Buck woke early the next morning. The deer had not slept well and the usually comfortable bed of grass he had set down on was rubbing him the wrong way. With an annoyed grumble he rose from his resting spot and paced around the forest floor in a haze. The forest, his home, usually so inviting, so safe, suddenly seemed incredibly boring. He loved the natural beauty, to be sure, and the new and exciting colours he could see were a constant surprise, but he felt like a big fish in a small pond. Even the other deer, not that far away, had little interest for him.
"You're all stupid." He muttered at them, shaking his head. "All you do is eat, crap, screw, and sleep." This made him even more annoyed and the dark cloud over his head grew as he hit the edge of the forest. The highway was right there, inviting him to take a big risk. He'd almost get his nerve up, prepare to dash out of the trees, and then his stomach would sink when a big truck would whiz by. He sighed, finally, defeated, and retreated back to the trees.
"Where are you?" Buck paced nervously. Ty. His maker. His friend. He wanted to be with his friend. He wanted more changes, and more fun conversation, more laughs... he just wanted Ty. But he felt something was wrong, very wrong somewhere. His instinct was screaming at him to go find his friend.
With a start, he headed back to the road. Buck took a deep breath, steeling himself, and breaking all the good sense and natural order of deerdom, he stepped confidently through the trees and into the ditch beside a huge concrete monster. A double laned highway.
Now what? Should he try to get a human's attention? Ask for directions? Suddenly he realized he had no plan whatsoever. And more than likely the people would consider him a dumb animal like his idiot kin in the forest.
Think, Buck... he chided himself. Think. Use your fancy new brain.
Ty's scent! He smiled reflexively and pranced with delight. Of course! He could track Ty's scent. He was no bloodhound, to be sure, but his nose was up to the challenge. He retreated back into the forest for the final time, returning to the stream's edge, and focused on the spot where he had first met Ty. Where Ty had made him.
It was faint, but if he concentrated, the trail was there. He began following it, tracking carefully on light stepping hooves. The scent, not surprisingly, led out of the forest and across the road. He turned to the trees, safety, his home, one last time. And then with an emotional goodbye he plunged forward.
The quest had begun.
* * *
Ty wiped the blood from his mouth and stood in the bathroom staring at his reflection. His bruised eye, his swollen bloody lip. He trembled at the fresh memory of Mark striking him across the face with an open palm. He wept softly as he realized his power was... gone. Just as quick as it had appeared, it had vanished. And he was worried about his deer. He had promised!