The Bruin's Tale | Into the Forest

[WestCarolina 1779]

 

 

 

 

|Crunch, crunch, crunch …| Bare feet padded with haste across the ground of withered leaves. 

 

Behind trailed much louder, weighted feet that crushed dried flora.

 

|Thud, thud, thud …|

 

A breeze. The autumn’s chill went unnoticed as a young wood elf propelled herself forward, arms swinging during her flight. In her off hand, a slippery salmon squirmed and flailed -- her dominant, an ivory-stone dagger. 

 

Labored breaths resound as the troubled prey hurdles over fallen limbs, forearms rose to breach any that thwacked at her fleeing form. 

 

Amber hues locked upon deciduous ahead. Midgait, sharpened, elven teeth sunk into the flesh of that crimson fish so that small hands could dig at the trunk upward.

 

Upon the third branch of the maple, a Caerme’onn sat and heaved -- tanned skin both glowed and wreathed of sanguine ichor and perspiration. What surrounded them was still, no predator had chased but that fish still proved life. One of her inked mitts rid the cast from her maw. In one fellow swoop, the shiv mercifully ended such. 

 

Within minutes, the fish was gone and a wrist came up to wipe lips free of blood. The tiny bones were pocketed into a makeshift satchel and an unexpected |rumble| called from within. 

 

Unsatisfied, she knocked her coppery head back against the tree.

 

***

 

Doe-like eyes rested for only a moment until a huff sounded from some near bulbous nose. She was primal. Her gaze flew open in search of this potential threat and across the way perched an adolescent kodiak who pestered and gnawed on a bees nest that dripped with honey. 

 

The bruin studied the creature, elongated ears drooped and perked as she took in its every move. But to her dismay, this was not the bear she had sought out for. It took hours until the grizzled animal clawed its way down the tree's length -- day turned to night.  

 

Previous lacerations were promptly melded by nature and upon suns break, the boisterous wood elf confidently made her way to the watering hole. She stood at a distance, watched and waited for the others to arrive. 

 

An outcast. Not yet one with the sleuth. 

 

 

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Greetings and cries echo in the open air as families of bear-kin traverse across boulders that splashed with white water. A few imprinted cubs chase after one another, while others diligently swiped and toyed with salmon that flew. 

 

A surreal scene became chaotic when two of the apex beasts went neck to neck. It was brutal, but intriguing. She stepped forward from her tallgrass. Why did she near? The youth’s curiosity drew her in until she was but meters away. Frozen, the elf blinked as water sprayed her features. Her toes curled instinctually around the rock she stood upon and a hand wavered over her thigh. 

 

No time was spared. She lunged herself forward and struck her dagger once, twice, three times into the bear's scruff. She ended its’ suffering. She brought aid to the triumphant creature. However, this assistance was not recognized as cooperation -- rather, a threat. The undefeated kodiak swung two powerful paws at the woman. Each had met, one to the face, the other her abdomen. 

 

 

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Piercing, golden eyes flutter open to darkness. Her immediate surroundings were cold, damp, ground hard and made of earthen mud and rock. A pain rapped and orbited about her head as she blindly reclined into a seated position. She would be startled by a singular, distinct huff and there it was. Though her memory was shaky, the credence that this kodiak was the one who had struck her was unnerving. This had been the flaxen bear she spent an entire season's cycle with. One that repetitively built upon that bond and daunting trust. 

 

All Miven knew and cared for was Muvrek. An intrinsic, spiritually ardent feeling burned at her core. That is what she had been searching for. 

 

Spoiler

I am nowhere near a professional, creative writer but I thought I would have my hand at it during a break I took, and it was fun! This was my attempt at a folk tale-esque storytelling. 

 

[Callum 927]

Based

[DaImPasta 2]

fish