[Bronze Wood] The Trouble with Bears (Aiken)

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"I don't know much about kelvics," Sam admitted after a while, "but I'm glad you remembered you were half-human before you met me." He grinned. "Stupid bear." He thought he sensed painful memories. Aiken seemed fairly straightforward, anyway, and though Sam had no special powers with regard to reading minds, he had the sensitivity of one who had also undergone terrible things in his past. He removed Horse's saddle, setting it on a fallen log, and pulled out his traps and whatever else he might need to take care of the bear: preservation kit, etc. "Well, I'll go lay a couple of traps and take care of the bear. If you'd make sure nothing eats Horse, I'd appreciate it. He won't wander off." "Horse," he added in Pavi. "Stay. Rest." The stallion tossed his mane and went to drink from the stream edge. Sam walked back in the direction from which they had come, following the broken bits of bush and the traces of prints that they had left behind, rather obvious, as they weren't trying to cover up their path. He set his two traps in likely places far enough away that the scent of a kelvic, a horse, and a man would not be so prevalent that animals would shy away. His bird trap went in the crotch of a tree branch that required a bit of climbing. Luckily this tree was the sort made for climbing, and though he had been born and bred on the plains of Cyphrus, he had spent some time tree-climbing since. Hand over hand, he pulled his wiry body up several branches, careful not to touch the one where he would set the trap. The less of his scent upon it, the better. As he worked, he whistled a bit, hearing birds a bit farther off in the foliage. The descent was rather easy as well, and he swung down from the last branch monkey-like to the forest floor. The other trap he set farther along, down in the brush with a bit of carrot and lettuce borrowed from Horse's food. This, he hoped, would catch some rabbit or other varmint and prove a nice snack, at least, for Aiken. That done, he continued on to the bear. A pair of crows had already settled upon the bear, but luckily nothing else that would be more difficult to fend off. After shooing the raucous black birds, he knelt down to examine the fallen forest lord. They had taken his eyes, those favorite morsels of the crow, but otherwise he was mostly intact. Sam carefully set out his preservation kit and his hunting knife and all the other little things he would need. He was no expert at this, but he did what he did with all skills he was trying to improve: he went slowly and carefully to prevent stupid mistakes. The bear was large, though, so he knew he would have to work bit by bit, removing meat and all in order to get to the whole of the pelt. He slit the beast down the middle and in a circle around the neck. Some people liked a bear's head on their rug, but it would be too much to carry and much of this carcass was going to be left to the forest creatures. He peeled back the skin from the subcutaneous fat, cutting large steaks off of the bear's ribs and preserving them. Some he salted to preserve for a longer time, others he wrapped carefully for use sooner rather than later. He even rolled up his sleeve and found the beast's liver, which he put into a bag for Aiken. Sam could be thoughtful. Eventually, he realized he could take no more from the beast and that he had taken too little from him to turn him over and get the entire pelt. Sighing, he worked off the rest of the skin on that side of him, still a large swath of quality bear hide even if it was an older specimen. That too he wrapped carefully before cleaning up and gathering his booty. Stretching his back, he looked up at the sky peeking through the forest canopy and realized he should get back to Aiken and Horse soon. It was long, hard work. He puffed and panted a bit on his walk back, the weight of all that extra flesh bearing down on him. He was on horseback almost more than he walked long distances, so normally Horse was the labor. He was happy to see that a hungry rabbit had indeed died in his trap. Though there was the possibility that a predator or scavenger might break his trap to get at something, he set the trap again to check on the morrow. Aiken might want breakfast, after all. Sam didn't even think twice about how he was looking out for the kelvic. It was just the natural order of things for him. Aiken had saved his life and that of Horse, and so Sam would care for Aiken too. His burden was shifted about so he could carry the dead rabbit as well. "Ho, Aiken!" he called ahead to warn the kelvic, not sure if his heightened wolf senses were still there when he looked human, but not wanting to spook him by his approach. "I've got you a rabbit and a bear liver to keep you full and help you heal." His voice was cheerful, though slightly out of breath. This all served to make him appreciate Horse more. "Nothing in the bird trap yet, though...

[Aiken]

Aiken watched as Sam set off through the woods. For a second, he felt like he had been left alone. It confused him, as he knew Sam would be coming back soon anyway. The feeling passed and the wolf-man explored the clearing they were in. He needed to spread his scent a little further to deter any predators from getting ideas about intruding.

After a few minutes, he was already getting antsy about staying human. He couldn't just sniff the air, or listen for bushes bending. He felt vulnerable and defenseless, even though he was plenty strong and capable as he was. Taking a perch on a log on the middle of the clearing, Aiken sat and watched his surroundings, silent and calm as they were unsettling.

When Sam came into view, Aiken walked to him and put his hand out to offer some help. A sense of happiness returned to him, like he had found something; it still confused him to some degree. "Here, let me help you with your pack. It looks a little heavy on your shoulders after a walk like that."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"Oh, thank you," he said, coloring slightly with embarrassment. He had a wiry sort of strength, but Aiken was built more like Jaeden. That is to say, he had the bulk of muscle that Sam lacked. He did shift some of the weight over, though, more grateful after his trek than he was embarrassed of his size. "Just be careful you don't pull on your wounds and make them worse." Horse whickered a greeting and was, in general, much calmer now that he had rested. If he had smelled another predator, he definitely would have made a scene. But since Sam was accepting this strangely smelling wolf-man-person, Horse was growing accustomed to his scent too. It was a little strange, he thought, how Aiken was markedly more friendly of a sudden. Perhaps it was his wounds and being stuck in a less ferocious form that made him appreciate Sam's sword and Horse's hooves. All Sam knew was that it was better to be part of a herd no matter how many times he sabotaged any relationship with other people that grew too close. "I guess nothing happened while I was gone?" he asked.

[Aiken]

Aiken easily shifted the weighted pack into his hands and set it against a sturdy cedar tree. "Nah, I'll be fine. I was built for this. The cut is just a hazard I deal with. Besides, I heal pretty fast. I'll be fine before next dusk."

Aiken could smell the meat and fresh blood now. Greasy, salted bear meat, packed and sealed for keep in paper bags; liver, probably for himself, fresh cut and whole - Aiken's favorite part of any animal was liver. Moist, nutrient, and easy to get to. Flavor was an afterthought in the woods; and rabbit, sweet lean rabbit. Good for a quick meal with plenty of energy to start off the day or to keep him going.

"Nothing happened, no. Nothing that was visible, anyway... Thanks though. I'll repay you with a buck when I can. Kindness isn't common out in the rough."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"You might have to wait a while for that. I'll have to unload all the bear meat before I'll have room for a whole buck. Unless, I guess, I just throw it over Horse's back and walk back into town with him..." He thought about that as he laid the rabbit out and dug for the bag he had the liver in; Aiken's nose was quite good. "So I have a rabbit and a bear liver for you. I, um... Not to be rude, but would you like me to cook them or do you prefer them raw?" It wouldn't turn his stomach to watch a man-shaped kelvic tear into a furry carcass or the dark, vitamin-rich liver. His people were close to the cycle of life, and even though he had spent a decade apart from his culture, it was already ingrained. "I'd want to skin the rabbit first, though, either way. I can sell the pelt and then you needn't worry about coughing up hairballs." He grinned. "Is the poultice helping at all? I'm not much of a healer, truly. I just remember a few things from my Nana... and other tips I picked up along the way."

[Aiken]

"Raw. Cooking takes too much time." Aiken picked up the rabbit and ripped its hide at the stomach, splitting the skin from muscle and bone. A few minutes of finger-work, and the soft fur was separated from everything Aiken wanted.

He handed the fur over and looked over the kill. The succulent organs were too small on this rabbit, so he went straight for the legs and back meat. Being clean wasn't exactly his method of choice, and the blood dripped onto his chin and the forest floor.

"It's working great. No itching or oozing," he said between bites. There was plenty of protein to be had, and the bear liver still waiting was full of other nutrients that would help him recover.

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

Sam watched the kelvic tear precisely into the rabbit, more startled than disgusted, then stared at the pelt in his hand. He pulled out his hunting knife and set it against a rock to trim off some excess bits that didn't need to be there. He took salt from his pack and rubbed some into the bloody side of the pelt in order to prevent putrefaction before he got it to a proper furrier who could tan it. "Well, I'm glad I could help you out in return, then. I need to keep working on my swordwork. Wasn't born with such impressive weaponry." He grinned and wished he had been blessed with as impressive a physique, but he imagined Horse ran the faster for having a light, wiry rider. "Anyway, I suppose we should camp here for the night. Close to water. I can tie up the food and meat and get it out of reach of other bears..." In the meantime, he washed the blood off his hands, and pulled out some grooming equipment to take care of Horse.

[Aiken]

Aiken was confused for a moment, too enraptured by the meat to recognize his meaning until his brain had caught up. "It's more of a survival trait than anything. Living out here, by myself or with a pack.. Your body either adapts, or nature will take its course and kill you itself."

He threw what remained of the carcass into the river and picked up the bear liver. It was loaded with plenty of things Aiken needed, even if the texture could have been better. "I can't wrap my head around wanting to have been born any different than I was made. Its not really a concept I understand at all."

[Sama'el Sunsinger]

"I used to have a pack," he mused, half to himself as he groomed Horse, careful not to muss the poultice when he got to the injury. "Well, a herd is probably more accurate." He sighed, but continued to work. There was comfort in the familiar, in routine actions, but he couldn't stop his brain from thinking about what Aiken said. He didn't want to be something or someone else, really. After all, he had chosen life despite what all had happened to him; that was an affirmation of self, he supposed. Horse munched happily on grass while being groomed, and between his herbivorous chomping and Aiken's carnivorous tearing, Sam's stomach soon began to protest its emptiness with a loud growl. Stupid stomach.

[Aiken]

"I never liked herds. They're too easy, always too easy. A pack is tight. If someone is injured, we don't just let them straggle behind for them to be killed. Wolves don't have teeth like a wolf pack has teeth." He bit into the tough liver, trying to get as much into his mouth as possible to quicken the process. It still tasted like poisoned blood and fat, but the texture was worst. A mixture of liquid and solid, fermented together into a mush that was both soft and tough at the same time. He swallowed, hardly chewing at all.

"Herds always looked so much less organized. So much confusion and fear. It was just... a game, almost, for us to make them run from the hurt or ill." Aiken stopped for a minute, just a moment, as he remembered the carnage of the wolf pack and the ferocity of hunters. He was almost startled by Sam's stomach, but it pulled him away from the odd memories.

"You should eat. If you don't want meat, there's probably some berry bushes around here somewhere."