go with Claris and told everyone to be on the lookout for Man who was sure to come. The herd broke up and he took Carie into deep woods by the old oak of Oswell the Owl and found a bedding place to their liking. He then waiting until Carie scent changed and indicated she was ready to breed with him. As before with Claris, he spent two days breeding with her before he felt the urges pass from inside him.

The next day later he heard the noises from the Man cave again. These were loud and sounded like there were many Men present. He knew what that meant. Their time of trouble had arrived.

"We must go back to the watching place," he told Carie. "Man has returned."

"I understand," she said softly. She had enjoyed their time together. She was now a bred doe that would carry his mark. He only hoped in the spring he would get a healthy fawn. As soon as the greater light vanished they left their bedding area and traveled quietly toward their watching place. He was somewhat surprised to see Balo and Stena already there."

"You heard them too?" he asked Balo.

"Who could not have heard them," Balo said still looking at the many bright lights and fires. There are many this time, more than before."

"Yes and they have build more Man caves, and they have the smaller caves near the edge of the meadow," he said looking over the view. Then he looked at Balo. "Let us say you are herd leader now Balo, what would you tell the herd to do?"

Balo looked surprised at being asked and looked closely at the Man caves for a while. He could see Balo was lost in thought and so he did not disturb him. Finally Balo turned and told him calmly, "There are many Men. I think they will try and get Men into the forest to try and chase deer into the meadow where the Men with the killing sticks will kill the deer."

"That is most likely true," he answered. "So how do we stop this?"

"We take the herd where Man cannot get behind them to chase them," he said sounding somewhat surer of himself.

"You are again correct," he told Balo. "Now for the important question, where do we take the herd?"

"Balo looked around and stood still for a second. "I know you want me to say take them back up the hill we took them before, but I am thinking no."

"Interesting," he said, "Why not?"

Balo was quicker this time. "You told me during sparing it is unwise to so the same thing time after time. They enemy may learn from you and then defeat you."

"Yes," he said. He liked where this was going.

"If we take the herd to the same place Man may learn and try to kill us there. So we take the herd someplace else."

"Good," he said. "Now where do we take them?"

Balo looked stumped but then Stena unexpectedly jumped in. "What about the hill on the other side of the stream from where we took the herd last time. You can easily get up the hill from the stream, but it is rocky and steep to climb up the hill from the meadow."

"He looked at Balo, Stena was right. It was an answer he never thought about. His plan was to take the herd to the hill they met Geno. Stena's idea was much better and closer.

"Balo kissed Stena and she nuzzled him. "Come then," he told them, "We must hurry back. There will be a big hunt when the greater light rises. We must get the herd to safety."

With that all four went back to the small clearing. As soon as they got there, he bellowed loudly for the herd to come. Balo also called them. They then waited. In ones and twos they came in. Maybe over half the herd showed up. The others were still probably still feeling The Season. As soon as they all got there he told them.

"This time we do things differently just in case Man is learning where we go. When we get to the edge of the forest following this stream, we turn right and not left. We go up that hill to hide. It is easy to climb that hill from the stream and hard to climb up from the meadow. Remember we cannot let Man get behind us and chase us. If any deer runs into the meadow, they will be killed by Man. Even if Man does chase you, run into the forest, not the meadow."

The ones that were there seem to understand, there were no objections. By now Claris and the fawns came in and the fawns went back with their mothers. As soon as they were all sorted out they left for the other hill. They all climbed the hill without any problems. He went forward and looked for place they could hide. The trees were fewer at the top of this hill so he spread the herd out more. He stayed in the middle of the herd with Claris and Carie. Balo, Stena and Delene went to the far end. Then they all lay down and waited.

More deer joined them until the greater light rose. Right after the fist light appeared he could hear Man trampling through the forest. They made no attempt to be quiet. They went up almost to the top of the hill they had hid at before and started making loud noises.

"HEYYAAAHEYY," they shouted over and over. There was also a banging noise like they were hitting something.

He heard the noise go down the hill. At first they were slow, and then they picked up speed.

"BAMMMMMM, BAMMMMMM," he heard from the meadow. Then there was quiet.

There was quiet for the rest of the day. He heard Men go up the hill on the other side of the meadow near where the bear's den was. Again there was shouting and again he heard the killing sticks. By then it was getting near night time and the Men went back to their caves to rest and celebrate their killing. There was loud shouting, and the smell of dead meat burning until the lesser light was well overhead.

The herd ate mostly in the open area beyond the hill. Nothing was there to bother them. Later on they all went to the stream and drank. It was then he heard a noise. He looked up and saw a large male running out of the small clearing toward them. It was Duro, one of the older males.

"I found you," he said with relief. "I went to the place we hid before and found no one."

"We went someplace new, I will show you," he told him. "What of the others?"

By now Balo, Stena and Delene had joined them.

"I do not know," Duro said panting. "I was with Nual a young doe. We had just bred when the noise started. I remembered what you said about running into the meadow, so I tried to run in the forest. Nual was behind me, but then we got separated and I do not know what happened to her. There were other deer in the forest, because I could hear them. What happened to them, I also do not know."

"Some were killed," Stena said. "I can smell them burning."

"They must have killed a skunk too," Duro said. "I smelled one near Bambi's old cave."

"What!" Balo said sharply.

"Yes, by Bambi's old cave, I could smell a skunk," Duro repeated.

"That is how they killed my Mother, Jolo and Gerta," Balo said coldly. "Would they do that again?"

He could see the anger building inside Balo, who turned and looked at them. "They may be the ones that killed my mother. They must want to kill the rest of us and want to use the same trick again. Very well, I will give it to them."

Balo started to walk off. Stena yelled No and he moved to block his path. "Balo, no," he told him. Nothing can be done about your Mother, Jolo and Gerta. If you go there, you will die too."

"Bambi and Faline wanted to kill them, I remember," he said gritting his teeth.

"Yes, and they came to their senses like I want you to," he said standing still to block Balo. "You cannot kill Man. Even if you succeed in killing one of them, the rest will kill you without mercy. I want you to think of Stena and Delene."

"I am," he said to his face. "I am thinking they will never be safe as long as those Men are there."

"And if you kill them, more Men will come next season," he told him and pushed him back. "Nothing will change except that you too will be dead and more blood will soak into the ground."

"So I am to just going to let them kill us?" Balo said pushing him away.

"No, we know their trick; we will be ready for it. We will avoid it and so go on living," he explained calmly.

"Until Man comes up with a new trick and kills us anyway," Balo growled.

"Yes, but that may happen in the future, if you go now, it is certain you will die today. You have a family and you have the herd. They depend on you and me. If you are dead, you can help no one. Please stay here."

"By now Stena and come forward and also stood in front of Balo. "Please," she pleaded. "Stay with me. I need you and so do Delene and the fawn I may be carrying now. Please do not die like this."

That finally seemed to get to Balo who stopped shoving him. He looked once toward the old clearing. "Mother," was all he called out and then turned and walked away back up the hill. Stena and Delene followed.

Claris and Carie stepped in close to him. "I felt his pain," he said starting to choke up himself. He turned to face the two doe. "You know I do not completely disagree at what he was going to do. Man needs to understand what he does to us. I just wish I knew how to do it."

He then looked over at the herd that was looking at him for direction and safety. Yes that was his main duty. That duty came before his feelings, himself, his mates, even his children. They needed direction and they needed it now.

"Let us go back up the hill," he said loudly

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