It's time to enter the Great Forest and read of the Hindertwiglets once more! Click the label link below the post for all other episodes.
Taken from “เคฆ्เคฐเคท्เคा - Drshhtaa – The Seer”; PhD publication of Sandeepany Sadhanalaya Batch 15 CCMT
8; their results
12; purified
16; new knowledge
IN HINDERTWIG ONCE.
Hill Bert nuzzled Meenlah, whuffing and nipping. She eyed him sideways. An older doe, she still had bearing years in her, and it would be wise to broaden the bloodline of her offspring. In her first years, she had always taken stags according to their results from the routh. Then Kern Tup had risen, and she could not see any other but him. Now, here she was, faced with a new match. Unexpected but not altogether undesirable. Indeed, Hill Bert was most admirable to the eye, being the best-proportioned male of the herd and the least marked from routh-challenge. What was more, he was gentle. Low Sooz had been mad to let this one go!
Hill Bert, from his side, tried to keep his thoughts focused on Meenlah. Not easy, when he saw his Soozma flirting outrageously with Vidge. Knowing that Vidge understood what was happening and would not over-advantage himself didn’t make this any easier.
After the routh, he had gone to the falls and stood under the raging current, crisp and cleansing, and offered up his spirit to the Great Forest in an act which both purified and eased him. The rise in ranks would have been his eventually. This fast-tracking, he reminded himself, was at the behest of the current leader and one for whom he held great respect and love. He and Soozma must rise in order to move the Hindertwiglets along and bring them to the new knowledge of the two-legs and the impending danger. To emphasise the urgency for change and to attend to the needs of the forest accordingly.
Hill Bert had continued pondering why himself and not Kern Tup, but Vidge would not have made this decision lightly. While Rooper and Pal Sun were clearly not skilled for such leadership, Kern Tup might have been thought so. In having challenged him in routh successfully, Hill Bert now realised what Vidge had long before. The elder stag was carrying many injuries – well and hidden, but debilitating nonetheless. Had either of Rooper or Pal Sun taken up challenge, they too might have prevailed and then Hill Bert would have had a rather more difficult rise. Perhaps impossible. This would have resulted in a disastrous hierarchy as the does would all be vying for prime also. No. This had been timely and appropriate, and even though he did not yet feel entirely suited to leadership either, Hill Bert accepted the faith put in him by his senior.
Sweet and enticing, he persuaded Meenlah to enter the mating glade with him.
(426 words.)
© Yamini Ali MacLean 2018
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Lessons in playing the long game!
ReplyDeleteAnother wonderful installment in the life and times of Hindertwig Tales and what a very pretty graphic too
ReplyDeleteHugs madi your bfff
I am enjoying Hill Bert's thought process! What wonderful characters you are developing!!
ReplyDeleteDecisions, decisions:)
ReplyDeleteEnjoyable. And the rut is on. namaste, janice xx
ReplyDelete