?

The buck blinked open his eyes, only to be met with sharp, painful white light. He immediately squeezed them shut again. "Be up," a calm, quiet voice spoke, and the buck slowly forced his eyes opened. He layed on what appeared to be nothing. Only whiteness. Everywhere, whiteness. The buck before him was smokey, black, with pale eyes, no pupils. He offered a sharp contrast. The younger buck could fancy his eyes had a hint of blue to them. "We have an important thing to do."

"We?" the buck's voice croaked. "What?"
"Myself and the doe Life," the huge black animal replied. The solid buck slowly became aware of a beautiful, almost yellowish-white glowing form beside the buck - he must be Death. "For it is time you woke up."

"I don't understand."

"And I do not approve," Life added softly. "But the evil in the Other mocks us. It must be destroyed."

"I am allowing you to return," Death added.

"the evil? Allowing me-" The buck frowned. His eyes widened. "You're...?"

"We are allowing you to return to the living world. It will take nothing away from you here. Simply, we are giving you what was taken away unrightfully." Death replied. "Be gone, then."

Suddenly, his eyes opened on darkness and he scrambled against the hard rock. He gasped a deep breath instinctively, and it filled his chest and lungs with tearing pain. He forced himself to keep breathing, laying there for awhile until the pain in his throat, his legs, his chest, his neck, all of him subsided. He struggled to his feet.

He knew what he had to do now. He looked up, seeing exactly where he was, and scanned the rocky walls for a path back up. He found it, and took off.

Huckleberry was alive again.

Bambi's Forest

Kaiser made his way into the main clearing where most of the does and fawns stayed. They were not to leave after the attacks by Trar - the threat and danger was to great. Some of the bucks that had been posted looked up, some of them even flattening their ears at him. He lowered his head a bit. Noir walked behind him, her own ears flat. He glanced at her. "No one here will hurt you," he murmured softly.

"I know," she replied, "But that's not what I'm worried about." A few does were giving her unpleasant looks. Kaiser flicked an ear.

"Don't worry about them. They're just stressed - have you heard about Trar's Herd?" Kaiser asked.

"Who's herd?" Noir looked uncertain. "I don't know who that is..." Kaiser sighed, shooting off into an explaination of who Trar was, who Nacht was, their way of governing the Herd, the battles... the deaths.  Once he finished, Noir's shining green eyes had glazed slightly with fear. She looked as if the concepts he had described were insanely evil, like nothing she'd ever lived with before. "And... your herd must stop them, then," she finished the story, her ears pinning back.

"Yes." Kaiser's blue eyes softened. "I'm afraid you've come here at the worst of times."

"Hey, Kaiser!" Three bucks were running up at this point. Leaf, looking deeply fascinated, Calemvir, following more slowly, and the young buck with unmistakable markings - none other than Skander. It had been Kaiser's brother who spoke. "Who's she?"

"Noir, Skander. Skander, Noir." Kaiser introduced them.
"Pleasure to meet you," Noir said quietly, nodding to Skander.

"And you," Skander seemed a bit confused but returned the pleasantry - usually this wasn't the sort of thing a deer did when meeting another. Then again, she clearly came from a different culture - she was a fallow deer, after all.

"So, Noir, where exactly are you from?" Calemvir spoke up, looking concerned. He wants to be sure she isn't a spy, the thought hit the brothers at once.

"I... travel. I haven't had a home in months," Noir told him.

"I found her off the northern border, Calemvir. She was nowhere near Trar's border." Kaiser added. glancing at her. "I don't think she's from Trar's herd. She didn't even act like she knew who he was... at all."

"I see." Calemvir nodded. "Well, Birchll want to meet her."

Soon after, Birch, Campion, and Calemvir had talked it over, deciding the doe was safe to keep. They called Clover and Salvia to show her around, and the does gladly did so.

"Well," Salvia began, "The main clearing here is where we're all staying for the time being. I'm sure Bambi and the other bucks spoke to you about the other Herd?"
"Yes," Noir replied softly. She seemed uncomfortable.

"We're staying here so that they don't get to us." Clover added. "Anyway, let me show you where Calemvir's training Kaiser and the others..."

Trar's Herd

The Pine Forest Herd had put up no fight at all. Surprise and fear had won like nothing. Now, Trar stood over them, upon a large drop-off. The  bucks looked dubious, but the does were submissive - and the bucks couldn't fight back. Perfect. Trar smiled deviously.

"My new followers," he barked out, "You shouldn't fret. We shall make you stronger than you were before. Much more powerful! Some of you bucks will become captains, even. And that being, the captains will be able to choose any doe in the herd at the rut that they find pleasing - right after myself and my second-in-command, Nacht. We will leave a captain - Braila - here to look over you and choose actual heads for the Herd. You shall be part of us! You, should you choose loyalty, pride, and power, will soon have the finest does out of not just your own, but three different herds. All will be yours! No one shall challenge you!" He stopped, staring around the bucks. Several had stopped glaring, rather, they looked quite pleased at the idea. Many more simply looked more pacified. This was what Trar needed. Bucks. He smiled. "Now, Braila shall teach you how things will go. I will leave with him a squadron of twenty bucks - plenty to hold off any rebellion. They will be your superiors until your heirarchy is established." He left the thin, rangy buck to speak.

A bird sat up, watching. He didn't know what to do - all he knew was that this was not good. He knew these deer were trouble. He lifted off, not sure where to go - but the wind whispered to him, and told him where to go. It took him there - to another herd. He lighted down, seeing a buck below him. Very dark-furred. "Hey!" the bird chirped out. "I need to tell you - your herd is in danger!"
"My herd is about as safe as it gets," the buck replied grimly. "It's the herd I'm visiting I'm worried about. Trar-"

"Yes! That's the beast!" The bird responded. He was a hawk, and quite fascinated at that. "Can you show me this herd's leader?"
"I don't know," admited the buck. "But you look tired. Rest on my shoulder and I'll take you to him if I can."

A few minutes later, they were being escorted by three bucks. They seemed tense. Before long, they were in a large clearing, with a great weeping willow tree in a sink hole. The strange buck and the hawk were in awe.

"What do you want?" Asked the largest buck. The bird noticed his antlers were very large, and he seemed very amiable. "And what are your names?"
"I'm Huckleberry," replied the buck the hawk perched on. "I want to join you. Nacht, of the Trar's herd -"

"-Nacht? As in... he is the buck that mated with Faline last Autumn, isn't he?" A voice sounded behind Campion. The buck turned to see Skander standing there.

"Yes," Huckleberry replied. "He's... a very strong buck," he added suspiciously. He suddenly realized he looked quite like the two... this must be Faline's son. "He is second in command. In control of two herds now."
The bucks all froze.

"I'm going to get Bambi.... he needs to-" suddenly tension split the air and all the does swung their heads up. Ears rammed forward, and the silent alarm of flashing tails alerted them all to the scent of predator. Even the hawk had fluffed out his feathers.

Bambi and Herla stepped in, on either side of a mountain lion, her muzzle, nose, and chest covered in blood.

"Now," Bambi immediately spoke. "It's alright. This animal - her name is Korin..."

He was temporarily drowned out by fearful murmuring. Herla suddenly let out a loud bark, sharp and harsh - his eyes flashed for a moment and silence insued. Herla had not acted forcefully since leaving Trar's herd. "...And she has agreed to help us," Bambi finished. "She is weak, and even if she wanted to, her paw is hurt and she can't even chase a rabbit." He looked around. "Now, we all know Nacht is too much for a buck to handle. A mountain lion? Not so much. She has agreed to help us in the war against Trar."

Silence.

"Bambi," Birch spoke up, ever-sturdy. "This buck here needs to speak to you. As does the bird. Campion, Herla, you two can take Korin with me and we'll take her away from here-"

"I don't think so, Birch," Herla suddenly spoke very harshly. "Bambi has made a decision. Korin shall be staying here. And I know this buck - he's Huckleberry.' He turned, his eyes flashing with astonishment. "I can't believe you're here."
Birch opened his mouth to protest, but suddenly realized that many young bucks were about. He froze. "Yes, then," he said, regaining his composure. "Campion, come with me. We'll find Korin a place to bed down along the stream - maybe she can fish." He walked over to the mountain lion, who held her bloody paw up, and she gave him a challenging look. Birch paid no heed. He began to speak with her as he and Campion moved off.

Bambi and Herla turned to Huckleberry. "Friend, how about you and your hawk tell us about what you're here for?" Herla asked.

"Hang on!" Skander interrupted. "I wanna come. Let me listen - I want to hear about my blood herd."

Herla stared at Bambi. This whole incident - Birch's outburst and the deer failing to listen to Bambi - had made Herla snap back into his place as a Captain. He wanted orders now. "Yes," Bambi agreed hesitantly, "He can listen in. I... I think he needs to know these things. Call Ronno and Faline. Fleetfoot!" he called to a buck at the edge of the clearing and told him to get Bambi's two old friends.

Soon after, they were all there and Huckleberry and the hawk explained what had happened, each respectively. "I'd like to see my homeland freed," the bird finished. "I'll help your puma if you let me stay and help take out these bucks. I... I saw them on their way in, and that huge grey one was killing some songbirds... he was attacking... the... the animals," he added softly, his eyes glazed in horror.

All was silent after this. It was almost deafening. "I should have seen that coming," Herla whispered. "He's been... away from his anters his whole life."

"Well," Bambi stared at Skander. "That's your father. I doubt he holds to your expectations?"
The young buck said nothing. "Anyway," Bambi continued, trying to sound brisk, "It's time we start making preparation for the real battle to begin. The rut is coming on fast, now, and we need to prepare for battle. We'll make make-shift warrens above ground - thorn walls and such - to keep the does with fawns safe."

"I can't think of anything more unnatural," Ronno said, astonished.
"Yes, but Nacht and Trar break the natural way of things - rabbits do it. This is better than them." Bambi replied. Ronno hesitated but nodded. Indeed, he still didn't get along so well with the prince, but his jealousy was gone.

"I'll get started," Skander stood up, looking determined. "Give me some plans."