Well hello! Here is a new chapter of The Forest's Princess-fanfiction. A little inspiration has been sought for this from the Miraculous-series, the Lassie-show, and The Lion King-movie, the rights of which I do not own. See you in the next chapter.
Clarise woke up with the rays of the rising sun hitting her eyelids, and then walked out of her father's cave as quietly as possible without waking her father, and stopped a short distance from her father's cave, pushed the snow on the ground aside with her forefoot, finding some frozen bush roots, and ate the roots she had just found. He didn't let his expression waver, even though the roots were a little sour:
"Princess must maintain her dignity!"
After eating, Clarice then looked at her father to see her father waking up:
"Good morning sir".
"Morning. Looks like you've already eaten", Gallant said as he saw the roots Clarice had just eaten. "And are you already awake at this time of the morning?"
"One must not be fastidious about food, and a blameless princess wakes early in the morning. Sir, I have been thinking of your last words about how I must now be brave, and be able to walk alone. Therefore I beg you to make me your coachee. If you train me to be the future queen of our forest, or rather the future, The Great Princess of the Forest, then I promise to be a blameless princess that no one needs to be ashamed of", Clarice said, then bowed to her father.
"Okay, Clarice. Wait a minute. How do you even know how an impeccable princess behaves?" Gallant asked in disbelief while blinking his eyes a little to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Then, when he was sure she was awake, he stood up and looked at his daughter.
"Friend owl told me about it at one point when I asked him how the impeccable princess behaves," Clarice said.
"Hm. I see. You've apparently woken up so early in the morning, which is certainly done according to the princess's, and prince's expectations. I'll show you a hill that overlooks the meadow. The princess, and the prince must maintain their dignity", Gallant said as he walked out of the cave, and dug roots emerged from under the snow, which he ate. After eating for a while, Gallant started walking forward.
"Thank you", Clarice said, mimicking her father's lofty walk. Actually, Clarice would have felt like jumping for joy and shouting at the same time, but she restrained herself by reminding herself of one thing:
"The princess doesn't jump around wildly while shouting "hoo-hoo". The princess walks proudly forward!"
After walking some distance they came to a river where the water was shallow enough for them to walk along the bottom of the river to the opposite bank of the river.
"It's really cold, but the princess has to keep her dignity!" Clarice thought as she followed her father to the opposite bank of the river, continuing to imitate her father's lofty walk.
Cold shivers ran through Clarice's body, but she didn't show it, because she didn't want her father to think of her as a weak, pathetic bastard.
After walking for a while, Clarice followed her father in a snowdrift that reached up to Clarice's stomach, and she felt someone grab her left hind leg.
"So you're hiding from your sisters, Thumper", Clarice thought, remembering that point from the Bambi 2- movie. Clarice smiled, a little, but still continued walking, now smelling Thumper's sage scent.
Finally Clarice, and her father arrived at the top of the cliff, where they could see the meadow, and the deer there. The snow glistened so brightly that Clarice had to squint as the snow-covered Thumper was still clinging to Clarice's leg.
"Sir, from here the animals in the meadow look almost like ants", Clarice said, standing next to her father.
"It's just a consequence of how far we are from other animals now", Gallant said.
"I know. Sir, there is something I would like to ask", Clarice said. "I've heard there are snakes in our woods, but they're hibernating now, aren't they?"
"Yes", Gallant said.
"Snakes?!" Thumper shouted in shock, shaking off the snow around him, and then climbed onto Clarice's back until he saw Clarice's father:
"Excuse me sir, but may I have you, and your daughter's company until my little sisters stop playing hooky this morning?"
Clarice was suddenly overwhelmed by the feeling that someone was watching her, her father, and Rumpal, so Clarice casually looked around. But looking around, he saw nothing:
"Thumper, did your sisters follow you, and are they now spying on us while hiding somewhere?"
"It sounds just like their pranks. And I'm often the target of their pranks", Thumper said, looking around like Clarice.
After looking around for a while, Clarice didn't see anything out of the ordinary, and then looked at her father:
"Sir, how about my question about snakes?"
Clarice silently turned her gaze back to the meadow, imitating her father's gaze, which was directed towards the meadow. Even so, Clarice couldn't quite shake the newly familiar gaze directed at her, and her father. That look had given Clarice a little chills, but Clarice did her best not to show it to her father.
"I will make an excellent princess", Clarice thought. "Then maybe at some point I will achieve my goal of making my father proud of me".
Clarice kept her thoughts to herself as she looked out over the meadow.
"There are snakes in our woods, and they are hibernating now. Why did you ask?" Gallant asked.
"Well, how can you be careful not to step into a snake's winter nest?" Clarice asked.
Clarice looked at her father, waiting for an answer to the question she had just asked.
"Cold-blooded animals in our forest, like snakes, can't stand the cold temperatures of winter because it can kill them. Even though snakes can't stand the cold, it won't ruin your chances of seeing one in the snow. In winter, snakes become inactive and are not seen often. They enter a state called brumation, which is similar to hibernation, and hide in remote areas. Seeing a snake in the snow is not likely because snakes are inactive in winter. Warm-blooded animals, such as bears, and skunks, hibernate in winter, while exothermic animals, such as reptiles and amphibians, die from the cold. Snakes die in caves, underground burrows, and caves below the frost line", Gallant said.
"So do you have to listen carefully so as not to step directly into the snake's winter lair?" Clarice asked.
"Yes. And you even have to look closely at where you're going", Gallant said.
"Sir, have you ever been attacked by a snake?" Clarice asked.
Gallant was a little surprised, and then thought about the matter:
"No. Snakes don't attack unless they feel threatened. So you should stay away from them. Why don't you go to the marmota-event?"
"I'm not into that sort of thing", Clarice said.
"Why not?" Gallant asked.
"I heard about it before from Friend owl, and he said about it like this:
"However, don't rush anything. And try to avoid the announcement made by the marmota if you get the chance". I asked about that", Clarice said.
"I told it like this:
"I heard about it from my mother. My mother says that at one point in the winter a marmota walks out of its hole and tries to find out if the marmota can see its shadow or not. If the marmota sees its shadow, then winter continues, but if the marmota does not see its shadow, then spring is coming", Thumper said.
"Thereupon Friend owl said this:
"I hope the marmota sees his shadow when that event comes this winter, so I don't have to listen to one of the birds singing to disturb my sleep, because most owls sleep during the day. Same thing every spring". What song could Friend owl be talking about?" Clarice asked, even though she knew full well what the song was about.
"Well you're still too young to hear about that song", Gallant said, looking out at the meadow again.
"Sir, how big is our forest?" Clarice asked.
"Our forest is very, very big", Gallant said. "When you're in the forest, you can run into unexpected situations. It's the same with both people, and animals. That's why princes, and princesses have to know their forest very well".
"Isn't that scary?" Clarice asked. "Aren't princes, and princesses scared in any situation?"
"Yes, even princes, and princesses get scared sometimes, but you can control your fear. It's best to let bygones be bygones", Gallant said after remembering how he had been scared after falling into a deer whistle trap set by fawn the hunter, causing the dogs to run towards him as he froze in fear, and after succeeding to escape only with the help of his father. Then he turned around, and then started walking forward.
"I see, sir. How do you control your fear?" Clarice asked following her father.
"You shouldn't be so afraid that you freeze in place with fear, because that can be dangerous. Fear is only in your mind, so that's why you can control it. Imagine the thing you're afraid of smaller, and it's not so scary anymore", Gallant said.
"I see", Clarice said until she slipped and slid down the hill straight into the pile of snow she emerged from and then walked over to her father's side:
"It didn't hurt!"
Clarice walked past her father in silence as they reached the forest, then stopped in front of a steep hill. His ears dropped a little lower as he looked up at the hill.
"This is the hill that Bambi tried to climb up with his father in his first winter, which Bambi saw, but after Bambi failed, his father advised Bambi to go to the marmota event, where Bambi met Ronno, who later began to bully Bambi. Then Bambi fell asleep, and woke up to the sound of a deer-whistle, believing it to be Tinker Bell, from whom Bambi's father saved Bambi, but scolded Bambi later. If I want to be a perfect princess, then I won't do that, and I'll try to get to the top of that hill in front of dad, so maybe dad will start to believe that that I have the potential to be the future queen of our forest. Maybe if I pick up the pace, and run up the hill I'll manage to climb up that hill", Clarice decided, perking her ears up. Clarice backed up a bit, then ran forward, running up the steep hill until she stopped at the top of the hill to wait for her father.
Clarice kept her expression neutral, although she was really pleased that she had managed to run to the top of the hill.
"I seem to have succeeded in achieving the goal I just decided, but I won't start jumping for joy so that father doesn't think I'm an unfit fawn to be the future The Great Princess of the Forest", Clarice thought.
When Clarice's father arrived at the top of the hill, he looked at his daughter, but then walked forward with Clarice following him.
"My dad just isn't very good at socializing with other deer. And now he's too upset about what happened to mom to even talk about it. Like dad, I miss mom a lot, but I won't talk about it until dad is ready to talk about it himself. Friend because of the deal he made with the owl, father now has to look strong in front of me", Clarice reminded herself. "If mother had managed to escape from the hunter, father wouldn't be so sad now, and the three of us could spend time together".
"Sir, can you see the northern lights this winter? They are really beautiful", Trumber said, still sitting on Clarice's back.
"Wow, that's what it's called?" Clarice asked.
"Yes", Thrumber said, then whispered to Clarice.
"We saw those when we talked to the Friend owl earlier".
"I see. By the way, do I have snow in my ears after falling into the snowbank earlier?" Clarice asked.
"Yes some", Thumber helped dust it off.
"Thank you", Clarice said continuing to follow her father.
"Sir, what's it like to wander all day in the woods?" Clarice asked.
"It both informative and peaceful, but lonely at times", Gallant said.
"Alright. Sir, Friend owl said he's seen wolves once. Have you ever been attacked by them, and how have you driven the wolves away?" Clarice asked.
"Wolfe's haven't bothered anyone in the forest", Gallant said.
"I see, but from what I've heard they're dangerous", Clarice said.
"They're dangerous", Gallant said.
"Well, how do you defend yourself against wolves? I've heard that deer can defend themselves against dogs by kicking them. Does that work for wolves, too?" Clarice asked.
"Why did you ask that?" Gallant asked.
"Well, I asked it with the idea that you could teach it to me at some point. As the future queen of our forest, I need to be able to defend myself from predators", Clarice said to her father.
"Alright", Gallant said.
"Thanks. How about after this round?" Clarice asked.
Clarice suddenly felt like someone was watching her again, causing Clarice to look around.
"It feels like someone is missing me now!" Clarice thought, but looking around she didn't see anything out of the ordinary. When he looked ahead, he saw his father walking towards him. "Sir, Did you just hear something?"
"Yes", Gallant said.
Clarice then looked ahead to see birds flying out of the trees, and one of the birds accidentally dropped a pile of snow from a tree branch onto Clarice, but Clarice then walked out of the pile of snow.
"Sorry, little princess", Bird said.
"It's okay", Clarice said.
When the bird had flown away with the others, Clarice suddenly felt the winter forest getting colder:
"Sir, it's colder now than just now, so is it going to be windy?"
"I am not sure, but it might be windy", Gallant said.
"I see," Clarice said until she saw the Thumper sisters enter the scene. "Good morning".
"Morning", Thumper's sisters said. "Marmota didn't see his shadow, and said that spring is coming".
"Really?" Thumper asked.
"Yes. But then a cheeky fawn called Ronno came along, and startled the marmota so that it went back to its hole. Then Ronno's mother Suggested that Ronno go home, and Ronno said to his mother:
"Uh, mom! How many times do I have to tell you not to bother me when I'm making new friends?!" Then he with his mother went home", Thumper's Sisters said, going home with their brother.
"Sir, how much sun is visible in the winter on days when there are no snowstorms?" Clarice asked walking up behind her father. He then stepped in his father's footprint, which was bigger than his own, and remembered that thing happening in The Lion King-movie with Simba, and Mufasa when they were going to The Elephants. From Graveyd to Pride Rokc after Simba, and Nala went without permission to The Elephants Graveyald after Scar told Simba about that place, and where Simba, and Nala had encountered 3 hyenas from whom Mufasa had saved Simba, and Nala.
"You have seems like enough questions. The sun is only visible during the winter for a short time during the day, unless there are snowstorms", Gallant said, turning around and looking at her daughter, then walked in front of her daughter.
"I see. Sir, what do wolves look like?" Clarice asked after stopping.
"Wolves are animals with long tails and gray fur", Gallant said.
"Could you tell me anything else about wolves?" Clarice asked.
"Wolves drink water like the rest of us but they eat meat of other animals they have a different set of rules when it comes to mating they are protective of their pack", Gallant said.
"I see. Are those wolves?!" Clarice yelled looking behind her, and saw the wolves approaching them causing Clarice to startle but she started to run forward.
"Run!" Gallant shouted following his daughter.
Clarice ran as fast as she could. Finally, he saw a small ravine in front of him, and understood what he had to do to escape from the wolves:
"I don't think there is any other option!"
Clarice ran towards the ravine, and then jumped to the edge of the ravine on the other side of the ravine, and stopped, then looked at her father.
Gallant kept running then jumped just like his daughter, he was successful and landed safely.
"Unbelievable how quietly the wolves can sneak up", Clarice after seeing how the wolves gave up and left the place.
"I had forgotten that they could do that", Gallant said.
"Have they ever attacked you?" Clarice asked worriedly.
"No they didn't. There were wolves I was friends with", Gallant said.
"It's hard for me to imagine", Clarice said.
"In what way?" Gallant asked.
"From what I've heard from no Friend owl, I assumed the wolves are some brutes", Clarice said.
Clarice looked at her father, and then started walking forward:
"The forest awaits".
Gallant was impressed with the jump that his daughter did, brutes not exactly the one he would use.
"What's the next place on the round like?" Clarice asked.
"We're walking forward now", Gallant said walking forward with Clarice.
"Okay", Clarice said.
"I wonder what is going on in her head?" Gallant thoughts.
Clarice stopped with her father on top of a hill, and then looked at a squirrel running through the snow:
"Good morning".
"Morning, little princess", Squirrel said, then ran away.
"Morning", Clarice said.
Clarice looked at her father:
"Why is that squirrel gray now? Is it a flying squirrel, because according to Thumper they are gray?"
"Not all squirrels are brown and white some are gray", Gallant said.
"I see. Thumper said that some squirrels, like some other animals, get protective color in the winter", Clarice said, remembering hearing that from Thumper.
"Correct." Gallant said.
Clarice smiled a little.