Part Eleven - Crisis at Grotto

"What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?" Isaiah 10:3, NIV

Oaktrunk had grown unafraid finally, thanks to the tales of Arum, not to mention the fact that if the hombil were hostile, he would've known by now. Of course, Oaktrunk was told more about Mara's father, Pratt, who had almost killed Oaktrunk earlier - and that probably the only four hombil in the world that were safe to be near were in his presence now.

"I'm only visiting Grotto," he said to the other rabbits, "but I'm sure they'd be glad to have you. You can also come with me to Cloudtree Warren, where I live, if you wish. I should be going back home after a day." In order to ensure that he wouldn't have too far to take Arum and Meadow later, Oaktrunk wanted to make sure that as they sought a new place to stay, they were not too far from Grotto Warren. In their effort to throw Pratt off their trail, they made a wide circle back so that they were perhaps an hour from Grotto, in the opposite direction that the river lay. Though Oaktrunk knew that Grotto wasn't far at all from where Pratt had trapped him, and had been tempted to go straight to his destination from the rockslide, he also wanted to know more about his new friends.

Just as the sun was setting, Mara's family and the rabbits finally found shelter that they felt was safe. It was a ruined stone house, perhaps two centuries old, that was overgrown with ivy. Two walls had collapsed, forming a small hollow under stones piled in a corner. The roof had long since rotted away.

That night, Oaktrunk told the other rabbits about the history of Cloudtree and Grotto Warrens - the past battles, the new Chiefs, and the present peace. Arum and Meadow both decided that they wanted to live in Cloudtree, due in no small part to Oaktrunk's glowing praise of General Hrairah. The foxes listened with great interest, surprised and saddened at the past violence, but glad to hear of the end to those times.

After Oaktrunk had told his stories, the whole group fell asleep, weary from the day's happenings.

***

"Mr. Castles, you might want to reconsider doing the gassing tomorrow afternoon. Have you heard the forecast?"

"No, Winston, I haven't. But hasn't the weather been just grand lately? So warm - a touch sticky, but just grand overall."

Winston rolled his eyes but spoke politely into the telephone, "Yes, well, you should know that they're calling for storms tomorrow. The weather's been hot like this for so long that something big's bound to happen."

"Well, I'm not calling off the gassing now. I'd have to wait a week to reschedule. Mind you, I could easily pull a few strings with them. But, anyway, I don't see how there could be storms tomorrow, I mean there wasn't a cloud in the sky at sunset today. Now, enough about the weather. I rang to tell you about some new equipment that I saw in a farm magazine today. It says it is two per cent more efficient in harvesting grain. I was planning on buying this stuff for you before harvest starts. You should read up on it."

Winston first sighed about his landlord's indifference towards the storms. "Suit yourself." Then, he suppressed his extreme annoyance at George's plan to buy all new equipment for harvesting, when the current equipment was bought just last spring for over one hundred thousand pounds. I suspect he must be almost through his savings by now. I now his father won't lend him more. Still, this man thinks money grows on trees, or something, he thought. "Great, Mr. Castles," he said, "I'm sure it will do a dandy job. Anyway, was that all? It's almost midnight."

"Oh, yes. I'm going to fax you the information right now. See you tomorrow, Winston."

"Good bye, Mr. Castles."

After hanging up, Winston fumed to himself, That fool is going to ruin not only himself, but everyone that has to work with him. He longed for his former landlord, Mrs. West. Now there was a competent businesswoman.

***

In the morning, at the first hint of light, Oaktrunk woke; after carefully stepping around his sleeping friends and outside, he stretched and lay down again, patiently waiting for the others to join him. He knew that Grotto was only two hours away at most, so there was no huge rush to leave. The air felt unusually warm even now, at traditionally the coolest time of day - just before sunrise. Oaktrunk shivered at the thought of how warm it would get today.

One by one, as dawn grew brighter, the other two rabbits and the four foxes awoke and crawled out of the toppled stones. Oaktrunk spoke first.

"Are you sure you don't want to come along, Mara?"

"Oh, I couldn't, Oaktrunk. This is your journey. I know we'll meet time and again, though, don't worry. Besides, my father is probably looking for me, and I don't want him anywhere near you."

Oaktrunk looked down. "I understand." He gazed around at his new friends. "Thanks for everything," then looking at Gina, "and for saving my life."

Gina looked away in embarrassment, murmuring, "I was just lucky..."

"We wouldn't be here either, were it not for you," spoke up Arum, putting a paw on Meadow and eyeing both Gina and Mara. Upon noticing Gina's increased discomfort, he added, "I know I've said that already; I just thought it appropriate to say it again."

A moment of silence passed, after which Oaktrunk sighed, "Well, I suppose we should be going. No need dragging out painful farewells." Oaktrunk, Arum, and Meadow then slowly started off towards Grotto.

***

Restharrow was nervously surveying the farm, watching for any signs of further human aggression. A human had been walking around the warren earlier that morning, sending the warren into another panic. The first attack had left the poor doe Wren missing three days before; she was presumed lost forever. The second attack, which had wounded Beet two days ago, and the third attack, which had narrowly missed Restharrow in the morning of the day before, had set the warren on edge. For hrair years, they had lived in peace without any trouble from man. Now, three attacks in three days? The fear was palpable throughout the entire warren. The story of Sandleford Warren, the warren which was destroyed by man and from which Watership Down's Hazel-rah and friends were originally from, was retold. Talk of abandoning the warren was beginning.

Just then, Restharrow saw a familiar rabbit approaching with two strangers. He greeted the one that he knew, "Oaktrunk! Glad to see you again! But, is it time for the next Rah meeting already? And where is General Hrairah? And who are-" Restharrow stopped and sniffed the three rabbits closely, before adding, "And why do you all smell so strongly of hombil?"

Oaktrunk replied, "Glad to see you, too Restharrow. Actually, I was coming alone, until I met up with Arum and Meadow here. I just wanted to get away for a while." He noticed Restharrow's impatient stare. He wanted to tell him the whole story, but knew it was a bit much to be believed without benefit of the hombil being here. He continued, "We found a homba den to stay in last night. No sign of elil, though. They must have been scared off by the man and the gun. We would've come straight here, but we were wary of the gun and wanted to hide until this morning. I was up all night in case the hombil came back." It wasn't entirely a lie. Technically, Mara and her cubs were not elil, as by definition elil is any enemy of a rabbit. And, Pratt had been scared off by the gun.

Restharrow thought nothing more of it; after all there was a crisis at hand. "Oaktrunk, speaking of guns, something's been happening here lately."

Oaktrunk grew concerned at Restharrow's expression. "Whatever is it?"

"One of our doe kittens was taken by humans. And Beet was shot," Restharrow said, quickly adding, "But he's going to be all right. His ear was injured badly, though. And I was shot at yesterday - but the man missed."

"Yes, yesterday, I think that's the same shot that we heard," recalled Oaktrunk, "We were just down by the river at the time, by the rockslide."

Restharrow nodded. "Yes, well come inside, all of you, we have much to discuss."

"Thank you, I hope it's cooler in the burrows than out here," replied Oaktrunk.

"Yes, early in the day for this heat, isn't it?" agreed Restharrow, surveying the sky, "And I can feel a storm in the air, can't you?"

As they went underground, George Castles was just walking towards Grotto.

***

WEATHER BULLETIN

ISSUED BY THE MET.OFFICE AT 0600 UTC

A LARGE CLUSTER OF THUNDER STORMS HAS FORMED OVER THE BAY OF BISCAY AND WESTERN FRANCE IN THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. THESE THUNDER STORMS ARE MOVING DUE NORTH AND ARE EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY WITH THE HEAT OF THE DAY AS THEY SWEEP OVER WALES AND SOUTHERN ENGLAND.

ALL PERSONS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE THUNDER STORMS TODAY IN THE AREA STRETCHING FROM LANCASTER IN THE NORTHWEST TO MIDDLESBROUGH IN THE NORTHEAST AND ALL POINTS SOUTH TO THE ENGLISH CHANNEL. PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR UPDATED BULLETINS AND WEATHER WARNINGS THAT MAY BE PUT INTO FORCE AS THE DAY PROGRESSES.

END TRANSMISSION

***

"Beet! It's me."

At the sound of Oaktrunk's voice, Beet slowly stirred and raised his head. "Hi, Oaktrunk," he whispered drearily, "Where's General Hrairah?"

"No, he didn't come with me this time. It's not the Rah meeting day yet. I just came to see what's been happening at Grotto."

"Well, things have happened, all right," Beet replied, stroking his sore but now less painful ear, "We don't know what to do now."

Pipit put her paw on Beet's, soothing, "Don't worry, dear, we'll be all right. Walnut will know what to do."

"I hope so," Beet said, "he's called a meeting, hasn't he?"

"Yes, dear, he has, but don't worry about that. Walnut told me to make sure that you stay here and rest until you're feeling better."

"Thanks, Pipit. I will, though I'd like to come, too."

***

Walnut patiently waited for silence, but after a few minutes of nervous chattering from the rabbits gathered in the main burrow, he cleared his throat twice to get the desired effect.

"Dear friends, as you know, for the first time in this warren's history, we have found ourselves deliberately and directly attacked by man. We know not their motives, but we do know this: more attacks are likely, and given man's terrible ingenuity and determination, they are likely to attack again and again, with more devastating effect at least until we are destroyed. I recall the tragedy of Sandleford Warren as the example - though Fiver's vision was the only warning they had to escape. At least we have had our warning now.

"What I am asking for now are suggestions for our course of action. I personally feel that we should evacuate, although I am fully aware that we have mothers with nursing kittens. Who goes? Who stays? Where can we flee to? I wish to leave you the opportunity to speak."

"We can't leave!" shouted a doe on the verge of tears, "I can't take my kittens with me!"

"I'm not leaving, either," added her mate.

An uproar of voices was silenced by Walnut's shout, "Quiet! One at a time!"

Restharrow spoke next, "Walnut-rah, I feel that there is imminent danger in staying. I believe that whoever can leave, should leave. As to where, I suggest Cloudtree Warren." He paused, then asked, "Oaktrunk, you have spare burrows, don't you?"

"Uh... we have a few, but our does can quickly dig more if need be. Yes, I can say on behalf of General Hrairah that anyone here would be welcome to stay at Cloudtree."

Walnut spoke again, "Well, I agree that those who can leave, should, but it won't be compulsory. I also agree with Cloudtree being a refuge, although everyone should be aware that it might take a day for the slower ones to get there. Now, we should decide who will stay. I will, for certain."

"And I will," said Restharrow, "I'm still acting Owsla Captain, after all."

"Then, I stay too!" cried Fawn.

"It's too dangerous, Fawn," replied Restharrow softly, "Please... The kittens are old enough to travel. Take them to Cloudtree - they need you."

"Yes, dear," said Fawn, on the edge of crying, "Why can't we all just go?"

Restharrow's voice became even softer, "Fawn, if everyone could go, that would be perfect. But, you know that nursing kittens can't go - they'll never survive out on the silf - and we can't just leave them alone here. Some have to stay and watch over them. Hopefully, perhaps, nothing further happens, and we can all come back."

Fawn's reply was, "I know," and bitter sobbing.

"All right," said Walnut, "Nursing kittens will stay. Now, I need volunteer does to stay and watch over them. Not all of the marlis with these kittens need to stay here. And all of their mates may leave." However, all the does with those kittens made it clear that they weren't going anywhere; their mates echoed that sentiment.. "Fine," said Walnut, "I expected as much. You don't have to go. Who else is staying?" There was silence. "All right, the does with nursing kittens and their mates stay. Restharrow stays. I stay. Everyone else may leave. Oaktrunk will lead the way to Cloudtree."

Beet, who had walked in some time before and had remained silent, spoke up, "I'm staying. This is my home." He paused and added in a lower voice, "I'm sorry, Pipit, I've made up my mind."

Restharrow replied, "No, Beet, let me stay. Your kittens are old enough to go."

"Pipit can take care of them just fine. Just like Fawn can take care of yours," answered Beet, "and you've chosen to stay, haven't you? Besides, I'm the Owsla Captain."

"Not until you're better again."

"I'm embleer better again, all right?" snapped Beet.

Not wishing for this to go any further, Walnut interrupted, "All right! You both stay! Agreed?"

Beet and Restharrow grunted their agreement.

Walnut sighed. "All right. Oaktrunk, perhaps you can start off as soon as possible."

Oaktrunk started to reply but was interrupted by Arum whispering in his ear, "Oaktrunk! So many rabbits out on the silf would be in serious danger. We've got to go get Mara and her cubs to help us!"

Oaktrunk whispered harshly back, "No time, Arum! We have to leave now!"

Arum continued, "But we can go to their den after we leave... It'll be safer..."

"Oaktrunk?" said Walnut, "Are you going?"

"Yes, Walnut-rah, right aw-"

The muffled but unmistakable sounds of gunfire could be heard. Several kittens started crying, and whispers of panic could be heard.

Oaktrunk finished firmly, "We're going right now. All right! All those who can leave and wish to leave, come with me!"

With that, Oaktrunk started out of the main burrow, followed by Arum, Meadow, and a number of bucks and does with kittens walking alongside them. Pipit and Fawn also left with their kittens, after tearful farewells to Beet and Restharrow. The evacuation had begun.

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