When I exited out of the warren, I saw Blackberry still limping towards Bluebell. I looked over to see the three does and they weren't separated. Outside of warren is being heavily guarded, by Efrafa sentry guards and patrols near by. When I got to Blackberry and Bluebell, Blackberry was still limping, probably his mark was a huge cut that it couldn't stop bleeding.

"Ah... I think it cut deep. It won't stop the bleeding." Blackberry said.

"I think I have something that could remedy it." I started to search through my backpack and took out my first-aid kit.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Trying to stop the bleeding." I answered, as I dipped a bit of anti-peroxide on a washcloth. I than dabbed on his mark. He even groaned from the stung. "Just trust me. It'll stop the bleeding." I continued to gently dab his mark to clean his wound. "I think it stopped the bleeding. Bluebell, do you want me to do the same thing?"

"Not if it stings!" he politely refuses and acted like a young, human boy not wanting something that it would sting him. I chuckled from the way he said it, before he noticed my scars and marks. "What happened to you?"

"It's... it's nothing." I wanted to forget about it.

"It's not nothing. You received a thrashing by their Owsla." Blackberry stated. "And where's Captain Holly?"

We than saw Captain Holly heading his way towards us and carrying with him, on his back, was my Bible opened half way so he could carry. "I found it."

I gave him a hug. "Thank you, Captain Holly! I can't tell how I can't thank you enough!"

"No mention of it at all." he said. "Although some of the pages appeared to be torn out or poor conditioned."

"I know... Woundwart torn some of the pages out that I managed to collect them. The rest, it was probably dirty from my brothers tossing it outside, when I was living with them." I explained to him than I looked at his mark. "Is your mark bleeding bad?"

"It's not too bad." Captain Holly showed me.

"Here, let me help you with that." I poured anti-peroxide on the washcloth.

"What are you doing?!" he asked me.

"Going to clean the mark, so it won't go infected and it may even stop the bleeding." I answered. "If you let me help you, as you helped me."

"It wasn't that bad." Blackberry informed him. "It worked and stopped the bleeding."

"Alright, but please, be very careful." Captain Holly finally allowed me to help clean his wound. I slowly began to dab on his mark, as he groaned from the sting. "How are we going to do with Bluebell's?" I whispered. "It doesn't look too good."

"Blackberry?" he than called him over.

"What is it, Holly?" he asked.

"Try to distract him anyway you can, if it started to hurt him I'll hold him down."

Blackberry nodded from Captain Holly's whispered instruction. He than headed towards Bluebell and the two started to talk, as if they're having a conversation.

"Are you needing some help with your wounds?" Captain Holly asked me, after I finished his wounds.

"I'll be fine. I got worst." I answered, as I added a little more anti-peroxide on the cloth. "You ready?"

He nodded his head, as we stayed behind Bluebell. I noticed his mark was still bleeding a bit. However, his wound may even go infected if it wasn't probably taken care. I slowly approached to and gently dabbed the cloth on Bluebell's hind, as he than let off a Buddy scream from Elf.

"OWWWWWW!" Bluebell screamed, Captain Holly gently held onto him for he won't struggle.

"I know, but you'll thank me later." I told him.

"I thought I told I don't want something that stings!" Bluebell exclaimed like a young boy.

"If you don't struggle, it won't hurt as much." I advised him.

"Alright." he finally trusted me, as I continued to dab. "And Blackberry... I'll come after you one day, I promise you."

"What did I do?" Blackberry questioned.

Captain Holly and I chuckled, as I just wrapped up cleaning his mark. "There... that should work."

Bluebell started to move his hind leg and he doesn't feel too much pain. "Th- thank you."

"Yes indeed, thank you." Blackberry and Captain Holly thanked me also.


"Anytime." I said back to them. I than heard a crack of the gem. I pulled it out to see it made another crack.

"Kevin, your necklace." Captain Holly exclaimed.

I sighed. "Every time I do something it does another crack. It shouldn't have to be like that."

"It may not be your task."

"I understand. It was just a simple random act of kindness that's all." I stated. "So, what are we going to do now?"

"Now that you mentioned it." Captain Holly and the rest of us bundled together, as if we're a sports team, laying down our game-plan. "We have a choice to make. We can stay or we can run."

"All right, listen up, left hind mark." We than spotted Captain Vervain starting to make an announcement.

"That's him, the one who mostly thrashed me. And his brother." I whispered.

"I figured." Captain Holly whispered.

"I want to introduce you to Blackavar." Captain Vervain turned towards a broken small stone hedge, to see Blackavar being pushed by an Owsla buck. "Look hard at this rabbit and remember him when you think of disobeying General Woundwart." He continued to humiliate Blackavar, as he was being paraded during silflay. We saw claw marks and scratches on him. He even turned towards us. The Owsla buck pushed him to get him moving.

"Stop it!" I protested, as I was being held back by Captain Holly. Everyone got my attention, especially Captain Vervain.

"... and even to those who are not our kind. They're not meant to be treated the same." Captain Vervain announced about me, before everyone else went back to silflay.

"We have to get him out!" I whispered. "He suffered enough."

"He will, but first we need to get ourselves out. They could stop all of us even if we got everyone out." Captain Holly said.

"Even Hyzenthlay?" I questioned.

Captain Holly went silent. "We told her that she could join us. Unfortunately, we wouldn't be able to get everyone out, but we'll come back to get everyone out."

I sighed, as his desperation plan is out of the question. We have no other choice, but to leave the others behind, including Hyzenthlay if she doesn't join us.

"Well, that settles it, then." Blackberry agreed with his plan, even Bluebell.

"Yes, I think it does." Captain Holly spoke, as the four of us looked back the guarding bucks. "Now Kevin, can you run?"

"I think so. There's no cut on my left leg, remember." I answered.

"Oh right. I'm sorry." he apologized. "If you falter, we'll come back to have you catch up with us."

I nodded.

"Now... on my word, run and don't look back." Captain Holly whispered, as we looked back to see the guards talking to each other. "Whatever it takes to survive."

"I just don't want to survive, Captain Holly... I want to live." I whispered, as the four of us started a slow pace.

"You there!" Captain Vervain shouted out for us, as the does gasped and noticed us leaving.

"He spotted us!" I whispered.

"Run." Captain Holly instructed us and we started to run quickly from the warren, as we're being pursued by Captain Vervain and his guards.

We successfully managed to get away from the warren, as Vervain and more of his bucks were still onto. We tried to make maneuvers to cut them off or try to lose them by going through the bushes and out of the open. We than went under a small bridge and we're about to go underneath it, but two bucks blocked our way out. Captain Holly started to go faster, as he than took out both of them in a tackle, as he maintained to take lead. We're about to go underneath a third bridge, but was blocked off that we had to climb up on the dirt to get back on high level.

As they continued to come after us, I was running out breath and Blackberry's hind leg started to grow sore. We're climbing up a hill that it started to worn the both of us.

"My leg, Holly, I can't run fast enough." Blackberry exclaimed, as I had my left arm around him, as we continued to press on. "Even Kevin can't run fast enough."

"We're nearly there, you two." Captain Holly encouraged us to keep running. "We're nearly..." He and Bluebell froze.

"What is it?" I asked, as we reached towards them.

"There's no end to this place." Blackberry panted.

I looked out towards a tall bridge and it's a railroad bridge. My gem started to glow, as it was given us direction. "We have to go straight."

"Are you sure?" Captain Holly questioned.

"Yes, my necklace is glowing and it may continued to blink if we're getting close. It may help us get back to our warren." I was certain.

"You lots have made a very grave error." Captain Vervain came from our behind. We feared that our run stops here, as we're out of breath, until a doe came out of no where and tackled him.

"Hyzenthlay." Captain Holly recognized the doe.

"Run!" she told us, as Blackberry and Bluebell ran, as Captain Holly and I hesitated.

"What about you? Join us!" I tried to persuade to her to join us.

"There's no time! Also I can't leave my sisters, now GO!"

"We'll come back for you." Captain Holly promised, before the two of us continued to flee and more bucks started to pursue us.

We went downhill after our climb and it even started to give us more than ran at an open field meadow. I was starting to pant and pant, until I was running out of breath that I fell flat on the dirt. Gasping for air.

"Kevin!" Captain Holly stopped and came back to me, to get me up. "Come on boy, get up! You can't give up!"

"I... I can't! I'm running out of breath! Leave me please!" I was gasping for air, as he started to head butt me gently.

"Just keep going, son. Just keep looking ahead!" he encouraged me to keep running. He got me a head start, as the both of us started to catch up with Blackberry and Bluebell. My gem started to blank slowly. "Your gem, we maybe getting somewhere now!"

I nodded my head quickly and acknowledged about my necklace's light blanking. We than started to climb up on the coal rocks, as we're close to a railroad track. Blackberry slipped and started to slowly drag him down towards the Efrafans and Captain Vervain, as he was close towards Blackberry.

"Blackberry!" Captain Holly shouted. The both of us hurried back to catch him, as I grabbed a coal rock, as I noticed Captain Vervain was very close. Captain Holly caught Blackberry. Captain Vervain nearly struck them both. I than bashed his face with my coal rock hard. He manages to remain standing, despite leaving him a bashing wound on his nose and muzzle. I hurried off to catch up with Captain Holly and Blackberry. The two looked at me.

"That felt really good." I panted.

"Not good, brilliant!" Captain Holly commended me protecting him and Blackberry from Captain Vervain. We shared a chuckle moment. "Now keep moving forward."

We climbed to the very top and caught up with Bluebell. It was until than, Captain Vervain caught up to us and started to biting on Blackberry on his hind leg and causing it to bleed a bit more. "Ow, my leg!" Blackberry cried.

Captain Holly, Bluebell, and I returned to Blackberry, as I noticed a incoming passenger train rattling nearby. It wasn't far from us, as it's bright lights were shining bright. The four of us engaged into combat and attacked Vervain. Surprisingly, Bluebell pushed Captain Vervain off of Blackberry, before exchanging combat.

"GUYS, WE NEED TO GET OFF!" I warned Captain Holly and Bluebell, as I pulled Blackberry off the tracks. I came and got them off, but I was tackled on the ground by Vervain.

"Look have you done!" he growled, as he started to attack me that I dropped my coal to block his attacks. I looked to see the lights were getting close.

"KEVIN, DON'T LOOK INTO THE LIGHT! YOU'LL GO THARN!" Captain Holly shouted to me.

The light was close but the train was seconds apart by distance. "You'll join me with The Black Rabbit of Inle'! And you won't return to your own world." Captain Vervain cursed. "We'll suffer the tortures of The Black Rabbit together."

"I believe in God The Father and Jesus Christ! I won't join you and The Black Rabbit!" I exclaimed, as I grabbed another coal and bashed face again, before injuring his leg. The lights were getting brighter and brighter, as the train is getting very close.

Kevin, jump!

I heard a conscience in my heart telling me to jump. I leaped towards the other side of the tracks where I bounced upon Captain Holly, Blackberry, and Bluebell that we rolled downhill.

"I'm sorry!" I apologized, as I was rolling down.

"Don't apologize!" Captain Holly shouted. We finally came to a stop at the bottom of the hill and got back on our feet.


We looked back at the slow moving train, before we looked back at each other. In relief that we're still in one piece and managed to escape from Efrafa.

"Bluebell... you saved me. You're a hero." Blackberry felt gracious of Bluebell's rescue.

Bluebell had fewer words. "I much preferred it when I was a liability."

"You're not. It was commendable! Besides, you were never even a liability as you provided great stories of El-Ahairah and your people." I commended Bluebell.

"And... you too Kevin." Blackberry turned towards me.

"Me?"

"Yes you. You saved us, before Vervain got to us. As well you healed our wounds, we thank you." Captain Holly agreed and the three thanked me with a bow.

"Please don't doing that." I pleaded kindly to them without being ungrateful and rude.

"You're not gracious?" he questioned.

"No... it's not that. I'm very gracious." I spoke. "Just a 'thank you' is good enough for me. Also, it was just a 'random act of kindness' that we supposed to give back to each other. We look after each other and that's everything."

The three of them looked at each other, before looking back at me and smiled. "Very well. A 'thank you'." They did just like that with a nod of acknowledgement.

"That's alright." I said back to them and we looked at the passenger train once more.

"What was that?" Bluebell wondered.

"It's a train. Humans ride on it to get to another train station to get to places. Unlike cars, we get to relax and look out the windows, as we ride on the train." I explained to Bluebell.

"Either way, Frith has decided that it's not our time to stop running." Captain Holly added.

"Look I'm sorry what I did to your people." I than started to apologize.

"For what?" he questioned.

"Vervain. I injured his face and broke his legs..."

"Kevin... Kevin. You protected us. You have nothing to apologize." Captain Holly stated. "Just like Bigwig taught you, 'only fight for those you cared for and/or loved'. And you did just that."

I remembered what Bigwig taught me in my combat training. I only fought and injured Captain Vervain to protect Captain Holly, Blackberry, and Bluebell. "Right."

"I suggested that we head for home." Bluebell stated.

"Home... now that is a beautiful word." Captain Holly stated. The four of us started to journey for home. The gem stopped blanking, as we're probably close to home.

"I wonder, if should we tell Hazel-rah about Efrafa?" Bluebell asked.

"Indeed. I even promised to Hyzenthlay that we would come back." Captain Holly answered.

"Yes, but now we're fugitives for that warren. We can't return back there or they could spot us easily and punish us severely." Blackberry added.

As I listened to their conversation, a jolt kicked in my heart. It was unusual sensation I felt. It than jolted me again, as if a bullet struck me in the chest. Pain let out that it knocked me down on my knees. The three stopped and returned back to me.

"Kevin, what's wrong?" Blackberry asked.

"I don't know... something jolted me. In my heart. Now I'm starting to feel very weak." I said.

"From Woundwart, or the Captains Vervain and Orchis?" Captain Holly suspected.

"No..." I said, before another heart pound ached me in pain that I shouted. It grew sore into a unbearable pain. "It hurts! Somethings happening."

"Easy, son." Captain Holly calmed me. "What is it? Tell us."

A vision kicked in. I see a doe hiding in a bush. The farmer, from the farm, was carrying a double barrel shotgun aiming at the doe. A buck rushed out of a small grass and tackled the farmer, as he budge and the shot failed his aim. The doe fled. I followed the buck while he was fleeing. The farmer aimed once more, but this time at the buck. He than fired at the buck, as the shot ricochet to the ground into bits. The bullet scatters, hit the buck on one of his hind legs. I hurried over to the buck to see who it was. His body flew towards and landed flat at a ditch near underneath a walkway. I got close to see... it was Hazel! My heart jolted again, as if his wound was affecting my heart.

Kevin.

I gasped to see I was back at the field where Captain Holly, Blackberry, and Bluebell stood by me.

"It's Hazel... he's been shot." I was panting as the bucks gasped. I was then losing my breath that I started to become dizzy that I lost consciousness.

"Kevin!" Captain Holly shouted, before I blacked out. I wasn't sure what happened onward. Despite being in and out consciousness, I was being carried on someone's back, as they're hopping for home.

"Kevin stay with us." I heard Captain Holly's voice close and figured I was on his back.

My eyes closed and opened again repetitively. At one point, I saw The Black Rabbit following us. "She's following us." I said very weakly.

"She can't have you!" Captain Holly rejected. "Hang on, son. We're close to being home.

I closed my eyes again and I saw The Black Rabbit standing next to a buck that I presumed it was Hazel. "No... Hazel... you can't die..."

"He's going tharn. We need to him to rest as soon as possible, when we arrive back." Blackberry suggested. I than passed out completely.


They arrived back at the warren, just about the same time Bigwig and Fiver came, with two does: and one of them was Clover. They were surprised to see each other, even Bigwig.

"Where have you two been?" Bigwig wondered.

"We headed towards a warren to see we could find does." Captain Holly answered. "But we got captured and we just escaped."

Bigwig noticed the unconscious Kevin. "What happened to him?"

"He's unconscious. He said his heart jolted in pain. Worst than that, he was attacked by a nasty rabbits: Captains Vervain and Orchis, and General Woundwart." Captain Holly answered.

Bigwig's paw nails nearly embedded on the dirt, until he breathed. "Captain Holly, I don't know you noticed. Hazel's-"

"We know what happened." Bluebell finished.

Surprising Bigwig and even Fiver. "How did he know?" Fiver asked.

"As hi heart began jolt in pain, he visioned of seeing Hazel being shot." Blackberry answered. "But right now, we must get him to lie down."

"Apparently, the warren looks like it was already built." Bigwig said. "We'll have to get him to an empty burrow. Quickly!"

They hurried inside, as they found him an empty burrow. They lie him onto his blankets and a pillow, while removing his backpack. They had one of the rabbits fetch some plants and herbs to heal his wounds, as they pulled his shirt to neck gently.

It was than that my eyes opened, as I was still unconscious. I wasn't sure where I was, but I couldn't speak or even feel my body. Everyone rushed around me, as they were probably trying to save my life. I could hear their voices, but they were muffled. I started to hear a narration from a movie that I remember seeing with my brother Dan, after he joined the military and he was on Christmas leave. We went to see a movie called Lone Survivor. The opening narration stuck withme, whenever I was being whipped by Mark and Mack. Surprisingly although very faintly, I heard the narration while being beaten by Captains Orchis and Vervain, and General Woundwart. I now started to hear the narration grow louder and louder. As I than noticed The Black Rabbit was near me.

There's a storm inside of us. I've heard many team guys speak of this. A burning. A river. A drive. An unrelenting desire to push yourself harder and further than anyone could think possible. Pushing ourselves into those cold, dark corners, where the bad things live. Where the bad things fight. We wanted that fight at the highest volume. A loud fight. The loudest, coldest, darkest, most unpleasant of the unpleasant fights.

After hearing the narration from Lone Survivor, my vision went blurry. I looked up to see The Black Rabbit's face clearly. She than closed my eyes as if I was going to die or going into a deep sleep.