The next morning Alexis wakes up to the sound of Hazel's foot thumping the ground before the group see a fat brown rabbit walking on his hind legs towards them.
"Hazel who is that? What in the world is wrong with him? He is walking so.. strangely." Alexis asks looking over at Hazel who is sniffing at the rabbit who is walking weirdly as he gets closer.
"I'm not sure Alexis. Who are you and what do you want?" Hazel asks.
"My name is Cowslip. I come from a warren just across the field here. I don't want anything from you. You look tired. Have you come a long way?" The rabbit asks as he sounds calm.
"So what if we have? That doesn't mean we can't defend ourselves." Bigwig says threateningly.
"I don't doubt that for one second. Our warren's not as big as we'd like but there's enough food to go around. And if you'd like to live with us we welcome you. These scrapes don't look too comfortable. Heavier storms are coming soon. Anyway if you'll excuse me I hate the rain." Cowslip says before he hops away.
"Strange one that's for certain." Alexis says.
"You're a wolf and your calling him strange." Hawkbit says as Alexis shoots him a glare.
"At least I don't act like that." Alexis says annoyed.
"Well that was unexpected." Bluebell says.
"We're going with him right? He seemed nice. I liked him. Let's go. Let's go right now." Hawkbit says.
"Hazel are we really going to follow him? I'm sorry but it just seems off that a rabbit that came out of nowhere would invite a group of strangers to his home. Why would he share anything with us? I've got a really bad feeling about it all." Alexis says as Fiver sighs.
"I've got a feeling that we should have nothing to do with that rabbit and his warren. That we should leave this place and head for the down. What do you think Hazel?" Fiver asks as he looks at his brother.
"We all know what Hazel thinks. He thinks the same as Fiver." Hawkbit says as everyone looks at hazel.
"I think we should head to Cowslip's warren. These scrapes are no good in this weather and I fancy taking the chance to get warm and some sleep." Hazel says as everyone gets moving.
*Timeskip*
"Friends I'm happy you've come. Allow me to take you down to the great burrow." Cowslip says as the group arrives at a large tree filled with rabbits as everyone follows him under the tree while everyone is sniffing and looking around noticing things smelled and seemed off.
"I really don't like this place." Alexis thinks to herself looking around.
"Hazel may I be the first to welcome you all to our warren?" Cowslip asks.
"Thank you. We're glad to be here. This is a fine warren you have. When you said it wasn't as big as you'd like we we're expecting something a lot smaller. Where there more of you living here once?" Hazel asks receiving mutters as response from some of the rabbits.
"Why don't you just settle in here. I think you'll find there's everything you'll ever need." Cowslip says.
"Hazel I've got a bad feeling about this place. Why are the rabbits here so big?" Fiver asks as walks off with Hazel. Alexis then decides to go lay down next to Dandelion and Hawkbit catching their attention as they notices her looking around nervously.
"What's wrong? You seem frightened." Dandelion says.
"That's shocking for someone like you." Hawkbit says.
"I-I just don't like this place is all. Something just doesn't feel right." Alexis says.
"Oh not you too. Come on Alexis this could be a good thing." Hawkbit says.
"A good thing for you all maybe." Alexis says as she looks at Hawkbit.
"Come now Alexis. Hawkbit didn't mean it that way. Look as you said earlier we're tired and hungry. If it will help you calm down you're welcome to stay by us." Dandelion says as Alexis nods before laying her head down while continuing to look around before falling asleep.
*Timeskip*
"Alexis wake up!" Dandelion shouts happily as he gently bites Alexis's ear in attempt to get her up.
"Dandelion what is it?" Alexis asks as she wakes up yawning.
"Time to get flayrah!" Dandelion shouts.
"Isn't it a bit early for that?" Alexis asks as she looks at Hawkbit.
"Just come follow us." Hawkbit says excitedly as Alexis sleepily follows after the two bucks going outside to see rabbits feasting on flayrah.
"Frith in a basket! Flayrah!" Bluebell says as everyone runs over and begins eating.
"Try it. It's a carrot." Alexis says she sees Dandelion looking at a carrot.
"How do you know?" Dandelion asks.
"I'm not just a pretty doe you know. I do know a few things. Just try it." Alexis says as the others come over seeing Dandelion try the carrot.
"Well? How is it?" Hawkbit asks.
"Horrible. I wouldn't bother." Dandelion says before the others try the carrot.
"So juicy! I'm in heaven!" Bluebell says happily.
"This place is better than heaven. This place has carrots!" Blackberry says happily.
*Timeskip*
"Everyone! Everyone... I thought we might welcome our new guests by hearing some stories." Cowslip says as everyone looks at him.
"Yes we have a wonderful storyteller amongst our number. Bluebell." Blackberry says.
"Did you just give me a compliment Blackberry? I didn't think you liked me." Bluebell says happily.
"I didn't say I liked you I said you were a good storyteller." Blackberry says as Bluebell kisses him before he pushes Bluebell off as Bluebell then begins telling a story and earning compliments from his friends.
"That was very nice. We don't tell the old stories much. El-ahrairah doesn't mean much to us." Cowslip says as Bluebell joins the group.
"But he was a trickster. Rabbits always need tricks!" Bigwig says.
"No. Rabbits need dignity and the will to accept what Frith has decided for them." Cowslip as Silverweed begins to tell a story and chant before Fiver runs out with Hazel and Bigwig behind him.
*Timeskip*
"Bigwig's in a snare you have to come quick!" Fiver shouts as he comes running into the burrow.
"Oh no..." Alexis says in fear.
"Nobody leaves! Frith has decided that it is Bigwig's turn and so it will be." Cowslip says as rabbits block the entrance as the group tries to leave causing Alexis to walk up to him growling viciously as her wolf side begins to show.
"Turn? What do you mean turn?" Dandelion asks.
"A day less for one means a day more for us all." Cowslip says.
"Listen here. Over the last few days me and my friends have been chased, clawed, bitten, drowned and if you don't get out of the way right now-" Blackberry then gets cut off by Bluebell.
"You'll find out just why we've made it this far." Bluebell says threateningly.
"If you don't move right now so help me I'll make sure that Bigwig won't be the only one the black rabbit takes. Now move aside you lazy cowardly excuse for a rabbit!" Alexis growls.
"When she's like this it's best to do as she says." Hawkbit says.
"No one is leaving." Cowslip says not standing aside.
"Let them leave Cowslip!" Strawberry shouts as Alexis tackles Cowslip out of the way as everyone runs out and heads over seeing Bigwig on the ground in a snare as Hazel is trying to dig out the peg.
"Hazel is he alive?" Blackberry asks.
"I don't know. The peg is narrower down there. We can bite through! Fiver come on you're the smallest." Hazel says as Fiver begins biting at the peg.
"Bigwig you hold on. You hold on." Dandelion says seeing Bigwig continue to pull and struggle against the snare.
"Bigwig stop pulling you're making it worse." Alexis says as the peg snaps and Bigwig goes flying forward onto the ground as the group gather around him and listen for a heartbeat.
"Bigwig it's out. You're free now." Alexis says.
"I can't hear him breathing." Blackberry says as everyone lowers their heads.
"My heart has joined the thousand for my friend stopped running today." Everyone says in union before starting to walk away but turn back hearing panting seeing Bigwig is alive and breathing.
"Do you think you can walk?" Hazel asks.
"I can try." Bigwig says as everyone helps him up before Strawberry comes out of the bushes causing Alexis to growl slightly at her.
"You got some nerve coming here." Bigwig says.
"Please I didn't know Cowslip would try and stop you. I'd like to come with you if you'll let me." Strawberry says.
"And we should let you do that why exactly? Your just as crazy as that lunatic chief of yours. Far as I'm concerned your just as much at fault for this shit as he is." Alexis says angrily causing the bucks to look at her shocked at her outburst.
"I-I don't have any friends. People don't like to have any friends here in case they get..." Strawberry says as she lowers her head.
"You can come Strawberry but it's our ways now. If we say hop you hop understood?" Hazel asks as Strawberry smiles.
"Now what? Where do we go from here?" Hawkbit asks.
"We should go back and kill Cowslip. We should kill the lot of them." Bigwig says angrily.
"No Bigwig. There's no need to go and fight them. All we have to do is leave them there." Fiver says as he goes over to Bigwig.
"The down that you saw. You really had a feeling about that?" Bigwig asks as he looks at Fiver.
"Yes I did bigwig. That down is our home." Fiver says as the group begins to leave.
*Timeskip*
"It's beautiful." Alexis says as the group stop atop a hill.
"It's great views all around. We'll be able to see any elil coming from miles away. Well done Hazel-rah." Bigwig says.
*Timeskip*
"In terms of digging a warren we'll have to investigate what type of soil we're dealing with. Stop trying to kiss me! That is not a thing we do!" Blackberry shouts as he smacks Bluebell for kissing him causing Alexis to laugh at the two before perking her ears up and shifting to wolf form growling as Bigwig thumps him foot before the group see a limping rabbit collapse on the ground as everyone goes over to him.
"Captain Holly? What's happened to him?" Hazel asks.
"Sandleford's gone. It's all gone. Fiver you were right about everything. You knew the story before it was even told. There's something else. You're not safe here. No one is safe." Holly says as the group begin to help him over to their new home.