* * *
“You-hoo, hello…you-hoo.” An excited female voice awoke the slumbering companions.
Fandri groaned and rolled over, his face ending up in something warm and fluffy. With a furrowed brow he opened one eye and saw white fur. His memory kicked in. The bear cub.
He rolled away slowly and sat up. The bear yawned and cuddled against his leg. Varl’s low snores indicated he had not heard the sound.
Wolfer gave a low whine from the cave entrance. Sunlight streamed in, warming Fandri’s heart with hope. The hound stood on his three good legs, with the broken leg hanging at an odd angle.
“Steady boy, what can you see?” The halfling gave him a pat for reassurance and peered out into the snow-covered landscape.
Fandri heard a chorus of barks outside and Wolfer barked in return, with his tail wagging.
Eight black and white hounds came in view, pulling a sleigh with a dark haired woman holding the reins.
“Aqualina. Thank the forefathers.” Smiling, Fandri rushed to meet them and the Wizardess swung him around in the air before giving him a firm embrace.
Tears of joy streamed down her face. “Oh, I thought we had lost you, my little friend. When we returned from the Icy Pinnacle, you and the crown prince of Diagro Plains were missing. Then of course, with the blizzard we had in the afternoon and into the night, it was too intense for the snow halflings to find you. They kept trying, but returned empty-handed.” She pulled back from the hug and looked him in the eye; all smiles gone. Her large aqua eyes loomed large and misty so close to Fandri’s face. “I am concerned for Prince Varl, is he here?”
Other sleighs arrived and snow halflings jumped out and raced into the cave as Fandri-La replied. “He is seriously injured, Wizardess. I have stemmed the bleeding as much as my slight powers could manage, but he is freezing and has suffered a terrible wound.”
A group of sparkly snow fairies rushed out of the cave with wings beating fast. “Wizardess, there’s a bear cub defending the boy and we cannot get close to aid him. What should we do?”
Aqualina tilted her head to one side, tapping her teeth while she pondered the question. A smile grew across her face and she beamed at them. “I have it. We need to listen to this brave young cub. Take me to him.”
The fairies blinked at her, with creased brows.
Fandri-La shook her head. “Did you say, ‘Listen to him?’ Bears don’t speak, you know.”
The wizardess marched into the cave and they trailed behind her. As she walked, her form changed into that of a snow bear. She ambled up on all fours to the cub and uttered low growls and mutters to the cub.
The cub replied in the same fashion and she translated. “He says, ‘My name is Toothall and I have taken this man to be mine’.” She turned to Fandri and whispered, “It really is quite amazing, considering you both have taken his parents. I guess Toothall realises he needs help to survive while he is so young. I doubt however, that the cub would be welcomed in the Diagro Plains. I think I shall have him near the Northern Outpost and keep an eye on him here.”
Fandri thought it rather odd for the adult bear to be speaking Relorian and he watched the cub cuddle up to Bear Aqualina.
“I think we shall be friends, Toothall.” She stroked the fur on the back of the cub’s neck and he hummed as his eyes closed.
At length his eyes popped open and widened as his muzzle moved in odd positions.
Fandri’s jaw dropped as the cub struggled to pronounce unfamiliar sounds.
“Ar…ugh…eee…too…all. I Too…all.”
Aqualina giggled. “Yes, you are Toothall, you clever little cub.” She picked him up in her paws and danced around in a circle. Then her paws dug around her bag and she passed some dried meat to Toothall.
He gulped down the meat and swallowed a handful of ice as well. He then poked out his tongue and gave a growling chuckle. “G…ood.”
Pale Varl was brought out of the cave by several snow halflings. He managed to give Fandri a weak smile as he was placed in a sleigh. Brave Wolfer was placed beside his master.
The hounds snarled at the bears as they boarded the sleigh, so Aqualina decided to run alongside the sleighs. The cub did not seem to mind the barking, and he raced beside them with a smile.
A relieved Mayor Rufious greeted them at the Northern Outpost. “Riders were sent out at dawn, looking in every direction for you. We thought you must be near death after the snowstorm.”
“You forgot Fandri-La.” The Mayor’s fairy had a twinkle in her eye. She pinched her halfling on the cheek before giving him a kiss.
“Of course, my fairy. Consider me suitably rebuked.” Rufious watched as Varl was carried inside, then he instructed the sleighs to go out and recall the other searchers.
Fandri followed as the Mayor bounded up the stairs to check on the squire who now lay on a table in the healing room. A wizened old halfling with a fairy sitting on her shoulder slowly examined Varl.
“Hmm…we shall need Oil of Dewsmeade and Summer’s Leaf for the poultice. Mayor, hand me the needle and thread behind you there.” She then pointed at Fandri. “You there, fill half a glass of that whiskey and pour it down the boy’s throat. A big lad like him is going to squirm. Everyone else, prepare to hold him down.”
Varl tried to sit up, with terrified eyes.
Fandri-La spoke in a soothing voice. “There, there my friend. This drink is to help with the pain. The healer is going to sew your shoulder wound back together. You will need to keep as still as possible and the halflings are here to help you keep still. Everything will be alright.”
Fandri grabbed Varl’s other shoulder and half hugged him as he held the glass to his trembling lips. “It’s for your own good, Varl. We’ll be right here beside you.” When the glass was empty the halfling took it away and wiped the tears that sprang unbidden and cascaded down his cheeks. He took a deep steadying breath before he turned to Varl again.
He watched with surprise as the healer poured a generous amount of the alcohol in the wound and took a swig from the bottle herself. She placed a piece of leather strap between the squire’s teeth. “Bite this, hard.”
Varl screamed.
The needle pierced his flesh and the squire went rigid. The halflings continued to press hard on him as he involuntarily jerked away from the healer.
His eyes rolled back as the needle swooped in again and Varl collapsed into unconsciousness.
“Don’t worry. It’s for the best.” Determination was clear on the healer’s face as she sutured the shoulder as fast and neat as she could manage.
As the last stitch was tied off, Varl’s eyes fluttered and his breathing quickened. A low moan escaped his lips. The halflings tensed their hold on the strong boy.
Fandri patted Varl’s other shoulder as a green potion was spread over the wound and a bandage applied. He forced a smile as Varl looked at him. “Hey there, friend. You slept through the worst part and it’s all finished now. How do you feel?”
Varl gritted his teeth. “I believe I would be in violation of the Knight’s Code to express my true feelings on the subject, friend Fandri. Suffice to say that I have indeed felt better than this day and believe it would be prudent to keep the healer at a distance greater than my arm’s reach for the time being.”
From the corner of his eyes, Fandri noticed the healer edging towards the door. Wise move.
There was a knock at the door.
“Who is it?” The healer admitted Wizardess Aqualina into the room, followed by the snow bear cub.
Varl sat bolt upright and glared at the bear. “Why do you bring this wild creature into a civilised society such as this?”
Toothall froze mid-step and his eyes narrowed. “You man, enter cave. Kill Toothall parents. Now say I bad. You. You are the bad. No hero you.”
Varl’s expression changed from one of indignant anger, to open-mouthed shock and eventually to misty-eyed remorse. “By my sword, you can speak. What magnificent sorcery is this? I
do confess I was unaware of this wondrous advancement and must humbly beg your pardon.”
Toothall moved to pounce on the squire, but Aqualina grabbed him by the scruff of the neck just in time. “Patience, young cub. Remember you have words now to express yourself instead of using your claws to solve conflicts. Prove to me that you can resist vengeance and be worthy of the gift of speech I have given you.”
The bear trembled as he wrestled with his emotions. After a time he let out a sigh and slumped to the floor. “I try, good lady. Man act, no think. I try be better.”
There was a small chuckle from the Wizardess. “Yes, men don’t always set the best examples for restraint and reason. Perhaps the bears can show men how to behave. Toothall, you can live here in the north with me for Varl will soon return to the plains, which are no place for a snow bear. Don’t worry Varl, I will take good care of our little cub and teach him to be just and wise.” She gave the bear a wink as she saw Varl’s mouth drop open with indignation. She wisely grabbed Toothall’s arm and steered him out the door.
Varl was spluttering, unable to formulate a retort to Aqualina’s slight.
Fandri and Fandri-La exchanged winks. “Well, he’s got you there. You can’t argue who has the better conscience with a baby bear whose parents we killed.”
Artwork: ‘Queen Liara-Star’ in water colour by Hecate Jerrett