Bracken

**Bracken** is a red deer and a hind of the Home Herd.

## Story

Eloin informs Brechin that Bracken dropped her fawn this morning. She is noted to have stood with Salen, one of Brechin's Outriders, last autumn. She is described as slow and rather timid, but still quite a catch for Salen. Brechin is delighted and asks if the fawn is a buck or doe, to which Eloin sadly reveals the fawn was stillborn. Bracken is standing under an oak, occasionally nudging her dead calf in a state of confusion. Eloin tells Brechin not to worry about her own calving, for Bracken was weak.

When Sgorr is nearing to kill Rannoch, Blindweed has the idea to swap Bracken's stillborn fawn with Rannoch. When Sgorr arrives, he believes that Brechin's calf is Bracken's stillborn one. He's about to threaten Bracken and Rannoch to make Eloin go with him to Drail, and she agrees, leaving Rannoch with Bracken. Bracken is sad to see Eloin taken away, and is bewildered at what has happened. She looks at her stillborn calf, then quickly looks away to Rannoch as he suckles, feeling a powerful maternal love even though he isn't her own.

Four months old now, Rannoch is going to play with Thistle and Tain when Bracken calls him back, wanting him to stay close. He is cross, and she reminds him that she only does it because she loves him. After he tells her how the other fawns laugh at him, Bracken allows Rannoch to go to the meadow, but tells him to be back by Larn. She first covers his oak leaf fawn mark with a mixture of blackberries and leaves, telling him it makes him look more handsome. After Rannoch gets lost in the forest and reappears the next day, Bracken is angry with him, but relieved he's okay. She makes him promise not to do anything like it again.  Bracken's punishment to Rannoch is for him to stay within her sight for a quarter moon .

Bracken is in constant fear for Rannoch, having told him nothing of his real mother or strange fawn mark. She continues concealing his mark with the dye that Blindweed showed her how to make, hardly understanding why, but knowing it's better that Rannoch doesn't stand out in any way.  Bracken is petrified when Rannoch arrives with his fawn mark exposed. She scolds him and quickly covers it up. She tells he, Tain, and Bankfoot that it is a special mark, and some deer like the Draila might be jealous. The fawns promise to keep it a secret. Bracken sympathizes with Rannoch, knowing he doesn't understand any of it. After the Draila begin searching the herd for a fawn with a mark, Bracken and Bhreac discuss going into the High Lands with Rannoch, as Bandach suggested. Bracken wonders if Canisp and Shira might join them. At night, Eloin, Bracken, and Bhreac tell the other selach of Drail's plan to kill the male yearlings, and urge the others to leave the herd with them. Canisp, Shira, Alyth, Morar, and Fern decide to go. Bracken encourages Eloin to join them. She refuses, but asks to say goodbye to Rannoch. Bracken tells Rannoch they are going on a journey, and tells him to meet and say goodbye to Eloin. Bracken painfully says her goodbye to Eloin. Bracken and the others leave the herd.

## Trivia

* Bracken is considered a selach because she has no living mate in the herd.

##### References

1. ↑  Fire Bringer, page 103
2. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 166
3. ↑ Fire Bringer, pages 12-13
4. ↑ Fire Bringer, chapter 2
5. ↑ Fire Bringer, chapter 3
6. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 80
7. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 83
8. ↑ Fire Bringer, chapter 4
9. ↑ Fire Bringer, page 82