The river carried the Rabbits boat downstream smoothly without any alteration of the speed it was going since the storm.
The Efrafan Rabbits had very little Idea what was happening, they had never seen a River and it only took Hannah the Mouse and Dewdrop to explain that they were on a Boat.
Realizing that Woundwort and his Rabbits were out of sight, they sat about in a dull relief not talking to each other, that they felt any relief- Dull or Otherwise- was remarkable, given the circumstances. The Rain had stopped falling and they had no way of controlling the punt, plus they didn't even know where they were going.
Hazel, Bigwig and Fiver crouched together on the planking. "Well, we've got the Does." Bigwig said at last. "What's going to happen now?"
"I don't know." Said Hazel as he looked about the crowded mob. "Where's Kehear got to?"
Just then, Kehear landed on the stern of the boat and called out. "Azel! Pigvig! Pridge coming! You see 'Im pridge!?"
All the Rabbits then came to their collective senses and spotted a Bridge coming right up to them!
"You sit dere, E's much trouble for you!" Kehear said as he bobbed up and down, his wings flapping.
The Bridge stretched from bank to bank, low bearing, And its underside was made of Iron girders, any creature would be struck by it and knocked off into the River! Hazel scrambled about the others.
"Everyone get down in the Bottom!" He cried. "Never mind the Water! Get into the Bottom! Quickly!"
The Efrafan Rabbits obeyed him at once! Kehear lifted up from his perch and disappeared onto the Wooden Rails. The Narrow river ran slightly faster under the Bridge, and one end of the boat swung forwards, Hazel lost his bearings and saw the Bank not far, he pressed himself into the bilge, there was a squeal and a Rabbit tumbled on top of him, A heavy blow seamed to vibrate off the bridge, followed by a hollow sound of scraping. A roof appeared above them, and then it vanished!
The boat glided along and Kehear called out again, The Rabbit who had fallen on Hazel was Silver, He was struck by the bridge and the blow sent him flying, He seemed to have escaped injury though.
"Sorry Hazel." He said. "I wasn't quick enough, And I'm afraid one of the others wasn't lucky either."
One of the Does had held back from the bilgewater and the girder from the bridge had caught her across the back and injured her grateley, Hyzenthlay was beside her and Hazel thought it best to let them alone, there was nothing to be done.
He then turned to Kehear as he landed on the brim of the Boat. "We need to get to the bank Kehear." He told him. "But how? Rabbits weren't meant for this."
"Nother bank coming!" Kehear said. "E stop you."
So they drifted on and came to another bend, where the water curved westward. The Boat came round the bend almost in the middle of the stream, the current slackened and they drifted slowly now, Until they came up to a Bank and stopped on a Clammy bank.
"Ah! Stopped at last!" Sighed Hawkbit.
"I was afraid we would have to swim." Bluebell nodded as the Rabbits disembarked, one by one as Kehear landed.
"Right, Now we don't have much time, The Man will be back soon." Hazel said, his head darting left and right. "We should get going."
Soon the Rabbits scurried up the bank and hurried into the forest before it. The injured Doe, Thrayonlosa, was carried on the back of Thethuthinnang, after searching for a time, they found a small hill with a fallen tree trunk and stopped there, soon they settled themselves around the base and slept at once.
Meanwhile,
Things had ground to a halt in Efrafa, All Rabbits were kept in their Marks until further notice, Woundwort had retreated to his burrow and as the Council made the personal deliberations on the matter of the break out, Campion, Vervain, Orchis, Sainfoin, Chervil and Bartsia made their own.
"Why are we even considering going after a bunch of Outsiders and Does that never did us any harm in the first place?" Sainfoin questioned.
"That's a good Question." Campion answered. "The one Rabbit Holly actually seemed like a decent sort."
"Holly was responsible for the death of my Brother Campion!" Orchis growled. "Remember that before you run your mouth!"
"Yes, that statement DID sound a bit like Treason." Vervain said snootily.
"My Loyalty is to Efrafa!" Campion proclaimed. "First and foremost."
"And with General Woundwort." Vervain insisted.
"I'm Owsla, He's our chief!"
"The Point is." Said Chervil, breaking up the heated debate. "Those outsiders have made fools of us, and stole what was rightfully ours!"
"My hinds still sore from that bird they had." Bartsia said, nursing his injured hind.
"It's not even about them!" Sainfoin insisted. "We all know why we're really here, It's Woundwort!"
"What of him?" Orchis asked.
"Who called this meeting?"
The six officers jumped and whirled around to see the very Rabbit himself, standing on his platform above them.
"Who… called… this meeting?" He asked, in a slow demanding tone.
"Uh, I did, Sir." Campion said, choosing his words carefully. "We have to talk about… the recent… problems that have occurred lately."
Woundwort gave a hard stare before speaking. "Go and get the Council and the Owsla and bring them here."
Sainfoin and Bartsia hurried off to obey.
Meanwhile,
THe first thing the Rabbits learned the next morning, was that Thrayonlosa had died, Thethuthinnang was devastated, she found her gone that morning and went looking for her, she was found in a clump of reeds down the bank, The Doe seamed to know she was going to die and slipped away.
The news distressed Hazel, they were lucky enough to get those Does out of Efrafa, and one of them was now dead. After a small service for their departed new companion, The Rabbits were unsure what to do next.
But Hazel knew they would die if they stayed and so, after consulting Blackberry and Fiver, Hazel stood on the small hill and cleared his throat.
The former Prisoners of Efrafa came to attention at once.
"My name is Hazel." He began. "And I am Chief Rabbit, of your new home… I know that it will take time for me to earn your trust, And hopefully your Friendship, But it is a privilege for me to do so, And to serve each and every one of you, Both Old and New… You have fought so hard for your Freedom… but now, You must fight to keep it, Because the Battle for Liberty is one that has no end, And if we fall fighting, if we stop running, then at least we knew what it was like to Run! I stand here, not asking you to follow me! But to follow each other, let's help raise each other to our Strongest self! … Let's go home."
Meanwhile,
Night gathered once more over Efrafa, General Woundwort stood on his perch, watching as his Rabbits, Council and Owsla alike gathered around him, awaiting his words, None daring to breath a whisper before he spoke, None could predict what mood the General was in.
"I've called you here." Woundwort announced. "To invite you to voice any concerns you may have, In light of the recent fiasco and crisis."
No one spoke, No one was sure of what to say, until at last, Sainfoin spoke up.
"I uh…" He faltered in his words. "I feel that by sending us to search for the Outsiders, We're risking lives… These other Rabbits have a bird under their control, I mena, Ugh, Who knows what other creatures they might have power over… Eh?"
Woundwort stared for a moment, before dismounting from his perch and approaching the Sergeant. "Are you really concerned for the lives of your bucks?" He asked. "Or are you more concerned for your own life?"
Sainfoin felt himself being back against the entrance as the General advanced on him, His voice was caught in his throat.
"Are you… afraid Sergeant?" Woundwort asked, his voice low with venom.
"W-Well maybe…" Sainfoin nervously considered the General's question. "Maybe I am afraid."
Woundwort then shoved Sainfoin to the floor before backing up to the plankbridge outside. "YOU DISGUST ME!" He roared. "If you expire, Serving this Warren! You should consider yourself fortunate! Should consider your FORTUNATE! To have the GLORY! Of such a Death!"
Sainfoin whimpered fearfully as he found himself on the Plank, A perilous drop to the Deep Burrows awaiting him as the General spoke. "Those of you not loyal to me, Invite outsiders to steal our Does, Men to kill us, and Elil to bring us the White Blindness."
The General slammed on the plank again, shaking and nearly causing Sainfoin to fall off. "Those of you not Loyal to me, Hate Efrafa, Are you Loyal? Sergeant Sainfoin?"
"Yes, Sir." The hapless Sergeant said Miserably.
The General relented his assault and turned back to the rest of the Assembly. "And you? Captain Vervain?"
"Of course General." Vervain said, sniveling on all fours. "My life and loyalty are yours to command, I am your humble and indentured-"
"And what about you? Campion?" Woundwort asked, cutting off Vervain's sycophantic rant as he turned to the more stoic faced Captain of Owsla.
"I am General." Campion siad. "My Loyalty is to you and this Warren."
"As is mine." Corporal Moss said.
"My boys and I are with you." Chervil added, nodding to Avens, Marjoram and Moneywort.
"Same here." Said Bartisa.
"We're all Loyal to your General Woundwort." Groundsel declared, As the rest of the Efrafans either nodded or Voiced their Agreement, General Woundowrt stood in absolute silence, before taking a deep breath and speaking. "Good… That… is very… good, to know."
His head swiftly turned to Campion's face. "Because I don't care, If they've got the Black Rabbit of Inle on their side! You will find the Outsiders who stole our Does!"
He then turned to the rest of the crowd. "And when you do, We will destroy their Warren! And leave no trace of it on this Earth!" He continued his dark message as he scrambled back onto his Platform. "And to those of you who Tremble! In the wake of BIRDS! OR FOXES! Or any of the Thousand enemies of Rabbits! I Say. This. In Efrafa, We run from no Elil, WE ARE THE ELIL!"
General Woundwort had spoken.
To Be Continued.
Hello, I bet you didn't expect this to get updated anytime soon, Huh? Well, I'm taking a break from Go God Go. (Retelling) So I can work on other stories see, Like Mabel's Adventure and Quest for the Black Cauldron, So expect to see Chapter about them in the Future, I'm still working on South Park the Dark Time comes, And I may get back to the Star Wars stories with Carrie and Power Rangers, So if you want, You can take a Read at those sometime when they're updated.
And since it's getting late, I'll end this message here.
Stay Tuned for now. :)