Herla stood and stared up into the face of the striped stag as he spoke, dismay, confusion and hurt crossing her own features as he tried to explain himself. This was not something she could reconcile within herself. That he would make any excuse at all for Sianna was beyond comprehensible to her. Any feelings of forgiveness that had started to blossom in her where dampened and extinguished, to be replaced with betrayal and dismay. Her face darkened and she backed away from him, shaking her head. “No.” she said simply, shaking her head over and over again. “How can you…how can you stand there and say such things to me? I will never…never forgive.” anger mixed with shock were leaking into her voice. “I…almost died.” she said falling back into herself. Her demeanor hardened then, and she found a strength the did not know she had. She faced him, stood taller, refusing to cringe, her head held high, though the other stag towered over her. “No. I do not deserve that. Your promises are empty…and you are a fool if you believe them, Sorog. It’s NOT alright. It will NEVER be alright” she said at last, a finality and edge to her voice that was rarely heard.

[ OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO LONG POST IS LONG~ Mmmmmmmmmmmm Sorog... <3 haha

SOROG! Suicide is never the answer! Don't consider it man, even if you don't get the girl! Life is more valuable! ]

---

Holy cow... Geez Nightmare, hasn't Sorog gone through enough? XD So how exactly does the toxin work, anyway? I can see if I can incorporate that into the next RP with him; I'm curious about it. c:

Edit: Eep, Lady-ninja! Omg, poor Herla... ;;

Ahh, gotcha! You explained it perfectly, thank you. c:

--

He was struggling to catch his breath...no, he was struggling to simply breathe, his entire body quaking as anger and devastation pulsed through him. Eventually he tore his gaze away from the disturbed earth to Herla's eyes...and there, he found the shock, the fear. The hurt... The ebony doe was backing up, but he didn't step forward. The striped stag stood frozen in place, stunned as she began to speak. She was apologizing... He thought that that was what he had wanted from her, but now he felt shattered. His perception of her was all wrong...it had been warped by frustration, by jealousy, by the fact that he knew that he could never have her heart. Because of his foolishness, she was suffering. He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no sound came. Herla was wavering. Unable to move, Sorog watched her fall. Time seemed to slow as she crumpled to the ground, her beautiful feathers dusty, askew and bent from the impact.

Shaking, he stared down at her unconscious form, his mind racing. After finally finding his breath again, he tried to think of what he should do. Should he stay, or leave? He didn't have to think for long; he would never abandon Herla, especially when she was so vulnerable. Tentatively, Sorog stepped closer until he stood beside her. As he took in the state of her well-being, tears began to well up in his eyes. Letting out a shuddering sigh, he resisted the urge to attempt to uproot the nearest tree in his building rage. He was not angry at her anymore, no...he was angry at himself. This was all of his doing. Because of him, Herla was suffering. And he didn't know what to do...

He continued to look down at her for a long moment, his ears flat against his skull and his form crouched. Finally, he slowly lowered himself to his knees, his chest resting against her belly. Squeezing his eyes shut, he struggled to control his breathing; he wouldn't lose it, not right now. She may not want him near, but the least he could do was watch over her until someone like Darcy or Gehirn would chase him off. At least then she'd be in more welcomed company. Opening his eyes again, he watched her side slowly rise and fall with every shallow breath. His heart was heavy, his body slumped. He had never felt so helpless in his life.

"Herla...I am so sorry..." was all he could whisper before his eyes fell shut once more.

“Sorog.”
A low voice spoke up from the shadows. The name was not a question...nor a summons or a greeting. An a address simply meant to soften the reaction of the stag slowly emerging from the thicker cover of the forest. His presence had not been noticed by the two...only he knew how long he'd stood there, watching the communication before it went awry. Dappled sunlight finally trickled over him, revealing the vibrant oranges and yellows of his pelt, and a face, heavily shadowed by the covering of an old wooden mask.

Darcy stepped to the edge of the clearing, then stopped. His ears tilted back as he eyed the two together on the forest floor. It was a familiar sight...one that used to bring him so much comfort to see. Not now. Herla had buckled beneath the weight of their argument, and now Sorog leaned over her, whispering...lord knows what else in her ear. His gaze narrowed briefly upon the larger male's scarred form before the muscles around his eyes relaxed again. He waited for a reaction...some sort of response or explanation. Or maybe nothing at all...

The sound of voices was the first recognized sensations to break through the oppressive blackness the doe had fallen into. Far and distant, they remained indistinct, though familiar. It was hard discerning them over the persistent roaring that she soon came to realize was the sound of her own pulse and beating heart in her ears. The roar offered solace and peace, she wished to remain in its dark embrace, it’s oblivion a welcome respite from what had driven her here. Instinctively she realized that she couldn’t stay and a frown furrowed her brow as the thought gained firmness in her consciousness. The voices persisted and would not stop invading her ears. The comforting oblivion started to seep away, shoving her back into the harsh world of wakefulness, like a mad swim to the surface of the water. Her world spun, dizziness and nausea wrapping itself around her now.

The black doe let out a soft groan, her eyelids fluttering over scarlet eyes that still could not see. Vision remained hazy and indistinct. Slowly, she became aware of the feel of the soft mossy forest floor beneath her. The voices continued and they triggered apprehension. A fearful whine escaped her but she had no faculties for movement beyond a few restless twitches. Her heart began to race and her breathing picked up. Something bad had happened she remembered now, somebody was close and his voice distressed her. “No. Please no.” she cried in confusion. In her mind she shouted it but spoken it would have been a barely audible whisper. Real tears began to fall. She whimpered and cried, wanting to get away, to escape somehow. To run. But she couldn’t yet.

Raised voices, harsh and hard elicited whimpers of fear from the prone doe, in her semi conscious state. Dark eyelashes fluttered but vision resulted in a world that spun so violently, the doe curled into herself, needing desperately something to hold onto. Confusion and fear caused her to tremble more violently. The roar of her pulse rushing around her, not offering a comforting oblivion now, but a choking terror that stole her breath as another panic attack racked her. She remained ensnared in a prone state with an instinct that was telling her to flee. She bashed about frantically in her own mind like a bird trapped in a cage, fighting for breath and for consciousness.

Then a calming, familiar voice reached her. Spoke to her. “Herla…Herla, I’m here.” Like a lifeline thrust into the raging waters, Herla clung to the reassurances. Sure. Confident. Spoken with a certainty that everything would be alright, it stabilized her fluttering pulse, and made the raging dark waters that drowned her recede. She sucked in a ragged breath. She wanted to believe the words. Needed to believe them. A touch to her shoulder, the feel of warm breath on her neck and she calmed. She let out long shuddering breathes as the panic receded to be replaced with overwhelming exhaustion. “Darcy…” she murmured, eyes closed, giving in to the fatigue, her head tucked into her side.

The pleading stag's responses yielded no new answers for Darcy. More whining...more self indulgent drivel! He might have sneered if it were not so completely pathetic. It was hard to see, the mighty warrior on his knees... He had once thought Sorog a worthy opponent. He had once seen something in the male reminiscent of himself. Their haughty spars and rough banter...that was the stag he had grown fond of. This? Darcy didn't know who he was looking at now...only that he didn't like it.
He didn't like the way it pulled at his sympathies and egged on his irritation all at once.

“Darcy...”
The doe sighed his name. The voice drew him back, dispersing the thoughts like smoke in the breeze. Her ruby eyes fluttered up at him...but they did not seem to see the smile he forced to his lips for her benefit. He was glad when she shut them again, feeling unnerved by the blank confusion he saw there. An ear ticked back when Sorog softly called her name. It was only then Darcy realized that the stag had gotten up and moved back toward the trees. 'Coward!' he thought spitefully...though glancing up into the male's terrified eyes, he knew he was being unreasonable.
'No...he deserves this pain, and much, much more...'
It wasn't true. Nobody deserved this pain.
'...'She' does.'
Yes...yes she did. No! ...Maybe...
'She deserves to die.'
His flesh began to tingle at the thought, the muscles in his shoulders flexing without warning. The monarch stag jerked his head abruptly to the side and snarled, pinning his ears and closing his eyes as a foreleg stomped the earth to ward the thought away.

A tremor rolled down his spine at the dark chuckle he received in answer, but he had regained control again. He drew in a deep shuddering breath before giving his body a shake and glaring up at the male. The tears startled him, and for a moment the anger melted from his face in bewilderment.
“Wha- ...you got to be kidding me,” he muttered to himself in agitation. Swallowing back harsher words that threatened to surface, he offered Sorog a steady glare.
“You're not the only one who is lost, trust me.”
Turning away before he lost control, he focused on Herla once more. Bending down, his mask brushed her fur once more to rouse her unfocused attention.
“Can you stand? Or should I carry you?” he questioned quietly once more, though his voice was a tad edgier now – raspier.

With her eyes still closed the small doe felt the world start to steady underneath her curled form. Familiar voices became more distinct. Darcy, close by. Sorog, further off. They were conversing and as they spoke she remembered more what had happened, remembered the hurt and betrayal. She wanted away from there, away from the one who had brought her so much pain and wrecked her trust. A touch to her shoulder, drawing her attention to Darcy’s gentle voice urging her to stand if she could. Nightmare now too. They wanted her to move. Darcy’s tone held a hint of…urgency? She wanted to comply, needed to leave from this place. Eyes fluttering open, her vision blurred then focused on Darcy’s masked face before her, his amber eyes looking into hers. Stand. Yes. She would stand.

Lurching up into the monarch stag, she leaned on him heavily, a wave of vertigo making her legs unsteady as she trembled to hold herself up. She closed her eyes and pressed her face into his fur, willing the spinning to stop. She managed to open her eyes again and look around her. There was Nightmare close by. And there by a tree was Sorog. She lifted her eyes to those of the striped stag, met them briefly then turned away. She didn’t want to see what was there. Couldn’t bare it. She desperately wanted to get away. On the verge of collapsing again, the small doe would have fallen if she hadn’t been leaning on Darcy. Trying to muster up a modicum of decorum in her trembling, rumpled state, she said, “I’m ready to leave now.” like she had all the strength in the world.

[WHAT A BUNCH OF SISSIES! XDD]

The sound of rustling leaves drew the stag's head up abruptly. A giant shadow materialized into form, blocking out the trees as it approached before the light splashed upon it to reveal familiar blues and purples. Darcy narrowed his eyes on the intruding beast, tilting his head grudgingly upward just to meet his gaze - if you could call the tiny glowing red dots nestled in the shadowy holes of his face a 'gaze'. What...what was he doing here? His animosity only intensified when the giant stag spoke, insisting on taking over. 'Condescending bastard!' he snarled inwardly with another irrational jolt of pent-up rage, but with his teeth firmly clenched the censure words had no hope of making their debut. Yet the way Nightmare stared at him; the way he addressed him... it sent another shiver down his spine. 'Did...did he know?' The scowl faded from his face before it had the proper time to fix itself there completely. His muscles relaxed, and he looked away from the skull-faced male in shame.
“You should mind your own damn business,” he muttered in weak retaliation. It was childish, and he knew it immediately.

It appeared the weak doe intended to stand. Her eyes stared up at him with a look of trust that made his stomach tighten, and his smile that much harder to force. It was a welcome relief when she finally tore her gaze away and rocked herself to her feet. Darcy stepped towards her, leaning down and wrapping his neck carefully around her shivering form to catch and steady her as she leaned against him.
“That a girl,” he whispered in encouragement. She felt so weak and fragile in his embrace, yet glancing over he could see the determination in her gaze as she announced her willingness to depart. The stag laughed at the sight – an abrupt, breathy sound catching in his throat. No, you could never underestimate a doe.
“Well alright then, milady,” he answered her matter-of-factly, amusement thick in his tone. Then, feeling she was stable enough, he lifted his head and gave her an encouraging bump forward towards the awaiting Nightmare.
“I'll be along in just a moment, I promise.”
Amber eyes sought the pair of glowing red dots again, and their intensity implored the beast to leave before they softened in reassurance. Then he turned and rested his gaze on Sorog.

He was almost surprised to see the larger male still standing there. He looked...almost as unsteady on his feet as Herla had, except there was no will in his eyes. Darcy expected the tree was all the held him up at this point. The anger in his eyes had faded. They were as they were when he had first approached them – intense, yet calm. This time, maybe even a little pained. He slowly approached the striped stag, his steps deliberate, but non-threatening before he came to stand before him. Sorog towered over him, even in his hunched and pathetic state, but the monarch stag remained as undaunted by this fact as he'd always been.
“There is a time and place for this discussion, but it isn't here or now. I need to tend to my priorities. I will find you again, soon...and you can speak your peace then. I expect an explanation... Agreed?”
It did not appear to be a proper negotiation. His gaze all but demanded compliance.

The glimmer of hope he saw in those gray eyes – despite being buried beneath utter defeat – made Darcy uneasy. Sorog seemed appreciative of his approach...of the things he'd said. Part of him knew that already though, didn't he? Why else would he have approached him in the first place? Yet Darcy did not feel the same hopefulness. He didn't know this Sorog; he didn't know if he wanted to know him. To put a label on their current 'relationship' would have been no easy task. Was the guy he had grown to trust and appreciate still in there? Had he any chance of finding him again?

And if he did...would it be selfish of him to encourage?

“Good.” There was nothing else to say. The larger male had turned his eyes away, defeat overcoming him again...and Darcy would leave him to it. The monarch gave him his shoulder as he turned to rejoin the other two, then paused when Sorog spoke again, his voice straining. Their eyes met briefly again, and Darcy narrowed his own, though the emotion behind them was questionable.
“If only that were true,” he spoke under his breath, a small, sad smile tugging at his mouth. He closed his eyes and shook his head before turning away without pause this time. He trotted to catch up, though the uneasy duo hadn't made it very far. The stag took his place beside the black doe to support her once again, offering Nightmare's unsteady balance relief. His thoughts remained with Sorog.

(I really wasn't sure of any other way to get a hold of you. So I figured this would have to do. Especially since I do not know how to speak with Sianna either.)

The ambush was sudden. Unexpected.

The moments leading up to the attack steadily tick away as time seemed to stand still. The silhouettes in the distance were familiar, yet strangers, to the petite doe resting in the sunlight. The burned orange pelt stood out against the lush green canvas of the Forest background. In front of the far off stag, stood a second figure - a dark pelted doe - with a threatening scent the lingered on the summer breeze. She had met with the doe before, but only briefly and in the heat of battle quite some time ago. As for the stag, he too was yet another foreign face that she had only seen on the outer rim of her circle of friends.

Cautiously, Kumiko rose to her feet. Her heart hammering within her small rib cage as her eyes strained against the sunlight studying the pair. At first they seemed far enough away to not warrant being a threat, but with each blink of her eyes, she realized that they grew in size. The doe was leading a small pack closer to her. The sunburned stag at her heels with another on her opposite side. One that Kumiko did recognize - Ciel. Before she knew it, the three had dispersed in front of her, creating an antagonistic barrier as their eyes fell upon "their prey".

Kumiko was alone. She had been for quite sometime, putting her at a grave disadvantage with the lack of allies to aid her. For not only was she outnumbered, but she was a weak, generally passive creature. Which is why she had began to suspect is what lured Sianna to her. Across the bright field, the does' eyes met. One full of mischievousness; the other out of wary. Kumiko was desperate to avoid confrontation, knowing that there was no chance that she could win if a fight had broken out. But why - other than being alone - had Sianna chosen to hover around her?

Kumiko began to proceed down the hillside towards the weeping willows. Her eyes still fixed on the herd. Ciel had dropped back as she caught sights of Sorog and Sianna bickering, but she was too far to hear the conversation. However, she noticed the despite what Sorog may have said, Sianna continued to follow her movements. Anxious and terrified, Kumiko began to react to the other's taunts. That is when it happens. All in sudden flashes and blurs as the force of Sianna's body tackling the thin doe to the ground caused her mind to go black. First came the stabbing pain. Then the scent of soil as she was plumbed to the ground. Then the blood. She did what she could to protect herself. Kicking back and trying to mimic the defensive techniques Darcy had shown her before, but Sorog had jumped in on the fight as well. Giving the doe no option to retreat as quickly as she could.

With sore muscles and fur coated with blood, the doe crawled away before staggering to her feet. Sianna had stepped back; Sorog stood between the two. The little doe looked up at him as her body sagged, "You...I have seen you before...Sorog, that is your name, yes?" She turned away from him, wincing in pain as the puncture wound Sianna had implemented into her chest began to gush and yes pleading for mercy. "Is this...What you have come to? What you...have become? A hunter of the weak and a defender of a monster?"

"When can I expect the first child support check, Sorog?"

((Sorry, couldn't help myself! *giggles and flees*))

(Haha! XD The funny thing is, I can totally picture Herla saying that. Sor needs to get a job! )

(Woot! It's nice to be able to communicate instantly. Thanks for the add!)

The stag watched Kumiko sway on her feet, but he was too upset to help her. He had already done his part, and had possibly saved her life. Besides, him getting closer to the doe could send Sianna into another bout of rage, and he couldn't deal with that right now. He snorted as he looked down at her cowering form, his empathy quickly wearing thin. His blood began to boil as she spoke again, and he snorted in frustration and pawed at the raw earth.

"How was I or Sianna supposed to know what your intentions were? At least she showed some restraint until you decided to push your luck and move closer after both of us sent clear warnings back to you." A low snarl rumbled in his chest, and he shook his nape in agitation. "Ciel is my son as well, so if you knew what's good for you you'd watch your tone. How was I supposed to know you didn't mean him harm? From my point of view, it looked as if you wished to start trouble. Sianna wasn't even going to do anything, this I know. She was being cautious...curious, even."

He sighed heavily and trotted in a small circle for a moment as he tried to clear his head. And then, something clicked. Suddenly, it all made sense. Slowly, he turned to face Kumiko again, and there was a strange glint in his eyes. It was dangerous...threatening. "Oh, yes...I have seen you around Darcy. Now I remember. I see you rub all over him, cuddle with him to spite Herla. I know now why, of all places in the forest, you decided to sit within our sights...Sianna's sights." His lips curled into a grin, but not one of good humor. "You wanted Sianna to hurt you. Then you woukd crawl back to Darcy and cry to him how your poor, innocent self was savagely attacked by her for no reason. Oh, yes...what better way to get Darcy's blood boiling than by having one of his dear friends attacked by his worst enemy? What better reason would he have, then, to go after Sianna himself?"

The striped stag snorted, this time in a mixture of disgust and amusement. "I know what shit you're trying to pull, doe, and it's pathetic. I'm trying to keep those two apart, and you only wish to instigate a conflict between them. Do you want Darcy to get hurt? He's not well in the head lately, and you wish to take advantage of that. As far as I'm concerned, you're no more sadistic than Sianna is." He growled again, his eyes challenging hers. He wouldn't be fooled by this seemingly innocent doe, not for a second. It was all too suspicious, and yet it all made so much sense to him.

Her reaction to him mentioning Darcy was not unexpected. He knew how attached she was to him, and he felt a momentary pang of guilt. But he couldn't take any chances; he had been deceived before, and he wouldn't let anyone pull the wool over his eyes again. The striped stag took another step back as she jumped to her feet, watching her carefully. A soft snort escaped him when she lowered her antlers, and he shook his head. "Maybe you don't do it intentionally, but you'll only tread further down a dark path if you are really that blissfully ignorant of your actions and the consequences they'd bring. You could have moved at any time, or just remained where you were. Instead you scoped us out, made us suspicious. You brought this upon yourself." His voice was a little calmer, but still firm. "Don't think I'm not disappointed in Sianna, because I am. However, she is not entirely at fault here, and you know it."

He looked the doe up and down, studying her carefully as she ground out her warning. "What makes you think that I would hurt Darcy? He is my friend, and I wish to keep both him and Sianna safe. But now because of your instigation and you undoubtedly going back to cry to him, he will wish to avenge you. And I might not even be around to stop it." His grey eyes were piercing, but no longer threatening. "I am just warning you of what's to come. You say that you don't like to see Darcy hurt...well, then keep it that way. Don't go looking for trouble with Sianna, and he won't have to suffer from your ignorance."

"And you don't know a thing about me," he replied evenly, his eyes following her as she collapsed onto her side. She was struggling...he could see that. Internally, he was angry at Sianna, but right now his focus was on Kumiko. He had tried to stay between her and Sianna, to receive most of the blows, but his mate was too fast and ruthless. Too assuming...much like he was. But he wouldn't let go of his theory, no. Sometimes, he needed to be paranoid so that he may stay on his toes. Since he first arrived in the forest, he trusted almost no one...and he would keep it that way.

He frowned down at her as she continued, her voice strained. His hooves were planted firmly in the earth, and although his ears lay flat against his skull he allowed her to speak. Listened to every word, analyzed it. "I'm not threatening anyone. I'm warning you, because I can predict how this all may end. I don't like it, and neither would you, I'm sure," he reiterated coolly. Loyal... He supposed he was. Why else would he care to defend Darcy and Sianna so much? Or Herla, for that matter. With a soft snort, he turned on his heels and looked over his shoulder at her prone form. "Good. I trust you'll keep it that way. I don't wish for you to get hurt again, so I would suggest that you avoid Sianna in the future. I don't want us to have anymore problems. It's not worth it."

The striped stag sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before shaking his nape, attempting to clear his head once more. His eyes met hers, but their piercing look was gone. There was no empathy, but rather mercy. "Go, now, before anything else happens. Have someone tend to your wounds. Keep safe," Sorog said in a low voice, and then began to walk back to the Idol. He would have words with Sianna, and he had more important things to tend to. Ciel needed him now more than ever.

Seeing her stumble back and collapse against a tree was admittedly almost heart-wrenching to watch, but he couldn't bring himself to help her. Not with Sianna still standing there, watching. Besides, he too had picked up on Darcy's scent. Doubtless the monarch would find his friend soon; she was in no immediate danger. He had no sooner taken a couple of steps when he froze again at Kumiko's retort, and although he growled to himself he didn't turn to face her again. False compassion, nothing. She didn't know him, how he worked. He had plenty of compassion for those he trusted and adored. What she was spitting at him was none of her damn business, anyway. Shaking his head once more, he returned to Sianna and Ciel before finally facing Kumiko's direction, watching her slowly make her way toward her posse. Internally, he prayed that she would keep the incident on the down-low. If she truly cared about Darcy, then she would.

(Dun, dun, dunnn! )

(Aw, geez...silly Sianna, why you do this to very-nearly-mentally-unstable Sor? :<)

As soon as he saw the phoenix deer approach him with her head hanging low, Sorog's nerves began to flare. Normally she would be overjoyed when she'd see him, and then later may mention an incident that had occurred while he was gone. But now, she looked melancholy...sorrowful. Something terrible had happened... Slowly, the striped stag rose to his feet, his eyes on Sianna and she moved closer to him. "...Sianna?" The stag's eyes followed Sianna's movements, watching her lower herself to the ground and glance about with remorse. As she began to speak he found that he could hardly breathe, and his ears slowly pulled back although he listened intently. He thought he'd be prepared for what she was about to say. He was wrong.

A bout of light-headedness struck him where he stood, and he suddenly swayed before catching himself with a strangled gasp as her words sunk in. "No...no! That's not true...it can't be! Ciel would never say something like that and mean it! She...she made him say that, I know it!" His face had completely fallen, his eyes and expression full of pain and sorrow. He could hardly hear the rest of what Sianna said; his ears were roaring. As he struggled to suck in a breath, his gaze locked onto the Crying Idol in the distance. The elk-like deer shook his head hard, and then let out a bellow before striking the earth with one front hoof. "He said he loved me...said that I am his father. He came to me...his love was real!" A heavy snort escaped him, and he paced in a tight circle, huffing and tossing his antlers. He was beginning to steadily slip. The past few weeks have provided him such mental torture; to hear such news was more than enough to have him begin to step over the threshold of rationality.

Suddenly, he turned on his heels to face Sianna, his eyes wide and glazed. "I must see him," he said flatly, his chest heaving. "I must see him...without her. I must hear from him that he didn't mean to say those things to you. He...he's confused, Sianna. He..." He froze, shuddering. Squeezing his eyes shut, he could feel everything spinning around him. The buzzing in his ears was growing worse. He didn't know what to do...

(As a disclaimer, the following is what Sorog ICly thinks of Herla now, and not myself personally. XD)

"He does love you..."

It was the only encouragement he had right now. Yes, he knew that Ciel did love him and saw him as his father, but Sianna was right: Herla was poisoning the young stag's mind. He was now convinced; after all, she had always used Sorog as well. Her naive nature, her tenderness...it was all false. A charade that he had fallen for. She was not a black doe, but a black widow, always plotting and trapping stags in her poisonous web of lies. He knew now that she was trying to get back at Sorog for the mistakes he'd made. She'd rather hurt him than forgive him, even if it meant using Ciel in the process. His skin crawled, and anger began to flare up within him. Rage...disgust. He let out another heavy snort, his body hunched and rigid. His ears were pressed flat against his skull, in which within his mind raced.

Sianna's voice, now gentler and calmer, brought him back. He looked at her in bewilderment, watching her every movement as she weaved between his legs. The striped stag listened intently to Sianna's words, his eyes wide and his breathing shallow. As she moved to stand before him, his eyes locked with hers; his gaze was almost pleading, as if begging for guidance. Something, anything to help him go about making things the way they should be.

Kidnapping... He stared at the doe with a mixture of shock and fascination on his face. It took him a moment to process what she had just suggested, and he found himself actually considering it. But only briefly. With a heavy sigh he shook his head, the uncertainty coming back to him. "I wouldn't force him to choose. If he wishes to see her, then so be it. If I were to drag him away from her...who knows how he would think of me? He probably would disown me again if I were to do that to him," he replied in a low voice, his gaze shifting away from hers. "He's not always with her... He said he wants to distance himself from her, after all. He's a grown stag...he can make his own decisions." A shuddering sigh escaped him, and he slowly sank to his knees. "I love him too much to force him away from her. She may be a bad influence...but so am I. I just can't force him to choose, Sianna. There has to be another way..." Some rationality was edging its way through, but not much.

A silence overcame him as Sianna continued, hearing her inhale and growl in frustration. He looked at her and saw the disappointment in her eyes. How much did she expect from him? It seemed that no matter what he did to please her, it wasn't enough. But she seemed so...passionate about getting Ciel back. A while ago she wouldn't care less; she attacked Ciel when he was a fawn, broke his leg out of spite. Did she really care enough about the predicament to snatch Ciel away from Herla just to make Sorog happy? The striped stag snorted softly, his ears pulling forward slightly as he tried to think. Ciel saw him for him...but who was Sorog, exactly? He didn't know himself...he never did. Perhaps this gentler side was something that he always wanted to be, but could never achieve. Only special beings could bring him to such a state...but was that who he truly was, what he should be?

For a moment his eyes fell shut as his head began to spin again in confusion, and he groaned softly and leaned his shoulder against a tree. He forced his eyes to meet hers again, and once more saw the fiery determination. And then, he began to contemplate. He digested everything that Sianna was saying, and a small spark of insanity made itself present within his already buzzing mind. Maybe...it could work. But only if- Her last remark made him straighten up, and he snorted and stomped a hoof. "I do care, Sianna!" he retorted, his voice dangerously low and his eyes blazing.

Sighing, he shook his nape and paced around the doe slowly. "I will listen to what you have to say, Sianna. I just hope you realize that to kidnap a fully-grown stag is no simple task, and not the wisest. I want him to trust me, and you. And so, rather than force him away against his will, we can coax him." His eyes glimmered for a moment, and a hint of a smile touched his lips. "If he were to know the truth about Herla, then he would have no reason to run back to her, would he?" There was a strange, teasing tone to his voice that was almost unlike him.

Haha! Well, not exactly. Sianna isn't telling him that Nightmare did it, but he has a strong suspicion. But yeah, he should hide anyway just to be safe!

Yep, exactly. I don't think many other deer are capable of producing giant, alligator-like bites, lol. And, yeah...since Sorog doesn't know for sure he probably won't do anything, but he'll be very wary around him and give him the evil eye. XD

Ah yes, true! XD Hmm...how do you figure? Things are pretty interesting already, hehe!

Ohh, gotcha! Thank you for letting me know; Sor will undoubtedly notice that, haha. But he'll probably just brush it off as something that happened during the scuffle, since he knows that Sianna wishes to be faithful to him. Then again, who knows? He might have a little paranoia attack. XD

Edit: And once again, I fall short of the new page. *sobs into pillow* :<