"Princess! Princess!" A frog pulls on my ear.
"Gustav! How many times have I told you?" I shout at him through a yawn. I was taking my afternoon nap. "You don't call me Princess! Misty will do."
Believe it or not, it has been two years since I've ran away from my home and my family. I'm very accustom to my doe form by now. I am almost happier during the day then at night. I have made friends, I have made enemies. Freesia, the butterfly, still comes by often. Very often in fact. Gustav is a frog if you haven't already noticed. He has a strange polish accent and will not stop calling me Princess. Then there is Juniper, who is a rabbit. She's a tomboy, like me. She's bitten Beryl once before and given me quite a good laugh. I still have my necklace, my symbol. It stays around my neck even while I am a deer. My mind still drifts to my human life every now and then. I think of my father, my kingdom. I wonder if he is okay, and in good health. Pippin and Penelope land on my back. They are twins, brother and sister, and also chattery little squirrels. They are part of my big forest friendship.
"Whattcha doing?" Penelope asks. Her famous phrase.
I moan and put my head back down on the dirt. Trying to regain the sleep I lost the previous night. It was a night I will remember. For that night was the first time I thought of my encounter with Ash so long ago, just after I became Mother Nature's child. How he looked into my eyes. I stared into the lake's water for hours, looking over my reflection. How I've changed. I don't know even if he'd recognize me if he saw me today. If he couldn't when I was a deer, he couldn't now. My hair has grown out considerably long—past my waist. My skin is darker and tougher, and I am very thin.
"Penny! Can't you see she's daydreaming?" Pippin sighs. "Oh, isn't that sweet?"
"No, Pippin, I am not daydreaming." I lie.
"You must be doing something! You should see your eyes, Mist. They are all soft like you're holding a secret." Pippin replies. He was always like that. The psychologist of the group. He didn't have the personality that you'd think he'd have. Obnoxious.
"Princess!" Gustav pulls on my ear again.
"What is it?" I groan.
"The other day, when I was just looking around, I saw two men walking through the forest." He reports.
"So…" I say.
"You used to be so interested in men, Princess. I mean Misty, sorry." Gustav reminds me. Just the memory brings subtle tears to my eyes.
"It is of no use on my part now, Gustav, that men are around. I'm not recognizable anymore." I get up and stretch my legs.
"But what if you recognize them?" Penelope perks her head. She was so hyper all the time. Her squeaky voice proved it. That comment makes me think.
"Penny, do you know what month it is?" I ask her.
"No."
"November. And do you know what happens in November?"
"No."
"It's a time called Deer Hunting Season. That's why the men are in these woods. They are looking for deer like me to kill, and bring back to their families for food." I reply and I get a gasp from Penelope. I smile though. "Come on, what are you guys doing hanging around boring old me. Go have some fun." And with that, Pippin and his sister go racing up the nearest tree. Gustav glances at me with worry before hopping into the lake.
I walk my normal path into the forest. I've gone the same ways so many times I have my own worn path throughout the woods that leads me right back to the lake. I know where to find my food. I know where everything is. But, what Gustav said still hung in my mind, even though I pretended to ignore it. I walk my way through the trees slowly, grabbing at bark to chew on. I come to the lane on which I met Ash and Queen Delia that one afternoon so long ago. I remember everything, and every word. Every single position in which he stood. I lay down in the dirt on the spot where the conversation of Esmeralda and the Spaniards took place. I feel his aura envelope me. Pippin was right, I do daydream a lot. Maybe too often. I breeze picks up and scatters leaves across the way and over my back. I shake my head, I had dozed off into dream land again. Wait, I don't think I was fully awake yet. For I saw two shadowed figures at the far end of the path. I get up, remembering the Deer Season, and bound into the forest for protection. This was all too familiar. It was scary, even horrific. As I hide in the trees, Pippin and Penelope land on my back once more. I hear them gnawing on nuts and swish their tails.
"Whattcha doing?" Penelope chits, finishing her acorn.
"Shh!" I hush her. I don't take my eyes off of the two shadow figures, approaching.
"Aww, look at those eyes." Pippin sighs lovingly.
"Oh, shut up, Pip!" I whisper in a hoarse voice. "I'm hiding, that's all. My life depends on it. I am deer. Those are probably hunters."
"How do you know they are hunters?" Penny chippered.
At that moment, a jack rabbit hopped out of the woods and into the path. I hear a whistle through the wind and the next thing I know, that jack is dead. An arrow now pierces that rabbit's stomach, its eyes bulging. An acorn fell on my head. Pippin must have dropped it from shock.
"Run." I say and we take off in different directions.
My mind was in a totally different dimension. I run through my trails, trying to get back to the lake. I wasn't thinking straight, I must have taken wrong turn. Either that or the strangers heard me flee. I found myself at the path again. My breath was too loud, even the grass could hear it. Danger was upon my neck, laughing greedily. I realize that I'm shivering and run down a different path, as fast as my deer legs can carry. I turn a corner and see one of the men, searching for something. The jack rabbit is hanging from his hand by its ears. I go down a different way. My leaps and bounds are delicate and superb. I can get away from anybody and anything. Whaa…! My conceitedness had taken over my mind and sight. The second man stands before me with an arrow ready in his quiver. He aims and just stares. I wonder how it will feel, to have an arrow dice my throat. I've lasted this long as a deer, I knew it had to end sooner or later. It seems someone has chosen sooner for me. I blink slowly. Why hasn't he fired yet? Why! The other hunter appears several feet behind the one before me. He still holds the jack rabbit. I then notice that the man's arms are shaking. Was he nervous? Scared? I also was aware of his eye contact. He never took his brown eyes off mine.
The other man jumps up and down behind him impatiently. "Go ahead and shoot it! Shoot it, Ash, shoot it!"
My mouth hangs open. This man was Ash? The one about to kill me was once my fiancé. He's changed so much, I hardly recognized him. I mean, he hasn't changed drastically, but some, yes. He must be King now. Two years gave him plenty of time to find a bride. So, I bow my head to him. In fact, I lie down as if to gravel at and kiss his feet. I look up at him at last and his mouth was open as well. His face then becomes stern and aims his bow upward—and shot. I stay grounded, in awe of what he has just done.
"What kind of shot was that, Ash?" His friend shouts at him.
"Well, I…" Ash turns and keeps one hand behind his back. He waves me off with it. "I must be loosing my touch."
I stand up and lick his hand, then bound off. My heart smiles. He didn't take my life, but missed his shot purposely. I know now that he is eternally Mother Nature's son. If anyone delays or even fails to kill one of her creatures or creations, they are forever in her gratitude. He is safe in these woods now. I don't wander far from them, though. They must be thirsty. I will lead them to my lake to give them drink. Ash and his friend meet at the path and I wait for them and pretend to eavesdrop by mistake.
"What kind of shot was that, Ash?" His friend repeats.
"I told you Bradley, I lost my touch, that's all." Ash replies as he hangs his head.
"There is something else, isn't there?" I remember now, he was his block- headed buddy that visited my castle as well. He grew up to be a tub with mahogany hair down to his shoulders. "Did you perceive you were trembling?"
"I was?" Ash said. It was obvious he knew, but tried to cover it up.
"Ash…you never hesitated like that before! You're a hunter, not some man of the jungle. You don't stop to smell the roses, you're supposed to stomp on them!" Bradley swings his fist. Yup, he was still a block-head.
"Bradley, you don't get it do you?" Ash screams.
"Get what?" Bradley said brainlessly.
"This is going to sound stupid to you." You could tell He was embarrassed slightly. "But when I looked at that deer; into her eyes. I saw…" He takes a deep breath. "I saw Misty."
"What?!" Bradley's mouth gaped. "That brat we knew so long ago? You saw her face in that doe?"
"Don't call her that!" Ash almost slapped him! Oh, I was happy. But it was weird hearing him say that. It has been two years and he still thinks of me? He still thinks of me as…his? Was his heart that content on mine? People should think of me nothing else then dead. Yet, his heart still believes, that I am out there. Oh, I am touched. "The doe, had green eyes, Brad. Since when do deer have green eyes? They were just like hers."
"How can a deer be a girl?" Bradley thought Ash had gone completely batty.
"I don't know…I don't know." Ash shakes his head. "But I know what I saw. I saw Misty's face, scared and precious. I couldn't kill the doe, that's why."
I love him. I love him more then I ever did. I know now that he truly does love me too. If he still hasn't got over my valediction, when it was so long ago, his heart was beating strong. For me. I peak my head out from behind the tree and cry that familiar cry. It was soft, calling, and kind. Ash and Bradley turned their head to see nothing, for I have dodged their sight. But as expected, they followed my voice. I call to them every once in a while as I walk my trails, leading them to my home—my lake. After about ten minutes of walking, we arrive. I hide over on the east side of the lake and watch their faces. The expressions were priceless and unexplainable. They lean over and dip their cupped hands into the water to drink and wash up a little bit. They sit on the shore and eat a lunch packed in a small leather bag Ash carried around his waist. I was surprised they hadn't noticed Lord Altrogge's castle off in the distance. You'd have to look hard, but it was visible. I just sit and gaze at him, my man, and my savior. Oh my, night is setting quickly. It seemed as if Bradley was reading my mind for he got up and said to Ash that they should get going. Ash got up afterwards and started to follow his friend into the woods once more. That was when I ran. I reared my head back and cried once more. Ash stopped and saw me standing by the waters edge.
"Bradley, you go ahead. I'll catch up with you, don't worry. I'll be right there." He says back into the trees and Bradley obeyed. I was so gratefully that he got the idea. For the sun was just setting.
"Gustav! How many times have I told you?" I shout at him through a yawn. I was taking my afternoon nap. "You don't call me Princess! Misty will do."
Believe it or not, it has been two years since I've ran away from my home and my family. I'm very accustom to my doe form by now. I am almost happier during the day then at night. I have made friends, I have made enemies. Freesia, the butterfly, still comes by often. Very often in fact. Gustav is a frog if you haven't already noticed. He has a strange polish accent and will not stop calling me Princess. Then there is Juniper, who is a rabbit. She's a tomboy, like me. She's bitten Beryl once before and given me quite a good laugh. I still have my necklace, my symbol. It stays around my neck even while I am a deer. My mind still drifts to my human life every now and then. I think of my father, my kingdom. I wonder if he is okay, and in good health. Pippin and Penelope land on my back. They are twins, brother and sister, and also chattery little squirrels. They are part of my big forest friendship.
"Whattcha doing?" Penelope asks. Her famous phrase.
I moan and put my head back down on the dirt. Trying to regain the sleep I lost the previous night. It was a night I will remember. For that night was the first time I thought of my encounter with Ash so long ago, just after I became Mother Nature's child. How he looked into my eyes. I stared into the lake's water for hours, looking over my reflection. How I've changed. I don't know even if he'd recognize me if he saw me today. If he couldn't when I was a deer, he couldn't now. My hair has grown out considerably long—past my waist. My skin is darker and tougher, and I am very thin.
"Penny! Can't you see she's daydreaming?" Pippin sighs. "Oh, isn't that sweet?"
"No, Pippin, I am not daydreaming." I lie.
"You must be doing something! You should see your eyes, Mist. They are all soft like you're holding a secret." Pippin replies. He was always like that. The psychologist of the group. He didn't have the personality that you'd think he'd have. Obnoxious.
"Princess!" Gustav pulls on my ear again.
"What is it?" I groan.
"The other day, when I was just looking around, I saw two men walking through the forest." He reports.
"So…" I say.
"You used to be so interested in men, Princess. I mean Misty, sorry." Gustav reminds me. Just the memory brings subtle tears to my eyes.
"It is of no use on my part now, Gustav, that men are around. I'm not recognizable anymore." I get up and stretch my legs.
"But what if you recognize them?" Penelope perks her head. She was so hyper all the time. Her squeaky voice proved it. That comment makes me think.
"Penny, do you know what month it is?" I ask her.
"No."
"November. And do you know what happens in November?"
"No."
"It's a time called Deer Hunting Season. That's why the men are in these woods. They are looking for deer like me to kill, and bring back to their families for food." I reply and I get a gasp from Penelope. I smile though. "Come on, what are you guys doing hanging around boring old me. Go have some fun." And with that, Pippin and his sister go racing up the nearest tree. Gustav glances at me with worry before hopping into the lake.
I walk my normal path into the forest. I've gone the same ways so many times I have my own worn path throughout the woods that leads me right back to the lake. I know where to find my food. I know where everything is. But, what Gustav said still hung in my mind, even though I pretended to ignore it. I walk my way through the trees slowly, grabbing at bark to chew on. I come to the lane on which I met Ash and Queen Delia that one afternoon so long ago. I remember everything, and every word. Every single position in which he stood. I lay down in the dirt on the spot where the conversation of Esmeralda and the Spaniards took place. I feel his aura envelope me. Pippin was right, I do daydream a lot. Maybe too often. I breeze picks up and scatters leaves across the way and over my back. I shake my head, I had dozed off into dream land again. Wait, I don't think I was fully awake yet. For I saw two shadowed figures at the far end of the path. I get up, remembering the Deer Season, and bound into the forest for protection. This was all too familiar. It was scary, even horrific. As I hide in the trees, Pippin and Penelope land on my back once more. I hear them gnawing on nuts and swish their tails.
"Whattcha doing?" Penelope chits, finishing her acorn.
"Shh!" I hush her. I don't take my eyes off of the two shadow figures, approaching.
"Aww, look at those eyes." Pippin sighs lovingly.
"Oh, shut up, Pip!" I whisper in a hoarse voice. "I'm hiding, that's all. My life depends on it. I am deer. Those are probably hunters."
"How do you know they are hunters?" Penny chippered.
At that moment, a jack rabbit hopped out of the woods and into the path. I hear a whistle through the wind and the next thing I know, that jack is dead. An arrow now pierces that rabbit's stomach, its eyes bulging. An acorn fell on my head. Pippin must have dropped it from shock.
"Run." I say and we take off in different directions.
My mind was in a totally different dimension. I run through my trails, trying to get back to the lake. I wasn't thinking straight, I must have taken wrong turn. Either that or the strangers heard me flee. I found myself at the path again. My breath was too loud, even the grass could hear it. Danger was upon my neck, laughing greedily. I realize that I'm shivering and run down a different path, as fast as my deer legs can carry. I turn a corner and see one of the men, searching for something. The jack rabbit is hanging from his hand by its ears. I go down a different way. My leaps and bounds are delicate and superb. I can get away from anybody and anything. Whaa…! My conceitedness had taken over my mind and sight. The second man stands before me with an arrow ready in his quiver. He aims and just stares. I wonder how it will feel, to have an arrow dice my throat. I've lasted this long as a deer, I knew it had to end sooner or later. It seems someone has chosen sooner for me. I blink slowly. Why hasn't he fired yet? Why! The other hunter appears several feet behind the one before me. He still holds the jack rabbit. I then notice that the man's arms are shaking. Was he nervous? Scared? I also was aware of his eye contact. He never took his brown eyes off mine.
The other man jumps up and down behind him impatiently. "Go ahead and shoot it! Shoot it, Ash, shoot it!"
My mouth hangs open. This man was Ash? The one about to kill me was once my fiancé. He's changed so much, I hardly recognized him. I mean, he hasn't changed drastically, but some, yes. He must be King now. Two years gave him plenty of time to find a bride. So, I bow my head to him. In fact, I lie down as if to gravel at and kiss his feet. I look up at him at last and his mouth was open as well. His face then becomes stern and aims his bow upward—and shot. I stay grounded, in awe of what he has just done.
"What kind of shot was that, Ash?" His friend shouts at him.
"Well, I…" Ash turns and keeps one hand behind his back. He waves me off with it. "I must be loosing my touch."
I stand up and lick his hand, then bound off. My heart smiles. He didn't take my life, but missed his shot purposely. I know now that he is eternally Mother Nature's son. If anyone delays or even fails to kill one of her creatures or creations, they are forever in her gratitude. He is safe in these woods now. I don't wander far from them, though. They must be thirsty. I will lead them to my lake to give them drink. Ash and his friend meet at the path and I wait for them and pretend to eavesdrop by mistake.
"What kind of shot was that, Ash?" His friend repeats.
"I told you Bradley, I lost my touch, that's all." Ash replies as he hangs his head.
"There is something else, isn't there?" I remember now, he was his block- headed buddy that visited my castle as well. He grew up to be a tub with mahogany hair down to his shoulders. "Did you perceive you were trembling?"
"I was?" Ash said. It was obvious he knew, but tried to cover it up.
"Ash…you never hesitated like that before! You're a hunter, not some man of the jungle. You don't stop to smell the roses, you're supposed to stomp on them!" Bradley swings his fist. Yup, he was still a block-head.
"Bradley, you don't get it do you?" Ash screams.
"Get what?" Bradley said brainlessly.
"This is going to sound stupid to you." You could tell He was embarrassed slightly. "But when I looked at that deer; into her eyes. I saw…" He takes a deep breath. "I saw Misty."
"What?!" Bradley's mouth gaped. "That brat we knew so long ago? You saw her face in that doe?"
"Don't call her that!" Ash almost slapped him! Oh, I was happy. But it was weird hearing him say that. It has been two years and he still thinks of me? He still thinks of me as…his? Was his heart that content on mine? People should think of me nothing else then dead. Yet, his heart still believes, that I am out there. Oh, I am touched. "The doe, had green eyes, Brad. Since when do deer have green eyes? They were just like hers."
"How can a deer be a girl?" Bradley thought Ash had gone completely batty.
"I don't know…I don't know." Ash shakes his head. "But I know what I saw. I saw Misty's face, scared and precious. I couldn't kill the doe, that's why."
I love him. I love him more then I ever did. I know now that he truly does love me too. If he still hasn't got over my valediction, when it was so long ago, his heart was beating strong. For me. I peak my head out from behind the tree and cry that familiar cry. It was soft, calling, and kind. Ash and Bradley turned their head to see nothing, for I have dodged their sight. But as expected, they followed my voice. I call to them every once in a while as I walk my trails, leading them to my home—my lake. After about ten minutes of walking, we arrive. I hide over on the east side of the lake and watch their faces. The expressions were priceless and unexplainable. They lean over and dip their cupped hands into the water to drink and wash up a little bit. They sit on the shore and eat a lunch packed in a small leather bag Ash carried around his waist. I was surprised they hadn't noticed Lord Altrogge's castle off in the distance. You'd have to look hard, but it was visible. I just sit and gaze at him, my man, and my savior. Oh my, night is setting quickly. It seemed as if Bradley was reading my mind for he got up and said to Ash that they should get going. Ash got up afterwards and started to follow his friend into the woods once more. That was when I ran. I reared my head back and cried once more. Ash stopped and saw me standing by the waters edge.
"Bradley, you go ahead. I'll catch up with you, don't worry. I'll be right there." He says back into the trees and Bradley obeyed. I was so gratefully that he got the idea. For the sun was just setting.
