The Red emerged from what appeared to be a visual distortion in the air. After he came through, it swiftly shrunk behind him, instead taking the shape of a robin in flight. First to greet him was the drops of rain, barely more than a drizzle yet bitterly cold, as it was driven into his face by the fierce Scottish winds. He squinted to shield his eyes from the sting, then raised his head to snuff the heavy air.
Across the highlands, the rut maintained its now dwindling hold. No longer did the mountainscape echo with the sound of roaring stags, or the thundering clash of competing tines. However, beneath the weight of the oppressive atmosphere, the stench of musk remained mixed with autumnal decay. It was cold, and already had the highest peaks started to develop their annual snowy caps, making the old veteran feel both unpleasant and nostalgic.
It was dusk when the hart stepped out of the pine tree plantation. There was no proper explanation as to why he had returned to his homeland today - other than an instinctual drive - something that few others seemed to share but he did not question. It is that very same sense that also pulled him towards the open now. But it was not without great caution. Memories of a past encounter with man still etched fresh on his shoulder. Deeming his surroundings safe, he raises his head skyward, letting out a mighty bellow that sends steam flowing from his lips and great echos that rips through the landscape.
Between the pine forest and rocky hills surrounding the valley lay pockets of wild untouched clearings, each flanked by bracken and gauze bushes. The bushes in particular are a favourite spot for Kusa to rest in, as the bushes grow tall and their yellow flowers brake up her profile even at a close distance. There were thorns to contend with, but they didn't bother her.
She had lost track of how long she had been resigned to this area. The rut was appalling this year, much to her own fault, and the decision to go back to the Endless Forest wasn't coming to her very quickly. It was all seeming a little pointless, the more she was left alone with her thoughts. That was the crux of her problem: thought. Herds didn't want to know what she thought about anything. But what about those in the Endless Forest? Her thoughts and feelings didn't feel enough to exist there very well either. Everyone else seemed so rich in their various cultures, always with a story worthy of an audience. Gods, even. The more she thought about her own story, the more she felt it was now an unhappy one. It didn't appear to be within her power to change it, either.
Then, a sound she hadn't heard in a while. Her Father's call not far from where she was hunkered down. Kusa returned his call with intermittent barks only after removing herself from the gauze and trotting in his direction. When he came into view, she fell silent and continued towards him. Kusa's appearance hadn't changed much from the last time they saw each other, however, there were fresh splits in her ears that looked sore.
The Red did not dwell to himself about how coincidental this whole situation seemed to be, the fact is things all seemed to fit together, like it's meant to be. And that's enough for the old hart to continue on as he does.
As the calls of his daughter ring from not far off, a sound close but not quite of Red Deer, he responds with a further grunt to aid her in finding him, should she need it. Beneath the dimming light of evening, Kusakagé was not easily spotted, he much sooner caught her scent closing in and responded to that. When they meet, he first took the time to assess her health and being, and noting the iron of her ears, he reaches out in an attempt to clean them as part of a wordless greeting. No tenderness has been lost over the years, at least from him.
She dipped her head so he could reach, and in a meek voice greeted the stag with words.
"Hi, dad."
There was something... sad, about her. Beyond letting him clean her ears she stood very still. Not frightened, but it was as if she'd forgotten how to interact properly and made no attempt to groom him in some way in return.
"Your eye... Can you see?"
Even in the low light Kusa could see the asymmetry of his gaze on her approach.
Still no words, but continued grooming down from her ears to the cap of his daughters unkempt head. His tongue is rough, lacking tenderness, but full of purpose towards the Grass Shadow. Having previously failed to detect any scent of illness, he felt completely secure to allow this form of platonic intimacy. It's only after her last question that he pulled back and looked at her through the only eye able to.
"I can see well through half." He answered, but quick to change the focus away from himself, he speaks again. "What of your hardships?" The Hart asks. While familiar with the past she had in the forest, the thought that she would still be dwelling on it now did not seem to come to him.
Kusa zoned out as he groomed, having not felt any intimacy for a while. It soothed her ears and made her feel so much better. When Red confirmed his sight was reduced to half as she feared, she hoped he would return to the forest where it is safer; and she would go with him.
"I draw the humans attention."
She replied dryly,
"A particularly angry doe decided I was bad news. I was bitten until I kept a distance... When they moved on, I didn't follow."
She looked directly at his good eye,
"They were right to do it. I don't belong here... My mere presence is danger to them."
Not even a grimace came from the old Hart as he listened intently to what she had to say. While unfortunate for Kusakagé, he too understood the motive of the hind that drove her away, knowing all too well the reach of humans.
He comes to an agreement with his daughter before it was even voiced, that a return to The Endless Forest would be the best way to go. But even then that isn't without its own dangers; he considered the forest to be plagued by those of carnivorous nature. He momentarily contemplates these things, and then the matriarch-lead herd that, although uncomfortable in light of recent events, The Red figured it might be the best route for Kusa.
"Come, I know of a herd lead by one white as snow." He states as he steps past the Grass Shadow, then turns in the direction he arrived from. He could not see his daughter as he stood to her right, but his ears could hear her well enough. Red waits, assessing the safety of their surroundings before beginning to walk upon silent steps, hopeful that she'd follow.
She didn't follow at first. There was so much else she wanted to say... but her father's comment was all she could really expect. Being placed in a herd in the endless forest wasn't going to solve her problems, in fact, Kusa wasn't even sure herds worked in a forest full of cervine of every creed and colour. Not to mention the others who were mixes of all sorts.
However, it wasn't the time to divulge her true feelings on the matter. It wouldn't accomplish anything more. Instead, she followed her Father's lead and fell in line behind him.
"I remember Kauna."
A white variant is as rare as she is, so there was no doubt in her mind that Kauna is the doe he referred to.
"But... I-If you don't mind... I wish to spend time in the birch forest."
Kusa paused,
"It's been a while. Aside from you, it is the only familiarity I have... I would have gone sooner, except... I-"
Her ears fell back, suddenly hearing the stuttering of her words. It was something her mother did when she was afraid.
"I lack the courage to find the Robin on my own."
As they walked, The Red listened; the backwards tilt of his ears gave his dark daughter his near-full attention, with the exception of looking out for danger in the dimming light. Fortunately such is lacking, save from the bellows of the few stags that continued to rut in this late season.
The old Hart squints as the drizzle is blown once again into his face by the wind, turning to look back at the Grass Shadow before pausing. "Very well." He says to her, "but be cautious. The forest does not offer the safety it once did." This was not by any intentional means a threat, The Red simply says it as it is.
He turns away briefly, only to return his gaze to his daughter as she spoke once again while remaining on the spot where he halted moments ago. Rather than say anything comforting, he instead turns halfway to meet her, offering reassurance through physical contact - an attempt to nuzzle the dark hind. He hopes to be a greater presence in her life from now on.
Her ears fall at his words which weren't as encouraging as she'd hoped. Perhaps she expected too much, or her memories of him were wrong. His voice seemed so... unfeeling, yet his actions were the opposite. The dark hind stepped towards him and bowed her head to press it into his shoulder, exhaling with relief.
"I will be cautious," she echoed his words to affirm them, "After all, mother did name me Grass Shadow in her tongue for a reason..."
Kusa smiled to herself. It was her one and perhaps only talent - to disappear without a trace.
And despite her reassurance of caution, he will look out for her too, be it from afar or direct company. In the forest it's become common for the Hart to adapt and herd with mixed-sex, and even mix-species groups, whereas in the wild it would not be such a common occurrence.
Upon her approach, he groomed her immediately. "I trust you." He communicates, "love you." Then he waits this time, having noticed her hesitation prior. When he looks away it's only out of caution for any danger from letting his guard down.
[fff finally remembered to reply. I'll try and get her some in forest interaction time when we're both around.]
Her shoulders relaxed as she let go a heavy exhale, as if she had been holding her breath all this time. It was a sign of relief. Sure, she found him hard to read... but he was her father, and those words meant to the world to her.
"Love you." She replied quietly, stifling a smile before lifting her head away from him.
"I'm ready. Let's go home."
The Red emerged from what
Across the highlands, the rut maintained its now dwindling hold. No longer did the mountainscape echo with the sound of roaring stags, or the thundering clash of competing tines. However, beneath the weight of the oppressive atmosphere, the stench of musk remained mixed with autumnal decay. It was cold, and already had the highest peaks started to develop their annual snowy caps, making the old veteran feel both unpleasant and nostalgic.
It was dusk when the hart stepped out of the pine tree plantation. There was no proper explanation as to why he had returned to his homeland today - other than an instinctual drive - something that few others seemed to share but he did not question. It is that very same sense that also pulled him towards the open now. But it was not without great caution. Memories of a past encounter with man still etched fresh on his shoulder. Deeming his surroundings safe, he raises his head skyward, letting out a mighty bellow that sends steam flowing from his lips and great echos that rips through the landscape.
Between the pine forest and
She had lost track of how long she had been resigned to this area. The rut was appalling this year, much to her own fault, and the decision to go back to the Endless Forest wasn't coming to her very quickly. It was all seeming a little pointless, the more she was left alone with her thoughts. That was the crux of her problem: thought. Herds didn't want to know what she thought about anything. But what about those in the Endless Forest? Her thoughts and feelings didn't feel enough to exist there very well either. Everyone else seemed so rich in their various cultures, always with a story worthy of an audience. Gods, even. The more she thought about her own story, the more she felt it was now an unhappy one. It didn't appear to be within her power to change it, either.
Then, a sound she hadn't heard in a while. Her Father's call not far from where she was hunkered down. Kusa returned his call with intermittent barks only after removing herself from the gauze and trotting in his direction. When he came into view, she fell silent and continued towards him. Kusa's appearance hadn't changed much from the last time they saw each other, however, there were fresh splits in her ears that looked sore.
The Red did not dwell to
As the calls of his daughter ring from not far off, a sound close but not quite of Red Deer, he responds with a further grunt to aid her in finding him, should she need it. Beneath the dimming light of evening, Kusakagé was not easily spotted, he much sooner caught her scent closing in and responded to that. When they meet, he first took the time to assess her health and being, and noting the iron of her ears, he reaches out in an attempt to clean them as part of a wordless greeting. No tenderness has been lost over the years, at least from him.
She dipped her head so he
"Hi, dad."
There was something... sad, about her. Beyond letting him clean her ears she stood very still. Not frightened, but it was as if she'd forgotten how to interact properly and made no attempt to groom him in some way in return.
"Your eye... Can you see?"
Even in the low light Kusa could see the asymmetry of his gaze on her approach.
Still no words, but continued
"I can see well through half." He answered, but quick to change the focus away from himself, he speaks again. "What of your hardships?" The Hart asks. While familiar with the past she had in the forest, the thought that she would still be dwelling on it now did not seem to come to him.
Kusa zoned out as he groomed,
"I draw the humans attention."
She replied dryly,
"A particularly angry doe decided I was bad news. I was bitten until I kept a distance... When they moved on, I didn't follow."
She looked directly at his good eye,
"They were right to do it. I don't belong here... My mere presence is danger to them."
Not even a grimace came from
He comes to an agreement with his daughter before it was even voiced, that a return to The Endless Forest would be the best way to go. But even then that isn't without its own dangers; he considered the forest to be plagued by those of carnivorous nature. He momentarily contemplates these things, and then the matriarch-lead herd that, although uncomfortable in light of recent events, The Red figured it might be the best route for Kusa.
"Come, I know of a herd lead by one white as snow." He states as he steps past the Grass Shadow, then turns in the direction he arrived from. He could not see his daughter as he stood to her right, but his ears could hear her well enough. Red waits, assessing the safety of their surroundings before beginning to walk upon silent steps, hopeful that she'd follow.
She didn't follow at first.
However, it wasn't the time to divulge her true feelings on the matter. It wouldn't accomplish anything more. Instead, she followed her Father's lead and fell in line behind him.
"I remember Kauna."
A white variant is as rare as she is, so there was no doubt in her mind that Kauna is the doe he referred to.
"But... I-If you don't mind... I wish to spend time in the birch forest."
Kusa paused,
"It's been a while. Aside from you, it is the only familiarity I have... I would have gone sooner, except... I-"
Her ears fell back, suddenly hearing the stuttering of her words. It was something her mother did when she was afraid.
"I lack the courage to find the Robin on my own."
As they walked, The Red
The old Hart squints as the drizzle is blown once again into his face by the wind, turning to look back at the Grass Shadow before pausing. "Very well." He says to her, "but be cautious. The forest does not offer the safety it once did." This was not by any intentional means a threat, The Red simply says it as it is.
He turns away briefly, only to return his gaze to his daughter as she spoke once again while remaining on the spot where he halted moments ago. Rather than say anything comforting, he instead turns halfway to meet her, offering reassurance through physical contact - an attempt to nuzzle the dark hind. He hopes to be a greater presence in her life from now on.
Her ears fall at his words
"I will be cautious," she echoed his words to affirm them, "After all, mother did name me Grass Shadow in her tongue for a reason..."
Kusa smiled to herself. It was her one and perhaps only talent - to disappear without a trace.
And despite her reassurance
Upon her approach, he groomed her immediately. "I trust you." He communicates, "love you." Then he waits this time, having noticed her hesitation prior. When he looks away it's only out of caution for any danger from letting his guard down.
[fff finally remembered to
Her shoulders relaxed as she let go a heavy exhale, as if she had been holding her breath all this time. It was a sign of relief. Sure, she found him hard to read... but he was her father, and those words meant to the world to her.
"Love you." She replied quietly, stifling a smile before lifting her head away from him.
"I'm ready. Let's go home."