The littermate stags had been inseparable from the moment they took their first steps. Yet despite their strong bond of fraternity, they were opposites in both appearance and temperament. The smaller brother was brash and bold, with fur black as night; the other, though of greater stature, had a gentler, more reserved disposition.
As spike bucks, they had gained fame for saving the rabbit warren from the mad old stoat who killed not for his sustenance but for sport and pure blood lust. The rabbits could not produce kittens fast enough to withstand the fierce weaselkin's depredations, and would surely have been wiped out if not for the two brothers' altruistic intervention.
In gratitude of their deliverance, the rabbits bestowed the name of their legendary hero, Rabscuttle, on the young stag who devised the plan to trick the stoat, while to the melanistic buck who had dealt him the death blow, they gave the name Inlé, after their deity of the moon and the afterlife.
Now, two winters later and alone for the first time, a bereft Rabscuttle mourns the untimely death of his courageous brother. The rabbits would ensure, however, that he would never lack for friendship and companionship.
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Sincerest thanks to tartii for the exquisite realization of this important turning point in my deersona's backstory.
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EDIT (March 25, 2017): Antler color modded to a more natural, winter-appropriate hue, by
tartii for the exquisite realization of this important turning point in my deersona's backstory.
