The Orchard Part 2
Author's Note: I would like to thank Supernova2015 for his ideas once again for this episode.
Our Bobstone challenge got almost everyone's attention, as a human underdog goes up against the leader of the warren and knew how to play the game. Everyone was speculating that most would think that Hazel will take the win, since our last match. However, since the first time I played, I may have discovered his strategy that would help me improvise or make a strategy for myself. The other advantage was since I was taught how to play and watched others play Bobstones, it would lighten my chances for my first win. I was holding on the stones, hidden underneath my hands, a one-one round of victories. Hazel was still determined, as I kept myself calm and try to make a bluff in every inch as possible, but at times it worked or it doesn't. It was been over five minutes since he had to think this last round for him to make a guess.
"Should I put on my Jeopardy thinking music or are you going to make a guess?" I smirked.
"Come on, Hazel. You might as well guess or lose gracefully to an underdog." Bigwig added.
"Don't rush me, you two." Hazel shook his head, as he's still thinking.
In the middle of this round, I saw Pipkin coming towards behind him and it looked that something was wrong with him. "Hazel."
"In a minute, Pipkin." Hazel spoke. "I'm about to give young Andrew here a thrashing."
Pipkin started to shiver that I was becoming a bit concern, if something happened to him and Fiver at the orchard. I wanted to head over there to help, but I couldn't be able to leave the game.
"I'll go see what's wrong with him?" Sandy and Primrose whispered and the two headed over to Pipkin.
As they're trying to get it handled, Hazel got my attention. "Bobstone guess is two."
I nodded my head, as I lifted my hands up... to reveal there were four pebbles hiding. Shocking the rabbits, even Hazel was surprised. He started to hidden the pebbles, as I looked away.
"That's incredible!" Blackberry complimented.
"You're skills on this game is getting better." Dandelion added.
"Now, you need to guess this one right, mate and you win." Hawkbit added.
"Bobstone guess." Hazel was ready.
I turned back to see Hazel has hidden the pebbles underneath his paws. I was taking a deep breath and exhaling, as I was not wanting to have pressure when guessing to have a victory or a tie.
"Bobstone guess is... three." I guessed with confidence.
Hazel gracefully smiled, as he reveled the three pebbles. "My congratulations to you."
Everyone cheered, as I won my first win in Bobstones and I couldn't help, but thank Hazel for teaching me the game alongside with Fiver and the others. I offered my hand for a hand/paw shake for a great game. He lend his paw and we both shake on it to compliment each other. I than looked back at the warren's entrance where Pipkin headed and I saw Sandy was standing there. I excused myself from the cheering to see Sandy.
"What happened?" I asked her about Pipkin.
"He didn't say much, he just went back into the warren." she answered. "Has something happened to him?"
I got the feeling it had to be regarding to Fiver and Pipkin sneaking off to visit the orchard. "I'll go see about it and talk to him."
I entered in the warren and continued my way through the halls, until I found Pipkin's burrow. There I see Pipkin sulking.
"Pipkin?"
"I know what you going to say. Please don't be mad." Pipkin moped in tears.
"I'm not mad and I saw you were shivering, are you alright?" I asked out in concern.
"I did something horrible that I'm a 'quivery whiskers'."
I knew it had to from their visit at the orchard. "It's alright, tell me what happened."
"When we arrived, I started eating some of the apples. Fiver told me that we have to leave, but I wanted to stay longer. He than spotted a badger that we had a run for it. Fiver than tripped and went unconscious, before the badger took him. I left him there, after he was dragged away to the badger's home."
I wondered if it was the same badger that I saw with Hazel and Bigwig. At this point we needed to head out to find Fiver.
"Please don't be mad at me." he teared.
I sighed with remorse. "Pipkin, I think... We all made mistakes and you admitted it, right?"
He nodded his head.
"You know, even when I was your age I get into some trouble too."
"Really?" Pipkin questioned as he rised.
"One of the examples was that I was home late one night from a field trip and a day before last day of school." I recalled.
"How much trouble did you get into?" he asked.
"I did got trouble from not calling and of course showing up late." I answered. "I didn't take it great, but in the end I learned my lesson."
"I'm sure I'll probably get everyone mad. Like Tyler shocked everyone about his human origin." Pipkin added.
"That's not the same. Also, you know that they won't hate, like they didn't for Tyler." I said.
"What about Hawkbit?"
"Well... we all know Hawkbit, but in the end he didn't mean it, because he said it out of anger." I added. "I'm sure since you're young and also your situation could have been worse, if the badger took you also." I added.
"The important matter it is for now, is that we need to find Fiver and we'll bring him home." I stated.
We heard someone coming around the corner and came in Primrose. "Pipkin, are you alright? I didn't see you silflaying."
"I'm not hungry." Pipkin answered.
"Primrose, can I speak to you privately?" I asked.
"Of course." she answered, before turning to Pipkin. "If there's anything I can do, just ask?"
She excused herself, before I followed. I even reminded what I told him. He just nodded his head, but I tried to keep at best. After leaving his burrow, I met with Primrose at a disclosed burrow.
"Is everything alright with Pipkin?" she asked.
I shook my head. "He's feeling guilty from something he has done."
"What happened?" she asked.
I looked around to make sure no one was around. "He's feeling guilty that he left Fiver behind at the orchard."
Primrose gasped quietly.
"Because Pipkin feared for his life from the badger, when it took Fiver." I explained.
"Hazel's looking for Fiver and he was no where." she added.
"We'll have to expand our search and let Hazel know that Fiver's last seen at the orchard." I stated.
After our conversation, we informed Hazel about Fiver's missing (of course without revealing the truth, since Pipkin should be the one telling him, when he's ready if Fiver is still missing or when he's found). Hazel initiated the Owsla to search throughout the warren and places that Fiver could have been, the nearby fields or even the brook. Even Kehaar and Hannah searched by air and had no luck by sunset by the time they got back from their search.
"We looked all over for Fiver. No sign." Hannah said.
"And he's not anywhere around here, neither." Hawkbit came out of the warren, as he searched throughout the warren, even going underground.
"Bigwig!" we heard Dandelion was coming towards us quickly that he made a sudden brake that stopped near towards Bigwig and Kehaar. "No sign of him at the down, Hazel. I've asked the neighbors to keep an eye out."
"Then we better search. Dandelion, you and Primrose check the farm. Bigwig and Hawkbit, take the river trail. And of course to all everyone, watch out for Efrafa patrols." Hazel instructed as well warning all of us about Efrafan patrols, before turning towards Kehaar and Hannah. "You two fly wide cover. Keep an eye out on everyone. I'll search the woods."
"I'll join the search with you, Hazel." I volunteered to join him.
He nodded his head for approval. "If anyone sees anything, signal Kehaar and Hannah and they'll bring us all on the run. Right, let's move."
Everyone started to head out for their search areas where Hazel assigned to them. I started to follow him to the edge of the down, unexpectedly Pipkin started to follow us.
"Hazel, how about looking in the orchard." he suggested.
"I told him not to go there. Fiver doesn't disobey orders." Hazel thought.
"I want to come with you." Pipkin insisted, as I began to think he'll speak the truth to Hazel.
"I thought you weren't feeling well, Pipkin." Primrose thought.
"He didn't appear sick, but he was just looked down and he wanted to talk to someone." I said.
"Please!" Pipkin begged.
I looked at Hazel and nodded my head for Pipkin to join us.
"Alright, but I'll be moving fast." Hazel decided for Pipkin to join the both of us.
When we got to the orchard, the three of us started the search, by him splitting away from me and Pipkin, as we searched another part of the orchard to find Fiver.
Fiver! We heard Hazel shouting not far from where we are.
"Fiver, where are you!" I shouted.
"Fiver!" Pipkin shouted.
"Not a sign, I don't know what to think, if Hazel has no luck of finding Fiver or assuming the worst." I began to feel worry about Hazel, if something happens to his little brother.
"I'm sorry that we're out here." Pipkin apologized.
"I know you are, but maybe if you tell Hazel about, it won't be bad and I know he would take a soft approach." I suggested to Pipkin of telling the truth to Hazel.
Pipkin felt unsure.
"Is that the reason why you're here?"
Pipkin nodded his head. "Yes, but I don't want to do this alone."
"Only from you said truthfully matters, but I'll be with you, until you're comfortable." I encouraged him, as I decided to be on the sidelines observing from what he'll say.
A screech of an owl was from nearby. We saw the owl with a rabbit on it's claw.
"Hazel!" Pipkin shouted, as he recognized the rabbit.
"Come on!" we both follow the owl and saw Hazel dangling in the air, as he tries to free himself. He succeeded on freeing himself after a few kicks and he started to descend a free fall. Pipkin and I hurried quickly to head towards where Hazel would be landing and be on our guard without the owl making an attempt to come back. We came through a bush to see Hazel on the ground unconscious from the fall.
"Hazel, please be alright!" Pipkin pleaded.
I came to his side and checked his pulse. I let out a relief that he's still breathing. "He's okay, he had a long fall."
Hazel started to open his eyes slowly and warmly smiled. "No harm done."
"Thank goodness, you did have a long fall, but the bush did help a soft landing." I said.
He stood up and felt a sore from his left foot. "Well...not too much."
"Hazel I'm sorry." Pipkin apologized.
"It's not your fault Pipkin." Hazel said.
"No, you don't understand! I didn't know how to tell you Hazel! I tried, I did, it was horrible." Pipkin exclaimed almost into tears, as he started to open up.
"Here now. What is it, tell me?" Hazel comforted little Pipkin.
"That owl nearly got you, because I'm such a quivery whiskers. I should've told you right away, it's Fiver." Pipkin said.
"What about him?"
"We went to the orchard. The badger got him and I ran away and left him." Pipkin confessed. "I wish it gotten me. It hurts so much Hazel!" he started to tear up.
"I know Pipkin." Hazel calmly comforted and hugged him, as if Pipkin was talking to his kittens. "I know..."
It came to good terms that Pipkin made the right choice. "It took a lot of courage for him to confess."
"I should have listen to Fiver and you." he said.
"I understand, we all have done things we're not proud of or go somewhere we're not supposed to go." I assured him that every young child or kitten goes out and do their own thing. However, it was important to learn our mistakes when we got in trouble.
Later after Pipkin admitting his fault to Hazel, we left to regroup with the rest of the Owsla on a hill near the orchard. Moments came, as Kehaar and Hannah joined us, as they told us that Bigwig and Hawkbit are coming here. Within seconds, the two were climbing up the hill and regrouped with us, while Bigwig gave Pipkin a strict discipline stare.
"What's this Hannah tells me about Pipkin leaving Fiver behind?" Bigwig questioned Pipkin.
Pipkin didn't know what to say, as Bigwig was going to give Pipkin a disciplinary action.
"Take it easy, Bigwig. He knew what he did was wrong and there's no point of him punishing him." I spoke up.
"He'll feel a lot worse when I get done with him." Bigwig exclaimed.
"Gave some sympathy already! He made an error on his part and he learned his mistake." I exclaimed.
"That's enough." Hazel said.
"That doesn't mean he should get a fly by from what he did!" Bigwig exclaimed.
"I said that's enough!" Hazel shouted. "He made a mistake. We make them too."
"If he'd stayed with Fiver, the badger would have caught him as well." Primrose defended Pipkin.
"He should have told us!" Bigwig blurt out.
"Oh, he was afraid Bigwig, just like when I was when we got lost in the caverns. I didn't cover myself in glory down there lad. I was a blubbering mess." Hawkibt also defended Pipkin, as he recalled the cavern experience.
"In retrospect, it was more dilemma than a mess. By now, you're liking the place and it's more your solitude place now." I added that since Hawkbit fear's past, he would spend sometime down at the caverns once in a while. "Even I make mistakes as a kid. Whatever happens from that mistake, you just learned from it, move on by not making the same mistake twice."
"You don't hate me than?" Pipkin asked.
"Don't talk rot, we don't hate you." Bigwig said and gave Pipkin an assuring eye-wink.
"That's over with, what now?" I asked Bigwig.
"Well, if Fiver's still alive, he's down there." Bigwig answered. We all started to head our way down to the orchard to find any sign of Fiver.
When we arrived at the orchard, Pipkin showed us the last place where he and Fiver were, before he was taken by the badger. We found the badger's home, where Fiver is taken. Bigwig hopped towards a tree to make sure the badger wasn't waiting for us. After a few seconds, it was clear that we headed over to meet Bigwig and try to go over a plan to get Fiver out of there.
"So what's the plan, Hazel?" Bigwig asked.
"Badger's are night watchers, when she comes I'll ask her what happened to Fiver." Hazel suggested.
Bigwig just thought it was nonsense as he shook his head. "You can't talk to a badger, they're savage brutes."
"I believe Bigwig you said something along these lines, when Kehaar dropped in on us." Dandelion recalled
Bigwig than gave him a half-closed eyes look.
"What if I try?" I asked.
Everyone than stared at me, as Bigwig's eyes came back fully opened and a bit widened. "What?"
"Think about, since the three of us were there earlier, I was the last person to leave and the badger didn't take a hostile approach."
"Very well... good luck." Bigwig decided.
I decided to investigate the burrow, when got close I looked back to see everyone else. They were waiting for the anticipation. I gulped in my stomach, as I entered in, despite of not falling in like Alice. Seconds after I got in, a scream came close by.
"FIVER!" I recognized the voice. I quickly walked to see if something was happening to him, if it was a vision. I than found him with a badger, and the badger was trying to help with him, as if Fiver was hurt.
"I'll be alright, in a bit." Fiver assured the badger.
"Fiver! You're alright!" I shouted, not glad to see him alive, but I alarmed the badger, it became on guard. I try not to be any resist, because they could be rough to fight, if that what Bigwig and the rest of the rabbits say about them.
"Wait Bark! He's a friend of mine." Fiver stopped the badger.
"A friend?" the badger spoke and it was a female.
"Yes. Andrew this is Bark, she helped me recover from injury." Fiver greeted.
"Uhh... hello Bark and thank you for helping him." I greeted myself to Bark, as I was unsure.
"You friend of rabbits and human?" she asked.
"Yes, it's a long story, but I've been around a bit." I answered.
"Why did you run?" she recalled about the incident when I ran with Hazel and Bigwig.
I didn't know what to say, after she asked that. "I'm sorry if I did, but I didn't think you were a certain type of badger that would go after someone and I didn't know."
She than looked at Fiver, as he nodded his head firmly.
"Andrew understands?" she asked him.
"Yes, he understands." Fiver assured her.
Bark started to sing quietly to herself. At first, I wasn't sure what she was singing, until she actually let her voice.
Trust the one
Who's been where you are wishing all it was
Was sticks and stones
Those words cut deep but they don't mean you're all alone
And you're not invisible
"I recognized this song." Fiver said.
"You heard of it?" I asked.
"Yes, I once heard it when Hazel and Primrose was still at Redstone. You were still asleep that night after the weasel came and Tyler showed me that song."
"What was it called, because I never heard of it." I asked.
"It was called... something Invisible, by a human called Hunter... Hayes.
After hearing that name I recognized the artist right away. "I know the artist from other songs! And wait, Bark how did you come across with it?"
"Friend named Tyler showed me." Bark answered.
"He was here?!" I questioned.
"Yes. Tyler sad, as I was sad. I invite him to stay, but Tyler refuses." she answered sadly.
I sighed, as I thought if he was nearby before, I could have talked to him sooner, before the market.
"Tyler friend?" she asked.
"He is. He ran away after he confessed he was human, like Andrew." Fiver answered.
Bark nodded. "Bark get you more apples."
"Really, I've quite enough of apples." Fiver politely refuses, like it was my first time hearing him say he had enough of apples.
However, Bark decided to go out to collect more apples for him anyway. "You stay with your friend."
Fiver sighed.
"You just got told." I chuckled in a whisper.
Fiver shook his head.
"Come on, she sounds like she's friendly and trying to help you."
"She has, but I wanted to leave, but she continued to insist for me to stay." Fiver spoke. "Because she's alone."
I immediately knew how she felt about being alone, without or hardly any friends. "I guess you're wrong on that. She look like she's trying to befriend anyone, but turned down, because who she is. Sad really."
"You ever felt like that?" Fiver asked.
"Always, especially after moving to another school and town, I didn't hardly know anyone, like friends I knew back in elementary days. Even when I started in college, I was still so I decided to be my friend. Basically talking to myself." I answered about what it was like to be alone. "As well at work, despite of having some friends, I still feel like I'm not fitted in because I'm... different."
"We all are. I am, Bark is, and even you." Fiver comforted me.
I smiled. "I guess it's really nice to have friends that you're close with." After speaking, I looked back to see him licking his foot. "What are you doing?"
"Trying to take care of my foot." Fiver answered as he licked his foot.
"Let me try something, may I?" I offered my help.
"Of course." Fiver smiled.
I gently held his hurt foot and I gently started to massage it. "Does it hurt?"
He let out some stings. "A little."
"Does it help to lick your own foot?" I asked.
"Of course, all rabbits do. Do you?" Fiver asked.
"No. Not all." I shook my head, as I try to be humanly polite.
Fiver giggled. "I guess humans done other ways to take care of themselves."
"Yeah, you can say that again." I joined in the giggle.
We heard a gasp, as we looked towards the entrance that no one was there.
"Did someone came with you?" Fiver asked.
"Apparently, yes. We're here to get home, but I'm sure they're going to try to do something with Bark." I answered and began to worry about Bark.
"We need to warn her." Fiver suggested.
I nodded my head. "Right."
We started to head our way out, and met up with Pipkin and Primrose.
"You two alright!" Pipkin exclaimed.
"Yes, we're fine and where's everyone else?" I asked. Battle cries sounded off from the Owsla, and unprecedentedly they attacked Bark.
"No, please stop!" Bark pleaded.
"Come on, we got to stop this!" Fiver exclaimed, as he hurried over.
"He was hurt from the badger." Primrose thought.
"No, that wasn't it, the badger tried to help him." I said, before I joined Fiver.
The Owsla started to encircle Bark, as if they were ready to make their final finish. Fiver came just in time, as I followed to stop the brutality.
"She didn't hurt me! Stop it! She's a friend, my friend." Fiver begged everyone to stop attacking her.
Hazel and Bigwig looked at each and they ordered to stand down. Bark started to recover, as she got back on her four feet.
"Bark sorry." she apologized.
"Why are you apologizing? What you got to be sorry for?" I questioned.
"Bark sorry, she's a badger." she apologized because whom she is.
"Bark..." I started to come to her. "You shouldn't have to apologize, who you are. You're probably are a badger for reason. We all have a purpose on who we are. Don't take pity on yourself or someone tries to pity you."
"You understand?" she asked.
"It's alright Bark. They won't hurt you now, we understand. We all understand." Fiver assured her.
She let out a smile, as her self-confidence grew brighter. "Friends understand."
"Always." Fiver and I said. As everyone else agrees from what we had said.
Later, she offered us apples, as we embarked a new friendship between rabbits of Watership Down and a gentle heart badger.
"Come again friends!" Bark said a friendly farewell and encourage us to come back again, as we're bringing up our apples up the hill and looked over at the orchard.
"Friends with a Badger! Bless my tail." Bigwig couldn't believe a new friendship being made. "Will wonders never cease?"
"Not as long as we live in Watership Down... will until Tyler comes home." Hawkibt said, until he felt a bit down from Tyler not being at home.
"He'll come back. I'm sure maybe perhaps Bark might search for him, if she was out and about." I cheered Hawkibt, until his smile came back.
Everyone grabbed an apple and I started to search for the song that Bark was shown to from Tyler. As the music started to play on my phone with my headphones on my ears, I looked back to see Fiver is leaving his apple behind.
"Fiver, you forgot your apple? Not needing it, I bet." I asked.
Fiver looked back at the apple still by the edge of the hill. "The fact is... I've had enough of apples for the moment."
"Well... there's always when that came from." I stated.
We both joined back with the rest of the Owsla as we are heading back to our warren and the sun started rise for a new day, as the music started it's first lyric.
Crowded hallways are the loneliest places
For outcasts and rebels
Or anyone who just dares to be different
And you've been trying for so long
To find out where your place is
But in their narrow minds
There's no room for anyone who dares to do something different
Oh, but listen for a minute
Trust the one
Who's been where you are wishing all it was
Was sticks and stones
Those words cut deep but they don't mean you're all alone
And you're not invisible
Hear me out,
There's so much more to life than what you're feeling now
Someday you'll look back on all these days
And all this pain is gonna be invisible
Oh, invisible
So your confidence is quiet
To them quiet looks like weakness
But you don't have to fight it
'Cause you're strong enough to win without a war
Every heart has a rhythm
Let yours beat out so loudly
That everyone can hear it
Yeah, I promise you don't need to hide it anymore
Oh, and never be afraid of doing something different
Dare to be something more
Trust the one
Who's been where you are wishing all it was
Was sticks and stones
Yeah, the words cut deep but they don't mean you're all alone
And you're not invisible
Hear me out,
There's so much more of this life than what you're feeling now
And someday you'll look back on all these days
And all this pain is gonna be invisible
These labels that they give you
just 'cause they don't understand
If you look past this moment
You'll see you've got a friend
Waving a flag for who you are
And all you're gonna do
Yeah, so here's to you
And here's to anyone who's ever felt invisible
Yeah, and you're not invisible
Hear me out,
There's so much more to life than what you're feeling now
And someday you'll look back on all these days
And all this pain is gonna be invisible
It'll be invisible
