Kaiser stepped into the Haven, as the great clearing had been nicknamed. Bucks exchanged teases - everyone was spoiling for a fight. While Leaf had looked relaxed, now he seemed up and ready to show off - and Kaiser could barely blame him. The buck still wasn't a fan of Kaiser, but certainly had grown up some. It seemed to him that even Birch had grown a bit more comfortable with Leaf.

"Well," Maple bleated. "Look there! Fights already starting." In fact, it was Ronno who had locked antlers with a buck, with - of all does - Rosehip standing by, watching intently.

"Not quite sure what to make of that," Leaf observed. "Can't tell if Ronno or that buck's working as a wing-man to make the other look good, if it's a legitament spar, or if one of them's just straight crossed a line."

Noir frowned. "I would put my bet on crossing lines," she suggested. "I've seen that buck before. Rude as can be to a doe!" She shook her head disapprovingly, and the group turned to move to a different part of the Haven.

"Well," Faline murmured, sitting with Bambi and Salvia, "it seems everyone's in decent spirits."

"Indeed," Bambi agreed, "But I can't say it feels right yet. We're really just waiting. And if you watch," he added, "You'll see bucks lock in some pretty vicious spars, just to stay sharp for when the next crazy rolls in."

"We'll be waiting," a voice came. It was a harsh voice, if not feminine. Bambi looked down to see none other than Korin, flanked by a rather still-beat-up Herla. "I'll be waiting," she added with a snarl, baring her teeth.

"We know you will," Salvia told her quickly, her ears pinned back. Herla bumped her with his leg, letting the mountain lion know she was scaring her company. She stopped, sitting down. She had a trademark kind of scowl on her face. No animal in the forest could scowl like a mountain lion could.
"Now," Campion inturrupted, "if we're all done. We can't just stop everything because Trar's dead." He mentioned Trar's death, and a relishing silence fell for a moment among the group.

"All that we've gone through," Bambi sighed, "it's all come to this. Finally, my father's murderer is dead. And... I think that it wouldn't be so if I hadn't gone with Mena. We've gone really far, haven't we?"

"Don't start reminiscing on us yet, Bambi," Birch told his leader. "We're not done fighting yet. Nacht is still alive and kicking something grim. We can't say we've won 'til he's dead," he told him.

Campion snorted. "C'mon, Birch. We know he's around. But now he has to reorganize two herds and take control, rally forces, and get back. I don't think that we'll have too many more skirmishes this year."

"Might not be," Herla told him. "The hawk -"

"Oh, please, Herla. You know his name's Volare," Korin inturrupted readily. The deer stared, a bit dumbfounded. Usually, Korin didn't involve herself in conversation, especially not to remind one of a name.

"Right." Herla nodded docilely. "Volare told us that there are a few braces of bucks that'll be patrolling the Pine Forest boundaries, which, as we know, are very close to our's. They may extend to our edge of the forest," he added gravely. "You know how Tr- er, Nacht's - " there seemed to be some kind of force in the way he said Nacht's name, even guilt - "Herd is on the other side of the moor. The Pine forest extends along the edge of that moor. Bucks will be spoiling for a fight, whether involved in war or not. We might need to add patrols ourselves."
"I'll do it," Campion volunteered immediately. "Because - let's face it - we all know that I'm not going to breed, ever." Everyone paused for a moment. They'd all known it, but no one had said anything.

"So be it, then." Bambi nodded tentatively.

"The Pine Forest herd?" A voice broke in. They all turned to see Kaiser. "That's Braila's herd."
Another silence.

"How... How d'you know that?" Salvia asked suspiciously.

"Oh, umm..." Kaiser paused. "I'm really not sure. I just... do."

"I... see..." Salvia frowned, flattening one ear. Korin wasted no time, walking right up to Kaiser, narrowing her eyes.

"I'll know if you lie," she growled to him. "If you've turned to some kind of informant, I'll be on your throat in no time." Kaiser stepped back.
"Hey, it wasn't me who left!" he snapped. "It was Skander!"

"We know, dear," Faline stood up, leaping off the rock to nose Kaiser. "And Korin's just... rough, that's all," there was a slightly sharp edge on her voice, and again Korin gave one of her scowls. "We trust you, it's just odd that you know."

"Everything I do is odd," he grumbled, turning sharply and bounding off.

"Way to go," Birch snorted. "Now you've upset him. You realize that there are stories of twins who have strong connections? That could quite be the case. Don't go chasing him off."

"It's fine," Salvia assured Faline. "After all-" she was cut off by a bout of scuffling, leaves turning up and flying in the air. Two bucks who had been fighting nearby had slid back next to them, and now one threw the other on the ground.
"I win!" the grey buck proclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah," The second stood up. It was Gobo. "Wonderful.  Anyway, in a fight for a doe I won't go so easy. I get it, we aren't rutting right yet," he added as the grey one opened his mouth. "We didn't even touch flank to antler." And that was true - Salvia realized there wasn't a hair out of place on either of them. "But you remember that!" He bounded off, flashing a devious smile back.

Ronno walked up, snorting. "Those two." he shook his head, smiling.
"What are they up to?" Bambi asked.

"Well, they want to start a spar-ring of some kind," Ronno told him with a shrug. "Like fighting tournaments. The rule is that you can't cause injury, use hooves, or antler tips. You have to be able to throw your rival over without any of that."
"Huh." Herla looked interested. "So, maybe we could have recruits for our army work there. It would make them stronger."
"That's an idea," Clover had just walked up to see what had gone on and overheard the conversation. "We should do that. Also, since we have time," she added, "We could set up a larger set of hollows for the Haven, too. We're fighting two against one now. And for those that can't count, those aren't good odds." The others nodded gravely. "But," she added. "Not now. We just have to get through the rut. Once antlers drop, we can work on that. Now, there's some breeding to be done!" She leaped off, her ears up and tail flashing happily.

Herla nodded. "That's true," he murmured. "We ought to relax for awhile."

"Then we will," Bambi told him. "Now, you all ought to go find your does." He stood up, moving into the center of the area himself.

The rut had begun.