Faline and Herla

Faline's head nodded. She'd stayed awake all night to be sure Herla's injuries did not kill him, but the buck now slept deeply, though his breath was ragged. He was not in danger now. She stood, still anxious from the excape in the night and not too tired... at least, not willing to sleep. She stood up and stepped out into the unfamiliar forest. She meditated on her experience. Was this Bambi's forest? Or perhaps somewhere new? She could start over. Change her name and say only that she'd escaped from a place that was awful and had enslaved does to their will. She suddenly wondered what she would call herself, and entertained the thoughts: Perhaps the name of a flower. Violet was pretty enough. Or perhaps she could be Flaux, which everyone compared her eyes to. Or-

"Miss?" A strong-looking buck, with velvety, ten-point antlers approached her. "I am Captain Campion. Today Prince Bambi shall see you if you'd like to stay."

"Bambi!" Faline cried. "He is here!"

"You know him?"

"Oh, yes," Faline nodded excitedly. "I was one of his best fawnhood friends."

"Well," Campion laughed. "I was the second fawn he met once he got here. We, my dear, have much to talk about!"
"My name's Faline, by the way," the doe dipped her head.

There was a shift from inside the den and Herla appeared. His wounds had stopped bleeding though he still looked tired. "I'm ready to go as soon as you are."

"Okay," Faline nodded. "Let's go then."

As the three walked toward the heart of the forest, to a great, massive-branched weeping willow tree which was well over two-hundred years old. It arched out in all directions, its branches spreading over a stream near a very old, abandon cabin. Faline gazed at the tree in awe. She'd never seen such a massive thing. Veiled by drooping twigs sat two more bucks, one very pale, one brown. "Bambi!" Faline bound forward, but the second buck - the pail one - leaped forth to stop her.

"Birch!" yelled Bambi sharply. "Let her be, she's just a doe." Birch looked up and grumbled, turning sharply and replacing himself beside Bambi.

"Faline?" Bambi stood up and walked forward.

"Yes, it's me," Faline said.

"It's good to see you," His eyes sparkled pleasantly.

"And you." the doe nosed him. "This is Herla," she added, turning to the proud buck behind her. He dipped his head respectfully.

"If you permit us to stay, my leige, I guarantee nothing less than my complete loyalty to you." Herla told him. Bambi looked rather a bit surprised, as never had he had a buck so military approach him and assume that it was fitting to say such a thing.

"Well, Herla, I have no objections... not yet, anyway. Birch, Campion, take Herla and tell him about our sentries," Bambi turned to Birch, who nodded, and, standing, went over to Herla and Campion and the three padded away.

Before long, Bambi and Faline were talking fondly. Bambi recounted his misadventures alongside Salvia and Campion, of his first meeting with Birch, and sadly, his fight with the buck. Faline told Bambi of her fawnhood and her growing friendship with Ronno.

"You know, Bambi," Faline told him as they walked down a path, "Ronno really did want to like you. He was just so jealous of you and me, he couldn't help it. I'm sure you two would get along fine now."

"Really?" Bambi laughed. "I almost have trouble believing that, Faline."

"No, really! There were times we both wish you could've been there." Faline nosed him.

"Huh. So what's changed, anyway? You hated him." Bambi frowned.

The doe tensed up suddenly. "Um, things got really hard. I needed comfort, Bambi."

"What happened?" He gazed at her, then realized her stomach. She looked as if she was carrying a fawn. "Faline, have the two of you...?"

"No," Faline said, sounding bitter. "It's not."

"Then what...?"

"Bambi, the father of this fawn is far worse than you can imagine." Faline looked away.

"What's happened?" Bambi sounded very upset.

"We need you at home, Bambi. Your father was murdered."

"What?" Bambi whispered, his eyes wide.

"We need you to help us," Faline begged.
"I can't," Bambi grumbled. "I've got to keep the safety of my herd in mind, Faline. But you can stay here if you want."

"Bambi!" Faline gasped. "What is wrong with you? You know that the herd needs you now!"

He shook his head. "Faline, I can't. My sentry isn't even trained to fight, not in a war." He walked down a path that sloped to a stream to drink.

"You can't just leave everyone," Faline cried. "Ronno! My brother, Gobo! We need you to help us, Bambi!"

"Get ahold of yourself, Faline," Bambi snapped. "Think sensibly! I can't just risk the lives of my bucks like that!"

"Bambi-" but Faline was not heard, for Bambi had already started off, storming away.

Ronno

"Are you sure?"

"Of course," Gobo bleated, looking squarely into ronno's green eyes with his ow, more akin to amber.  He stood firm in the rain, which they as well as most bucks were forced to stand in unprotected. The patrol guards, however, stayed at the meadow's borders with the forest, at least drier. "I am not the kind to spread rumors, you know."

"So them Faline has Truely escaped," Ronno whispered. "She's free."

"Yes," Gobo muttered, "But the rest of us are stuck here. So, we can do nothing."

"Unless..." an idea slowly formed in Ronno's mind. 

"Unless...?" Gobo repeated. Ronno jerked his head back.

"No," he grumbled, shaking his head. "No, that's just too dangerous."

"What? Tell me," Gobo demanded curiously.

"No," Ronno repeated. "You could get hurt."

"I'm up to it," the younger buck pressed. "I want to do anything I can to help!"

"Fine," Ronno submitted, sighing. "I was thinking you could become part of the guard. So that you could gain the trust to be alone all day, and we could escape."

"I'll do it," Gobo declared immediately.

"No!" Ronno shook her head vigorously. "You can't, Gobo! It's too dangerous!"

"Who else would do it? You?" Gobo scoffed at the other buck. "You're too old. A hatred of the guard is already harbored in your heart. I, however, am a first-year buck - they think they can still turn me into one of them. And the extra comfort will be nice," he added, sounding amused.

Ronno looked away. "Well... okay," he told the littler buck. 

Nacht

The looming buck paced back and forth, back and forth... he couldn't think of anything else. That doe. Nothing could drive her out, nothing. There was nothing else; only that doe. He wanted her more than any other doe in his harem: If only he could have her, Nacht would be completely okay with losing Faline. She didn't matter to him, no, not in the least - she was nothing. She wasn't even worth thinking of as a living doe - she was just a vessel. The only reason he would care about her well-being was for that fawn. Hopefully that buck. He could not stand the thought of a doe for a fawn - all his harem knew that he was going to kill all the doe fawns. His line should consist only of bucks - that was his decision. Bucks who would show strength, courage, and brutality.

But there was one doe he could possibly make an acception for.

That doe. Lihua. That doe, only the most gorgeous doe in the herd: For she would have offspring worth keeping. But no.

She was Trar's, and that was what bothered Nacht, and made his blood boil. He desperately wanted her.

He couldn't have her. But one day he would.

Nacht stopped his feirce pacing and moved toward Trar's den. He would demand Lihua again.

"Trar," Nacht growled, seeing the buck - revelling the sight - swing around, startled. "I want to talk about that doe again."
"Excuse me?" Trar snapped. "Unless you want to tell me you plan to let her go, I still have to think about my decision about her!"

"I want her," Nacht told him forcefully. "I want. That. Doe."

"You know well it doesn't take much to allow you a doe," Trar replied coldly. "Any doe in my harem, other than Lihua, shall be your's next year. She is the only doe who has not come to season, I suspect it to be do to being in a strange enviorment - in fact I am not sure if she should come into season this year at all. May've even missed her - if she does, then will shall talk about it." Trar knew well that the rut was soon ending, and soon, Nacht would shed his antler. Then it would be safe to say no, and he would forget about her by the next rut.

"I don't want to wait!" snarled Nacht so suddenly, so loudly, that Trar jumped. "I want her Now, Trar, I want her now!"

Trar stood silent for awhile, his eyes cold, untelling. Nacht wanted to strike him down right then, but his own loyalty stopped him.

No, not loyalty, but something else. Something cold. Something he did not want to think of.

"I will think about it," Trar barked, his frozen eyes completely emotionless. He was pointed in his words. "Yes, I will think on it, Nacht, but you shall not have her until I say... and you and I both know you cannot take her." Every word was deliberate.

Nacht did not show how he froze suddenly. The two both knew what the Overlord spoke of.

Campion, Birch, and Herla

"So are you interested?" Campion looked at the stoic buck next to him. Herla was quite something else: Never had he met a buck with so little emotion. Even Birch showed his thoughts far more clearly, for he showed mild amusement and displeasure - Herla refused to do either, though Campion sensed an distinct depression. Something wasn't quite right for him, and the buck was very upset, but Campion was hesitant to say anything.

"Very," Herla said. "After all, your rangers will need to be at their best should the Overlord of my old herd come after us."

"What d'you mean? You escaped?" Asked Birch, bewildered.

"Yes," Herla said miserably. "I did. I only managed to because I've a very high poise there - if I'd stayed, I'm sure some Captain would have gotten himself killed and so I would be premoted to Captain myself."
"You had a good life, then?"
"Oh, of course!" Herla replied, looking slightly upset. "Any does I wanted. I chose the ones who rough bucks wanted - the ones who would end up abused and hurt. I never even mated with most of those does."
"You had a harem and didn't even feel inclined to breed?" Birch cried.

"No, not really," Herla shook his head. "I'm sure you understand, Campion?" He looked deliberately at the other.

"Yes, actually," Campion said. He seemed eager to get away from the topic. "Anyway, you left...?"

"I had to protect Faline's fawn," Herla told them. "If it is a doe, her father would kill it. If it is a buck..." Herla shuddered. "Loyal I may have been to Trar, but Nacht is only the most terrifying and sick buck I've ever seen."

As they approached the weeping willow and the meeting place, an odd thing happened.

Birch lunged forward, his head high. Under the willow stood a ten-point buck, with chocolatey colour, and most oddly, a messy tuft of white fur on his chest. He seemed very tired, and not at all threatening.

"Who are you? Identify yourself!" Birch barked.

"I'm Calemvir," said the buck, with a most slight, strange accent. "I want to join your herd."