Chapter Two

Peace at Last?

Hazel slid out of the warren entrance just in time to hear Primrose’s call. “Hazel, come have a look at this!” Noticing the excitement in her voice he quickly ran to where she and Pipkin were standing near the bottom of the down.

“Clover and Pipkin missed these tracks; it’s from Vervain and quite a lot of others,” Primrose stated.

Sure enough there was a large set of criss-crossed tracks that suggested that the rabbits were in a hurry. Hazel stared at them in disbelief. “But that is impossible. The Black Rabbit got them all.”

“Maybe some managed to get away?” Pipkin suggested fearfully.

“They might have I suppose.” Hazel sighed. “Just when I thought this was all behind us. Right Primrose choose whoever else you  see fit and bring back Blackberry and Campion. Myself and Bigwig will get the others, it’s not safe for them out there.”

Hazel speedily made his way to the top of the hill to get Bigwig while Primrose gathered Spartina, and deciding one was enough set out quickly to find her best friend and Campion before it was too late.

The builders had progressed a lot since Blackberry’s last sighting of Redstone when she had witnessed the destruction. The men had already started to stack small building blocks in large piles and were busy measuring the ground.

Blackberry sighed deeply and diverted her eyes to the ground. She made to go forward but a paw gently stopped her.

“What is it?” Campion asked, missing nothing.

“I’m just thinking of Sandleford warren and that it’s probably like this as well.”

“You’ve got a new better home now.”,

“Yes, and now a rabbit from the past has come back to haunt me.”

“I won’t let him bother you Blackberry,” Campion said with teeth gritted.

Blackberry looked at him and was worried how the two bucks would manage to live together when they obviously were prepared to fight at the slightest thing. Their two personalities clashed and her relationship to both didn’t help.

“Let’s get onto Darkhaven,” Blackberry said determinately.

The two rabbits slung along the bushes keeping out of sight of the men, and were both deep in thought.

“They definitely came this way, though the tracks seem to suggest there was a fight of some sort,” Primrose muttered. “I hope there’re all right.”

“Maybe that was the fight I heard Hazel and Bigwig discussing, between Campion and Walnut.” Spartina said.

“You’re probably right, so then they went this way,” Primrose said following the trail with Spartina closely following.

Soon after, the two rabbits passed Redstone and followed the line along the bushes that Campion and Blackberry took.

Walnut went above ground to see what he could find out from the other rabbits about Campion that could possibly help him in his mission.

“Hello I recognise you you’re from Sandleford as well, Pipkin isn’t it?” Walnut said to the small sized, young rabbit that was at silflay.

“Yes it is how do you know I’m from Sandleford?” Pipkin asked suspiciously.

“Gather your friends this might take a while,” Walnut said grinning.

The rabbits had passed several other rabbit tracks, all leading back to Darkhaven.

“Oh I hope Primrose and Spartina get to Blackberry and Campion in time.”

“Yeah I dread to think what Vervain and the rest would do to them,” Bigwig said shivering as a mental image formed in his mind.

“Right now our responsibility is Hawkbit, Dandelion, Captain Broom and Strawberry,” Hazel said determinedly.

“You don’t think they’re at Efrafa yet do you?” Fiver said anxiously.

“No, probably not, they aren’t the most competent bunch of rabbits I’ve ever had in my owsla,” Bigwig said shaking his head in disgrace.

The three rabbits quickened their pace with increasing urgency.

Campion and Blackberry drew up to the small cliff overlooking the mining quarry that contained the warren, Darkhaven. It was a large scrap yard surrounded on all sides by precipitous cliff walls. They both remembered the time when they were held prisoner there not so long ago, it was a special time for them both as they were together properly for the first time.

“ Let’s go down and see if there is any sign of any rabbits,” Campion suggested.

They hopped stealthily down to the bottom of the large ravine and went over to their familiar sleeping quarters, searching for tracks.

“The only sign here of rabbits was four nights ago when we were last here,” Campion observed.

“Then why is there a fresh scent in the air? I don’t understand,” Blackberry said in confusion.

“I…I don’t know, maybe it was Walnut and the others? I’m not sure though because I’m not very familiar with their scents.”

“No it’s not their scent, let’s go home and see if Hazel knows about this,” Blackberry said while pivoting round and heading back the way they came.

 “Hawkbit!” Bigwig shouted.

The small grey rabbit turned round in surprise. “What have I done now?”

“Shhh!” Hazel demanded silencing the bickering. “Into the bushes,” He whispered.

The seven rabbits hopped into the bushes and lowered their breathing to silence as the sound of pounding feet approached. Vervain and a dozen others were running at top speed by the Watership Down rabbit’s hiding place.

“It is Vervain!” Bigwig whispered excited.

“Let them go, we are too outnumbered and I don’t think they are much of a threat,” Hazel ordered.

“They were out to destroy us Hazel! Remember what happened last time Vervain was allowed to go free!” Hawkbit said loudly.

“Shh you’re being too loud Hawkbit they’ll find us,” Fiver whispered.

Hawkbit sighed and started mumbling under his breath in his usual manner.

“They’ve gone, we’d better get home and I want to call a meeting,” Hazel said sighing.

The moonlight glinted off the back of the silver, blue rabbit as she climbed the Down with the other dark brown following her closely.

“Hah hah!” Walnut said triumphantly. “This is my perfect chance when Hazel isn’t here,” Walnut grinned with satisfaction as he saw the two rabbits coming up the hill.

“Morning Blackberry its lovely isn’t it?” Walnut said looking at the moon. “Just like you,” Walnut continued sweetly, completely ignoring Campion so as to trigger a reaction.

Campion growled threateningly beside Blackberry, reminding Walnut that he was there.

“Not now Walnut, actually not ever.” Blackberry said with annoyance.

Walnut was about to reply when Campion stepped between them.

“You heard her,” Campion was quietly quivering with anger, a natural reaction when two bucks were fighting over a doe.

Walnut jumped on Campion and bit into his neck; Campion spun on the spot and twisted, managing to throw Walnut quite far. Walnut smashed into the large beech tree causing the whole warren to assemble above ground to see what the tremor was about.

Walnut swiped at Campion and missed as the experienced captain of owsla stepped swiftly to the side, ducked and responded by pushing his head into the other bucks chest knocking the breath out of Walnut. Campion finished by swinging his back legs which collided with Walnut’s head.

Campion hopped over to the black buck, “Stay away from Blackberry…. and me,” he said panting. At that moment Hazel and the others arrived at the top of the hill.

“What’s going on? I said no fighting to you before Walnut! And Campion, I would have thought you would know better!” Hazel exclaimed, clearly annoyed.

“He started it Hazel he was making a pass at Blackberry, I couldn’t just stand there and let him like a frightened kitten. Anyway he isn’t badly hurt,” Campion said as Walnut picked himself of the ground in disgrace and went straight over to Hazel.

 “I need to speak to you Hazel, at once.” He looked over darkly at Campion before looking defiantly back at Hazel.

“Of course,” Hazel replied, if not a little surprised at the buck’s cheek when he was clearly not happy with him.

Hazel and Walnut headed to the warren entrance. Hazel stopped and whispered to Bigwig, “Don’t tell the rest about our discovery yet and tell the others not to either.”

Campion went over to Blackberry and smiled before suggesting they go underground to rest after their long journey. When they reached their burrow Blackberry turned and said with concern, “Did he hurt you badly again?” She rubbed his ear and got to work on cleaning it from earlier.

“I think he came off worse this time to be honest.” Campion laughed with occasional wincing because of his ear which had been bleeding afresh since the caked blood had been cleaned away.

“Knock, knock,” Bigwig laughed while entering. “Just like me, can’t say no to a fight eh Campion? It’s all about being a captain of owsla.”

“I think I could manage to resist the temptation,” Blackberry said between cleaning.

“Anyway Hazel wants to speak with you Campion, about the fight,” Bigwig said. Campion sighed, “Can it not wait until morning Bigwig? I’m very tired.” He knew he was avoiding the inevitable.

“Probably could, I’ll go tell him. Rest well chum.” Bigwig said departing.

Blackberry ceased the cleaning as Campion laid his exhausted head down onto the bed of grass and leaves and slowly drifted off to sleep.  She lay her head down beside him and sighed, what was she to do? The bucks would fight again and again. It was inevitable because she knew neither would back down. She was also worried about that chat Walnut and Hazel had, was that the reason Hazel had wanted to chat to Campion so late at night? It had to be about more than the fight. Blackberry drifted in and out of sleep as the unanswered questions spun around in her head.