Theano stood on the hill looking across the bay as the breeze filtered through her cinnamon fur. Her nostrils flared as the salt air filled her lungs and burned slightly. Her eyes were focused on the coming summer storm. Lightning cracked across the sky like the etchings seen on the gravestones at the Ruins. Never touching the ground, the lighting played with itself on a background of ominous midnight blue gray. The coming storm matched the one occurring in her mind. She had wandered aimlessly in the birch trees trying to calm the pressure inside her head. Trying to make sense of the conflicting emotions within herself. It was an endless loop.

Last year had held such hope, such life. Theano had birthed her first fawn. The bond was the most intense she had ever felt in her short adult life. The fawn's small warm body pressed up against her gave her a peace and a comfort she had never known. The warmth made rivulets through her veins and into her heart. Not one to join the groups found in the forest, her and her fawn made their own world. Morning found them near the playground climbing the many rocks and weaving through the smooth rounded monoliths that were scattered around. The fawn seemed more an extension of herself than a separate being. Afternoons found them both grazing near the bridge and enjoying the clear cool water of the lake. Theano wished it would never end. All things have cycles. She had learned that watching the seasons pass.

Theano instinctively knew fawns do not stay fawns forever. She could not remember when she had went from fawn to adult. It seemed to happen overnight. She really did not want to think about it. Theano chose to enjoy the day as it was and not think about tomorrow. The forest had taught her no one or no thing was promised tomorrow. Deer friends came and went. Parts of the forest would change when you least expect it . Having the fawn had changed that in some way. Theano looked forward to awakening and feeling that warm body up against her.

Life had been idyllic and peaceful so much of the time in the forest. A lot less lonely since having the fawn. They had bedded down in the blue hyancith like flowers surrounded by the large birches. She loved the lone tree off center that was covered in English like ivy. Theano felt safe and hidden here. Lying next to each other her and her fawn closed their eyes and dreamed the sweet dreams fawns and mother deer do when all is right with the forest world. Upon the morning light for the first time Theano awoke and the familiar warmth was not there. At first she thought, the fawn had decided to explore the surroundings. Theano grazed and then circled around keeping an eye out for her fawn and she just knew she would hear it bleating. The sound never came and she began to panic. Theano began checking all the places her and her fawn visited in their routine. Anxiety replaced the peace as the day went on and the fawn was no where to be seen.

For days Theano searched and looked at every fawn in the forest she could find, but none were hers. The storm began in her mind. The endless questioning of what had happened, and if her fawn was safe, or was there something about the forest she did not know. Her mind clouded with worry and grief she ran and ran in the forest avoiding contact of any other deer. This morning she awoke in a different place in the forest she had never experienced before. It was dark and foreboding. Theano even wondered if somehow she had went inward and was wandering around in her own mind. After a few moments she had found this ridge she stood on watching a storm brew and curiously looked at the expanse of water before her.

Maybe somewhere her fawn was here. Or maybe just an answer to what had happened. Theano did not hold out much hope and lacking any other idea what to do she decided to go back into the forest to seek shelter from the coming storm.