10th Day, 10th Month.

Today marks the end of the Rut. My first real rut, where I sparred in earnest. So far, 3 won, 3 lost. I'm not bitter, though. I hope we could spar again, some other time, but somehow I don't think my comerades would be so game.

Yesterday I had the pleasure of meeting Lady Gwen. I met her again this morning. The driving rain has been relentless these past days, so I played the part of shelter. I didn't mind at all. She went to sleep, in the shelter of a tree, so I went on with the day.

I spent some time by the pond. Socialized with some fellows there. I had a surprise pelt change, and for a while, wore a smart brown and slightly spotty colour. Very Flash. A doe approached me that I'm not sure I've met before. Although I may have heard of her. We pranced, we played. And sheltered from the rain in the oak. She could be a contender! I won't know for sure unless I run into her again, or she tells me her name. In any case she seemed fun and spirited.

Speaking of spirits! I met Saint Jizo today- the guardian of fawns. I saw her, she was joined by two little young ones, so I thought I could do my good deed for the day- I trotted over, and gave one fawn the flowers from my antlers. Then I went back to the patch, and got another set for the second. Jizo seemed pleased- I wonder if she might help me fawnsit when I sire some of my own, one day...

After a long day of romping and roaming, spell casting and sneezing off /all those pelts/ I was starting to feel dizzy and tired again. I felt the need to sit down, and sometimes dosed off right in the middle of play! So I decided, if I was going to be sleeping, I might as well do it constructively- I went to the hill beside the ruins, the one with the mushroom ring, and settled down to sleep...

I was awoken by a familiar call- It was Lady Gwen! As I sprang up onto my hooves, I knew that what I felt in my heart was more than just the transformation spell- but I shouldn't talk about /that/. Before she could do anything else, I cast the spell I had gained from my impromptu nap.

How fitting, she turned into a white dove.

Although it didn't last long, I thought it one of the highlights of my day. She seemed happy, at least, for a moment aloft as a bird. When she returned to her hind-self, a friend of hers approached and cast a pelt spell. It turned out to be my favourite- the Grey Pelt. I sneezed off brown spotty number, so that we would match.

We headed in the Ruins from the rain, her and I. Tried different spots until we found somewhere that the rain couldn't catch us. It was...a little close, actually.

And then we ran. We pranced and bounded around, in a little miniature herd. We danced- well. Some of us. I felt rotten when I remembered that Gwen.. I can't remember. Either she doesn't like to dance, or, for some reason she isn't able to. I must find out soon, though- It ached my heart to see her move away when we were mid-foxtrot. I followed. She lead us, all together, in a slow stroll half way across the forest. Like a true Princess.

We stopped, just shy of the pond. She sat down for a moment. One of her friends sat close by. Naturally, I decided to play as a tree again and help keep the rain off. I have a thick coat, I barely notice it. Then her friend... sort of, wandered off.

Later I found out that he was Sir Galahad. Oh, I felt /rotten/.

All I could think to do was follow when Gwen tried to speak with him. But I fear I made things worse. Despite my better judgement, I stayed with her. While I felt like I had caused the split, I didn't want to leave her while she was... I couldn't tell, because of the rain, but she may have been crying.

Oh, foolish stag, I am. A Buck like me, at this time of year... What impression had I given? What will they think of me now?

The rain keeps heaving down. We still sit together, in the middle of the mushroom ring. I turn her into a dove, and then a squirrel. We have one last little frolick - ah, she does make me smile!

Then we made our way over to a gathering at the shallow end of the pond. Everyone was dancing! I turned to Gwen and my ears drooped a little. I /must/ ask her about it later.. So we settled down to watch, and she fell fast asleep. When she did, I slowly got up, and joined the dance, and relaxed after all of my troubling thoughts.

I made a new friend! A fellow with an orange stripey pelt, a skull head, and becandled antlers. He taught me new gestures, I hope I taught him a few of my own. We looked rather silly!
It seemed many famous deer showed up, including 'Dagnire, who I had previously met, and Virgil, another solemn guardian of the peace.
Except that Virgil had fallen into the pond during the merriment, and was now lacking his lovely coat, and fanned antlers. Everyone helped him get his chic look back, though! I rested for a while, I felt weary again...

I awoke with a start. I have got to stop falling asleep like that! I had only dreamt a short while, when I startled awake, but there was clearly a white dove involved.

There was something I must do. I wanted to set things straight. I listened carefully, and though I could sense Sir Galahad... He had to be there somewhere. Onwards I marched in the direction I had last seen him, searching him out. I thought I spied him in the distance, but, when I got closer.. he was wearing a different colour. And laying beside a doe..

On further inspection I realized it was my new friend again, the one with a stripey orange pelt! And so began another romp around the ruins...

My Quest was forgotten for a little while. But I knew that the next time I heard, saw, or smelt Sir Galahad, I /knew/ I had a duty to Lady Gwen, to confront him.

Finally, after some time changing the pelt of another deer, I decided to retire. I was growing very weary, and sitting down to gain pelt spells was becoming difficult- It was hard not to simply doze off, which I did a few times! With my last little burst of energy, I politely bowed good night, and cantered towards the oak. I have spent all day in this rain and I was very glad to get there. The body heat, and the oak's strange warming hum, made me feel welcome. Fawns, does, and stags alike all snuggled close together to get away from the torrential rain. I wondered to myself if the pond could flood, could the crying idol weep too strongly, could we all become swept up in this never ending rain?

But knowing this forest, tomorrow we shall have an indian summer, with brightest sunshine, or perhaps sleet and hail and snow.
At last, and this time with purpose, I laid my swimming head down, my cold, wet nose in my long, warming belly fur. In the presence of kin that I did not know, to the faint sound of bellowing fawns, I started to dream of snow white doves...