Chapter 4: goodbye for now

Campion's POV

Time went by fast, and I started to trust Femke and her family. With each passing day, I grew stronger. At first, this was exactly what I wanted: to get better, and go back to Efrafa.

But one day, when Femke said I would be able to go home the next day, I felt sad. Femke had been so good to me, and over time I had really started to grow attached to little Christie (even if I still thought she was too hyperactive at times). It was too bad I had to leave already, I was really starting to like my life here with the humans...

"I can always choose to stay longer," I thought, as I lied down in my nest and looked sadly at my burrow's wooden wall. "Vervain has most likely told the General I'm dead anyway, so I don't have to rush back. It's not like I will be missed," I mused, as I finished eating my carrot, feeling it would be the last good meal I would have for a long time.

"Unless the General accepts Femke's kind offer, of course," I thought. I remembered how Femke had told me that she and her people had placed some flayrah near Efrafa, but none of the rabbits had picked it up. There were still food shortages at Efrafa, which meant I wouldn't be as well fed as I had been with Femke. "Might I be able to visit my human family from time to time?" I wondered, as I let my mind drift off to sleep.

Regular POV

Early the next morning, Femke and her family stood at the edge of the woods. She held Campion in her arms; Christie had put a pink ribbon around his neck.

"Well... this is it, it seems," Femke said sadly, as she put Campion down and took the ribbon off.

"Yeah... " he said, looking at her sadly as well, tears blurring his vision.

"You're always welcome to come and visit if you like." Femke smiled as she patted his head.

"I will visit whenever I can, but life in Efrafa is very busy, so don't think I'll visit every day," Campion said, looking at the woman sternly. She nodded and rubbed the tears from her eyes. Little Christie sniffled and bent down, hugging him tightly.

"I will miss you Campie... youw my best fwiend in the whoole wide world..." the youngster sniffled as she held on to him with a sad look on her face.

"You're my best friend too, Christie. I will never forget you, no matter where I go," Campion replied, even though he knew Christie couldn't understand him: she was still learning the basics of animal languages.

"Go on, Campion. You're free to go." Femke smiled as she picked up a sobbing Christie in her arms. Campion nodded and turned around.

"I will never forget you guys. Thanks for everything."

With that, Campion turned and ran into the open fields and the high grass, towards Efrafa. When he was a little further away, he turned around one last time to look at the humans. Femke was still standing in the field like she was frozen in place, with little Christie in her arms, probably still crying. Daniel had turned around and was walking away, seemingly sad as well. He turned around and Campion could see his mouth moving, although he didn't hear the words. Then, Femke turned around as well and followed him. Campion could now clearly see Christie sobbing. He could feel a sting in his heart as he looked at her one last time, not knowing if he would ever see her again.

"You're my very best friends. May Frith bless you all with a long and happy life," Campion thought about the now leaving family. He then ran towards Efrafa, his old home, to resume his old life.

Campion's POV

Well, my homecoming couldn't have been more cold. General Woundwort was pleased to see I was alive and that was all he said. No "welcome home", no "I'm glad you're back, Campion", nothing!"Good to see you're back" and I was immediately sent back on patrol.

"Not that I should have expected anything else, I'm just so used to Femke and her family that I forgot this is how life used to be at home," I thought, as I went on my morning patrol. I looked sadly at a few of my fellow rabbits, who were nothing but slaves. As they bowed, like they always do in the presence of an owsla officer, my thoughts flashed back to Christie. Where was she now? What was she doing? Was she still crying about me? Or had she already forgotten all about me?

"No, she wouldn't forget me that easily. She knew this moment would come, that this had to be done. This is where I belong. Yet now that I am back, I wish things were different here, like they were with the human family," I thought as I observed the poor creatures. "Their lives would be a lot easier, and they would never have to worry about hunger again."

My patrol completed, I entered the main chamber, where captains Moss and Vervain were waiting for me, as well as General Woundwort.

"Captain Campion, good to see you again," Moss said as he hopped to me with a smile on his face. "Bless my tail, I thought that hawk had gotten you."

"I'm glad to be back as well Moss." I smiled as I got on my hind legs and touched my old friend's paw with mine. "And that hawk almost got me. I managed to kick it until it let me go."

"Then you're a lucky one sir, not many can survive that," Moss replied, smiling. "Yet why didn't you come back immediately after that?"

"Because I was discovered by a few humans afterwards," I said calmly; all rabbits in the burrow backed away in shock. "I was too heavily wounded to escape immediately. The young female of the two took care of me until I had fully recovered. Earlier this morning, they released me back into nature, and I returned here," I concluded.

"Wow! Those humans actually let you go? That's quite something," Moss commented, with a look of disbelief in his eyes.

"I know. They're a rare kind of humans that somehow actually understood me when I spoke."

"No way..." he said with a gasp.

"It's true. The two adult humans understood me when I spoke, and they were teaching their youngster as well," I explained, calm as ever. Everyone gasped when I said this, while the eyes of my Chief narrowed at me.

"Campion, do you mean to report that you found these humans capable of feeling actual emotions towards rabbits?" the General asked me.

"Yes sir, she was different from most humans. She even offered to share her food supplies with us, when I told her of the food shortages." I glanced outside, looking at the place where I knew Femke and Christie had left some food for us.

"Lies! They have to be lies!" Vervain said as he hopped next to the General and looked at me firmly. "He has most likely just been with the outsiders! Making plans to overthrow you, sire, and..."

"And what proof do you have for this accusation, captain Vervain?" the General asked, deathly calm.

"N...no proof, sire... but his story is obviously a cover up! I mean, a human actually feeling some sort off compassion towards rabbits?" Vervain smirked. "That has to be a lie."

"Not likely." I too smirked. "And if the General wishes, I could arrange a meeting with the girl to prove I am speaking the truth."

Woundwort, Moss and Vervain made a few hops backwards; they were plainly shocked to hear I was willing to bring a human to Efrafa to prove I was speaking the truth.

"Very well. Arrange a meeting with the girl outside, on the clearing nearby," the General said, after he thought for a moment.

"You won't regret it, General," I replied with a bow. I smiled in delight when I saw how Vervain looked at me, with a look of pure disgust on his face, clearly not happy that I could prove that I was speaking the truth. Then, I turned around and hopped out of the warren to arrange a meeting with my human family, hopefully for the better off my warren...

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: and with that said, I end the chapter! I hope you all liked it!

Thanks for reading and thanks Chipster-roo for doing such a great job as a beta reader.

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