Chapter 7: The Last Hunt

There was a sudden and unmistakable hush in the forest. The other deer were still in shock. He couldn't stand the stillness so he went back to wandering alone. Now he was truly alone and saw that would continue until it was his turn. At first there was shock over Stranger's death, there was also curses for Carie and Duno. It was several days later he went back to Kena and Juon's clearing. He found them there lying close to each other. Another newly mated pair. They saw him coming and got up.

"Did you want to continue your training," he asked Juon.

"Yes, Bambi" Juon replied with enthusiasm.

"Even after you have seen the price Stranger paid?" he asked.

"We all pay that price some day," Juon went on. "Stranger died defending his herd even though he was not herd leader. I have heard some deer say that Stranger and you will always be herd leaders here, alive or not."

That was just being sentimental, he thought. Stranger was gone, but life went on just like after Gurri's and Getra's deaths.

"Very well, while you still have your antlers, let us work on combat training." He suggested.

"Bambi, can you tell me how Stranger killed Carie. I know he kicked Duno in the head and you stomped on him, but how did he kill Carie if he was on the ground?"

"Hold your head up," he told him.

As he did he put the two center points of his antlers against Juon's chest' If you charge and run your antlers into a deer's body there, you will cause a deer to bleed out as if they were hit by a killing stick. If a deer does that to you, you will be dead shortly after. As Carie tried to stomp him again, he pushed up with his rear legs and forced his antlers deep into Carie's chest. She did not live long afterwards."

"Such anger at Stranger," Kena said. "That she would kill her own family to get back at him is unbelievable."

Bambi nodded, "Stranger had that ability to bring out the best or worse in deer. I think deer in this forest will talk of him for a long while to come. Now if you don't want deer to talk about you after you are dead, let us start the lesson."

They practiced for the rest of the night. He had to admit he was very tired when they were through. The greater light was barely up when the noise started from the meadow. The sounds of banging and shouting continued all day. Many men were in the meadow. Later in the day he also started to hear the yelping of dogs, big dogs. Man had come to hunt. They slept in fits and starts all day before finally just resting.

"The hunts will soon begin?" Juon asked.

"Yes and we must know what kind of hunt," he told them. "We must look at the Man cave tonight and we must do it carefully. Man may not be able to smell us, but those dogs can."

They waited until after dark and then Bambi stood up. "I need to go now. We need to see what Man will do tomorrow. I will leave it up to you if you want to come, but there will be great danger. If we are seen, man could use his killing stick on us."

"As Stranger would say, that is part of being herd leader," Kena said boldly. Juon just nodded.

He smiled inward, just like Veron they were. "Very well, now tell me the best way to do this?" he said. He wanted to see how well they learned.

Kena and Juon looked up at the trees and saw the way the wind was blowing. "The wind is coming from your old forest," Kena said. "That means if we go straight from this forest to toward the Man cave with the wind in our faces, the dogs will not smell us."

He had to smile, they were learning. "Correct now let us go, and be quiet."

They moved inside their forest until they got to the edge. Then they walked as close to the old edge of their forest as they could get without being in the open. As they moved quietly, they started to see the Man Cave. It was brightly lit with many Men and dogs outside. Some of the dogs were normal hunting dogs, but a few were the big dogs man hunts larger animals with. As they got closer, they saw the smaller caves being set up on the side of the meadow their old clearing was on. They set up the small caves all along the long side of the old meadow. He had seen this before and he suddenly understood what Man was going to do.

"We must find Stabo and Bambi," he whispered. "The herd is in great danger. You two are younger and quicker than I am. Find Stabo and the others and meet me in Stabo clearing as soon as possible. You will also need to call the rest of the herd together. Do not call until you are deep into the forest. Man and the dogs will hear you."

Kena and Juon took off running. He moved as fast as he could, but his muscles were not as good as they used to be. Why did Stranger have to be right about so many things? Getting old is getting to be more of a curse than a benefit. He moved as fast as possible. Any deer he saw he told them to pass the word to go to Stabo's clearing. Finally he got there and he saw his daughter and Karene. Young Faline, arrived shortly afterwards. Other deer started to come in. Then he heard Stabo call the herd together. He made it sound urgent. The lesser light was high overhead before everyone got there.

"Bambi, did you see what Man has done on the meadow," Stabo called to him.

"Yes," he told all around him. "Man is setting up his small caves with his killing sticks so that any deer that runs out of this forest and on to the old meadow will be killed. This means when the greater light rises. Man will try and get behind us and try to chase us all onto the Meadow. If he does, we will die. We must not allow Man to get behind us. We must flee into the deep woods now!"

"I agree," Stabo said. "Father told me of such a plan by Man. We must not allow Man to get behind us. All of us must leave now. If Man does get behind you, do not run into the meadow, run across the Man path into the smaller part of the forest. Try and stay together. Does anyone have any questions?"

"No one said a word. Very well all of us leave now," Stabo yelled out. The herd broke up and fled in an instant. He started to move quickly into the deep forest. Soon due to his lack of speed he was soon alone.

He hurried alone trying to get as deep into the forest as he could before sunrise. He felt very tired, but he knew he had to get as far away as possible. He ran as fast as he could for as long as he could before his breath seemed to leave inside him. He had just gone over one of many small streams, when it hit him suddenly.

"AHHHHHHH," he grunted. His front legs gave out and he fell onto the ground. There was a sharp pain in his chest that seemed to shoot down his left side and left front legs. It was like a large deer had stopped on his chest. In an instant he was lying on his side with his antlers holding up his neck. He was out of breath; he had a hard time moving. It was like his whole body went to sleep except for his head. He then suddenly realized that this was exactly how Faline had felt just before she did not wake up that morning.

So it had finally come, yet he did not feel his body slipping away. He did not feel if he was dying inside. It was just he could not get up and move around. He then remembered that Faline had felt a lesser pain and discomfort such as this several times before she passed. He managed to roll over onto his legs so he got his head off the ground. He was lying in the open in a small clearing space surrounded by trees. He tried to move, but his legs were wobbling and had a hard time to support him. He managed to get into the cover of the nearby trees before he lay down again. This is where he would have to stay. He only hoped that Man did not find him, because he knew he could not run from here. He thought about calling for help, but that would mean that another deer would be stuck here with him and may get caught by Man. Better if he stayed here alone.

The pain in his chest seemed to diminish over time to the point he felt he could move again, but overhead he could clearly see the light of the new day. That meant Man be in the forest. He was hidden well. If the dogs did not find him, he should be alright. He found a small hollow in the ground and lay in that. Now he was almost totally hidden from anything. It was not long before he heard it. There was noise coming from the deeper woods. It was the sound of dogs. He heard them barking and calling to their masters. Right now they were just looking. As time went by he could hear them getting closer. Now he could hear the shouts of Men.

HHHIIIYYYAAAA. . . HHHEEEYYY," he heard from many Men.

That sound got closer to him. He knew he dare not move unless he was found. A deer on the run would be forced into the clearing. As time went on he noticed there was no change in the barking of the dogs. They were not chasing anything. That meant Stabo had gotten the herd further back than Man. If so they were safe. It was not long before the dog barking was near to him. He stayed very still and did not even breathe hard. Then in the distance he saw a dog. It was running around looking for something to chase. It did not seem to detect him. It sniffed at the ground and in the air, but was picking up no scent. He watched it circle around for a while and then left. Then behind the dog walked two Men. Each was carrying a large killing stick. They walked right past him. He felt he was safe.

He continued to stay still until the rising light was overheard, and then he heard the noise of a dog barking. This was from behind him. It was one dog, but it was calling to its master.

"Here. . . Here," the dog called out again and again.

Suddenly he realized the dog was coming from the direction he ran last night. It was following his scent trail. He turned his body so he could see the way he had come and in the distance he saw movement. It was a single dog coming his way. It must have went by him and picked up his train when it got near the edge of the Man path forest. Then he heard more noise. There was a Man walking behind the dog. There was nothing to do now except stay still and hope the dog did not find him. The dog was moving around looking for a scent. Then it stopped and raised its tail and looked directly where he was at. He had been found. The dog started barking loudly.

"Here, he is here," it called to the Man who came in closer.

Now the dog headed straight for him. He had no choice he had to fight, but if he stood now, the Man could see him. He waited, keep still and low. If he ran, the man could easily use the killing stick on him. There might be a way. His Father told him one time he charged a Man and ran over him and got away. It might work. He kept low and waited. Sure enough the dog went straight for him and the Man came up quickly behind. He waiting until the dog was on top of him and then leaped up and lowered his head. He charged into the dog catching it in his antlers and he threw it aside. The dog squealed in pain. The Man started to bring up his killing stick, but he ran straight for him as fast as he could The Man had his killing stick up when he hit him. The impact stunned him and knocked the Man down. He recovered and started to run away when the chest pain hit him hard again in the chest. He stopped and fell on the ground. He got up quickly and started to run away. "WHAMMMM." echoed as something went by him. He changed direction and disappeared into the tress. Finally the pounding in his head and his shortness of breath forced him to stop. He rested for a while. A short time later he heard.

"WHAMMM . . . WHAMMM . . . .WHAMM," from behind him in short order.

He heard the Man shout several times. He got up even through it hurt and slowly walked as far away from that place as he could.

"WHAMMM. . . WHAMMM . . .WHAMMM," he heard again. Then in the distance he heard more men shouting.

"Bang. . . Bang . . .Bang . . . came. These noises were not so loud.

At that point he did not care. He wandered not knowing what direction he was going in. Soon he came to the hard ground of the Man Path. He knew the dangers of crossing it. At this point he had little to lose so he crossed it quickly and lost himself in the bush. He found a place and waited until dark. By then he side started to hurt. He got up anyway and slowly and carefully made his way toward the edge of the forest.

He ate and drank as he could. As long as he did not move quickly, the pain in his chest and legs stayed away. Resting and stopping many times he reached the edge of the forest by dawn. He stopped to drink, and empty himself. He tried to eat again but his chest and side hurt. In the distance he could see the spring and the remains of their old forest. There was nothing more to do other than to wait.

He found a place that was hard to see and waited. As the day passed he heard more noises. These noises were from his old forest. First there was the barking of dogs, big dogs coming from the old forest. They were chasing something. Then from father away he heard other sounds of Men shouting. What would Man be doing there? There were no deer in that forest. He heard a dog cry out in pain, and then another. The barking was coming from the side of the meadow where the bear kept his cave. Then came the sound, "WHAMMMM . . . WHAMMM. There were more shots in quick succession and more shouting by Man. Then even more loud noises in the distance. Finally the noise died out. Then he heard sound coming from the Man Path. It was the Man animal having that funny high low bird call he could hear. It sounded like they went to the Man cave and then stopped for a short while before going down the Man path again. After the funny call stopped there seemed to be quiet.

He hoped they had not gone after the bear, but he was the only thing large that lived in that part of the forest. There were more noises from behind him. During the late day his chest started to ache again. He was sure of it now. He had the same thing Faline had. That meant that soon, he would go most likely the same way she did. He looked around and then looked at the old forest. A sudden realization came over him. He did not want to die here. He wanted to go home. Not to the burnt forest. He wanted to go the forest he was born in. If he had to die, he wanted to die there. The question is, was he strong enough to get there. He did not know, but even if he died in the open, it still be better than dying here. The day passed with no more noise around him. He heard Men yelling from the Man cave. He smelled the fire, and the burnt deer meat. Someone had not gotten away. He hoped it was no one he knew. As darkness fell again he heard noises from behind him. He smelled the scents of deer.

"Bambi, we found you."

He looked back it was Stelar and Helos. Both look hot and sweated like they had been running a while.

"What are you two doing here," he called out. "Come the day Man will be here and kill every deer he can find. Get out of here and run back into the deep forest."

"We were searching for you," Stelar said running over to him. "You have to come with us."

"I cannot go," he said not getting up. "I have the same pain in my chest that Faline had. One way or the other soon I will be gone. Now leave!"

Helos look over at his side. "You do not look hurt. You can still come with us."

"I cannot run. All I will do is slow you down so you will die with me. I want you to go, but I will ask one thing," he said. His side was starting to ache. "Is everyone else alright?" he wanted to know.

"Yes," Stelar told him. Stabo led the herd into the deep forest. Man did not get behind us. Only bad thing is Man is also using the other Man cave to hunt. Now please come with us," she begged.

"No," he said with finality. "I want you two to tell Stabo and Gena that I am leaving the forest. I am going back to my old home. You will not see me again. I just wanted all of you to know how much I care for all of you. Now go please."

"If you go there you will likely die," Helos said as if he did not know.

"I know that. Nothing can stop that now. Tell the others what happened, especially Gena. Enough talk, now get going."

Stelar did not want to go, but Helos pushed her back. Helos then looked back at him. "Thank you and Stranger for everything," he said having trouble speaking. "We will teach our children what you taught us. I hope I do see you in the Great Herd."

"Do not be in a hurry to get there," he said and then lay on the ground.

He watched them both disappear into the forest. He was alone. Now all he had to do was leave the forest.

Chapter 8: Final Journey

Bambi walked carefully out into the open. Even through it was night, and there was no sound from the Man cave, even though the dogs were still there. There was the lingering scent of burning deer meat in the air. He thought about just close he had come to being the one that was burning. At least there was no smell of burning bear meat, He moved as fast has his chest would allow him across the open space past the spring and toward the edge of the burnt out Meadow forest. He heard some dogs barking but there were too far away to bother him. Besides, even if they did wake Man, he doubted they could find in in the dark. Carefully he slipped into the remains of the meadow forest and walked slowly up the hill; all the time his chest was aching and his breathing becoming increasing hard. He wanted to make sure he could not been seen from the meadow as he moved toward to the far end and the stream that would lead him back to the place he was born. There was also the bear to check up on. He just hoped he was alone.

The walk through the woods was eerie. Other than the insects and some small ground animala, there was no noise, no scents, and no movement he could see. Everything stood burnt, quiet and lonely. This was still a place of death now with only a few small plants growing at his feet. He continued to walk slowly and carefully up the hill. By the time the lesser light was overhead, he reached the place the bear called home.

He stood back and called out just loud enough to be heard, "Bear."

There was silence. The bear should be nearby at this time of year. He walked toward the den and as he did he caught several scents. One smell of decay and the other smelled of blood. Around him he looked and saw a trail of blood on the ground. One smelled of the bear, but there were other scents, the scent of both dogs and Men. There had been a fight around here. Blood was spilled from Man, dog and bear. The trail of blood led from the trees near the meadow, up the hill toward the den. As he followed it, the dog and Man scent disappeared until he could only smell the bear.

He looked in the front of the den and saw and smelled a large pool of blood. In fact he saw blood trail leading down the hill toward the old meadow. He walked quickly to the den and leaned over. There was a large bear lying still in the den. He smelled it and it had the scent of the bear he knew. It also was cold and still. He could not see well in the dark, but the smell of blood was everywhere. He poked the bear. The bear was stiff. He had been dead a while. He lifted his head and turned away.

"You too," he said. He found tears coming down his eyes for a creature he never liked, and yet seemed as good a friend as most deer he knew. From the sounds he heard yesterday, the dogs must have found him and chased him down. The bear fought, that is when he heard the dogs squeal in pain. It also smelled as if he attacked Man also. The other Men must have been closed behind the dogs and hit the bear with the killing stick. The bear must have been strong enough to get away from Man, but he was hurt too badly. He went back to his home to die. He could certainly understand that feeling.

He turned back to the den. "I am truly sorry, my friend. I do hope Stranger was right. I hope you do make it to the great herd. I like to see you again. In any case I will know soon enough. Safe journey to wherever you have gone."

There was nothing more to do here. He managed to get to the edge of the meadow forest before he decided to rest there for the day. He found enough grass to eat to fill his stomach and spent the day resting during the time the greater light was overhead. Again during the day he heard Man in the Man Path forest. He heard an occasional killing stick, but not many. He heard nothing from the smaller caves along the edge of the forest. Served them right. He almost wish the fire come again and burn them like the deer they burnt. Stranger was right, they did not belong here. This was their forest, not Man's.

When the greater light set he move out along the stream, walking slowly and carefully. He turned and took one last look at his former home and the memories of that place that filled him. He then turned his back and walked away. If he did not try and hurry, the pain in his chest and legs was not so bad. It was his shortness of breath that bothered him the most. Many times he had to stop just to catch his breath. He did not even make it to where Stranger had killed Duro before the greater light rose again. He stopped and hid behind a hill and waited. Fortunately, nothing seemed to follow his trail. He heard the large mice creatures from the top of the hills, and some birds overhead, but other than that there was nothing near him. He rested flat on the ground to give relief to his protesting legs. When he woke it was dark again.

He ate, drank and emptied himself and continued his walk. He followed the stream on again moving slowly. Nothing bothered him during the night. The lesser light was dim tonight, almost nothing to be seen. Still he followed the stream and it led him on. Later in the night his chest started to bother him again. He had to stop and lie down to rest halfway through the night. Late in the night he got up and continued his journey. When day came again he was just at the edge of the hills. Beyond him was an open space where he could see his forest in the distance. Again he lay at the base of the hill and waited for the greater light to finish its trip across the sky. During the day his chest kept aching and at times he felt dizzy, but he still felt the urge to go on and try and get to his forest.

As night fell again he ate and continued his journey out in the open. He walked at a slow pace. Even then he felt pain in his left side and left legs. His breath was getting shorter and shorter and he had to stop often. By the time the sky got light again he was just at the edge of his forest. Even though it was daylight he decided to walk the remaining distance in full light and then go into the trees and stop there for the day. As he lay down his chest again started to hurt. He felt the pain again shooting down his left side and his left legs. He felt a pounding in his ears and he found himself panting on the ground. He did not know how much longer he could take this. He rested for a while and slowly the pain subsided. The numbness disappeared in his legs. He finally fell asleep and woke up just as the greater light was disappearing. He got up and after he emptied himself, he ate some grass and drank out of the lake.

Feeling a little refreshed he walked along the shore of the lake most of the time lost in memories of happier times that happened here. He had met Faline here, fought Ronno here for her, he had been born near here, and his mother died in this open clearing. He had trained his son Geno here, much to his disappointment. He trained Gorro here also. He found himself smiling as long gone faces came to mind. It was not long before he managed to walk near the deer herd. He saw two does with this year's fawns feeding.

"Could you tell me where Gorro is?" he asked.

They both looked at him strangely and then ran away toward the woods. Was he that hideous now he wondered? He walked through the herd that seemed more afraid of him than anything else. He then suddenly heard a deer call out.

"Bambi, is that you?"

He turned and saw a large male with a nice size rack on his head. He got closer and the realized the scent was familiar, but he could not recall it. "Forgive an old deer, but who are you?"

"I am Turro," he said. "Do you not remember me?"

"Turro, Cara's fawn," he realized. "The last time I saw you, you still had spots. My you have grown."

"Thank you," Turro said showing his large rack and sleek body.

"Do you know where my son Gorro is?" he asked.

"Coming out of the woods behind you with Delene and Baro their male fawn," Turro told him.

He turned around and looked at his son. He walked with his head up, but not proudly. He seemed to smile. Delene was lovelier than ever just like her mother. He then realized she did not know. None of them knew. He walked slowly forward. Gorro turned and looked at him and he saw his mouth drop open in amazement. He came close to sniff at him and then ran forward rubbing his forehead, almost in tears.

"Father," he called out. "How wonderful. I thought I never see you again." Gorro then looked around and seeing no one else asked. "Where is mother, Stranger and Claris?"

"They are all gone, my Son. I have much to tell. Is your sister and Stuben nearby?" he wanted to know.

"They will be here shortly," Gorro said large tears coming to his eyes. "Mother," he said in a low voice.

"I am tired my Son, when they get here, have all of you come over to the clearing by the hill your mother and I used to stay in. I have much to tell."

He walked over and found the overgrown thicket he and Faline use to lie in. Although their scents were long vanished the sight brought back wonderful memories of starting and raising their children here. He looked over and there over by the trees that grew close to the part of the lake that sticks out, was the small thicket he was born in. He had come home and it brought a tear to his eyes. He lay down, not hungry in the least and was content he had made it back. Even though he awoke a short time ago, he still felt tired. He closed his eyes and went to sleep happy knowing he had made it home.

"Father," he heard later on. He opened his eyes and saw his family standing around him. He had not heard or smelled them approach; something that would have never happened even a short while ago.

"My family, please lie down. I do not want to look up at you and I fear I am too weak to stand up now."

His son, Delene, with several yearlings and current fawns he did not know. Stuben was there with a doe and two fawns. His daughter Eta was there with a large male and their three yearling and new fawns. How his family had grown. He waited until they all lay down before he started. My family, I have come back here to tell you of what has happened. I must tell you first, this will be a sad story to tell."

He then proceeded to tell them all that had happened since the forest had burned down. It took a while, and he saw there were many gasps of pain and tears of sorrow. There was also some joy especially when he mentioned what happened to Stelar. The lesser light now hidden from view would be high overhead before he finished. The most visibly affected were Gorro, Delene and Stuben.

"My mother is gone," Gorro said and looked almost ready to cry out. Eta also looked very upset.

"My whole family is gone," Delene cried out. I had hoped we visit them next summer, but now there are gone."

"Then everything my father and you worked for is also gone," Stuben said shaking his head. "They even killed the poor bear."

"And the forest is also gone," Gorro went on. "There is no point in returning now. It all seems for nothing."

"NO!" he said as loud as he could. "There are deer we have trained in the Man path forest that care about the herd. There are deer here that care about the herd. What Stranger and I taught you is not lost and is helping the others which is what is what it was meant to do. You will pass it on to your children here and in their turn they will pass it on. As long as one deer is here serving the herd, it was more than worth it for this old deer."

"You came back alone?" Eta asked. "Father you could have been killed."

"There was no one else left to come," he told them. "Besides it would not have mattered much if I had died or not, other than to tell you what has happened."

"Father, do not say that," Gorro told him.

Bambi smiled as if what his Son wanted mattered any longer. "No, my Son, it is true. I am old, I am sick, and I am weak. Soon I will pass on myself. I just wanted to die here in my old forest with my family."

With that he yawned openly and he started feeling tired again. He put his head down on the ground.

"Father, you are tired," Gorro said looking at him with concern. "We will let you rest. Besides we have much to discuss among ourselves."

"Thank you my Son," I will rest here," he told them.

The others got up and walked away. He was left alone again. He closed his eyes and was thinking when he felt something close to him. He opened his eyes and saw some of the healing leaves in front of him. Standing above him was a large yearling male. He smelled of Gorro.

"I am Alar," Gorro's son," the deer said in a deep clear voice. "Father asked me to bring you these leaves for your illness."

"Thank you," he said. He doubted if they could help him now, but at least they could not hurt. He ate them and shortly he fell into a deep sleep.

The next few days he spent talking mostly to his family. Other deer came up mostly to look at him. Few had seen a deer as old as him. Many of the older males in the herd embraced him and treated him with the same respect as always. All about him he saw the new life taking hold. All of the deer looked healthy and fit to survive the winter. Gorro had done a good job in getting the herd prepared. The herd was ready. Gorro had succeeded. He now knew a son of his had learned the lessons of being a herd leader. He felt satisfied that all the time he and Strange had sped had not been for nothing. For the first time since Stranger died, he felt happy. He was glad he came home.

"The hunts were not too bad," Gorro told him. "I took the herd deep into the forest where Man could not find us. We lost only a few foolish deer that went out in the open."

"Good," he told his Son. "Gorro I am proud of you and others. Your mother, Claris, and Stanger would also be proud of you. You have made this old deer happy. Have you begun training your children" he wanted to know?

"Yes Father, in another year, I will have children that will be ready if something happens to me. Stuben is training his children and a few of the other yearlings are learning with them. We are teaching them everything you taught us."

"So it will all go on," he said.

Even through his chest hurt and his breath was short, he knew it did not matter anymore. No matter what happened to him, what he, Stranger, Faline and Claris taught them would go on long after them. He was content at that.

Epilogue: Into the Rising Light

Over the next few days his antlers started to itch and then shortly fell out as did with all the other males. He did not think he grow another pair. He spent the time at night on the open space near the lake getting to know his family again. It was a pleasant experience, but he did have a problem keeping the names straight. He watched Gorro and Stuben teaching the fawns and the yearlings the important information they would need to know. He could see all in the herd deferred to Gorro and Stuben, but Gorro did not use force or intimidation to get his way. The deer in the herd listed too him because they respected him. Many of the older deer also came to him and asked his advice. Gorro did not mind and went out of his way to show that while he was herd leader, Bambi was someone anyone could go to with a question. He tried to answer all of the questions and tell the other deer what they needed to know. Even the pain in his chest got less, but his shortness of breath was getting greater.

It was after the first snow fall. The snow covered him as he slept in the day. He was cold, but he seemed to shrug it off that night. He spent his time playing that winter night with the fawns. How quick the children were and how much energy they had as they darted around him in fawn play. He spoke to all his family, most about how the forest had been when he was a child. All the children listened and asked many question. He was glad he could tell them. He went to bed in the morning feeling happier than he had been in a while.

He felt very tired and asleep quickly. In his sleep he was use to seeing unusual things. Lately there were faces of Faline, Stranger, Claris and his dead son Veron. Tonight it was different. There was a solid white cloud stretching across his vision. As he looked along the edges he started to see the white shrink, being replaced by blackness. Slowly the blackness moved across his vision making everything around him as black as the deepest night. Finally the white light shrunk to a solid white dot of bright light. It stayed there in the middle of his view for a while and then started to grow. As it grew he realized it was not a dot of light, but something else. It had a form to it, a shape to it. It was a familiar shape. As the picture grew now more quickly he realized it was a tail. It was perfectly white deer's tale. The picture grew and grew and took on more shape. The light was bright, almost blinding like looking into the greater light. Slowly appeared strong legs, a solid heavily muscled body, and finally when he saw it a tall erect head with a huge rack. The deer suddenly turned around and he saw its face, but it had no scent. Even in the bright light he could see it clearly.

"Father," he called out loudly. "Father is it you?"

The deer looked at him with the same deep brown eyes he remember from when he was a child. "Yes, my Son. You can get up if you want to," he said in that gentle, but powerful voice.

It seemed easy enough he got up and stepped into the light next to his Father, as he did he looked back. Then was an image of an old deer, asleep on the ground. The body was covered in white and brown fur. It was still. The image was quickly fading. He looked back at his Father.

"That is me," he realized. "I am dead, Father?" he asked

"Yes, my Son," he said simply.

For a moment he did not know what to do. He almost felt like crying out like he was a fawn again that had done something wrong. Finally he bowed his head and said in a low voice, "I am sorry Father I did the best I could."

"That is true, my Son, you did do the best any deer could," his Father reassured him. "You certainly have done better than I could."

He looked back at his father who was almost beaming. He was happy. Maybe it had all been worth after all. "Thank you Father," he said.

"No, my Son, Thank You," his father said with pride in his voice. "Now we need to be going."

"Is what Stranger said about the Great Herd true?" he asked.

"Yes, My Son, Stranger was right about this and a great many other things. They are all there waiting for you. Faline is there, your son Veron, your daughters Gurri and Gerta. Stranger is there along with Claris. We even found room for a bear. Even your mother is there with me."

"Mother," he said like a fawn. "I like to see them.

"Then come with me, my Son," the Great Prince told him like so many times when he was a fawn. He followed him like a child.

Both Father and Son turned away from one life and together walked into the rising light.

The End