Otter Creek i sank to the ocean floor

she didn't get very far.

all she thought about was going away. somewhere far enough that she couldn't see the pretty mountains anymore. but she ended up a few miles away, by some silly creek. Bee would stare at the depths, her eyes red and still running with tears. they trickled down her cheeks, adding to the waters. am I an idiot? she thought, feeling hurt emotionally despite her chest heaving from the run. all she had wanted to do was help Revui, and he practically said he hated her. that was the last time she was going to try to protect someone!

Bee sank to the creekside, resting her skull on her lanky limbs. a sigh escaped her jaws as she sniffled. I'm an idiot she thought bitterly, reaching out with a paw to whack at the water. to think she smacked it again I could fit in here! a wave was created. nobody seemed to understand her desire to fit in and still remain her own person. maybe Moonspear wasn't worth the pretty night sky's view. she could find her own mountain. somewhere... somewhere in the vale? Liri had said she could come back any time. 

but it was late. the sky was dark and she felt she shouldn't travel all the way to Liri at night. Bee sighed again, trying to close her eyes and sleep. so that the day could come easier and she could forget all this stuff in her dreams.

The beast had not gotten far before the scent of wolf drew her way. She thought it foolish of them to pursue her; yet it did not bother her either. She reached the creek about an hour prior to the wolf, and made to fjord through it. The current was strong and the water soothingly cool, touching upon something deep within her - something familiar, of a northland, of glaciers still unbroken. She lingered there for a few moments before kicking off with her powerful limbs, and swam upstream. She basked in the water, lazy and lounging, soaking her sore face in the water to prevent swelling — and that was when the wolf scent became unbearable; no pun intended. The behemoth lifts her head from the water's surface but makes no sound, merely watches, her triangular ears flicking water as they rise on either side of her wounded head.

"oh" she had been so absorbed in her own problems she had failed to see the bear. now as the two were staring at each other, Bee tried to give the other a smile. "its you" she was happy the bear was safe, though. she gave a great sniffle before rising. her eyes focused on the pizzly bear. "are you okay? he didn't hurt you, did he?"

she failed to realize that the bear was so large it probably hurt Revui more than he did it. in her ignorance, she quickly tried to check for blood in the dark. smelling no wound, she'd sigh. "I'm sorry... all you wanted was a snack. but you got a whack instead" she tried to chuckle at her own joke, but failed miserably. her face fell into a deep frown. "I'm Bee." she also realized the irony of calling herself that to a bear.

It would take some time before all the words returned to her memory, but she made do. When the wolf spoke of snacks and whacks, the bear huffed a breath from her nose and a spray of water blasted forth; very much like a whale, one might say (but not to her face, please). When the wolf spoke an introduction the bear merely watched her. If they were expecting a verbal response then it was unlikely; Kilalurak had outlived many wolves, but none had learned to speak her language. It seemed a waste to try and communicate that way.

She did lift clear of the water though, and quite suddenly. Making a show of standing in the creek. Her front end raised, hardly bothered by the current, until she was standing at her full height; her forelimbs tucked neatly against a broad chest, her claws hanging like knives. With one reaching stretch of a limb Kilalurak found the creek's edge, falling to all fours again and splashing the water all over. She drags herself from the creek and shakes off, sending water spraying all over and her fur in to a tizzy - except her face, which drips in rivulets and makes her broad head look more gaunt than it truly was.

she assumed the bear maybe ate some fish or something else on the way to the creek. which is why the pizzly wasn't making a snack outta her right now. she was utterly defenseless without Revui here to protect her. her face scowled suddenly, so very unlike her, at the thought of him. he could go eat a bug! she was perfectly fine!. if the bear wanted to hurt her, it would have already!

said bear lifted itself out of the water, making a splish splash scene and dumping creek water all over the place. Bee would stand back quickly to avoid the wave, though she was still sprayed a bit despite this. not that she minded; it was a bit refreshing actually. "I guess you're fine" she'd muse quietly. if the pizzly could do such a thing, move in such a way, it was not very wounded. "but he's a meanie head!" she burst out suddenly.

"and I'm not apologizing to him!" Bee added feverishly as if the bear was speaking back to her.

The wolf kept on making noise. Kilalurak wondered if all of them would be this way, but then she considered the silver creature from earlier - how silent and belligerent they had been - and huffed to herself. Best not to think of that foolish creature now, or she might just turn around and find her way to him for payback. She had not yet eaten (despite what Bee thought), however she was tired. The day spent travelling was hard enough on the large creature, and to be accosted on top of that (however ineffective the attack was) had made her sleepy, not hungry.

A few steps took the bear closer to the wolf; she seemed more interested in the moist dirt along the creek's edge than the canine, and began to noisily shuffle along with her dark nose in the soil. By using it as a shovel and occasionally dragging those massive claws through the loam, she could unearth night bugs. Worms, mostly. As they became exposed, she slurped them up, crunched beetles, and snacked on reeds as she passed through them — foraging, utterly disregarding Bee.

still, the bear did not speak to her. maybe it didn't know how? oh, but that was stupid. she saw the glint of intelligence in its eyes earlier. Bee just thought maybe it forgot how to communicate with wolves. or maybe... maybe it never learned their language? she fell silent, wondering how to properly get through to them. as the bear foraged amongst the bugs, she would walk a bit away from the creature to further down the creek.

eyes scanned the water, vacant of fish since the pizzly entered. but sure enough, they returned just as quick. they weren't really that smart if you asked her. lowering herself to hide fully in the brush, she'd swipe out with a paw to bat at a sizable fish she didn't know the name of. Pa had taught her to hunt, and he often liked to fish instead of track. so she knew how to catch fish. something wolves usually don't do if other prey was around. 

biting the neck of the fish quickly, she'd return to the bear. without a word, she dropped it before the beast and stepped back. at least it was better than bugs.

It wasn't much - maybe enough for a black bear, but she was much larger than her puny cousin. Before long the beast tired of the work and settled, sprawling on her chest and reaching her forelimbs out as if the dirt desired a hug; one arm sank in the creek water, the other puverlized a path through the grass.

Her snout was brown with mud; in the daylight perhaps it would be red, but she would be patient and see. The same color would no doubt stain her chest and underside, some form of warpaint that would dry and cake, but for now she was enjoying the cool sensation. It was nowhere near the same feeling as ice; but she was never going to see ice again. The thought was depressing — but the wolf, bless her tiny heart, the wolf was bringing her a gift.

The fish was dropped before her. As bold as this wolf had been to intervene earlier, it was bolder still to bring food - to offer it, to treat her like some sort of pet. Curious. Perhaps if Kilalurak was feeling differently, she would be insulted. The fish was a puny offering but it was an offering nonetheless, and brought her back to the days when she - and her ilk - were worshipped.

She swept her face forewards and grabbed the fish as it was mid-twitch. Her teeth sank in tot he head, severing it mostly, spurting fresh blood through her teeth and down her chin so that the clay-red became true red; she savored the feeling of the fish head on her tongue for a moment, then canted her skull back, and caught the body, swallowing the entire fish whole.

this being was a wild animal just like her. Bee didn't have it in her to lower the pizzly's status to anything like 'pet'. all she ever wanted to do was help people but Revui had rejected her assistance previously. she felt the sting in her side still where he had pushed her away to deal with it himself. no, this was a majestic beast that didn't deserve the pain he had caused it. she'd watch as the fish was received, wagging her tail happily as it was devoured. that's all the bear wanted. food. it was just like a wolf; all they wanted was to survive. 

so why were a bear's life and rank any different than a wolf's? Bee knew sometimes bears attacked her kin, but this one hadn't. this one had seen sense. there was still a flicker of intelligence in the pizzly's eyes. even if the bear was bigger, it hadn't attacked Revui and her. it could have. it had the justification. "do you want more?" she asked gently, allowing herself to feel useful for a change. if Moonspear didn't want her, maybe she could help others outside of her pack. "I know you can catch your own but... I feel bad." she confessed. not for the bear but because of what happened.

"it's my fault you got hurt" Willoughby uttered sadly.