Miracles of the Forest

Part 2: The Rut

Ch. 7 "The Bucks"

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Geno galloped up a grassy hill, turning to face the steep edge after reaching the top. He tossed his newly polished antlers from side to side and gave a snort.

"Hurry up, you two!" He cried with a stomp of his hoof.

Below the hill near an embankment, Stinkweed and Bumper were busy digging trenches behind a massive grub-infested log; the log was Geno's target. It lay at the edge of one of the trenches, propped up by a couple of small rocks.

"Tell him to hold on." Stinkweed grumbled as he kicked clumps of dirt from the last trench. "We're the ones doing all the work."

Bumper, who was busy digging as well, flicked an ear towards the skunk. "You tell him. I'm trying to bite through a tree root here!"

Rolling his eyes, Stinkweed crawled out of the trench and scrambled over to the log, where he climbed up and called towards the impatient buck. "We're not ready yet!" 

Geno, who had been scraping his antlers along a tree at the moment, ceased and looked down at the tiny black dot that was Stinkweed. "What?"

"I said, we're not ready yet!"

Geno perked up his ears. "You say you're ready?"

Stinkweed gasped and frantically started waving his arms back and forth. "NO!"

"Go? Okay!!" And with that, Geno charged down the hill at full speed, his pointed antlers aimed right for the log.

Stinkweed yelped and began jumping up and down. "No! No! Not yet!"

But the thundering of his own hooves prevented the skunk's words from entering Geno's ears. Within a second, WHAM!! Geno's antlers struck the log with incredible force, throwing Stinkweed back several feet into the trench and right on top of Bumper. It also popped the little rocks out from under the log. Geno's grin of accomplishment faded as the heavy log began rolling back...with Geno's antlers wedged deep in the bark. Away the log rolled, taking the captive buck along with it.

Bumper growled and threw Stinkweed off her back.

"What's the big idea!?" She hissed.

Stinkweed was ready to strike back with a rude remark, but before he could even utter a word, his blue eyes bulged with fear. Shakily, he pointed behind the rabbit. She turned, her ears falling back as she saw the massive log rolling right at them, with Geno involuntarily going along for the ride.

"RUN!" The rabbit called as she and the skunk scrambled to get out of the trench.

The two of them managed to claw their way out just seconds before the log rolled into the trench, rolled up against the wall of the trench, popped up a few feet and fell down into the trench with a loud crack. The log landed right on top of Geno and broke apart upon falling on him. Covered with decaying pieces of bark and fattened beetle larvae, Geno coughed up some chucks of wood and smiled, his eyes spinning around dizzily. 

"Whoa..." He laughed. "Let's do that again!"

"Well, well, well..." A raspy yet friendly voice came from the hill above. "Still training with a pole cat and a bunny. Some things never change."

Geno's eyes widened and he quickly got to his feet. He whipped around and looked up at the hill. A massive smile swept across his face.

"Wylee, is that you??"

There, up on the hill, stood a small, well built sepia-colored buck. Much smaller than Geno and with a less impressive rack, the buck did have remarkably beautiful olive-green eyes.

"Who else, baby?" Wylee grinned smugly.

Elated, Geno reared on his hind legs and bounded back up the hill, his head down. The smaller buck caught Geno's antlers in his own and the two bucks playfully pushed each other around before unlocking and prancing around each other.

"Look at you!" Geno gushed. "Haven't seen you since last winter! Where've you been?"

Wylee shrugged. "Ah, you know, homie, you know. Just chillin', hittin' up the ladies. Same old game." He stopped and looked up and Geno's rack. "Look at you, boy. 6 points and lookin' good. All wasted on your sister...is she still fine, by the way?"

Geno, who had been admiring his own antlers, quickly shifted his gaze to Wylee.

"If 'fine' your way of saying 'attractive'?" He asked with a raised brow.

Wylee grinned sneakily. "More of my way of saying, 'Daaaammmmnnnn!!!!!!'"

Geno bumped Wylee with his shoulder.

"Hey, that's my sister you're talking about! Besides, I plan on fighting for another doe this season." He informed as the two of them started towards the rutting grounds. 

"Oh yeah?" Wylee asked, intrigued. "She got a friend?"

Geno shrugged. "She might have a cute little doefriend for you. I'm assuming you want a dainty doe?"

"No way, bro. I like me a big girl with broad shoulders."

Geno laughed. "Really?"

"Yeah." Wylee nodded. "This way, when I get jumped, she knockin' everybody out!"

As the two passed the shattered log in the trench, Bumper and Stinkweed burst out from the splintered remains of the log. Bumper noticed the two bucks stride away towards the meadow.

"We're fine, Geno! THANKS FOR ASKING!!!" Bumper squealed as she struggled to free her bottom half. "Stinkweed, give me a hand..." She reached over, unknowing that only Stinkweed's backend was the part of him sticking out. Grabbing his tail, she pulled.


No fancy words or brilliant phrase could describe the intensity of struggling that the poor rabbit had to exert in order to get away from that smell.....
 

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Lumi and Brook shifted uneasily in the center of the meadow, watching the stags engage in pre-rut mock fights while other does grouped together to flirt with whatever stag looked their way. The two does looked at River, who stood away from them with her head down. Lumi broke the silence.

"So, River...how much longer do we have to wait for Gurri, Gloria and Syndica?" She asked innocently.

"5 hours." River answered sarcastically. "Maybe 6 if you keep asking."

Lumi and Brook exchanged annoyed glances at the rude response.

 

"Hey girls!" Gurri's pleasant voice reached their ears.

Lumi and Brooke turned to see Gurri, Gloria and Syndica cantering over. After greeting one another with eagerly wagging tails, Gurri looked over at River.

"Was she polite?" Gurri asked her friends.

Again, Lumi and Brook looked at each other before shrugging.
 

"Well..." Brook flicked an ear. "She couldn't possibly be any less polite."

River lifted her head and turned to the tan doe. "Would you like to test that theory?"

"River!" Gurri scolded before returning her attention to her friends. "Sorry. It's her first rut. So, any new stags?"

"None that we've seen so far." Lumi shook her head. "But some of the locals are nothing to sneer at."

"The cream of the crop is heading in now." Brook pointed her nose towards the the other side of the meadow, where a group of very large stags were prancing proudly onto the rutting grounds.

Among them were Geno and Wylee.

"Hey, hey! Look there's Geno!" Syndica said excitedly.

Brook giggled. "I think someone has a crush..." She sang.

Syndica pinned her ears and glared down at the doe, her massive body looming over Brook.

"I think someone wants to BE crushed..." She threatened.

The giggling ceased immediately. Gloria perked her ears up and scanned the group of stags, but lowered her head in disappointment.

 

"I don't see Raven with them."

Gurri shrugged. "I'm sure he's around here somewhere. He's probably with..."

"Hello." A dark, deep but irresistible voice cooed from behind the group. 

All the does turned...and nearly fell over at the sight of him.

The stag was huge. His pelt was dark with wisps of chestnut and streaks of tan that enhanced his face and broad chest. His apple-green eyes pierced through Gurri, and she shuddered with excitement.

"Hi..." She managed to squeak out.

"My name is Rambo." He flashed a handsome smile that made the does swoon. "May I inquire as to whom I have the pleasure of knowing?"

His voice was deep and masculine, and bore a fine and subtle accent that was both endearing and exotic. Gurri giggled like a doe fawn.

"I'm Gurri..." She snorted awkwardly.

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Wylee scanned the meadow and pricked up his ears when