|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2007 6:32 pm
As he promised, Brychan led Scruff in the direction of his family. He had to pause a moment though, letting his gaze scour over the meadow until he finally caught sight of them. It was in their direction that Brychan bounded, and soon called out to them.
"Islwyn! Tempest! I have someone I would like you to meet."
This caught Tempest's attention and she scampered towards her father, ears turn forward. "Father! You came to visit!" She then paused as she looked at the calf that wasn't much younger than her and Islwyn. The doe tilting her head to the side in curiousity. "Hello there... I'm Tempest." A friendly smile given to the calf, before she looked to see if her brother was coming. He was probably too busy chasing a rabbit or something.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 10, 2007 7:02 pm
No surprise, Telyn was around as well. Although her children were pretty much grown, the grey hind still felt some sort of responsibility to watch them, at least a little. Or, at least watch Islwyn. He was almost ready for the corps, but the boy still got into trouble. Telyn would have thought he was like her as a youngling, only she wasn’t so… energetic…
Her ears pricked up at the sound of Brychan’s voice and she ventured towards the black stag. She was a little surprised to see him again so soon after their last meeting, but she wasn’t disappointed. Of course not! Just seeing him made her feel a little better.
And then she saw the calf. That made her stop for a moment… no, she wasn’t about to think that Brychan was hiding some other hind and this was his ‘other’ son! Of course not! Brychan simply wasn’t the sort to hide that type of thing… “So, who’s the father, Brychan?” she asked jokingly.
As a matter of fact, Islwyn was tormenting the bunnies of the field. An unwary step of his caused his front leg to collapse one of the shallower burrows that belonged to the rabbits. Curious as ever, he poked his head into the newly made hole and looked around.
Wow! It was so dark in there! And it smelled like wet earth! And bunnies! Lots and lots of bunnies. His tail wagged as he explored the damp earth as best he could, which wasn’t very much considering he could only fit his head in the hole. But, he explored it very thoroughly. It didn’t seem like anyone was home though…
Eventually, he pulled his face back out of the tunnel and shook his head to dislodge any bits of dirt. Hey, wait! Look, his father was here! “Dad!” he shot off towards the black stag but skidded to a stop---slipping a little in the mud and creating a new fun game for himself---when he noticed the other calf. He tilted his head to one side and approached the newcomer. “Hi! I’m Islwyn.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 11:23 pm
The calf straightened up and replied to Tempest with a jaunty grin, "My name's Scruff." He tried to stand so that his oak leaf marking was visible, but he wasn't sure if he succeeded. Oh well, there would be time for that later.
When the hind approached he quieted and looked up anxiously to see what the stag would say, wondering what she meant. Brychan didn't know his father, did he? None of these deer knew his father. Was he missing something? Maybe he should keep running after all...
The interruption of the young black deer cleared away such worries and he shook his tail happily. "Hi! I'm Scruff. Your dad told me you were here." Glancing back at the stag he noted, "You look like him." He grinned again. "Let's play! What are you playing?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 11:39 pm
Brychan smirked at Telyn, shaking his head, "Not mine.. I found him in the woods. Seems to have been abandoned or something.. didn't even know his own name. So I had him make up one." Poor little fellow.. from the looks of him, he appeared to have been through a lot. Although now he was cleaned up and seemed to be in better spirits.
Tempest smiled happily as the calf introduced himself to her then Islwyn. Looks like her brother would have a new friend to play with! That would keep him out of her fur atleast. She did noticed the leaf, and tilted her head curiously. She'd ask about it later.
Brychan chuckled quietly as he watched the two, hoping the two boys would have fun, and that Scruff would want to stick around. They boy needs a home after all, and to be taken care of properly.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2007 11:48 pm
Telyn’s grin faded partly when she saw the oak leaf on the side of the calf. Oh, she knew what that meant… it was an old story, passed on for generations and generations. That mark was destiny; those who had it were meant for great things… it was also a sign of trouble ahead for the herd. She had heard strange rumors of dangerous deer--- dead creatures with rotting flesh dropping in heaps from the bones, but still refusing to die properly---- wandering about. The Fallen. Could they have anything to do with this strange calf? Still, if Brychan brought him back, he was bound to be safe. Brychan would never do anything to endanger the herd. Telyn trusted that, completely and fully.
“Strange times, Brychan. First Chirin and Braith. Now this one…” she murmured to her stag, in a low enough voice so that it wouldn’t worry the younglings too much. Perhaps Tempest could hear, however, since she wasn’t distracted by the prospects of games.
Islwyn’s tail wagged just as much as Scruff’s did as he danced back and forth. Wow! A playmate! Someone who actually wanted to play! This was the first calf who actually wanted to join in with his games, and that was a huge surprise to Islwyn.
“Um… I dunno. I haven’t decided on a game yet. You wanna play tag?” Questions like who this calf was, what the leaf on his side meant, and where he had come from didn’t occur to the black calf. That was for other deer to worry about. His only concern was did this calf know how to play tag? Or would Islwyn have to teach him?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 12:31 am
The talk of the adults floated vaguely above Scruff's head, and after hearing Brychan say something that made him think that his father wasn't involved he didn't bother listening to it anymore and concentrated on playing. "Tag?" he said, scrunching his nose up at the unfamiliar name. "What kind of game is that? Is it fun?" He was eager to learn, if this was a game that was common in this herd. He wanted to fit in. For now at least.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 9:58 am
"I know..." Brychan said quietly, nuzzling Telyn so it seemed to the younglings like they were merely being lovey dovey and not talking about them. Still, there was a concerned frown on his face. "I'm going to mention him to the Lord... but really.. I don't know what to make of him. He has that mark. But, I thought it would be better to let him play with other younglings than taking him straight to Fell Lore. Might frighten him, he seems to have been through a lot." He knew that the presence of such a calf could potentially bring misfortune upon the herd, or maybe the other way around, it was hard to say for sure. "The storyteller, Cledwyn, had told me he felt that things would change soon." Perhaps this calf was going to initiate that change.
Tempest was a few feet away but her ear was turned in the direction of her parents while they spoke, her eyes on the two boys as they played.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2007 11:44 am
“It could be mere chance,” Telyn said quietly after a moment of thought. “If I squint my eyes and tilt my head slightly to the left, some of your spots could look like an oak leaf. It could just be pure chance.” Despite her words, she didn’t believe it. There were far too many things happening for something like this to be ‘coincidence’.
“First the ghost wolf hunts, taking down healthy hinds by himself. Then Braith and Chirin come to us, marked by Man. Then the Fallen walk once more… and the reindeer wander close to our herd. And now this. I believe Cledwyn when he says something is happening, Brychan. Cledwyn… he’s the white deer with the twisted antler, right? The Storyteller? He’s been here many seasons. I would listen to him carefully. When someone survives as long as he has, they must be doing something right.” For the life of her, Telyn couldn’t imagine what was going to change. “I wonder if the reindeer have noticed any changes.”
Islwyn blinked at his new friend, his eyes wide with amazement. “You don’t know tag? Well, you have to know it! I’ll teach you! I’m good at teaching how to play tag!” His little hooves danced on the ground with excitement as he considered just how to teach the obvious to someone. Sure, he said he was good at teaching, but… well… he never had to teach anyone before. “So… umm… one of us plays a wolf and one plays a deer. The one who is a wolf tries to chase after the deer. If touched, the deer becomes the wolf and everything reverses. Do you get it?” He tilted his head to one side curiously.
Really, it was just another excuse for Islwyn to run around hyperly. He considered that to be very important in a game. It was generally the first thing he looked for.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 18, 2007 3:13 am
A white calf slowly approached the two younger deer. His red eyes blinked curiously as he watched one of them explain tag and smiled. Maybe he could join! He glanced over at the adults but they were wrapped up in conversation.
He put a hoof forward then bounded to the Islwyn and Scruff. "Uhm... excuse me!" The pricket called out, skidding to a stop a foot or so away. "I was wondering if I could play too... I'm Jensen!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 20, 2007 11:20 am
Scruff thought about this, and then his eyes widened. "Ohhh! Chase! I know that game, of course I do. But I call it chase." He, too, danced around in place, infused with Islwyn's infectious energy. "Let's play let's play! I call--"
But before he could pick which side he wanted, he noticed the white calf. "Hi!" he said cheerfully. "I'm Scruff. You know how to play chase? Er, tag?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 1:00 pm
Brychan lifted his brow, giving Telyn a dubious look. Yeah... he thought it was more than mere coincidence, and that mark... is was most certainly an oak leaf.
He nodded as she continued, "I know... so many things happening at once. I believe him as well. I suppose I'll have to bring this up with the lord also." It was his duty after all... but with Anlach approaching... there would be many distractions.
"Well considering how cautious and paranoid atleast one of the reindeer seemed to be.. I wouldn't doubt it. That is... if they've had similar happenings among their herd." Which he couldn't say for sure, for Donner wouldn't even let him meet the hinds of their herd. Brychan though, was starting to worry a bit for the future of his children. He then blinked as Jensen appeared... wasn't that one of Fell Lore's?
Tempest perked up when she saw another calf come over, and deciding she wanted to mingle as well, trotted up to the group of boys. "Can I play as well?" she asked hopefully, ears turned forward, and eyes bright. If she was ever to get noticed, she needed to make some friends, right? Right.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2007 2:47 pm
“I suppose he should know,” Telyn said slowly. Although she had grown up respecting Fell Lore, she found it waning for him lately. The Lord was a good stag, she knew, but… well… she found herself doubting his decisions. Maybe it was just her own egotism, but she honestly felt that Brychan would make a better Lord. And she fully intended on pressuring him to challenge the Lord again this Anlach. As if he didn’t already have those ambitions…
If Anlach wasn’t so close, Telyn would have suggested trying to meet with the reindeer again. But, with the rut almost here, she didn’t want to let Brychan go for long. What if something happened to him? Besides, the reindeer were probably getting just as antsy as the red deer. Best not bother them yet.
“What do you think we should do?” she asked finally.
Islwyn practically danced once more as Scruff revealed that he was familiar with the game. Goodgoodgood! That made things much easier. Since Scruff was new here, Islwyn figured he should let the other youngling choose sides first. It seemed impossible, but his hyperactivity actually grew as he noticed another newcomer, this one a white calf.
Wow! White!! Islwyn looked at him with amazement, since he wasn’ aware that deer could come in colors other than black and grey. True, Rhomae was mostly white but she had stripes. Pure white! Wow… “Sure, you can play! We’re gonna play Tag! Or Chase. Whatever it’s called.”
And then Tempest decided to warm up. For a moment, Islwyn considered giving her the cold shoulder because she had been acting so mean to him lately, all not wanting to play and stuff. But, he didn’t have it in him. He didn’t realize that the only reason she wanted to play was because of the newcomer. “The more, the better the game.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 24, 2007 9:05 pm
Jensen nodded quickly. "Me and my brother play chase!" He answered excitedly. He looked over to the fawn that approached and put his ears up. A girl? He hadn't met a fawn before. "So do you guys want to start now? Who's it?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 10:37 am
"I'm not it!" Scruff immediately bolted away, the combination of food and water, friendly company, and a relatively flat terrain overriding all his former exhaustion for the moment. He looked back over his shoulder to see who was going to be chasing them all first. Ah, it was so much easier to run when his hooves weren't constantly getting caught in things. And the grass looked so green to him! This really was a great place. He made a wide arc around Brychan and the hind, using them as his marker to keep track of where he was in the meadow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2007 2:46 pm
Brychan sighed quietly, "Well I was hoping you might keep an eye on him for awhile, until we figure something out. He's about Islwyn's age, so he'll probably be in the Corps soon, and I can look after him at that point. Make sure he's well trained and get him adjusted to the herd. That is assuming he stays." He couldn't imagine letting the calf go off by himself again to fend for himself out there in the wild. He was young, and he should be around adults.
Brychan then chuckled softly as he watched the game commense, with Scruff running around him and Telyn.
"I'm not it either!" Tempest shouted, also bolting away in another direction, although she kept an eye on Scruff. She was curious about him, and Jensen too. She's seen glimpses of the white calf before, but she didn't actually know him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
