will miss you, but you have to get back. Take care of them Stranger, and one day, when you are no longer needed you will be welcomed back here."

"As you will be welcomed in my forest should you decide to leave the herd to Gorro. Now I must go," he said and walked over to near the lake. Soon Faline and little Eta came out to meet him. He bent over and nuzzled the now growing fawn.

"I will miss you too," he told the little doe. She licked his face," I like Stranger," she said with a gleam in her eye.

Right after the lesser light rose Claris, Carie, Ate and Cara came out of the forest. He said his goodbyes to them and promised he take care of Carie. As soon as they all exchanged farewells he left and led the two does down the stream toward his own forest. He was pained to leave the only family he ever knew, but there were things that counted more than just family. In his opinion, that was truly the greatest lesson a herd leader had to understand. The herd came first: before his family and before him.

The journey back to his forest was uneventful. Other than meeting another herd of those four legged creature he saw on the way to the forest, they saw nothing except the usual wildlife. If there were any dogs around, they kept far enough away where he could not even smell them. They rested behind a large hill when the greater light was overhead. At least there were no sounds or scents of Man on their journey. No other animals tried to interfere with their travels.

Claris mostly stayed silent on the trip back. She spent the time like him testing the air and looking closely around them. Carie tried to imitate her, but he could tell she had not the understanding Claris had. He could see her trying to learn by watching Claris and him and understand what they were doing. As least she did not blunder along making all sorts of noise.

It was well after the second night and near the rise of the greater light that he saw the familiar trees of his forest. He led them into the forest and started to show Carie the stream and meadow. He looked and saw a few deer there. Then he saw Stabo, Gena, Stena and Balo and their fawns all standing together. They seem peaceful enough. He came out of the trees and they saw him at once. Immediately all of them started to run over to him. He nuzzled his son, daughter and their mates.

"This is Carie," he said and introduced her to the others. "There are things that happened while I was in Bambi's forest that I need to tell you all about, but it is getting close to light."

"I think we should go to the small meadow," Stena suggested. "We can talk there privately"

Everyone nodded their agreement and they went to the small clearing. The nine of them fit comfortably in the small opening. All of them seemed eager to hear of their adventures and the new doe in the forest. He told them everything except the conversation with Faline, Claris, Bambi, and Ate about the unborn fawn. He also did not discuss why Carie was there, preferring to let Claris do that. He talked about the attack on Bambi's family and the revenge they took, and the death of Ronno and his family. It was a mixed tale of happiness and sadness and took until the greater sun was overhead to finish.

"I am glad mother and father are alright," Gena said. "I think you and father did the right thing in taking care of those bullies. Any male who deliberately hurt a fawn is not much of a male."

"I agree," Balo answered. "We had nothing anywhere like that in our forest. While you were gone the only thing that happened was that Man came back to shoot birds. We kept everyone away from the meadow while they were here. They left and didn't hurt any deer."

"Good," he told them. "You all did exactly the right thing."

"You left out one thing," Stena said eying them carefully. "Can you please tell us something of Carie if she is going to live here?"

"I was going to let you mother explain that," he said and looked at Claris. "It affects her more than me."

Claris spoke up and told them everything else except the part about the deformed fawn she bore. They had no need to know that. She then explained Carie was the daughter of her older sister and why she was here. He could tell it did not go over well with Stena and Stabo. That was to be expected. She finished and Stabo spoke first.

"Mother, I must ask this," he said firmly. "Are you sure you cannot have any more fawns?"

"Yes," she said. "I asked my mother and some of the other older doe and they all told me the same. I told this to your father. I then decided that since I cannot give your father the children he wants, the daughter of my older sister would do it. That way the children your father makes will still be in my family."

Stabo looked more hurt than his mother and he and Gena whispered back and forth for a moment before he spoke in a more serious tone. "I am trying understand what you have done, Mother, and why. I do not like what I am hearing."

Claris looked a little hurt. "I understand, my son," she said to him. "It was the only way I could still be here with your Father and at least my family could give him the fawns he wanted."

"That is also something I do not understand," Stabo uttered looking at him suspiciously. "You have a son and daughter. While I admit I have no interest in being herd leader here, I can clearly see Balo does. I do not think he would be a bad leader. Why you want other children is not clear to me."

He knew the answer, but he also knew if he told them that, it most likely offend his children and their mates. He tried to think of a good way to say this, but he could not so he just told them bluntly.

"I want more children Son in case something happen to us here. I was hoping Bambi or Jolo would follow if something happened to me, but they are not here anymore. There is nothing certain in this forest or in this life. Something may happen to all of this Season or at any other time. The best way to make sure the herd will be led well is to have others than can come and take our place if something happens to us. This is why I want other children. I was hoping to have those children with your mother. That will not happen now."

"Mother," Stena said with an icy voice. "I want to know if this was truly your idea."

Both Claris and he looked at each other surprised at the question. Claris then looked at their daughter. "Yes, daughter, this was my idea," she said, the hurt was clear in her voice. "Your father was as surprised as you were when I told him." Claris' voice choked slightly.

She looked at Balo and they both looked doubtful. "You will have to forgive us, we did not mean to give offense, but this was completely unexpected. We are all taken back. However, I must agree with my brother in not seeing the need for more children. It is almost like you do not trust us."

Now he was angry. He shot to his feet; both Stabo and Balo did likewise an instant later. "Do not trust you?" he said loudly. "If I did not trust you, do you think I would have left the forest in your care when I went away? If I did not trust you, do you think I would have asked Stabo to come here? If I did not trust you, you think I would have taken the time and effort to teach you what I know? Of course I trust you; that is why I made the arrangements I did before I left because I knew there was a good chance I might not return, and I almost did not. However I also trusted Bambi and Jolo and they are not here. Bambi has his own forest to lead and Jolo is dead. What happens if this year I have to smell of pool of blood with your scents in it? Who then leads, who follows you? I thought I had trained you better than this. You cannot see just the now, but you have to see the later as well. I need other children to follow me in case it is your dead bodies or my dead body we have to morn over. What you have said here tonight hurts me deeply, much more deeply that those dogs ever did. I think you have also hurt your mother, and have been rude to Carie."

He noted he was starting to breath hard. He tried to calm himself down. Claris got up and started to rub his back.

Then Stabo walked over and looked him directly in the eyes. "Father, you have returned safely, so my task here is done. The rest here is your making. This is your forest, not ours. Gena and I need to get back to our forest tonight to help Veron prepare for the Season and the hunts."

With that he turned quickly and he, Gena and little Koran walked away from the clearing and toward the large oak trees. No one said a word as they went.

Balo then walked over to him, the anger was not so strong in his eyes. Stena came with him and he could tell she still was not satisfied. "I understand what you say, Stranger," he said calmly but firmly. "I just do not agree with it. What you have said also hurts us. I think enough has been said. We are going back to our resting place. Maybe we should not see each other for a while."

With that Balo, Stena and little Delene walked away back toward their thicket. He turned and looked at Claris and Carie. Carie was shocked at the outburst and said nothing, but Claris was almost in tears and also did not say anything.

This had not gone as he expected.