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 Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:27 pm
It had been several weeks since Telyn had last seen Brychan. If they had been ‘normal’ deer who barely had any contact with each other outside of Anlach, this wouldn’t have bothered her. But, the thing was, she genuinely enjoyed Brychan’s company and he liked hers as well. Or at least she thought he liked hers. If he didn’t, then he wouldn’t have come back every now and then to visit her and their children. Not unless he just liked seeing them and, honestly, he could do that from a high off hill or something.
Briefly, she entertained the notion that maybe he was doing just that. Maybe he had become bored of their talks and had decided, instead, to merely watch their children from afar. Maybe he wouldn’t even let her stand with him this Anlach! She snorted at the very idea and shook her head. Suuuure… and, certainly, he would grow wings and fly over her head if that ever happened.
Holding her head high, she headed towards the field that they had last met in, her young following closely. Technically, both Islwyn and Tempest were old enough to survive without her. Tempest was a fine young doe and Islwyn was very nearly a corps. Still, Telyn liked keeping them close and they didn’t seem to mind. Normally, Telyn didn’t either.
Come to think of it, she hadn’t seen the other hinds in Brychan’s harem for a while now…
Islwyn, however, hadn’t lost his childish curiosity about the world and everything in it. His hyperactivity had faded a little with age, but he still continued to poke, prod, and generally annoy small animals. Currently, he was terrorizing a small mouse by following it far too closely. Since he had learned a little since his last visit to the field, he kept his nose out of biting distance.
The mouse, for its part, mostly ignored him and went about its business of collecting small tufts of grass for its nest. Apparently, the mouse-version of Anlach was also approaching. “Hey, Tempest, look at this! It’s all… tiny and stuff. And it’s gathering stuff! Why do you think it’s doing that?” he asked his sister, knowing that she was more intelligent in many ways.
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:37 pm
The hind that characteristically kept to herself, Rhomae, saw a golden opportunity to reverse what seemed to be a bad trend. Keep to herself she did, but...lately, that tendency had been more and more pronounced. After learning from Brychan that her facade was not nearly as concrete as she suspected, the hind had decided to make herself scarce. Why? Well, the less likely she was to run into her harem-mates, the better. She needed time to get her own head straight.
It had worked. To a degree. Now, as she approached Telyn and her offspring, she only felt the slightest twinge of jealousy, and nearly no sadness. A great leap forward from times past. Even so...she hoped it wouldn't be awkward. If it was, time for more alone time.
"I see that you are doing well, Telyn..." the hind said quietly, approaching the small group from behind. Those intelligent eyes flicked momentarily from child to child, before settling on Telyn.
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:43 pm
Tempest moved along at her mother's side, thinking to herself as she went. While she liked staying with her family... as Anlach approached, she would have to seperate herself from her parents. After all.. Tempest couldn't breed with her own father. Thus, she would have to stand alone at that time. And although still young... it was still possible that a stag might claim her. The thought excited her a little bit. However, hearing her brother's voice, Tempest paused and looked his way before moving to join him. "Well.. I've seen birds gather grass and sticks to make things in trees... maybe its doing the same thing?" She observed the mouse quietly before hearing an unfamilar voice.. Rhomae. She'd never met this hind before, atleast not that she could remember. Trotting back to her mother, Tempest lookd at the other hind curiously.
Brychan had been gone for some time, but he had returned this morning and after a discussion with the Lord... Brychan now sought out his family. And what luck.. to find two hinds in the same place, along with two of his children. Brychan came bounding down and was soon among them, blue eyes looking each over and a smile on his muzzle. He was so happy to see them. "Telyn... Rhomae..." he said softly, acknowledging the hinds before looking to the younglings, "Tempest and Islwyn..." They all appeared fine, and he was certainly relieved, "I'm home."
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:09 pm
“Rhomae!” Telyn was rather surprised to see the striped hind, but pleased all the same. Quickly, she sped up her trot until she was at the other hind’s side. “It’s good to see you again. I was worried that the wolves might have gotten you. And then who would I talk to while Brychan is away?” She flashed a smile at her old friend. Oh! Right… her children. Heh… she really should introduce them…
“Rhomae, this is my daughter Tempest and my son Islwy… well, Islwyn is over there, still being fascinated by the mice. Tempest, this is Rhomae, a friend of mine.” And a sort of aunt-figure for the doe, or so Telyn hoped. Ah! That reminded Telyn of something she had to speak to the striped hind about, those two little mother-less calves. They were probably around Islwyn’s age now and didn’t need much mothering, but at least they would have some sort of mother…
Islwyn ignored the newcomer hind, intent on watching the mice. “Making nests?” he ventured, thinking about his sister’s words. That sounded as likely as anything else. He didn’t notice as his sister moved away, still watching the mouse as it stuffed the grass down a little hole. Curious, he sniffed at it, smelling other mice nearby. Huh. How odd…
He looked up suddenly at Brychan’s voice, grinning widely. “Daddy!” He got up hurriedly, pleased to see his father once more.
Islwyn wasn’t the only one happy to see Brychan. A smile crossed Telyn’s face as she heard Brychan’s voice followed by Islwyn’s delighted cry. “Brychan! And for a moment here I thought that you were too busy for your family… how have you been?”
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:19 pm
Rhomae smiled lightly at Telyn, refreshed by the humor. "Hm, I'm sure these two would keep you perfect company. I have been a bad example as of late, in that department. All goes well for you, I suspect?"
Her eyes flicked to Islwyn a ways off as a smirk fluttered momentarily onto her face. Heh, young males were always entertaining. The hind looked back to Tempest and Telyn, nodding to the former of the two. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Tempest.....ah, Brychan, hello."
It had not been too incredibly long since she had seen Brychan, but she was still glad for his presence. Rhomae watched as he approached, a gentler look upon her face. "You look well!"
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 3:27 pm
Tempest dipped her head in a respectful greeting to Rhomae as her mother introduced the both of them. "Hello.. its nice to meet you too." However, when she caught sight of her father, Tempest's eyes also lit up, "Dad!" She didn't rush to meet him like Islwyn did, but she was clearly happy to see him. She looked up to her father and respected him, even if she didn't get to see him much. She knew that most deer didn't see their fathers often.
Brychan first approached Telyn and chuckled, "Of course not." He gave his favored hind a nuzzle and a few licks upon her face. "I've been well... although I have to admit... I'm rather tired." He then turned to Rhomae and offered her the same attentions he had given Telyn. A nuzzle given to Tempest also before turning to see his son running at him. "My my... look at those antlers! You'll be joining the Corps any day, I'm sure."
Looking back to the hinds, Brychan smiled fondly to them. "I just returned from a mission that the Lord had sent me on. I'm sure the both of you would like to hear the story, hm?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 5:46 pm
Telyn accepted the nuzzle and eagerly returned it, feeling only the slightest twinge of jealousy when Brychan turned the same affectionate gesture to Rhomae. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that… she was the favored hind. Maybe she should get something extra. But Rhomae had been so depressed! She needed the comforting… blech. Anlach was already muddling Telyn’s emotions into a complex mulch of… of stuff.
“Tired? Then lie down. We can all listen to your story while lying down.” Telyn laughed, delicately folding her legs under her. Oh, so Brychan had been away on a mission? That explained his absence. And from the Lord himself! It must have really been something. “Islwyn! Leave the mice alone! You’re going to get your nose bit again and I’m not going to help you out again!”
Islwyn’s tail whipped happily at the praise. He couldn’t wait until the day when he could join the corps! Naturally, he had grown up on Telyn’s stories of his father’s courage---in most of them, the black stag had overcome amazing odds, such as fights against two wolves or similar feats---and was looking forward to the life of adventure. His blue eyes were already wandering back to the mice when Brychan mentioned a story.
It would be fascinating to hear it from Brychan instead of Telyn for once. Glancing from his mother to his father, he eventually relaxed as well, although no where near as gracefully as his mother.
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 6:21 pm
Rhomae returned the nuzzle with a light smile, warmed by the attention. She, too, was anxious to hear what interesting tales Brychan had to tell. She had heard so few...which was entirely her fault. Ah, well. The hind had time to fix her mess-ups.
Telyn's suggestion of lying down was well-received, Rhomae chuckling slightly as she copied the female's movements. It felt good to get off her feet for a little while...perhaps Brychan should do the same. Sure, Telyn's words were a little humorous, but they were humorous because...well, who would actually tell someone else the most obvious solution - to lie down? Only her, that's for sure. Rhomae remembered why she liked this hind so much.
"Do tell us of your adventures, Brychan." she stated.
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 6:37 pm
Brychan chuckled at Telyn's obvious suggestion, and followed suite with the hinds. Folding his legs underneath him, the stag settled down next to Telyn, his side against hers. Although he showed affection to both of them, it was clear who his favorite was.
Tempest was also as enthusiastic as the others to hear her father's story and settled down on the other side of her mother, ears turned forward eagerly. This should be good.. like Islwyn, she was excited to hear a story from their father, himself. "Yes... do tell us!"
A grin was given to Rhomae and then Tempest, before Brychan started his telling. "Well.. the Lord asked me to investigate these deer that had been spotted. Some very strange looking deer. It took me about a week to catch up with them, but I have to admit.. they were indeed strange. I met up with two stags, one was named Donner.. and the other Dasher. They were bickering constantly like a pair of calves, over the silliest things. Donner seems to consider himself the leader, although he told me his kind, called reindeer, usually have a council instead of a single leader."
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 7:05 pm
Aww… if Telyn had felt any real annoyance at Brychan for showing affection to Rhomae, it vanished at the small sign of favor. “Another herd of deer?” Now that was surprising. Telyn had known about the general existence of other herds and other deer, but it was a very vague thing. She had always imagined them as being months away, not just a few weeks! So very, very close… one of these days, she would find them and see for herself rather than hearing about them second-hand from Brychan.
“Reindeer? You mean like from the days of Rannoch?” that was the only time Telyn had ever heard mention of reindeer before. “And how can they work with a council? Wouldn’t they just spend all their time arguing instead of doing something useful?
Islwyn was just as fascinated as his mother, although for slightly different reasons. Unlike her, he knew that he had a chance of getting out in the world and seeing it all. “What did they look like? Were they really twice as big as other deer with antlers as long as their backs?”
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 7:57 pm
Rhomae's eyes glanced to Telyn at the mention of other deer, remembering the hind's want to leave the herd for a while and see what was beyond its limits. She wondered if Telyn still planned on doing that....
She'd ask later.
Yes, other herds. She had heard plenty of stories. Stories were often more myth than truth, but one could often decipher one from the other by listening hard enough. Nodding as Brychan spoke, Rhomae painted a mental picture in her heads. Reindeer, from the one or two musings she had heard, were enormous. But those were only musings - she had no clue what they actually looked like. Antlers as long as their backs? My....
"I could see a council working, if they are not as quarrelsome as our kind can be." Rhomae noted, shifting slightly. "But it doesn't seem as if that's the case...unless those two were different. Anyways - I have the same question as Islwyn. What do they look like?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 9:00 pm
Tempest was just listening in quiet amazement. The others had already asked and made comments on the things she would have mentioned, so she didn't say anything. But still... it was all so fascinating! She too wondered what it must be like.. to go out and explore.. to see the world.
Telyn's words caused Brychan to think for a moment, "Hm... that very well could be. Its been a long time since I heard the stories, but I think they might be. And yes... I'm not convinced their council will be very effective, unless they can learn to get along better."
Looking to Islwyn and then Rhomae as they commented and asked their questions, he chuckled. "Well... it depends on your definition of huge They're actually shorter than us, but more heavily built. I'm sure Donner was heavier than I am. They probably have a lot of strength. Their fur is long and thick, and yes.. their antlers are very tall. As long as their backs I would say, but with shorter tines. Also, the hinds have antlers, too."
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Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 9:13 pm
Smaller? Oh… that kind of ruined some of the reindeer’s mystery… Telyn pictured them in her mind, trying to imagine a deer that was a little shorter, but stockier, than the red deer she knew so well. It was going perfectly well until the last sentence.
“What? Their hinds have antlers?” Telyn had never been any good at goggling before, but she goggled now, and at a proper championship level. “How could their hinds have antlers? Brychan, are you sure they weren’t just pulling your tail?”
Antlered hinds… what were they like, Telyn wondered. Would they be like the stags? Or like the hinds that she knew? She completely missed Rhomae’s look, too caught up with simply trying to imagine such a strange breed of deer.
Like his mother, Islwyn goggled, although he was nowhere near as advanced as she was. He glanced at his sister, trying to imagine her with Brychan’s antlers and started to giggle at the very thought of it. He couldn’t help it! “How do they move around if they’ve got those huge antlers? The hinds, I mean?” he asked.
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Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 5:20 pm
"The hinds are thicker as well, yes? That would explain how they can hold antlers...I believe. Maybe." Rhomae commented, looking to the ground in thought. Yes, surely they had to be stronger. She had a feeling that she wouldn't be able to cart around large antlers without some added assistance.
"Do they ever lose them?" Rhomae asked, tilting her head a bit as she looked at Brychan. A strange question perhaps, but...well, she was curious. Did they only have them when not with child? Having a young one and having to deal with antlers could get a bit irritating. Or, did they have them all the time? Would be useful, she supposed, for protection and such...
Her mind buzzed with inquiry.
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Posted: Mon Oct 01, 2007 5:28 pm
"Pretty sure... although Donner wouldn't let me meet any of his hinds, so I didn't get to actually see them. But he was very surprised and adament about the idea of hinds not having antlers." Infact.. the guy wouldn't shut up about it, but well.
He then chuckled at Islwyn's question, "Well the reindeer are very sturdy, so I guess they can hold bigger antlers than we can. And he told me that their hinds have smaller antlers than the stags." Rhomae's question caused him to think for a moment, "I didn't asked, but I'm sure they do." But then.. should he be sure? There were so many odd things about those deer.
"Anyway... they're a strange herd of deer, but are not any threat to us atleast. I don't expect they'll last long if they continue living the way they are now." Sighing a bit, Brychan shifted his weight to settle more comfortably. "Also, I have some good news. The Lord has promoted me to Captain."
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