Brother... I have... a brother

Oh how my heart skipped a beat. Brother. Maybe not a mother or a father but still family a brother! I now skipped by his side as he walked through the forest, I felt new He walked on melding with the shadows, silent as the breeze. I chipped and jumped. I felt such happiness. I had suffered so long struggled for so long and now I would be safe.

"ENOUGH!! YOU FOOL!"

I skidded to a halt and turned to the voice. My new found brother now stamped the ground & bucked. "Enough this is not how to act! You have a proud bloodline show some honour to it and conduct yourself properly" I lowered my head and mumbled” I’m sorry I did not.."
"WHAT! You did not know, don’t talk scat like that and don't mumble. Now fall in line with my slots and follow me ... NOW!

With my head low I stepped behind him silent. My eyes looking at his slots ahead, my feet trying to stay in line. As we traveled I turned and looked around seeing new plants and smelling new smells. This type of forest was new to me almost like another world. I turned away from my brother and went to smell a nearby tree. It’s smell almost warm and sweet so strange. I sniffed more when a sound reached my ears I heard a snort behind me turning to see my brother starting to stamp the ground “For deaths sake can’t you do one thing I say now walk before I drive you will my antlers!

It seemed forever that we walked, he would not let me rest until I was near collapse. I was made to dig a hole to pass waste in to. Soon my hooves were swollen and I began to limp.I stopped and sank to my knees panting. I asked in a weak voice “please brother at least tell me your name"
He did not answer me but instead kicked me in to standing and once again I walked... I began to wonder what I had gotten myself in to.....

Night drew in and we traveled still. My thoughts went back to times before. Mother had told me of how fawns skipped and played yet I was no allowed to do this, Other fawns could rest whenever they wanted to like I had with ... mother, yet no I was being driven on. My head felt heavy as we walked. I was a fawn treated like a Stag.

As the moon rose we entered a clearing a dark place and in no way empty. The clearing was surrounded by deer! Stags and hinds, old and young black as shadows! Their eyes dull, they seemed huge and oppressing. I shuddered as I was pushed to the center of the ring. There was not a sound and not a movement from them they were as still as tree trunks. I tried to stand tall and not shake but could not control my legs....

"How is this rut made of a shadow?" Snapped a heavy voice from the darkness. Runt I thought what me? Mother said I was a big fawn? I wanted to say this but had no voice to speak. Fear had begun to set in.
"He can't be that much of a runt master!" came a voice I knew as my brother. “after all he's run for days and out smarted that Rotting White hart" at this name all the deer spat on the ground and stamped their feet. My brother continued to talk " Mortis was a runt far smaller than the one in front of you master yet he's grown in to a fine assassin, full of stealth and power."
"Enough trying to justify this life, I decree this, that Mortis YOU and only you will train this pathetic excuse for a fawn and if he should fail the test, You will be the one to dispose of him!.

I glanced at my brother in shock and found his face was like stone. What had he led me in to!

From across the clearing a black stag stepped to my side. Younger than my brother, yet strong and well built. He bowed to the shadow and turned to my shaking form " Follow me now runt! I dared to say a word, but followed him in to the shadows.

Behind me i sensed the shadows filled with dull eyes watching me recede in to the darkness. I shuddered. Why was I born this colour? Why could I not have been a normal fawn...

For so many days I followed and learnt from my new teacher. Mortis would not let me rest much and only when near collapse was I allowed a drink, even then only enough to keep myself going. On one occasion we had been in the outskirts of the forest. I was learning how to track and move through the woods when the sun was out. I saw across the meadow fawns and there mothers leaping and playing, running and bleating with shear happiness. I stopped and watched them. A few where playing a kicking game with a ball of moss. The ball rolled towards the wood edge.

A few fawns galloped over to retrieve the ball. I stepped from the shadows and stood over the ball. I could not help myself the urge to play and make friends was to strong. The fawns skidded to a halt in front of me. Then began to back away. Some of the hind’s ears went up and began to watch their fawns. I stepped towards the fawns. They belated with fear and turned to run. I tried to call to them "wait I just..." Suddenly a hind was in front of me rearing she went to kick me down "GET AWAY FROM OUR FAWNS YOU FILTHY CREATURE!" The scream echoed across the meadow. Her feet came down. The hind then seemed to shoot sideways. Her body slammed in to the ground and she made a hollow woooosh sound as the air left her lungs. She laid on her side struggling to get up. Mortis Stood over me. His breath calm and level.
"Touch this fawn again buff mother and I will kill you!
The hind clambered to her feet showing the slashes Mortis antlers had inflicted as he hit her. She coughed hoarsely, blood flecked her mouth " You may have got your wish granted, Demon." She coughed again gasping slightly then turned and unsteadily made her way back to the group of hinds and her own fawn.

Mortis now with drew back in to the forest, before I could move he had grabbed me by my neck and carried me with him. I little way in to the darkness he dropped me. I was given a heavy kicking as punishment for not following him. “Why can't you do as I say, are you dumb and worthless" I laid there and tried not to sob, thought the pain. Sobbing would only make it worse.

Mortis walked away then turning to me as I stood up he said in a gentle voice “I know it is hard to except, but you are not the same as them and never will be. The sooner you understand this the better life will be. Now follow me we still have a long way to patrol and you have much to learn".

One of my lessons was to listen to the wood around me and understand its many voices from the chirping of a bird to the buzz of the flies. I later learned by this stream of information The hind Mortis had struck had died. Her fawn had been killed by two foxes as it sat by her body. I realised how lucky that I had not suffered the same fate, when I slept[t next to the dead hind. For the first few moons I relied on Mortis for safety, When the fox came I tried to be brave, but was weak, compared to it. Mortis crushed it under his hooves in disgust. He made me smell it and understand how it worked, so with any creature he found he showed me it and how it worked.

Mortis continued to train me. I soon was not being beaten for faults but praised for skills I showed. Even though I did not have any antlers Mortis showed me other ways to fight. Using my body as a Ram, my hooves and blades. To kick out and feel no pain. I was made to practice first on trees then on rocks. How strange in must have seemed to others to see a fawn back kicking a large rock. I was shown how to duck, weave and keep out of my opponents way. I soon understood that being a big deer had faults and being small could work as an advantage if you knew what to do.

I became stronger, wiser and if anything grateful for the beatings I had received. I was no longer quick to anger or sulk. I was in control of my mind and body. Soon my new skills would be tested.

Autumns golden colours came and faded turning the world in to a brown and grey haze. One morning Mortis called me to his side He explained to me something that burned in to my mind as n has never left me
“When you were born” Mortis said” Your mother knew you would be in danger. For the master who won her and wanted her was filled with anger at not being the one to cover her. On the night you were born he saw your black pelt and went mad. Your mother hid well though and he could not get to you. He went to all of his hinds and taking there fawns he carried them to your mother and tore out their throats in front of her. He crushed their tiny bodies and left them there. This was his threat to her.”
I blinked and stared in shock “I remember the smell” In fact I can’t forget it.”
Mortis looked at me and then stated with no emotion to his voice “That master is known as the Rotting White Heart. He Will never stop hunting you or your mother until you are broken beneath his hooves.”

Mother.... Shes alive??

Part 6
http://endlessforest.org/community/part-6-growing-and-new-enermy