Harvest Moon

Chapter 9

Paw sprints for the source of Chief Black Bear's power. He greedily snatches up the lance. Surprisingly, it feels light in his hands. But something strange happens when his fingers make contact. The magic goes to work and sends a warm sensation that overpowers all fear. Courage, hope, and happiness pass through him all at once and put him in a trance.

Blinded by carnal fury, Chief Black Bear persists his ravenous attack, even though his enemy is dead.

"We are hunters, are we not?" Two Moons asks his uncle Paw, bringing him back to reality.

Paw nods.

"There is a mighty big black bear!"

"This fight is more than a war. It is something dark and evil. Something that must be dealt with now! Let us kill the man-bear and wear his scalp!" Paw grins greedily. He takes the spear in one hand and holds the lance in the other. The warriors close in and witness a terribly gruesome scene. Black Bear is in frenzy.

"As long as I live, I swear with all the blood in my veins that either you or I will separate souls from bodies!" Paw pledges a blood oath.

The two Kiowa warriors sprint toward their enemy. "VENGEANCE!" they scream.

Their screams catch the evil man-bear's attention. Unlike any other animal, this bear seems to understand humans. He presses his angry brows together and stands up. Black Bear towers over the Kiowa warriors. Saliva and blood drip out of his terrifying jaws and drool down his chest.

With a quick sprint, the grizzly charges them. Two Moons puts a short distance between him and Paw so that the bear must decide which of them to attack. When he sees the bear advance toward Paw, Two Moons circles around the massive beast and thrusts his spear into Black Bear's side. The blade punches through his thick fur and spins the heaving monster around. He extends his claws and swipes for Two Moons.

Paw seizes the moment and stabs Black Bear in the hind leg with his spear, trying to sever his tendon.

Black Bear stands up on both legs. He releases an earth-shaking roar, which echoes off the trees and reverberates through the warriors' chests.

"Your roars have no effect on hearts full of courage. And I have your magic." Paw shouts, thrusting his spear in Black Bear's belly. The point of the spear doesn't break through his thick hide. From experience, Paw knows if he can wedge the handle into the earth, the weight of the bear will send the spear through his abdomen. That thought brings a smile to his face as he thrusts and prods, constantly taunting the man bear.

"Het ya! Het Ya! Your hide is your scalp and your scalp will be my trophy!" Paw shouts, tapping his spear to the ground. The bear defensively whips around and realizes the predicament he's in. He cannot attack both men at the same time, no matter how hard he tries. When he charges one, the other takes up his exposed flank and stabs him. At first, Black Bear seethes with rage. But eventually he shows signs of exhaustion. He knows it's only a matter of time before the spears strike true. To prevent a mortal wound, he breaks contact, tries to separate the Kiowa warriors, but finds himself back in the same trap over and over again.

Charlie acts like the bear, with his hands spread out like claws. He stands up and snarls, "RRRAAAAWWWRRR," baring his teeth.

He shifts to his normal instructive tone. "Kiowa are expert hunters. See, what they'd do is get the bear to stand up on his hind legs, and then they'd plant their spear in the ground, like this." He stomps the end of a pretend spear. "Then they'd place their foot on it, holding it at an angle. Eventually the bear would tire and come down on all fours, hopefully on the spear."

"Would that kill the bear?" John asks.

"If you catch it under the belly and have the courage to keep your foot on the spear handle as the bear falls towards you. Then it could punch right through him." Charlie thrusts his straight arm through his closed hand.

"What happens if you get real scared?" Kevin asks, shaking from the horror.

"Then Paw would have shared his brother's fate," Charlie answers macabrely.

Kevin gulps. "I would run!"

"That's 'cause you got nothin' but fear in your heart!" Luther taunts him, then whispers, "I'd run, but I'd stab you in the leg first."

"The bear would just end up eating both of you. Now listen up. I got bunches to tell."

Two Moons bravely places another strike in Black Bear's side, only this time he nearly gets through the ribs and to his lungs. Paw plants his spear and readies for Black Bear to fall on it. His elation turns to despair when Black Bear turns and runs into the forest. The two hunters give chase, releasing a war cry that makes the bear run faster.

To the reader: Ever seen a man turn into a bear? My friend Mr. L thought he saw a man turn into a wolf driving through the Navajo reservation way back in 1993. That was sort of the inspiration behind this book. Thank you so much for reading. Check us out on instagram: harvestmoonofficial

For a great holiday read, buy the book on Amazon or the kindle ;-)  "Harvest Moon," by Zachary H. Lovelady