Bear Heart

by K. J. Colt

  Sharp talons dug into my shoulder. I cried out in pain and swung my fist, knocking the bird across the head. My knuckles throbbed, but a surge of energy allowed me to run. While darting between trees, I took out my dagger. The bird hovered above the trees, following me as I ran, keeping close to the trees. Cover was sparse, and the hawgrald beat its wings faster and faster. I waited for it to grab me and drag me into the sky. My shoulder stung. A wound so early would not bode well for my bear fight.

  I came to a clearing, removed my bow and nocked the arrow on the bowstring. I turned, aimed, and let go. The arrow lodged under the hawgrald’s wing. It screamed, and my ears rang from the loudness of it. It continued towards me, but the wing trembled and eventually drooped. The bird hit the ground, spraying snow into my face.

  Skelkra ran up behind me and lunged at the bird’s neck with a knife. The beast gargled for a moment and thrashed its head to the right, knocking Skelkra against a tree. Its eyes wide and panicked, the bird stretched its head, gasping for air. With each gulp, its eyelids closed a little more until it collapsed to the ground. Blood trickled from its beak.

  Skelkra stood and wiped his knife on his loincloth. ‘Well, it’s no deer, but it will do.’ He chuckled.

  My legs still trembling, I sank to the ground. And to think, Jeykal had to kill one of those.

  Skelkra touched my shoulder where the hawgrald had scratched me. ‘The wound is shallow, but you should wash it anyway.’

  Blood ran down my arm. If the other challengers knew I was injured, they might be tempted to take advantage of my weakness. Skelkra hauled me to my feet. Our bodies touched, and for an instant, I forgot my injury.

  ‘You’re a good shot,’ he said.

  ‘Jeykal taught me.’

  He ran a finger along my jawline. ‘That boy has a thing for you?’

  I shivered. ‘And you don’t?’ I challenged him.

  He regarded me for a moment and smirked. A smile forced its way onto my lips too, and I snorted, shaking my head. We walked back to our encampment. Skelkra dragged the hawgrald’s carcass.

  We spent the next hour cutting the bird in half. We cooked some of the leftover meat not intended for bait and ate. Our feet had started turning blue, and we warmed them by the fire. Mine tingled as the feeling came back into each toe. I massaged my feet, squeezing and pushing until they reddened with blood flow. I cooked my fish from earlier. Skelkra went to the river to fetch water. Upon returning, he cut his knapsack in two and used one half to store his belongings and the other to dab water onto my wounds. He washed hawgrald blood from his body, and water dripped down his legs.

  ‘Aren’t you cold?’ I asked.

  ‘No more than you would be.’ His gaze lingered on my stomach and moved up to my breasts.

  The back of my neck tingled, and I ached for his fingers to stroke my skin. Distracted again.

  I shook my head and met his eyes. ‘The day is closing. I must set the trap now.’

  He gripped my arm fervently. ‘You are injured. Rest tonight and hunt tomorrow.’

  ‘No.’ I rose from the ground. ‘Now is the time for me to strike.’

  I packed my things, grabbed a portion of the bloody hawgrald carcass, and moved across the mountain. Thixal walked behind me, stopping when I stopped, climbing when I climbed. I aimed for a ravine ahead, where I would lure the outermost bear to the meat. I hoped I could find one far enough away from his friends that our violent embrace would go unnoticed.

  A hand went to my shoulder. I spun around.

  ‘You’re going to die out there,’ Skelkra said.

  I shrugged away from him. ‘Leave me now. Make your own way.’

  He seized my arm again. ‘Let me help.’

  ‘Leave me!’ I shoved him back, but my efforts were wasted on someone his size. Annoyed by my weakness, I stomped away. My heavy steps turned soft as I crept towards the bears’ fishing grounds. I checked behind me. Only Thixal followed. Thank the stars. I held her gaze for a moment. A smile touched her lips, and I knew she approved that I had left Skelkra behind.

  As the sun plunged behind the mountains, the clouds dropped. Most of the bears had moved downstream. A young male stayed behind, determined to catch the last of the fish. He panted and snorted, batting the water with his claws. His tenacity made me pause with regret from knowing I would soon take his life. While he was young and enthusiastic, he was the size of an adult. On all fours, he stood taller than Skelkra. On two feet, he would tower above the younger pines.

  The clouds greyed, blocking the sunlight and darkening the valley. In the distance were pulses of light, and I knew a storm was brewing. A strong wind blew, and the air grew colder. With each gust, snow fell to the ground. I timed my steps with falling clumps.

  The bear tired, his swipes less powerful, his gaze flickering here and there without focus. He sniffed the air, finally noticing the change in weather. I had to act now. I ran as fast as I could with the heavy carcass dragging behind me. I slid down the mountainside into a ravine, placed the bloodied meat on the ground, and climbed back up the icy cliff. My fingers searched for a stone in the snow. I found one, aimed, and threw it at the bear, hitting him on the backside. I ducked down as the beast twisted around, irritated eyes sweeping the landscape.

  He lifted his snout, twitched his nose, and balanced on his hind feet. His body elongated as he stretched towards the sky, searching the landscape. I hoped the wind wouldn’t mask the smell of the meat. Suddenly, he growled, went down to all fours, and cantered towards the ravine. I crawled to the edge and peered over the side, being careful not to make a sound. I slowly slid my dagger from my clothes, gripped it with my right hand, and waited. The bear raised its eyes for a moment, and I ducked, tightening my grip on the dagger before peering over the side again. I heard the sounds of ripping and tearing. Perfect.

  My veins swelled with blood, my senses heightened, and the world crawled to a stop around me as I contemplated my advance. I had to attack from the side of the entrance, or I’d be trapped against the mountain base. I allowed the bear to eat for a while, so he would be caught off guard. It would be relaxed, unaware, enjoying its undeserved feast. I stretched my fingers and then eased them around my dagger, ensuring my grip was faultless.

  I counted the beats of my heart, knowing every one brought me closer to my fate. I licked sweat from my lip, closed my eyes, and pictured exactly what I had to do. When I opened them again, I brought my legs up underneath me, putting my feet flat on the ground. I crouched low, keeping my eyes fixed on the beast. My eyes dried; I blinked. The bear raised his head, taking a break, white nose covered in blood, feathers scattered around him.

  I inched closer and closer. A bird whistled in a tree to my right. A fish splashed in the river. Thunder clapped in the distance. The breeze cooled my forehead.

  Now? I asked myself. My muscles twitched, but my mind remained still. I had to trust my intuition. It would tell me when the time was right. Father had taught me that. I steadied my breathing, managing my heart rate. Too much excitement would make my movements shaky; too little, and I would miss my target. As I watched, the bear lowered its head and collapsed to the snow, continuing its meal on its belly. It emitted satisfied grunts. I allowed him a few more moments of pleasure, as he was a magnificent animal.

  Now! I leapt from the ridge, flew through the air, and landed on the bear’s back. He reared, throwing his head towards the sky. Its shoulders shuddered, almost throwing me off. I brought my arm down and stabbed its neck as hard as I could. The blade went in, but I’d missed the artery.

  The bear thrashed, claws fully extended, each talon the length of my hand. I gripped the animal’s neck and squeezed with my thighs. I brought my hand back and stabbed again; blood sprayed my face and neck. I let go and fell to the ground. The beast turned to face me, its cloud-white fur stained crimson.

  The bear rose into the air, growled at me, and then struck out. I rolled backwards, feeling wind brush against my back. I sprang to my feet and spr
inted away from the ravine. Feet pounded on the ground behind me. I knew I couldn’t outrun it, so I dodged and jumped, but the snow was too soft and slowed me down. Then the bear struck me down from behind. I fell to the snow, my back soaked with blood. I rolled over, and the bear stared me down. It swiped again, and I scrambled back, but its claw caught my thigh, exposing red flesh.

  When it leaned down to bite me, I kicked up and thrust my dagger into its neck. More red sprayed over me, and the bear groaned, shaking its head. The blood leaked out in rhythmic spurts; I’d hit an artery. It took two steps back.

  I clutched at my leg. Unsteadily, I moved across the snow, pressing down hard on my wound. The bear walked off, grunting and moaning. I lay on my side, keeping my back and leg off the ground. I clutched at myself, unable to move and bleeding heavily. I was going to die.

  ‘Klawdia,’ Sklelkra said.

  I arched my neck to see him sliding down a nearby hill. He pulled off his loincloth and ripped it into shreds to soak up the blood on my back. I looked away.

  ‘Sorry,’ he said, ripping my breast cloth from my body and tying it around my leg. Then he ran to the river, skidding on the ice and almost falling in. He broke off a chunk of ice and came back to press it on my leg.

  I flinched at the pain, yelling through gritted teeth.

  ‘Keep still,’ he said.

  I moved my head and felt as if I were a floating cloud. ‘Did you get your wolf?’ I asked in my dazed state.

  ‘No. Stop talking.’ Putting his hands under my arms, he lifted me and dragged me across the snow deep into a gully. I stared up at a cliff edge and saw the grey clouds above it. ‘We’ll be out of the wind here. Squeeze the skin together to stop the flow of blood.’

  I did as he said and cried out at the pain.

  ‘I’ll be back, I promise,’ he said and ran off.

  For a long time, I lay there alone and in agony. Snow fell, and the flakes were small and light, but then they grew larger, and the wind blew them here and there. My leg throbbed with pain, my back also. I pressed hard on the ice on my leg, and it began to melt; pink water trickled down my leg.

  When Skelkra returned, he had both our knapsacks and the wood from the fire we’d lit earlier. He made a fresh blaze, took my bow and arrow, and left again. I curled my body into a bow shape alongside the hot logs. A while later, he returned again with three dead rabbits and a fox.

  He took my knife and skinned them. I hoped the Watchers wouldn’t penalise him for using my weapons, but given that I had made the attack all on my own and was very injured, they’d forgive me. The smell of cooking meat made my mouth fill with saliva.

  Skelkra checked my wounds. ‘The bleeding has slowed.’ He sighed with relief. ‘The cuts on your back aren’t deep, but your leg is bad. You’ll need to keep it wrapped. You will return home in the morning.’

  ‘No!’ I said, sitting up and then wincing at the pain. ‘I have to find the bear. I have to cut off its head.’

  He tried to push me back down, but I used my arms to push myself onto my knees and balanced against the rocky wall. I grabbed a protruding stone and pulled myself to my feet. Blood leaked from my wound again. I ignored it, grabbed my knife from my bag, and hobbled forward.

  Skelkra muttered something and pushed me back to the ground. ‘Fine. Stay here, and I’ll track it down.’

  He left me again, and I stared at the meat browning with burnt edges. I pushed it off the fire and put it on a rock. My stomach growled. I ripped off pieces of meat and shoved the tender morsels into my mouth. Small rocks fell over the cliff, and I looked up to see Thixal staring down at me.

  ‘I’m alive,’ I said, shoving more of the food into my mouth. I grabbed my water skin and slurped.

  Skelkra reappeared. ‘The tracks lead this way.’

  He lifted me and carried me a long way until we came across a corpse. The large pool of red meant the bear had bled to death. I collapsed to the ground. Thixal and Abel came up beside us.

  ‘We have decided not to disqualify you, Skelkra of the Wolves, for using the weapons of another challenger to hunt game before you’ve obtained your own prize. Klawdia fought bravely, so we will overlook this. However, she must cut the bear’s head from the body.’ Thixal presented me with a cleaver. ‘For its head.’

  I sat beside the bear, keeping my injured leg straight, and swung the cleaver. Every movement made my back twinge and my wounded leg leak blood. The landscape was almost dark when I finally reached the bone. I looked back at the gully and worried about our fire.

  ‘I’ll take care of it,’ Skelkra said and left.

  I bashed the blade through the bone and used the last of my energy to twist the head around, snapping it from the body. I rolled the head into a bag and lay down on the snow, letting the cold numb my body. Too exhausted to keep awake, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

  I lay on a bed of leaves, leather, and canvas. A naked Skelkra crouched near a flickering fire. The bear’s head sat nearby, its eyes lifeless, its jaw open revealing a row of large teeth. I closed my eyes, basking in the warmth and safety. Even the pain had lessened.

  ‘Thank you,’ I whispered to Skelkra.

  As he turned to meet my gaze, his hair shimmered in the firelight. He tended to the fire, and then he crawled across the ground towards me, like a lion meeting his mate. His muscles flexed and swelled, and I glimpsed what swung between his legs. His thighs were thick from training, and his lips spread into a smile as he neared me. He angled his hips away from me as he sat and brushed a strand of hair from my face.

  My breath caught in my throat. I closed my eyes, concentrating on his rough hands on my smooth cheeks. To my surprise, soft skin touched my lips, and I opened my eyes to see Skelkra kissing me. As if they were possessed, my hands rushed to his body, desperate to touch what I had always admired. My fingers found the edges of his shoulder blades, the curve of his spine, and finally his firm backside.

  He moved against me, his warmth pushing away the frigid air. Leaves rustled underneath us as his hands found their way to my breasts and my left leg pulled at him, urging him to be on top. His own leg fell between my thighs and pushed against my throbbing ache. It did little to satisfy me, and I moved myself against it. His tongue explored my mouth, and my own pushed back. I felt a strong throbbing against my leg, and I instinctively edged to lie underneath him. He lowered himself between my legs, and his hardness flicked against my wetness, making me moan.

  I kissed him harder. Then his mouth was at my breasts, the tip of his tongue flicking over them, and then, moving up my neck, he sucked. I twitched involuntarily and was reminded of my injuries. Blood leaked from my bandage and smeared across his skin.

  ‘Oh,’ I said, looking at the mess.

  He followed my gaze, smiled, and then resumed his deep kiss. He crawled forwards, keeping his gaze fixed on mine and pushed himself in, finally satisfying the ache in my groin. I arched my back to accommodate his length. Heat spread throughout my body, and pleasure erupted below. I cried out, digging my nails into his back. His own body tensed, and he gasped and moaned over and over. I felt him swelling within me until his release.

  Afterwards, he kissed me tenderly and then collapsed onto his back, being careful not to knock my leg. He propped himself on one arm and ran his hand along my stomach, kissing my shoulder and nudging my ear. I pushed my face against his. We lay there for a while, revelling in our bliss. Soon after, the pain returned to my body, and I felt how much we had disrupted my injury. I looked down and saw the blood running. I adjusted the bandage, and Skelkra jumped to his feet to find more ice.

  After the bleeding stopped, I said, ‘You must hunt your prize tomorrow.’

  He stared out into the snowy night and swatted at a rogue snowflake that managed to make it under the cliff.

  ‘I will. I cannot return empty handed. Although…’ he trailed off to stare at me. ‘My hands have already found everything I’ll ever need.’

  My cheeks flushed with heat, and he smil
ed back, cupped my chin with gentle fingers, and kissed me. ‘Now, you need sleep before I damage you again.’

  I closed my eyes. I had the bear head. I had Skelkra. Tomorrow, I would start the journey home.

  Chapter Four

  I awoke to birds chirping. I parted my eyelids and stared upwards, my gaze finding mist. Overnight, the fire had extinguished. My skin tingled under a cool breeze. I blinked a couple times and shifted my legs. Instantly, I felt the aches and pains from the previous day’s injuries. No surprise there. Then, the memories of my entanglement with Skelkra came to mind. I smiled, basking in the leftover sensations of our embrace.

  I touched my lips and thought of his kiss and his hands running along my body. I rubbed my face and lifted myself up to my elbows to look at him, but my eyes found nothing. No weapons, arrows, or bear’s head, and most noticeably, no Skelkra.

  I looked towards the river. Thixal had set up camp by the ice; she’d dragged down a log and sat on it by a small fire. Her eyes flicked to me and away again.

  ‘Where is he?’ I shouted.

  She pursed her lips, and then I knew. No! I thought, getting to my feet. My leg throbbed. I felt my hip. The hunting knife was still there. He had taken everything except the knife. He’d betrayed me.

  I hobbled over to Thixal. ‘He tricked me, didn’t he?’

  ‘A good ruler leads with her head as well as her heart.’

  I scowled at the elder. How dare she imply I hadn’t been using my head? Skelkra had never given me any indication of insincerity. He’d worried I’d be killed by the bear. He’d stopped my leg from bleeding and given up his own clothes to do so.

  I kicked at the snow, and it sprayed over Thixal’s fire. Not waiting around to see her disapproval, I stormed back to the gully. I looked down at my feet and saw they were discoloured. I also noted that my chest was bare. I grabbed the canvas Skelkra had covered me with and used it to conceal my breasts. I sighed and walked back to Thixal. I plonked myself on the log beside her, edging my feet as close as possible to the hot coals.