Bambi 3: The Way of the Deer by GreatMarta
Chapter 9- The stray fawn Part 3
The Howler nailed the buck with a murderous gaze. Oh no, he was not going to let go of his prey, not when he's almost eaten it. He rushed at Ronno. Ronno rose his front legs and nailed him to the ground. Before the beast could react, the buck rose his hooves once again and dropped them on his opponent's chest with full might, forcing a painful howl out of him. He was going to repeat this action, but the Howler rolled out from underneath him and attacked from the other side. He aimed at Ronno's back, but the deer was faster and blocked the attack with his antlers. Howler's eyes, devilishly yellow, met Ronno's, emerald green. Somebody had to give in. But neither of them was impressed enough to do so.
Howler glanced at the wounded Rea. So much fresh meat. Almost his. It made him drool. He was going to get it, no matter what.
Insulted by the way the Howler looked at his mate, Ronno charged, more determined than ever. The predator avoided his antlers. Ronno turned to reattempt. But the Howler was running at Rea.
Ronno pursued. With a powerful jump, he managed to come between the beast and the doe. Howler landed on the buck's side. Desperate, he bit into it. Ronno ran across the glade, kicking and swing like crazy, trying to make the predator let go.
And this scene was what Bambi saw when he emerged from the forest.
He froze in shock. Ronno's mate was lying on the ground, wounded. Faline, Lato and Ronno's son were standing in safe distance, unharmed. Ronno was running all over the glade with the Howler clinging to him.
Ronno came to the rescue. He made it before Bambi did.
Before the Great Prince could decide what to do, his old rival threw himself to the ground, crushing the Howler with his body. With that, he made the beast loose the grip of his side. He quickly stood up and looked down at his opponent. Howler was furious, but clearly tired. It won't be long now.
Bambi hurried and stood beside Ronno. He knew the other buck could finish this on his own, but he wasn't going to just stand there and watch. He had to give him support, even if it was as miserable as this.
Ronno looked at Bambi. Bambi looked at Ronno. Both knew it was no time to argue. Both lowered their antlers at the Howler.
Two bucks were too much for the predator to handle. He snarled at them one last time and hurried into the forest.
This battle was won.
Bambi expected to hear some rude remarks from his old rival, like "I didn't need your help" or "Why don't you mind your own business". But Ronno ignored him and ran straight to his mate.
"Rea! Are you alive?" he asked worriedly. She pressed her head against his leg, relieved to have him by her side.
"Ronno" she said "You saved me"
"You are hurt!"
"I love you so much"
"Oh, Rea" he lowered his head to nuzzle her. She responded with greatest affection.
"Mommy mommy mommy!" Roga ran to his parents, leaving a river of tears behind. He stopped right in front of Rea and cried desperately into her shoulder. She turned her head to nuzzle him, whispering that she's alright.
Meanwhile Faline and Lato ran to Bambi. They were glad to see him and he was relieved that they were unharmed. They all exchanged nuzzles and welcoming formulas. Lato was less anxious than Roga and not crying. Bambi figured Ronno's son was in such a terrible mental condition, because he saw his mother get hurt, maybe almost eaten by the Howler. Poor Roga was still sobbing into Rea's shoulder and Ronno had a worried expression.
"Your wounds look so bad" the green eyed buck stated, examining his mate's leg and ear. Rea seemed to be feeling a little better now and smiled softly at him.
"They are not that bad. I will be fine" she assured. With that, she decided to lick the wound on her leg. Ronno happened to have the same idea and neared his head to the wound in exactly the same moment, so his tongue accidentally touched hers. Both mates rose their eyes at each other. After a second they pulled their tongues back into their mouths, blushing. Rea, being more open, touched Ronno's nose with hers. He smiled foolishly and licked her cheek.
Roga looked aside, blushing. Lato let out a "yuck". Bambi and Faline smiled at each other. If they had any doubts concerning Ronno's feelings towards his mate, they all disappeared at this very moment.
Another couple of seconds later Ronno realized just how many other animals are there on the glade and pulled his head away from Rea. He cleared his throat and started licking the blood off her ear, still blushing. She giggled and got down to licking her leg. The wound no longer bled and didn't seem as serious as it did before.
The gathering was now joined by Lila, who emerged from the forest, gasping for air. Her family turned to her. She was clearly exhausted, barely standing on her hooves. Bambi felt ashamed. He had completely forgotten about her. Poor thing, she couldn't keep up with him. But back then, Faline and Lato were simply more important. They needed him. Of course, he couldn't have known Ronno would be there to protect them. And even if he knew, he'd come to help anyway. He was the Great Prince and protecting the other deer was his job. Still, he was glad that there were other brave deer capable of fighting the Howler. It made his job easier.
"Oh. Lila, I'm so sorry" he apologized "I have completely forgotten about you"
"Geez Lila, be glad you missed it!" Lato came to his sister "Roga's parents kissed! It was disgusting!"
Lila nodded, calming down. But she knew there was much more to it than kissing. Rea's wounds and Roga's tears spoke for themselves.
"Why is Roga's mom hurt?" she asked.
"Oh, that was one huge disaster!" her brother explained "First that fawn jumped out of the forest and there was the Howler behind it, and it hid there behind those roots, and he ran, and Roga's mom went to save that fawn and then Roga's dad came and saved her and our dad came and helped him and then Roga's parents kissed and it was all horrible and I thought we'd all die and then you came and I think I told you everything, I guess so"
"Hey, wait a minute" Ronno suddenly felt alarmed "What fawn are you talking about?"
"The fawn that hid there" Lato explained "The Howler chased it and almost got it, but Roga's mom came to save it and then you came to save her" he repeated. This information seemed to be crucial for Ronno. His expression changed from worried to suspicious. He turned to his mate, addressing her with strictness and coldness.
"Did I get it right?" he asked "You are hurt, not because you were protecting our son? You risked your life for someone else's fawn?" his tone made everybody feel alarmed. Especially the wounded doe. It seemed like a major burst of wrath was on its way.
"She risked her life for a complete stranger!" Roga confirmed, sharing his father's anger "She could have been killed because of that coward, who didn't even try escaping when she created the perfect opportunity! Seriously, mom, that was so stupid!" he yelled at his mother. At this point, Rea knew she was in trouble. She was willing to explain, but her furious mate didn't let her say a word.
"Stupid? That was pure idiotism!" he roared at the doe "Rea, are you an idiot?! How could you be so irresponsible?! The only fawn you should care for is our son! Saving any other reduces Roga's chances for surviving! You're a grow up, for crying out loud! How can you not remember the basic laws of the world you live in?!"
"I'm sorry…!"
"Hell with your sorry! You could have been killed!" the buck went on, enraged. Faline felt it was the right time to interfere.
"Don't yell at her!" she scolded Ronno, standing next to him "You have the bravest mate in the world, you should be proud of her!"
"I would be proud of her if she had risked her life for Roga!" the buck replied, still furious "But I could never forgive her if she jumped straight into Howler's mouth to save some stupid fawn I have nothing to do with! There is no way I'd ever allow a mate of mine to die such a nonsense death! If you think that throwing your life away for the sake of a stranger and leaving your mate alone with fawns to raise is bravery, then perhaps you should have been the one to fight the Howler!"
"You're going too far!" now Bambi joined the argument "Nobody speaks to my mate like this, do you understand it?!"
"Bambi, don't!" Faline turned to her mate "There is no need to argue. And certainly not in front of the children" she made a good point. Lila and Lato were looking at them with widened eyes and seemed to be too scared to even breathe normally. Roga was confused, not sure if he should be mad at his mother, for her foolishness, or at his father, for being so violent towards his mother. Yes. Arguing in front of them won't do any good.
Feeling a little more confident, Faline decided to try to talk to Ronno again. Hopefully, he will be able to understand her now, that she understood him.
"I see that you are angry, Ronno" she told him "And I can see why. I can only imagine how painful it would have been for you to loose somebody you love this much" at this point, Ronno frowned. Faline ignored it and went on "I know how lonely and unhappy you had been before you met Rea. How desperately you sought company and attention. All you ever wanted was to be appreciated and acknowledged, but nobody seemed to even notice you. You were alone. So alone. For such a long time. And then, when it seemed like you will have to remain in this misery forever, a doe appeared in your life. A doe, who was willing to listen. A doe, who was compassionate and kind. She accepted you the way you are and cared for you. Before you knew it, you fell in love with her and could not imagine your life without her. This feeling was so unusual, so powerful, so much stronger than anything you've felt before. For the first time in your life, you were happy to be alive" as Faline spoke, Ronno was staring at her more and more intensively, and his face showed more and more confusion. It seemed like he could not believe she was actually saying this. Neither did Bambi. What was that Faline thinking? Where did all of this come from? She hated Ronno. He had been their enemy. And now? She was talking to him, as if he was the most vulnerable creature in the world. And, what's more surprising, he was starting to look like one! If he hadn't seen it, he'd never believe it!
Faline smiled. It seemed that she was receiving exactly the type of results she expected. Now it was time for a final touch.
"I think Rea is a very good doe. She was able to see your pain, something we never noticed. She knew you needed help and didn't hesitate to give it to you. I think that what happened today is a very similar story. She wanted to run, like we all did. But she saw that fawn. That little, terrified child, left completely alone against such a monster. I think that fawn reminded her of you. And that's why she's done what she's done"
After Faline finished her speech, silence filled the glade. Nobody knew what to say. What could possibly match what she had just said? What could seem at least appropriate? They had no idea.
Bambi still wasn't sure, what to think. The sudden change in Faline's outlook on Ronno amazed him. He felt, as if she somehow deceived him, presenting a point of view different than what she always told him. But more than that, he was proud of her. She spoke with wisdom and understanding, just like a true princess. So much like Lila did earlier. Surely, their daughter was taking after her mother. That was good to know. But seeing Ronno, the always stubborn and cold hearted brutal in such a state, a state of amazement and such a cute lostness was absolutely priceless.
Ronno was lost. He wasn't ready to hear such a speech. He didn't know anybody could speak to him like this. How could that Faline be reading his mind? She never cared for him. Nobody but Rea did. What happened? What has happened? And what should he do? And what was that what he was feeling? Oh, get a grip! Come on! That's just against logic. No, no, no! Argh. Impossible.
Meanwhile Rea decided it was the best moment to try apologizing to Ronno.
"I'm sorry, Ronno" she whispered "I know I shouldn't have tried saving that fawn. But I… my body… moved on its own. I just… I cannot explain this"
"Then don't" Ronno sighed. The whole situation cost him too much energy and mental health. It wasn't worth a deal "Just promise me you won't do it again"
Rea smiled. It seemed she was forgiven.
"I promise" she said, happy that her mate was no longer angry at her. She hated to see him in such a state. Right now he still was a little bitter, but perfectly calm.
"Can you get up?" he asked her. She looked at her wounded leg worriedly.
"I don't know. I hope I can" with that, she attempted to get up. It quickly resulted with a flinch of pain. The wound, although no longer bleeding, hurt when she moved. Ronno stood at her side, acting as a support. Faline supported her from the other side. With their help, Rea was able to stand on her four legs. The supporting deer remained by her side, in case she collapsed, but it seemed like she was stabile.
The next step was walking. Rea carefully pushed the healthy front leg forwards. Her expression told the other deer it cost her a lot of effort. She then moved the other leg, the wounded one. She had to do it quickly, so not to loose balance. This move caused pain as well. A couple of steps later everybody decided that Rea was able to walk without support, as long as she did it carefully. It seemed that they could have some relief at last. It would take time, but the wound was sure to heal.
"You should stay close to your den for the time being" Bambi advised Rea "This may take some time to heal. And you…" he turned to Ronno "…should stay close to her. She is going to need special care now"
"She should eat a lot of herbs too" Lila added "And fresh fruit, if possible. You could find it and then bring to her, so she doesn't have to walk"
"And what about that fawn?" Lato suddenly noticed.
Everybody looked at the old tree. The fawn was still there, hidden behind the roots. It hasn't moved an inch.
"Geez, what a moron" Roga said. In order to forgive his mother, he had to blame somebody else for the incident, and that stupid stranger was perfect for that purpose.
"Poor little one" Rea said. She was very compassionate about the little fawn. And she felt a need to take care of it, to cheer it up. Just like Faline stated, she couldn't ignore someone's suffering.
"Okay, we'd better check on it" Bambi decided. And so, the entire deer gathering moved to where the fawn was hiding. Lato, being curious and good spirited, was the first one to greet the fawn.
"Hi!" he yelled to it "I'm Lato! What's your name?"
"Lato, don't!" his sister scolded him "Can't you see it's scared?" the fawn was scared, indeed. It pushed itself as far inside the hole as possible and studied them with wide, deep blue eyes. It seemed to be the most vulnerable creature in the world. And it desperately needed to be taken care of.
"Hello, little one" Rea smiled to the fawn, feeling a great sympathy for it "You can come out now. It's safe. My mate chased that bad Howler away" she assured. The fawn looked at her with interest and hope. Rea certainly made a good impression. She was beaming with kindness and love. So convincing, that the fawn risked taking a few careful steps forwards.
"That's it. Good child. Come on, just a little further" Rea encouraged the fawn to go on. A few seconds later the group could see the stranger come to light. It was a pale gray doe, smaller and skinnier than Roga, Lila and Lato. A creature so fragile, so sorrowful and decent, moving her big, blue eyes from one of them to another, unsure of what to expect. Soon however it became obvious, that fear was unnecessary. A wonderful "awww" of Faline and Rea revealed that they fell in deep love with the little doe.
"Oh, she's so pretty" Rea said, amazed by the fawn's inner charm "A cute little doe"
"And she looks so much like you" Faline noticed. And she wasn't mistaken. Both does shared the eye color, although the fawn's eyes had a darker, deeper shade of blue that Rea's. But the pale gray fur, exactly the same shade, made Rea and the fawn look like a mother and a daughter. It was incredible.
"I don't see any similarity" Roga grunted "Mom is pretty and that fawn is ugly"
"Roga, don't be so mean" Rea scolded.
"I'm not mean, I'm telling the truth!" Roga protested. His mother just gave him an angry look, suggesting that he'd better stay silent, and turned back to the little doe he insulted.
"I'm sorry for my son. He sometimes doesn't know how to behave. I think you are pretty and I'm glad to meet you. My name is Rea. What is yours?" she asked. The fawn hesitated. It opened its mouth, but no sound came out of it. The adults became worried. Was it mute? Or maybe too scared to speak? Rather the latter. Poor thing.
"What?!" Roga jumped to the fawn, placing his ear right in front of her mouth "I can't hear you!" he yelled, happy to have a chance to embarrass the stranger. As he expected, the fawn almost jumped out of her skin. Confused and scared, she hid underneath Rea, the only creature she knew she could trust. Roga snarled. It was supposed to run away! Or go back to that hole! Geez, what an idiot!
Rea looked at her son with disappointment and anger.
"Roga! How could you!" she scolded "You scared her!"
"It's not my fault she's a coward!" he revolted. He hated that fawn. First it almost killed his mother and now it was turning her against him! It was unforgivable!
"If you'd experienced what she had, I doubt you'd be so cocky, my boy" Rea went on with scolding "You have no idea, what is she feeling right now, and thus have no right to judge her. I thought you could understand it. If you cannot, you'd better don't speak"
"But mom…!"
"You've heard your mother?!" Ronno stopped his son "Shut up and let her talk to that fawn! She's injured and weak, and it won't do her any good if you keep on playing on her nerves like this! You've got it?!" he demanded. Roga lowered his ears. He might have guts to argue with his mother, but his father was the head of the family. His word was the absolute law. But most of all, he made a good point about Rea's condition. Despite feeling his parents were being unfair for him, Roga didn't want to hurt his mother more. For now, he had to give up.
"Yes, father"
"Fine. Rea, continue" Ronno told his mate. Rea nodded. She looked down at the little doe again. She was so sensitive, Roga's actions must've caused her a great pain. Fortunately, she seemed to be okay enough to go on with the conversation. It was a huge relief for Rea.
"Okay, little one. I have an idea. You could tell me your name into my ear. Can you it?" she asked. The fawn nodded. So, Rea lowered her head and the fawn whispered something into her ear. The other deer were worried, not sure if such a position won't put too much pressure on Rea's leg, but the doe didn't loose her balance somehow. Her face showed a bit of pain indeed, but she did her best not to make it so obvious.
"Hali?" she asked the fawn, after it was done. It nodded "That's a beautiful name" Rea decided.
"Like I said before, I'm Lato" Lato said. Now that they finally learned the stranger's name, he felt it was a good moment to try introducing himself again.
"I'm Lila. It's a pleasure to meet you, Hali" Lila said politely. Now it was the adult deer's turn to make an introduction.
"Bambi, the Great Prince of the forest"
"Faline, the Great Princess and the mom of Lila and Lato"
"And I'm Ronno, Rea's mate and Roga's dad"
Hali looked at Ronno with great interest, much greater than the one she showed Bambi's family a moment ago. The green eyed buck frowned. The fawn was staring at him. He didn't like that. And with such sad, hopeful eyes… ouch.
"So, Hali…" Bambi started "where do you live? We will walk you home" he offered. Hali didn't reply. She moved her gaze on the Great Prince for a few seconds, but then moved it back to Ronno. The situation was becoming rather difficult.
"Oh, come on" Lato started "We will tell your parents not to be angry at you for running off on your own" he offered. Hali looked at him. Fear entered her sight again. Lato felt unsure. Has he said something wrong? Seems so. Hali waved her head for "no". She closed her eyes and looked down. She sniffed. She looked, as if she was about to cry.
It was obvious to everyone, that this fawn was an orphan.
"Gush, I'm so sorry" Lato felt really stupid "You don't have parents, right?"
Hali lifted her head. She thought for a second and slowly directed her eyes on Ronno again. With more hope than ever.
The buck felt uneasy. This fawn's sight was unbearable. And why in the world did she have to choose him as an object to stare at?
Hali moved her mouth. She wanted to say something. Everybody opened their ears widely. No sound so far. But the fawn didn't give up. Finally, with great effort, she managed to produce a whisper, just as loud as to make it possible to hear.
"Daddy?" the question was directed to Ronno. The buck froze.
"Umh… what did you say?" he asked, hoping he's heard it wrong. The other deer were staring at him and Hali. The little fawn gathered courage and spoke again, with more confidence.
"Daddy" she said. It wasn't a question.
Using her chance, she came to Ronno. The buck tried to move away, but he was too shocked. The little doe reached him and pressed her head against his chest. It terrified him. He couldn't move. He couldn't even blink. He just gazed at the little creature in horror. She rubbed its head against his chest, so peacefully and so innocently. Finally, she rose her head to look at him again. This was the final blow. He couldn't take it.
"She likes you" Faline stated.
"But he is not her daddy!" Roga revolted "He is mine!"
"Hali must've watched his fight with the Howler" Bambi tried to explain "She knows he saved her life. I guess that's why she chose him for her daddy" he decided. He noticed however that Hali paid attention to Ronno only after she learned his name, and didn't seem to care much before. This was a little suspicious. Perhaps her real father's name was Ronno too? Or some other buck's in her family? It must mean something to her, or else her sudden change in attitude wouldn't make sense. But then, she's experienced a great shock. In such cases, logic might not work at all.
"Ronno, let's take her in!" Rea suddenly exclaimed.
"What?!" her mate and son asked in surprise. Take her in? Has their mother and mate gone crazy? Certainly. And she was so unreasonably happy.
"We will raise her as our own!" she continued, as joyful as ever "Ronno, you said you wanted more fawns, so why not now?"
"I do want more fawns, but I want them to be fawns of my own!" Ronno protested "Why take some strangers in when we can simply…"
"But she loves us already!" Rea didn't let him finish "Right, Hali?" she turned to the fawn "You love daddy, don't you?" the fawn nodded, staying close to Ronno "And you love mommy too, right?"
"Mommy?" Hali asked shyly. Rea confirmed.
"Yes. I will be your mommy now. And Roga will be your big brother"
"Never in my life!" Roga shouted, unable to control his anger anymore "I am not her brother! And you are not her mommy and daddy! We don't need her! There are plenty of childless does, let's find one to look after her! You can do it, right?!" he asked Bambi. He was the Great Prince, he had the authority to decide about the stupid fawn's adoption. He surely will do something, maybe even exile her. Yes, that would be perfect!
The Great Prince looked at Hali. As Roga thought, he had no doubts of what should be done. But it didn't seem like his vision would match the one of Ronno's son.
"Hali has already developed a trust for your parents, Roga" he told the young buck "It would cause her a great damage if we placed her in a different family. I think the best we can do is to let her stay with you"
Roga's eyes winded. This can't be happening!
"I agree" Faline supported her mate "Both of you fought for her life. She is your child now" she told Ronno and Rea. The decision was almost official now.
"That's ridiculous!" Roga was starting to panick. Everybody was against him. He had to find an ally, and he had to find him quick! "Dad!" he turned to Ronno "You can't do this! You can't take her in! You have me, you don't need her!" he yelled, hoping it would work. His father was against adopting Hali, he clearly was! He had the power, he must kick this idea out of everybody's heads! Definitely!
But, unfortunately for Roga, Hali started to panic as well.
"Daddy!" she cried desperately "Don't leave me! Daddy! Mommy! Don't go! No!" the fawn begged, throwing herself at Ronno and Rea, shedding tears into their fur. She was terrified by the possibility of losing her new family. And her desperation made everybody's hearts break.
"We will never leave you, Hali!" Rea declared, nuzzling her new daughter "Mommy and daddy will always be there for you, I promise!"
"Rea, you…" Ronno started, but stopped when Hali turned to look at him. She was staring straight into his eyes, with this sorrowful, hopeful gaze. And those tears. This charm. She was piercing right through his soul.
In the end, the mighty buck had to surrender.
"Fine. She may stay" he agreed. Rea beamed with joy. Roga's jaw dropped.
"Dad, you can't be serious! We can't keep her!"
"We are keeping her and you better bear with it!" Ronno shouted at his son. Roga wasn't going to give up.
"It's unfair!"
"And so is life! It's not the last time you're going to suffer because of unexpected circumstances, believe me. You've got a sister. Topic closed" he announced. Upon his approval, Hali became a part of the family. Everybody, accept for Roga, was happy with it.
"Yay!" Lato exclaimed. For him, the new child meant a new friend to play with. The perspective of teaching Hali all the games he knew and hearing her laugh when he showed her some cool trick was indescribably beautiful.
"Congratulations, Roga!" Lila said, ignoring the young buck's bitterness "You are a big brother!"
"Don't congratulate me!" he hissed "I don't want a sister!" he added unable to understand, why is everybody so fascinated with the little idiot. Worse, they assume he adores her too! Bunch of freaks!
"But sisters are useful!" Lato tried cheering his friend up "They play with you, they help you when you run into trouble, and they can make parents believe everything they tell them! That's a big help when you want to avoid some boring lectures!"
"Speaking of which…" Faline's voice became serious "I believe you owe us an apology, Lato. And you better have a good explanation for your irresponsible behavior" she demanded firmly. Lato gulped. It seems like he's gotten himself into a very unpleasant situation.
"Umh… I-I'm not sure I understand you…" he said, trying to figure out a good way of avoiding the consequences of his actions. Mother and father both looked really angry. He gave Lila a begging look. She was worried, but her sight was saying "I cannot help you this time". Gush, without her, he's as good as dead!
"We will make you understand" Bambi told him "As soon as we get home"
"Bu-bu-but we can't go home yet" Lato disagreed "We have to walk Roga and his family home! I mean, Hali is so scared, and Roga's mom is injured, and they all need us right now!" he said, believing this would work. He knew his parents had to provide help to the other animals. It was their duty, they can't ignore it.
Suddenly, a loud thunder roared through the sky. The deer looked up. Dark clouds were getting near. The wind became colder. A major rain was on its way.
"See? I knew it was going to rain" Lila declared, happy that her predictions had come true. Her brother wasn't thrilled. The rain will ruin his strategy.
"You don't have to walk us home" Ronno told the royal family "If you do, you won't make it back before the rain"
"Ronno, it's not a problem" Bambi stated "Faline will take the children and I will come with you. Rea is wounded, she needs protection"
"With all due respect, Bambi. I am capable of protecting my family" Ronno argued "I appreciate your help, but we don't need it in the moment. I see you were going to teach your son a lesson, and I don't think you should neglect it because of us. It will be the best if I take care of my family and you take care of yours. They need you more than we do. I'm sure you agree with me" he said.
Bambi had to admit, his old rival made a good point. He will have to scold Lato sooner or later, and it would be much better sooner. But then, it didn't feel right to leave them in such a condition. Sure, Ronno could fight the Howler and such, but Rea wasn't even able to run. She was exposed to danger, more than ever. And had two children to look after now. He was the Great Prince, he should escort them. He really felt like it.
Another thunder, loader than the first one, reached their ears. There was no time to argue.
Faline stood beside her mate.
"Ronno is right" she said "He is able to defend his family. We should trust him. Now, let's go home. We all need our rest" she convinced him. He looked at her. He remembered how worried he was, when he smelled the Howler. How he hurried to reach the glade and be there to fight him. To defend them. Suddenly, he felt really silly. Ronno and Faline were both right. He focused on his duties too much. Nobody needed his attention more than his own family. He must not forget that.
"Yes" he said "Let's go home"
And so, both families exchanged goodbyes and left, each in their own direction. With them, their worries, tiredness, relief, frustration and hope. But most of all, the forever fresh memory of huge, sorrowful eyes of the fawn, whom Ronno and Rea accepted as their daughter.
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NOTE: Finally, I have finished the Hali arc! Yuppie! I thought I won't get past this part!
So, I'm giving you a long, nice chapter to enjoy. As for a Christmas present for me, I'll be happy with long, detailed reviews ^_^