Initially released on Patreon over 7 months ago now, I've decided to share the full story of 'The Boy and The Stag', the fairy tale you can read in Chapter 3: Vasilisa and The Crowes if you choose to examine Islingcier and The Estates (and, subsequently, Dreamwalker). Please consider this as my thanks for your continued support, a celebration of now over 3.1k followers, and apologies once again for delays <3
... Once upon a time, in the heart of the deep, dark forest, there lived a boy whom many were afraid of. This boy was as quiet as a mouse and as small as one too—but even though he could hide all he would like in those deep, dark woods, the boy's golden eyes would always give him away. Villagers who ventured into the woods would be frightened by the sight of two golden lights watching them in the bushes and would always run away before the boy got to speak with them. So, instead of trying to reach out, the boy came to settle into his life alone and soon grew quite content in his solitude.
One day, when the boy was collecting berries from a bush, a great stag stepped onto the path before him. It had a crown of antlers that any hunter would desire, and it held its head high with a nobility that made the boy paused in his steps. When he did so, the great stag spoke in a low, rumbling voice that sounded as though the earth itself was speaking.
“Little sun, a cruel young prince intends to come into the woods today to kill me for my antlers. If you keep him away, I will reward you.”
“How may I help?” The boy replied, fear present in his quivering voice.
“The young prince will come with his brother and his sister on three great white steeds with three hunting dogs. Once he kills me, he will kill his steeds and his dogs and he will lie to his father about my death. He will ruin his brother and his sister so they cannot compete for the throne. Stop this, and your reward will be even greater.”
The boy's curiosity outweighed his freight over the great stag's appearance, and so he agreed to the beast's request. Upon this, the stag bowed deep to the boy before vanishing back to the woods, leaving the young boy to hide in wait for the cruel young prince.
Within little time, the prince appeared upon a great white steed. He wore expensive hunting dressage, carried a roster of sharp arrows on his back, and had three hunting dogs by his side. Accompanying him were his sister and his brother, who were dress fine and equipped for the hunt as well.
“Today we will find the stag,” the young prince declared, “and I shall kill it with my arrow to hang its head on my mantle.”
The boy watched on as the young prince and his siblings dismounted their horses and tied them to a nearby tree. When the three of them and the dogs left to a nearby stream to collect water, the boy crept out from his hiding place in the bushes and approached the horses.
“Fine steeds,” he whispered, resting one hand on the horse's back, “do you intend to let the prince kill the stag?”
“Why should we not?” One steed replied. “It is of no concern to us.”
“What will the prince do once he has killed the stag? He will no longer have use of you—he will take you back to the palace and hang your heads on his mantle just like he has promised of the stags. Will you let him do that?” The boy tugged on the rope holding the horses to the tree. “Will you let his arrow pierce your hearts too?”
Well, the steeds were not very fond of that idea, and when the boy untied them from the tree they took off running into the woods with all of the young prince's supplies on their backs. Once they were gone, the boy crept back into the bushes to watch on. When the young prince returned, he was enraged for a moment before unsheathing an arrow and shaking his head.
“We did not need them anyway,” he declared. “We shall carry the stag ourselves.”
The boy was disheartened until he saw one of the hunting dogs looking his way. When the young prince was not looking, the boy gestured for the dog to approach, which it did.
“Fine hound,” he whispered, leaning down so the dog could hear, “do you intend to let the prince kill the stag?”
“Why should we not?” The hound replied. “It is of no concern to us.”
“What will the prince do once he has killed the stag? When you have bit through its legs and rendered it unable to run, he will no longer have use of you. He will take you back to the palace and shoot you with arrows until you are dead, just like he has promised of the stag. Will you let him do that?” The boy pointed towards the arrows on the prince's back. “Will you let his arrow pierce your hearts too?”
Well, the hound was not very fond of that idea, and he told the other hounds of this as well. When the young prince and his siblings set the arrows down on the ground to load them easier, the three hounds snatched up the supplies in their mouths and ran into the woods. Once they were gone, the boy crouched lower to watch on. The young prince yelled, and shouted, and swore, but still, the hounds did not return, and he was left with only the arrow in his hand.
“We do not need them anyway,” he declared. “I shall kill the stag in a single blow.”
Once more, the boy was disheartened, until he saw the young prince's brother looking his way. The boy thought the brother would run away like so many others before him—but he did not. While the young prince and his sister tried to map where the great stag was, the brother approached the boy with curiosity in his gaze.
“Did you frighten the horses and the hounds?” The brother asked. The boy, unsure of how to answer, simply stared up at the brother in silence. The brother smiled at this and crouched down to see the boy better. “Why did you do that?”
“Fine sir,” the boy whispered, “do you intend to let the prince kill the stag?”
“Why should I not?” The brother replied. “It is of no concern to my sister and I.”
“What will the prince do once he has killed the stag? When he stands over its body in victory and declares himself to be the one to end it? Will he share in the spoils, or will he keep them all to himself? Fine sir, I do believe he will no longer have use of you once it is done. He will lie to your father about what has happened and ruin you both. Will you let him do that?” The boy pointed to the young prince. “Will you let him hunt you like the very stag he seeks?”
For a moment, the brother did not reply. He looked at the boy with an unreadable expression before a smile appeared on his face.
“I like your eyes,” is all he whispered back before rising to his feet. The boy watched as the brother approached the young prince and their sister. The brother whispered something into his sister's ear.
“Dear brother,” the sister declared, “pray to tell, what do you intend to do once the stag has been killed?”
“I will hang its head on my mantle and tell father of what I have done,” the young prince proudly declared.
“And what will you say of us, who have ventured into these woods with you to hunt this great beast?”
The young prince did not reply. A silence fell between the three, and the boy watched as the brother carefully removed something from his back pocket.
“I believe,” the brother finally said, “I saw the great stag in those woods over there.”
The brother pointed to an area that was dark, and gloomy, and soon the three vanished out of sight. The boy remained hidden until he saw only the brother and the sister emerge from those woods. The two of them soon walked onto the path and vanished into the forest. The boy stayed in his spot until he heard another sound, and the great stag stepped back onto the path before him.
“Little sun, you have not only kept me safe, but you have kept the others safe as well. For this, you shall be rewarded. Leave these woods and head to the palace, for no longer will you need to live in the shadows.”
Following the great stag's advice, the boy left the woods and approached the palace in the nearby village. Rather than have people run away from him, he was confused to find people welcoming him instead, as if he had always belonged among them. When he reached the palace, he was greeted by the brother, who wore the same mysterious smile the boy saw in the woods.
“I had a dream,” the brother confided, “of a boy with eyes like the sun who told me of a great tragedy that would befall my sister and I. I did not believe it to be true—until I saw you in those bushes.”
The boy was taken aback, and yet the brother continued.
“For your services, you shall be rewarded an Estate to call your own. No longer shall you be treated like a pariah—from now on, you are as welcome as any villager here, little sun.”
And so the boy was given his Estate, and he grew to become a fair and benevolent lord to his people.
And if he has not died, he is living happily today.