now coming from the meadow. There was no smell of man. There was no sound of dogs. He got up started slowly walking toward the sound where he heard the deer. Claris followed him also trying not to make a sound. The crashing continued and then it stopped. He walked carefully up the hill when he caught a smell in his nose. A foul odor was in the air, yet one with the scent of a deer. Then he recognized it from his time with Man. Blood and death; the smell when they brought back the dead deer to be burnt and eaten. He followed his nose until he came to a long red streak on the grass. He followed it many lengths until he saw the limp figure of a deer lying still on the ground.

The deer was a young male. This would be his first season after being a fawn. A small rack was on his head. He looked at the side. Halfway down his flank was a gaping hole gushing out blood. The amount that was leaking onto the ground indicated to him the deer would not live. He walked to the font. The eyes were still open and he was still breathing. He remembered the deer, but he did not know his name.

"They came," he gasped. "They chased us. They had dogs," He stopped looking to catch his breath. "I and the others ran. They chased us to the meadow, then the killing sticks. I was hit and ran."

"I think his name is Talis," Claris said looking horrified at the deer below.

"Talis, was anyone else hit?" he wanted to know.

"There were others." The voice was starting to rattle in his throat. "I do not know." With that he collapsed.

It was then he picked up another scent, this one smelled dirty and fatty, he heard a large bush break.

"Bear," he told Claris and they backed up several lengths.

A large black bear charged down from the top of the hill. Both he and Claris backed away further. The bear did not come after them but instead stopped on top of the prone deer and looked at them "MINE," he growled.

"Yes yours," he said watching the bear closely. "He has suffered enough, do it quickly."

The bear looked at him for a second seeming to want to say something and then he stopped and turned his attention to the deer below him. He raised his huge paw and in a flash brought it down on the back of the neck of the terrified figure. There was a loud noise like a branch breaking.

"AHHHH," he heard and all four legs lunged outward and stiffened and then rested motionlessly on the ground. Talis would not move again.

"You should leave before I do the same to you" the bear roared."

Claris turned and ran down the hill many lengths.

He did not move. He did not have to. "I do not think so," he said. "You have your meal. You do not need to kill us to feed you. Besides, I do not think you can chase us down."

"No," the bear said studying him closely. "Perhaps you are right."

"Thank you for making it quick," he said as he started to back away.

"You do not hate me for killing your friend," the bear said eyeing him.

"He was going to die anyway, you just stopped his pain," he explained. For some reason he had no fear of the bear. "For you killing Talis is in the Way of All Things, for Man it is just killing."

"What does that means?" the bear asked seemingly more interested in what he had to say that trying to make a meal out of him.

He thought for a second before he tried to explain. "You killed and will eat Talis for food because you need it to in order to live. Just as we deer eat the grass and plants to live. Man will kill not to live, but for his own pleasure. There is a difference."

"Yes and Man will also kill me if he can," the bear continued. "I understand what you are saying. You must be the strange deer I hear of, the deer that knows Man so well."

"Yes, that is me," he said.

"BLAMMMMM," they heard again, both he and the bear cringed.

"I must go before Man finds us," he said quickly."If I were you I go deep into the forest until you hear no more Man sounds. Besides, I do not want to watch you eat Talis."

The bear picked up Talis' body and started to carry it up the hill in his huge jaws. "He could still hear the bear say, "I hope to see you again."

"I hope not. I have no interest in ending up inside you," he said with a smile and walked away.

He met Claris down the hill. "Do not worry about the bear," he told her. "Worry about Man."

Chapter 7: The Season

Author's Note: This Chapter contains some adult themes and may not be suitable for young children

They waited until dark and then slowly made their way back to their resting place. As they walked he noticed that the scent from Claris was getting more powerful. He could feel his body start to stiffen. He found his attention being focused more and more on Claris and not on what was going on around him. He had felt this before with the other doe, but never at this intensity. By the time they returned he was sniffing near her tail often, yet she still seemed to have no interest in him. It was getting near the start of day when they reached their place. She had not said a word on their journey back. They met no deer, but he clearly smelled their strong scent, yet he was not the slightest bit interested in the other creatures of the forest. Claris just lay down in the grass. He felt ready to burst inside him. He felt the inward pressure from the rear. He got up and moved away and emptied himself. He started back and thought he heard a cry from Claris. He turned and rushed back. At once there was the scent of another deer. He ran back to where they lay. There was a large male deer holding Claris down on the ground with his antlers. He could see some bleeding from her side. It was Kragus.

Kragus looked up. "Not so powerful are you," he sneered. "Not after I kill your doe."

He said nothing and charged. All the pressure and stiffness vanished inside his body. He had one interest in life and that was to shred this deer into pieces. His vision tuned red; his body felt like it had blown up to twice its size. Kragus managed to get his head turned and brace for his charge.

The impact felt like he had run into a tree. The sound seemed louder than even the Man animals. His vision shook and his head ached, but Kragus flew back several lengths. He lowered his head again and charged him. This time Kragus managed to run a few steps toward him. The impact was even more deafening. He felt himself stopped in place stunned. Again Kragus was thrown back.

"No strange fighting this time," Kragus said almost out of breath.

"I do not need it this time," he said deliberately.

A voice from inside him told him to be careful. Kragus was strong, and not without skill. He had to think through his rage. Yes Kragus was strong, but all he knew was charge and force his opponent to the ground. He backed up opening the distance. Then he lowered his head looking to make a massive charge at him. Kragus seemed to smile because he felt that he was going to make this into a test of strength. That was something Kragus knew how to fight. He charged and ran several steps. Kragus did likewise. The large male vaulted forward at him only he stopped short and jumped aside planting his front legs in the ground. This time he did not try and trip Kragus, he would be expecting that. Instead he turned and kicked out hard with his rear hoofs. He was not going for his flak that Kragus had already started to turn away. He went straight for his head. His right hind foot caught him in the side of his head, just behind his antlers. He felt the impact of his hoof. He spun around looking to meet a new charge, but Kragus lunched forward and crashed onto the ground and lay still. He immediately turned to Claris who was getting up. He looked at the wound on her side. It was not serious, Kragus had only cut her. Still it enraged him.

"I thought it was you," she said whimpering. "I never smelled him. My nose was filled only with your scent. He knocked me down and rubbed his antlers against my side. He said he was going to kill me."

He walked over to the down deer that was only now starting to stir. He bent over and put his two center antler points directly against his throat. "Stay away from Claris or I will kill you," he bellowed not caring if the whole forest heard him.

"Kill me, yes, kill me," Kragus gasped. Be like the Men you lived with. You think you are so mighty because you are friends with Bambi and Faline. You are nothing, just another strange deer that that spends time with that useless doe you have."

"Enough" he growled as loud as the bear. "Stay away from her. Hurt her again and I will tear you apart."

He thought he actually heard the deer start to laugh. "Hurt her, I was not going to hurt her. I was only going to force her down so I could breed her. I wanted to put my fawn in her, not yours, and then in the spring, kill them both. I hate you, I hate her, and I hate Bambi. I should be herd leader not any of you because I am a deer, not a nameless wanderer, or some worthless male that pours his boring, useless, wisdom out like a running stream. I am only sorry Man and his dogs did not kill you all last night when I tried to wake him."

"You ran across the field," he said his anger building more in his body. He looked at Claris and in that moment he realized she would never be safe with Kragus around.

"Claris, leave," he ordered. "Go into the forest, I will join you later."

"No," she said, "I want to stay…."

"LEAVE!" he shouted at her,

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