Dawn Rising

✧ E P I L O G U E

 Mischief plodded through the snow. Her two cubs flounced around her, squealing and barking happily. "Alabaster, Ross, stop making so much noise," she reprimanded. "Or you'll chase away all the prey."

"But I'm not hungry," Alabaster said, through the stick he was holding in his mouth. His dark eyes, a stark contrast against his light-furred pelt, were hopeful. "I'd rather play tug-of-war. Come on, Mama, can't you play?"

"Why won't you play with me?" Ross asked Alabaster. He cuffed his brother's light brown cheek playfully.

"Because you don't play fair," Alabaster said, raising his head indignantly.

"What? Do not!"

"Yes, you do!"

"No, I do not!"

"Yes, you do!"

"No! Mama," Ross wailed. "Alabaster isn't being fair with me!"

Mischief rolled her eyes and cuffed both of her cubs lightly. "Oh, for the sake of my ears, can you please stop bickering?"

For a moment, her two cubs were silent. Then Ross whispered to Alabaster, "I don't cheat!" Alabaster rolled his eyes and smeared a pawful of snow on Ross's cheek.

Ross returned the action with a growl, and the two cubs started yelping and barking as they chucked snow at each other with their paws. Mischief sighed, and decided to ignore them as she trudged on through the snow. She knew that the summer lands were near; she remembered the way from when she was a cub.

She remembered, with a fond chuff, her Mother-bear and Mauna. Mauna had been the elderly she-bear who had saved Mischief and her Mother-bear from a terrible fate in the mountains. Although Mauna had later died of old age, in the summer lands, she lived on in Mischief's memory.

Mischief looked up at the darkening sky, then searched for her cubs in the landscape. It should be time to settle down for the night, she thought, and called, "Alabaster! Ross!"

"Over here!" came Ross's response, behind an outcropping of boulders. "Mama, come see! We met a nice bear!"

What? Alarm made Mischief's pelt spike, and she loped to the outcropping. Stranger bears were bad. They were terrible. Especially the male bears. Male bears could brutally murder the cubs of a she-bear in an attempt to mate with her. But Mischief wouldn't let that happen to her cubs. She skidded around the outcropping, her muscles coild, ready to fight.

"Get back!" she snarled at Alabaster and Ross. "This bear might be-"

"Mischief?"

Mischief blinked. She stared at the bear standing in front of her. It was an elderly she-bear with a dark brown pelt, the color of bark, and equally dark eyes. She was small- shrivelled with age. But although her pelt was streaked with gray hairs, Mischief would recognize her anywhere.

"Mama?" she whispered.

The she-bear's eyes widened, and she reached her muzzle forward, tentatively sniffing Mischief. "Mischief! Mischief, it is you!"

Mischief was elated. A burst of joy sprang forth in her. It's Alma! It's Mother-bear, it really is her! Mischief reached forward and nuzzled Mother-bear furiously. "I thought I'd never see you again!" she barked, stepping back. That was usually how it was with bears: Once they were of age, the now-grown cubs would leave their Mother-bear and go out on their own. The males would set off to live independently, and the females would raise more cubs. This was Mischief's second raising.

"I also thought so," Mother-bear said softly. She looked behind Mischief, at Alabaster and Ross. "Are these your cubs?"

Mischief nodded, unable to keep the pride out of her stance. "Mama, this is Alabaster and Ross. Alabaster, Ross, this is my Mother-bear, Alma."

Alabaster and Ross gazed up at Alma, their eyes wide. "So you're our great-mother!" Alabaster said.

"Will you travel with us to the summer lands?" Ross asked.

Mischief looked at Mother-bear hopefully. She was still astounded that she had found her Mother-bear. Sudden memories of when she was a cub, of when Mauna had helped them to the summer lands, rushed through her mind. "Please," she said. "Just like when I was a cub. Like Mauna."

Alabaster and Ross nodded furiously in agreement with Mischief. Mischief had told them all about the tales of Mauna, and how miraculous the elderly she-bear had been.

Mother-bear nodded, and Mischief saw that her eyes were alight with joy. "Of course I'll come with you to the summer lands," she said. "I'll be with you every step of the way."

THE END

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