The Honeycomb, Watership Down

Hazel reached the summit of the Down first, seeing the shape of the beech tree casting it's shadow across the grass as he looked across the top. Bigwig was right behind him, looking cautiously from side to side. Vervain trudged up the hill a short distance behind them, panting and grumbling to himself.

"Listen," said Hazel.

Bigwig stopped to listen.

"How could Woundwort do this to me? Me? The most loyal and trustworthy rabbit in all of Efrafa," was all that could be heard, courtesy of Vervain.

"Be quiet you idiot! We're trying to listen," barked Bigwig. Vervain squeaked before falling quiet. It left an eery silence across the Down, something none of the Watership rabbits could recall ever hearing as the warren had always been full of life.

"Hello?" said Hazel loudly down the main run, however no reply came.

Hazel looked at Bigwig for a second, before slowly stepping forward into the warren. Bigwig followed, however from the way Hazel paused inside the doorway, he already knew it wouldn't be a pretty sight.

The Honeycomb, the heart of their beloved warren, lay in ruin. The collapse of the caverns below had caused considerable damage in the warren. Although it was still standing, several roots hung down from the beech tree, and large piles of soil filled in previously hollowed out space. Several of the side runs were now inaccessible too. The once warm honeycomb was now cold and desolate, with small spots of blood on the ground being the only major sign that there had been a struggle there recently.

"Bigwig," started Hazel, bravely trying to hold back tears at the horror in front of him, "Check the side burrows. I'll check the runs. See if you can find anyone trapped down here," said Hazel. Bigwig nodded, turning to scamper off and bumping into Vervain.

"You... go and stand outside in the mud where you belong," he growled at Vervain. The black rabbit turned and left without saying another word, as Bigwig continued with his appointed task.

*************

By the stone bridge near Efrafa

Woundwort stopped first, standing on the wall of the bridge to look back over the group of rabbits. Although clearly they were still unhappy, none of them were going anywhere. Even so, he still held suspicions.

"Sweet, sweet General? What concerns you now?" asked Cowslip, standing lower than him on the ground.

"You don't become a great leader without gaining a sense of what's going on. Someone has been watching us. I can smell it," he growled.

"Someone is always watching General. It is up to the watcher to decide whether to watch or whether to watch what not to..." started Cowslip.

"Enough Cowslip. I haven't got time for your nonsense," growled Woundwort.

"Who is this watcher? Is it another rabbit... or is it elil?" questioned Cowslip.

"The scent isn't that of a rabbit, yet it's similar," started Woundwort, sniffing the air, before snapping back to look at Cowslip.

"Bah, it's not important. We'll go through the river, and travel downstream a little before doubling back. That should lose anything which may be on our scent," said Woundwort.

"So you aren't going back to Efrafa then?" asked Cowslip.

"I told you, I wasn't. None of us are. We're going to find a new warren. My new warren!" shouted Woundwort, stamping his foot.

"Now, Onward!"

Soon, back at Watership Down

After a few minutes of frantic digging, the unstable walls of the Honeycomb trembling with every move of the large rabbit's paws, Bigwig finally returned to the Honeycomb where Hazel was already standing panting.

"Nothing. Wherever Woundwort's gone, he's taken everyone. At least we know they all must still be alive," started Hazel.

"Is that better for them though, being stuck with Woundwort?" mumbled Bigwig to himself. Hazel was about to snap back at him, when they were interrupted by Vervain squeaking, before he came running into the Honeycomb.

"What? What is it?" asked Hazel.

"T..there's some little creature coming up the hill towards us," replied Vervain.

"What sort of creature?" asked Bigwig.

"I... I don't know. It could have been a hedgehog or perhaps a mouse. I didn't want to stay and check as I er...er... wanted to warn you about it!" replied Vervain.

"Idiot!" muttered Bigwig, pushing past Vervain as him and Hazel headed for the main run.

"Hannah!?" he shouted, seeing the familiar brown mouse running across the top of the top of the Down.

"Hazel! You're... you're alive. Oh thank the stars!" she shouted running across with a tear in her eye, and hugging his leg; it being the nearest thing to her level.

"Yes, I'm fine too," snorted Bigwig.

Hannah didn't say anything to him, not trying to be cruel to him, but because she'd set her eyes upon Vervain.

"What's he doing here?" she snarled.

"Never mind that now! Where is everyone? Where did Woundwort take them?" asked Hazel.

"I don't know. Woundwort headed off in the direction of Efrafa, but I don't know anything more than that," said Hannah.

"What about Kehaar? Did he not manage to follow them?" asked Bigwig.

"He can't fly. He's hurt pretty badly," replied Hannah worriedly.

"Where is he?"

"At the foot of the down"

"Come on," finished Hazel, as Hannah scrambled up onto his back.

At the foot of the Down

"Where Hannah get to. Say she see rabbits ages ago. I no see any rabbits," grumbled Kehaar to himself, wobbling on the branch as he tried to pace backwards and forwards on it. Suddenly, he heard a rustling from the bushes, followed a moment later by the sight of Hannah.

"He's up there," she said, pointing her little paw up towards the tree.

"I thought you said he couldn't fly," replied Hazel, looking up.

"He can't. He landed there when Woundwort attacked. Now he can't get down," sighed Hannah.

"Come on then," shouted Hazel, cautiously beginning to climb the tree. Vervain's eyes went wide in shock.

"Y...you... you can climb trees?" he gasped disbelievingly, "It's not natural," he continued muttering to himself.

"Not natural? That's a good line coming from you," growled Bigwig as he followed Hazel and Hannah.

"Kehaar!" shouted Hannah, reaching the top of the tree where Kehaar was stood.

"They alive! All rabbits of Watership Down okay! Oh, is wonderful!" cried Kehaar, as Hazel appeared on the branch.

"er... not quite. Just these two. Woundwort still has everyone else," sighed Hannah.

"But everyone be okay though, ya?" he asked, looking to Hazel for reassurance.

"Everyone will be fine, I promise," smiled Hazel. Fearing he could not hide his worry for long, he quickly changed the subject,"Now we have to figure out how to help you out of this."

"First of all, you can tell me why he's here," started Hannah, pointing down at Vervain.

"Woundwort abandoned him in the caverns below the Down," replied Hazel.

"So what. You should have left him down there, and good riddance," she snorted.

"That's what I said, but Hazel wouldn't listen", said Bigwig.

"Maybe he can help us," continued Hazel, quickly trying to think up an excuse to hide his current plans for Vervain.

"Him? Help us? How?! He couldn't chew his way through a leaf of clover," said Hannah, spitting out each word as she spoke.

"He knows Woundwort better than any of us. He knows how he thinks!" pointed out Hazel.

"If he knows him that well, how did he end up stuck in the caverns in the first place?" replied Hannah.

Hazel paused for a second, knowing the fact to be true, before changing direction with his reasoning.

"Well, as long as he's with us, he can't be plotting something with Woundwort. That has to be a good thing."

"I suppose you're right," conceded Bigwig. He still wasn't particularly convinced by Hazel's reasoning, but didn't think it was worth arguing with him any longer. There was something Hazel wasn't telling him, but now wasn't the time to find out.

"Now, can we all agree not to kill him for the time being?" asked Hazel cautiously.

Hannah and Kehaar nodded.

"Bigwig?"

"Oh, alright then. Just don't think I'm going to be nice to him," he snorted.

"Good. Now that we have that sorted, there's a bigger problem," said Hazel, peering down from the branch towards the ground, "How are we going to get you down from this tree?"

"You're sure you can't fly?" asked Bigwig, instantly wondering why he'd bothered as it was clear what the answer would be.

"No. Wing broken I think. I walk just maybe, but I no fly," muttered Kehaar.

"Climbing down would be out of the question too," sighed Hazel.

"Do you think you could manage a short jump to the ground, as long as there's something soft to land on?" asked Bigwig, with a slightly evil glint in his eye.

"Maybe. Hurt for a while though, but I think no hurt no more than do now."

"Vervain!" Bigwig shouted down to the ground, grabbing the attention of the black rabbit who was still lost in his own thoughts, "Look down at the ground and tell me what you see."

Vervain thought it a strange request but, not used to doing anything but follow orders, he did as he was told, unaware of Bigwig's signalling above.

"You wouldn't..." started Hazel, but before he said another word, Kehaar jumped from the branch. He landed with a muffled thud on top of Vervain, screeching in pain, although only just managing to drown out the distressed and surprised squeal from Vervain.

"You didn't make me promise I wouldn't hurt him!" said Bigwig, grinning at Hazel, before he and Hannah quickly scrambled down the tree to ground level.

"Are you okay Kehaar?" started Hannah, reaching him first.

Kehaar winced a little as he stood up, before replying, "Yes, I be fine. I rest, then we go again"

"What about me?" groaned Vervain, as he staggered to his feet and nursed a nasty scratch on his shoulder.

"What about you ugly Vervain?" snapped Kehaar, before nipping him on the nose.

"Now that's enough you lot. Leave him alone, and that's an order," shouted Hazel angrily, joining them on the ground.

"Sorry about that Vervain. It was just an accident," continued Hazel, rubbing Vervain's shoulder gently and glaring at Bigwig out of the corner of his eyes.

Vervain mumbled something to himself, but said no more out loud.

"So what are we going to do?" asked Bigwig.

"We... we have to go after them," said Hazel.

"But where Hazel?"

"Efrafa I'd guess!"

Hannah spoke up at that point.

"No, I heard him say he wasn't going to go back there. He didn't say where he was going, only that he knew it wasn't there," she said.

"You said he went in that direction though, so perhaps we can pick up their scent. That many rabbits are going to leave tracks," replied Hazel.

Soon, at the river

Bigwig stopped sniffing at the far side of riverbank, before turning to the others and sighing. They had already crossed the bridge to the Efrafan side, after picking up the rabbit tracks leading down to the waterside.

"They didn't come out here Hazel, so it doesn't look he's going back to Efrafa. They could be anywhere by now," he said.

"We'll find them Bigwig! You can't hide that number of rabbits forever. Why don't we see what we can find at Efrafa anyway," started Hazel.

"But why? We know they aren't there?" replied Bigwig.

"We don't have anywhere else to look Bigwig!"

"Anything has to be better than looking where we know they aren't!" said Bigwig

Hazel sighed and turned to Vervain.

"Vervain, do you have any idea where he's gone?" he asked.

"He was determined to rule Efrafa again. It doesn't seem like him to give up on it now," replied Vervain.

"See! He doesn't know Woundwort very well at all. It's a waste of time him being here," snorted Bigwig.

"There's no need for that Bigwig. Vervain's just as much in this mess as we are. Now come on, let's go check out Efrafa. It's better than standing here arguing," said Hazel.

*************

Soon, just outside Efrafa

It hadn't taken them long to reach Efrafa, largely due to Bigwig's eagerness to get in and out as quickly as possible to avoid any more wasted time. It was strange that now, despite the warren being deserted, the place still seemed to have more life to it than Watership Down; a thought that flashed through Hazel's mind as he walked through the long grass. Bigwig, who was walking alongside him stopped suddenly.

"What is it Bigwig?" whispered Hazel, instinctively knowing to keep his voice down.

"There's a rabbit nearby," replied Bigwig, the fur on his back rising, "Over that way. Smells as though there's only one," he continued, indicating to the line of bushes.

"Hannah, Kehaar, Vervain. You wait here," Hazel started as him and Bigwig crawled stealthily forwards through the long grass. Suddenly they caught sight of the other rabbit, who had moved upon hearing their approach, despite them thinking themselves to be silent.

"Campion!?" shouted Hazel. Campion swung round upon hearing him shout, and ran towards him.

"Hazel? Oh, thank Frith I've found you. Everyone's gone from Efrafa, and there's fresh scent of Wou..." he started, before catching sight of Vervain nearby.

"You!" he growled, running towards him.

"C... Campion!" squealed Vervain. He cowered in fear for a second, before bolting, quickly managing to scramble past Campion as he ran. Campion swung round to chase after him.

"I'll kill you when I get my claws on you!" he shouted, as Vervain cowered behind Hazel.

"Bigwig, stop him!" shouted Hazel.

"Oh, do I have to!" grumbled Bigwig. He sighed, before jumping at Campion, and pinning him to the ground.

"Let me go Bigwig! I'll tear him apart!" shouted Campion, seering with rage as Bigwig held him tight.

"Oh, there's nothing I'd like better than to let you, believe me, but Hazel insists we have to keep him with us," said Bigwig

"He's nothing but a backclawing traitor, who'd send any number of his own kind to their death just to help Woundwort. He's worse than elil," growled Campion.

"If it makes you feel any better, Woundwort tried to kill him," replied Bigwig.

"He didn't do a good enough job then, did he. I'll happily finish off what he started. I should have done it a long time ago," continued Campion, itching for Bigwig to let him go.

"I... We need him though. We need him to help us stop Woundwort! He deserves a second chance. All rabbits do!"

"He's had hrair chances Hazel. The only thing he deserves now is to be sent back to the Black Rabbit of Inlé where he belongs," replied Campion.

Hazel sighed and crouched down to speak quietly with Campion.

"Look Campion. You know you've always been able to trust me; so trust me now."

"And what if you're wrong?" snorted Campion.

"The rabbits of our warrens are counting on me to save their lives. Do you think I'd be doing all this if I thought it was dangerous?" continued Hazel.

He paused for a second waiting for a reply from Campion, however none came.

"Bigwig..", said Hazel, nodding to the captain. Bigwig released his grip on Campion, allowing the brown rabbit to stand up and shake the dust from his fur. He paused for a minute, before lurching foward and pinning Vervain to the ground.

"Get in my way just once, and I'll kill you. You don't belong with us," he growled, holding his claws to Vervain's throat.

All Vervain could manage was a series of high-pitched whimpers as Campion walked off with Bigwig, both of them grumbling about the injustice of it all.

"Don't worry. If he were going to kill you, he'd have done it by now. You're safe with us," said Hazel, realising almost immediately that probably wasn't the most reassuring thing he could have said.

"He's right though. I don't belong here. I don't belong anywhere," sighed Vervain.

"Every rabbit belongs somewhere Vervain. The challenge we all face is to find out where," replied Hazel, "Now come on. We're going to find everyone, no matter what it takes. You can help by telling us everything you know about Woundwort's return from the dead," he continued, walking after the others.

*************

Late evening, down by the river

Bigwig stood by himself sniffing the reeds down by the riverbank, after having spotted what looked like the faint signs of a paw print, but soon pulled his nose back out angrily.

"Still, nothing," he grumbled, before turning sharply as he heard Campion approaching from behind.

"Bigwig, can I have a word with you?" he started.

"Go ahead. I could do with a break from this anyway," replied Bigwig.

"It's about Hazel," said Campion, hesitating slightly before continuing, "Do you think he's alright?"

"I don't know what to think any more. Since the attack he's been acting very strange, and then of course there's the way he keeps treating Vervain so nicely. I know he always wants to help other rabbits, no matter who they are, but with Vervain he seems to be going beyond just friendliness," replied Bigwig.

"That's what I thought. Then there was earlier. I saw them talking to one another, yet throughout Hazel was being as kind and gentle as he would be with a kit. Even grooming his fur for him after he fell in the river mysteriously...", continued Campion

"I told you that had nothing to do with me; Vervain just bounced off my paws as I walked past them," grinned Bigwig.

"...it's almost as though Hazel's after something from him. But what? We already know he doesn't know where Woundwort's gone," continued Campion, before pausing, "Do you think we should talk to him about it?"

"He wouldn't listen. He..." started Bigwig, before Campion interrupted.

"Shh. He's coming!"

"Any luck yet?" asked Hazel, approaching them, yet looking strangely distant.

"er... no we still haven't found any tracks" replied Bigwig.

Hazel sighed before continuing, "We could search these riverbanks for moons and still be no closer to finding them. Perhaps we need to take a different approach," He paused for a moment to think, "What if... What if Woundwort and Cowslip have gone back to the new warren Cowslip took over!"

"I can't see why they'd go back to somewhere as small as that, when they wouldn't go back to Efrafa. I thought the whole idea was that old Woundwort was trying to establish a warren someplace new," replied Bigwig.

"So what better place to do it than a small warren, with plenty of room to be shaped, that he thinks no-one knows about," smiled Hazel, "Come on, let's go and check it out. I have a good feeling this could be the place,"

"Now hold on Hazel. We can't go now," replied Bigwig, a little shocked by Hazel's sudden eagerness.

"Well, why not. Were you not the one who was so keen on us not to waste time?" asked Hazel.

"We can't risk going that far when the owls are hunting. We'd be better to leave it until the morning," replied Bigwig.

Hazel looked up at the stars, before finally sighing.

"I suppose you're right. A bit of rest could do us all good anyway. Kehaar's wing should feel better after some rest too," replied Hazel, "Come on then. Let's go dig some scrapes for the night. We'll continue the search when Frith rises again"

Early the next morning

Frith rose peacefully in the sky, casting his warming glow across the ground, and symbolising the start of a beatiful day. Bigwig lay still, all their current worries seeming a distant memory as he...

"Kehaaaar," screeched Kehaar, much to Bigwig's annoyance. He'd been in a deep sleep until the gull had made such a dreadful noise, and depriving Bigwig of his beauty sleep was never a good idea.

"What in Frith's name..." he started, as Campion stood up alongside him.

"Bigwig! Campion! Is all bad!" screeched Kehaar, the shrill noise making the still sleepy rabbits flinch.

"What is it? What's all the noise about?" groaned Bigwig.

"Hazel and Vervain. They've both gone!" shouted Hannah, clinging to Kehaar's neck.

"What do you mean gone?", replied Bigwig.

"What do you think I mean? I mean gone! As in not here! They've gone in the night!" she replied.