Disclaimer: I do not own Watership Down
Thank you Coney cuniculus for helping me write this chapter. I heard the 1970 Watership Down was better than the Netflix one and, in my humble opinion, although Netflix botched up a few scenes it's remake had more satisfying moments so there. Please enjoy my second chapter.
He pushed onward even though he could feel a sharp pain jabbing at his paws; his legs argued with him to let him lay down, But he refused. He had to continue, knowing that if he stopped for too long he could end up dead meat. He trudged on even though the sun was setting and the path before him drowned in the darkness. It hungrily devoured everything in front of him until all he could see were basic shapes that broke the moonlight.
A gust of wind swept through the trees and washed over Ebony's fur, stirring it lightly and causing him to shiver. *I've got to get someplace warm. And fast* he thought to himself.
The air had turned from a pleasant warmth to a harsh cold. He could already feel his paws starting to tingle from the lack of heat. He breathed breaths of mist and fog. The icy cold air nipped at his lungs and throat to the point where he found it hard to breathe.
He stopped for only a second to catch his breath. He slowly drew in each breath into his frosted lungs. He sat there shivering; a hole in the trees softly illuminated the area he was standing in with a pale white glow.
A faint flash of something moving caught his eye. He stiffened up, preparing to bolt if the thing advanced.
He sat still for several seconds, praying that whatever just had moved was friendly, or at least he would be able to outrun it. Finally, he worked up the courage to speak.
"W-who are y-you?" He shivered, his teeth chattering.
Several more seconds passed by. A light breeze blew through the tree again causing Ebony to tremble even more. Then, finally, a voice spoke and caused him to jump in surprise
"Who are you?" The voice had a calm air to it, "You look lost."
Ebony waited a few seconds before speaking, "C-c-could you stand out in the light, please? I can't see you in the dark."
A rustling of leaves and a snapping of twigs was heard, then at the edge of the moon's light, where it succumbed to darkness, a rabbit head appeared; it was light gray and a pigment of back sat atop the tip of its ears. It spoke.
"Hello! you seem cold. Here come! Come!" He beckoned for Ebony to follow him into the dark. The rabbit noticed Ebony's hesitation.
"Come on! You'll freeze to death out here! Follow me"
Ebony followed the stranger out of the light of the moon. They traveled less than three hops to the stranger rabbits scraps.
"Get inside," The stranger said. Ebony obeyed.
The scrape the strange had built was large enough for both of them and even had room for each of them to move around.
Ebony was relieved that he was finally out of the wind and cold, he could slowly feel the warmth coming back to his paws.
"Thank you. I don't think I caught your name," Ebony said
"Its Blackcurrant" He replied, "How did you find yourself in these woods?
Ebony and Blackcurrant exchanged stories about how they each ended up to where they were now. As it turned out Blackcurrant was part of the owsla of his warren and he ended up getting lost in the woods one patrol. He had made the scrape days ago and was using it as a temporary living space until he could find his warren again. The warren he was a part of was named "Sandleford". Upon hearing that Ebony's warren had been destroyed Blackcurrant agreed that if Ebony helped him with finding his warren Ebony would be allowed to live in Sandleford. Ebony was delighted.
"But we could be eons away from the warren, It took me days to end up here," Blackcurrant said with a hint of agitation in his voice.
"I will travel for seasons if I must! I'm not going to die in these woods! Mark my words!"