Chapter 9: Uncomfortable Explanations

He saw nothing of Stena and Balo over the next few days. He went out into the meadow and told the rest of the herd he was back. A couple of the older males seem glad, most did not care. He noted that Balo and Stena kept well away from the three of them as they ate on the meadow. With no one to talk to he started to train Carie about the forest. He started with walking quietly and she caught on fairly quickly. She was treated no differently among the other doe in the forest. Both she and Claris would often talk to the other doe. Most of the males avoided him which was normal and they knew better than try and make advances to Claris and Carie.

As they passed out of summer, his rack grew back although still covered by velvet. His main task at that time was looking for sick deer or other deer that were too thin to survive the winter. Thankfully he did not have sickness in the herd, nor where there old deer in the herd. That would not change for a few more seasons. There were a couple of thin fawn and remembering his experience last year with his two children he encourage the doe to eat and see their fawns were well fed. Still there were a couple of the fawns he did not think would survive the winter.

He knew Claris was hurt by what Stabo and Stena had said and the fact that Stena made no attempt to discuss the matter further with her mother bothered him more. At times he felt like going over and just telling them what he felt, but he tried to control his temper. She did not avoid her mother, but nor did she make any effort to try and understand the situation. The best he could hope for was things would work themselves out in time.

It was again on the first day his velvet started itch that noise from the Man caves started. It was not loud, but he could clearly hear dogs. There was little shouting and it did not sound like there were many Men there. That night he took Claris and Carie with him to his view spot and looked at the man caves. There were a few lights on, and he saw four Men outside with their dogs. These were not the regular hunting dogs; these were the bigger, meaner dogs that had attacked them two years ago. As they were standing he heard a noise from behind him. A small whiff of a scent came to him.

"You can come, Balo," he said out loud.

The large male walked into the area next to him and looked at the Man cave. "Not many," he said.

"No, but they brought the big dogs that attacked us when you and Stena were fawns." He then faced Balo and tried to explain to him like he had done to Stabo. "They will go out hunting large animals tomorrow like bear. The problem is if they don't find a large animal those dogs will continue and attack anything they come across. If they came across a doe and fawn, they will tear them to pieces. This is why I am going to call the herd and tell the doe and fawn to go up into the hills. That includes you too, Stena,"

He heard some branches break mostly from Delenn and a short time later the two of them walked into the outcropping with them. "You think they are that dangerous?" Stena asked.

"Last time they almost killed Bambi and me," he reminded her.

"Well I am making no plans on getting killed," Balo said.

He was surprised and a bit angry at the bravado Balo was carrying on with. This was about their last conversation and not hunting dogs.

"Ronno and Marol did not plan on getting killed in that meadow with their fawn," he reminded them. "I did not plan on getting hit by Man and almost killed the first year I was here. Your mother and Jolo did not plan on being killed by Man. The fact is all of that happened. There was no plan, none of us wanted it, but it still took place. That is why we must take care in case something happens to us."

He knew he hurt Balo with the comment about his mother, but he didn't stop. "That is why we have others to come forward if anything happens to us. That is needed because what happens to the herd if something does happen to us?

Then he turned and glared into Balo's eyes. "Tell me future herd leader exactly what are you going to do if suddenly it is me lying dead in that meadow. Just what are you going to do to protect the herd?

"No," he heard Claris plead.

"Yes," he said turning to her. "That is something you must be ready for too. Just because we do not want it to happen, does not mean it will not." He then turned quickly back to Balo. "So tell me, what is your plan if suddenly it is me who is not here any longer?"

Balo took a step back, he swallowed hard and then after a second he spoke out his voice shaking slightly. "I will get the herd together and to safety. I will then try and see what Man will do, and then tell the herd what to do in order to avoid it."

"That is a good plan," he said sounding pleased. "Now let us go one step further. What if it is you lying dead in that meadow? Then what happens?"

"Father, NO!" Stena called out.

"Same answer to you as to your mother, it might happen, none of live here forever. Few of us die like Bambi's father of old age. Usually something kills us. Now Balo what do you do if it is you who are dead."

Balo looked shocked as did Stena. Finally Balo blurted out, "I will be gone and can do nothing," he said defensively. "What can I do then?"

"You can do nothing," he jumped back in. "What about you son, if you have one? What about a younger son of mine? What about calling Stabo? There has to be a plan or the herd falls apart and they are killed one by one. One day none of us will be here, but the herd will always go on."

He let what he said soak into them before he went on. "Why do you think Bambi and I put in so much time training Veron, Stabo, you, Stena, Gorro, and the others," he said as if pleading with him. "It was so on that day when we are not here; someone will take control of the herd and lead it wisely."

He then stepped back and looked at all of them. He saw tears in the eyes of Claris, Caria, and Stena. In truth his eyes were cloudy also. "I know I hurt you, with what I said. I hate hurting you, but this has to be said. This is how we live and how we die. No matter how or when that happens the herd must have a leader and few deer can do it. This why I trained you; this is why you will train your children; and I will train any more children that I have. Why, so on that day when it is needed, that leader will be there."

With that he stopped. No one said a word. He let them all think that over and we walked back to Balo. "I am going to warn the bear. You call the herd together and send the doe and fawns up into the hills. Hopefully the dogs will not follow them that far."

All Balo did was nod," he could still hear Stena and Claris sobbing. Carie just looked at him with a mixture of shock and pity. He walked off and disappeared into the forest by himself.

He walked around just inside the trees until he was directly below the bear's den. The wind was blowing across the meadow so he could smell the dogs and they could not smell him. They would all hear him for sure. As before he took in a deep breath and called as loudly as he could.

"BBEEAARRRRRRRRR," he yelled.

He then went back into the trees and hid himself. At once, the dogs over by the Man cave were up and barking loudly. Some dogs were pulling at their chains. The lights went on in the Man cave. He looked around and smelled, heard, and saw nothing near him. He tried calling the bear one more time. By then he could see Men coming out of the Man caves. All were looking toward him, but he was sure they could not see him. The Men went over and this time they did something different. Instead of quieting the dogs, they released them. At once four large dogs started running toward him. He had to flee. He hoped the bear heard him. He ran just inside the trees until he came to the stream that flowed out of his forest and into Bambi's forest. He ran for a while in the stream, but all the while he heard the dogs behind him. As he came to the end of his forest, he ran up the hill that led to his side of the meadow. By now he was getting tired. The dog sounds were weaker. He stopped to catch his breath.

"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE," he heard a loud sound from below. He had never heard it before. It was a very high pitch call like some bird would make.

"WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE," he heard again. At once the dogs barking stopped and it sounded like the beasts were running toward the Man caves. It had to be a sound made by Man, but it was new to him.

"COOOMMMMEEEE," he heard in the distance.

That was Balo's call. He wanted to go to the gathering immediately, but could not take the chance the dogs were still behind him. He would lead them right to the herd. He moved along the top of the hill slowly, always listening. He soon came around to where he could face the meadow and feel the wind in his face. He took in deep breaths of air until and could hear or smell nothing was behind him. He moved around the top of the hill until he came to the stream that flowed from his clearing, into the open area and toward the other large forest in the distance. He waited there for some time until he heard nothing from around him. He went down the hill to the stream and quickly ate and drank his fill before climbing the hill on the other side of the stream.

As he walked up the hill, he caught the scent of many deer, mostly doe and fawns. There were some males, but not all of them. He continued to the top and looked around. He saw the doe and fawns standing around. He met them, and told each to spread out and hide as soon as the greater light