again, she saw how close I had become with the Great Prince, and knowing that a part of her family-in-bond was happy, it made her happy. To her, that was the most important thing: As long as her family was in a good place, it always made her feel at peace.

I swear that all of this was so touching that we both watered at the eyes several times. Just hearing about the happy memories of Mother along with the sadness of her loss hit the heart very deep. But as much as we both missed her dearly, there were so many good things that made her a unique doe, and that kept both Mena and I going strong. I am sure my father felt the same.

We spent that time talking about Mother before going out briefly for a dinner graze on some grass and enjoying the golden lights of the setting sun through the trees. Then when the night came, she was very eager to know about my time with the Great Prince. So, I told her about everything we did during the early Spring and the common feelings were shared together, including how much we learned from each other. I also mentioned our long overdue visit to the glade where he and Mother first met. 

Touched by the binding love story between father and son, Mena said that she understood why it was hard for us to part the day that I was supposed to become her foster son. She hinted that she also felt slightly reluctant to have to take me away from the Great Prince, and how she was more than happy to let us be when watching us embrace after the victory over the enemy.

“After all,” she concluded. “I owed you for saving my life.”

Again, my heart melted hearing that, and we both shared a loving embrace for the first time. She really was a true mother figure in my eyes, and I have loved her as much as I loved Mother.

The next day, I let her show me her territory. It was more dense with less open areas than my own, but it was just as beautiful. Various coloured flowers  along with their noisy but pretty pollinators clouded around the ground flora while the beautifully diverse woodland creatures moved through the trees and ground everywhere you went. Springtime really was a busy and bustling time for everyone, and there was no shortage of activity. No one complained, though, because they all wanted to make the most of this wonderful time of the year - winter hibernators, especially!

But it was also the fact that Spring was the season where almost every animal in the forest matched up with a mate and fell in love - or became ‘twitterpated’. There was certainly a romantic atmosphere in this season, and so it only made sense to go ahead with it now.

But I was not to know this logic yet because I was still young at this time and would have to wait until I was older to understand. Even Mena said so when I asked her why everyone was acting so strange.

As curious as I was, it did not bother me at all. I just enjoyed the beauty of the season.

She introduced me to some of her closest deer friends, who all gave me warm greetings. The mention of my name rang familiar to some of them because I was the Young Prince, but Mena tried to keep my status hidden because she probably got the impression that I was too used to all the attention and therefore may have wanted a break from it all. I really did not mind, though, because everyone was being so genuine and without annoyance or bad attitude, so it was good to be making new friends.

The truth is, bar Ronno, not one animal I ever met was antagonistic in any way. 

The young doe and I had a wonderful day together - so special that we created another family bond that was almost as strong as mine with the Great Prince. We then settled in for the evening before going peacefully to sleep, never to forget our memorable couple of days that brought great happiness to our lives. 

She took me home the next day. Along the way, she told me this was some of the most enjoyable times she had since she was with Mother, and she gave me a truly heartfelt thanks. I was flattered, and I also thanked her for everything that she did for me. I was pleased that we both honoured Mother’s legacy by coming together and upholding a memorable tradition. Again, it really meant a lot.

We reached my father’s den by the early afternoon. He wasn’t there yet because he was out doing his usual patrolling, so Mena offered to stay with me until he came back, which I happily accepted. As we waited around, she gave me some valuable advice:

“I know that your father loves you for who you are, not just for what you did. As much as your acts were valorous, you stayed true to yourself. That is all that anyone can ask of you, Bambi. That is why you are so loved. Never forget yourself and you will never fail.”

Very deep words, but full of wisdom. I have always kept them in my mind ever since, and used them when I needed it most.

After a little time went by, the Great Prince returned from his patrols. Mena and I both reminisced on our last two days together to him, and he was very delighted at the fact that we had so much fun together. He thanked Mena sincerely for looking after me and allowed her to visit me again at any time she wanted to. She obliged, as did I. I was more than happy to see her again, because she had become a true part of our family, and it would only be appropriate to remain in contact with all your family members and close friends.

She then left to go back home, and the Great Prince and I could not help happily staring for a while in the direction she went - even after she had disappeared. When we finally turned away to go for an afternoon patrol of the forest, we quietly reflected on the experience with the doe.

“It is like Mother never left.” I said.

“She didn’t.”  The Great Prince replied with a proud smile. “She was there the whole time.”

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