Watership down 2 - a new threat

Chapter 48

Chapter 48: A Gross Problem

The morning sun broke through the clouds, casting a warm light over the campsite. Bigwig stirred awake, rubbing his eyes and shaking off the remnants of a restless night. As he glanced around, he noticed that the others were already up, the air filled with the scents of fresh grass and the faint aroma of wildflowers.

But something was off. A strange smell wafted through the air, a pungent odor that made his stomach churn.

"What in the warren is that?" Bigwig muttered, sitting up and scanning the area. He caught sight of Dandelion, who was crinkling his nose in disgust as he approached.

"Ugh, I think it's coming from over there," Dandelion said, pointing toward a cluster of bushes. "It smells like something died!"

Fiver, who had been resting nearby, perked up at the mention of a foul smell. "I had a vision... a bad one," he said, his eyes wide with concern. "Something is wrong. We need to investigate."

"Or maybe we need to get as far away from it as possible!" Hawkbit chimed in, his ears twitching nervously. "What if it's a predator or something worse?"

But Bigwig felt a sense of duty swell within him. "We can't just ignore it. If there's a dead animal nearby, it could attract scavengers, or worse, Woundwort's soldiers. We have to check it out."

With a reluctant nod, the group moved toward the source of the smell, each step accompanied by a growing sense of dread. As they pushed through the underbrush, the odor intensified, making Bigwig's stomach churn even more.

"Fiver, do you see anything?" Bigwig asked as they approached the bushes, cautiously peering around.

Fiver squinted, his nose wrinkling as he breathed in the stench. "I can't see clearly... but I feel something is not right."

Suddenly, they broke through the thicket, and the sight that greeted them was far worse than they could have imagined. A dead rabbit lay sprawled on the ground, its body bloated and covered in flies. The grotesque scene sent a wave of nausea through the group.

"Oh no, this is bad," Dandelion exclaimed, backing away. "We need to get out of here!"

Bigwig felt a knot tighten in his stomach. "We can't just leave it. We need to move it away from our camp before it draws more attention."

"What if it attracts the soldiers?" Hawkbit protested. "We should just bury it or something!"

Before they could come up with a plan, a rustling sound interrupted their discussion. They turned to see Blackavar approaching, his ears perked up in curiosity. "What's going on?" he asked, sniffing the air. "It smells horrible over here."

Blackavar's nonchalance only added to the tension. "We've found a dead rabbit," Bigwig said, his voice grim. "And it's not just any dead rabbit. It's... it's—"

"A gross problem!" Fiver interjected, cutting off Bigwig before he could finish. "If we don't handle this, we could have a bigger issue on our hands."

"Right," Bigwig agreed, trying to rally everyone's spirits. "We'll need to work together to deal with it. Fiver, can you guide us on what to do?"

Fiver nodded, his expression serious. "We need to bury it far from our camp. That way, the smell doesn't linger, and it won't attract anything dangerous."

With a reluctant sense of determination, the group set to work. They quickly dug a hole some distance away, their hearts heavy with the task at hand. The smell was overwhelming, and Bigwig had to fight back the urge to gag as they lifted the dead rabbit and placed it in the earth.

"Just a little more," Dandelion grunted as they piled dirt over the body. "I can't believe we're doing this."

Once the grave was filled, a tense silence fell over them. The sense of relief was palpable, but so was the lingering dread of what else could be lurking in the wild.

"Alright, that should do it," Bigwig said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Now let's get back to camp and make sure everything is safe."

As they returned, Fiver lingered behind for a moment, casting one last glance at the freshly covered grave. "I hope this was the only problem we'll have to face today," he murmured to himself.

But deep down, they all knew that this was just a small glimpse of the challenges ahead. The threat of Woundwort still loomed large, and the battle for their future had only just begun.