Watership down 2 - a new threat

Chapter 61

Chapter 61: The Long Road Ahead

The morning brought a gentle breeze over the hill, a rare moment of calm as the rabbits gathered together. Hazel could see the toll the journey had taken on each of them—their once-bright coats dulled with dust and wear, their eyes tired but resilient. The worst of the struggle was behind them, yet he knew that rebuilding, starting anew, might be the greatest challenge of all.

As they prepared to press on, Fiver stood a little apart from the others, his gaze distant again. Hazel approached him, laying a comforting paw on his shoulder. "What do you see, Fiver?"

Fiver looked up, his expression weary but determined. "I don't see an end, Hazel. Only more paths stretching in every direction."

"Is that good or bad?" Hazel asked.

"It's neither," Fiver said quietly. "It just means we have choices. That we're not trapped."

Bigwig joined them, his stance steady but his eyes shadowed. "Then let's make the right ones. We've all lost something on this road, but that doesn't mean we have to lose our future."

The others gathered closer, sensing that these moments were shaping something new—a beginning that each of them had hoped for in their own way. They had endured battles, fears, and losses that had forged them into a family, bound not by blood but by trust and the sacrifices they'd made for one another.

"Together," Hazel said firmly, looking at each of them. "We'll build a place that feels like home again."

As the sun rose higher, they set off, moving as one toward the unknown. With every step, Hazel felt the weight of hope grow stronger in his chest. Whatever lay ahead, they would face it—together.