The Great Prince
It was nearly dusk when he heard shouts over the forest. He stood slowly, feeling stiff from being next to the young woman for so long. He looked down at her, nudging her in the hopes she would respond. All he saw was her deep brown eyes staring up at him. He wished he could close them. The great deer lowered his head in sorrow, but a snap made him alert. His sharp eyes caught many beams of light like small suns moving in the darkness, and knew he needed to leave. He nudged her once more. When she didn't move, he turned away and slipped into the darkness, leaving no trace that he had been there.
Only minutes later would his sharp hearing pick up a mournful scream that carried over the forest. Spooked birds flew from their trees. He knew how whomever or whatever had screamed felt; his heart had done the same when he thought Bambi was dead after he found him on the ledge. When another screamed more loudly than the last, he jumped. He closed his eyes, trying to let it slip to the back of his mind. As a prince, his composure needed to be dignified. Weakness was not something he could show before the herd. However, something made him believe that this was not something he would forget, no matter how much he wanted to.
The Great Prince slowly walked through the meadow. Each hoof hit the dirt heavily. The stiffness worsened as he walked. His entire body felt so heavy. Despite his break in composure, he never regretted being with the girl during her final breath; she had been grateful that he stayed, stroking his fur. It would have pained her if he had pulled away, leaving her to die alone in the cold forest covered by the white flakes from the sky.
"Sir!"
He was mildly surprised by the entrance of the owl that landed on the branch above him with a look of worry.
"Is she alright?" The owl asked with hesitation. The Great Prince could only lower his head. Darby's death affected him greatly and he felt safe showing his sorrow in front of the Owl..
"Oh, the poor dear." The owl looked pained. Despite her short stay in the forest, the animals enjoyed her silence. She wasn't like other men, nor was her father, the Great Hunter. They enjoyed the beauty of the forest as well as the animals living in it.
The Great Prince sighed, "She is with her family now."
The owl looked unsurprising sad. He couldn't imagine how the family was feeling, not having lost his mate or children, but he could only brush the surface if he were to think how he would feel. It would crush him. He flew off his perch when he noticed the great deer turn to walk to the meadow, keeping up to him but from above casting a worried glance at the Prince. It pained him that the Prince would have to tell Faline that the one who saved her died. He didn't want to imagine the sorrow that would etch over her face. She asked Owl if the man was alright, which had been his reason for finding the Prince.
The moon was in the sky when the Prince and Owl reached the meadow. At the entrance stood two small, tired deer named Bambi and Faline, who was still frightened by her encounter. It was easily seen because of the small shake of her body. The owl would have been surprised if she wasn't frightened. Bambi's face lit up when he saw his father but hesitated when his father bowed his head. Somehow, Bambi knew there was bad news. He turned to Faline who was looking at the leader of the herd with huge, hopeful eyes that made Bambi worried. He almost wished his father would lie to her to save her from heartbreak, but he knew it was unlike his father to do so.
"Faline," the Prince began. "I'm sorry to give you this news."
Faline's eyes widened as the Prince began the tale of Darby's end.
"She was brave. In the end, it was too much." The Prince finished.
"What about the cat, sir?" The owl spoke up from his perch. Faline and Bambi looked toward the ground unable to do otherwise.
The Great Prince lifted his head to look at the moon, "She fought bravely."
Realization shined upon the owl. Looking at the Prince, seeing his eyes shining in the moon and of the pride he felt as he looked at the stars, confirmed his thoughts. The young woman killed the cat.
With sadness overwhelming her eyes, Faline could only walk toward her mother wanting her comfort. Bambi watched after her, almost tempted to run to her to give her the comfort that she wanted. However, the voice of his father stopped him.
"Bambi, follow me."
Bambi looked back at his father and heeded his words. He followed his father to the doe who cared for him. Before his father left, he nuzzled him offering some comfort of his own seeing how troubled his father was. The Great Prince let out a smile toward his son before nudging him toward the waiting doe with his nose. Bambi laughed lightly before running to the doe's side. As the two of them disappeared into the brush, Bambi looked over his shoulder to look at the sad expression etched on his father's face as he looked up at the stars. Bambi wondered if the girl was up there with his mother.
Once Bambi disappeared from sight, the Prince turned away from the sky as it began to rain almost as if the heavens felt the same sorrow as her family. He closed his eyes unable to forget or push back the mournful scream that startled him as he had walked away from Darby's body. He knew how the man felt. The unfathomable sorrow. It would have made him scream if he were one of them. Bambi was the only thing he had left of his mate and he missed her. He pitied the one who screamed, who howled in her sorrow. They had found their daughter dead and she had been the only one they had left.
"Are you feeling well, sir?"
He looked up to see Owl perched on the branch moving his wings nervously.
"Yes, Owl." The Prince replied holding his composure.
"Oh," the Owl replied moving his wings again nervously. "If I may, sir, you do not seem so."
The Prince drew back slightly before sighed, "I had hoped to get there sooner, that is all."
"To save the girl, sir?"
"Yes. For the Old Hunter. I do not think he would have wanted to see his daughter so soon."
The owl looked down sadly before an idea lit up his eyes. "Have you told Bambi about the Old Hunter?"
The Prince looked at Friend Owl, "Very little."
"Why don't you tell him the whole thing," the Owl suggested.
"Me?" The Prince asked taken back.
"Well, yes. You know the Great Hunter more than any of us." Friend Owl brought up looking happy with his idea. "It'll cheer the boy up, I would think."
"I will think on it." The Prince replied before making his way toward his own resting place for the night, thinking of Friend Owl's idea.
Bambi saw the same gold leaves of the meadow where his mother always stood atop the hill. He began to run toward the hill in excitement, wanting his mother's comfort after the events that happened today. He wanted to ask her so many things. Why would the man protect Faline? Why did the man have to die?
When he got to the top of the hill though, the sight of another with her made him stop in his tracks not knowing who they were. There was short black fur on her head that touched what he assumed was her neck, which was shorter than even his own. Her face and head were not like his own. It was lighter than his own but darker than the snow. He wanted to ask how she slept with her neck so short.
"So, this is your son."
A voice he would compare to spring. His mother's voice was different. It was warm like the sun and light.
"Mother, who is that?" Bambi ran to his mother hiding behind her.
To his surprise, she laughed lightly nuzzling her son. "Why don't you ask her yourself?"
Bambi looked at his mother in confusion. "She can understand me?"
The young woman kneeled beside his mother, "Here I can. My name is Darby. Your mother has told me a lot about you"
Bambi looked horrified, but soon an excited glint appeared in his eye. "Thank you for saving Faline."
Darby's eyes widened before she put a hand on Bambi's head petting lightly. "It was my pleasure. I couldn't let her die."
"Why did you do it?"
The young woman and his mother looked taken back.
"Do what?" The woman asked with a slight tilt of her head.
"Go against the cat. You must have known you would die." Bambi asked.
Darby was startled by how mature his answer was. A minute later, a smile curl over the corners of her lips. "I did. From the start, I knew I was going to die."
"Then why?"
"My father always taught me that all life is precious, but if one such life killed those that couldn't protect themselves, they were nothing more than the dirt we walk on," Darby explained. "To protect those innocent lives is why I joined the military."
Bambi was awed by her words. He knew why his father was affected by Darby so much now. Her sense of bravery and her appearance breathed of great power. She was a great deer in man's form. Bambi sensed dignity in her posture, something that his father spoke much about. He remembered when his father told him 'a prince must display dignity and walk with pride'.
"Bambi, you haven't introduced yourself yet." His mother kindly reminded making Bambi look away from Darby and to his mother.
"Oh," Bambi gasped making Darby smile lightly and his mother laugh. "I'm Bambi."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Bambi." Darby bowed slightly before giving him a happy smile.
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The sun spread its' light over the forest, awakening the Great Prince from his slumber which signaled the start of his rounds to ensure the safety of his forest. He remembered Owl's suggestion of telling Bambi the story of the Great Hunter. It was a moment that was difficult to think about, but it was also one of the only times he had ever been close to death. He knew Bambi would love to hear the story, but a cast of doubt whether he would understand filled his mind. Once his rounds were complete, he headed back to his herd wondering if telling Bambi would do more good or harm.
"Sir!"
He heard a voice shout over the calm of the forest. He looked up curious of whom would disturb him on his morning walk.
"My Prince, have you thought over what I said?" Owl asked perching himself on a branch.
"I have," The Prince replied. He looked down at the grassy floor before sighing.
was a huge step he would take if he told Bambi now. However, it might give him a lesson that he would never forget. It would either horrify him or intrigue him. The Prince did not want his son filled with fear over this, but he understood that he would not be able to change it right away if he were to fear. He sighed before looking up at the Owl.
"I will tell him." The Prince spoke as he stepped through the clearing looking for his son.
The Prince did not see the smile that grew on Owl's face upon hearing that the Prince was going to tell Bambi. He knew it was a huge step for the Prince to take since it was already hard for him to speak of the first experience he had with the Great Hunter.
"Bambi."
Bambi and Faline turned around from their playing to see the Great Prince looking down at his son with a twinkle of sadness in his intelligent brown eyes.
"Father, is everything all right?" Bambi immediately asked.
For a few days now, he had been contemplating whether to tell his father about the dreams he has had about mother and Darby. Darby was very frequent in his dreams now. It was strange really. As he gazed at his father's eyes, he knew his father was fighting a battle within himself.
"I would like to speak with you." The Prince spoke looking down at his son.
"Of course, Father," Bambi spoke before looking at Faline to make sure it was alright if he went with his father.
"I will see you later, Bambi," Faline said walking toward her mother further into the field.
The Prince turned around knowing his son would follow him and brought him to the meadow where Darby had her final battle with the cat. He could hear Bambi's steps getting slower behind him and knew he was getting curious. He never took Bambi in this direction until now. The Prince smiled amused by his son's curiosity, but it vanished when he laid his eyes on the Hunter's stand built into the tree.
"This is where she died." The Prince said sadly.
Bambi was quick to look at his father, who looked unsurprising sad as he looked at the ground where the human died. He didn't want Bambi to get any closer to the place, fearing that Bambi would have nightmares due to being so young.
The Great Prince sighed before looking down at his son. "However, this is not why we are here."
Bambi looked at up his father.
"I was a young buck when I met the Great Hunter." The Prince said.
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The Great Hunter
The lion was in front of me. His blonde covered jaw was roaring at me, but I was frozen unable to move. The fawn was safe in the thicket. I made sure the lion would come after me. I prayed that it did at the time as I ran as heavily as I could.
Running and walking heavily to create sound was something my father would have rolled over in his grave. He had been a big game hunter in Africa and taught me to always remain quiet when hunting. My father hunted until the day he died, making a name for himself as one of the best in the world. It was something he bragged about; his only reason for living I used to tell myself. He never came to my graduations nor my sports events. Always in Africa hunting and I had resented him for it until I began to hunt myself when I was 20. He took me on one of his hunts in Africa and I took down my first Cape Buffalo. It began to be something I enjoyed and continued to do with my father, hoping that he would notice me if I got the biggest deer with the biggest rack of antlers but all it got me was a pat on the back. Years later when my daughter, Darby, was born, I told myself I would never be like my father, and I would be there to cheer her own. I made her the number one priority of my life, and I knew I was neglecting my wife. But selfishly, I didn't care. I only wanted to make sure my daughter didn't hate me or doubt if I loved her or not. I hoped I had succeeded. I was there was she graduated from high school, boot camp, and college. When she was in Iraq, I went to hunt to clear my head. I didn't want to think of my daughter on a battlefield being shot at, scared, or hurt.
A buck I had never seen before came into the clearing. I brought up my rifle and aimed with my scope. My finger inched to the trigger. I aimed for the soft muscle behind the left shoulder that would make the bullet pierce through the lungs for an immediate kill. The immediate kill I always strived for. The buck, however, turned and I cursed under my breath. It looked straight at me through the scope, and I looked into his brown eyes. I saw fear. Fear never bothered me before, but something about it this time made me lose my breath. The buck's eyes were the same shade of brown as Darby's. All the thoughts of Darby being shot at, screamed, feeling scared, and waking up in fear every day made tears fill my eyes. I lowered the rifle to use my trigger hand to wipe the tears that flowed down my cheeks away. I laid down my rifle pointing it away from me and sobbed into my hands.
I never hunted again, and I was glad for it
As I stare at this lion rearing back, I can't remember if I told her I loved before I left for the forest.
A tear fell down my cheek. I knew I needed to get further away.
I prayed my daughter wouldn't come look for me. I was the one that forgot my gun and my knife.
I hope my daughter would forgive me.
"Darby, forgive me." I whispered as I turned around and ran away from the lion, which came bounding after me with a roar so loud it ran through my ears until it was the last thing I heard.