not eaten fully for a while and he discovered how hungry he was. He then heard someone from behind him. It was Claris she came over and started to eat next to him. He looked at her and pictured the doe he first knew when he came to this forest. Not a beauty like Faline or even Young Claris or Young Faline, she was still beautiful. How he wished he could take her in The Season like he once did and put himself inside her. That too was now beyond him. How he hated getting old. He went over and lifted her head with his like he once did. He then gazed into her green eyes and kissed her long and passionately. He watched her white fluffy tail shoot upwards has his did.

"I still like that, Stranger," she said taking in a deep breath.

"So do I," he told her. Now sleep with me here tonight. I need someone near me."

'I will always stay near you," she said in that voice of hers that use to make him almost crazy in The Season.

They finished eating, drinking and then empting their bodies before find a soft piece of grass and there sleeping until the greater light was high overhead. It was then he heard someone creeping through the forest very quietly. The wind was blowing in the wrong way; then he heard a different noise. There was more than one of them. He slowly got up taking in a great breath through his nose. He smelled nothing, He turned and faced the noise and saw two deer coming toward them. The male had his nose in the ground smelling for something. A moment later he got a good look. It was Karene and Stuben out walking together.

He bleated lightly once, and they both approached them. Both were smiling broadly. He looked at Claris who kissed the side of his cheek. "I was her age when you first came here," she reminded him.

"Hello Father," Stuben said. "You left so quickly, we did not have a chance to talk to you."

"We have something to announce to you and Claris," Karene told them. A pity she did not have the voice to go with her beautiful body and face.

"You do not have too, I saw it last year and I see it now," he said grinning ear to ear.

"Were we that obvious?" Stuben asked looking embarrassed.

"As obvious as Claris and I were when we were your age," he said. "I wish you both well, my Son. Finding the right doe is a wonderful thing and makes life well worth living."

"Karene has agreed to stay with me and be my mate during The Season." Stuben was beaming like he was.

He first kissed Karene on the side of her face and then rubbed Stuben's forehead. Claris did likewise.

"Have you told your mother?" he wanted to know.

"Yes, and she is happy about Karene and me. She thinks we will be a good pair. She also told me what you told her Father." Stuben then lowered his head."I am sorry this has happened, but I understand it. Mother does not blame you or anyone for this. I am glad you gave her the choice."

He did not indicate that he was bothered by Carie telling their son of their private conversation. He continued to smile. "She deserved that and a lot more for giving me you and Stelar. I look forward to seeing your fawn next spring."

Stuben reached over and kissed Karene on the mouth like he just did to Claris. At least this was one announcement he enjoyed hearing.

Chapter3: Ghosts From the Past.

It was mid spring. He had just come onto the meadow with Carie and Claris and young Stelar when he saw the large male standing on the meadow near the Man cave. He looked at him carefully. He wasn't from this herd and he did not look like any male from the Man path forest. He was tall, heavily muscled, and he could already see a large rack starting to grow. It was then that Bambi and Faline walked over to him.

"Could he have come from your old forest?" he asked Bambi.

"He looks familiar, but he did not come from my forest," Bambi answered. "I would have known a male like that."

Now Balo, Stuben and Delon approached also looking at the male. "Do you know who he is Father?" Stuben asked.

"No," he said. "I wonder if he is one of the males from over the hill in the forest Felon and Young Claris went to?"

"We did not fight him when Razor came, I know that," Balo said.

He knew they could stand here and wonder all night. It would do them no good. There was one way to find out. He looked at Bambi. "Care to introduce ourselves?"

"I do not mind," Bambi said with a smile.

He looked back at the other four males. "You all stay here. If there are more of them then come in quickly, but I do not think so."

The others nodded and he and Bambi walked over slowly. The other male didn't more, didn't show any sign of threat. He was studying them as intently as they were studying him. They walked up until they were within three lengths of the stranger. The deer looked right at them. "You must be Stranger and Bambi," he said in a deep voice.

"He sounds like my Father," Bambi said out loud.

"Not your Father," the deer said. "More likely your son; I am Galin. My Father was Geno, your son."

Bambi looked stunned for a moment. He walked forward sniffing the air around the large male. "Yes, Geno's scent is with you."

"You come from the forest over the hill and across the large open field?" he asked.

"Yes, I crossed the large open field. It took me three days of careful movement. Man is not in the forest at this time so it was safe. I wanted to come here and meet you both."

"Did my son send you?" Bambi asked suspiciously.

"No," he said abruptly. "Bambi your son Geno and my Father is dead. He died last winter of illness. I came on my own."

Bambi stopped and dropped his head. The large black eyes closed. "Another one," he said almost sobbing. "My children are fewer and fewer."

He walked up to his old friend and rubbed his flank. "I am sorry," he said. Then he looked at Galin and asked, "Why have you come here?"

"That is a story I would like to tell, but I can see the four large males are anxious. I take it those are the males you are training.

"And some of the doe too," he answered.

"Interesting," Galin said. "My Father never told me you could train doe. My Father told me it be a waste of time to try and train them. They would not understand."

Bambi looked up harshly. "In that and a great many other things, your Father was wrong."

"I know that," Galin said as a matter of fact. "My Father believed in strength and power. He always felt like that was the best way to rule. He was wrong as I found out and so did he when it was too late, but that is part of my story."

"Very well," he told Galin. "If you have not come here to challenge or cause trouble then you are welcome here."

"I thank the herd leader," Galin said.

He took Galin over to the rest of his family and introduced him. The shock was universal all except Faline. She did not even have to be introduced before she saw and smelled him and ran over to him and embraced him.

"You look and smell like my son returned," she said and kissed him as a mother would.

"Faline!" Bambi called out. "Later, Galin has a story to tell and I think it would interest all of us to hear it."

He nodded; he was still uncomfortable around this new male. "OK, let us get everyone together and go to the pond. It is more open and we can fit everyone in."

It took a little while to get everyone there. After they all arrived Galin stood and addressed them as he would friends.

"After my Father was told to leave this forest, he traveled to the large forest over you hill above us. That forest is similar to this one only it is much bigger and has three meadows and a much larger herd. There was no real herd leader, but an old large male Asar was considered the strongest that everyone paid attention to him. "My Father came in and Asar saw him as a threat. My mother tells me, Geno said he has no interest in being herd leader, but he was not going to be thrown out again. Asar tried to push his weight against Geno who pushed back and told the male he fight him there and then if he wanted. Asar saw he was not afraid and seeing my Father was a large male like him, he laughed and said any male who fight him was either very brave or very stupid. Asar and my Father decided not to fight and Geno became one of the lead males. Rignor one of the senior males didn't like it and went after Geno. Geno beat him so badly he died soon afterward. After that no one bothered my Father. In fact he even mated with Aslene, Asar's younger sister."

I was born three seasons ago and for the first year as a fawn things were fine. No one bothered me or my mother because no one wanted to anger either Asar or Geno. For that first season things worked well. My Father and Asar did not like each other, but like he told me about Bambi and Ronno, then agreed to live peacefully with each other. The next season my sister Galene was born and that year passed peacefully until The Season came with Man. The hunt was large and many deer were killed. Asar did not know what to do, but Geno took the herd and went deep into the forest where Man could not find us. As a result no more deer were killed. After that all the deer started to ask my Father questions and ask his advice which bothered Asar greatly. He was used to being herd leader. The next spring my mother died having a fawn that was born dead. Asar blamed my Father and things got worse and worse. Finally at The Season Asar started

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