History

Parents and Early Childhood

Errapel's mother, Madea, was born a light bay, half-blood, Blackwood, doe. She was sickly from the start of her life and spent most of her time struggling to survive. Being half Glenmore only made her reputation with the herd worse. Her only redemption was said to be her intelligence. She could outwit almost anyone, often twisting words or situations to her advantage. Due to her coloration and poor health most Blackwood stags hesitated to pursue her, assuming that no fawn she bore would survive. Desperate to redeem herself, she wandered the borders of Blackwood, hoping to find some sort of cure for her affliction. During her wanderings she crossed the mountain range and reached the Glenmore and Blackwood border. Out of curiosity she stepped out into the small clearing between the two forests and found herself soaking up the warmth of the sunlight. She spent days in that clearing, growing stronger and faster in the warmth. She had come to believe that she had found her own personal haven, there were herbs that could be used for her herbalism on both sides of the clearing, her health was improving, and she was not being belittled for her weakened state. Just as she began to think nothing would make this place more perfect, it was then that she met him; Helem the Glenmore stag that would steal her heart. Helem was dark as the heart of Blackwood, his coat a rich velveteen black, and one of the Glenmore guards. Helem was shocked to find the light bay, fragile looking doe, standing frozen in the middle of the clearing, her dark eyes wide at the sight of him. Being a Blackwood-Glenmore cross himself he felt a sort of bond with her. 

Their relationship would begin with running, Madea bolted away with Helem following quickly after. It would take months before they actually met, Madea always disappearing into the woods before Helem could get close enough to interrogate her. After a while it began to become a game; Madea would allow Helem to get closer to her each time before disappearing into the trees. Helem slowly began to play along, pretending not to see her before starting the chase. When they finally did officially meet Madea's sickly frame had started to fill out nicely and she was still yearning for the stag that stole her heart. Helem found that despite her Blackwood line, he could not keep his eyes off of her. As they began to talk to each other they realized they could not be apart. Helem began to lie to the other guards about the doe he had found, claiming she was a Glenmore doe who was a wanderer. Madea made the clearing her home, keeping to herself in the little area between the two territories. 

Unfortunately fate would not allow things to continue, on the evening that Madea was going to tell Helem of the fawn she was carrying another guard entered her clearing. A guard who did not think kindly of her fragile frame and close quarters with the Blackwood forest. While this new guard was interrogating Madea after she had been cornered Helem arrived and charged the other stag. The fight that ensued tore open the soft ground of Madea's clearing and left both stags severely wounded. The last words that Madea would ever hear from Helem was to run and she did...into Blackwood forest; unwittingly sealing the fate of her beloved. Madea returned days later to the clearing, cautious and frightened, and waited for weeks. Helem never returned.

Believing that her beloved was dead, Madea, with a heavy heart, abandoned the clearing and returned to Blackwood. Her slow retreat into the dark forest where she had been born was further slowed by her growing pregnancy and the return of her aliments. She gave birth to her son Errapel alone, and was greatly weakened by it. 

Errapel from the beginning was a unique fawn, he stood mere moments after birth and encouraged his mother to survive by refusing to give up on her. Madea slowly regained enough strength to forage for food and seek out others who might be willing to help her. Madea recovered slowly, only the delightfully playful and inquisitive nature of her son kept her going. That is until wolves attacked them nearly 2 years after Errapel was born. Errapel was wounded trying to protect his mother, while Madea just managed to chase off the wolves far enough to flee the area with her son. 

Not long after this Madea and Errapel ran into a Blackwood stag who despite his disgust over Madea's weakened state, allowed them to rest while he stood watch. If nothing else, out of admiration due to Errapel's childish challenge to defend his mother himself. Once Madea was strong enough the stag left, not wanting to be so close to a doe that was such a beacon to the wolves. The stag would later return to the herd with word that the long thought dead doe was alive and had a fawn with her; many thought it was a joke.

Teen Years

Over the next few years Errapel grew up to be strong and quick. He learned everything his mother knew and took up her trade. Due to his mother's light coat, Errapel learned that in order to stay safe he had to use his head. His mother's cunning and intelligence began to rub off on him more often he was able to outwit the wolves that chased them rather than having to full on fight them. Unfortunately Madea's health continued to slowly decline, Blackwood stags would claim that Errapel wasn't her son and merely a fawn she'd stolen, and does would ignore her for fear of attracting wolves to themselves or risking her stealing one of their own fawns. With Madea's unwarranted reputation as being a fawn thief she tended to avoid the herd sending Errapel to help the few customers who needed care.  Unfortunately his fierce loyalty and somewhat over protective nature towards his mother caused him to get into spats with other young fawnlings. Errapel earned a reputation of being a bitter and defensive stag which worked in his favor when others harassed his mother or quarreled about trading for the herbalism help he offered. Things were only made worse by the manifestation of Errapel's second magic (whereas he only used his primary magic while with his mother), which the herd considered to be further proof that he was a stolen fawn; from a weakling outside herd at that.

In an unfortunate twist of fate late into Errapel's teen years that they found a lost fawn wandering the woods. Madea immediately tended it's wounds and waited with the fawn as Errapel went in search for the mother. The fawn's father who had been searching for it found Madea with the fawn and attacked believing she was attempting to steal the fawn. Errapel heard the commotion and returned in time to protect his mother. When the Errapel could no longer hold his ground at last the stag left with the fawn. Errapel was left hurt and shaking while Madea was severely wounded. In the days that passed Madea's already fragile health was worsened by her injuries. One day she got up and started stumbling down a path towards what Errapel would later learn was the border. It took them weeks to get there and Madea was only growing weaker but never spoke of where they were going nor why until they reached a small battered clearing. Even after so long the clearing had some remaining scars from the fight that had caused Madea to flee into the Blackwood. Errapel stood watch over his mother, nervously pacing in the open ground. Unfortunately Madea passed away late that night telling Errapel that there was a slim chance that his father was alive and if he wished, he should seek him out. In bitter rage and pain Errapel lashed out at anything that moved killing a raven that had flown too close out of curiosity. After his mother's passing he knew that the Blackwood way was to simply leave the body but he could not simply leave the body of his mother. So he gathered up a few flowers from the clearing to place on her brow but not before weaving a necklace from her hair to which after cleaning the raven's skull he threaded it through to wear. He also took a few other strands from his mother's hair together, to tie one of the raven's feather's to his left antler. 

After which he turned his back on the tiny glade and returned to Blackwood for the last time. He still had to prove himself to the herd and redeem his mother. On his way back Errapel, though still young by Blackwood standards, attacked and killed a black wolf to prove his strength to the herd. He returned to the herd only long enough to throw down the broken body of he wolf before taking it's pelt and leaving towards Glenmore to seek out his father.

Early Aduthood and Joining Glenmore

Errapel would wander the Glenmore-Blackwood border for the next three years, gaining strength and honing his herbalism skills. When ever he came across another stag or doe he would either slip away or challenge them to a duel. At first he lost more than he won, but eventually he grew strong enough to win more fights than he lost. On the eve of his ninth year Errapel left the Blackwood forest forever, turning his back on the herd that had ostracized his mother and shunned him. He slipped past the Glenmore guards he had been studying for the last few years and into the greenwood. Errapel only knew his father's name but nothing else about him and didn't know where to begin in his search for the dark stag. Errapel would wander the better part of that year throughout Razorback ridge hoping to find answers to the questions he needed in order to join the herd. He knew that eventually he would have to attempt a friendship with a Glenmore stag or doe in order to earn the trust of the others. Errapel swore to never speak of his Blackwood background, instead choose to claim that his mother had been a wandering Glenmore doe who had recently died. 

With this false story ready to all that asked too many questions, Errapel began to seek out Glenmores that looked friendly enough to approach.