"You protected this forest from the cat from the mountain. I do not know how to thank you except for staying with you."
Man entered the forest other than to hunt. One such hunter, The Great Hunter, has a history in the forest. When he goes missi...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
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 the Owl's idea.
