Explanations:

John & Charlie Jimmy Arrive:

Miles was talking to Catori about what might happen if she came back to town with them when John & Charlie Jimmy arrived. They stood just outside the cave and out of sight and listened to what was being said. They also saw both the grizzly bears in the entrance to the cave but they knew that Miles and Buck were in there with another kid, they just didn't know who the other kid was yet or if she even lived in 40 Mile. They stayed outside for a few more minutes before deciding it was safe to go in. If the bears had wanted to hurt Miles or the other kid, they would have by now and they had let Buck past so they must have been on friendly terms with humans, or at least somewhat.

They pushed out of the trees and walked into the cave, noticing almost immediately the bandage on Miles' leg. John pushed past the bears and knelt next to Miles, examining the wound. He looked up at Miles and then over at the girl with a look of confusion on his face. He knew that Reese had taken Miles but he had expected to find him with the boy. He hadn't expected to find Miles in the care of young girl and two grizzly bears.

Talking:

"You look confused John."

"I am. Charlie Jimmy and I expected to find you with Reese. Where is he? And how did you injure your leg?"

"Reese took off after I got my leg caught in a bear trap. Catori said thank you that I got caught in it instead of her parents but then she helped me here and bandaged my wounds."

"Wounds? I only see your leg wound. Where else are you injured?"

"Reese shot me in the side and shoulder when he realized that all I was doing was slowing him down. He thought the bears would eat me, instead they helped me. The two bears at the entrance are Catori's parents. John, this is Catori. She doesn't remember anything else about her human family, just that she was very young when she came to live with the bears."

"It's nice to meet you Catori. So you found my step-son, I thank you for that. Do you know which way the man named Reese ran off to?"

"Father Bear chased him higher up the mountain. He made sure he wouldn't be headed back this way any time soon. He called out to my Brother Bears and made sure they kept him heading up and over the mountain. My Sister Bears are all with their cubs but they will keep an eye out for him as well."

"So you've lived amongst the bears your entire life?"

"I came to them when I was wee little thing and have been with them ever since. I know not what has happened to my human family but I think they might have been killed the year I came to live with the bears. Nobody ever came looking for me."

"We'll have to check on that. Is this where you live?"

"Mother Bear hibernates here most years as it is too cold for me to sleep in a snow cave because I do not have the fur of a bear. While my Bear family hibernates I move about. I've been all over this mountain and valley but I normally stay hidden from humans so as not to be taken from my animal family."

"So if we took you back to 40 Mile with us, what would they do?"

"Nothing, they knew that this day would come. They know that I need to be among my own kind and they know that I will be taken care of. They may visit every now and then, but that would be only to make sure that I am being taken care of. They wish anyone who takes care of me no harm."

"How did you learn to speak English so well if you grew up living with the bears?" Charlie Jimmy finally spoke up.

"I would spy on the mining camps to make sure they didn't come anywhere near my family and I picked up the language from them, though I didn't like the way they looked at their mates."

"In our world, we don't call women mates, at least not most of us. The mining camps are usually full of men, but some women come and go but never stay long."

"How did you find out about me, Charlie Jimmy?" Miles asked.

"I was in the Ancestor Cave when I had a vision of you in trouble. I met up with John and Buck at one of your campsites and figured you were about two hours ahead of us. John tied some twine around Buck's rope collar and that's how we found you, Buck brought us straight to you and your new friend."

"So now what? Miles can barely walk and I can't carry him. I can see if Father Bear will carry him to this Ancestor Cave but after that it's up to us to get him down the mountain and to a doctor, if 40 Mile has one."

"We have a doctor. She stayed after our flu epidemic. She'll be able to help. And once we get him to the Ancestor Cave we can fashion some way to carry him."

"Do you have a sled? That is pulled by dogs?"

"I left them down the mountain a bit, so we'll have to walk to it from Ancestor Cave. I had to leave them a little down the mountain so the ceremony I was performing would not spook them."

"What kind of ceremony were you performing Charlie Jimmy?"

"I was performing a funeral ceremony for my father who passed on to the next life two nights ago. It was his wish to have his ashes add to the rest of the ancestors."

"I've seen that before. I spied on some of the Indians in Ancestor Cave one night and I wanted to know what was going on. They did not seem mad that I had poked in to see what was going on and what they were doing."

A Decision Is Made:

"Alright, I think we best finish up here. Miles needs a doctor and I want one to look at you too. You probably have never been seen by a doctor Catori so you'll need to be looked over and you'll need new clothes as well."

"Can I not keep wearing the clothes that I have made? My winter clothes I'm still wearing but my spring clothes I have packed up. I knew that there was a possibility of leaving my Bear family and going to live in town with humans so I packed everything I owned up including my weapons and the many things I was able to make over the years. My skinning knife stays on me at all times."

"If you feel more comfortable in your clothes I don't see a problem with it. But some of the folk in town might not see it befitting of young girl like you wearing animal fur instead of actual dresses. And we'll have to see if you have any human family left that might be looking for you. If that is the case, you may have to be returned to them."

"Oh, but I like living in Alaska, I don't want to leave. This is the only home I have ever known."

"We'll make it clear to anyone that comes to claim you that you wish to stay where you were raised. But they will want to know how you were raised and why you weren't raised by your parents. Are you willing to answer those questions?"

"If it lets me stay here then yes, but I don't know some of the answers to those questions. What if they wish for me to leave with them? Will someone in town not let me stay with them?"

"That will have to be up to the townspeople. Come on, let's get up and go. Maybe it's best if you speak with your father about helping get Miles to Ancestor Cave and then we can handle it from there."

"Father understands and he agrees that it is best that the family joins us and helps you get Miles to the cave. If anything else is needed further, then I will let you know."

We stopped talking and I grabbed up my belongings which had fit into one bag. I was wearing my winter coat and holding my bow. My arrow were over my back and my bag was hanging off my shoulder. I helped Miles stand while Father Bear came over. He would not let Miles sit on him by himself, I would have to hold him up. I helped Miles onto Father Bear and then climbed on myself. Father Bear started out of the cave and Charlie Jimmy led the way to Ancestor Cave.

More to come in next chapter…

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