pointed his nose in the direction the wounded deer had run.

They head some branches breaking Who ever this deer was he sounded big and he was not quiet. An instant later he heard a loud bleat from in the forest from where he heard the weak call before.

"Now quiet," he said in a low voice.

A little while later he could hear more footsteps, more branches breaking. Two or three deer were running toward where the call had come from. Again they were not quiet, they were just moving like they did not have a care in the world. After a while he could hear voices, but they were too far away to make them out. A loud voice that sounded angry was all he could tell. They waited until it was obvious that the sounds were getting closer.

"Get closer and hide behind trees," he said in a very low voice. "I am going to try and come in on their flanks."

He crept away taking special care not to make a sound. The other four walked forward until they were just hidden by the trees and waited. It took him a short while to get around to the side. As he did he could pick up a fresh smell of a deer coming closer. Not going into the clearing, but directly toward him. One of the deer was doing the same thing he was, trying to get into place to charge the flanks. There was one deer that was not stupid. He froze hid behind a large oak and looked. Sure enough there was a large deer walking toward him, but with the wind at his tail he could not smell him yet. He could hear other deer getting close to the clearing. As they broke into the clearing, there was a call of alarm.

"The others are dead," a deer called out loudly.

"I know," he heard Veron call out. "We killed them."

Just then he heard Veron, Balo, Stabo and Gorro charge forward. He did not know how many other deer were in the clearing, but he did not think more than two or three.

The large deer crept forward looking to approach unnoticed and get a good flank hit in. As he turned his back to him, he charged.

The other deer did not hear him until he was three lengths away. He tried to turn around to face him, but it was too late. He hit hard just behind the forward shoulder of the large deer at a full run. The impact was like hitting Bambi at a charge and stunned him for a second. The other deer fell back, but did not go flying away. He brought his feet up to strike, but only managed to get a grazing hit on the side of his head. This deer was also fast. It still knocked the deer off balance and he fell sideways. He dropped his head and changed straight into him hitting him as he started to get up. The impact knocked him senseless, but this time the other deer when flying. He shook it off as the other deer got up.

"You are Stranger," the other deer grunted. "I remember you when I was a yearling."

"Sorry, do not remember you," he told him. "You should have remembered how well the herd was led by Hilgas the old buck you killed."

"Baaa," he belated out. "He was weak, I am strong."

"Strong enough to starve most of your herd," he said eyeing him closely. Razor was stalling until his other two or three males could come to his aid. "What type of leader are you?"

There was a loud crash from the clearing and heavy grunting from many voices. There was yelling from strange voices. He heard nothing that sounded familiar.

"Your males are not coming," he told him with a smile on his face. "You see I have friends too."

"There was another loud yell. This yell was one of pain. There was the sound of heavier fighting and then suddenly nothing.

"Now all you have to deal with is me," he said with a grin and dropped his head and charge.

Razor saw it as a test of strength which he gladly accepted. Only he was not that foolish. Razor charged back and when he was in three length, he leaped aside and turned around. Razor reacted quickly but could not turn as fast as him while running so fast. He kicked out with both his rear hoofs and landed both hoofs hard in his flank. Razor manage to get a front hoof out and hit him on the shoulder. The impact was hard and pain ran all up and down his side. Razor went sideway into a tree with a crash. It took him a second to recover, by then Razor was almost up. He leaped up bringing both feet up. He was off balance so it was not a hard kick but the impact knocked Razor back into the tree. Before he could get up, he turned around quickly and hit him hard with his rear legs. As he came down, Razor front hoof came up and hit him in the belly. He felt it cut into him, and there was in pain from his underside. He kicked out again, this time on Razor's head. That blow knocked him senseless. Before he could recover he turned and pounded Razor on the head until he felt it crush under his impact. Razor would not move again.

He stepped back and saw a pool of his own blood on the ground. He felt it was serious wound, but not fatal. His left front shoulder was also bleeding. He had to stop the bleeding. He had seen man put skin on bleeding cuts to stop the flow. He did not have more skin to use. If he lay down his legs would be under him. If he could not put skin against the wound, could he put fur? He lay down and then adjusted his legs until he felt his leg press against his cut. Then he lay still. He knew the bleeding would stop or he would die.

A short while later he saw Gorro walking alone through the forest as if looking for him. He called to him and immediately came over

"I found him," Gorro called out. Shortly both Stabo and Balo came over.

"Father," what happened, Stabo said excitedly.

"Razor and I fought and I killed him, but he injured me. I am cut in the belly. I am trying to stop the bleeding. I dare not move or it will start bleeding again."

He then looked around and saw only the three deer. "Where is Veron?" he asked.

"Lying in the clearing," Balo told him. "One of the large males managed to kick him hard in the side. Veron said it hurts when he tries to stand."

"The other three males?" he asked.

"Dead," Balo said with a grin. "They were strong, but they could not fight four of us."

They were learning. This was not a formal challenge like when deer fight for mates or leadership. This was for domination. There were no rules for that. It was kill or be killed. The fight was over, but there was one thing that had to be done.

"Listen, Veron has to move," he said. "With all the dead deer in that clearing, the scavengers are sure to come. If Veron is lying down there they will kill him also. Bring him here and we will all stay here tonight together. The scavengers will not attack us with dead meat so close."

"We will get Veron to move," Balo said. "If we have to we will try and lift him up."

They left and he waited for a while alone. The forest had gone quiet as if it knew what had happened. He hoped Claris, Carie, and the others would not worry, but he did not want to try and go back to his forest. He looked up and noted the greater light was just past overhead. It had not taken long at all.

"He heard like crashing through the grass. There was stumbling. He saw Veron walking slowly toward him with Stabo and Gorro on both sides and Balo in the back. Veron made it over to him and lay down on the ground.

"My side hurts a lot," Veron told him.

He did not see any blood from the mouth. He smelled at Veron side and smelled nothing unusual.

"You will be sore, but that will pass," he said mostly to make Veron feel better. "For now let us all stay here."

"Well at least we won the fight," Gorro said with relief.

"No," he said. "We survived the fight; that was the best we could do. Now let us rest."

Chapter 7: Interlude 2

He sent Gorro and Balo back to his forest to tell everyone they were at least alive. He and Stabo stayed and tried to help the injured Veron. Over the next two days they managed to get him up and walking about, but he could not run and he was in no condition to fight. He found some of the healing plants he and Bambi had used and fed them to Veron. They helped his pain, but they could not heal any damage inside. He knew it would be awhile before Veron was back to normal. As soon as Alana, her fawn and Young Bambi were back he too left. The rest could take care of Veron until he was healed. His only concern was that some large male might use this opportunity to challenge him for Alana and herd leader. He pulled Stabo aside and out of hearing from the others he talked to him.

"Veron is in no condition to be a herd leader for now, Stabo. You are going to have to do it for a while.

"I know, I am afraid one of the males from the other forest might challenge him," Stabo added. "There is only one deer that I think has a chance of doing it, but he seem uninterested. He certainly did not help when Razor and his males came here." Stabo sounded a little disgusted at the fact.

He could not blame any deer about not helping. It was not natural to a deer to be that aggressive. "It could be he does not know how to help. It is not something that comes naturally for a deer. It has to be taught like I taught you, and Bambi taught Veron."

"I know," Stabo said. "I just hope no one takes advantage."

"You cannot allow that to happen," he told him flatly."You must step in. I have seen the other deer here. They are not cowards, but they are not as strong and wise as you. You must see they come to you. This is what it means to help out the herd leader."

"I understand, Father. I never wanted to be herd leader, but if I have to, I have

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