by Fox, Piper
He stroked his dark beard and sighed as he watched me eat. “I’ll miss you while you’re gone. But I just know this will help the burrow immensely if you can bring back some medicinal skills from Mira. She grew up in this burrow, you know.”
“You’ve only told me half a dozen times.”
“You’re right, I have,” he chuckled. Then his face grew solemn. “There have been polar bear sightings again.”
I paused my meal. The polar bears. The mention of them sent a shiver down my spine. They were scarier than the cold. My father told the stories to the junior members of our group about how whole burrows had been devoured by the bloodthirsty beasts. It was rare to see them now, but the fear of the monsters had been instilled firmly in all our minds.
“But that’s why you’ll have Lance and Anthony. Those two will keep you well protected during your trip. Which, speaking of, you need to be heading off. You don’t want to waste a single second of daylight.”
I finished off my soup and stood up with my father. We hugged, and he kissed the top of my head. With a last goodbye, mixed with excitement and sorrow, I began my trip to the neighboring burrow.
Chapter 2
“You okay back there, miss?”
Lance peered back at me with a mix of concern and humor. He had made the trip between burrows a few times before and had been on hundreds of hunting trips in the outside world. I had only been outside for extended periods a handful of times in my entire life. My poor feet were screaming to take a break. But we were over halfway at that point and the fear of a not yet setting sun was enough to keep me moving, albeit at a slower pace than my companions.
I waved his worries off. “I’m just fine. Mind your own feet.”
He snorted a laugh but turned back to our other journey partner to strike up a conversation about fishing spots. With the ability to travel limited by daylight and burrows, the fears of overfishing any of the nearby spots was a growing issue. An issue for the men, though. I rolled my eyes.
I groaned as we reached the base of a steep slope. The gentlemen started the ascent first, and I followed suit, my knees and calves feeling the burn. At least the exertion was keeping my body temperature higher. It felt good.
Lance reached the top of the slope and breathed in sharply, dropping to the snow. He pulled Anthony down with him and they both hurriedly and silently motioned for me to drop down as well. I did without question, but raised an eyebrow. Anthony peaked over and I saw as he mouthed a silent curse.
Anthony and Lance whispered to each other, their breath coming out as bursts of steam from their mouths. I got antsy laying in the snow and tried to shift to a more comfortable position without having the white blanket crunch beneath me too loudly.
Anthony broke away from his discourse with Lance and began inching toward me, staying low. He slid a bit and visibly winced, but remained absolutely silent. When he finally reached me, he sighed and whispered.
“I don’t want you to panic, but there’s a polar bear just beyond the hill.”
My heart stopped and fear formed a knot in my stomach, my eyes going wide. There hadn’t been bears on the burrow trails for months. I said a silent, thankful prayer to have Lance and Anthony with me. And, more importantly, their spears.
“What are we going to do? We can’t change routes, can we?” My whispers were louder than I intended, sending my heart rate racing.
Anthony placed a hand on my arm to calm me. It was highly ineffective. “The beast has its back turned to us, drinking from the stream. And it’s alone. Lance and I can take care of this. Don’t worry.”
“It’s a bit late for the not worrying part. Are you sure about this?”
He tilted his head and raised his shoulders, shrugging with a grimace under his heavy clothing. “Going around would cost us an hour of daylight. It’s hypothetically fine, but I don’t want to risk it. We can dispatch of the polar bear quick enough, I think.”
I nodded my agreement, though a part of me wanted to just walk the additional hour. But Anthony was already off, signaling to Lance to begin. I followed behind them, so as not to be left alone on the incline. It wasn’t easy using my hands and knees to crawl and still somehow keep quiet.
I reached the peak and the three of us peeped over once more. There, maybe a hundred feet ahead of us, was the most striking white polar bear. It blended in with the landscape around us and looked like a pile of snow on the edge of the stream. But, sure enough, I watched as a tongue appeared to lap at the water.
I changed my mind. I wanted to turn back and walk the long way around. It was too much of a risk for me to feel comfortable with. But it was too late. Lance and Anthony stood and ran toward the lone bear. The snow crunching under their feet alerted the bear with its phenomenal hearing. It turned around sharply, moving onto its hind legs, and I let out a squeak of fear.
The beast was massive. It was a solid two feet taller than my escorts and the teeth...they were daggers that rivaled the spears that Lance and Anthony now jabbed forward. The bear let out a roar that made me freeze useless in my spot. Lance hoisted his spear over his head and threw it.
It connected with the bear’s exposed shoulder. The polar bear staggered before falling forward onto all fours and swiping out with a massive paw. It connected with Anthony, knocking him to the side. I wanted to scream to him, but I couldn’t find my voice.
And that’s when I saw them. The four other equally fearsome polar bears running from the forest to help their fellow bear. I finally summoned the courage to scream.
“Lance, more bears!”
It was too late. The new arrivals wasted no time in joining in. Two of them tackled Lance, one holding him down in the snow. The weight must have been excruciating, as Lance howled in pain. That was when the polar bear on top of him lunged its face down to meet Lance’s face, biting it clear off.
My stomach felt uneasy. The blood was so bright against the snow. I couldn’t believe my eyes as it pooled. The warmth of the blood steamed against the freezing cold of the air, and I felt a tear fall down my cheek.
Anthony screamed for his friend. They had known each other since they were boys. I couldn’t begin to fathom how he was feeling. But it was over for him as well. Another bear bit into his leg, dragging him through the snow. Anthony grabbed his spear off the ground and stabbed it toward the bear’s face, but it was no use. The bear released his leg, only to rear up and bring its paw down onto Anthony’s chest in a crushing blow. He instantly went limp as his lungs caved in.
I choked back a sob. A mistake on my part. A bear with a ragged scar on its cheek took notice of me. My eyes were locked on that scar, trying to calm myself, as the polar bear began to charge toward me through the snow. I knew there was no hope for me to outrun it or make an escape, so I allowed myself to lose focus and think about my dad. He’d be devastated when he eventually heard of my death. First mom and now me. He deserved so much more than this.
The bear was almost to me, and I mustered one last quiver of bravery to look my killer in the eyes. I moved my attention to the black eyes of the beast and...
The cold.
I couldn’t feel it.
I didn’t feel cold.
The bear came to a shuddering halt.
I found myself dazed as I was locked in a staring contest with a polar bear. An actual polar bear. There was a sort of intelligence behind its eyes as I came to terms with the fact I didn’t feel cold anymore. Was this a part of dying? Intense fear? This warmth?
The polar bears behind the one with the scar began to make sounds, grunts, and growls. They were probably wondering why I hadn’t been turned into a snack yet. The polar bear mere feet away from me looked over its shoulder, roaring back at them. But it didn’t sound angry. It sounded hurt almost.
I held my breath as the polar bear turned back to me and began...changing. The beast straightened its posture and shook its body as the fur tightened to its frame and morphed into human skin. The creature became smaller and smalle
r; the snout changing into a regular human face. The eyes turned a mesmerizing shade of green. The hair on its body disappeared except on its head. That hair turned into a dark black color.
As I realized the polar bear had turned into a full-grown man, I blacked out.
Chapter 3
I opened my eyes slowly at first, then all at once. I bolted up from the hard floor I was on and cried out as I remembered everything that had happened. Lance was dead. Anthony was dead. The polar bears.
Oh my god, the polar bears.
I checked my body to make sure I had no injuries. No scratches, no teeth marks, nothing. But where was I? The room I was in was small and had only one way in or out. It certainly wasn’t a burrow because there were no furs or fires. If I hadn’t made it to the burrow, I was as good as dead. The night would be upon me any minute, surely.
Except, I didn’t feel chilled in the slightest. I took one of my mittens off cautiously and placed my bare hand on the wall of the cave. It should have been unbearably cold, but it felt pleasant. I was beyond confused at this point and decided it was time to leave.
Before I could decide whether to tiptoe or just run for it, a man appeared at the entrance. I gasped. He looked to be around my age, maybe a few years older at most. All he wore were thin cloth pants and a matching thin shirt that hung loosely on his body. No coats, furs, or even shoes. A thin, jagged scar ran down the side of his face.
Recognition dawned on me as I realized it was the polar bear man.
“Who are you?” The words rushed out of my mouth without thought or consideration.
He swallowed hard. “Ezekiel. And you?”
His voice was smooth and would have been soothing if it weren’t such a stressful situation. I stammered. “Georgina. I-“
I stopped myself. I was going to tell him I lived in the South River burrow. I realized just in time that telling the polar bears where we lived would be a terrible idea. Was I really talking to a freaking polar bear? Who was also a man?
“Are all the polar bears actually people? Or am I losing my mind? Am I dead?”
He chuckled. “You’re not dead; quite the opposite, I think. As for the polar bear question...follow me.” He motioned over his shoulder with his head and began to walk away from the cave. I paused. Following a possible polar bear man seemed like not the brightest move. But he hadn’t killed me yet. How much worse of a situation could I get myself into?
I joined him and exited the small cave. We were in a stone hallway that seemed to go on for some distance. I followed Ezekiel through the corridor until we turned to the entrance of a much larger cave room.
The ceiling was high above us, an opening on the opposite side led to the outside, to freedom. But it was dark. My heart sank as I realized it was nighttime. Thankfully, for whatever reason, I wasn’t dead. I’d take that minor victory.
Although, I might be doomed to die soon. The room had different levels of rocky platforms and nooks where a mix of polar bears and people lounged and rested. Some were bundled in warm clothing, others were wearing little more than nothing. Some snuggled into polar bears for warmth.
“Ah, I’m happy to see you awake, dear. I was worried, for Ezekiel’s sake, that sheer fright would take you while you were asleep.”
A little woman, wrinkled with age and leaning on a cane, strolled over to join me and Ezekiel at the cave entrance. Her grey hair was long and braided over her shoulder. Her eyes were gentle, and I found myself trusting of her almost immediately.
“I...I don’t want to seem rude. But can someone please explain to me what is going on? This is going to sound crazy, but I feel warm. Is there something wrong with me?”
She waved me off. “Your concern is unnecessary. If you had grown up with us, you would know exactly what is happening. But don’t be concerned, dear. Come, I’ll explain everything to you.”
The woman reached out her hand, and I slowly took it. With a gentle pull, she led me to a slab of stone, patting it for me to sit with her. I did so, and she brushed some hair out of my face. It had fallen loose of its braid during the crazy ordeal. I startled as a polar bear let out a grunt.
“Oh, don’t mind him,” the woman laughed. “That’s what it sounds like when a polar bear snores. He’s the worst about it too.”
“Is he,” I paused. “Is he a man too?”
She nodded. “Afraid so. All of them are men. Or women. We are shifters, my dear.”
“And you can shift too? Into a polar bear?”
“I can. I don’t like to do it much anymore. I’m getting too old for that.”
I glanced around the room in awe of the occupants. “But my father told me all the polar bears are blood thirsty man-eaters.”
Ezekiel groaned, and the woman shot him a dirty glare. “Of course your father would say something like that.”
Anger boiled inside me. “Don’t talk bad about my papa. You know nothing about him.”
Ezekiel rolled his eyes. “Iris, tell her, please.”
Iris, the sweet lady who was still holding my hand, sighed. “We never want to hurt humans, not if we can avoid it. However, the men of your groups, especially the older ones, have been attacking us at every chance they get. We have to do what we do to protect ourselves. It’s survival, I’m afraid.”
There was sadness in her voice, her eyes looking down respectfully at the ground. She must have seen much in her many years. My own heart was pained at her words.
“But if you’re actually people, why can’t you just say something? Shift into this form and talk to the men.”
Iris shook her head. “It’s not that easy. Bears have been killed trying to do something just like that. However,” her words trailed off.
“However what?” I grabbed both her hands firmly before loosening to make sure I didn’t hurt her. I was pretty sure I couldn’t hurt her if I tried, though. The woman, though she appeared frail, had a strong grip.
She thought a moment to look for the right words. Whatever she was hoping to say, it was clearly risky. “However, we may have a unique opportunity now. Because of you.”
“Why me?”
Ezekiel shifted uncomfortably and crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, dear, polar bears like us have some special advantages we’ll call them. One of them is that the cold doesn’t affect us quite as harshly as it does for you humans. In polar bear form, we feel chilled. And in human form, we feel cold, but not frozen. The exception to this is when we find our fated mates.”
“What are those?” I felt like a dumb school child. Ezekiel had a smirk on his face that made me feel I was supposed to know what Iris was talking about.
“A fated mate is...how do I put this. Well, it’s like a soul mate. It’s the one person the universe has destined for you to be with. And for us, when we look into the eyes of our fated mate and bind with them, from then out we don’t feel the cold at all when we are near them.”
I stood up alarmingly fast, my head spinning slightly. I opened my mouth at Ezekiel to say something to him, but shut my mouth just as quickly. I instead turned back to Iris. “You cannot be saying that I am somehow soul mates with him.”
“I’ll pretend not to be hurt by that, thanks.”
Iris had a grin on her face. “I know it might not seem like such a good thing right now. But, trust me, dear. We spend most of our lives praying and impatiently waiting to meet our mates because they are gifts. You have been blessed.”
I looked Ezekiel over from head to foot. He was good looking; I had to admit that. But he was a complete and total stranger. The idea that we were destined for each other felt foreign to me.
I took a deep breath. “I’m going to put a pause on that situation. I need some time to process that. However, I want to help put an end to the bloodshed. What I saw earlier today...I can’t see something like that again. What do you need me to do?”
Iris looked proud of me as she stood up from her seat. “In the morning, once the sun is back up, Ezekiel will give you directi
ons back to your burrow. Yes, we know where you live, dear. Humans aren’t exactly subtle. Go back home and talk to your people on our behalves. They won’t listen to us, out of fear. But maybe they will listen to you.”
“Okay. I’m worried about how my father will react, but what other choice is there? If it’s okay with you, I’ll go back to the cave I woke up in and get some sleep before the trip tomorrow. Or at least try to sleep.”
Iris gave me a hug and kissed my cheek softly. “Take Ezekiel with you.”
“What? Why?” My cheeks blushed.
Ezekiel stretched from standing still for so long. He had been like a statue. “I need to be near you in order for you to keep warm. Don’t worry, I’ll stand just outside the cave like I did earlier. You won’t even know I’m there.”
I rolled my eyes and began walking past him to go back to what would be my makeshift quarters for the night. Ezekiel grabbed my arm as I passed him. I was going to tell him off for doing that, but he winked at me and I was caught off guard.
“I want to show you something first.”
I debated whether or not to go along with whatever he had planned. Even though my brain told me I should say no and go to bed, I couldn’t help myself. My interest was piqued.
“Lead the way then,” I groaned.
Chapter 4
The night sky was absolutely breathtaking. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Tiny lights twinkled and sparkled against the black expanse of the sky. My mouth hung open and my neck ached from looking up for so long.
Ezekiel had led me outside the cave opening, which had worried me more than I wanted to admit. A lifetime of being told that the night equaled death was hard to ignore. But now here I was, sitting in the snow next to a man who was barely dressed, watching the twinkling of the sky.