Birch, Herla, and Campion

"Campion, go get Bambi." Birch advanced upon the strange buck before him, but Herla suddenly appeared there, much to the aggressive buck's surprise.

"Perhaps you should do so yourself," he barked harshly, with an authoritive tone that Birch recognized: A fight would ensue if he disobeyed, and he could not win.

He didn't want to think of that.

The slightly smaller buck growled a bit, but immediately turned and bounded off. "Now," Herla turned. "Why d'you come here again?"
"I want to join your herd," the buck said. Herla nodded. "LIke I said, I'm Calemvir."

Something about him caught Herla's attention - that air of confidence told him something. "Tell me, Calemvir, why?" Herla asked. "You act as if you've been in a herd before."

"I have," Calemvir admitted. "I left. The... memories... were too much for me."

"I see," Herla nodded. "Well, Bambi shall be here soon."

Bambi and Faline

"Bambi-"

"That's that, Faline! We can not get Ronno or Gobo!" Bambi barked harshly. "All my herd would be killed!"

Faline stood silently. "Fine." She turned and bound away.

"Bambi?" Birch approached the buck. "We have a... visitor."

"Okay," Bambi turned. "Show me to him."

Lihua

The doe trotted along the edge of the clearing, enjoying the day. She was turning everything over in her mind: Trar was a powerful buck, to say the least. But Nacht... Yes, Nacht was stronger still. No buck matched him in size, strength... nothing. She was convinced he would soon lead, and she could finally be alongside the buck she really wanted.

Not Trar - she couldn't care less for him - but Nacht. No, Lihua only thought of power - she knew nothing of Nacht's personality, his twisted, forceful ways, his secrets - none of that was known to her. She had a plan, and she would manipulate her way to the top, and, though no one would know, she would be the true leader.

Yes, she would be the Empress.

But first, Nacht must come into power. How, though? She could always try to nudge him toward simply killing Trar. That would be easy enough.

She glanced at a nearby doe. That was the snag: That doe. She was dark brown, very pretty. And that was the problem. She was pretty. Too pretty.

She seemed to want to take over herself, and that just wouldn't do. She could not stand Trar - he was not even a decently attractive buck, his personality worse - but could not bring herself to see the doe killed.

However, she could gladly put her in a situation that stopped her plan all together.

The doe turned, seeing Nacht approaching. "Hello," Lihua greeted him softly.

"Lihua," Nacht nodded. "I have a question to ask of you."

"Of course," Lihua felt a sense of alarm. She did not show it.

"Who would you prefer to be the doe of - Trar, or myself?"

Huckleberry

Huckleberry was afraid. He knew what Trar wanted to do now - he planned to take Yew and would not delay anymore. Thus, now here he was, out in the unforgiving moorland, trying to track Faline and Herla to fine out where they'd gone. Maybe, just maybe if they were found, he could get Trar to give Yew to him - Huckleberry didn't want to lose her. He knew this was his only hope. He was putting his every sense into it - his nose hunting for trace scents, his eyes like a hawk, sweeping, stalking, his muscles tense.

Then he found it: tracks - two sets - one of a heavier deer, another lighter one. The heavy deer must have been Herla, the lighter ones Faline. He took off after them.

Eventually, he reached a forest. He slowly walked forward. He had no clue what awaited him. If Herla and Faline really were there... they would recognize him... and...

...What would the herd here do to him?

Was it anything like Trar's own herd? Or perhaps the Great Prince's, Huckleberry thought hopefully.

He only had one way to find out. He slowly stepped into the trees, stalking his way in, trying to stay out of sight.

He soon found a stream and immediately fell to his knees and rolled in it. He'd been trained in retrieval, and this tactic was one he knew well.

Eventually a deer crossed his path, and Huckleberry dove into the brambles nearby.

There he sat for awhile. What would happen next? He wasn't sure. He had to find Herla and Faline and retrieve them.

Salvia and Clover

"Salvia, I've been having strange dreams recently," Clover said doubtfully. "I... I think Bambi should know."

"Really?" Salvia turned suddenly and silently looked at her. "Let's go now, then."

The two trotted off, looking for Bambi. He was found with a strange buck, but the does disreguarded him completely. "Bambi, Clover needs to talk to you alone," Salvia told him shortly. She sat down, looking at the other buck. "Hello," she said casually as she tried to pass the time and keep her mind off what Clover and Bambi were speaking about. "I'm Salvia. And you are?"
"I'm Calemvir," the ten point buck raised his head, throwing out his chest and flickering his tail rather flamboyantly. Salvia suddenly felt alarmed and rather on the cautious side; if he was interested in her, she was not in him. She had a fawn, and, rather, she felt a bit upset about the thought of being interested in a buck - for some reason, she thought of Bambi.

"What's bothering you?" Bambi asked Clover. The doe sighed.

"I had a dream," Clover told him slowly, shakily. "It was silent. There was no wind. And I was surrounded by deer in the snow. There was no voices, all their heads hung at their chests, and though some clearly loved a doe, none would fight. All their emotions had withered. Above them stood a twisted buck with this awful head, a huge frame and a hateful, steady control. He was so prideful that all that the herd once was was dead." She hesitated, her voice quivering. "I was standing amidst it, Bambi, and I'm afraid if we don't do something, we shall join that herd."