The deer gazed at me first, then at Pierre and Shelly. Mostly at Pierre. Probably because of his wolf-smell. Then she looked back at me. I felt a connection snap into place, different from Tala's companion bond, but just as real.
Tala was looking at me with an expression I couldn't read. Shelly looked impressed, as well as a little jealous. She obviously approved of my actions. As for Pierre, he just looked confused. Clearly, he thought I'd just healed the doe, not understanding I'd brought her back to life.
However, I ignored them all. I fought the waves of exhaustion trying to pull me under. Words kept spilling out. I couldn't stop them even if I wanted to. Maybe it was the mana backlash, or maybe I just needed her to understand.
"It's okay, Bambi,' I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
Part of me wondered if I was dreaming. I'd just brought a deer back to life. An honest to god miracle. I couldn't believe it.
Scion? Three's Company? The system messages flickered through my fading consciousness, but I was too exhausted to puzzle them out.
I'd been alone when I reincarnated. It had sucked, big time. I didn't want that for her, even if I only had seconds before I passed out.
"I know everything is confusing," I said, struggling to think clearly. The words wouldn't stop coming. "But that's life. And even though life is full of chaos, it's precious. You have been given a second chance, so don't waste it."
Shaking my head to wake myself up, I continued. "Even if others think you're wasting your time, as long as you are happy and not hurting others, live your life. Treasure it."
Then for some reason, maybe because my mind was starting to get fuzzy, I added, "Trash to some is treasure to others."
Bambi's eyes were locked on me. Not with fear, but something else. Her ears were forward, completely focused, like she was memorizing every word.
Are you preaching to a deer? Tala's mental voice carried disbelief.
I couldn't stop. The words kept flowing. "We should try to help those who've fallen, for we have all been broken and remade at some time or another. That's why we need to live gratefully, for every moment is a gift we didn't earn, but received anyway. Because of this, we should walk humbly, for good things are often small and overlooked."
My legs were shaking. I barely resisted the impulse to close my eyes and lay down.
"In the future, think before you act," I said weakly. "Be ready for anything. You never know when your world will change without warning. Like it did for you today."
I tried to say something else, but realized I was laying down now. I couldn't stand anymore. I felt hollow. It was like someone had scooped out my insides.
Worth it, I thought. I saved Bambi.
The last thing I saw before darkness took me was her standing over me, head bowed low, as if in prayer. Then she bolted toward the woods, but not before pausing once to look back at me with wide, knowing eyes.
✦ ✦ ✦
I woke up to a man's voice, which wasn't comforting. It took me a second to recognize the male voice.
Oh, Pierre. Him, I thought. That just proved that I was in Hell.
Okay, maybe he isn't bad. Still, it took a lot of willpower to actually put together what he was saying.
"...didn't know he could do that. I swear, I didn't know. I just thought he healed the deer. I didn't know he brought her back to life."
"Shut up, Pierre," a woman's voice snapped. It took me a second to realize who it belonged to, and that she sounded worried.
At least Shelly's giving Pierre grief, I thought. It almost brought a smile to my face.
I wanted to give her a 'You go girl,' but I was too tired. It took me another few seconds to realize that I was back in the car. It took me a few more seconds to realize that we were already moving.
Tala was curled against my side, her mental voice a steady hum of concern. About time, kit. You've been out for the whole drive. Almost half an hour.
"M'awake," I mumbled.
"Abe?" Shelly glanced at me in the rearview mirror. "How do you feel?"
"Like I got hit by a truck. What happened?"
"You brought a deer back to life," Pierre said quietly.
"Oh." For some reason, my thoughts were sluggish and even the desire to think wasn't present. All I could manage was, "That fucking drained me."
"Language," Shelly said automatically, but she was smiling.
That was stupid, kit, Tala thought at me. Noble, but stupid. You can't afford to burn that much mana before a political gathering.
"Couldn't just leave her," I said. After what had happened to me, I wasn't ready to deal with anyone or anything dying around me.
I know. That's why it was noble.
Surprisingly, Pierre suddenly apologized. "I'm sorry. For being an ass back there. I was wrong."
"Yeah," I mumbled, "It's okay. No worries."
After that, we settled into a semi-uncomfortable silence which no one seemed to want to break. This silence lasted until we crested a hill where I could see our destination ahead.
A circle of standing stones set in a clearing. They were lit by torches that burned with flames that definitely weren't normal colors. Purple, green, and silver-white.
The scene actually woke me up a little. I didn't remember anything like this existing. Perhaps it had been hidden by magic, I finally decided.
Cars were parked in a rough circle around the site. People were walking toward the stones. And 'people' was a very loose term for what I was seeing.
I saw figures that moved too gracefully to be human. Others that seemed to flicker in and out of solidity. One group appeared to be having a conversation with what looked like a humanoid tree.
"Holy shit," I muttered.
"Language," Shelly said absently again. But she sounded as impressed as I felt.
Shelly parked the car. We all got out. The night air was thick with mana. I could taste it. Like copper pennies and ozone. My fur stood on end.
"Stay close," Shelly said. She settled Tala on her shoulder.
Pierre scooped me up carefully. "Try not to bite anyone important."
"Define important," I said.
"Anyone who could turn you into a toad." He paused for a second after saying this, as if amused by the thought.
"That's most of them, isn't it?" I asked. Of course, I wasn't worried since I could always change back, something he had probably forgotten about.
"Pretty much," Pierre said as we started to walk toward the stone circle.
Other attendees were arriving from all directions. I caught glimpses of pointed ears, glowing eyes, and at least one person who appeared to be made entirely of bark.
Near the entrance to the circle, a woman with silver hair was greeting arrivals. Kathy. She spotted us approaching. Her expression shifted to something between relief and resignation.
"Shelly," she called out. "You made it."
"Wouldn't miss it," Shelly replied.
Kathy's gaze settled on me. Then she paused. Cocked her head to the side. Her eyes widened slightly.
"Interesting," she murmured as if she was trying to decide whether she liked something or not. "Very interesting."
"That's me," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "Abe. Pleased to meet you... officially."
Around us, conversations were starting to quiet down. I realized people were staring. At me. A three-month-old raccoon sitting on a werewolf's palm like some kind of furry mascot.
"Well," I muttered, "this isn't intimidating at all."
Welcome to supernatural politics, kit, Tala's mental voice carried amusement mixed with affection. Try not to start any wars.
"The night is young," I replied.
Kathy gestured toward the stone circle. "Shall we begin?"
As we walked into the circle of ancient stones, I found myself surrounded by beings that belonged in mythology textbooks.
My prepper life definitely hadn't prepared me for this. However, despite the exhaustion, I felt alive. More alive than I had in seventy-three years.
"What happened to that deer?" I wondered aloud. "Is she back with her family now?"
Shelly's expression softened. "She'll find her herd. Deer are survivors."
I looked at them, Pierre despite his faults, Shelly with her fierce loyalty, and Tala, a constant presence in my mind. My family, I realized. For the first time in decades, I had a family again. Not by blood, but by choice.
And somewhere in the woods, a young doe was learning what it meant to be reborn.