open.

"Ahhhhhh, my side," he said out loud.

"He is awake," he heard a deep rumbling voice call out.

"Bear," he called out. "I thought you went over the hill."

"I am not leaving you here" the black shape answered. "I stayed here and Bambi left for the Man path forest. The few scavengers thought twice about having you for a meal. I was here when the others came back."

"Others?" he asked.

"Us Father," he heard Stabo's voice. "Bambi came for us. When we got here and you were lying still and cold. We all thought you were dead."

"I think I was for a while. It is very strange. It was like I was awake, but in a different place. Not a forest. It was a place that seemed to be made of clouds."

"Who were you talking to?" Claris asked. "We heard you mumbling, but we could not understand you."

Then it struck him. "Claris, you are here with the bear?" he said astonished.

"We are all here with the bear," he heard Faline's voice. "Strange as it is; he didn't eat you or any of us."

"I do not believe any of this is happening," he said. "It is just too strange."

"Yes it is," the bear growled. "I am surrounded by more deer meat than I have ever seen in my life and I am not even hungry."

"You were talking a lot there for a while before you went silent again. Who were you talking too?" Claris asked.

"My friends, if I told you that, you would all run from me as fast as you could. I know because if I heard this, I would be running next to you, yet I tell you that it happened."

"Who?" Bambi asked.

He looked around and saw the old gray and brown deer standing there next to Faline looking down on him with a mixture of worry and confusion.

"Bambi, I was talking to your Father," he said.

You could have heard a leaf hit the ground in the silence He could look around and they all looked at him as if he had taken complete leave of his senses. "I do not expect you to believe it, but I tell you it was real to me."

"How, he has been gone many seasons?" Bambi asked.

"I do not know, other than I think for a while I was gone too," he said and his voice trailed off.

"Father, you have to get up" Stabo told him. "It is like what you told me about getting knocked down in a fight. You have to get up or else."

Stabo was correct. If he could not move, he would not live. He no longer felt the numbness in his legs, nor did he taste the blood in his mouth. He moved his legs under his body. After a few seconds of agony, the pain subsided. He pushed up first with his front legs. The front of his body came off the ground. He then pushed up with his rear legs. As he stood erect and felt the pain course through his side, he lost his balance. He would have fallen had not the bear and Stabo held him up. He had to spread his legs to stay up. After a while he stood normally. He then looked around him. Besides Claris, Stabo, Bambi and Faline, there was also Young Bambi.

"The others?" he asked Bambi.

"With the herd trying to get them settled," Bambi added. "We are still looking for Stelar. Many deer are looking for others. I am sorry, but I do not think all the herd got out in time or went another way.

He nodded and took a step. Pain shot through his side, He took another and then another. The pain seemed to get less, but it still racked his body. "I can walk awhile," he said, "But I am not sure how far."

He looked back at the bear and slowly turned around. He slowly walked up to the large head with the large teeth and rubbed his forehead against the bear. This was normally certain death for a deer. "Thank you again," he said with true affection for his friend. "I hope Bambi's Father was right about one thing."

"What was that?" the bear said in a low voice.

"He said there was a place for all of us in the Great Herd when we are done here. There is a place there for you too. I would like that very much," he told him and rubbed the bear's head like he would rub his own fawn. His eyes started getting misty again only this time the bear's eyes were misty too. He turned around. The others all looked misty eyed. "I hope he was right for all of us," he said and started to walk away.

He walked slowly, and carefully. Bambi and Young Bambi took turned in walking close to either side of him with Stabo, Faline and Claris walked behind him in case he fell backwards. He could not move quickly. By the first sign of the greater light they had only reached the spring by the ruins of the Man cave. They drank in the spring and ate the grass and then lay just inside the burnt woods of his forest. The day passed in peace and quiet. With the night they crossed into the Man path forest. As they entered the green forest he saw many deer from his old herd there. They all looked at him, not saying a word. One of young males started to run toward the middle of the forest. Soon, Gena and Koren came to see them. Koren looked at him and his face was a mixture of horror and relief.

"Stranger, you are alive," he said and came up and nuzzled him.

"Mostly alive," he said.

They walked until they reached the Man path where he stopped as they got to the other side. His side hurt too much. Stabo turned to Koren and the young male ran off into the deep forest coming back a while later with leaves from the healing bush. He ate them and then closed his eyes and slept through most of the day and half the night. This time as the fatigue came over him, he didn't feel as if he was going to die. He felt as if he was home.

Chapter 7: Decisions

When he woke up this time Claris and Charlene were there. He let out a groan and tried to get to his feet. It was painful, but he managed to get up.

"Ahhhh," he grunted as the pain flowed through him again. Besides hurt he felt famished and very thirsty. His insides also felt ready to burst. He looked up at the two doe. "Excuse me, please," he told them.

He walked off until he was far enough away and again his body released waste that smelled like death itself. The greater light was going down and there was no sign of Man in the forest. He walked to a nearby stream and drank and started to eat. He ate several mouths full of grass before his insides started to hurt again. He stopped and limped back to where he woke up. By now Bambi and Faline were there with Stabo and Gena. All of them looked at him like he had just returned from the dead.

"I still hurt on the inside, but at least my legs move. I cannot run, nor can I eat much When the Man cave caught fire and disappeared, it knocked me down and damaged me inside. I do not know if I can heal or not, but for now I cannot lead. In any case we are now all forced to live here in the Man path forest. Our home is no longer there so we are going to have to live here or someplace for many seasons until our forest grows back. We will be living with the herd here and its leader Stabo."

They all nodded so they saw the situation like he did. He next turned to Charlene. "I want you to get your brother, sister and Young Bambi Also find Galin and Galene. Do not bring any others of my family.

The young doe explained, "Young Bambi will come with Karene and Koren and Galene will likely come together. I will bring Galin."

"Oh," he said. "I thought Karene was a pair with my Son Stuben"

"There was a big fight between her and Carie after she and Stena almost came to blows. She does not think Carie is doing the right thing and this is angering Stuben. They got so angry with each other Karene left and said she would never come back."

"That is a pity," he told her, "Thank you." He then kissed on the side of the face.

She looked at her father who nodded his approval and she went on her way. Stabo and the other looked at him suspiciously. "Father what are you going to do?"

"I will explain when the others get here. I only want to do this once," he told him. "I am starting to feel tired again. I am going to lie down. When the others get here, please wake me."

He went over to a small grassy area near one of the many small clearings and lay down. He was asleep almost immediately."

Bambi woke him later and he went back to the others. By now it was dark and it was the normal time they feed. He saw they were all there and he walked in among them.

"With the permission of the herd leader I am going to call for a gathering of both herds. We must decide what we are going to do with the herd from the meadow forest. We cannot go back there for many seasons. Stabo I am concerned about food. Is there enough for both herds to last through the winter?"

It was Young Bambi who spoke up. "Yes he said, but your herd will have to go deeper in the woods. I have walked for a full day into the woods and the forest goes on as far as I could see, and I have seen little sign of deer. The forest is just like here, lots of trees, many small clearings, and a few streams. There should be enough food and water for all. The question is Man. If we all live here in this forest, will not Man will return here in greater numbers. I have already lost my father to them; I do not want to lose any of you."

It was the voice of an intelligent deer speaking out. It was clear and to the point. He nodded. "Thank you, Bambi," he said deliberately leaving out the word young.

"Do you want to keep this as one herd or two?" Stabo asked.

"That will be up to the herds," he said.

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