Wild Berry Meadow lower a row boat and grab an oar

She had never seen Sumac like this before. The joy he'd expressed to her in the past had always been tinged with unavoidable sorrow. Every victory felt bittersweet in the face of so much loss. Hearing the unburdened way in which he spoke of Raindrop, the black bear felt tears welling up in her eyes. She tried not to let him see, still digging away on her own side of the den, but she could not hide the slightly wet sound of her voice.

"She sounds wonderful, Sumac," Easy told him, commiting herself then and there to loving Raindrop as well.

It was this love of the sea that clued her in. Sumac would need to stay up by the coast to keep his lady love happy. Easy supported this — she'd been hoping to see him spread his wings, and now he seemed ready to dive off a cliff to catch the breeze. It was heartening to see, even though she would miss him terribly.

"I hope to meet her someday soon," she said, wondering how best to make this happen. She was coming into the days now where it would be best not to travel, and she hoped that Raindrop would soon be in a similar way.