Sasha led the party to where the Almuit Rune Herd was being kept. She was followed by Meru and Everest, and hopefully the rest of the stags. This is it. She thought silently as she looked around. There she waited for the others. Legend would know what to do better than she.

He followed his adoptive mother not letting her out of his sight. He was protective of course.He nipped her lightly more to reassure himself

Legend's heart was racing madly as he reached the old place where so many of his herd had come from. "There should be an entrance around here somewhere..." He said uncertainly, traveling along the side of the fencing. The enclosure was huge, covering over 100 acres. "I think..." The stag stopped dead in his tracks as he spotted a familiar face on the other side of the fence. "Bramble?"

The white-tail stag was staring at Legend with uncertainty at first, as if he was lost in a daze. To Legend's surprise, his friend gave a snort and took a step back.

"Bramble, it's me! Legend! We're here to free you..." Legend insisted, not sure why his friend appeared distant towards him.

For a moment, it looked as if Bramble were about to turn and bolt. But then a vague awareness woke up in his dark eyes and the fog seemed to lift from his mind. "Is that... Legend! I thought... how..." The stag shook his head and moved closer to the fencing, until the two were nearly touching noses, "There's no time, you must hurry! The Haunters are at war, and their guards are not around. But Legend..." Bramble spoke rapidly, his joy melting into fear and rushed anxiety. "Much of the herd has been corrupted."

Quell, Milaque, and Zuk gathered up beisde Legend, feeling their stomach's tighten with fear. What in the world was Bramble talking about?

Lokk came up behind Legend and the others, head low as he gazed across at Bramble on the other side of the fence. "If he says we need to hurry, we'd better hurry."

Legend looked back at the wolf, blinking in a stupor as he tried to think. Corrupted? How? Nevermind, they didn't have much time to get this done. "Gather the herd and meet us at the entrance, Bramble. We will be waiting for you."

Bramble trembled slightly, giving a brief smile to his old friend as he pulled back and disappeared into the trees.

Legend was quite shaken by the little meeting, but determined still to save the herd. Little did he know just how corrupted they were. Picking up speed, he began to spring along the length of the fence now, searching for the entrance.

The allies had now arrived. War Song and his pack were among them. Another was one they might or might not recognize. Jack. He was saved by Wycliff, Caspi, Alkena, Alkana and Legend a while back. He brought most of his large pack with him. He ran alongside Legend, not speaking a word. He didn't want to waste time.

War Song padded toward the entrance. He and Seabird had been here before. Eventually, after a long while, the big black bear and his pack reached the gate. There he waited for Legend and the others.

Sasha barely recognized Jack. She had seen him in the war at the Prairie, and later spoke to him just before the herd was about to move out. Even though she barely knew him, they could use all the help that was offered.

Sasha, Everest and Meru reached the gate at about the same time Legend did. "What now?" Meru asked, speaking to the son of Nhosh.

Legend gave a brief smile to the little dog, remembering that uniquely splotched coat of his. But like the wild dog, Legend remained silent as he and the others made their way along the impossibly long length of fence. Finally, the made it to the entrance, a gap just wide enough to fit a stag and his splayed antlers through. Legend looked apprehensively at the gate, then to Meru, "...I was hoping they'd be gathered by now..."

Within the enclosure, the bark and roar of stags could be heard, mixed with the clashing of antlers. Then, Bramble could burst through the foliage, panting heavily as he hurried for the gate. Blood streamed down his forehead and front leg. "We have to run, quick!" He barked out in alarm, flying through the gate. On his heals were Terrel and Bask, two other stags. Just as Bramble was about to make it through, Terrel swung his head, clipping the other's hind legs and sending him crashing to the ground. "Defector!"

Several other deer charged through the clearing. Amonst them were Guadalupe and Huyen, each carrying gaping wounds from where tines and hooves had torn their flesh. "Run, hurry!" Guad called out, wheeling around and giving a kick to a young stag that was rushing to attack him.

Soon, a melee of deer had converged in front of the gate. Stags and does, old and young, were fighting each other. "Don't let them escape!" Cried a large red deer, putting himself in front of the entrance, lowering his massive antlers down just as a young Axis stag, Silver Tail, tried to get through.

"Hark!" Legend cried out, stunned by the other's actions. "What are you doing? Stop fighting!"

Lokk narrowed his eyes, growling quietly. "The Haunters have coverted them."

Legend could bring himself to attack Hark, but he was horrified at the sight before his eyes, "Dad!" He finally cried out, not seeing the stag.

Sasha stepped back when she saw what was happening. "They've turned into Haunters!" She cried out. Everest placed himself between the gate and Sasha. It was in his nature to protect a doe.

Jack, known for being persuasive, stepped up onto a boulder near the fence and barked loudly to get the attention of the fighting deer. "SILENCE!" He barked out. Whether they were listening or not, he began to speak. "You are deer for goodness sakes! Is this what you want to become? Do you want to gore others of your own kind? You'll all go extinct! You are fools. You have been persuaded by predators. You have joined their cause. And now I see you tearing each other apart! That is what the Haunters want! They wish for the death of anyone who does not bow to their leader! You have thrown your instincts away and killed your conscience. Years from now, with wolves tearing at your flesh, you will look back and see what a horrible mistake you made. You will wish you had not fallen for the predators' evil ways. The deer will all fall, and there will be no more." He paused and looked around at the herd. "You remember how you once were. You lived in a peaceful herd with your family. You were all together until they came. The Haunters have imprisoned you, killed some of you, and now you join them?! That is sickening. You don't belong with the Haunters. You belong where you always were - with your own kind in the Almuit Rune Herd!" And with this he finished his speech, hoping the converted deer would be wise enough to come back to the good side.

The converted deer all held up on their attack for the time, listening to Jack. With Hark blocking the exit, there was no where for the others to go anyway.

Before any of the deer could respond, Nhosh emerged onto the scene. He limped horrbily and moved slow. He had healed from the attack, but his legs were permanently mangled and deformed now.

"Dad!" Legend called out, but Nhosh didn't look at his son. He continued to limp forward, heading towards Hark, while his eyes focused on Jack, "The dog does not know what he is talking about." The red deer said in a booming voice, head held high.

To this, Legend gasped and took a step back, "No, not you too..."

"The Haunters will once and for all rid this Valley of evil and terror. There will be peace..." Nhosh moved closer now, until he was next to Hark. A fleeting glance was given to Huyen and Guadalupe before he went on, "...because in the end..." The stag suddenly reared up, giving throat to a rumbling bellow as he aimed his tines for the throat of Hark.

Caught off guard by Nhosh's speech, Hark had inkling of what had been planned. Before he could react, those sword-like tines burrowed deep into his neck, thrusting through his windpipe and jugluar veins.

"...the Haunters will destroy themselves!" Nhosh finished crumpling to the ground himself as he weakened legs bucked beneath him.

Guadalupe came forward now, nudging Bramble in head of him. The rest of the defectors made a break for it as well, rushing past the dying Hark as the converted deer tried to understand what had just happened.

Sixteen hinds bolted out, followed closely by five fawns and five stags.

Huyen was the last to go, narrowly missing another gouging by a converted stag.

Jack looked at Nhosh and frowned. "Your betrayal will be your species' downfall." He said regally. "The Haunters are already tearing their own pack apart. It won't be long before you fall too. You will be nothing but a memory." He was remaining as calm as he could for a long time. Finally, he snapped. "LOOK AT YOURSELVES!" He shouted out with a sudden burst of anger. "You're murderers! You're slaughtering your brothers and sisters! You have fallen for Devil Risen's evil words! Her pack has killed you, imprisoned you, eaten you, and countless other things I would not want to say in front of a pup! And now you're her pets?! That's pathetic. The Haunters say they are bringing peace! How does one bring peace by making the residents of the Valley gore each other?! Risen doesn't want peace. She wants power. When she doesn't need you anymore, you'll become an easy meal." He looked once more over the converted, hoping they would heed his warning.

"Wait, Dad!" Legend barked, rushing towards the entrance as Nhosh was struggling back to his feet. But the way was quickly blocked by Terrel and Tinedall, who lowered their lethal antlers his way and blocked the entrance. "Dad!"

Terrel dug his hoof into the ground and snorted, "Nhosh is staying with us! He will have to answer to Risen for his betrayal."

Legend's mane bristled out as he dug his hooves into the ground and prepared to charge the two stags. "I'll kill you both!"

"Son, stop!" Nhosh called out, as he was surrounded by several younger stags, "Get out of here! Before the Haunters retu..." The leader's sentence was cut short when a young fallow, Zhaa, gave him a rough kick to the muzzle.

"Leave him alone! Zhaa... please!" Legend begged, his heart sinking at his friend's traitorous actions.

Skaa's eyes misted over as she watched her twin brother, "Legend, your father's right, we must leave."

Lokk stood near Jack, his green eyes still narrowed as he looked over the coverted deer. "Jack, it's no use. They won't listen; we should go."

Sasha watched the stags, shaking her head in sorrow. "I'm sorry, Legend. Your father is gone." She said mournfully, nudging some of her herd members. "It's time to go." Everest and Meru followed willingly behind the does.

Jack looked at Lokk and nodded. "I just wish there was something we could do. I hate to see them fade away like this." With that, he gave one last glance to the converted and began to walk back to the Oak Prairie. He would go with them to make sure they were safe and ease any pain he could, and then he would leave for the Azul Canyon. The African Pack followed along.

War Song led his own pack back to where the deer lived.

Guadalupe gently nudged Legend, turning him away from Nhosh, "You've done all you can, Legend. We must honor his request now." Guad had mature quite a lot since his earlier days, though he was not quite the brave stag like Huyen. With a sad look to his old leader, the melanistic buck followed the rest of the freed deers out.

Nhosh recieved a few more kicks from the surrounded stags, but refused to give into the pain. It broke his heart to have killed Hark, but at least the sacrifice had not gone in vain. He had given time for some of his herd to escape, and that's what he wanted.

Lokk shuffled away with the others, head low. He had helped to protect those deer once, and now he could do nothing for them.

He sighed.Maybe we could go and help Kalaber out and take out our anger on them there.Maybe just some of us Stags..he suggested following.

The falcon flew over the land and witnessed the event, but was unable to do anything about those who had gotten away. Her wings flapped once before she circled around and landing near the deer on a fence."My name is Oraiyus, Messenger of Risen. How many did not betray the Shadow Haunters?" Her feathers ruffed for a moment before settling back down for their answer.