January 24, 2009
.
.
.
.
.

------------------------------------------------------------------

The fawn had just arrived in the Endless Forest. No one knew where he came from. He couldn’t remember a mother or a father. The first thing he saw was the leaves high above him, and the birds hopping from branch to branch.

The birds.

When he got up, he looked at himself. A lovely halo floated above his head. It was his name. He looked at his gangly legs and his creamy speckled fur.

“What am I?” The words came from his mind and out of his mouth. Fascinating.

Everything around the fawn was new and beautiful. He began to slowly walk through the forest, passing the tall trees one by one. There were birds in those trees. They sang such sweet songs.

“Let me sing too!”

And the fawn sang with the birds.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Chenaniah blinked as the dream faded. He hadn’t had one as clear or as joyful in a while. The memories… they were so real. And on such a day as this, the warm sun shining, the birds more cheerful than ever before, he really did feel like a fawn again.

So with a spring in his step, he trotted off towards… well, he didn’t really have a destination in mind. Today was a day for slow walking. Or for leaping. Whichever felt best at the moment.



Strange how emotions could change overnight. What a fickle thing, the brain.

A few birds swooped low to sing, or to attempt to land on his bobbing antlers. Chenaniah laughed at their antics. He began to slow his pace so that the birds could take hold. Soon he looked like a parade float… or a walking tree. His antlers had become a playground, and the birds were the playful children. He shook his head and they all flapped their wings to regain their balance, chirping angrily. He laughed… and the birds eventually forgot their frustration.

On through the Birch Forest he walked with a song in his heart and just barely on his lips. He didn’t know what had brought on the sudden joy, really. It was just a good day. A day for doing nothing. Or a day for change.

As he climbed the top of a hill, he saw a deer sleeping in the distance. He stopped… it was so far away, it wouldn’t see him. So he was content to watch it sleep.

Curious. Today he didn’t feel afraid. He wasn’t about to run up to the deer and ask to play, of course. But… he just didn’t feel like running. Watching from a distance was fine.



But... the deer got up, and his natural flightiness began to rear it's ugly head. But the deer was moving in the opposite direction, so…

Suddenly, it turned. Chenan twitched. He felt the urge to back away… but stopped. Maybe today really was a day for change…



As the deer began to come closer, Chenaniah began to squint his eyes. The deer was… familiar…

Then… could it be? Could it really be?!

He took a tentative step forward. So did the doe.

They began to run… well, mostly the doe ran. Chenaniah couldn’t help stumbling over himself.

It was the skull-faced mini-doe!

They collided on the edge of the hill. She gave him a bow, “I’m Grimmer.”

Chenaniah smiled, not knowing what to do. Too overwhelmed at seeing such a familiar face on such a beautiful day. Then he remembered to bow.

“My name’s Chenaniah.” It was barely a whisper, but she seemed to hear him all the same.



They began to run… and then to jump. To leap. Chenaniah began to discover that this Grimmer was a naturally bouncy deer. She loved jumping.

But it was alright. So did Chenaniah.



They ran and leapt around, sometimes in circles, sometimes spontaneously ambling somewhere. It had always felt good to fly with the birds. But flying with a deer was… different. Wonderful.

He soon found that she was leading him out of the Birch Forest. He had always been wary of the darker parts of the forest. Maybe it was because the birds didn’t like it there as much. Maybe it was because there always seemed to be more deer in the rest of the forest. Maybe because the trees were darker and sometimes… colder. Maybe… because that was where the pond was…



His home had long been among the Birch Trees. He always felt an ache in his heart when he left them. But this time… for Grimmer…

As he stepped cautiously into the darker grasses, she ran cheerfully ahead. She was at home here. He smiled as she began to leap. He jumped a few times, but… the dark colors just seemed to drag him down.



They approached a fawn standing off by himself. Grimmer looked cautiously at Chenaniah. He guessed it was because she remembered how leery he had been around other deer. But this was a fawn… and somehow, fawns were different. And Chenan had always loved fawns.

He trotted up and sniffed the fawn while Grim bowed.



The fawn was unresponsive. Chenan cocked his head. Silly little thing. Was he scared?

Suddenly, the fawn disappeared, leaving his name behind!



Grimmer and Chenan looked surprised, to say the least. The doe began to jokingly cower. Chen stood with a stupid shocked expression on his face. What strange forest magic was this?

The fawns name soon disappeared as well… and the odd incident quickly faded from memory when Grimmer began to leap over to a stump and a small patch of butterflies and flowers.



She crawled into the stump and looked back at him with that big, skullish grin. He chuckled. He wouldn’t fit.

But he tried. He walked over the stump, his underside barely touching it, and lay down. His hindquarters poked out the end… and his chest and head rose from the side of it.



He wasn’t sure what to make of his silly joke (especially since he had never really shared a joke with an actual deer), but Grimmer laughed at it and joined him in the stump. Then she ran to the tree across from him and peaked out the side.





Chenan could barely keep from laughing. They stared solemnly (as solemn as was possible) at each other for a while, looking like little tree goblins.

When they had finished playing in the trees, Grimmer tried to teach Chenaniah to slide across the ground while lying down. He wasn’t very good at it (he had never been good with magic) so they started their game of jumping in a crazy circle again.

Chenaniah laughed. Butterflies, flowers, and two deer leaping all over the place. They must look like silly newborn fawns.





After one more pose in a tree, Chenaniah began to ache for the Birch Forest again. Plus… he wanted Grimmer to share its joy as well. He began to head in the direction of the sunlit forest, hoping Grim would follow. She seemed reluctant, but eventually they were running and laughing again… and soon Chenaniah was back in his warm and safe haven.



They returned to their games of running and jumping in circles, as it seemed to be the only thing they were both quite comfortable doing.



The two deer stumbled upon another fawn. Chenaniah always felt a tug in his heart when he saw fawns, and couldn’t help but leave his game to greet the young one. The fawn seemed occupied with moonwalking around a tree… and seemed to be backing away from the curious deer.



Thinking the fawn wanted to be left alone, Chenan held his distance. The fawn walked around backwards for a while and then ran off. Such odd fawns in the forest today…

Chenaniah was about to return to his games of frolicking, when he noticed another deer in the Birch Forest. Grimmer began to run to it… then slowed and glanced over her shoulder.



Chenaniah had stopped, a confused look on his face. He really did enjoy playing with Grimmer… but… this other deer now worried him. It was a stranger. No deer was the same… and what would this deer think of him? Could it be one of them…

The other deer eventually trotted off, seeming to have not noticed them. For a while, Grim looked a bit dejected and Chenaniah quickly felt regret. Did this doe now feel obligated to… babysit him? He wanted to tell her that she could go… he didn’t mind if she left his side. But… he didn’t. He didn’t tell her that.

He wanted to walk. How about a nice slow walk through the forest for a change? They had been jumping enough.



For a few minutes they walked side by side… though Grimmer seemed to have some trouble keeping a steady pace. She wanted to run. She was a deer made to fly.

Chenaniah gave in and began to trot… so Grim ran ahead. Again they began to run through the forest, the doe in the lead this time. He slowed to a trot, and then a walk, when he realized where she was leading him. Out of the Birch Forest. Again.



Chenaniah didn’t want to hurt her feelings, but… he just couldn’t go out there again. There was just something about that portion of the forest…

A fawn raced past, and Chenaniah watched it run by, distracted. He followed it quickly, relieved at an excuse to leave the dark edge of the Birch Forest, and of course also enlivened by the appearance of a fawn. Grimmer followed, looking a bit confused. By the time they both reached the fawn, it had lain down in the tall grasses.



He lay down next to it. Sleeping fawns always seemed to trigger that response. It was an odd habit. Grimmer walked slowly towards them… and then lay down next to Chenaniah. Enough of this dull restfulness. She wanted to move. Or at least Chenaniah thought so.



It really had been a good day. When one wakes up with a good mood, wonderful things always seem to happen. And yes… it certainly had been a day for change. Chenaniah smiled, grinned, and closed his eyes, feeling the warm sunrays dance across his back.

The fawn soon fell asleep and disappeared off to the land of dreams.

Chenaniah got up, but now he was sleepy. He regretted it… but he sadly sad goodbye to Grimmer. The doe was sad as well, or at least she said so. They exchanged nuzzles.



And Chenaniah lay back down on the ground. He noticed Grimmer lay by his side as weariness overcame him.



And as darkness and dreams overtook his mind, he realized that he finally had found a friend.




--------------------------------------------------------------------

Ooooohhhmm. Okay, Narina. For one thing, your timing was amazing. I had already planned for this to be a good day for Chenaniah, even if he was just walking around the Birch Forest for a while. So I decided to put on some nice, emotional, soundtrack music to let play in the background. Just when I realized that the deer coming towards Chenaniah was Grimmer, there was this huge swell in the music and the two deer went running towards each other. It was like this epic yet corny movie scene. XD


For another thing, you really made his day. If you couldn’t tell. :]

Oh, and sorry I’m always posting these huge, picture-heavy journal/story things. >.< AND ALSO... sorry I don't have the deer collision effect turned off. The bright lights burn mah eyes too. >_>