Bambi's Forest

Kaiser watched as Noir and the others spoke with Rosehip. "Well?" Gobo shouldered the smaller buck. "She's your doe, Kaiser, no one else could possibly match up with her the way you do. Go on!" Kaiser shrugged again.

"It's not my choice. It's her's. I can't choose whether or not she wants a fawn..." Kaiser mumbled.

"Seriously, the rut hasn't gotten to you yet, has it, Kaiser? I have never heard a buck talk like that during the rut. You must be in the same league as Campion." Gobo teased, shouldering him again.

"I have antlers!" Kaiser defended himself, looking over. He saw the look on Gobo's face and relaxed. "Well, yeah, I mean... You're right, it's not normal... I just don't know if I'm ready to be a dad..."

"I know many bucks who aren't involved with their fawns," Gobo told him. "The does generally don't mind." With that, a doe apparently caught his attention, as he bounded off to meet her. Kaiser sighed. Suddenly, though, he felt tension in the air, a feeling that all bucks naturally recognized during the rut. A sixth sense, almost, that told all bucks when fights were to follow. Something was very much off, though - the feeling itself didn't bother Kaiser, as he knew it was normal, but there was something else. He turned his attention to the does and Leaf, and saw a gang of bucks closing in on them, getting too close to Noir and Maple. Leaf was obviously threatening them, though Kaiser couldn't tell what he was saying, and obviously, he couldn't fend off all three.

One attempted to take Maple, and from there, the tension split open. Leaf was immediately at him, but couldn't possibly take on all three.
Kaiser hadn't realized it before, but now he knew there was no choice to be made. He took off immediately, his tan-and-grayscale coat a blur. One buck was after Noir, and she saw him coming, rather unlike the buck, and ducked. Kaiser leaped over her, directly into the buck's flank. He fell over, Kaiser rolling over his side. The buck scrambled up, and his eyes blazed. "Some idiot you are, eh? You're built like a doe, and you think you can fight me over a doe?"

Kaiser snorted - the lack of testosterone that had apparently kept him so docile was obviously gone now, adrenaline flooding through him. "Not a doe. My doe, and mine to protect. Whatever choice is her's, I will respect it as you so clearly do not, or die trying!" With that, he charged the buck, locking with him and slinging his head from one side to the other. The other snorted viciously, grunting and pushing. He was right - compared to this buck, Kaiser was built like a doe. Doesn't matter. I am a fighter. I am the son of Nacht, surely I can be just as powerful! Surely that can be used to my advantage...Kaiser stepped back, letting the buck push- simply walking backwards. After several moments, the challenger relaxed, and Kaiser forced forward again, swinging his head with great force to one side. The buck fell over, but scrambled up.

"Kaiser! You've got the other coming up on your right-" he heard Leaf's bark raise above the noise, and glanced over, seeing the reddish buck charging over. Kaiser jerked away from the first buck, causing him to fall forward, and turned, locking with the second buck. He was stronger than the first, and he threw Kaiser on his side nearly immediately. Kaiser rolled over to his feet, preparing to meet the buck again.

"Seriously?" he sneered. "Again? You're stupid and weak." He went after Kaiser again, and forced him back several yards. Kaiser's legs strained under him, trying to stay put, but couldn't, leaving deep furrows in the dirt under him. He jerked his head, forcing the buck to stop, but couldn't keep up with the stronger one's swings. The first buck was going back toward Noir. Again, rage shot through Kaiser, and he ripped his antlers away from the second challenger's, dragging him a good few yards before the other shook free. If Kaiser had looked, he would have seen a look of bewilderment and surprise - that was something that didn't occur very often.

Kaiser went at the first buck again, swinging the side of his antlers into the buck's face - hitting him squarely with the smooth face of the tines and beam, but not the points. The buck stumbled, and stared at Kaiser in surprise. Suddenly, his eyes focused behind Kaiser, and the tan buck glanced back, seeing the second challenger. He swung out with his legs, suddenly forced to try and fight both at once.

There was no way.

He swung around to face the second buck, only to be hit in the flank by the first. He kicked out, connecting with nothing, only to be cut on the chest. He locked with that buck, but again, the other struck. He went on like this for some time before he heard the sound of hooves. Two sets, actually - suddenly, a blur of gray was at his side and knocked down the larger buck swiftly, and both Kaiser and the challenger looked up. There was the buck that Gobo was a good friend of - his name was Silverweed, the same one who was working on the tournaments with Gobo. "Be gone, the both of you! And don't get near us twice," he threatened, stomping in front of the first one as he hesitated. He set off quick. "If I see you interested in a doe, I'll personally chase you off, you cowards!" he barked after. Gobo bounded up next to Kaiser.

"You okay, Kaiser?" He asked. Kaiser shook himself and nodded.

"Well, I suppose that you lost that fight," Silverweed told him. "I won. However," he added, "I may have earned a right, but having breeding rights and invoking them are not the same. I don't have interest in Noir - No offence to you, personally, Noir," he added, turning to the doe. "I'm just not into younger does. Besides, you and Kaiser would make a much more excellent match."

She snorted. "I suppose I'm glad you approve," she said with some sarcasm.

"You did fend those two off, though," Gobo told Kaiser, bumping his shoulder. "Go on, then!"

Kaiser looked down. "She's right there, Gobo. That's not proper."

"Unless it's true."
He looked up, meeting Noir's beautiful green eyes. "Huh?"

"There's a lot of bucks here, but I don't think I'd mate with any other. You know that." Noir nosed him softly.

He nosed her back. "If you're ready for a fawn, so am I."

Nacht's Forest

Nacht paced back and forth, growling. A hawk. A hawk. That was the thing that had caused their failure to take over the other forest, to kill the traitor Herla... To take his sons back...

A hawk.

He bounded over to the closest buck. One of his Majors, Coltsfoot. "Coltsfoot," he greeted him coldly. "Get together the captains. I need you to go out into the forest and kill any rabbit, skunk, weasel... Everything."

"W...What do you mean, sir? ...By everything?" the buck's dark orange eyes widened.

"If it isn't a deer, kill it."

    Bambi's Forest    

It had been some time since Bambi had witnessed the battle between Kaiser and the two bucks, and he was impressed by the young one's bravery and determination. He looked around, and noticed Faline. He stared at the doe, studying her carefully. He made up his mind - that he planned on fighting for her this year. Suddenly, he was distracted by wild flapping wings, and Volare landed on his shoulder. He felt a jolt of shock as smaller claws and feet leaped down onto his back. "I've changed my mind, prince deer," came the voice of none other than Loki the rabbit. "I don't think we have a choice. We'll do what we can to help you."
"What made it your battle?" Bambi asked, twisting his head to look at the rabbit.

"The bird here just told me - Nacht's killing everything."