AUTHOR'S NOTE: I experienced technical issues submitting this chapter. I apologize for any formatting errors that may result.
Also, a reminder: the character of "Nettle" here is an OC created before the miniseries was released. Apart from name, gender, and species, the two Nettles have nothing in common.
Chapter 278: The Visit.
"I have had some problems within the bounds of my universe. Great problems have arisen in the east as well as the west."
-Ben Cole, The Heroes Legend
Pipkin and Thethuthinnang were above ground, searching for Hannah. A few other rabbits were also at silflay, blissfully unaware of the enemies lurking just beyond. The mouse's small size made her harder to locate; they soon found her staring at the hedges.
The mouse was deep in thought, mostly anger at what she considered absolute foolishness. The rabbits had already used a dog to get rid of an invasion of sheep the previous summer, but they had not consulted her before doing this, and the dog they used was a specially-trained sheepdog. A regular dog, such as the late Bob from Nuthanger Farm, would not distinguish between the Darkhaveners and the Watershippers, and would just maul everyone indiscriminately.
With this one supposed hope at salvation obviously unrealistic, she was once again left powerless to help in any way. She was too small to fight, and with magic being fake, she had no other meaningful skills of her own that could be used in combat. As she saw the other two rabbits approach, she turned to look at them.
-"Are you here to convince me that this is actually a good idea?" she asked.
-"Fiver's visions sometimes come true in unexpected ways," Pipkin explained. "But they have never been wrong before, they have always come true. If he says we need to use a dog, I trust him."
-"You really like him, don't you?" Hannah was questioning whether maybe Pipkin's friendship with Fiver was clouding his judgment, and stopping him from seeing the sheer absurdity of the situation.
-"I do," Pipkin replied. "After I lost my parents, he was my only friend. We've shared some good times together. But that's not the only reason why I trust him."
-"I haven't known him long, but I also trust him," Thethuthinnang added. "This is not the time for infighting; now, more than ever, we need to work together."
Still, Hannah had her doubts. It just couldn't be a dog. Maybe they had misunderstood and Fiver had actually said "dug" (as in "digging") instead of "dog". That would be much more sane, but would also lead to big trouble, because all the rabbits were wasting their time searching for a dog instead of digging. To make things worse, there was little time to convince them they were making a mistake. The more she thought, the more hopeless the situation seemed.
She turned her head and looked down the maze pathway leading to the outside world; there was another rabbit in the distance.
-"There's someone coming, are you two going to run while you still can?"
As the rabbit got closer, however, she saw that it not a Darkhavener. Instead, it was someone she had already met before.
-"Nettle!" she called out.
The rabbit was a bit startled to hear someone call her name. She looked around, trying to see who it was.
-"Who said that?"
-"Down here!"
Looking down, Nettle finally spotted the mouse, barely visible in the grass.
-"Hannah. How unexpected to see you." Nettle looked at the rabbits at silflay. "Is there a warren here?"
-"Yes...for now."
-"That's good. I'm feeling tired, if the rabbits will have me, I will rest here for a few days."
-"If you value your life, and your freedom, I would strongly advise against that."
-"Why? What's wrong?"
-"This warren is getting invaded. A tyrant called Woundwort is about to attack, after which he will either kill or enslave us all. Our resident mystic says that we need a dog to stop him, or some nonsense along those lines."
-"Oh no! Anyway, if you're looking for a dog, there is one living with the humans in their building just outside the maze."
Hannah was taken aback by what Nettle had just revealed. Could it be that Fiver was telling the truth, and everyone had understood him correctly? Was a dog really the answer?
-"Good to know. But dogs are savage beasts, they will attack any rabbit, regardless of whether said rabbits are good or evil. Woundwort's death would solve a lot of issues, but there would be collateral damage."
-"The trick would be to surprise that Woundwort fellow."
Pipkin and Thethuthinnang, meanwhile, were looking at the scene, both confused and amazed.
-"What's going on with those two?" Thethuthinnang asked.
-"I'm not sure," Pipkin replied, "but if that doe is telling the truth, then this answers the question Fiver left us with. She needs to tell Hazel."
Meanwhile underground, most of the rabbits had fallen into a state of helplessness, merely contemplating the inevitable as opposed to planning ahead. Only a few were still debating the merits of recruiting a dog.
It was only after Hannah, Pipkin and Thethuthinnang had returned, bringing Nettle with them, that the situation changed. Nettle had succeeded where the others had failed, and convinced the mouse that the idea was worth attempting, leading to her proudly announcing:
-"Look who I found outside!"
Most of the rabbits turned to look at them.
-"Is she one of the so-called Darkhaveners?" Meadow asked.
-"I don't think so," Hyzenthlay replied. "She's way too small."
-"Who is she, Hannah?" Bigwig asked.
-"It's Nettle! Don't you rem..." Hannah then remembered that none of the Watershippers had ever met Nettle: she had met her along the way to the hedgewizard's island. Perhaps that journey had not been pointless after all, although the help had come in an unexpected way. "Oof, just a random bun I met a while ago and saved from elil. And she knows where we can find the dog that Fiver mentioned!"
-"We're not bringing a dog into the maze," Meadow said firmly. "It's too dangerous. I still say we should try to reason with the Darkhaveners; this war can't possibly benefit any of us."
-"Nettle...where is this dog?" Hazel asked.
-"Inside the human building," the hlessi replied. "You might have a bit of trouble getting it out of there, though."
-"I'll take care of that," Clover volunteered.
-"You?" Bigwig said. "But..."
-"The fact I was born in a hutch doesn't mean that I don't know what I'm doing. I know I'm not as fast as some of you, but I spent several seasons at Nuthanger Farm. I know more about what lies inside human buildings than any of you, I'm sure."
-"I'll go with you," Hyzenthlay said. "Two rabbits are better than one."
Seeing Clover's logic, Bigwig was forced to agree.
-"But we will need someone else to run with the dog once it has escaped. Someone fast."
-"I would sacrifice my happiness, or even my life, to save the warren," Blackavar said. "Let me do it."
Hazel and Bigwig looked at each other with anxiety. The last time they had let Blackavar take part in an important mission, it had been a farm raid a few weeks before, and he had been viciously attacked by the cat. Would it really be wise to give him another chance, in perhaps the most important mission ever? Or would he, despite his best efforts, fail again, and doom everyone else in the process?
-"Any other volunteers?" Hazel reluctantly asked.
After returning underground, Pipkin sought out Nyreem. Nettle's arrival, and her new information about the dog, increased everyone's chance of survival, but if things didn't work out, there was one thing he wanted to sort out first. Unexpectedly, it was Nyreem who found him first.
-"Pipkin, I...I have something very important to tell you."
-"Oh, this is awkward..." Pipkin scratched his ears. "I was about to ask you something very important too."
-"It's all right." Nyreem chuckled. "You go first."
Pipkin stared straight at his friend.
-"I could have prepared a long speech, but I think it would be better if I got straight to the point. Nyreem, I think I love you."
Nyreem stared at her friend for a few moments. She could not believe her ears: Pipkin loved her. The feeling was mutual. With tears in her eyes, she hopped to him and hugged him.
