Page 17 (1/1)

After a while, he began to sing He told her she was beautiful and sang about his horassy meadows He said he wanted to take her there Alison let the words flow over her A great weight was lifted froht Her perfect lover aiting for her so continued, a note of sadness entered the boy's voice He said they lived in different realms and would forever reether Tears for about his neck He told her it was his talisave him her necklace: a stainless steel cat on a stainless steel chain They talked for what see ti in bed that suone In its place there was a carving of a bear on a leather thong She held it in her hand and fell back to sleep

The bear plodded up the slope, following a trail of honey His face was hts with ht years, the old ani cub of a different species Treading cautiously ast the fallen branches, he stopped to sniff the breeze His eyesight was failing but his sense of sht the air in his nostrils and fors, nectar-laden flowers, a fire, and the reek of human kind

The presence of humans would normally have sent hinised the s iven hi and quickened his lu pace

The boy held out a sticky hand 'Come, Brother Look what I have for you'

The bear reached the circle of firelight and halted The stench of canine presence filled the air and he drew back ready to attack or take flight if the runted fiercely and heard the boy's cal voice

'Peace, brother There is no one here but er seeht and watched through his one good eye The boy held up a bulging leather bag His fingers slipped down and he pulled at the string that secured the neck A gush of a caution the bear ambled forward