Freedom. (bxb, shifter)

Chapter 1.

The sun has just barley kissed the horizon with its golden rays when my eyes began to open. The smell of fallen snow was laid upon the land from the downfall that had happened last night, I had taken refuge in a nearby cave my giant body built for such an environmental freeze the layer of fat and fluff that covered my body was all the warmth I needed in such times but I didn't favour trudging through snow at all hours of the night it was safer to find this cave and just sleep until the snow was ready to stop its descent blanketing the earth in a fine white dusting giving it a magical appearance. The cave was deep and dry so I was able to avoid the small flakes that were watering the ground through the night, I pushed my large furry body off the cool dirt and shook out my fur to shake the few flakes that managed to invade my space. I lumbered my body to the mouth of the cave the ground was sparkling due to the reflective sunlight and was somewhat blinding to my eyes that had grown accustomed to the darkness of my sleeping place. I gave a slight grumble at the thought of how the snow will make it harder for me to hunt because the snow will deter any small prey and had long since shrivelled up the berries that can make up my diet. I may need to travel down from the mountain range I call home to find something worthwhile to eat besides the roots I have to rummage for yesterday.

My paws felt the cool wet of the melting snow sending a slight shiver up my spine, I should be used to the cold by now there wasn't a time on this mountain I can remember where I went more than several sunrises without at least a thin layer of snow. It made life both easier and harder due to there being less mega predators for me to compete with but at the same the prey was few and far between. It was a miracle I had made it to this age without dying of hunger or the rare time I have to fight to keep my habitat mine. There was only a few times I had to venture from my home and that happened when the snow was so bad that I had not eaten in several days, at those times I had to make my way down the mountain with the continuous season to the human realm, where they were fickle confusing creatures with no fur and were very weak compared to my larger frame. I had never killed a human, but many had made the attempt to hunt me for whatever reason their selfish brain could come up with.

It was frustrating that I had to defend myself from such fickle creatures as these with no reasoning behind their attacks, when fighting off another bear or even several kinds of big cat that sometimes roam these parts I knew their reasoning this competition for food was competitive and I had a rather large territory that was mine and mine alone. The fights with other animals was for the reason of self-preservation, survival of the fittest in these parts. However, the humans had all they needed in their little area why they felt the need to trespass onto my land and threaten me with their machines and loud handheld objects. They came in swarms every now and then trying to make me a trophy they can show to the other humans that they have slain the Beast of the North. A nickname I had heard on one of my few trips to the human land. I am unsure when I acquired that name but it is whispered through the trees when these reckless humans attempt to attack me, they think they are being stealthy but I can hear every leaf, every stick, moved the simpleness of the air shifting as they breathe I can feel it and can either avoid them and disappear deeper into the mountains for several days until they leave my forest or I can choose to give them a reason to call me a beast. It depends on the amount of food I've eaten since before the hunt begins and how much I have been able to rest in a nice warm area amongst all the snow.

My morning adventure has taken me to the only small creek that had yet to completely freeze over during the weather. I drank my fill of the cool refreshing water it tasted the freshest on this side of the mountain and was not contaminated by fish or dead creatures making it the best water. I always tried to find my way back to this water in times like this it was on the outskirts of my territory so it wasn't always just me drinking from it but I attempted not to incur a fight if there happens to be another predator. This season seemed to be nearing the coldest point so seeing another large predator was unlikely. For that I was thankful to the gods. After drinking my water I decided to go on the hunt for nutrition I would need it if the hunt was going to begin soon. I looked down into the reflection the river gave back to me, it was a large creature that stared back at me. Deep soulful eyes that have seen too much unneeded bloodshed. Beneath my fur I could feel the scars that had been embedded in my skin over the course of my long life. The fur in question was a deep colour like that of freshly scratched dirt with streaks of white throughout making it near impossible to find me around the fallen snow and exposed bark of the trees.

I began to walk the outskirts of my land trying to see if there were any trespassers. The snow was flat, and no footsteps could be seen in the white fluff on the ground. I took deep breaths to find if any new smells could be found near my home, like every other day since the land began to grow colder there was only the fresh air of the mountains and the cool scent of the snow that greeted my nostrils. I had to shake my big furry head a few times due to small flakes sneaking their way through the air and into my nose. It was times like this I wish I had family or someone of importance to share my land with as much as I loved my life of solitude there are times where everyone needed someone else, many times on this mountains I had almost fallen into the pit of insanity due to the loneliness. It would be harder to find food for another though so maybe it was better if I was the only one, if I had just barley managed to survive last winter I cant imagine what it would be like if I had to fend for another and feed them as well. The walk of my border took me to the closest point to the human world I could smell them even from my way up here. They smelt of deceit and grease, all of there smells seemed to increase when they were closer to one another.

A low growl was making it ways up my throat at the thought of these small disgusting creatures. My fur was prickling my claws were digging into the ground, if I didn't have to live this closer to those things I wouldn't but even a creature such as myself knew that living higher on the peak of the mountain was certain death. I was struggling as it was, but the peak was even worse. Since the last coldest point of the season I was able to gain back some of the needed weight I had lost. A creature such as myself needed the added heat and protection it gave if I was to be able to live through another year.

I snorted in disgust and began to walk to be able to put the most distance between myself and the humans. The more I put between myself and them the safer it was for all involved. The walk back away from there was peaceful and serene I had been able to find a cluster of small rodents to feast on and sustain my hunger for the time being. I felt bad for killing the group, but it was them or I and I needed to live I had fought far too hard to get to this age for it to end now. I had been thinking I may need to find a new area to call home one with a more plentiful food source but the thought of venturing off my mountain and making the journey to find another home was a stressful thought so I pushed it to the back of my mind and continued on my search for any other food I could find and perhaps a place to rest for the night, it was not a good idea to sleep in the same places, I had to spread my scent throughout my territory so others didn't try to take it over. My scent carried that of pure predator and was a deterrent for most, but some brave creatures still attempted to fight me over it. Many of them didn't last long whether  running away to lick their injuries or some had ended up as dinner but that is the circle of life, we live in. It was killed or be killed and that was the life I had lived for as long as my memory would allow.

The walk around my territory had taken most of the sunlight away and I had been able to find several smaller food sources to fill me up for at least the next day until night fell once more. I wasn't sure what I would do after that, but I would figure that out when my stomach could no longer handle the pains of hunger. The sky was several colours as the sun began her descent to give way to the moon. I sat in the snow for a while to breathe it all in and take in the beauty that was my home. The trees rustled seeming to sing a song only I was able to hear, the evergreen trees reached out for me like a hug from a forgotten friend. I was calm and content. I stayed in the snow taking in all the beauty it had to offer until the snow once again began to fall and left a light dusting on my fur and the surroundings. I decided it was time to find an area to find a suitable sleeping area. I could return to the cave from last night, but I needed to spread my scent all over. I headed in the opposite of the direction I had begun my day's journey. I walked for a while before coming across a space in the cliff face much like the night before it was deep and dark and the perfect place to rest my furry body for the night. It was dangerous to be out in such a storm I could feel was coming my way, it was possible it would remain until the following sunrise or even nightfall so I must conserve my energy and sleeping was just the way to do that. I bid goodnight to my home and the beauty that was the nature I lived amongst and curled around myself in the back of the cave and fell asleep.