presence certainly made me feel comfortable, but it was not enough to stop the sadness that I was feeling. It is very hard to remain strong inside when you have just lost a parent, especially when the both of you are so close together at heart.

When we arrived at the Great Prince's den, he allowed me to go in ahead of him. I looked up at him again as I walked past. In between all of the sorrow, I was feeling very grateful to him for sympathising and taking me in, so I did want to say this to him, but I think that the look on my face just said it. The expression on his face did not change but I believe that he acknowledged it all the same, because I could tell that he was also feeling heartbroken at the loss.

Anyway, I went into the den and immediately fell asleep. As well as the sadness I was feeling, I was also tired from the running to escape from Man as well as the search for Mother. It was so much for me and I had to rest.

While I was sleeping, I was not even aware of what was happening right outside the den. I think that I barely heard voices of conversation, but I was too distraught to notice, so I ignored it. Had I paid attention, I would have discovered my future fate. But it was also the start of something good, as I was about to find out soon enough.

At this moment, meanwhile, I still could not believe that Mother was gone. There had not been one day when we were not together and she had loved me like no one else in my youth thus far. I loved her greatly in return for everything that she did for me, but also for the fact that she, in personality, was a wonderful mother. How am I supposed to live without someone like that? I thought.

So it was very hard to take and I knew that the scars would certainly take their time to heal.

My father eventually came into the den and lay down to go to sleep. After he did, I opened my eye on him one last time. Thank you for taking me in during this hard time, father. I was thinking but eager to speak it if I could have. I hope that you can help me get through this. I then shut my eye and went back to sleep.

*

Groundhog day

It was the following morning after that tragic event. I was so psychologically fatigued from it that I slept on through the night and even a little more after dawn. I didn't actually realise I had slept in until I was woken up by water droplets, which - through this season at least - were unusual considering that everything was frozen over by the snow and ice. But as the last days of winter were evident, the signs of spring were well on their way.

Anyway, I woke up peacefully and was actually feeling a little better than the previous day. It was probably because I was able to rest off the sadness and mourning and be mentally fresh once again. Not easy to do considering the circumstances, but with the added presence of my father, at least I had one parent left and I could feel safe. So it wasn't all bad.

But I noticed that my father wasn't in the den, and I felt a sudden rush of panic as I hurried outside to look for him. As soon as I got out, I bumped into a thin leg. Well, thin for the animal itself, but compared to my size, it felt thicker. I looked up and saw The Great Prince himself looking down at me with a light stern look and clearing his throat, thereby saying something along the lines of, you are late and I have been waiting for you. I knew that I had slept in and I was feeling a little embarrassed, but I tried to stay composed. He let me off this time, but warned that if I was late again, he would have to leave without me.

My stomach began to rumble, signalling that I was hungry. Even my father noticed the sound, much to my own surprise, and suggested that I should eat. I said nothing and stared at him before aiming my pupils towards the snow white ground, saying something like, well, yes, but in case you haven't noticed, there is no sign of food. Not on the ground and not on the trunks of the trees. How can I eat? He got this message right away and found a solution by digging into the snow and revealing ground roots. I was hesitant as I had never tasted roots before and they did not look very appetising.

"How do you know you don't like it if you have never tried it?" He asked, speaking wisely.

I looked at him and thought, yes, good point. I am not thinking clearly. Well, if I thought about it, the distraught from yesterday had not entirely worn off yet, so it was not easy to think clearly. So anyway, I took a bite and found that it did taste alright - a little bit like mixing the flavour of the grass with tree bark - but it gave a very cold chill in the stomach after swallowing, so I also gave a bit of a shudder. No wonder, because it had been buried under the snow all winter!

My father then got moving and said that we had to check on the other deer in the South Wood. I began to build up some excitement because of the fact that I was going exploring with The Great Prince of the Forest for the first time, and, without thinking properly, I just went mad and began jumping around and yelling, "Whoo-hoo! Whoo-hoo!". My father, not amused but staying composed, stopped me immediately.

"A prince does not 'whoo-hoo'." He said.

"He doesn't?" I asked, a little surprised at him stopping me from just trying to have some fun.

"He certainly does not." He replied, speaking with wisdom and standing up very straight to show the proper pose for a deer. "A prince maintains control at all times. Display dignity. Walk with pride."

He then began to walk with the same pose with his head held high and eyes also closed to emphasise, and I did the same, knowing that I had to follow suit since he really meant authority. He certainly appeared to have this no-nonsense attitude, and I was not prepared to do anything silly in front of him. It's not that this was a part of my nature, but when it comes to responsible attitude, I do not like getting in trouble for annoyance. Whatever they might demand, I have always wanted to keep others happy.

So I followed him for a short distance until we came to a downhill slope that appeared a bit steep, and it was confirmed when I was unable to grip the snow properly with my hooves and then slid through my father's legs and down the slope. Luckily, a pile of snow lay below and it broke my fall, leaving me unhurt. Had I moved a little more to the left or right, I would have crashed into the trees and it might have caused serious injury. Father could see that my common deer instincts had not quite set in yet, and again he was not entirely impressed, but continued to walk on.

As much as I did not want this to happen in front of Father, things got a little more embarrassing for me along our further travels through the forest. First, we walked through a small pond that used to be frozen, but the late winter season warmth had melted the ice and made it water once again. As soon as I put my hooves into the water, it felt absolutely freezing and I had to literally hop through the water to get to the other side before it would get worse. Even when I got out, the effects from the cold did not wear off for a few moments, and I was relieved when it finally did.

I honestly had not felt the cold like that before, and it would be something that I would have to adapt and get used to while I would get older. I am sure that would require walking through the ice cold water more often! What a pleasant feeling (!)

Further along, we would come to a log that was blocking our path, and Father jumped over it with ease. I was determined to follow suit, but I was smaller than the larger stag and I would really have to pull off a big jump to clear it. So I hesitantly got ready to pounce before I saw a gap under the log that seemed large enough for me to squeeze through. It didn't come easy as I got stuck for a small moment, and I had to push a bit to get through. That force propelled me forward and face first into the snow. Father then looked back at me, again appearing unimpressed but saying nothing, and I felt embarrassed once again, so I tried to hide it with a nervous chuckle.

It was as if he expected me to know how to deal with such things with natural instincts. Let's face it: I was still young and just needed some guidance. I knew that maybe Father could help me along the way, but Mother also could have if she was still alive.

Anyway, we walked a little more distance before we came to a cliff in the South Wood that overlooked the herd of deer in the distance at an open space. They were all does with their fawns, and all were playing and socialising with each other. I did not understand why we had to be so far from them because I was eager to join in with them.

"Don't you think it would be better if we got a little closer?" I asked the Great Prince.

"The distance makes it easier to spot danger." He replied.

"Hmm." I replied, thinking, yes, good point. We do need to stay alert for Man. But that doesn't mean that we can't have some leisure time as well, right? "But it sure makes it harder to play with them." I therefore added.

I then got the urge to add something on that subject as it came to my mind, remembering something that Mother once said to me: "Play is a healthy part of a young deer's development."

"Is that so?" The Great Prince replied with a light smile, seemingly impressed about my learnings. But it quickly went away after I brought up something else:

"Uh-huh. Mother