Chapter Fifty-One: The Kit Thieves
Silverweed had emerged sad and silent from his vision. Magnolia realized that what he had seen had been terrible, but she was overcome with curiosity about Silverweed's strange revelation.
But as the hours passed, Magnolia began to worry.
"Silverweed," she asked, "Are you all right?"
"No," Silverweed answered, "I saw something terrible, Magnolia, and I am powerless to undo it."
He shuddered.
"I remember when I lived in my father's warren; the visions would leave me half-stunned for days. Couldn't eat. Couldn't sleep. I was so afraid. I didn't know what was wrong with me. I just knew I was different, and that was a very bad thing."
Magnolia pressed against him, trying to reassure the buck who had, in a very short space of time, become a very dear friend to her.
"No matter what, Silverweed, I'll always be here for you. I promise. You just have to believe. You have to hold on."
"I-I'll try," Silverweed said, "But I'll probably fail."
"No, you won't," Magnolia reassured him, "I'll be here for you."
"Thank you, Magnolia. I hope...I hope I can be here for you if you ever need me."
"We have our whole lives to live. We just have to remember that there's always hope."
"There is hope," Silverweed whispered, "There is always hope."
The Watershippers arrived back at the Down not long after night had fallen. However, they were still early enough that Hazel and Fiver were outside waiting for them.
Hazel had no need to ask for an explanation. One look at Hawkbit, trailing behind the others, furrows cut through his cheek fur where tears had run down, was all the information necessary.
All the rabbits dispersed quietly to their burrows, does herding their kittens away before the youngsters could ask questions. However, Hazel overheard Windy asking Leao the question so often asked by the kittens these days, for which there was no easy answer.
"Marli, where's Dandelion?"
Leao pushed him toward the burrow.
"He and Ivy have gone on a long journey, dearest."
"Oh," said Windy, "Will they come back?"
"No, darling, I don't think they will."
"Do they not like us anymore?" asked Sandy.
"Oh, certainly they like you. They just couldn't stay any longer."
"Aw," Stormy groaned, "I miss them. And parli, and Uncle Campion and Phlox and Pearl. Will they come home, mother?"
Leao swiftly wiped a tear from her cheek.
"I hope so. I hope so."
The doe herded her kittens into their burrow, and Hazel sighed.
"What's wrong, Hazel?" Bigwig asked.
"We've lost so many," Hazel said, "That's two more stopped running. One wonders if I did the right thing, sending Magnolia away."
"You couldn't have known Silverweed would go too," Bigwig said, "But..."
"Bigwig!" Corydalis yelled, "Get in here and tell your kits to go to sleep!"
"Note that they're now my kits, not hers," Bigwig murmured, "I'd better go, Hazel."
After Bigwig had gone, Hazel wandered outside. He had been hit harder than he had thought possible by the death of Dandelion. Loyal, jovial Dandelion, full of tricks and fun. And now he was gone, and Ivy with him.
The fawn-furred buck heard pawsteps approaching, and was only mildly surprised to see Fiver next to him.
"Are you all right?" the seer asked.
"I suppose. I just feel guilty I didn't protect them better. All of them. Moss, Oregano, Dandelion, Ivy. All gone."
"You couldn't have saved them, Hazel. Lord Frith decrees the life and death of each creature."
"Lord Frith? Don't you mean the Black Rabbit?"
Hazel turned to Fiver and saw that the other buck had a glazed, far off look.
"If five can escape, then two left must be. And one of those five, shall nevermore see."
Fiver blinked.
"What did I just say?"
"You had a vision. I wonder what it means. We know Pearl is pregnant, but what does it mean by two being left, and one seeing no more?"
"I wish I knew, Hazel."
The brothers sat in silence for a few moments, until Fiver spoke.
"Hazel, something's been troubling me. It's Magnolia: I think we may need her. Silverweed too. And since he went with her, I feel she must be good. Please, Hazel, let them come home!"
"Fiver, I don't know," Hazel said, "It's not that I doubt you, I never would, but I did send her away. I'm not sure how allowing her to return would affect my leadership..."
Seeing the look on Fiver's face, he hastened to reassure his younger brother.
"I'll think about it, Fiver, but I'm tired now. See you tomorrow."
Blackavar, Phlox, and Pearl had been sent back to work on the boulders, and finally the moment they had all been dreading had come.
Pearl had gone into premature labor, and upon Blackavar explaining the situation to the sympathetic Appleseed, the doe had been rushed off to the Efrafan healer.
The three bucks had waited for a long time. Finally, the boulder was rolled aside and Appleseed poked his head inside.
"Who knows her best?" he asked, "I need someone to talk some sense into her before she slaughters the Owsla."
Campion shrugged.
"I'll go."
He followed Appleseed out into the run and into the next burrow, where he found a completely hysterical Pearl.
The doe seemed to be attacking the Efrafan Owsla for no apparent reason Campion could see. More worrying to him was the fact that there were no kittens in sight.
"Pearl, what's wrong?" Campion asked, pulling the doe off of a very scared young officer.
"They took my kits!" Pearl screamed, "I'll flay them!"
Campion treated Appleseed to an accusing glare. The white buck flinched and looked away.
"It wasn't my idea. It was Vervain."
Pearl curled into a ball and lay weeping quietly to herself.
Campion cast one last accusing stare at the Efrafans, and then he did the only thing he could think to do. He chased them all out of the burrow and guarded against all comers. He knew if he was Pearl, he wouldn't want any ragtag Efrafans watching him cry.
