Chapter Thirteen
Battle
It was a glorious morning on the down, Frith shone down brightly and the air was full of the sound of birds singing. The real thing however that had the warren in high spirits was the fact that Violet would be giving birth to her and Hazel's babies. Everyone was mad with excitement, everyone except Hazel. Hazel stood at the edge of the down staring out at the surrounding countryside and worrying. Of chose he was overjoyed at the prospect of becoming a father but he also knew that that new members of the warren would mean new mouths to feed and therefore more food to think about.
"Hazel, are you alright?" a voice asked, intruding on his thoughts.
Hazel turned to see Bigwig.
"Yes," he replied, "just thinking about my, soon to be here, children. You know we'll need more Flayrah from now on don't you?"
"So?" Bigwig replied.
"So we need to raid the farm and build up our supply."
"What, now?" the Owsla captain exclaimed.
"Why not now?"
Bigwig sighed, "Hazel let me tell you what we've done since we got to our new home. We've fought a weasel, twice, run into a lunatic who thinks it's a good idea to stick one's neck into a shining wire and to top it all off we managed to make enemies with the most blood-thirsty warren in history. Now tell me, do you know what we have to face today?"
"Nothing as far as I know," the golden-brown buck told him.
"Precisely, nothing," Bigwig replied, "we've finally got some time to rest and you want us to raid the farm."
"We need more Flayrah,"
"The Flayrah isn't going to disappear overnight, unless Strawberry get's to it."
"It won't get any bigger either," the golden-brown rabbit pointed out.
Bigwig groaned, "at least waits until nightfall Hazel."
"Alright but no later than that," Hazel replied then hopped back towards the beach tree.
"Morning Hazel," Strawberry said, looking up from a meal he was sharing with Hawkbit as the warren's chief passed by.
"Good morning Strawberry," the other replied before asking, "Where's Violet?"
"In her burrow, sleeping, why?"
"Oh it's nothing, just wanted to make sure she was alright."
Strawberry laughed, "You're worrying about the babies aren't you?"
"A father always worries Strawberry," Hazel told him.
"I wouldn't know. I never was one."
"I thought about being one once," Hawkbit spoke up for the first time, "I think I would a quite a good role model for a bunch of kids, don't you think?"
Hazel and Strawberry stared at him in horror, the possibility of Hawkbit being a father was just unthinkable.
"What?" Hawkbit said angrily.
"Nothing," Hazel replied then hopped down the warren's main entrance and from there he when state to Violet's burrow.
Violet lay on her side resting.
"Hello Hazel," she said in greeting.
"Morning," the warren's leader responded then added, "are you doing okay?"
Violet nodded, "Yes I am," she told him, "we all are although I could do with a bite to eat."
"I'll fetch you some Flayrah then."
"Hazel one last think," Violet said as the other rabbit turned to leave.
"Yes?"
"Bucks or does?"
Hazel thought for a second then replied, "I'll ask Frith to send us both."
...
Campion lay in his burrow sleeping soundly. He was dreaming of Primrose. He was there with her, they were happy together and she was telling him that she loved him. He leaned towards her, about to nuzzle her.
"Sir," a voice said, jolting him awake.
The Efrafan captain looked up angrily to see Moss.
"What do you want," Campion snapped, sounding more hostile then he intended.
If Moss had been offended he didn't show it.
"Not me sir," he replied, "the general wants you in his burrow."
"Good or bad?" Campion asked.
Moss gave him a less then encouraging smile.
"Oh lovely," the Owsla captain groaned, "that's all I need at the start of the day."
...
Woundwort was in a rage when Campion arrived.
"I don't care how dead beat Vervain is," the general yelled as Campion entered the burrow.
"You wanted me sir?" Campion enquired, his eyes darting from Woundwort to the rabbit who was being yelled at, it was Wolfbane.
"You wouldn't be here if I didn't," Woundwort snarled.
"Is something wrong sir?" the Efrafan captain asked.
"Tell him what you told me," the general ordered Wolfbane.
"I was on guard duty sir," the other began, "near the slave quarters. I heard one of them talking about making a run for it. That if Woundwort and the Owsla couldn't catch Hazel then maybe they couldn't catch the slaves."
"You see Campion," Woundwort roared, "The slaves think that we're losing our might, that we can't hold them anymore, and all this because of that blasted Hazel and his band of outsiders!"
"What would you have me do, general?" Campion asked.
"Find the alien warren, captain" came the reply, "Bring Hazel to me, dead or alive. I want a wide patrol scouring the land by midday, and don't come back without something to report! Dismissed..."
Campion gave a quick bow and then exited the burrow, Wolfbane following.
"I think I'd better have a word with that slave," the Owsla captain said.
"You might find that a bit hard sir, he's dead." Wolfbane informed him.
Campion stopped and turned to the other rabbit.
"Dead?"
"Yes sir, Vervain killed him"
"Let me guess, it was in public. He was made an example of so other slaves wouldn't get any ideas," Campion didn't even try to hide his disgust.
"Well sir," Wolfbane replied, "It's probably for the best that Vervain took care of it. See, there are a few signs that he's the only captain who's really got any backbone"
"That didn't sound very respectful, Wolfbane" the brown furred buck growled.
Wolfbane gave him a look of mock surprise, "My apologies sir, I assure you I was showing you all the respect you deserve"
"I would watch your words, Wolfbane" the Owsla captain warned. "Otherwise, you might end up in trouble..."
And with that, Campion hopped away, his day getting worse by the minute.
Back on the down, the rabbits were enjoying the warm sun. Most were lying about and having a doze, while the others nibbled at newly sprung grass. Bigwig was sitting near the beech tree, and was just thinking of taking a snooze, when Pipkin hopped over to him and pleaded with the older rabbit to play tail-tag.
"But I was about to take a nap!" Bigwig told Pipkin.
"Oh please Bigwig" the younger buck groaned. "Nobody else wants to and I can't play it on my own, now can I?"
"Oh alright..." Bigwig agreed reluctantly, and hopped away from the other buck. Pipkin gave chase and caught up with the Owsla captain in no time.
"Tail-tag! You're elil!" he shouted, and smacked Bigwig on the tail.
"Right then, come here!" Bigwig snarled with mock aggression, running after Pipkin. The other rabbit bolted and ran around the down as the older buck tried to tag him. Bigwig was just about to catch him when suddenly he stepped on a very large and very sharp piece of stone. Bigwig fell onto his back with a howl and kicked his paws into the air.
Hazel, Dandelion and Fiver hopped over to him to see what the matter was."Are you alright?" Hazel asked with concern.
"Alright?! Alright?!" Bigwig raged, "No, I'm not alright! I've just had my paws cut to pieces by a stone because this young scallywag wanted to play a game of tail-tag!" At this point he waved a paw in Pipkin's direction.
Hazel picked up the Owsla rabbit's injured hind paw and examined it closely. There was a lot of blood, and the cut set in the middle of it. "It's not deep," Hazel told him, "I'll ask Violet to take a look at it. You should be fine as long as you stay off it for a day or two"
"So that trip to the farm is out of the question?" Dandelion asked with a hopeful look.
Hazel sighed, "I'm afraid so, and we really could do with the Flayrah"
"Why not ask Holly to take the place of Bigwig?" Fiver suggested, not totally unaware of the way Dandelion's face dropped.
"An excellent idea Fiver!" His brother replied, "I'll tell him right away"
Hazel turned back to Bigwig, "As for you, do stay off that foot"
Bigwig's only response was a loud snort.
Campion sighed as yet another member of Efrafa's Owsla bumped into him them apologized.
It was nearly mid-day so Campion had gone to the warren's food chamber to get a bite to eat before he set out in looking for Hazel and his outsider, unfortunately so had several others. The food chamber may have been dug to twice its original size since Thlayli broke Primrose and Blackavar out of Efrafa but it still wasn't big enough for the number of rabbits that were now using it.
Campion was just about to a bite of lettuce leaf when a voice behind him said, "So do you think we'll find the outsiders, sir?"
Campion turned to see Oakleaf standing a little way off, munching on a cabbage.
Oakleaf was a gray furred buck with blue eye and a white inverted "V" marking along the bridge of his nose. Oakleaf was young, maybe too young and he lacked a of killer instinct, for these reasons Campion didn't think he really belonged in the Owsla, in fact the kid didn't really belong in Efrafa at all.
"Well do you?" Oakleaf asked again.
"We'd better, otherwise Woundwort will have our tails," the Owsla captain said in reply.
"We'll find them, sir," the youth reassured him, "and when we do we'll destroy them all. I'll take down Hazel myself."
"Will you?" Campion asked sharply.
Oakleaf hesitated, "well I..."
"Do you really think when push comes to shove you could take Hazel's life?" the Efrafan captain when on, "do you really think you could look into another creature's eyes, see the fear in them and then end their life?"
"I...I..."
"Oakleaf listen to me," Campion said, in a softer voice, "sometimes we have to kill another creature, it's our duty but never, never take pleasure in doing so. Killing isn't something to be proud of."
"Shows how much you know doesn't it," a new voice retorted from the entrance of the burrow.
All heads turned to see Vervain as he entered the burrow.
"Don't listen to Campion lad," the maroon buck said addressing Oakleaf, "he's too soft for his own good."
"Feeling for others isn't a weakness, Vervain," Campion shot back.
"Of chose it is, you were too weak to punish Primrose and Blackavar when they stepped out of line and so they became bold enough to try escaping, which they did."
"Oh and that was my fault?"
"It was your fault for letting your feelings get in the way."
"Vervain don't you dare tell me..." Campion began but was cut off by Vervain.
"You're feelings got in the way Campion," Vervain yelled, "and you lost Primrose because of it, stupid, very stupid."
"Sir what does he mean you lost Primrose?" an Owsal rabbit asked, clearly not very comfortable at seeing his two commanding officers going at each other.
Vervain laughed, "Oh so you haven't told them about Primrose, well now's as good a time as any, then raising his voice he shouted, "Our beloved Campion here was in loved, with a slave."
The food chamber when dead.
"He would have done anything for his precious little doe," Vervain continued, enjoying every moment, "he saved her life from Woundwort, didn't he? Now how do you all suppose she repaid him? I'll tell you, she ran off with Hazel that's how."
"Shut your mouth Vervain," Campion roared, his whole body shaking with anger.
"Why? Because you don't want everyone to know that you're a worthless piece of hraka? Well we've always known it, I mean look at you, you've got nothing, no doe, no guts and no parents"
Campion took a large intake of breath and tried to speak but nothing came out.
"Aren't I right Campion, you're an orphan, mummy and daddy were never around to help little Campion were they, got themselves kille Homba didn't they?"
Campion glared hatefully at Vervain, tears running down his face.
"Vervain...I...I," he stammered.
"What's the matter Campion?" the maroon rabbit asked mockingly, "elil got you're..."
"You're wrong," a voice said from the back of the burrow.
Vervain wheeled round and saw Moss.
"Campion's not a failure," the Efrafan corporal continued, "he's the finest rabbit Efrafa has ever seen, so with all due respect sir, Campion may have a few small failings but Efrafa's a better place since he became captain."
Campion didn't know what to say, he was touched. Vervain on the other hand felt somewhat colder towards the Owsla corporal.
"Well will you look at this," he sneered, "if it isn't corporal Moss defending his captain. I can't say I'm surprised," he continued, making his way over to moss until they were only inches apart.
"You've always stuck up for him haven't you Moss? I mean after all he is the only rabbit you've got, no one else wants you do they corporal?"
Moss swallowed hard but held his tongue.
"The general doesn't want you," the maroon buck went on, "the Owsal never wanted you, even your own parents didn't want you. They abandoned you when were just a kit, didn't they? You were an embarrassment to them so they got rid of you. Then along comes Campion and looks out for you, even though he wasn't much older then you himself. From that day on you stuck to him like a flea on a dog. Oh and just so you know Moss your patents were right, you're nothing but a pathetic little..."
Vervain was cut short as a paw cracked him across the left cheek and sent him flying. The maroon captain jumped to his feet and looked for the one who had dared to strike him, his eyes fell on Campion.
"You tear me down Vervain, you might just get away with it," Campion snarled, eyes blazing, "but you tear Moss down in front of me again and I promise you'll regret it."
"You'll pay Campion," the other rabbit bellowed.
"Enough!" roared a voice from behind them.
All turned to see Woundwort.
"How much did you hear sir?" asked the somewhat nerves Campion.
"Long enough." The general answered, "and let me tell you now, if I ever see or hear two members of my Owsla fighting like this again I'll throw then both into the slave pit, clear?"
Both captains nodded.
"Good," Woundwort told them, "now get out on wide patrol, all of you!"
As the Owsal rabbits all hurried out of the food chamber Campion felt a paw touch his shoulder. He turned to see Moss, like Campion the Efrafan corporal had red eyes, he too had been crying.
"Thank you sir," Moss muttered.
"No Moss," Campion replied, "thank you."
Hazel hopped along the warrens burrows until he came to Holly's.
"Captain Holly, are you in there?" he enquired.
"Yes, come on in," came the replay.
Holly looked up from where he had been lying as his chief entered the burrow.
"Ah Hazel what can I do for you?" he asked.
"Holly have you noticed our Flayrah supply is running short?" the other rabbit asked.
"Yes, I went for a carrot not so long ago but there wasn't any."
"So you agree we need more?"
Holly nodded.
"Good I was thinking of arranging a raid of the farm, tonight."
"Why not tell Bigwig? He's the senior captain on the down." The older buck replied, not without a trace of resentment in him voice.
"Bigwig's hurt his paw, he'll be off Owsla duty for a day or two, and he's not very happy about it either.
"So you want me to lead it?"
"If you won't mind."
Holly smiled, "I'd be happy to but let me chose who to take."
"Of course" Hazel replied, and then hopped out of the Owsla captains' burrow.
As soon as he had gone Holly made his way to The Honeycomb. Most of the others were there. "Alright, listen to me" he said, "Hazel wants a raid on the farm and since Bigwig is off duty I'm in charge. Understood?"
"Good" Hawkbit whispered to Silver, "Bigwig's a blighted nuisance, it'll be nice to have a break from him constantly shouting out orders, the great fool...and of course, Holly would take you, not me. I think I'm rather going to enjoy staying here tonight"
"Silver, you come with me. I need your strength in case we run into that cat" Holly went on.
"Thank you sir!" Silver replied, then added "Oh, and Hawkbit would like to come too. He's just told me he's fed up of being stuck on The Down"
"Oh very well, he can come, Dandelion too." Holly said before announcing "We leave as soon as it's dark" and with that he hopped back to his burrow.
"I hate you" Hawkbit growled at Silver.
"Well than, next time, don't mock poor Bigwig" came the reply.
The Efrafan wide patrol weren't in a good mood. They had spent hours searching the countryside for Hazel and his outsiders, but had found nothing. They were all tired, hungry and ill tempered. Campion had said they should rest at the foot of a small hill, no one had objected.
"This is pointless!" snarled Vervain, "We've been searching all day and we still haven't found anything"
"Maybe we should head back to Efrafa" Moss suggested.
"And do you want to be the one to tell the general why we did?" Campion asked.
"Do you want to be the one to tell the Elil why we didn't" Vervain snapped, "They'll be out soon you know"
"So you agree with Moss than?" Campion said.
"Of course not!" the maroon buck retorted, "The general gave us an order, and unlike some of us here, I believe in following them!"
Campion ignored this last remark and turned to Moss. "Corporal, scout ahead and report back what you find" The brown furred buck ordered.
"Yes sir" the other replied, then hopped off.
"What good will that do?" Vervain asked irritably, "He's not going to find anything"
"Just shut up Vervain" Campion muttered.
"Don't you tell me to-" the maroon captain started, but before he could get any more out, Moss returned.
"That was quick!" Campion said to the corporal, then added "report."
"Sir, there's a farm not far from here. I saw it from the top of the hill; we can be there by dark"
"Why should we go to a farm?" Campion asked, "A farm means man!"
"And Flayrah sir" Moss pointed out, "If we do have to go back to the general without Hazel, we can at least soften things by bringing him back a carrot or two"
"And nibble a few ourselves," the other rabbit answered, "okay Moss let's go."
Turning his head Campion shouted, "Alright shall we get going?"
"Where exactly are we going sir?" asked Oakleaf.
"To diner," Campion told him.
It was just after dark when the four Owsla rabbits made their way away from the down. Silver, Holly and Dandelion were glad of the chance to be doing something after a day of lazing around. Hawkbit however was not.
"It's not fair," the gray buck grumbled, "Why do we have to raid Nuthanger now? I don't see why we can't wait until later on in the season. I mean so what if we're down on Flayrah, we can eat grass can't we?"
"Stop complaining Hawkbit," Dandelion told him, "it'll be exciting."
"Oh yeah, I'll remind you of that when we're being torn apart by the farm cat," the gray rabbit retorted.
"Don't worry if that cat attacks you, I'll be there to save you."
Hawkbit gave a loud short, "You save me? I'd like to see that."
Nuthanger was still as the four rabbits from Watership Down crept silently into the farmyard. The vegetable garden was empty as the kale, sown by the farmer earlier in the month, had not yet sprouted.
"We'll have to search the barn," Holly told them.
"What about the cat and the dog?" Silver whispered.
"The dog's tied up," the Owsla captain replied, pointing over to the kennel on the other side of the farmyard.
"And the cat?"
"I think two trained Owsla rabbits should be enough to handle one cat, don't you?" asked Holly. Silver nodded, then hissed "Alright, let's go".
The four bucks made their way to the barn and slipped in. A large crate of Flayrah and some bags of apples stood against the barn's right wall.
"Right, let's get this over with", grumbled Hawkbit.
They were just nibbling through the bags when paws were heard from outside. "Dandelion, go and find out if that's the cat", ordered Holly quietly.
"Why me?" Dandelion squeaked in fear.
"Because I don't want that cat sneaking up on us- and because if you don't, I'll tear your ears off. Got it?"
The storyteller gulped and hopped to the barn's entrance, just in time to come nose-to-nose with Moss as he and the other Efrafans had reached the farm.
"Oh, hello", Dandelion said. "Nice night, isn't it?"
Before Moss could move, the yellow-furred buck had shot back to the others. "We have to get out of here!" he squealed.
"The cat?" Silver enquired.
"Worse- Efrafans!"
"What?" Holly gasped and turned towards the barn door, to see Campion lunging towards him. Holly gave the enemy captain a hard kick in the stomach, then yelled "Run!" All four rabbits bolted for the door, to find their only escape route cut off by Vervain, Oakleaf and Moss.
"Get them!" Vervain bellowed. "They're outsiders!"
"Looks like we fight our way out", Holly snarled, then leapt on Vervain. Silver went for Oakleaf while Dandelion and Hawkbit shot back towards the far end of the barn, knocking aside Moss as they did.
Vervain clawed at Holly's nose, drawing blood. Holly returned the favour, but was then scratched in the back by Campion.
"Silver, a little help over here!" the old Owsla rabbit shouted.
"Sir!" Silver replied, smacking Oakleaf in the face, then slamming into Campion's side. The two of them went rolling. Vervain freed himself from Holly, kicked him in the chest then chased after Hawkbit and Dandelion, who had reached the far wall.
"I'm going to tear you apart!" the maroon buck growled.
"Try it, mate!" Hawkbit challenged him, then kicked out at Vervain.
"Is that the best you can do?" the other rabbit sneered as he dodged Hawkbit easily.
"Not quite!" Dandelion answered from behind, and swiped his claw across Vervain's rump. The Efrafan captain howled and turned on him, inadvertently allowing Hawkbit to smack him in the back.
Vervain hit the ground hard and was up again in a flash, then was on the grey rabbit, pressing his left footpaw down on the other's neck. Hawkbit struggled to free himself but to no avail.
"It's over, outsider!" Vervain laughed.
"Leave my friend alone!" roared Dandelion, tackling the Efrafan captain.
Both rabbits fell to the ground. Dandelion tried to get to his feet but the other buck scrambled up first. Vervain pressed his full weight down on the storyteller's stomach, then proceeded to tear at his body.
"Dandelion!" Hawkbit yelled, and would have come to his rescue but was pinned down by Moss. "Dandelion" the grey rabbit yelled helplessly as he watched Vervain scratch at his friend. Just when it looked as if all hope was lost for Dandelion, Holly appeared from nowhere and bit down hard on Vervain's ear. Vervain howled with pain and tried to shake Holly off. The old Owsla rabbit did let go but only so as to smack the other buck in the face and send him flying, then he leapt up on Moss.
As soon as Hawkbit was free of Moss, he ran over to Dandelion. The storyteller was terribly hurt but was still breathing. Hawkbit gave a snarl and ran over to Holly, and together they both hit Moss hard enough to knock him out cold.
"We have to get Dandelion out of there" Hawkbit told his captain.
"Sounds like a good idea to me" a voice said weakly behind them. Both turned to see Dandelion hopping slowly towards them. "Dandelion! You're awake! I thought-"Hawkbit began but was cut off by the yellow furred buck.
"I don't know if I will be for long; I feel awful"
"Then let's go now" Holly replied.
With Holly and Hawkbit's help, Dandelion made it to the barn door. Silver was there, fighting both Campion and Oakleaf.
"Silver! We need to get out of here!" Holly shouted.
"Then go!" the other answered, "I'll cover your escape".
"But what about you? I can't leave you to be killed".
"With all due respect sir, I can take care of myself. So move it!"
Holly nodded, then he, Dandelion and Hawkbit hopped out of the barn. Campion cursed as he saw the three outsiders go, then he swiped Silver across the forehead with a claw. Silver hissed in pain and took a step back, right onto Oakleaf's paw.
"Oh sorry, I didn't see you there!" Silver said, then swung round and knocked the young rabbit to the floor. He didn't have much time to celebrate, as Campion leaped upon him, sending the two of them rolling, scratching and clawing as they did. The two Owsla bucks untangled themselves from one another and stood there panting, blood running down there hides.
"You can't win, outsider!" Campion growled.
"Maybe not…but my chief - Hazel- will beat you in the end!"
Campion smiled pityingly. "No-one wins against Efrafa! You should join us- I could use a fighter like you in my Owsla".
"I'll never join Efrafa! You're all mad there!" Silver was becoming more and more angry.
"Are we now?"
"Just look at you all! Fighting and killing for nothing. It's not right for a rabbit to live like that. Frith never made us for this. Why do you fight, Efrafan? Why should Woundwort rule every rabbit he sees- why?"
"That's just the way it is. Woundwort was born to rule, and Woundwort was born for war."
"Maybe he was," Silver replied. "But were you?"
The question caught Campion off guard. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"I mean, is war what you want? Would you really rather live like that than as I do- free, happy, without fear?"
"I'm Owsla, Woundwort's my chief. That's the way it is", the Efrafan buck growled, before jumping at Silver. Silver dodged the other's attack then raked Campion across the stomach.
Campion howled and fell to the ground. The Efrafan captain struggled to get back up but the pain was too severe.
"You'll pay for..." he began, but then both rabbits heard a spitting sound. It was the cat.
"Hraka!" Campion swore as the cat entered the barn. Silver looked down at him, grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, and dragged him to his feet. "Play nice with the cat!" he said, then jumped, sailing over the cat's head and out of the barn.
The rain outside was torrential. Good- the Efrafans wouldn't be able to follow him, or the others, in this sort of weather. It didn't take long for him to catch up with the others, who had only made it half-way to the Down, due to the badly-injured Dandelion.
Dandelion had collapsed and Hawkbit was trying to carry him. He wasn't having much success.
"Silver, hurry! We need your strength!" Holly said. Silver didn't reply, but just took over carrying the wounded buck.
"Where are the Efrafans?" his commanding officer asked.
"At the farm, fighting a cat!"
"Good, that should keep them busy", Holly said, then turning to Hawkbit, he added, "don't worry lad, we'll save Dandelion". Hawkbit remained silent.
...
Campion stood in the middle of the barn, breathing heavily. He, Moss and Oakleaf had managed to drive off the cat with no help from Vervain, who had just watched. Campion and Moss had come out of the fight relatively unharmed. Oakleaf, however, was in a bad way. He had been cut several times on the left side and was bleeding badly. From his face, Campion could see that the young Owsla rabbit was trying to appear brave in front of his captain, but was actually in a great deal of pain.
"Come on, lad", Campion said to him, "let's get you back to Efrafa".
"Excuse me", said Vervain. "We need to find Hazel and his outsiders".
"We're not going to find anyone in this weather", the other captain replied. "Besides, look at Oakleaf. He's hurt!"
"So what?"
"So I'm getting him back to Efrafa, now!" Campion snapped.
"Woundwort gave us an order. Are you going to go against that?"
All three Owsla bucks looked at Campion, waiting to see what he would do. Campion glared at Vervain. "We're going back to Efrafa. If the general doesn't like it, he can take it out on me."
Without another word the brown-furred Owsla captain walked out of the barn.
...
As soon as Holly and the others got back to the Down, Dandelion was rushed straight to Violet's burrow. Hawkbit retreated to his own burrow, practically screaming at Fiver when he asked if he was OK.
"Do you think the Efrafans will find Watership Down?" Hazel asked Holly once the older rabbit had told him and Bigwig about their encounter.
"I shouldn't think so. They'll go back to Efrafa. No chance of them finding anything in this storm."
"Yes, but what if..."Hazel started to say, but was interrupted by Bigwig.
"I think we should worry more about our own rabbits than about Woundwort's bunch. Hawkbit's in a right state".
"Agreed", replied Hazel. Together he and Bigwig hopped to Hawkbit's burrow and went in. Hawkbit was hopping back and forth, looking frantic. "How's Dandelion?" he asked, coming to a stop.
"He's not too good right now", Hazel told him truthfully.
"Well why isn't Violet with him?" the grey buck demanded angrily.
"She is", Bigwig replied. "She doing all she can".
"Well she's not doing it fast enough!" Hawkbit snapped. "What's the matter with her? Can't she do anything right? She just doesn't care, does she? If she did, she'd try harder, and-"
"That's enough!" Hazel growled. "Violet is doing everything she can, and of course she cares. She's going to have babies any day now. She should be resting, but she isn't, she's taking care of your friend. That's how much she cares, got it?"
Hawkbit backed away slightly. "I'm sorry, Hazel", he croaked. "I didn't mean to say those things about Violet. I know she cares, it's just, I...I don't want to lose my best mate." With that, he slumped to the ground, sobbing loudly.
Hazel and Bigwig were taken aback. Hawkbit had always been sarcastic, the uncaring rabbit of the warren. Seeing like this, however, showed that underneath all that grumbling and ill-temper, he did, in fact, care about those around him. Bigwig hopped over to the grey rabbit and put a paw on his shoulder.
"There, there", he said softly. "It's going to be OK. Come on, Hawkbit lad, stay strong, for Dandelion's sake".
"But Dandelion's..." Hawkbit began tearfully, before being cut off by the Owsla captain.
"Dandelion's going to be fine", Bigwig reassured him. "He's not going to stop tormenting me that easily now, is he?"
Hawkbit smiled. "No, he isn't, and nor am I. We'll be causing trouble for you sooner than you think. Thanks, Biggy".
"Any time", the other buck replied. At that moment, Blackberry appeared at the burrow's entrance.
"Is everything alright?" he asked. The others nodded. "Good", he said, then added, "oh, it might not be all that important, but I think Dandelion wants to see Hawkbit".
Hawkbit jumped to his feet. "Dandelion's alive? You mean he's doing OK?!"
"Yes", Blackberry answered. "Oh, and by the way, Violet said I should tell Hazel something about babies being due".
Hazel and Hawkbit looked at each other and shot out of the burrow, apologising to Blackberry as they knocked him down.
"Well", Blackberry chuckled, "I dare say I've just made someone's day".
"I dare say you have", Bigwig laughed.
...
Campion stood silently in Woundwort's burrow, waiting for the verbal thrashing. He had just finished giving the general his report. Woundwort had been quiet for over a minute.
"So once again you failed to bring me Hazel and his outsiders", he said, finally breaking the silence.
"Yes, Sir", Campion replied.
"And once again they beat you in combat, showing everyone that my Owsla isn't what it used to be."
"Yes, Sir".
"Then why did you return, Captain? You know I could have punished you for your failing".
"Permission to speak freely, Sir", Campion said, his face betraying nothing.
"Very well", the general growled.
"I know I was ordered to return only when I had Hazel, but we were weak from battle, with no idea of where Hazel and his outsiders might be. I also had a rabbit in danger of dying. I thought it would be a foolish thing to throw his life, and maybe all our lives, away when we could go after Hazel another day. Better to suffer punishment and try again than to fail for good".
Woundwort laughed, an ugly sound. "You figured that out all by yourself, Captain?"
"I can think as well as follow orders, Sir".
"And that, Campion, is why you, and not many of the others, are one of my captains. Dismissed!"
Campion bowed and left the burrow. He hadn't got far before a voice called to him.
"Campion!"
He turned to see Vervain. "I haven't forgotten what happened in the food chamber, Campion. I may not be able to kill you, but believe me, I will do everything I can to destroy you. Sooner or later, I will turn the general against you. I won't rest until you're finished".
Campion looked Vervain in the eyes, remembering all the pain and humiliation the maroon buck had caused him. The way he had torn at him and Moss, the way he had enjoyed making them feel small.
"Likewise, Vervain", Campion said, calmly. "Likewise".