Rowan Nightshade's Short Stories

Magic Bears?

This was an excerpt from The Absence of Cha-Ching that I took out due to editing. Still, even if it didn't fit into THAT story well, that doesn't mean I have to totally delete it! So here you are!

I barreled blindly into the woods, not caring what path I took, taking any clear way.

When I finally stumbled into the clearing, Tor was clutching her side, blood trickling through, holding her hunting knife between her and the bear. My eyes widened, impressed, as I saw what the bear had been roaring about. One of Tor's daggers was buried hilt-deep into the bear's eye, but as I watched, the dagger was ripped free, and the bear shook it's head. I beheld the bear in horror as the eye mended itself, becoming whole again. Tor cried out in terror, and fell as the bear lumbered towards her.

I ran up to meet the bear, throwing Tor the horn I always had strapped to my back. Thankfully, she understood. As I faced the bear down, I heard her fumble with the cork, then a huge blast of sound rolled and swelled from behind me as she tried to signal our friends.

The bear snarled, and sniffed at the air, showing its teeth threateningly. I got the message it was sending: Leave the wounded one to me, and you will survive.

I growled back in reply, settled more firmly onto my bent legs, and raised my knives. No.

The bear roared, and strode towards me, it's powerful legs eating up the ground, it's mouth opened into a deadly smile.

Bending low, I raced around it, keeping as far away as I could, Tor still blowing the horn loudly. Suddenly, instead of coming at me, the bear slowed to a comfortable pace and turned. I watched in horror as it advanced towards Tor.

"Hey, stupid!" I screamed, trying to get it's attention, but it paid me no heed.

Just as it was about to swipe at Tor, I sprinted up its back, like a gazelle, and shoved both knives into the back of it's neck. If a bear can howl like a wolf, it certainly did.

Suddenly, I was flung free, and with a unhealthy crack, I connected with a tree, falling about 6 feet before I finally hit the ground with a huge Thump. I tried to grasp my pocket knife from my boot, but a horrid amount of pain shot up my arm and made me cry out. I cradled my hand to my body, waves out pain coming off it.

The bear stalked over to me, and it's claws were inches from my face when shouting erupted from behind the bear, and I watched in amazement as I saw Hiram, one of my friends, suddenly appear on top of the bear's head, driving a spear into it before jumping to safety.

My vision was going gray, and I felt blood trickling out of my mouth. Even when my vision was totally gone, and my mind was fading into sleep, I could still hear the bear roaring and my friends yelling courageously.

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I felt something cool and wet on my forehead, and immediately I thought, Bear tongue.

Even before my eyes were opened, I took action. Balling my fist, I packed a punch, but I was way too reckless. I screamed when my arm was suddenly caught, my whole arm jarring, and I screamed again in agony.

"Open your eyes." an anxious voice invaded my hearing, but I couldn't obey it, for I was sinking quickly back into a pain-induced sleep. "You have to wake up!"