suppose someone challenges him?" Carie asked.

"Anyone that challenges Balo, will get his tail stomped into the ground," Bambi said just as empathically. "Stranger is making the right choice. It is best to leave rather than to be beaten."

"When will you tell Balo and Stena?" Claris wanted to know.

"Tonight," he said and then I will call a gathering soon.

"Then who will follow Balo," Carie asked.

"When the time comes, the herd will decide that also," he said clearly." I guess it will be either Delon or Stuben. The herd will make that choice."

"Your Son should follow you," Carie went on. "I agree with you he is not ready yet, and Balo is the wisest and strongest, but afterwards it should be your Son."

He tried not to show his anger. "That is not my choice or yours to make. It will be up to the herd. They will decide when the time is right. That will not be for many seasons."

"That no one knows," Faline answered.

He nodded his head. "Yes, Faline, you are right. That no one knows."

He then stopped and took a deep breath. "Now here is something that I will not discuss with anyone else except us," he told them all. "I also want you never to mention what I am going to say to anyone. This is deeply personal and I do not wish to share this with anyone else including our family."

They all looked at him strangely before he continued "I have been thinking about what happened with our fawn. I am wondering if I am getting too old to make healthy fawns myself."

The others looked stunned almost in disbelief.

"That is nonsense," Bambi told him. "My Father had me when he was your age and I turned out rather well."

"I know, but after what happened with Claris and now with Carie, I have to wonder if I am at fault here. One thing however is for sure; even if I can still make healthy fawns now, I will not be able to do it for much longer."

There was silence. He knew Bambi had not sought out another doe after Faline's fawn was born dead. Carie could still have those fawns.

He went on trying not to get emotional. "Carie will be able to have healthy fawns for several more seasons. I will not be able to father them for that long. Therefore I offer Carie a choice. If she wants to stay with me and try and have more fawns, I would be happy to try again. However," he said and looked directly at her. "If you feel you would rather find another male for your fawns, I will not stop you or challenge anyone for you. I am giving that choice to you."

Carie looked more surprised than anything else. She stood there in silence for a time while everyone looked at her. Then she spoke clearly, but he could hear the emotion in her voice. "I will not lie to you Stranger, I did think about your age when my fawn was born deformed. Right now I do not know if I want to leave you or not. One thing I can say is that none of the other males in this forest I would even consider to be a father for my fawns. None of the herd males interest me in the least. We still have a while before The Season. I will let you know if I will stay with you or not before that time, In the meantime I will help raise our son and daughter and see they come into to their proper place within the herd."

He expected that much. He also knew, but would not say it, that Carie also liked the position of mate to the herd leader and while she did not push herself forward, she did present herself as being a leading doe. If she was a wise as Claris he would not mind this, but she was not. He was now going to give that up so she would lose that position. He also did not like her comment about his son's and daughter's proper place in the herd. He knew you got position by being reliable, knowing what to do, and being able to protect the herd. Who you were born to meant nothing. That was something he was sure she had not learned yet and possibly never would.

"Very well, I accept that," he told her. "We will discuss this later."

"When will you tell our children," Bambi asked.

"Just before I call for the gathering," he said. "They need to know, but I do not think any of them will dispute Balo being herd leader."

"Nor do I," Claris said. "Stabo already has the Man path forest, Stena will be the mate of the herd leader, so I see no problem there. I do not see any the other children objecting. You have made it clear for a long time that Balo would most likely follow you."

"Again, that is up to the herd," he repeated.

"Very well," Bambi said nodding his head. "I do not agree with everything you have just said, but I do understand why you said it. I agree it is time for Balo. Now you have to tell him and I suggest you do it now."

"I intend to," he answered. "I thank you all for listening to an old deer."

With that he bowed his head and left them still standing in the meadow. It was easy to find Balo and Stena. Other than himself and Bambi, Balo was the largest deer in the forest. He saw them eating with the other young deer around him. He walked up to them until he was within a length of them. Balo looked carefully at him, but it was Stena that spoke.

"Father I am so sorry at what has happened," she told him her eyes misty. "I just want to say we understand."

He nuzzled his daughter like she was still his fawn. "Thank you, daughter," he said and then turned toward the others present. "I need to speak to Balo and Stena alone," he told them. "Please excuse us for a while."

With that he walked toward the trees near where the stream from the pond entered the meadow. When he was sure they were alone he stopped.

"What is it Stranger?" Balo asked. "Is something wrong?"

"No, Balo, for once nothing is wrong," he said with a smile. "Soon I am going to call for a gathering of all the deer in the forest. At that gathering I am going to give up being herd leader. I am getting too old for this and it is time for a new leadership. I am going to suggest to the herd that you be the new herd leader. You are old enough, you have been trained by Bambi and me, you know what to do, and most importantly Stena is very wise on her own. You both can lead the herd as well as me or Bambi ever did."

"Father, you are not that old," Stena said looking shocked. "You can still be leader for seasons to come."

"No daughter, I cannot," he said calmly. "Bambi has showed me it is best to turn over the herd in your own time, rather than get beaten by some new male. I watched him do it with Gorro and then saw how you both helped him. Now it is time for you two to do it on your own."

"Will the herd accept me?" Balo asked.

"The herd has seen you help me for many seasons. They have seen me and Bambi teach you. They have seen how you helped Veron, Stabo, Gorro and I take care of Razor. Right now you could most likely beat me. Besides I am old and tired. It is time for a younger deer to take my place. You are the best deer in the forest to do this, both Bambi and I agree on this. The herd also knows this and will agree. Besides if any deer is stupid enough to challenge you, I know you can stomp them into the ground."

"I hope the others agree with you," Balo said still looking a bit frightened at the prospect."I also hope I am up to being the leader."

"You are," he said and rubbed his forehead against Balo's. "Besides you can always ask Bambi and me for advice if you want to, at least for a while."

"Father no," Stena said the tears now flowing."You will be here for a long time to come. I do not know what I would do without you and Bambi, Even mother and Faline are a great help."

He looked deep into Stena's black eyes and smiled openly. "You will do the best you can no matter if we are here or not. You have your children and mine to help you."

"Yes and Delon can follow you if anything happens," Stena said to Balo.

Not again he was thinking. "That will be up to the herd when that time comes. Remember one of the first lessons I taught you long ago; the herd will decide, not you."

Stena stepped back, "Yes Father of course, but it is only natural that the son will follow the father."

"Balo is not my son," he reminded her, "Although he is like a son to me. Balo is the best deer in the forest. This is why he should be herd leader. The deer in the forest will follow the best deer no matter who it is. When the time comes, the herd will make the choice," he reminded her.

"Yes, Father," she said meekly.

"I will try and do the best I can," Balo said.

"I know you will," he said. Then he looked deep into Balo's black eyes."I only knew your mother for a short time before she was taken. I do know if she was here now, how proud she would be of you and the deer you became. You are as close to me as my own sons. You will do a good job. I trust you with the herd."

With that he rubbed Balo's forehead again and turned and walked away. Balo turned quickly not wanted to see the tears forming in his eyes. He walked into the forest toward the other side of the meadow. For the first time in many risings of the greater light he felt at peace within himself. He had done the best he could. It was time for others to carry on.

He found some grass over by where the stream to Bambi's old forest flowed between the hills. Near the stream were also fresh grasses. He ate them. He had not eaten fully for

Previous Page

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Next page