For once in this far away forest: She was alone.

The pines were so tall here that they scraped the sky, coaxing the white gossamer blood from it. Their evergreen needles seemed hungry for all kinds of blood here: The blood of animals that unluckily trod on them, the blood of humans that scraped them with their bare arms, the blood of the insects that got stuck to the blood of the tree itself... Pines were murderous. The doe walked through them carefully, avoiding the prickling needles on low-hanging branches and trying not to get the shed prickers between her cloven toes. Try as she might, though, there was one part of the Pine she could not avoid: Its scent. The aroma filled every molecule of air around her, masking other scents. Squirrel and Wolf alike were faint- no, fresh- confusing all around. This is why the doe never went into any pine forests outside that of The Endless Forest. She knew she was safe there.

Well, I guess never would be a strong lie, considering her present location: a Pine Forest outside of The Endless Forest.

The murderous pines stood in perfect queue like soldiers on the way to battle. Among them walked no other but she, it seemed. The scent of pine coated everything. Like a labyrinth on Crete, the trees hid the true murderer. The doe grazed on, plucking fat pinecones from their places on the branches and the ground. Several cones later, the doe was starting to appear to eat like her brother. It was then that she stumbled on something out-of-place in the forest of pines: An apple.

A delectable crunch sent juices dribbling down her chin as she bit in to the fruit. Euphoria clouded her mind as she hunted for more, only to see a pile of them nearby. Rushing eagerly, the doe took to the mound of apples like a starved coyote. Nip after nip, crunch after crunch, the deer devoured the forbidden fruits as if they were the last food on earth. According to the one who placed them there among the labyrinth of pines: They were, for her.

A sharp twang from a crying bow whizzed through the air. It fell short, striking the ground near the deer's head. Her crown shot up, eyes peering in the direction of the projectile's birthplace. Her tail shot up as she heard a distinct creaking again, before her whole body was driven into motion. A thud and wheeze warned the offender before the second arrow whizzed toward her, brushing past without so much as a mark.

Enough was enough. If it was not going to cut out throwing these pretty twigs, Poplar would have to go somewhere else and leave all of these yummy apples behind. Tail flagging, she trotted off. A last arrow flew, embedding itself in a tree right where she had been. With another decisive snort, the Endless Forest doe spun, stomped in the direction of the offender, stuck out her little tongue....

and then disappeared through the portal home.




The poor hunter did not know what had hit him.