the one battling the dogs that whole time, but I still had help during and even before the battle. My father taught me all the necessary survival and defensive techniques and antics, and Thumper and Flower worked with each other to drive one of the dogs away. The porcupine helped as well, as much as I used force on him. Therefore this was always our war, and we always work together to survive in the forest.

Like I said before, you have to respect the forest and be friendly to your surrounding environment, and then it will return you the favour.

I took one last look over the ledge to confirm that the dog had not survived, and it was very clear. The threat was over. All was peaceful once again. Even the rain and thunder stopped at that very moment, seemingly signifying the return of tranquility to the forest in the aftermath of war.

Above me, I heard the sigh of relief from my father. I know that he was also feeling praise for my efforts as much as he was glad that I had survived an inevitable life-and-death battle. Again, it was very much against fawn ordinance - let alone one without his antlers - but that was completely out of the question at this point. The important thing was that I and everyone else in the forest were safe once again.

I made my way up the wall carefully and reached the top, where I made another of my trademark jumps over a gap and to the other side where my father was standing. There, we shared happy and proud glances - not just for the victory, but also for reuniting once again.

But that would be short-lived, because right then, the cliff that I was standing on collapsed and I went down. I fell for a short distance, and that was all that I remembered before blacking out. I must have hit the hard ground with sufficient enough force to kill someone, but I think that I ended up landing on my chest, and that was what winded and stunned me and caused temporary unconsciousness. 

It was first thought that I had died, and thinking so, my father had come to my side and mourned tearfully. He showed how much he really loved me after everything that we had done together, and how his heart was shattered once more - worse this time around - at the thought of losing another family member. I think that he was also feeling sorry for having to give me away.

But luckily I managed to regain consciousness shortly after the fall, much to my father’s and friend’s relief. 

As I said, it was lucky that I hit the ground chest first, because if it was my head, there was no chance that I would have survived. Falling at that speed from just a little height is enough to snap your neck and cause instant fatality.

My father and I shared yet another happy and loving embrace. As we did, he uttered just two words:

“I’m here.”

That was all that needed to be said in that beautiful moment. It summed up how much we both meant to each other.

From a short distance, Thumper, Flower, Friend Owl, and Mena happily observed. I know that they were probably feeling awe-inspired for what I had done as well as relief that I had survived both the battle and the fall. But at the same time, they all knew how close the Great Prince and I had become, and were delighted that we had rekindled our relationship. 

Even Mena already knew this before she met me, and although she was going to take me in, she was more than happy to let me settle.

I think that she also felt pity for me after Mother was taken, because they were both close friends and it was for that fact that they became like a close-knit family. Therefore, Mena considered me one of her own, and so she wanted the best for me - not necessarily to be with her, but only for me to stay safe and well.

As my father and I continued to embrace, the dark clouds cleared and the bright of the moon shone over the land, signifying - in my humble words of spirit, as is my nature - the light of hope and joy after the darkness of fear and evil. It was the perfect moment for the Great Prince and his Young Prince son in a true bonding unity that would never be broken again.

To be completely truthful, it never was broken. It was, and always would be, strong.

*

Full Spring

After that dangerous and courageous battle, The Great Prince decided to take me in permanently for the rest of my youth. As much as I was delighted to remain under my father’s wing, I told him that I would be happy to go with Mena if he needed to stick to his own responsibility as leader of the forest, but he insisted that we could not stay apart after everything that happened between us and how much I proved to him through that act of honour and valour.

He also knew how close I was to my friends and how much we all meant to each other, and therefore, he believed that it would not be right to keep us - a very tight-knit family - apart.

He reminded me that he had learned from me about how beautiful life remains after a new form of life takes over from the one that has served its time and continues an unbroken connection of wonder.

On top of that, he let go of his mantra of leaving the past in the past and instead confronting and learning from it. We both realised that trying to run from your past will never solve anything because it will continue to haunt you forever. Sometimes going back is the only way to go forward.

Besides, we both have some wonderful memories of Mother in earlier times, and it was important to cherish those memories to retain happiness and build resilience to pain and sadness. To me, her spirit has always helped me to stay strong, and I think my father eventually caught on as well.

So, anyway, a couple of days after dad and I settled down, Spring had fully flourished. The trees were filled with fully bloomed flowers of all colour types and the birds, bees and other pollinators were going mad feeding on and utilising their pollen. The flowers produced beautiful smells all over the forest and the singing of the birds made the atmosphere all the more peaceful. I had never felt anything so tranquil in all my youth.

I think that the afterglow from the victory over the enemy and settling down with my father made the tranquility even stronger.

On that particular day, Thumper was telling the story to all my friends in the forest about my heroics - some parts a little exaggerated, probably to make better of my image - before I showed up to see them all. They were amazed and inspired that a young fawn would show such courage in very difficult circumstances, and I don’t think that they ever had more respect for me after that. 

I mean, they already did when I first came into this world because I was a prince and they looked up to me for that reason. But it was their friendly presence and support that gave me my down-to-earth image, and I wanted to repay that faith they had in me by giving it back to them.

So, in between the story telling, Friend Owl pointed out that my spots had finally disappeared and my antlers were coming in. That meant I had now reached adolescence. It seemed to have come faster than I anticipated, but most animals in the forest do, in fact, grow into adulthood anywhere between four to twelve seasons, so it made sense.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries with everyone, Ronno soon appeared. He was fuming with more hatred and envy against me than ever just because I had officially outperformed him in everything - not that I ever wanted to boast about it. His oversized ego just could not take it, and he was never going to swallow his pride.

I was surprised that his mother either never took notice of this or failed to discipline him, if, that is, she did not have an ego herself and passed it down to her son. But whether it was his mother or him, it was Ronno’s decision in the end, and he had no one to blame but himself.

Knowing that he could not get to me again after everything that happened and with the great support network surrounding me, he coldly reminded me that our rivalry was not finished and that he would return again one day for revenge. 

That was right before he stepped and slipped on the shell of a snapping turtle and fell into the water. Out of anger, the turtle bit the adolescent fawn on the nose, causing Ronno to completely freak out in fear and pain and run away with the turtle holding the grip of its mouth firmly.

Everyone found it very amusing, as did I. It felt good to see my nemesis being taught a lesson - not that it changed him one bit, sadly.

I knew that we would indeed meet up again one day, and that it was not going to go down well. Whatever it was going to come down to, I would be prepared to take him on. But I would only do it for good reason, such as if he personally provoked me, like when he insulted my relationship with my father. Unlike him, I would never do it out of foolish pride, otherwise I would be just as bad as him.

I also learned that pushing your pride can only go so far before it comes back to bite you later, and you have to take that hard lesson on the chin and learn from it to then grow and become a more mature and disciplined character.

Alas, some are too weak in the mind to realise that, like Ronno.

After spending a little while with everyone - including sharing a first kiss with Faline and seemingly signifying the beginning of our love - I had to go and meet up with dad as he invited me to a special place. This particular place meant a lot to him and he wanted to share it with me.

He had specifically arranged for near the