The Reindeer Rut

“It’s me”, bellowed Mars, turning his head and antlers up to the sky, “I’m the strongest so I should be the one who leads the herd when it pulls the Gift givers sleigh and anyone who disagrees with me can fight me”.

The other male reindeers snorted with laughter, “Another newbie who doesn’t understand the rules of the game”, they muttered under their breath.

“Well?”, said Mars, looking round about him at the other stags, “Doesn’t anyone want to lock horns with me? Are you all so cowardly?”.

“Alright”, said one of the older reindeers, a stag called Mercury with shining silver fur, clip-clopping forward, “But don’t worry. I won’t be too hard on you. I’ll let you win”.

“Mercury!”, objected a golden furred Hind called Venus, “You shouldn’t take advantage of him.
He doesn’t know any better”.

Mercury turned his head to face the pretty hind, “Then it’s a good opportunity for him to learn a lesson and I’m going to teach it to him”.

Mars just roared and shook with laughter and snow fell from his antlers as he shook, “Enough talking. Let us lock horns”.

Then both stags lowered their antlers and there was a moment of intense silence as they eyed
each other up; clouds of steam rising from their nostrils as they both took deep breaths. Then suddenly, like thunder crashing; they charged against each other; their branch like horns clattering loudly as they interlocked and then there was a titanic struggle as both magical stags wrestled, using their powerful neck muscles; blue branching arteries of electricity crackling through the antlers and their scowling eyes flashing as bright as stars.

Then, unlike ordinary Stags, these flying stags took their battle into the sky; their silver hooves glowing with magical energy as they rose off of the snowy cobbles of the reindeer paddock
and, gazing up, all the other reindeers opened their mouths in awe as they watched the whirling wrestling match turn into a small tornado.

“Come on, Mars”, shouted the newer reindeers.

“Come on, Mercury”, shouted the older ones.

And it looked as if Mercury was about to win but then, suddenly, it seemed as if the older Stag was getting tired and making a bleat of submission, Mercury broke away from the fight and flew back down to the earth again.

“You win”, he said to Mars,panting with exhaustion “You’re much stronger than me”.

Mars strutted cockily back towards the ground.

“Ha!”, he roared, “I told you I was the strongest. So it’ll be me who leads the herd from now on”.

“Just a moment”, said another voice from behind him, “I’ll decide who leads the herd and who pulls my sleigh”.

Turning round then, Mars saw the Gift giver standing at the entrance to the paddock, “And the one who leads my herd isn’t the strongest or even the swiftest. It’s the one with the most giving heart; he or she is the Alpha of kindness. Mercury let you win but he could have easily defeated you, Mars”.

“What!?”, protested Mars, angrily, “He didn’t let me win. I beat him fair and square because I’m stronger”.

The gift giver shook his head and tutted, looking at Mars with eyes full of sympathy, “Mars; the longer you stay with me; the more powerful you become. All the older reindeers are stronger,
not to mention wiser. Mercury could have easily beaten you but he knew that I look more favourably upon kindness than power. That is why Mercury will lead the herd when we pull
my sleigh this evening then maybe, next year, if you prove yourself wise enough, you may do the same”.

Then Mercury stepped forward and raised his head proudly as the old Gift giver stroked his head
and all of the reindeers; apart from a sulking Mars, cheered his name.