Pretty Flowers Can Also Have Thorns

Myrna

The old herbalist was such a fool.

He gave the potion formula to that desperate doe right out in the open. Where any sneaky soul hiding behind a rock could hear him.

The potion was meant to help a doe attract a mate come rut. The poor doe was asking because she was a slight sickly thing and no stag would trouble himself to fight for her.  Myrna might have felt sorry for her if she wasn’t too busy thinking of other potential uses for such a potion.

Of course, knowing the ingredients wasn’t enough. She hadn’t been paying quite enough attention to her mother’s herb lessons to know exactly where to find those things.

So who would know something like that? Someone at the fancy new School, probably. Myrna couldn’t go ask one of the instructors; they’d want to know what she was cooking up. Maybe one of the students would be young and impressionable enough to bribe into helping her.

And so she meandered over to the little meadow where classes were held in search of a little fawn she could bend to her will.

Alize

With a frustrated huff the young filly sorted the herbs before her one more time. She had to get it right in case Huisha would ever ask her. Surely it wasn't on the level and her classmates were on at this point, it was one above them, but she had been close by when that herb class was held, and she had kept her full attention on what was said and done. Some she already knew since she had asked about those herbs before, but others was new. The hardest part standing on the sideline had been not to hold up her stick to show she knew the right answer. She kept her own score though, adding a pebble to a pile of ‘correct answers’, it was far larger than the one with wrong ones and that pleased her.

The class had been about toxic plants and how some despite that could still be used for good if you just waited. A good thing with the toxic was it kept the plant fresh a little longer if you wanted to store it into winter for example. As long as you didn't get any or very little of the juice of the plant in your mouth it would be ok. On the safe side one could rinse one's mouth with water and eat one of those plants that neutralized light toxins.

Another sigh and the filly looked at the plants before her. They were not the actual plants of course, it was just simple flowers, but she pretended that the poppy, the bluebell, the white clover, the hawkbit and the meadowsweet where those plants the class had been about. These were still plants that could be used. Now she tried to sort them in order of how ‘toxic’ they were. To know about a plants possible toxins was very important, some were more sensitive than others, and might need medications that consisted other herbs than the ones you first thought of. They would still need to provide the same help. It was just one plant that kept on failing her memory and she flicked her tail in annoyance.

Myrna

Myrna immediately saw the fawn she wanted. It was a little doe yearling, messing with a stash of herbs. Myrna didn’t recognize the herbs other than the poppy. That was one her mother warned her not to eat. It was for numbing pain, and only administered to those who were quite sick and needed to sleep. It could easily be misused, according to her mother.

So this filly must be pretty sharp if the teachers trusted her with herbs like that.

The little fawn had that golden glow to her that many of King Drustan’s children had. Was she one of the king’s many offspring? She had a royal look to her. Best to act respectful at any rate, since Myrna wanted something from her.

“Hello there,” she called to the little filly. “You look like you know a thing or two about herbs. Could you help me with something?”

Alize

The voice startled her since she had been so focused looking at the different type of stems, the color of them as well as the leaves, the shape of the petals and any other small detail she could cram into her head. She wasn't sure what drove her to this, to always practice, practice, practice. There didn't seem to be a limit to what she wanted to learn. Gavin and his friends never really bothered to put effort into the practice assignments they got she had noticed...at least not fully. They did what was demanded but not more. She had heard him say that he didn't need to know that if he was to be one of the guards. So silly...what if one of his friends became ill or injured? Wouldn't it be good to know some healing then? Mother had teached them all she knew, and it wasn't that much compared to her grandmother and Huisha...but still. Alize was sure that her brother had been willing to learn, even if he now was training for the guard.

As she turned slightly she saw a young doe, older than her but not yet grown, standing not far away. Her mane was light even if it seemed to have some sort of tint of another color at the tips, like it had been dirty at some point. The way she stood spoke of high breeding. She would have guessed Princess but...there wasn't any flowers in her hair, most Princesses she had seen so far had flowers in their hair. The oddness of the does mane still puzzled her. She rose quickly, and as soon as she had she made a bow with her head. “Greetings...eh...my lady?” It surely wasn't wrong to greet the doe like that even if she were...a Princess. It was still polite. She glanced quickly down at the spread out flowers, and then a small smile spread. Perhaps this was one test of Huisha. He had gotten a very important job by the King himself. Perhaps he sent this doe for her to prove herself. She nodded perhaps a bit too excited as she replied to the does question.

“Yes! Yes I know...some...herbs at least...but I practice every day...I've memorized fourteen new ones today by just listening to every class that have been after my own that was held this morning.” The sound of some fawns playing was suddenly heard behind them. They probably played tag again by the sound of it. Alize shook her head. How could they play when it was more fun to learn things? “You see, if I'm just still and quiet they don't mind me listening in...I'm really too young to be learning about those herbs and how to prepare them...but it never hurt to just listen and remember even if you don't actually practice their use.” Suddenly she felt a little shy. What could the doe want her help with? Whatever it was she would do it as best she could. There was no way she would report back to Huisha about her failing.  “If I can my lady...” she looked up, trying to stand up as correctly as she could “...I can try and help you... what do you want help with?”

Myrna

The little fawn seemed eager to help. Excellent. This would be easier than she’d hoped. The little fawn was practically squirming in excitement at being able to use her knowledge. Hanging around the schoolyard all the time, sitting in on extra lessons… clearly she was trying to impress someone. Myrna wondered who that might be.

“My name is Princess Myrna. I’m so glad I’ve come across such a helpful little doe! In my studies I’ve come across the recipe for a potion but I’m afraid I simply don’t have the knowledge to find all the ingredients required. Do you think you could help me?”

And as an afterthought, “What’s your name?”

Alize

Her eyes grew a little wider. She wasn't sure if she had heard the name before but none the less the doe in front of her really was a Princess! She nodded eagerly again. “Yes! Yes, of course I help you Princess Myrna, don't worry...I know many plant names now, I think I even know most of the fawns my age...even some that don't even grow here...of course I haven't actually seen them, but I've memorised the description of them...so...I'm pretty sure I would know them too if I ever would come across them...I hope... But rest assured, Princess I would never, ever use a plant of any kind if I didn't know it's name and it's main use.”

The pale doe blinked. Her name? Oh...how silly, she should have introduced herself first...hopefully the Princess wouldn't think her as rude now and ask someone else. Alize made another polite nod as she had done before when she came across a high ranked member of the herd.

“My name is Alize, Princess Myrna...”

Myrna

Perfect! This little fawn could scamper off and gather all the ingredients for her. Then she wouldn’t have to waste her afternoon looking for plants. There were plenty more interesting things she could be doing.

Myrna pulled out a little leather drawstring pouch she had concealed in her tail. Any self respecting herbalist would have some sort of pouch or way to carry herbs around while collecting them, but she wasn’t sure this little one really qualified as a proper herbalist yet, even if she was a quick an enthusiastic study. Besides, it would be a simple enough task for Myrna’s mother’s hoofmaiden to make her another one. The bloody business of scraping hides and curing the leather with squished brains was no business for a proper princess.

“Here,” she said, offering the pouch. “This would be helpful for a little herbalist, I think. You can keep it, too, in exchange for your help with this. I’m going to need juniper berries, lemon balm leaves, lily leaves, columbine leaves, rose leaves, salvia leaves and spearmint leaves. You got all that? And make sure you get the right kinds, or the potion- er, the recipe won’t work. You think you can do that?”

Alize

Her eyes grew large and she stared at the Princess, forgetting that it might be rude, as the doe gave her the pretty gift. The pouch was very nicely made, quality all the way through, even the string was pretty. It looked like it was partly dyed making it dual colored. “I...I can have it? Really? You are sure?” For a moment she just looked at the other, older doe with a silly grin before she remembered the request.

“Of course I can get the herbs for you, Princess, no problem!” She turned and made her best to secure the pouch in her own tail, wearing it like the other had done. It would probably be more convenient to have it in her mane but it was too short for her still to reach it. “There is a little bit of walk however...but I'm pretty sure...there are some growing close by too...I can show you...in fact I think you...sort of have to go with me I'm afraid... I'm not...allowed to leave here before someone in my family come and get me, I'm too young to go on my own Daddy said and...I have promised...” Alize looked down a little, scraping her hoof. It was a bit of embarrassing to be honest. It wasn't everyday a Princess asked you for help...it would be so typical. She looked up with hope in her eyes. “It won't take long I promise...I'm very quick! Many of the herbs you want usually grow fairly close to eachother and...we just need to look for a stoney slope for the juniper! They grow the best there...and they need to be at least three years old to have berries on them!” To show the royal that she remembered she quickly repeated the other herbs the doe wanted and where they grew and the thing they was mostly good for. She wasn't sure on how to take the look in the others eyes as she told her, but who knew what other chores a Princess had to do. “I'm very sorry to be of a bother, Princess, but I will get you the very best ones I promise. You see, with some plants it's the youngest, most recently grown that hold the most power...the poison in some plants...they spoke of it today but not in my class, that sometimes that poison can be so strong it can hold a plant fresh through the winter even if you have picked it from where it grew. Isn't that fantastic?” Alize tried to walk ‘properly’ as her grandmother called it beside the Princess, but she couldn't help herself, it became a happy little trot instead with a extra bounce.

Myrna

Oh, of course! She was still just a baby after all, she wouldn’t be allowed to wander off on her own. It meant Myrna wouldn’t get to foist the chore off on the little filly, but maybe this was for the best. If Myrna could follow her and find out what these herbs looked like and where they grew… then she could make the potion again whenever she wanted.

“Oh, don’t worry about it. I can come with you. I know these woods well, I just don’t know where all the herbs are.”

She knew where all the rocks and roots were, at least, that could trip up a young doe who raced around at top speed through the forest. She knew where to find fox dens and good holes for hiding in. She knew the woods well enough not to get lost and was big enough to scare a fox or a hedgehog if they came across one, so she figured they should be fine on their little jaunt.

“That is quite interesting….” she said of the poison in plants that kept them fresh for longer. It was quite useful information; she was always looking for more toxins and poisons to experiment with. “We’ll be sure to be careful with those when we find them, eh? You just point them out to me.”

Alize

A little while later, their little ‘hunt’ was nearing the end - far too soon. They had found all but one of the things the Princess wanted. Alize bounced back to the Princess that almost had a bored look on her face. Surely this couldn't bore her? “Princess Myrna, come...come, I've found a juniper...with berries! It's the last thing we need remember!” They had come across some others junipers but they didn't have any berries...either they never had any to begin with or someone had already picked them. They had wandered some ways away from the schooling grounds by now. They had come across a dead animal and that had made the Princess...strangely excited, that was until she noted the state of it. It had been dead for awhile so it wasn't much left beside bones and some fur.

Alize remembered the poor little rabbit she had found with Huisha. They hadn't been able to save it. She couldn't help but wonder if she had been able to help this...whatever it had been, if she had come across it earlier. The Princess hadn't seemed so upset, instead she had looked around in a similar way she did when Huisha showed them new exciting herbs so she could remember where it grew. But what was exciting with old bones and a little fur?

She nosed the bush that seemed to be a tree at the same time. There, finally...a good collection of berries. “Be sure to only use those that are colored blue...the green ones...” she gave the Princess a glance before she nosed another set “...these are not finished yet...sometimes you need to wait...but my grandpa say waiting is a good virtue to have...many times things become better if you wait for it...and sometimes the biggest mistakes are made just because you don't have the patience to wait...my grandpa is very, very smart... My daddys brother say that you get very, very smart if you are really, really old. But if you ask me...I think you just need to practice a lot...thats almost as good as being really, really old...because...sometimes...when you are really, really old you forget things...” She giggled a little “...my daddy is funny...he isn't very, very old like grandpa but he sometimes forget what way to go...mother told me he got lost once when he was to pick a herb for grandma...it was the very first time they met...that was before me and my sister was born...” She continued to talk as she picked the berries as carefully as she could so she wouldn't hurt the juniper and placed it in the pouch she had gotten from the Princess. Huisha had mentioned, as well as her grandmother, that all things should be treated carefully and with respect.

Myrna

They’d passed a carcass along the way while collecting herbs- a fox, it looked like. A little weather worn, but she imagined she could make a nice fur from it. Maybe a pouch. Or rather she could get her mother’s hoofmaiden to do it, if she really insisted.

The little fawn- Alize, she reminded herself- seemed a little unsettled by the attention she paid to it so she marked the location in her mind and they continued on. She’d come back for it later. She had to remember that some does were just so excruciatingly sentimental- they’d cry over any little dead thing rather than seeing the utility in what was left behind. Pragmatism would always win out over sentimentality in terms of usefulness. Myrna couldn’t stand useless does.

She glazed over a bit as Alize yammered on about patience and her grandpa and her papa but she snapped back to attention as the little filly began picking berries. Finally! They could go make the potion now.

“Come with me. You want to see how this is made, right?” she asked the little doe. She didn’t bother responding to whatever Alize had been talking about when she wasn’t paying attention and instead veered towards a little glade where her mother kept her cauldron and other potion-making supplies.

Alize

The little filly snapped her head up and looked at the Princess, her eyes wide in excitement. This day was turning out better and better! “Oh, can I! I won't be a bother, I promise!” It was a bit hard to contain herself, but she did her best. “We haven't begun lessons on how to mix the herbs together yet, we are too young so we are just going over the basics and learning some more simple ones in theory...but I've watched grandma doing it many times...”

She skipped along side the other doe telling her about the different simple mixes they had learned in school along with what herbs was included in each, and of course what they was good for. The one with aloe vera for example was really easy since it was just that one, and that  you could use for smaller wounds and cuts to help it heal faster. Then of course there was others that didn't really need any mixes since they too only consisted of a single herb. She was so excited she never really saw the look in the other does eyes as they made their way to a small glade where she hadn't been before. When the princess reported back to Huisha, because this just had to be a test of some kind...he had spoken of that there might be a small test coming up to see what they could remember...then he surely would see how much she tried. And then she would show him her garden... A big grin grew on her muzzle. It wasn't much at the moment of course, just really preparations for it, but still.

After handing over the pouch that was filled with herbs she watched the other doe in silence, paying attention to each movement. It didn't look like the doe moved with the same security as grandma when she mixed herbs, and the way she was grinding the leaves looked a bit odd but that was perhaps how you made...what was it? If anything she was good at remember things like that. Shaking her head she came to the conclusion the Princess never told her. Alize felt it was good if she went by the ‘ask if you don't know’ line, that was the way young learned from those that was older...even if the Princess wasn't THAT much older than her. She cleared her throat a little.

“...Excuse me Princess for interrupting...but...what is it you are making? I don't think you told me...”

Myrna

Having taken the pouch of herbs back, Myrna began pulling them out and squishing them beneath a hoof. That was how her mother had taught her to make the dyes, wouldn’t that be how a potion would be made as well? She crushed everything up in her mother’s wooden bowl, smooth from use over the years, sides stained black from all the various things which had been mixed in it.

She wondered if perhaps there were some secret step she was missing. She never paid attention when her mother was making potions. They took too long, and she got bored. Was she supposed to steep this? Now that everything was mashed up together it didn’t smell right. She brought over a little gourd full of clear mountain water and poured it in. She used a hoof to stir the mixture- her mother used a stick instead, for fear of staining her pretty white feet- but instead of dissolving nicely it just turned a sickly green-purple with clumps of berries and crushed leaves swirling around.

“It’s a love potion. Or it’s supposed to be. Are you sure you got the right herbs?”

Alize

A Love potion? Alize leaned a little closer. She had never heard such a thing existed before. At the Princess last words the filly made a small face and looked up. “Of course they are the right ones, Princess...why would any mistake the herbs you asked me to find for something else? Sure there might be herbs that look a like but you have a no-...” Realizing it might sound rude she halted herself. “I'm sure Princess...I can tell them apart, if not by look I use my nose. They smell different.  I assume this is not a potion you are going to eat, is it? I mean..the columbine is a little toxic...in fact, all parts of the plant have some toxins...” She made a small shrug “Grandma said it was good for lice if you crushed dried seeds and have it in your coat, but no eating.”

She observed the Princess work for a moment. No, it didn't look at all like the mixes her grandma did...but on the other hoof she didn't know if her grandma had ever done a love potion before. They had not begun discussing this step in school either. Perhaps the leaves needed to be dry first, and then mashed with the berries? She looked up at the doe in hope to hear about the progress and why one should do it they way she had done it.

Myrna

Myrna supposed she had to trust the little fawn since she had no way of telling if they were the right herbs herself. Still, how could one this young really know enough to be sure.

Dipping her head down, Myrna lapped at the potion and grimaced. “No this isn’t right at all. The old healer said it should taste bitter. This just tastes rotten.”

She thought for a moment. There was really nothing for it. She’d have to go to her mother for help. Myrna hated to do it but it seemed she wasn’t knowledgeable enough to do it on her own. Of course, she couldn’t admit that in front of the little fawn who was looking at her with big confused eyes.

She walked the little filly back to the schoolyard where she was supposed to be in the first place.

“Do you have any of the herbs left? I’ll bring them to my mother, she can verify that these are the right ones. Just to be sure. Don’t worry, I’ll bring the pouch back for you. In fact… when she’s done, do you want to try the potion? So we can see if it works? Surely there’s some colt who’s caught your eye. How about that Prince Han, eh? He’s got that handsome dappled coat.”

---

The Next Morning

---

Alize

Glancing up at the sun she wondered where the Princess could be. She said she would meet her here after her class, and told her not to be late. It felt a bit rude since she was never late. She was always in time for her classes, she was very ahead of time actually. The little extra time gave her time to think back of what happened the day before.

The Princess had clearly not heard her yesterday...you wasn't suppose to eat the potion...not with one of the herbs not being good to eat. It was to put it on you. Perhaps the other herbs took the bad out? Alize wasn't sure. The Princess mother would be asked about it, just to be on the safe side. They hadn't talked that much on the toxic plants and what she knew she had only listened to on the sidelines. That class had already gone beyond the basics so it was just a little hard to follow and understand, not that she would admit that...right away...if someone would ask. Perhaps she would admit it to Eila. However she had promised the Princess to keep this a secret. Alize had wondered if she wanted tailknot swear on it but didn't seem to know what that was.

She would get that pretty pouch back tomorrow...and the Princess had said she could try it. That of course if she kept the secret, not saying anything to anyone about it. Of course she had said yes and promised. Hooves crossed and everything! She was good at promises. The Princess...or Myrna, she didn't seem to bother much with the Princess part, had mentioned Han. Sure he was cute and all...but why would he look at her? Huisha on the other hoof. Alize sighed as she shifted her weight.He knew so much and was so kind to everybody. Another sigh escaped her. If that mixture worked to get him to see her, truly see her as a doe and not just as a fawn, as Myrna claimed it would do...then maybe...

Myrna

It had taken a little bit of convincing, but Myrna got her mother to show her how to make the potion. She told her mother it was a recipe for increasing a doe’s fertility and her mother seemed to buy it. Princess Alana was somewhat confused as to why her daughter- eternally dismissive of stags and seemingly free from the mildest crush- would be interested in a fertility aid, but Myrna simply said she wanted it to trade for something else.

All the herbs were correct- the little doe seemed to know what she was talking about (and as dismissive as Myrna was of royal does in general, she had to admire one who wasn’t completely useless). It was the steps Myrna had used in combining them that were incorrect.  The water was added slowly to make the berries into a paste, and then the leaves were powdered and crushed and added in to thicken it. Her mother wrapped the paste in a pair of large waxy leaves and advised her that it should be smeared on a doe’s belly near the teats to achieve the best effect.

And so she came back to meet Alize back at the schoolyard. She actually made an effort to remember the little fawn’s name since she had proved so useful, and to bring the pouch back as she’d promised since she might want to take advantage of the little fawn’s expertise again.

“Here we are,” she said, strolling into the glade where Alize already waited. “And here it is.”

She tossed the pouch to Alize carelessly, and then more carefully pulled out the paste in its leaf container. “It’s supposed to be rubbed on the lower belly. What do you say? You want to give it a try? I’d try it myself but, you know, if a stag looked at me the wrong way he’d probably get executed and that would be bad.”

Actually Myrna would find it quite amusing if that happened, but really she wanted Alize to try it out first and make sure that it both worked and wasn’t toxic.

Alize

Her ears flicked back for a moment as she picked up the pouch, there was no need to toss it on the ground like that. She picked the pouch up and fastened it in her tail. As she looked back up the Princess had what seemed like a roll of leaves where a paste were sticking out slightly. She sniffed the air and it scented...both familiar and at the same time not. When the golden doe spoke she nodded slowly.

“I guess...not...Princess...unless he is a Lord or something?” She suddenly felt funny...but not the same kind of funny when she and Eila laughed together, it was more the feeling when she had ate too many berries and got a tummy ache. Then she thought about Huisha. If anything she did it for him. She needed to get him to see her...just a little bit more...then maybe he would change his mind. Being young getting down and laying on her side wasn't a problem. The paste tingled slightly, almost like when Eila tickled her, and the paste seemed to stain her light fur slightly but it were in a place it wasn't easily spotted. It also didn't seem to need much since the paste seemed to melt out just a little from the warmth of her body. After the Princess was done smearing it on her using a flat looking stick, she got up and shook slightly, the paste on her tummy made it feel a little funny, but at least it didn't fall off. After giving her side a glance, noting that nothing of the paste actually showed, she looked up at the older doe. “What do you want me to do now?”

Myrna

Myrna cast about, looking for an ideal test subject. There weren’t too many souls around- she hadn’t wanted anyone to wander over and ask what they were doing- but through the trees she could see a group of gangly stags about her age, maybe a year or two older.

She nodded towards the group with her head. “See if you can catch the eye of one of those colts over there. Try that wild bay- he’s pretty quiet, usually keeps to himself. If he seems interested in you, it’ll be because of the potion and we’ll know that it works.”

She thought for a moment. “I’ll stay close by. In case it works too well. I can distract them or something.” Her words were more to calm the possible apprehensions of the little doe than really sincere sentiments, but she figured Alize could use the reassurance. Besides, the little thing had proved useful and she didn’t want to lose that.

Alize

Following the Princess nod she saw the young stags. She didn't know them, at least not more than that she knew they hanged around the school area a lot. Perhaps to get a glimpse of some young filly they fancied or just the chance to show off. Again came the feeling that this wasn't perhaps such a good idea. She couldn't see how many they were in the group but it was more than three including the wild bay one the Princess wanted her to approach. Wiggling her nose a little she then looked at the Princess, trying her best to look as certain as she was when she had told her about the herbs. But Myrna had said she would stay close, if anything didn't work out she would be there, nothing bad would happen. “...Okey...just stay here so I can see you, or rather we can see eachother. I flick my tail like this...” she made a special flick of her tail “...if I need help, ok?” She got a vague nod as a reply but it made it feel better. They wouldn't dare to do anything, not towards a Princess! Taking a deep breath she started to walk towards the group, trying to think and look like a young adult doe probably did, a slight sway in both hips and tail. She and Eila had played ‘Ladies’ many times.

Waljan moved away some from the other young stags, quite fed up with their taunting. This was yet another time one of the others had defeated him in a unknown number of times pushing and shoving with their foreheads against eachother. Some had small racks. Even if he had sparred with one without a rack, going shoulder to shoulder to be fair, he had lost. He hated that, and even more he hated the others mocking. He knew he had been too sure of himself. To make it worse a doe in their own age had been looking on and now all the others stood near her trying to woo her - even though they knew none had a chance - they were far too young. Now he was frustrated and the scent of the young doe hadn't made it any better. He snorted and tossed his head when suddenly a scent, reminding him of the doe that now stood with the others. Raising his head he didn't see anyone...well except for a very small young filly that walked towards him. Waljan thought she was quite small, but then again some does were quite petite, just look at one of the Princesses one of the Lords had as a mate. A smile grew on his face as he came closer, if he was alone with this little one, and kept the others from seeing her...then perhaps he had a chance to woo her, if not for this rut but for the next. He took a deep breath and felt the scent in his nose, some his earlier frustration however still remained, giving him a slight headache.

If she had known this she had never said yes to Myrna, Princess or no Princess. Alize ran as fast as she could through the forest without direction. The wet leaves made her skid in places but she forced her thin limbs move even if they seemed to twist themselves the wrong way sometimes. The young stag still followed, hot on her heels with what seemed like with an easier stride than herself. It seemed to have worked and they had talked for a little bit and she had given the signal to the Princess that the herb seemed to work. Then however the young stag had begun acting strange and wanted her to follow. When she had said no he had tried to nudge her, quite hard, in the direction he wanted her to go. She had done the other sign with her tail, the one that meant that the Princess would come and ‘save’ her. It didn't help doing it a second time, no sound came of someone approaching. When she had turned her head towards where the Princess had been there was nobody there! Fear had struck her then. She had turned tail after another hard nudge. Tears started to wet her cheeks as she ran. Why hadn't the Princess kept her promise? Princesses were always nice and good!! What would happen if the stag caught her? Where was Daddy? Grandpa? Her legs moved as fast as they could but her muscles began to complain. Without thinking her hooves then found the right trail. A slippery mix of autumn leaves and mud suddenly made one of her legs go it's own way, making her lose footing and she went down, skidding forwards on her knees. She heard the steps of the young stag behind her and glanced back in panic, ignoring the stings in her legs. When she turned her head back she was face to face with two dark legs. She wasn't ashamed of the terrified bleat she let out.

Myrna

Myrna smiled as she saw Alize immediately catch that bay’s attention. The way his ears pricked and he held his head high in the air, there was no way he’d just taken a fancy to a two-year-old without some help from that concoction.

The smile slipped away as the bay started getting rough, nudging Alize away from the group. Clearly he had something on his mind, and clearly it wasn’t something Alize wanted. Myrna moved to intervene but through better of it. Clearly that stag wasn’t in his right mind. Even without a small rack, he was bigger and heavier than her and in the heat of the moment she didn’t think he would recognize her authority as a princess.

Where was a damn guard when you needed one? Why were they always close by and being useless when you just wanted to have a little fun and nowhere to be found when you actually needed them for something?

She ran off to look for a guard- they were in the middle of Glenwood near the Oak, surely there had to be one around- and began yelling.

“Hey! Help! There’s a little fawn in trouble! Help!”

Huisha

The old stag was just finishing up with a class when he heard the yell. He couldn’t see who was yelling, but as he trotted closer he could see what the problem was; Alize was being pursued by a young stag, and a rather aggressive looking one at that.

What on earth was going on? Huisha knew the stag- not well, but enough to know that he wasn’t a naturally violent sort of soul. He was a little on the small side and tended to avoid fights. Why would he be going after a little fawn like Alize?

Rushing in, Huisha headbutted the stag solidly on the shoulder and gave a furious glare. He may not have much in the way of fighting skills, but he was at least taller than a five year old and had the advantage of a rack, as puny as it was. The young stag seemed to snap out of a trance, and bolted in the other direction.

Rather than pursue, Huisha knelt and turned to Alize. “Are you okay? What happened?”

There was something strange here- a small, somehow rancid and gut-curdling and yet familiar and warm. Why did little Alize smell like a doe at rut?

“What is going on?” he asked with concern.

Alize

Huisha had saved her! She hid her face between her frontlegs after just giving him a nod at his first question. Why had she trusted the Princess? Mother said royals were...special...and the more royal they were, the more ‘special’. The scent from her belly seemed stronger now, much stronger than it had been when Myrna had smeared it on. Her ear flicked at his words and then went back at the final question. His voice was filled with concern but there was also a undertone of something else. Her ears grew hot and her nose probably turned into a deeper shade of pink than it was.

A part of her wanted to tell on the Princess, that she had simply just left her when the young stag had tried to push her away, that Myrna had tested something on her that she said was a love potion. But she remembered something he had said in a class she had listened into, to never try things you didn't know the effects of. Thats why they hadn't begun learning potions and other things yet. It was enough that they was learning about the ingredients. It was her fault, just hers...she had been too trusting. Mother had said it wasn't wise to think good about everybody, that it was better to be reserved at first.

Tears burned but she held them back “...it wa-was my fault...j-just my fault, Huisha...I-I'm so so sorry...”

Huisha

“What do you mean? What did you do?”

The scent seemed to be coming from her belly… Huisha checked as discreetly as he could, and it looked like there was a smear of some greyish-purple paste there. Huisha frowned and sniffed gingerly, wrinkling his nose as he did. Yes, that was certainly the source of the smell.

Why would Alize do something like this? It certainly wasn’t anything he’d taught her. He didn’t even know how it was done. Where did she get the recipe? Hadn’t he told her not to try things she didn’t understand? These things could be dangerous!

He felt his temper rising and he knew he wasn’t mad at her, he was simply mad that she’d been put in harm’s way.

Yelling wouldn’t solve anything anyway. This didn’t feel like something she’d done on her own, and he knew her well enough to know that if someone else had pushed her to do this, she wouldn’t give them up.

“Well let’s get this washed off. What was this supposed to do? Not what it actually turned out to do, I’m guessing.”

He led her gently to the nearest stream, wincing at the smell which did not seem to be fading with time. What had possessed her?

Alize

After getting up she stood with her head lowered, eyes down to the ground and her ears flopped to the sides. Huisha didn't ever raise his voice or talked with a sharp tongue. Compared to others he hardly did now but even that little sting in his voice she could hear made her lower her head even more in shame.

When he asked what it was for she had for a moment been silent but then as she silently followed him she spoke with a low voice. “She...” she halted herself “...it was said to...help does with...a weak heat scent to attract stags...and...and...I just...Myr-- I didn't think it would smell so strongly...and...I just wanted you to...” The last, that she just wanted him to really notice her was hid in a mumble. Her knee that she had scraped that first time she had met Huisha, had the biggest scratch somewhere under the darkbrown smears of mud and she felt it stung a little bit. Luckily the wet leaves and mud had made the fall rather soft.

“I remember what was in it if...if you want to know..” she sniffed and then told the dark stag exactly what had been in it. She even remembered how much of each Myrna had put in it. If her mother had used the same amount she couldn't be sure, but she told what she knew without revealing the source. She had to find another way to impress him. Something that was safe. Not something like this. As she stepped into the stream she lowered herself down, all the way to her belly, not caring that the water was cold. She just wanted to get it all off. She didn't dare to look at the stag as he helped her wash her belly where she couldn't reach and where the smear seemed to have to gotten stuck. It had felt exciting at first, but now she just felt ashamed. He would surely tell her parents...and then she wouldn't be allowed back to school and she wouldn't learn new things ever again. That thought made big tears emerge from her eyes. Then surely Huisha would never speak to her ever again.

Huisha

“Why do you need to attract a stag, little one? You’re the prettiest fawn around.” He gave her a weak smile as he helped her wash the nasty paste off.

He frowned inwardly as she told him what was in the mix. Some of those things were rather toxic. If she had ingested any she would be rather sick right now, but even though the skin they could cause some harm. He guessed she’d be itching for a few days, at least.

Had she really done all this to try to get his attention? He had thought he’d quashed that little puppy-crush of hers but he should have realized how deep it ran. He was her hero- heaven only knew why- and even his inability to save the baby rabbit when she’d run to him for help didn’t seem to have changed that.

Really he wanted to find out who supplied this dangerous recipe, but he knew she’d never tell. She was too loyal to rat on anyone like that, even if it was someone who had put her in danger.

“Promise me you won’t try this again, okay? It’s dangerous to mix herbs when you don’t know what the effects will be. If you want to try something let me know and I can help you, okay? I don’t want to see you get hurt. There’s no need to get your parents worried about this if you swear it’ll never happen again.”

Alize

There was hope in her eyes that glittered with unshed tears as she looked up at him. “I promise Huisha, I promise on my hooves and tail I will never do this again! I will never try and...well...I didn't mix anything myself... I just said...how the herbs looked like... but I promise I won't do anything like that until we start learning about it in school...if...if you let me continue....that is...” The joy she had felt over that he might forgive her was clouded by the fact he hadn't really said it yet and the big smile on her face faded some. At least he wouldn't tell mother and daddy. She wasn't sure who would be the most angry. Probably mother. Daddy would too of course, but his anger was mostly brought on by worry. Did mother ever worry? She wasn't so sure, it didn't seem like it.

She had avoided his first question by pretending to be busy getting some of the paste off. It was off now thankfully. The water had been cold but she could handle it. After shaking most of the water off she still felt a bit chilled but it was better than having the paste on. The little filly sighed. Perhaps her little garden would make him angry too? Perhaps he would say she was too little for that as well. Perhaps it was just as good to show him that to. She started to realise that Huisha would never look at her the way she wished...she would always be a little filly to him. The thought struck suddenly and it hurt. It was like all the air she had just...vanished.

“If you would come with me, Huisha, I want to show you...something that I've...I've done one more thing...on my own...that you...might...want to see...it's...just something...I did...so you...would...” the last words was just mumbled. Slowly she brought the stag to the small beginings of a garden she had made. There was nothing planted there, it was just prepared. All the plantbeds were finished however and ‘fenced’ in by pretty stones that matched eachother in color. Some beds had darker stones and others lighter. Another section had a ‘fence’ of mediumsized logs. Those had been tricky to get into place. Only thing missing now was the actual plants. After she had seen what she had seen she hadn't taken that much help from the chestnut royal. A part of her wanted the help more than anything...but the other had been jealous. She had wanted to make this her own garden, without any help.

As they came to the right place she lowered her head, just one ear towards the stag that she admired so wholeheartedly. She did more than that but she didn't want to think of that. It only reminded her that he didn't feel the same way. “I...I know it don't look like much...but...you said in class once that...to grow well, plants need good places to grow, good soil, water, light...so I figured that I see to that first...”

Huisha

Huisha followed the young doe quietly, wondering what all this was about. If she hadn’t made the potion herself, who had? And why had she been the one trying it out?

She led him to a little patch of ground neatly ringed with a log fence and dainty rock borders. There were no plants just yet but this space was clearly a garden. Huisha could see the spot had all the earmarks of what he’d described as an ideal growing space in class- morning sun and protection from the late-autumn winds, rich soil not yet stripped of its nutrients by undergrowth, and he could hear a little stream trickling nearby.

It was much neater than his own garden- he tended to stick plants in the ground where they’d be happy, set in rough rows so he could walk between them. Alize’s garden was far more organized and deliberate. Of course it would be, she was an organized and deliberate sort of doe.

“This is wonderful,” he breathed. “Did you do this all by yourself?”

Alize

The tip of her tail wagged just a little bit, her ears topped as she turned her head towards the stag that she admired so much. She nodded “Yes, Huisha...all by myself... the Royal Lady Mór gave me some advice but I was mostly done by then. She offered to use some of her magic but I said no...I told her that I want to do it on my own. Soon I will be old enough to learn to magic...like you can, Huisha...then I can help the plants myself. Have you met Lady Mór, Huisha? She was nice...and she was pretty too...”

She wasn't too sure what to make out of the stags facial expression. Moving a little closer she nuzzled his shoulder. His scent made her smile and forget what the Princess had made her do. “Don't worry, I like you more than I like her, Huisha...you know I do...”

Huisha

It was all Huisha could do to keep from laughing, but it seemed wrong to let it out since Alize seemed to be in such an emotionally fragile place today. Instead he smiled and nodded.

“Oh Lady Mor is an excellent spell-weaver and an even better teacher. You should take a class with her some time if you have the chance.”

He nuzzled Alize back as she rubbed against his shoulder. “You know I’m proud of you, right? I don’t know any other fawns who’ve accomplished what you have at your age. You don’t have to try to impress me; you impress me every day with your excitement and your eagerness to learn. I couldn’t ask for a better student.”

Alize

She leaned against him a little more when he nuzzled her, closing her eyes just slightly. He liked it, he liked her garden! Her heart started to beat a little faster. He was proud over her! It wasn't exactly like ‘liking’ someone...but daddy sometimes said that she and Eila made him proud and he loved them. Perhaps it was...like a different kind of love, to be proud over someone? She continued to think over what Huisha had said. Had he guessed why she had done that other thing? And now he said she didn't have to do it? She turned her face against him and grinned. He didn't know any other fawn that was a better student? She was the best? Then her smile faded slightly. Lady Mór hadn't said she was ‘excellent’ herself...in fact she hadn't said anything about her talents. Yet Huisha had praised her with that special warmth in his voice like daddy did when he spoke of her and Eila...and about Mother...and grandpa...and grandma...and the others in their family. Perhaps thats was her lesson today? To not actually say she was good at something to those she met, just let others form their own ideas and thoughts about her? Yes...it had to be that. She nodded to herself and then looked up at her hero again.

“I will ask her next time, Huisha...there should be something about magic I can learn without actually doing any magic. ...And Huisha...I promise not to do anything like this again...and I won't let anyone...I mean...If I don't know what the potion is for, I won't test it on myself or anybody else. Knowledge is good, but not if you don't know how to use it...”