"Love and Sacrifice" (C) DakotaWereWolf, 2011

Odin (C) DakotaWereWolf, all others belong to Disney

"Ena" is the name of 'Mother'. I gave her the name because I thought it would be silly to continue to address her as Mother throughout this story.

This is my version of events before the movies, please respect that! Thank you! Comments and critique are always welcomed!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Brother, how is everything?" Odin approached his older brother with the respect he deserved. "Is the forest safe?"

The Great Prince, Rawn as his name once was, stared coldly down at his brother. "Yes, for now the forest is safe." However, there was a way how The Great Prince handled himself that Odin knew that something was wrong.

"What is it brother?" asked Odin. "Surely no other stags tried to challenge your rule?"

"No brother," said The Great Prince. "I'm afraid it's far worse than that."

"Then that?" Odin cocked his head slightly. "What is worse than a rogue stag challenging your authority?"

"Man."

A cold chill pressed itself down on Odin's being. In his entire lifetime thus far, he has only had an encounter with man once: his father, the previous Prince of the forest, had been shot down by man in an attempt to keep his position as the forest's ruler secure. He didn't stand a chance. "But... why is Man in the forest?"

The Great Prince shook his head. "No no, no Man are in the forest."

"Then-"

"The season is coming to an end." The Great Prince raised his head. "Hunting season will come upon us once again."

Odin's nostrils flared. "Then we fight! We've undergone this before! And in the previous years, Man has not once set foot into our forest. If they dare to do it this year, then we shall fight!"

"Don't be naive, do you think you can stand against man?" The Great Prince cast his brother a cold look. "They have powers we can only dream of. Father went down easily."

"But Father was older and we are still in our prime," said Odin stubbornly.

"It's foolish to think that we would stand even a slim of chance against man." As the older stag began to turn away, he muttered lowly, "And that foolish thinking is why you can never be a Prince of the forest."

That remark hit Odin where it hurt. He recoiled slightly and lost his fighting spirit temporarily. His brother had a mysterious way about him - he knew exactly where words could hurt the most. In Odin's case, The Great Prince was greatly aware of his younger brother's insecurity and jealousy about not being the Prince. He would've fought his brother right then and there if he had not already known how the fight would've turned out. Since their third year, Odin had always challenged his brother for the right to be titled Prince. Not once has this ended well for him. His brother excelled him in smarts and mere size, and his antlers were much stronger and plentiful than Odin's puny three pointer.

Needing to vent out his anger, Odin took to sharpening his antlers on the nearest tree, rubbing them up and down until he was satisfied with both their sharpness and his lack of feeling angry anymore. When that was settled, he decided to sneak into the herd of hinds below. He passed by the hinds with indifference until he came up to a small doe lying amongst the high grass.

The hind looked up and was surprised to see Odin staring down at her. "O-Odin? But if your brother-"

"He went the opposite way," said Odin. Smiling, he leaned down and rubbed against the doe's cheek. "I won't be able to see you much from this point onwards."

"I was aware of that from the beginning." The doe frowned. "What's wrong? I have the feeling that something's not right. The other hinds are becoming anxious."

Odin tensed a bit. "Mina... Man is coming to the forest."

Mina's heart grew cold. "Are you sure?"

Odin nodded. "I spoke with my brother, and he's sure that they're coming this year."

"Odin... no, they can't come this year." Mina turned her head to her swollen stomach. "The fawn-"

"I know, but there isn't much we can do. We might have to move farther into the forest." When he saw Mina's eyes shrink, he smiled softly. "No need to worry about our fawn Mina. I won't let anything happen to you or to our fawn." His ears pricked back. "Okay, I mustn't stay too much longer with you. I don't want my brother to be suspicious. I'll try to see you later okay?"

Mina licked him across the nose. "Be careful Odin."

Odin raised his head, and carefully removed himself from the herd. Every now and again he returned to the herd to warn his hinds that trouble was afoot. Though they were worried about what was to happen, they believed in him and his promise he would keep their fawns safe. Once he reassured them, Odin left to find his brother. He soon found him talking to a doe. Odin hung back.

It was Ena.

Odin felt heat rush to his face. He always nursed a secret affection for Ena, ever since they were little fawns themselves, and he fought his brother to win her heart. The Great Prince won Ena from Odin without hardly breaking a sweat. Odin never forgot that incident, not only because his brother had snapped some of his antlers off in the fight, but because the doe he really wanted was taken from him. It was yet another thing he could not have.

Ena and the Great Prince leaned in and touched noses with one another. Odin turned away, angry. He knew his brother wasn't doing this on purpose - after all he didn't even know Odin was watching them. However, he felt spiteful either way.

"Oh Odin!" gasped Ena.

Odin raised his head and stared back at them. "Excuse me, I didn't mean to interrupt," said Odin resentfully.

"No, it's alright," said The Great Prince.

"I'll be going now," said Ena as she left the Prince's side and trotted up to Odin. She gave him a grimace of apology and then went to rejoin the other hinds.

Odin watched her leave before the Prince cleared his throat. "Yes, I wanted to know what we're going to do," said Odin. "Are we going to leave?"

The Great Prince sighed. "We have no choice."

"I still say that we should fight back," said Odin.

"And I told you that that was a foolish thought."

Odin grumbled.

The Prince snorted. "I heard that. Come, we'll let everyone else know that we're moving."

"Yes." Obediently Odin trotted alongside his brother, down to where the hinds gathered. From the corner of his eye, Odin saw Mina glancing nervously at him, but he didn't make a notion to her because his brother was next to him.

"Everyone," said the Great Prince in a clear voice, "Man is coming to our forest for the season. We will be moving deeper into the forest."

The hinds began to murmur amongst themselves. Leave the forest? Unimaginable!

Sensing their hesitation, the Great Prince said, "Think of the fawns. We have no choice but to leave. Man are dangerous."

Mentioning the fawns brought the hinds to decide quickly - they would willing leave the forest. "Now we shall stay here for one more night and tomorrow we shall depart. Everyone rest up."

As the two stags left, the hinds turned to each other to talk. Ena trotted over to Mina as she laid down on the ground. "Are you okay?" asked Ena.

"Oh Ena, this is so terrifying," gasped Mina. "Would man really come this far?"

"The Great Prince told me that they've done it before. I don't doubt him for a second. But he says that we'll be fine."

"Yes... Alright."

****

The Great Prince and Odin were the earliest to rise, and they stood overlooking their beautiful forest, trying to keep an eye out for man. "I don't see anything today," said Odin. "Perhaps they've gone to another part of the woods?"

The Great Prince continued to examine the terrain. It could be likely that Odin was correct, and that Man had moved on from their area. Still he did not feel safe, and regardless whether Man was in the woods or not, he was still going to move the herd.

An explosion of birds flew overhead of their location, and The Great Prince and Odin staggered uneasily. "Man! It's Man!" they cried as they fluttered on, determined to outfly their foes.

His nostrils flaring in fear, The Great Prince looked down from their peak, and saw smoke coming from the trees. "Man!" cried Odin. "Man has lit the forest on fire!" He stamped his hooves onto the ground and began snorting loudly.

"No Odin!" cried The Great Prince. "We must flee! Now!"

The two stags turned and cantered down to the herd. The sudden commotion startled the hinds awake, and they all nervously looked at each other as The Great Prince stamped his hooves and exclaimed, "Man is here! We must flee! Follow me!"

The Great Prince took his position as leader of the herd, and the hinds were quick to keep to his hooves. They were galloping so fast that in no time they had passed the boundary of what was their home. It took awhile to notice, but eventually The Great Prince realized that Odin was no longer running by his side. The young stag came to a sudden halt and following his example, the hinds paused, glancing nervous looks at the other.

"Why have we stopped?" asked one doe.

The Great Prince turned his head and saw Odin facing the way they came. The smoke was becoming more prominent. "Odin, let's go!" snorted The Great Prince.

"Brother... I'm going," said Odin.

Feeling that his brother was challenging his authority, The Great Prince rushed over to him and stamped on the snow. "Are you a fool? Do you wish to die?!"

"Man will not stop chasing us, and soon he'll be on our tails," said Odin calmly. "I can buy us some time, distract them for a while while you all run away."

Mina let out a low moan; the other hinds stared at each other in shock. "Odin, no..." whispered Ena.

Odin's offer to sacrifice himself enraged The Great Prince. He huffed out his chest, and said, "No! I refuse to allow this!"

"Brother, you've always one-upped me in everything. Becoming Prince of the forest, winning the hinds' hearts..." Odin pulled his gaze away from his brother and faced Ena directly. "Allow me to have my one moment of glory. Let me prove my strength."

"Odin-"

"Some of them are pregnant," said Odin in a hushed whisper. "Mina, and some of the others... they're bearing my fawns. Don't punish them for my stupid mistake."

The Great Prince's anger ebated immediately. Odin flicked his ears. "Please take care of them. They won't know I'm their father - pretend that you are their father. They need a good role model to look up to." Odin's nostrils curled, and he ran off in the direction where Man was. The Great Prince watched him go, unable to come up with a coherent response to what his brother said.

As his brother's form disappeared behind the trees, The Great Prince decided to return to his does and continued to lead them onward. The herd only stopped once when the sound of thunder pierced the air. The Great Prince felt a cold shiver run up and down his spine, but his sadness was brief and he resumed leading the herd along.

The herd traveled on and on, slower this time because there was no longer a threat from Man. When the Great Prince finally stopped the herd, he moved to the direction from where they came to see if there was anything following them. The hinds looked nervously from one to another, except for Mina who looked utterly destroyed. She knew Odin wouldn't have acknowledged the fawn as his in front of his brother, but she still would've liked to have him around once the fawn was born. Now she would have to raise the fawn alone.

Ena leaned in and rubbed Mina's head, consoling her troubled friend for reasons she did not know. "We will be okay," she said. "The Great Prince will always protect us."

But that made Mina only more depressed.

The great stag returned to his herd and told them that they would rest here. The hinds relaxed and settled in, except for Ena who went off to talk to him. "Are you okay?" she asked as she timidly approached him. "It wasn't Odin's time but he was a hero."

Instead of comforting the stag, this only made him angrier. "He was too young!" declared The Great Prince. "And stupid! How smart was he to think he could fend off Man?"

"He knew he couldn't," said Ena smoothingly, "but it was not all in vain. His sacrifice kept Man away from us. You're beginning to blame yourself for not stopping him."

The Great Prince's head drooped. "I should've stopped him, but when he told me..." The stag froze as he stared into Ena's eyes. "When he told me that he wanted to succeed me in something... I never knew..."

Ena nodded agreeingly and leaned into her mate. "He will now be regarded as a hero..."

Still, there was one thing on The Great Prince's mind that he could not get rid of. "Yes... a hero..."

When night finally cloaked the skies, and Ena laid herself down to rest, The Great Prince decided to take it upon himself to talk to one of the hinds who had not yet fallen asleep. Mina was compliant with The Great Prince's request and together both trotted out of the view of the herd.

As soon as he knew they were well away enough for no one to hear them, The Great Prince faced Mina and said lowly, "It's Odin's isn't it?"

Mina faced The Great Prince with dull surprised. "Odin told you didn't he?"

The great stag nodded.

"You won't kill him will you?" asked Mina timidly.

The Great Prince's heart wretched. Under different circumstances, he probably would've exiled the young fawn if he was fathered by a rogue stag. But here was a case where his own brother mated with his does. Even if Odin did not sacrifice himself for them, The Great Prince knew he would've never had it in his heart to banish his brother's heir. In response to Mina, The Great Prince shook his head. "No. He will live and be taken care of well in the herd. I will keep my eye on him."

"Will you... tell everyone else?"

"No. And you mustn't tell him who his real father is." The Great Prince stared down at her sternly, openly asking her if she was willing to defy his orders. "I will pretend to be his father."

Mina broke down into tears to which The Great Prince quietly comforted her, wishing that he had the same ability to comfort her as his brother perhaps did.

It was not long before spring arrived. Along with spring came the birth of many fawns in the herd. The Great Prince had disappeared, reappointing his position of looking out for his herd. Word quickly traveled throughout the entire forest about the birth of the baby Prince. Every animal raced to meet and greet The Great Prince and Ena's newborn son.

Mina had her fawn sometime before Ena's, and no one came out to see her. As he promised, The Great Prince acknowledged Mina's fawn as his own even though it was obvious the fawn had features from neither parent. He was dark-colored, just like Odin, but no one said anything about it, nor did anyone ostracize Mina. The Great Prince claimed the fawn as his own, therefore the other hinds believed him.

Ronno was what Mina named the fawn, and as she licked his face over while he rested alongside her, she wondered if Odin could see this moment from where he now resided.