arranged for near the middle of the day to visit this place, and I didn’t bother to question why because I knew that he was planning a nice surprise for me, and I didn’t want to spoil anything.

When I met up with him a short distance north of his den, he told me that we had already arrived at our destination. He showed me by pulling aside some branches from a bush, which turned out to be a sort of entrance into a hidden place - almost as if it was supposed to be secret.

I saw exactly why when I came in.

It was a beautiful pristine open glade with a small river and the rays of the midday sun beaming through the opening in the tall canopy. I had never seen a glade up until this moment, but of all the beautiful things that I have seen in the forest through my youth, nothing came close to this. The meadow was always nice, but to see an open space in the middle of the forest with all the beautiful elements of nature at their finest - crystal clear water, pure green vegetation, purely scented flowers, golden rays of sunlight - it was hard to describe, but it felt like I had been blessed with the best of the goodness of life, and I had never felt so at peace.

Dad likewise marvelled at the glade like he had only seen it for the first time, and that was because it brought back a wonderful memory that he had not had the chance the relive until this moment. 

He explained that this was where he first met Mother when he was only my age, and that it had been a long time since he had returned here. He regretted holding it off because he was so used to looking and moving forward without taking a backward step. But now he was feeling the tranquility  that evolved from the beginning of his love with Mother, and it was this - aside from being with me, of course - that made him the happiest he had ever been.

I asked him what he was like when he was my age, and, to mine and his delight, he said that he was a lot like me.

That further proved how strong our bond was.

I was thinking that since it was in this glade that sparked my parents love, it was like a blessing in disguise in that it also strengthened the bond between this great father and his son to its highest.

As we continued to gaze up to the rays in the canopy’s opening, butterflies of many different colours circled around the top and bottom levels of the glaze. That wonderful addition to this moment made us feel at one with the beauty of nature, and, again, we had never felt so at peace.

From that moment on, I felt that life was only going to get better.

I will just add that at near the end of winter - I had never actually noticed this until near the middle of spring - a small green plant had begun to sprout out of the top of the log above my father’s den. By the time the flowers had appeared in the trees and the pretty aroma of the forest had strengthened, the plant had grown to twice a big and it’s flower had bloomed. I noticed that several butterflies came to rest on it and pollinate from time to time. 

Other forms of life in the forest had bonded together as one, but that particular moment had symbolised what Mother had told me: Where one thing falls, another grows. Maybe not what was there before, but something new and wonderful, all the same.

That plant blooming there was spiritual sign of mine and my father’s beloved destiny.

On that same day after our memorable moment together in that glade, something came to my attention in the evening after the Great Prince and I were about to settle in for the night - something of a matter of courtesy to someone else who I knew was important to me, even if we barely knew each other at the time. 

I thought that it would only be appropriate to approach this animal upfront once again and pay her a respectable visit.

I asked the Great Prince if I would be able to see Mena again, because she was Mother’s closest friend growing up and it was for that reason that she was like a part of our family. Therefore, I wanted to get to know her better.

I believe that all family members, in blood or bond, must always keep in close contact so that the love remains tight.

My father happily agreed to this and therefore sent Friend Owl out the next day to look for the doe, where he eventually returned with Mena in the early afternoon. She greeted us warmly once again and sincerely thanked me for saving her life. She was still very astounded that a young fawn without antlers would have the guts to put his own life on the line to save the animals of the forest.

When she asked me why, my answer had a rather symbolic vibe:

“It was hard enough losing one mother. The whole forest is like family, and I am not prepared to lose anything close to my heart.”

I didn’t really think when delivering that. It just came out that way by chance, but I was told later by my father how deep it felt and quietly hinted that it possibly defined me. To be honest, as much as anyone can be touched by that statement I made, it is what you do that defines who you are.

Actions always speak louder than words.

So after a short exchange of pleasantries, Mena decided to let me spend a couple of days with her at her home because this would be a good place to get to know each other as it was away from the common noises and activities of the forest and it could be just the two of us. It was also chance to explore new territory. 

Again, my father agreed to this, and so Mena led me away to go to her den, which was a little distance walk away from home. We took the very path that we started when I went with her for the first time, and after walking for several miles through the forest, we soon reached her den in the late afternoon.

She lived on her own in a comfortable bushy den surrounded by a dense covering of trees and lush green shrub. It was very sheltered where no danger could possibly reach or even navigate to so easily. But it was also very quiet, so it seemed serene and tranquil enough to live peacefully without outer disturbance.

After we settled down, she told me everything about growing up with Mother.

They lived fairly close to each other at the time before they first met in the same meadow where I met Faline, which was nine seasons before I was born, when they were both adolescent fawns. They had no problems playing with each other that day and that brought about an immediate sisterly bond. They met up almost every day since, and it even brought their own parents together as good friends, so it was interesting how their bond began something special for their respectable families.

In her own words, what they had found in each other was a nice easy-going personality with a real sense of connection with the beauty of nature - be it either the colourful and tuneful birds, unique woodland animals, or the green and picturesque flora of the forest. Even the mixed colours of the leaves on the trees in Fall, the heavenly vibe from the white of the snow in Winter, and the warmth of the sun in Summer gave them the best of everything that life could offer, and they could not have asked for anything more.

Again, that all came from Mena’s mouth. Mother never actually said any of this, but I am sure that she would have thought the same, knowing how much she and Mena had in common.

Either way, it was one of the most touching stories I have ever heard. 

She then said that shortly after they became adolescent, Mother had met the Great Prince in the previous Spring before this one and immediately fell in love. From there, Mother moved in with the stag at his den that was a little distance away from Mena’s territory, which was where Mother spent most of her time growing up. This would mean that the two sisters-in-bond would be apart and not get to see each other as much, but Mena was a very understanding doe and was more than happy for Mother to be with the one she loved. As hard as it was, she really loved Mother too much to hold her back, and that is why she had to let her go in the end. 

Unlike Mother, though, Mena did not end up getting ‘twitterpated’ - or falling in love with a mate (I will explain that part later) - that Spring. As we all knew, almost everyone falls in love in the Spring, but there are the unlucky few who miss out every now and then. On this particular occasion, Mena, being younger, was very shy and not yet interested in pairing up, so she passed it by and decided to wait until she was older. She needed to know when she was ready for love without rushing into things. She felt that there were many more things to learn as she was coming of age, so she put that first. Fair enough.

The heartbreaking part of the story came when she spoke about the word about Mother’s tragic passing. It had actually come from Friend Owl when he was recruiting suitable does to foster me, and he knew that Mena was one of Mother’s close friends, so he thought it only appropriate to choose her to take me in. She was more than happy to, but as soon as he told her about what happened, she became deeply saddened because of the fact that it was not only the mate of the Great Prince to be taken away, but her closest friend. She thought that of all animals, why did it have to be this special doe?

That is why it would have meant a great deal for her to take care of me in such a difficult time. It would have been very appropriate to do this in her great friend’s honour, and it would help soothe the wounds from the tragedy.

But, again, she saw