Introduction
This will be a short story about a deers life in a forest. I will be posting a short story every day.


Thunderclap
It is early morning, the sun just breaking the horizon. The trees are surrounded by a light mist and the breeze is cool on your dampened fur. You look around, the rest of the herd grazing upon the dewy grass and then continue with your own morning meal.
You and the other does stay close together today, everyone knew there was a lurker upon the leaders territory.
The leader was a large stag, standing proudly above his herd. He kept an extra lookout this morning, keeping his head high above mist. The scent of the other male was getting stronger, it was time to move. He gave a great snort, the does beginning to walk the other way with him. He kept his pace light, checking all around them for the intruder.
The leader led you and the other does to a small pond, where everyone drank. You'r eyes locked on the stags tense muscles. The mystery stag was closer, you and all of the others knew it. You watched as the leader let out a puff of breath, his hot breath steaming out of his nostrils. This was clearly a warning sign for the lurker but the leader never untensed. The intruder wanted to fight.
The great stag gave another snort, moving his herd again. He was nervous, but ready for anything. He waits for the stag to come out and show himself, waiting for the perfect time to attack. His large antlers were one of a kind, most likely the biggest of the valley where they roamed. Why would someone challenge him? His ears twiched at the slightest sound of a twig breaking. The intruder had made a mistake, he was caught. The leader let out a bellow, beconing the stag to come forth. The does scrambled away behind the distant tree line, watching.
The stag came forward, his own antlers a little smaller than the leaders. They kicked at the mud with their feet, challenging eachother to attack first. The leader launched himself forward, raming his tines into the other stags. It was a battle of will and strength as they pushed themselves, their sharp hooves cutting into the earth. They unlocked, only to ram into eachother again. The leader pushed the stag down, rearing onto his backlegs and slamming down onto the ground just beside the other stags head. The intruder got up, running away as best as he could. The leader stag chased after him, slashing his antlers around as they went. When he knew he wouldn't come back, the great stag walked triumphantly back to his herd. The does surrounded him, sniffing out his wounds to clean them. He felt crouded, snorting to make a few of them back away. This was his herd, for now.