"Indigo, are you allright!?" The enormous stag beside the panting doe was staring in worry and shock, his rich brown pelt slightly ruffled from the light breeze that blew past them. His enormous white antlers scraped against a tree slightly, and he moved his head irritably. Indigo lifted her head with a soft, caring smile, and touched Amicus' nose with her own.
"All is well..." She whispered, looking at her newborn fawn. It looked almost exactly like herself, apart from the white spots flecking its dark brown fur. "...She's beautiful..."
"She is a rose among the nettles indeed..." Amicus smiled, sounding very poetic. Indigo's eyes suddenly became worried, as she looked up at her mate.
"...Amicus..." She started, hesitating. The dark brown stag frowned questioningly. "...Are you leaving again?" She asked miserably, predicting his answer. Amicus was always travelling from one forest to the next...
"I..." The stag sighed, and nuzzled his mate affectionately, his eyes filled with sorrow. "...Yes."
Indigo blinked back tears of disappointment; she had wanted him to stay, to see their second fawn grow up. "When? Rutilus...He will want to say goodbye..."
"...I set out at dawn tomorrow..." Amicus sighed, thinking of his son. The fawn was only two months old; he didn't deserve to grow up with only one parent half of the time. A lump rose in Indigo's throat.
"Y-you do? ...I...I must ask...Will you return?"
"...I will try, Indigo...I will try." Amicus replied, his voice cracking at the end. Indigo nodded her head in understandment, and proceeded to clean her newborn fawn.
"...What will we name her, love?" Indigo asked quietly, still grooming her fawn, which bleated meekly. "A rose...among the nettles...A rose...A rose..." The mother doe murmered to herself, then Amicus' blue eyes lit up.
"Taliene!"
"What?"
"Taliene, the ancient word for Rose!"

The day passed quickly for Indigo and her newborn fawn, Taliene. The young one could walk with ease, her posture graceful. Rutilus, who was still young himself, doted on his little sister, and vowed to chase off all the male fawns that kept following her.
"Get lost!" The golden fawn snarled at a fawn that seemed to be gazing at Taliene. Taliene smiled ever so slightly.
What a strange brother I have. She couldn't speak all that well, but she got the message across.
"...St..anj...St.." Taliene bleated, and Rutilus grinned.
"Strange?" Rutilus questioned, and grinned as Taliene nodded. "Well, I don't want them to flirt with you. Mum says we have to wait til we're older." Despite being only two months old, Rutilus understood things very well, and had no troubles with speaking. His antlers were already starting to grow in, tiny little stumps on his head. Taliene bleated in understandment, and Rutilus smiled up at the dark night sky.
You're my life, sis. The rose of life.

The sun was already rising as Indigo woke her children urgently. "Rutilus, Taliene, wake up! We must bid your father farewell!" She whispered, being careful not to wake Tena and Anna beside her. The fawns scrambled to stand up, blinking in confusion that did not last long as the family began to run, hoping to bid Amicus farewell before he left - possibly for the last time.

As the three skidded to a halt at the Ruins, they saw a large, antlered figure in the distance turn its head to them.
"Amicus..." Indigo whispered, tears forming in her eyes as a realisation hit her. The figure inclined its head, then continued to walk on. This time, Indigo knew the truth.

He would not come back.