History

WARNING: Contains disturbing content.

He was born alongside his twin during a hot summer day.  His twin brother couldn't even master the art of standing.  While he tried to encourage his twin to get up, his dam scoffed and pushed Aatami aside.  With a quick pull, his dam snapped his twin's neck right in front of him.  As a newborn, he was in shock and couldn't understand why she had done that.  Even now he can hear the bones snapping with a small whimper coming from his twin brother.  No matter how much he questioned why she had done it, his dam refused to answer and continued to clean him from the sac.  It wasn't until much later that his sire explained what happened, "He would have faced something far worse.  Best to give him a least painful death."  Alongside those words, were the rule of Blackwood.  Strength ruled and weakness was viewed as a failure and the punishment was death.  Not wanting to face death in such a cruel way, he sought out to be a warrior like his sire.

As he grew, the memories haunted him.  He became angry about what his dam did.  Maybe his twin could've healed in time and just needed the right supplements, maybe, maybe, maybes ran throughout his head.  That's when his sire noticed that Aatami's dam was punishing him.  "Enough," he ordered the twisted doe, who merely glared at him and snapped saying that their son was becoming weak.  "Your mind has become weak," replied his sire.  "You have lost it to hysteria."  With a scream, the twisted doe left the herd never to be seen again.  Since Aatami was still so young and needed to be weaned until he was matured enough, his sire searched for a doe that would help.  Aatami didn't care who it was, as long as they weren't like his dam.  

His sire managed to find a witch doe who had just given birth.  Taking advantage of her motherly instincts, his sire nudged him near her and she looked at him.  Feeling numb after his dam had done to him, Aatami looked back at her without flinching.  It helped with her judgement and accepted him.  It wasn't until several days later that Aatami found out that this doe had mated with his sire before.  She had told him himself when he asked her why she accepted him as one of her own.  The doe also told him that the sire of her own fawnling didn't care and just wanted a line so there was no fear for Aatami to be met with an angered stag.

His relationship with the other fawnling was distant at first due to how Aatami kept silent about himself.  After times of play and play-fighting, the two grown close as real brothers.  Aatami found that this fawnling that he called his brother pushed away part of the pain of his brother being killed brutally away.  Since Aatami was older, the fawnling looked up to him, sticking close to him when Aatami allowed it.  There were some times that the two of them got into trouble, but the doe didn't discipline harshly.  With a glare and a stomp of her hoof, they immediately stopped their antics and mischief.

When they turned three years, the time came for their magic to awaken and the two - mostly the other fawnling - was eager to see which would be theirs.  When Aatami found out his magic was hexes and curses, Aatami was pleased that he didn't gain the ability from his twisted dam.  His step-brother however had gained possession and often went too far with it on the small animals.  There were many humorous nights from the two when one poor small animal went by and caught their attention.

The time where fun and games came to an end when the dreaded coming of age ritual arrived.  Thanks to his sire, his foster dam, step-brother, and Aatami himself had the pleasure to feed upon the areas that were grazable.  While their racks weren't good enough to defeat a stag in his prime, they were enough to ward off predators.  "Remember, strength above all," reminded his sire as Aatami was the next one to be sent to his test, leaving his family behind until he would come back with proof of his success.  With careful observation, he stepped safely through the dark forest towards the beasts.  It wasn't long before they picked up his scent, which he had done on purpose to draw them out, and quickly adjusted a place with enough room to move around.  Three of them came out like bloodthirsty savages, snarling and snapping at him.

Imagining them as if they were his dam, wrath engulfed him and he kicked, stomped, and threw them off him with a swish of his neck.  He even bit some of them as he warded off their attacks.  Blood was all over the ground from one of the beasts he had killed already.  He just needed to kill the rest, or at least drive them off.  With a flare of his nostrils, he stomped the ground to intimidate them, showing off his strength and health.  He had heard stories from his father of his ritual and had kept in mind of the tips.  Never back down, never show weakness.  On and on this went.  It was as if life held its breath.  The suspense was high as was adrenaline in both Aatami and in the beasts.

With a frustrated growl, the wolves pulled back.  Aatami made no move until they were out of range until he went to the carcass of one.  Still on guard for any movement in case some of the beasts waited for an opportune moment, Aatami had to use his hooves to break off a part to bring back.  The way back home was long since his senses were still on high for any danger.  Aatami's step-brother was the first to congratulate him and told him that he just knew Aatami would pass and told him that his turn was tomorrow and couldn't wait to pass him like Aatami did.  "Well done," came the gruff words from his sire.  Aatami, for the first time, smiled happily.  "I knew you were strong," commented his foster-dam.  "I will be too!" came out the loud exclaim from his step-brother.  The night was filled with excitement, Aatami had to keep telling his step-brother to calm down.  With a giggle and "okay" as a reply, they slept.

It was a long time to wait with his sire and foster-dam as the younger fawnling that he viewed as his own brother was still in the forest.  He hoped for him to meet with a bear or a large pack of the beasts.  Seconds turned to minutes, minutes that fed his anxiety and fear.  His sire sighed before sharing a glance at Aatami.  "Not everyone passes..."  No, he said he would pass.  'He said he would!' cried out his inner thoughts.  Said and doing were different, he knew that, but...but for this to happen.  He already lost a brother, why couldn't he at least...  

"Let's go," called out his foster-doe softly, breaking Aatami from his thoughts.  He hadn't even realized that the day had turned into dusk.  No...  No, no, no!  He was about to leap into action to check up on his step-brother, but his foster-doe stopped him.  "It's best for you to not see the result, Aatami.  It'll only hurt you more..."  Aatami could tell she too was hurting and was hiding it else the other members in the herd would notice.  "Come on," came her calm yet shaky command.  With one last look at the forest that now held his step-brother, he noticed ravens flying over the trees.  

The years that passed by were quiet except for the shift of power in command.  When asked if he wished to go on the path of magic or strength, he chose to become a warrior.