Odd Prompts: The White Stag

This is my weekly prompt submission for Odd Prompts. I was challenged by Kat Ross with an image of a peek-a-boo deer. I challenged Cal Primer with 'Living in a mossy forest, there is...' 

This is sort of a continuation of Jack's Stick. 

“Silly widgeon.” 

Jack’s ears perked up a little at his mistress’s voice. She sounded like she wasn’t upset, so he didn’t take his gaze off the far treeline. She crouched next to him and ruffled his ears. “What has your attention, my fine beastie?” 

Jack thumped his tail against the ground a few times. His gaze was unwavering. He knew it would be back, the tease. He’d gotten just a glimpse... There! He jumped to his feet and barked a deep warning to the deer who had peeked around a tree. It was taller than the deer he’d grown up with, but that was no matter. 

Woof, woof! His challenge rang out. He leaned against his leash, fretting over the restraint. His mistress leaned back against his weight, keeping him with her. 

“Jack! Relax, boy! Hey...” She petted him again, and tugged on the leash in the direction they had been going before he sat and started to stare into the woods. The freshly mown field in between the path, and the trees, was green and glistened with dew. Ordinarily Happy Jack, dutiful servant to Herself, Queen of Everything, would have trotted along looking for interesting scents without any disruption to their routine. 

Now, though... He growled, and his hackles tingled as they raised. His tail had stopped wagging and gone rigid, a compass needle that could be traced from tip along spine to nose in the direction of his mortal foe. Jack couldn’t have explained why this deer, this one playing peekaboo with him, was wrong. He just knew in every fiber of his loyal being that something was Not Right and it was his bound duty to wage war for his queen. She was hunkered down next to him, looking in the same direction as he was. 

“That’s odd.” She started to say something, but Jack wasn’t listening. When she had come down to his level, she relaxed her grip on his leash. Without a pang of guilt, Jack took this as permission and bolted for the distant menace. 

Deer should never be white, he didn’t think in so many terms. They should especially not be white and shimmery like that, and look at him with eyes that challenged him to... something. He barked, and grinned in doggy style for the sheer joy of the chase. Behind him, he could hear his mistress joining in the hunt. 

The deer just stood, his antlers poised over his withers proudly, and waited until Jack was almost near enough to scent him before he bounded deeper into the forest. Jack dashed after him, accepting the quest without a thought. This was great fun! He barked, and behind him heard his owner calling distantly. He couldn’t pay attention to that distraction, he had been chosen and must follow the white stag. 

Header image is Kat's photo of the deer for my inspiration.