before, Father, they live on the other side of the hill near where the other stream flows into the lake. I have seen them there." Gorro also looked red eyed. He was ready to tear something apart, but he would be useless in a fight with four year old males. He was just too small.

"I have seen them around there myself," Bambi said trying to keep calm. "Stranger and I will take care of this. Gorro you stay here and protect the doe."

"But Father. . ." he started to protest.

"NO ARGUMENT!" Bambi shouted. "Son, you are not old enough or big enough to fight these deer. In two seasons, yes you will be, but not now. You stay here and do what I say."

Gorro looked hurt, but Bambi was right. He would only get in the way.

"We will be back later," he told the others.

With that Bambi and him left walking deliberately, but not in a hurry. They walked until they got to Bambi and Faline's old thicket.

"Take the other way around the hill. There is a path my Father showed me that is shorter." He could still hear the anger in Bambi's voice.

"My friend we just cannot go into this like two angry deer feeling the Season," he said. "We have to think about this. We will be fighting four of them. We need skill here not anger."

"Understood," Bambi answered. "The wind is blowing off the lake. If we are behind the hill they will not hear or smell us coming."

"Good," he said.

They walked on in front of the hill passing in front of where the old Man cave was located so recently. He could still smell a tinge of smoke. They walked along the side of the hill that rose almost straight up from where they were. He could see where they had stood before looking down at where the Men had been. He was thankful Man was not here now. They were mostly in the open and could not flee because of the hill. What few trees and bushes that grew were small and could not hide them well. It was not long before they came to the other side of the hill. He could see the small stream ahead. Bambi stopped suddenly.

"Pass the hill near the stream is a part of the Meadow that extends to the lake. Beyond that meadow is a group of burnt trees. If it is the group I am thinking of then the four of them like to bed there."

"Understood," he nodded. "You want to try and talk to them, or just pound their tails into the ground."

"I am going to pound more than their tails," Bambi said.

That made it clear in this mind what they were going to do. With that they got to the side of the hill and looked. There was a small stream and open space to the trees. Just inside the trees he saw four male deer standing close together.

"That is them," Bambi said in an icy cold voice.

He looked at the open ground. The others would see them coming. There were a few trees on their side of the small stream.

"Keep the trees between them and us," he told Bambi. "They will not be able to see us until we cross the stream. It will give them less time for them to prepare."

"They moved quickly from behind the hill to behind the trees by the stream. There they stopped. The four deer took no notice of them. "Alright then, we will walk up to them at a trot," he said. "We will see what they will do. If they are smart, they will try and surround us and attack our flanks as we fight two of them in our fronts. Use your rear hoofs if you have too. Hit hard this time. No playing, we are here to hurt these deer."

Bambi nodded and they both stepped out into the open and walked quickly toward the four large males. He was surprised they got almost halfway to them before they were even noticed. At once the four deer lined up. Then the two deer on the ends stepped aside.

"The two on the ends will try and hit us in the flanks," he repeated. Bambi just nodded.

They four deer stood still. The two largest ones were in front. This was beginning to remind him of how the dogs attacked. Both Bambi and he covered the distance quietly not giving away anything they were going to do. Just on the outside of the trees they met. As they got within five lengths the bigger one spoke out in a haughty tone. "Are you here to beg us to leave your doe alone," he said with a sneer.

Instead of stopping to talk, the two of them lunged forward getting close and then raising up with both front hoofs as quickly as possible. He hit the deer in front of him in the chest with one hoof and under the jaw with the other. Bambi landed both hoofs on the chest of the big male. Neither male was prepared for the attack. The two deer on the end were stunned for a moment then put their heads down and charged. They came up and both Bambi and he turned quickly with their back to the charging deer and both kicked back hard with their rear hoofs. He caught his deer in the head with one hoof and scrapped the side of his face with the other cutting it open. He heard a loud crack as Bambi landed both hoofs on the head of his deer. The deer he hit fell back staggered bleeding heavily from the mouth. Bambi's deer fell back and collapsed onto the ground like he had been hit by Man. There he lay still.

The deer in front of him was just now getting up. He brought his front hood up in a slashing move across his face. His hoof hit the male on the neck just behind the head. His deer went flying sideways. He then turned around facing the deer behind him. He placed himself between the two deer that he was attacking. The first deer now in his back was getting up. The second deer in front was getting up, blood pouring from the side of his face. He kicked out as hard as he could to the deer behind him. He felt both hoofs his hard in the deer's shoulder and felt something give with a pop, He then lowered his head and charged forward to the deer in front of him who had also begun to charge. He hit him with his shoulder and got down low. The other deer was no fool, he went to shift his weight so he could not get leverage only he was moving slowly as if still dazed. He hit the deer hard and then brought his weight up. He started to lift the deer up and as he did he put all of his strength into his four legs and pushed as hard as he could. He managed to push the deer over his back legs and flipped him onto his back. He then leaped up and came down on his belly with both front hoofs.

"Daoff," the deer coughed as all the air was knocked out of him. He then rose up and stomped the deer hard in his flank. He heard snapping noise from inside that deer's flank. He stomped him three more times before the deer stopped moving. He then turned to face the first deer he attacked who by now was just getting to his feet. Bambi was pushing the bigger deer forward and into a tree. The other deer was looking at this and seeing an opportunity positioned himself to attack Bambi on his flank. That deer stupidly had lost sight of him for a moment. He dropped his head again and charged forward. The other deer saw him but too late. He hit the deer's flank so hard with his shoulder it stunned him for a moment, but he was still standing. The other deer looked like he had been kicked like a small stone. His deer flew backward rolling on the ground. By now Bambi had knocked his deer to the ground and started to stomp on him. He decided unlike Krono last year he was not going to stop Bambi at this time. Any male that kicks a fawn, he didn't care if he lived or died. He watched Bambi stomp on Tarro until blood flowed out of his mouth and he lay still. He then went up to the first deer he attacked. As he slowly got up he charged him hard again hitting him and knocking him into a tree. He then walked over and stomped on his flank once and then bent over. By now Bambi was walking over toward him.

"Listen, fawn," he said gritting his teeth. "The only reason we are letting you live is so you can tell the others. Anyone who attacks Bambi, his family, or my mates will get this same treatment. You were all easy to defeat because we know how to fight and you do not. You give this message to anyone else who thinks they can be herd leader here. Try and hurt Bambi and I will kill you like we killed Tarro and your other friends."

With that he got up and walked away. "GET UP," Bambi yelled at him. The deer got slowly to his feet looking terrified. Bambi still looked like he was ready to kill him. When he got to his feet Bambi came over and used his front left hoof to raise the face.

"Leave my forest, do not come back. If I ever see or smell you again, you are dead." With that Bambi pushed him down, he staggered fell, and then got up quickly and ran into the meadow like a bear was after him.

After that they went over to examine the three deer on the ground. Tarro was still alive but was dying. He was bleeding out the mouth and the side. He looked like he wanted to say something but he couldn't. He next looked at the deer Bambi kicked with both hoofs. He felt along the side and his neck. He was already dead. His neck looked broken by the force of Bambi's blow. Bambi was looking at the one he had stomped flat.

"This one will not get up. The scavengers will have a fine meal with him," Bambi said almost with glee.

"Tarro will be dead soon and this one is already dead. I think the scavengers will feast here tonight," he said then he looked at the big deer. "Are you alright?"

"I think so," Bambi answered still out of breath. "Tarro managed to kick me, but it does not hurt much. How are you?"

"I feel fine," he answered and looked around. "They thought we beg for mercy. Our quick attacked unbalanced them and they never got a change to regain any advantage before we beat