I'll modify what I said last chapter. Instead of calling it 'heavily inspired', I think it's better if I just call it 'inspired'. With how my mind loosely planned how this story will develop so far, I'm not sure how deep the 'inspiration' will go. I'm just saying this to manage expectations after my 'heavily inspired' note last chapter. So yeah, hope that clarifies that. If not, oh well.
Jaune's eyes widened in naked shock and hear as an involuntary gasp left his mouth. In front of him was a large bear, a dangerous predator in the wild. They were strong and they were brutal, at least that's what common knowledge and sense told him. And even if its unnatural coloring in comparison to the bears he saw in the past, real or otherwise, was peculiar, its massive shape, fanged snout and large, clawed paws indicated it was a dangerous bear.
Jaune kept his gaze towards the hulking mammal, hyperaware of any movement the still-sitting bear could and would do. While it seemed to only regard him with curious interest so far, Jaune remained vigilant against any sudden changes in its intent. With his entire body like a coiled spring, Jaune was prepared to move at any sign of escalation.
As Jaune's arms found purchase on the rocky cave wall behind him, he watched the bear tilt its head to the side, as if it was confused by his presence. The random thought of copying it flew out of his mind as quickly as the urge came, his fear at the forefront of his focus.
Minutes passed with little changing between the two. Jaune kept relatively silent as he forced his body to remain on high alert. Meanwhile, the bear just continued to sit just opposite of Jaune, its relaxed posture a counter to Jaune's tautness. The situation felt like eternity for Jaune and he feared that he might not have long until he lost their war of attrition when-
'Grrrrowl'
Jaune felt his blood freeze in his veins. While they blended well in the black fur that surrounded his eyes, Jaune saw the bear's gaze switch from his whole body to one specific area: his stomach.
Jaune internally groaned at his misfortune. He hadn't eaten since escaping his kidnappers and his gut chose the worst moment to voice its displeasure. Now, instead of eating breakfast, he was going to be something else's breakfast.
'Snap out of Jaune! You can still survive! Just have to dive to the waterfall when the bear makes its move.' Jaune mentally planned out as he felt every bead of sweat drip down across his body.
'Now!' Jaune decided, seeing the bear rise up from sitting. Jaune launched himself straight towards the waterfall cave entrance, desperate to get past the small opening where the bear couldn't possibly fit.
Just barely out of the cave, Jaune ignored the rushing waterfall and quickly turned to face the cave entrance. He was ready to bolt at the first sign of the bear but first he wanted to confirm the bear couldn't follow him out the cave.
After a tense few seconds passed, Jaune grew confused as no heavy sounds of a rushing bear or frightening growls came from the cave he exited. Steeling his nerve, Jaune hazarded a peek through the cave. Though it was dark and hard to make out, Jaune could faintly see the retreating form of the bear further into the cave, as if it never saw him in the first place.
"Thank Oum." Jaune voiced out in a shaky but relieved breath, his body slumping down on the wet, stone ground. Soon, a laugh erupted from his throat, one that sounded like a loud sob at times. Jaune couldn't help it, he just survived a bear encounter in the wild.
After giving himself a few minutes to calm down, Jaune made his way out of the back of the waterfall and to the shore of the pool. As he stepped near, he saw quick movements darting in different directions from the pool, all away from him. Jaune assumed they were small critters taking a drink from the pool like he did yesterday. The thought of animals brought on another loud complaint from his stomach.
Jaune looked around and saw several berries growing where the forest just starts, as well as mushrooms growing around the pool. He briefly considered taking and eating them but quickly abandoned the idea. He and Mint tried to do that once back at home and they spent an entire weekend in bed and throwing up. Even if he did learn what was edible in their hometown's forest, none of the growth in the island was familiar and he'd rather not risk it until he was fully desperate.
To take his mind off his growling stomach for a while, Jaune opted to wash his clothes and himself. His shirt and pants clung uncomfortably to his skin, the combination of sweat, dirt and other grime making his clothes sticky and foul smelling.
He took his shirt off first, the plain dark fabric marred by dirt and sweat stains. He quickly soaked the entire shirt into the pool and made to scrub off every stain, mindful not to further damage the shirt already cut from his stint in the wild. He idly thought about the hoodie he left back home, courtesy of his sisters, and was slightly thankful his beloved hoodie wouldn't be part of his limited steadily wearing out clothes in the island.
When he finished, he hung the soaked shirt on a small branch and made to remove his pants as well. Jaune proceeded to clean his pants as well just like his shirt and soon, both shirt and pants were left to hang and dry.
As his clothes dried, Jaune entered the pool in just his underwear, going deep enough for the water to reach just below his neck. He slightly shivered at the cool sensation of the fresh water around him but soon, he adapted and meticulously washed his body. He took washing himself for granted and now, without the help of soap and shampoo to clean him, Jaune had to make do with the water.
Still, even without all the modern amenities of a washroom, Jaune steadily relaxed into the water, relishing in the calm and light sensation of the pool. The sound of the waterfall drowning out the faint noises of the forest felt comforting to Jaune, enough to let him rest his eyes for a few minutes.
When Jaune felt that his wash was enough, he moved to get out of the pool and towards his clothes when he saw a terrifying and familiar site. The black and white bear.
'Shit! How did it get here!?' Jaune cursed in his mind as he paused in the water, not wanting to alert the bear with the sound of moving water.
Thankfully, the bear's back was still facing Jaune, with the bear standing on its hind legs. It was inspecting the clothes Jaune left on the branch to dry, sniffing at them.
'What do I do?!' Jaune asked himself as he panicked. Getting away in the cave was hard enough, but at least he had solid ground and a clear way out back then. Now, he was practically naked, in the water, and had no easy cover to move towards.
When Jaune saw the bear drop down to a crawl and slowly turn towards the pool, he made a split-second decision and dove down under the water. While the water was clear, he hoped that the bear wouldn't think to look into the water and would just leave.
Jaune focused on counting the seconds that passed while under the water.
'-ten, eleven, twelve,-' He counted calmly.
'-thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-fi-' He counted with slightly difficulty.
'-ninety-one, ninety-two, nin-' He struggled to think, the demand for air already too much to focus on anything else.
Jaune rose up from under the water, closing his eyes instinctively from the rush of water as he took deep breaths of air. When he opened his eyes, he was face-to-face with the neutral expression of the bear.
"H-Hey?" Jaune offered weakly, making one last, desperate attempt even as his mind slowly accepted his imminent death. He saw the bear raise a paw and Jaune closed his eyes, waiting for the fatal strike to end him.
Except, it didn't come at all.
Instead of sharp claws, Jaune felt water hit his face. Cautioning a look, Jaune saw that the bear had simply slapped the water in front of Jaune, as if to splash Jaune.
'What?' Jaune blankly thought as he dumbfoundedly stared at the wet paw of the bear.
Jaune broke from his trance when the paw was retracted and he swiftly switched his gaze towards the bear, hoping to stare it down as he attempted an escape. But when he looked back at the bear, it was already sitting by the shoreline, with a basket cradled in its arms.
'Growl.'
It growled in an even volume, more like it was calling his attention rather than a sign of aggression. Jaune saw it extend its arms a little forward, emphasizing the basket in its arms. Inside the basket, Jaune saw a plethora of fruits and vegetables so fresh and enticing that his stomach, for the third time, growled out.
'Is it… giving me food?' Jaune thought confused, staring both at the basket offered and the bear that offered it.
After a minute of silence, Jaune decided to take a risk and slowly made his way near the large bear. The water droplets that trailed down his chest and arms felt like beads of sweat as he cautiously approached the still-sitting bear. He held out his shaky arms towards the basket but didn't move them any closer. He thought to quickly grab something from the basket but thought better of it, not wanting to make sudden movements.
As if sensing his apprehension, the bear pushed the basket into Jaune's hands, careful to secure it until Jaune had a firm grasp of the basket.
When nothing else happened for a few seconds, Jaune quickly took out a berry from the basket and popped it into his mouth. The sweetness of small fruit was heavenly for the hungry Jaune and he greedily bit into the berry in his mouth and savored the juice that spilled out.
Jaune popped several more berries into his mouth afterwards, relishing in the taste of the food and the calm it brought to his stomach. As Jaune looked into the basket to find another fruit to eat, his thoughts drifted back to the peculiar bear that sat just a few steps away. He saw it looking at him curiously, its eyes filled with interest.
Jaune grabbed an apple from the basket, firm and healthy, and walked closer to the bear. It didn't react much to his movements, content to just observe him with its eyes and head. When Jaune felt that the bear wouldn't strike at him, he held out the apple towards the bears paws.
He anxiously watched as the bear stared at the apple he offered it and his body tensed when its paws moved close to his own arms. Thankfully, the paws stopped just before his hands, held together patiently. Jaune quickly understood what it was doing and gingerly gave the apple to the bear.
It was Jaune's turn to watch in curiosity as the bear brought the apple to its snout and bit into it, juice bursting out from the fruit and spilling from the bear's mouth. It ate the apple peacefully, its focus clearly on the snack it was enjoying. It was so docile and calm that Jaune would have called it cute if not for the ridiculous situation that preceded it.
"I guess you're a friend then." Jaune mused with slight disbelief, coming to terms with the absurd situation. A slight breeze brought Jaune out from his reverie as he noted that he was, in fact, still standing naked in the wild.
Still keeping an eye on the bear, Jaune walked past it and towards his clothes that were mostly dry already. When he finished getting dressed, the bear was already on its paws, moving out of the clearing. Before it got any farther however, it stopped and turned its head towards Jaune and made a short growl.
'I guess it wants me to follow it.' Jaune assumed, recognizing the special intelligence the bear seemed to possess. 'Well, it did give me food.' Jaune reasoned, looking down to the basket it gave him.
"Alright, I'll come." Jaune called out, to which the bear responded with another short growl as if to acknowledge his answer. Jaune just shook his head at the situation he found himself in: not just following but talking to a wild bear. Still, Jaune smiled at the positive turn of his morning as he caught up to the side of the bear, following its lead into the forest.
