Gilded Bay It's the heat that drives the light

The bear froze at the sound, rising to his feet in an attempt to hide his weak state. He took in the dark female, his gaze calculating. He did not trust strangers and normally held an aggressive stance when faced with one, but he was too weak to defend himself properly, which was clear in the way he fell back into a sitting position. Shit, he said before coughing again, his breathing coming out in wheezes when he was done. What do you want? he asked gruffly, gaze still piercing and distrustful. If she was here to kill him, then he hoped she would just get on with it.