?
He was running. Running very fast, actually, staggering and weaving through the trees. Why? What was he running from? He didn't know. He turned his head to see, but only cold, dark shapes followed with blazing yellow eyes. He gasped, pushing himself faster. These things were terrifying. Suddenly he realized there was a drop before him, but could not stop. The buck fell, his stomach lurching and he turned head over heels.
Suddenly he gasped deeply, eyes flying open, and flailed on the ground wildly. He sat, panting. His heart was pounding mercilessly, his eyes wide. The buck turned, seeing another next to him, laying quite dead. He knew who this was. He shivered, but stood shakily. What had happened to put this buck here? What had happened to put me here? He asked himself. He was dizzy, and the lighting kept shifting. His eyes would not dialate together. He was slowly recovering from his dream, his heart slowing. He was on the edge of the moor. He at least knew who he was, where he was, and what was behind him. He just didn't remember the exact events that put him there. But turning, something struck him quite heavily.
They think I'm dead! Bankfoot, Vervain, Nacht, Trar - all of them! They don't realize I'm alive!
This was his chance. He had no clue exactly where to go, but the buck ran, and ran fast. He took to the moorland, heading toward the distant scent of forest.
---------
Lihua
The doe moved gracefully across the meadow. All the bucks stared. She liked it that way, too. No one looking anywhere else. She had her plan in her head now: Trar was leader, but Lihua had already driven a rift between the nasty buck and Nacht. She'd drive it forward today. It was terribly late in the season, but she felt as if perhaps she was coming into estrus - perhaps she'd even be having a fawn this year after all. Her travel to the herd from her home, settling herself in, dealing with the slightly stressful sense of oppression, the escapes and deaths, and the talk of war had all stressed her natural cycles, so she wondered if the fawn would even make the year if she did have one. No matter. It didn't really mean anything - just another tool, another facet. She trotted a bit - ever since Bankfoot and Ronno were killed the day before, she'd been given much more freedom to roam. She planned on using it to the best of her ability.
Suddenly she stopped that train of thought as another doe approached.
Oh.
Lihua knew this doe well - very young and pretty. Just what Lihua hated in any other doe. Her head always high, her stride so confident. Lihua knew that she'd picked up on her own little plan to 'take over' the herd, and Lihua knew that she was going to try and beat her to it. The doe scowled at the other.
"Good morning, Lihua," She - Lemon - said in this perfectly sweet tone, as if she meant nothing but friendliness. Ugh. It was almost sickening. "I see you look better. You aren't stressed, are you? You look like it's been rough, settling in. Not that it effects your physical appearance - you look just wonderful, I mean - but you can see it in your eyes, you know. Been getting duller. Not to say-"
"Lemon, darling," Lihua said, trying to sound polite. This moter-mouthed doe had the most sly way of insulting others. At the same time, it was so obvious! How could she possibly pull that off? Lihua didn't care, anything to shut her up. "Good morning. You look fine, yourself. As if there's not going to be a fawn, perhaps?" Her blow was much more obvious - it was a bit of a disgrace for a doe in a harem to be incapable of fawning. Surely she'd had plenty of chances to take.
"I'm not sure," Lemon said with that same brightness. Her eyes showed a strange kind of agknowledgement. "All I know is that I'm rising in this herd, almost like the sun! The bucks give me all I want, after all."
Lihua felt a flash of rage at that. They both knew what the other was talking about. "As I," Lihua said coldly, dropping her facade. "I will have the herd, Lemon. Mark that."
"Oh, Lihua," Lemon sneered, her voice lowering. She'd dropped the act too. "I don't think so. Not one little bit. You can't take my birth herd away from me. You're just an import, for man to look at, after all."
"I am no import!" To be treated like an item! There was an unspoken signal. Both does sat up on their hind legs, boxing furiously at one another. Heads had already turned at the confrontation, but for some odd reason all the bucks stood frozen and dumb-founded. Lihua felt Lemon box her chest, and it forced her breath from her lungs. She realized how stupid this was - she had not thought about Lemon's strength. She was not weak at all, though Lihua was very, very reluctant to realize that. She slammed her leg into Lemon's chest, and the doe fell. Lihua lunged down, stomping nearly on the doe, who rolled in fear away from her before standing and leaping at Lihua.
Finally, a captain named Tirin and Huckleberry came charging over between the does, prying them apart rather forcibly.
"What are you thinking!?" Snapped Tirin to Lemon, who stared, wide-eyed. Trar and Nacht had approached in interest of the situation.
"Lemon was conspiring to overthrow Trar!" Lihua cried immediately. "I couldn't stand by and let her plan to kill our Great and Powerful Overlord!" Lemon swung her head around, looking enraged, bewildered, and alltogether dishevelled.
"Is that so!" Snapped Trar angrly. He turned to Lemon, looking very upset. "You are a doe. You are not treated terribly and it is not your place to even consider an uprising, or even being unhappy! I suppose you should have three or four weeks of isolation to think on that, now shouldn't you? And you - " He quickly turned on a very confused Tirin. "You should have alerted me! You are not to be seen in this meadow for three weeks yourself!"
He turned sharply and walked off, leaving the buck standing, blank-faced and dumb-founded.
Lihua walked over to Nacht, sly once more. She wandered alongside him, waiting awhile to talk. Finally, she said, "You know, Nacht, I've been thinking - I'd much prefer your harem to Trar's. But... problem is, he doesn't seem willing to do that. I wish it wasn't so, s ince I'm going into estrus soon."
Huckleberry
Huckleberry ran after Trar. This was probably a really bad time. "Overlord Trar," he called. The buck slowed down for the captain. "Overlord Trar, I've been meaning to ask you a question since I found the other herd." Huckleberry spoke in calculation. He really hoped he played his cards right. "I feel like I deserve a... a reward for all my work..."
"What kind of reward, do you think?" Trar asked, semi-coldly.
"I... I'd like to have Yew, sir."
Trar laughed. "I can give you many does, Huckleberry. But she is mine. I'm afraid I must say no." He didn't look like it bothered him though. Huckleberry stopped walking, but Trar continued.
"Oh... okay." He slowly turned and walked off. A plan came to him, and he impulsively decided he would put it in action that evening.
---------
"Hurry," Huckleberry whispered. "We haven't much time."
"Huckleberry, no one's questioned you walking with me." Yew responded. She trotted a bit faster. "We're fine."
"I know," Huckleberry admitted. "But I'm still nervous."
Unfortunately, he had reason to be. Nacht had seen the two leave the doe's den, and was now following them. He was angery now - he knew of Trar's rejection of Huckleberry's proposal. This was disension. He followed them as they moved across the moor, quickly running a good eighty or more metres behind. He did not want spotted. There were shadows around him. I live for the shadows. Nacht followed, not letting his goal out of his sight. He allowed them a great deal of leniency, but eventually, he knew for certain they were not out for a stroll. Huckleberry stopped almost at the edge of another wood, the enemy's wood. "Go," he told Yew. "Quick." She nodded, not questioning, and ran into the woods.
Huckleberry started on his way back, choosing a different path. He soon regretted it as he found himself on the edge of a ravine. It looked deep. The buck shivered, taking a few steps away. "Scared of heights?" Sneered a voice from behind. Huckleberry jumped in terror, spinning around.
Nacht.
"Yes, I think you are." Nacht sneered, his yellowish green eyes flashing wildly. "I was watching, watching the whole time, Huckleberry. I saw you. I saw you let that doe leave - you encouraged her to leave! - and I can't let that slide." Huckleberry opened his mouth, but no words formed. Simply a noise of absolute dumb fear came as Nacht slowly advanced, pinning him against the cliff. "And, dear captain Huckleberry, that just won't slide. I'm afraid there's no point in taking you back - you're going to die here. At least your precious doe is safe, hm?" Huckleberry stood shivering violently. "Too bad you'll never see her again!"
Nacht rushed forward, and Huckleberry made a feeble attempt to ward him off, but knew he was far too strong. He leaped out of the way, but knew immediately he had no chance there. Nacht may be looming, but he was fast on his hooves. He turned and faced the beast, a sudden jolt of idiotic courage sweeping over him on the wind. He lowered his head and locked with Nacht, holding his ground.
But he knew the other was too strong. Nacht soon swung his head and threw Huckleberry down the cliff.
"Goodbye, traitor!" Nacht roared into the dark.
"Fool," A cold, quiet, and chilling voice spoke next to Nacht. He turned sharply. A great buck stood, with white eyes. He was pure black, as if surrounded by fog of equal color. He knew the buck well. He was Death.
"Fool!" Shouted Nacht in return. "I help you! I bring you the dead!"
"You kill without my say," replied the figure. "One day that shall destroy you. And that is my will."
--------------------------
Herla sat in the sun, trying to stay warm in the early Spring. His antlers had not come again yet. Things had changed though: he now saw things differently. Almost like a fawn. He had finally adjusted to the freedom, and the lack of antlers had seized their cumbersome worrying. Things had changed: He now remembered how. He remembered many things that had happened - he'd finally found it, a way to be useful. But it was then late in the season and bucks started shedding antlers. Then, Herla was convinced he had some number of months to prepare his herd.
His herd. Not Trar's. His. He belonged here. Herla felt warm. He sighed, remembering the moment he'd decided he was part of this herd.
He was loathing his luck, mourning his antlers when an awful yearling buck, his head only just coming in, had cantered up arrogantly. He had been amused by Herla's misfortune and even bothered kicking him, trying to show off. That was when Birch came up, but Herla beat him to the punch. He sat up and bit the buck's ear on an impulse - quite hard, actually, and the ear bled heavily. The buck stood a moment before running off. When Birch approached, Herla had asked, "Who was that buck?"
"Leaf," Birch replied disdainfully. "Scum, if you ask me."
"Well," Herla had exclaimed, leaping up. "Give me a group of your most well-trained bucks, all body types you can think of. I've hit on it, Birch! I've found a way to keep fighting!"
And Herla had. He'd soon go on to train a few willing does through the Winter to fight.
But now it was Spring and all felt well. Not long into the Winter a buck named Gobo had appeared in the herd, having escaped Trar's tyrany. In fact, Herla recognized him, and was horrified when he heard the story of Ronno's murder. Faline had broken down all together. But at least her brother was there.
"Hey, Herla!" A small squirrel ran up. "I was told to tell you that Salvia's had her fawn!" Herla leaped up.
"Thank you!" he called to the rodent as he bounded off. He was excited. When he reached the thicket, Campion sat outside and shook his head. He looked as if all was well, and Herla understood. New fawn. Salvia wasn't a doe he wanted to mess with this early. Herla, disappointed, nodded. Faline had her fawn already, but having had the same response, Herla had left three days before. Now he wanted to see the little buck.
When he arrived, he saw the bone structure of Faline - no doubt. But the fur showed clearly who the father was, and Herla felt slight misgivings. He smiled all the same. "He's perfect, Faline," Herla murmured.
There was suddenly a great deal of thrashing and the fawn jumped. Faline stood up, her eyes wide. She nosed a scent. "That can't be," she whispered.
She charged out to see. The buck was one she recognized despite massively bad damage to his ears, chest, neck, and face.
"Ronno!"