chance. 

But it was more than that. It was a very symbolic moment because that was where our relationship officially ‘blossomed’, so to speak. Very fitting, considering that the blooming of the flowers at that very moment really meant something.

We spent the rest of that day playing around and sliding in the water before heading back to the den before sundown to get some rest for the evening before going to sleep. Before we did that night, as much as he probably would not have wanted to hear it - his earlier advisory of leaving the past in the past - I did mention that Mother would now be resting well considering how happy she would be for the two of us. He just quietly agreed, seemingly happy about that thought but also with his voice a little flat with sadness - possibly about missing his mate, I would have thought - but there was actually more to that, as I was about to find out the very next day.

I just shrugged it off, knowing that he was tired from the day, and happily went to sleep. He did the same without trouble.

I opened my eye onto him just one more time while his eyes were shut, and gave a smile to say ‘thank you’ for all that he did for me before shutting them completely until the next day dawned.

It now seemed that things were about to come good out of the recent tragedy. If only I knew what was to come…

*

Defining moment

It was the following morning, which started out well with my father and I exchanging pleasantries in friendly rival games not far away from his den. 

That is when Friend Owl showed up and changed things. He had brought along a doe named Mena, who I had never met before but who had apparently grown up with Mother. She seemed like a very nice doe and I was interested in getting to know her as well as her history with Mother. However, my father insisted for me to go to the den so that he could talk with them alone. I didn't quite know what was going on here, but something was up because I sensed a little nervousness in his voice. 

Then Mena spilled it that she was going to adopt me and take me to a new home.

I didn't react well to this. What?! After all that we had been through, my father, the Great Prince, is now sending me away? Even after passing every challenge that he had put me through with fluency and then building such a strong bond? How could he do this to me?

He tried to calm me down and explain, but I was too upset to listen.

“Bambi,” He began. “a prince does not…” (that is not the first time that he said that, and it annoyed me even more)

“That is all you care about, not about me!” I angrily yelled.

“Don't you speak to me like that!” He yelled back, shocked about being challenged.

It didn't stop me.

“I wish Mother was here instead of you!”

I then ran back to the den, where I lay for a little while, sad and angry at the same time. I even let the tears come out briefly. I just didn't understand why my own father would send me away after everything was going so good. It didn't make sense to me at first.

But it eventually did after my father came back to explain the situation, by which time I had already let my emotions out to the point where I could calm down and think things through.

It turned out that the night my Mother died and the Great Prince took me into his den, the great stag was negotiating with Friend Owl about finding me a new mother. That would have to wait until Spring because there was not a lot of food available during the winter and it would be hard for does to feed more mouths. Therefore, as my father, the Great Prince would have to take me in for the time being.

Had I been awake to listen in and not so emotionally distraught that night, I would have understood better and not reacted so badly.

I understand now that he was only trying to help me.

He also mentioned that it is the duty of a prince to look after the herds while does care for the young, and that he must ignore his own feelings and do what is best for others. It was all a part of deer ordinance in the forest, and I had a feeling that perhaps that had been slightly compromised with the Great Prince being taken out of his comfort zone by having leisure time with a fawn, when that is actually the duty of the does.

After he reasoned well, I understood and apologised for jumping to conclusions. I was still young and still learning, so it would be easy to do so in such a situation as this. I then said that I would be happy to go with Mena considering that she was going to be a new mother to love and take care of me. She had a very calm, sweet and caring personality, just like Mother. For these reasons, I couldn't pass her up.

But at the same time, I was sad about leaving my father at a point where we were very close together. I know that he was feeling it as well because of how flat his voice had become when he talked to me. He really was reluctant to be letting me go, but as he said, he had to do what was best for others.

Included was the fact that Mena’s home was very far from my familiar territory where all my friends were, so it was going to be hard to see them around as well. 

But knowing that I needed a mother to raise me until I got older, I had to do what I knew was best.

Word did spread quickly about me leaving - most likely from the birds because they fly everywhere and don't miss what is going on around the forest that easily. My closest friends, Thumper and his sisters, Flower, and Faline, then came by the den late in the afternoon to say goodbye to me. It was hard because they had been such great support in difficult times that they had become a part of my family. It felt like I was about to indefinitely lose even more family members.

The truth is - my father aside - their love and support for me after Mother died was absolutely second-to-none, and their help and advice was an important step in my development from innocence to experience. Above most, it made me very resilient to the difficult challenges - both physical and psychological - that life threw my way. I am not sure if I would have even been half the successor to my father if not for them all.

Needless to say I really was going to miss all that, but Thumper reminded me to remember everything that I had learned and not to forget that the love and support would not be lost forever as they would still be around for me. Even my father hinted that before he let me go.

That gave me further confidence to stand tall.

I know that I needed to keep that confidence because as a prince, I would still have a lot to live up to, as my father did. Any prince has to lead by example, and I always took that side of me very seriously.

So after saying farewell to my friends, the Great Prince took me to let me go with Mena. He was very gentle with me and he promised to visit soon. I promised him that I would be as good with Mena as I was with Mother. I then gave him a farewell hug, saying or thinking along the lines of ‘sorry, thank you for what you have done for me, and I love you’, before walking away with my new adoptive mother. He acknowledged that message before leaving the scene. I know at that moment he was still feeling sad about letting me go, as much as he was trying hard to hide it.

What was to come next after that was my moment of truth.

Mena and I walked a little distance in the golden glowing evening of the forest to the destination of her home. I was still feeling mellow about everything, as it showed with my head down as I walked slowly. It was hard to fathom as it had all happened that very day, and I knew that I would still need time to let it sink in.

All of a sudden, Ronno appeared from out of the bushes - a menacing smirk on his face, ready to taunt me once again. He was the last individual that I wanted to see right now in a situation like this. I didn't want to see him at all, but now was the worst time.

I know that he was thinking that this was the right time to get back at me out of revenge and jealousy for me always getting the best of him. First, he mocked sympathy for me, but, remembering what I had been taught about being strong, I just ignored him and continued to follow Mena. 

Then he crossed the line:

“It’s got to be hard to have a father that is so ashamed of you that he would give you away.”

That personal attack was the breaking point. After so much hidden hatred and anger that I had for him and his ego all this time, I wanted to get to him so badly. I was too timid to stand up for myself before, but now, after all that I had learned - and the emotional stress that I was feeling at that point - I finally let it come out. So I charged full speed and tackled him, and the fight was on.

It is important to rise above any bullying that comes your way, but when someone makes it very personal, it is a different story. When someone sticks their nose where it doesn't belong, they need to be taught a serious lesson. 

This is what I thought at the time, anyway.

We fought each other for a short time, butting heads and striking with our hooves. I knocked him to the ground a few times and he got a couple of corking shots in my chest. But no matter how much pain we put on each other, neither of us were going to stop at anything with this rivalry now at it’s most intense.

Then Mena