Icarus led Chidi to Nakir’s dwelling with a tiny whistle under his breath. Truthfully, he hadn’t meant to get information from the birds, but they gave it willingly. It was sparse and hectic as always, but there was something about rats? He looked over his shoulder at Chidi, wondering if the little birds were just making conversation about his companion.

When they arrived at Nakir’s home, they found him on his stomach with a pile of what appeared to be meat in front of him. Gathered round it were about six rats, all of different size and coloring. The strange stag ignored them, for better or for worse, as they waited.

“Don’t you think it’s strange?” he mused, picking up one of the rats and bringing it closer to the mound. “Intelligent creatures pass judgement too easily. Perhaps it’s part of the intelligence, the unwillingness to waste it on parsing things out.” He turned to the pair and quickly said, “Go digging for roots at the edge of our farms.” With that, he looked back at the rats.

Chidi chuckled as he turned and made his way back to town. Icarus stood, stunned, for only a beat before hurrying after Chidi. Icarus was quiet as they went, though it was Chidi’s turn to supply the sound. He clicked his nails and teeth in a sort of percussion performance, almost keeping time.

Rhea looked up from her pastures as she saw the pair pass, alerted only to their presence by a demanding ewe. She nodded toward the edge, out by the forest, before she returned to her nap with her flock. Some lambs had made a fuss about their visitor, but she didn’t much mind. Fawns seemed to love the place.

Chidi and Icarus were stunned to see their journey brought them to Rhea’s flock, but they were happy for her help. Sure enough, at the edge of her property, the forest crowded her fences. Icarus opened his mouth to ask where they should start, but closed it in time to avoid dirt being flung into it.

Sticking out of a rather large hole, earth flying in all directions, was the tanned tip of a dark tail, attached to a Fawn. Snickering could be heard from within the hole, almost a bit like chittering. Icarus whistled for their attention, and nearly fell over when he got it.

A brown head peered out over the rim of the hole, red and gold accents helping them to stand out against the soil. Quickly, they jumped out of the pit and ran to them, presenting a well-chewed stick in each hand. With a sigh from Icarus and a snicker from Chidi, they made their way back into the village, waving to Rhea when they passed her again.

@ Kelping

Nakir grumbled as he was pulled to his hooves by a very excited Fawn, who gave him a wide smile. They’d been pestering him for at least four hours, asking him ceaseless questions. He did his best to answer them, but there was no end to them. Herne willing, they would be picked up soon.

As soon as the dark stag was standing, they let go of him and trotted a few feet away. They stopped and clapped their hands above their head once, twice, three times. Not a command, but a keeping of time. With a giggle, they wiggled their hips and dug their hooves into the ground, marking their spot.

They took long strides forward, just beyond Nakir, before they turned around to face their previous position. Nakir watched them quietly, his ears perking up. What strange ritual were they performing? Before he could begin to guess, they made another mark and then walked off, toward the trees.

With a little jump, Nakir followed after them. He wanted to usher them back to his dwelling, but his curiosity got the better of him. Interacting with a Fawn was rare enough for him, but seeing them create something? Of course he wouldn’t pass that up. He wondered if it had anything to do with their past life, if they had one.

Paying the curious shadow no mind, the Fawn scoured the ground. They picked up sticks, turned them around in their hand, and then threw them to the ground. It took about an hour for them to find one they liked, straight with a branch sprouting out at the center. When they did, they headed back to Nakir’s dwelling without a word.

Chidi and Quill waited at Nakir’s door, shocked when they saw a Fawn come into view with Nakir not far behind. “We went on an adventure,” he said as he kept up with the Fawn. “They’ve been here for a while, waiting for you two.”

The Fawn stood at the far mark, placed the stick firmly against the ground, and then walked to the mark by the home. Ten paces, each counted out with the crunch of earth beneath the stick. When they made it, they nodded their head and looked up to Chidi and Quill with a smile, toothy as it was.

@ Winter_Scars

Woohoo I menaged to get enough GB, there we go

Username: Yokubo #103009
I want to search for a spirit!: Ruben
I want to make the potion!: Sage 
I am paying this Faunid for their help!: 15 GB, paid with Dioptase dust
Offerings to Herne: Sage prepares the needed potions by "hand", and offers a bundle the finest of each herb in her garden. The bundle has her own gilded feathers woven lovingly among the fragrant herbs. Ruben brings a woven panel of blue and yellow wool, the blue took him a long time to get right, so it's special to him.
Chosen Artist: Deertush
Payment type: GB

Proof

Proof 2

When Vetle and Icarus finally met to go looking for their Fawn, it was outside of Vetle’s inn. Icarus kept himself busy by talking with the birds, at least he’d tried to. Most of them simply sang or ignored him, but a couple would come and go to tell him about the seeds they’d found, the nests they were making, or who was molting the worst.

Vetle came out of his inn carrying a small box, talking to the little blue bird who followed him. Well, talking might not be the right way to put it. The bird chittered at him and he did his best to whistle or make noise back. To Icarus, it was a simple means of communication, but he could appreciate it.

“Is that for me?” A shadow on the roof rolled over to reveal Nakir, on his back with his head and antlers dangling over the edge of the roof. “Fair trade.” He stretched his hands out, wiggling his fingers.

Icarus and Vetle very near jumped out of their hides when Nakir appeared. They regained composure and shared a confused look before Vetle stepped forward and gave the box to Nakir. Admittedly, it had been made with him in mind.

“Your Fawn’s in the inn,” Nakir said as he sat up, placing the box in his lap. “Least I think they are. Followed them down here.” He opened the lid and peeked in, fully invested in the snack Vetle had prepared him.

Icarus followed Vetle inside, stopping when the door closed behind them. Sure enough, a rustling came from just behind the counter. Vetle waved for Icarus to move forward, getting a loud huff and a roll of eyes as a response. Before Icarus could take a step, however, pink and purple feathers peeked out over the top of the counter, soon followed by the rest of their earthy Fawn.

@ Alex

Quill and Calum arrived at Nakir’s home just after sunset. Neither of them seemed too keen on going out at night, but they said nothing. The odd stag sat in his garden, looking up at them in silence. He hummed as he looked between the pair of them.

“You need a break,” he said, snapping his fingers as he stood. “Follow the forest’s song.” He whipped around and pointed the way the pair had come. “There’s an extra voice tonight.”

Not wanting to dally, Quill lead Calum off in the direction Nakir’s given them. What could he have possibly meant, “the forest’s song?” Sure, there were crickets chirping, the sounds of Fauns getting ready for bed, and other insects. None of it was music.

As they walked further and further from the town, however, the sounds changed. A beat, like twigs being tapped against the trunks of trees, echoed through the night. When they honed in on the sound, it changed. Leaves rustled, with a notable click from something hitting their branches.

Calum took point, leaving Quill to keep his eyes peeled for danger. Each time they tracked down the sounds, they shifted: rocks banging together, twigs knocking against empty branches on trees, even hands clapping. It was a lengthy process, listening for the jumping sounds.

Prancing in the spaces between trees, their Fawn held twigs in their hands. They giggled and tapped their song out on the larger rocks, logs, and the roots of ancient trees. The music they made was wild, no underlying beat carrying over. It was as if they were composing only bites of songs, just tastes for their audience.

When they noticed Quill and Calum, they skipped to them. Instead of going with them, they presented the pair with stones and pointed at the trees near them. They wanted help in their concert before they’d go home.

@ Fushi

Alcatraz followed Charlotte up to the strange stag’s home, wringing his hands out as his eyes darted from one side of the path to the other. Truth be told, he wasn’t exactly looking forward to finding a Fawn. Not that he didn’t want to help, it was more of just, fear of the forest. There were too many things with sharp teeth that could get him.

Charlotte paid no mind to the nervous Faun behind her. She held her head high as they walked to Nakir’s home, waving to the black stag when they saw him in his garden. He finished pushing something in a hole and burying it before they were close enough to see.

“Yours is hiding in the shade of a tree,” Nakir said as he dusted his hands off on his thighs. “Listen for the tinkling of jewelry.” He nodded once before he turned back to his garden, patting down the fresh dirt.

Without hesitation, Charlotte turned and began to make her way back into town. Alcatraz dallied for a minute, but quickly caught up before he was left behind. He said nothing as he followed Charlotte; she seemed to know where she was going.

They followed the sound of all sorts of metals: chains holding bird feeders in trees, latches clanking in the wind, nails carried in a bucket. Just as it seemed like it was a lost cause, Charlotte stopped short. When Alcatraz stumbled into her, she nearly fell forward, barely catching herself on the tree in front of her.

Curled up at the base of the tree was a Fawn as dark as night, ringed with gold and white. They cracked an eye open, looking up at the source of the noise. Upon seeing the pair, they yawned and rolled over.

@ Aethryn

When Nirvana and Calum arrived at Nakir’s dwelling, he was nowhere to be seen. They searched high and low, in and out the garden, and knocked on the front door. It was only when they did so, Calum standing behind Nirvana, that they got an answer.

A slip of paper fell from between the door and the frame, flittering to the ground.

“Nirvana and Calum- Put on your dancing shoes. Follow the moon. – Nakir”

The note itself wasn’t extraordinary. Nakir’s writing was easy enough to read, though it was a bit rushed. The color of the writing was the odd part. It was a reddish brown, and Nirvana held the very corners of it to read.

When they were done with it, Calum turned quickly and walked off. Nirvana, shocked, dropped the note and turned after him. As soon as they were a safe distance from Nakir’s note, they sat down to brainstorm under a shady tree.

In the end, they decided to wait for the moon, and then find somewhere with good viewing. At that point, the dancing would commence. That was the plan, at the very least.

As soon as the moon rose, Nirvana pushed himself to his hooves and helped Calum to his. They wandered through the village, eventually coming to the town center. Clear of any extra visitors, they began to dance.

They danced separate from one another, not only to give each other space, but to keep an eye out for a Fawn. With the hours dragging on, they eventually became swept up in their own worlds, dancing to music on they could hear.

Tiny hands tapped on Nirvana’s hip, coaxing him to open his eyes. Smiling up at him was a tiny, blue-tinted Fawn. He smiled at them in turn and offered his hands, sweeping the Fawn up in dance as soon as they took his hands.

@ levi

When Ruben and Sage went to see Nakir, it was an unusually warm day. Most Fauns were down at the rivers to cool off, in the town center enjoying frozen treats, or keeping to the shade of trees or their own homes. Regardless of heat, the pair made the trek to the dark stag’s home, finding him lying on his stomach, arms spread out, in a large patch of shade behind his home.

“Too hot,” he groaned, heading barely moving as he spoke. “Go cool off. There’s a lake, hidden by the shade of trees, where you’ll find relief.” When he finished, he rolled over to his back, tongue hanging limp from his open mouth.

Ruben and Sage left the poor overheated Nakir to his shade, taking his directions to head north, toward the mountains. The forest was thickest at the base, just before it thinned out to give way to the foothills. As they hiked, they made sure to keep as much to the shade as was possible, though Ruben’s antlers getting caught in most branches did slow them down.

By the time they made it to the foothills, the heat of the day broke into evening. Though the temperature was slowly going down, the sun didn’t relent. As if guided by the promise of water, the pair pushed themselves forward, even through a large, open pasture. At the other side, they could barely make out the smell of water.

Invigorated, they picked up their pace. Ruben pushed branches out of the way before they could get caught in his antlers, and Sage hopped over small plants and tree roots that might have tripped her otherwise. After nearly an hour fighting the forest and its vegetation, they broke through to the lake.

Just as Nakir had promised, it was kept cool by ring of trees surrounding it. Playing in the shallows was a bright Fawn, with markings like ripples on the water’s surface. They looked up from their tromping through the water and smiled when they saw Sage and Ruben. Without hesitation, the Fauns rushed forward to join them in their refreshing games.

@ Yokubo

Nakir summoned Sika and Cinder in the dead of night. When they arrived at his home, he sat behind a small fire, legs crossed and hands resting on his knees. He looked up when they neared, directed them to sit on the other side, and then went back to staring at the flames.

For several minutes, the three of them sat in silence, simply watching and listening to the fire crackle and dance before them.

“Many years ago,” Nakir said at last, his voice barely louder than the pops, “there was a forest fire on the other side of the mountains. Though it was so long ago, the lands have never healed, and stand just as charred today as they did when the fire burned itself out.” He looked up and through the flames, commanding Sika and Cinder’s attention. “Even so, new life is drawn to the area. With that comes predators, looking to capitalize on the lack of cover. You must save your Fawn before it’s too late. Leave at once.”

As soon as he was done, a large gust of wind swept through and snuffed the fire out, though it had been roaring with life moments before. When their eyes adjusted to the darkness, neither Sika nor Cinder could see Nakir. Neither had heard him move.

Taking that as the sign it was, they pushed themselves to their hooves and set off. Though night was the most dangerous time for Faunids, they knew they didn’t have much of a choice. Waiting would most certainly spell death for the Fawn they were to find.

By dusk the next day, they arrived at the scorched forest. Everything around them was burnt black, ashen, and brittle. With even a small gust of wind, ruined tree branches cracked and fell to the ground, kicking up large plumes of soot and dust. The further they journeyed forward, the louder the snarls of predators became.

To join in the chorus of brittle wood beneath their hooves, the brutal snapping of jaws clacked from all directions. A tree behind the pair tipped over and fell to the ground, erupting in splinters upon impact. They turned quickly, wanting to make sure something hadn’t pushed it over to get at them.

What they found was a sooty Fawn, their fur ringed with the dying embers of long-forgotten fires. After quick introductions, Sika and Cinder led the Fawn out of the charred forest, not once looking back at the sounds that followed them until they left the ashen lands.

@ KittiMorningstar