INTRODUCTION

Many of you may have read some or all of my Bambi and Stranger stories that I have published at Fan Fiction starting three years ago and finishing last year. This is NOT one of those stories. What I have done here is to attempt to write the next chapter in this story as originally written by Felix Salten (AKA Siegmund Salzman). Salten wrote two stories about our friendly deer, Bambi (1928) and Bambi’s Children (1939). Disney took the original novel and made it into its classic film of 1942. For animation, I think it is one of the best-drawn animated movies in all of history. Its faithfulness to Salten’s original story is another matter. Salten wrote about life in the forest, and sometimes that life can get grim. Disney mostly glossed over the kill or be killed life of forest animals and instead let Man be the villain of the piece. In this story, there is enough grimness to go around, but Man is still #1 on the list.

This story had an unusual genesis. I had just spent months finishing my first major novel that I am now trying to find a publisher or a literary agent for. In any case, I was bummed out on serious writing so I wanted to write something lighter. I always knew how I wanted to have the story to proceed, so I wrote this down. I hope it has some value as a work of fan-fiction.

Please note: I am again putting Bambi and his herd in as whitetail deer in North America and not roe deer in Germany. Again, that is my preference. In addition, any of you wildlife biologists out there will note I took more than a few liberties with deer physiology and behavior. What can I say, except this way helps the story flow better, I hope? In any case, this is a work of fiction and not a wildlife documentary. Salten wrote his work as a metaphor and I have done the same. The period is again set near Salten’s time of the 1920-1930s.

I freely admit that I have no claim on this story. According to the sources I have, Anna Wyler held the rights for Felix Salten’s works as his daughter. I understand Twin Books now holds the rights to the books. Disney, of course, owns the rights to the movie. I tried to take both and merge them into a single story that drew on both book and movie for inspiration. I hope you enjoy my story.

If this work is deemed to have any worth, I dedicate to the memories of both Felix Salten and Walt Disney. Two masters of storytelling.

WA

April 2018

P.S. Let me know what you think.

Thanks

CHAPTER ONE: SPRING

The snow was finally gone.

Bambi looked over the meadow as it was turning from dull brown to a dark green and smiled. Soon life would come back to the forest after a long, hard, and cold winter. He looked back at his brown ragged winter coat now shedding in the warmer days. Even his own large and muscular body was lean and wasted by the effects of the hardest winter he had ever seen in his four seasons living in the forest. Many of the older deer had not made it. His own Father had barely survived the cold. He was still ill with a deep cough. It had been a hard time for all.

He took in a large breath through his nose. There were the familiar smells of other deer, most of them he knew: scents of squirrels, rabbits, a fox, possums, and the like were all around him. One odor he did not like smelling was the putrid scent of decomposing flesh that still lingered in the air from those not strong enough to survive until the spring. Their frozen bodies had died and were only now were thawing out. Their remains would make a feast for the foxes, coyotes, and the occasional mountain lion that roamed the forest. At least none of his family had died during the snow.

The great light was coming up filling the open meadow with brightness. He moved quietly back into the thickening foliage of the forest not wanting anyone to see him in the open expanse before him. While it was not yet the time for Man, that did not mean there was no danger about. He felt safe only when concealed in the green of the forest. He moved along the forest floor avoiding the more common deer paths. He tried not to disturb the leaves from last season and give away his location. His Father had taught him to avoid the common paths. There were other dangers besides Man that knew those paths also. As he walked around the open expanse of the meadow, he could see in the far distance the place he was born in. It had burnt along with much of the forest during the fire in his second year. Looking at that now barren cold, space, he felt a pain in his heart. Even though it happened three seasons ago, the memory of his dead mother still was hard to bear. He moved quietly on walking away from that painful space and looked up at the old hollow tree trunk of Friend Owl. Another voice he would never hear again. Another victim of the last winter’s cold.

“Good morning Young Prince,” he heard from above.

Upon a nearby branch rested a young owl born two springs ago. Young, fit, strong, he had taken over the territory of the old owl. Such was the way of the forest, one died and another took your place.

“Greetings, Oswell,” he said. “It looks like you survived the winter well enough.”

“If not for the old owl’s hollow, I would not have,” the owl squeaked. “In there it was warm. When he died, I took it over. Do you think he'd mind?”

As if it mattered what the dead thought. “No, I do not,” he answered calmly. “But I will miss him. I knew him since I was born near here.”

“I am cleaning it out. I am going to look for a mate soon. It is time to make and raise my own chicks.” He then yawned widely. “Good day, Young Prince,” he said and closed his huge yellow eyes.

That was the way of all things. “Well good luck,” he told him and walked quietly on.

He traveled around the open meadow and toward the small stream he played near when he was a fawn. He stopped and leaned over to take a drink. When he finished, he looked up and saw a familiar tree log. As he watched, an old gray-hair rabbit came out. The light gray and white fur he remembered as a fawn were all gone. The hare was all white with age. The rabbit moved slowly, cautiously and always looked upwards. He saw him eat some of the new grass by the log. Other than his age, he looked fit. The rabbit looked up at him and called out.

“Bambi, you are alive.”

He smiled and walked over to the log knowing his friend did not like being too far away from its safety when it was light.

“Greetings Thumper,” he said warmly. “I see you made it through the winter.”

“I did,” he said glumly. “No one else made it. “Mela died in mid-winter. A ferret took her body.”

“What about the two liters from last summer?” he asked.

“They scattered before the start of winter,” Thumper added. “I have no idea if any of them are alive or dead.”

“It has been a bad winter,” he said. “Even some deer died. The predators have easier food to catch than you.”

“I hope so,” he said still looking around carefully.

With that, Thumper stopped and seemed to stretch his legs. He could hear the bones creak. He could plainly see how stiff his old friend was getting. Finally, the rabbit looked up at him. “Bambi, I am getting old. I do not think I will see another spring after this.”

He wanted to object, but he realized that was futile. Thumper was old as a rabbit. Soon he would pass on like all the others including his mother, and one day, himself. Only the forest lasted, not those in it; not even Man. A breeze then brought another scent to his nose. It was a fox and nearby. Thumper also smelled it and without a word disappeared quickly back into the log and his borough at the end. He stood up and sure enough, the light brown shape of a fox currying through the grass. His nose was close to the ground and his body tight as if ready to pounce.

“You are too late, fox,” he said aloud. “Thumper smelled you and is now back in his borough.”

The long pointed nose face came close, but not near him. The fox was studying him as if considering him for a meal. The predator was watching him for any sign of lameness or injury the predator could take advantage of. He stood up straight letting the smaller animal know he was in fine shape.

“Do not try it, fox,” he warned. “I have killed dogs, I will kill you.”

The fox took a step back. “I am sorry, Young Prince,” the agile creature said. “I did not recognize you. I would never attack you or your Father.”

“That I believe,” he said with scorn. “There is nothing here for you. There are still dead animals on the hillsides near the large lake that are thawing out as the snow melts. You will find better eating there.”

“Thank you, Young Prince,” the Fox said and scampered away.

When he was out of sight, he bent over and spoke loudly into the log. “He is gone, Thumper. I will see you later.”

“Perhaps,” he heard a voice echo through the log.

He walked on into the thickening forest. He knew this area well. He lived here with his Father and his family. He had seen neither for sometimes since the last snow fell. The lack of food made all the deer spread out to find something to eat. With spring, they would all come back, he hoped. He walked on stopping from time to time to eat some new spring growth grass. After the bland, soggy, snow-covered grass, he survived on during the winter; the taste of new growth was refreshing. It was also better than eating tasteless pine bark many had to do just to survive.

He was going now into the deep forest; the part that he and the other deer lived in now. That part of the woods had not burned in the great fire two seasons ago when he first bred Faline. He made his way around the lake toward a hill on top of which was a cave he knew his father liked to stay in. From there you could see the entire forest without ever being seen.

He walked among the trees looking about him. Man seldom went here and he could smell no trace of him. Other than the bears, there were no hunters here. He could relax as much as he dared here. He moved silently around the dense canopy of trees leaving no trace of his passing. As he started to move up the densely wooded hill, a brief scent caught his nose. It was familiar, but it was so brief, he could not place it. Then it vanished. That put him on his guard. He moved on carefully until he got to a patch of thick foliage. He stopped and got down low on the ground.

“Tish,” sounded from far away. It was someone rustling up leaves. Someone was following him; following him downwind so he could not smell him. Whoever it was, he was quiet. He waited and from time to time heard an ever so slight movement of leaves. He also heard occasional light footsteps. Then he smelled two different scents and knew at once, who was behind him. He smiled because of how well they were moving. No Man could hear that. He remained absolutely still and sure enough, he saw motion in the trees. There were two deer following him. When they got closer, he could see it was a male and female yearling deer. They were both entering their second spring. He watched them get closer and the stop maybe ten lengths from him.

“Is he near here,” the young doe whispered.

The young male stopped, looked around, and then started to smile. “No, sister, he is right in front of us, aren’t you Father.”

He stood up so he could clearly see both his children, Geno and Gurri born last spring. He was happy; they had learned their lessons well on moving silently through the forest. Both he and his Father had spent many nights with them after last Season before the harsh winter started. They had been practicing. They were getting very good. Geno was smart and even Gurri caught on quickly.

“Where are you two going?” he asked.

“Mother is getting ready for the birth of her new fawns so we went out on our own,” Geno said. “It is time for us to find our own way in any case. We came here hoping to find both you and Grandfather.”

“We are hoping you will teach us more like you did before the winter got so hard,” Gurri added.

“I also need to start learning how to fight,” Geno said. “I will have a rack this year and I want to know how to use it.”

They were both right. It was time they went out on their own. They would stay this season with the other yearlings. They were still too young to join the herd males and the bred doe with fawns. It was hard to believe that just one spring ago he remembered two twitching mounds of spotted brown fur that Faline had given birth too. It did not seem possible they had grown so big so quickly.

“You have both done well,” he said proudly. “It is time for you to learn more. You have already learned much. I hardly heard you behind me. You still need to practice some more but soon you will be as silent as your Grandfather.”

“Indeed they will,” a deep voice said from beyond some trees.

Out walked an old, gray deer. His Father looked thin and ragged like he did, only more so. He had never heard him or smelled him approach from downwind. Gurri walked over to him and licked the side of his face in affection. The Great Prince returned the jester. Geno then went up and rubbed his side against the old deer’s flank. Both of his children had learned from the Great Prince of the Forest, as he had learned.

“I had almost forgotten how good that feels,” his Father said. His red eyes were shinning. Suddenly he started to shake in the flanks and then turned quickly away from them. He started to cough hard and loudly. Soon something red and awful smelling came out of his mouth.

“I am sorry,” he gasped. “It is the sickness from last winter. I have not gotten over it yet.”

“Grandfather, can we help?” Gurri asked.

The old deer shook his head no and then turned and coughed some more, but nothing came out this time. “No, my child, you cannot help me,” the old deer said looking toward her. “It will soon pass.”

“Are you sure, Grandfather?” Geno said not looking convinced.

“I am very sure,” his Father said with finality. “I am also sure it is time you learned that there are other things you need to learn that go with getting your rack other than fighting. The first is once you get your rack, you will become a deer for Man to hunt. That means he will start trying to kill you. You need to know more to prevent that from happening to you.”

Geno swallowed hard as did he, but his Father was right. His Father had a big rack, he had a big rack, and Geno would likely have one. “Yes Grandfather,” his son said meekly.

His Father then turned toward Gurri. “You will likely be a big doe like you mother and Bambi’s mother so you also need to know how to stay away from Man. It is not only males Man uses his killing stick on.”

“Yes Grandfather,” Gurri said quietly.

The old stag nodded his approval. “Good, now both of you go find resting places and your Father will come over and teach you. I need to speak with your Father alone so if you two will excuse us.”

With that, both his children walked away into the forest still being as quiet as possible. Once he was gone, his Father turned to him. “They are learning well. I am proud of them,” the old deer said before starting to cough again.

“I know,” he said. “I am glad Geno is showing interest in learning. He will need it. I think he will be a herd male next season, perhaps a senior male soon afterward. I am most surprised at Gurri. For a doe, she seems very smart.

“Doe can think too, my son. She may also be of help to you also.”

His Father stopped, coughed again, and then turned and walked silently away. “Come with me, My Son, I have to talk to you and time is short.”

His father led him away from the hill with his cave and toward the forest behind the hill. Most of it had burnt with the fire, but the undergrowth was growing back. On more than one occasion during their walk, his Father had to stop and cough again. More red foul smell liquid came out of his mouth. This was not just sickness from the winter. This was something else and he worried about him. They finally came to another hill he vaguely remembered on his walks with his father as a yearling. When they got to the top of the hill, his Father lay down in the grass.

“You see the little stream down there?” his Father asked.

“Yes, Father,” he answered.

“That is where I first met your mother. That is where we played along the bank. She made me feel young again. I bred her there and you were the result. It was the best time of my life and she gave me the greatest gift of my life, you. That is why I came here to end.”

“End!” he thought. “Father, what are you talking about?”

The old stag put his head on the grass as if waiting for something. “My illness is not going away. It is getting much worse. Soon, I will be gone from here. You must now take my place as Great Prince of the Forest. You are ready to do this. I have taught you everything I know. You must now take over from me. It is time I go join your mother. I have heard her voice at night calling to me. I must go to her.”

“Father, NO,” he protested. “I am not ready to lead like you did.”

“Yes you are, My Son,” the old deer said. “In any case, there is nothing more anyone can do for me. Take my old cave. From there you can see what is going on in the entire forest without anyone seeing you. Teach Geno and Gurri as I taught you so they may follow you when it is your time.”

He could not do this. He just could not let his Father die like this in front of him. There had to be something he could do. “No, Father, I will not let you suffer and die here,” he said fighting back tears.

His Father raised his head took at him and smiled as if he was a fawn again. “You have no choice, My Son, it is my time. I taught you all things have their time. This is mine. I do not mind. I have lived a good life. Do not worry about me. I will die here, but I will not suffer. I have already made sure of that. Now go and leave me. In this time, I am alone. Please leave me here. Know that I always have loved you and I always will. You are the best in me.”

With that, his Father put his head back on the grass and closed his eyes. He did not know what to do. He stood there paralyzed. It was not long before he saw the futility of it. He felt the coldness in his stomach that his Father was really going to die here and there was nothing he could do about it. He turned and walked slowly off the hill. He walked back to the bottom of the hill and started back to his Father’s cave when he caught the scent of fat and earth. It was a bear, a large one. He had seen this bear before. His Father had even told him his name, but he had forgotten it. It moved by him ignoring his presence and slowly walked up the same hill he just came down. He realized if the bear saw his Father, he would be easy prey for him to eat. He started to turn around and run up the hill to warn his Father when he realized in an instant the bear was not here by coincidence. His Father said he would not suffer. Now he understood. This was his Father’s plan.

He closed his eyes fighting back his sobbing like a newborn fawn again. He turned quickly around and ran off into the woods. He did not want to see or hear what would happen next.

He spent the night in his Father’s cave looking out over the meadow. Around him, he could see the dark shadows move as the trees moved with the wind. He could not believe that just like that, his father was gone. It was almost worse than when he lost his mother to Man. He felt alone. He was now the Great Prince of the Forest, yet he did not even know where to begin. What could he do; what should he do? It was all as black as the night around him. At times he sobbed, at times he felt like curling up like a fawn afraid of the forest around him. Toward morning, he realized his Father would have never acted like this, and neither would he.

He left the cave just before dawn and walked toward the clearing he knew Faline liked to sleep in. It was just after the great light rose. He walked up quietly past sleeping birds. The owls and night animals were returning to their rest and the animals of the day would soon rise. He took in the air searching for strange scents. He found none. All about him, he heard the cries and calls of the forest. All was as much at peace as he could expect considering the ‘eat or be eaten’ way of the forest. It was full light when he came to the clearing. He saw her at a distance.

She was still beautiful. Sleek, perfectly shaped doe with the most pleasant scent of any deer he ever knew. He could see a few gray hairs and maybe her lines were sagging a bit. She was also hanging low from the fawns she still carried. Those were his fawns and it brought back the memory of how he had made them with her. It was a pleasant thought. Soon they would come into the forest, live their lives, and then leave. She left her clearing and emptied herself well away from the entrance to the thicket. She walked slowly seeming to bend over to eat with effort. He walked out of the bush and came up upon her. She smelled him at once.

“Bambi,” she called out and walked over to him. He kissed her passionately and for a long time. Even if it was not the season, he still liked doing this. It made him feel warm inside. She then broke away.

“Bambi, what is wrong?” she said with apprehension. “It is not the children, is it?”

“No,” he said. “Geno and Gurri are fine. I saw them yesterday with my Father, just before…” and then he trailed off.

“What is it?” she asked gently. She still had a smooth voice.

He took a deep breath and resolved he would not start crying again. “We all met my Father. My Father sent the children away and took me to a place by the small stream near his hill. It was where he met my mother. He was very sick. He lay down, closed his eyes, and now my Father is gone.”

“Gone,” she said with a shrill.

“Yes, he is gone” he repeated in a low voice. “We will see him no more.”

“Oh, Bambi,” she said and nuzzled him along the side of his mouth. Then she suddenly stopped and drew back. “That means you are now the Great Prince of the Forest.”

“Yes,” he muttered, “And I am not ready for it.”

“What will you do?” his mate asked.

He turned to look at her. “I will do the best I can,” he said plainly. “I must go tell the others; the herd must know.”

“Of course they must,” Faline said.

He then looked at her and her bulging stomach. “How are you and them?”

“I am fine, the fawns are so heavy. They will soon be born, if not today, then soon. It is tiring to walk around with them.”

He nodded feeling bad that he was partly responsible for her discomfort. “When it is your time, send Gurri or Geno to find me. I am living in my Father’s cave, but I will stay around here for a while. I must go find the others now.”

“I will send them,” she said “You should go, they will be eating on the meadow,” Faline said.

He left her next to her thicket and made his way to the meadow. As he got there, he saw the herd males all in a group. So many he could not count them. There were Ronno and Kragas, both males he had beaten for Faline. Most of the others he did not know well. Most would never count for much in the herd. They were neither big enough nor strong enough to be a senior male. Maybe five males in the herd could be leaders. They must be hungry if they were out in daylight this late. There was certainly no Man around. With that many deer, he would have easily killed one by now.

He walked openly on the meadow and as he bellowed out to call all of the males over to him. He stood alone as they all came over to him. Ronno and Kragas were up front. As soon as they all got near him, he spoke up trying to keep his voice from breaking.

“I called you all over here to tell you that my Father is gone. We will not see the Great Prince of the Forest again.”

An utter stunned shock showed on all the faces. His Father had been here all their lives. Now he was gone and it seemed impossible. It was like the sky or trees had disappeared.

“Gone,” Kragas repeated.

“Yes gone,” Bambi said. “He was old, and sick from the hard winter. He told me goodbye and then he was gone.”

“This makes you The Great Prince of the Forest,” Ronno spat out in disbelief.

“No, I will not call myself Great Prince of the Forest,” Bambi said. “I will take my role as herd leader, but only my Father was the Great Prince. That is something you earn as you get older.”

“Good,” Ronno said in relief. “Look, Bambi, it is no secret to say I do not like you, I never have like you, and I never will like you. I respected and listened to your Father because of his age and wisdom. I do not respect you in the same way.”

That sounded like a direct challenge to his place as herd leader. No herd leader can put up with that. He leaped forward and rammed his head against Ronno’s hard, knocking him back.

“Anytime you want to become herd leader, Ronno, you can come see me and I will beat you like I did before,” he said letting his anger show through. “Anyone here, who thinks they want to be herd leader, is welcomed to try.”

With that, he stepped back to see if there were any takers. As he expected, no one stepped forward.

“There is one more thing,” Celon a five-season male spoke up. He was also one of the senior males.

“What is that?” he asked.

“I have heard a new deer was seen near the big open field on the other side of the large lake. He is a male and he is big, but I have not seen him.”

He thought about it for a while and then told the herd males, “If you see this deer, come find me.”

All nodded approval. “One last thing,” he said. “Having so many deer in the open and in the daylight is asking for one or more of us to die. Keep that in mind and remember what Man can see, Man can kill.”

He turned around and headed back to where Faline was. He had other things to worry about now.

CHAPTER TWO: ARRIVALS

Bambi lay on the ground resting in the daylight. The air was warmer, but still had a trace of coolness in the early morning. By now the grass was growing at full and that would continue until near The Season. The last few days of hearty eating had gone a long way to restore him from the privations of winter. About him, the trees were growing new leaves, the bushes were growing thick, and the grass was coming up in huge patches. Even berries were appearing. He loved spring. It was the time to renew life.

He lay near Faline's den. The previous night, Gurri had found him and told him that her mother had told her the time of birth had arrived for her fawns. While the birth of his children had nothing to do with him, prowling foxes, badgers, and other smaller predators would make an easy meal of a newborn fawn, if they could find it. He would make sure that would not happen. He had stood watch on the hill in his old forest with his Father when Geno and Gurri were born. He did not want to go there this time. The memory of his Father was still too painful. Instead, he lay on the ground and watch a pair of newly mated bluebirds build a nest in the nearby tree. About them, other birds did the same. Overhead, almost out of sight, soared the hawks and other predators of the air looking to swoop down for a meal to feed their own chicks.

The great light was high overhead when he heard the light footsteps of another deer close by. He looked and saw Gurri walk out of the trees and toward him. She was already starting to fill out like her mother did when they were the same age. She would be a beautiful doe, like her mother that should give her the pick of males. He only hoped she find a good one. He coughed once to let her know he was there and she came quickly over and lay down next to him. It was as if she was a fawn again. Like her mother, her scent was pleasing to his nose. She nuzzled him and he did the same to her.

"I wanted to see if I could help Mother," she told him.

"That is good of you, my daughter," he said still nuzzling her affectionately. "However, doe like being alone at this time. I am just here to make sure no one disturbs her."

"Yes Father," she said. She then looked up and her eyes started to tear. "I also wanted to say how sorry I was to hear about Grandfather. I do not understand why he did not tell us when we were there. I would have wanted to say goodbye to him."

"My Father kept things to himself," he told her. "He only told me when he was ready to die. I think he did not want to bother us with his passing."

Gurri nodded and then leaned against him as Faline would do. "I suppose so," she muttered, "But I know Geno is angry. He feels that he should not have learned of Grandfather's death from Thumper."

He nodded his large head. "He is right, daughter, he should not of, but I was hurt by his sudden passing and I could not do it. All I told was your mother and the herd males."

There was a sudden cry from above and the sound of an impact. There was a shrill cry of pain and then quiet. He looked up and saw one of the hawks had dived and drove its sharp claws into a flying pigeon and was even now flying away to feed it to its nest.

"More death," Gurri said.

"And life," Bambi added. "That is one thing my Father taught me, they were both connected. One did not live unless one eats and one did not eat without killing something."

His daughter shook her head no. "We do not kill," she said.

"We eat grass, leaves, and flowers," he said. "They live too. We eat them, then others eat us, and still others eat them. It is all connected. For us to live, then the plants, or parts of them, must die. For the others to live, some of us must die."

"Well I do not feel like dying yet, Father," she said. "I want to find a good male and have my own fawns."

He looked down at her and suddenly realized his own daughter was now part of this same rhythm of birth and death. What could he do? The answer was simple, nothing. Her life and death, as well as his and all those around them, were a part of the greater forest. A part he knew he could never do anything about. He looked down at the growing doe next to him. "I hope you will, My Daughter, but for now I worry about your mother. It is never easy to give birth."

It was late in the day when he noticed movement by the thicket. He saw Faline come out and stagger away into the woods heading for a nearby stream. She looked tired. The birth must have been difficult.

"Gurri, go see if your mother needs help," he told her. In a flash, his daughter was off. He got up and walked over to the thicket. When he got within several lengths of it, the odor of blood was clear to him. Although very faint, he could smell two scents coming from inside the shaded thicket. He put his head into the small opening and there lay two quivering mounds of brown fur. He went over and smelled them more closely. Both smelled normal, both looked healthy, and both were doe. He had two new daughters. Both were asleep. He took his head out and then walked a short way away from the den and lay down in front of the opening to the thicket. It was a while later Faline came back along with Gurri. She looked at him and smiled.

"You have seen your daughters?" Faline said.

"Yes," he said with glee. "They both look healthy."

He then got up and walked over to his mate and then in front of Gurri, kissed her gently on the mouth and nuzzled her along the side of her face. "Thank you again for this greatest of all gifts," he whispered in her ear.

His mate just leaned against him and once again, he understood why he had chosen this doe has his only mate and companion. The other males may breed as many doe as they could during the season and then leave. He was more than content to have just this one.

"That one," she pointed to the fawn on the right I will call Lina. The other is Eta, I named after my mother's sister."

"Was it hard?" he asked.

"Not hard, but long," she said. He voice still sounded a little ragged.

"Go rest," he told her gently. "I will stay here. No one will bother you while I am here."

"Thank you," Faline said and the turned to Gurri. "I am fine now. Thank you, daughter, but you should go now and join your friends."

He nodded his approval and his daughter ran off raising her white fluffy tail.

"She reminds me of you," he said.

"I hope she is as happy as I am," Faline went on. She then went inside the thicket and he lay down in the grass several lengths away. He was a bit disappointed he did not get a son this time, but there was always next spring. That is assuming they were both still alive by then.

He stayed near the fawns for a few days until they were old enough to follow their mother. He would go out on the meadow just before dawn to see all the doe and the new fawns. There were many. It was when he was out there one morning that Celon came up to him.

"That new deer is nearby. I saw him yesterday," he said.

"If he comes to the meadow, I will talk to him," he replied.

"I noticed he usually eats at night and is off the meadow by now," Celon continued.

That sounded like a smart deer. He did the same, but only around the start of the Season when he knew Man was nearby. "Thank you, Celon; I will come to the meadow tonight."

The large male moved away leaving him alone. The other males like Kragus and Ronno just ignored him. The great light rose so he moved further away from the meadow and hid in the nearby trees. As the light increased, he noticed many deer, mostly the yearlings, wandered onto the open meadow. That bothered him. Any man in the forest would have his pick of deer. Granted Man usually killed older deer, but he could never be sure of that. He went back to Faline's thicket and watched it from afar for the rest of the day.

That night he was back near the meadow. He waited for the lesser light to rise. He looked over the meadow closely. At first, nothing changed, then late that night he saw something move quietly through the trees at the far end of the large opening. A large male walked into the meadow and immediately started to feed. He was definitely no deer from his herd. He watched him eat. He was as large as he was and looked about as old, maybe a year older. He had a large flank and large shoulders. His muscles were full. It was too early to tell about his rack. He looked and smelled and sensing no danger, he walked into the open meadow toward the new deer. As he got closer, the new deer stopped eating and looked up at him. He moved forward keeping his head high and not showing any threat. When he got within a few lengths, he stopped and introduced himself.

"I am Bambi, herd leader of this forest. I have not seen you before. May I ask your name?"

"I am Filon," the deer spoke up. His voice was strong. "I have heard other deer talk about you. Is there a problem?"

"No," Bambi said. "As herd leader, I try to know all the deer in the forest. Are you from another forest?"

"Yes," he said plainly. "I am from the forest on the other side of the great meadow Man grows food in."

"What brings you here?" he asked.

"I did not like the other herd so I left. I crossed the large open meadow until I saw this forest so I came here."

That put him off. Deer are herd animals. They follow the herd. That someone left his herd made him suspicious. "Very well, welcome to this herd. I see you only feed at night. Is it because of Man?"

"Yes," he answered. "My Father taught me that Man does not like night so it is safer being in the open."

"That is wise,” he nodded. "My Father taught me the same thing. Who is your father?"

"His name was Alass," Filon said."He was a senior male in the other herd. He is gone now as is my mother."

"So is my mother and father," he said. "Will you join this herd?"

"I do not wish to join any herd," the big deer said almost as if insulted. "I am not a herd deer. I do what I think is best and not because some herd thinks so. That is why I stay mostly by myself."

It was a little like hearing his Father again. "It is also wisest to be alone," he added. "One is free to think better when they are alone, but being near a herd can warn you of danger," "It is also easier to get doe in The Season."

"I never had a problem getting doe," the male said. "Those who try to stop me, end up regretting it. As for danger, it does not matter. We all end up dead in the end. Whether some Man using his killing sticks to make holes in us, or a bear runs us down and breaks our necks, or a pack of coyotes mauls us to death. In the end, how we die is unimportant. We all become food to feed someone. The trick is to stay alive as long as you can and enjoy life as much as you can."

That was his point; others help you stay alive. "Yes, but a herd does that. A herd watches for danger better because they can look in all directions at once. A herd can spot danger earlier so it is easier to flee. With a herd, there are many deer instead of only one or two who are the prey. It is easier to get away from danger when there are many fleeing at once."

Filon nodded, "That is true, Bambi, but a herd thinks like a herd. A herd will do the same thing over and over again because they cannot think of another way to do it. A herd takes time to decide. A herd is only as wise as the most stupid member. When a herd flees, they flee as a herd. Those that hunt us know this and so they know how the herd will behave when they come after us. I rather do something different and stay away from danger. This is why I avoid herds. So far it has kept me alive through five springs."

"Is that why you left your old 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 son, I will warn my enemies because even though they do not like me, I have never seen them yet ignore any warnings I give them. They may hate me, but they still have the same right to live as you, your sister, your mother, and I have. All of us have the same right to live in the forest, as long as we can survive the dangers here."

That ended that lesson, but there were many other lessons that went on all spring. It was not long before he sent Gurri away altogether. She knew enough for a doe about how to survive in the forest. Although he would still see her from time to time, his efforts had to remain focused with his son. He had to learn and learn quickly. As the spring went on, he felt the first budding of his rack and saw the first bumps of his son's first rack. Inwardly he felt pride. He also remembered when his first rack started to bud. His father and the other male deer would tease him. At the time, he felt it was his Father just making fun of him. Later he understood the jest was to get him angry so he would try even harder. He did the same to his son. No doubt, his son felt the same way he did when he was that age. If he lived long enough, Geno would come to understand.

The fawns grew fast and soon they needed no help from him. He would occasionally follow them at a distance to check up on them. They only paid attention to their mother who had all she could handle without him being nearby. He noticed that Lina seemed well focused and acted quickly to her mother's call. Eta was more fun-loving and wild as he was. Both were fast and both looked strong. When one of the foxes came near the three of them, Faline started to run and they ran with her. He had also ran and got between the fox and his daughters. The fox took the hint and left.

Overall, it was a pleasant spring.

CHAPTER THREE: GURRI

It was late and Gurri was hungry. She walked out alone on the meadow and started to eat the new spring grass. It was still dark and she knew it would be a while before the great light rose. She saw many of the herd males along with many doe and fawns eating. She ate at the edge of the meadow, away from everyone. She was tired of the other deer, especially the yearlings, wanting to get her to ask her Father some question about something that was not important. She felt resentment being a messenger. They could ask him themselves. Besides, her Father made it clear that he was training Geno to do that, not her. She was sure it was because her Father thought she was just a doe and would not do such things as a male would. She also knew why her Father sent her away. Her brother was important; she was not. This made her even angrier. She was just as smart as her brother was, she was just as fast, and understood just as much, but she had no rack so she did not matter.

She continued to eat until she felt full. She ate fast; she would chew her cud later when she relaxed during the day. As she finished, she went over to the small stream and drank her fill of water. As she did, she heard the tread of light footsteps behind her. She did not look back and instead moved off until she was downwind of the pond. The smell of a male deer came to her, but he was still behind her. It was not Ronno's or the other herd male's scents. The smell was new.

“You know my Father is much quieter when he sneaks up behind me,” she called out.

She then turned around and saw the new male deer was behind her by several lengths. “Filon, is it not?” she asked.

“Very good, young doe,” the male said in a friendly voice. “I can usually sneak up on other deer, but I can see your Father has taught you well.”

“I wish he would,” she said. “Right now he is only interested in teaching my brother. I guess only males with racks are smart enough to lead in the forest.”

The new male stopped about three lengths away. “That is how things are," he said. "Males are the ones that fight for doe and their place in the herd.”

“And doe are just meant to be bred and have fawns,” she said with disgust. “Well, I can think too, and I can do a lot more than make fawns. At least I will when it is time. So what do you want?”

“Direct too,” Filon said still smiling. “Nothing like that I assume you. My taste in doe runs toward older doe nearer the age of your mother. You are still too young for me, although, in one or two more seasons, that may change. You are cute.”

“Thank you,” she said formally. She still did not fully trust this male. “Now what do you want?” she repeated.

“I was curious about a yearling doe that eats by herself and not with the other yearlings,” he said. “I also wanted to give your Father a message and you see him more than I do.”

“I eat by myself because the other yearlings keep asking me about my Father. They are not interested in me, but only in my Father. I also eat alone because I do not see one of them I have any amount of respect for. All they do is boast and brag about how big a deer they will be,” she said. “Now what is your message?”

“Tell your father I saw fresh footsteps of Man near the edge of the meadow by the fallen oak tree. Man has been watching the meadow from there.”

“Hmmmmm, I do not like that,” she said. She then looked toward the place the great light appears. It was still black.

“Will you see him tonight?” Filon asked.

“No,” she told him. “He is with my brother. I will try to see him later. I will give him your message. If you are right, I think it is time to get off the meadow, I have eaten all I need.”

“Wise doe,” Filon said. “I am still hungry, I will see you later.”

With that, the big male walked away and started to eat the grass. She walked away toward the trees and her resting place. From there she could see the meadow and still be completely hidden. She lay down to give her meal a chance to digest and fill her hunger. She chewed her cud for a while and then went to sleep.

Sometime later, she awoke hearing footsteps and voices. For a moment she was afraid that Filon had come looking for her, but the footsteps were loud and the voices familiar. It was just the yearlings wandering on the meadow. She looked again and saw the first glow of light. She stood up and spoke loud enough for them to hear.

“Filon has seen Man tracks at the edge of the meadow,” she called out the group.

They stopped to look at her for a moment, and then a few of the louder males started laughing at her and moved into the open as if it was nothing. Well, she had tried. She moved off and emptied herself well away from her resting place. Above her were singing birds looking to start a new day trying to find food to feed their chicks. She thought about trying to find her Father but decided she do that tonight. She lay down again and soon drifted off to sleep.

“WHAAAAAMMMMM,” echoed loudly through the trees.  The noise snapped her awake. She froze in place.

He looked at the meadow. It was full light. Many of the deer, mostly yearlings, were running wildly off the meadow in a panic seeking the cover of the nearby trees. Some were bleating in fear. The other deer scattered in many different directions. A putrid smell of smoke filled her nose. It was the first time she had heard or smelled this, but it must be one of Man’s killing sticks. Soon there was another smell just as awful: a smell of sweat and dirt. It was new to her. She remained absolutely still; she knew better than to move around with Man in the forest.

She looked back out into the meadow. On the ground lay one deer. It looked like a yearling male from the size and shape of the body. It lay still, and she could not tell who it was. Then other motion caught her attention. Two large figures walked on the grass toward the down deer. They walked slowly carrying a long stick. One figure was bigger than the other was. It was Man. She had never seen Man before. They came up to the down deer and poked it. They took the stick and then put it through the legs of the down deer. After using some kind of vine, one man picked up each end of the stick. The picked up the deer and carried it away. She waited until the scent of Man and the smoke had gone before she eased away from her hiding place and headed back toward her mother’s thicket.

She had gone only a short way when she heard her name called out from behind her. She turned around to see and saw Filon coming up from behind her. At the same moment, she smelled a familiar scent. It was her brother followed closely by her Father. She went behind some trees where they could hide from view.

“Gurri what happened?” her Father asked.

“Man was on the meadow,” she told him. “He used a killing stick on a yearling male. Then a large and small Man came and took the deer away.”

“Were you on the Meadow?” her father asked sternly.

“No,” she said angrily. Her Father should know her better than that. “I was off the field before the first sign of the great light. I was going to come find you because Filon told me he had found a Man track at the edge of the meadow.”

Filon spoke up. “She even warned the yearlings as they went to the meadow. I heard her myself. The other deer just laughed at her and walked out on the meadow anyway.”

“Of course they laughed,” she said bitterly. “I am just a doe and a young one at that. No one listens to me. They only listen to older males with racks.”

Her comment seemed to take both her Father and Filon by surprised, but she felt she was right. If her Father had warned those yearlings, one more of them would be alive now.

“I think they will listen now,” Filon said trying to make her feel better. “The rest of the deer now know better. Experience is the best teacher, as long as you can stay alive long enough to learn.”

“I agree with Filon,” he Father told her. “You warned them, they did not listen, and one deer died for their stupidly. Maybe they will listen now. There was nothing more you could have done to prevent this.”

Her Father was also trying to make her feel better, but it did not help. “I am sorry, Father, but if they would have listened to you because you are the herd leader and the other deer respect you. They would have listened to Filon because he is a large male and they respect him. I am just a yearling doe and I feel none of them respect me so they did not listen, nor do I think they will listen to me in the future.”

She could not bear to stay there any longer. She ran off into the deeper forest. She heard her Father and Filon still talking about something, but she did not care. She just wanted to be by herself. She went to the lake, took a drink from its cool waters, and then walked around always testing the air. A bear had passed by, but long ago. She smelled no other danger. It was after the great light was overhead that she came upon the old down log she recognized. Her Mother had brought her and her brother here when they were fawns. She stopped to eat some grass and saw most of it was already gone.

“Thumper,” she spoke into the tree log. “It is Gurri.”

A few moments later the older gray rabbit appeared and looked up mouth open as if amazed. “It is you,” he said. “My, how you have grown since I last saw you. Where are your brother, father, and mother?

“Mother has two new fawns to raise,” she explained. “Father is with my brother teaching him all about the forest. They do not need me at home and so I am out on my own. I was walking by and thought I stop to say hello.”

“You are getting large, you look like your Mother,” Thumper said looking her over carefully.”

“How are you doing?” she asked.

The old hair looked away. “Oh, I found a new mate this spring. I have a new litter of rabbits. This will be my last liter I think.”

“Why is that?” she asked. He looked old yet healthy.

“I am getting old,” he said as a complaint. “Soon I think I will join your Grandfather.”

The way the old rabbit said it shocked her. “Do not say that Thumper. You are my Father’s friend and mine. You will live for a long time to come.”

“I like to, but I doubt it,” he said. “I am the oldest rabbit I know. None of my sisters are even alive. I do not even know if any of my children are still alive.”

She was going to answer when an odor crossed her nose. It was a fox. “Run, Thumper, the fox is here.”

He might be old, but the old hare vanished in an instant. She stood by the log and waited. Sure enough, the fox appeared silently out of the bushes.

“Still looking for Thumper,” she told the red furry animal with the white long tail. “I am afraid you missed him again.”

“I am patient, and there are others,” the sly fox said looking at her closely. The fox was sizing her up.

“Thinking of eating deer today?” she asked. “That would be a mistake.”

“Oh no,” the fox pleaded. “I would never eat something as big as you.”

She remembered what her father told her about foxes: ‘Believe nothing about a fox except that it is hungry.’

“Very well,” she said and pretended to turn away. The moment she seemed to take her eyes off the fox, she saw it shift its weight to it rear legs and leap.

She quickly brought her leg and hoof up as the fox jumped up for her throat. The hard hoof caught the fox in the face. The blow knocked him off-balance and he instead fell at her feet.  She raised up to stomp the fox hard on the ground, but he saw it coming and rolled away. In a flash, the creature was on his feet again.

“You tried to kill me,” it screamed.

“I will do more than try,” she growled and lashed out hard with her front legs again. This time the fox was ready and jumped back.

“Lost your taste for deer,” she said eyeing the creature well. “You should try something smaller,” she said and charged.

She did not think she would hit the fox, but it did scare him off. The last she saw was the white tail disappear into the bushes. She went back to the log.

“He is gone,” she told Thumper.

The old rabbit peaked out of the log. “That was like your Father,” he said.

“That was the second time today someone thought that because I was a doe and a yearling, I was weak and stupid. It is also the second time today they paid the price for their mistake.”

Thumper gazed at her in disbelief, “You remind me of your Father when he gets mad. He gets that same look in his eyes like he is ready to fight anyone.”

Inside she felt ready to fight anyone. There was still anger from before, and now this was just making her madder. She had to calm down. Mad deer can make stupid mistakes as her Father said to Geno. She calmed down but did not take her eyes off the bushes and trees around her.

“I am sorry, but it has been a bad day for me so far,” she explained.

Feeling calmer, she then told the old rabbit the story of what happened to her and how she felt about it. As she did, she felt the anger diminish inside her. She knew she had no right to burden Thumper with her problems, but it felt better to share it with someone else.

“I see,” Thumper said. “I am afraid you are right. The other creatures respect strength and that usually means males fighting for mates. It is not just deer. All sorts of creatures do that. That struggle is what drives the forest on. Females usually do not have the strength to gather that respect.”

“Well just because I am a female, it does not mean I cannot think. I am my Father’s daughter and I do see things. My Grandfather and Father taught me that much.”

“So I see, well I must go,” Thumper said and disappeared again into his log.

She walked away still keeping an eye out for the fox just in case he had not learned his lesson. She did not feel like seeing her parents or the other deer. She was near the lake. Beyond that, there were the hills her Grandfather had lived in. It looked safe enough so she and decided to go there. There was no deer here. She was alone. That suited her now. She ate in a small open area near the trees and drank in a small stream that came off the hills. It was peaceful here. Might not be a bad place to stay. Late in the day, she got up and started walking around the forest. She kept smelling the air and changed direction often. There were few predators by the open meadow here. Her Grandfather did not like visitors, so she was only here twice with her brother when they were fawns. She decided to go to her Grandfather’s old cave to look around. She climbed the hill looking carefully about her, as she got higher up. Near the top, she stopped. In the air was a faint scent. It was not a scent she smelled before. It smelled big and that meant she did not want to meet it. She stopped and began to go back the way she came. Halfway to the bottom, she heard branches cracking behind her. That was all she needed to hear, she ran.

She flew down the hill and ran toward the lake. The trees and bushes flew by her as she ran fast. There was nothing from behind her. Whoever was chasing her did not follow her far. She ran back to the lake before she felt tired and stopped. Everything was quiet around her. She looked around and found a hiding place in the trees behind some bushes. There she lay down on her knees and rested. Other than the usual sounds of the forest, that was nothing going on around her. It was easy for her to sleep into the night.

It was late evening when she got up and tested the air. Nothing was around her she could hear, see, or smell. She was hungry and grass grew alongside the lake. When she tasted it, the grass was delicious, so she ate her fill and drank from the lake. It was still late when her nose picked up a familiar scent. The odor was coming from the other direction she had run earlier. It was not the same scent as before on the hill. This one was another deer. A deer she did not know. She went back into the trees and waited.

A short while later, another deer walked carefully out of the trees and toward the lake. It was another yearling like her, but it was a male. Like her, he was testing the air with his nose. The male was small, barely her size. There was a patch of white on his chest, but otherwise, his fur was the same. He was not much to look at. He did not even look strong enough to be a herd male. He was also alone, which was unusual for a yearling. She watched him timidly approach the lake and start to eat, all the while looking around him. He was careful. She watched him eat and then drink from the lake near where she just did. He did not look like a threat. Quietly, she moved out of the trees and came up behind him. He turned quickly, glanced at her, and started to run.

“I will not hurt you,” she called out. “I am alone like you are.”

The male stopped suddenly and turned to look at her. She moved out into the open where the male could see her even in the dim glow from the lesser light. Slowly, as if expected her to attack him, he approached her. It was amusing to her that a doe like her could scare a male, but this was not a regular size male. This one was small.

“Who are you?” the male asked in a high-pitched voice.

“I am Gurri,” she said and slowly walked over to him. When she was closer, she asked him, “I do not know you. Please tell me your name?”

“I am Wesal,” he said meekly and bowed his head.

“I did not expect to find many deer out here. Most stay near the meadow,” she said.

Wesal bowed his head as if in shame. “I do not go to the meadow. The other deer do not like me.”

She looked him over. Granted he was small, but he was not deformed or had a bad scent. There was no obvious reason other deer should shun him. “Why don’t they like you? You seem alright to me.”

“I am small,” Wesal moaned. “The other deer push me around because they know I cannot fight back like they can. They tease me and chase me. I left the meadow to live out here. Not many deer here and no one bothers me.”

At least the other deer did not try to do that with her, but she was large for a doe like her mother. “Yes, I know other deer are cruel at times. They also do not like to listen. I got tired of it myself and came out here.”

Wesal looked at her. “Why would they not like you? You are not weak. You are beautiful, not like me,” he moaned.

She did not want to laugh. “Thank you,” she said. “You are not that small.”

“Yes I am,” he said. “I am small and weak and that is the only thing other deer look at. Nothing else to them matter.”

“Except for being a doe,” she told him. “The males will listen to other males, but never to a doe. You warn them of danger and they ignore you. If I was a male, they at least listen to me.”

“I like to listen to you, your voice is nice,” the small male said smiling.

“Thank you again,” she said. “She looked the deer over. Other than being small and not having the heavy muscles other male deer have, he was rather cute, but not for her. She wanted a male like her Father or brother, not something small like him.

That is when the idea struck her suddenly. What then was the difference between what other males felt about her and what she felt about this male? She wanted a big male because all doe want the best males to make their fawns. That was the way of the forest. The strongest always got the best doe. In the same way, all males’ respected strength, and doe and small males like Wesal were not strong so they did not respect them. This was also the way of the forest. That may not be right, but it was the way things were. To expect otherwise was foolish.

“Did I say something wrong?” Wesal spoke up.

That broke her concentration and she looked back at the yearling male who only came up to her eye level. “No,” she said. “I was just thinking about something.”

“You looked far away,” he said.

“I felt far away,” she answered, “But I am back now.”

Looking at the sky around her, she knew it would soon be light. She had not slept much yesterday and she felt tired. She looked at the small male just gazing at her as if she was something out of a dream. Inwardly she felt a sudden impulse.

“It will be light soon,” she noted. “It is time to rest. There are large animals around here I do not want to meet.”

“Like the bear,” Wesal said. “He drinks at the lake at dawn and just before night. I stay hidden at those times. So far he leaves me alone.”

So that is what she smelled yesterday. It was a good thing she ran. No deer can hope to fight a bear and live. “Thank you for telling me that,” she said. “I need to empty myself. You see that large tree that leans toward the water?”

“Yes, I sleep near there,” the male said.

“I will meet you there shortly,” she said and dashed off into the trees to empty out her insides.

When finished, she went back to the lake to take one more drink of water and then met Wesal by the tree.

“I will go with you,” she said. “Show me where you sleep.”

The male swallowed and led her on to an opening among some bushes. It was big enough for two. She lay down in the clearing and motioned Wesal to lie near her. He did so nervously.

“Other than my sister and mother, I never slept near a doe before,” he said.

“I have not slept near a male. Do not worry about it. The Season is still a long ways away,” she said. She put her head down and went fast asleep. She rather liked it.

For the next three days, they ate and slept together by the lake. Wesal was right about the bear, but the large black creature did not come any closer than the lake edge. She stayed close and found she liked talking to this male. She felt no wish to have him bred her, but it was nice being near someone who felt like her. No doubt, her parents would have a fit at her choice, but he at least liked her and did not look at her as if she was some prize doe ready to be bred. Nor did he boast about his power and influence. The main thing was he listened to her; for a male, that was almost a new experience.

On the fourth day, she was just going to go to sleep when she looked out toward the hill her Grandfather cave was at. Past the hills and saw it. In the distance was a cloud of smoke rising in the air. That meant there were more Men in the forest. She spent a sleepless day listening but could here nothing. As soon as it was dark, she left Wesal and told him to stay hidden and not to go out during the day. He moved quickly back to her mother’s thicket. When she got there, it was empty. Her family should be in the meadow with the fawns.

She went to the meadow and sure enough, she saw her Mother, her younger sisters, and her brother eating. Filon and her Father were talking. She moved over to them. As she got closer, they all stopped eating and looked up at her.

“Where have you been?” her Father ask sound annoyed.

“I have been out on my own,” she said flatly. “I was over by Grandfather’s old cave. There was smoke rising from beyond it. I think Man is in the forest again.”

Her Father looked surprised. “They are early this year?” her Father said. “They are not usually here yet. Are you sure?”

She tried not to get angry, but words just slipped out. “Go over and see for yourself if you don’t believe me.”

She spun in her hoofs and started to walk away. “Gurri, wait!” her Father commanded.

She took a deep breath and turned around. “Yes,” she grunted.

“I need to know for sure about this, that is all,” her Father explained.

“If Geno told you this, or Ronno, or even Filon, you believe them, but not your daughter. Why, because I am a doe and I do not know anything. Like I said, look for yourself.”

She turned again and moved away.

“Gurri Stop!” her Father yelled. She kicked her hoofs up and ran into the forest. She tried to hold back the tears in her eyes. At least there was someone there she knew who would listen.