Chapter 2

Evan left before dawn, as he said he would, early enough to avoid a round of lengthy farewells. Bryn didn't even get to see him again, and this set his day off on a distinctly melancholy note. But Clover prepared him a breakfast of tender greens, toasted acorn bread, and a hot cup of tea, and Bryn found his spirits rising once again. Smoke from the cooking fire trailed through the crisp morning air around the village, the smell bringing back old memories. It was good to be home again, with all its familiar comforts, no matter what had changed in the eight months he'd been gone. And a few things certainly had changed. Clover had grown up quite noticeably, seeing her again in the daylight, no longer a hint of awkwardness as she strode easily on those long, lithe legs exemplifying cervine elegance. They walked quietly for a while, unrushed, the joy of seeing her old friend plain in the doe's broad smile. Bryn was silently surprised at how attractive the girl had become, fidgeting with the free end of the fat scarf looped around her neck, hanging loosely over her breasts. He smiled in return and felt suddenly that he really should break the lingering silence.

"So . . . it's nice having a roof over my head again."

"I can imagine!" she responded, not missing a beat. "Where did you stay out there?"

"Well, never in one place for all that long. And we almost always made our beds under the open sky. At first, we traveled a while with the Whitewater tribe, following the river up to the Cedar Mountains." As Bryn recounted the course he and his father took, tracing the waterways, past the roaring cascades, he shot curious glances at the deer walking beside him. Yes, Clover had grown into her figure in quite a lovely way, and she carried herself with natural poise. His eyes returned to that woolen scarf, bouncing with each leisurely step, and the white fur beneath . . .

Bryn's ears quickly turned to pick up the rapid padding of footsteps behind him. He only caught a glimpse of the deer running up before--

"OOMPH!"

The girl launched herself at him, and he was suddenly in an ecstatic embrace.

"Bryn, Bryn, BRYN!"

Struggling to keep from crumbling under the sudden weight of the girl, he uttered feebly, "K.C.? Is that you?"

"Uh-huh!" the doe nodded enthusiastically against his cheek, and with an extra strong hug, squeezed the last of the air out of Bryn's lungs before hopping off. Giddy at the first sight in months of her friend and tribemate, K.C. danced on her toes, her short auburn hair bouncing in time. "It's seriously been forever. I can't believe you're back! Please tell me you're back to stay, right?"

"Yeah, that's the plan." The young buck straightened up and turned to find the exuberant girl looking him up and down, silent for a moment in her excitement.

"Wow, you've grown up, Bryn . . . you hardly look like the Bryn that left!"

The boy couldn't help but echo the same sentiment in his mind; like Clover, K.C. had grown into her frame very attractively, hopping from one foot to the other on long legs, looking at once like an adult and a giddy child with the soft clatter of bright glass jewelry around her neck and wrists, the only items she wore. But she had filled out even more in some places, and the curves of her new hips and breasts gave the surprising impression of a grown doe.

"Let's all grab a seat and catch up." Clover offered, calming K.C. with a hand on each shoulder. The red-headed girl was normally excitable, but today she was in rare form. "Bryn was just about to tell me about his adventures."

Bryn shook himself out of the moment, "I'm up for that. Yeah, let's all catch up."

"Great!" Clover wrapped her arms around the doe from behind in a quick hug before continuing on. "I'm sure the others want to hear all about your trip."

His ears perked, "Others?"

* * *

When the trio came upon the small meeting place, a pair of deer were already lounging in the clearing, speckled in the clean morning sunlight shining through the maples. Bryn remembered this as a place some of the younger deer met to gossip and escape the close watch of adults back in the village; it seemed some things hadn't changed except that the fawns occupying the hideaway had grown. Goldenrod was still blooming in places, poking up here and there around the little circle of trees, grass temptingly soft underfoot. Bryn sat on the ground beside Clover, K.C. and the other does completing the small ring to hear the details of his recent travels.

"So, once we made it through the Cedar Mountain pass we were looking over this huge plain. I'd never seen anything like it!" He gestured its expanse with palms flat. "But right there at the end of the pass was a camp of elk traders, and that's where --"

Hazel leaned forward on her knees and interrupted, "Wait . . . elk? You saw ELK?" The girl's eyes were wide with amazement, a long, feathered braid swung over her shoulder.

"Yeah, elk . . . well that's where I got --"

"What were they like?" K.C. chirped from beside Hazel, reclining lazily but showing momentary interest.

"Well, they're big for starters. I mean," he straightened his back and gestured vaguely upward "the grown ones were twice as tall as me. They were really nice hosts, though. Short on words, but nice. As I was saying, that's where I got my bag." Bryn reached for his canvas messenger bag, accented with tarnished brass hardware and trimmed in geometric motifs, raising it proudly to his chest. "From them."

"That's pretty cool," K.C. commented as he set the bag at his side again. "Pretty handy for traveling, huh?"

He grinned, "Yep! It's real handy." And returning to his story, "So, the elk traders mapped out the trails in Red Hoof territory and helped us find the clan's village . . ."

As he continued relating the story, K.C. looked over Bryn discreetly with half-lidded eyes. His antlers were coming in large and even, looking impressively full for his age. She could hardly believe that when the young buck left his scalp bore only fluff, and now he boasted two points a side! He has no idea just how much he's grown, the doe smirked to herself. She was lying opposite Bryn, and her eyes wandered down over his surprisingly toned chest covered in thick, snowy fur, admiring his build. That traveling must have been a workout. Or, has he always looked like this? No--no way . . . He was sitting in the grass with knees up, carrying on colorfully with his adventure through the Red Hoof plains, and she wandered lower between those strong legs.

". . . there was this nasty maize brew they drink every night . . ." Bryn's nose scrunched.

"Did you try it?" Clover leaned back, raising an eyebrow.

"We were their guests, so I HAD to! But really, it wasn't so bad considering . . ."

Meanwhile, heat welled up in K.C.'s cheeks as she settled her gaze daringly between the young buck's thighs, hoping the inside of her ears didn't betray a hot blush. A pair of large balls, covered in fur the same snowy white as his chest, sat heavily in the bed of grass between the heels of his hoofed feet. Large enough, the doe suspected, that each might have comfortably filled the palm of her hand. And considering it, she imagined hefting the weighty pair, rolling the testicles around in their generous sac. She bit the corner of her lip expectantly. Okay, there's no way he was swingin' THOSE around last time I saw him.

". . . the rain seemed to go on for days and days, which they said was unusual this time of year. I mean, obviously it didn't rain ALL day, but . . ."

She lingered on the sight of that new masculinity hanging bare between his legs and thought it a nice complement to the antlers up top, both impressive for his age. That sac is fuckin' massive. K.C.'s mouth went dry. He's really got the look of a dominant male, like, a real fuckin' breeder. But how? He doesn't even come from that kind of family. And resting limp on that pair of sizeable testicles, nestled comfortably between the two mounds, was the pink of his manhood, tanned just a shade darker from all that time spent traveling the open fields.

Beside her, Hazel noticed K.C.'s intent gaze and followed its direct line to between Bryn's legs. She stifled a giggle before scooting a little closer to her friend. Yep, the view sure is better over here. The young buck, meanwhile, remained completely oblivious to the impressive display he was offering as he detailed the last stretch of his journey.

". . . and then it was a pretty simple hike back here. And, well," Bryn chuckled, "it's good to be back with everyone. Well," he considered, "almost everyone . . ."

"Did you get a chance to see Evan before he left?" Tamara asked, a tinge of grief in her voice. Evan was her brother after all, and his sudden departure seemed to hit her harder than anyone. Bryn turned to the girl; she was slouching back against the trunk of a maple and wearing only an open denim jacket that framed the creamy fur of her chest. Such a well-made jacket must have had a storied journey of its own, probably sewn in large trading town where the needed materials were common; surely, it was a piece fitting the clan leader's daughter. The edge of a pink areola peeked out from one side of the tough fabric and half of her somber face was covered by a long tress of golden hair.

He nodded, "I saw him last night, just after I got back. But we didn't have time for much besides some 'good-byes'."

Hazel shook her head, "I totally expected him to be clan leader someday."

"We coulda done MUCH worse. And he was so cute," K.C. sighed wistfully and rolled on her back, defeated. "Now we've got his brother to look forward to. Cadogan." She uttered the name as if she'd just picked up a slimy amphibian.

"You really think so? Cadogan, a clan leader?" Bryn doubted.

"He's got those nasal flies, you know? Snot bots."

"Snot bot!" K.C. jeered.

"He's weak from them, can't you see? He's too scrawny to be a clan leader."

"Snot bot! Snot bot!" K.C. chanted, and at this Hazel collapsed on her in laughter.

"Come on, guys . . ." Tamara spoke over them. Cadogan was her brother as well and, apart from Bryn, he was the only buck in the clan coming to rutting age this season. Those of previous seasons who sought and failed to attain dominance tended to seek better prospects outside the village, taking their chances in other clans; or else, they remained peacefully celibate awaiting the next rut. "I really wish Evan didn't have to go, but Cad's next in line. That's just how it is."

Hazel huffed, "Easy for you to say! He's your family, you don't have to fuck him!" Tamara blushed hotly at this. "But when the rut comes around for the rest of us and he's the only eligible bachelor, I'll keep my legs crossed. I don't need him plowing these virgin fields." She scowled at the thought. "Sorry, Bryn. You don't need to hear all this."

He laughed nervously amid the unfolding drama. "Well, maybe with time he'll look more the leader type . . ." he trailed off, unsure.

Clover chimed in at his side "Cad's got a lot of growing up to do, that's for sure. But Tamara's right; he is next in line to head this clan, so we've gotta give him a chance."

"You can give him a chance," Hazel rose to her feet. "I ain't lettin' that boy near this." She presented her bare buttocks and gave a pronounced smack before setting on the trail back to the village. She snorted a laugh, "Snot bot . . ."

Tamara tucked her legs up and stared blankly at the ground. Clover just shrugged with a confused grin.

"Well," Bryn stood, wiping the grass from his fur, "I oughta get a proper cleaning now that I'm home and all."

K.C.'s mischievous eyes were right back on him as he rose to his feet. Righting himself, the young buck's balls hung low and heavy under their full weight, swinging side to side in a pronounced way as he brushed himself off, still oblivious to the doe's admiration. What a breeder . . . A thought occurred to the girl and she rose to her feet as well.

"Hey, Bryn." She sauntered over to him, fidgeting coyly with her bracelets.

"What's up, K.C.?" He answered attentively; to his credit, he didn't seem to stay morose for long.

She sidled up to him and spoke softly, just out of earshot of the other does, "You think you could help me get some firewood sometime today? I've got dinner duty tonight, but I haven't done any prep work just yet, so . . ."

"Yeah, no problem!"

K.C. shot him a gleaming smile and bounced, "Thanks, Bryn! You're a lifesaver." The doe spun and began down the trail. "Just come by whenever!" she called over her shoulder.

Standing there, surrounded by the maples, Bryn looked over his short fur, matted in places. He was left with the chirping of chickadees and the fading banter of the girls on their way to the village. "I really better get a bath."