Bear-(mxm rever series 2)

Bear

(Cover fan art by MayceeMouse :)) 

It was getting cold outside.

September had flown by and the biting cold nipping at his thick black nose foretold an early winter. Marsh stared up at the graying sky with deep chocolate eyes that almost looked like coal in the dimming light. He still needed to bulk up.

Shaking out his heavy coat, he sniffed around and nibbled on a struggling blackberry bush. His bear was likely pushing six-hundred pounds, but he needed at least another hundred or two in order to make it through hibernation. He'd slept through every winter he'd come upon since finding himself a territory, though he sometimes woke up too soon if he hadn't managed to build up his fat reserves in time. He didn't want to have to go through the struggle of raiding campsites and dumpsters for food again.

Pawing at the ground, he sniffed at a root before deciding not to waste his time on the low-nutrient item. With his mind hard-wired to find food, he started sniffing the air and hobbling along, hoping that he'd pick up the scent of something decently substantial.

After a short bit of wandering, his nostrils flared as they found something on the wind. It definitely wasn't a deer or possum, but it smelled edible, and that was good enough for him. Hell, he'd even take carrion.

His heavy paws followed his nose as he paced through the massive forest, but as he grew closer to the scent, his ears began to twitch as they picked up sounds that he didn't like. There was talking nearby. That meant that there were humans.

The instinct to turn and run was strong as it pulsed through his veins, but he was also very undernourished considering how fast winter was approaching. He needed food... and meat was the best thing he could get a hold of. It was worth the risk.

Moving as quietly as he could, he circled around the small group of humans, silently noting that two of the males were holding long guns. If he could kill them first, the others could only run. That would be two meals, possibly three, if he could chase down one of the runners.

The thought of a good meal made him hunch down and dig his claws into the moist, cold soil beneath them. It was now or never.

With a habitual roar, he lunged forward, immediately drawing the human's attention. Thankfully, he was close enough to swat one of the guns out of the first man's hands, and while the other one fumbled with his own to aim, Marsh took his chance for his first kill. Right as he was raking his paw down the first man's chest, something suddenly swung onto his back, arms fumbling to wrap around his large neck.

With the scent of blood in the air, Marsh refused to stop until he felt fingernails claw at his own right eye. He stumbled backwards and shook his head abruptly, then stood up onto his back legs with an angry roar. The person who had jumped on him had to relent and hold on tightly or be thrown to the ground.

When Marsh dropped back down to his front paws, he hurriedly shook his coat out again, but frustratingly, the person still managed to hold on.

"Shoot it! Shoot it!"

Half of the small group had already taken off running, leaving one man standing beside the one who had the second gun. It appeared to be broken, since he was still messing with it, and not pointing it at him.

"The damn thing is jammed!" the guy with the gun growled as Marsh started for him, only to slide to an abrupt halt as the person on his back returned to clawing at his eye.

Deciding that he needed to deal with the human on his back first, and remaining around the man with the gun was only risking more, Marsh turned and barreled through the underbrush. The man riding on his back returned to holding on tightly, but even with his fingers removed from his eye, Marsh couldn't see more than dark blotches on that side.