"Attention!" An old female deer called the Cave of Does to order. She looked at each one of them. "As you have probably already found out, we have had four members struck by the Red Plague. Emiva was one of them, our leader, and now I must resume the spot of leader to this group." She paused, "As well as Mio, Lacey, and Sykora. There will be a service for the dead tonight, so please come prepared." she cleared her throat. "I also say that under no circumstance may a deer leave camp without another with them at all times." She looked to Martisol, who cringed under the old crone's stare. "Is that understood?"

"Yes" The does replied together.

The old female deer took a moment as she stood on the rock to look at each of the deers faces. "That is all" She said finally, and walked away.

Isis, among the other does who had been listening, looked over to Martisol, who was standing alone by herself, just standing there. Ever since it... had happened, she no longer wanted to play with the other fawns. All she had was an abnormally large pinecone which she carried around with her.

Isis walked slowly over to the little fawn. "Whats wrong, Mari?" She knew what was wrong, but, well, it seemed the only way she could think of to start a comforting conversation.

The little fawn didn't look up. She just stood there... looking down at her pinecone.

"Oh Martisole," Isis murmered. She nuzzled the little fawn gently. "Come on, night is here, you must go to sleep now." She nudged the little fawn to her feet, and picked up the pinecone in her mouth while guiding Martisole to her sleeping place with the other fawns. She dropped the pinecone beside the fawn. "Sweet dreams, my little one" Isis whispered, nuzzled, and retreated.

Isis let the cold air surround her. She was alone, yes, but she was within ear and eyeshot of the Cave of Does, so she figured she would be fine. The moon was looking down at her, and the stars twinkled. She needed some thinking time.

She, and a few other deer, were to go on a quest, a mission, to rid the land of this terrible disease. But how on Earth was she going to find the others? Isis scratched the ground. She closed her eyes.

"Please, Lacey...Mio...Sykora... Help me" She whispered. A cricket strummed nearbye.

Suddenly, the world went black. The forest around her had turned to darkness. Black everywhere. Nothing. Isis raised her head abruptly, but just as she was doing so, she noticed some glowing ahead.

Isis gasped in her breath as three translucent, glowing deer came into focus. She closed her eyes and opened them again, and the deer were still there. Isis held her breath as one came forward.

"Isis... we are here for you" It whispered. Lacey heard something familiar in that voice, and she breathed.

"Lacey....."

The shining brown doe nodded slowly. "We are here to guide you, Isis. You are not alone."

Isis looked to the other deer, which she immediately recognized as the small doe Mio, and Sykora the fawn. They each looked at her gravely.

"We have something for you that will help you on your journey" Mio whispered, her voice light and airy on the wind. Out of the darkness came another deer, one who she recognized as Emiva. The old doe was carrying something in her mouth.

Isis bowed respectfully to her former leader. The leader blinked her eyes in acnolegment.

"Take this and place it around your neck. It is a seeing stone." Emiva held up a little transparent rock tied to some brown leatherish string. "You will have to find out how to work it yourself though, I am afraid."



She handed the necklace to Isis, who took it and held it with extreme care. Emiva stood there for a moment, looking at Isis. Then she backed off into the darkness again.

"We are here for you, Isis." Said the little fawn. "Whenever you need us."

Isis couldn't speak. All she could do was mouth, shivering, "thank you"

The trio of deer nodded as one, and began slowly backing up into the darkness again. As soon as they had gone, the dakness cleared instantly, and the forest was back to normal.

Isis breathed deeply. She looked down at the necklace in her hoove, but found it wasnt there. Then she realized that the necklace was already around her neck.

Isis breathed again. She looked up to the stars. "I guess this is where I start my journey" And walked off into the night.

~