in the back with the all the yearlings from last year. Ronno took his place near him, but there were few other older male deer. Both Ducas and Flaco had not survived the hunts last Season so their places were empty. Other young males would come up and take their place soon. Friend Owl came over and rested on a tree. He was looking old and even grayer than before. He had to ask himself how much longer he would be able to come.

One by one they all came. Jolo came forward to stand near Ronno. He was a four season male that had come last winter from the forest through which Man had built his path. He was large, heavily muscled, and looked he have a large rack come the Season. He was a senior male in that forest herd before it broke up. Most of the deer had fled that forest and gone to other places. A few had come here. No one objected and it was nice to have someone other than Ronno take position next to him. After seeing most were here, Bambi began.

"As you all know, Man is looking to live near the meadow for much longer than before. What happened to poor Marro could very well happen to any of us if we either go near, or on the meadow after light. This means we can only visit the meadow at night. What we need to decide is if we can safety stay here, of if we need to go elsewhere. I have called you all here to decide what we should do."

"I saw Marro hit," Jolo said. "He was not on the meadow, but was standing in the forest about five lengths from the edge of the meadow. Somehow a Man saw him and used his killing stick on him. I was close enough to see him hit. It could have very easily been me."

Bambi nodded his head in appreciation. "Thank you Jolo, that is good to know."

"I assume you all smelled what happened afterwards," Jolo added and went silent. No one spoke about the scent of burning deer meat.

"This means we will have to stay well away from the meadow while Man is here," Bambi went on. "I feel we can still use the meadow at night if we stay well away from the Man animals and the Man caves."

"I agree with Bambi," he spoke up. "What I do not know is if Man will stay all the time or will go away in the winter. That will have to be seen. The question is will we be able to safely get enough food to prepare for the winter?"

"I do not see how," Ronno said. "I do not like being on the meadow even at night. Man has a long reach, and I do not want to feel it touch me. We need to use the meadow to preserve what food we have in the forest for winter. I no longer see how we can do this. I feel we need to go back to our old forest. There was much food there and Man only came during the Season."

"There was much food there before the fire," Faline spoke up.

"So we can stay here and have Man kill us, or go back to the old forest and maybe starve during the winter," Ronno replied. "This is not a good choice."

"It is the only choice we have," Bambi said not trying to hide his frustration.

"It is not, Father," he heard Veron's voice call out. "I feel there is another choice. Some of us can go live in the forest where Man has put his path."

Everyone turned and stared at him mostly in disbelief. Finally Jolo spoke up "We all left that place because Man came and it was no longer safe to stay."

"Not for a large herd, but a few of us could live there and that would see the demand for food here become less," Veron said.

He had to admit to himself he never considered that choice. Veron's idea did make sense only who would want to live there. In any case it sounded like they were going to split up the herd. Something his instinct told him was the wrong thing to do.

"I would rather stay here," Claris spoke up. "We know the danger, and many of us know how to avoid the danger. I do not think we need a new forest. There is plenty of food here."

That took him by surprised. Although Claris had her own opinions on many things, she had always discussed things with him first. Not tonight. He was not sure he agreed with her. It was then he noticed something else. At the end of the open clearing he noticed most of the yearlings were leaving the open space and going off on their own. Both Stabo and Gina left with maybe a dozen others. He wondered what that was all about. He saw Bambi notice it too. There were many other private discussions going on among the herd. He walked over to Bambi.

"I am not sure I like this," he said.

"It sounds like the herd will break up," Bambi said in a low voice. "I think some will go to the old forest, some will stay here, and some will go to the forest with the Man Path.

"I think we need to give them more time to decide," he told Bambi.

"Yes, and we need to feed before the first light," Bambi replied.

"Friends!" Bambi called out loudly. All the conversation stopped. "To break up the herd is a hard thing to do. We must think about this. I will ask you all to be here tomorrow night with your decision. Now we need to feed on the meadow."

"I agree," Ronno said and started walking to the meadow with Marol his doe and their young male fawn. The others started to follow them. The yearlings still had not come back. Bambi's son Veron had also gone.

Claris came over to him and nuzzled her nose against his. 'You seem troubled,"

"I am," he said. "I think splitting the herd is a bad idea, but it is not up to me or you. Everyone must decide this for themselves. Let us eat and talk later."

Claris nodded and followed him onto the meadow. They ate and drank their fill and as the first sign of light appeared, everyone left the meadow far behind. When they returned to their thicket Claris fed Stena again and then led her off into the forest. At that age fawns could not control their bodies as adults could and he did not want her fouling their resting area with waste. He also releaved himself away from their sleeping place and then came back. A short while later Claris and Stena retuned. Claris lay down next to him and then little Stena wiggled in between them. It was warm and safe there. As soon as she lay still, he nuzzled his daughter who licked the side of his face. He always liked doing that, Then Claris did the same. Stena yawn once and promptly fell asleep. She was almost as beautiful to look at as Claris.

"I worry about her," he whispered in Claris' ear.

"I know," she said and nuzzled him on his mouth. He did the same. It always brought on that warm feeling of delight he had always felt near her.

"Did you mean what you said about staying here?" he asked.

"Of course," she said as if wondering why he even asked. "There is plenty of food here. I am not afraid of the meadow as long as we are back deep in the forest by the first light. This is the only place I have ever known. My mother came from the old forest, but I was born here. This is where I belong."

"How is your mother?" he wanted to know. She was the older doe Ata they often left their fawns with.

"She is fine, but I think she is still lonely. I think she still misses father. He was killed when I was a fawn. It was right after the Old Prince died and Bambi became herd leader."

"She does get along well with Faline. She is not that old. I am surprised she never took up with any of the older males."

"Not many left," Claris said almost in a moan. "Ronno is the oldest and she never liked him. That leaves you and Bambi."

"I never thought about it like that," he had to admit. "So you want to stay?"

"Yes," she repeated.

"Even though what that may mean for our children?" he said wanting to make sure Claris fully understood the possible consequences. He had no desire to see his own children die in the meadow.

"Yes," she said without hesitation. "We can teach them to avoid Man."

That seemed to end the argument on what they would do. If Claris stayed, he would stay with her as long as they lived. He also had no illusions about his own fate if they stayed. How long would it be before some Man came to finish with him what they tried to do two Seasons ago? No sense dwelling on that. He was alive today and today was all that counted. He had the bear to thank for that. He decided to change the subject.

"Did you see Stabo, Gena, and most of the yearlings leave the gathering?" he asked.

Claris nodded, "Yes, and they were not on the meadow with us to eat. Also Veron and many of the second season males and doe were not there. The older deer were. Faline also noticed it and was not happy."

"My feeling is we will find out tonight," he said and yawned as widely as Stena. "Pleasant sleep," he said gently to Claris and nuzzled her face again. She did likewise and they both fell fast asleep.

That night after the last trace of the greater light had vanished and the noise from the Man animals had stopped, Bambi again called the herd together. This time even more of the herd came so it was crowded by the pond. All came and took their positions.

"It is time for a decision," he said flatly. "I will ask of you how many would like to go back to the old forest.

"I and Marol will go," Ronno spoke up first. "At least there we may be able to use the meadow more than here."

"Anyone else?" Bambi asked.

"Me," Ata spoke up. "I am getting old and I rather die there than here."

He felt Claris start to lurch forward, but stopped. She saw her swallow hard and drop her head. "Mother," was all she

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