today?"

Gurri winced and turned away.

"You did!" Geno gasped. "You brought the twins to Northern Point and that's why mom is so angry today. Nice job, Gurri. Another stunt like that should send mom into a stroke."

"Alright!" Gurri finally snapped. "I get it! Shut up."

The bickering siblings looked down at Rags who was on her back already playing with and bonding with River and Raven.

"What is that thing?" Gurri finally asked. "And where did dad find it?"

"It's a long story." Geno replied. "But this is what I know..."

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Faline paced to and fro in front of Bambi as he told her the story of what happened.

"And then the Man came." Bambi continued breathlessly.

Faline stopped and turned to Bambi.

"Did you see his face?" She found herself asking.

Bambi shook his head. "I did not. He was too far away and there was a lot of dust in the canyon. All I saw was the dog. But I saw the Man's shape in the dust. He discharged his weapon, and I didn't have time to know what was going on until...well, you know. Anyway, Rags and I took that time to head back up the mountain to safety."

Faline sighed and looked into the distance.

"That was incredibly dangerous and fool-hearty of you. Your father never would have done such a thing. You are very stupid, Bambi." She answered coldly.

Bambi sighed and lowered his head at the insult. He was shocked when Faline suddenly rubbed her face against his chest in a loving manner.

"And you are also very brave." Her voice changed and became soft and comforting.

Bambi flashed a huge smile and returned the loving gesture by rubbing his chin on Faline's head.

"She needs us, My Love." Bambi whispered.

"Then...we shall care for her." Faline added.

----------------------------

 

It was the edge of twilight by the time Bambi and Faline returned. Geno departed with his father up the neighboring hill. Gurri settled down in the leaf litter outside the den. Still shaken by their mother's anger earlier that day, the twins River and Raven settled in with Gurri and fell asleep. Faline lay down in the warm den and made herself comfortable. The kitten approached apprehensivly and sniffled.

"I'm cold...can I sleep with you? Please?"

Her voice was tiny and innocent. Her large green eyes sparkled and glowed in the darkness of the den. Faline sighed. This creature was strange and unusual. But it was still just a baby. And Faline was a mother. She gave a kind smile and nodded.

"Of course you can, my dear." She said in a sweet voice.

Rags smiled and crawled on her belly towards Faline's side. The warmth of the deer caused Rags to become very comfortable. She began to purr. The soft sound confounded but at the same time, comforted the doe. She smiled as she watched the kitten rub up against her sides before snuggling into place. She gave a sleepy yawn.

"Good night, little one." Faline cooed.

"Good night...mommy." Rags whispered before falling asleep.

Faline was shocked at first, but then she was greatly humbled and honored. She nuzzled the sleeping kitten's head one last time before succumbing to the exhaustion of the day. Faline closed her azure eyes and was asleep within moments.

------------------------------------------------

Bambi headed up a steep mountain, where at the top, the trees gave way and one could see the whole forest and the night sky from the vantage point. Geno was sent to do night-patrol in another part of the forest. Bambi occassionally had to do this, if only to get a moments peace by himself. Once he reached the top he gave a grand sigh and looked up at the stars.

"Good evening, Prince Bambi." A withered voice came from behind.

Bambi turned and smiled to see his old friend.

"Hello, Friend Owl." He greeted respectfully.

The ancient brid was almost completely gray now, with a great deal of white down his face and stomach. Indeed, the old bird had grown even older. His true age was unknown. All that was known was the fact that the owl was very wise and his advice was greatly sought after, to those who were looking for it at least.

"I hear-tell you rescued a small bobcat kitten from certain death. How stupidly brave of you." The old owl croaked teasingly.

Bambi gave a nervous laugh. "Wow. Word sure does spread fast in this forest."

"Hardly." The owl shrugged. "I was on a nearby branch listening to the story you were telling Faline."

"Oh, you were evesdropping. That's much better." Bambi said sarcastically.

"You ommitted an important part of the story, son. Why didn't you tell Faline the other thing you saw?"

Bambi's heart leapt into his throat. His eyes darted about nervously.

"What other thing?" He pretended not to know.

"Come now, Bambi." The owl persuaded. "You know exactly what I mean."

Bambi shook all over, though there was no chill in the air. He reminiced about what happened BEFORE he leapt into the canyon. The human. He looked at it. He crashed into it, and looked at its face. Bambi quickly shook off the feeling.

"How on earth did you know about that?" He whispered.

"There are birds all over this forest, dear Prince. And we birds tend to communicate. But don't worry. This news will not go beyond these trees."

"It's forbidden to look upon the face of Man. My father insisted on that law. I can't let Faline know that I looked into the face of Man. Imagine a Prince breaking his own laws. She would never forgive me. It was a fluke; an accident. That Man creature was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I had to save Rags, and I wasn't going to let that Man beast get in my way."

"Let me ask you something, Bambi." The old bird continued as he made his way down a winding branch. "When you were at the top of the hill with your family to one side and the endangered creature to the other, which side did you originally choose?"

"My family, of course. I was on my way down to help them...but something going against all things natural stopped me and made me go to her rescue."

"Something against all things natural...so you admit you went against your first instinct, yes?"

Bambi nodded. "Well, yes."

The withered owl shook his heavy head. "I see." He sounded disappointed.

"What's wrong?" Bambi inquired. "Do you think I made a bad decision?"

Friend Owl considered the words in the question very carefully.

"I think your decision was nobel." The old bird answered.

Bambi smiled, but the smile was quickly wiped off his face as the owl continued.

"However, I think it was the wrong decision."

Bambi narrowed his eyes. "If I haden't been there to protect her, she would have been killed." He responded with a hint of anger in his voice.

The owl nodded. "What you interrupted, my Prince, should have come to pass."

Bambi backed away, his eyes wide with shock. He shook his head in horror.

"You're saying...she should have been killed? I should've just let her die?!" The elevated stress patterns in Bambi's voice indicated that the owl had indeed struck a very sensitive nerve. The Prince had been highly offended by the owl's remark.

"I'm saying..." the owl continued. "Where there is Death...There will ALWAYS be Death." With that, the owl opened his mighty wings and sailed away on the winds.

Bambi watched, still shaking, as the bird disappeared into the clouds. He had always regarded Friend Owl as a wise and inspirational teacher. But his insinuations...his thoughts that Rags was actually supposed to be killed that day...made Bambi consider the possibilities that the ancient bird had finally gone insane with age. There was no way the innocent little animal was meant to die that day. Bambi saw to that.

But the words had been planted like infectious seeds. The words that ripped violently into his skull and embeded themselves into his brain. Those words...the words Bambi would forever resent but not soon forget.

Where there is Death, There will Always be Death.

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End of Part 1