Prologue: http://endlessforest.org/community/rubies-pond-short-prologue
Chapter One: http://endlessforest.org/community/rubies-pond-chapter-one-discovery

Another lame chapter from me. xD It feels shorter, but that might be because a lot of the paragraphs are longer? And since Jen's deer doesn't have a name, I had to c/p the pictogram name over and over.

And I accidently named this chapter three. >_> Oops.

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"Cutlery is dead."

The smooth, hollow voice of rang clear in Lieka's ears. ".. Dead? But how?" The Queen was not too familiar with the stag known as Cutlery, for he had always been quiet and reserved whilst his older brother still lived. But with Walter dead, it made no sense that his brother would end up the same. Had it also been suicide? Or had The Demon Gazelle been the first in a targetted chain of murders? Maybe it was all coincidence and Lieka was simply letting her mind overreact again? Then again, after seeing a pond contaminated with the blood of your fellow deer, drastic thoughts could only be natural.

remained silent and shook his head, dismissing the questions. Instead, he simply pawed the earth twice, motioned his head in a gesture to follow, and turned towards the Ename ruins in the distance. Lieka didn't hesitate for a moment as her long legs carried her in a single leap over the small stream and past the weeping stone. She was quick to take up a trot following , but the usual lack of enthusiasm in his step, the warm friendly aura he usually gave, was all but amiss. It worried the Queen so; she hadn't been the only one concerned about the strange events after all.

Time seemed to grow slow as the stone ruins slowly appeared through the morning haze.

And...it's raining.

I wish it was windy XD;

Meh, I won't stay long unless someone's actually around. I'm kind-of bored...and the forest is boring without being able to communicate with others...

EDIT: Haha, I got it to load again, new deer, heh.

This time I can see...some random deer...a deer with Setting Sun's picto...a picto clone...and a random deer with Hangman's picto. *yawns*

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NOTICE:: Although I am taking my leave from the TEFc, I will be leaving this here.



All illustrations in my fanfiction are done by the fabulous Ephra.

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Prologue: Click! - Illustrated

Chapter One - Discovery: Click! - Illustrated

Chapter Two - Crying Idols: Click! - Illustrated

Chapter Three - Following Sorrow: Click! - Illustrated

Chapter Four - All in a Night's Work: Click! - Illustrated

Chapter Five - A Second Night's Work: Click! - Illustrated

Chapter Six - The Heart of Me: Click!- Illustrated

Chapter Seven - The Morning After: Click! - Illustrated

Chapter Eight - Her Choice: Click!

Chapter Nine - Found: Click!

Chapter Ten - Chasing Dreams: Click!

Chapter Eleven - Rubies in the Pond: Click!


[b]Chapter Twelve - Empathy Resonance:

I just want to tell thanks to a deer which has halped me with new set near the lake today

Prepare for minimal effort crap art. XD;


My three (main/known) deer conveying how bored I was when I started this. The Forest was literally dead. X_x As I had no idea what else to do, I decided to draw my boredom.

Do not say this is good, cuz...it's not. XD; Just purely vent art you could say.

I'm going on vacation from early tommorow morning to late next saturday night...I may have wireless, I may not: expect Beetle and Seed to be on sporadically, if at all. ^^

See ya'll next week ^^

Im on forest!

Prologue: http://endlessforest.org/community/rubies-pond-short-prologue

(Please note, events in this story will not affect anything in the forest itself. And I am a lame writer. =/)

Corrected spelling error of 'Deermuda' and grammar issues.

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Chapter One - Discoveries

The following sunrise brought no hint that there had been a death the night before. As the dimness between tree trunks vanished, the luminescence of sun rays lit upon the still sleeping residents which named the Forest home. However, tucked in more secluded areas, various aged fawns, some barely a few days old, were already standing on wobbly legs and nudging their mothers for an early breakfast. The older youngsters were already entangled in play, their thin legs strengthening with frolicsome sparring.

Further away, in the birch section of the forest, an antlered doe with no young of her own stirred. The ground on which she slept was believed to be cursed, so it was no surprise to see that there was no other deer nor fawn around. The only company the female had were small robins and other assorted birds, which performed their morning chorus about the collection of large rocks known as the Playground. The doe herself was a dark grey colour, almost black. Still, unlike others of her kind, her beautiful face was framed by a purple mane, styled in a feminine, yet sinister fashion, partially hiding the deep emerald orbs which opened to the light of the new day. She rose her head which was adorned with two large red antlers, fan-like as they reached out beside her body and spiked suitably for combat. Their weight did not seem to bother the doe as she stood up gracefully, like a Queen of this deserted, so-called cursed place.

Lieka rose her elegant head to the air and inhaled, whilst her ears pricked for signs of life. It was still early, and there did not seem to be much movement nearby.

Name: Loop
Age: 16 human years (older teenager)
Gender (if we had any): female
Pictogram: Tricky minx's picto
How to remember it: two arrows with a curve at the bottom and a LOOP in the middle. xDD
Favorite set: none yet
Personality: Cunning and sly, with a tendency to blend in with her surroundings. She does enjoy searching for groups of fawns, and then playing hide-and-seek or tag. Her tag signal would be a bow, a nuzzle, and then a RUNAWAYREALLYFAST. Which means you're it. Hide and seek is the same way. She can be hard to spot.
Build: small, with a big butt.
Friends: Aeros and Naire
Family: Corsair (brother)
Theme song: Real Wild Child
~
Name: Corsair
Age: 22 human years (young adult)
Gender (if we had any): male
Pictogram: Ugly little wart's picto
How to remember it: looks like a smiley face with a beard, or something. Plus a swirl to represent water. ^^
Favorite set: none yet
Personality: Daring and...very piratey. xDD Can be very much a gentleman, though. A little bit dark.
Build: compact, and a little small for his age.
Friends: Aeros and Naire
Family: Loop (sister)
Theme Song: He's a Pirate (WUT.)
~
Name: Aeros
Age: adult (maybe 43 in human years)
Picto: Mr. Buttaface's Picto
How to Remember It: It looks a bit like a tree, or an umbrella.
Description: Aeros is a stag. His favorite set is the orca pelt, Long Mask, and poppies on his antlers.
Personality: Aeros is kind and gentle. He loves to tell stories, but other then that he is usually quiet. Although he prefers to keep for himselfm, he will stand up for his friends and loved ones. He is complacent and calm, and not given to getting frightened.

Chapter 6 - Into the Mist

The mountains grew larger before them as they journeyed each day, until Rise could begin to make out the shadows that Old Gray-hump said were trees running up the sides and the brilliant white on the peaks that was snow. Finally in the distance there were steeper hills and then tall trees that rose up against the dark shapes of the mountains.

“Is it the forest?” Rise asked gleefully of the tired bull as she bounded around him as he grazed his way in that direction.

“It is A forest.” He nodded, then spoke on for some of Rise’s never ending well of words had slowly been sinking into him as they had traveled. “And maybe there will be some of your kind there. We are lucky, you and I, for the summer has been warm and the wolves will have retreated into the mountains to do their hunting and raise their pups in the cool shadows.”

Rise spent the days pushing them on as fast as she could convince the old one to move and turning her eyes and nose to the west, watching for signs of anything like herself.

Finally, early one morning, she saw them. The small herd of does and their fawns were grazing at the edges of the wood, the morning light spilling around them like liquid gold. Rise’s heart leapt and she shot forward through the grass towards the deer. The fawns scattered themselves and then ran to find their mothers as this strange smelling-creature bolted at them. The does pranced nervously and eyed Rise and the following buffalo with worry.

“I have found you at last!” Rise cried joyously to them. The fawns were all much smaller and younger than her, but she knew from her reflections in the water that she had their same golden brown and spotted pelt, and the same large amber-brown eyes. She searched their heads for the golden light like that which hung above her own ears, but she could see nothing there.

The deer flicked their ears at her in confusion and then bolted into the forest.