the animals he passed earlier, there were no new smells. He slept on and off all day. The greater light had almost set when he heard something in the distance. These sounds were familiar. There were yelps, and calls. They were dogs. He continued to listen and heard them. They were coming up the stream. They must have smelled his scent and were following him. He did not hear any sound of Man. He quickly got up and started to move down the stream toward the forest now looking to be much bigger than before. He moved quickly but did not break out into a run. After a while the dog sounds seem to get weaker. He moved for a while in the stream. He knew dogs could not follow him in a stream. Bambi had learned that from his father and had taught him. His travel was nosier with water splashing all around him. He continued to move in the stream until the yelping noise got less and less.

He continued at a trot for some time until he was sure the dogs were gone. He looked up ahead and saw trees nearby. He would be there by the rising of the greater light. The hills had ended, but now he was in the flat open space. The ground was flat all the way to the old forest. If he was found out here, he would be defenseless. He continued onward until he noticed something in the dark. He thought he saw shadows moving to his left side. The wind was blowing from his right side so he could smell nothing. Then he saw another and he knew. The dogs had come around him and were moving down wind of him so he could not smell them.

If there were many of them he could not fight them all. He had to out run them. He started to run and run quickly. He ran in a straight line for the forest. He looked to his left. He seemed to be leaving the dogs behind him, but it was taking all of his strength to keep running. As he kept running he could catch a glimpse of a running shadow. He knew dogs could run longer than he could, but he was faster. He looked up ahead. The forest was much closer. Soon he be there. He kept running until he started to feel tired. He lost sight of the Shadows, but he could hear yelping from behind him. They were still there and they were still after him. Now his rear left leg was starting to hurt. He had to stop soon. The trees were closer, but still far enough away where he could he could not reach them. He stopped. He would have to fight them here. He backed up into the stream and slowly started to walk to the middle of the rushing water trying to catch his breath. He was looking for a place where the dogs could not get behind him. There was none. The ground was flat as far as he could see. The stream was his best place. The water was not deep for him, but the dogs were shorter. In the back he heard the yelping get louder until it sounded like they were on top of him. He turned and faced down stream. He saw four figures running toward him. There were two large dogs and two smaller ones.

They stopped on the bank near him. He turned and faced them. The two large dogs started to go down the stream while the two smaller ones got into the stream and came after him. The water came up to their chests. He waited until they were close and then he reared up and kicked out with his front legs. He caught one dog with both front hoofs. There was an immediate cry and the dog went backward. He tried to stomp on the other dog in front while he came down, but the dog was able to dodge him. He then heard splashing behind him. The two large dogs were going to attack from behind. He saw one come up to leap on his back. He kicked out with his rear hoofs and caught the large dog in the face. This was a hard blow. Even his hoof hurt him. There was another large yell as the dog flew back hitting the water hard with a large splash. The other large dog leaped and he felt it land on his back. Immediately there was a sharp pain as the dog bit into his back. By now the dog in front was coming up again. He reared up on his hind legs as hard as he could. The dog on his back went flying. He felt his skin rip as the dog flew off of him. The smaller dog in front leaped up looking to go for this throat. He kicked out with his front legs knocking the dog off balance and he felt into the water. As he came down he brought both front hoofs down onto the smaller dog. He felt his hoofs hit the dog and head a loud pop. The dog cried out and then lay still.

He turned around and saw both large dogs standing together in the stream. One looked to be favoring his left side. The second dog eyed him and then leaped again. He kicked out with his front legs. This time he only grazed the dog with his hoof. The dog landed on his back and started to claw at him. He could feel the claws dig into his skin like the time the bear had removed the Man stones. Again he reared up and again the dog fell off. As the dog hit the water he kicked out with his rear legs as hard as he could. This time he caught the dog squarely on the side. There was another yell as the dog went flying back. He stood in the middle of the stream. The dogs had stopped. He looked around him. One dog lay in the stream. The other smaller dog was climbing onto the bank limping on his left front leg. The large dog behind him was making for the land. The dog in front was looking at him, but not moving. He put his head down and charged the dog in front hitting him and pushing him aside. He kept running down the stream. He looked back, but he was not followed.

He ran until he was exhausted. The pain was aching from his back. He was out of breath. His rear left leg ached. He could feel blood flowing down his side. He continued to follow the stream. His breath slowly came back, but his back continued to hurt. He looked up and the trees were closer. He also noticed the sky was getting lighter. He had to keep walking. He had to get into the cover of the forest. He was hurt and out here if anything found him, they kill him for sure. He put his head down and just kept going .He started to feel weak. He felt lightness in his head. By now his back ached terribly as did the rest of his body. He looked up. He could see the tress and the edge of a large lake in the distance. He was almost there. He climbed out of the stream and walked along the bank. Soon he passed his first tree, then another, and another. He had made it. He kept walking. He could smell other animals, but no deer. He just kept walking along the side of the stream because he knew deer were at the end of the lake. He came upon an open patch of ground. He bent over and ate some grass. It made him feel a bit refreshed. He still went on. Soon the dizziness was getting worse. His legs started to wobble a bit. He was feeling weaker now. He had to stop to rest soon. The light was also getting brighter, but his eyes seemed to be dimming. He came upon another waste pile. This was from a deer, but a deer he did not know. His nose told him he was getting near more water than just the stream. He drank from the stream and tasted a little salt in the water. By now he was staggering. He looked up and saw the large open lake in front of him. He had made it.

As he got closer another scent came to his nose. It was a deer and it was close. He thought he recognized the scent, but his brain couldn't tell him who it was. He looked up and saw a deer several lengths in front of him. He walked over to it. It was a large older male along with a doe and a young fawn. He walked up. The doe and the fawn ran. The older male walked up to him slowly. His eyes were diming and his head started to spin.

"Hello," he called out. "Do you know the herd leader Bambi?" he asked.

The deer came over to him. The scent still smelled familiar, but he still could not place it. The deer looked him over and then said, "Stranger?" in a familiar voice.

"Ronno" he called out. "Is that you?"

"Stranger, what happened to you?" the big deer said.

"Dogs," he said in a gasp. "Is Bambi nearby?"

The young doe had move closer to him. He looked at her. It was Marol. For a second she looked like Claris. Then he suddenly felt very dizzy and then he felt nothing at all.

Chapter 4: The Awful Truth

He opened his eyes; he was lying on his side on the ground. His eyes were still blurry and he still felt light headed. He took in a deep breath through his nose and smelled several deer. They were all nearby. He tried to roll over onto his legs to lie normally. As he turned his back was shot through with pain.

""Stranger," he heard a voice call to him. "Are you alright?" He knew the voice.

"Bambi," he called out.

The big deer stepped in front of him so he could at least look up into his face. Faline stood next to him and nearby was Ronno and Marol. Near both doe stood small fawns only a few weeks old. There was a large yearling male standing behind all of them. Faline walked up and dropped a branch in front of them. He recognized the leaves as the same the bear had given him when he had been struck by man. He nodded and started eating them. They were bitter, but he knew they help him feel better.

"Thank you," he told her.

Bambi leaned over and started to look at him closely. "You have two bite marks on your back. One is deep the other is not. Your back also has many claw marks. They are no longer bleeding, but you have a fever and you must rest and recover your strength."

He nodded and said, "Thank you, my friends."

The large deer bent over and rubber his forehead with his nose. "When I was hurt, you helped me. Now I will help you," he said calmly.

He looked at the large friendly face. "Claris, is she here?"

"Yes," Faline told him. "She has gone to live with her mother. They are not near here. I sent a young doe to tell them you are here."

He yawned widely and suddenly felt sleepy. He knew the leaves