Bear encounter

It was late afternoon, and Akos was enjoying the warmth of the day. It was a slow day, so she hadn’t been up to much. There weren’t many prey around, so instead of continuing her vernator duties, she decided to take a stroll through the forest. Watching the trees sway in the soft breeze and listening to the chirping of the birds. It was about midday. The sky was clear, and the sun shone brightly through the leaves.

Her ears swiveled as she listened to the forest around her. There were so many interesting sounds to listen to. Songbirds singing, stone sheep baaing, deer trotting through the woods. One noise in particular had caught her attention, though. A low, rumbling noise that seemed to cause the ground around it to tremble. Some birds flew off a nearby branch as the noise echoed through the woods. It sounded like danger was nearby.

Cautiously, Akos rose to her feet. Despite her instincts telling her to run, she walked closer. Akos was a curious wolf, and curiosity can be a very dangerous thing. She ever so slowly approached the source of the noise, trying her best not to make any herself. She didn’t want to alert this creature of her presence, whatever it was.

As she poked her head through the thick brush, she saw it. One of the most fearsome creatures in the forest. A grizzly bear. It was about the size of 3 fully grown wolves, and it’s fur was shaggy and matted, with bits of grass and brush tangled in it. Her heart stopped and her legs became paralyzed with fear. What should she do? What can she do? There was no one around to help her. No one around to give her orders.

Then, as if it had been expecting her, the bear turned it’s large head in her direction. The two of them were standing there, staring at each other. Her legs began to tremble, and her tail tucked between her legs. It had noticed her. The bear had noticed her, and it was getting closer.

Without thinking, Akos ran off. She ran faster than she had ever run before. It didn’t matter that the bear wasn’t chasing her back. She didn’t care. The only thing she cared about was getting away from the beast before it decided to have the small brown wolf as an afternoon snack. Bears ate wolves, right? Surely they did. Why else would they be that large?

Akos ran for what seemed like forever. Running through the trees and past the stream. It seemed like nothing could stop her. She ran until she was safely in the deepest corner of the den. Her legs were still trembling, and she was completely out of breath, but at least she was safe. Safe and sound inside the cave she called home.