Chapter Fifteen
Friend and enemy
Fiver and Bigwig lay in the field at the bottom of the down, dozing, while hawk bit and Dandelion nibbled at some grass close by.
It just doesn't get much better than this now does it?" Dandelion asked his best friend as he munched on the grass.
"Well we could be chomping on carrots," Hawkbit commented.
"Brilliant weather," Dandelion continued, "not a homba of hawk in sight. Days like this don't come along every day."
Dandelion when on but Hawkbit wasn't really listening. He thought he had heard paws approaching and he wanted to know who was approaching his down.
"Shh," he told the yellow-furred buck.
"That's your trouble Hawkbit," Dandelion sighed, "you can't see the simple beauty in a..."
"Efrafan patrol coming this way," Hawkbit hissed, cutting the other off.
Dandelion gasped, the Efrafans had never come this close to the down before.
The two rabbits had scarcely enough time to wake Fiver and Bigwig before then Efrafans arrived, forcing the four rabbits to hide in the long grass.
The enemy patrol consisted of Campion, Vervain, Moss and Oakleaf and all four were on alert.
"Something?" Campion enquired as Moss sniffed about.
"I'm not sure sir," the other replied, "I thought I might..."
Moss was interrupted by a snarl from Vervian and a yell from Oakleaf.
Campion turned to see Oakleaf on the ground with Vervain's paw atop his head.
"You'll rest when I tell you and not before," Vervain growled at the unfortunate young buck.
"Leave him be, Vervain," Campion said, "he's exhausted."
"He's Owsla," the maroon buck replied then looking down at Oakleaf he shouted, "and you'd better start acting like it."
Oakleaf didn't reply but just lay there cowering.
"Let's just keep moving," Campion barked.
As soon as Vervain had moved on ahead Campion turned to Oakleaf and said, "come on lad, you can make it."
The other nodded and hopped away.
"Let's go," Bigwig ordered the Watership Down rabbits as soon as the Efrafans had gone.
Quick as a flash the four bucks darted to the base of the down and ran as fast as they could to the top.
"That was to close," Bigwig panted once they had reached the top, "far to close."
...
That night the rabbits gathered in the Honeycomb as Hazel had called a meeting. The warren's chief was worried about the safety of Watership Down. The Efrafans were getting to close and something had to be done.
"Woundwort's wind patrols are getting closer all the time," Fiver said once Hazel had announced the reason for the meeting.
"If the wind had shifted then they'd have been on to us," Hawkbit added.
"It's getting to the point where it's not safe to go outside," Bigwig huffed. "We've got to do something Hazel. We can't just sit up here and hope the Efrafans don't find us."
"You're right," Hazel said. "We need to take more direct action."
"Alright then," Bigwig replied cheerfully, "some raids maybe? The odd surprise attack might make them back up a bit."
"No." Hazel said firmly, "Woundwort and his Owsla are bigger and stronger than us, it'll be too dangerous."
Although they're not looking their best," Fiver pointed out. "I get the feeling Woundwort's driving them to hard."
"Fiver's right, Hazel," Dandelion piped up. "They're not, how would you say running-at-top-speed these days."
"But still they out number us," Hazel told him.
"What's the plan then?" Holly asked.
"We must learn from El-ahrairah," the other answered.
"Oh you mean use cunning and trickery and all," Bigwig said, "well alight."
"We lay false trails and set clues to lead the Efrafans away from us," Hazel told them. "It'll mean a lot of work."
"Doesn't it always," Dandelion replied.
The next morning Hazel, Bigwig, Fiver, Dandelion and Hawkbit spent their time setting false tracks for the enemy patrols. All when smoothly and by noon they had finished their hard and as Dandelion said, boring work.
"I hope the Efrafans appreciate all the trouble it takes to lead them in circles," Hawkbit sighed as they rested by a large pond.
Bigwig was about to reply when they all heard the sound of voices. Quickly the rabbits hid, just as Oakleaf appeared and bent down to the water for a drink.
"Oi, officers first thick-ears," Vervain snapped and gave the youngster a hard shove.
No sooner had he done so then Campion arrived with Moss and side, "Everyone at ease. Take your drinks. You first Oakleaf, you look thirsty."
Oakleaf grinned and bent down once again to drink.
Vervain nearly exploded with anger. Campion had deliberately shown him up in front of the other two bucks.
"Do you enjoy undermining my authority?" he snarled at the brown furred rabbit.
"Do you enjoy abusing it?" Campion shot back.
"We'd better find some sign of Hazel and his outsides or Woundwort will have us out here forever," Vervain replied, changing the subject.
"Not questioning his judgment are you?" Campion asked.
"Of course not. I wouldn't dare," the maroon buck answered, "unlike someone I could mention. Someone who might question the general's judgment over say executing a slave. He might then lose that slave to another rabbit."
Campion dug his claws into the soft earth at the edge of the pond.
"Listen Vervain," he growled, "and listen good. I'm tired, I'm hungry and I'm sore. You don't want to make me mad, not today."
Vervain would have snapped back at Campion but at that moment both Moss and Oakleaf gave a startled gasp.
A large swarm of bees that had accidently been disturbed by the hiding Fiver had flown straight for the two Efrafans, mush to their dislike.
"It's just a bunch of bees," Vervain said then added, "right we still have flayrah to find. Let's see if we can do something right."
"Move out," Campion ordered then enquired as to why Vervain was smirking.
"Afraid of bees," the other sneered. "Isn't our Owsla Mighty?"
As soon as the Efrafans had gone Hazel and the others came out of hiding.
"Let's follow them," the golden-brown buck said. "You never know what we might overhear."
"The cat becomes the mouse," Bigwig said with a grin.
"Precisely," Hazel replied, "and by the looks of them we probably could outrun them even if they did see us.
The Watership down rabbits followed the enemy patrol until they stopped by a man made path.
"The wind's in our favour," Bigwig told Hazel. "We can afford to get closer."
"Alright but don't take any chances," Hazel whispered.
"Hey it's me," Bigwig said.
"That's what I'm worried about," the golden-brown buck replied much to Bigwig's annoyance.
"Very funny," the Owsla captain shorted then creped silently towards the Efrafans and listened.
"Looks clear," he heard Campion say as he sniffed at a bush. "Let's see if there's any flayrah about."
With that he hopped into the bushes, the others following.
"Let's go," Hazel hissed then gasped as the four rabbits hopped after the Efrafans.
"Wow what is it?" Hawkbit whispered as they beheld a gleaming man building.
"It's beautiful," Fiver said.
"It's like the stories. Prince Rainbow's gleaming warren," Dandelion added as they stood there, amazed by their first look at a greenhouse.
"Faint sent," Fiver said with a sniff. "Man."
"We'd best watch ourselves," Hazel told them.
"Maybe we should go back," Hawkbit suggested hopefully.
"We'll let you know when," Bigwig replied.
At that moment a shadow fell over them, making the five bucks look up.
"Elil," Hazel hissed, "a hawk."
Having said this he ducked into cover, the others right behind him. The hawk wasn't after them however as it had its eyes on the Efrafans. The Efrafans had seen the hawk and mean to dart for cover but Moss had entangled a foot-paw in a net left by men.
"Keep it down you fool," Vervain snarled as the Efrafan corporal struggled. "You're drawing attention to us."
Sorry sir," Moss apologised as he tried to free himself, "won't happen again sir."
"How many times have I heard that?" Vervain snorted.
Moss opened his mouth to speak but the maroon buck got there first. Hopping towards the unfortunate corporal Vervain snarled, "You Moss are a sloppy incompetent..."
He was cut short as the hawk swooped down, narrowly him and Moss who had finally freed himself.
"Run for your life!" Vervain yelled. The Efrafan patrol scattered as the hawk came for them again. Moss, Vervain and Oakleaf made it safely to the bushes. Campion did not.
"Frith save us" Dandelion gasped as he and the other rabbits from the Down watched the hawk carry Campion away in its talons. Campion, however, refused to let the hawk take him, and gave it a hard kick in the chest. The bird let out an angry screech and pecked the Efrafan captain on the side of his face, breaking the skin.
"Let me go!" Campion roared, and kicked the hawk twice in the face. The hawk let out another screech and dropped the Owsla rabbit, who fell with a cry into a tree and through its sharp, tearing branches to land in a bloody heap on the ground below.
Quickly, Hazel hopped over to the Efrafan captain and was amazed to find him still breathing. "He's still alive" the golden-brown buck called to the others.
"Not many could survive a hawk attack" Dandelion said in awe, as he and the others hopped over.
"Campion's in a class of his own" Bigwig remarked.
"He won't last long in the open" Hazel told them.
"Fine" Hawkbit said coldly "One less enemy to worry about".
"He's a fellow rabbit, Hawkbit" Fiver reminded him.
"Smell that?" Dandelion butted in, and looked towards the greenhouse, "Flayrah, and lots of it".
Suddenly an idea occurred to Hazel. "We can't leave Campion here" he told the other, "Let's get him inside the man-place before the hawk comes back".
"But he's Woundwort's captain of Owsla" Hawkbit said in exasperation, "He's Efrafa. He's out to destroy us Hazel!"
"Not today, he's not" Hazel said, looking down with pity at his mangled enemy.
"Kehaar became our friend and ally because we helped him" Fiver pointed out to Hawkbit, trying to make him see reason.
"Well that's different!" The grey rabbit snorted, "He's a big, silly gull! You won't turn around an Efrafan captain that easily". At this point, he turned towards Dandelion. "Have you forgotten what Campion did to you? Have you forgotten what happened at the farm? How you were nearly torn to pieces?!"
"As I recall, that was Vervain" the warren storyteller replied.
"Yes, and Campion stood by and let him do it!" Hawkbit snarled and looked down hatefully at the wounded Efrafan.
"So this is about revenge then?" Hazel said, turning to look the grey-furred buck in the eye. Hawkbit looked away, unable to meet his chief's gaze.
"Fine Hazel, you win" He muttered quietly, "But you're making a mistake, I just know it…"
"By Frith, this is really something!" Dandelion said as he gazed at all of the strange and unfamiliar plants in the greenhouse.
"Oh, you've got to try this!" Hawkbit told his friend after taking a bite of one of the plants, "I've never tasted anything like it.
"There's so much new in here" Fiver said, "It's also strange; I don't know whether to be worried or not".
"Eat now, worry later!" Hawkbit told him as he continued munching at the greenhouse plants.
While the others ate, Hazel busied himself with licking Campion's wounds; an unpleasant task due to the amount of blood. "It's going to be dark soon" Bigwig informed his chief, as he stared up at the setting sun.
"Then you'd better get home" the golden-brown buck replied simply.
"What about you?"
"I'll stay with Campion, but there's no point in all of us getting captured if a patrol returns".
As he was speaking, Fiver hopped up. "I don't like it here Hazel" he confessed to his brother, "There's something alien about it all. And something else, something cold and watchful"
"It won't be long until Campion can fend for himself" Hazel told both Fiver and Bigwig, "Now go".
"Right then, you heard Hazel, let's get a move on!" Bigwig ordered.
"Fiver's right Hazel, there is something strange about this place" Dandelion said as he passed, "Watch yourself chum"
Hawkbit stopped to speak as well, but his words were not for Hazel, they were for Campion. "Listen mate" he growled at the Efrafan buck, even if he couldn't hear, "If I come back to find you've hurt Hazel, then I'll make you wish you'd never been born". With that, he, Bigwig, Dandelion and Fiver hopped out of the greenhouse, leaving Hazel alone with the enemy.
...
Back at Efrafa, Captain Vervain was giving his report on the failed patrol. "The Patrol was exhausted sir" he told Woundwort, "Campion drove them beyond their limits".
"Did he now?" Woundwort responded, not really believing him.
"Yes sir" Vervain lied, "It's no wonder the hawk decided we were easy prey".
"No wonder" Woundwort said, believing the other's story less and less.
"It was pure luck the rest of us got away! I did my best sir".
"So" Woundwort growled, "No information on Hazel and his outsiders, no flayrah, my best captain of Owsla lost, your best isn't very good, is it?"
"No sir" the maroon buck replied, knowing that any other answer would be unwise.
"You will be back there by dawn, won't you? And you will do better this time?"
"Yes sir" Vervain muttered quietly.
...
Night had fallen and Campion still hadn't woken up. Hazel was just beginning to nod off himself when he heard a loud squawk from above him. The golden-brown rabbit jumped to his feet and looked up. Resting on the branch of an odd-looking tree were the two most unusual birds he had ever seen. One had green feathers, a yellows chest and a red beak. The other had yellow and red feathers, with a streak of blue on its wings.
"Bad place to be night times" the red of yellow one said matter-of-factly.
"Err, hello" The somewhat bewildered rabbit said.
"Night time bad enough up here" the green one spoke up, "Night time very bad down there!"
"Why?" asked Hazel nervously, "What's down here?"
At that moment a man entered the greenhouse. Luckily he didn't notice Hazel, giving the rabbit enough time to drag the rabbit out of sight. Hazel watched as the man walked over to a large bowl on the floor and filled it with seed. Having done this, the man turned, walked back to the greenhouse door and through it, closing it behind him. "Bother!" Hazel hissed, and raced back to the door. The golden-brown buck could see the outside world clearly, but a strong invisible barrier prevented him from getting to it. Hazel knew what this barrier was, as Kehaar had told him about it; it was called glass. Kehaar had said that it was very strong and the only way through it was to break it. "Lovely, just lovely…" Hazel sighed as he realised he wasn't strong enough to do this, and was therefore trapped.
"Man not like you here" the red bird said as he and his friend came down for the seeds.
"Should have left while you could" the green bird added. Both birds began to gobble down the seeds, stopping only to tell Hazel he should hide, and quickly.
"From what?" the rabbit asked, "What else is in here?"
"Slither thing" the green bird replied. Hazel decided to call this one Greeny, and his friend would simply be known as Red.
"What's the Slither Thing Red?" he asked, liking things less and less.
"It hide, quiet, and wait for you" Red replied, who didn't seem to object to his name.
"It kill all animals who live on ground" Greeny explained.
"You will see," Red laughed.
Greeny joined in the laughter and added, "Yes and we'll watch you see."
With that both birds flew back to their tree, leaving Hazel to fend for himself. Quickly Hazel took a fearful look around him but saw nothing and so returned to the unconscious Campion.
"Oh I wish you'd wake up, Campion," he told the other rabbit, "I'm feeling awfully lonely all of a sudden."
...
It was late by the time Bigwig and the others finally hopped back to their home. All four of them went straight to the warren's flayrah store before heading into the Honeycomb.
"Where's Hazel?" everyone asked in alarm.
"He stayed behind to look after Campion," Bigwig answered.
Campion?" Primrose questioned. "What happened?"
"A hawk got him," Dandelion replied plainly.
"But he'll be alright," Fiver reassured her.
"I do hope so," Primrose said softly and looked down at the ground worriedly.
"You've still got a soft spot for him haven't you," Bigwig said, making it more of a statement then a question.
"He saved my live at Efrafa," the yellow-furred doe replied. "Sometimes it seemed he was the only decent rabbit there."
"Well now Hazel's saving his life. I suppose that makes you even."
"I suppose it does," Primrose said with a smile.
"Technically it means that Campion owes Hazel one," Hawkbit remarked, whereupon he received a clip around the ear.
...
Hazel hadn't slept a wink. He had spent all his time worrying about the Slither thing, whatever it was, and it didn't help that Greenie and Red spent their time mocking him.
"You should fly up here!" Red taunted.
"Don't be stupid!" Hazel snapped. "I can't fly, you fools!"
"Flap your ears- that might work!" Greenie laughed. Hazel was just about to give the two birds a piece of his mind when he heard a groan from Campion. Turning, he was happy to see the other rabbit finally open his eyes. Campion gave a cry when he saw the leader of the Outsiders.
"Hazel?" he asked, then added "what...how...?"
"You were out on patrol. A hawk nearly got you. Your patrol left you for dead. You needed help."
"Well, good old Vervain", Campion growled. "Filthy little slimeball!" Taking a moment to think, the brown-furred rabbit then added, "...and you just happened by to save me. I suppose your warren must be nearby then".
"Let's not play war-game, Campion", Hazel replied. "We're stuck in this man-place, and there's something in here with us".
"What? Elil?" Campion asked, through gritted teeth as his wounds were really starting to hurt.
Hazel looked up at the two birds in the tree and said "Those...nuisances called it a Slither thing".
"Well that doesn't sound good", Campion groaned, then erupted into a fit of coughing.
"Are you alright?" Hazel asked with concern.
"Fine", Campion told him. "I just feel half-dead, that's all".
"Which is why you need my help", Hazel pointed out.
"A truce, then", the injured rabbit said with a last cough, "until we get out".
"Agreed. Now rest- I'll keep watch".
...
It was only an hour later when Campion was woken by Hazel. "Here", the golden-brown buck said, dropping some leaves in front of the Efrafan.
"Thanks", Campion said gruffly, then added "I've been wondering why you'd risk your life for an enemy".
"Just eat and get your strength back up", Hazel replied.
Campion nibbled at one of the leaves, then asked the question he had been waiting to ask desperately. "Is...is Primrose well?"
"Yes," Hazel informed him, "and happy."
"Campion scowled. He wanted to yell at Hazel. He wanted to tear him apart verbally for taking Primrose from him, but what difference would that make? Primrose would still be with Hazel and not him. Instead Campion just said he was glad she was okay.
"She says you don't belong in Efrafa," Hazel told him after a moment of silence, "that you're better than the rest of them."
"Well no worse," Campion commented.
"You can't like the way Woundwort rules can you?" Hazel said.
Campion sighed, "Look Hazel we're getting along, don't spoil it."
"He's leading Efrafa down a dark trail and you know it," Hazel when on.
"He wasn't always like this," Campion replied defensively.
"Blind loyalty is a fool's choice," Hazel said irritably.
Campion jumped to his feet. He was livid. How dare Hazel speak like that, what did he know?
"Before Woundwort came along Efrafa was starving," he snarled. "Efrafa was falling apart. He made us great again. Nobody else could have saved us.
"Maybe not," the other retorted, "but who's going to save Efrafa from Woundwort?"
...
Bigwig hopped through Watership down's many tunnels on his way to his burrow. The warren was quiet as almost everyone else was asleep. Bigwig however couldn't sleep tonight. Something was nagging at his mind. Some sense of unforeseen danger. The captain of Owsla just prayed that it wasn't anything to do with Hazel.
"Can't you sleep?" a voice asked from behind, making him jump.
The Owsal captain turned to see Violet.
"Oh it's you," he said with a sigh of relief then added, "No I can't sleep."
"Nor can I," Violet confessed. "I keep worrying about Hazel."
"He'll be alright," Bigwig reassured her.
"But what if you're wrong. What if he gets hurt?
"Stop worrying," told her then changing the subject he asked how Violet's babies were doing.
"They're fine," she replied, "just sleeping. They don't even know Hazel's not here."
"Just as well," Bigwig remarked. "They don't have to worry about anything at their age. No war, no Woundwort and no worries.
"You sound like you want some of your own," Violet told him.
"Who, me?" Bigwig chuckled. "Well maybe one day but I'd need to have met a nice doe for that."
"Well why don't you start looking? I'm sure Primrose or Clover would like a big strong buck like you."
Bigwig laughed, "I don't really think I'd be their type so unless a strange doe falls from the sky I don't think I've got much hope."
Violet was about to reply when a horrified cry was heard from one of the burrows.
"No, Hazel, no," it wailed, it was Fiver.
Bigwig and Violet were there in a flash.
"What's the matter Fiver?" Bigwig asked the other buck who was standing bolt upright and breathing heavily.
"A bad dream," Fiver replied, a look of utter horror on his face. "It has to be. A thing like that can't be real, it can't"
Bigwig and Violet turned to one another, an icy chill running down their backs.
"I think Hazel might be in a stop of bother," Bigwig told Violet.
Hazel sat at the far end of the greenhouse gazing out of it at the night sky. Campion was exhausted so Hazel said he would take first watch and let Campion sleep. As Hazel stared out of the greenhouse he thought about Violet and the babies. It was strange to think that only three weeks ago he had no idea what it was like to be a father and now he had three tiny kits in his life.
A cry from Campion jolted the golden-brown buck out of his thoughts. Quickly he ran to Campion to find him wind awake and breathless.
"Are you alright?" Hazel asked in alarm.
"I'm fine," Campion replied bluntly.
"You cried out, I thought you were being attacked or something."
Campion sighed, "I had a bad dream is all."
"Is that all?" the other buck said then realizing how unkind he must have sounded he added, "I'm sorry...what was it about?"
"My parents," the Efrafan said then turned away.
Hazel was slightly taken aback. He never would have thought that an Efrafan like Campion would have nightmares about their parents.
"My mother and father were killed by a homba," Campion when on. "I was a baby at the time."
"I'm sorry," Hazel said gently. "I lost my mother and father too. I was about six months old. I wasn't even an adult yet and I had to raise my little brother, just until he could get by."
"And now you can some time to yourself?"
"And now I have to spend every day worrying whether he'll be save from you and Woundwort," Hazel replied.
"Maybe you don't," Campion told him.
"What do you mean?" Hazel asked, confused
"Maybe you could join Efrafa. If you're lucky Woundwort might let you join his Owsla."
"And if we're not lucky?" Hazel asked, "will Woundwort make us all slaves? Will he make us work the rest of our lives away or will he just kill us? No Campion we would never join Efrafa but you Campion could join us."
Campion snorted, "Me? Join you? I think not."
"So you'd rather live in Efrafa then live free and happy? Wouldn't you rather live with rabbits who loved you then with a general who only saw you as a means to an end?"
"That's not how things are," Campion snapped angrily.
"Really, then when was the last time Woundwort showed you or anyone any love?"
Campion glared at the other buck and was about to answer back when something moved in the shrubbery and a loud hissing sound was heard.
"What was that?" Hazel asked fearfully.
His question was answered as a monstrous creature shot out of the undergrowth and reared up before them. It was like a huge green worm but with sharp fangs and a flickering tongue.
"Can you run?" Hazel asked the other rabbit as the creature's yellow eyes burned into his.
"El-ahrairah couldn't catch me," Campion replied.
The truth of his words was put to the test as the monster lunged at them. Both rabbits dived out of its way and ran into the plants of the greenhouse, the monster following.
Hazel and Campion tore through the shrubbery in a blind attempt to get away from their attacker.
To late did Hazel see the glass of the greenhouse door and slammed into it with a crack hard enough to knock him off his paws. Hazel, blood pouring from his nose, got up and looking about for the monster but it seemed for the moment they had given it the slip.
"By Frith, what was that thing?" Campion panted.
Suddenly the greenhouse echoed with the sound of laugher, it was the birds.
"You find slither thing," red laughed.
"It find you," Greeny added. "It taste your heat. It get you, oh yes."
"Why don't you shut your beak? Hazel snapped.
The two birds looked at each other in bewilderment.
"You ever shut your beak?" Greeny asked Red.
"No," was the reply, "you ever shut your beak?"
"No, you ever shut your beak?"
Hazel ignored them and turned to Campion.
"Any idea how we get out of here?" he asked.
"I don't even know why you dragged me in here in the first place," the Efrafan captain responded.
"It's seemed claver at the time," the golden-brown rabbit muttered then noticing a small pile of earth near the door of the greenhouse headed, "I might have an idea."
"Dig then," Campion said as he twigged what Hazel was going to do. "I'll keep watch."
Bigwig, Hawkbit, Dandelion, Kehaar and Fiver stood outside their warren and wishing they could have stayed in it. Bigwig had roused them and told them that Fiver said Hazel was in grave danger.
"I don't understand Fiver, what exactly did you see in your dream?" enquired a somewhat confused Dandelion.
"A monster," Fiver told him, "A thing from another world. Hazel and Campion don't stand a chance against it."
"And you think it'll turn tail and run at the sight of us?" Hawkbit asked sardonically.
"If it knows what's good for it," Bigwig said and began to move off, stopping as he noticed Blackavar running towards them.
"Stop," the ex-Efrafan slave shouted.
"Blackavar, what are you doing here?" Bigwig asked.
"I want to come with you, if I may."
"You want to help save Hazel?" the Owsla captain asked.
"Yes and Campion. He saved my life in Efrafa and now I want to help save his.
"Happy to have you along," Bigwig said then ordered, "everyone move out, it's time to go fight a monster."
Hazel was in a foul mood. He had tried for over an hour to dig his way out of the greenhouse but to no avail.
"It's no good," he told Campion angrily. "It's solid all the way down. I can't dig us out of here."
Campion opened his mouth to reply but stopped as he heard the terrible hissing he and the Outsider's chief had come to fear.
"Hazel," he whispered, "it's here."
Instantly Hazel was on alert, eyes darting about for any sign of their enemy. In a flash the slither thing burst out of the shrubbery and propelled itself at Hazel. Just before it struck Campion slammed into the golden-brown buck and knocked him clear of their adversary, barely avoiding being hit himself.
"Go slither up a tree," Campion yelled at the slither thing and clawed it in the left eye.
With an angry hiss the creature retreated back into the bushes. Campion knew it would be back.
"Thanks," Hazel said." I owe you one."
The Efrafan shuck his head. "No Hazel, you save me, I save you. For now we're even.
...
Dawn was just breaking when Vervain and his patrol made it to the man path he had crossed the other day. The patrol was made up of Vervain, Wolfbane, Moss and Oakleaf. Vervain wasn't at all pleased about bringing Moss and Oakleaf along but the general had ordered he take along any rabbit's that had gone out the other day.
"That hawk wouldn't be up and about this early would it Moss?" the maroon asked as he looked up at the sky for signs of danger.
"I shouldn't think so sir," the other replied.
"Right then we'll have a quick look around the search area and bring back some Flayrah," Vervain told his patrol.
"Captain Campion would insist on a thorough look round," Moss pointed out.
"Yes but he's gone isn't he?" Wolfbane said then started to laugh.
Moss gave him a filthy look then hopped on; unaware of the gull that was watching him and the others.
As soon as they had gone Kehaar turned around and flew back to Bigwig and his patrol.
"Ugly Vervain going where we go," he warned Bigwig, "got patrol with him."
"Great," hawk bit growled, "Efrafans and monsters, we haven't even had breakfast yet."
"Yah," Bigwig laughed, "I knew today was going to be fun."
Hazel and Campion felt like death. They had been dodging the slither thing all night and it showed no signs of tiring, they however were less resilient.
"We can't keep running Hazel," Campion panted, his body shacking with exhaustion.
"We can't exactly fight the slither thing either," the chief of the outsiders pointed out.
"You last all night furry ears," the all too familiar and hated voice of Red.
"Pretty smart for furry things," Greeny added.
"Not as smart as you though," Hazel flattered as an idea struck him, "I bet you know a way out of here."
"Sure we go out once," Red told him, "but we come back, too cold out. Slither thing hate cold too."
"I don't believe they ever got out," Campion said as he caught on to Hazel's plan. "I think they're fibbing."
"We show you big silly furry ears," Greeny scoffed before both birds took off to the greenhouse's far end.
Hazel and Campion follows, their plan having worked perfectly. At the end of the greenhouse was a large hold in the glass. It was big enough for a rabbit to fit through but a sack had been pushed through to block it.
"We go out there," Red boasted, "Smart, oh yes."
Hazel gripped the sack with his teeth and pulled with all his might. No good.
"It's packed hard as a burrow floor" he told Campion.
"Well, then let's unpack it" Campion said and began to pull at it himself. At that moment, Fiver and the others appeared on the other side of the glass.
"Hazel!" Fiver shouted.
"Help us!" his brother urged, "Hurry!"
Quickly, Bigwig and Hawkbit hot hold of the sack and yanked at it. Suddenly, Fiver let out a gasp. "The monster!" he yelled at Campion and Hazel.
Both rabbits in the greenhouse whirled around to come face-to-face with the Slither Thing. "I'll lead it off, then circle back" Hazel told Campion, then bolted. As he ran, he saw Vervain and an Efrafan patrol staring at him in shock from outside. Bigwig also watched as his chief and friend shot past the monster. The captain muttered a quick prayer to Frith, then gave on last yank on the sack, pulling it free. "Come on Campion! Don't dally about!" he shouted to the brown-furred Efrafan. "Not without Hazel" Campion replied, and turned to go after him. As he turned, Hazel shot out of the bushes, the slither thing right behind him.
"Go!" Hazel yelled, and pushed himself and Campion through the hole, the jaws of the slither thing snapping shoot inches from his tail. The slither thing gave an angry hiss and retreated into the greenhouse.
"Did you see that?!" Hawkbit said to Fiver, "That monster took one look at us and turned tail!"
"The cold" Hazel gasped, "The slither thing doesn't like the cold, right Campion?" The Efrafan captain didn't respond, as his attention was fixed on Blackavar.
"You look awful" Blackavar told him.
"Thanks" Campion said, and then added "You came here to save me, didn't you?"
"Yes. You saved my life in Efrafa; I wanted to repay the favour".
"Why bother?" Campion asked, "Without me around, you'd be a little safer".
"Like I said, you saved my life. And maybe because you're not like the others in Efrafa. Maybe because you're a friend to the slaves."
"I'm not their friend" Campion replied coldly.
"You're the closest thing they've got. You protect them from the others; and I wouldn't take that away from them".
Campion opened his mouth to respond, but at that moment Kehaar flew down to the rabbits. "Ugly Vervain coming. You hiding or fighting?" he asked.
Hazel turned to Campion. "We got out" the golden-brown rabbit said, "the truce is over".
Campion looked at the other rabbit, realising that this was his chance to finally capture Hazel and smash the enemy. Campion wanted to take Hazel, he really did, but he knew that today would not be the day. After all that had happened in the man-place, justice and honour told the Efrafan that Hazel deserved to run free a little longer. "I'm too tired to fight today" he told Hazel with a sigh.
"I'm not!" Bigwig remarked, then added to his chief, "Whatever happened in there, just remember he's the enemy".
Hazel nodded to his friends, then addressed Campion and said "I asked you who'd save Efrafa from Woundwort; you didn't answer".
"You ask too many questions Hazel" Campion replied bluntly, then turned away. No sooner had he done so then Vervain and the wide-patrol arrived. All four of them stared in disbelief as they beheld Campion; battered and bloody, but very much alive.
"Campion!" Vervain gasped in horror.
"Bless my tail! It's good to see you again sir!" Moss shouted with joy and ran over to the wounded buck.
"But-but the hawk got you!" Vervain stammered at Campion, "You should be dead!"
"Sorry to disappoint you Vervain" Campion said sarcastically.
"I saw Hazel in that place!" Vervain growled, clearly very disappointed that Campion was alive.
"No you didn't" Campion told him, "That was me Vervain. You saw me. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to go home".
As the patrol made for home, none of them noticed the two birds watching them through the greenhouse glass. "What do you think it's like out there for furry long-ears?" Red asked as they watched the rabbits hop off.
"Boring" Greeny laughed, "Dull and boring…"