i'm the only one

Rannoch felt like an eternity had passed since he last saw his herd, it seemed like just as the winter was receding he lost the other elk he had crossed with. His mother, all the other cows, his sire… The boy was lost for a long time. He tried to find another herd, but the giant elk were all gone. He could only find smaller ungulates. White tail deer accepted him for a short while, but he was soon the odd one out and they would not accept his presence. He moved on and ran with caribou for a while, but after he was singled out and chased off by a pack of wolves, and very nearly dying then, he lost them.

The young deer found himself at home in a massive forest, like him the trees dwarfed the rest of their cousins. Without a full set of antlers Rannoch had no trouble navigating the old growth forests. What he couldn’t navigate was loneliness. He was separated from the herd, he was vulnerable, in danger. He couldn’t truly rest and for too long the young stag slept with one eye open.

Eventually a herd of bachelor elk made their way into the woods and Rannoch was able to gain acceptance with them, if not begrudgingly. Having another set of eyes was all he wanted, and even if he was the odd one out, and the lowest bull in the hierarchy it was better than being alone. He was thankful none of them had antlers to prod him with, and already the young deer knew he would be in danger if he remained with them through the rut.

He tried not to think about it as he lay with them now, bedded for the night chewing their cud. As always he was a little farther away, they knew he was not their kind as well as Rannoch so he gave them respect and distance. Despite being with a group of deer he couldn’t help but feel like the only one in the world.

The Red Forest / Sunset / Warm