"Suffering with Uncle R!"
"Suffering with Uncle R!"
"Prank him always, ha, ha ha!"
"Prank him always, ha, ha ha!"
"Put dish wash is his vodka!"
"Put dish wash in his vodka!"
"Never drink such water!"
"Never drink such water!"
"He used fake cash to buy some booze!"
"He used fake cash to buy some booze!"
"Suffered in the shower rooms!"
"Suffered in the shower rooms!"
"Thought he was a daddy!"
"Thought he was a daddy!"
"But used a bro from my buddy!"
"But used a bro from my buddy!"
"Though I wish I was a bro!"
"Though I wish I was a bro!"
"Like Hazel, Fiver, Jase, Leo!"
"Like Hazel, Fiver, Jase, Leo!"
"Ho!"
"Ho!"
"He!"
"He!"
"Hi!"
"Hi!"
"Ha!"
"Ha!"
"Uncle Ridd! Uncle Ridd!"
"Uncle Ridd! Uncle Ridd!"
"If you were here, you'd be a pig!"
"If you were here, you'd be a pig!"
"They agree! They agree!"
"We agree! We agree!"
"Why?"
"Why?"
"Because!"
"Because!"
"You act like one and smell like one!"
"You act like one and smell like one!"
"Nothing like a bunny-bun!"
"Nothing like a bunny-bun!"
"Oink! Oink! Always are!"
"Oink! Oink! Always are!"
Michael's group, after leaving their truck, had hopped off into a huge countryside full of cows. Their only direction was a huge, huge hill and Michael passed the time improvising a mountain chant. They all had a great time singing and laughing with the chant.
Jason felt free doing all of this. Without that overprotective Leo, he could have paradise. He was seventeen in October after all and he was at the right age to do as he pleases. Besides, he was with Michael Dawnrah, he could compete in any Martial Art, plays brilliant pranks on his uncle and can fight like a professional, though he says he does not how he manages it. Jason thought he was getting quite better himself after the lessons the Junior Owsla had been giving him. He surely, he can take care of himself, almost. This adventure could be the very cane to prove to his brother, the almighty 'Leo Barning from Above' that he was not a baby.
At last they had finally reached the top of the mountain. It was around at the rate of the sun. They looked down and viewed the beautiful, green Earth, sheep in the distance, cows mooing down below and the sound of children somewhere as if on a picnic.
"Hopefully they don't hear us talk," said Michael. "Can't be saying those sorts of lyrics to youngsters."
"No such thing as perfect, Dawn-Rah." Commented Loganberry. "All young ones say the worst to grown-ups. Practically the grown-ups are where it comes from, no one needs reminding of."
They resumed by hopping towards a path leading into a forest and they followed the path for about fifteen minutes when they finally came to a clearing. There were five children sitting on a picnic table, the others guessed right what the noise might have been and what they were doing. But by the look of things, they were putting all the empty yoghurt tubs and paper plates into a nearby bin and packing up.
Soon they were removing their basket form the table and walked away, chatting all at once.
Something that had been concerning Michael lately was that any of the members of the group could get lost. Him, Jason, Leo, Rosie and Cynthia were lost to a fault thanks to stupid Jason's notion of disposing of that acorn. Antics are one thing; priority is another. But then there was stupidity to add for good measure. His thoughts were interrupted when he looked down the grass, just under the picnic table, to find the top of a smashed milk bottle with thin strong connected to each side like a bucket handle. This gave him the very idea to his concern; carefully he hopped over to it and slid it over his head and it stayed on his neck.
"Here's the deal!" he announced to the bucks who were looking in confusion. "If anyone is to get lost, I will call through this bottle top to attract attention to the strayer. Whoever the strayer might be, will then follow my voice until you find. I know I'm new to this world but we need to have our wits about us. If we are to go home, want to have mates, move your lives further, we must respond to the bottle top. Are we all clear on that?"
"Yes!" everyone announced.
"But," Jason cut in. "None of us are stupid enough to leave. No one is to get lost."
"No one is to get lost for now," retorted Michael eyeing Jason in a very serious matter. "If the acorn didn't get lost, then answers would be a lot easier."
Jason glared at him. It wasn't his fault that he thought Leo was a looney. He was only doing what he thought was right.
"Michael's right," Blackavar said to Jason. "Life is full of chances. We have to try our best not create the worst of situations. We never know what's in store."
"Okay!" announced Michael. "Any questions."
The rabbits shook their heads, but suddenly-
"When do we sleep?" asked Acorn.
"When it's dark, Thick Ears," responded Loganberry.
"We'll rest when we come to a place that looks safe," replied Michael. "Now let's move!"
"Should we listen to the impact of that thing to know how loud it is first?" suggested Tulip.
Michael agreed. He inhaled as deeply as he could and blew with all his might into the bottle top, making the sound of a honking ship.
What was that?
This way, Mother!
It came from here!
The band heard a group of distant voices among the trees and more rabbits were revealing from behind them. To Michael this whole situation reminded him so much from studying Lord of the Flies at school. The dark novel about a group of boys washed up onto an island and try to govern themselves only to succumb to savagery and murder. But what took him was blowing into the bottle top summoning those rabbits, just like the main character Ralph when he blows into the conch to summon all the other young castaways. Coincidentally, when Michael did a play of it, he played the role of the antagonist Jack Merridew who brings al the boy to murder and savagery, so it was quite a change for him to be doing the opposite.
The rabbits were coming closer, one of them, a doe with dark red fur, a white belly and blue eyes, was short, plump and had a very kind look about her.
"Are you one who made that noise?" she asked Michael.
"Yes, Miss," explained Michael. "We just found this thing on my neck and decided that if anyone gets lost, we would blow into it to find whoever strayed."
The doe turned her head away.
"It's okay, dears!" she called.
Four of her children emerged from the trunks. Two of them were very tall, though one was an inch taller than his brother. The tallest looked just like his mother except the smallest was a paler red like Strawberry only he was more slender so it would be no problem to make out who was who.
The smallest ones on the other hand were both twins wood brown with white bellies. One had blue eyes and the other green.
"What's your name, Miss?" asked Michael.
"Cherry, dear. Lovely to make your acquaintance."
"What are your names?" asked Jason.
"Thorn," said the tallest.
"Burdock," said the second tallest.
"Butterfly," said the twin with green eyes.
"Dragonfly," said the twin with blue eyes.
"I'm Michael Dawnrah," introduced Michael.
"Dawn-Rah! Dawn-Rah! Dawn-Rah!"
"QUIET!" ordered Blackavar.
"We're on a mission to find my friend's, friend's son," explained Michael. "We're divided in three search parties."
"I see," said Cherry. "You don't suppose you know of a place to stay, dear?" she asked. "Me and my children have been conned of our own burrow. Some buck came and said he needed shelter for the night, so we made a different burrow and the next day he made it his new home."
She looked tearful.
"Well I did warn you, didn't I?" snapped Burdock. "Very stupid for a mother."
"Burdock," said Thorn sharply. "Do us a favour and shut the Frith up!"
"Only being logical," huffed Burdock coolly.
"He's right, Thorn, dear," said Cherry. "I was manipulated. How livid your father would be."
"Where is he?" asked Michael.
"The fox got him," explained Thorn.
"Tweedledum and Tweedledee made sure of that," replied Burdock looking at the twins who looked horrified.
The female was starting to snivel and the male looked shaky.
Thorn hopped up to them and crouched down.
"Don't listen to him," he said to the twins calmly. "It was just a coincidence it happened. It wasn't your fault. It was just a terrible accident. Father did rather it was him who got eaten than your two."
They both nodded but still looking worried.
Jason, for some reason, was reflected back to this, he thought back on when he tried to get Leo in trouble on purpose with Aunt Madeline but had no idea she helps with the prison Mr. Gorwood ran, having previously tipped him off where Leo might have gone and that got him in serious trouble. He would tell them sometime later. They were young had their whole childhood ahead, they needed someone to share these similar experiences with.
Thorn turned to Burdock and glowered at him. "You know what we do to guilt ridders?"
Burdock shrugged.
"We stick the head in on them!"
To which he slammed his head onto his brother's taking him down and he lay there groaning.
"We are the rabbits of Watership Down," said Jason.
The twins looked at him.
"Say!" said Butterfly looking Jason with awe. "Aren't you Leo Barning from Above?"
"I'm his brother," said Jason dryly. This miffed him deep into his stomach. Everywhere he went, everyone he spoke to, it's always his brother getting the attention; 'Your brother was a wonderful Oliver. Wasn't he one of the T Birds? Is your brother acting still? What is he doing next? A bright future your brother has. You should perform with him, follow in his footsteps'. Always his brother getting the attention. What did he have to do to earn a reputation? Cynthia Rell had a sister with a high reputation, so why was she not jealous of her?
"The brother of Leo Barning from Above?" said Thorn incredulously. "You don't say! I never knew he had a brother."
"He told us a few stories," said Hawkbit. "You tipped Gorwood off where he might have gone, leading you to us? He told us last summer."
"Shut up, Scruffy!" whipped Jason, feeling the tears filling up like a glass filling with water from the tap. "I was an idiot!"
"What's this about?" said Thorn. "I know nothing of these events."
"He'll explain when he's ready," scoffed Hawkbit.
Michael hopped up to Hawkbit and put his face just a few inches from his own.
"I'm warning you, Hawktwit! You guilt rid people of their past again and I'm going to make the people passing by think that your tail is a mole."
Hawkbit understood what he meant almost at one by that remark. After all, he thought it better not to cross him since he saw what he did with Bigwig and Daffodil.
"What are all your names?" asked Thorn, trying to keep the peace.
"Hawkbit."
"Dandelion."
"Blackavar."
"Strawberry."
"Loganberry."
"Acorn."
"Tulip."
"Pollen."
"Jason Barning – also from above."
"You're attention-seeking!" criticised Burdock. "Shut up, Rookie!"
"I'm the brother of your hero!" said Jason, angry not to receive honour for that.
"Now, now," said Michael. "Fame is not important. We've forgotten the priority. Find Fiver's child and bring him home."
"I think I've heard that name," said Cherry who seemed to finally get out of her guilt trip. "He sees the future?"
"That's right," said Loganberry. "Everyone lives longer if they listen to him often enough."
"We see you're all in danger," said Strawberry. "So if you stick with us, we'll find you a home at Watership Down. A lovely view of hills, a beautiful tree, loads of burrows. You will love it there. We've dealt with so many elil there is almost none left."
Cherry's spirits lightened.
"Are you sure it's no trouble?"
"Of course not," replied Dandelion. "We welcome everyone!"
"Thank you so much, dear!" cried Cherry in tears, hugging the tall buck.
"Stop hugging him, Mother!" said Burdock angrily. "You're too old for him!"
"I already got a doe!" argued Dandelion.
"Stop two-timing then! Father is hers, not yours!"
"To think Dandelion & Burdock mixed well together," replied Michael.
After hopping for most of the day, sunset was close. They all came to a signpost which was very ancient but someone seemed to have repainted it.
"Zarkworth Arkton Wood," Michael read, subsequently commenting, "Very creative these namers aren't they."
"Shouldn't we check that we are all here?" suggested Jason.
"Yes, alright," said Michael. He grasped the bottle top in both paws, put it to his mouth and gave a strong blow. The sound echoed through the forest, disturbing a few birds above the trees.
"Coming!" said two voices.
Butterfly and Dragonfly hopped up to the group, panting and out of breath.
"S-sorry," Dragonfly panted.
"We were distracted by a butterfly," explained Butterfly.
"Trying to avoid confessing you're both too fat to keep up!" snapped Burdock.
"Have a rest, you two," said Thorn kindly. "Wait until you've got your breath back and you-" he added at his younger brother with the same scowl, "I'll decide who is fat and who isn't."
"Hey!" cried Jason. "What that shining thing over there?"
"Probably a crisp packet," suggested Michael.
They all ran to the shining thing in the distance to find that it was not a crisp packet, but a golden necklace with a golden gem. In the middle of the gem was a dot and all around the edges were like shooting lasers.
"Is this the sun?" asked Michael.
"The Great Frith," replied Thorn. "You thought you knew of Frith."
"I'm new here," said Michael. "I know nothing - expect fighting."
"Really?" snorted Burdock. "You are literally just boasting."
"Wanna fight tomorrow?" said Michael cooly.
"Yeah."
"Okay," smiled Michael. He knew his head would help him outwit that pillock standing before him. "Just got to say though," said Michael. "You got the brawn, I got the brain."
He went back to the necklace ignoring Burdock's aggressive hiss.
"Didn't Leo have something like that?" asked Butterfly.
"Is that the Necklace of Wisdom?" asked Dragonfly.
"No," said Michael. "But we'll keep it in case it's of use."
"What use could it be?" remarked Hawkbit. "Make the flowers bloom in winter?"
He laughed softly at his own joke.
"Should I look after it?" asked Jason. "I would like to be responsible."
"Responsible? You?" sneered Burdock. "All you do is try to be like your brother. You're just an egotistical shrimp."
"Shut up!" said Thorn angrily. "Big brothers tend to be an inspiration."
"Like you," huffed Burdock under his breath.
Michael shook the bottle top off his neck and gave it to Jason, while he put the gem over his own neck.
"Keep hold of that thing," said Michael. "If anyone gets lost, you'll be able to track them down."
"Why are you swapping with me?"
"Because I'm leading the band. I need to take responsibilities. I don't enjoy it, it's nerve-wracking but this trinket could mean something and we cannot afford to lose it. That's the way I feel at least."
Already Jason was annoyed. He wanted something valuable. Gold rather than a rubbish old broken bottle top that was only good for - for - finding people. But then, there was the idea of doing something daring so if he was in trouble, he could always blow on it for everyone to come to his aid. Something that would at least show him how capable he was of doing stuff by his own. After all he would be seventeen in three months. The sooner the perfect comes for the perfect opportunity to prove himself the better. He might even find Chestnut alive and would take 'Emile?' down form everything Pipkin had taught him. He would need no famous 'Leo Barning from Above' to save the day.