Watership Down: The CrossBearer

by RogueFanKC

Justin is a scorned and outcast human teenager, but when he is chosen as the Crossbearer, he must fullfill the prophesy of saving Elahrairah with the help of the Watership rabbits in the land beyond life, a journey of courage and love between friends.

19. The WitchRabbit Trials! Fiver and Justin...

/*

Author's note: I know, I know, I'm really going all out on this, but please forgive me! I have a project due on Thursday and finals are NEXT WEEK, so I don't have much time!  Besides, surprisingly, this is the longest chapter I've written yet!  It's only halfway done, and it's already 20 pages (that's almost twice as long as any chapter I've written so far!).  Well, it's been nearly a month since I last updated, and I didn't want to leave you WD fans hanging!  So, I'm breaking this chapter into two parts!  The second part will be up in TWO weeks (since it will be Spring break and I'll be on vacation by then!).  I promise I'll write as soon as I can.  Until then, be patient!  Oh, and for all TRUE fans of Richard Adams work, there's a certain character in this chapter that ANY fan of his novels WILL recognize (and NO, he's not a WD character! =) ).  But, boy oh boy, I just know I'm gonna get hate mail for leaving Fiver in such a bleak situation! (that or not putting everything into one chapter!)  Well enjoy the angst and suffering of FIVER!

*/

CHAPTER 19

                "My Lord, General Woundwort, my Prince," Vervain and Mallow bowed in respectful obedience in the dark, murky chamber where Elil-rah, Woundwort, and Prince Rainbow with his two, flanking guard dogs waited for news in the deathly darkness, "Our sources have revealed that the cross-bearer along with his protectors are near the border which separates the Land of Yesterday and the Land of Tomorrow.  Your orders, sire?"

                Woundwort had a sudden gleam of surprised gratification in his good eye while his white, dead, blind eye remained cold and lifeless as always.  "The border between the Land of Yesterday and Tomorrow?  You're quite sure?!  So Elil-rah have your hides if you bumbling, incompetent fools have made yet another mistake!"

                Mallow, the lesser fearful rabbit of the two quaking creatures, repeated with conviction, "No, we are quite sure, my General.  Our scouts and spies have traced them heading northeast into the areas where the two kingdoms reside.  We await orders for another attack."

                "Do nothing of the sort," Prince Rainbow commanded in a cold voice, his dogs staring hardheartedly at the two Efrafan rabbit without a sound, "Have the scouts and spies keep watch, but do nothing to alarm the rabbits or prevent them from entering the lands."

                "My...my Prince??  But...but why??" Vervain asked, confused and lost from the odd request.  But the voice of Elil-rah echoed in the gloomy run, snickering to itself aloud, "THE INSTANT JUSTIN SETS FOOT INTO THOSE LANDS OF YESTERDAY AND TOMORROW, HE WILL DIE LIKE THE FOOL HE IS!!  FOR REGARDLESS OF THE PROTECTION OF HIS CROSS AND HIS FRIENDS OF THE WATERSHIP DOWN RABBITS, HE WILL FIND HINSELF IN DANGER GREATER THAN ANY ELIL CAN EVER PRESENT!!!"

                                                                                ***

                Justin just stood at the edge of the grassland clearing, with eyes closed and his open palms in front of him, on which was lying the golden cross of Justin's necklace.  The other rabbits watched silently as the cross shimmered in a golden aura and levitated several inches from the teenager's hands, slowly hovering until it firmly, making the silver chain taut, pointed in the direction of north-northeast in front of the group, the direction which would lead them into the fields of the meadows of Fenlo where El-ahrairah and his warren was waiting.  Hazel, Buckthorn, Holly, and Bigwig were right; they were heading in the right direction, and the compass abilities of the cross further strengthened that conviction.

                "Anyone have the slightest idea what the lands are like up ahead on our journey?" Hazel asked the three scouting experts.  Holly sniffed the air a few times, his sharp senses identifying moist soil, wet grass, and a variety of trees, yew, laurel, and prunus, to name a few.

                "Well, whatever it is, it isn't too dangerous.  From the smell of it, it contains a variety of plants and abundant amounts of grass, enough to feed all of us and sustain Justin's hunger.  It will be nice to have a pleasant area to rest."

                "I know," commented Buckthorn wearily, "it has been three days since I have fought with Hufsa, and with us getting so close to El-ahrairah's warren, we've been pushing ourselves non-stop, spending less and less time to rest and silflay.  By the Black Rabbit, I don't think I can ever recall a time when we were so burdened with fear and fatigue!  Not even when we traveled from Cowslip's warren and made our way to Watership Down have we been this weighed down!"

                "It was for a good reason, Buckthorn.  We didn't want to risk Justin's safety anymore," Bigwig muttered warily as he stared at the unknown terrain.  They were now following the paths parallel to the mountain range they had recently crossed after the battle with Nekas and Lord Brock, and since their escapade on the floating birch tree in the rapids, they realized that they had sidetracked south a lot more than they had anticipated.  Apparently, it would be two, maybe three more weeks, before they would even reach the borders of Fenlo.

                "Then we best be moving," commented Hazel and he, Justin, Bigwig, Holly and Buckthorn turned to make their way back to the group.  Meanwhile, with the remaining rabbits, Pipkin and Silver were questioning Fiver.

                "Fiver, are you sure you can't sense anything yet?  Elil-rah may be close by right now, and the sooner we can get a warning on his messengers' whereabouts, the better," Silver gently pestered.

                "No, I can't.  I'm sorry, Silver, but if my visions can't appear and inform me on anything of the sort, then we might not be in trouble as of yet," Fiver admitted resignedly.

                "Not likely, you little liar," Hawkbit muttered under his breath, but unfortunately, Silver and Campion heard him.  By Frith, now there was going to be some harsh words thrown about.

                "What was that, Hawkbit?" Campion growled in riled shock, low, penetrating, and deep, almost animalistic and feral.  "Care to say that little tidbit a bit louder??"

                Hawkbit at first looked as if he was going to back down and keep silent, but three days of little rest and food made him incredibly cranky and short-tempered, fueling the annoyance and exasperation that spewed the words out of his mouth.  "By Frith, I think I will!!  I can't believe you, all of you, keep depending on Fiver for his embleer visions when they never arrive in time to prevent us from meeting with Elil-rah's minions!!  No matter what, every enemy and dark messenger we've ever faced, every battle we have fought and brawled in, every injury, pain, and bloodshed could have been avoided if Fiver had his mystic second sight take into effect sooner!!  But no!!  Like idiots or blind rabbits, we trudge through rough and impassible terrains, get attacked at every chance and every moment Elil-rah finds, and suffer through horrible, ghastly wounds inflicted by the dark Owsla!!  If it wasn't for Justin and his cross, we'd all be so horribly disfigured and injured, we wouldn't even be able to come back to El-ahrairah's warren!!!"

                "And just what exactly are you saying, Hawkbit?" growled Silver evenly, his tone becoming more hostile towards Hawkbit's outlook on Fiver.

                "I'm saying that all the attacks that have happened to us so far have been Fiver's fault to begin with!!"

                "But...but, it's not my fault, Hawkbit!" Fiver defended weakly, his voice breaking, "I don't know when or why I can see things, but I have no control over such visions or when they come!!  I can only see what is given to me!"

                "Yes, and it's all because of the tharn fact that you can't see things before they happen like before when we were able to escape the destruction at Sandleford, we are always putting Justin at risk!!  By the Black Rabbit, I wouldn't be surprised if the real reason you have those visions is because you're the one who causing all the bloody trouble we've been having!!  After all, if you were any kind of rabbit of El-ahrairah, you'd be more concerned and worried about your lack of visions rather than keeping such a tharn, nonchalant, blasé attitude."  Fiver stepped back, his mind and soul now troubled from the words, and unbeknownst to all of them, Hawkbit's words hurt Fiver far more than anticipated but he forced himself to not show it underneath his composure.  Bigwig, seeing the look of hurt and angst on Fiver's serene face, got in front of Hawkbit and forcefully growled, "That's enough, Hawkbit, or else I'll rip you apart!!"

                Speedwell, a bit uneasy, silently sided with Hawkbit by putting in softly, "Bigwig, please, don't be angry, but Hawkbit has a point.  Every time one of Elil-rah's minions arrive, we could have easily avoided them if Fiver had his second sight come warn us sooner, and that way, we wouldn't have to constantly go through all this danger.  Yet, he hardly does alert us in time, and you can't help but wonder, that's all."

                "Speedwell!" admonished Strawberry, shocked that the wily rabbit felt the same way.

                "Not you too, you loud-mouthed, jumped-up-never-to-come-back-down, tharn buck!!" complained Bigwig.

                "Bigwig, come now!  Don't get riled up over this! You know they're right!" Acorn tried to bring in convincingly, and Bigwig nearly lost his restraint, his paws and feet quivering with antagonism.  Fiver felt more and more at a loss as he saw more and more rabbits concur with Hawkbit's sentiments.  Strawberry tried to break it up and keep the peace.

                "Look, we all are having had a particularly, grueling time, but now is NOT the moment when we can have a bally argument breaking us apart and distracting us from rest!  Please, all of you, drop this right now!!"

                "Please, Hawkbit!" pleaded Pipkin, tugging slightly on the blackish rabbit's green and gold tunic, "Please, let's just rest now!  I'm sure some silflay and sleep will do you a world of good!  Please don't make a fuss!"

                But Hawkbit wouldn't drop it as he said angrily at Fiver, his frustration and want of keeping Justin safe making him blurt out the accusation, "Maybe you don't really want to have Justin come back to heal El-ahrairah, Fiver!!  Maybe you've been keeping back on your visions all along for as certain as Elil-rah, you aren't helping much with keeping the cross-bearer safe!!  Embleer Frith in a hole, it's as if you actually want Justin to get killed!!!"

Everyone, Speedwell and Acorn included, was staggered from the declaration; not even Bluebell and Bigwig were that uncharitable.  Fiver just stood there, looking at Hawkbit with a dazed, shaken look in his brown eyes, glazed with hurt and humiliation, his body golden-brown body stiff and quivering.  Then, without a word, he bowed his head, turned abruptly, and ran, faster than he ever could, nearly stumbling as he vanished into the thick cover of the forest.

"Fiver, wait!  Come back!!" Pipkin pleaded, but the visionary was gone.  Awkward silence loomed over the group.

                "I'll go see if he's all right," murmured Justin in concern as he jogged after Fiver.

                "Justin, wait!  It's dangerous to go there by yourself!!" Hawkbit broke in, but before he could charge after the teenager, Hazel leapt in front of his path.

                Hazel glared at him, his eyes now with a reddish tinge and his fur bristling, and Hawkbit could honestly say he had never seen his Chief rabbit appear so hostile, so angry, so wrathful...so hurt.  He realized then that Fiver was Hazel's younger brother, and ever since the two were alive back at Sandleford warren, Hazel was always loving and devoted to his brother's well-being and care.  Hawkbit then recognized that he went too far.  The Chief growled in a voice not unlike his own, icy fury and offense boiling madly in the timbre of his normally calm voice.

                "I have never laid a paw on you, Hawkbit, but Frith help me, right now, for what you just said, I've half a mind of bite you in the throat and scratch your eyes out myself.  But as of currently, I need all of my mind to ease my brother and make up the damage you have done."  With that, Hazel quickly, worriedly, hopped over toward the thicket where Fiver and Justin disappeared, leaving Hawkbit to wallow in slight remorse with ears drooped.

                                                                                ***

                Meanwhile, Justin has caught up with Fiver, and the two were amongst a bed of ferns and weeds.  The rabbit had stopped running, and now, he was facing away from Justin as he squatted there, on all fours, looking down on the ground.  He didn't even bother to look at the cross-bearer.

"Fiver, c'mon, please don't be like that.  C'mon, please, at least answer and let me know you're OK," pleaded Justin encouragingly as he tried to give Fiver a comforting pat on his slim shoulders from behind.  The small rabbit just coldly, emotionlessly, moved himself out of Justin's reach while his back was still turned to the cross-bearer, his head lowered despondently and his face obscured and hidden from view.  Justin was lost; he didn't know exactly what to say that could help Fiver, particularly since the Watership rabbit didn't want company right now, and regardless of all his abilities as the cross-bearer, Justin didn't think it was physically possible, nor desirable, to change a person's mind or heal emotional wounds.  What Hawkbit said opened several emotional scars, and not even the trinket was the best way to heal them.

                "Justin, let me," Hazel broke in softly, yet without warning, and Justin turned to see Hazel, standing firmly on his hind legs, yet worry and unease etched his kind face, making him appear worn out and old, as if he wasn't immortal in the land beyond living.  Justin, as he quietly stepped back, letting the two brothers have a private moment, could see that Hazel was extremely troubled about Fiver, but then again, he reminded himself that Hazel had always loved Fiver.  Out of their entire litter of five, Hazel and Fiver were inseparable, always looking out for each other, unwilling to leave one another behind.  Justin, a bit shamefaced for being selfish, then wished he knew what it was like to have someone look out for you in such a caring way, like an older brother.  Fiver still didn't turn to face Hazel as the rabbit leader spoke with sincere angst and devotion from his heart, calling Fiver by his Lapine name affectionately.

                "Hrairoo...I'd be lying if I said that Hawkbit didn't mean it, or that no one else in the group agreed with his views...But, everyone, us and El-ahrairah included, knows deep down that we'd never be here or have gotten this far without your intuition.  What was said shouldn't have been said, but it wasn't the truth.  It was just Hawkbit being bad-tempered because of a lack of rest or food for the past days."

                Fiver still didn't show any indication that he was listening.  Hazel felt his gut wrench slightly as he continued, all the meanwhile walking closer to his sibling.

                "Hrairoo, it's not your fault.  None of this is, and no one, not Justin, not El-ahrairah, not even Prince Rainbow and Woundwort, is at fault.  Everything that has happened so far has been due to Elil-rah and his influence, not from your visions or second sight.  You aren't to blame...and you aren't a burden, to me or any other rabbit.  You never were a burden."

                Justin then saw Fiver's body stiffen a bit at that last statement.

                Hazel spoke, "You may always be distant because of your sense of the mystic, because of your 'gift', because you bear an enormous responsibility that you never asked for, and because it asks too much of you to help us with your visions.  But regardless how distant you feel, you will never be too far from us, too far from help, too far from the ones who care about you."

                Fiver slightly trembled as Hazel placed a paw on his younger brother's shoulder from behind.  "Hrairoo, you may try to shun everybody away, but please, remember, every time you do, it hurts me.  Do you honestly think that I don't know??  That I don't notice??  That I don't understand??"

                Fiver was now visibly shaking, tears threatening to leak out as Hazel whispered, "Remember, Hrairoo, I will never leave you or forsake you.  I didn't leave you behind at Sandleford, at Cowslip's warren, at Nuthanger Farm, at Efrafa, and at the siege on Watership Down.  You can try shunning everyone else, but you can't shun me for I will never abandon my brother, my family.  And I won't let you abandon them either."  Fiver was now sobbing as he finally broke his silence, turning to face his brother with a mixture of outrage, panic and frustration.

                "EMBLEER FRITH, WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE?!!" he sobbed, half screaming with self-loathing.

                "Because I won't," Hazel said firmly with convicted compassion and benevolence as he squatted on his hind feet and touched his nose with Fiver's, softly and carefully, while keeping a firm paw on his shaking younger brother's shoulder, "Because you're my brother, because I care very much for your sake...and because the times when you want to push me away will be the times you need me the most.  Just like how I always needed you in my life and in the lives of our friends, our comrades, our family."

                "You could be better off without me!" cried Fiver, whimpering and looking down on the grassy soil, "Every time someone gets frustrated with me, you always have to put yourself in the thick of it to defend me, even though it always gets you in trouble, or worse yet, hurt!  And Hawkbit's right!!  How do I know I'm not the cause of all this, that my visions don't cause the trouble that has been happening to us?!"

                "Fiver, that isn't true," Hazel said, troubled.

                "And how would you know?!" Fiver now was crying piteously, "You don't know what it's like to never have a life without worry, trouble, vexation, and responsibility!!  Even life as a Chief rabbit pales in comparison to the fact that the second sight took my life from me, my sanity, my control, ever since Efrafa tried to attack Watership Down!!  I never asked for this power, this insight, and it asks so much from me, consumes me!!  Why can't I just be a...a normal rabbit?!  Why couldn't I just forsake this power when I want to, so that I wouldn't always be troubled from painful premonitions, the screaming horrors, the ability to feel the pain, wrath, and destruction of death and war and danger?!!  Every time I see a vision with my second sight, I can feel it, everything, the emotions, the anger, the hurt, the impeding doom, and it takes so much out of me!!  It's just...it's just no one knows what I undergo!"  Hazel couldn't truthfully answer back, but Justin then spoke softly as he knelt next to Fiver.

                "I know," the teenager said simply, and Fiver, whimpering, raised his head and look at the sad face of his human companion.  Justin went on, trying to put in a smiling tone and making his voice a bit light-hearted.

                "Hey, you're forgetting who you're talking to," he smirked as he raised his cross necklace in plain view with his thumb, but then spoke in a more solemn tone, "Fiver, I know what it feels like.  Remember when you guys first found me, when I was being chased by Mallow and Vervain?  When Dandelion told me the story of Elil-rah and the prophecy??  I acted exactly how you are now, and trust me, I don't think any human would be in their right minds if they actually wanted to be chased around by Elil-rah and his Owsla, to live every day and night in fear and caution, and to constantly worry about using and learning powers to protect yourself and the ones you care about.  I mean, I didn't ask to be the cross-bearer and I didn't ask for any of this, but...I have to do it.  Just like how you have to always use your visions, to deal with them and interpret them, to protect us.  We don't know why we're chosen, but we do know that crying and contemplating it isn't gonna get us anywhere.  And besides, it would be better if we bore the responsibility rather than someone else who might not be able to handle it.  I mean, could you imagine what would happen if Bigwig or Hawkbit had to be the ones with the visions in this group??"  Both Fiver and Hazel couldn't help but smile at that last statement, Fiver a bit more shakily, picturing the potential disasters that would arise if that happened.

                Justin broke in gently, "But Fiver, you are helpful, for all of us.  You always gave us a hint or a clue to figure out what was going on, to find out a weakness, to find a solution!  I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for your visions, for your premonitions, for your intuition.  So don't beat yourself up over this!"

                "But it's never before we could do anything to avoid it!" Fiver choked, the reminders now bitter and churning in his stomach and heart, "And it doesn't take much for the rest of the group to forget that!  If something goes wrong, I'm usually the one to blame, and regardless how many times I've have been right, there's always the odd rabbit to doubt me and wonder whether or not I've been mistaken, delusional, or plain silly!!  It's as if no one cares about me, only my 'gift', and it just reminds me how I'm always alone!!  Alone, and no rabbit can ever truly understand how I feel!!"  At this, Fiver started quaking and sobbing again, his tears now flooding out and dropping onto the ground.  Unable to say anything more, both Justin and Hazel softly, warmly, embraced him, and the three just remained there, a human and a rabbit, wordlessly holding a shaking, distraught, bawling rabbit between the two, lovingly but with heavy hearts.

                                                                                ***

                "Wow, so this is the Land of Yesterday and the Land of Tomorrow," commented Justin in awe as he looked around the surroundings while he rode on Buckthorn's back, traveling with the horde of sixteen.  Justin remembered the scenery from the stories of El-ahrairah in "Tales from Watership Down", where the Land of Yesterday was the home of the spirits of animals who have become extinct and the Land of Tomorrow was the home of animals that were still subsisting in the physical real world.  In fact, El-ahrairah traveled to these lands to gain the sense of smell for his children and his legacy of all rabbits; Justin was still amazed that such a place was even real, but then again, he wasn't sure what to believe anymore.  Right now, they were all hopping slowly on the border that separated the two regions, with the Land of Tomorrow being gloomy, with dark green vegetation, a misty, depressing, foggy atmosphere, and an overcast, cloudy sky.  It was completely dim, dank, and murky compared to the forests of the Land of Tomorrow, with their ripe, fragrant flowers and various trees bursting with the wild colors of autumn, but never shedding one leaf over the endless fields of grass and clover shining with dew in the sunlight.  It was like the border was a contrast between two lands, one of the cheerless, lifeless Yesterday and one of the bright, sunny Tomorrow.  The rabbits were now in between the two realms, taking some time to enjoy the walk and sights and smells.  Fiver was still a bit traumatized, so he gloomily, yet silently, hopped around near Hazel.

                "These lands are so different.  They're like completely opposite of each other," wondered Justin out loud as they passed by.

                "Well, at least once we head further into the forests, we'll have better cover from any attacks," commented Holly, "and then we can rest a bit."  Unfortunately, Bigwig and Silver both halted abruptly, and Silver held up a paw, warning the rest of the group to be silent and stand still.  Bigwig strained his ears at the trees; apparently, he heard some sort of rustling noise from the walnut trees above, and Justin, uneasy, placed a hand over his cross necklace.

                "All right, you crack-brained fool!  Come on out!!" barked Bigwig roughly, bravely, anticipating anything, "Either state your business or prepare to fight!!"  Nervously, and with dread, the rabbits saw emerge from the think, green, leafy branches were...a trio of tree-dwelling animals, two red squirrels and one raccoon.  They weren't elil, and it was a false alarm.  However, as the rabbits slightly relaxed, relieved, the three animals were staring at Justin, mouths agape and eyes shiny with fear and bewilderment.  Justin was uncomfortable, but he gave a small smile as he slightly waved at the three.

                "Hi there," he said softly, but it was as if he threatened them, for the three terrified creatures suddenly darted back into cover, leaping among branches, with the raccoon going into the Land of Tomorrow and the two squirrels bouncing aimlessly into the Land of Yesterday, all the meanwhile, screaming and shrieking loudly enough to wake up the dead, "ALARM!! ALARM!! WARN THE KINGS!!  WARN THE KINGS!!!  MEN ARE HERE!!  MEN ARE HERE!!  MAN HAS COME TO INVADE OUR FORESTS, OUR LAND!!  THEY'RE HERE!!  THEY'RE HERE!!  A MAN IS HERE IN THE LAND BEYOND LIFE!!!"

                "Uh-oh," groaned Bluebell as roars of commotion, shock, surprise, and anger immediately resounded forcefully amongst the trees, multiplying every second as they could see more and more animals, perhaps hundreds, rushing over to the border where the Watership Owsla was grouped currently.  Now, they were surrounded by a whole pack of animals, ranging from the extinct potoroo, the Kenai wolves, to the timbleers, antelopes, groundhogs, and various numbers and multitudes of birds, perched on the branches.  Even the nearby fiords and streams were choked with fish, their stationary eyes now bursting towards the sight of a human teenager with rabbits.  Yet, what made the sight more daunting was the fact that every animal surrounding them was large, larger than Justin remembered in his world.  Now, in the land beyond life, each animal seemed to have increased in size three-fold, and most of them were tall enough to loom over the rabbits and Justin like towering infernos of hate and malice.  Bluebell glanced at Justin with an upsetting look in his eyes, "Justin, I don't think you should have done that."

                "But...but all I did was say 'hi'!" Justin protested.

                "By Frith and Inle, and you rabbits think I have a big mouth!" muttered Hawkbit warily as he kept scanning the tight circle of animals muttering and gaping at Justin back and forth.

                "It wouldn't have made much of a difference anyway, chap," Dandelion tried to defend Justin, "The minute those animals saw us, they would have screamed as if the embleer Elil-rah was coming after their tails!  Justin's not at fault!"

                "Well, at least these creatures aren't elil, so they won't hurt and attack us," Speedwell said optimistically, despite the unnerving feelings in his skin and fur.

                "Somehow, Speedwell, that does NOT make me feel any more at ease," emphasized Silver as Justin and the rest of the rabbits could hear bits and pieces of the frantic conversations all around them.

                "By the fur and paw!!  Those misfits weren't lying!!  There really is a human here in our land!!" exclaimed an antelope, her eyes bulging with fear and disbelief.

                "How can it be possible?!" shrieked a koala bear, shielding her two cubs in her arms by hugging them fiercely to her chest, "How could a man enter our haven?!!  We were supposed to be safe, free from such troubles and persecution!!"

                "I don't know, but I don't like it!" growled a panther, his claws already drawn out and ready for attack.

                "Is he dangerous??" asked a New Zealand grayling to his neighbor, a Blackfin Cisco.

                "He's a human boy, of course he's dangerous!!" the fish snapped back heatedly with terrified urgency.

                A golden eagle snapped furiously at Justin, "What in the name of Yesterday, Tomorrow, and Frith are you doing here, you stupid, trouble-making human?!  Haven't you ruined the lives of innocent creatures enough, you trouble-making, despicable slime?!!"

                "Yes, get out of here!!  You're not wanted!!  Leave this place before we use force!!" snarled a dodo bird, his red eyes narrowed and his beak snapping angrily.

                "Leave him alone!" growled Acorn at the eagle, but this was to no avail.  The entire crowd was restless and began to panic even more, yet anger and vehemence was already starting to rear its ugly head towards the rabbits and the human.

                "You...you embleer rabbit traitors!!" howled a burly, large otter as he pointed one, webbed paw directly at the group, fury causing his to shake and quiver, "What are you doing, protecting a human?!  Have you no decency for fellow creatures or for Frith himself?!!"

                "How could you even side with the boy?!!" screamed a potoroo.

                "Huh!  They are acting no more like his servants, obeying his every whim!!  Look at them, they're all even wearing colorful clothes and fabrics, acting like humans themselves!!  And just when I thought that the English rabbits could not sink any lower!" scoffed a spotted wildcat.

                "Disgraceful!" agreed a hedgehog with contempt.

                "I'd rather die a thousand deaths than serve some human, like a common dog, always trying to please the master like some fool!!" a hare chipped in.

                "Please, at least dogs have some standards!" growled a coyote, "These rabbits serve the human because they want to, not because they have to!!  They forsaken the universal code and oath of all animals to help that...that menace!!"

                "I agree!!  Look at that one rabbit, carrying the human!!  As if he's too good to walk on soil!!  What disgusting arrogance!!" sneered a tiger to his companions, several lions and two panthers.

                "They're traitors, that's what!!" a wood pigeon cooed wrathfully.

                Hazel tried to take control peacefully, raising his voice over the commotion, "Please, none of us want any trouble!  We just wish to pass through the lands!  We don't want to cause any chaos!  Please, just let us through!"

                "HA!  A likely story!!" retorted the eagle, spreading his wings, displaying his anger, "If we let all of you rabbits escape here with the human, you'll only cause destruction and mayhem somewhere else in the land beyond the living!!  We've only seen it too many times to not deduce otherwise!!"

                "I agree!!  The man will wreck everything we've all worked so hard to cherish and protect!!" roared one of the lions.

                "He would never do that!!" yelled Pipkin heatedly, defending Justin, "Justin's here to save El-ahrairah, our Prince!!  He would never hurt a living thing here!!"

                "'Justin'?!!  Oh, so now, you're on a name basis with that child?!!  How revolting!!  How disgusting!!  How wretched!!" mocked a heron.

                "As if we believe you, you sniveling, filthy rabbit!!" the otter snarled as he stood upright, now over six feet tall, ready to pounce on them.  "Quickly, everyone!!  We must defend our home!!  Kill the boy!!  The rabbits can't fight all of us!!!"

                "YES!! KILL THE BOY!!  FIGHT THE RABBITS!!  FIGHT THE TRAITORS!!  KILL THE HUMAN!!!  DEFEND OUR HOME AND OUR HONOR!!!" chorused the rest of the crowd with howls and rumbles of rage, hate, prejudice, and spite as the circle began to draw closer and closer to the close-knit group.

                "By Frith, this is certainly not good!!" gasped Campion as he stood upright, unsure whether he was up to tackling several animals at once.

                "I think I would prefer it if one of Elil-rah's minions attacked us!!  At least it would have been easier!!" warbled Blackberry as the bloodthirsty crowd got closer and closer, but before Justin could try to time-freeze the animals, a booming voice echoed across, stunning everyone into a shocked silence.

                "ENOUGH!!  HALT!!  ALL OF YOU!!  STOP, IN THE NAME OF THE KINGS!!!"  It was so deafening, every animals could hear the authority sending shivers of fear and confounding tremors through their blood, and Justin could have honestly said that it rivaled the volume of Lord Brock's voice when he tried to attack Pipkin and himself at the mountain summits.  Everyone, the animal horde, Justin, and the rabbits of Watership Down turned to an awe-inspiring sight.  There, with the sunlight shining radiantly behind them, was a large, brown grizzly bear, flanked on either side by a mammoth, wooly, Oregon bison and a majestic, strong stag.

                All three of the animals had a mysterious yet commanding aura of respect and nobility surrounding each of them.  The large grizzly was formidable, over nine feet tall, with shiny brown fur neatly in place and huge, black claws, thick, stout, and sharp, with equally dark eyes and a black snout.  Yet, despite his fierceness, he had a look of wisdom and comprehension, almost like he was human.  Justin also noticed that patches of his fur were badly singed, blacked, and revealed tender, pink, exposed patches of injured skin and flesh, as if he was horribly injured in a fire.  In spite of that, the bear obviously didn't seem to think that they were a bother for he moved fluidly, gracefully, without showing the slightest indication that he was in the slightest pain.  To add even more ambivalence to the demeanor was the fact that there was a crown of violets sitting on top of his head between his ears.  Though Justin had no idea who the bear was, he certainly was able to recognize the buck and the bison from the descriptions in the El-ahrairah story, "The Sense of Smell" from "Tales from Watership Down".  The Oregon bison was the King of Yesterday, the ruler of the land where all animals who have become extinct, like the dodo bird or the potoroo, come to live the rest of their lives; it was basically a heavenly haven for the creatures that have been wiped out, mostly by the hands of humans.  Even the King of Yesterday himself was hunted until his clan was obliterated from the face of the physical world.  He was a heavy, powerful animal, taller than the full height of any human, with large legs, heavy, strong dark hooves, thick, curved black horns, and a dense, wooly, shaggy pelt of long, brown fur, forming lengthy strings of twisted hair all over the King's body.  The king's face was equally bushy, with a moist, wet snout and vast, solemn brown eyes that were glaring acrimoniously at the sight of Justin.  The stag was as striking and refined as the bison was hirsute.  The buck had obsidian colored eyes, but despite the dark wildness, the eyes were warm, judicious, and radiated a sense of reliability and finality, as if no one dared questioned his decisions.  His eyes, black hooves and black nose were only parts of his body contrasting his perfect, golden hide; not a single hair was out of place, and the entire pelt was shiny, lustrous, and atop the stag's head were sharp, large, yet intricately-designed amber antlers, each bearing eight, spiked prongs.  This was the King of Tomorrow, the ruler of the Land of Tomorrow and the animal who actually gave El-ahrairah the sense of smell under the condition that El-ahrairah and his children use the gift to raid farms and cause devastation to all men.  Now, the King of Tomorrow was staring coolly at Hazel and the rest of the Watership rabbits while the King of Yesterday was glaring venomously at Justin, and the grizzly just looked on without any sign of emotion.

                "Come forward, Hazel, leader of the rabbits of Watership Down and fellow soldier of the Owsla of El-ahrairah," the stag commanded in a booming, yet smooth voice, and Hazel, with the eyes of many bitter, irate animals following him, separated himself from the fellowship and hopped over cautiously, yet decisively towards the two kings and the bear.  The rest of the rabbits watched nervously, unsure what was going to happen.  Justin, who by now had slid himself off Buckthorn's back, asked Silver, "What's going to happen to him?"

                "I don't know, but I hope no danger comes about because of this," replied Silver, half praying.  Bigwig shushed them both as the kings addressed to Hazel.

                "What were you and your party doing on the borders of the Land of Yesterday and Tomorrow?  Why did you not enter out lands and request permission to pass through with possible aid from our communities??" asked the King of Tomorrow.

                "More importantly, why are you siding with a human?!!" bellowed the King of Yesterday, "Have you rabbits and El-ahrairah gone mad?!!"

                Hazel spoke openly, "We were just passing through, your majesty.  The reason we didn't want to enter the lands and enter your kingdoms was because we didn't want to arouse notice that Justin, the boy, was traveling with us because Elil-rah is trying to murder him.  We didn't want to take the risk."

                "If Elil-rah wishes to kill the boy, it's because he knows what a menace the human is to all of us in the land beyond life!" roared the otter in the crowd, and plenty of the animals gave heated noises of agreement.

                "ENOUGH!" yelled the bear, temporarily silencing the crowd, and shrewdly, the stag looked at Justin who was standing silently, respectfully.

                "Justin, come forward," he said, and Justin, after blinking with surprise and with a few nervous glances with his friends, slowly walked forward until he was under the gazes of all the animals, side by side with Hazel and his heart pounding with anxiety.  The bison was glowering none too friendly at the teenager, but the bear, after analyzing the scene, recognized what was going on.

                "You are the legendary cross-bearer, are you not?" he asked gruffly, and Justin, at a loss for words, simply nodded apprehensively.  This, in turn, set off a new round of mutterings and whispered outbursts of shock, dread, and resentment among the tide of creatures, and the rest of the Watership rabbits grew even more edgy and tense.  The bison narrowed his eyes even more at Justin while the stag actually appeared disturbed from the confirmation, nervously twitching his hooves back and forth on the moist soil and tender grass.

                "If you are the cross-bearer, then that means you have unspeakable power, power that could destroy your enemies or harm innocent creatures in the land beyond the living!!" snarled the King of Yesterday, "I should have known that you rabbits were up to no good!!  You're actually helping the cross-bearer cause destruction and mayhem in our paradise!!"

                "No, that's not true!!  I would never do that!!" protested Justin, yet the other animals didn't share his sentiment.

                "You liar!  We know what all men are capable of, and especially with your powers, we have even more reason to hate and mistrust you, you foul miscreant!!" yelled one of the lions.

                "By the Kings of time and Frith, why are we even letting them walk on our hallowed soil?!  They should all be punished!!" put in a groundhog.

                "You think we actually trust you, just because you're the infamous cross-bearer?!!" cawed a woodpecker angrily, "All of us have been mistreated, caged, or hunted down by humans, only to come and arrive here in the land beyond life!  There has not been one of us who hasn't felt the pain and brutality of the hand of man, creatures that have selfishly destroyed our homes, killed our children, trapped and sold us as objects for pleasure and entertainment, and for what?!  What did we ever do to deserve such treatment?!  What gives men the right to act as the ruler of all animals?!!"  Justin, hearing this, couldn't answer back.

                "Your majesties, you cannot seriously be listening to the rubbish this wretch is telling us!!" complained a warthog, snorting angrily.

                "We demand that they leave now and that the teenager dies!!  He is a threat to all of us!!" screamed the antelope.

                "We have a right!!!" called out the otter defiantly.  The grizzly was done in, his patience starting to break.

                "SILENCE!!!  THAT IS ENOUGH!!!  THE NEXT ONE WHO DARES SPEAK ANOTHER WORD WITHOUT CONSENT...!!!"  The animals fell silent; it was uncommon for the bear, who had always been a gentle, advisory creature, to make any threats of punishments.  The stag gave the bear a grateful look before turning to Justin.

                "I have heard about you, Justin, and I know everything, the tale of Elil-rah, the fallen angel, the prophecy of the light and hope of the cross carried by one man who exhibits a pure heart and sincere love.  Yet..." and at this, he gave a dark look.  "I also know of what you have done with the cross during your presence in the land beyond life: you have destroyed weapons of metal and iron within a moment, nearly set a forest aflame with the intensity of the light from your jewel, transformed your rabbit companions into unnatural creatures like dogs or given them wings of flight, acting as if you yourself were Frith, created a vast army from thin air, summoned rain and thunder in order to cause a flood, and you have used such powers to fight creatures such as the Ilips and King Darzin."

                "You're completely misinformed!" bellowed Holly, unable to keep silent any longer, "The reason Justin even used his powers was to protect himself and us from danger!!  All those events you have just described were because Elil-rah sent them to kill Justin!!  He was just acting in self-defense!!  He never attacked a creature in the land beyond life without cause!!"

                "And you seem to be forgetting that there are also creatures that Justin had healed with his light of the cross!" objected Strawberry, "He never showed unnecessary force!  Every enemy we ever faced was never killed or obliterated!  When King Darzin and his cat followers were injured, after we got away, Justin used his prayers to heal them!  When the weasel leader Volgnamass ruthlessly disemboweled two of his own soldiers, it was Justin who took mercy on them and helped them!  And I think you know as well as I do what the cross-bearer did with Scry-rah and the hawks!!  Every use of his power was not to destroy and wreck havoc, but to heal and make peace!!"

                "He really is the cross-bearer, and he is NOT a threat!!  Can't you see that?!" shouted Buckthorn as he stood on his hind feet, "Justin doesn't treat any of us like lesser servants, but as friends, equals, partners!  He is NOT like other men you know of!!  Elil-rah knows this, and he also knows that Justin is the only hope we have our saving our Prince!!  El-ahrairah has been severely attacked and wounded by Elil-rah's dark powers, and Justin was summoned by Frith and God so that he could help us heal him and save our warren, our home, our future!!"

                "That problem is of little concern for us!" snarled the King of Yesterday.

                "That's what you think!!" Bigwig raged, "Once Elil-rah destroys our warren, what makes you think that he won't hurt and destroy other creatures in the land beyond life as well?!  Elil-rah is the evil one, not Justin!!  He won't stop until he takes over this land with his dark, wicked ways, and then all of you will be under greater danger than you could ever imagine back in the physical world!!"

                "Don't listen to them, my lords, it is a trick!!" accused the potoroo.

                "They are just trying to dissuade you, making fools of us all before the human destroys our home and slaughters all of us!!" shrieked the wildcat.

                "PEACE, EVERYONE!!!" ordered the bear, and he said it so dangerously that spittle gleamed on his white, bared teeth.  As the assembly begrudgingly kept quiet, the stag made his decision, irrevocability and decisiveness underlying his tone.

                "I have made my decision: you, rabbits of Watership Down and El-ahrairah, and you, Justin, cross-bearer of legends past, will remain here, in the Land of Tomorrow while the King of Yesterday, our councils, and myself, debate the situation."  The instant these words rang out, the crowd immediately went into an uproar of fuming protest, but before it could become chaotic, the King of Yesterday then spoke, his voice hard and offensive.

                "However, to make sure the clan of Watership Down will remain here and not try to escape with the human before we have made our decision, you rabbits will be accompanied by guards from both of our respective kingdoms, for our protection and for yours."  He emphasized that last bit with a bit of malevolence, and Hazel wasn't sure this was going to bode well for their sakes.  The bison continued, and at this, a small sneer showed on his face, "And also, as collateral to ensure you rabbits not try any of your devious trickery on any of us before the decision is made, we hereby revoke the sense of smell from all of you."

                "WHAT?!" chorused the Owsla of El-ahrairah.

                "You can't do that!!" seethed Acorn.

                "You're treating us no better than prisoners!!" cried out Bluebell in disbelief and stinging affront.

                "We haven't even done anything!" griped Hawkbit, "This is completely insane!!"
                "This isn't fair!!" yelled Dandelion.

                "Please, just listen to Hazel-rah!  We're not here to cause trouble!!  We're not the enemy!" pleaded Pipkin.

                "My decision is final!" declared the King of Yesterday, clearly enjoying himself, and with a flash, in horrified incredulity, Hazel and the rest of the Watership warriors all felt something warm and whole emerge our of their bodies.  Immediately, white orbs of light and transcendence emerged in front of them in thin air before flying towards the bison and embedding themselves into his body, vanishing underneath his thick, wooly fur.  To their terror, they all found that the King of Yesterday spoke the truth; now, there was only a numb feeling in their noses, bland, lifeless, dead, and instead of the hundreds of various odors infusing their senses and minds, they sensed nothing.

                "I...I can't smell anything!!" Blackberry squealed in dread, both of his forepaws holding his nose in shock and amazement, "It's...it's as if my nose is frozen!"

                "This can't be real!!" squealed Dandelion in fright and helplessness.

                "This is not justified!" Hazel dissented evenly at the bison, anger threatening to get the better of him, "You have no grounds of reason or cause to even do this to us!!"

                "My decision is my word and my word is law in this land, a land that you and your precious human happen to be guests on," growled the bison dangerously, "Don't force me to revoke my hospitality, rabbit."

                "Wait!" broke in Justin, respectfully but frantically, distressed at seeing his friends suffer, "Please, don't do this to them!  Please!  What if...what if I give you my cross as collateral?!  As a token of assurance that we won't do anything?!  I'll give you my cross for safekeeping if you return the sense of smell back to my friends!!  Please, I give you my word!"

                "Justin, NO!" Hazel shouted vehemently, partly touched at Justin's concern but mostly cross at his lack of insight.  If he surrendered the trinket for their sakes, the teenager would be putting himself at risk and danger from the other animals, if not one of Elil-rah's minions.  Sacrificing the only thing that could ensure his safety and their Prince's well-being was far from noble in Hazel's present mind.

                "Justin, you mustn't, please!" Fiver begged, running up to Justin's side, earning several scoffs and looks of repugnance from the crowd.  The bison's smile grew even more.

                "That false display of devotion is hardly touching, human," the King of Yesterday replied scathingly, "yet I am glad you brought up to me of the other condition I wanted you and your fellowship to abide by!!  Cross-bearer, with the cross being the source of your powers, you are a threat to all of us and we cannot risk the chance that you may befall some harm to one of our subjects in the forests of Yesterday and Tomorrow!!  Therefore, you will relinquish your cross of light and power to our bear advisor, and he in turn, will give it to the King of Tomorrow.  Both the cross and the sense of smell will be returned to you and the rabbits of Watership Down once we have finalized the decision."

                "Decision?!  Decision in what?!!" demanded Hazel furiously.

                "It is none of your concern," the bison shot back condescendingly before addressing to the bear beside him, "Shardik!"

                "Shardik??" whispered Justin to himself before staring at the bear; he had heard that name before, but for the life of him, he had no idea why it sounded so familiar.  The bear literally showed no emotion as he stood on his hind feet, soaring over teenager, and Justin wasn't sure whether he supported the decisions or if he was against them, yet...the bear had a look in his eyes as if he understood, as if he knew how he felt, as if he was aware that this didn't seem just to him at the moment.  However, it was evident the grizzly, brown bear would always be loyal to his kings.

                "Justin, hand over the cross," the bear ordered in a deep, throaty, gruff bass, and the other rabbits immediately rushed over in remonstration and dispute.

                "You can't!  Justin, don't, you mustn't!!" Speedwell gasped as he appeared by Justin's side.

                "Justin, hand over the cross; I promise you that no harm will happen to it."

                "You cannot be serious!!" Bigwig snarled at the King of Yesterday, rebellion and tantrum bristling his fur and making his ears stand upright, "If Justin cedes his powers, he will be defenseless if one of Elil-rah's minions attack him!!  And how do we know you'll even return it to him or stay true to your word and let us leave?!"

                "You dare question my authority?"  Now the voice of the King of Yesterday was low, hazardous, and prickling as he glared at the cheeky rabbits, and the rest of the animals in the crowd were now hating the rabbits with even more malice, if that was even possible.  Bigwig still stood firm.

                "You haven't exactly given us reason to believe your good intentions!" the Owsla veteran spat out in contempt.

                "Bigwig, that's enough!" Campion warned as he put a cautionary paw on his friend's shoulder; it wouldn't be any use to them if the King had even more of a reason to dislike them and make their stay as cumbersome as possible.  The bison then warned to Justin, "Justin, I will not repeat myself for a third time.  Give the cross to Shardik immediately or I have it removed from your possession by force and your rabbit protectors will never regain their sense of smell."

                Justin, at a loss, apprehensively looked at Shardik, then at his friends, before he numbly unhooked the clasp of his necklace and torpidly, with trembling hands, laid the golden, crystal cross in the huge paw of the bear advisor.  Nodding his approval, the King of Tomorrow ambled forward and the bear carefully attached the chain around the stag's neck.  Now, Justin was completely defenseless and the King of Tomorrow possessed his cross necklace for the moment.  Unfortunately, Justin couldn't stop thinking the frightening possibility that the king would never return it.  Or worse.  Though it felt silly, Justin also felt naked without the familiar, comforting feeling of the jewel around his neck, and it was a bloodcurdling reminder that he was at the animals' mercy now.

                The King of Yesterday had a sadistic tone in his voice as he savored the events, "We will let you rabbits know our decision in this matter after a day or two.  Until then, I suggest you not wander far from Shardik or the assigned guards.  It may prove to be dangerous for yourselves and for your precious human friend if you try leaving."  Holly and Hazel and Bigwig could understand the threat beneath that suggestion.  As the King of Yesterday and Tomorrow both ambled off, disappearing in the thickets, Shardik and several other animals, notably lions, panthers, lynxes, and other dangerous predatory, strong animals remained close to the presences of Justin and the rabbits.  The mob of animals started to disperse into their respective kingdoms, but the rabbits and Justin weren't able to ignore the sneers, the dirty looks, and the obscene curses thrown their way.

                "This is certainly not good!" groaned Dandelion.

                "By Frith, you just figured that out?!" snapped Hawkbit aggressively.

                                                                                ***

                "Hazel, I think we're in more danger than ever before," Holly whispered to his Chief as a moose passing by scowled spitefully at them, "Things do not appear to be very encouraging at this point."

                "By the Black Rabbit of Inle, Justin, did you have to open your big mouth with the suggestion of surrendering your cross to the King of Yesterday?!" Hawkbit griped as he ravenously gobbled down some clover and bluegrass at a speed that rivaled Silver's.  It wasn't easy to silflay when you were worried and anxious, especially since so many animals were either afraid of them or giving them an incredibly, grueling time, but they had to do something other than squatting around, doing nothing.  And despite the bleak outlook of their situation, none of them could deny that they were all incredibly starving from two days of hasty travel and fatigue.

                Bigwig was furious and scolded Justin, who was seated on the grass, none too gently, "By the fur and paw of El-ahrairah, why in Frith's name did you even do it?!  Now you're completely defenseless, you can't invoke your powers if there's trouble, and to make matters worse, you had to give it to one of the kings no less!!  As if one of those stuck-up, tharn, stubborn, old scalawags even needed more power to begin with!!  Couldn't you have frozen time and stopped all of them?!!"

                "Bigwig," Blackberry chided softly, defending Justin, "if Justin didn't hand over his cross, it wouldn't have made our situation any easier, not to mention that the King of Yesterday would have no qualms with injuring Justin in order to force him to give up the cross of light and that would be even worse for all of us.  And if Justin did freeze time, it wouldn't look good to the other animals, and that would give them just cause to mistrust Justin, perhaps kill him even more."

                "And these animals aren't with Elil-rah.  They're just very intimidated and bothered that Justin is even here in the land beyond the living," pointed out Fiver.

                "Blackberry and Fiver are right, Bigwig," Speedwell remarked as he tried to nudge the bullying rabbit humorously, "I wouldn't feel right if we had to do battle against the likes of them, especially since they're not elil.  And I know you wouldn't either."

                "By the way those bally tyrants keep treating us and Justin, I wouldn't be too sure on that if I were you, bucko," Bigwig growled, glaring back at a passing by beaver who sniffed as she went, trying to be disdainful.

                "Bigwig, I...I'm sorry," Justin apologized sorrowfully, almost close to a sob as he replayed the events in his head again while burying his face as he hugged his knees.  "I just didn't want you guys to suffer, and if I didn't do it, he would have never returned your sense of smell back.  Besides, what choice did I have?  Everyone here isn't an enemy sent from Elil-rah; they're just creatures who don't like the fact that I'm even here, so if we fought them, we'd be attacking animals who aren't on the side of the bad guys."

                "Justin," Acorn said softly, gently, as he placed a comforting paw on the teenager's head, "our sense of smell we can do without for the time being, but you, without your cross, we cannot afford.  Now, there's no telling what will happen to us now that the King of Yesterday has our gift of smell and the King of Tomorrow has your jewel of light and potential."

                "At least they said that they would discuss it," Justin offered hopefully, "It's not that much of a problem to just wait, and all of us, especially you guys, could use the rest."

                "Add the fact that the Kings, along with every other animal in these lands, wouldn't mind seeing you dead, and I think you've just described the problem quite well, young one," groaned Dandelion.

                "Not to mention it will be a great hindrance to us without the sense of smell to guide us around the dark and to identify any strangers we come across.  It will practically leave us confused and lost, like an ant in an endless burrow," Strawberry remarked as he accidentally bit into a slug crawling onto the grass.  He made a face, disgusted, since he couldn't use his smell to detect his food until he actually bit into it and tasted it.  Considering that the rabbits never did without the sense of smell, this was going to be very, very challenging.  He continued, "However, we're not that much at a disadvantage than we thought.  I suspect that the King of Tomorrow is more lenient and understanding that the King of Yesterday, so he may be an ally to argue for our defense before their Council of animals.  He may be the only thing that's giving us a fair chance and whatnot!"

                "Fair?  Them?  Ha!  Not bloody likely!" snapped Dandelion.

                "Ugh, I wish we could find some cowslips or some type of greenstuff to chew on!" complained Pipkin, changing the subject, as he accidentally chewed on some mud and grime, "This is quite awful!"

                "And we still need to gather some food for Justin," Fiver commented worriedly.

                "It's OK," Justin assured as he stood up, "Why don't I just look around and try to find some food?  I think I saw some apple trees around here, and I'll bring back as much as I can so we can all share some."

                "You're not going alone," Buckthorn brought up quickly.

                "Somehow, I think it would be loads better if he was alone," mentioned Bluebell agitatedly as he pointed a forepaw at the guards assigned to watch over them, the lions and the panthers especially muttering dark thoughts as they glared forebodingly at Justin at every second.  Still, it was later agreed that it was better that everyone would accompany Justin, especially since no one wanted to be left under the hating looks of loathing from the watchful eyes of the guards.  Still, as they left to walk towards one of the many apple trees in the orchard, its branches bursting with plenty of ripe, yellow fruit, it was as if every animal in both kingdoms was trying to be close by so that they could make the detention of Hazel and the rest as miserable and disconcerting as possible.

                "Phew, that human reeks even worse than the rabbits!!" mocked a nearby yona, covering his nose with a paw in scathing disrespect, "No wonder Elil-rah is always succeeding in finding them!  All he has to do is order his Owsla to track the stinking odor!"

                "Maybe it explains why the rabbits are even with him!  The human's scent rubbed onto them so much, they were all probably kicked out of their warren for being such sordid, nauseating wretches!!" laughed a lynx aloud.

                "Just ignore them, Justin," Buckthorn whispered heatedly, "They're just trying to get your attention."

                "Don't give these poor chaps the satisfaction," Silver muttered grimly, though a part of him would like nothing better than to beat the living daylights of those jerks.  It certainly would have been worthwhile.  He wasn't the only one, as most of the party was trying with great restraint to not give in to their anger and humiliation.  Unfortunately, the animals continued their cruel banter, and Justin could have sworn that it was exactly like being in high school again in his world.

                "Look at that sight, the rabbits following their master, like mindless dogs!  How utterly revolting!" teased the hare.

                "Slaves!  Human's slaves!  Walk faster or Justin will be angry!" scorned a squirrel, tailing behind them as he chattered the wounding words.

                "Whatever is the matter, you rabbit traitors?!  You need to the consent of your 'master' to go and fight?!  Or are you all cowards?!!" sneered a raven.

                "If there is one out of that vile party that is a coward, it is that human, the one called 'Justin'!" snarled a panther, "Look at him, hiding behind the company of those rabbits!  He can't even fight for himself!  He truly IS selfish, always allowing his rabbit protectors to be hurt while he goes away unscathed!!"

                "By Frith, El-ahrairah must have been absolutely desperate and rash to even think of the notion that a lowly human will even be of use!" shouted a cow.

                "You mean absolutely mad!" quipped one Kenai wolf, "But then again, I always knew that the English rabbits were a miserable lot!  And this proves it!!"

                "I always said it takes a fool to find another fool," ridiculed a bullfrog.

                "No, comrade, you mean a wretch finding another wretch!" laughed a woodpecker.

                "These rabbits have truly descended to the most lowly animals in all of the land beyond life!!" derided the tiger, and Bigwig, Hawkbit, and Acorn finally lost their tempers.

                "How would you like a jolly good scratch across that loud-mouthed muzzle of yours, you embleer, striped puffball?!!" snapped Bigwig as he, Hawkbit, and Acorn prepared themselves to tackle and fight any animals they could, their visions brimming with fury, offense and crimson temper.  In response, glad for the invitation to cause more trouble and make the rabbits look bad, the tiger and several other animals advanced towards them, growling.

                "Bigwig, stop it!" Hazel shouted and he, Holly, Speedwell, Buckthorn, and Silver restrained the three soldiers from doing something rash.

                "It's just going to lead into more trouble!  Stop this now, Thlayli!" commanded Holly sternly as Bigwig fought against the firm hold Silver and Holly had on his body.  Bigwig, refusing to listen, kept muttering, "I don't care!  Just let me at the blighters!  Let me go!  They're going to get what they have been begging for!"

                "Please, old chap, don't!  Fighting certainly won't help matters, and we can't let them win!!  You'll just give all of them more reason to mistrust us and hate Justin!" Speedwell urgently told Acorn.

                "They still have no right to treat us or Justin like this!" growled Acorn.

                "What's the matter, rabbit?!" teased the antelope, "Scared to fight?  Afraid of leaving the human's side?!  If El-ahrairah ever hoped that you lot would be enough to protect the cross-bearer, he's even more pathetic that I ever imagined!!"

                "HA!  Those rabbits won't even speak on their behalf, can't even say a single word, much less fight!  What a sad troupe!" spat out the heron.

                "I'll give you a few words, you..." Hawkbit started, his ears perked up and his whiskers twitching furiously, but Buckthorn hastily clamped a paw over Hawkbit's mouth, shushing him.

                "That is enough, all of you!  Let's just help Justin get some food!" Hazel commanded sternly, though there was little hope in his heart that his friends would listen to him for long.  Resentfully, grudgingly, Bigwig, Acorn, and Hawkbit allowed themselves to turn away, yet the animals, disappointed, continued jeering.

                "HA!  Those rabbits really are cowards!  They won't even fight!  Useless pack of dolts and deluded fools!" sneered a mouse.

                "I hate them," muttered Hawkbit stormily.

                "I hate them, too, chap," growled Bigwig, and Bluebell looked up, slightly amused.

                "By Frith!  You know, this is the first time you two have ever agreed on anyth-" he started, but both Hawkbit and Bigwig whipped back fiercely and shortly, "SHUT UP, BLUEBELL!!"

                "Just trying to make light, buckos," Bluebell said, resigned and snubbed.  By now, though it felt like an eternity, they finally reached the apple tree.  Justin was about to reach up and pick one, but suddenly, the otter appeared in front of his face and shoved him back quite roughly.

                "Don't even think about touching one of our treasured fruits!" he snarled, bristling, "It already has enough parasites on it!"

                "Why you -!!" began Campion, turning red from seeing Justin being mistreated, but Justin stopped him, pleading, "Don't!! Campion, please!  It's all right, I'm not hurt!!"

                "No, it's not all right, young one!" Campion snapped back, completely livid and irate, "Why do allow them to continue on like this?!  Don't you get mad at such stupidity and rude behavior?!!"

                "No, I don't," Justin replied, softly yet strongly, emphasizing each word, and Campion was floored.  Justin continued, "It's OK, I'm not that hungry anyway.  Let's just go and get back to the clearing."

                "I agree, it would be safer to get away from this company," advised Strawberry, but as the group tried to retreat back, a burly otter, a different one from the first and obviously a daring friend, purposely and defiantly got in front of Justin's path, blocking him.  Knowing this routine from the jocks back at his high school, Justin tried to step around him, but the otter moved and blocked the teenager's path again.  Apparently, he wasn't going to let the boy pass.  Silver narrowed his eyes as he warned gravely, "Get out of his way.  Let him through."

                "And if I don't??" challenged the otter, a playful smirk dancing across his face.  Buckthorn and Silver growled as they raised their forepaws, ready to cuff him, but Justin lightly touched Buckthorn's shaking fur.

                "Look, let's just look for another path out of here," he pleaded.

                "Easier said than done, young one," Blackberry gulped, and Justin then saw why.  All around them, surrounding and barricading their way out, was a circle of twenty or so otters, standing upright, taller than any of the rabbits, with crossed arms and mean, bold, insubordinate grins.  It was clear that they wanted to cause more trouble.  Holly snapped at the lions and panthers assigned to watch over them, "Aren't you even going to do anything to stop this?!!"

                "Why should we?" one of the panthers spat out, drawling, "After all, if the cross-bearer is so powerful, he should be able to get out of this!  And besides, we're not going to risk injury, fighting over a worthless scum such as man!  That is the job of you embleer rabbits!"  Holly angrily made a mental reminder to never trust the guards that the kings assigned as the first otter they met with, presumably the leader, scoffed at Justin as he advanced near him.

                "Not so high and mighty now, are you Justin?!" he mocked as he rudely, intentionally gave Justin a small shove again, hoping to intimidate the human into breaking down or attacking.  Justin just numbly faltered back, but didn't do anything to defend himself, so the otter decided to shove him again.  Yet unfortunately for him, Bigwig, with a cry or rage, rammed himself into the otter at full speed, stunning the beast as they both sailed away from the teenager.  The response from the crowd was automatic.  Another otter tried to grab Justin, yet Strawberry and Pipkin both head-butted the otter at the same moment, their combined weight nearly crushing the animal.  Speedwell, Buckthorn, Blackberry, and Dandelion started to get in a brawl with six other otters, and already, several scratches have been given back as both sides rolled amongst one other on the soil, cursing, cuffing, and bleeding.  It looked like the remaining otters and the animals were about to join into the ruckus too, but then Shardik's voice rang out above the entire commotion, "STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!!!"

                Everyone ceased as Shardik, his sides heaving with anger and his eyes blazing, stomped into the middle of the scene.  He roared stridently, "ENOUGH, ALL OF YOU!!  STOP THIS FOOLISHNESS RIGHT NOW OR YOU'LL FEEL THE BOTTOM OF MY PAW ON YOUR HEADS!!!  NOW, WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR STARTING THIS?!!"

                "It was the human, Shardik!!" the otter leader whined raucously, pointing a claw at Justin who was next to Campion, "He started the whole fight!!  It was all his fault!!"

                "Yes!!" chorused the rest of the otters and the animals, as if on cue, "Justin is to blame!!  He attacked us first!!"  The rabbits were mad with gall and scandal.

                "They're lying!  Justin didn't do anything!!  The otters tried to attack him first, and Justin never laid a paw on them!!  WE were the ones who attacked them, not Justin!!" protested Holly.

                "The cross-bearer's innocent!" protested Bluebell.

                Hazel then approached Shardik as he listened to both sides, "Shardik, please, listen to us!  We, the rabbits of Watership Down, take responsibility for the mess and chaos for we were only defending Justin!  Be mad with us if you must, but leave Justin out of it!  He didn't do anything to start this!  He didn't take any part of the fighting!"

                "We say otherwise, rabbit!" snapped the otter.

                "And we say it is the truth, otter!" barked Bigwig.

                "Strength in numbers," the antelope scorned as she indicated with her head to the crowd of animals who were all ready to testify and validate the otter's testimony.  More than enough to counter the witness of the Watership rabbits, and helplessly yet furiously, Hazel and the others knew it.  The animals were winning again, and as a result, Justin would pay.  Shardik then turned to Justin and growled, "I think it be best if you and the rest of your rabbit protectors come with me to a more secluded area where you can't cause anymore trouble to any other creature."

                The rabbits immediately opposed, jabbering, "What?!  By Frith, are you blind?!  Justin didn't do anything!!  Please, listen to us!  This is unfair!!"

                "SILENCE!!!" the bear roared, giving each one daggers of death before his eyes fell on Justin, "Justin, come."  Justin, knowing this wasn't going to get anywhere, fought the bitter feelings of sulkiness he had for the rest of the animals as he solemnly marched towards the bear with the rest of the Watership Owsla were about to accompany the grizzly down the path.  Yet, before they left, the bear turned back and scolded harshly to the lions and panthers and wildcats assigned to guard the group, "And if you miserable lot did what you were supposed to do as the kings commanded, this wouldn't have started in the first place!!  It does not take much to see you weren't performing your duties!!"

                "Don't use that tone of voice with us, Shardik!!" a wildcat hissed forebodingly, "Just remember that there's only one standpoint in this entire matter!!  You had just better be on the right one!!"

                "Don't tell me you are actually falling for this human like those stupid rabbits?!!" accused a panther.

Shardik rumbled in automatic response, "Your concern is hardly necessary, for my loyalties always lie with the King of Yesterday and the King of Tomorrow!!  I don't need a reminder of what I should be fighting for or what side I should be on, but that doesn't stop me from giving you duffers a well-deserved clout for your insubordination and indifference!!"  The animals just resentfully glared at Shardik, Justin, and the rabbits as they all retreated back to the clearing.  Justin tried to speak to the bear, who, even on all fours, still towered over him by several feet.

                "Thank you...Shardik."  However, the bear wasn't very receiving as he hurriedly cut him off.

                "I said silence, young one!!  And save your attempts to convert me to your side!  It won't work!" he snapped roughly, and Justin just kept quiet sadly, feeling that there was truly no other animal in this land who would ever be accepting, except El-ahrairah.  Tomorrow seemed so far away, and every minute was incredibly torturous.

                                                                                ***

                "You see?!" crowed the King of Yesterday to his only companion, the golden stag, as both of them watched from a distance the events that led to the brawl in front of the apple tree orchards, hidden in the obscurity of the leaves and weeds and trees.  "Already, the human has caused chaos and destruction and war in our peaceful sanctuaries!!  He poses a threat to all our subjects!"

                "However, the rabbits spoke the truth, the human did not do anything of the sort to instigate the fight.  The human was merely hungry, and you saw as well as I did that he only wished to get some food.  He didn't even attack any of the otters when they pushed him nor did he turn on the animals for their mockery," the King of Tomorrow said thoughtfully, though he stared at Justin and the Watership rabbits with serious, studying eyes.

                "Despite that, you know this will continue on if the human keeps wandering wherever he wishes, and it were not for his presence, then our loyal comrades and subjects would not even act in such behavior!!  If this remains, our land will constantly be in turmoil, and there will be dissention among our kingdoms!  Do you want our communities to forever be ruled by this constant fear and mistrust caused by the cross-bearer?!"

                "No, I do not," the King of Tomorrow conceded, "Very well then.  The cross-bearer, for his own safety and the safety of his rabbit companions from El-ahrairah and for the sakes and well being of our kingdoms, will be immediately placed in isolation, under guard by Shardik and several other individuals in the Web of Thorns.  The rabbits of Watership Down may stay close by during certain times, but they must not be allowed to remain with him, in fear that they may try to help him escape.  In addition, I suggest we, and the Council, discuss and resolve this matter quickly before any more trouble arises."  Unfortunately, neither of them had any idea how much more trouble was going to befall.

                                                                                ***

                "I see everything is going well according to your plan Elil-rah," commented Prince Rainbow as he, his dogs, Woundwort, and Elil-rah gazed in the pool of water, prognosticating the events by showing images of Justin and the Watership Owsla being mistreated and led away by Shardik, on the pool's smooth surface.  Elil-rah chuckled in a sinister way.

                "YES, AND IT WILL BE THE CAGINESS AND DEEP HATREDS THAT WILL BRING THE DOWNFALL OF THE CROSS-BEARER, AS WELL AS HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH THE RABBITS!!  NOW, IT ALL COMES DOWN TO HOW THE VISIONARY RABBIT, FIVER, BROTHER OF HAZEL-RAH, ACTS AS I SPREAD A FEW PLAGUES AND CURSES IN THE LANDS OF TOMORROW AND YESTERDAY!!!  THE SEER WILL FINALLY BE OF NO TROUBLE AFTER THIS, AND NO LONGER WILL THAT CURSED RABBIT BE A THORN IN MY SIDE ANYMORE!!  HE HAS RUINED MY ATTEMPTS COUNTLESS TIMES WITH THOSE VISIONS AND SECOND SIGHT OF HIS!!!"

                "And exactly how will that help us, my Dark Lord?" muttered Woundwort darkly as he glared at the image of Justin in the water with the deepest loathing and detestation.

                "JUST BEAR WITNESS TO WHAT SHALL HAPPEN, WOUNDWORT!!" Elil-rah boasted.

                                                                                ***

                "I cannot believe this is happening!" growled Blackberry as they all followed Shardik to the clearing, under watch of the many animals that still decided to follow them in order to throw insults and taunts at the rabbits and at Justin.  "Frith and Inle, these animals all need to stop this silly ignorance and comprehend what fools they are all being!"

                "Sort of like you were with Justin during Nekas's attack?" quipped Speedwell as he gave the black-eared buck a sly twinkle of his eyes.  Blackberry blinked, then blushed as he brought his head down, muttering, "You couldn't bally resist, could you Speedwell?"

                "No, old chap, I'll be doing this to you every day and night!" Speedwell chortled.  Hazel was trailing behind Shardik, next to Justin and Fiver, deep in his thoughts of uneasiness and apprehension, when he slowly noticed that Fiver didn't look well at all.  His eyes were half-closed, as if he was fatigued and drowsy, his breathing lowered to short pants and rasping mouthfuls of air, his fur and tunic were already starting to become moist with sweat.

                "Fiver, are you all right?"  Fiver didn't answer as he started to actually wobble in his walking, almost dizzily as his body started to shake.  No longer was the rabbit hoping, but ambling aimlessly in a crooked, unsteady, sickening line.  Justin noticed this too, and he suddenly called out to Shardik, "Shardik, wait, please!!  Something's wrong with Fiver!!"

                Shardik, curious but annoyed mostly, stopped and glanced back as the rabbits who were gathered by Fiver.  The other animals noted this too, and the crowd, inquisitive and probing, stopped and fell silent as they all watched on, partly eager to see what sort of dilemmas would befall the group this time.  Fiver was so disoriented, lightheaded and shaky, he nearly fainted, and if it not for Bigwig catching him in his strong paws, Fiver would have sank to the grass.

                "Hazel, what's wrong with him?!" gasped out Justin as Fiver started frothing at the mouth, jerking wildly as Bigwig struggled to keep him still.

                "I don't know!" Hazel cried, greatly vexed and troubled.

                "Is he ill?  Could he have contracted some strange sickness?!" Campion asked breathlessly, but Fiver then screamed appallingly, crying as sharp spears of pain embedded themselves into his skull, forcing him to hold his head in his paws.

                "AAAAA!!!  It hurts!  It hurts!!"

                "Fiver!" screamed Pipkin as the rest of the rabbits all nearly went tharn from the visionary's howling, "Stop it!  You're scaring us!!"  The last time Fiver acted like this was when they were all back in the physical world, and Fiver had a liberating vision of a dog being loose in the woods during the time Woundwort tried to attack Watership Down and kill the warren, allowing Hazel, Dandelion, and Blackberry to come up with the plan to lure the dog from Nuthanger Farm into attacking the Efrafans and driving them away from their warren.  His screams caused the baby offspring in the crowds surrounding them to squeal in fright and hold protectively to their parents while the otters, the lions, the birds, and the rest of the subjects stared at Fiver with the utmost confused, traumatized expressions.

                "Fiver, wake!  Wake!!  Fiver, for Frith's sake, wake please!!" Hazel choked urgently as he tried to shake his brother into consciousness.  Yet Fiver couldn't stop as he screamed, "Destruction!  Death!  The shaking of the earth and trees!  It's happening!  Zorn!  Zorn!  All dead!  This land will be under disaster!!"

                "Fiver, what are you talking about?!" Bigwig questioned hoarsely, but his queries were soon answered for at that instant, all hell broke loose.  Immediately, the ground started to shake violently, a deep rumbling echoing across the Land of Yesterday and the Land of Tomorrow, violent tremors causing the earth to crack and the soil to fly up into the air like birds taking flight during danger.  Strong, thick trees, eons old, due to the earthquakes, fell and toppled over with resounding crashes, leaving messes of splintered wood and dead leaves.  All the animals gathered around each other in fear and terror, howling and squealing, and Shardik could only just stare in woe at their home, their haven, their world, being torn asunder as easily as a bird picks an insect from the ground.  The King of Yesterday and the King of Tomorrow both immediately appeared out of the thickets in alarm, only to their lands in a desecrating frenzy.  One squirrel and a opossum with seven children were violently hurled into air when a mighty oak was knocked down, and heroic compassion, both the King of Yesterday and the King of Tomorrow rushed forward and caught both of the animals by breaking their falls on their soft bodies.

                "Has that rabbit gone mad?!!" The bison bellowed in anger and fear.

                "For the sake of Frith, make him stop!!" the stag called out urgently, "The buck will put innocent animals in grave jeopardy!!  Cease this now!!"

                "IT'S NOT HIM!!  MY BROTHER IS NOT DOING THIS!!" shouted Hazel vehemently, but the tremors got stronger and stronger, drowning out his words in the mist of the devastation, screaming, and cracking.

                "Frith in a hole, I've never seen this happen when Fiver has his intuitions!!" gasped out Buckthorn.

                "Fiver, stop this!!  You're going to get the whole lot of us in danger!!" squealed Hawkbit.

                "Hawkbit, it isn't him!!" Hazel snapped heatedly, wishing he didn't have to repeat himself, "Whatever it is, it isn't because of Fiver's visions!  Everyone, just beware of any immediate danger that could be fatal for Justin!"  Before long, too long, the animals feared, the shaking and rampage ceased as suddenly as it appeared.  Now, with the threats gone, the wary animals could only stare and gape in anguish as they saw a once beautiful, fruitful, fertile grove now flattened to a mass of broken trees, uprooted dirt, and irregular cracks and ditches.  They were all extremely lucky that no one was hurt.  Fiver was gasping with exhaustion and fatigue as he lay against Bigwig, firmly propped upright in his paws, yet he was still conscious and no longer seemed to be in pain.

                "Fiver, are you all right now?!  Are you better?!" Holly asked anxiously, and Fiver nodded, unable to answer for his entire body and mind felt like it was on fire.  Hazel just muttered a prayer of thanks to Frith, seeing that his brother was all right.  Unfortunately, the entire fiasco left the animals in the kingdoms, along with the King of Yesterday and Tomorrow, fully shaken, troubled, and distressed, only to soon melt away in anger and reproach.

                "By Frith, our homes, our lands, our trees!!  The area all around us has been completely annihilated!!" cried the eagle, sobbing at the sight of such destruction.

                "It can't be!  It can't be!" whispered a groundhog over and over in amazement and denial, unwilling to believe that his sheltered world was ruthlessly torn apart, no longer depicting the peace and serenity offered in the land beyond life.

                "How can this be possible?!!" screamed the beaver, "How could this have happened!!"

                "You fool!!  Can't you see?!  It was the human!!  He's to blame for all of this!!" shrieked the koala, pointing a paw at Justin.  The rabbits' heads perked up, realizing what was coming with dread.

                "That's impossible!" Campion yelled, trying to defend Justin, "Justin doesn't even have his cross!!  He surrendered the cross to the King of Tomorrow, so he doesn't even have any of his powers!!  He wasn't the one who caused this!!"  Yet it was to no avail; the animals all around were now muttering with accusations and threats as they all started the hold Justin accountable once again, like the proverbial scapegoat.  Even the King of Tomorrow and Yesterday were staring circumspectly at Justin and the rabbits of Watership Down as if they were possessed.

                "No, he's right, chaps!  It wasn't the human directly!" a bull roared, indicating with his head towards the limp, drained, semi-conscious body of Fiver, still being held protectively by Bigwig.  "It was that embleer rabbit, that visionary, the one called 'Fiver'!!  He's the one who caused all this!  You all heard him!!  He foretold these exact same events, right before they struck our peaceful homes!!  He saw everything before it happened!!  Well, how did he know?!  How could he have seen such a prediction?!!  The human and the rabbit both must be the ones responsible for this mayhem!!  They're both the cause of all this!!"

                "He's right!" screamed the panicked woodpecker, "None of this had ever happened until those two set foot into our lands!!"

                "No, you're wrong!" Pipkin yelled, but the other animals wouldn't listen.  Even Shardik and the kings looked as if they were ready to agree to the same conclusion.  Pipkin pleaded again, "Please, listen!!  This is not what it appears to be!!  It was all a misunderstanding!!  Fiver and Justin didn't cause all this!!  Please, believe us!!"

                "Silence, you lying wretch!!" yelled the coyote, tears of upset and umbrage watering his eyes after seeing his beloved home destroyed, "We should have killed Justin when we had the chance!  I knew that trusting you English rabbits would lead to no good, but NO!  Like fools, we allowed you despicable scoundrels to stay in our land, treated you with hospitality, and how do you repay us?!  Your visionary seer rabbit summons a terrible plague and wrath to ravage our lands and homes!!"

                "Hospitality?!  By the Black Rabbit, if that was being hospitable, I would hate to think how you treat your enemies, you rude, obnoxious duffers!!" snapped Hawkbit, and everyone from El-ahrairah's Owsla wished than and there that Frith had made Hawkbit mute when he was born.

                "What on earth is that rabbit?!" accused the yona, indicating to Fiver.

                "He's a witch-rabbit, that's what the wretch is!!" charged the hare, "I've heard of such things before!  Witch-rabbits are evil, evil creatures, born out of chaos and madness, drawing unmentionable powers from the world of the mystic and numinous to cause suffering on pure innocents!!  They practically feed off dissention, turmoil, and upheaval!!  It would even explain why the cross-bearer is here with him!!  Both Fiver and Justin are evil!!"

                "Are you sure??" asked a Thicktail Chub gasped breathlessly.

                "The human boy has incredible power, doesn't he?!" snapped the cow, "Don't you remember anything?!  Humans are always evil, and when they have such power, they're even more ruthless, cold-blooded, detrimental and brutal!!"

                "Power and might always corrupts the weak-minded, short-sighted men, and this proves it!!  We should have never allowed them to enter, and to have the rabbits still side with the boy, that's an insult that is too insolent to even tolerate!!" indicted the moose, snorting angrily at Justin.

                "He must be punished!!" roared a panther, "Both Fiver and Justin must be punished for their crimes against all animals in the land beyond life!!  We must stop them from hurting any other creatures and wildlife here!!  This must end now!!"

                "YES!!!" they all howled as one, the combined screams and rages of the hundreds of animals gathered near them matching the volume of the previous earthquakes, "THEY MUST BE PUNISHED!!!  JUSTIN AND FIVER MUST BOTH DIE!!!  PUNISH THE MISCREANTS!!!  PUNISH THE CROSS-BEARER AND THE WITCH-RABBIT!!!  THIS MADNESS ENDS NOW!!!"

                "No, stop!!" Speedwell and Strawberry cried out, but Holly shook his head in hopelessness.

                "It's too late, chaps!!  They won't listen to reason now!!  They've all gone mad!!"

                "ENOUGH!!!" resounded the voice of the King of Tomorrow, and all the animals stopped and stared, stunned by the outburst.  Never before have they seen the stag so irate, so mad, so thoroughly consumed with impatience and at wits' end.  He gave off such a powerful aura, even the King of Yesterday was amazed at the radiating fervor of his words as the King of Tomorrow now spoke with a severe, chastising tone, "This insanity and folly has gone on long enough!!  I will not allow this to continue on any longer!!  Hazel-rah, you and the rest of the rabbits of Watership Down will prepare to fight for your seer's defense!!  All these occurrences have not been encouraging for your behalf, so you leave us no choice for us to take matters in our own hands!!  Here, in the Lands of Yesterday and Tomorrow, if an animal has caused any grievance, he or she will be put on trial, judged by both the King of Yesterday and I, along with a jury of animals from both terrains.  If any animal who wishes to side with the accused party, they must fight to a battle with an assigned duelist of our choosing!!  Therefore, both Justin and Fiver are accused of causing the destruction of our forests, and in order for you to be able to prove to us that they are innocent, all hrair of you and your group assigned to protect the cross-bearer, will take part in a contest, one rabbit each fights one opponent we choose, and the side that wins the most battles will decide the fate of Justin and Fiver!!  If you and rabbit Owsla win, then Fiver and Justin shall be set free, along with the Sense of small and the cross of light and power, but if you fail, Justin will be executed, and Fiver shall remain a prisoner here in the Web of Thorns for the rest of his existence in the land beyond the living!!!"

                Hazel was beside himself with frustration and bleakness while the crowds cheered.  "No, you can't!!"

                "How is this even bally justice?!" Bluebell demanded, unwilling to let Justin and Fiver go into the thick of danger, "Not even Frith would approve of such decisions!!"

                "I have made my decision!!" the stag declared, glaring at Hazel and Bluebell, "If Frith really did summon the cross-bearer to save this land, then it will be evident in the jury and trial tomorrow!!  Frith will not let the righteous die, and if your brother and the human boy are honorable, then Frith will help the whole lot of you fight in the duelists' mêlée!!"

                "No, I won't allow this!!  Fiver and Justin are innocent!!" snapped Hazel furiously.  The King of Tomorrow narrowed his dark eyes at Hazel even further.  Hazel continued before the king could cut him off, "Your majesty, we promise we won't leave this forest and that we will, all of us, will appear at the trial, but until then, you have no right to punish Fiver and Justin for something they had no part of!!  I give you my word that we will stay for the trial!!  Just leave the cross-bearer and Fiver!!  Let them be!!"

                "You have no say in this matter, Hazel.  SHARDIK!!"  The grizzly snapped to attention.

                "Bring the boy and the visionary rabbit to the Web of Thorns and have them both heavily under guard!!"  The bear nodded in obedience as he stood upright, looming over the rabbits as he advanced towards Bigwig, who was still holding a shaken Fiver, and Campion, who immediately put himself in front of Justin protectively.

                "No, stop this!!" Silver cried out as he and the rest of the Watership Owsla got in front of Bigwig and Campion, forming a line to barricade the bear advisor from getting any closer, but then, several otters appeared next to the bear's side.  The leader of the otter pack simply gave a curt question of permission to the King of Yesterday and the King of Tomorrow.

                "Your majesty?"  Both the bison and the stag nodded grimly, and with a roar, the otters charged and rammed at the rabbits with full speed and ferocity.  Blackberry, Dandelion, Acorn, Hawkbit and Speedwell were keeping five otters busy, cuffing and tackling the animals whenever they could.  Holly, Strawberry, Buckthorn, and Silver all sent several otters flying with powerful blows with their hind legs, and Bigwig, Pipkin, Bluebell and Campion all tackled three otters that were coming in too close.  However, it was inevitable.  As Fiver, who was being held by Justin as they watched on, shrieked as the otter leader jumped in front of them; he had somehow managed to get past the others.

                "You both are coming with me!!" he snarled as he reached out with a claw to grab Fiver, "Even if I have to seriously hurt the both of you – AAGGHH!!"  The otter reeled back, a set of three, parallel, bloody gashes appearing on his left cheek as a scowling Hazel, incensed with rage and the protective love he had for his brother, stood upright as he put himself between Fiver, Justin and the otter superior.

                "I won't let you lay a paw on my brother," Hazel said softly, yet dangerously, as he braced himself to cuff the otter again.  Unfortunately, he didn't see Shardik move quickly to his left side until it was too late, and Hazel, with a squeal of pain, felt the single, crushing blow he received as Shardik swatted Hazel so hard, the Chief rabbit went flying only to crash into the trunk of a tree twenty feet away.  Bigwig, Holly, and the rest of the Watership rabbits stopped fighting immediately.

                "HAZEL-RAH!" they yelled as they gathered around their fallen Chief rabbit hurriedly, forsaking everything to make sure he was all right.  Fiver, regardless of being enervated and vulnerable, tried to run over to where his friends were gathered, in  fretful concern for his brother, but he barely made it for three hops before the otter leader slammed his paw hard at the back of Fiver's head.  The small, golden rabbit gave a soft cry before he lost consciousness, sinking limply onto the grass.  The other otters surrounded Justin, snarling with drawn, webbed claws as Shardik, carefully and tenderly, picked up the flaccid form of Fiver in his arms as if he were a baby.

                "No, please..." croaked Hazel, struggling to rise, but he was so weak and in so much pain, he buckled and collapsed on the grass, groaning.  The collision with the tree left Hazel with a terrible, bloody gash on one side of his head, and the crimson fluid was starting to dribble down on the grass.  The other rabbits, helplessly, could only watch as the King of Tomorrow commanded to Shardik, "Bring the rabbit and the human to the Web of Thorns, but no harm must come to either of them before the trial!  Is that understood?!!"

                Shardik nodded while the otters muttered sullen grunts of agreement.  Several otters however did not look too pleased to see that Justin would be out of harm's way for now, and the leader growled menacingly, "Just give us one reason to hurt you, human.  We would prefer it actually if you tried to escape.  Try anything foolish, and you will die by our hands before the trial!"

                "I'll go," Justin said bravely, trying his best not to cower.

With that, the otters forced Justin to go along with them as they and Shardik disappeared into the darkness shrouded by the depths of the forests.  Before he vanished from sight, Justin cast a worried look to his friends, his protectors, and mouthed plainly for the Owsla to see, "Don't worry, I'll take care of him."

                The King of Tomorrow showed no sympathy for Hazel as he spoke curtly, "The trial will begin at sunrise the following day.  Appear for the battle at this clearing in the morning."

With that, both the stag and the bison left in the other direction as the animals, pleased with the outcome, started to disperse into the forests and woods, chuckling and giving murmurs of relief.  Hazel just shut his eyes and started sobbing, hot tears of blame and disappointment running down his face, while the other rabbits, just stood around numbly, unsure what to do besides wait for the trail of justice...or discrimination.

                "Hrairoo..." Hazel whispered to himself with resolved, gritted teeth as he wept.

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PART 2 will be up soon in two weeks! Will Fiver and Justin make it?!  Stay tuned for the second part! (I know, I know, I'm evil, but hey, you try writing a fan fiction that's over 150 pages!)

'Til then, review (or for Fiver fans, send me death threats telling me to write the continuation or else! I could use the motivation! =) )

*/