(Time Skip : 6 years later)
A loud yawn escaped Harald's mouth as he woke up from a good night sleep. Raising a bed, he started to stretch his muscle before slowly climbing down the bed. He was no longer a child now but a young man in his seventeen's who was now 6 feet 5 tall…
Harald was pretty well-built for some his age with large shoulders and strong muscles (sick packs). His arms were rather big thanks to the training he received from his grandfather and his mother. Some scars could be see marking his bodies and he received some of them during those trainings.
His oval shaped face had high cheek bones, which gave him an almost sculpted shape. His blue green eyes shined a bit with an intensity that would cause many to stare into them. Around his mouth, was a beard… and a trimmed one at that. Of course, he trimmed it so he could have only a square beard and not a big one . Like his hairs, his beard seemed to be dark brown in color.
Releasing another yawn, his blue-green eyes landed on the other figure standing in the room, right next to the end of his bed : a 661 pounds (300kg) large blond grizzly bear. It was his beloved familiar and his best friend, Aiyanna.
Harald smiled at her tenderly as he went back on his feet before approaching the sleeping form of the bear.
["Come on sleepyhead… Its time to wake up..."] he growled to her in a soft tone while caressing the top of her head.
Aiyanna growled a bit as being disturbed in her sleep but lazily opened an eye to stare at her human with a soft glare
["Wake me in a few minutes..."] the blond bear muttered at him before going back to sleep.
Yesterday, they both slept pretty late at night because it was their last night at Astrid's residence.
Why ?
Because, the Werebears Laws stated that every boys aged 17 are considered as responsible adults. So they had to leave their parents to live by themselves elsewhere. Seeing that he turned 17 the day before, it was time for him to leave… even if it pained him.
["Fine then… you leave me no choice..."] Harald replied with a grin… before pouncing on his familiar who roared in surprise at the sudden attack
["Can't you just let me sleep ?!"] the blond bear snarled at him with slight anger.
["Let me think about this… hummm… Na can't do that, you big groundhog !"] Harald began to say in fake consideration before saying the rest with a playful grin.
Seeing it, the blond bear became playful herself.
["Why you-"] Aiyanna growled with fake outrage as she lunged back at him
"Hum hum..." the sound of someone clearing its throat stopped them on their tracks and they turned their heads to see Astrid standing at the door with an amused expression on her face.
She was a beautiful woman but it was clear she was aging. Her face now harbored some wrinkles and a bit of gray now colored her light brown hair. Otherwise, Astrid Anderson was still the same woman he loved dearly.
" Móðir…We were just… playing ?" Harald said with a hint of embarrassment while Aiyanna slapped her face with a paw.
It was the stupidest answer you could find.
"I see that dear..." Astrid responded with a grin but then it disappeared a bit as she said those next words
"Your clothes are in the bathroom… and your luggages are ready..."
Seeing the pain in her dark green eyes, Harald instantly went to give her a hug… which she wholeheartedly returned.
"Hey its okay Mom… I'm still here~" he whispered softy to her in comfort.
"I still remember the day I found you… I wish you were still that tiny and cute little one…" Astrid whispered back tearfully and with some nostalgia as her mind went back to some memories.
The dark brown haired young man let her talk but tightened his embrace as some tears fell from his own eyes. Astrid was the one who saved him from wolves many years ago and was the one who raised him into the young man he was today. Harald owed everything to her.
"But I'm so proud of the man you are now son~"Astrid added softly as she looked up at him with proud eyes.
Smiling down at her, Harald and her shared one more hug before the former went to the bathroom to change himself while Astrid led Aiyanna to the kitchen to have some food.
A few minutes later, Harald came out of the bathroom. He was wearing a white shirt, a black leather jacket, a blue jean and black boots. His hairs were well groomed and shined a bit under the light. He was proud of his long hairs. He also groomed his square beard for the occasion.
When he arrived at the kitchen, he was greeted by the sight of his mother's back turned to him. Aiyanna was probably outside so he wasn't worried about her. Approaching his mother, Harald went to stand by her side before saying in a gentle tone
"Let me help you..."
"Thank you~" Astrid responded gratefully but her eyes showed nothing but pain.
An expression he himself felt : he didn't wanted to leave his mom behind. But he was an adult now… at least in Werebears Laws.
Picking the biggest plates of food, he carried them toward the terrace where he saw his dear familiar laying there with fishes between her large paws. She briefly looked away from her meal to stare at her human but quickly returned to her food.
Rolling her eyes at her antics, the dark brown haired young man putted the food on the table before sitting on one of the chairs. He was soon joined by his mother who secretly glanced at him with sadness in her dark green eyes before the two of them enjoyed their breakfast.
They ate mostly in silence but they both stared at one another with evident pain in their eyes. Once they were done, mother and son went back to the kitchen to wash the dishes while Aiyanna was still outside talking with Aspen the Bald Eagle.
A hour later, it was time for both Harald and his familiar to leave. The young man felt nothing but sorrow at the mere thoughts of leaving the place he had grown in but knew that he had no choice in the matter.
He had to be independent…
And he WILL be ! For his mother !
As he thought of this, Mother and Son were sharing a big hug as if they didn't want to let the other go while behind them, stood Einar and a large camping-car. The shaman (who was clothes as a normal person) lived in Oregon and had accepted to help his grandnephew in carrying Aiyanna to their new home.
Apparently, Harald's great grandfather had a house in Forks in Washington State but had left it when he married with his great grandmother. Last they heard, it was still inhabited. Njord, Karina, Einar and Astrid all thoughts that it would be a good place for him to settle.
It was a good idea because Harald would still be surrounded by members of his family with Einar living in Oregon, his grandparents in Idaho and his mom in Montana.
To bad he didn't have any cousins or aunts and uncles. Einar, being a shaman, couldn't marry anyone even if he didn't wanted to.
Back to present, after a few minutes, Harald and Astrid pulled away from one another with tears in their eyes. With one last smile, the dark brown haired young man climbed in his granduncle's car, taking the passenger seat. The luggages were already in the back and the only thing missing was a certain blond bear.
While her human was in the car, Aiyanna looked at her Harald's mother with sympathy and nuzzled her in an attempt to comfort her. Astrid smiled at the blond bear and petted the top of her head whispering softy
"Take care of him girl~"
["I will..."] Aiyanna softly growled back to the woman before climbing in the back side of the camping car.
Einar closed the door behind the blond bear before looking at his niece who harbored a saddened expression on her face. But once their eyes met, they nodded at one another : the shaman was silently promising her to keep her son safe while Astrid was thanking her uncle.
The woman watched with sorrow as her uncle started to vehicle before driving away from its previous spot. Tears fell more from her eyes as she watched her son leaving the place he had grew up for 11 years now. Aspen, seeing her human's sorrow, opened her beak to release comforting piping notes.
Astrid smiled at her familiar before caressing the Noble Bird's feathery head but then her eyes looked back at where her uncle's camping car disappeared.
"Be safe son… I will miss you..." she whispered softy to no one in particular before she and the Bald Eagle re-entered the house where the former cried to her heart content.
At the same time, in the camping car, Harald himself was crying in sorrow. Einar gave his grandnephew a sideway glance in sympathy but couldn't move his hands away from the wheel.
(Note : Don't judge guys ! After all, separations are ALWAYS difficult and emotional…)
"I know how it feel… to love our mothers behind..." the old said to the crying young man in a soft tone
Harald stopped staring at the windows to look at the man beside him.
"Me and Karina suffered the same thing after all… It pained us to leave… but we could still visit her from time to time…" Einar explained in a soft tone as he remembered that part of his life.
Then he glanced at the young man at his side adding "Beside you youngsters can call her with your phones… While it is not as good as SEEING her, its still better than not seeing her at all don't you think ?"
"Yeah… Its just… I feel so…" Harald paused himself in his explanation as he was thinking about the best words to describe his situation.
"Lost ? Vulnerable ?" Einar inquired him with a raise-brow but his eyes were not completely leaving the road.
"Yes to both..." was Harald's answer.
"Don't worry its perfectly normal… For years, you lived protected and cajoled, and now you find yourself having to leave all of this behind !" The old man said in comfort for his grandnephew.
Harald nodded his head but didn't say anything back as his eyes went to the outside. A long silence followed afterwards until the brown haired young man broke it by asking with some curiosity.
"The house I will live in… how does it look like ?"
Einar smirked a bit at the question and responded cryptically "You will see..."
Harald shot him a blank look and the old man couldn't help but chuckle a bit
"The only things you must know about the house is that he had been renovated just for you… and maybe a bit decorated..." Einar added a few seconds later.
Nodding at his granduncle and curious about all of this, Harald then asked with a worried tone
"What of Aiyanna ? Is there at least a forest for her to settle in ?"
"Of course ! Do you think, young fool, that we will forget that fact ?" Einar asked with mock outrage.
Smirking deviously; the brown haired young man literally cooed with mischief
"Well… I DID heard that lost of memories is frequent for old people~"
The old man shot him a vicious glare that caused Harald to laugh loudly with humor while Einar grumbled something about 'disrespectful brats' under his beard. At the back, Aiyanna was laying on her belly, listening to the whole thing.
Once again she was touched by how much her human cared for her well-being but couldn't retain a snort of amusement at the comment about elders and their losing memories. In her mind, she wondered how their new home will be as she lowered her large head back on her front-paws.
At least, the forest will be her new territory… and she will still be with her human.
While she herself was sad to leave their old home behind, Aiyanna knew that, as adults, they had to be independent. Her own mother had once told her about this when she was alive.
Sighing, deeply, the large grizzly bear decided to take a little nap and as she slowly drifted into sleep, she could hear her human joking with the old man.
At least he wasn't sad anymore…
00/(Time Skip 11:37 later)/00
The trip from Montana to Forks had been long and kinda tiring. They left early in the morning to arrive almost near the end of the day ! Aiyanna had growled in annoyance from time to time, complaining about how long it was taking and even her human was a bit unnerved by it.
But once they reached their destination, Harald was instantly taken by his new home : a two story wooden house in the middle of a clearing, surrounded by a large beautiful forest. The house itself was simply beautiful, made of oak wood and with a black roof. There was also a garage but sadly, the 'doors' was down so none of them could see the inside.
"Come on take a look inside boy..." Einar softly said to his grandnephew as he pulled out the luggages from his vehicle.
Nodding at the old man, Harald slowly made his way to the front porch before stepping inside. It was modern looking but kinda simple in his opinion : to his left, stood the kitchen ; to his right the living room and between them stood a staircase leading them upstairs.
He decided to visit the kitchen first and was surprised to find it entirely equipped ! A fridge, a microwave-oven and even a dishwasher ! The kitchen was mostly brown, white and black in color but it was fine to his opinion.
Checking the area, he was even more surprised to find it completely filled with foods ! It was as if someone was already living there ! His head filled with question, Harald then decided to check the living-room… only to gap once again at the sight.
Leather sofa, a long table, a large television, shelves, a chimney… There was even a phone on one of the shelves !
Everything you should see in a living-room was there…except paintings or at least pictures on the walls. He will have to change that later.
Harald then decided to see what was upstairs and so climbed up the staircase with curiosity filling his entire body. Once upstairs, he had many options : to his right, the bathroom and to his left, the bedrooms.
Going to his right, he inspected the bathroom and was delighted to see a bath standing there near the wall. Nearby, stood a sink with a mirror above it. Like downstairs, the area had been totally cleaned but not filled with stuffs.
Leaving the bathrooms, he headed toward the bedrooms and found three of them. They were all pretty spacious but the first two possessed things that the last one didn't… such as beds, wardrobes , dressers, shelves etc. The last room had what looked like a bed made of plants and some filled plant-pots could be seen decorating the area.
Harald was in awe of his new house but then he heard footsteps downstairs and quickly went down to see his granduncle and his familiar entering the house with luggages.
"So Harald… Is the house to your liking ?" Einar asked him with a smile and a raise-brow.
"Its amazing !" The young dark brown haired boy answered with amazement clear in his tone.
The old man chuckled in amusement at the youngster's behavior before saying "You can thank your grandparents, me and your mother for that ! We all tried our best to make this dusty place into something more… welcoming..."
"Thank you then… I will call Mom, grandpa and grandma later..." Harald promised to his granduncle.
["Whoa… Its really big here..."] Aiyanna commented with some awe as she looked at the area while eying the staircase with some worry
["But I don't think I can go up there..."] she added with some disappointment.
"I don't think Aiyanna can go upstairs..." Harald commented to Einar as she looked back and forth between the staircase and the blond bear.
"Of course she can ! Those stairs are made of rocks not woods !" the old man retorted with some humor.
Aiyanna released a growl of happiness as she dashed upstairs. Harald and Einar shared an amused laugh at the action before looking back at one another
"Do you need help with these ?" the old man inquired to the youngster while pointing at the luggages.
"No I think I can manage thank you for the offer though..." the dark brown haired young man responded with a shrug as he eyed his stuffs.
"Well then my task here is done..." Einar replied with a sigh and instantly Harald's eyes became sad again.
"Are you sure you cannot stay a bit longer ?" he asked the older man in a soft tone.
"No… Gunnar must be waiting for me…" Einar replied with another deep sigh.
The two men stared into each other's eyes for a second… before hugging one another tightly.
"Good luck with your new life drengr..." The old man whispered to his grandnephew who a tear falling down his cheek.
"Thank you… old man..." Harald replied teasingly earning himself a grunt of fake annoyance from Einar.
They staid like this for a moment before breaking the embrace. Then Harald escorted the Einar toward his camping car The young man watched in sadness as his granduncle started the engine before leaving the area with a last wave.
Harald watched him go with heavy heart and once the camping car was out of sight, the young man returned back to the place that was his new home. However, before entering, he took some time to look at the wooden house and couldn't help but being proud.
It was HIS house and he would enjoy it to the fullest… even if it was only him and Aiyanna. Re-entering the place, Harald looked at his luggages for a moment before rolling up his sleeves : he had work to do !
00/(Time Skip)/00
Harald fell on the sofa with a relieved sigh : he had just finished with his luggages and exhaustion was taking over his body. 1 hour had passed since Einar left and the dark brown haired man had twice tried to call for Aiyanna but not once did she answered him. Not that he was worried as she was either sleeping or… sleeping.
She and him had the same age after all and they would die at the same time thanks to their bond.
Then something came to his mind : there is one place in the house he hadn't visited yet… the garage. Going back on his feet, Harald opened the black door near the chimney before turning on the light s.
A gasp escaped his throat at what he saw : the garage was pretty big in the inside with shelves filled with different stuffs such as rods, hooks, coolers for putting fishes in etc… But it wasn't what had caught his attention.
It was what was standing between him and the shelves.
It was a motorcycle… but not any motorcycle ! A Black Harley Davidson ! His blue-green eyes were filled with stars of pleasure but then he noticed something on the motorcycle : a note.
Curious, he picked it up… before smiling tenderly when he recognized his mother's handwriting.
'Hello son,
If you are reading, then you are in Forks and not in Montana with me anymore… It heart me deeply to see you away from me and if I had a choice, I would keep you with me… But it would not be good for you… Like me and my ancestors before me, it is time for you to become independent…
But enough of sad thoughts !
If you are reading this, I'm sure you have discovered my 'little' gift for you ! I hope you like it because I had a really hard time to find it !
I also hope you like your new home even if I'm not in it with you… Your grandparents and myself, along with Uncle Einar did our very best to make it cozier than he was…
Believe me when I said it was ANYTHING but welcoming at first…
So much spiders… YUCK !
Anyway, another thing I want to say is this : you have been enrolled in Forks High School but sadly, you cannot come until the spring semester (in January) I'm afraid…
I hope you enjoy your new life as an adult, Harald my beloved son.
Your Mother
Astrid
PS : Look into the first room, behind the bed is something that your great-grandfather left behind for any Werebears who came to live in his former home.
PPS: Don't forget to call me anytime young man !'
Harald couldn't retain a soft laugh to escape his mouth as he finished reading the letter as a few tears fell down his cheeks. Shaking his head, he returned back to the main part of the house before heading toward the kitchen as his stomach started to growl loudly in hunger.
Thanks to his family, he had enough food for a while… maybe 2 or 3 months at most so he won't have to do purchases anytime soon. Smiling, the young man started to work on one of his favorite meals : Baked Pork Chops.
For Aiyanna, he decided to prepare her some trouts he found in the cooler. She will SURELY love them enveloped in honey.
After a few minutes, the two meals were finished and he purposely let the kitchen's door open so Aiyanna would grace him with his presence after being silent since the moment she went upstairs.
Like he predicted, the sound of heavy footsteps climbing down the staircase announced him the arrival of his familiar whose head soon appeared at the kitchen's entrance.
["Well well well… Look who decide to mingle back with the commoner~"] Harald teasingly greeted the blond bear who shot him a glare.
["Ah ha ha I'm literally DYING of laugher !"] Aiyanna replied in sarcasm at her human who couldn't stop himself from laughing.
["Seriously what were you doing up there ? I didn't hear you for a while you know… I was starting to worry..."] Harald said softy after a moment.
The glare she had in her eyes softened drastically at those words before she answered in a kind but sheepish tone
["I'm sorry for worrying you… I found this moss bed and I kinda… fell asleep on it..."]
Harald stared blankly at his familiar for a moment before chuckling as he said those next words
["You really are a groundhogyou know…"]
A deep growl escaped the blond bear's throat as she glared daggers at her humans. But then a devious smirk grew on her muzzle as she knew the perfect way to punish him for this.
["I will show you a groundhog, you hairless monkey !"] Aiyanna snarled playffuly back at her human before lunging forward.
Harald yelped in shock and surprise at the sudden attack and found himself being pinned down by the large grizzly bear who opened her jaws… to lick his face repeatedly, covering his skin with her thick warm saliva.
["Urgh ! Stop that !"] The dark brown haired man cried out loudly in disgust as he tried to push the heavy bear away from him.
Instead of listening, Aiyanna's licks doubled and Harald closed his eyes and mouth when her tongue touched his lips or his eyelids. For at least 4 minutes, she kept licking until she FINALLY thought it was time to let him up.
Harald used a hand to weep the drill out of his face, groaning in disgust while the blond grizzly bear only stood there watching hip with a satisfied expression on her face.
["I really need a shower now… All thanks to you !"] the dark brown haired young man grumbled in annoyance as he shot a glare toward the bear who only giggled in amusement.
["You're welcome ! Now can we eat ?"] Aiyanna inquired to her human with a hopeful expression in her eyes.
["Of course… Rightafter Icome back from the shower~"] Harald's response caused her to gap at him before growling threateningly
["We eat now or I'm giving you another reason to head to the shower Harald Anderson !"] Aiyanna growled at him and his face paled a bit at those words especially when he saw her licking her chops in anticipation.
["Fine you big glutton ! You won !"] Harald grumbled in defeat before going back to the plates of food, leaving behind a triumphant blond bear who ignored his comment about her being a glutton.
When he came back, the two happily enjoyed their dinner with Aiyanna literally WOLFING down her trouts while Harald was eating more slowly. When they were finished, the young man washed the dished before heading straight to the shower to get rid of the drool on him.
When he returned in the living rooms later, he picked up his phone to call his mom while turning on the TV for both him and Aiyanna.
Their first night as responsible adults was pretty good after that.
(To be continue…)