A King for the People

Spring, Year 761 of the New Age

Day 1 Windborne, Between Haven Creek and River Mor

Day 2 Windborne, Gumtree Hollow

It was the largest opening that was not full of sand, and even though it had just seen blood shed from war, it was seeing dripping blood again. War or not, stags fought. This time for power. Silv was glad this happened before summer and he lost his horns. He still had a few weeks in this early spring before he lost his physical fighting tool.

But he did not need it as much as he thought he would. The wind was once more free at the use of many, and today, when two opponents went head to head, Silv used the wind in anger and in fear. A good fighter does not go into a fight without fear, instead he uses it to give him power. Today, Silv had done just that.

His opponent was quick, slender, short He had a large ego and it irked Silv a lot. Did he not understand everything that had been lost from the war? The work it would take to build up trust between fawnlings of different beliefs? He must not have, because he acted rudely towards the elderly and the young from herds different than his. The stag boasted of being better and had no class as he stepped into the clearing.

Silv on the other had entered quietly. He watched his opponent intently, observing his movements and attitude. The creamy stag knew he was younger than his opponent…. but today that seemed like nothing to him. He took up his position, and looked to the new queen, the stormcaller, and some of his old Stormbringer friends, watching him, and his opponent. A deep bellow, not one of war, but of sorrow, came from the lips of Silv.

The air was full of tension, sadness, and the unknowing. Silv wanted what was best for everyone in that clearing, and everyone who had run away, so he gave a gracious bow to the people of his herd. When he rose, he turned to look at the Queen once more and gave a terse nod. By the end of this though, his opponent got antsy and lunged for him.

A smile was already on Silv’s face though, and never broke eye contact with the new queen of Windborne as he sent a hurling gust of wind behind him at the brute. Silv’s magic had improved greatly, and he knew, from watching his opponent show off his lean muscles, that he was not strong in magic, so Silv battered the rest of the fight with this stag using his magic to his advantage.

Darkness had begun to gather by the end of the fight. Silv was bleeding, not from the coward whom he watched run off, licking his wounds, but from the war. His scabs were torn off from tumbling, and the pull of his muscles caused new pain from his battle wounds. He turned, pulled up to his full height, looking to see if he’d be challenged as he approached the Queen and Stormcaller.

Many elderly smiled and bowed their heads to him. A few fawns he’d seen during his time as a Stormbringer ran to him and followed till their mothers pulled them back as he got closer to the Queen. Silv smiled at them then looked the doe he had been walking towards straight in the eye. His strength did not waiver, and his awkwardness around does was gone. Vanished.

Blood dripping, sweat collecting, Silv tucked his head down then lowered the whole front half of his body in a deep and gracious bow. When he rose his eyes were hard. It would be hard to forgive the Alliance, but he had to, and he voiced this, feeling the wind well up in him, even though he used no magic.

“I wish to rule my people. Not just previous Main Herder’s, nor just Point Danger or Cape Splinter’s. I am a stag who believes in equality, so I wish to stand here, and see that equality is given to those whose home you have taken.”

It was brash. It was daring. He could be killed on the spot, if they counted that as treason, but he would not lead a life of lies to get this position. This doe would know why he wished to be King, and she would know it would take a lot for his trust to be gained, and for the trust of his old herd members to be gained. His eyes were locked with hers, those cold hard brown eyes. 

And he waited.

The night’s sleep from before had not been the most restful, but it did not matter. Silv still had a home. His tree awaited him early in the morning, unchanged and unmarred from the war that had taken place at the base of it’s hollow. Some leaves and flowers from the surrounding trees were on the ground, and Silv asked the wind, and it responded, blowing the trash out of the way, making the clearing clean. Blue flowers were blossoming in the field, and his enormous tree had it’s leaves sprouting, and small flower buds forming.

“You gave me a home that I forsake… Now I wish to come back… and with me the needs of my people..” Silv watched the branches shiver in the wind, then he leaped up onto a lower branch and looked down, seeing the opening down below him, a wonderful place to hold meetings for his people. The creamy stag smiled, then descended from his perch, and worked to move towards the main encampment of many of his previous Main Herd members, to speak to them, and hear their concerns.

When he arrived at the site, he was surprised, but buoyant to see not just main herders, but also point danger and some cape splinter does among the injured and familyless. Many looked up as he came in, knowing he had tried earlier to be King, and still did not know the outcome. One older doe from the previous main herd looked at him with hope in her eyes but he shook his head while smiling.

"My dear I will let you know the results as soon as I know." His touched his maw to hers then looked around the clearing at the others. There he saw a very beat up doe, her mane cut up into a mohawk, and a gash down her back leg, keeping her to the ground.

“My lady,” he bowed his head to her. “I commend you in your brave fight. I wish you the fastest of recovery.” His voice was sincere. But a look of uncertainty was on the doe’s face, and he knew it would take a long time for the other herd members to accept him…

The other’s were moving in closer, wanting to look at the Main Herd Stormbringer who had taken a stand and fought to be their king. He gave a genuine smile to each and every one, no matter the herd, no matter the beliefs. “I work for you. And no matter what, whether I become your king, or a stormbringer, or am chased out of the herd, I will work for you.” He bowed to them then, and smiled in surprise when a small fawn came up to him and leaned on his sturdy leg before slipping and sitting below him.

Silv looked down at the fawn and smiled, relieved that not a scratch was on him. The fuzzy stag looked around for a mother but saw no doe come forward to claim the little foal. Instead, a humble stag approached. “I’m sorry for my son disturbing you,.”

He shook his head and smiled. “It is not a disturbance.” The creamy stag looked down at the fawn who was staring up at him and Silv smiled, then licked the colt’s head. “It’s not a disturbance at all.”

The rest of the day went like that. Visiting the old, the injured, the orphaned. Silv tried his hardest to comfort, to be a strong leader like he needed to be, but at the end of the day, he was still Silv, just exhausted and slightly disheartened by the injuries. Silv met with the Queen and several others, nodded to them, and a deep sadness started to seep into his eyes. He saw a similar look creep into the others eyes as they walked to the site where the dead would be honored.

For the night, everyone was one herd. For a night, the distant future happened at once. The sky bled red as the Allied Herd with a collective breath while the Stormbringers, Healers, Soldiers and Herd members lined up in a ceremonial way to respect the dead. 

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Word Count: 1451
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I had this just simply in sta.sh but.. I figured why not post it? Might as well. I'm pretty sure he won't get picked, but it was fun to write.