Bambi's Forest

As Campion set himself, the buck charged. Campion met him and threw him about, suddenly sensing he could easily damage his antlers. He decided the best way to chase the brute off Clover was simple - gore him. Campion didn't much like the thought, but did it anyway. He jerked his head back, pulling his antlers away and aiming a few blows at the other's sides. He struck once, twice. The buck jumped back, his eyes wide. Campion stared threateningly at him. "I'll hit you harder if you don't leave this doe be," he snarled, angered. The buck charged for a moment, but then stopped, turned and ran. Clover stepped up to her cousin's side.

"Thanks, Campion," she bleated, sounding relieved. She was happy to see that the buck was gone, and that Campion was a very determind buck. She was rather surprised he had no does. "Anyway, I ought to go. I'll see you later!" She trotted off.

Campion smiled, turning. His cousin was a very sweet doe. He bounded off, going to find somewhere to graze.

Trar's Forest

A few days had past since the exhibition of the buck, and Trar was pleased with the effect. Everyone was in their place. No buck had looked him in the eye - the one that he still had - and even that pretty doe, Faline's, brother had not said a word. As he walked through the forest, his head high, with Nacht and his other two captains at his flanks, he turned all the recent happenings over in his mind. He was still concerned about Huckleberry's sudden outburst over that doe, Yew - not quite afraid, though, so much as furious that his captain had challenged his authority in public. There had been a second - no, less than a second - of time in which Trar had been bewildered, as he had never been challenged like that, and for the first time unsure how to respond. All these things had rushed through his head: it had infuriated him and Huckleberry had gained a fresh scar on his shoulder for it.

Now, Trar was sure, he would not have to worry. And  he had decided that ultimately, he would have Yew, but to wait, and to quietly imply that he would not back down next time Huckleberry had an impulse to protect a doe. And that was that.

But now, some interesting scent, something... something he could not pinpoint... had come on the wind. It was a sweet scent, but by no means one he had ever smelled before. As he looked at his captains, he could tell they had scented it too. It was a mystifying thing, truely - and never had Trar expected what doe stepped out before him.

Bambi's forest

At the time that the doe appeared to Trar, three days after she had been taken away, Salvia walked back into the meadow, and immediately Campion and Bambi ran up. "Salvia! Are you okay?" Campion bleated immediately.

"Of course," the doe laughed at him, shaking her head. "You don't really think that Birch would hurt me, do you?" she had gotten over the whole ordeal, as many does did, but was a bit irritated that a buck of all animals would think another buck would hurt her! "I'm fine. Anyway, how are things here?'

"No different from usual... Ummm, unless Birch took you far away, you should know that, Salvia," Bambi frowned.

Suddenly, Salvia shook her head. "Oh. Um. Yah. That was... a stupid question..." She shook her head again. "I don't  know, I just feel something bad is going to happen. Like something bad is already happening."

Campion frowned. "Don't be silly, Salvia. You're just a bit shaken up."
She nodded. "I suppose that could be it, couldn't it? It's just... I'm not comfortable. I feel like something terrible's going on, and we can't do much to stop it."

Bambi shrugged. He was slightly unsettled by her words - Bambi had known Salvia a long time and learned to trust those feelings of her's. Last time, there had been a flood. The time before that, there was a very bad storm. She was usually right about such things. He looked at Campion, but found the other buck seemed uninterested.

"Anyway, Salvia, it's alright. Some brute was chasing after Clover - my cousin, you remember her from last winter? - and I had to chase him off. That's probably all you're anxious about."

"I hope you're right, Campion," Salvia bleated miserably. She lowered her head.

That was when Birch approached. He frowned. "What are you talking about?" He asked curiously, sensing the tension that they all felt, but none wanted to mention.

"I'm just... feeling upset is all. It has nothing to do with you," she added quickly, "It's.... bigger than me. Bigger than us. It's...." She shook her head. "Really, really big."

"I see..." Birch frowned, having never known about Salvia's feelings. He was far more skeptical.

Ronno and Gobo

Ronno walked into the meadow, Gobo bounded up to him, his eyes wide. "Trar has brought a doe into the herd," he told Ronno, sounding frightened and excited at the same time. "You've seen nothing like her, Ronno! C'mon! They're saying she asked to join the herd!" Ronno's eyes widened. How could that be? Who would want to be apart of this herd now that Trar was the overlord?

He bound over to the flat-topped boulder - titled now the Meeting Place - and waited was Trar stepped forward. Again the moment he ended the Prince's life flashed back. Ronno squeezed his eyes shut and tried to think of Faline. He had to stay strong for her. He opened his eyes to see that she was standing behind Trar with three or four does behind him. Then the terrifying buck raised his deformed antlers above his head and cleared his throats.

"I have an announcement to make," Trar yelled. "I shall be adding two new does to my harem..."