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**Chapter 2: A Dangerous Meeting

By TheOther**

4 months had passed since The Great Guardian of the Forest died, and the long silence of winter had been replaced by the noisy liveliness of spring. Hatchlings chirped merrily from their nests among the branches, young squirrels chattered as they scrambled playfully up and down the trunks of trees, and the streams that only a few weeks prior had been frozen solid now were flowing swiftly and loudly with the abundance of fresh melt water. It was early April and with the melting of the snow an abundance of new life had come to the forest.

The same resurgence could not be found among the deer of the Wisened Herd. For the 6th straight year, the number of fawns born to the herd was dismally low. This year was the worst yet, with only 3 births. And once again, as the deer had feared would happen, all of their newborn fawns had been female. The time had come for the Wisened Herd to take desperate action, no matter how dangerous. All their hopes now lay with the Guardian's plan and the one he had appointed to carry it out.

Moving silently through the trees and brush, Karen contemplated the task at hand. Today was the day that she and the other does of the Wisened Herd had been preparing for, and dreading, in the months following the Great Guardian's death. She had instructed the others does by way of owl messengers to gather at the very same meadow where the Guardian had died. There, she and the other does were to perform the next crucial, and highly dangerous, step in his plan to save their kind from extinction. Today would be the greatest test as a leader she had faced yet. The gravity of the situation weighed heavy on her mind.

A snapping twig and the sound of a rustling bush made Karen freeze in her tracks and immediately go on high alert. Panicky thoughts of bears, wolves, and cougars flashed through her head. To her relief, the sound of playful laughter came from the underbrush instead of a predator, quickly easing the racing of her heart and bringing a gentle smile to her face. Out of the bushes pranced Karen's newborn fawn Melissa, who had been born only a week prior. She still bore the white stripes and speckles speckles of childhood on her fur. The young doe was chasing a butterfly as it fluttered from flower to flower. Melissa giggled with glee when it landed on the tip of her nose. Karen looked on for a moment warmth in her heart, remembering how curious with the world she had been when she was a fawn. Soon, however, it was time to be moving on if they were going to reach the meadow before dusk. She put the small, round metal object she was carrying in her mouth down carefully on a nearby fallen tree and then spoke in a gentle but urgent voice.

"Melissa, my fawn. You must try to be quiet. The forest is full of unseen dangers and we must not attract attention to ourselves. Please stay at my side until we meet with the other does. I don't want you getting lost."

Melissa quickly sprang between her mothers legs and affectionately snuggled against them, though their was a hint of disappointment in her bright baby blue eyes as she saw the butterfly flutter away. In the uncertain voice of a fawn that had just learned to talk, she acknowledged her mother's instructions.

"I'm sorry mommy. I promise to be quiet."

"Thats a good girl. There will plenty of time to play when we reach the others does. There will even be other fawns for you to play with when we get there."

A look of eager excitement spread over Melissa's face at the thought, as she had only a day ago left her mothers den and had yet to meet any other deer. She couldn't wait to get there. Karen on the other hand was feeling more and more apprehensive the nearer she drew to meadow. Yet she also knew that what was to be done there was the only chance her daughter had for a happy future. This gave her a solid determination to go on. At least, Karen thought to her self, the Great Guardian's spell of protection seemed to be working. Since he had sacrificed himself, not a single Wisened Deer had been lost to predators. She silently thanked the Guardian for this great gift. Yet she also knew that the spells effect was wanning and in a few months would be completely dissipated. All the more reason to hurry and complete his plan. She picked the metal object off the log with her mouth and continued on her way into the woods with a quickened pace, closely followed by her daughter.

**********

Several hours later, just as the sky was turning from the golden brilliance of sunset to the faded purple of twilight, Karen and Melissa walked cautiously out of the forest and onto the meadow. Karen could see that many of the other does had already arrived. Most were gathered in groups and conversing with each other quietly as the few fawns of the herd played in the stream that ran through the grasses. The largest group was gathered around the site where the Great Guardian had gone up in smoke a season earlier. Karen made her way through the grass towards the does in the largest gathering, her fawn sticking close to her side. As soon as the deer in the smaller groups noticed that their leader had arrived, they ended their conversations and began to slowly converge on her position. The does nearest her greeted her cordially and parted to let her enter the center of the congregation. She then saw why most of her fellow does had been gathered there.

In the center of the clearing, on precisely the spot where the Great Guardian had died, a spectacularly beautiful blue and violet flowering plant had grown. Karen knew it to be a Royal's Blessing, one of the rarest and most precious gifts the forest had to offer. The flower was renowned for it's many seemingly miraculous properties, and it was considered so priceless by the Wisened Deer that it's use was reserved for the leader of the herd and their offspring only. Legend had it that it only grew on the spot where soul's of great majesty had given their lives for the benefit of those they loved. The sight of the flower made Karen's heart swell with emotion, and her eyes watered with bittersweet tears. A more perfect epitaph for her beloved Guardian she could not have dreamed of.

"What's wrong mommy? Why are you crying?" Melissa asked inquisitively.

The painful thought of Melissa never knowing the love of her father sent a tear rolling down Karen's cheek, but she overcame the urge to break down and despair. Now was the time to be strong. For the Herd. For herself. And especially for her daughter. She lowered her head and placed the metal object in her mouth on the ground so she could speak freely.

"It's nothing, my dear. Why don't you run off and play the with other fawns? Mommy has some important business to attend to with the other does. Just be sure to stay by the stream and be careful."

Melissa eagerly agreed and happily bounded off to make new friends. Now that Melissa was occupied, Karen turned to the congregation of does who were patiently waiting for her to speak. Karen could see the look of fear in many of their eyes, a feeling she was struggling with herself as she began to speak to the crowd.

"Fellow deer of the Wisened Herd, as many of you know by now, I recently gave birth to my beautiful daughter, Melissa. While her birth was a happy occasion, the fact that my fawn was born female means that our last chance for the birth a new buck has vanished. As you know, without any males their can be no future for the Wisened Herd. Unfortunately, we now have no choice but to resort to desperate measures if our kind is to avoid this terrible fate. Our last hope for survival is to create a new buck through the magical methods the Great Guardian revealed to me before he passed on."

Karen looked out over the crowd, gauging their reaction to this dire situation. Most still seemed to be nervous, but like her they now had a certain determination in their eyes. They seemed to be taking this well. She took a deep breath and continued with her address.

"As I have warned you, the magical energy required to power the Guardian's spell is enormous and will be very difficult to control. This is why I requested that you all take time to hone your ability to channel magic over the last several months. But even with a lifetime of practice, the task before us is highly dangerous. So, while we need as many to participate as possible, I will not force any mother to risk her life. Any doe with a fawn to care for may leave now if they wish to."

Several long moments passed, and not a single deer moved to leave. Though most were scared, none was about to leave their sisters to face this danger alone. They instead took heart in the courage of their leader and prepared themselves for the challenge ahead. Karen's nervousness gave way to hope at the show of solidarity among the Herd. With that kind of love, she thought to herself, they could accomplish anything.

"I am proud to be among does as brave as you. Let us together finally put this difficult task behind us so that we may embrace a brighter future."

Karen, her words of encouragement spoken, was eager to be free of the fear that had been looming over her for the last 4 months. Recalling the Guardian's instructions carefully, she began relaying them to the Herd.

" Everyone should gather in a tight circle around me."

Karen turned to face the object she had left on the ground. She pushed with her nose to position the small metal disk on a flat level piece of ground among the grass. As she did this, the other does pulled in tight around her, giving her only a few feet of room in each direction. There were a few minutes of jostling and quiet anticipation as the deer sought to form a ring around their leader. When Karen determined that everyone was in the proper position, she steeled herself and began the most important test of her life. In a commanding voice, she directed the enchantment.

"Everyone! Begin channeling your power into the deer in front of you Does an the inner edge o the ring should channel their directly magic into me. May The Great Guardian's spirit watch over us!"

By now, the sun's light had almost completely left the sky. The dark of night was approaching quickly, but out on the meadow an unnatural glow began to illuminate the huddled mass of deer. Each had entered an almost trance like state, concentrated solely on building as much magical power as they could generate and letting it flow into the herd mate in front of them. After a few minutes, the faint, ghostly light grew brighter. The fawns playing in the stream and many woodland creatures in the area paused their activities to stare at the unusual spectacle. Small "streams" of light began to interconnect the does. They twisted and danced in the air, and where they met they thickened and increased in luminosity, almost like tributaries joining a "river" of light. These arcs of power formed near the outer edge of the gathering and flowed inward, jumping from doe to doe and gathering strength from each. In the center, the rivers joined and flowed into Karen at various points on her body, causing her to glow radiantly. Where they touched her, her fur slowly darkened and began to smoke. Despite the fierce pain ,she concentrated on absorbing the great build up of magic power and bending it to her will in the way the Guardian had shown her. It was extremely difficult to maintain control, as she had never handled even half this amount of power before. The stress on her body was becoming unbearable, and she could feel the heat rising rapidly from within. She hoped she would be able to survive this ordeal, but more than that she wanted the Guardian's spell to work.

Karen and the other does fought through the mounting agony burning through their bodies and tried to stay focused. At least a few could not take it and collapsed either from shear exhaustion or the terrible heat. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Karen sensed that she had gathered enough power to perform the most dangerous part of the spell. Her now furiously glowing green eyes fell on the metal disk on the ground before her. She concentrated on it so intensely that everything in existence outside that piece of metal, even the pain searing her flesh, faded to insignificance. Slowly, the metal began to glow with the colors of the rainbow. Karen began mentally burning the images of places on Earth into the part of her mind controlling the spell, just like the Guardian had shown her. She then imprinted a very complex and important magical enchantment into the metal disk. When she was certain that the preparations were complete, she let all the magical power stored in her body surge through her eyes and into the disk. Instantly, the metal grew white hot and shot like a bullet straight up into the night sky, throwing off random white hot flames and twisting electrical arcs.

Their was a terribly loud booming crack, and a bolt of lightning seemed to shoot out of the ground in front of Karen and into the air. It struck the glowing piece of metal and the forest for a mile around was lit up with a flash so bright it would have out shined the mid-day sun. When the blinding light faded, a shower of sparks rained down on the meadow, threatening to set it ablaze. Melissa and the other fawns were huddled together in the stream, crying out in terror for their mothers. Karen, however, was unable to answer her daughters cries as she and most of the other does had blacked out after the flash of light, finally succumbing to the toll the magic had taken on their bodies. The stench of ozone and burning fur hung heavy in the air.

**********

When Karen regained consciousness, the first thing she felt was the cold wet nose of her fawn nuzzling at her face trying to wake her up. The second thing she felt was the incredible soreness throughout her body. She groaned as she opened her eyes and took in the scene before her. It was early morning, the sun having just barely cleared the tops of the trees lining the edge of the clearing. Most of the grass in the meadow was still covered in a light layer of frost. Grey wisps of smoke drifted skyward from the scattered patches of blackened grass burned in the previous night's fireworks. Karen was stunned. Had she really been knocked out for the entire night? Many of the other does stood around her with looks of concern on their faces. Melissa gave a delighted squeal as she realized her mother was stirring from her hours long unresponsiveness.

"Oh mommy your OK! I was so scarred that you were hurt and weren't going wake up. Some of the other does still haven't and I didn't know what to do and..."

"I am going to to fine Melissa," Karen interrupted, trying to calm her excited little fawn. With a grunt of effort Karen struggled to get to her feet, feeling sharps pains along her flanks. She got up on one foreleg, but then what little strength she had left failed and she collapsed back down to the ground, breathing heavily.

"You need to be careful and rest for a while, Karen," advised one of the does who was a close friend of hers. "You've got some pretty nasty looking burns on your sides. Your lucky to be alive after what you went through. Fortunately, we have just the thing to get you going again."

Another doe who had been attentively standing by stepped forward and gently placed a stem from the Royal's Blessing plant on the ground where Karen could easily reach it with her mouth. Karen thanked her fellow doe and plucked the flowers and berries off the stem with her lips and swallowed them slowly. Even in her somewhat delirious state, she could savor the rare burst of flavor on her tongue. The juice from the berries was sweet and the petals of the flowers tasted wonderful to one who had spent much of her life eating grass and lesser foliage. After a long moment, she felt a gradual soothing of her pains and a surge of energy throughout her aching body. Feeling somewhat refreshed, she got down to the business of helping the Herd recover from it's ordeal.

"How are the other does?" she asked. "Did everyone come through alright, Cassandra?"

Karen's friend lowered her head in sorrow. "I am sorry to tell you that 3 of the older does did not survive. And several others have injuries like your self, some even more severe. Thankfully, none of those that died had fawns to care for."

Karen sighed with a heavy heart. She and the other does knew that casting a spell of such magnitude would likely have tragic consequences. Still, she had hoped that their would be no casualties. The Wisened Herd needed every member they had left, and each death brought them closer to extinction.

"Their sacrifice was not in vain. With their help, and with the rest of the doe's, I was able to perform the enchantment properly. All we can do now is wait. Wait and hope the Great Guardian's plan bears fruit. We must put our faith in his wisdom."

Karen gathered her strength and again attempted to stand on all four legs. This time, with much effort, she succeeded. Now that she was up out of the grass, she could see the lifeless bodies of three of her herd mates laying around her, much of their fur burnt to cinders. It was one of the most saddening sights she had ever beheld. Once again, she felt tears beginning to well up in her eyes for the loss of those she loved. The feel of Melissa snuggling against her side brought her some small comfort, at least. It was a dark day for Wisened Herd, she thought to herself, but at least now there was a glimmer of hope on the horizon.

**********

Dale Jackson didn't like the look of those storm clouds on the horizon. Night was falling on the desert east of Yuma, Arizona, and he was already running late on his delivery. The last thing he needed were wet roads slowing him down. A flash from the sky out over the mountains and the rumble of distant thunder didn't do anything to ease his worried mind. His superior's had warned him that if he was late again that he could be fired, and he couldn't afford to lose another job. Not with the kind of debts he owed. He took a swig from the near empty beer bottle in his right hand and then tossed it carelessly out the open window of the 18-wheeler he was driving. At least he had some booze to take the edge off he thought to himself as he cracked open another cold one with the bottle opener on his dashboard.

Without warning, the cabin of the semi shuddered and a loud bang echoed inside the engine compartment. Dale saw the RPM gauge drop rapidly, and could smell the stench of burning rubber coming in through the air vents.

"Fucking God dammit!" he yelled in anger as he down shifted and brought the massive truck to a grinding stop along the edge of the desolate two lane highway. Grabbing his tool box from behind the drivers seat he stepped out of his vehicle and down onto the sandy asphalt. Cursing and swearing at his poor fortune, he made his way around to the front of the tractor and released the latches holding the hood down over the engine. As soon as it was open, a cloud of thick, acrid smoke bellowed out and drifted into the warm desert air. Coughing and squinting his now watering eyes, Dale peered into the engine compartment. He didn't like what he saw. The damage was extensive and he knew it would take him several hours to fix the problem, if he could fix it at all. And the rapidly failing light would make repairs even more difficult.

"Shit. This is just what I need. I swear to God the first thing I'm doing when I get into town is hitting the bar."

Dale opened his tool box and got to work repairing the crippled engine. After an hour of hard work, his hands were stained with dirty oil and sweat glistened on his face. Distracted by task of fixing the motor, he didn't notice that the storm clouds were much nearer than they had been. By now, it was completely dark out and he required a flashlight to continue his work. Only the sound of thunder and the occasional howling coyote broke the silence of the desert.

Suddenly, there was a horribly loud sound like the cracking of a bull whip, and the desert lit up for an instant like someone had dropped an atom bomb. A bolt of lightning had struck the highway only feet from where Dale was standing, and it scarred him so badly that he lost his footing on the cabins front bumper and fell on his ass. Swearing at the pain of his bruises as he got up off the asphalt, he turned to look at the blackened mark the lightning had left on the road. He pointed his flash light at it to get a better view of what had nearly killed him, and was surprised to see something shiny glimmering in the light.

He stooped over to pick up what he thought was a large coin, but paused before he touched it when he noticed that it was glowing intensely with an array of different colors. Thinking that it must still be hot from the lightning strike, he took a handkerchief from his pocket so he could handle it safely. To his surprise, the coin was cold, not hot as he had expected. Strangely, the instant he touched it the metal ceased to glow. Perhaps his drinking was screwing with his mind? Confused, he turned it over in his hands to get a better look at it. On one side, there was a vaguely Native American style engraving of a man: on the other, that of what looked like a whitetail buck. The metal it was made of was very shiny,and it was heavy for it's size. It was probably silver, but he wasn't sure. Thinking it could be valuable, Dale slipped the coin into into his trouser pocket, unaware of the coin's true purpose.