OOC: I think this chapter is shorter.. And it doesn't feel very good either. I ended up writing a load of jibberish in some parts so it's not very exciting again. But things will get much more interesting in the next chapter, I promise. xP


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It had barely been seven days and nights after the meeting when rain came to the Forest. The downfall was tremendous, making the ground underfoot muddy and unstable for some to stand or walk upon. Whilst the adults had trouble picking their way across the few clearings, fawns found delight in skidding through the dirt and coating each other in it, only to wash it away in the now-cleaned pond.

Cutlery had been buried, as Vipin had suggested, and the location of where a secret. Hardly any deer, save from the ones who attended the gathering, knew of the murder. Vipin was pleased with this; further panic of killing was not needed in times like this. The same thoughts were passing through his mind as he stood within the hollow sanctuary of the Old Oak, gazing out at the pouring rain. He was waiting. What he was waiting for, became apparent with the two figures running towards him in the distance. Lieka and Twenty-One had been summoned here to discuss matters, and both of them were more than willing with their drenched, murky pelts and muddy legs to get out of the terrible weather.

"Ah. I'm glad you made it! You're both looking lovely today." Vipin smiled at the two glum-looking does. Both of them shared a glance, then quickly shook off their fur, drenching the stag in the process. "Hey! Hey! Stop that! I'm sorry!" Flinching and scuttling further away, Vipin took his turn to shake off the moisture. "Alright, to business." He cautiously stepped forwards again, eyeing the two for further shaking. When both does were settled and listening intently, he continued. "Now. The reason I have put you two together and called you here is so you can go out and speak with other deer. Find out if they've seen anything odd happening, smelt a change in the wind, anything at all." Twenty-One and Lieka both nodded. "When you've found some solid evidence, come tell me straight away. We need to know what's going on."

A few hours later and the rain was still as heavy as before as it fell upon the two female deer. They had conversed with many deer already and thus far turned up nothing. Tired and deciding on a break, both agreed on sheltering under the heavier foilage, where they unexpectedly came across two other deer floating and sinking into the earth with some strange phenomenon. "Oh, Saan and Dim!" Lieka noticed the pair first, grinning at the feathery antics and called out to them. The pair came floating over, performing the occasional odd backflip as they hopped. "Heya guys!" Saan's cheerful grin spread beneath her mask, and her colourful pelt bounced with each irregular movement. "What'cha up to?" She enquired, and was joined by an enthusiastic Dim. "HiyahiyahiyaHIYA!!" His grinning mask bobbed happily as he kicked all four legs up into the air in front of him, sniggering with excitement.
Both the Queen and Twenty-One stared at the oddly floating stag. "Uh.. Have you seen anything strange around here lately? Anything suspicious?" Twenty-One enquired, mainly directed at Saan. With the antics of Dim growing stranger and stranger, it was probably more sensible to ask Saan whilst she was still standing on the ground. "Nope! I heard there was a fawn going on about seeing a monster though!" Curious, Lieka interjected. "A monster? Which fawn?" Dim looked about ready to answer when he landed back on the ground with a 'thud', his head raised and eyes fixed in the direction of the pond. "NEEEEMMMM!!" He screamed wildly and went rolling along the ground like an insane squirrel looking for nuts, leaving the three ladies alone. "Uh.. So yes, where is this fawn?" Twenty-One tore her gaze from the vanishing Dim rolling away and back to Saan. "Fenqua? She's probably in some flower patch." Thanking Saan and leaving her to her strange actions, the pair turned away and quickly took to scanning the forest's flower patches.

They found Fenqua in a flower patch indeed, as Saan had said, munching on mushroom from a nearby tree. Seeing both adults made the little fawn draw back nervously, especially at the sight of the black pelt and purple mane covering Lieka's form. Fenqua was a regular fawn; a light brown pelt and spotted, with no sign of antlers coming through, instead covered in a ring of flowers.
Twenty-One noted the little fawn's shy attitude towards them, and motioned for Lieka to wait whilst she spoke to the fawn. The Queen nodded and stepped back, allowing the dark brown doe to approach Fenqua alone.
"Hello there." Twenty-One spoke softly, gently setting herself down in the flowers a few feet from the fawn, "We heard that you've seen a monster around. Could you tell us where, please?". Fenqua shifted nervously and took a few dared steps forwards. "I-I saw it by the water.. At night.." Twenty-One slowly nodded. "Have you seen it more than once?" Fenqua replied with a single nod. "It comes out of the dark and watches the water, then it goes back in the dark." Lieka listened curiously and pondered. If anything, it sounded like the fawn was just having some repetivite nightmare. Sill, whatever killed Cutlery must have been a nightmare to do so. "Alright, thankyou Fenqua." Twenty-One smiled warmly and stood up, bowing her head to the young fawn and hurrying back to Lieka.

After the pair had stopped to browse on the blue berries some time later, they took the time to discuss what further actions they could take. The sun was setting fast now and with it the oppertunity to see if Fenqua's claim was true. Little did the pair of them know, as they discussed a plan to creep up on a monster, there was someone else listening to the conversation closely. And so, as night drew over the Forest and the pair set off, unaware that Ada tagging close behind.