Hi, here's the next chapter; as requested by hbthingy from AO3.

A couple of hours later, the young prince was still walking. He had found the place where the path split into two, and just as the old witch had told him he had taken the path that led into the mountains. Not much later he came upon the river.

But there was no trace of a bear.

"How odd…" said the young prince to himself, "Surely a large bear would leave behind some sort of mark? Was the good mother mistaken?"

However, even so the young prince was hesitant to venture into the scrubs and woods. Who in his right mind would, knowing that there might be a large bear about?

"Wait…" said the young prince to himself, "Maybe I can lure it out using these loaves of honeybread the good mother gave me?"

With that the young prince took off the knapsack from his shoulders and began to rummage in it for one of the many honeyloaves the old sheikah witch had given him. But as he did so he thought he had heard a faint sound from his right.

Moving very cautiously, and very slowly, he turned to face into the direction from where he had thought he'd heard the sound. As he did so, he could not shake the feeling that something or someone was watching him from the high bushes. Very slowly, without averting his eyes from the bushes he pulled out one of the many honeyloaves, laid it on the ground, and cautiously stepped back.

Just as he was about to think that he had been mistaken, the bushes parted and the young prince had to use all his strength to keep his body from running. The bear was indeed as frightening as the old sheikah witch had described him to be; if not more so! The young prince had seen large bears before, but this one was by a half as big again than the largest one the young prince had seen before. This old bear was so large… it could easily take down two fully grown bulls at once!

The large beast soon had eaten up the little loaf of sweet honeybread. His deep dark eyes were fixed upon the young prince so he carefully pulled out another loaf, laid it on the ground and stepped back again. After a while, maybe once the bear had judged the distance between the prince and the honeyloaf to be right, he ambled forward, sniffed the loaf and soon began to eat it, all the while keeping his deep, dark eyes upon the young prince.

Once the big bear had finished eating up the honeyloaf, the young prince once again pulled out another, laid it on the ground and stepped away from it. Once more the huge bear ambled up to it and began to eat the loaf of sweet honeybread.

As the old bear did so, the young prince pulled out three honeyloaves this time and laid them on the ground, and stepped back. The huge bear soon ambled up to them and began to eat them but this time the big bear lowered his eyes and the young prince quietly sneaked around him until the young prince was almost behind the big bear. Once the young prince was sure that he had faded from the big bear's mind, he slowly, and most cautiously began to approach the big bear. By now the big bear had eaten up two of the three honeyloaves the young prince had laid down, and was halfway done eating the third.

The youngest prince bit his lip hard, steeled his heart and… jumped.

Immediately the large bear roared in shock and rage! Each and every single bird on the island took flight! Violently, the large bear shook himself, again and again, trying to throw the young prince off! And he very nearly succeeded! But the young prince clung unto the bear's shaggy fur like a burdock's seed!

Again and again the large bear shook himself, and the young prince began to fear he'd never stop! Again and again the young prince was almost thrown off! And each time, it became surer and surer that the large bear would throw off the young prince the next time!

But just as this was about to happen the large bear stopped. Standing stock-still he panted tiredly, blowing and sucking big volumes of air out and into his broad, broad chest.

But just as he was about to start trashing again a sweet-smelling honeyloaf appeared right before his nose.

"Be still, Master Bruin, be calm...!" begged the dazed young prince, head spinning, nearly unconscious from all the violent thrashing, "I am truly sorry I scared you… here eat this and be calm again…"

The young prince almost lost his hand! So quickly did the large bear snatch up the honeyloaf in his hand!

As soon as the large bear had gobbled up the little honeyloaf, the young prince held out another for him. The large bear at once snatched it out of his hand and ate it. Again, the young prince held out a honeyloaf before the bear's nose, and the large bear snapped at it.

But this time, the young prince didn't let him. Twice, thrice the large bear tried to snatch the honeyloaf out of the prince's hand, but again and again the young prince managed to just pull the honeyloaf away from the reach of the bear's teeth.

Now the large bear gave out a dangerous, impatient growl.

Cold sweat run down the young prince's forehead, "You want this, Master Bruin?"

A most irritated growl was his answer!

The young price smiled,

"Then here you go!" and with that he threw the honeyloaf over the raging river.

And the large greedily ran after it, so fast that the young prince had much trouble to hold on to the bear's fur! More so when the large bear went through the raging river!

But only a moment later the young prince and the large bear had gone to the other side of the river, and once there, the young prince dropped three more loaves on the ground, and slowly, quietly climbed off the large bear's back.

Then the young prince veeeeerrry slowly backed away, but although the large bear gave him a dark glance, he continued eating the honeyloaves before him.

So the young prince, as quietly and silently and slowly as possible, backed away from the bear, yet at the same time trying to move as quickly away as he could for he feared that the large bear may come after him.

Soon though, the young prince lost sight of the bear and deemed it safe to break into a swift but quiet run.

"Well… that went rather well…" said the young prince to himself as he ran, then he looked swiftly into his pack, "I fear though I might have given him too many of the honeyloaves… I do pray those that remain will be enough for the way back…"

With that he set sight again on the old castle which he could now see above and through all the trees.

"The bear now lies behind me… and the ogre now lies before me…"

One man... this chapter ended up shorter than expected... dangit!

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