It was raining the day she left.

Her hoof prints in the fresh mud had quickly been washed away with in mere minute’s leaving no sign of where the doe had been or where she was going.

It could be said that she had simply searched for shelter from the cold rain, or that the young doe had hidden herself away to die in some hole deep within the forest.

It was uncertain though. The only one who would know the truth was Night Shade herself.

Instinct had made her driven to hide away. It was true that she had picked a place to nest in advance, but that spot proved unsatisfactory after a time.

Too many knew about it and by instinct, Night wished to be alone and secretive.

Reason however told her she was stupid to have left. She was in poor condition, far too poor to birth a fawn on her own.

She knew she needed help, but the need to hide had over powered her since of reason and perhaps there was more to it than that, just a day before she had a discussion with her adoptive mother Emmy.

A cloud had lingered over them the whole time they spoke and Night knew why. She was tired, sick and weak. Death lurked in the corner of her eyes at all times and loomed over her like a shadow.

Death was a possibility that was becoming all too real to the doe and she didn’t want those who cared about her to see her die.She was too proud

They could find out later, if her remains were stumbled upon one day, or they could go on living with the fact that she vanished and cling to the hope that she would return one day.

Nature has a way of being cruel. Night had all the help she needed to live, but nature would not have it that way.

She was a weak link in the chain and to Mother Nature, deserved the fate she had been dealt.