Prisoners of Efrafa Part 1

It's been hours since our capture and after I was being brought back to Efrafa after being brought by Vervain to announce his demands. I was sent back to my burrow and there I decided to fall asleep for the night. As the morning came, I couldn't be able to get one sleep, despite of having a comfortable burrow. I fear for the worst for everyone back in our warren. I never thought this part of my life would turn out this way, as I remember hearing international stories about hostage crisis' like in Munich in 1972, and more other international hostage crisis to recall from my interests of history. I got up and went over to see two rabbits were guarding the burrow. As I try to leave the burrow, they noticed me before looking straight back at the tunnels' walls.

I went on to find Pipkin and Tyler, as I went to the next burrow to see Pipkin and Tyler were eating some flayrah.

"Oh hello Andrew!" Pipkin greeted.

"Morning." Tyler greeted also. I smiled, before I recognized the black rabbit, who was giving them food, was none other than Vervain. As looked at me, I lowered my head down without getting any eye contact with him and my smiled faded.

"General Woundwart thought you might enjoy this flayrah, young masters Pipkin and Tyler, and human Andrew." Vervain said.

I sat down next to Pipkin and Tyler being dead silent and watched Pipkin and Tyler eat.

"You have to try some, they're not bad." Tyler encouraged me to eat.

I didn't felt like eating after having a bad sleep. I simply set it a carrot and didn't even had a taste.

"Are you alright?" he than asked.

"I'm fine, just didn't sleep well." I said, as I continued to look away as Vervain was there.

"What are you staring at?" I heard Vervain and I thought he questioning me.

"Kehaar says you are awfully ugly." Pipkin answered, as he was being questioned from looking at Vervain. "I don't think you're all that bad."

I giggled inside, as I still recall that Kehaar quoting "Ugly Vervain".

"I suppose you do need some matters-" Vervain spoke.

"Take it easy, Vervain! He wasn't trying to hurt your feelings, he's being nice." Tyler defended Pipkin.

"How about you both need a lesson in matters, you snocky little pu-" Vervain was about to strike at them both, as I looked back up to see they were going to be clawed, but luckily he was than stopped by General Woundwart, as he called him out. Vervain than patted both Pipkin's and Tyler's heads with his paws.

"Perhaps you'd like a lesson in obedience." Woundwart warned Vervain.

"If... the general wishes to give one." Vervain nervously stated.

"Young Pipkin and Tyler, and Andrew are our guests. I won't tell you again." Woundwart reminded him, before Vervain left the burrow.

"So how's the flayrah today?" Woundwart asked.

"Very good, thank you sir." Pipkin thanked him.

"Indeed." Tyler thanked also.

"And you?" Woundwart asked me.

"Me?" I asked.

"Yes, the flayrah."

I looked away and shook my head. "I'm not hungry and I didn't sleep good."

Pipkin and Tyler looked at each other a bit worried about myself.

"A soft bed, a dry chamber, food, nothing wanting, eh?" Woundwart smiled.

"Are you going to let us go? I'm pretty sure you could keep me here, for I care." I was depressive when I asked.

He than remembered what happened to last night between me and Vervain. "Despite of what you have done, you're lucky to have a mother."

"I have parents, whom I love so much. I'm pretty sure they moved on, except my mother, who just heard me. She'll probably be told it was just her imagination or it was my voice."

"Not to worry of the three of you. You'll see them soon." Woundwart assured us.

"I don't have a mother and father sir. The weasel got them both." Pipkin sadly said.

I looked back at Pipkin and quietly gasped, despite I knew Bigwig mostly looked after him. "I'm sorry Pipkin, I didn't know about that."

"Our condolences." Tyler gave him condolences, as well as I.

Pipkin warmly smiles, before we looked back to Woundwart, whose in a shock state.

"General, what's the matter?" Pipkin asked. I went up to him, as I remembered about Fiver's vision about Woundwart's past and what had happened to his mother.

"Woundwart?" I tried to get his attention, as I tried place my hand on his back.

Suddenly, he gasped, as I backed away. "Sorry, you were in a frozen state, are you alright?"

"I lost my parents too. While I was Pipkin's age." Woundwart recalled losing his parents.

"I'm sorry about your parents, I know they really loved you dearly." I gave him a condolence.

"I'm sorry too. It's awful isn't it." Pipkin gave him a condolence.

"Well, I can't spend the day filling my face, can I?" Woundwart than stood up. "If you two... or three need anything... just ask."

"Thank you General." I thanked, as the rest of us did, before Woundwart hopped away. Pipkin looked a bit sadden to hear about Woundwart.

"I kind of knew it." I said. "I remembered when Fiver visioned it about the lost of Woundwart's mother."

"I remembered that he told me about it when I first came and we both sat together eating flayrah like this." Tyler recalled.

I picked up a piece of cabbage leaf and decided to take a bite and it wasn't bad, nearly compared to Watership Down's flayrah. "They don't taste different."

Tyler and Pipkin chuckled.

"How come Woundwart was slightly kind to you, except that you ran away?" I than asked.

"He slightly knew I wasn't too happy and also on how they treated other rabbits here." Tyler recalled. "Besides at least he knew where I came from another world. He also overheard me rambling on that we nearly go into a fight and/or I was sentenced to execution."

"What do you mean?" Pipkin questioned. "I though you were a hlessi and you were a wandering rabbit."

"Who told you that?" Tyler asked.

"Clover did. She than found you, when you were being caged by 'man'." Pipkin answered.

"No, Pipkin. Woundwart's right. I'm really from another world." Tyler pointed out, until he gasped from what he had said.

"What?!" Pipkin in shocked.

I was surprised that Tyler would speak about his true origin, as he took a deep breath. "I'm tired of all the lies that my mom and I had to tell you and the rest of the warren." He sighed. "Prepare yourself... for you're about to learn... the terrible truth."

I didn't want to speak about it or tell Pipkin it is true, as I promised to keep it a secret.

"I lived in New York City, at one an orphanage, as long as I could remember. Although, since two I became devoted to protect and save animals from bad humans, who do terrible things. It wasn't until, when I was four and I was going about my day in streets, I was ran over by a taxi cab."

"You're a human, like Andrew?" Pipkin questioned before he looked at me.

"Yes, but only for a short life, because I died from a being hit by a cab. I than woke up to see a black rabbit-"

"The Black Rabbit of Inle'." Pipkin guessed.

"Yes, I than was changed into a rabbit from my actions I have done and came to your world, as a rabbit." Tyler went on.

"So, how did you actually got caught, meaning by how you came in?" I asked.

"When Woundwart's Owsla found me, Woundwart later on told me that they had spotted a bright light that came down from the sky." Tyler answered.

Flashback Begins

All I remembered after I was changed into a rabbit by The Black Rabbit of Inle', I was descending down to Earth, but I couldn't see because all I could see was bright lights that blinded me until it went black. I than woke up and looked around to see I was somewhere in the woods.

Well... I'm afraid I'm not in New York anymore. I said to myself.

I than started to wander around through the woods until I managed to find a open field where they're more green grasses, high hills, and possibly more animals even rabbits live around. That wasn't until eventually that I was spotted by Vervain and his Owsla that they than surrounded me and I had no choice to surrender and tell them that I'm lost and I was looking for a place to stay.

I than was presented to Woundwart and told me where I came from and I told him I was a wandering rabbit. Before I where I am today, I had lived to see the mutiny of Woundwart and his Owsla shown on their follow rabbits. My true identity was discovered by Woundwart, as I was talking to myself. I was nearly going to be punished, as Woundwart discovered me as human, but I explained to him what had me changed into a rabbit and he decided to spare me. Making my escape and being caught again, but by a farmer, where I met my adopted Mom, Clover. Until, you guys set us free and we been living at your warren for a while.

Flashback Ended

"I can't believe it! You can't be sent by Frith that you fell from the sky!" Pipkin denied.

"It's true! I'm sorry you have to hear it, but it is the truth." Tyler said.

"I don't believe you! I thought you were just another rabbit, but now..." Pipkin became angry that he couldn't figure out what to say about him, except that he was being lied to.

Tyler than hopped away to another burrow that was next to Pipkin's. I than looked back at Pipkin, as he shoved the carrot away.

"You really didn't have to yell at him." I told him.

"He lied. Unlike you told us the truth." Pipkin said.

"I know, but I'm assuming he's afraid and he didn't want to hurt you guys. I don't think there's nothing wrong about being human." I said.

Pipkin remained silent.

"Look you around with me long enough, that you guys can tolerate me. Just think about it." I said to leave Pipkin alone.

When I got out, I noticed Campion left the where I was at, probably talking to one of the officers.

"I used to think he was a bit of alright. Well they're the same these officers... cold and snow." the rabbit on my right spoke.

"Do you mean 'cold as ice'?" I mean to correct the term.

"That's not of your business fellow, now move along." the rabbit spoke.

"I know you two been doing well together, just don't break the bond, between you two." I worried.

"What makes you say that?" he asked.

"Well he tries to be fair with everyone in Efrafa, for one thing. Another is that he's loyal." I explained.

"He recalled that you must have saved his life." he spoke.

"Yes." I answered.

"As an Efrafa rabbit, I thank you." he thanked me.

"You don't need thank me. I was only trying to help someone, whose in need of help." I told him with a smile.

"Name's Moss, son. If you need anything, I'll be here. Human." Moss introduced himself.

"Thank Moss." I smiled and nodded my head.

I began to head my way back to my burrow. I peaked through the next burrow to see Tyler was on his Zune than he played a techno song from Tron Legacy called Drezzed. I thought it might be his readjustment song from him being upset or mad, as I have songs that help me cope. He than began to follow the beat with his that he started to forget about the feud he had with Pipkin. I smiled as he beginning to feel content.

I than entered my burrow and I started to yawn. I might as well try to get some sleep to make the days being captive here will go by fast. My sleep only lasted for minutes after I was awaken from being shaken. When I opened my eyes, I saw was Vervain and two other rabbits had encircled me.

"Well... now that we're alone, maybe we could have some time alone with each other." Vervain smirked, as he ordered his rabbits to restrain me.

"I know that were silent since you were being asked about the warren of the outsiders. Maybe I should try to ask you where are they." Vervain interrogated.

I started to feel shaky, but remained silent.

Vervain than ordered his rabbits to turn me around to face the walls and had me press on it. I started to feel like I was going to be tortured. Without knowing what he did, I felt pain that was from my back as if I was given marks and hear tears from my shirt.

"Now! Tell me where the outsiders' warren and the deal could be off." Vervain demanded.

"We could keep going on for all I care, I'm not telling you squat." I refused.

Vervain gasped and made other scratches on my back and felt more pain than my first. I than started to lose strength from standing, as it was repetitive like being whipped by a master. I than was on my knees, before I would be on the ground, the Owsla rabbits caught my fall and picked me back up.

"Perhaps this teaches you a lesson to not to threat Efrafa and General Woundwart. What do you have to say?" Vervain exclaimed.

He than lifted my head by his paw only for me to spit on his face and saliva was between his nose and mouth. The two rabbits gasped from surprised that a human spat on him, as they continued to restrain me. Vervain removed the saliva by his paws and he became furious.

"How dare you! This mark will teach you to-" I was ready for to be finished.

"Captain Vervain!" I heard a voice that his claw nearly touched my face and came in Campion. "You heard what the General ordered."

"But-but-but... Campion this human knows where they're hiding!" Vervain stutters.

"They're to be treated as guests by Woundwart's orders. Now leave the burrow." Campion ordered his captain.

Vervain furiously stormed out the burrow and Campion ordered the rabbits to put me down on the ground. They did as they instructed, before he ordered one of the rabbits to grab some herbs and water. I was too weak to look up, as Campion inspected my wounds.

"He sure did a nasty one there. Worst than the hawk did me." he said.

I couldn't talk, because I was in so much pain. Minutes later, the two Owsla rabbits came back with herbs and water that were possible from the bridge. He than started to sprinkle water on my back where the wounds, it stings that I made some groans.

"It's alright, you'll be better in no time." Campion assured. "You did also made some enemies like Vervain. I suppose you do have some loyalty and courage that an Owsla rabbit should have, not betraying their home warren."

"They're my friends. I looked up to them as a second family." I whispered. "Mostly Hazel, I looked up to him as a Father."

Campion sighed. "I have been seeing him as well. We promised to get you three out of Efrafa."

"They can't give themselves up for the three of us. Their lives will be in stake also." I added.

"They won't. They're going to play some tricks, but I won't reveal details." he said.

"It's fine. I know you can't risk yourself getting into trouble, especially by Vervain." I assured him that he won't reveal details, if it puts him in jeopardy by Vervain.

Campion chuckled. "I guess I won't forget that he smelled like a frog's mucus, when I came into the burrow and after he passed by me."

We than began to laugh because he smelled bad because I spat on Vervain. Campion than started to place some herbs on my back.

"Also... he shouldn't have to treated you like this, that included him not letting you speak to your mother through your... 'phone'. Moss told me what happened.

A tear than dropped from my eye, when Campion mentioned about Vervain ending the phone call from my mother. "Thank you."

"Now you should try to get some rest, before you could be summoned again. I'll keep an eye out for Pipkin and Tyler for the mean time." Campion assured me.

He than headed his way out of the burrow and looked back. "Remember about our secret."

"I know... I won't say anything." I promised.

Campion smiled with a nod. "Good lad." He than left, as I started to close my eyes to try to make up some sleep that I should have. Hopefully, I could sleep more to make the days go faster so Pipkin, Tyler, and myself could be let go. Of course it depends on Woundwart, if it doesn't work, we may need to escape by any means necessary.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note: I would like to thank Supernova2015 for his ideas in this episode. Sorry if this part is short, had a busy week and recovery from last week. Don't worry and stay tuned for the next part for this episode. More will Come!