Tor, now alone except for his bonded companion, Tsen, so faithful to include him as part of his herd, who would never venture very far even though untethered day and night, knew that the trail ahead would be more dangerous. But he prepared the best he could. Always trying to think of ways to avoid conflict rather than face it head on. At times like this, Tor thought of the old man, the murderous old man, who managed to live alone and to even destroy a group of very strong Thal raiders single-handedly. He was now on that man's trail again. Very much alone. Could he make it all the way to his mother? Even with Tsen's help? He didn't know.

Bears had come out of their winter hibernation hungry and were everywhere along the trail so close to the river, Tor was seeing evidence of their foraging, complete with their excrement. Leaving behind a strong odor that he could sometimes sense in the air when bears were close. Likewise, Tsen would often flare his nostrils, snort at the smell, shake his head and whinny softly that he knew a bear was somewhere nearby. But fortunately, so far, they hadn't actually encountered one… Or worse, a ravenous mother with her milk hungry cubs.

But the inevitable happened at almost the same time as the thought while they moved along the trail one afternoon. Both horse and rider picked up the scent when the wind shifted from in their faces to from behind. Tsen picked up the pace and Tor became immediately concerned because he knew they were being stalked. Running would not help. Bears were fast and they were unstoppable when on the hunt.

But nothing happened that afternoon except Tor's anticipation and anxiety growing waiting the bear to build up enough courage to attack. He searched for an appropriate place for them to hole up for the night that would be somewhat safe. In the waning hours of the day, Tor finally found what he was looking for. A huge pile of driftwood that the river had dumped on the bank, including a large stump that he planned to turn into a bonfire.

Tsen paced uneasily about and snuck a little bit of fresh grass here and there as well as some of his favorite flower blossoms, all the while whinnying softly his concern as Tor with the driftwood built a very quick fort of logs right at the high riverbank facing the stump that he piled smaller wood on to get it to burn more quickly. With the makeshift fort on his back and the fire in front of him, he was sure that the bear would not come close to him and his food and belongings. Tor removed what he had from Tsen's back to make him freer to escape or challenge the bear in the night, stowed his gear and food and settled in for the night.

Tor had carried a spear that was a little longer than he was high all the way from when he left the clan for just such an encounter. Without help, he wouldn't try to kill this bear. Only spear it sharply in its nose or paw bottoms to make it fear him because he inflicted pain. Tor cooked some fish that he had caught that morning on a fire he started that quickly grew hot and bright. As the surroundings became darker, he moved that fire to consume the stump with ferocity as he piled on more wood.

It was hot by that roaring blaze and hard to see past it, but, for a while, Tor tried to keep an eye on Tsen and also an eye out for any sight of the bear coming out of the forest with the fire at his back. The surrounding woods was well lit up by flickering yellow, making it difficult to see if anything was moving. But all of the strain and rushing to get ready combined with the hot food and heat from the fire, made him doze off. Sometime during the night, the stump had burned down considerably and was just crackling and throwing off sparks, when he, in a dream, heard the shuffling and growling of the bear coming close.

Tor woke up!

Tsen let out a loud whinny and trotted off. Tor could hear the bear growling and bounding off after him. They didn't go far, close to the dense woods, when Tsen turned and attacked his adversary. There was a lot of screaming, both from the horse and from the bear, loud growls and shrill whinnying as the battle raged. Thankfully, Tor could hear the bear lose the battle and sneak off into the forest, whining and wounded. He didn't even have a chance to send an arrow or two into the beast.

Shortly, Tsen came into view of the firelight, whinnying softly. He had calmed down considerably in victory, but was still uneasy and probably, wounded. He stayed close after that and Tor added wood to the fire and got some more sleep.

In the morning in the light of day, Tor found deep claw marks on Tsen's shoulders and rear haunches. Examining his hooves both front and rear, he found blood, pieces of flesh and the thick brown hair of the bear. It may have been mortally wounded from Tsen's kicks. He treated the wounds with some native remedies that he had learned from his mother and the girls. 

He lightened Tsen's load that day and the horse limped a little bit, but set out happy that his companion not only could protect himself in the wild, but also protect him. A very good thing to know.

But other humans, most friendly, but some very dangerous, would not make the same mistake as the bear. They would attack him first. The girls and he had come this way before and there were a couple of times when, with their knowledge of the language were able to allow him passage with them, returning to home. Tor did not have that luxury of vulnerable girls in his favor anymore. He had to stand on his own. In the language of the Po, he practiced what he would say when he encountered others. But he wasn't sure if it would work or be enough. The girls had traded herbs and medicines. He had none.

In a day or two they came to a place where a hillside and cliffs came close to the river, a gorge where the river had carved its way through hills on the tail of a mountain range. Tor remembered that this was a place they couldn't bypass by going around and was occupied, in caves above the river and trail by hostile looking people that Gael had talked to, gaining them safe passage by trade. He hoped they had remembered him, so he practiced telling them that he had returned the girls to safety with their clan and was hoping to return safely to his mother, far to the north.

But he needed something like the herbs to take their attention from robbing him or worse. He knew how to fight, but five scrawny men with bows and arrows above could take him down. That gnawed at his thoughts.

Tor rose on the morning he would reach that narrow place in the trail, the gorge, where they lived. When he approached the river to bathe, there was a young fallow buck at the water's edge. Spotted, but not a fawn, probably a yearling. Quietly, Tor retrieved his bow and quiver and hid in the tall grass until he was within a few feet of the beautiful young creature.

With one arrow in the heart, the deer ran along the trail about 50 feet at full speed and then suddenly, running out of blood with its pump malfunctioning, crashed to the ground. Tor thanked the gods for this wonderful opportunity. There was no way he would kill an animal of this size on his trip, even though Tsen could probably carry it.

But the animal was perfect as an offering to the people ahead. Just like he had done with the bull before reaching Gael's people. Elated and hopeful, Tor thanked the gods again. Realizing that Tsen grazing nearby peacefully had made the buck less watchful, thinking that there was no danger near another grazing animal.

Tsen dutifully accepted the weight of the fallow deer on his back as Tor loaded him up for their next encounter.

Copyright 2019 © Ronald W. Hull

12/26/19