Chapter 78: Episode 078: Encountering a Bear.
Rue wasn’t really worried about what Gianna said.
She pulled the thick fur blanket up over her shoulders and settled deeper into the back of the wagon. Gianna told her to stay inside no matter what happened, and Rue fully intended to follow that rule to the letter.
The wooden wheels rolled over the dirt and rocks, creating a steady, rocking motion that quickly put little Theron to sleep after eating for the fourth time since their journey started. He rested his tiny head against Rue’s chest, his golden eyes completely shut.
Rue was surprised he was this calm through the whole journey.
The forest grew much darker as the afternoon slowly faded into evening. The pine trees turned into massive, towering shadows blocking out the remaining sunlight. The air turned sharp and cold. It smelled like wet dirt and crushed leaves.
Rue felt a small shiver run down her arms, but she stayed quiet. She trusted the princess pulling the wagon.
Then, the wagon hit a bump.
The entire wooden carriage jolted hard. The wheels stopped completely, sinking deep into the dirt path.
Rue gasped. She immediately grabbed Theron tight, wrapping her arms around his small body to protect him from the sudden shake.
A terrifying roar echoed through the dark trees. It was a deep, wet, furious noise that shook the pine needles right off the branches, and smelled like old blood and dirty fur. It smelled like a predator that didn’t like the scent of prey in the air.
A giant Bear clan warrior stood right in the middle of the dirt path, completely blocking their way.
He was massive. He stood on two thick legs, his shoulders hunched forward. Thick brown fur covered his chest and arms. He sniffed the cold air and let out another furious roar.
He didn’t like the smell of strangers in his territory. He smelled a small rabbit and a baby in the air, and his black eyes locked right onto the wagon. He roared in rage, acting like he wanted to tear the wooden carriage into tiny pieces.
Rue’s heart picked up instantly. She pulled Theron deeper under the white blanket, hiding him from sight. Gianna turned her head and looked back at the wagon.
"Seize your fear, Rue," Gianna called out. Her voice was completely flat and totally calm. "They smell the panic. It just makes them louder and stupider."
Rue swallowed hard. She forced herself to take a deep, slow breath. She tried her best to calm down, watching the princess through the front opening of the wagon cover.
Gianna dropped the wooden wagon handles and rested her hands right on her hips. She looked at the giant beast and sighed loudly.
"You are just the baby bear," Gianna told the giant warrior. She shook her head, looking disappointed. "You might just be training out here in the dirt. That completely explains why you don’t have any manners at all."
The bear didn’t like being insulted. He let out a deafening roar, dropped down onto all four of his massive paws, and charged right at the princess. The heavy thumping of his feet actually made the dirt path shake.
Rue held her breath.
Gianna didn’t move until the very last second. She sighed again and ran forward to meet the beast.
The bear swung a massive, deadly paw right at Gianna’s head. The claws were entirely huge. But Gianna just ducked under the heavy arm, and planted her heavy leather boot in the dirt, twisted her small hips, and kicked her leg high into the cold air.
Her boot connected perfectly right under the giant bear’s jaw.
The sound was a loud, sharp crack.
The massive beast completely lifted off the ground. He flew sideways, crashed heavily into a thick pine tree, and dropped down into the dirt like a giant rock. He didn’t move a single muscle. He was completely knocked out cold from just one hit.
Gianna lowered her leg. She dusted off her hands, acting like she just finished a simple chore. She flipped her dark braid over her shoulder with a sharp toss of her head.
"That was entirely too easy," Gianna boasted loudly. She crossed her arms and grinned at the sleeping bear. "He didn’t even try to dodge. I didn’t even break a sweat."
Rue let out a massive sigh of relief. The heavy knot of panic in her chest completely vanished.
She looked at the small princess standing over the giant beast. Gianna really was exactly as strong as she claimed. Rue felt a huge rush of warmth and pride. She completely dropped her worried mother act and acted exactly like a proud older sister watching a sibling win a fight.
Rue started clapping.
She smiled brightly and cheered from the back of the wagon.
"You are amazing, Gianna!" Rue cheered loudly. "That was incredible! You didn’t even use your full strength. You really are the strongest person I know!"
Gianna froze. She turned around and looked at Rue.
The princess wasn’t used to people clapping for her. Hearing Rue praise her so honestly made Gianna feel a little awkward.
A bright blush covered Gianna’s pale cheeks. She rubbed the back of her neck and awkwardly kicked a loose stone on the path.
"Well, obviously," Gianna mumbled, trying to act cool. "It’s just what we do."
But Gianna couldn’t hide her wide, happy smile.
They didn’t travel any further that night. Gianna easily dragged the heavy, sleeping bear off the dirt path and threw him deep into the bushes. She gathered some dry wood and built a warm fire right next to the wagon.
Rue stayed inside the wagon with Theron, but she sat right at the edge of the wooden floorboards so she could be close to the bright orange flames. Gianna sat on a large rock next to the fire.
They spent the rest of the night just talking.
Gianna didn’t act like a grumpy, spoiled royal anymore. She told Rue funny stories about growing up in the massive palace. She talked about how Tanith always made her practice fighting until her arms felt like jelly, and how she secretly hated wearing the heavy, uncomfortable silk dresses the tailors made for her.
Rue listened and laughed. She told Gianna about how silly some stories were from earth without revealing where it was actually from.
Gianna laughed so hard she almost fell off her rock.
Theron woke up for a little while. The baby boy babbled happily at the firelight. Gianna reached out and let Theron squeeze her finger. She smiled softly at the baby, showing a gentle side she always kept hidden especially from Rue.
The dark, scary forest didn’t feel so bad with the fire going. They genuinely bonded. Rue realized Gianna wasn’t a spoiled princess at all. She was just a young girl who wanted someone to be proud of her. They became genuine sisters that night, sitting together under the freezing stars.
The sun came up very slowly the next morning.
The air was entirely different. It was biting cold. Gianna kicked dirt over the dead campfire and picked up the heavy wooden wagon handles. They started moving again. The dirt path turned hard and icy under the heavy wooden wheels.
They traveled for a few more hours. The trees slowly started to thin out.
Rue wrapped Theron securely in his thick white blankets. She pulled her own fur cloak tight around her neck and peeked her head out of the front wagon opening.
The giant pine trees finally cleared away entirely.
A massive, frozen valley opened up right in front of them. The morning sun hit the ground, reflecting blindingly bright against the thick white snow covering the entire landscape. The cold wind bit at Rue’s cheeks, freezing her nose almost instantly.
At the far end of the snowy valley stood the Northern Wolf Kingdom.
Rue looks out and sees the massive, towering wooden gates. They stretched high up into the freezing sky, gleaming brightly in the sun. The walls were built from giant blocks of solid ice and dark gray stone. Small figures of wolf guards stood high up on the watchtowers, looking down at the small wagon approaching their territory.
It was a completely different world from the warm valley of the Convergence.
Rue pulled her blanket a little higher around her chin, staring at the giant frozen fortress.
"Wow I didn’t expect the place to be so big," Rue exclaimed.
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