First aid, first headaches

One unconscious human, a mother bear that is very close to murder, and I am in the middle.

That’s quite the conundrum, to not say other words.

Oh, and it was also night, so I could not even take off the armour easily.

Damn it.

“Hunin, Mugin.” The two crows landed in beside me, ready to bolt away in case the still angry bear decided to make me into a past tense: “Go to my house and bring the stretcher, this one will need it.”

Despite how foolish this one was, I wouldn’t let someone die for stupidity.

“Roger roger, boss! We expect eight nuts in exchange for that!” Hunin, the white crow, cawed before flying alongside Mugin, their forms quickly disappearing into the night.

In the meanwhile, I turned towards the she-bear and with a far more subservient tone I asked, bowing slightly: “May I look at the injured cubs? In case it’s nothing you would be able to get back into your cavern in little time.”

The bear turned her black eyes towards me, then she ordered, her growls echoing over this entire valley, her claws digging through earth and rocks: “Only if the small one gets out of the trees. I know her smell, and I know her ability. I have seen the pool of bloods after the thunder struck, be it the tusk or the antled ones. I will not stand her skulking in hiding while aiming at my children.”

Damn.

“Ingrid! Get out of the forest, if you please!” I asked, or pleaded, never taking my eyes off the mother.

I heard a curse from the trees, and just as quickly I heard slow steps, reaching beside me.

Ingrid still had the rifle trained on the bear, its long barrel almost as tall as her, but it seemed light as a feather for how little it moved.

“This one is clever, listener.” The she-bear spoke, almost amused, a low growl coming out of her mouth: “Doesn’t stop bearing her teeth at me, despite knowing that I would tear her apart if she tried anything.”

“Oi Vic, if she said anything about lowering my rifle tell her to go jump off the mountain.” Ingrid spoke up, her tone tense, never taking her eyes off the bear.

I wisely didn't translate the words, and instead asked: “May I now look at the cubs? If you are so calm now their situation is not so bad.”

The bear, without a sound, made space for me to pass, while continuing to stare down at the dyrgia, the queen’s warm breath making clouds, almost grinning at Ingrid with her fangs in full view, the scars on her snout not helping the savage look she had.

I, instead of watching the silent exchange of the two huntresses, went for the cubs, who were staring curiously at their mother and then at me.

“You are the listener?” One of the four asked, all of them staring at me, their snout lacking the scars of their mother, and their claws being still black instead of the ruined ones the adult ones had.

“That I am little ones, happy to meet you again. Now who wants to be first? It will just be a quick look, if you aren’t feeling any pain.” I asked calmly, getting on my knees in front of the small cubs, who now looked at me with a mixture of wonder and awe.

“Listener, look up Lis first! She smells like lightning and dry wood!” One of the cub got clumsily on his back paws and pointed at the smallest of the bunch, who turned towards him like he betrayed her.

“That’s not true, Hunter! I was just-” Before the cub could arginate, and hide, her injuries, the Queen of the mountain turned sharply turned around, ignoring Ingrid, and scolded with a growl, her eyes suddenly far more concerned:

“So it was not a just the forest, child. You shouldn’t have hidden it to me so, Lis.”

The cub turned away, and sullenly used her claws and whined, in a small voice: “I didn’t want to make you more concerned, mother. You said that winter was coming and that we should all prepare for the long sleep.”

“Not if it leads you to die, you foolish child!” The bear growled, scaring Ingrid a making her aim higher, before I stopped her with a gesture: “It’s my duty to protect you, not yours to protect me!”

“But I am the runt! You should not-” before the little bear could continue, the mother moved slowly towards her daughter and she licked her snout.

That made the cub whine in embarrassment, clawing uselessly and trying to move away the head of her mother.

“You are not a burden, Lis. You were a blessing from the Spirits, brought on by a miracle for me to have four children at once, and kept alive by the one you were named after. Never consider yourself a burden again, Lis.” the mother grunted, so much softly for a bear, and the cub let herself be licked.

In the meantime I examined her, and found the patch of burnt fur which smelt like burnt chicken, but I would need to bring her to the cabin to see better.

I rubbed my eyes due to the burning smell, not due to the honour of having her child named after me, nor remembering the small Alexander and Edward.

Then, keeping my voice as steady as possible, I gave my response, not looking at the Ingrid: “She seems to have burns, but the night is not bright enough for me to do much, I would prefer to bring Lis to the cabin.”

I would also look at the other three, but they didn’t seem to have much.

But I was also without any light, and the spirits were still in a frizz.

“Put her on my back, Listener, I will follow you while you bring the fool in metal to your cabin. I can smell the two flying rats coming, in any case.”

I looked at the roughly fifteen kilos and then, calmly, I lifted her.

For a moment she tensed all four legs, of which…one was bending strangely, will need to look at it, until I put her on her enormous mother, who made sure to not move too much until Lis was well in position.

“Mom, I can-”

“Your judgement is still not mature enough to argue with me, Lis.” The cub was again stopped from arguing, and so, with a heavy sigh, she simply lied down on her mother’s back and waited.

Or closed her eyes, cannot say which.

When I saw, as foreseen by the Queen, that Hunin and Mugin were back with the brown pelt with a wood framework that I called stretcher, I walked towards the fool in armour.

In that moment Ingrid asked, her voice a monotone: “We are going to have to move her to your cabin, which is roughly three miles from here?”

“Yep.” Five kilometers, in fact.

“...Ancestors damn it.” Ingrid groaned, and I barked out a laugh at that.