?"
Hyzenthlay's eyes enlarged as she turned away, her eyes shut tight for a moment until one word escaped from her lips, "Primrose."
Campion's ear twitched upon hearing that familiar name, and Lily could see a deep sorrow in his eyes.
"You're next, farm doe!" Orchis immediately shoved the quivering Lily forward, as she stumbled down the iron grate and into the darkness, hearing the fearful gasps of Holly and Fiver.
Bluebell hopped past her to get back up the iron grate. "Be brave," he whispered in her ear.
Nodding, Lily cautiously approached the droopy rabbit as he sniffed at her. There was a creepy grin on his face when he shoved her to the iron floor with his large paw, feeling his heavy weight crushing her body.
I must be brave and not cry like a cowardly little...Aaah! Lily's thoughts cut short when the edge of the nail pierced onto her right hind leg. She began to cringe and whimper, but she kept her mouth firmly shut. The nail went deeper into her leg as she felt a part of her flesh and fur was opened. Her paws grasped the iron floor, leaving her own engraved marks. When her mark was complete, the droopy removed his nail and Lily limped her way out of the darkness as quickly as she could to rejoin the others.
"You were very brave," Holly praised, warmly smiling at Lily for the first time throughout their interaction. He had been dreadfully concerned for her wellbeing after witnessing the poor doe receiving her cruel mark.
"Thank you." Lily smiled, and despite everything they had been through in the past, she found it in her heart to willingly forgive him.
Night came, but nobody wanted to star gaze tonight as the does needed to silflay outside the warren. Both areas of the warren outside the chimney stacks and the crooked tree had large groups of does silflaying because their marks meant it was their time to silflay. Under the General's orders, Captain Bugloss was given the job of being put in charge to keep watch over the four newcomers as he kept a stern eagle eye on the rabbits.
"Ah... I think it cut deep. It won't stop bleeding," Fiver grunted, limping.
"I know how you feel," Lily replied, licking her word with her tongue. "I just wish Blackberry was here to give us herbs."
"I doubt they allow healing herbs around here, stupid Efrafans!" Bluebell stuck his tongue out at Charlock and Bugloss when they weren't looking. "So, what do we do now?"
"We have a choice to make." Holly brought the four of them together, huddling closer to lay out the plan. "We can stay or we can run. I still believe we can make a run for it."
"But what happened to you back there, Fiver?" inquired Bluebell. "I've never seen a vision take you that way... especially the look in your eyes... it frightened everybody in the Council's chamber."
"I hope it never does again," Fiver replied, worriedly. "Woundwort is full of hate and fear and... and loss. It just swept over me."
"It saved our lives, Fiver," assured Holly, comfortingly.
Lily thought of something else for her group that could work in their plan. "There was a railroad nearby when they captured me. If they chase us, we can lure them to the railroad where a train will come by and cut them off from pursuing us."
"What is a railroad and a train?" Bluebell raised a confused eyebrow.
Suddenly they heard Vervain make a surprise announcement at a small broken stone hedge, "Listen up, I want to introduce you to Blackavar!" He ordered an Owsla buck to shove the battered dark rabbit to parade during the silflay, where more bloody marks were on him, as this was Vervain's way of humiliating Blackavar. "Look hard at this rabbit and remember him when you think of disobeying General Woundwort."
Lily wanted to step in and defend Blackavar, but Holly held her back and shook his head. Vervain glanced an evil grin at the four outsiders that could have made the Batman's nemesis, the Joker, proud.
"If we leave tonight, we should bring Blackavar and Hyzenthlay with us," whispered Lily.
"They will, but we need to get ourselves out first," Holly advised. "We'll need Hazel's help to get them out of Efrafa, especially every single doe in this Frith forsaken warren."
Lily sighed, devastated. She knew he was right, but her heart cried out to does, most of all Hyzenthlay, Vilthuril, Blackavar and every imprisoned doe present at silflaying. They had no choice but to leave the others behind.
Taking one last look at the guards on sentry duty as they talked to each other, Holly whispered to his friends, "Can you run?"
"Yes!" Lily, Fiver and Bluebell answered in union.
"Now... on my word, run and don't look back," Holly added. "Whatever it takes to survive."
The four of them started to slowly move away from the guards and the does. However, it didn't take long for their escape attempt to go unnoticed.
"You, there!" Bugloss shouted when he first noticed their movements.
The does looked up and gasped, shocked at their bold actions. Even Blackavar and his guard paused to see what was going on.
"Run!" Holly instructed loudly.
And with that, the four rabbits started to pick up speed and made a run for it to get away from the warren. However, they were being pursued by Charlock, Bugloss, Vervain and a few more guards.
Despite the pain in their marked legs, Lily and her companions successfully managed to escape from the warren of hell, but the soldiers were still on their tail. They used attempted maneuvers to get rid of them by going through thick bushes and under a bridge where two guards blocked their way out. With a battle cry, Holly and Lily tackled them both to get them out of their way, although Holly maintained leadership while Lily never felt such strength before. They were about to run underneath a third bridge, but their path was blocked off that the four rabbits had to climb up the hill to make their getaway.
Fiver's hind leg started to ache by the cut in his leg. "My leg! I can't run fast enough!" he exclaimed.
"We're nearly there!" Holly encouraged, making the harsh climb.
"There's no end to this place!" Bluebell panted, on the verge of giving up.
At the top of the hill, Lily noticed a tall hill and a railroad. Her heart soared with joy. "There! It's the railroad!"
Suddenly Charlock appeared out of nowhere and prevented their escape. "You lot have made a very grave error," he sneered.
Just when it seemed the four rabbits have lost all hope, when a familiar doe lunged out of nowhere and tackled the startled Charlock.
"Hyzenthlay!" gasped Holly.
"Run!" she ordered, and as the others ran, though Holly hesitated.
"Come with us!" the grey buck tried to persuade her.
"I would never go without the others! Go, now!" the doe urged.
"I'll come back for you! I promise!" Holly made a valiant vow, as he started his running feet back up to catch up to his friends, just as more soldiers arrived and Hyzenthlay was struck unconscious by Charlock after he told her that this is the last time she sees the stars.
Sliding downhill after their rough climb, giving them more speed to escape the Efrafan soldiers. Racing across an open meadow, they reached the higher hill filled with coal rocks, making Lily realize they were closer to the railroad tracks now and her part of the plan could work. Fiver slipped and slowly fell back down toward where the Owsla was approaching, close enough to catch the runt.
"Fiver!" Holly shouted, turning back to catch him in time and whirled around to slash Charlock in the face with his claws.
Once they made it to the top, Bluebell and Lily waited for them. Their ears cocked when they heard a familiar voice calling their names.
"It sounds like Hazel and Bigwig!" Bluebell cheered.
Looking down on the other side of the hill, the four rabbits could see by the light of the full moon where Hazel, Bigwig and Silver were racing to the bottom of the coal mountain, relieved and overjoyed to have found their friends.
"It is Hazel and Bigwig!" Lily exclaimed, tears of joy stung her eyes. "Thank Frith!"
Before either of them could do anything, Charlock and Bugloss caught up to them and started biting on Fiver, as his hind leg burned from all the running and the cut in his leg.
"Ow, my leg!" Fiver cried out in pain.
"Leave him alone!" Hazel's voice bellowed down below.
"Who is that?!" Charlock's head shot up, briefly surprised by the sudden presence of more outsiders.
As if things couldn't get any worse, a passenger train rattled the tracks, signaling its oncoming approach. The train's head lights were shining so brightly that it caught Fiver's attention, making the runt go tharn.
Holly and Bluebell roughly pushed Charlock and Bugloss off the paralyzed Fiver. Another guard came onto the tracks, and Holly was engaged in combat with Charlock, whilst Bluebell fought against Bugloss. Lily was about to get Fiver back on his feet, the train's whistle shrieked in the distance and the lights caught her and everyone's attention.
"FIVER! LILY! DON'T LOOK INTO THE LIGHT! YOU'LL GO THARN!" Holly screamed, just as Bugloss lunged to attack him.
"Holly, go! I'll help them!" hollered Bluebell.
And then, Bluebell shoved him off the tracks to get him out of harm's way so he could fight Bugloss. Shaking her head, Lily returned to reality, just as Charlock grabbed Fiver by the ears as the runt squealed in agony.
"If I'm going to meet the Black Rabbit of Inle, you will share my fate with me!" Charlock threatened.
"Bluebell, go!" ordered Lily.
The doe pushed the blue buck off the tracks, then turned to bite Charlock's leg, causing the Efrafan to scream and release the still paralyzed Fiver, then she tore at Bugloss' neck, making him gurgle and choke as blood poured out of his throat. The lights got brighter and the train grew closer than ever. Bugloss and Charlock were both unable to move due to their injuries. Lily threw her arms around Fiver as she leaped towards the other side of the tracks carrying him in her embrace, but Bugloss and Charlock's screams were silenced as the train thundered in, killing them instantly.
Down below, the rest of the Watership Down rabbits had reunited with Holly and Bluebell, but they could barely see what was going on. They watched in horror as what recently appeared to be four rabbits struck and killed by the giant speeding train.
"No!" whispered Bigwig, hoping his beloved doe and his friend weren't killed right before his very eyes.
"Fiver!" Hazel called out, close to a panic at what he believed to be his brother's demise.
The other rabbits prayed, silently watching and waiting for any signs of life. Just then, two rabbits bounced down the hill and rolled across the ground to their feet. It was Lily and Fiver, though unharmed yet not sure if they are still alive. The shaken Fiver stood up, his legs trembled, trying to recover from the shock of incident.
"Fiver, you're alright!" Hazel rushed over, giving his little brother a neck rub with such joy and relief. "Thank Frith, I found you!"
"Hazel, am I glad to see you!" Fiver returned the neck rub with equal affection.
Standing back up on his feet, Holly smiled graciously at Bluebell for his actions. "Bluebell, you saved me. You're a hero."
"I much preferred it when I was a liability," Bluebell shrugged. "But what was that thing?"
"Either way, Frith has decided that it's not our time to stop running," Holly guessed.
"LILY!" Bigwig's panicked voice rang out, catching their attention. For when the lion buck had rushed over to her body, he grew concerned when Lily failed to open her eyes and no signs of breathing happened. "Lily, please answer me!" he cried, shaking her body hoping it would wake her.
"Please tell me she's not dead," Holly worried.
Silver laid a paw on her chest. "I feel a heart beat, she's still alive."
"Then why doesn't she wake up?!" Bigwig shouted, frantic with worry.
"It was a long fall from that hill, she probably struck her head," deduced Holly.
Remembering Holly is the reason for Lily's disappearance, Bigwig felt anger boil inside of him. His claws embedded in the ground. He was about to lash out at him when he heard a quiet groan. The anger faded, replaced by genuine concern for his doe. Lily's head tossed slightly. Her eyes flickered open only a little bit. Her vision was half blurry, but she recognized Bigwig, Hazel, Fiver, Holly, Bluebell and Silver. The doe's head throbbed in such extreme pain, making her release an agitated squeal.
"She might be hurt!" Bigwig cried, distressed. "We've got to get her back to Watership Down!"
Lily felt her vision slip away, especially the vision of her friends crowding around her with deep concern. The last thing she saw was Bigwig's mouth assuring her, "Lily... Hold on..." just as everything went black.