THE STRANGER:GENERATIONS

By Wilber Arron

Chapter 1: Satisfaction and Agony

It was spring.

Another winter had passed them. This one had been mild. There had been no hunger. Even the meadow grass had not been covered by snow. He was glad. The snow and cold brought increasing aching to his legs and hoofs; the sign of a deer getting old. He always knew he was would get old, assuming some Man did not use a killing stick on him. In was only in the last year that he really felt it in his breath, his muscles, and his strength. All were diminishing. No doubt his first son Stabo, and some of the older deer could beat him now if they wanted. So far no one else had shown an interest in being herd leader.

He had gone away after Carie told him the time of their fawn was near. Doe did not like to be watched as they gave birth to their fawns. He hoped things would work themselves out as they did last year when Stelar had been born. He could not believe that little fawn was now a yearling and already taking on the looks of a beautiful doe. He was watching her and the other new yearlings playing in the meadow. Nearby was his son Stuben, now a two years old and still growing. He was practicing fighting with Delon, the child of Stena his first daughter and her mate Balo. Near Stuben stood Karene one of the twin daughters of his son Stabo and Gena, Bambi's second daughter. Near Delon stood Young Faline, Veron and Alana's first and sadly last daughter. Neither doe had mated the previous Season, but he knew that would change this Season.

"Looking at you family from afar," the growling noise came from behind. "A huge black bear came out of the woods and lay down next to him. He had been his friend and companion for many seasons since he came to this forest.

"I am afraid soon enough I will be looking at them from even further away, if at all. I am starting to feel my age and I am starting to feel my body fail me on the inside. Maybe not this season or the next, but soon my place will be taken by others as it is in the Way of All Things"

"I am the same way," the bear growled. "Even though I found a mate last season, I will not be able to hold her much longer. Some of the younger bears are starting to push their weight around. At least one of them is a Son of mine. At least your sons will not attack you. My son will."

"I hope not," he answered. "It is still good to have children to follow you. When my time comes, I will not mind much. I will have left my sons and daughters behind me. They will take over after me. The herd will be lead well."

He then stopped and looked up at the bear huge face. "I have not told his to anyone, but soon I will call a gathering of the herd and give up being herd leader' I will ask the herd to accept Balo as the new leader. He is ready for it. Bambi and I will still be here a while longer to help if he needs it, but I think Balo is ready to lead. Besides, I rather give up the herd that way instead of one of these young know-nothing males beating me in a fight."

"I doubt that will happen," the bear grunted. "Sometime I watch you deer practice fighting on the meadow at night. You still seem to be able to take care of yourself as am I. Yes we are old, but we are far from dead. We both have pregnant females that can answer to that."

He had to smile. "Yes you are correct, and do not worry, I am not ready to go yet."

"I will be leaving to go over the hill for the spring and summer,' the bear told him.

"Things may not be as easy for you there now. Young Claris, Stabo's eldest daughter mated with Felon from that forest. I understand Felon is now herd leader there."

"He is the one you trained?" the bear asked.

"Yes, we trained him until last Season. He and Young Claris mated and he went back to live in his home forest. Now that Razor and his males are dead, it should not be as hard on the deer. I fear it will be hard on you bears."

"I will manage," the bear said. "As I have said before they have never been as careful as you are. What are your plans for this season?"

"Much the same; continue training my children and the children of my children and friends. As you said try and make the forest a better place to live in. Then try and survive the hunts and Man. I have not seen any more Men and men fawns. I really like to meet some of their smaller fawns, they remind me of my own."

"I do not want to meet any of them," the bear growled loudly.

"I understand," he went on. "In any case, I do not think it will be for long. If I am lucky, I will die of old age like Bambi's Father. If I am not lucky, some Man will taken my body back to his cave. I hope he chokes on my flesh if he does."

The bear laughed. "Stanger you are different from any deer I have ever seen. Do not change, I like you too much."

He was then he noticed Claris dart out of the forest near where the small stream that led to the pond and small clearing comes out of the woods. She was running and looked frighten. She ran up to Stuben and Delon and was talking to them. Stuben pointed to where he was at and then let out with a loud call. "

"COME HERE," his voice echoed through the hills.

He got up quickly. "Something is wrong," he told the bear. "I need to go."

With that he broke into a run down the hill and out onto the meadow. He ran as fast as he could, but by the time he got to the meadow he was tired. He was losing his breath. He used to run this far for exercise. By the time he got to his son and Claris he could hardly speak.

"What happened?" he said gasping for air.

"You need to get to Carie," Claris said excitedly. "There is something wrong with her fawn."

He nodded and continued to move quickly toward the small stream and then up the hill all the while breathing heavily. His legs were aching and his chest felt like it would burst open. He finally got to their clearing and he saw Carie standing there. Below her was a quivering brown spotted male fawn, only something was wrong. It was struggling to get to its feet, but it could not. He watched it try and stand to feed many times without success. Every time it try and get to its feet, it fell over onto its side.

He walked over and put his nose under the little brown fawn to try and lift him. As he did, he caught the scent of the fawn. If was like no new born he had ever smell. This is fawn smelled almost decayed. He back away and looked at Carie.

"The fawn is not right. There is something wrong with him," he told her.

"The smell is wrong," she said. "If he cannot feed, he will not live," Carie told him with fear in her eyes."

"That is true," he said in a low voice. "Carie, I think this fawn was born deformed on the inside. I do not think it will survive."

He went over and looked at the little fawn's face. The eyes look blurred and they looked as if they did not focus. The fawn held his head strangely as if it was not straight. It was as if his little body was crooked. His little legs looked crooked; they were not straight, but seemed to curve. He came to the realization that his fawn, his son, was not going to survive, was not even going to able to feed. It was going to die slowly and painfully, or be torn to pieces by the scavengers. In a moment, he realized he could not allow that to happen.

He walked over to Carie and rubbed her head. His eyes were already tearing. "Listen, I want you to leave here. I want you to go away and not ever come back."

"But the fawn. . ." she started to say,

"The fawn will not live. It cannot stand. It is deformed for some reason."

"Stranger, if we leave our son, he will be torn to pieces by the scavengers," she said her own eyes tearing.

"No he will not be," he said. "I will make sure of that. He will die in as little pain as possible. That I promise you."

She looked confused at him for a second before her eyes went wide when she realized what he was saying. "That is our son," she gasped.

"Yes," he sobbed. "That is why I must do this myself."

Carie looked past him as the small mound of still wet fun. She walked over and nuzzled the fawn, and taking in its scent. She then stood up and looked directly at him. "I understand, Stranger, but do not come near me for a while."

With that she walked off toward the top of the hill. He waited until he was sure she was far enough away. He then went over and looked down at the fawn. He took several deep breaths. This had to be done right the first time. He took his right front hoof and then kicked the little mound of fur in the side of the head as hard as he could.

"EEEEE," was the sound it made and then it lay still. He had knocked it senseless, but it was not dead. He raised his body and came down and stomped his right front hoof onto the side of the fawn's head. He felt the bone crack and give way. The fawn jerked its legs once and then did not move. He did not look down. Instead he walked out of the clearing toward the Man path forest. He managed to get barely out of the clearing before he felt a burning sensation in his throat. A mass of cud came up and he threw up on the ground. He walked away and found an oak tree he could lean against, and sobbed uncontrollably for he did not know how long.

It was after dark when he lay down next to the oaks. In that moment he felt wearier than he could ever remember feeling before. He felt an emptiness inside of him that only made the memory what he had done even worse. No matter what he did, he could not get the feeling of his

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