herd?" he asked.

"Yes, I would do things differently. I would travel at different times and to different places than the herd. I did not run the same way as they herd did. I did not go to the same places and at the same time as the herd did. I did not do what the herd asked, and it made many of the herd mad I would not do as they said. The herd males also did not like I beat a lot of them for doe at the time of The Season. Eventually, so many got mad, the herd leader asked me to go."

Bambi looked him over. He was big and he looked strong. "With your size and strength, I am surprised you did not beat the senior males and become herd leader yourself."

"Oh please," Filon said and turned away. He could hear him laughing. "Me herd leader," he chuckled with his back to him. He then turned quickly around to face him again. "If I told the herd the great light was shining, none of them would believe me. No, I was different, and that made me untrustworthy. Besides, you are right, I can maybe beat one or two males easily. I cannot beat all of them at once and that is what was happening. Shilgas, the herd leader, told me he would get all the males to attack me at once if I did not leave. Most of them would not have listened to him, but enough would have to kill me. So I left."

That did not sound like any deer herd he ever knew, but he had only known just this one. Who could tell what other herds do? He knew that his Father would have never done that and neither would he.

"Well that will not happen around here," he told him plainly. "If I were you I would not expect to make many friends in this herd with what you told me, but I will never ask any deer to help me kill another deer. Any deer that has is chased from this herd, I chase out myself because that is what the herd leader does. Instead, I will tell you this: as long as you do not challenge me, or try to hurt any other deer, or do anything to harm the herd, you can live alone or not. That is your choice and your fate if it comes to that."

The big deer just nodded his head. "That is how it should be," he said with equal plainness. "I will harm no deer that does not try to harm me or try to take my doe. I will also not deliberately harm your herd, but I may not do what they ask me. My only concern is not becoming food for someone to eat."

"This herd is more than food for anyone," he said.

He laughed again, "I am sorry, herd leader, but you are wrong. All we are is food for others. Whether it is Man, bears, badgers, or coyotes, in the end, we all end up as food for someone else."

"I am sorry, I disagree," he said. "I am more than food for Man."

"Believe what you want," Filon said. "That is your affair. I do not care."

Filon was certainly a strange deer and with that attitude, he could see why he was not popular in his other herd. He did not say anything, but he felt he be as equally popular here. He hoped he was a good fighter.

"As you want it," he said. "As I said, As long as you do not interfere or harm the herd, you are welcome."

"Thank you," Filon said. "Now if you excuse me, I need to eat. I like being off the meadow well before the great light comes.

He walked away thinking what a strange deer was here, but he remembered many deer here thought he was strange too. He walked off the meadow. When he was in the trees, he smelled two familiar scents; it was Geno and Gurri.

There were noises behind him. He turned and saw several yearlings and two season deer going on the meadow. He looked in the distance at the first hint of light from the greater light and the new day. Soon anyone will be able to see who was in the open. He turned and spoke loudly.

"You should all be off the meadow by the time the great light rises or Man may see you," he called out.

The deer turned and looked at him and after a moment's pause went back to eating the grass. Maybe Filon had a point after all. He turned to make sure he was off the meadow. Both Geno and Gurri remained well concealed in the trees. No chance Man could see them. He walked up and Geno approached.

"That new deer is big," Geno said.

He nodded in agreement. "Yes, and he is strange too. Give him plenty of room. He does not seem very friendly. Now, what are you two doing here?"

"We were curious about the new deer," Geno said. "Also it is time to start teaching us again. I want to know more about what it means to be a herd leader and how to live in the forest with Man around."

"Me too," Gurri added.

They both had a point. "Very well, I will be staying near your mother for a while. After dark tonight, come and see me and we will start."

All three of them walked away occasionally stopping to eat some leaves or grass growing in the deep forest. He smelled the air, as did his children. None of them picked up any sign of danger. For now, all was peaceful. They all slept together near Faline's thicket.

That night, he went over again with both his children on how to follow a deer or Man without them ever seeing you. That meant always staying downwind of them so your scent would not carry to them. At the same time, their scent and any sounds they made could easily carry back to you. It also meant walking silently through the forest as not to give yourself away. Something he also practiced again with both of them. When it got closer to morning, he sent Gurri away. It was time he started to teach Geno how to care for a herd like his Father had done with him. It was also time to start teaching him how to fight. Neither type of training would a doe ever need. When he sent his daughter away, it seemed him to anger her. However, doe did not fight for leadership and mates, males did. When they finished with the lesson, his son and he found a place and rested together.

The next night he went over again on how to lose someone who is following you. You did that by changing direction often so they could not stay downwind of you. Sometimes you had to hide behind nearby trees and in thick bushes, so they would walk past you. In the winter, that would not work and it would never work if there were dogs nearby. He kept this up until late at night when again he sent Gurri away so he could practice with his son.

Fighting at Geno's age was difficult as it was for him when his Father taught him. His son was not big enough to try to fight him. He could always use his superior weight and strength to push his son back anytime he wanted too. Geno also had no rack to use on him. He taught him how to stand and how to prevent someone trying to get position on him to push him off balance. Once off balance, another deer could easily drive his face into the ground and beat him. He also pushed against him both to get him to stand better and to strengthen the muscles in his legs. Those muscles along with the muscles in his neck gave him the power to push away other deer. Serious fighting practice would have to wait until later near The Season when their racks would be bigger.

As important as fighting was, what was more important was how to watch over the herd to make sure it was safe. That is where he had the most trouble while growing up. He almost drove his Father to despair at how long it took him to understand. Most male deer seem to know how to fight as soon as they are born. Looking after the herd is not part of that inborn knowledge. You can only learn it slowly on your own. Few deer can learn it. During one lesson, Geno listened and after he finished just shook his head in confusion.

"Father I understand what you say about warning the herd about danger. I saw what you did with the yearlings on the meadow, but how do you know when to warn or even when to act. You do not warn about every danger in the forest. How do I know when it is time to speak or stay quiet?

That was almost the exact question he had asked his own Father when he was Geno's age. "It is not easy," he said. "If you warn too much, the herd and others will not take you seriously. If you warn too little, then deer may die. The best thing I can tell you is that if you sense danger and no one else does; then tell them. If the danger is obvious, then stay quiet but take action yourself. The others will act by looking at the way you act. Otherwise, keep your eyes, ears, and nose open. If you are careful, very often you can sense danger before others can, especially if they are young or foolish. This is why we spend so much time in learning how to move without leaving a trace or sound. Often you can find danger before danger finds you."

"Yes, but what if they will not listen?" Geno went on.

"Then there is little you can do," he said lowering his voice. "Some deer will never listen and most of these deer die horrible deaths. If they are lucky, Man or other predators will kill them quickly. If not, they die a slow, painful death. You cannot stop this and you never will. At best, all you will be able to do is save some including those you care about the most."

"So you are telling me we warn them, and hope for the best?" Geno said still looked confused.

"I do not like putting that way, but yes. That is why one of the main things a herd leader must do is gain the respect of all around him so when he does warn them, they will know he is serious and they will act. If they do not, that is their fault. You can do nothing about it. What you must do is work all the time on gaining their respect and their confidence in you so even your enemies will heed your warnings."

"So we will warn deer like Ronno and Kragus who do not like you, Father."

He smiled broadly. "Yes, my

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