Well hello! Here is a new chapter of The Forest's Princess fanfiction. This chapter has been slightly inspired by The Lion King-movie, Umi ga Kikoeru-movie, The Beauty and the Beast-movie, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix-game, the rights of which I do not own. See you in the next chapter.
Clarice woke up in the morning, then went outside the cave to eat tree bark as the sun rose.
After eating enough, Clarice looked over to see her father waking up:
"Morning, sir".
"Morning", Gallant said as he walked over to Clarice's side, and ate some rind, then looked at his daughter.
"Well, how's the tour we're doing today?" Clarice asked.
"I was thinking of doing that round alone. I have to talk to some bucks", Gallant said as he walked forward.
"Okay. Be careful", Clarice said.
Gallant walked into the forest, causing a sad Clarice to lower her ears as a Friend owl flew into the area, and alighted on the branch of a tree:
"Morning, Friend owl".
"Morning, princess. What makes you sad?" Friend owl asked after seeing Clarice's sad expression.
"What do I do to get dad to tell more about himself?" Clarice asked. "You're my father's friend, so could you tell me what kind of amazing upbringing my father really had?"
"Why don't you ask your father that?" Friend owl asked.
"Well, he'd probably say, what you said earlier about, how princes never look back, they always look forward. Instead, maybe you can tell me what kind of upbringing my father had", Clarice said.
"Doesn't Clarice know, how I was raised?" Gallant thought, when he hearing Clarice's said.
Clarice, and Friend owl didn't know Gallant was listening to them.
"Friend owl, based on what you said, I used to imagine that wolves were just bloodthirsty brutes, so I was quite surprised when father said after the wolf situation that happened recently, how one wolf was my father's friend at one point. Wasn't my father ever afraid of how that wolf would might have tried to eat my father, because from what you told me wolves eat deer and other animals? I'd like to be like my father after all", Clarice said.
"So you want to be like your father?" Friend owl asked.
"Yes. It's my decision, because if I'm father's example, a perfect protector of our forest, then he'll surely be proud of me at some point. I don't want him to think of me as a weak, pathetic bastard. I'd like to be a princess he could be proud of, and maybe then I see him smiling at me. So please tell me what kind of upbringing my father received from my grandmother Amara and my grandfather Julius so that I could understand my father. Apart from what I have been told so far, I know nothing about my father. I would like to understand him, because sometimes I feel bad to think that how he alone protects our forest without anyone helping him to protect our forest", Clarice said. "Dad feels a little lonely, and sometimes looks lonely, when he stands on top of the mountain looking at the safety of the forest".
"No doubt loneliness is hard", Friend owl said.
"I don't think my father has any siblings?" Clarice asked.
"Yes. He has no siblings", Friend owl said. "If I didn't know for sure, I might have assumed that deer we saw recently was your father's brother, or something".
"I'd like to help my father so he wouldn't be lonely", Clarice said.
"That's nice of you", Friend owl said.
"Thank you", Clarice said. "Could you tell me about my father's upbringing?"
"My daughter seems curious", Gallant mused, and stopped. "I didn't expect Clarice to think about such things".
"Well your father's parents raised you well. Your father just took some, the things he heard at the time too seriously", Friend owl said.
"What do you mean, and what did you mean by saying earlier that that how Princess Anne was a bit of a troublemaker?" Clarice asked.
"Well, Anne wanted to live a full life. When Anne's mother had experienced a similar situation, like your grandmother Amara, so Anne's father, Felix tried to find an adoptive-mother for Anne, but Anne was angry with her father, when she found out about that matter", Friend owl said.
"Would Felix have given Anne away?!" Clarice asked in shock. "What was really going through Felix's head, when he made that decision?!"
"Heh heh! From what I heard your father said the same, like you just after hearing Anne's story for the first time. Your father even said so, that Felix was somehow mean in doing so, and your father was angry with Felix's decision", Friend owl said.
"Now that I think about it, so I really said such a thing, and I never wanted to be like that, like Felix", Gallant's thoughts. "I didn't realize, that Clarice was curious about my life's fawns-time".
"Princess Anne jumped at the other deer, and those deer were younger, and parents, as he was", Friend the owl
"What do you mean, and what else did he do?" Clarice asked.
"He hid in the bushes, or behind the trees, when the other animals were in the forest, and showed them a scary look on his face", Friend owl said.
"So he managed to scare the others?" Clarice asked.
"Yes she did, but soon became annoying for everyone", Friend owl said.
"In what way? Did he scare your father at some point?" Clarice asked.
"Yes. Anne did scare my dad", Friend owl said.
"What did Anne look like, when she grew up?" Clarice asked.
"She looked pretty for deer", Friend owl said.
Clarice smiled a little as she imagined full-grown Anne, but then she thought of something:
"What do you think I'll look like as a full-grown deer?"
"Well, I guess we will see", Friend owl said.
"I guess, I won't have spots anymore at that point", Clarice said looking at the spots on her back.
"All young deer lose their spots, when those deer grow up", Friend owl said. "When those deer grow big, then they no longer have commas. However, it is rare, that the deer doesn't lose its spots".
"Have you seen white deer?" Clarice asked.
"No", Friend owl said.
"I heard from Thumper, that there are also white deer", Clarice said as she remembered hearing about that from Thrumber recently.
"I see. Like you, I like talking to Thumper", Owl Friend said.
"He's my friend. Besides, why is it so important to the protector of our forest, that others see him as proud?" Clarice asked.
"I haven't bothered to question them, I try to give words of wisdom", Friend owl said.
"I see. Anne didn't seem to care, that others saw him as proud?" Clarice asked.
"Heh heh! Never mind. By the way, when your father had heard Anne's story for the first time, so your father said so, that how he would never be the same, like Anne's father Felix was", Friend owl said.
"I guess I really did say that", Gallant thought, remembering that point.
"I see. Friend owl, you look tired", Clarice said, when she saw it.
"Champ sharpened his horns again on the tree trunk near my house this morning", Friend owl said indignantly. "You can't sleep in that commotion. It's worse than Twitter painteds".
"I guess you told him to go back to his house?" Clarice asked. "What are those Twitter painteds?"
"Yes I did. Twitter painteds are something I'll tell you about, when you're older", Friend owl said.
"Alright. I guess Champ disobeyed you?" Clarice asked.
"Didn't obey", Friend the owl said.
"From what you told me, Champ would make a good doormat", Clarice said. "And think. When he gets dirty, someone could always whip him clean".
"That is not, what I would or could do", Gallant thought.
"Heh heh! That would be fun to watch. Champ doesn't like your dad much," Friend owl said.
"Why doesn't Champ like my dad?" Clarice asked.
"Champ, and your father never got along. Some people, and animals just do. Champ used to make fun of your father as a fawn every chance he got. And would you believe, that your father would have just listened kindly to all the insults?" Friend owl asked.
"I don't think so", Clarice said.
"Champ still hasn't changed", Gallant thought.
"I see. So that deer, the one Champ makes fun of the most is my father", Clarice thought as she realized that.
Suddenly crows appeared in the sky, that flew in the sky:
Crap crap!
"Is there a hunter in our forest now?" Clarice asked after listening to the crows cry, and separating from it the words:
"Hunter".
Clarice ran towards her father's cave, and then settled down to lie on the floor of his father's cave.
"The girl has good hearing", Gallant's thoughts.
Friend owl flew near Gallant's cave:
"What now?"
"Crows are loud birds. I heard them call the other day a hunter. I used to think crows were just loud birds", Clarice said.
"I see why you assumed that", Friend Owl said. "By the way, Gallant got mad at Champ for, how champ bullied your dad, and Champs still bullies others all the time, when you can".
"I see. What kind of upbringing did my father have?" Clarice asked.
"It was almost the same as yours", Friend owl said.
"That's right. How did the other animals react to how Anne scared them?" Clarice asked.
"Well, Anne's friends thought it was funny to see the expressions on those animals, if the animals in question had been mean to Anne, and Anne's friends. The pranksters didn't like it", Friend owl said.
Suddenly, a drop of water fell on Clarice's nose from the ceiling of the cave, causing her to walk out of the cave, and then look at the trunk of the tree above his father's cave, on which a green plant was growing, under which was a small time, from which there was a dropped drop of water on Clarice's nose.
Suddenly, Clarice looked to her right to see her father approaching:
"Is anyone hurt? I just heard the crows calling, that there is a hunter in our forest".
"If there are hunters in the forest once, so I must warn others", Gallant thought:
"I don't know of anyone injured yet, but I'll check the forest just to be sure. You stay here for the time being".
"Alright. Be careful", Clarice said as she walked into her father's den, and then descending to lie on the floor of his father's cave.
When Gallant believed, that Clarice slept, Gallant then looked at the Owl Friend:
"Spring comes, so now it wouldn't be difficult to find an adoptive-mother for Clarice".
"I've really searched the forest, but I still haven't found a deer that fits Clarice. By the way, Champ has again challenged the other male-deer to horn fights", Friend owl said.
"Really?" Gallant asked.
"Yes. Champ reportedly bit a deer after a fight. Some deer think so, that you should challenge Champ to a horn fight again, so he won't bully others for a while. You are the only deer, who ever beat Champ in a horn fight", Friendly owl said.
"Champ hasn't learned anything", Gallant said.
"Yeah. By the way, he was taunting you again", Friend owl said.
"What did Champ say?" Gallant asked as he left to check the security of the forest.
"He was talking about, how you froze in fear after seeing what happened to your wife", Friend owl said, Gallant's expression turning sad at the mention of Tinker Bell. "Champ claimed that he would never freeze, when he was in that situation".
Gallant look both sad and angry.
"Well, Champ called you. Even...Big Horned Goat", Friend owl said.
"Friend owl, he really said that?" Gallant asked.
"Yes said", Friend owl said.
Clarice listened to the conversation between her father, and the Owl Friend, staying where she was so that she was now not seen to be awake.
"What are you going to do to Champ?" Friendly owl asked Gallant. "Champ would really make a good doormat for your den floor. And think, when he gets dirty, you can always whip him clean".
"Friend owl, I am not the kind of deer to that, but it is funny", Gallant said.
"Alright. By the way, Champ has again sharpened his horns on the trunks of those trees, who are close to my home watching over me", Friend owl said.
"When will he stop?" Gallant asked.
"I don't know. Do a tour of the forest and I'll keep your daughter company, when she wakes up. Clarice has excellent hearing, doesn't she, because she heard the word hunter among the crows's recent cries?" Friend owl asked.
"Yes had", Gallant said.
After Gallant had left the cave, Clarice felt glad to hear the words her father had just said, and waited a little while, and then looked at Friend owl:
"Could you tell me about my father's wolf friend? Was that wolf old?"
"That Wolf was the same age as your father", Friend owl said.
"Didn't father ever fear, that that wolf might try to eat my father?" Clarice asked.
"Any canine can, and will smell fear, this wolf told your father this once your was afraid, but chose to be brave", Friend owl said.
"I understand, but I'd like to know why my father isn't very good in social situations with other deer", Clarice said.
"He was very shy, and he would watch other young deer", Friend owl said.
"I still find it hard to imagine him being shy", Clarice said.
"He was, but your mother inspired him to come out of his shyness", Friend owl said.
"I see. Where is father now?" Clarice asked.
"Good question", Friend owl said. "They looked "I'll look around".
"Hopefully he'll be careful, if there really is a hunter in the forest now", Clarice said.
Friend owl flew from the branch.
"Friend owl, when my father, and mother became friends, did they ever fight?" Clarice asked.
"Sure they did", Friend owl said.
"How did they reconcile?" Clarice asked.
"They would give each other space first then, would apologize to each other", Friend owl said.
"I see. By the way, remember when we were talking earlier about, how I really wanted to say something to my dad, but some invisible force just made saying that thing fail?" Clarice asked.
"Yes I remember. Well, what would you like to say to your father?" Friend owl asked.
"I'd like to call him father, but he always seems so haughty that I can't say that word, when he's around. I just don't seem to have the confidence. Friend owl, how could I be more confident?" Clarice asked.
"Be proud of the little things. Confident people believe in their goals...Don't judge others. Judging others, usually means, that they have something you lack….Learn to say no...Speak...Take time to listen...Believe in your cause...Accept, that it's ok to be wrong...Do some exercise(Taken from some page)", Friend owl said.
"Fine. My grandmother Amara is never coming back, is she?" Clarice asked at the same time, as his ears drooped sadly as he thought of Amara.
"No", Friend owl said sadly. "Remember how I told you earlier about, that how your father had once carelessly almost walked right into a trap set by a hunter?"
"Yes", Clarice said.
"Well, before that your father had a dream about Amara", Friend owl said.
"Did my father tell you, what was that dream like?" Clarice asked.
"Yes he did", Friend owl said.
"Well, what was that dream like?" Clarice asked.
"Well, the dream was like this", Friend owl said:
(Flashback/dream)
Gallant was running in a meadow with tall grass and butterflies flying around and the sun was setting.
"Heh heh!" Gallant laughed as he ran in the meadow, and then looked at the butterfly flying in the meadow.
Finally, Gallant stopped, and then looked at the butterfly.
"Gallant", A familiar voice said from his left, and Gallant looked to his left until he saw his mother standing on a hill with many butterflies flying below and above.
"Mom!" Gallant smiled happily, lifted the basket higher, and wagged his tail a little, and ran up the hill, and pressed his head against his mother's upper body, and then Gallant's mother leaned her head lightly against her son's neck. "I miss you so much, mom".
"Hush! Hush! Oh well. Everything will be alright", Amara said touching Gallant's head with her head. "You'll see".
"Mother, why did you leave? Why didn't you run home with me, when we heard the second shot of the hunter's gun while we were in the meadow?" Gallant asked.
"There is a time for everything in nature", Amara said raising her head to look at her son. "When something disappears, something else grows. Maybe not the same as before, but something new, and wonderful nonetheless".
"But I'm so alone", Gallant said.
"Adrien, I will never leave your heart, and I will never leave your father's heart. Regardless, I will always be with you, even if you can't see me", Amara said. "I'm here, I'm here, I'm here".
(End of the dream)
Gallant awoke to find the sun setting, and rubbing his head against the root of the tree to his left.
(End of the flashback)
"After that, did dad hear the sound of the deer-whistle you told me about earlier in the meadow?" Clarice asked sadly, remembering Bambi having that dream in the Bambi 2-movie.
"Yes he did", Friend owl said.
"Was my grandfather angry with my father for that matter?" Clarice asked.
"It was at first", Friend owl said as Gallant walked up.
Friend owl flew away.
"Sir, was anyone hurt after being attacked by the hunter the crows mentioned earlier?" Clarice asked her father who stopped in front of Clarice.
"Not wounded", Gallant said.
"Good night", Clarice said finally falling asleep.
Gallant laid down on the cave floor, and tried to sleep.
(In the morning)
Clarice opened her eyes as water fell on her nose, and then walked out of her father's cave to see a small plant growing on the ceiling of Gallant's cave with water falling into the cave from a hole below.
Clarice smiled slightly as Gallant woke up:
"Morning, sir".
"Morning", Gallant said, looking at the rising sun. "You seem to be able to wake up early in the morning".
"Yes", Clarice dug up some roots from under the snow, and ate them. After eating enough, he looked at his father:
"What kind of spin are we doing in the forest today".
"I'll do it myself. Spend that time with your friends", Gallant said as he left the place after eating first.
"How could I be friends with my father?" Clarice then thought about walking forward.
Clarice wandered all day in the forest until she saw her friend talking in a small clearing:
"Hi. How are you?"
Drummer, Faline, Adrien, and Flora looked at Clarice with a smile.
"Very well", Faline said.
"Hey, Clarice. Do I have horns yet?" Adrien asked letting Clarice look at Adrien's head. "I know my spots aren't gone yet".
"Well, you don't have horns yet," Clarice said.
"I told you Clarice would say something like that", Flora told her brother.
The sun was going down.
"Did you guys attend the recent Groundhog Day event?" Clarice asked the other fawns. "That's not my thing, but what did the marmota say?"
"The marmota said spring is coming", Faline said.
"Many animals were happy, but Friend owl didn't like that spring is coming", Flora said.
"Well, from what I've heard, some birds sing, so loudly in the spring that Friend owl can't sleep, as most owls sleep during the day", Clarice said.
"I see", Faline said.
"I didn't see you at the marmota event", Spotless, green-eyed, and arrogant male-deer fawn said coming into the clearing, then looked at Clarice. The vagabond in question already had small horns.
"Ronno", Clarice thought, disgusted by Ronno's impudence as she recognized the fawn as Ronno.
"That's not my thing, and I had other things to do those days", Clarice said.
"What to do?" Ronno asked.
"Clarice was with her father that day looking at the meadow from the hill. Clarice is the daughter of The Great Prince of the Forest", Thumber said.
"The cold-hearted male-deer's daughter?" Ronno asked, grimacing a little annoyingly.
"Don't mock my father!" Clarice looked at Ronno angrily. "My father protects our forest, and the inhabitants of our forest!"
"Really, princess? I recently heard a gunshot from the direction of the forest, where your father was this morning", Ronno said.
"Stop talking about my father like that!" Clarice screamed.
Ronno looked like he was going to say something, but then Ronno's mother came over:
"Ronno, let's go home".
"Ah, mother, you wouldn't mind disturbing me, when I'm making new friends", Ronno walked away from the place with his mother.
"He's definitely a mamma's boy", Thumber said.
Clarice walked away from the place imitating her father's walking style, while Thumber followed Clarice.
When Clarice, and Thumber arrived near Gallant's cave, they saw drops of blood in the snow that went straight to Gallant's cave.
"Father!" Clarice thought worriedly, and walked towards her father's cave more cautiously, only to see her father standing in front of the mouth of the cave, and lying in front of the cave, another male-deer with a wound on his leg that was bleeding.
"Dad is fine!" Clarice thought as she walked around her father, looking at her father's body for any wounds but seeing none. Clarice pressed her head against her father's upper body, almost crying:
"Thankfully you are fine, sir".
"What exactly are you talking about?" Gallant asked his daughter.
"A brat named Ronno heard a gunshot this morning in the part of the forest you were in earlier, sir, and when we got here we saw those drops of blood in the snow. Clarice was worried about you", Thumber said.
Gallant felt a little happy, and touched that Clarice was taking care of Gallant, so Gallant couldn't say anything now.
Clarice walked in front of a nearby tree, and removed the bark from its trunk, which Clarice brought to the strange male, placing the bark in the snow in front of the strange male-deer.
"Thank you. Your daughter is a kind fawn, sir", The strange male-deer said to Gallant after eating the rind that Clarice had just brought to the strange male-deer. "Well a princess must be polite".
"Please", Clarice walked over to her father's side. "Sir, what exactly happened in the forest today after the hunter entered the forest?"
Clarice tried to appear calm, but was relieved that her father was okay:
"Sir, I was afraid after seeing the blood, that you were wounded in some way. I'm glad you're okay".
Gallant looked like he didn't know what to say, but then spoke:
"Looks like we need to talk about something, Clarice".
"Okay. Is he getting better?" Clarice asked looking at the strange male-deer, who stood up, and then walked away.
"Yes. The bullet from the gun went right past her leg, causing a superficial wound to her leg. This way", Gallant led Clarice into the woods near the meadow, then stopped:
"Listen carefully, Clarice".
"I'm here, I'm here", Clarice heard someone say from the other side of the meadow, but even though it sounded like a deer, Clarice knew immediately, what it was. It was actually a hunting-whistle, with which the hunter imitated the sound of a deer to lure an unsuspecting deer into walking right into the hunter's trap.
"That sounds like a deer's voice, but I think it's actually a hunter's hunting whistle, which the hunter uses to lure the deer into walking into the trap. I heard about them from Friend owl", Clarice said.
"Yes. Let's go back to the cave", Gallant followed Clarice into the cave.
Clarice laid down on the leaves on the floor of the cave:
"Sir, what happens on those days when a new prince is born in our forest, or a new princess?"
"Usually on those days, all the animals in the forest come to see the new prince, or princess in the cave, where the fawn in question was born, and where the fawn is with its mother at that time. The animals learn about the birth of a new fawn, when the birds announce it to the other animals. The father of the fawn in question stands in the cave on a nearby rock looking at his mate, and his fawn, before officially meeting his fawn himself", Gallant said finally falling asleep.
"Good night, sir", Clarice said, finally falling asleep.
(Gallant's dream)
Gallant was standing in a meadow, where butterflies were flying, and where the wind was blowing a little.
After walking in the meadow for a while, Gallant saw Tinker Bell standing on a hill.
"Tinker Belle!" Gallant thought in disbelief until he walked up to Tinker Bell, and leaned his neck against Tinker Bell's neck. "I miss you so much, Tinker Bell, and I'm even lonely without you".
"I will always be in your, and our daughter's hearts, even if you don't see me", Tinker Bell said.
(End of the dream)
Gallant opened his eyes, and looked at his daughter sadly, then stood up, and walked out of the cave until he came to a rock, when it began to rain, and the water-rain drenched Gallant. Then tears began to fall from Gallant's eyes:
"Tinker Bell".
"You ok, sir?" Clarice asked, when Gallant come back home.
"Yes. Hunters have been seen in the woods now, so be careful", Gallant said.
"I'll keep that in mind. Good night", Clarice said falling asleep.
Gallant also fell asleep.
"What do I do for Gallant?" The guest deer thought while looking at Gallant, and Clarice standing behind a tree.