The Bruin's Vengeance

[WestCarolina 1784]

Floating. She was floating. But she also seemed to be anchored by her consciousness. Her mind consumed her. Her body sank deeper. With bloodied arms outstretched, legs slightly parted and a face serene and placid, the seemingly motionless Miven would ruminate about the murder she had just committed. 

The mali’ame plunged both arms into the heavier waters and allowed herself to submerge in the depths of her surroundings. Miven’s eyes fluttered as she sank to the lake's bed. 

 

The environment above was surreal; a golden glow beaming on the creatures that wandered aimlessly. Lush green grasses, trees, and vegetation hugged the lake. The water was still until Miven launched herself to the surface, sucking in a desperate, hefty breath of air.

 

She swam over to the edge, hoisted her small body onto the soft grass and crawled some distance. Yet, weary and distraught, her frame eventually collapsed, limbs sprawled in a vulnerable state. The elfess was typically chirpy, vibrant, and vivacious, but it appeared as though her recent actions had sucked that very life out of her. Well versed in hunting, Miven was familiar with the unfortunate deaths of prey. However, this animal was no mere prey item. Rather, it was a cherished companion. Doe-like, round golden orbs pierced the dusk fallen sky as she contemplated her next move. But the girl was not one to dwell. Upon regaining her composure, she prevailed by propelling herself to her feet and went onward to gather herbs and berries.

***

Two decades later, Miven had found herself wandering in the same woodlands she had inhabited years ago. The encompassing deciduous forest felt welcoming to the mali’ame. She always had a sense of belonging when she traversed the boscage. The birds greeted her with chirps, sun with its embrace and the canopying trees with its protection. However, her latest trips brought about intense bounds of curiosity. She had witnessed a mother kodiak bear with her two cubs, one of which was obviously injured and feeble. It had a funky skip to its’ walk, limping and applying most of its’ weight to its right side. Miven mostly observed from afar, however, she had made several attempts to approach the cub, only to be guarded off by the aggressive growls feeding from the mother bear's maw. The mother bear lumbered about and neared Miven, warding her off to protect her young. The elfess was not to push her luck, nor wished to upset the mother bear. She retreated back to the village and planned a trip that would last days, perhaps even weeks.

 

 

 

 

***

A satchel draped the shoulders of the woman containing the random medical supplies she could scour from her burrow. Bandages, alcohol, water, a splint of sorts, food -- a lot of food, and only the weapons she had kept on her regularly would come along for the trip back into the woodlands. Miven explained the mission she was about to endure to her sister Medli, and she urged that she come along in case something went awry. After hours of trekking, the two arrived in the general vicinity of the bear's inhabitancy. They hunkered down and watched for hours. There seemed to be no trace of the bear family, until some groaning and crackling of leaves could be heard up ahead. 

 

“There-” Miven hushed excitedly, stretching a precautionary arm out to block Medli from continuing forward.

 

With the absence of one of the cubs was left the mother bear and its still injured baby. Miven’s doe-like, growing eyes observed the twos interaction intently. The mother kodiak nudged the cub with its snout, prompting it to lay down. The cub was curious of its familiar surroundings, and mostly the new, faint scent it began to pick up. It obeyed, lowering itself to the grasses. Before pursuing the bears, Miven reached quietly into her satchel for one of the three packed pieces of meat. As the elfess pulled the meat into the air, the mother bear picked up on the strong smell and made way toward Miven. Miven motioned her hand backward in preparation to swing the meat forward but paused. She recognized that the action might frighten the bear. So instead, she met the mother bear half way and placed the meat down quickly before backtracking to her original spot. The kodiak snatched the meat from the ground and huffed, bringing it back to its’ cub. They shared a moment in which the mothers' back was oddly vulnerable to Miven and Medli. The elfess peered over her shoulder to ensure that her sister was safe and then back to stalk the two bears. 

 

Now that she was closer to the pair, the ‘ame began to prepare another piece of meat from her parcel. This time her shakier hands crinkled the parchment that wrapped the meat so much so that it alerted the mother bear. The large motherly mammal turned almost instantaneously to the sound of the parchment and bellowed a horrific roar, one that caused the nesting birds to flee from their homes. 

 

Miven gulped audibly and listened to the bear's demands. She took many steps backward which appeared to be enough for the mother bear. The bear looked Miven over before returning to its’ cub. The dedicant decided to flank the kodiak, rounding to the cubs side. She presented another piece of red meat between them. The meat disappeared in a matter of seconds. All the while, the bear cub would be whining in both pain and hunger. It stumbled various times as it longed to stand; failing and falling over itself again.

 

“I only wish to help your young. I do not want to hurt you or the little one..” The careful elfess hummed as if the bear could understand. 

 

 

The prepared mali’ame lowered herself to the cub’s level, putting herself in an endangered position. She began to toss through her satchel, pulling out various items and made sure to show each one to the attentively protective mother. 

 

Miven’s fingers scanned over the wound, a gash six or so inches long, an inch wide. ‘Poor thing probably fell from somewhere high,’ she thought to herself. The girl then proceeded to palpate the twitching cubs’ left, back thigh feeling for any misplaced bones. Nothing felt out of the ordinary to the mali. Even with her minimal experience in the medical field, she could tell the bone was still intact. 

 

“Alcohol, to clean the wound..” 

 

She balled a piece of cloth soaked in the alcohol and dabbed at the dried blood. As soon as the alcohol met the cubs’ wound, it yelped, eyes eagerly looking up to its mother. The cub grasped the ground below it, scrambling to get away from Miven. The uproar agitated and alarmed the mother bear. She launched herself closer to Miven, causing the elfess to fall over to her backside with surrendering hands and a second to come up with a plan.

 

“Look, look!” The scatter-brained mali’ame flimsily patted the clean, side of the cloth against her own skin to show that it was safe to use on herself.

 

Heat and the lingering smell of every meal the mother bear ate radiated over Miven’s young, sweaty wood elven features.

 

 

 

Miven locked eyes with the mother bear. The mark of Bolomormaa was still painted on her cheeks and forehead from her coming of age celebration. The trust was instilled through the short connection they had just created. Because of the prior actions, Miven was able to escape from under the bear’s wrath. It flicked its head in the direction of her disabled cub, almost as if it granted permission for the ‘ame to finish. 

 

This time, Miven worked quicker and used water to clean the dried up blood. The cub was still skeptical, curious at least, shuddering as she began to wrap the healing wound with bandages. Miven lifted her arm to her forehead, wiping away the line of sweat that formed over her brow. All the while, her eyes danced back to Medli ensuring her safety. 

 

The elfess fumbled with the splint contraption she had built prior to the trip; two sticks and wraps set up so that over the course of a few weeks, the stabilization would come apart as the bear walked. The mother bear huffed at Miven and began to lumber off. She could not understand why the bear did so, but it evoked Miven. The dedicant finished up her work on the cub and reached back into her open satchel for a hand full of bears and the jar of honey she had packed. A gentle toss of her berry hand sprinkled the fruit about the cubs front. It excitedly groaned, especially when Miven smacked at the bottom side of the honey jar allowing for its slow ooze to coat the ground. The cub lapped at the honey as it wobbled to a stance. It clearly struggled for a moment, adjusting to the contraption attached to its leg. The cub poked its nose at the bandages before becoming easily distracted and pleased again by the honey. Miven rose a tired, uneasy hand into the air and hovered it over the cubs box-like noggin. She held her breath as she lowered it, meeting the bear's softer fur between its’ ears. The cub seemed untroubled and quite frankly unaware of Miven’s caressing, continuing about its treat. With that, the ‘ame felt as though she had done her job to aid the cub back to a place where it could heal -- a place where it did not depend on her any longer, nor would it hinder its’ ability to survive on its own. 

 

Medli and Miven left the bear’s home, and headed back for Siramenor. 

***

Six or so weeks later, Miven returned to the same location on her own in search for the cub. She had no means to interact or interfere with it. Her only intention was to observe how the cub had been doing, and if her contraption had worked. To her blessed surprise, the cub was seen trotting toward a body of rushing water after its mother. The curious Miven followed close behind, yet stayed at a distance only to witness the cub standing strong on a rock, swiping into the water for fish.

 

 

((OOC: This is Miven’s grand task for her Druidic dedicancy!  Thank you to @Kuila and @searose143 for playing the bears irp. Also @RainbowRoad1234 for the support. I no gud at writin’ so pls be easy on me hehe))

 

[TrueJay 21]

Though he wasn’t there to witness the event, the act of kindness towards a hurt creature would warm Revin’s heart. He made note to congratulate Miven next time he saw her.

[Nectorist 12869]

“She will make a good Druid,” says a local non-racist who is still affiliated with a group of racists. Because no one is around, it is unknown who this individual is and thus is unnecessary to name them.

[Epistile 856]

Kaaene reached for the pot of green tea he had began preparing over the fire, startled by Miven’s abrupt entry into their burrow. Excited to hear the news of the elfess completing her grand task, he quickly began to pour the two wooden bowls of the tea to drink. The conversation lasted only a few minutes as she was dragged away by others wishing to congratulate her.

[ElevenJellyBeans 100]

“I am proud of you daughter.” A faint whisper emits the Magpie Druid, sat in her cottage in the middle of the woods. Her own blood sat watching her stare out of the window at nothing. A faint frown briefly graced her lips before fading to a mere muted purse.