With each passing night, the moon begins to shift colors. A minute blue tinge colors everything its light touches, making it ever so harder to see at night. The tall grasses around the Hidden Cove seem to be fading to black, merging in and out of each other’s shadows. Even the trees, guardians in their own right, appear to be changing in the moonlight.

“Close your eyes, and open your minds,” Nakir advises as he stops at the edge of a dense patch of woods, Nirvana and Laurelin close behind. “You see less when you look, and find only when you stop searching.” As much as his words seem unclear, you trust him. This is his domain, after all. He turns and leaves before you decide which way to go, but you set off as soon as you can.

The further you walk, the more trees impede your path. You remember what Nakir had said, and stop. Together, you sit across from each other, backs pressed to the trees, and close your eyes. As the minutes – or hours, you’re not quite sure anymore – drag on, Laurelin begins to hum.

Leaves rustle all around you, something’s moving. As much as your body is telling you to run, you keep your eyes closed and continue to hum. Fifteen minutes in, and a large weight is dropped into your lap. When you open your eyes, you spot a smiling Fawn. They must have been comforted by your music.

@ Hawkeye

Nakir’s ears twitched when the pair stopped in front of him. Calum stood with confidence, gained only from having completed the journey many times before. Rien, however, seemed unsure. The fowl-crested Faunid turned away from them without a sound and set off toward the forest.

He led them through acre after acre of land, ducking under branches and hopping over brambles without slowing down. Within an hour, they arrived at a small clearing. Scattered throughout were the tiny remnants of a forest fire. Grass sprouts barely peeked through the soil, and collected dew forced them to bend.

“Become like each other,” Nakir murmured before he turned to walk away. “As yourselves, you are merely one part. Together, you can become whole.” As soon as his words finished coming out of his mouth, he seemed to vanish.

A giggle pulled the pair’s attention back to the field. Rien stepped forward, ears alert, and Calum looked around. White and blue fell from a tree near them, and then Rien found himself catching a young Fawn. After a moment to greet each other, Calum led them back to the village.

@ Hawkeye

Kali arrives at Nakir's small garden of death, a path that was ingrained into his memory by now. Arms deep in some mysterious primordial animal, to say Nakir was busy would be an understatement. It didn't stop the bawean faun. A pale hand stopped Laurelin's approach as the small deer crept forward towards his prey. All was silent for long moments until a loud exclamation of adoration burst from Kali. Nakir yelled in response and jumped enough to hurdle a fell tree. The fresh bird on his face appearing to come to life for a split moment. His crude antler knife sliced through dark red meat and spun around to meet the assailant, felling to Nakir's side in realization.

An annoyed huff fluffed grey fur, ending with a soft and playful smile. He gestured to the door of his small house, "Just take your Fawn and go." Within the walls of Nakir's home you find a child that could out-compete the sun.

@ Ele

Oddly enough, upon your arrival, Nakir gave a simple guiding statement. "Walk until the sun fills your eyes." Neither mule deer nor elk knew exactly what the phrase could mean.

You walk until your hooves ached and your body burned. Sweat clumped together colorful and pale fur alike. Trees began to thin out, allowing bright god-rays to break through between thick trunks. Compared to the dark enveloping cloud of the canopy and following foliage, the sunlight was blinding. It only took a few squinted blinks to adjust your eyes to the sight of a gorgeous meadow. Gently waving honeybush flowed in the soft breeze. Hidden in the midst of the ochre flowers was a small Fawnid. Your new sun and light of your life.

@ Bread

When the does arrived, Nakir bowed his head forward in greeting. The sun was still setting when they met, and the dark stag wasted no time before setting off. Though the pair had heard stories of traveling into dark forests, they said nothing as they traveled through fields of flowers at twilight.

The trio continued on through sunset and well into the night. Brightly colored flowers closed once the sun had disappeared, but those of darker colors began to open once covered in moonlight. Aaliyah looked to Eos for comfort, and the other doe merely pulled her poncho closer. What was once a beautiful summer field had suddenly chilled over.

“Everything has its season,” Nakir said, stopping to squat and look over the opening flowers. After a few minutes, he stood and turned to face the does behind him. “You know your own, now you must find another.” He bowed his head again and then set off in a different direction.

The does sat down in the field, taking turns looking out for the Fawn and admiring the flowers around them. By the time the first rays of dawn appeared, they were lost exhausted. Thankfully, they agreed that they wouldn’t go back without the Fawn.

As the day crept forward, the midnight flowers returned to their slumber and the day bloomed around them. Over the small crest of a hill, a little Fawn came skipping with flowers in their hands and in their pelt. Without stopping, they danced around the does, sprinkling them with various colored petals.

@ Sundance

When Peter and Eddy arrived at the edge of the forest, they found Nakir seemingly meditating. Just as Peter thought to suggest they come back later, Nakir waved them forward. The bucks kneeled in front of him and waited for instruction.

“Find the place where life seems unlikely,” the stag murmured after half an hour of silence. “Look for tiny threads, and follow them to your Fawn.” He opened his eyes to look between the bucks. “Head toward the setting sun. From there, you must go your own way.”

Eddy rose first, only waiting for Peter to get to his hooves before he set off. It was nearly dark, had they really spent that much time with Nakir? Either way, they had a place to get to, and he wasn’t going to waste any time. A few times he had to slow down for Peter to catch up, but he otherwise rushed.

Far from the village, so far that it felt like a different world entirely, the bucks found themselves in a dead forest. Ancient trees bent and twisted toward the ground, colored sickly greys, browns, and rotten greens. In place of leaves, the branches were coated in spider webs that glistened in the moonlight.

The further they walked into the forest, the darker it became. Eventually, they saw bones and teeth hanging from strings on the branches. Each step forward brought them to trees decorated, increasingly, with remains. A breeze passed over them, rattling the bones like chimes.

Curled up at the base of a petrified willow was a small Fawn. They were fast asleep, and looked at home in the forest. Peter stepped forward, careful to not crush the small nest consisting of twigs and clumps of fur. He woke the Fawn carefully, and stumbled back into Eddy body when they jumped into his arms.

@ Spoods