His Reluctant Luna

Ch 24 - Survival

ATTENTION RADISH READERS! Please don't leave any spoilers in here or you'll be getting a spanking from Iona. Or Kole. Or Konnor. Whoever you'd prefer. 😘

***

Something soft was nudging me awake. Fur brushed along my arm, weight over my body and hot breath in my face.

Oh god, they had found me.

Wet clothes clung to me, my fingers were numb with cold. Pebbles and rocks dug hard into my body where I lay, sprawled on my front, my legs still laying in the river. A shiver ran up my body and I heard the wolf grunt over me. Despite my pain at being found, I almost nuzzled into the warm fur I was so cold. I should have known they would find me. I should have known getting away wouldn't be that easy.

I opened my eyes to face them and my insides froze.

Bear.

It sniffed me, its huge haunches leaning over me. I closed my eyes again, sealing them shut and playing dead. My heart pounded against my chest.

Death by grizzly was a bad way to go.

If it was down by the river it was probably hunting, which meant it was hungry. This could be very, very bad.

It pawed me, turning me over. I grimaced but stayed silent. One heavy paw rested on my chest as it sniffed and mouthed me, its rancid breath a rank gust in my nostrils. I tried not to breathe. I tried not to think. If I started to think then there was a good chance I would start to scream.

Eventually, after long moments that lasted an eternity, the bear huffed and moved off. I lay there a long time after that. Breathing, calming myself. I peeked one eye open and slowly, very slowly, I stood. Gaze darting around for the Grizzly. But I was alone. Completely alone. And more lost than I'd ever been.

Okay, Iona. Don't panic.

I remembered hitting the water, I remembered the rapids, I hit a rock and then...nothing. I felt my head and winced when I found a lump on the right side of my head. I could only imagine I'd been knocked unconscious and by some stroke of luck, had been washed downstream. How far I had gone though I had no idea. Kole could still be nearby. Hunting me. Along with anything else out here.

First stop: get away from the salmon filled river before anymore bears wandered along. I stood, scanning the area for my pack. I couldn't see it. It was gone and I felt the loss in my gut. All I had left was Oatis's knife, sheathed at my hip. My chances of survival just slimmed down to almost nil. I checked myself over. I was bruised, cold and hungry, but I was fine.

The night was coming which meant temperatures were about to drop and in my freezing wet clothes that was very, very bad for me. I couldn't light a fire...I needed shelter. That was my first stop.

I headed for the treeline, ignoring my exhaustion my survival instincts kicked in as I kept track of markers. I was going to need to find my way back to that river. It was my only guide and water source now.

My limbs screamed out for rest but I kept moving. A rank smell hit my nose and I grimaced. Looking around I spotted the culprit. A fresh pile of bear dung. The tracks heading towards the river. This probably belonged to the bear that had woken me.

I was about to pick up the pace, to get away from the area as quick as possible when an idea hit me. An idea that was really going to suck. Gritting my teeth I knelt. Bear dung would keep keep the wolves off my scent as well as most other predators out here...there was nothing for it. I dug my hands in.