Trar's Forest

The leaves were falling as Ronno ducked under a branch and rose an impressive set of six points on his antlers. His first year and he had six points - he was proud. He feared though that he would not be allowed to use them to fight for Faline - Trar had laid a law that claimed that he and his guard got first choice of the does, and no other buck could fight them for it.

If they did, as one buck had the day before, the other guardbucks would fall upon him and kill him. Ronno feared more than anything the way he had seen Trar looking measuringly at Faline, as if deciding whether or not she would be a good hind. Ronno knew that Faline would want more than anything to fight him, but she would be killed in the process. He knew how Faline would rank her choices: Top of her line, she would want her buck to be Bambi, but he was not here. Trar was probably the last buck in the forest she wanted to sire her fawns - she had told Ronno herself that she would rather take her own life. Ronno had asked about himself that day, and she told him if she couldn't be with Bambi, now that Ronno had straightened out, she'd choose him.

In response, Ronno had begun to realize he didn't hate Bambi. In fact, he rather liked him looking back on it now. It was simply the all-consuming jealousy that had spurred his hatred and his bullying.

It would be different now. Except, Ronno suddenly realized, he was still jealous of Bambi - undoubtedly, where ever the other buck was, he had found a nice doe, and he would be allowed to fight for her. Ronno was sure of that much - Trar had only conquered these two herds - the Great Prince's bucks and his does. Only now, during the rut, did the two herds combine. After all, no buck wanted an ear bitten off by a doe who felt he was a bit too close to her fawn. Ronno himself didn't know how humiliating that'd be, but he certainly knew how painful it was. Ever since one bad run-in as a fawn, Ronno never went near a raccoon again.

The great red buck entered the meadow, suddenly losing his breath at the silence of the bucks and does. No one was fighting. Not even for a spar.

Then he remembered that Trar and his captains hadn't yet chosen their does. Ronno's ears flattened. He would like to stab out Trar's other eye, that Bambi's father hadn't blinded. The buck knew that with exceptional strength and surprise, one might be able to take Trar down - come up on his blind side and kill him in his confusion. But Trar's top guards would not allow that buck to live - specifically, his right-side top captain, who was ever loyal. And Ronno feared him even more than Trar - he was certain that it was he who had made Trar able to become the Overlord, as Ronno had discovered that Trar's antlers had been sharpened like a man's weapon.

Ronno knew it was this captain who had come up with that - he had spoken with the sinister buck, and the cold, calculating look to his eyes and his sharp, observant personality made him unnatural: This, combined with his muscular build, though not quite as powerful as Trar, frightened Ronno beyond measure.

Ronno broke from his thoughts as he saw a doe bounding over to him - Faline. She looked scared. "Trar and his captains are on the way," she bleated anxiously. "I'm scared they might choose me, or some younger and very unlucky doe." Ronno understood. This year had been an extraordinarily good one - that had helped Trar build his ranks - and a few does had become fertile very young - only half a year old.

"Now, Faline," Ronno tried to consol her. "I'm confident that Trar won't want some doe who's barely out of spots. She might be healthy, but not old enough to produce good fawns if she's just barely older than one herself."

"And me?" Faline sounded very afraid.

"I... I'm not sure." Ronno looked down. "If he chooses you, Faline, please don't do anything stupid. Don't fight, and please, for the sake of the Prince's spirit... don't kill yourself."

"I don't want to carry on the bloodline of any of those monsters, Ronno," Faline whispered.

"But what if you have to?" Ronno nosed her comfortingly. "You could raise his fawn to be an even stronger buck than Trar himself. He could kill his father and restore peace. Can you imagine, Faline? A buck stronger than Trar... and a good, kind buck at that!" Faline sighed.

"Next year I won't eat so much," she muttered.

All the deer looked up as Trar and his captains approached. On his left side was a very dark brown buck who Ronno hadn't seen before - he had four points and three scars under one eye. Ronno stared and stayed silent. He felt that if he looked at these deer wrong, it would be enough for Trar to have him killed. The unnatural buck was at his right side.

Bambi's Forest

Things were good. Bambi's friends had returned that second Spring as very nice adults - specifically, Salvia. She was a beautiful doe, Bambi realized. That fall he had migrated with the herd, as he had become the prince of this forest. He had seen Birch, who had actually treated him quiet well, and the two had stopped for a fine conversation about the past year. A long scar cut down Birch's shoulder from a violent encounter with an angery raccoon, a story that to Bambi seemed oddly familiar. He dismissed it though, more surprised at Birch's nice rack. He hadn't seen very many first-year bucks with seven points at all, but Birch did. He had exceptionally strong shoulder and neck muscles, too, and had apparently been one of the first bucks to come out of the velvet. It seemed that his new antlers had put Birch in a very good mood, as he seemed pleased for once, and Bambi was comfortable joking that he hoped the two didn't have an eye on the same doe.

But that was when Salvia approached. She had mostly lost her spots, but her oddly coloured rump still had a dusting of lighter hairs, light snow on her hindquarters. She looked sleek and well. Bambi figured that, yes, he would most certainly have to fight for her should she be interested in him. She was absolutely beautiful.

"Hello, Bambi! Hello, Birch!" She cheered as she leaped over. "Have you seen Campion?"

"No, not yet," answered Birch. "You, Bambi?"

"Not at all," Bambi replied. He hadn't noticed, but he hadn't seen his old friend. "You don't think...?"
"Bambi, have you learned anything?" Salvia chided. "Of course he didn't get shot. Not only is he far too smart, man doesn't come here."

"Well, yes, but..." He shrugged. "I guess you're right, huh?"
"'Course she is," Birch nodded, looking around. "Wonder where he's gone off to?"

A rabbit bounded by. It had tan-brown fur and was very small. It had an oddly frightened look, and sat up. He said to Birch, "I don't know, but he won't have any does this year," and suddenly jerked around. A large, scarred buck rabbit was following, and yelled in amusement at the first rabbit:
"Get your tail over here, will you? We have a warren to dig!"

The rabbit took off. "Run, Fiver, run!" Yelled Salvia after him with a laugh as the bigger rabbit passed.

"What?" Bambi frowned.

"Don't ask," Birch laughed as well. "What do you suppose he meant by Campion 'won't have any does this year'?"

Salvia shrugged, but that was when a buck with an extremely impressive first-year rack stepped out. He had probably nine to twelve points. And it was Campion. "Hi, you three. Getting into trouble?"

"Campion! Where did that come from!?" Salvia's bright yellow eyes grew wide. "I have never seen a first-year buck with antlers like that!!"

"And... Um... Campion?" Birch frowned.

"Yes?" The other buck swung his head to look at him.

"You're still in the velvet."

"Well... um, yes, I suppose that's right. And I don't think I'm coming out of it any time soon, either," Campion frowned as well, thoughtfully. "Earlier this year I saw this really nice peach tree, and I just had to take just one, for old times' sake, so I tried to jump this fence, and it was one of those sharp ones... I didn't quiet clear it... Well, it was really painful."

Birch laughed at that, shaking his head. "Oh, Campion, you are so stupid sometimes."
"Yes... yes I am," He raised his head proudly.

Bambi and Salvia frowned and looked at eachother in confusion.

Trar's Forest

Trar walked slowly amongst the deer. The does were all fine, but he wanted the best for himself. The healthiest, the strongest. He could take one of the young ones, but they were far too young. No good for offspring this year - next year, maybe. However, Faline was a fine doe, and Trar knew that her interest was the red buck who had watched him kill the old Prince and followed him as a fawn. Ronno was his name. It would be nice to see such a promising buck put in line, maybe one day he could bribe that one to join him. His top captain had given him the idea, and it was a good one. "That one," he passed one very healthy hind with nice muscles. Perhaps she could produce a strong buck. Her eyes widened and she bleated in fear as the ranks herded her to a secluded corner of the meadow. "And that one." Another nice doe, who Trar clearly remembered had produced a buck he had recuited last fall. If she would give him a buck, very good - another guard for him in a couple years. If a doe, Trar did not doubt that little doe would grow