The days had passed since the rabbits' successful escape from the tyrannical grasp of General Woundwort and Efrafa. The does had made themselves at home on Watership Down, assisting Blackberry and Strawberry in digging new burrows for themselves and to make extra space to move around, or silflaying outside to enjoy the fresh air and relax beneath the warm sun. But for Lily, she woke up one morning by a sudden movement inside of her abdomen. Frightened, she sat up and rushed to Blackberry's burrow.

"Blackberry! I think something's wrong with me!" panicked Lily. "Something is moving inside of me! I hope I'm not ill or something!"

"All right, calm down! Let me take a look at you." Patient as she is, Blackberry gently pressed her paw against the doe's abdomen. The something inside the stomach kicked at her paw, and a big smile lit up her face. "Oh, Lily! Don't you fret. This is normal for your condition - you're pregnant!"

"Huh?" Lily was slow to understand what her friend was talking about.

"Seems like you and Bigwig will be expecting some kits very soon!"

"You mean... I'm going to be a mother?"

Blackberry nodded, grinning. Lily's tail began to wag like an excited dog and she squealed with joy, throwing her arms around the black-headed doe in an embrace. Their shouts alerted the other rabbits in the warren, slightly annoyed at being awoken this early. Some of them believed the squeals meant danger approaching, such as Bigwig thought when he woke up. He realized his mate wasn't in the nest with him, thinking she had left to go silflay and got caught by elil, terrifying him.

"Oh, Frith and Inlé!" the lion maned buck gasped, but just as he prepared to go out and kill whatever elil that had taken his beloved mate, the doe herself returned to their burrow, followed by Blackberry, who spread the news to every rabbit's burrow she passed and cheers of delight sounded, confusing Bigwig, although he was quite relieved to see her back alive and safe. "Lily! Oh, thank Frith you're alright. I heard screams and you weren't in the burrow, and for a minute there, I assumed you were..."

"It's okay, you worrywart," Lily assured him, trying to hide the giggles. "I just had to go to Blackberry for a minute when I-" Her smile grew so large that her mate couldn't understand what was going on.

"Lily, is something wrong?"

"Well... remember how we always talked about starting a family of our own?"

"Yes, why?" Bigwig wasn't as quick as Lily was to figure it out.

Giggling, Lily took his right paw and gently placed it on her stomach, momentarily confusing her mate. And then, Bigwig could feel the movement. It was faint, but it was clear to him when realization dawned on him. He looked up at her, smiling ecstatically.

"I'M GOING TO BE A FATHER!" Bigwig hollered, as he couldn't be any happier to have something like this finally happen to him.

"I'M GOING TO BE A MOTHER!" Lily exclaimed, embracing and kissing her mate with exhilaration.

It wasn't long before everyone came lolloping toward their burrow, all congratulating Bigwig and Lily to be the first to produce a litter of kittens. Hazel offered them good praises and best wishes for their happiness. It was truly a wonderful morning for the happy couple to learn they were going to become parents.


Outside at the wedged boulder at the edge of the down, there stood Primrose staring out at the glorious view lost in thought. Hazel and Fiver had seen her there, approached her and wanted to know if there's anything bothering her.

"Everything alright?" Hazel asked.

"I've been thinking about my home warren, Redstone," explained Primrose. "I haven't seen it since Vervain's raiding party took me and my friends away. All those seasons in Efrafa, I held onto the dream of going home someday."

"So, you're not happy? Here on the down with us?"

"Oh yes, Hazel, I am. You're all wonderful and this place is… It's all a rabbit could ask for, but..."

"But it's not home..." added Fiver.

"I'd like to see Redstone again." Primrose gazed up at the clouds with a faraway gleam in her bright green eyes.

"To stay?" Hazel guessed.

Primrose shut her eyes and turned away, miserably. Despite settling in Watership Down, she was feeling homesick for Redstone.

"Then I'll take you home," Hazel offered, thinking of one of the does isn't happy here, he could at least offer her a way home.

"Thank you, Hazel."

Suddenly, Fiver's voice caught them off guard. He shuddered and moaned, as if in pain. The two rabbits whipped their heads aside to find him shaking violently. Fiver's vision took control of him as he spoke in a trance, "Redstone warren is empty and dead... It only lives inside your head."

"What's wrong with him? What's he talking about?" asked Primrose, fearfully.

"It's a vision," Hazel answered. "He gets them from time to time. I believe it has something to do with Redstone, especially saying it's empty and dead."

"I'm sorry, Primrose, I don't mean to see these things," apologized Fiver.

"No, you're wrong!" Primrose yelled, hurt and angry. "Redstone is still there! It is!"

"Primrose, stop!" Hazel tried to calm her down to no avail.

"No, I won't listen!" To add insult to the runt's vision, Primrose shouted, "You're horrible for saying things like that! Redstone is still there! It has to be!"

Close by, Vilthuril came rushing in. "How dare you speak to Fiver that way!" She was getting angrier by the second, fuming at her friend's insult toward her mate.

Before either does could start a fight, Hyzenthlay's voice sounded at the warren's entrance when she overheard the ruckus, "What's going on out there?!"

"I'll tell you what's going on..." Primrose complained, lolloping over to the warren to confront her friend over Fiver's horrid visions.

Hazel shook his head in slight disgust over the doe's behavior, then tried to comfort his traumatized brother, "It's all right, Fiver. It's not your fault."

"The dream of home kept her alive in Efrafa," replied Fiver, wretchedly. "And I just stole it away."

"It's hard to let go of a dream."

"Maybe my vision is wrong... maybe Redstone is just fine..."

"There's only one way to find out, isn't there?"


A small meeting took place inside the Honeycomb between Hazel and Primrose, accompanied by Clover, Bigwig, Lily, Fiver, Vilthuril, Blackavar and Holly. After told of Fiver's vision and Primrose's outburst, Hazel made a plan to go with Primrose to find Redstone for support, although Blackavar volunteered to come along, only to keep her safe, much to her annoyance. Clover also volunteered to join them, very keen on seeing Redstone for the first time.

Several minutes later, Hazel, Clover, Primrose and Blackavar were preparing to leave for their journey to Redstone Warren. The rabbit in charge during Hazel's absence was none other than Bigwig, decided only on a vote, where half objected cause they recalled his bossiness, others looked to him as a second-in-command when he liberated the slaves out of Efrafa.

"You'll be in charge while I'm away," Hazel instructed to the lion buck.

"You can rely on me!" assured Bigwig, confidently. "I'll see to things here, Hazel. You just watch yourselves."

"Good." Hazel nodded, then glanced worriedly for his younger brother. "You take care of yourself, okay?" And his little brother nodded in understanding. "Right, I'm off!" And then he hopped away to join the others who waited patiently.

Kehaar made a cheesy comment about romance, watching the two couples disappear from view. "Four sweethearts on a journey of love."

"The journey's one thing. What they find at the end is another," Fiver said, sadly.

The day past gradually since Hazel and company left for their journey. Midday came soon and things ran smoothly for the rabbits on Watership Down. Bigwig dozed peacefully under the main tree surrounded by the beach trees. Dandelion and Bluebell played tail tag with Hawkbit. Dandelion was quite fast in catching them as soon as Hawkbit found out when the yellow buck caught up to him and smacked him on the tail.

"Tail tag! You're elil!" laughed Dandelion.

The force of the tail smack had sent Hawkbit flying into Speedwell and Acorn like a bowling ball crashing into a bunch of pins, making the two bucks cry out in irked surprise. Lily had decided to silflay by herself, engaged in polite conversation with Haystack and Boxwood.

Just then, Blackberry came out of the burrow with Strawberry to speak with the lion manned buck about new adjustments for the newly built burrows for the former prisoners of Efrafa.

"You do know we need fresh straw for bedding, don't you?" the dark-headed doe asked. "I can't abide a stale smelling burrow."

"Blackberry, you're a tyrant," Bigwig replied, feeling quite relaxed and laid-back. "We haven't stopped slogging since we got here from Efrafa. Wouldn't it be nice just to spend one day laying in the sun?"

Blackberry thought it over for a second before agreeing, "Hazel does keep us running, doesn't he?"

Fiver, Vilthuril and Pipkin rushed forward once Pipkin shouted, "Go!" and the three rabbits took off. All of a sudden, Fiver halted in his tracks. Pipkin bumped into him, then came Vilthuril after.

"Ow! Not fair, Fiver!" Pipkin complained, until he realized Fiver's body began to tremble and shake. "What is it, Fiver?" the young kitten asked, concerned.

"Bigwig, I think you better come over here!" Vilthuril called out to gain everyone's attention.

Everyone gathered around in a crowd as Fiver began moaning loudly as a vision took place. The does began to mutter amongst themselves, worried. Lily decided to come over when she heard Fiver's agitated moans.

"Revenge is in his heart..." he spoke, "The killer comes back... Hate and revenge drive his attack..."

"Oh, great," grumbled Hawkbit. "More trouble on the way."

"What's this about a killer, Fiver?" questioned Bigwig.

"The weasel we fought in the early spring; he's coming for us. He's coming!" Fiver explained.

The does began to panic, trying to figure what they are going to do now that an elil is coming for them.

"Everyone, calm down!" Bigwig quickly took control of the situation. "We need to trap that weasel and smoke him out of this warren for good!"

By his commands, everyone made preparations for whatever the vengeful weasel had in store for them; most of the preparations included traps, and that meant extra diggers. The bucks were pleased to have does here, mostly to take care of the digging, but none of them were pleased to assist in the digging cause they were forced to do it anyway. Standing in front of the center tree, Pipkin and Kehaar awaited orders from their boss.

"Kehaar, you go and scout the land for that weasel and report back if you see him," ordered Bigwig.

The seagull saluted, "Okay, I spy weasel! Ooh, this weasel like rotten fish; to eat once is one thing, but to eat twice? Ugh!" And he took to the skies with a loud caw.

"Pipkin, your job is to warn everyone on the down," the lion buck said to the young kitten.

"I'll tell them the weasel is coming and that they should leave or get far underground!" replied Pipkin.

"Good lad." Bigwig smiled, pleased. "If that weasel thinks he's going to find a meal up here, then he's in for a surprise. Now, off you go."

Nodding, Pipkin ran off to warn the other residents of the Down.

Bigwig turned to go find Dandelion and Thethuthinnang working together to fill in a side entrance so the weasel cannot get in. "Come on, you lot, put your backs into it!" he commanded, quite sternly. "I want every side entrance filled in by Frith-down!"

"I think you mean sunset," Lily corrected, before she lolloped off to help out in another part of the warren.

"You know what I mean, honey!" Bigwig disliked being told what sort of words his mate would say to him, upsetting him that she still couldn't speak their ancestral language, even though was gradually understanding some words.

Dandelion exhaustedly retorted, "Ease off, Bigwig. We're just about all in…"

"I don't need any backchat. I'm going to make this warren safe if you have to dig until you drop. Clear?" The lion buck left them to go check on the others.

Sighing irately, Dandelion mumbled, "At least when Hazel's pushing us around, he's polite about it."

"Humph! And then there's our Bigwig," Thethuthinnang huffed, frowning. "Almost just as bad as the Owsla in Efrafa… almost."

Deep within the burrows of the warren, a small group of rabbits were digging a large hole in the tunnel to lure the weasel in it for a trap, the other half dug inside the hole to be steeper and ensure the weasel's attempt to climb out become difficult: Blackberry, Fiver, and Hawkbit.

"Right, that's it!" Hawkbit climbed out of the hole, exhausted and tired of dirt thrown in his face from inside the hole. "I need a breather."

Unfortunately, his request for a break wasn't accepted when Bigwig entered the tunnel and he disliked finding rabbits lying around when their lives are in danger, before sharply addressing Hawkbit. "Get back in there, you slackbottomed layabout, OR I'LL PUT YOU OUT FOR WEASEL BAIT!"

"There's no need for that tone, Bigwig!" scolded Blackberry, furious at his attitude. "Hawkbit's been digging as hard as he-"

"I'm not asking for a debate! I'm in charge and what I say goes!" Bigwig cut her off, angrily. "Now get at it!"

No sooner had Bigwig left, Hawkbit had quite enough of this as he growled, "The sooner the weasel comes or Hazel comes back, the better." Then, he turned on Fiver. "And this is all your fault, you and your blighted visions! I bet if you didn't have them, we wouldn't have all this trouble!"

"Hawkbit, it's not Fiver's fault!" Blackberry tried to stop him.

"You're a curse on this warren, Fiver! That's what you are!"

Fiver stared at him, horrified. No words came out of his mouth, nothing he could say can convince Hawkbit that he wasn't to blame. He raced out of the burrow, ignoring Blackberry's pleas.


As soon as the traps had been prepared and the fill in of the side entrances were complete, Bigwig praised an exhausted Dandelion and Thethuthinnang lying on their backs, exhausted and panting heavily, before sending them underground to assist with the traps, albeit with the threat of them feeling his hindpaws to get them moving. Pipkin returned, after warning all of their neighbors about the weasel. However, the hedgehogs grew scared and asked to stay with the rabbits until the threat is over, and Bigwig politely accepted their request, having the perfect spot in mind for them. Next, after overseeing the food gathering and assessing that they will soon have enough to last till the next moon with the current progress, he decided to go check on darling doe.

"Did you make sure the other does are secured in the Honeycomb, sealed up the entrance so the weasel can't get inside?" he asked, still as polite as he was toward Pipkin earlier.

"Yes." Lily's attention was rather focused on Vilthuril when she asked of Fiver's whereabouts.

"I can't find him anywhere, and I'm so worried!" Vilthuril panicked, genuinely concerned. "What if the weasel finds him first before we do?"

"Just calm down, Villy," assured Lily, using her new nickname. "We'll find him."

"Villy?" Bigwig's eyebrow quirked, and before he could say anything, Lily lolloped off to go search for Fiver. "Oi! Where are you going?" He prevented her from going downhill by rushing forward and blocking her path. "You can't leave the warren when you're pregnant."

"Oh? So I'm not allowed to search for Fiver because I'm pregnant?" the doe replied, coldly.

"No, that's not what I meant! We'll go looking for him together." Before going out to find him, Bigwig lead her back to the warren to make sure if Fiver had come back. At the main entrance, they discovered Blackberry and Hawkbit resting beneath the beach in the shade. "Having a nice holiday?" he questioned, scowling.

Hawkbit leapt up, startled. Blackberry scowled back at him, still angry about his outburst in the warren.

"We're done," explained Hawkbit. "Pits, barriers, the lot. You could learn a tip or two from Hazel: unpleasant leadership made easy."

"I'm trying to keep everyone alive, my old son," Bigwig retorted, "not win a popularity contest."

"No fear there."

"Watch it, Hawkbit! So, where's Fiver at?"

"He went off to eat," Blackberry replied. "I suppose he isn't back yet."

"Well, Vilthuril is looking for him and she's worried sick about him," Lily explained.

Rolling his eyes, Bigwig groaned before he decided, "Come on, Lily. We'd better go find him. We don't want anyone wandering around, not with that weasel on his way." He then added to Blackberry and Hawkbit, "you two find something to do or I'll find you something for you."

Leaving the two rabbits to find something to keep them occupied, Bigwig and Lily scoured the entire warren searching for the young runt. They checked the burrows or any spot on the warren where rabbits go to silflay often, but the couple met with little success. The sun had set by the time the couple had just discovered Fiver hiding in a small gap under some large stones, looking miserable and dejected.

"What's the game, Fiver?" interrogated Bigwig, wrongly assuming the runt was playing hide and seek. "It's getting dark, and the weasel's on his way here."

"And it's my fault he's coming," added Fiver, wretchedly.

"What are you talking about?" asked Lily.

"Hawkbit was right! My visions... What if they're not seeing the future?" Fiver sighed, almost sounding like he was going to weep any second now. "What if my visions make things happen?"

Realizing that Hawkbit is the reason for Fiver's depression, Lily scowled furiously as she grunted, "Remind me to thrash Hawkbit when I see him!"

"We'll discuss it later, honey," Bigwig calmed her down, then turned his attention back to Fiver. "Don't be silly; come out of there."

But Fiver refused, not even budging an inch to move out of his hiding spot. "What if I caused Sandleford's destruction? And Hazel nearly died because of me? And you, caught in the shining wire?"

"None of that was your fault," Bigwig continued, trying to comfort the runt in a soothing voice that Lily never heard from him before.

"The ones at fault for those visions you foretold are the humans, not you," Lily added, trying to reach out a paw of friendship for him to take but he still didn't move.

"Hawkbit is right, I'm cursed!" Fiver began to weep. "I have to stay away. My visions can't hurt anyone if I'm out here on my own."

In that instant, Kehaar flew in from the sky to make a report to Bigwig, saying, "I see weasel! He's coming close and he's plenty mean tonight!"

"Come out, Fiver, we need you!" Lily pleaded, desperately.

"You go... They need you..." refused Fiver.

With an exasperated sigh, Bigwig tuned to the seagull to say, "Stay with him. We'll be back when we can."

"Please don't let anything bad happen to him," pleaded Lily.

Kehaar nodded in understanding, and as the two rabbits left, the gull decided to try comforting Fiver as he said, "Don't worry, Fiver. I won't leave you."

Whilst returning to the main beech tree in the center, Lily and Bigwig found Hawkbit, Vilthuril, Dandelion and Thethuthinnang standing guard at the warren's entrance. Thoughts of ways to punish Hawkbit for speaking such nasty things toward Fiver raced through Lily's mind, although she's not one for violence. Bigwig noticed the dark gleam in her eyes. He knew what she was thinking and he understood; Hawkbit needed to be taught a lesson.

"Did you find Fiver, then?" asked Vilthuril, hopefully.

"I did..." Bigwig replied, and then he towered over Hawkbit angrily, "...and you and I are going to have a serious chat when this is over."

"What did I do now?" Hawkbit asked, acting like he had done nothing wrong.

"Poor Fiver is hiding in a pile of rocks because of you!" Lily snapped, rearing up on her back legs, ready to strike him at any second. "You insulted him as a curse on the warren!"

Vilthuril's eyes grew wider in alarm, then she turned on the grey rabbit and smacked him across the face. This earned a pained cry from Hawkbit, and impressed Lily at the doe's strength. "You stupid, foul-mouthed chickweed!"

"There's no need for that kind of talk!" scolded Thethuthinnang, as she put himself between the rabbits to prevent a fight. "And you are no better, Bigwig!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" inquired Bigwig, scorning.

"Blackberry told me what had happened," the tawny doe explained, "Hawkbit would never have shouted at Fiver if you hadn't been behaving like an embleer Efrafan! You're as much to blame as Hawkbit!"

Lily gawked at her for a second, then she scowled at Bigwig. "Are you proud of yourself now?" she asked, icily. "Fiver and Hawkbit wouldn't be in this mess if you had learned to control your temper!"

Bigwig's green eyes burned savagely and he grinded his teeth, he wanted to deny being the cause of Hawkbit's attitude and Fiver's depression. No words came out of his mouth because their words stung him like a bee. The does were right. This is his fault. He had been trying to keep everyone safe from the weasel, but in the process had thrown Fiver's life in danger if the runt remained outside, the lion buck silently dreaded that Fiver will end up as weasel food. Hazel will never forgive him if any harm came to his little brother. Hesitating, his apologized stumbled out from his lips, "I... I'm sorry... I'm just trying to keep everybody safe."

"We should get below and into position," Lily suggested, "We won't have a second chance if the weasel gets past our defenses."

"Right. You heard her. Tell everyone to get into position!" Bigwig directed, while the other rabbits obeyed orders as they scurried back into the warren.


Night had fallen on Watership Down. Everyone had taken to hiding in secret burrows to wait for the weasel to come in. All of the does had to stay in the far end of the warren to avoid the confrontion. Before joining his Owsla, Holly paused to speak to Hyzenthlay, just in case if he didn't survive the weasel attack. There was something he wanted to confess to her for a while.

"When you arrived at Watership Down, I told myself I'd do whatever I could to make you smile," Holly said, "now I'm afraid I'm not going to get that chance to make it happen."

"So, how were you planning on doing it?" asked Hyzenthlay, glancing in his direction.

"Well, I'd thought about saying something to show how much I respect you... but in the end I'd just planned on telling you how... beautiful I think you are."

Touched by his words, Hyzenthlay lovingly nuzzled closer to former Owsla Captain and he returned the gesture.

"Holly! The weasel's here!" Silver sounded the alarm.

Cautioning Hyzenthlay to stay put, Holly left to rejoin his Owsla. The sly weasel had returned, looking for an easy meal and revenge against the rabbits over his last visit. Briefly surprised to find no rabbits above ground, he soon figured they must be sleeping in their burrows underground. With stealth and silence, the weasel crawled through the main entrance, slithered down the tunnel and entered the Honeycomb chamber. He caught the scent of a pregnant rabbit, intriguing him with malicious intent. Just as he came close to finding the pregnant doe, who hid amongst an enclosed burrow with a quivering Pipkin at her side when they realized the weasel found them, the earth began to give way and the weasel collapsed into the pit that Blackberry and the others had created earlier.

Immediately, Bigwig, Hawkbit, Holly, Silver and Buckthorn darted out of the hidden burrows and started to kick dirt down on top of the monster, almost as if they intended to bury him alive. But the weasel had great speed when he leapt out of the pit, snarling viciously at his attackers. Most of the bucks retreated, but Holly and Silver stayed behind to tackle the weasel, scratching and biting and clawing at the intruder. Bigwig's calls forced the two bucks to retreat. The weasel gave pursuit, unaware of the awaiting hedgehogs as they curled up into sharp little balls. No sooner had the weasel stepped on them, he released a howl of pain. Quickly licking at his paws to ease the pain, the weasel bared his teeth while grew angrier than ever.

Dandelion, Speedwell, Acorn and Bluebell had joined the rest of the bucks as they all advanced on the weasel when the monster emerged from the side tunnel, surrounding him as they advanced closer toward him. The weasel desperately wanted to make a meal out of one these rabbits, but there was so many of them and there was no point in trying to kill them all. With a reluctant growl, the weasel turned tail and ran up the tunnel and out of the main entrance.

"Go find easier prey, belly crawler!" Bigwig yelled, still in a fighting position if the monster tried to come back. "There's none here!"

"I wait out here till you come... sooner or later, you'll come..." the weasel retorted at a distance, scorning.

"Wait all you want! We've got plenty of food, we won't be out for a long time!"

"And you won't find any prey out here, everyone's clear out until you're gone!" added Hawkbit, glaring.

"Stay here and you starve, my old son!" Bigwig finished boldly.

The weasel gave the rabbits one last vengeful growl before it slinked away into the tall grass. He wasn't going to give up easy, he would wait forever if any rabbit came up to feed and then he will get an easy meal. Suddenly, his nose whiffed in the air when he discovered the scent of another rabbit in the breeze. It led him to a large pile of rocks a little way near the warren. A wicked smirk spread across his drooling, sharp-fanged mouth. It appears he would be getting a meal sooner than he expected. He noticed a gull dozing close beside a rabbit within the gap of the rocks. He realized the bird must be a friend to the rabbits, so he decided to kill the bird first. The weasel crept slowly through the glass as he neared the gull, until he pounced for the gull.

Fortunately, Kehaar woke up just in time. He gave a startled squawk when he took to the skies, but he hovered for a little longer when he realized the danger Fiver was in, so he flew back to the beech trees to warn everyone. Fiver had awoken when he heard squawking, and he gasped in horror when he saw a familiar predator's face peering in at him through the gap. The weasel reached a paw in through the gap, his claws extended as he tried to catch hold of the runt. Fiver cowered, but he tried to defend himself by sinking his teeth into the weasel's paw.

Drawing his paw back with a pained hiss, the weasel began to taunt him, "Come out, little long-ear. No more waiting, I hungry for long-ear tonight."

Fiver shrank back to the corner of his small hiding space, but there wasn't much for him to move. He was trapped. The weasel swiped at him, his claws barely missing him by a few milometers.

"Get away from me!" he cried.

"Don't worry, little long-ear," the weasel chuckled, cruelly. "You won't feel a thing."

"And neither will you when we get done!" a familiar voice bellowed.

The weasel withdrew his head from the gap and looked up in time to see Bigwig, Silver, Holly and the rest of the bucks come charging in out of nowhere. With a roar, Bigwig lunged at him and tackled the weasel, the impact knocked him away from the rocks. As Bigwig struggled to hold the weasel down, he opened his mouth and buried his teeth into the weasel's throat, blood seeping out of the monster's neck. The weasel's growling and snarling grew silent when his life ended that night.


"Lily... Lily... wake up!"

A female voice disturbed Lily in her sleep, believing Henry had come back for her, until someone touched her shoulder and the doe woke up with a start, half frightened. To her surprise, there stood Clover.

"Oh... don't ever scare me like that again... for a minute there I thought you were someone else," sighed Lily, then she nuzzled the former hutch rabbit affectionately. "Welcome home, Clover."

Clover returned the gesture with equal affection. "It's good to be home."

"So, you found Redstone Warren?"

"Yes, but it fell under harsh times when the Great Sickness came seasons ago... but we brought back two rabbits who can tell us about it."

"You… you did? Who?"

"An elderly couple, their names are Captain Broom and Blossom. He's a little absent-minded, but a good rabbit. She's always bickering with him, kind of amusing to us. They knew Primrose and a few other does when they were kittens... oh, but I think I'm getting ahead of myself. I'd rather they tell you!" Clover could hardly contain her excitement. "Before I tell you the whole story, there's something I've been dying to tell you!"

"What is it?"

"I'm going to be a mother!" Clover sat upward to reveal a round belly full of young ones. "And so is Primrose!"

Lily gasped, thrilled and astonished that two more couples are going to have children of their own. "I'm so happy for you both!" She swung her paws around the former hutch rabbit, embracing her. "Now, tell me everything... err, not the mating details... I meant how you found Redstone Warren."

As the two pregnant does left the burrow, Clover began explaining her tale of adventures when trying to find Redstone Warren whilst they ate silflay together. "The day we left the high hills, Primrose lead us to a river with high stone walls, it seemed impossible to cross..."


Hazel and his three companions had traveled a long way to finding Redstone Warren. The sun began to set, and they came to an obstacle; a river, kept beneath them by high stone walls running along both sides of the riverbank. The water was too low for them to swim in, though it would have been very deep if they tried to swim. There was no way to jump across the river to reach the other side, as it was too far to make such a jump and one of them could risk the chance of falling into the river.

"Well, this is a nice surprise," Blackavar grunted.

"You know, Bigwig said the same thing when my friends and I were on the run from Holly and the Sandleford Owsla," Hazel teased, until he resumed his seriousness. "I don't think we can get across. Swimming is no good, we'll never be able to climb out."

"Are you sure this is the way to get to Redstone?" Clover asked, warily.

"Redstone is on the far side," Primrose responded, eagerly. "There's got to be a way over and we won't find it sitting here."

"Look, Primrose-" Hazel tried to object.

"Oh, come on, everyone!" Primrose interrupted, lolloping ahead of them.

By now, Blackavar was close to his wit's end. Truthfully, he didn't want her to return to Redstone, fearing he may never see her again. Or if she did, he'd ask if she allowed him to live with her. "Primrose, wait!" he shouted.

Disturbed, Primrose paused to steal an irked glare at the dark furred buck. "What?" she growled.

"Are you sure you want to return to Redstone? Frith meant us to live for today and tomorrow, not yesterday?"

"All those seasons in Efrafa, I had no future. Now you want me to forget my past?!"

"Look, I didn't mean-"

"I'll find a way across, Blackavar! With or without you!" And just like that, Primrose began to hop down the trail staying close to the river, hoping to find a bridge to get across.

Blackavar sighed, rolling his eyes as he trailed after her at a short distance. Clover and Hazel exchanged concerned frowns, worried that Primrose's recklessness will put their lives in danger.

"They are beginning to sound like a bickering elderly married couple," Clover joked, trying to lighten the mood, but her mate found no humor in it.

As the four rabbits scoured the river to find a way across, Primrose was growing more impatient and determined than ever, pushing everybody to keep searching for something to cross the river. Clover once failed at trying to convince her there was no way across and they should return to the high hills to figure this out. Primrose refused to listen to reason, often locked in bickering quarrels with the former hutch rabbit, even when Clover accidently called her foolish. Hazel and Blackavar had to break up the argument, which is starting to get on their nerves.

All of a sudden, the neigh of a horse and its galloping hooves caught the rabbits off guard. Quick as a wink, the foursome concealed themselves in the bushes and peered out through the leaves. As they watched, a horse wearing a harness was attached to a pair of thick ropes, and the ropes were tightly secured to an approaching boat, which the horse was pulling along the stream.

"What on earth is that horse doing with a boat?" Hazel questioned, baffled.

"I have no idea." Blackavar shrugged his shoulders.

"Stepping stones!" gasped Primrose, an idea that briefly confused the others. "We can hop onto the boat, then onto the far side!"

"Primrose, I don't think-" Hazel protested, but the doe was already lolloping toward the boat, so he knew they had no choice but to follow her.

One by one, the rabbits leapt quickly onto the boat. They stood cautiously still on a huge green sheet that covered whatever could be hidden beneath it. Waiting a few seconds, they lunged for the opposite bank. However, Clover lost her grasp on the bank and screamed when she plummeted into the river below. The rabbits watched in horror as the current dragger the former hutch rabbit downstream.

"CLOVER!" yelled Hazel, and then he took off down the bank trying to catch up to her and rescue her somehow.

Blackavar and Primrose stared down at her, petrified. Regaining their wits, they joined the pursuit while Clover coughed and sputtered water out of her mouth, trying to stay afloat, but the current was too strong and it carried her downstream.

"Help me!" she gasped, doing the best she can to stay afloat on the surface.

"Keep going, Clover!" Hazel encouraged, as he ran like El-ahrairah, frantically determined to save his doe before she drowned. "You're doing fine! We'll find a way out!"

"I can't do it!"

In case he failed to rescue her in time, Hazel shouted at the top of his lungs, confessing his true feelings for her, "I WANT US TO BE TOGETHER FOR ALWAYS, CLOVER! I WANT US TO HAVE AS MANY CHILDREN AS EL-AHRAIRAH! SWIM!"

Suddenly, Hazel ceased in his tracks. He noticed a huge wooden canal gate up ahead. If Clover hit the gate, the impact would kill her. To make things worse, another boat came speeding towards the poor doe, the waves of the boat's movements made it all the more difficult for Clover to swim. Panic grew in his heart as Hazel desperately thought of a way to save Clover in time. Just as Blackavar and Primrose caught up with him, the Chief Rabbit leapt off the bank's edge and into the water.

"HAZEL!" Blackavar and Primrose yelled, shocked by his impulsive actions.

Helpless and exhausted, Clover gave up and allowed the water's weight to pull her under. Hazel sucked in a deep breath and dove in. Seconds later, he resurfaced with an unconscious Clover in his embrace. As the boat paused at the gate, a man got out of the boat and pulled a lever to open the wooden gate.

Too tired to swim or wait for the others to help them, Hazel let the current carry both him and Clover through the open gate, letting themselves drift down stream until the stone walls disappeared where the two rabbits floated down a river, where Hazel struggled to haul himself and Clover toward a dry dirt bank. Once they made it to shore, Hazel immediately collapsed, exhausted. Clover's eyes gradually opened, looked around and discovered her mate lying beside. She put two and two together, realizing what he did for her.

The screeches of an owl alarmed Clover. She knew that they had to get to cover or else the elil will find them. As she nudging him against his neck, her touches awakened him. Hazel sat upward, looking around worriedly to where they are and if they are still alive. When he saw Clover smiling at him, instant relief swept over him. Though no one was most relieved when Blackavar and Primrose found them, rushing to their aide to see if they needed help.

"Are you two alright?" Blackavar asked, concerned.

"Yes, but we've got to keep moving," replied Hazel. "The owls will be out hunting soon, and it's getting dark." When his green eyes locked on Primrose, an angry snarl tore out of Hazel's throat. He almost lost Clover tonight if not for the pale yellow doe's reckless nature. He felt fury boiling up inside of him. "I warned you that your recklessness would have cost someone's life! And mark my words, this is only the beginning of what could almost happen to any of us!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" demanded Primrose, offended by the chief rabbit's attitude.

"Clover might have died tonight because of you!"

"That wasn't my fault! If anyone's to blame, it's Fiver! If your brother didn't tell me that awful vision, then maybe I wouldn't have become reckless!"

"You can't always blame the messenger just because you don't like the message, especially if it's from someone who has only seen the truth! So far, everything that Fiver has said was right: Sandleford being destroyed, Bigwig getting caught in a snare, finding Watership Down and me getting shot by a farmer! All of it was because of him! So, don't you blame Fiver for not wanting to accept what may in fact be true! BLAME YOUSELF!" Hazel bellowed out in a rage unbecoming of him, making Primrose back away in fear and hidden sorrow.

"That's enough, Hazel!" Blackavar instantly broke up what could be another argument and determined to find a hiding area to avoid the elil. "We'll discuss this later."

As Primrose glared at the Chief Rabbit, she knew that Hazel was right. Her hardened soul behind her eyes on the verge of breaking as she tried to remain strong. Without another word, she ran off.

"Primrose, wait!" Blackavar called out, pursuing her.

No sooner had the rabbits gone, Clover gratefully turned toward Hazel, smiling, "You came into the water after me, even though you weren't sure we'd make it."

"I love you," Hazel confessed, until his furry cheeks had a shade of red when it dawned on him, much to his embarrassment. "Did I say that out loud?"

"Yes, Hazel, you did." Clover giggled, prepared to make her own confession. "And, I never told you this before, but... I love you."

Hazel felt a warmth in his heart that he never felt before. "You didn't have to."

As he brought her in for a romantic head nuzzle, the two rabbits gasped when an owl's hoot frightened them, so there was no time to express their mutual feelings for each other. They left the dry bank, just as an owl paused to scan the area where it thought some prey had been nearby. Finding an enclosed space in the bushes, Hazel and Clover decided now was the time to express their love with fire and passion, and no prying eyes peeping in on them, using the same romantic techniques Bigwig told them whenever he mated with Lily.

Around that time, Blackavar had managed to catch up to Primrose when he found her beneath a beech tree, her head hung low and laying on all fours, feeling miserable. He approached her cautiously, then he laid beside her. He knew the doe was devastated by Hazel's harsh words for lashing out at her. He wanted to find some way to cheer her up, and he believed this was the right time to do it.

"Primrose, I have something to tell you..." he began, "when I heard you were planning to leave the warren for Redstone, I said to myself that I'm willing to let go of my feelings for you if left, or if I can convince you if there's room for one more in Redstone... if you'll have me."

Staring at him, Primrose felt her heart racing when figured what he was going to say. "Feelings...? Are you saying..."

"I love you, Primrose! More than that, I respect you and your free spirit. I thought you'd never want another mate after you and Campion-" He got cut off by the doe's tongue gingerly licking at his cheek.

"I would love to have you by my side, Blackavar. After everything we've been through together, I wouldn't have it any other way."

This act greatly surprised him, nevertheless, he returned her affections by planting a kiss on her forehead. What took place next made the embarrassed squirrels in the trees take cover in their homes so not to watch a passionate mating between rabbits.

Some call it faith, some call it love
Some call it guidance from above
You are the reason we found ours
So thank you stars

Some people think it's far away
Some know it's with them every day
You are the reason we found ours
So thank you stars

There are no winds that can blow it away on the air
When they try to blow it away, when you know it will always be there

To some it's the strength to be apart
To some it's a feeling in the heart
And when you're out there on your own, it's the way back home

After a romantic night of passion, the two couples reunited at the edge of a hill where, by coincidence, the location of the warren they had been searching for lay just beyond the hill before them: Redstone Warren.

"We're here!" Primrose, for the first time in her life, began to smile the most beautiful smile that Blackavar had longed to see.

Hazel, Clover and Blackavar stared in awe at the warren, surrounded by a circle of giant rust-red stones, thus explaining the warren's namesake and a small resemblance to the famous Stonehenge. Some of them were sticking out at an angle from the ground and others stood as tall as the trees. The entrance to the warren was located at the main base of stones, as if displaying how majestic and important it is, probably the home of a Chief Rabbit.

"Come on, let's go!" Primrose exclaimed, the adrenaline racing through her veins as she raced downhill toward her old home.

"I've never seen her so happy before," Clover whispered in Hazel's ear.

Hazel nodded in silent response, smiling in support. They noticed how worried Blackavar looked when they made it to the warren. One of them was about to ask if he was alright, until they overheard Primrose calling out for the names of rabbits they never met at the main entrance. Nobody answered her calls. Something was obviously wrong.

"Poppy? Lavender? Sage?" Primrose shouted, her voice carried an echo in the tunnels of the warren. "Mother? Father? Anyone here?"

The rest of the group hurried in after her, sniffing the grounds of the burrows or searching for tracks. Cobwebs were everywhere in every burrow and tunnel.

"Old scent," reported Hazel. "There's been no one here for seasons."

"Then... Fiver was right..." Primrose admitted, realizing the terrible truth punched her in the stomach. The doe wished she could have taken back those awful things she said to Fiver before leaving the high hills. She hung her head, ashamed. "Everyone's gone... long ago..."

Blackavar came back after turning the warren inside out with Clover. "We searched this warren inside out, but there are signs of someone living here recently."

All of a sudden, two distant voices called out in the dark shadows of the tunnels.

"Who's there?" came a male voice.

"Who's trespassing in our warren?" came a female voice.

The three rabbits prepared themselves into fighting positions, although Clover couldn't fight as she had to stay behind Hazel so he can protect her from whatever harm is approaching them. And then, two elderly rabbits came hopping out of one of the side tunnels. The first elderly rabbit was a buck with gray fur and a white underbelly with a goatee and dark blue eyes, and the second elderly rabbit was a doe with pale pinkish gray fur and golden orange eyes.

Primrose stared at the two rabbits for a moment, and her eyes lit up in recognizing the two elders. "Captain Broom! Blossom!" she gasped.

The two elderly rabbits stared blankly at the doe for a second, until their eyes widened in surprised recognition.

"Primrose, is it?" Captain Broom smiled broadly. "But you've been gone for… how long now?"

"Where have you been all these seasons, sweetheart?" Blossom questioned. "Broom and I were so worried about you, and those other does who'd been taken by those awful invaders."

"I'll explain later. What happened here?" Primrose wanted to get straight to the point. "Where is everyone? Where are my parents?"

Captain Broom sighed, dismally. "All gone... There was a Great Sickness. The Black Rabbit of Inlé took everyone, but me and Blossom... that was a few seasons ago... oh yes, a few." He grew silent for a second, before he gestured toward a tunnel behind Clover, shouting, "Look, there's Sage!"

The four rabbits turned around, but saw nobody behind them.

"Hello, Sage. Look who's here," Captain Broom started to hop off down another tunnel, talking to no one in particular. "Primrose has come home! What's that, Lavender? A carrot? Good work, Lavender."

The rest of the rabbits watched him leave, deducing the old rabbit must have gone insane over the seasons. Only Blossom was the sane rabbit in this empty warren, shaking her head in disappointment.

"Poor old Captain Broom," sighed Primrose.

"You get used to it after living with him for a few lonely seasons," Blossom explained, dismayed. "Now, where have you been? And who are these strangers you brought home with you?" She eyed the doe's three companions suspiciously. "Didn't your parents warn you never to bring hlessi into the warren unless you know if they are good or bad?"

"Oh, it's alright, Blossom. These are my friends, and I would never have made it here without their help," assured Primrose. "This is Clover, a former hutch rabbit from Nuthanger Farm..." Clover bowed her head politely, "Blackavar, my mate..." Blackavar bowed his head like a gentleman, "and this is Hazel-rah, Chief Rabbit of Watership Down warren." Hazel nodded politely at her.

Blossom examined the three rabbits, sniffing at their scent with a strange neutral frown on her expression. For a second, Hazel and the others assumed she might lash out at them. But the old doe suddenly gave Hazel a hearty pat on the back, almost knocking the wind out of him as he never knew the strength the old doe possessed.

"Well, it's good to meet you, lads and lass!" the elderly doe chuckled. "Thank you for returning Primrose to Redstone."

"It was nothing." Hazel smiled, as he and the other two waved off her thanks.

"Then you must be very loyal friends to Primrose and..." responded Blossom, until she realized something else. "Now, why aren't the other does with you? I seemed to recall a large group of monstrous rabbits invaded our warren and stole a number of does, including you."

"The rest of does are all right and living at our new home in Watership Down," Blackavar explained. "It's sort of a long story."

"Well, you can tell me about it once we go there."

"Uhh, come again?"

"Yes, 'we' as in me and Broom! We can't spend the rest of our lives here in this ghost warren. What, you can't hear what I'm saying?" Blossom corrected, wrongly assuming this dark furred buck is deaf. "Oi, Broom! Where are you?" She hopped off down the same tunnel her mate had gone to.

The four rabbits retreated to the outside warren, sitting beneath one of the huge red stones, gazing up at the magnificent starlit sky. Primrose was heartbroken. Her parents were gone. Her friends were gone. Her home warren, dead and empty. Everything was falling apart for her.

"I'm sorry," Hazel comforted her, placing a paw of solace over her own. He remembered the pain of losing everyone he knew when Sandleford Warren got brutally massacred. "I know how hard it is to lose a home."

"Every night in my dreams, I'd leave Efrafa with and my friends and come home," Primrose replied, completely discouraged. "They were all here... my parents... all alive..." she shook her head in dismay, "but they weren't really... they've all gone with the Black Rabbit of Inlé."

"But their spirits stayed on because you needed them," Hazel spoke with strong wisdom. "Now it's time to set them free. You still have Watership Down, and everyone there who cares about you. Hyzenthlay... Vilthuril... Thethuthinnang... all of us..."

Clover and Blackavar nodded in agreement.

Primrose raised her head up to face them, tears in her eyes, but she gave a weak smile. "And all my tomorrows," she gazed up at the moon, as if seeing the faces of her parents and her friends, inspiriting her they will be all right and she must let go of the past. Then she remembered how foolish she behaved when Clover nearly drowned today, regretting her actions. "I'm sorry, Clover. I wish I had been more careful when-"

Clover waved off her apology, grinning. "What matters is we're safe and you found closure."

At that moment, Captain Broom and Blossom emerged from the warren's main entrance and approached the four rabbits.

"Can't find anyone around here all of a sudden; the whole place is empty," Captain Broom said, though it might have sounded strange for a rabbit his age talking to nobody, but his words sounded soothing. "Odd though. I was just talking to Lavender and to your parents. They said goodbye... and so did Sage, Poppy and all the others; it's strange."

Primrose felt her heart melting. "I'm sure they will miss us."

"We're going home now, Captain Broom," Hazel said, "To a place in the high hills. You and Blossom will like it there."

"You see, dear?" Blossom smirked, elbowing him in the shoulder.

Captain Broom thought this over for a second, and he instantly agreed to come with them. "Can't stay here with no one around but my mate, can I? High hills you say? Sounds lovely."

"It's the most beautiful place in the world," Clover began telling the elderly couple all about as she and the bucks led them out of the abandoned warren.

Whilst everyone left the abandoned Redstone Warren, Primrose paused to take one final glance back at her former home warren. "Goodbye, everyone," she whispered. "Thank you."


"...And so, we took a different path to find our way home, and to avoid another incident at the river," Clover concluded the end of her story, finishing her breakfast.

"That's quite a story, Clover," Lily awed, impressed. "I wish I could have been there to see this warren."

Just then, two elderly rabbits had come over, engaged in friendly conversation with Blackberry and Strawberry when Primrose introduced them.

"Hello Captain," greeted Blackberry. "And hello Madam. We're very glad to have you here."

"Welcome to Watership Down," added Strawberry. "You are going to love it here."

"Very nice spot you have here, quite nice." Captain Broom complimented on the new warren. "Not Redstone, mind you, but what is, eh?" He chuckled, then he prodded at the two confused does in their chest areas to make sure they weren't a figment of his imagination. "Yes, quite solid. Most satisfactory. Right, let's take a look then, shall we?" He vanished through the main entrance to explore the warren.

"What was that about?" questioned Strawberry.

"He's been talking to ghosts all these seasons." Blossom rolled her eyes, then she noticed Lily and her pregnant belly. "Hello there, sweet lass. And I see you've got yourself a litter of little ones." The old doe slyly winked at her, wiggling her eyebrows. "You've been really busy with this Bigwig fellow, haven't you?"

Lily's entire face became a bright red shade as Clover and the other does giggled, and she wanted to change the subject quickly. "Uhh, I'll be right back!"

The ginger doe bounded across the field to reach the pile of stones where a small group of bucks surrounded the spot, trying to coax Fiver to come out. Pushing her way through the crowd, she could hear what Hazel was saying to his little brother.

"I told you, I can't live at Watership Down anymore!" Fiver rejected, hurt. "Please, go away!"

"Not likely," said Bigwig.

"Look, Hawkbit and Bigwig told me what happened," Hazel reasoned. "Your visions don't cause things to happen, Fiver. You are seeing the future."

"You can't know that!" replied Fiver. "Hawkbit was right."

As he spoke, Hazel whirled around to scowl at the surprised Hawkbit, scorning, "Some of us blame the messenger when they don't like the message, that's all he meant. Not to mention Bigwig's attitude is the reason for his behavior."

Bigwig opened his mouth to protest, but he noticed everybody glaring in his direction, shaking their heads to remind him this was partly his fault. He shut his mouth again. Hawkbit cried out in slight pain when Lily cuffed at the bottom, he would have said something snippy to her, but the cold look in her eyes forced him to shut up.

"I'm sorry, Fiver," Hawkbit apologized, massaging his bottom to ease the pain.

"Same here... I am truly sorry, Fiver," apologized Primrose, feeling guilty for shouting at him.

"Listen Fiver," Hazel spoke out, "just the other morning, you had a vision about Redstone Warren."

"Yes… I said you and the others will find it abandoned, everybody gone."

"And you were right, but they left seasons ago. Your vision didn't cause anything."

Hearing this, Fiver's eyes lit up in disbelief. "It happened seasons ago?"

"Yes, and we've brought back two rabbits who can tell you about it."

At last, Fiver crawled out of the gap within the rocks. "So, my visions don't cause things! I am seeing the truth!" Not only did he feel better, but the truth of Hazel's journey and the news of two newcomers from Redstone had come to live here brought a sense of joy to the runt.

"That's what I've been saying half the night," Bigwig conveyed, a little frustrated but relieved that he finally got the message.

"But not the way Hazel said it," Fiver remarked.

Bigwig rolled his eyes a bit. "No, of course not."

"Now let's hear about the weasel, and I've got stories to tell about our journey to Redstone," Hazel announced, eager to tell everybody about his adventures and to hear about the weasel's return.

"Such as?" asked Bigwig.

"Well, for one thing..." Hazel tried to remain calm as he prepared to announce the biggest surprise to everybody present. "I'm going to be a father... and so is Blackavar."

"Oh, I could have told you that," Fiver laughed, excited at the prospect of becoming an uncle.

Everybody cheered and amazed that their Chief Rabbit and his mate are going to have a litter of their own. Some of them congratulating the two soon-to-be parents and asking so many questions on details of their mating, others asked if they'd like to come up with names for the kittens. Lily trailed after them, somehow foreseeing that she would share with her kittens when raising them, not just at the warren but in the outside world, the many adventures that awaited them, from joy to sorrow.