just beyond Kaistleoki borders
His face hurt. His ass hurt. The grizzly male wandered upon curious and lumbering paws, following a vague, strange scent on the wind that he hoped his gut was correct about. Bampa followed the song of his lost childhood. He sought comfort and safety, and pushed himself closer to what he thought was its source.
The brief run in with the wolves had left Bampa feeling quite sorry for himself. Why were they so mean? Why did they want to hurt his fellow sister bear? They were dumb, crazy animals, and their teeth had sunk in deep. A healthy chunk was missing from his cheek. Though the wound had crusted over, it didn't look happy as it oozed relentlessly. Thankfully, infection hadn't set in.
In spite of the times his mother had pushed him away before, he trailed after her. Bampa found himself dangerously close to another wolf pack, but was far too distracted to bother avoiding it. For surely not all wolf beasts were as vicious as the ones beyond the mountains.
Days came, and days went. Skuld had followed the coastline on into nothing too noteworthy--a few minor successes, a fascinating find or two, but the beach was cold. The winds bit hard, finding purchase in even her rugged hide at its worst times.. so in the face of this, her patience did wane quickly. Especially when irritation began to outweigh interest. Her route had followed the river, and to a plateau.
There, she was tempted by peace only until she smelled wolftracks.. just like everywhere else. They seemed plentiful enough to notice, which led her to wonder. Which way would it go? Regardless, her lumbering steps carried on, and the plateau harbored enough for her to linger--even after she had found the telltale signs of wolfpack nearby. In her new local scavenging, they had not come for her yet, though. Not since the coastline had one such curr looked at her long enough to make the thought. She roamed on as she pleased.
Today, it began as any other. She set out to wander and in sniffing the wind, she did notice more of a certain curiousity when it shifted just right. Oh? Familiar, no less. And he was close, setting her lips into an ugly grimace. Skuld planned to scope out the wolflands better, but evidently the idea was not unique to her. Disappointing to find out now, already so close to where she knew the pests could be at any given instant, and certainly too late to simply vanish into the woods entirely.
However, an innate mother's sense, one tickled by the scent of old blood and ooze, threatened to rise when she breathed deep again just to be sure that it really was him. It did not yet outweigh an instinctive desire to keep away from her grown offspring though.. so when she lowered her heavy snout again, she walked on her way.
There, she was tempted by peace only until she smelled wolftracks.. just like everywhere else. They seemed plentiful enough to notice, which led her to wonder. Which way would it go? Regardless, her lumbering steps carried on, and the plateau harbored enough for her to linger--even after she had found the telltale signs of wolfpack nearby. In her new local scavenging, they had not come for her yet, though. Not since the coastline had one such curr looked at her long enough to make the thought. She roamed on as she pleased.
Today, it began as any other. She set out to wander and in sniffing the wind, she did notice more of a certain curiousity when it shifted just right. Oh? Familiar, no less. And he was close, setting her lips into an ugly grimace. Skuld planned to scope out the wolflands better, but evidently the idea was not unique to her. Disappointing to find out now, already so close to where she knew the pests could be at any given instant, and certainly too late to simply vanish into the woods entirely.
However, an innate mother's sense, one tickled by the scent of old blood and ooze, threatened to rise when she breathed deep again just to be sure that it really was him. It did not yet outweigh an instinctive desire to keep away from her grown offspring though.. so when she lowered her heavy snout again, she walked on her way.
Mother.
His nose found her. Bampa's feet followed the trail, picking up the pace even though the limp slowed him. Wolves were near, his nose told him that too; it didn't matter. She was the most important creature in the world, and she would know how to fix him. Mothers knew everything. They knew what plants were tasty and which ones would make you sick. They knew how to find the tastiest moths in the rocks of the mountains. They knew how to make male bears go away. They even knew when it was the right time to run away, a lesson that Bampa had failed to remember when he had decided to try to protect sister bear.
At last he caught up to her, but she was some distance away. He could see her at the very least, and that was enough for him to hope.
His nose found her. Bampa's feet followed the trail, picking up the pace even though the limp slowed him. Wolves were near, his nose told him that too; it didn't matter. She was the most important creature in the world, and she would know how to fix him. Mothers knew everything. They knew what plants were tasty and which ones would make you sick. They knew how to find the tastiest moths in the rocks of the mountains. They knew how to make male bears go away. They even knew when it was the right time to run away, a lesson that Bampa had failed to remember when he had decided to try to protect sister bear.
At last he caught up to her, but she was some distance away. He could see her at the very least, and that was enough for him to hope.
Mother,he said quietly, stepping forward, pleading. She had moved away from him before. Ever since she had decided he was fine to be on his own, he had tried several times to crawl back into her care. Each and every time he was rejected, but maybe... just maybe, this time would be different.
February 01, 2021, 12:01 AM
Despite any determination she had not to see him, he came closer anyway. Eventually it was enough to make her stop and lift her lip at him again, then driving on the point with the low growl. There was that annoyance first, but it cleared to a different sort of understanding soon after she warned him off; he limped, he suffered. The mother in her reared its wretched, ugly head and instinct warred well on around her.
A deep breath, and then another. It truly was him. Winter had not let him rest either and she knew how miserable it could be. But that was not it. Suspicions bled into being and she wondered how, exactly, they had done this to him. Surely, it was the wretched insects that crawled thick across these lands that had dared to lay their teeth into what was hers. What else would dare trouble their kind? Even him, as dim as he was.. did not deserve their hazing and barking.
To her grown son, she rumbled low again but did not linger with her focus on him. Distraction would have to do instead, even if they were not the ones responsible. Skuld turned away from him and moved off towards the strongest scent of rancid canine flesh she could find, each step faster than the last.
A deep breath, and then another. It truly was him. Winter had not let him rest either and she knew how miserable it could be. But that was not it. Suspicions bled into being and she wondered how, exactly, they had done this to him. Surely, it was the wretched insects that crawled thick across these lands that had dared to lay their teeth into what was hers. What else would dare trouble their kind? Even him, as dim as he was.. did not deserve their hazing and barking.
To her grown son, she rumbled low again but did not linger with her focus on him. Distraction would have to do instead, even if they were not the ones responsible. Skuld turned away from him and moved off towards the strongest scent of rancid canine flesh she could find, each step faster than the last.
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