Bearskins

His mother had taken him to the Basin for a change of scenery. The last time Ardyn had been here, he’d been three months old, maybe younger. There were trees he hadn’t noticed in his excitement that time. Now, he practiced tracking while his mother took her own path, separating with him and offering her trust that he, as close to yearling-hood as he was, would be able to handle himself out here without her hovering at his side.

Loshir had decided to alternate between Ardyn and Aurielle, occasionally slipping away to seek out the queen and returning many minutes later.

It was while he was trailing a weak-smelling juvenile elk’s path that the animal suddenly came careering back at him in a panic, mouth gaping, ears back, not even bothering to stot, running flat out.

And after it came by far the biggest bear he’d ever seen in his life. Ardyn’s fur bristled under his armor, alarm and adrenaline erupting in his chest and gut. Weren’t bears supposed to be winter-sleepers? He cast all thought aside as he turned and bolted. A choice that brought the bear’s beady eyes onto him as Ardyn's black coat torched into fire in the buffet of the air he passed through and, sensing another predator, if young, the bear veered courses and chose the wolf instead.

Why is it always bears?! What did I do to you?!

He barely managed to avoid the swipe of a huge paw, and the momentarily blinding fear turned into a reckless surge of energy. He heard Loshir caterwaul, a scream that no doubt reached his mother’s ears and bring her pelting like a comet back to her son.

And then the mountain lion sailed past him. Not toward the bear, but away, as though thrown. Ardyn had an impression of red seeping through the cat’s coat over the shoulder, bright against the black fur. The fear turned to fury, cold, feral.

Ardyn turned and faced the bear, sabers bared and claws out. The bear, momentarily distracted by fending off an unexpected cat, regained its fury and bellowed. Ardyn didn’t bother with displays, instead bolting forward and raking his sharply edged and pointed canines over the bear’s foreleg and darting along its side as the beast snarled and whirled after him. He did his best to keep it on the defensive, raking and slashing with took and claw, until Loshir crashed into its shoulder and the boy darted back out of range to regroup, a breath before diving in again and launching himself onto the bear’s back.

His claws sank in for purchase and he sank his canines to the hilt, trusting the sharp back-edges to keep him from getting lodged in the bear’s shoulder, as his claws sank deeper.

Walk ---- "Speak" ---- "Labhair an Sean-Teanga." ---- "Hear" ---- Think