"MAAAAUUUDE"

Not a sound could conquer such a howl, not one in the entire meadow. It ricocheted off the connifers and cliffs, weaving its way to the thistle meadow, hopeful and desperate it would reach the velvet ears of the girl whos name they owed their being and substance.

Why was the ever-placid physician crowing at this volume? It was first light, and he was not a rooster.
He had lost his child. He had woken at his usual time; not long before daybreak he had stirred in his den neath the roots of the home tree and broke from the cave only to notice an empty feather nest which was occupied by Maude on every other morning. Every one but today.

So the wailing wreck of a father had screeched his way around the edge, cooing and calling for his young and hoping she would come bleating back. Had she taken a tumble off the cliff during the night? Had she gone sleepwalking? Had someone snatched her frail, pale bodice and dragged her away from home, away from him.
There was naught he could do but tremble, bleat and fret for his girl as he trekked the fields.

He welcomed the thoughts of ultima, thoughts he had been scratching at or batting away for far too long. How he wished she was here now to help him - eyes above ground would be more than ideal, but upon the sight of a group on the horizon his hopes lifted. They might have seen her! They might know where she is.

At first, he thought they were shrubs but they moved. They were Turkeys. Had this crowd gathered to watch some turkeys? Surely that was only the next rung up from watching grass grow.
Cantering closer, his footfalls high and unsure. Upon approach, however, he gave a frightful cheer to the gathering "Excuse me!" was how he began "I am missing my daughter!" The distraught father mumbled, finally coming to a stop, hardly having time to witness just who was among them. "She's very little, has an ivory pelt with ginger leg-"
"Maude!" his green gaze found the pearly girl, and soon so did his head and neck and he raced to embrace her "Just what exactly are you doing?! It's daybreak! and I-It-It's not the EDGE?"

Though upon witnessing what everyone was gazing at, he could understand the allure, the reason she had not returned or the reason she had come here in the first place. Straightening up and clearing his throat the stag felt a rush of a whole different set of emotions. Desire was one of them, also he felt daringly competitive. He leaned his head down to whisper to maude, hoping she had her eyes on the prize also. It would be either of those two going home with that prize he hoped.
"Do you know what that is Maudie?"