Denis and Katya fell asleep wondering about the old man. “Who is he? What is his name?”

They woke suddenly, to six blood-red eyes. “Shhh,” Denis warned. Katya couldn’t breathe. The wolves were poised to spring.

Then something huge and shaggy reared up, silhouetted by firelight. A fearsome growl shook the forest. The wolves scattered, terrified.

The creature re-entered its human form; the eyes gentled, the fierce mouth softened. The old man, the shape-shifter, looked down at his paws and laughed as they changed from wildly different to reassuringly normal.

“My name is Bear.”

Katya smiled, drifting back to sleep.

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Lotchie Carmelo
Lotchie Carmelo(@lotchie-carmelo)
1 year ago

Wow  ?  This gets more interesting. The old man in Katya’s dream turns into a hero. Great story, Juma. I am excited for the continuation of your story, I can’t wait to read more.

Lotchie Carmelo
Lotchie Carmelo(@lotchie-carmelo)
Reply to  Juma
1 year ago

You’re welcome, Juma. I am sure that I will enjoy it. Thank you always for giving us a nice read.

Last edited 1 year ago by Lotchie Carmelo
Carrie OLeary
Carrie OLeary(@carrie-oleary)
1 year ago

And the story continues. Really interested to see where you’re going with this Juma; the introduction of a man who shape shifts into a bear is a very interesting turn of events.

Carrie OLeary
Carrie OLeary(@carrie-oleary)
Reply to  Juma
1 year ago

Ooh, the intrigue. You have the art of teasing your readers ?

Linda Rock
Linda Rock(@linda-rock)
1 year ago

Your story just gets more intriguing with every segment Juma. And that is quite a skill so well done. I’m really enjoying reading it.

Eric Radcliffe
Eric Radcliffe(@eric-radcliffe)
1 year ago

An Interesting story Juma, you have your work cut out there, so many possibilities.

Julie Harris
Julie Harris(@julie-harris)
1 year ago

Wow, Juma. I wasn’t sure until now whether the old man was friend or foe, but seems that he is their protector as well as some sort of guide. I always did like the idea of shape shifters. Can’t wait to see what happens next!

Daisy Blacklock
Daisy Blacklock(@daisy-blacklock)
1 year ago

Great writing. It is a very mysterious piece.

Christer Norrlof
Christer Norrlof(@christer-norrlof)
1 year ago

A great and different idea with these intriguing mini-chapters. Did you know that in Scandinavian languages, we have the male name for bear? It’s Björn (ö pronounced like the indefinite article “a”).

Christer Norrlof
Christer Norrlof(@christer-norrlof)
Reply to  Juma
1 year ago

I think the reason it became used as a man’s name was its strength and the fear it provoked. It was very popular during the Viking era, as well as the name Ulf (linguistically connected to wolf) and both are still common today. Probably, the native Americans put a much deeper and richer significance to the name.

Carrie OLeary
Carrie OLeary(@carrie-oleary)
Reply to  Christer Norrlof
1 year ago

My son’s cat is Bjørn. The Norse spelling I believe. He’s a big cream ginger Maine Coon.

Christer Norrlof
Christer Norrlof(@christer-norrlof)
Reply to  Carrie OLeary
1 year ago

How nice that you have a bear cat! I hope he wears the name with dignity. Explanation: In Denmark and Norway, the o with umlaut is written ø. In Sweden it’s written ö. Historically, there was a small e, written above or next to the o to indicate that the letter was different from the o. This little e developed in two different directions. Same thing happened to Swedish ä and Danish-Norwegian… Read more »

Carrie OLeary
Carrie OLeary(@carrie-oleary)
Reply to  Christer Norrlof
1 year ago

Their other cat is Loki, so they were continuing the Norse theme. It’s always interesting to see the differences in languages.

Christer Norrlof
Christer Norrlof(@christer-norrlof)
Reply to  Carrie OLeary
1 year ago

So now, I guess, you are awaiting for Odin or Thor to appear…

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