The next day I tried to get as early as the deer on my own. The chill in the air here is not as bad as on the hills with the deer. It certainly is worrying, the temperature will only get more and more low, and I don't even have something to protect myself from it. As I didn't have the deer by my side to keep me warm I decided to go running and try to get back to the forest from the other day. I have everything packed and no attachment to this place anymore.
Once again, I'm back on the road. I couldn't even see a single sign of life on my way. That immediately raised my alarms. It was never this way before. Even if the ferrets were fearing me already, they would still choose to attack me from behind. After some time I began to feel observed. I didn't sense any malicious intent – or any intent for that matter – behind the gaze.
I was beginning to feel uncomfortable. It was as if my every move was meticulously analyzed. When it finally gathers the information it needs I'll need to be prepared to fight for my life.
That gaze bothered me only when I was in the prairie. By the time I got out, I couldn't sense it at all. And in the forest, only a calm sensation remained.
I don't know if the deer would come out to take me inside or if I was the only one thinking that we had a good friendship. It would be horrible if I abandoned everything just to get rejected in the end. Not because it hurt my feelings, but because I would not have a place to rest once the night came.
I decided just to wait in the shadows of the trees and do some physical exercise. Because I was excited at the perspective of living with another being I didn't stop to even check one last time the cave, working out didn't even cross my mind at the time.
After finishing my workout, and with nothing to do, I decided to stay for a bit in the forest. Maybe, with time, the deer would come and get me. And if it doesn't I just have to find some place to spend the night. I would try to see if there are some edible plants in this place, the last time I was here I was looking for animals, but now that I had time to explore even more, I wanted to check if this place has something to offer.
I spent the next couple of hours loitering around, plucking some fruits, and climbing trees. My search was successful. I found at least five types of fruits in this place, which were stored in a separate pouch, just to be sure I would not eat anything dangerous. The berries were a perfect example of "looks can be deceiving", if I tried everything I could end up dead without knowing why. I found some little animals here and there, but as I wanted a bigger prey than those I just stopped myself to observe them. Occasionally those little animals would stare back at me before going their merry way. Not once did I catch them eating anything, so I still wasn't sure about the fruits present in this forest.
The day was turning into night, but the deer was nowhere to be found. With mild disappointment, I began to search for a place to stay the night. Some cave or crevice would do. Maybe if the tree was wide enough I could make its branches into a little bet. The tree would be the perfect option to go for in the middle of the forest, but who knows if I would be able to find one with such characteristics.
The majority of trees in this place have only one trunk and they are all pointing towards the sky. To find one tree with its trunk bifurcated would be a blessing.
My search went on for quite a while, but I didn't find something wide enough to accommodate me. As it was practically night by the time I finished searching there was no other option but to improvise. I ended up choosing to stay near the base of a tree on the outskirts of the forest. There were fewer trees in this place, so everything that wanted to surprise me needed to do so by jumping from the top of the trees. And unless there was some winged beast in this place, then I was pretty much safe. Either way, I was always wary of the shadows moving in the surroundings.
I found the perfect spot after some scouting. It was filled with trees – enough for me to take cover – and at the same time there was enough space to move in case I was attacked. I ended up just gazing at the sky for some time before sleeping, thinking about the decisions that led me to this place, to this moment, and I was beginning to think that I was too hasty deciding to keep living with the deer while, clearly, I needed to survive and the cave near the river was a good location. With those thoughts in my head, I began to doze off until finally sleep claimed me.
In the middle of the night, there were some rustlings in the distance. I tried to wake up a little to see if something was coming after me. After waiting for a while to see whatever was making those noises, a little bird darted from one tree to another, whatever it was making these noises startled it. I began to prepare in case something wanted to attack me. I ended up sleeping again after a lengthy wait. Whatever it was that made those noises was clearly not interested in me.
I was awakened once more, this time just partially. I guess that my brain needed rest after a stressful day and after being awakened once it just refused to function properly the second time. The thing is that I woke once more and I think I saw something moving in the distance. As it didn't have the form of some animal I decided that it was best to go back to sleep.
The next day, what welcomed me was the familiar ceiling of the cave where the deer made its house. The familiar warmth was comforting, and certainly, an effective way to keep the freezing temperatures of the hills at bay. Now I want to know what in the world am I doing in here. I certainly remember sleeping beside some tree, trying to take cover in its shadows.
While shaking the last strand of sleep from myself I began to observe my surroundings. The deer was still sleeping, and outside the suns were nowhere to be found. I saw some lingering mist in the distance. It seems that it rained during the night. That right there is some good luck. I'm not even a little bit wet. It's a good thing the deer got me before the rain.
While I was gazing at the surroundings, I was shifting around and I guess that is what woke up the deer. It groggily raised its head. When it became apparent that it was my fault that it woke up, it just chose to turn its head in my direction and got back to sleep after giving me two licks on the cheek.