Meadowlark Prairie Long journey home

The black bear stood calmly across the field, worried orange eyes pinched at the corners. The wind was not in her favor, so she could not say much about the pair. A male and a female, one looking significantly older than the other. Mother and son?

The woman called out, friendly enough.

"Hello," Easy replied, taking a step forward. But the male cut in, then, nervous but still posturing. The thick fur along her spine prickled at this display, and her next step was stiff-legged, asserting dominance in turn. Her tail flagged, puffed in her wariness, and her ears pressed forward atop her broad, bear-like skull.

"Your friend is a grown woman," Easy replied, annoyed with the male's behavior toward his friend far more than she was with his behavior toward her. "Who can very well speak for herself."

She addressed her next words to the woman.

"There are no packs nearby. I am on my way home — it's half a day north, at a good clip."

She did not worry about them harassing her. The woman seemed sensible, and the male more presumptuous than nefarious. The black bear dared to move closer, to conversational distance, daring the male to stop her with a challenging stare.

"My name is Ishara," she said to the woman, her nostrils flaring now that she was close enough to better take in her scent.