Tales From Watership Down (Watership Down 2)

"But nobody ever goes anywhere near the Ilips. They'll kill you."

"Why should they?"

"Well, they're flesh eaters, for a start, and they're very fierce. But even apart from that, they're the most feared creatures in all this country. They possess evil magic and ugly spells. Why do you want to talk to them? You might as well go and jump in the Black River while you're about it."

Then, since he could see no help for it, El-ahrairah told the glanbrin why he had come to the Dark Country and what he meant to try to do for his people. It heard him out in silence. Then it said, "Well, you're brave and goodhearted. I'll give you that. But what you want to do is impossible. You'd much better go home now."

"Can you guide me to the Ilips?" said El-ahrairah. "I'm still determined to go."

After a long argument, the glanbrin at last gave in and undertook to guide El-ahrairah as near to the Ilips as he himself dared to go. It was all of two days' journey, he said, through strange country where he had never been.

"Then how will you know the way?" asked El-ahrairah.

"Why, by the smell of the Ilips. Do you mean to say you can't smell it at all?"

"No," said El-ahrairah. "I can't."

"Well, now I know you've got no sense of smell. I should stay like that, if I were you. At least you don't have to smell the Ilips."

They set out together. On the way, the glanbrin told a great deal about the customs and way of life of his people, which, it seemed to El-ahrairah, did not differ much from those of his own rabbits.

"You seem to live much the same as we do," he said.

"All together in groups, I mean. How was it that you were alone when you met me?"

"It's sad, is that," replied the glanbrin. "I'd chosen a mate, a beautiful doe. Her name's Flairgold. She's much admired by everyone. We were going to dig a burrow and raise a litter. But then along came a stranger, a hulking great glanbrin calling himself Shindyke. He said he meant to fight me and take Flairgold for himself. We fought, and he won. I just wandered away. I felt heartbroken; I still do. It's spoiled my life, really. I don't know what to do with myself. When you and I met, I was just straying. That's why I'm guiding you now. I might as well do that as anything else."

El-ahrairah told him how sorry he was. "It's an all too familiar story," he said. "It's the same where I come from. It's happening all the time. You're not the only one, if that's any comfort to you."

The glanbrin had said "two days," but in that terrible country El-ahrairah could not count days. Also, he kept stumbling and hurting himself because he could neither smell nor see. He became covered in cuts and bruises. The glanbrin was sympathetic and patient, but El-ahrairah could tell that he wished they could get on faster. He was plainly nervous and wanted to get their journey done as soon as possible.

After they had gone a long way, for what seemed to El-ahrairah to be many days, the glanbrin stopped at a place where piles of stones lay scattered all about. These at least El-ahrairah could feel.

"This is as near as I dare go," said the glanbrin. "You must find your own way from here. Use the wind for direction. It stays fairly steady as a rule."

"What do you mean to do now?" asked El-ahrairah.

"I'll wait here for two days, in case you come back, though I kno

w you won't."

"Yes, I shall," said El-ahrairah. "I'll find these stones again, dark or no dark. So I'll only say goodbye for the present, friend glanbrin."

He set off once more into the dark, being careful to go steadily into the light wind. But it was very difficult to keep direction, and he went slowly. The truth was that the darkness was becoming more than he could endure. He was worn out by it and, in spite of what he had said to the gladbrin, was beginning to wonder whether he would be able to bear it long enough to get home. Without the use of his eyes, he was continually startled by every least sound, and was always tripping and falling. This was bad enough, but the silence was worse. He felt that the darkness itself was alive and hated him; and it never changed, never slept, never spoke. All it had to do was to wait for him to go mad, to break down, to give up and surrender. Then he would have lost and the implacable darkness would have won.

Adding to his fear and uncertainty were his hunger and thirst. He had had no grass since he first came into this dreadful country. True, he had not starved, for the glanbrin, explaining that his people lived principally on what he called "brirs," a kind of wild carrot, had smelled some out and dug them up. They were succulent and quenched thirst as well as hunger. But without the glanbrin he would nevr be able to find any more. He prayed to Frith for courage, though he could not help doubting whether even Lord Frith was stronger than this darkness.

Yet still he went on, as steadily as he could, for he knew that if he did not, it would be the end of him. He felt desperately lonely and would have given anything to have Rabscuttle beside him. Rabscuttle had begged to come, but El-ahrairah had firmly refused him.

Hours passed. At least the wind was steady, but he had no idea how far he had still to go or how long it would take. It would be as bad now to go back as to go on, he thought.

Just as this depressing notion was passing through his mind, he heard in the dark the movement of some creature coming toward him. He could tell that it was big--far bigger than himself--and that if felt entirely confident and secure. He froze stock-still, hardly daring to breathe and hoping that the creature, whatever it was, might pass him by.

However, it did nothing of the kind. It must have smelled him out even before he had become aware of it. It came straight up to him, paused a few moments and then pinned him down under one enormous, soft paw. He could feel the retracted claws. Then it spoke--and he could more or less understand it--to another creature close by.

"I've got it here, Zhuron, whatever it is."

He heard the approach of other creatures like itself. In a few moments he was surrounded by them, all sniffing and touching him with their great paws.