Rannoch

**Rannoch** is a red deer and a Lord of the Home Herd. He is the deer foretold in the Herla Prophecy.

## Appearance

Upon birth, Rannoch is described with a thick woolly coat and sleek little ears.  He has very bold eyes and many freckles on his back, like snow leaves dropped from the clouds . He has a fawn mark in the center of his forehead, formed by a slightly raised tuft of white fur like a plash of snow, in the shape of a perfect oak leaf .

As a 4 month old fawn, Rannoch has lost his white spots and woolly coat . Using blackberries and moist leaves, Bracken creates a muddy brown dye that covers his oak leaf fawn mark . He has bright eyes  and no antlers yet .

In chapter 7, Rannoch has grown and now has two pronounced furry pedicles on his head. He has a fine young face and a high forehead.

During his time with Liam, Rannoch grows his first head of antlers , then his second, which are two spikes with brow tines sprouted forwards , and then his third, which are curved beams forked in two at the top like crab claws, larger brow tines. He is described as a fine young stag of about 2 years old.

## Story

Rannoch is born to Eloin almost at the exact moment his father, Brechin, is killed. His birth was a difficult one, nearly costing Eloin her life. Eloin decides to name him Rannoch, after one of Starbuck's calves. Blindweed is taken back when he sees his fawn mark in the shape of an oak leaf, immediately believing him to be the deer in the Herla Prophecy. He covers it up with a smear of mud, warning Eloin that the mark will bring him nothing but trouble. Bandach arrives and warns the group that Sgorr is coming to kill the fawn. Bandach dies distracting him and the Draila, giving Blindweed time to swap Bracken's dead fawn for Rannoch, and Sgorr falls for the trick. Eloin leaves with Sgorr, and Rannoch is put into the care of Bracken.

Rannoch is now four months old. He is greatly disappointed when Bracken doesn't allow him to play in the meadow with his friends Thistle and Tain, as she keeps him very close. After telling her that the other fawns laugh at him, she agrees to let him go, but be back before Larn. Before he goes, she applies the mixture of berries and leaves to his forehead to cover his oak leaf marking. Rannoch is annoyed and doesn't understand why he of all fawns needs this, and Bracken tells him it makes him all the more handsome. Rannoch joins Thistle and Tain, playing with them for a bit, before he grows bored and suggests going into the forest. His friends dislike this idea, as they aren't allowed to go into the forest alone. Rannoch feels strange being near the edge of the forest by the big oak. They then see Bankfoot being bullied by Braggle and Raggling. Rannoch rushes to his aid, sending Braggle flying. He is stung when Braggle calls him a selach. Braggle and Raggling leave, and Bankfoot thanks Rannoch for sending the bullies away. After Thistle and Tain refuse to go, Rannoch goes into the forest. Distracted by the surroundings, he leaves the trail and gets lost in the forest that night, but is soon accompanied by Bankfoot, who followed him. The two form a friendship on their adventure, spending the night in the forest. Rannoch feels a tingling in his body and is amazed when he is able to understand a couple of badgers, and overhears them talk about the trail out of the forest. He is able to find it, and he and Bankfoot are reunited with their mothers, who are angry, but relieved they're alright. Rannoch apologizes to Bracken and promises to never do anything like it again. He then brightly asks if he can play with Bankfoot tomorrow.

Rannoch's punishment for going into the forest is to stay within Bracken's sight for nearly a quarter moon. After that, he is to return to her before Larn every evening. Every now and then, Blindweed visits them and watches Rannoch grow. He is interested in his adventure in the woods and keeps asking Rannoch questions he doesn't understand. Rannoch, Tain, and Bankfoot go to the "lake" to watch the fish, when 10 Drailing arrive, Braggle in the lead. They fight, and before he can be pushed into the water, Rannoch turns and jumps in himself. Tain and Bankfoot are amazed when they notice his fawn mark, the dye washed off in the water. He is confused when he sees the oak leaf in his reflection and feels strange, tingly, and a little scared. They go to Bracken for answers. She quickly covers his mark again, and he realizes this is why she does the ritual with the berries. She tells the fawns that it is a special mark, and must be covered because other deer might be jealous. It is best he looks like any other deer. After the Draila search the herd for a fawn with an oak leaf mark, Bracken decides that she and Rannoch must leave the herd to protect him.

## Trivia

* If Rannoch had been a doe, Eloin would have named her Bhreac.
* The name "Rannoch" is well known to the Herla, for it is the name of one of Starbuck's calves.

##### References

1. ↑  Fire Bringer, page 103
2. ↑  Fire Bringer, page 241
3. ↑  Fire Bringer, page 57
4. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 166
5. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 37
6. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 38
7. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 40
8. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 58
9. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 60
10. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 62
11. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 65
12. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 168
13. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 230
14. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 232
15. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 239
16. ↑ Fire Bringer, chapter 2
17. ↑ Fire Bringer, chapter 3
18. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 39
19. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 39