Silence reigned supreme after that experience of premature death from which they had narrowly escaped ... not to be dramatic, but we are miraculously alive. That had been one of the few times in his life in which Iorek had truly feared the worst, because of the feeling of helplessness that had pervaded him but that seemed to have intensified his survival instinct.
The white bear peered at Koda who was walking at a leisurely pace, as if nothing serious had happened and as if they hadn't looked death in the face for a brief second ... It was said that he was still a cub and that he would forget most of these experiences. The problem was not so much him as Kenai.
He walked slowly and with a dragging pace, stopping occasionally to look back or to reflect intensely: he read it in his gaze. He was disturbed.
"Don't worry about it," said Iorek.
Kenai was pulled from the trance and looked at the white bear as if it were the first time he saw him "huh?" Iorek stopped "I said not to worry about it. The hunters hunt, it's nothing new." Koda also jumped to a stop to look at the two "yes, but why is he angry with us?" he asked innocently.
The whole situation must have been as foreign to him as it was to Kenai and him. Being chased so hard was inexplicable "because-"
"We're bears."
That cold response displaced him, he had an angry look on his face when he looked at Koda and Iorek again. It was as if there was something deeper than the death of a family member for having made him give such an abrupt and (according to Kenai) truthful answer.
"so what?" he asked, confused by that brusque statement against his own species. So being a bear automatically meant having to suffer this kind of persecution? it made absolutely no sense. Kenai seemed less irritated, but still almost annoyed at giving an answer "So, you know how they are. They're killers."
Iorek's eyebrows shot upward in a surprised expression (this facial expressiveness was not from him, but what Kenai was saying was so absurd that he could not do without it) he stopped completely and from having his head turned towards Kenai found himself facing him with the whole body.
"sorry, who are the killers? " Kenai replied in an obvious tone, as if what he was saying was not an unpopular opinion but a shared thought.
"bears."
Iorek looked slightly elsewhere, then looked back at Kenai with an extremely appalled look "which bears?" Koda nodded as she walked backwards to follow the conversation.
"right! You're not like that, Iorek and I aren't like that!" Kenai sighed "Well, obviously not all bears. I mean, you're OK, but most bears will look for any excuse to attack the human ..." and started walking again.
Iorek did not understand what he had just heard: he had managed to generalize the behavior of an entire species only by guiding from personal experience: of course, there were some ruthless and bloody beasts, but they were certainly not all like that. "But, Kenai, he attacked us!" Koda intervened, probably making sense of the same feeling as Iorek: confusion.
It was nothing but the truth; they were doing their own thing when that hunter came out of nowhere. Why was Kenai so resentful towards those of his own kind? the brown bear snorted irritably at Koda "You know, you're just a cub. When you're older, you'll understand." he said firmly. It was not a whim, it was an almost authoritarian tone that warned against asking inappropriate questions.
"I'm older, yet I don't understand." muttered Iorek with questionable sarcasm. "seriously, what- "but his impending questionnaire was interrupted by a screech from a bird he knew all too well.
The seagull.
The winged creature darted over them at a lashing speed that nearly caught Kenai in the head, even Iorek had to lower himself so as not to receive a beak in the eye (and that pointed beak could potentially have got the pupil out of him in one stroke) it screamed "Fish, fish!" it could only mean one thing. Koda reared up shouting happily a
"We made it! We're here! Come on!" before plunging down from a descent that was too steep for his tastes and at a reckless speed that led him to try to reach him before the bone of his neck broke "KODA!" he exclaimed and then set off in pursuit while another comic scene was taking place behind him: a flock of seagulls hit Kenai in full and in an attempt to parry himself from that mass of feathers the bear reared up, parrying his face with his paws and shouting.
"Get away from me! Go on. Shoo!" and backwarded pushed by the mass of air caused by the feathers. Obviously without looking where he was going ... what a novelty! And so in a fraction of seconds Iorek was overwhelmed in the fall of Kenai and with a cry in unison they both ended up in the water.
Or rather, Iorek landed disastrously in shallow water, while Kenai continued to retreat until contact with something else stopped him. From shaking off the water and getting up Iorek looked around: they ended up in an open-air place with no trees to cover the view. Looking at his paws, he could clearly see his claws and understand how clear and clean the waters were.
They came from the waterfall and a few meters from that point ... but inside the small stream that extended into the lake there was a myriad of bears, denser than there had ever been on its island in a million years. Iorek was speechless for a fraction of an instant until a shadow obscured the sun beating on his head and no, it was not a cloud. It was as if a mass of power had come upon him like a gust of wind because now a gigantic black grizzly bear stood in front of Kenai at three meters and more height, proud with his towering chest and the powerful jaws wide open ready to juggle in a noble roar and for the first time in his life Iorek, who had always felt quite big and strong, felt intimidated. In any case, what came out of Kenai's mouth was absolutely not noble: he opened his jaws wide and let go of a prolonged and terrified girl's cry, clearly he hadn't thought about the fact that now all those bears were looking at them.
A white bear still lying on the ground between the water and a brown bear clearly on the verge of a crisis.
What a fiasco.
Iorek ran a paw over his face "Kenai. KENAI, SHUT UP!" He snarled through clenched teeth to show him that everyone was looking at them.
First second at Salmon Run, first fool accomplished.
Fantaaaaastic.
When Kenai stopped screaming, one of the bears said "Hey, you're stirring up the water, dude." she said looking at him accusingly. The black grizzly bear nodded
"Yeah. Try not to scare off the fish there, buddy." he said in a thunderous voice, then glancing at Iorek. As soon as they looked at each other, Iorek immediately got up, raising light splashes and clearing his throat
"I apologize for my friend's antics." he said tripping him, albeit slightly. The grizzly looked him up and down.
"huh ... I never saw a white bear at the Run." he noted approaching and invading his living space.
Again.
Was it so difficult to respect it?
"oh no, I'm...just passing through." he said trying not to crack his voice. That mountain of bear made him feel respect for him.
They were more or less the same size now that they were face to face (Iorek was still a white bear, and white bears are very large and powerful animals), but Iorek was younger and that bear was older.
Those few centimeters that separated them were still enough to give him the impression of a proud fighter. "where do you come from young bear?"
"Uh-"
But a little voice interrupted them "Tug!" Koda paddled among the water straight towards the big bear, which apparently was called Tug and immediately the gruff expression changed in happiness and tenderness in seeing the cub.
"Hey, Koda! Come here!" and he saw him throw himself on the ground while he took Koda between his big paws and threw him in the air and then catch him on the fly, all with laughter from both.
"Tug, have you see my mom yet?" Koda asked, jumping off Tug. Iorek remembered why they had come this far ... to find Koda's mother.
"No, as a matter of fact, I haven't seen her." Tug answered casually as the bears flocked to look at Iorek and Kenai.
"hah! Me and my friends Kenai and Iorek beat her!" the cub cheered, looking towards them. Tug gave them another wary look "they're with you?" Kenai chuckled nervously, flattening himself against Iorek's side when a bear sniffed him.
The white bear sighed "uh ... we come from far away. Very far away." he then answered Tug's question.
Yet the other did not seem satisfied, because he approached and wrapped a huge paw around both of them (it was so large that it enclosed both of them) to look at them more closely.
"it must be for this that I don't recognize you." he observed scrutinizing them carefully as if he wanted to scrutinize them in the soul. Iorek hated being forced into closed spaces, as he was now hating this close distance between the unknown one and himself.
"yes, um.." he mumbled. Kenai seemed more ... absolutely terrified instead of annoyed. He had his paws on Tug's chest and tried to keep himself as far away from him as possible. "And see, Kenai? There's the mountain, just like I promised. The lights touch the top every single night. It's going to be a lot harder getting up there, than it was riding those mammoths."
Koda intervened, with all the naturalness of the world as he pointed to the mountain behind them. The last sentence gave rise to confused murmurs between bears, including another absolutely piercing gaze from the bear chief.
"That's kind of weird ..." said Tug. Iorek shrugged with a clumsy but still sober smile. Throw it on the irony, it was the only option given that Koda was blurring irrelevant details.
"Kenai does a lot of weird stuff, like the way he drinks water with a leaf. He never sharpens his claws on a tree. He's never hibernated before- "
okay, he was saying far too much. Kenai sprang forward and closed Koda's mouth with one paw saying politely.
"Koda. Koda! "And cleared his throat" Can I talk to you for a second. Excuse us... "They left in a comical way leaving Iorek there with that horde of curious bears.
Tug scratched his chin "Hmm. He's kind of...jumpy, isn't he?" Iorek sighed heavily "you have no idea." he said, then getting up and starting to leave "gentlemen, with permission." but he couldn't get too far because Tug's paw pulled him back to him "Hey, brake a second young man!" he said in a suddenly jovial tone, looking at him.
Again Iorek felt uncomfortable "uh, uhm, I ... I have to go-"
"where do you have to go?"
"I'm not sure."
"Then stop here for a while, diversity has never hurt anyone!" Tug insisted. Iorek still had to get used to the presence of so many bears next to him after a lonely life, so he tried to get out of Tug's grasp.
"this is not my lifestyle." He said trying not to sound rude "you are really kind, but alas..."
Tug's eyebrows shot up in front of that cold tone and that unusual term.
"Aylas?" he said "what kind of term is it? never heard ..."
Most of the time Iorek spoke in a very archaic way, without abbreviations of any kind, giving everything a formal air. "come on, let loose!" saying that he igave him a pat on the back, it was a miracle if Iorek did not tumble to the ground.
"try to use more terms for your age, an old man like me can speak like that! but I refuse to see a young bear use this type of language!" he said laughing playfully. He had never heard such a thundering voice laughing so hard, the earth seemed to tremble every time Tug opened his mouth ... let alone if he laughed!
"uh, I'll provide." He answered avoiding yet another nosy who wanted to know more about him. Yet suddenly the bears' attention shifted to Kenai and Koda who conversed that Kenai had to leave, and that he would not return.
What?
would he completely disappear from circulation? and how? That mishap, however, made time for the white bear to escape from Tug's paws and free himself ... the trap that had kept Kenai nailed to a tree had given way earlier! If there was one thing that Iorek immediately learned about Tug, it was that the bear was really gossip ... or rather, what he mistaken for a gossanting animal perhaps was only a caring leader who cared about the approval of all and that the bears were comfortable during their stay.
Perhaps he found it strange that Kenai was so confused, bears are fierce and self-confident predators. Kenai had never been this. Throughout the journey he had seemed more like a cross-eyed elk pretending to be a bear, clumsy and not very graceful on his paws ... sometimes Iorek wondered seriously how he had managed to get food by himself at that moment.and the confirmation came when Tug came out beside him asking.
"Are you leaving?" and Kenai turned over and landed on his elbows as if he had seen a ghost and exclaimed (or rather stammered)
"No! Well, I mean, yes. Well, it's just that I ... I don't belong here."
Tug looked at them, closing one eye and tilting his head back. If he hadn't said anything he would have seemed to want to electrocute them on the spot "Don't belong?" he asked, but then his big face opened in an easygoing smile that displaced Iorek.
"Every bear belongs here, it doesn't matter the color of their fur! Come on! Let's have some fun!" and Kenai and Iorek barely had time to ask questions that were overwhelmed by the bears who apparently couldn't wait to show them around.
"wait -" tried to protest Iorek, but there was no place for unnecessary protests there. Wherever he looked, bears of all sizes were swimming in the water. Some emerged to splash each other, others with a big salmon in their jaws and a happy smile.
The cubs (more than Iorek had ever seen) plunged cannonball into the water, raising minimal but significant splashes and rippling the surface with mini waves.
They looked ... happy.
Kenai looked around, confused and confused exactly as if he too had spent a life in solitude and was in a certain sendo surprised by all this vitality together. "Come on Kenai! I'll show you the source of the salmon!" and without waiting for an answer Koda led him to a point where the water was deeper leaving Iorek in trust to Tug.
The grizzly black bear looked at him hilariously in those little black eyes "take a ride around here, what do you say?" he said smiling cordially. Iorek snorted read from his nostrils "hm ..." he muttered undecided. Tug gave him a slight shoulder to encourage him "go ahead, you may be comfortable."
"I doubt it." the other said walking down a small cliff that led into the water. The atmosphere was so light, breathable, around there ... he had always been used to the devastating silence of his island and seeing so many bears talking without being slaughtered was truly something new for him. Some were out of the water, others slept on boulders and the cubs were chasing each other.
They slipped into the water but laughed and immediately got up to resume the short fight, which each time ended in splashes and laughter ... while every fight he had seen had ended in blood. Two of them were running down a tree and one of them almost tumbled to the ground next to him. Instinctively Iorek reached out and held back the fall "Careful there."
the cub settled on the ground and smiled at Iorek "thank you sir!" he said before laughing and running again. Iorek watched them go with a smile ... he had to admit it, seeing two little ones playing so carefree was an eye balm. In the distance he saw Kenai and Koda watching the salmon.
"HEY, KENAI!" exclaimed. The brown bear raised himself on his legs and waved a paw to greet him.
"Iorek! How's the guided tour going?" Iorek laughed heartily "driving is quiet enough. Have you been lucky?"
Koda had a large salmon between its legs, but Kenai was dry-mouthed. The cub intruded saying.
"race you up in the water, come on old men!" and he had said this in a provocative tone on purpose, a little smile betrayed by far a true aversion. Iorek chuckled "old man? Ohoh now I'll show you, wren!" he exclaimed "are you there, Kenai?"
the brown bear laughed in turn "we'll show you old men!" he nodded, taking a run and diving into the water after Koda.
Iorek followed them, diving in turn and disappearing underwater, raising a huge wall of water in the meantime. Once he was right under Koda, he got up from underwater and took him between his paws (as he takes a cat in his arms) and between Koda's mixed shouts with laughter he had caught him "who's the old man now? " Kenai had disappeared in the meantime: he had dived underwater to watch the progress of the salmon in neat rows that swam slenderly, when the seagulls re-emerged were flying high in the sky.
Their silver feathers reflected the sun in an almost blinding but wonderful way as they screamed to announce the arrival of the fish on the surface, literally emerging from it. Kenai found himself in the middle in an imminent race between salmon and bears and realized it by turning his head comically from one side to the other and then lowering himself just in time to dodge the claws of one of them.
He aimed a salmon that had taken pleasure in running away from him and chased it, until they reached the top of the waterfall and Kenai (under the bewildered looks of other bears) did not fall down from it landing on Koda and a few centimeters from Iorek. Koda is lying on a log and suddenly Kenai found himself on him.
After a slight detachment between one event and another, Kenai found himself with Koda in one arm and the salmon he was hunting in the other under the stunned but amused eyes of other bears who had seen the scene. Koda laughed first, taking the big salmon between his paws and raised it in the air. Kenai's laughter followed and soon after that of Iorek joined.
His hips hurt from how much he was laughing, and he had never laughed so much: he rubbed the knuckles of his paw affectionately against Kenai's head and held him still with his other arm.
All eyes were now on them and their laughter, and the bears seemed happy with their happiness in turn ...
While Koda and Kenai were laughing like crazy, Iorek realized that this was true happiness.