A lot happened today... I guess...I should just go in order.

I was just wandering through the forest, hoping to find someone I know. And then I saw Burrow. I hadn't seen him in a while, and I've always enjoyed his company, so I ran up to him. But, for some reason, he didn't seem interested in playing. Then I noticed something seemed wrong. He seemed...sad? He sat down, so I sat with him. Then when he got up and started walking, I realized he was limping. I don't know what happened. But I wanted to help somehow. There wasn't much I could do, so, I just walked with him, and sat with him when he needed to rest. At first I was worried he might not want to be followed, but he never asked me to leave or anything.

While I was walking with Burrow, Skeevah showed up! I haven't seen him in a while and I was very happy to see him again! I really wanted to run around and play with him, but I didn't want to leave Burrow. I felt kind of bad, like I was ignoring Skeevah, but I felt Burrow needed some support, so there wasn't much I can do. Skeevah seemed to understand, though. At least I think he did, since he ended up walking with us. Sometimes...sometimes fun has to be sacrificed. Sometimes there are just more important things. I...guess I hadn't really thought about it before. I used to think about only playing and having fun. This time, I was just worried about Burrow. I've never come across a deer that had been hurt before. I have no idea how it could have happened. But, I didn't ask him. It just seemed like it would be kind of...prying...to ask. I just thought I should just keep him company, make sure he wasn't alone. Because if it were me, I don't think I'd want to be alone.

That wasn't all. I while later, I saw Baal again. I had seen him earlier today, but he was asleep. Now he was awake, and he was with another deer, one I had met before, one of the twins. When I tried to approach Baal, he...he acted strange. He wasn't like he was when I first met him. I don't know why... It almost seemed as if he didn't recognize me. He reared and lowered his horns, and his friend was doing the same thing, and shaking his head, telling me to stay away. I don't know what was going on. I tried to approach Baal a few more times, hoping for some explanation, or that at least he might be more like he was the first time I met him. But I was always met with the same reaction, and then each time he would run off. At one point I even tried dancing, thinking that might help, like last time. But, it didn't work. That's when I decided it was probably best to just give up, and go back to my friends. I had the feeling that, if I had continued to pursue Baal, that it would risk a conflict of some sort. I don't know why, because he didn't seem aggressive or anything when I met him before. So I don't know why I would get that feeling. Maybe...maybe just because he was acting differently this time. I still can't imagine why, though. I mean, if he had been alone, I might have thought he just wanted to be left alone for whatever reason. But he wasn't alone...and...he...didn't want me around... I...I just don't get it... I thought we had fun together before. Did...I do something wrong, and not realize it?
I don't know....

........

Um...Anyway...like I said, I went back to Skeevah and 21 and the others, but, I didn't really feel like playing at first... But, watching them, I decided to just...forget about it, and just...join in...
I danced, and that always makes me happy.

But then, while I was playing with my friends, I noticed two deer in a mushroom circle. At first, I wasn't sure what they were doing. It almost looked like they were fighting. I tried to get a closer look, without leaving my friends. But that wasn't easy. So, I tried to just forget it. But they were making a lot of noise, and they were hard to ignore. How were the others ignoring it? Did they just not notice? I went over, and, they were definitely fighting. I tried to get someone's attention, because I didn't know what to do. But nobody seemed to notice. Finally 21 followed me, but she didn't seem to know what to do, either. I wanted to make them stop fighting. I tried calling to them, telling them to stop, but either they didn't hear me, or they were ignoring me. So...I did the only other thing I could think of. When they were apart, I went into the circle, bowed to them both, and tried to tell them to stop fighting. I realized I was taking a risk, but they didn't attack me, so I wasn't hurt. At first, I thought it seemed like they were listening. But then they started again a little bit later. So I got between them and sat down, but they just went somewhere else and kept fighting! There was nothing else I could do. I just kept trying to tell them to stop, but they wouldn't listen! I mean, I guess I'm not really surprised...I didn't really expect just one deer could stop them...maybe if others had helped, but they wouldn't...but I had to try something! I couldn't stand seeing two deer fighting. And I couldn't stand hearing it, either. I couldn't just...let it happen, without at least trying to do something.

Well...they finally stopped fighting after a while. I don't know where they went after that. I went back to playing with Skeevah, and 21, and Virgil, and the other deer that were there...there were a lot of deer there today! It was a bigger group than what I've seen before, or at least as far as I can remember. But I kept thinking of other things...the fight...Baal...Burrow...

Oh, and then there was that odd deer, that just stood there and watched from a distance. I greeted him a couple of times. I hoped he would join us and play. But each time, he just...ran off. There was something...odd...about him...different, somehow.... I don't know what it is. Maybe it was just my imagination. After all, a deer is a deer, right? Anyway, he looked sad, so I wanted to cheer him up, but he didn't let me get close enough.

So... A lot of strange experiences today... I don't really know what to think... I always thought the forest was always peaceful, happy, perfect...a paradise... But...now... I...I just...don't know....
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I'm really glad all this happened today. For once, Amary experienced some negative things, and felt what it's like to be sad/upset for the first time, at least that she can remember (not counting having to say goodbye). Maybe she'll learn something!

deer mentioned in this journal:
Skeevah, Burrow, Baal, 21, Virgil, Darcy, Darkweaver, Vermillion, Yurei (I think)
I think that's it. There were other deer there, but they weren't all mentioned here, and I don't know all of them.
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