Beuford was all smiles as he left the Jail house after the delivery of his flowers and candy for Binky. He felt a bit guilty about not going home the night before but he was certain Binky would forgive him once he had explained and presented her with her gifts and pledged his joy and commitment to her and their kits. “Well just look at you, constable!” came the voice of Nikki the flying squirrel from a low branch of a tree by the side of the trail. “And just who are the flowers and that huge box of candy for?” “Good morning, Miss Nikki,” Beuford said jovially. “These heah presents are fuh mah intended mate.” “Oh my stars!” Nikki exclaimed from her perch. “You’re going to settle down? Well don’t keep me in suspense, constable. Who’s the lucky lady-fur?” “Miss Binky Bunny,” Beuford said. “If she’ll have me...And Ah thahnk she will.” “Have you set the wedding date yet? Have you started planning the wedding? I could help, you know. I’m known for my good taste and impeccable party themes. How soon do you plan to have kits? Oh, so many people to tell!” Nikki was chattering near non-stop. Beuford had to wait until she was forced to pause for a breath to get a word in edgewise. “Now she ain’t said ‘yes’ yet and Ah honestly don’t thahnk ther’ll be a formal weddin’.” Beuford interrupted. “As ta kits…Well, Ah’m thahnkin’ as soon as possible… If not soonuh.” “Oh, this is just so exciting. I have to tell someone!” Nikki gushed. “More like tell everyone,” Beuford chuckled. “I have to be off, constable,” Nikki said, ignoring Beuford’s comment. “Lots to do. Take care Beuford…And good luck!” Nikki launched herself from her perch, extending her arms and legs to stretch out the fold of skin that allowed her to glide on the breeze. She headed off in the direction of the nearest fur’s home. Beuford chuckled and decided he’d better hurry or Binky would find herself mated to him before he could ask her. He arrived at Binky’s burrow in short order and knocked out ‘shave and a haircut’ on the door. After a few moments with no response, he knocked again. “She must still be sleepin’,” he reasoned out loud when his second knock went unanswered. He tried the door but found it locked. “Well of course she’d lock th’ door,” Beuford said to himself. “Bein’ home all alone and not knowin’ if ah’d be home last nahght.” He fished the spare key Binky had given him out of his vest pocket and unlocked the door. Once the door was open he slipped into the entrance hole, mindful of his gifts and dropped down into the burrow. The unlit main room of the burrow and the lack of any sound from the kitchen or the bathroom confirmed Beuford’s suspicions that his lovely lady fur was still sleeping. With a warm, loving smile he crept quietly into the bedroom…And found the bed empty and made up with an envelope propped up against the pillow. Beuford felt suddenly apprehensive. He set the bouquet and the chocolates on the bed and picked up the envelope. His name was written on the envelope which bore tear drop splash stains. A cold chill ran through him as he took out the neatly folded page and began to read…. My dearest love, I am so sorry for leaving this letter but I didn’t think I could be brave enough to face you in person. I’m not sorry I got pregnant and I’m not sorry that you’re the father of our fawns. I am sorry that my getting pregnant has come between us. I don’t want to embarrass you or stain your honor. It’s my fault that I got pregnant and that your word to Stormdancer got broken. Because I love and respect you both I’ve decided to go away. I will always love you, Beuford, with all my heart. And I will at least have part of you with me. Your loving Bunny, Binky Beuford sat on the edge of the bed staring in stunned disbelief at the letter, tears streaming from his eyes. He suddenly got to his feet and rushed over to Binky’s dresser. He open the drawers to find most of Binky’s things gone. He rushed to her closet and found her two big suitcases were gone. “She’s gone,” he said out loud as he looked about the empty bedroom. “But Ah jus’ wanted…Binky…Why?” The Constable started out of the burrow, pausing to set the bouquet and the candy on the table near the kitchen. He climbed out of the burrow and closed the door. After a final despairing look at the home of his dearest love, he trudged slowly back toward the Jail House. “That miserable, no good hound-dog!” Serena hissed as she came into the kitchen where Martin was making breakfast. In her fist she clutched a crumpled letter. “How could he?!” Martin was taken aback. Serena was generally the kindest, most loving fur he had ever met…Unless you pressed the right button as someone obviously had. “W-what’s the matter?” he asked hesitantly. “I found out yesterday that Binky is expecting,” she said a bit crossly as she picked up the phone and dialed the Jail House. “She is?” Martin asked a big smile growing on his muzzle. “That’s great!” “Beuford is the father,” Serena growled as she listened to the Jail House phone ring. “Oh.” Martin said as his smile faded. “I found this note on our door this morning from Binky,” Serena said. “She went and told him about it and he up and left her! The damned coward!” “They aren’t getting married?” “Apparently not, according to this,” Serena said, shaking the letter. “He didn’t believe her at first but when he finally came around she says he looked like a deer caught in a set of headlights. He made some lame excuse about getting to work and ran off!” “Oh no,” Martin said. “Poor Binky….” Serena slammed down the phone and started out of the kitchen. “I’m going down to the Jail House and give him a piece of my mind!” “Wait for me, Serena,” Martin called after her as he turned down the stove. Martin loved Serena dearly but knew she had a fierce streak of loyalty to her friends and fiery stubborn streak in her that would have her saying things she would later regret. He didn’t think he could stop her but he might be able to soften the Constable’s reaction or at least drag her away before things got out of hand. “You sure you want to come?” Serena fumed. Without waiting for a reply Serena went to the master bedroom where Monica had just finished getting dressed. “Monica, I’m going out for a walk. Martin’s coming with me, will you be okay watching the kits and finishing breakfast?” “Yes,” Monica answered. “But what’s all the shouting about?” “I’ll tell you when I get back.” Serena stormed out the front door of their cottage with Martin in tow. “The letter said she was going home for a while. Apparently that pookah of hers deserted her too. The poor Girl thinks she’s all alone with no one to turn to. Martin felt deeply sorry for Binky but his immediate concern was for Serena’s well being. He hoped that she wouldn’t do anything that might land her in jail. The pair continued on to the Jail House in silence…Serena fuming and Martin fretting. Upon reaching the jail, Serena burst in the front door like a cat on a mission. Beuford barely registered her noisome entrance from where he sat miserably at his desk. Serena strode up to the constable and, much to Martin’s horror, delivered a sharp slap to the Constables face. “How DARE you leave Binky like that!” she hissed, planting both paws on the desk and glowering at the constable. Beuford continued to just sit and look miserable. “How could you run out on her like that?!” Serena continued. “You…You COWARD! Do you have any idea how you made her feel? You just ran off after she told you she was pregnant with YOUR kits! You left her alone! You didn’t come home! You didn’t even call her!!” “Tarnation, Woman!” Beuford snarled as he leapt to his feet and leaned down nose to nose with Serena. “Do y’all really thahnk Ah WANT ta huht huh?! I LOVE HUH! Ah just…Ah cain’t…Ah didn’t know what ta say…What ta do…Ah wouldn’t a huht Binky on purpose fuh anything!” “She’s my friend,” Serena hissed, jabbing her finger accusingly in Beuford’s chest. “She was absolutely crushed when you left her! Moreso because the pookah left her too after she told him that she was carrying your kits!” “Stormdancah left?” “Yes he did. You two just abandoned her!” “But Ah didn’t…Ah….” “You’re about to make the biggest mistake of your entire life if you just let her get away like this!” “GIT OUTTA MAH OFFICE!” Beuford snapped. “GIT OUT!” Martin took Serena’s arm and gently pulled her away from the desk. He could see the fury in Beuford’s eyes and knew Serena had pushed the constable to his limit. “If you love her then prove it!” Serena shot over her shoulder as martin dragged her out the front door. Serena slammed the Jail House door behind her. “Serena…Honey…I think you made your point,” Martin offered trying to calm his feisty wife down. Serena turned and hissed at the jail house door, her tail and back fur bristling up. “Let’s go,” She snapped with out meaning to. She turned and stormed up the trail with Martin trailing behind. Stormdancer sat at the edge of a small pool of water ringed by stones at the center of a clearing. The black furred forest spirit gazed into the pool at reflected memories of Binky and himself dancing in the rain. He heaved a sorrowful sigh and a tear fell from his eye. The ripples from the tear disrupted the image in the pool. “What do you need with that mortal?” came a soft feminine voice in his head. “They have no inkling of what it means to be one of us…To love as we love.” Stormdancer turned away from the pool to see a sleek pookah doe of dark grey fur clad in a minimum of near transparent white cloth held together by clasps of gold and belt of thin golden disks. She moved slowly toward him with all the grace of a flowing stream. At any other time her beauty and grace would have inspired Stormdancer to song or dance or aroused him to the arts of love-making. His thoughts, however, were only of his lost love. “I wish to be alone, Nightbreeze,” he sighed sadly. “I would ease your loneliness, Stormdancer,” Nightbreeze cajoled as she removed her belt and let it fall to the forest floor. “How can a mere mortal compare with such delights as I?” Nightbreeze let the transparent white cloth fall from her shoulders and down about her feet. She moved up against the pookah buck and caressed his antlers with one paw, his chest with the other. “What is it about these limited mortals that so fascinates one such as you? You and I are forever. They are but fleeting mist in the sun. They are clumsy, unattractive, silly beings while we are the very definition of beauty and grace. They are hardly worthy of notice by such as you and I.” Stormdancer took the doe’s wrists gently in his paws and eased back from her. “There is something within a mortal that attracts me…perhaps their very mortality itself. As you said, Nightbreeze, you and I are forever but do we love? I thought so once. But now…I believe that we miss so much. I thought I had loved before but with us, lovers come and go and come again. There is no sense of need…Only want. For the first time I have felt what it is to lose something precious. Something that will not come again were I to treat it as our kind treats such things. Loss is a profound thing and I am humbled and saddened by it. Somehow I must make it right.” “You speak strangely, my handsome buck,” Nightbreeze mentally whispered seductively as she leaned in and nuzzled Stormdancer. “I love. I have loved you both before and now. I will love you again after our time now is done. If you desire fawns so, I will bear them for you.” “You don’t understand, Nightbreeze,” Stormdancer said as he pulled away and turned his back on her. “Mortals know their time is limited. Because of this, they try to make the most of the time they have. Their love is more intense, their sadness more profound than anything I have ever felt in my centuries of existence. That is the difference between them and us. We exist…They live. When the Great Spirit told us that he was going to let mortals into the forest he said that he had a reason. I think I can understand his reason. He wanted us to see what we had lost and to learn to live once more.” “Don’t be silly,” Nightbreeze giggled as she came up behind Stormdancer, wrapping her arms around him and running her fingers over his soft chest fur.. “The mortals are in the forest for our amusement, nothing more. Now put aside such silly thoughts and make love to me. I need you so.” “No, you don’t,” Stormdancer said as he broke away from Nightbreezes embreace and turned to face her. “You don’t need…you want…. Binky needs me and I need her. I walked away from that. My pride was all I cared about…My want. I must go to her. I must tell her…Tell her…How sorry I am.” Stormdancer mulled over his last words. In all his long years he had never been truly sorry for anything. Like Nightbreeze, he had thought mortals as nothing more than creatures to be played with, teased or used…Until Binky had stumbled across his storm dancing. Some thing had changed in him that day but he was only now able to understand it. Without a word he faded from the clearing with a look of determination on his face. Nightbreeze was highly annoyed at being abandoned by Stormdancer. She was also confused. How could mortals have such a corrupting effect on someone like Stormdancer. He had never refused her before. The mortals had a word for what he had done. She pondered a moment or two before she could recall it. He had spurned her. She felt strange, uncomfortable feelings. “Is this sadness?” she asked out loud. “No…More like anger but still different.” Nightbreeze did not like this feeling and she most certainly did not like not understanding. She strode over to the pool and passed her hand over the surface of the water. “Show me a mortal who can help me understand these feelings,” she commanded. The surface of the pool rippled and an image began to form. Nightbreeze looked surprised at what the pool revealed. She contemplated the image thoughtfully. “Very well,” she said at length. “When we meet I shall see what this mortal has to offer a forest spirit.” (To be continued)