Watership down

by CrispinVCampion

Watership down the TV show as a book with a few changes

8. Shadow of Efrafa

Chapter Eight
Shadow of Efrafa

Blackavar, a brown furred rabbit with blue eyes, tore though the countryside, running faster than he had ever run in his life. Blackavar was an Efrafan born and bred. However, unlike the Owsla who took pride in this, Blackavar associated Efrafa with fear and pain.
Blackavar was a slave, one among many. All the slaves in Efrafa were forced to work none-stop for hours, sometimes in the pouring rain or the burning heat of the sun and they were only allowed above ground to silflay at strictly given times. If anyone went against this they were punished very, very, severely. Life was hell for the slaves and the only thing that kept them going was the hope of one day escaping. For Blackavar, this dream had become a reality. Today, as he had been hopping gloomily back to his burrow, he had noticed that the guard on duty was staring into space, daydreaming.
Without stopping to think, Blackavar had slammed into the other rabbit, knocking him to the ground, then sped away from Efrafa as fast as he could. It hadn't taken long for the dazed guard to recover and sound the alarm. Now Blackavar had two Owsla on his tail. He ran through a crop field and down a narrow path with a stone wall all along the right side of it. Behind him he heard an angry growl as his pursuers gained on him.
Putting on a burst of speed, Blackavar ran past the end of the wall and into the woods. Quickly he darted behind a tree and lay there, shaking.
"It's no good, Blackavar. You may as well give yourself up", shouted a familiar voice as the two Owsla rabbits ran into the wood and stopped on the other side of the tree. Blackavar swallowed hard. It was Campion who had come after him. No-one had ever escaped Campion.
"You go on ahead, I'll stay here in case he doubles back," whispered one of the rabbits, but it was too quiet for Blackavar to tell if it was Campion or not. Blackavar held his breath as one of the rabbits passed his tree.
Slowly Blackavar began to creep away. Suddenly a shadow fell across the Efrafan slave. Blackavar spun round and found himself staring into the face of a great white bird.
"Me help you get away, rabbit. No worries", the bird told him. Blackavar bolted back the way he had come. Better to try and fight his way through two rabbits than stand here and get eaten by an Elil. Blackavar muttered a silent prayer to Frith that the rabbit he might come face-to-face with wouldn't be Campion.
He skidded to a stop, a look of horror on his face, as the rabbit in front of him turned to face him. Why did I tempt fate? Why didn't I pray to run into Campion?
The rabbit in front of Blackavar was a strong-built creature with maroon fur and blue eyes. There was nothing attractive about those eyes. They were hard and cold as ice, and behind them lay one of the blackest hearts he had ever known.
"Why, Blackavar!" the rabbit said, mockingly. "Fancy meeting you here! Lost, are we?"
"Vervain!" Blackavar whimpered. Vervain smiled. It wasn't a pleasant sight.
"Oh, you recognise me! How nice."
At that moment, Campion came running back towards them. "It's over, Blackavar", he panted as he stopped next to the other two.
Thinking quickly, the Efrafan slave breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh Captain Campion, thank goodness", he said. "I don't think that bird will try and kill me now. Not while you're here."
Confused, Campion was about to ask him what he was talking about, when Vervain darted forward and cracked Blackavar across the face. Blackavar smacked into the side of the tree, fell to the ground and lay there, blood pouring from his nose. Campion glared at Vervain. "Was that really necessary?" he roared.
Vervain gave him a sweet smile. "No, it wasn't. But it was fun."

Kehaar watched as the two Owsla rabbits escorted Blackavar away. "Poor little bunny", he said to himself. "Kehaar mess up, plenty big."

The warren of Watership Down was complete and the rabbits, who had all shared in the digging, stood in the Honeycomb and admired their work. "Very good", said Blackberry, as he pushed on one of the side walls of a burrow. "It's solid".
Bigwig grinned at him. "That should keep the rain out", he agreed.
"And have you ever seen this much open space in a warren before?" added Violet.
Strawberry opened his mouth to say that it wasn't as big as the burrows back at his old warren, but thought better of it and shut his mouth again.
"It's like being outside", said Dandelion, "but, you know, inside."
"And here we are, rattling around like walnuts in a well," sighed Hazel, before hopping out of the warren.
"Now what's bothering him?" asked Bigwig.
"He's thinking again", Dandelion replied.
"He does entirely too much of that", said Hawkbit with a scowl.

Bigwig and Fiver found Hazel outside, staring up at the sky. "You alright, mate?" the Owsla captain asked.
"Yes", Hazel replied, then added "I wonder what's keeping Kehaar?"
"You know him", replied Fiver. "Always skywandering."
Hazel nodded. "Perhaps...I asked him to scout the Efrafan warren."
"Frith above, why?!" yelled Bigwig in surprise.
"Unless we find more rabbits to join us, we're finished", Hazel told them.
"So you plan on recruiting from Efrafa?!" asked Bigwig, with just a hint of "Of all the silly things to do!" in his voice.
"There is nowhere else," replied Hazel, "unless you fancy going back to the warren of the Shining Wires."
"Not in this lifetime!"Bigwig muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
"But Hazel," objected Fiver, "from what we know of the Efrafans, they live for war."
"Aye", added Bigwig, "and the chap in charge, from what we've heard, would as soon as tear you apart as look at you."
"Quite", said Hazel. "So if you lived there, wouldn't you want to get out?" And with that, he hopped away.
Bigwig smiled at Fiver. "Always thinking, your big brother".

It had taken Kehaar a little under an hour to find Efrafa and what he saw he didn't like one bit. Efrafa had been built in a wide scar of the earth. The ground around the entrance was wide and fairly flat so the rabbits could gather there when orders were given or the general made an appearance. Above the entrance to the tunnels, on the right side of the scar, stood a lone, skeletal tree whose thin, bare roots clung to the side of the scar and gave the onlooker the impression that it was trying to climb down its edge. The thin branches looked like tentacles which were ready to grab at any rabbit who had the ridiculous idea of trying to escape. Kehaar was just about to fly away when he noticed that a large group of rabbits were gathered around the warren's main entrance burrow. Staying out of sight, Kehaar landed on the left side of the scar and watched.

Upon arriving back at Efrafa, Blackavar had been confined to quarters and there he would remain until the Owsla came for him. He didn't have too long to wait. Campion and Vervain both came and escorted him to the main entrance, or gathering place as it was often called. Here his sentence was to be carried out.
Vervain, who was standing on Blackavar's left side, was the rabbit chosen to speak during the trial.
"Bear witness to the justice of Efrafa", he announced. "Fear the vengeance of Woundwort." With that, he pointed upwards with his paw. Above the main entrance of the warren, amidst the intricate roots of the tree, stood a ledge that jutted out. This ledge led directly to the general's burrows. All the rabbits, save the two captains, who were guarding the prisoner, bowed as the general emerged from the burrow.
If Blackavar had been afraid of Campion and Vervain, he was terrified of Woundwort. General Woundwort was something from a rabbit's worst nightmare. He was huge, at least the size of a hare. He had a white underside that reached up to his muzzle. The rest of his fur was as black as his heart.
Woundwort saw the world through one blood-red eye. One look from this eye was enough to freeze the blood in almost any rabbit's veins. The general's other eye was as white as the full moon in winter and completely useless- his reward for a careless move in a long-forgotten battle. General Woundwort was a legend in the countryside surrounding Efrafa. He had become Chief of Efrafa at a young age and led it from a miserable, disease-ridden hole to become the strongest warren in the land. The real reason for his fame was simple; he had done what no other rabbit could- he had done the impossible. He had fought Elil and won. Woundwort had driven local Elil out of his land and now all feared his name.
Woundwort looked down at Blackavar, contempt showing on his face. "The charge, Captain Vervain?" he asked.
"Attempted escape, Sir. Blackavar of the Hind Quartermark."
One of the first things Woundwort had done on becoming Chief was to sort the Efrafans into groups. Each rabbit was given a cut on a certain area of their bodies and was therefore identified as belonging to the group corresponding to that area.
"The sentence", said Woundwort, "is death". Then he turned away and began to disappear back into his burrow. As he walked away, a cry of "No!" was heard from the back of the group. All the rabbits turned round. The cry had come from another slave, Primrose. She was a light yellow-furred doe, with a white underside and tail, and pale green eyes.
"No?" said the general, his eyebrow raised. Campion looked at Primrose, their eyes meeting for a brief moment. Campion had feelings for Primrose- strong ones. He had tried to ignore them at first but over time he had given in to them, admitting to himself that he loved her.
But he knew this love could never be returned. He was a captain of Owsla, she was a slave; she must hate him and everything he stood for. Still, he would do almost anything to ease her suffering. He wouldn't help her to escape- that would be betraying the trust of his chief- but he could help her to save her friend's life.
"Sir, he said looking up at the general, "The ancient laws of Efrafa allow a defender for the condemned ..."
"Woundwort has spoken," snarled Vervain, interrupting Campion.
"Primrose of the Hind Quartermark has requested that honour," finished Campion, ignoring Vervain.
"Yes sir," Primrose said shakily, "I will speak for Blackavar."
Woundwort looked her in the eyes, "And if I do not like what I hear, you will share his fate, agreed?" .
All the slaves gasped.
"Primrose, you mustn't," cried Blackavar.
She ignored his protest and stared back at Woundwort.
"Agreed sir, thank you sir," she said then began, "All rabbits have the breath given right to..."
A loud screech interrupted her. Kehaar, who had been enraged by the way Woundwort was treating his subjects, flew at the Efrafans, knocking Vervain to the ground. Vervain and the rest of the Efrafans scattered, save for Campion and Primrose who stayed next to Blackavar. Woundwort took a swipe at the gull as it came at him, missed and watched as it flew away from Efrafa. The general turned his attention back to Primrose and the others.
"Sir," said Primrose, "Blackavar wasn't trying to escape. He was just trying to get away from that gull, just like everyone else."
Woundwort considered this for a moment then said, "If so then why didn't he run back to the warren?"
"I...err..." stammered Primrose.
"Your defence is flawed", he told her. "Now you will die along with Blackavar. Campion, see to it."
Campion swallowed and didn't move.
"Campion," said the general, impatience in his voice, "I said see to it."
"No sir," replied Campion. The entire warren fell silent. Woundwort leaped off his ledge to land in front of Campion.
"What did you say?" he snarled, his face inches away from Campion's.
Campion swallowed again and looked at the ground.
"What I mean is, I'd like to add something to Primrose's defence.

"Get on with it than," Woundwort growled.

"Well sir, it would be asking a lot of an Owsla rabbit to take the time to turn round and run back to his warren if Elil attacked. Blackavar isn't even that. I don't think he thought about his actions- he heard the Elil attack, he ran for the closest form of cover. Blackavar came back to Vervain and me, we didn't catch him. He wouldn't have done that if he was trying to escape. So it seems a bit rash to kill them and it would be a waste of two perfectly good slaves. I'm not saying let them off sir, just reduce their sentence, confine her to quarters, no silflay for two days. As for him, I'll give his a few new scars he won't forget in a hurry."

The general was quiet for a minute then said, "Very well Campion. I'll do as you ask," and with that he walked back into the warren.
"Thank you, captain Campion," Primrose sighed.
"Primrose", he replied, "you watch yourself now," then turning to Blackavar he said, "Come on you, we have a punishment to carry out."
"Campion- one last thing," Primrose said as the two bucks moved away.
"Yes Primrose?"
"How did you know that the general would listen and not just kill you?"
The Efrafan captain looked her in the eyes.
"I didn't."

The second he got back to the down Kehaar began to tell the rabbits about his search for Efrafa, from the moment he saw Blackavar being chased by Campion and Vervain, to when he dived at the Efrafans.
"So I make them run," he squawked, "dirty rotten unsafe place, no good for rabbit or gull, no good, no good."
"So there are rabbits there that would join us," said Hazel, "if we could get them out."
"Easier said than done by the sound of it," commented Dandelion.
"Better not done at all if you ask me," added Hawkbit, "who wants that lot coming after us."
"It twists my tail," said Fiver, "Imagine living like that."
"If Woundwort finds Watership Down before we're up to full strength, you won't have to imagine it," Bigwig told him.
"Then we go to Efrafa," said Hazel. "Before Efrafa comes to us."
"What, now?" asked Bigwig in alarm.
Hazel shook his head, "No, no, tomorrow; we'll go there tomorrow."

Not two hours after Frithrise Bigwig, Hazel and Fiver stood at the bottom of the down preparing to set out. Kehaar flew above them, ready to lead the way. All the others had lined up to wish the three rabbits good luck.
"Right," yelled Bigwig, who seemed a little too eager, "Let's go, go ,go!"
"Just give me a minute, will you?" Hazel said, "There's something I need to tell Violet."
"What is it?" Violet asked when she and Hazel had moved a short distance from the others.
"Look Violet," Hazel said awkwardly, "If... if I don't come back, I just want you to know that I...I...err..."
Violet put her paw to his mouth.
"Just make sure you do come back, Hazel," she replied softly.
Hazel opened his mouth to say something more but, as he did so, Bigwig hopped over to them and put his paw on Hazel's shoulder.
"Come on, mate," he said. "It's time to go."
Hazel nodded, gave Violet one last look, then turned away and followed his friend away from the down.

Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig and Kehaar travelled none stop all day. They passed through field and wood until they came to a large strip of open, grassy land at the edge of the wood. A long line of trees stood at the far end. It had gone dark an hour ago, and all three rabbits were weary.
"Are we nearly there yet, Kehaar?" Fiver asked as the gull came to land next to them.
Kehaar pointed with his wing to the line of trees.
"River over there, Efrafa is on far side, not long now."
"Right," said Hazel, "We'll see you tomorrow.
Kehaar nodded and flew off.
"Have you figured out what we're going to do once we get there?" Bigwig asked Hazel.
"Check the lay of the land," replied Hazel, "Err... decide whether we negotiate with Woundwort or... whether we trick him."
Bigwig frowned at him, "So you haven't a clue then?"
The three rabbits made it half-way to the other side where they encountered something completely alien to all of them: a long shining silver line stretching into the distance. It was smooth and cold to the touch; another line just like it lay alongside it a little way off. In-between them lay planks of wood. Unknown to the rabbits, they had come across a set of train tracks. Fiver hopped forward and sniffed at the strange substance.
"What are these?" he asked.
"Shines like a giant double slug trail, doesn't it," Bigwig answered him.
"I wouldn't want to meet the slug that left this," Hazel told them as they began to hop across. Suddenly a deafening sound was heard and the area was lit up by a blinding light, then a huge creature came racing towards them.
"Run," Hazel yelled.
He and Bigwig bolted to the other side of the tracks. Fiver however remained where he was, paralysed.
"Fiver!" Hazel shouted and leaped towards him just as the train reached them.
"No!" gasped Bigwig then breathed a sigh of relief as it pasted by and he saw his friends safe on the other side.
"Oh, for a second there...!" he said then added, "What was that?"
"I don't know," Hazel told him as he and Fiver joined the Owsla captain. "I don't think it meant to hurt us, we were just in its path."
"Then let's stay off it from here on", Fiver replied.

Before they reached the river the rabbits had another scare. It was just after Frithrise and they were hopping though one of the many fields they had to cross when all at once a man loomed up in front of them.
"Scatter," yelled Bigwig, the three rabbits bolted.
"What's got you jumping now?"asked Kehaar as he came to perch on one of the man's outstretched arms.
Hazel, hopping nervously forward, poked the man with his paw.
"It's not a man," he told the others, "not a real one anyway. It's stuffed with straw."
"It didn't fool me," Bigwig coughed.
The others looked at him dryly.
"Alright, a bit then," he confessed.
"I wonder what it's for?" Fiver thought out loud.
"Frith knows", replied his brother, then taking a sniff of the air he added, "Come on, I can smell the river."

It didn't take them long to find the river, and Frith must have been smiling on them, for a long wood plank lay across a narrow stretch of river, reaching from one side of the bank to the other.
"Is only way across," said Kehaar, pleased that he could show off his knowledge. He pointed upriver. "Bridge that way, have Erafin guard watching."
Bigwig stared into the water and shook his head. "All those comfortable seasons at Sandleford- to think of all the adventures we've missed."
"Boredom's not been a problem for us, has it?" Hazel replied, then asked "All right, who goes first?"
"I'm the smallest", said Fiver, and hopped across the plank. "It's fine, come on!" he called back to them.
Hazel looked at Bigwig. "When all this is over, lets you and I have a nice long rest and let the Down fend for itself."
"Now that" replied the Owsla captain, "sounds like a good idea."

Kehaar and the rabbits stopped on the outskirts of Efrafa and stared miserably at the warren's inhabitants. Most of the rabbits looked thin and sickly and as they sat in the grass, nibbling, some of the warren's Owsla patrolled the area, making sure that none of them tried to run.
"Rabbits weren't meant to live like this," said Fiver in horror.
"And the sentry- they're not watching for Elil. They're making sure no-one escapes," added Bigwig.
"Look!" whispered Kehaar. "Blackavar rabbit who try to escape, and Primrose".
The three rabbits saw two of the Efrafans- a doe with yellow fur and a brown buck with blue eyes. The doe was in good shape though a bit thin. The buck, however, looked terrible. Deep cuts had been gouged into his side as well as his back legs and cheeks. Both Blackavar and Primrose hopped forward. It looked like they were about to slip into the brambles.
"Blackavar, Primrose", hissed Hazel, sticking his head out from cover. "Don't let on we're here. I'm Hazel. We've come to get you out. Be ready when-"
"You two!" a voice snapped, interrupting Hazel. Primrose and Blackavar quickly turned round to see Campion and Vervain coming towards them. Quickly Hazel ducked back into the bushes.
"You're off your mark", Vervain snapped at them. "No more Silflay."
At that moment, Fiver caught a twig with his paw, snapping it.
"What was that?" said Vervain.
"Run, Blackavar!" yelled Primrose, knowing full well that the Captains would catch them but also forget to check the bushes for the cause of the noise. Hazel watched helplessly as the two rabbits ran across the open field only to get caught by Campion and Vervain, then dragged back to Efrafa.
"She saved us!" Hazel gasped.
"Still think we can talk to this lot?" Bigwig asked.
"No", the golden-brown rabbit replied. "But I'm getting Primrose and Blackavar out of there."
"I don't see how", said Bigwig.
Suddenly Fiver started shaking, then in a trembling voice he said "The only way out is to go straight through. If two go in, then out come two."
"That's as clear as mud", sighed Bigwig, once Fiver had stopped shaking.
"It means two of us have to go down there and get Primrose and Blackavar out", Hazel told him.
"Oh, be serious", the Owsla rabbit replied.
"Bad idea, I'm thinking", Kehaar said, clearly agreeing with Bigwig.
"Bigwig, Kehaar. You stay here to back us up if we need it", Hazel ordered, looking at them both. "If things go wrong...if things go wrong, then you take over at Watership Down." Then turning his head to Fiver, he asked "You ready, little brother?"
"Times like these, I wish I didn't have visions", he replied, "and I wish you didn't trust them".
"You're mad, both of you", commented Bigwig. "Which might just get you through this".
With that, he wished them both good luck and hopped away further down the field, Kehaar waddling after him.

"What gets into these rabbits, trying to run off like that?" Vervain asked Campion as they hopped out of Efrafa and across the field. They had just confined Blackavar and Primrose to one the burrows, as well as place them under heavy guard.
"My guess is they don't like it here; things are different with Woundwort." Campion replied.
"That sounds suspiciously like disloyalty," Vervain said warningly.
Campion narrowed his eyes angrily, "My loyalty is to Efrafa always."
"And to General Woundwort," Vervain said with just the hint of watch it, you.
"I'm Owsla, he's my chief," Campion replied, not intimidated in the least.
Vervain would have made another retort but suddenly out of nowhere came Hazel and Fiver.
"Take me to your leader," Hazel demanded.

Campion led Hazel and Fiver down one of the tunnels leading to the burrow that Blackavar and Primrose were being held in. The entrance to the burrow was blocked by a large bolder. On either side of the bolder stood a rabbit guard. On the left hand side stood Moss, who gave Campion a nod as the Owsla captain reached the end of the tunnel. The guard on the right was a rough looking thug of a rabbit called Wolfbane. Wolfbane was white furred with black tips to the end of his ears and tail and had green eyes. The right side of his face bore a scar that ran down from just below his eye to his cheek. He was a good fighter but Campion didn't like him. The reason for this was no secret; Wolfbane always, no matter what the reason, sided with Vervain against anyone, especially against Campion. He was, in short, Vervain's perfect lackey. Campion smiled. He was Vervain's lackey as Moss was his.
"New prisoners, sir?" asked Wolfbane sounding slightly bored.
"Yes, two of the outsiders we've been looking for."
"Don't look like much, do they sir?"
Campion sighed. "Just move the boulder, Wolfbane," he said impatiently.
"Yes sir," the white rabbit replied then rolled the bolder away. Blackavar and Primrose looked up as Hazel and Fiver were pushed inside.
"So they caught you anyway," said Primrose.
"Actually no," Hazel told her, "we gave ourselves up."
"And you came to get us out?" said Blackavar, slightly puzzled. "Odd way of going about it."
"I had to see you again, to make sure you were still alive."
"Ahem," coughed Fiver.
"Oh," said Hazel, "where are my manners? This is my little brother Fiver."
"Hello Fiver," Primrose said politely, then added, "tell me, is your brother a tab bit mad?"
"He has his moments," laughed Fiver.

Campion and Vervain both stood before the general, delivering their report on Hazel.
"He says he's from a great warren," Campion told him. "He wouldn't say where."
"He doesn't look much like a chief," added Vervain.
"And what does he went?" asked the general, his question directed more at Campion then Vervain.
"To ask you which you prefer- war or peace, life or death."

To pass the time, Hazel was telling Primrose and Blackavar about Watership Down. This was something that, truth be told, neither of the slaves were enjoying.
"You can see forever," Hazel told them, "And wind blows clean and free..."
"Don't talk about your warren anymore," Primrose interrupted him, "I don't want to hear it."
"What's wrong, Primrose?" he asked surprised.
"In Efrafa, its better not to dream of a better place, because you always wake up to these walls," Blackavar said in answer.
All four rabbits turned round as the boulder was rolled away from the entrance. Vervain stepped into the burrow, a sick smile on his face.
"Good news, Primrose," he said with an unpleasant grin, "you and Blackavar are being freed," then pointing his paw at Hazel and Fiver he snarled, "everyone gets to see the general deal with these two."

Bigwig and Kehaar had chosen a good spot of cover near Efrafa's main entrance so they could see and hear everything that went on around the front of the warren. They had a long wait however before one of the Efrafans came hopping towards the slaves that were silflaying in the field.
"To the gathering place," he ordered before hopping off.
"Something's happening," Bigwig whispered to the gull.
"About time," Kehaar whispered back, "About time, it's boring watching bunnies."
"Shush, something's about to happen."

Hazel and Fiver were led out of the warren and to the gathering place. Every rabbit in Efrafa was standing there watching them, including Blackavar and Primrose.
"Hazel," she said softly.
Hazel hopped over to them both.
"Whatever happens, I'll get you both out," he promised, "believe that, hold on to it."
"I will, Hazel, I will," she replied.
Hazel held out his paw, meeting hers for a moment. With a furious snarl Campion came between them and pushed Hazel away from her and to the middle of the gathering place, where Fiver and Vervain stood waiting. With his brother next to him and a captain on either side Hazel looked up at the ledge, right into the face of General Woundwort.
The general looked down at the so-called chief of the outsiders. "You ask me which I prefer, war or peace, I answer war, you ask me which I prefer, life or death, I answer death," then addressing both Hazel and the Efrafan captains he said, "All your questions are answered, execute them on my command."

"I'll take a few of them out before they get me," Bigwig said turning to Kehaar.
"No good Bigwig," the gull replied, "Fiver say two come out."
"He didn't say which two," Bigwig pointed out.
"Wait," the gull told him, "trust Hazel."
"Where is your warren?" Woundwort asked Hazel, "tell me and live."
"I can't do that, general," Hazel replied.
Woundwort let out a low growl and dug his claws into the rock beneath his feet. Raising his voice, Woundwort shouted to all the Efrafans, "He comes from another warren, a great one he says. I will destroy it, his people will become mine, they will obey me, and live through me. Those who don't will die. Strike!" he ordered his captains then turned away, back towards his burrow.
Vervain raised his paw to strike but before he could bring it down, Fiver let out a loud moan and wailed, "Darkhaven is destroyed."
Woundwort froze, a look of shock and utter disbelief on his face. "Hold," he snapped at Vervain.
Vervain stopped and looked at the general, confused.
"He said Darkhaven," Woundwort gasped.
Fiver wailed again, "the fire in the field... the man with the gun...save him Laurel...".
"Laurel", whispered Woundwort, "my mother..." then he roared, "Clear the Gathering place, everyone underground."
Everyone save the prisoners and the two captains fled into the warren; none of them dared disobey Woundwort.
"What just happened?" asked a very perplexed Bigwig.
"Don't ask," replied Kehaar, "Kehaar just simple gull."
Woundwort jumped from his ledge, landing directly in front of the shaking Fiver.
"Only the Black Rabbit of Inle can know these things," he snarled quietly at Fiver.
"A weasel," yelled Fiver, "coming through the bushes, getting closer and closer, smelling the blood, too tired to run away, too tired to run."
Images flashed though the general's mind. He stood with his mother in a field, the field was burning, a weasel came towards them with a wicked grin on its face. Laurel turned to her son and gave him a smile of full of love, then she hurled herself at the weasel. Woundwort, tears streaming down his face, watched helplessly as the weasel tore her apart, and then he ran.
"Get out of my head," yelled the general, covering his eyes with both paws.
Fiver, his vision over, fell backwards, Hazel catching him.
"Who are you?" Woundwort snarled at Hazel, "and what in Frith's name is he?"
"I told you, we're from a great warren. Our Owsla are as many as the stars, silent as the night, and they are all around us," he yelled, hoping Bigwig could hear him.
"Kehaar," said Bigwig, instantly catching on, "move fast though the line of bushes and shake them. Let's show them there's an army up here."
"You got hopes," replied Kehaar then flapped his wings, shaking the leaves. Campion gave a surprised snarl and raised his paw, ready for a fight.
"I wouldn't if I were you," Hazel said to him then turning to Woundwort he added, "You've seen what Fiver can do. Harm us, and his dark spirit will torment you forever."
The general just growled.
"Come on, Fiver," Hazel said and began to hop away.
Campion stepped forward to block their way but was stopped by Vervain.
"Stay away from them, you fool," snapped the maroon coloured buck.
"They're coming out," said Bigwig in alarm as the two rabbits approached. "Get ready to move fast, Kehaar," he added to the gull.
"Only way Kehaar moves", came the reply.
"Your orders, Sir?" Campion asked the general as he watched the two outsiders go.
"Track them down!" roared the general, "destroy them, find their warren, smash it! No one, nothing stops Woundwort."

"Sir-" said Campion after completing a sweep of the trees around the front of Efrafa.
"Well, what is it?" snapped the general. "Did you find the outsider army?"
"No Sir, from the tracks there was just one rabbit up here."
"What!" roared Woundwort. "Well don't just stand there, get the outsiders!"

Hazel, Fiver and Bigwig tore though the field they had crossed in their journey to Efrafa; they could just about hear Woundwort and the captains as they entered the field. All at once Fiver fell to the ground, exhausted from fear and his earlier vision. Bigwig hopped over to him.
"Don't wait for me," Fiver panted, "keep going."
"Run, you half sized puddle of frog water, or I'll smack your ears off," ordered Bigwig and pulled Fiver up.
Hazel looked back to make sure the others were still with him then looked up at the sky.
"Kehaar," he shouted, "we need a distraction, something to slow them down."
"Follow me," yelled Kehaar and veered off to the right.

Woundwort, Campion and Vervain ran after the outsiders, breathing heavily. Woundwort was determined to catch them- no matter what. All three rabbits froze as they came face to face with a man.
"Get off my field, you big fat rabbits," the man said crossly.
The three Efrafans gave a yell of surprise and began to back away. They stopped as the man's hat fell off to reveal that it was just Kehaar standing atop the scarecrow.
"That bird is one of them," shouted Campion as Kehaar took off.
"I don't care if they have The Black Rabbit of Inle," snarled Woundwort. "After them!"

Kehaar's distraction had given the rabbits enough time to make it to the train tracks; Bigwig was just about to hop on to the tracks when Hazel told him to stop.
"What?" yelled Bigwig, "are you mad?"
"Probably," the golden-brow buck replied as he heard the train in the distance.
"Err, let's go Hazel," Fiver said anxiously.
"Not yet, not yet!" came the reply.
An angry snarl was heard from behind, all three rabbits turned to see the general racing towards them.
"Now!" shouted Hazel and shot across the tracks, the others right behind him.
Woundwort who had made it onto the tracks leaped back just in time to avoid being hit by the train as it thundered past. When the smoke left in the train's wake cleared, the outsiders were nowhere to be seen. Throwing back his head the general gave a furious roar and vented his anger at the sky.
"I'll find you, outsider," he snarled, "the world isn't a big enough place to hide. I'll hunt you till Frith falls from the sky, do you hear me outsider, do you hear me?"

"Well this little escapade wasn't exactly a smashing success," panted Bigwig as they watched the general turn away and head back towards Efrafa. "No new rabbits, and us lucky to get out in one piece."
"And we've made an enemy that won't rest until Watership Down is destroyed," added Fiver.
"What happened to you back there, Fiver?" asked Hazel. "I've never see a vision take you like that."
"And I hope it never does again," replied his brother with a shudder. "Woundwort's full of hate and fear and loss, it just swapped over me."
"It saved our lives, Fiver," said Hazel.
Bigwig nodded in agreement. "If two go in, then out come two."
Hazel sighed and gazed up at the sky, now glowing golden-red with the colour of sunset.
"And two remain; we'll be back for Blackavar and Primrose."
"Aye," Bigwig nodded, "but not today, chum."