Chap. 3
Denahi quickly learned that bears weren't the only creature he could talk to. Soon after he began walking, he noticed that he could understand almost every creature around him, though few would actually stick around to chat.
He moved slowly, still trying to get used to his new form, and before long he realized that Durba's estimates for catching up were off. Durba had thought him a bear, and assumed that a bear could make that journey, but Denahi was still settling in to the changes and between listening to the other animals and trying to figure out new scents, he made little headway. Soon it was dark, and he still hadn't seen anything suggesting that they were near. He continued to walk until the moon began to set, before deciding to find a place to sleep. He had almost fallen into the river twice, so he moved back a ways into the forest. After only a few minutes he came across a small clearing. It looked safe, so Denahi curled up by the edge, and was fast asleep in no time.
Kenai stretched, causing Koda to tumble off his stomach. His sleep had been filled with sad dreams and though he had been comfortable, he didn't feel rested at all. Tug was already up and seemed to be waiting for them.
"I'm gonna go get breakfast, just though ya should know, be back soon." Tug started off to the river.
Koda looked blearily at Kenai. "Can't we sleep just a bit longer?" Kenai resisted the urge to agree and looked up at the sun. He was surprised by how late they slept. "Sorry Koda, but we still have a lot to do today, and we don't want to spend all our time sleeping. Koda muttered something under his breath about "why not", but Kenai ignored him. "I'm going to go forage for berries; you stay here and wait for Tug."
"But-", "No buts Koda, We could use more than fish for breakfast, and I need some time to think. I won't go far, just yell if you need me." Without waiting for Koda to argue, Kenai went off into the trees.
He wandered around for a bit, lost in his own thoughts when a voice snapped him back.
"Kenai, I need help!" Kenai looked around, but he couldn't see anyone. "Denahi? Where are you?" Not that you know what I'm saying, he thought bitterly.
"I'm over here, in a clearing!" Kenai remembered the clearing from the other day and started toward it. "I know you don't understand, but I'm coming!" Kenai roared. "I don't think I need to." Denahi replied.
Kenai could now see glimpse of the clearing through the trees. "Need to what?"
"I don't need to hold on," came the reply. Suddenly it stuck Kenai; Denahi was answering what he said. How could he understand what Kenai was saying?
Kenai crashed into the clearing. Denahi was nowhere to be seen, but toward the eastern edge, a bear hung upside down from a human trap.
"Have you seen a human around here?" He called out. "No, but I could use a ha-, a paw, brother bear."
Kenai jaw hung open as he stared at the grinning Denahi.
For a moment, Kenai couldn't believe his eyes. Then they drifted onto the lock of fur hanging over the bear's right eye. A small piece of blue cloth held it in a bunch. "Denahi?"
"It's great to see you brother, however I could use some help before we talk, this is a little uncomfortable."
Still speechless, Kenai looked around a bit, found the peg holding the rope, and pulled it out.
Thump!
"Ouch! Aww, you could of warned me." Denahi rubbed his head with a paw.
"Denahi, how did you, I mean, why, or a when, um...." Kenai couldn't seem to talk coherently.
"I went to Sitka for help Kenai, and he turned me into a bear." Denahi looked Kenai in the eyes. "I already lost one brother; I didn't want to lose another one."
Kenai stood there, still trying to understand. Finally he gave up, and gave his brother a bear hug. They embraced for a long time before they separated. "I'm glad that you're here. I missed you."
Denahi smiled. "I missed you too, little brother."
Kenai suddenly remembered Koda. "Come on Denahi, I want to introduce you to my other brother." Denahi looked confused for a moment before it dawned on him. "The little cub?" They had begun to cross the clearing. Kenai nodded. "How did you end up with him anyway? I never really understood what happened, and I never got to ask either." On the walk back to where he had left Koda, Kenai told his brother about his journey.
"You made the right decision Kenai, and I bet that Koda is very thankful for that," Denahi said after he had finished his story. They entered the area where the bears had spent the night, where Koda was trying to practice his "moves" on a caterpillar.
Denahi and Kenai just sat by the tree for a bit and watched Koda do back flips and jumps until the caterpillar got bored and walked away. Koda looked over and noticed that Kenai was back and ran over to him. "Kenai did you see? My moves were so scary; I mean that caterpillar didn't know what to do. Tug says that-" Koda stopped and looked at Denahi.
"Who's this Kenai? He looks a bit like you."
"Koda, this is my other brother, Denahi. Denahi, this is Koda, my new brother." Koda looked a bit lost when Denahi spoke up. "I was turned into a bear like my brother, though for different reasons." He looked briefly at Kenai. "I was wondering, if I could, well, join the family?" A smile crept onto Koda's face. "Two brothers! This is great! I mean we can go fishing, and play in the fields, chase caribou," Koda continued to list the possibilities while Kenai held back a laugh. Denahi was a little surprised at how little Koda needed to breathe. "Is he always this... talkative?" Kenai had given up holding back and was now chuckling. "It can be annoying sometimes, but he's my, I mean, our brother now, and I think that you were worse when it came to that."
"Oh really?" Denahi arched an eye. "You were the impulsive one who tried to milk a caribou." Koda stopped talking and looked at the other two. Both were grinning. "Yeah, well you got bit by a dog while dodging Nia. You should have seen your face," Kenai retorted.
"Oh that's it!" Denahi laughed and jumped onto his brother. The two young bears wrestled and rolled around. Koda joined in and the three brothers were soon exhausted and laughing.
"What's all this? Whose this other bear? I swear you are worse than a cub, Kenai!" came a deep voice. The three brothers turned to look around. The small area was completely destroyed. Young saplings were snapped, the ground cover of leafs and other plants was strewn about and upturned. One of the trees was missing most of the bark on the side facing the campsite. Finally their eyes rested on Tug, who was standing about 15 feet away with 4 large fish by his side.
Denahi quickly learned that bears weren't the only creature he could talk to. Soon after he began walking, he noticed that he could understand almost every creature around him, though few would actually stick around to chat.
He moved slowly, still trying to get used to his new form, and before long he realized that Durba's estimates for catching up were off. Durba had thought him a bear, and assumed that a bear could make that journey, but Denahi was still settling in to the changes and between listening to the other animals and trying to figure out new scents, he made little headway. Soon it was dark, and he still hadn't seen anything suggesting that they were near. He continued to walk until the moon began to set, before deciding to find a place to sleep. He had almost fallen into the river twice, so he moved back a ways into the forest. After only a few minutes he came across a small clearing. It looked safe, so Denahi curled up by the edge, and was fast asleep in no time.
Kenai stretched, causing Koda to tumble off his stomach. His sleep had been filled with sad dreams and though he had been comfortable, he didn't feel rested at all. Tug was already up and seemed to be waiting for them.
"I'm gonna go get breakfast, just though ya should know, be back soon." Tug started off to the river.
Koda looked blearily at Kenai. "Can't we sleep just a bit longer?" Kenai resisted the urge to agree and looked up at the sun. He was surprised by how late they slept. "Sorry Koda, but we still have a lot to do today, and we don't want to spend all our time sleeping. Koda muttered something under his breath about "why not", but Kenai ignored him. "I'm going to go forage for berries; you stay here and wait for Tug."
"But-", "No buts Koda, We could use more than fish for breakfast, and I need some time to think. I won't go far, just yell if you need me." Without waiting for Koda to argue, Kenai went off into the trees.
He wandered around for a bit, lost in his own thoughts when a voice snapped him back.
"Kenai, I need help!" Kenai looked around, but he couldn't see anyone. "Denahi? Where are you?" Not that you know what I'm saying, he thought bitterly.
"I'm over here, in a clearing!" Kenai remembered the clearing from the other day and started toward it. "I know you don't understand, but I'm coming!" Kenai roared. "I don't think I need to." Denahi replied.
Kenai could now see glimpse of the clearing through the trees. "Need to what?"
"I don't need to hold on," came the reply. Suddenly it stuck Kenai; Denahi was answering what he said. How could he understand what Kenai was saying?
Kenai crashed into the clearing. Denahi was nowhere to be seen, but toward the eastern edge, a bear hung upside down from a human trap.
"Have you seen a human around here?" He called out. "No, but I could use a ha-, a paw, brother bear."
Kenai jaw hung open as he stared at the grinning Denahi.
For a moment, Kenai couldn't believe his eyes. Then they drifted onto the lock of fur hanging over the bear's right eye. A small piece of blue cloth held it in a bunch. "Denahi?"
"It's great to see you brother, however I could use some help before we talk, this is a little uncomfortable."
Still speechless, Kenai looked around a bit, found the peg holding the rope, and pulled it out.
Thump!
"Ouch! Aww, you could of warned me." Denahi rubbed his head with a paw.
"Denahi, how did you, I mean, why, or a when, um...." Kenai couldn't seem to talk coherently.
"I went to Sitka for help Kenai, and he turned me into a bear." Denahi looked Kenai in the eyes. "I already lost one brother; I didn't want to lose another one."
Kenai stood there, still trying to understand. Finally he gave up, and gave his brother a bear hug. They embraced for a long time before they separated. "I'm glad that you're here. I missed you."
Denahi smiled. "I missed you too, little brother."
Kenai suddenly remembered Koda. "Come on Denahi, I want to introduce you to my other brother." Denahi looked confused for a moment before it dawned on him. "The little cub?" They had begun to cross the clearing. Kenai nodded. "How did you end up with him anyway? I never really understood what happened, and I never got to ask either." On the walk back to where he had left Koda, Kenai told his brother about his journey.
"You made the right decision Kenai, and I bet that Koda is very thankful for that," Denahi said after he had finished his story. They entered the area where the bears had spent the night, where Koda was trying to practice his "moves" on a caterpillar.
Denahi and Kenai just sat by the tree for a bit and watched Koda do back flips and jumps until the caterpillar got bored and walked away. Koda looked over and noticed that Kenai was back and ran over to him. "Kenai did you see? My moves were so scary; I mean that caterpillar didn't know what to do. Tug says that-" Koda stopped and looked at Denahi.
"Who's this Kenai? He looks a bit like you."
"Koda, this is my other brother, Denahi. Denahi, this is Koda, my new brother." Koda looked a bit lost when Denahi spoke up. "I was turned into a bear like my brother, though for different reasons." He looked briefly at Kenai. "I was wondering, if I could, well, join the family?" A smile crept onto Koda's face. "Two brothers! This is great! I mean we can go fishing, and play in the fields, chase caribou," Koda continued to list the possibilities while Kenai held back a laugh. Denahi was a little surprised at how little Koda needed to breathe. "Is he always this... talkative?" Kenai had given up holding back and was now chuckling. "It can be annoying sometimes, but he's my, I mean, our brother now, and I think that you were worse when it came to that."
"Oh really?" Denahi arched an eye. "You were the impulsive one who tried to milk a caribou." Koda stopped talking and looked at the other two. Both were grinning. "Yeah, well you got bit by a dog while dodging Nia. You should have seen your face," Kenai retorted.
"Oh that's it!" Denahi laughed and jumped onto his brother. The two young bears wrestled and rolled around. Koda joined in and the three brothers were soon exhausted and laughing.
"What's all this? Whose this other bear? I swear you are worse than a cub, Kenai!" came a deep voice. The three brothers turned to look around. The small area was completely destroyed. Young saplings were snapped, the ground cover of leafs and other plants was strewn about and upturned. One of the trees was missing most of the bark on the side facing the campsite. Finally their eyes rested on Tug, who was standing about 15 feet away with 4 large fish by his side.