The rabbit woke in an obviously unused run, which was a little too small for him. His head hurt from where he had been unconsious for the last two days. What a long fall for the once great General of Efrafa. He thought back to his days at his warren, and to one certain rabbit named Blackavar. The irony did not escape him that he was now beign treated exactly the same was as he had treated Blackavar after his escape attempt from Efrafa. He chuckled inwardly at his fate. How fitting, he thought.
Soon, he heard another rabbit coming down the tunnel to the run, a large one by the sound of him. He braced himself for attack.
"General Woundwort, it's me! Cypress. I've been trying to get to you since your sentencing. O great general, your exploits are known throughout the warren. Sunflower-rah has always talked about you. He was obsessed with you. You were all I ever heard about as a kitten. I brought you food, General, because you've been without it for so long. If you would allow me, I would clean your wounds, too, sir."
The General was impressed by the great risk that this young buck was taking to bring him food. Th moved aside as far as he could to let Cypress in next to him. Cypress had brought him a leaf of lettuce, stolen from Sunflower-rah's own store, it seemed. The young rabbit beside him began to clean the General's wounds, and the General winced as blood began to flow from his cuts.
"Why do you risk so much for me, Cypress. In your Chief Rabbit's eye, I am nothing more than a criminal." In that he was truly curious. No one had ever risked anything for him especially. Oh, the bucks in Efrafa were willing to do Wide Patrols, but that was always for their own glory and not his. He could not think what would make this buck risk so much for him. Cypress was obviously favored by his uncle, however, it was clear that there was something of a rivalry between the two.
"Why? O, General, if only you knew what kind of a monster Sunflower-rah is. He drives kittens out into the rain if they even smell wrong. He banishes does for not digging the right tunnel. He is evil, the Black Rabbit of Inle' himself. We needed a hero like you to come now, General. Frith himself sent you blundering into me two nights ago. I want you to help us, General. Help us depose Sunflower-rah. Many of the bucks in the warren will help you. I myself and a leader in the rebelliion against him. I want him gone, General. If you help us, we will make you Chief Rabbit over this warren, and we will be your enforcers. You shall rule here, General. You can lead again, General. The story of what happened at Watership is all over the countryside. You can have a new warren, full of young blood, fully concealable, and maybe if you wanted, we could go back to Watership and take back Efrafa and take down Bigwig and Hazel."
It all flashed in front of the General. He could do as Cypress requested- and then he could rebuild what he had lost. He would be a hero, with a loyal host of rabbits at his side.
"You have me, Cypress. You get together your bucks, get them rady. Give me time to get my strength back. You and I will take this warren together." The hope bagan to flicker back into the General's heart. He remembered how he took Efrafa. He knew it was his time again. Cypress got to his feet and made his way out of the tunnel.
"I'll come for you when we're ready, General. El-ahrairah bless you."
Soon, he heard another rabbit coming down the tunnel to the run, a large one by the sound of him. He braced himself for attack.
"General Woundwort, it's me! Cypress. I've been trying to get to you since your sentencing. O great general, your exploits are known throughout the warren. Sunflower-rah has always talked about you. He was obsessed with you. You were all I ever heard about as a kitten. I brought you food, General, because you've been without it for so long. If you would allow me, I would clean your wounds, too, sir."
The General was impressed by the great risk that this young buck was taking to bring him food. Th moved aside as far as he could to let Cypress in next to him. Cypress had brought him a leaf of lettuce, stolen from Sunflower-rah's own store, it seemed. The young rabbit beside him began to clean the General's wounds, and the General winced as blood began to flow from his cuts.
"Why do you risk so much for me, Cypress. In your Chief Rabbit's eye, I am nothing more than a criminal." In that he was truly curious. No one had ever risked anything for him especially. Oh, the bucks in Efrafa were willing to do Wide Patrols, but that was always for their own glory and not his. He could not think what would make this buck risk so much for him. Cypress was obviously favored by his uncle, however, it was clear that there was something of a rivalry between the two.
"Why? O, General, if only you knew what kind of a monster Sunflower-rah is. He drives kittens out into the rain if they even smell wrong. He banishes does for not digging the right tunnel. He is evil, the Black Rabbit of Inle' himself. We needed a hero like you to come now, General. Frith himself sent you blundering into me two nights ago. I want you to help us, General. Help us depose Sunflower-rah. Many of the bucks in the warren will help you. I myself and a leader in the rebelliion against him. I want him gone, General. If you help us, we will make you Chief Rabbit over this warren, and we will be your enforcers. You shall rule here, General. You can lead again, General. The story of what happened at Watership is all over the countryside. You can have a new warren, full of young blood, fully concealable, and maybe if you wanted, we could go back to Watership and take back Efrafa and take down Bigwig and Hazel."
It all flashed in front of the General. He could do as Cypress requested- and then he could rebuild what he had lost. He would be a hero, with a loyal host of rabbits at his side.
"You have me, Cypress. You get together your bucks, get them rady. Give me time to get my strength back. You and I will take this warren together." The hope bagan to flicker back into the General's heart. He remembered how he took Efrafa. He knew it was his time again. Cypress got to his feet and made his way out of the tunnel.
"I'll come for you when we're ready, General. El-ahrairah bless you."