yo, chill out will you?

Crossing the Ashen Islands, Hattori found himself in Auster once more. Though he hadn't travelled far, or it didn't feel as though he had, the weather was considerably warmer here, lacking the piercing chill that announced winter's imminence back in Boreas. He was still rather surprised only the Hallows had claimed a patch of land here, with much of the continent left quiet and empty in turn allowing other larger predators to fill in the gaps. As such it could be a dangerous place to wander alone and yet Hattori was no more cautious than usual,  falling back onto his shinobi training with his mind and senses sharper than his talons.

Ahead of him laid a meandering river, bunged up in the middle by a beaver dam. There were none in sight to speak of, but their smell permeated the air, filling Hattori's nostrils as he lingered in the shadows of the tree line and wondered where they had scampered off too. It was then he saw it, a little further downstream and thudding along as though each footstep was torture.  Grizzlies were, as far as Hattori knew, not native to these parts and this one did not look to be at home. Thick, congealed blood was smeared into it's coat and it had a rabid, almost feral gleam in its eyes, no doubt a little bitter about the state it had fallen into.

Usually around this time of year bears were fairly predictable, more interested in gaining weight for hibernation than anything else, but if this bear had wandered to Auster then it would not sleep winter away. That made it dangerous, a liability.

He stepped out of the trees and the bear snapped around to face him, clearly surprised by his presence. It reared up onto its hind legs and roared so loud Hattori felt the rumble of it in his chest, as though its paws were beating against his ribs. The Shogun did not blink nor flinch, it would take more than that to make him move.