HERE IT IS! Behave kiddies, now I have brought you a new chapter full of pleasant reading and cookies... X3 *weird*

Oh, I'm not afraid of critics! So negative comments (with good arguments!) are welcome.

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CHAPTER FOUR

‘HEY! Where do you think you’re going?’ an angry voice shouted. Fenqua heard hooves pounding to the ground while the voice was getting louder. It was only minutes ago since her fight with the doe, which had looked more like a trash. Even though she finally let her anger out, she wasn’t happy with it. She was afraid the herd would banish her, after hearing a sob story from the other doe. Fenqua actually thought she wouldn’t need that, her wounds and bruises already said enough.
Suddenly she stopped and looked over her shoulder. Tears were still streaming down her pretty face, which was already showing the beauty of an adult female. The other deer slowed down and approached her.
‘W-who are y-you?’ Fenqua asked stuttering.
‘My name is not important. The point is, why did you beat up my daughter?’ Fenqua thought his eyes were glowing red from anger, she knew he was almost at the point of revenging his daughter.
‘I-I’m s-sorry. I-I lost c-control.’
‘You can say that all right! But I want to know the reason why you hurt her so much. Well, if there’s a reason, you really look like the kind that would trash her for fun.’
Fenqua was amazed. Why would he say such a thing? She understood he was angry, but she wasn’t an aggressive deer at all. In fact, she had a pretty quiet nature. And she hadn’t got in a fight before, so his opinion lacked arguments. Fenqua became all warm inside, as if her blood was boiling. She looked up with a fierce look in her eyes.
‘You don’t have the right to judge me like that!’
‘Oh yes I do. You almost killed my baby girl, for the Gods their sake.’
‘You don’t even know what she did to me. Besides, you don’t know me at all, so you absolutely have no right to imply I have an aggressive nature.’
‘You seemed pretty aggressive back there!’
‘That was because your daughter really pissed me of. She was talking and laughing behind my back. First, she told the fawns I was a bully. When one of them tried to pick a fight, he said your daughter was telling these things about me. So I approached her and asked her why she did that, without knowing me. Then she called me a freak and said I was raised by a disturbed doe, which was the reason I acted so retarded. To be really honest, I think your daughter was being extremely unfair, judging me like that and calling me names.’
‘We’ll see what the Beta’s have to say about this.’ The stag looked at her disgusted. Fenqua kept glaring at him until he turned around and took of.
‘Serves you right, you’re just like your daughter.’

After a few hours, Nimlin returned from her meeting. She didn’t look happy, even though she never really did. Fenqua assumed she had heard about the fight, but there was something else ticking her of. Nimlin wasn’t really angry at Fenqua; she only said she never thought someone would be stupid enough to attack their own herd. When Fenqua explained the situation, she wouldn’t listen. She drank something by the pond and ignored Fenqua for the rest of the day.
After Fenqua drank something too, she lay down on the cold ground, which once had been covered with soft, green grass. She missed summer already; it had been her favorite season. It was the season she had just met Skokey. They played around a lot, chasing each other around in the Birch forest and casting small spells on each other. The spell casting had been a good practice; she was really getting the hang of it. This made her think about the first time Nimlin told her about spells.

‘Why is everyone’s pelt different?’ the curious young fawn asked. ‘And those things on their head, what are they?’
‘Those are antlers, like the ones you grow when you become older.’ A young doe replied.
‘But why are they all different?’
‘Because all deer posses the magic to change each other’s appearance. Which you can achieve by casting spells.’
‘How do you cast spells?’
‘That’s very simple; you lower your head towards another deer. Then you make a silent wish, the wish the other deer receives a new pelt. Or a new mask. Or a new set of antlers. But first, you have to receive a spell.’
‘And how do you receive one? Do the Gods give it to you?’
The doe smiled. ‘In a way they do, yes.’
‘How?’
‘For example, some of the trees carry pine cones. When you rub your body against one of them, sometimes a pine cone falls of. They’re very tasty, and when you eat them, you automatically receive a spell. Then you have the ability to change another deer’s antlers.’
‘Can’t you change your own antlers?’
‘No, you can’t. The Gods have given us magic for more than just one purpose. The first one is the ability to be unique. Everyone can have a different appearance, without being judged by others. The second purpose involves sharing. Because we can’t cast spells on ourselves, we have to cast them on another deer. In return, the other deer will cast a spell on you. This helps building a community, the things we like can only be cast upon us if we’re willing to share.’

Fenqua sighed, thinking about herself when she was just a month old. Nimlin had been very nice to her back then. Patient as she was, she had answered all of Fenqua’s questions. Not only about spells, but also about the other animals in the forest. About the frogs, the squirrels, the birds and the butterflies. Fenqua also asked her about her parents. At that time, she didn’t know they were, she was just curious about their death. Nimlin looked sad when she asked her, but she still told Fenqua about them. The monsters that had killed her mother and father were called humans. Nimlin spoke of them with disgust, learning Fenqua to never get near them, ever. They would take her away or shoot her immediately. Humans were emotionless, selfish and very aggressive. Instead of using their own power, they made weapons of steel that sounded like thunder.
Fenqua rolled on her back and looked up to the sky, which exactly portrayed her own feelings. Grey and clouded. Her head was filled with a million thoughts, which went from Nimlin to her parents. She even thought of Rowgan, the old stag that had accepted her for who she was. Next to Skokey, he was the only deer who really did. Other deer were friendly, but never felt comfortable in her company. Her scars made them think she was an aggressive deer looking for a fight, while she was actually a poor excuse for a fighter. She could handle pain, but she wasn’t the type to attack. That’s what bothered her so much, even though she was the defending kind; she still attacked that doe, just because she called her some names. It was nothing like her.

Suddenly she felt something cold landing on her nose. She licked it of and realized it was snow. Immediately she jumped up, still looking at the sky. The pure, white frozen tears were falling from the clouds, pleasantly tingling Fenqua’s nose. From a distance she heard a few fawns shouting happily, and for a moment she forgot about her worries. Shaking of the snow from her head, she approached the little creatures, darting happily in the white mass. At first they looked a little afraid, but soon one of them threw some white, cold powder at her. The fawn laughed, but it was warm, friendly giggle. Fenqua knew she was accepted in their little society and played along with them. She even took one of the fawns on her back, because she knew her strong muscles could hold it. With the fawn on her back, she ran around in circles, the little one shouting and laughing happily. The other fawns giggled and followed her, already deciding who’d be next. From a distance, the stag that approached her earlier was watching her. He saw the fawn on Fenqua’s back was his son, but seeing him so happy made him feel guilty about what he said to Fenqua. She wasn’t aggressive at all; neither was she a fawn bully. In fact, she seemed to like the fawns even more than deer her own age. He smiled softly and turned around again. Instead of having another word with Fenqua, he would have a word with his own daughter.

A few days later…

‘Violence is not tolerated in our community. I am sure you are aware of that, Nimlin.’ One of the Elder Beta’s spoke. The old stag looked at her with a severe look in his icy blue eyes. One of the season’s rare sunbeams lightened his pale, grey pelt. On his head he wore huge, brown antlers, which looked like tree branches. He and the other Beta’s had gathered to discuss Fenqua’s case. Every deer agreed on the fact violence should never occur, and when it did it should be punished. Not only by the young deer’s parents or caretakers, but also by the leaders themselves.
‘Yes, Elder Beta, I am aware of that. But you should consider I am not the one who committed the crime. Fenqua did.’ Nimlin answered while pointing at the young doe beside her. Fenqua nodded in agreement.
‘Still,’ the elder said ‘she is your responsibility. If an underage deer commits a crime like this, you are the one who has to pay for it. We, the community, expect that you as a caretaker raise your fawn in a proper way. The same goes for you, Mythiro.’ The elder looked at the other stag and his young daughter. Her wound wasn’t visible, since it was treated with a paste of several medicinal herbs and was covered with a big, green leaf. Her father nodded and looked at her; she looked back, tilting her head to her right.
‘What does he mean, daddy?’ she asked him curiously.
‘He means that I am responsible for what you did to Fenqua.’
‘What? But I didn’t do anything! She just attacked me out of nowhere!’
‘Micarena, I know that’s not true. You were picking on her for no reason. You kept calling her names, names that hurt her very much.’
‘Who told you that?’
‘She did.’ The stag pointed at Fenqua.
‘So you believe that bitch?’
‘MICARENA! Stop using that word! We’re in the company of the elders, please have some respect!’ Micarena immediately shut her mouth and lowered her ears. She looked at her father with a feared look in her big, green eyes.
‘Don’t put up those eyes, you know damn well they don’t work with me. I’m sorry Elder Beta, please continue.’
‘Thank you, Mythiro.’ The elder said and continued. ‘Fenqua and Micarena, will you both step forward, please?’
The two younglings nodded and approached the elder. Fenqua tried to keep her distance from the other doe, as she still detested her. It looked like Micarena thought the same. They both bowed and looked up to the stag, expectantly.
‘Fenqua, first I want to talk about you.’ She felt the icy blue eyes piercing through hers, as if he could look into her mind. ‘Your behavior is unacceptable; attacking another deer is a serious crime. Even though it could be considered as self defense, the second time I see this it will lead to banishment. Do you understand?’
Fenqua nodded, but still was surprised. She thought she’d be punished with banishment, but it seemed like the stag spared her. Maybe he knew about her non-violent nature and understood her motive. Other than her, Micarena protested out of disbelief: ‘But she attacked me! She should be punished with banishment, those are the rules!’
‘Quiet Micarena, don’t question my judgment. Unlike you, I am fully aware of the rules. Fenqua was born May 16th, which means she is still underage and could be considered a fawn. Fawns aren’t punished with banishment yet, because they need the support of their caretakers. If you would banish a fawn, it could wander of and choose the wrong path.’
‘Is she getting any punishment at all?’
‘I asked you to be quiet Micarena. If you aren’t silent now, I will enlarge your punishment.’
After hearing that, Micarena was ready to object again, but she decided to keep her mouth shut this time. The elder softly smiled and nodded at her.
‘Micarena, even though you didn’t commit a violent crime, you still broke one of the main rules. That rule is called: respect. We deer have respect for each other, which means we are honest towards each other, but not without good reason. You, my dear, had no reason to disrespect Fenqua like that.’
Micarena pretended she didn’t hear it and looked away uninterested. Her father gave her a small kick and asked her to pay attention. She sighed, turned around and looked at the elder again.
‘Now for the judgment. Me and the other Beta’s have decided you will be punished in an unusual way. Also, this way we prevent another conflict happening between the two of you. Not by creating a distance, but by letting you two live together. You will be taken care of by Mythiro and his mate. This will also create some free time for Nimlin, who will be needed at the next meetings.’

Fenqua was stunned. Was she really going to live with her? As far as she knew, she wanted to stay as far from Micarena as possible. She hated that doe and wasn’t planning on forgiving her anytime soon. But now they had to live together. Fenqua looked at Micarena, who was heavily protesting and asking her dad to do something about it. Mythiro said he agreed with the Elder and said this was the best solution. He walked over to Fenqua and greeted her.

‘Welcome to our home, Fenqua.’