AUTHOR'S NOTE: thank you Anonymous Guest for the review. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!
Chapter 102: A Vision Of Things To Come.
"We are as fast
As the lightning that streaks
Across the sky. The rain pours
From the sky, hiding us
From eyes that chase."
-wavesparkle7217, Blackavar's Body
Strawberry was at silflay, thinking about the patrol she had taken part in. Bigwig ended up promoting nearly everyone to the owsla. Even young Nyreem was now in the junior owsla. But Strawberry had not been promoted. She didn't mind this: she was not as strong or fast as some of the others. Perhaps that was why Bigwig had rejected her. Still, she would have appreciated it if the captain had explained his reasoning to her, rather than remaining silent on the matter.
-"Strawberry, do you mind if I talk to you?"
Strawberry looked up, and saw Pipkin sitting in front of her; he appeared worried.
-"Yes, what is it, Pipkin?"
-"I've been searching for Leo everywhere, but I can't find him. He has completely vanished, and nobody I've asked has seen him since this afternoon."
-"Leo...that's one of the new Efrafans, right?"
-"No, the other Leo. White pale fur, looks a lot like Silverweed."
-"Oh, I know who that is. But I'm afraid I can't help you, I haven't seen him either."
-"That's what I thought. I've been wanting to search for him, but I would rather not go alone. Can you come with me?"
-"Brambles. Of course. Where do we start?"
-"I have searched all the burrows. I highly doubt he would just leave without telling anyone, but I can't think of any other option."
Pipkin and Strawberry slowly made their way to the bottom of the Down. They found many different sets of tracks, but they all belonged to the owsla or the Efrafans; there was no sign that Leo had been there recently.
-"Is there any other way he could have gone?" Strawberry asked.
-"There are the caverns, but..." Pipkin suddenly fell silent. "I think there's someone behind that tree."
-"Leo?"
-"Not Leo, but someone else."
The two rabbits cautiously hopped closer to the tree, until they spotted the rabbit: it was Blueberry. While Strawberry did not recognize him, Pipkin had a vague feeling that they had met before, but couldn't recall where.
-"Do you know where they went?" Blueberry asked, after spotting the two other rabbits.
-"Who are 'they'?" Pipkin asked.
-"I think I've been unconscious for a while. I don't know how long it's been. The last thing I remember was a fight..."
-"I don't remember Bigwig training him," Strawberry whispered to Pipkin. "Is he working for the enemy?"
-"At his size, I highly doubt that," Pipkin replied. "I think he might just be a hlessi, an innocent bystander during this afternoon's battle."
-"I should probably return to the warren," Blueberry said. "Do you know which way it is?"
-"How about you come to our warren instead?" Pipkin offered.
-"I suppose I could. Which way?"
-"We'll show you," Strawberry said.
Vilthuril was nibbling some dandelion leaves, when she smelled someone else approach. She immediately recognized the stranger as Fiver.
-"Uh, Vilthuril, there's something I want to ask you," he said.
-"What is it?"
-"Will you...may I...will you please..."
Fiver sighed, and lied down with his face buried underneath his front paws.
-"What's wrong Fiver?" Vilthuril asked as she nuzzled him.
-"I've been wanting to ask you this all day, but we were always interrupted. And now that I finally get the chance, I don't know how to say it."
-"I see. Either way, yes."
-"Yes? What do you mean?"
-"Yes I will be your mate."
-"How did you know that was what I was going to ask? Do you have visions too?"
-"It's not exactly that. You've had a crush on me ever since I have arrived here, and you have done a poor job hiding it."
Fiver chuckled awkwardly.
-"Nevertheless, thank you so much for accepting. You make me so happy. I was afraid you might refuse."
-"Refuse? Why would I have refused?"
-"Because I kept making a fool of myself. Besides, I'm a runt."
-"You may be a runt, but you're still handsome, and you have a beautiful mind. You're not a fool at all. I love you."
-"I love you too Vilthuril."
The two rabbits nuzzled and hugged each other for a long time.
-"And...we've made it!"
Startled by the new voice, Fiver and Vilthuril instantly bolted into a nearby bush.
-"Who was that?" Vilthuril asked.
-"I was hoping you knew. I've never heard that voice before in my life. Unless it's Hawkbit or Bluebell trying to pull a prank on us."
Vilthuril slowly peaked out from behind the bush, her ears lowered so that only the top half of her head was visible. It was not Hawkbit, nor Bluebell, but Vesper, although neither Fiver nor Vilthuril knew who he was.
-"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," he said. "This is Watership Down, right?"
Fiver also peaked out from behind the bush, before hopping out from behind it, followed by Vilthuril.
-"How do you know about us?"
-"I met Pipkin yesterday, and he invited me to join you. My name is Vesper, and..."
Vesper was interrupted by a faint voice coming from far behind him.
-"I met a few rabbits during my travels last night," he explained. "They've been searching for this warren, so me and Acacia have been guiding them here."
-"Acacia?" Vilthuril answered.
-"Oh, I'm sorry, I really have a lot to explain, don't I? Acacia is one of my closest friends. As for the others, I only met them last night, and...I'm afraid they're hurt. One of them is called Violet, another is Hickory, and I don't know the names of the other two."
-"Violet?" Vilthuril repeated.
-"Hickory?" Fiver added.
-"Oh, you know them? But anyway, could you please guide us to the nearest burrow? They need to be underground as soon as possible."
-"Do you think he's telling the truth, Fiver?" Vilthuril whispered in her new mate's ear.
-"I think so." He turned back to Vesper. "Where are they now?"
-"Acacia is still trying to help them climb this hill. If it hadn't been for him, they wouldn't have made it here alive."
As if on cue, Acacia became visible, as well as all the others. The rabbit on the left was missing a lot of fur, Vilthuril immediately recognized her.
-"Violet?"
The stranger raised her head and opened her eyes. A faint smile appeared on her face.
-"Vilthuril...I never thought I would see you again."
-"Frith and Inlé, it really is you. I'm so glad to see you're alive, I was sure that hawk had killed you."
-"Long story. How many others are still with you?"
-"Hrair. Come, I'll guide you underground."
While Vilthuril was tending to Violet, Fiver looked at Hickory, Marigold and their kitten. He was profoundly disturbed: what had happened to them, leaving them in such a state?
-"Fiver," Hickory said weakly, "get...away...freak."
At this, Marigold stood up on her hind legs and placed her front paws around her neck, as if she was choking.
-"Wire..." her mate moaned.
-"They've been making these weird comments for the entire journey, sir," Acacia said. "I don't know what they're talking about."
-"You don't have to call me 'sir'," Fiver said. "You're Acacia, right?"
-"Yes, that's me. Vesper told you?"
-"Yes. I'm Fiver. Now let's get everyone underground."
Meanwhile further away, Hazel was nibbling the grass in front of him with Primrose and Hyzenthlay. Blackberry was also there, applying a new leaf to Primrose's tail; Bigwig approached them.
-"Hazel," he said, clearly frustrated, "NOW can I tell you what I had to tell you earlier?"
-"You can tell me anything," Hazel said.
-"GENERAL WOUNDWORT IS ALIVE! And Vervain is alive too."
All nearby rabbits immediately fell silent as they heard this.
-"Bigwig," Hazel whispered, "did you really have to shout?"
-"Don't you realize how disastrous this is?"
At that moment, Primrose broke into tears.
-"I was hoping it was all over," she struggled to say. "But it's not. The war goes on. I was hoping my kittens would grow up in peace, but that won't happen either."
-"Let's go underground," Hazel said. "He won't attack tonight."
Further away, Hawkbit was at silflay with Dandelion, Strawberry and Bluebell.
-"Oh, that horrible thing on my head is preventing me from hearing properly," he said. "I just heard Bigwig say General Woundwort is alive."
-"That's exactly what he said," Bluebell replied.
-"Enough with your inappropriate jokes!" Hawkbit shouted. "It's not funny!"
-"I'm not joking..."
-"He really isn't," Strawberry added. "Bigwig really did say that General Woundwort is alive."
While Bluebell had a reputation for making jokes, Strawberry was the exact opposite; the General really was alive. Hawkbit did not see any course of action other than fainting.
-"Oh, Frith and Inlé..." Dandelion mumbled, as he too fainted.
Strawberry glanced at the two limp bodies next to him, before shaking his head.
-"It's an awful nuisance, isn't it?" Bluebell said.
-"Them, or Woundwort?" Strawberry asked.
-"...I was thinking about Woundwort, but now that you mention it, them too."
While the news of Woundwort's survival spread rapidly throughout the warren, several rabbits remained subconsciously in denial. It took some of them several hours to come to terms with the tragic reality. The war was not over yet; peace had been short-lived.
Fu Inlé, there were only five rabbits left above ground, the others having retreated to their burrows to sleep. A falcon was standing further away, searching for worms in the grass; the rabbits did not pay attention.
-"He destroyed my old home at Marli-rah. He destroyed countless other warrens. And now he wants to destroy this one," Blackberry said sadly.
-"I was hoping we would never have to deal with him again," Holly added. "I was wrong. We will have to keep fighting."
-"I already knew he was still alive, Hazel," Fiver said. "Me and Silverweed have known for several days, but I kept forgetting to tell you. I'm sorry, Hazel."
-"Nobody's blaming you, Fiver."
-"And he still has that nasty fellow Vervain with him," Hyzenthlay said angrily.
-"We have to find them, before he finds us," Fiver said.
-"What shall we do now, Hazel-rah?" Blackberry asked.
-"What our ancestors did before us. We go on."
-"Keep calm and battle on, brave rabbits," the falcon whispered, before taking off.