AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you, TheRanger101 and Bigbobby for the reviews; I'm glad you both enjoy this story.
TheRanger101: don't worry, handling so many subplots isn't stressful :)
Bigbobby: the connection between Fiver and Vilthuril will be explored further in future chapters.
Chapter 35: A Maze, But Not As You Know It.
"The long grass soft and flowing, it's color a deep green as if in celebration of the new summer. Small white and pink flowers poked their heads out from between the long blades, giving the meadow an extra dab of cheerfulness. The thrush's voice died away, and the breeze halted it's blowing as the meadow was framed in a perfect, peaceful moment."
-Erika Austin
Hazel stared at the sky. He and Bigwig had left Watership Down the previous day to search for Primrose and Blackberry. They had attempted to follow the scent the two does had left behind, but this proved to be impossible: the thunderstorm had washed it away. They searched a large area around the canal, the place where accidents would have been the most likely, but could find no trace of the does.
After a while, the two bucks came across another familiar landmark: a tall fence with a large gate in the middle.
-"We're close to Buttercup's warren, I think," Hazel said.
-"You're probably right," Bigwig replied. "This area looks so different without snow, doesn't it? If it weren't for this fence, I probably wouldn't have realized where we were until we came right to the entrance of the maze."
-"Maybe we could stop there?" Hazel suggested. "They might be able to help us with our search."
-"I wouldn't mind stopping for a bit, although I doubt they know anything that could help us."
The two rabbits hopped between the bars in the gate, towards the building further away. The area was completely different without its thick blanket of snow. Instead of the colourless winter landscape, there was green grass, and several colourful flowers were spread throughout the area. The rabbits, however, did not play close attention, and simply hopped over to the right of the building. It did not take them long to reach the hedge maze where the warren was dug.
-"You wouldn't happen to remember the path leading to the centre, would you?" Bigwig asked.
-"I was hoping you did," Hazel replied. "I don't really fancy just wandering around, hoping to stumble upon the warren."
-"I remember that Kehaar helped us find the right path last winter, since he could see the maze from above. Perhaps we could ask him?"
-"Where is Kehaar though?"
The two rabbits looked around; there was no sign of either Kehaar or Hannah.
-"That blasted gull!" Bigwig shouted. "Never here when you need him most! We can't really wait for him, so I guess we'll have to find the way ourselves. Hopefully we will meet someone along the way who could guide us to the warren."
Hazel nodded, and the two rabbits entered the maze. It did not take them long to reach their first dead end. They retraced their steps, only to soon reach another one. After a few more failed attempts at finding the correct path, they stumbled upon a lone rabbit nibbling the grass. It was a doe with brown-orange fur, not unlike Strawberry. She also had blue eyes and unusually long ears.
-"I'm afraid we're lost," Hazel said. "Could you show us the way to the warren?"
The doe took a break from her silflay to look at the two rabbits.
-"Sure. Just follow me."
She hopped away, and the two bucks followed her.
-"I don't remember seeing you two here before," she said after a while. "Where do you come from?"
-"We come from the warren of Watership Down," Hazel said. "We visited your warren last Frith's Eve."
-"Ahh, right. I was still a kitten back then, that explains why I don't remember you. Buttercup-rah told me about you. You're Hazel and Bigwig, right?"
-"...yes." Hazel was really surprised that she had managed to identify them based only on physical descriptions she had heard from another rabbit. "And you are..."
-"Meadow. I'm the captain of owsla, I've had the job for only a few days now. The warren should be just around the corner..."
A few moments later, the three rabbits finally reached the warren. It looked very different from in the winter, as the tree had been stripped of ornaments and several rabbits were at silflay.
-"Shall we go underground?" Meadow suggested. "I'm sure Buttercup's going to be really excited to see you again."
While, above ground, the area looked completely different, underground, things were nearly identical. The only noticeable difference was that the holly and other decorations present the previous winter had since been removed. Buttercup was listening to a story with a few others, when she suddenly noticed the three rabbits.
-"Hazel, Bigwig, it's great to see you again," she said, hopping towards them. "I trust Meadow has been taking good care of you?"
-"She has," Hazel said. "We were lost in the maze, and she helped us find our way."
-"Is there anyone else with you?"
-"Just the two of us this time," Bigwig explained. "We're on a mission."
-"You'll have to tell us all about it! Follow me."
Buttercup hopped in a nearby run; Meadow, Bigwig and Hazel followed her until they reached a small burrow.
-"Here, we can have a private discussion without being interrupted," Buttercup said. "So, tell us, how did it go last Frith's Eve, after you left us?"
-"It went very well," Bigwig said. "With our friend Kehaar helping us, we had no trouble finding our way back home, and thanks to the flayrah you gave us, we had quite a feast."
-"We couldn't have pulled it off without your help," Hazel added.
-"What is this mission you're on right now?" Meadow asked.
-"Two rabbits from our warren went missing a few days ago," Hazel said. "We went to search for them, and we stumbled upon your warren in the process."
-"Since you two arrived here alone, I assume you didn't find them yet?" Buttercup asked.
-"Exactly," Hazel replied sadly. "Unless they stumbled upon this warren too?"
-"That's highly unlikely," Meadow said. "If any visitors went into the maze, they would have been noticed by now."
-"Well, thanks anyway. If it's all right with you two, we'll rest here for a while, and then we'll get going again."
It was early morning when Hazel and Bigwig had reached the warren, and ni-Frith when they left. This was the first time they had taken a break from their search since they had left Watership Down, and it had provided them with some much-needed rest. The warren's flayrah supply was much more limited than the previous winter, but they were still able to nibble a few leaves of lettuce.
After wishing Buttercup the best, Hazel and Bigwig ventured out into the maze, with Meadow guiding them so they wouldn't get lost. As they finally exited the maze, the two bucks turned to thank her.
-"Without your help, it might have taken us all day to get out of there," Bigwig said.
-"Glad to have been of help. I really hope you find those two rabbits you're looking for."
-"We hope so too," Hazel said. "We'll visit your warren again soon."
-"Can I come with you?"
The two bucks were taken aback by this question.
-"You want to come with us?" Hazel said.
-"Yes, I want to help you find them. I know the area around here very well."
-"Does your Chief know about this?" Bigwig asked.
-"Yes, I talked to her while you were asleep. She said it was up to you to decide. We don't have much of an owsla, so I probably won't really be missed if I'm gone for a few days."
-"In this case we'd be glad to have you." Hazel smiled.
As Hazel and Bigwig made their way towards the gate, however, Meadow went in the opposite direction. Realizing this, she shouted:
-"That is pretty dangerous, the hrududil come sometimes!"
-"But there's no other way out!" Bigwig shouted back.
-"Actually there is! There's a hole in the fence on the other side of the house, it's much safer."
Hazel and Bigwig looked at each other, before following Meadow towards the hole. It was well-concealed, located behind a tool shed and covered with hanging vines.
-"I'm afraid I brought you here for nothing." Meadow shook her head. "There's a big white bird on the other side, and it doesn't look like it's going to leave anytime soon."
-"A gull?" Bigwig asked.
-"Why, yes! How did you know?"
-"If it's the gull I think it is..."
Bigwig ran through the hole, and shouted at the gull:
-"Kehaar! Where have you been? We've been looking for you!"
-"You're friends with a gull?" Meadow asked Hazel.
-"Yes. We helped him when his wing was injured last spring, and he's been living with us ever since. You remember earlier how Bigwig mentioned someone called Kehaar? That's him."
-"It must be really useful to be friends with a bird."
-"It is, except when he suddenly vanishes like he did earlier. We should probably go save him from Bigwig's wrath now..."
As Meadow and Hazel made it through the hole, Bigwig was still shouting at Kehaar.
-"We asked you to keep an eye out for Primrose and Blackberry from above, and what do you do? You just fly off without telling us! I have a good mind to..."
-"Bigwig," Hazel said, "calm down. Give him a chance to explain himself."
-"So soorry meester 'azel, meester Pigvig, mees bun." Kehaar wiped his eyes with his wing. "I vas havin' a veeree peeg talk VIT DUCKS!"
He suddenly spread out his wings, nearly knocking the rabbits down in the process. Hannah popped out from under some feathers on his back.
-"Wastin' 'is time, rlly. Sum wired talk about rocks 'n shadoos."
-"Do you seriously think I care?" Bigwig shouted. "Ducks are of no use to us."
-"Hue has bin flyin' a loo n' crashin dew, web'ter get going, len-bunny," Hannah mumbled.
The three rabbits looked at each other; it was plain that none of them had understood what the mouse had just said. Seeing everyone's reaction, she rolled her eyes.
-"Whatevuh. Less juss go."