TIMELESS VOYAGE: Hunting Bears

Chapter 08: Hunting Bears

'Swish'

Rustling of leaves are heard as kurt keeps jumping from trees to trees by hanging on to the branches while, smith runs on the ground as he holds onto both branches he picked up earlier as kurt can't hold it while jumping trees. As smith and kurt got closer to the region of the fight, they slowed down visibly and moved cautiously when, out of nowhere smith, who should have originally gone according to the plan, stopps moving as he has a change of plans. He mentions kurt to get to a lower branch and get ready to attack, instead of waiting for one of them to win.

"Why?" Motions kurt with his hands as he is confused by smiths decision but, still gets to a lower branch as motioned by smith after all, if he doesn't follow smiths lead, it will be very problematic. As he was going to get into position, smith mentions him to stop again as he motions kurt with his hands to move back after a deep thinking. Kurt unable to do anything, could only follow as he jumpes back to a branch closer to smith with a frown, after kurt stabilised, smith threw him the bigger branch, like he is throwing a javelin, to kurts astonishment, it perfectly reached him. As the branch got near him, kurt grips properly on the branch, he is standing on with his toes to avoid a potential fall and catches the incoming branch perfectly.

As kurt catches the branch, smith gets below the tree kurt is standing on and starts speaking in a low voice, suggestively:" I actually wanted to kill the winning bear but, it seems, none of them are as severely injured as I thought to be. The losing party here will most likely be black bear so, I suggest we take down the grizzly bear."

"Didn't you say it will end in a minute or two?" Asks kurt worriedly.

"No, it seems, I miscalculated. I think none of them put much effort in their fight. I think the grizzly bear is purposefully holding the black bear here." Says smith with speculation.

"Purposefully holding it here?" Asks kurt confusedly.

"Remember, I told you that the black bear might have babies left behind in the cave?" Asks smith with speculation.

"Yes so, what of it? Shouldn't the black bear run to the cave or fight to death with the grizzlt bear? Afterall, it wants to protect it's babies, right? So, why are they in stalement here?" Asks kurt in confusion.

"No, it's not that the black bear doesn't want to fight to death but, it's the girzzly bear that is holding it back and purposefully buying time. It seems like another one is going for the babies." Says smith seriously.

" Wait.. You mean, there might be another grizzly bear going for those babies while, this one stalls for time?" Asks kurt in shock.

"Yes, most likely the case." Says smith calmly.

"I think we should protect those babies from the grizzly that is going to attack them. That way not only can we live in the cave but also gain a protector." Continues smith seriously after much consideration.

"Wait, wait, you are saying that the grizzly bears are that intelligent to device such a plan?" Questions kurt with doubtful look as he isn't convinced of the theory.

"They are much more intelligent than you think, let's hurry to it. The grizzly bear most likely wants to break the battle will of the black bear as it will reduce the amount of injury it suffers during a fight. If we lose the cubs, it will be more problematic for us later." Says smith caution as he dashes off towards the area they heard the roar first time and kurt could only follow him unwillingly.

As kurt and smith follows the trajectory of the first roar they heard, they almost ended up near the wolves territory, thankfully, kurt switched the direction just before he got to the periphary of the cave. which allowed smith to understand the problem and follow kurts movement closely. One human on the tree while, another on the ground with two big branches finally reached a cave which is around a mile away from the wolves cave but, much smaller than the wolves cave in size. Despite so, smith still throws a stone inside, after hearing no sound, he and kurt looks at each other and enters the cave cautiously.

"It's not as big as the wolves one but, still big enough to fit at least 10 to 12 humans." Says smith as he enters cave with kurt cautiously.

"Is this really the right cave?" Asks kurt in confusion.

"It might be, see the paw mark on the ground? It is most likely the black bears paw mark.

"I see." Nods kurt in understanding.

" But, there is no sign of the other bear you mentioned, are you really right? or is it that the grizzly bear is toying with the black bear?" Continues kurt with much contemplation.

"Strange, I am sure of my conjectures, I have seen such situations before, during the hunts....." Says smith seriously as he syddenly gets interrupted.

'Coo'

Suddenly they hear bear grunts interrupting their conversation, smith turns to look to the front as he sees, three little bear cubs cooing at him and kurt. The bear cubs starts cooing smith and kurt with warning but, smith didn't even care about it, as he slowly approaches them, slowly he puts a knee on the ground and pushes out his left hand as he let's the cub familiarise with himself, the little cub's sniffs smith a bit and continues to grunt. He holds one of the cub and starts to pet it, calming it down in the process. The bear cub slowly gets comfortable with him and starts to play with him. As moments later, other cubs joins him cautiously and starts to play. Seeing smith gets friendly with bear cubs in such ease, kurt also gets curious as he slowly approaches one of them and pushes out his right hand to help it familiarise with himself the same way smith did, slowly but surely the bear cubs also starts to play with him.

"Mr. Smith, If your speculation is right, then most likely, the other bear might be searching for this cave, we have to either lure it out and fight or takeaway the babies to safety." Says kurt seriously as he starts to care about the bear cubs after they warmed up to him and started playing with him. Smith is satisfied with his behaviour as he thought with a smile. {No one can escape the cute trap.}

"It might be near, so let's go with same strategy as before. Let's keep this cubs here and fight the other bear outside. It's impossible for us to take the cubs and escape in the wilderness." Says smith thoughtfully as he and kurt keeps bear cubs on the ground but, the little bear cubs still tried to hold on to them, knowing that protecting them take more importance, smith and kurt, slowly kept them on the ground and waved them goodbye. After exiting the cave, they finds a spot with trees having branches on the lower end. Kurt instantly climbs a tree and smith throws him the bigger branch after he found the perfect spot to stand on.

Time passed by as a bear soon starts approaching from the distance, the bear outlines becomes visible to smith and kurt, it is a grizzly bear, little smaller than the previous one they met. As the bear approaches the cave, it gets startled to discover another being in the periphery of the cave.

'Rawr'

The bear roars with warning at the creature but the creature doesn't move as it holds a large branch pointing straight at it's face. Finding no way out, the bear tries to slowly bypass the creature but the creature suddenly starts moving forward causing the bear to move back step by step. The strange creature is none other than smith, he pushes the bear back, suddenly the bear charges in front to attack smith, but in the process it gets hit by the branch causing it to halt it's charge.

'Rawr'

The bear roars in frustration as it wants to enter the cave and end the cubs instantly, it also has another goal, it wants to join in the attack with the other grizzly bear to finish off the black bear. Unable to do anything due to smith and constantly moving backwards caused it to be enraged, it gets ready to move forward and lunge an attack on the smith in the front. As smith pushes back the grizzly bear, he also acts rather cautiously while doing so, by keeping a safe distance from the bear and ready to attack any time with the branch. As smith sees the grizzly bear in a frenzied state, he motions with his eyes for kurt to lunge the attack.

Kurt looks on with surprise as smith handles the grizzly bear like an adult, toying with a kid. But knows, how much danger smith currently is in as he carefully keeps the grizzly bear in front of him occupied while maneuving it to just below the tree kurt was standing at with it's back facing him. Seeing the bears frenzied state and smiths signal, kurt first makes sure that the sharper end of the branch is in lower end as a second later he jumps without hesitation and quickly inserts the large branch on to the bears head. After inserting the branch, kurt jumps back quickly to avoid a potential swipe of the bears paw.

The bear in it's frenzied state couldn't react to the branch in time as it pierces the bears head, despite so, it lunges forward instead of swiping back towards kurt in it's frenzied state as it is usually suppose to do. It instantly reaches smith with it's paws in resentment despite, smith's best effort in trying to keep a safe distance from it. Smith uses the branch to hit the bear. The branch breaks in the process but, to smith's horror, the bear continues to move forward as it swipes towards smith with it's paws as the is falling down to the ground. Smith tries to dodge as best as possible but, he could only watch as he gets hit on his right hand and the impact sends him flying, causing him to fall sideways. While kurt who looks on from the distance is shocked as he sees the death struggle of the bear as it hits smith and sends him flying, while it falls to the ground motionless.

Seeing smith land on the ground and raising some dust in the process, kurt quickly checks whether the bear is dead. Thankfully, to his relief, it had indeed died of. So, he quickly arrives near smith and hurriedly checks for potential injuries, only to hear smiths cries of pain. He quickly picks smith up and let him lay on the tree. Smith starts crying in muffled voice as he holds his right hand. kurt checks smiths right hand and to his horror, smiths right hand is maimed and bloods starts to fall from the wounds with claw marks visible on it. Kurt instantly takes his t-shirt off and ties it on the wounds of smith to stop further bleeding. As he lays smith on the tree, smith suddenly says with gritted teeth: "Take me to the cave, I will be fine, you go and help the black bear."

"But.." As kurt is about to speak.

"No buts and ifs, quickly do as I say." Says smith through gritted teeth with determination despite, his hand aching in pain.

Knowing he can't convince smith, kurt instantly carries him to the cave and places him by the bear cubs, the bear cubs not understanding smiths pain comes to play with him. Kurt wanted to say something but seeing smith place his right hand on his thighs and with his left hand, he starts to pet the cubs, he swallows it.

"What are you doing? Go, already." Says smith through a muffled voice as he pets the bear cubs.

"Okay. Be careful." Says kurt as he watches the bear cubs and warns smith with worry before he runs to the distance. As he reaches the dead bear, he picks out the bloody branch and quickly moves toward the area of the bears fight.

Soon, kurt reaches the area where the bears are seen in an stand off, the black bear is trying to reach the grizzly bear while the grizzly bear just dodges it and mocks it. Kurt tries to be as silent as possible as he climbs a tree and searches for a place where he can attack the grizzly. If he runs from the ground, both the black bear and the girzzly bear might attack him so, he quickly jumps from tress to trees as silently as possible and reaches about a tree where, he expects the grizzly bear to dodge the black bear.

'Rawr'

As the black bear tries to swipe again, the grizzly bear roars at the black bear as it mocks the black bear gain and again, while it dodges the black bears swipe. The black bear could only look on resntfully after seach swipe. Soon, the grizzly bear reached just below the tree kurt stood at and was absorbed in taunting the bear when, out of nowhere, kurt jumps and inserts the branch directly in it's head without a mistake, he quickly jumps back to dodge the swipe from the bear claws as he had already seen the damage a grizzly caused to smith, the grizzly bear quickly tried to swipe on it's back but missed the target as it's limb started to grow weaker and weaker, while kurt escaped fruther from the grizzly bear. Grizzly bear turns around and finds that kurt has escaped a distance away from it as its head aches in pain, It gives a resentful look at kurt in anger.

The black bear was startled at first when kurt attack the grizzly bear but, seeing the girzzly bear in severe pain, it gets ready to attack the grizzly bear in delight. Seeing the prey getting farway from it, the grizzly bear turns to face the black bear but, only to get hit by a paw and gets knocked out in the process. Due to the branch penetrating it, the bear was already weak but, after the paw hit it, it couldn't keep it's consciousness anymore. Seeing the grizzly bear knocked out, kurt inches closer step by step as he checks out whether the black bear will attack, to his delight the black bear didn't attack him, instead it approaches him curiously and sniffs him. Soon, the black bear was done familiarising with kurt as it starts to relax and lick it's paws and injuries. At this time, kurt approaches the grizzly bear and end it's life by penetrating it's skull deeper with the branch.

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