Everest

The mule deer pranced through the prairie, trying to attract the attention of the does. He held his head high to show off his impressive set of antlers. He would butt heads with Wardell if he had to.

Chido

Chido snorted as he saw everest start to show off and so did he. He let out a call and pawed the ground and bounded around showing off. For the age of three his antlers would say he was fourish. He swung his head this way and that and let out bulgl like sounds.

Everest

Everest narrowed his eyes. "Back off, skippy! The does are mine!" He exclaimed, rushing at the stag with his head lowered and antlers pointed ahead.

Chido

He snorted and lowered his head immediatly and then ran straight for him.Not if i can help ithe snorted.

Everest

Everest ran faster, trying to collide with the other buck. "We'll see who's laughing when I have all the does!" He shot back.

Meru/Zulia

Two chital deer siblings emerged from the forest. The sound of the fighting bucks had gotten their attention. Meru, the buck, shook his head as a way of saying he would fight the winner. Zulia, the doe, watched their fight intently.

Chido

The male white tale snorted and soon they connected.He thrashed his head around being all the careful to not get stuck.His nares flaring and ears back

Wycliff & Others

The eight hinds were gathered nearby, chatting as they grazed. Wycliff, the previous lead of the Almuit Rune herd, was a bit reserved as she watched the bucks fight. She missed Nhosh.

Kisp and Cinnamon were very interested in the little battle that was being thought, and they began to speak excitedly to each other over who they thought would win this.

Everest/Meru/Zulia

Everest looked at the does out of the corner of his eye, but continued to fight Chido. He pushed as hard as he could, jerked and twisted his head, trying to make the other buck back off.

Zulia joined the other does, keeping her eyes on the fighting bucks.

While Everest and Chido were distracted, Meru moved closer to the group of does. He kept his eyes on Sage, who was of the same species as himself. He tossed his head and ran at her, trying to single her out.

Chido

He snorted and refused to back off but he saw the other buck go for the does and he so badly just wanted to run and stop him but if he did so he would surely take a tine to his side. He snorted and just wanted to throw everest off. He shoved and pushed and reared.

Everest

Everest would not back down. He would continue even if it led to his death. He let Chido push him back a bit, then suddenly jerked his head to the side, trying to break the other buck's neck, or at least one of his antlers.

Wycliff & Others

Mahdis, the oldest of the group, rounded up the fawns in the group. Xuvial, Yessival, Oakberry, Starlit Dreamer, and Phantar were all herded away from the fighting stags.

"Oh, look there. The newcomer is eyeing you for sure." Kisp grinned as she spoke to Sage.

The axis turned and casted a quick look to Meru, "Are you sure? Is he looking this way?"

"Yeah, he's definitely interested in you!" Kisp replied, before her eyes got wide, "Oh, he's making his move!" Seeing Meru towards the group, Kisp sprinted a few feet away.

Sage didn't play hard to get. When Meru came her way, she willingly allowed herself to be herded from the rest of the hinds. She hated to see the stags get hurt, but at the same time, it was thrilling to have them fight over her.

The rest of the hinds converged again into a group, while Sage was successfully taken from them.

Chido

He snorted but luckily instead of either of the things happening he was just lost of contact but was quick to get into a safe postion and he lunged back aiming to either impale or lock antlers.

Everest

Everest snorted, locking antlers with Chido. It looked like they were an even match. He continued to push and jerk his head, trying to throw Chido off.

Chido

He snorted and tossed his head but wasn't thrown off again.

Everest

Everest snorted and shook his head. "Are you going to fight me or is this over?" He asked, keeping his antlers pointed in case Chido charged again.

Chido

He snorted now and kept his antlers down and pointed.The question should be do you really want to waiste energy when we are equal instead of spliting the does?

Everest/Zulia

Everest grinned that mischievous grin of his. "Very well." He replied. "Let us ask the does." He moved to where the does stood.

"Fair ladies of the Almuit Rune Herd. It seems that we are evenly matched in strength. So we have come to an agreement. We will each have a harem of equal size. I am not one to force a doe into something, so I will let you make the decisions."

Zulia nodded. "It sounds fair to me." She said before looking at the other does.

Wycliff & Others

The remaining hinds exchanged looks, whispering to each other. They were use to tradition, but these were strange times, and there were only three abled stags in the herd as it was. "I will stand with you." Wycliff was the first speak, as she looked to Everest. With her, Kisp and Caspi stepped forward.

The twins, Alkena and Alkana, stepped towards Chido. With them followed Cinnamon.

Chido

He snorted and bobbed his fair head and moved off towards the hinds but kept an eye on everest. He watched them carefully.Indeed he wasn't one to force one either but when three stepped to him and nipped each one very gently in a loving way.

Everest/Meru/Zulia

Meru smiled at Sage, pleased that she didn't flee from him. He stopped in front of her once they had gotten a good distance from the herd. "Good day, beautiful doe." He said calmly. "I am Meru. Who do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

Zulia rolled her eyes and smiled. Meru was naturally a romantic buck, and she thought this was funny. He was exactly the opposite of her. She thought for a moment, then walked to Chido. "I suppose I'll go with you." She sighed.

Everest smiled. "Very well." He replied to Wycliff. But he would let the does adjust to him first.

Wycliff & Others

The young axis doe dipped her head a little, looking coyly to the side before back to Meru, "Sage, daughter of Lanthani and Mhry." She loved the romantic type, and hoped that she would be able to stand with Meru every year. "Where do you come from, Meru?" Her own parents had come from the deer farm that Kaze and the other predators broke into. Now Lanthani was dead, killed by the Haunters. Her mother was imprisoned, along with two of her siblings. She had yet to find out that her little sister, Lavender, had been one of the eight deer killed in the latest purge.

While Wycliff dropped her head to graze idly, Kisp took up the opportunity to talk, "Where do you come from, Everest?" Like her best friend Sage, Kisp was a very curious doe.

Alkena and Alkana were loving every minute of the attention that Chido was giving them. This was their first rear taking part in the rut, and it was all quite exciting. Cinnamon was more use to it, but she never grew bored with it. "That was quite a fight you put up." Alkana said with a shy smile.

Chido

He bowed his dial to the fourth doe that came over to him and he nudged her lightly. thank you it was quiet intensehe spoke and then started to groom the new doe though keeping an eye on the other three.he would get to each in turn

Everest/Meru/Zulia

Meru smiled in that friendly way of his. "Sage...such a beautiful name." He began softly. "I came from a petting zoo, not far from here. I didn't like the way I was treated so I left with my sister." He didn't have much drama in his life, besides the annoying human children. They never gave him a break.

Everest looked at Kisp curiously. "A deer farm." He replied calmly. Everest was at least a year older than Chido, but he was not vain about it.

Zulia sighed, keeping her distance from Chido at first. She had been isolated from other deer back at the petting zoo. It was just her and her brother. And unlike Meru, she was harmed by it.

Chido

He cleaned the others but turned his head to her.its alright take your timeHe then went back to grooming the other three in turn.

Wycliff & Others

Kisp looked curiously to Everest, "A deer farm? Most of us were from one as well." her voice grew a little quieter as she thought of the rest of the herd, still penned up at the old deer farm by the Haunters.

Sage would have blushed if there was no fur to cover her face, "Thank you." Unlike Kisp, she didn't remember the deer farm so well, since she had only been a young fawn when they were freed, "Humans are certainly strange. I've heard of those petting zoos... how odd."

Meru/Zulia/Everest

Zulia backed away from Chido. She never really much liked stags. They worried her. The only one she knew at the petting zoo besides her brother was an arrogant jerk. She looked at Meru, but he seemed to be busy so she didn't disturb him. She nervously looked at Chido. And now she was pregnant! She never wanted that. How would she ever make it through this?

Meru smiled happily. "Yes. I wonder what the humans are thinking when they're reaching through the bars just to touch us? It's peculiar." He loved to use the fancy words. It made him sound smarter. He stepped closer to her and nipped at her ear affectionately.

Everest's eyes widened. "I wonder if we were from the same deer farm." He replied softly. "I don't remember so much of it, even though I was there just a few weeks ago. It was horrible so I try not to think about it." He shut his eyes as he thought about how his mother and twin brother were shot and killed.