Long after a deer disappears pieces of their existence remain. Other deer remember the spot of meeting in some grassy glade or near the waters. Others leave scattered pictures behind displayed throughout the community. Behaviors once done by them continue on in others who joined in the fun and decided to show it to someone else. As one passes the many trees images willow wisp about in the bark of earlier days reminding a deer of a fond excursion or dance.

The stones though cold display such faded images of rutting games, feeding on mushrooms and rolling about. Eventually it becomes detached from that deer's symbol. It lays and waits for another to discover it and join a flourish or two. It becomes renamed and moves forward in time with the next generation of fawns.

An ebb and flow meant to stir up a behavior that benefits all. Some other deer with no pre-knowledge of the other's prior existence and claim renews the strand. Fresh but familiar so deer may discover it all once again.

Traveling through the forest had slowed to a snail's pace. After an illness survived endurance had suffered a bit. Building up had been a problem since the weather kept blanketing the ground with the white frost. Feeling one's hooves sometimes becomes difficult. Cloven hooves have to learn to dance across crystals rather than stomp. It meant slower progress. What else is an ancient deer to do?

Finding sunbeams or a warm body to snuggle up to helped much. Warm springs often helped till one crawls out into the chilled air. Where to go depends on where the sunbeams fall. More light allows one to see the path and warmth makes the legs nimble once again. Decisions on how far to go depend on how soft the ground would feel in a thud. Napping too long may mean not enough strength to get up again.

The ancient deer picked a spot that if fallen had plenty of fresh greens to munch while rolling around in the vegetation. Crawling remains an option. Young fawns coming over for stories of long ago always helped. Nothing wrong just well used parts wearing out slowly, reviving a bit in a sunbeam and then back to the inevitable.

Where do ancient deer go when all is said and down? No bones have ever been found in the forest. Not even a hint. Does the sexy swag coat deer come out of the altar and take you there where ever there is. Do you just dissipate into thin air and become part of the forest once more? The doppleganger deer seen with a sign or not is that a shell left of some ancient deer's embodied spirit visiting a favorite glen or sleep spot once more?

Never a dead deer in the forest. Deer have disappeared into thin air. Others lay upon the ground in a deep slumber never to wake. Which is better? For me it would be slow travel of any kind rather than sleep. Always challenges, each day a new one. Ancient deer get challenged but instead of another it is their own body that and energy level that makes the daily challenge. Do I breathe or chew? Do I walk or eat?

I'm tall when I'm young and I'm short when I'm old. What am I?

It is said it is a weapon of light.

experiment

No-legs lay on one-leg, two legs sat near on three legs, four legs got some.”

An eye in a blue face
Saw an eye in a green face.
‘That eye is like to this eye’
Said the first eye,
‘But in low place
Not in high place.’”

Deer (S. Aras[1]) were graceful creatures found throughout Middle-earth. Deer were loved by the Vala Nessa, and were said to follow her as she travelled through wild lands.[2]

In the First Age the Teiglin River flowed through a gorge west of the forest of Brethil.[3] At the narrowest part of the gorge was Cabed-en-Aras, "The Deer's Leap", where once a deer leaped across the river to escape a huntsman of Haleth.[4]

In T.A. 2941[5] Thorin and Company were in the process of crossing the Enchanted River when a dark-coloured deer bowled into the Dwarves. Although Thorin shot the hart with an arrow as it leaped there was no recovering the venison for the boat they were using floated away. Worse, the commotion caused Bombur to fall into the water, which caused him to fall asleep for days after he was rescued. Soon after, a white deer and her snowy fawns appeared on the path. The dwarves shot arrows at them but none hit and the deer vanished.[6]

In Sindarin, the adjective ross was often used to describe the copper colour of red deer.[7]

One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

see pic

One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

see pic

This thing all things devours:
Birds, trees, beasts, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats high mountain down.

It cannot be seen, cannot be felt
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt.
It lies behind stars and under hills,
And empty holes it fills.
It comes first and follows after,
Ends life, kills laughter.



Append


Here you see it most often in the fall