Lake Rodney on this episode of the bachelor

@Onatah and @Brechin

Where had that silly stag gotten off to? Nad was sure he was around somewhere, though she hadn't really seen him since the Heartwood. Moose were like that, though. When she'd been pursued by males, they'd stayed well away from each other when not actively mating, but Nab had always known the male would be just a bellow away. This time, however, she was not so sure.

Brechin wasn't a bull, after all, and Nab had a sinking feeling in her gut that he'd expected her to follow him - wasn't that was the females of his species did? It was really neither of their faults if they'd gotten separated. Each had been following their own instincts, probably.

Still, Nab hoped he might still be within earshot. Sending up a quick prayer to the Cat and Calf, she let out a loud, searching bugle. If anyone was around, they'd know where to find her.

Thanks! 

Nab’s call had sliced through the still air, drawing Ona’s attention away from the lake and towards the unknown. Her ears flicked in response as she drew her mouth from the lake’s surface to look onwards. The fear had initially overcome her in that moment, this emotion subsided with time. Her initial fears had been that she had heard wolves, but as the sound faded she knew that the noise couldn’t have possibly come from a wolf. Water dripped from her chin as she lifted it from the mirrored surface, shattering the picture below.

Though she could not fully understand just what this noise came from, she knew that she had to acknowledge it some how. Curiosity drove her from the edge of the water and in the general direction, her tail waving to and fro as she moved. She carried herself cautiously in the moments after, keeping her eyes on the shadows as she approached the other herbivore.

“Uh, hey,” She called, as she spotted the indistinguishable figure from a distance, remaining within the foliage as she observed the other. Though the form of the other was hulking, Ona could recall that such creatures were of no harm of her. Despite these thoughts, she remained as hidden as she could in case her memory proved her wrong.

She stood listening for a moment, unsure where any sound might be coming from when the lake so warped any messages her ears might receive. Here, she relied on her eyes and nose, and very soon, a decidedly herbivore scent came into her grasp. Nab took a deep breath, and was about to bellow that handsome fool's name when a slim shadow appeared in the wooded surroundings of the lake.

When the voice called out, obviously female, Jenabbi felt herself sag in both disappointment and relief.

"Over here, dear," she replied, chuckling to herself as she did so. Deer, dear. And a doe. Now if she could just find Brechin, they'd be all set, wouldn't they? "I'm Jenabbi - seem to have lost my stag. Little fellow - well, big to you. Brown fur, antlers, seen him?"

It was a rather confusing string of words, she decided. Oh well.

The other’s voice was calming. Every word that filled the air between them calmed the doe with the constant need to flee. She remained perfectly still, hoping that she was blending in with her surroundings as best she could. An introduction and a question soon followed suite and to this new information, the doe relished in it for a moment. The other’s name? Jennabi-- she repeated this mentally as the other moved onto a more interesting topic: another of her kind. Stopping her memorization, the doe looked on with the dumbfounded expression. It had been long since she had seen another of her kind and her days as a nomad had been traveled alone.

Disbelief turned into pessimism as she shook her head in that moment. “N-No,” she replied. “I didn’t realize that… that I wasn’t alone out here.” It was a feeling that had loomed overhead like a circling vulture for all too long. “T-That there are more deer in these wilds,” She clarified from her not-so persuasive camouflage.

Nab flicked her ears matter-of-factly as she drew closer, and the doe's slim, lissome figure made itself apparent. Poor thing can hardly speak, she thought sadly, a little tsk of compassion escaping the matron.

"I haven't seen many, but Brechin is around here somewhere," she said kindly, peering down at the girl. "He offered to travel with me, since there weren't any of his kind around to accompany. Perhaps you'll join us?"

It would be good for dear Brechin to have a nice doe to pine for; Nab knew she was solemn company on a regular day, and the stag had to want for his own kind something fierce after all that he'd been through. Nab, too, would not mind the presence of another female in their little 'herd'. Perhaps, if like took to like and brought forth life, she might also bear young into the season.

They'd make an odd group, but at least there would be someone for the children to play with.

Brechin-- another name to recall. Another name to commit to memory. She attempted to slosh the name in the soup that was her conscious in that moment. The heat and isolation had done a great number on her-- not to mention the stress that had be involved in this unpleasant package. Despite all of this, some hope came in an unexpected manner. An offer to make a mis-matched herd was presented and to this, the deer stepped from the shadows and into the open, looking up to the other with pooling eyes.

“I would love that,” she admitted, her eyes flattening to her skull as disbelief overcame her. Despite the fairytale ending before her, there was something that seemed off about all of this. Her conscious urged her to flee, but her hooves kept her firmly in place. “I-It’s been awhile since I’ve been a part of a herd. I almost forgot what it was like to be with others,” her sight was the only thing to run away. Her eyes settled to the nearby lake and she sighed gently. Though she had come into contact with another fauna, it hadn’t been quite the same as the promise that had been offered.

Turning back, she smiled and offered the other her own name, “My name is O-Onatah.”

Brechin wasn't too far off. He had important things to do after all! He was currently scraping the velvet off his antlers. They were too fuzzy for his liking, and he wanted his majestic head of antlers back. This year it were 2 branches more. One on each side, making him have 8 branches now. This was a sign of maturity and, of course, handsomeness. At least in Brechin's eyes.

The male had been staying with the Moose Female. Which was apparently called a cow, not a doe. Brechin had been welcoming the company seeing that there were no does around. The male deemed his antlers clear enough for now, there was some fuzz left. It was there for a reason. If it couldn't be scraped off that part of the antler wasn't ready.

The male trotted back to the female, knowing she was somewhere by the lake. This female seemed to like water a lot. Plus he had heard her bellow to know her location. The big stag returned, elegantly jumping from the tree line. The male instantly trotted over with some curiosity when he saw a doe with her. How wonderful! She was a whitetail but definitely pleasant for his eyes.

He stepped into their little circle. "I'm away for one morning and you find a doe! You're good, Jenabbi," he sounded clearly pleased. "Hi. I'm Brechin," he spoke, stretching out his neck and trying to show off his antlers. He was still a male after all. "I didn't catch your name though." Jenabbi was quite right that it would be good for the male to have a female to fuzz over.

About to compliment the doe on her lovely name, Nab stopped herself short as one long ear flicked toward a distant-but-quickly-nearing sound. "That'll be Brek," she said cheerfully, turning her head just as the handsome male loped into sight, turning his head this way and that to show off his rack.

Look at him, she thought to herself, trying to keep her expression free of any amusement. He was obviously very pleased with himself, not that Nab could blame him - and he seemed rather pleased with sweet little Ona, too. Now that she looked, the moose was not quite sure they were the same sort of deer, but that couldn't really be helped, could it? At least she was a deer, and not a big old moose like her.

All in all, she was rather pleased with herself for discovering their new friend.

"I'm glad you approve," the matron murmured demurely, watching with quiet mirth as dear Brechin introduced himself to the anxious doe. Perhaps his presence would soothe her frayed nerves?

The duo soon grew by one member as Brechin joined them. Her attention turned to the buck as he spoke, startled slightly by his sudden appearance. But, as her eyes lingered, she soon found her herself calming. Her large eyes traveled about his being, silently admiring his physique. There were some differences between this buck and the ones that were in her previous herd, but these were not catastrophic. No, he was quite the handsome being.

As he drew his antlers near, the doe leaned forward to admire them. “N-Nice rack,” she commented coyly, her tail whipping behind her as she pulled away. Her cheeks were remarkably heated at this point and she attempted to control herself. She didn’t know if they would find another of their type and Ona knew that if they didn’t, they eventually would bump uglies-- which she didn’t mind one bit.

“I’m Onatah,” She offered in turn of his question. The worry of her personal safety was diminishing by the moment. As she had learned from previous experiences, the presence of a buck always meant that they were safe.

The stag looked at the female with warm eyes when she complimented his rack. He was very proud of it himself, because it was bigger than last year. The male lifted his head a bit. "Thank you," he spoke. "You have a very pretty eyes," he spoke, looking into her big doe eyes. He always liked that about the females and as a bonus she had a cute white tail too!

"Nice to meet you, Onatah," he smiled. Both seemed to be a bit absorbed by each other. Brechin remembered himself that Jenabbi was still here. He cleared his throat and turned more to her standing more next to the doe. His posture definitely changed now the doe was around. He noticed she looked more calm too. Brechin looked at Jenabbi with rather a smug face. "So where are we off to now?," he asked her, because well in his eyes Jenabbi was now the leading doe of his small harem.

Nab was surprised when Brechin asked her where to go, and took a moment to look appreciatively between the two smaller creatures. Should majority not rule? She was a moose; she had moose thoughts, moose destinations in mind. Would they be at all right for her two new companions?

"I suppose we should get away from the fen," she said after a moment, nodding toward the nearby wolf territory. "There's a meadow filled with berries beside the Heartwood, where Brek and I met. Perhaps we should go there and eat out fill, and then make plans to head for either the Flatlands or the Hinterlands - but I don't think the Great Bear Wilderness is where we should make our home. Too many packs. Too many predators."

Peering at Ona and Brek, she waited for their approval, wondering all the while what she was getting herself into with all this 'herd' business.

She was melting into a puddle of warm goo  before his hooves. Lost within his gaze in that moment, the doe watched on with a grin. Ona felt like a fawn again, her heart was racing, her face was flushed-- oh how it was to feel young again! “T-Thank you,” she said in turn of the compliment, looking away bashfully in that moment. The fact that she had been separated from her own kind for so long only fueled her inner flame. She longed for the attention of another and while she received such attention it she savored it greedily. She did not want this moment to end, she did not want to stop the flirting, but eventually the course of their conversation did change.

Turning to Jenabbi, the doe listened carefully as her flirtation subsided. Names of foreign places were dropped casually by the moose and to this Ona merely nodded in agreement. She knew nothing of the Flatlands or the Hinterlands, nor did she know about this Great Bear Wilderness. To her, it sounded like the most threatening of the three. “I agree,” she offered, looking to her new acquaintances. “I don’t want a-any trouble with predators, either.” She said plainly, stating the most obvious expression that should could have at that moment.

“I’m r-really new to these parts and only came here because of the food. So, I don’t really k-know much about the lands and I’ll follow wherever you two decide,” In that moment she had sealed her fate at the mercy of the two other herbivores.

Brechin kept his proudful stance as he stood next to her. He kind of knew he was goodlooking but he didn't really shout it out into the world. He slowly nodded when Jenabbi suggested where to go. "I am all for the hinterlands! I've been there before and there were a lot of forests were I was. But if we go to the Hinterlands wouldn't it be easier to go there right away?," he offered, showing that he was really thinking ahead. 

"Then again. I don't mind to walk for berries. So I will be game to walk there. Ha! Game! Because well we are--- yeah. Okay," he spoke clearing his throat. "Ona, wanted food so lets go to the berries first and then decide where to go," he spoke and then turned his head a bit to smile at her.

Nab smiled at the two, glad that they'd found each other in this mess.

"Food it is - and then to the Hinterlands," she said succinctly, heading off toward the Wild Berry Meadow. "Last once there is 1/3 of a meal!"

Finally starting to feel her own age instead of the matron she'd been pretending to be, Nab took off at a gallop, not even checking behind her for fear that she'd lose speed.

Last post for me (unless response becomes required). Tag me if someone else starts a new one in Wild Berry or something!

Brechin let out a snort when the female took off. The female was far larger but perhaps also more slow because of her weight. "Come, Ona!," he smiled and then galloped after Jenabbi. He carried his head high as he ran. His elegant long legs trying to catch up with the female, though as a Stag he also felt protective of Ona so he didn't want her to be too far behind. So Brechin was mindful of that to stay close to her. 

Last one for me too!

With the gallop iniated, Ona sprung into action. She followed the others duitfully into the unknown, feeling a joy within her that she had not felt in quite some time. 

I'll start the new one now!