"Captain Broom," said Captain Holly, back in the chamber.
Woundwort's death had sparked panic in the Efrafins, who had
immediately fled the scene.
"Yes, sir?" said Captain Broom, looking up. He had a long scar on the side of his face from the battle.
'That battle was too significant to ignore," said Holly. "Woundwort is dead, but I now still fear for our warren. Clearly the Efrafins will appoint a new leader and attack again. I have a strange feeling that I know who they will appoint as their leader."
"Who is it?" said Captain Broom. For the first time in a long while, he thought he saw fear on Captain Holly's face. The captain opened his mouth, but said nothing.
"Captain?" said Broom.
"Bulrush," Captain Holly said quickly.
"Bulrush?" Broom puzzled. "Why Bulrush? That little worm wouldn't be able to control a field mouse if he was put in charge of it."
"I know that little worm better than you," said Holly sharply. Broom had a strange gut feeling that the captain was lying. "Bulrush will be their next leader."
"But sir," said Bigwig, "I killed - "
"This discussion is over, Bigwig," Holly snapped.
"But Captain Holly!" Fiver butted in. He had been taken to the chamber as well. "What about - "
"Captain Holly-rah, Fiver," Captain Holly corrected.
"Captain Holly-rah," said Fiver, again, "what about Pipkin? You have to get him back! He could die!"
"You're right, Fiver," said Holly. "Captain Broom, though I hate to send out valuable rabbits in a time like this, I need you to send out four scouts to search for Pipkin. Send your swiftest ones. Those rabbits looked considerably faster than Pipkin."
"Yes, Captain Holly-rah," said Captain Broom, and left the room.
"Now we turn to our own front," said Holly. "Bigwig, I need you to send out soldiers. We need them to gather as many sticks as they can bring back to Watership Down. When they bring them back, you must have them build a wall with them."
"A wall?" said Bigwig. "But, captain, such a feat has never before been accomplished. What good will it do anyway?"
"It-will-keep-out-the-Efrafins," Captain Holly droned.
"Oh yes," said Bigwig. "Straight away, sir." Bigwig left the room.
"Captain Holly-rah," said Fiver.
"Yes Fiver?" replied Captain Holly.
"How long will it take for the scouts to return with Pipkin?" Fiver whined.
"Don't worry," said Holly. "The scouts are fast. They will find Pipkin and kill his captors. Now you go and entertain yourself however you will." Fiver left the room. He walked back down the tunnels and out into the sunlight. It was now noon. There were rabbits cleaning up the dead from the battle and pushing them into a pond. He could see the four scouts going off to find Pipkin in the distance. Pipkin.
Fiver would not find any consolidation until Pipkin was returned. He sincerely hoped Pipkin was alive and well.
He walked down into the meadow and began rather unenthusiastically chewing on some grass. Where was Pipkin? It was a big world out there.
He was dozing into his thoughts when a loud shot rang out across the Down. Fiver nearly jumped a foot in the air. He'd heard that sound before. That same sound had rung out right before Hazel fell over, with a black stone in his thigh.
Fiver bolted back up to the warren, and heard, in the background, the sound of an angry dog barking and snarling. He ran even faster, along with the other rabbits in the field, back into the warren.
"Poor Pipkin." he thought.
* * *
Three days later, the scouts had not returned yet. Captain Holly's wall was half built, standing a foot high. It was made of sticks, with tall supports behind it and ropes tethering it to the ground. It leaned outwards slightly. There was one point which Captain Holly had ordered not to be built until Pipkin was safely returned.
"Bigwig, how is the wall coming?" said Captain Holly. They were outside in the field, overseeing the construction.
"We are about half finished now," said Bigwig. "At its highest point it will be two feet tall."
"So it is about one foot tall now?" said Holly.
"Yes, sir," Bigwig replied. "Once it is finished, no army will ever breach it!"
Meanwhile, atop the hill, Dandylion was keeping watch. In the distance, he could see four rabbits approaching swiftly.
"Captain Holly-rah!" he cried.
"Yes, Dandylion?" Holly said.
"Four rabbits approaching on the horizon sir!" he said. "You should prepare to fight."
"Good work," said Holly. "Alright, Bigwig, get some of your soldiers to guard the entrance. Those rabbits approaching could be enemy soldiers."
"You six, get over here!" Bigwig ordered a group of six rabbits. They ran over to Bigwig. "Go and guard the entrance. Be prepared to fight."
The six rabbits went off and hid themselves inside the door, as the four approaching rabbits got closer and closer.
"Yes, sir?" said Captain Broom, looking up. He had a long scar on the side of his face from the battle.
'That battle was too significant to ignore," said Holly. "Woundwort is dead, but I now still fear for our warren. Clearly the Efrafins will appoint a new leader and attack again. I have a strange feeling that I know who they will appoint as their leader."
"Who is it?" said Captain Broom. For the first time in a long while, he thought he saw fear on Captain Holly's face. The captain opened his mouth, but said nothing.
"Captain?" said Broom.
"Bulrush," Captain Holly said quickly.
"Bulrush?" Broom puzzled. "Why Bulrush? That little worm wouldn't be able to control a field mouse if he was put in charge of it."
"I know that little worm better than you," said Holly sharply. Broom had a strange gut feeling that the captain was lying. "Bulrush will be their next leader."
"But sir," said Bigwig, "I killed - "
"This discussion is over, Bigwig," Holly snapped.
"But Captain Holly!" Fiver butted in. He had been taken to the chamber as well. "What about - "
"Captain Holly-rah, Fiver," Captain Holly corrected.
"Captain Holly-rah," said Fiver, again, "what about Pipkin? You have to get him back! He could die!"
"You're right, Fiver," said Holly. "Captain Broom, though I hate to send out valuable rabbits in a time like this, I need you to send out four scouts to search for Pipkin. Send your swiftest ones. Those rabbits looked considerably faster than Pipkin."
"Yes, Captain Holly-rah," said Captain Broom, and left the room.
"Now we turn to our own front," said Holly. "Bigwig, I need you to send out soldiers. We need them to gather as many sticks as they can bring back to Watership Down. When they bring them back, you must have them build a wall with them."
"A wall?" said Bigwig. "But, captain, such a feat has never before been accomplished. What good will it do anyway?"
"It-will-keep-out-the-Efrafins," Captain Holly droned.
"Oh yes," said Bigwig. "Straight away, sir." Bigwig left the room.
"Captain Holly-rah," said Fiver.
"Yes Fiver?" replied Captain Holly.
"How long will it take for the scouts to return with Pipkin?" Fiver whined.
"Don't worry," said Holly. "The scouts are fast. They will find Pipkin and kill his captors. Now you go and entertain yourself however you will." Fiver left the room. He walked back down the tunnels and out into the sunlight. It was now noon. There were rabbits cleaning up the dead from the battle and pushing them into a pond. He could see the four scouts going off to find Pipkin in the distance. Pipkin.
Fiver would not find any consolidation until Pipkin was returned. He sincerely hoped Pipkin was alive and well.
He walked down into the meadow and began rather unenthusiastically chewing on some grass. Where was Pipkin? It was a big world out there.
He was dozing into his thoughts when a loud shot rang out across the Down. Fiver nearly jumped a foot in the air. He'd heard that sound before. That same sound had rung out right before Hazel fell over, with a black stone in his thigh.
Fiver bolted back up to the warren, and heard, in the background, the sound of an angry dog barking and snarling. He ran even faster, along with the other rabbits in the field, back into the warren.
"Poor Pipkin." he thought.
* * *
Three days later, the scouts had not returned yet. Captain Holly's wall was half built, standing a foot high. It was made of sticks, with tall supports behind it and ropes tethering it to the ground. It leaned outwards slightly. There was one point which Captain Holly had ordered not to be built until Pipkin was safely returned.
"Bigwig, how is the wall coming?" said Captain Holly. They were outside in the field, overseeing the construction.
"We are about half finished now," said Bigwig. "At its highest point it will be two feet tall."
"So it is about one foot tall now?" said Holly.
"Yes, sir," Bigwig replied. "Once it is finished, no army will ever breach it!"
Meanwhile, atop the hill, Dandylion was keeping watch. In the distance, he could see four rabbits approaching swiftly.
"Captain Holly-rah!" he cried.
"Yes, Dandylion?" Holly said.
"Four rabbits approaching on the horizon sir!" he said. "You should prepare to fight."
"Good work," said Holly. "Alright, Bigwig, get some of your soldiers to guard the entrance. Those rabbits approaching could be enemy soldiers."
"You six, get over here!" Bigwig ordered a group of six rabbits. They ran over to Bigwig. "Go and guard the entrance. Be prepared to fight."
The six rabbits went off and hid themselves inside the door, as the four approaching rabbits got closer and closer.