That was here, on this side of the hole. Not very close, but here, on the side where he was.
Another crash of thunder came, and then another.
Bambi made a few steps deeper back into the thicket, where he kept still and listened. Everything was quiet. He crept carefully home.
The elder was already there, but had not gone down into their chamber, he just stood next to the fallen beech trunk as if he had been waiting.
“Where have you been all this time?” he asked, and he was so serious that Bambi remained silent. “Did you hear that, just now?” the elder went on after a pause.
“Yes,” Bambi answered. “Three times. He’s in the forest.”
“Clearly ...,” the elder nodded, and he repeated, with a strange inflexion, “He is in the forest ... we need to go.”
“Where?” Bambi could not stop himself from asking.
“Over there,” said the elder, and his voice was heavy. “Over there where He is now.”
Bambi was alarmed.