Chapter Fifty

Don’t Give Up Hope

The sun dragged over the horizon beside the hazardous array of grey clouds.

The sound of the cawing birds seemed to awaken Campion. Then came the metallic call of the eagle. He pushed himself onto his feet with a sharp intake a breath and a head rush.

He placed his paw to his head, where he felt extra pain, and pressed. Flinching, he decided that wasn’t such a good idea. He was covered in bruises of all sizes and they tweaked uncomfortably when he moved his limbs.

The cliff was still alongside the rapid river and Campion got the idea into his head that if he followed it he would arrive back at Shadowsky. Hlessi rabbits never lasted long. He never made it. Crawling under a shrub he lay still and let the throbbing take over his senses.

He was sure that Hazel, Blackberry or Fiver would come looking, so he gave himself a limit of rest. He lay there cleaning his paw. The soft strokes stung the flesh, but he persisted. He didn’t need an infected paw at this moment. He started to wonder what had happened to Dogwood. That scream! It brought back bad memories of Efrafa, and how he had been forced to create those screams like those, ending up with blood on his claws.

He swallowed and tried to focus on what he was doing. Then he seen a rabbit like figure come towards him across the open plain of grass that he was in. It didn’t seem as if it was deliberately coming towards him, more like it was studying its surroundings. The eagle seen it too, from its perch on the Cliffside, and it swung forward into its deadly precision strike.

The rabbit lifted its head then bolted. It didn’t look as if it knew where it was going, and its eyes were terrified. Campion finally called out. “In here!”

The brown doe whipped her head around and surveyed him quickly before springing in, just as the claws of the eagle brushed the top of the shrubbery. Campion sighed in relief and sat watching the entrance to make sure the bird would not return.

She flicked her paws nervously and groomed her face before turning her head. She had a pretty white diamond between misty blue eyes. Her fur gave a brunette like glow with a white arc on her chest spreading from her pelt.

“Thank you,” she whispered cautiously.

Campion nodded and continued to clean his paw, not too intent on conversation. If she wanted to talk, she would. Eventually, she started to clean her own paw. He wondered how she managed to keep clean in such an environment. Maybe she was not hlessi as he had first thought.

“I’m Azalea,” she said finally. He noticed she was a very direct rabbit, when she looked at him, it was straight in the eyes.

“Campion,” he returned slowly. He had no idea where she had gotten her name, as he had never heard of it before.

“Looks like you’ve been through the wars.” She nodded pointedly towards his paw and his head.

“Hmm?” he asked. He touched his head again, and the throb returned.

“You’ve got a gash just above your left eye,” she said, as if it were quite obvious.

“This is me on one of my good days,” he sighed.

“Owsla?” she suggested, eagerly.

“Captain.” He shrugged easily.

“Me too!”

“You’re…in the owsla?” Campion tried not to sound too surprised, but probably failed.

“Not in the way you think. Not so much front line fighting, but my warren depended on me for solo patrols. My speciality is running and distance you see.” She smiled. “I’m captain of the patrols.”

“What warren?” Campion asked with interest.

“Rising Hope. It is still a small warren just on the other side of the forest there.”

“Hmm, I’ve never heard of it or seen it on my patrols,” Campion mused.

“It’s only been there for about a year,” she said. “Can I see your paw for a minute?”

Campion shrugged again and slid his paw over, watching her expression closely.

“I know a little about healing,” she explained. “That’s completely torn. You’re lucky it missed the bone, but it might have punctured a couple of veins. Does it hurt a lot?”

“Only when I move it.” Campion winced.

“What are you doing out here anyways?”

“Long story.”

“Right. Got any warren at the moment, family?”

“Yes.” Then he remembered Blackberry and a bit of panic rose.

“Come on, get up. You’re coming with me. You won’t last long in eagle country with that paw.”

“I’m not sure. My friends are probably going to come looking for me…”

“I’ll set a sentry near to tell them if they come.”

“I still don’ think…”

He felt a rough shove at his side. “Stop being so buck stubborn. Come on, we’ll be there well before Ni- Frith.”

He struggled to his feet and shook his fur out, noticing with surprise that it wasn’t raining, though more dark clouds were drawing in.

He valiantly kept up the pace without help and refused more than once her shoulder. Pride it might have been.

Cautiously, he left tracks here and there. Not obvious, but discreet. If they were there at all Blackberry would notice them.

Finally, they emerged at the edge of the wood they had been passing through, and saw a magnificent meadow, even after it had been overrun with rain.

“Wow,” Campion breathed. He hadn’t seem anything so beautiful since he had been at Shadowsky. Dull skies, dark pastures and muddy, rundown rabbits was a sight he had become accustomed to.

“Isn’t this just the loveliest warren you’ve ever seen?” Azalea asked excitedly. Then she hopped on without waiting for an answer.

“Not quite….,” Campion said to himself, then followed.

There were a number of rabbits stretched out in the grass, relaxing and probably savouring their first day in a while without rain.

Campion paused, and glanced at Azalea hesitantly. “Maybe I should wait here.”

“Why?” she asked incredulously and looked at him worriedly as he took a step backwards.

“I won’t be welcome here,” he answered quietly.

“We don’t permit traitors at this warren.”

Azalea’s head snapped around. “Ragwort? Why would you say that?”

Forgetting he was injured and vulnerable Campion snapped back. “Woundwort’s rule was crushing us! Someone had to do something.”

“What did you do for us?” the other rabbit laughed bitterly.

“I was going to free everyone!”

“All you did was help the enemy escape our reign.”

“How can you still call them the enemy after what they have done for you? They freed you finally, and gave you this new life!”

“Moss gave us this new life! All they did was attack our home mercilessly.”

“I’m not sticking around to listen to this.” Campion shook his head angrily. “I appreciate your hospitality, Azalea.” He nodded to the doe then started to turn away.

“Now just wait a second!” Azalea exclaimed. She hopped in front of him with eyebrows raised.

“Ragwort, Campion is my guest and I won’t permit you to treat him in this way. Kindly stay out of our way.”

The agouti coloured buck snorted, but returned to grazing.

“Now,” Azalea said quietly, “rest up here and I’ll see what my patrol and I can do about finding your friends.”

Before he could reply she had left. He sighed uncomfortably and lay down awkwardly beside one of the rabbit holes with his paw outstretched.  Just when he thought he had left his past behind him, it had come right back and embraced him.

Fiver dropped the fifth bundle of assorted leaves at Hazel’s feet. He started to rub his ears between his paws to regain circulation. He could almost see his breath in the air. In April!

“Are those okay?” Fiver whispered. His voice was sore from cold.

“Yes, they’re more than fine Fiver. Come and sit beside me now, and eat something yourself.”

“I thought I saw Keharr here again earlier,” Fiver said, pulling a couple of soggy leaves towards him.

Hazel nosed his own pile. “Yes, you did. He still feels terrible about leaving, but feels as if he doesn’t have choice. I don’t really blame him. I wouldn’t want to miss my young growing up either.”

“Nothing much he can do that Skree can’t,” Fiver comforted.

“I’m just so angry at myself!” Hazel suddenly shouted. He slammed his paw down into the mushy mess that was his breakfast. “I was so stupid to fall for Dogwood’s trick and waste valuable time that could have gotten the others out.”

“Now is not the time to feel sorry for yourself, Hazel,” a voice said firmly.

“Bigwig!” the two brothers cried joyfully.

“How did you do it?” Fiver asked in awe.

“I ran, ran like El-ahrairah. There owsla didn’t seem to be full of energy this morning. I figured you would need some muscle.” Bigwig was glowing with smugness and something else that Hazel couldn’t put his paw on.

“Any help at the moment is appreciated,” Fiver said, with a smile.

“And?” Hazel prompted, looking at the big rabbit expectantly.

“What?” Bigwig said defensively.

“Bigwig, you’re practically radiating with glee. What did you do?”

“Well…. let’s just say that there are going to be some new additions to the warren that aren’t from your family Hazel,” Bigwig said happily.

“Congratulations, Bigwig!” Fiver shouted out.

“Yes, congrats, Bigwig.” Hazel smiled and chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Bigwig asked quickly.

“Just trying to imagine you as a father figure, that’s all,” Hazel replied.

Bigwig looked outraged and placed his paws on his hips, then paused as he realised he didn’t have a come back to that.

They quickly filled him in about the latest happenings and their plan. “We placed tracks all around that area, and placed scents as close to Shadowsky as we dared. We lured them into the woods behind the warren, then fanned out. I guess they followed us for quite a while, maybe even got lost. But that won’t work again, and now we’re stuck.”

“I’ve got some information that is sure to interest you,” Bigwig said. He told them of how the warren was becoming dangerously emerged in water, and how, soon, they were sure to have to evacuate.

“That’s our chance,” Bigwig ended. “Get Bark, Skree and as many other rabbits around her that we can gather. Do we have any idea where Hickory and Marigold went?”

“No, they left in rather a hurry. I have started to come to the idea that something happened to them. Surely, they would have come to visit?” Hazel asked.

“Well, better to think of some that we have a chance at finding,” Fiver said firmly.

“Oh, you’ll never guess. Moss is at Shadowsky!” Bigwig cried.

“Moss?” Fiver exclaimed.

“That means….. that his warren must be near. I assume he got captured on a patrol or something?” Hazel said.

“Yup. I suggest that we search for his warren and ask for their assistance.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Hazel agreed.

Ivy swallowed her small mouthful of grass and turned her head to the bottom of the down. Hesitantly she hopped down to the entrance to the escape tunnel that had proved handy in the great fire.

Her, Iris, Rosa and Spring had filled in about a quarter of the tunnel at each side. Memories had been filled in too. In a way she was glad she didn’t have to face her dead kitten again, but she was desperate to give him a send off, a place where everyone could say goodbye. Placing her paw on the packed soil she closed her eyes and thanked Frith that her other son had survived and that this one should live a happy, full life.

Blinking her eyes open, she hurried back up to top of the hill and put all her energy into the earth beside Silverweed’s grave, which had luckily escaped the flames.

She hoped that Fiver would understand her need to do this.

Blackberry followed the flowing current with her eyes, watching every surge of water wearily.

She pulled to a stop when she scented something unfamiliar in her nose. A doe. Sighing, she sat back and pulled her ear down as if to comb it, but instead huffed in frustration. Why did Campion always have to be such a heroic, brave idiot? She felt bad for thinking it, and that added to the huge pill of guilt already weighed on her shoulders. There last proper conversation had been their first argument and had been all her fault. Of course bucks would fight!

She dropped down into the muddy grass and felt no shame in crying. Had Shadow left them alone in this? Why hadn’t he helped? Suddenly she heard fast movement behind her and swivelled around. A very pretty brown doe stood in mid step towards her, watching with wide eyes. Blackberry quickly blinked the tears away and became very conscious that she was filthy with mud and still plastered with last night’s rain.

“You must be freezing, come with me,” the new rabbit said gently. “I think I know who you are looking for.”