Golden Glade H&M

THIS HAS BEEN A DRIVE-BY HIJACKING LOL.

He had spoken to Silas but hadn't taken any decisive actions just yet (mostly because that thread's still in progress and Kat has no idea how it'll turn out). Tambourine just sort of puttered through his days, spending his time living on the fringes, mostly alone when he wasn't with his companion. He had actually created a little dugout in the furthest southern corner of the woods, in the shadow of the adjacent mountain. It faced the sprawling cedar forest opposite of the territory. Tambourine felt at peace when he spent time there, as much as he could these days, anyway.

Today, he was sprawled in the dirt, chin on his paws, listening to the birds chirp in the surrounding treetops. He had never experienced the start of spring before, yet he recognized it on a purely instinctual level. When a flock of geese passed overhead, honking noisily, Tambourine lifted his head and rolled his pale eyes up to watch the "V" glide past and then disappear. His eyes dropped, only to be caught by a rustling bush nearby.

Tambourine's face contorted in confusion when the shrub growled at him. A moment later, a wave of dread washed over him. He froze, eyes widening to the size of saucers when an enormous bear lumbered out of the undergrowth, sticks and leaves clinging to its thick brown pelt. It looked at him with small, savage eyes, then abruptly reared onto its hind legs. The young wolf felt his bowels loosen at the sight of the slavering grizzly, freshly woken from its long nap at Hibernation Point and looking for its first meal in months.

Although he really felt no loyalty to the glade or its wolves—excepting Silas, of course—Tambourine immediately knew he must draw this hulking beast away from the pack. Swallowing his initial panic, he watched as the snarling ursine tottered closer, swiping its fearsome front paws in a fashion that was somehow both lazy and ominous. He remained rooted to the spot, heart beating fast, until it came within perhaps two yards. He quivered a moment, then abruptly darted to the bear's left.

This time, the bear roared outright, tumbling forward to all fours again. It hit the ground running. Tambourine dashed to his right, then broke into a gallop. He wondered if he should slow down to make sure he didn't lose the bear, lest it turn back toward the glade. But he needn't have worried. Despite its beastly bulk, it gave the silver wolf a run for his money. In fact, he swore he felt its hot breath on the tip of his tail at one point. Tambourine's heart nearly exploded.

Panting and eyes rolling in fear, he lured the grizzly toward Tuktu Weir, the two of them eventually disappearing into the distance. Back at his dugout, the birds—previously frightened into silence—picked up their song and the peaceful stillness resumed.