The crew marched on for hours. Quad apparently knew where he was going, but the others weren't so sure. Auge spoke up, "Hey Quad, I don't recognize any of this." They stopped, Quad looking around. "Hmm...I could have sworn we came from this direction.", he said.

The area was lit well, beams of sunlight coming down from the canopy above. They could hear a variety of insects chirping and buzzing in the area, as well as a faint sound of rushing water. "It looks so familiar...", Quad said. Dim shook his head, "I don't remember this area." Scorn shrugged, "I'm sure Quad knows where home is."

They treaded on, unaware that Quad was attracted to the area not because it was the way home, but because it was the way he went on the first day he lived. The sound of water slowly grew louder, and the terrain was a little different. They were starting to walk uphill rather than on level ground, and this concerned the others. "Quad I don't think this is the way.", Mazey called out, but Quad didn't hear her. He kept going, following the water and becoming more excited with each step.

They passed a fallen log, and Quad saw tracks and a dent in the wood before they leapt over it. Mazey tried to jump the log and her back legs got caught on it for a moment before she pushed herself over. Quad knew he was close - he had to see it. They saw a clearing ahead, and Quad rushed forward, leaving the others behind. He stopped at the edge of a cliff, looking down at the river below. "This is it!", he exclaimed in excitement. "What is this?", Auge questioned.

He looked to them, "This is where the man shot me." The others were shocked - Quad wasn't leading them home, he took them deeper into the area. Auge was a little irritated. "We'll never get back in time.", she said. "I want to go home...", Mazey whined. Scorn came up to the edge and looked over. "Hmm...that's a long fall.", he said. Quad looked down at the ground below them. "You can still see my blood there.", he pointed out. Scorn looked down, and noticed the ground below them was starting to give out. "Oh cr...", he began to say when the ground collapsed.

As Quad jumped back, Scorn slipped and gripped the rock wall with his front hooves. He was losing his hold as the ground was disintegrating around him. Auge, Dim, and Mazey panicked, rushing up to help, but their weight only made the ground collapse more. "I...can't...", Scorn tried to say, as his arms started to give out.

Quad looked back where the trees were. He didn't know how he knew, but he was sure there was a rope laying on the ground nearby. "Hang on, Scorn!", he called as he ran back to the treeline. He was suprised to find the rope there, coiled like a snake. He wasn't sure how he spotted this, or how the others missed it, but he grabbed it with his teeth and ran back, tossing the end over the ledge. "Grab on!", Quad called the best he could, the rope in his mouth. Scorn caught the rope as it swung by, getting a good grip before letting go of the wall. He dangled from the rope just as the cliffside collapsed, throwing him into the wall. He winced in pain but held onto the rope firmly. Quad could not hold the rope for long - he was slowly being dragged toward the edge, as he pulled and tugged desperately.

Auge, and Dim grabbed the rope with their teeth and helped him pull Scorn over. Scorn crawled away from the edge and let go of the rope, gasping for air and spitting out bits of rope and dirt from his mouth. "That was amazing!", Mazey called out in excitement. To her, this was one big adventure - the deer took the moment to laugh at the situation, despite almost losing one of their own.

"Where did you find this at, Quad?", Dim questioned. He looked to the treeline, "I saw it sitting there when we came over. I think the hunter that shot me dropped it.", he said. "You're very observant.", Auge said. Scorn tried to stand, but the event wore him out. All he could say was, "Thank you..."

"Now what? I don't think we know where we are anymore.", Auge questioned. "Let's rest up for a bit. Then we can head on.", Quad decided. "I'm up for that.", Scorn agreed, breathing a heavy sigh of relief.

-=|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|=-

It was about midday when the crew was on their feet and wandering the forest again. They stopped and ate some mushrooms along the path before continuing on. None spoke of the incident or Quad's foolish detour, but there was much on Scorn's mind. He suddenly came to a realization, "Hey hang on!" The deer stopped and turned to him. "Quad, remember when Dim tried to eat those mushrooms at the beginning of this adventure?", he asked. Quad nodded. "Well, if he would have eaten them all, would he have...died?", Scorn continued. Quad hesitated before answering, "...Yes." Scorn carried on with the conversation, "And you also were the one who saved Mazey from the coyotes, right?" "Yes.", Quad answered again. Auge added something else, "And that hunter tried to shoot me, but Quad took the bullet." Scorn shook his head, "And he found the rope just a while ago. Without that, I don't know how I would have gotten out of that situation."

"So...Quad saved all of our lives.", Dim stated. "I suppose so.", Auge answered. "Then it's true! He is lucky!", Mazey exclaimed. They all looked to him in suprise. Quad didn't realize it himself, and he was shocked himself. "I guess I am...", he said. They all stood in silence for several moments, reflecting on this, before Quad carried on, and the others followed behind.

It was the only thing on their minds for the time.

-=|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|=-

They had walked on for a few more hours. Dim stopped and began to sniff the air. Mazey looked back and asked, "What's wrong?" "I've smelt that before...", he replied. At that instant, they all heard a sound that sent a chill down their spines - a familiar howl, and very close. "It's the coyotes!", Auge exclaimed. "Oh no! We don't have the enchantments again!", Mazey cried. "If they catch us...", Scorn began to say, but Quad interrupted him, "Calm down. Maybe they'll leave us alone, knowing what we can do.", he said.

At that moment, the coyotes emerged from the trees, standing before them and glaring at them. The four adults immediately created a barrier around Mazey. Their hearts began to beat faster and harder.

One of the coyotes began to walk toward them. They easily recognized him as the Leader, who had commanded the others the previous time they encountered the coyotes. The Leader stopped and stared at Quad, asking him, "Are you the son of Brooke, the Forest Shaman?" Quad, somewhat suprised about this, answered, "I am."

At once, the coyotes bowed to them. "What...?", Auge questioned, as the Leader explained, "I am Irontalon, and our pack, the Fire Brethren, are allies with the Forest Shamans."

Scorn questioned them, "Are you going to attack us?" One of the coyotes shook their head, "No, not anymore."

Dim then asked, "Can you take us to the Endless Forest?" The Leader nodded, "Anything for our allies."

The deer lowered their guard, holding their heads high. Who knew the animals that attacked them before would be their allies?

-=|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|=-

The coyotes led the deer deep into the woods. The deer were suprised to learn that they had been going in the right direction, though they had no idea. Quad and Irontalon walked together, talking about his mother. "When I was younger, a tree fell on me and broke my spine. I would have died if it was not for Brooke, who found me and was able to revive me. I owe my life to her and her family.", he explained. Quad kept silent, listening happily, as he loved to hear stories about his mother. The other coyotes were speaking with the other deer. Auge was given hunting tactics, many things that she was eager to learn about. Dim held a conversation about nature and the forest with another coyote. Mazey told stories of her adventures in the Endless Forest. Scorn didn't speak, only listening to the others.

They stopped at one point and the Leader turned to them. "You can keep going from here. It's not much farther.", he said. They recognized the area - it was the beginning of the dying area they went through, the area outside the Endless Forest. Quad bowed to them, "Thank you so much.", he said. The Leader smirked and nodded, "Call us anytime you need. You are still in my debt."

Quad smiled and said, "Actually, there IS something you could do for us..."

-=|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|=-

Paul's vision returned to him. His head ached and he tried to move, but his arms were tied to the main post of his tent. He struggled to break free, but it was no good. Relaxing, he tried to figure out a way to get out of the situation when he heard something nearby. An animal was calling out.

His heart began to race. He panicked and tried to untie his hands when he looked at the front of the tent. A long, dog-like snout was before him, the creature grinning widely and drooling. "This'll be fun.", the Coyote Leader said, as he and his pack entered the tent.

Paul's screams echoed throughout the area, and could be heard for miles.

-=|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|=-

The deer were near the place where they first started when Quad stopped them. "What is it?", Auge asked, but he was silent. He closed his eyes, and listened as his mother was speaking to him.

Now I will show you the true extent of my power..., she said in his mind.

At once his head began to glow. He took a step, and beneath his feet, a flurry of flowers, mushrooms, and grass grew around it, spreading out wildly like an infection of life. With a second step, the trees began to change, their branches growing out with leaves on the tips, and their bark changing from grey to a healthy brown. On his third step, the ground changed, becoming much softer. The water in a nearby lake became clear, and the sky began to brighten. The smell of death and decay vanished, and the smells of fragrance, pollen, and wood entered the deers' noses. They smelt the air in delight, closing their eyes and taking deep whiffs of the air, exhaling in a pleasing manner. The area had become beautiful.

Quad's head soon stopped glowing, and he looked up in suprise. "Mother, it's lovely!", he exclaimed joyfully. He walked off the path, finding an oversized flower, and rearing up, he stuck his nose within it, smelling the flower and thinking of his mother.

The deer carried on, gazing at the area with their eyes wide before making it back to the Endless Forest. As they walked, the forests merged, and they stood in silence, shocked at what they saw.

Deer. Many, if not all of them, stood around the Twin Gods' statue. All turned to see them, and at once the Endless Forest erupted with many voices, calling happily and excitedly to them. The deer reared, skipped, and danced, all eyes upon the five of their own who had finally returned to them.

To Be Continued...