Chapter Seven

Forsaken Sight                          

Hazel and Bigwig couldn’t drift off to sleep on the stormy and cold night, so they relieved Hawkbit and Spartina from sentry duty and took their place at the front of the small scraps they had dug the night before.

It had now been three days since the band of rabbits had left Watership Down and they had progressed to about one days travelling beyond Darkhaven and Hazel felt that they had gotten no closer to finding the reason they had left in the first place, to find does.

“Do you think we should continue Hazel?” Bigwig said doubtfully.

“I can’t let them down when we have already travelled so far, we’re bound to reach a warren soon then we can return home knowing we got what we came for,” Hazel said hopefully. The cold winter wind  delivered a gust of chilling snow, blowing their fur and making them squint.

“Right, you’re the boss.” Bigwig sighed a little ruefully. Then he tried to understand. He himself wasn’t lonely for the company of a doe because he had Spartina but there were only three other couples at the warren. Not nearly enough to keep the warren alive by this time in ten years.

Fiver poked his head out of the scrap on Hazel’s left and went up to the two dark silhouettes by the night sky.

“We should get going soon.” Then he paused, starting to tremble. “Oh, the weasel, the weasel! It comes closer and closer,” Fiver gasped. “Ivy!

“A weasel?” Bigwig demanded. Authority shone through his voice.

 “Ivy? Fiver what do you mean? Who’s Ivy??” Hazel asked bemused. His mind had already started to whirl with possibilities.

The other rabbits had awoken at the terrible moaning that Fiver had made and were standing in a circle around the squealing rabbit.

“Holly, Dandelion put Fiver back inside and keep him warm, he looks a bit tharn,” Hazel ordered.

Hazel sighed, another mystery to solve! He turned to the miserable looking group. “Any volunteers for a patrol?”

The rabbits diverted their gazes and looked anywhere else in the burrow.

“ Okay, looks as if it’s just you and I Bigwig,” Hazel said, shrugging.

As the two rabbits exited the burrow Bigwig muttered, “Can’t say I blame them.”

The snow had gotten worse overnight and Hazel and Bigwig had trouble ploughing their way across the open field. It was nearing dawn yet there was no bird song and the world was eerily quiet. It disturbed Hazel, because it seemed unnatural and he pricked his ears ready for an enemy to jump out in surprise, especially a weasel.

After they had finished skirting the field that contained their temporary home, Hazel went underground to assemble the others ready for travel.

At Watership Down the storm was just as bad, and the whole warren was in the Honeycomb eating the food from the store.  Bobstones were being played, stories were being told and mock fights were fought for entertainment.

Blackberry was lying, sprawled out and resting in the corner gossiping to Primrose and Clover.

“Come on Campion you have to lose sooner or later,” Blackavar teased, paws hiding the answer which Campion sought.

“Don’t rush me.” Campion smiled, planning his bobstone guess. He flicked his ears in concentration.

Pipkin was judging a wrestling fight between Mallow and Gillia. “Gillia don’t hesitate, the opponent could have you pinned by this time!”

“Bobstone guess is three,” Campion said peering intently at Blackavar’s paws.

“Well done Campion-rah.” Blackavar smiled. “How about best out of three?”

Campion and Blackavar had become firm friends when Campion had finally settled down in the warren, they could both relate to what the other had been through in Efrafa.

“Sorry, maybe when I get back. It’s time to get going on this raid on the farm.”

“Who else is going?” Blackavar asked, interested.

“Just Pipkin and I, fancy coming??”

“Yeah I suppose, haven’t been to Nuthanger yet.”

“Let’s go and try to be back in time for evening silflay.” Campion got up and nuzzled Blackberry and his kittens goodbye. She sat up and laughed quietly when his whiskers tickled her stomach.

 “I’ll be back by sunset, I promise,” he said sincerely.

The brown bucks made their way out into the cold, white world.

Fiver had woken and had been told by Dandelion and Holly the contents of his vision. He was confused, he didn’t know anyone called Ivy. Though when he thought of that name a chill went down his spine and an empty feeling seemed to echo in his chest. He frowned miserably and went to go and find Hazel, his older brother always had answers.

Meanwhile, Hazel was struggling to persuade the rest that they should continue their journey. “Look, I’ll make you a deal. We continue on until the next round moon and if we still haven’t found what we are looking for we’ll go home, deal?”

“I suppose,” Hawkbit grumbled. He scuffed the snow, absent minded, under his paws.

“You could get a doe friend out of this Hawkbit,” Dandelion winked and nudged Hawkbit.

Hawkbit was just about to reply when Bigwig came charging in.”What are we waiting for? The grass to grow? Because it’s not going to in this weather. Let’s get a move on before it gets any worse.”

“Wasn’t aware it could get any worse.” Hawkbit frowned, peering round Bigwig to get a glimpse of the cold, frozen world.

“Let’s not fight,” Hazel said, warningly. He put himself between the two and raised his eyebrows meaningfully.

“Well if we are going to go let’s go,” Bigwig said grumpily.

The rabbits set off at the fastest pace they could across the field and then slowed down to tread carefully through the unknown area of tall pines. After travelling until Frith was low in the sky the vagabond group started to come across rabbit trails lying fresh in the snow.

“Finally, should we follow it Hazel?” Spartina asked excitedly. Her face was exuberant and her nose pushed away the snow so that she could find a scent.

Hazel temporarily forgot the dangers of walking straight into an unknown warren as he saw the tired and fed-up faces of his friends.

“Yes I suppose there are enough of us to defend ourselves if they don’t welcome us,” Hazel said nodding his head. Each face nodded and they started forward eagerly.

“Hello who’s that?” An unknown voice asked only a short distance away.

“Am hello? We mean no harm, can you show yourself?” Hazel replied.

A snow white rabbit stepped out hesitantly from the cover of the brambles. If it wasn’t for the black muzzle and patches round her eyes Hazel would have thought she was the snow herself.

“My name is Ivy, and my warren is nearby.” She appeared nervous and thought that warning them that her warren was close would keep her safe.

“I’m Hazel and these are my friends, Bigwig, Dandelion, Hawkbit, Spartina, Strawberry, Holly and Fiver,” Hazel answered, pointing at each rabbit in turn. “We left our warren three days ago to find new members.”

“But you’re all bucks but one, don’t you have any females in your warren?” Ivy said curiously.

“Yes, we have a few at home. One is expecting a litter, but not enough you see.”

“Well, first thing first, you must be cold and hungry so you’re welcome to follow me back to the warren to rest awhile. It’s only around the corner.” Ivy hopped gracefully across to the opposite side of the brambles and revealed a small rabbit hole in a hidden bank. She diverted her eyes as she held back the shrubbery. “It’s not the main entrance, but there are several empty burrows nearby,” Ivy said, embarrassed, before vanishing down the tunnel.

The other rabbits were quick to follow. “Aren’t you coming Fiver?” Hazel questioned.

Fiver wasn’t listening, he cocked his head to one side. “Ivy,” he whispered in wonder. She felt like someone he had known all his life, yet someone he had yet to meet.

“Oh, yes the doe from your vision, do you know her?”

Fiver shook his head then followed Hazel down the burrow, eager to see her again.

Campion and Blackavar dropped the few carrots they had managed to gather into the store beside the Honeycomb.

“Should be enough to last us until Frithmas, we’ll have to stock up before then,” Campion said thoughtfully. They carefully stacked each carrot.

“Hmm we were lucky enough to get away with stealing this from the man’s store the first time,” Blackavar mused worriedly. His heart was still caught in his throat from their close encounter in the barn.

“You worry too much Blackavar!” Campion laughed, before turning and heading back to his burrow.

Blackavar shook his head in wonder, Campion had been acting like a reckless yearling recently. He supposed it was the excitement of the kittens. He was certainly a different rabbit than the one he had known in Efrafa. Blackavar gave himself a moment to recall a time in Efrafa….

I couldn’t stop shaking as I looked from face to face around me. Vervain sneered back with a greedy glint that almost implied that he wanted to kill me. Campion just looked away with a frown painted on his face. I knew I had been rash to try and escape when these two were on guard. They had brought me back in no time and put me before Woundwort for judgement. The verdict was death of course; everything was punished by death here in one form or another.

Primrose spoke up desperately for me. I didn’t want her to! Didn’t she realise she would get killed as well? Campion saw it too and he stepped in front of her quickly to speak to Woundwort. “Sir, the ancient laws of Efrafa allow a defender for the condemned.”

“Campion, Woundwort has spoken!” Vervain hissed.

“Primrose,” he continued, “has requested that honour.”

I didn’t know if I was grateful to him for that or not. Primrose was my only friend and I didn’t want her to share my fate. Then she spoke up.

“Yes sir, I will speak for Blackavar.”

Woundwort almost seemed to roll his eyes then said, “If I do not like what I hear, you will share his fate. Agreed?”

“Primrose!” I shouted. “You mustn’t.”

She just looked down at me worriedly then she said, “Yes sir, thank you.”

I turned to the brown captain in desperation and that’s when I seen his expression. There was a look of shock on his face and he gasped before ducking low. A white flash soared over my head and in terror the rabbits around me scattered back to their burrows. I crouched down and closed my eyes. When I opened them, the only rabbits still present were Primrose, Campion and Woundwort.

Primrose and Campion were looking at me then turned to look to the chief.

“Sir, Blackavar did not run to escape, he was trying to get away from that gull, just like everyone else.” Primrose explained rapidly.

I felt hope rise but I squashed it. It had been a good idea but had Primrose forgotten that there was still an owsla captain present? He would know the truth. But the seconds passed and Campion did not say a word.

Woundwort seemed to think and then he said slowly, “The sentence…. is commuted.”

Primrose’s shoulders sagged. “Thank you.” Then we both turned to the brown rabbit beside us.

He had an unhappy smile and I knew that if he was found out having deceived Woundwort in order to save our lives he would be killed also.

“Thank you Captain Campion,” Primrose said sincerely, as I had appeared to lose my voice.

“Primrose, you watch yourself now.”
Then we both stared, open mouthed as Campion hopped away. Not all rabbits in Efrafa were the same.

Since the memory was still a bit frightening to Blackavar, he shook it out of his head. That seemed like an eternity ago. This was a strange world they lived in. If someone had told him what life would have been like today, he wouldn’t have believed them even a tiny bit.