Disclaimer: While the attempt has been made to be medically accurate as far as is consistent with the fantasy world of Narnia, some artistic license has been taken, and statements made by Rawlstow are not to be regarded as authoritative.
Narnia and recognizable characters thereof are the property of the estate of C. S. Lewis; all original characters and story © 2018 FemaleChauvinist.

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A/N: This story's main character is introduced in my stories "Vulpes Medico: Winter's End" and "Vulpes Medico: Clever Fox," so you might wonder about some things if you haven't read those first. Barbie

Chapter One: Hibernation

"Come play, Kolbi!" Tondu cried, standing on his hind paws to bat playfully at the falling autumn leaves.

Kolbi sniffed half-heartedly at one of the leaves that already lay on the ground, then wandered back to his mother's side and lay down, resting his nose on his paws.

Mrs Bear whuffed softly, nosing him with concern.

The two cubs were twins, born during the final storms of the previous winter. But Kolbi had been smaller than Tondu even then, and it had been a struggle to get him to suckle his mother's rich milk. Now, eight months later, he was noticeably smaller and lacked his brother's energy. While Tondu had begun eating voraciously as his body prepared itself for the winter's sleep ahead, Kolbi still only picked at his food, failing to put on the heavy layer of fat his body needed.

Running her nose again along his ribs that she could still feel far too easily, Mrs Bear wondered anxiously if her tiny cub could survive the winter at all.

oOo

Mrs Bear woke to a soft whimpering and nosing at her long-dry teats. "Kolbi?" she whispered, squinting in the dim cave.

"I'm hungry, Mama!" Kolbi complained, not as careful as she to keep his voice down. Mr Bear snorted and rolled over in his sleep, and Mrs Bear eyed him warily.

"Shh!" she warned. Her husband was normally very even-tempered, but even the best of bears could be unpredictable when woken from hibernation. With a weary huff, she pushed herself to her feet. "Stay quiet so you don't wake your father or brother, and I'll go get you something to eat."

She shifted the little cub closer to Tondu to keep warm, then stepped out into the blowing snow.

Hunting was harder in this unfamiliar whirling whiteness, and she felt a moment's gratitude that the Winter of her cubhood was over and bears could once more sleep through the coldest months as they were meant to do.

oOo

Kolbi hungrily attacked the meat his mother brought him, but after only a few bites his enthusiasm waned and he turned aside. Though Mrs Bear urged him, he would eat no more.

Sighing, she pulled the remains of the carcass near the entrance to the cave, where the cooler air would keep it fresh. Then she curled herself around her cubs and drifted back to sleep.

oOo

Several more times Kolbi woke Mrs Bear looking for food; she would bite off chunks of the meat and hold them in her mouth to warm them. After the second time, she began eating some herself, though it necessitated going back out to hunt sooner. Her own stores of body fat, while sufficient for hibernation, were inadequate for bringing her metabolism to its waking level; even less so for the activity of hunting. By the time spring came, Mrs Bear was nearly as thin as Kolbi had been the previous fall.

But while she quickly regained her weight now that she was eating a steady diet, Kolbi seemed unable to recover from the winter. He no longer had the energy even to attempt to play with Tondu, but Mrs Bear brought him outside as often as she could, thinking the sun might somehow do him good.

"He won't last through another winter," she rumbled heartbrokenly to her husband when the cubs lay curled up sleeping together one night. "He's not recovering — and he started the winter in better condition than he's in now."

"I know," Mr Bear agreed soberly. "He needs a healer."

"Where could we find one this far north?" Mrs Bear asked despairingly.

"I'll have to go south to find one. You can tend the cubs on your own?"

"Of course. But would a centaur healer come to treat Kolbi, do you think?"

"If not, we can bring him south, once we know where to take him."

"Yes." Mrs Bear was silent for a moment. "You know…I heard that one of the queens has a magic healing cordial…"

"It's not for such as us to ask favours of the queen," Mr Bear said almost sternly. "I'll leave tomorrow to find a centaur healer."

"Yes," Mrs Bear murmured. "Yes, that would be best." But the idea of the cordial had been planted in her mind, and refused to be dislodged.

Next chapter coming next week!

I proofread all my stories at least once before posting, but if you see any mistakes I might have missed, please let me know! (Note that this story is formatted using British spellings.)

Please note that I have internet access only once a week, and may not have time to respond to all reviews/messages. Thanks for your understanding! Barbie