Clash of Antlers

Compared to the deer of Boreas Rannoch was an incredible stag, he was massively tall with huge antlers. Rivaling any other buck or bull in the Northern reaches. However, compared to most males of his own kind he was still a little baby. His neck looked more like a hind’s than a stag’s. His legs were still long and disproportionate, and his antlers didn’t even have two years of growth. However young he was the young elk was still very much a stag and the season of the rut still affected him. He wanted to fight, he wanted to chase the hinds, but he couldn’t.

Rannoch bottled the natural instincts as best he could, but little things seeped through. He kept to himself a bit more, he pawed at the ground and he sparred with the boughs of the pines. Rannoch tried not to show it when the rest of the herd was around, and he was thankful he wasn’t caught when Kyren appeared.

The affectionate greeting was more comforting than anything, like Kyren was the herdsire and he was welcomed to look up to him. Figuratively, he didn’t look up to anyone physically. When he went on and offered a little spar Rannoch was nearly overwhelmed with relief. He shook his head gently, still trying to hold back as he lowered his head and offered his own set of antlers. This was a proper spar of bulls.

"Rannoch"