Savage Cinderella

Chapter 7-Holding On and Letting Go

He smiled and nodded as he caught up to her. “You’re right; I think everyone feels that way sometimes. But what I meant is, don’t you want to be around other people, see the world, have someone to talk with, spend time with?”

She turned her back and continued up the worn path, hemmed in on both sides by thick walls of laurel, holly, and budding rhododendron. A salamander skittered across the trail in front of her. She smiled briefly at the good luck omen. Brinn longed for the companionship that he spoke of, but she’d given up wishing for such things. Hope seemed an illusion she could not afford. Experience had taught her that disappointment followed too closely on its heels. She lived—survived—one day at a time. “I’m all right on my own, really.” 

Justin mumbled something under his breath, obviously unconvinced, but let the topic go as he negotiated over roots and stones in the path. When they reached the top of the hill and rounded a stand of tall pines, the forest opened to a meadow. Beyond the low-growing shrubbery and the mountain laurel that dominated the mountain side and edged the clearing, there lay a blanket of grass in muted shades of green and gold. The breeze stretched across the meadow carrying the scent of herbaceous undergrowth and the earthy moisture of spring.

“This is where I gather many of my herbs. Kitty and I like to come here and play.” As if on cue the bear ambled out from behind the thick shrubbery, followed by two cubs trailing at her haunches.

Justin’s face lit up, a wide smile taking over as he leaned against a large boulder to observe the mother bear and rest his foot. “How does one go about playing with a bear?” he asked, amused.

“Kitty likes to chase sticks.” In response to his furrowed brow and look of disbelief, Brinn picked up a short length of hemlock and crossed the field at a trot, whooping a high-pitched yelp that drew the bear’s attention. When she neared Kitty and her cubs, Brinn turned her back to the bear and flung the stick in the opposite direction, then raced after it. The large bear followed at a lumbering gallop, her cubs in hot pursuit. 

Brinn reached the stick first and grabbed it up from the ground just as Kitty reached the spot. The bear grabbed the end of the stick and shook her mammoth head back and forth, playing tug-of-war until Brinn let go and fell into the grass laughing. Kitty dropped the stick at her feet and rolled onto the ground waiting for the reward of a scratch to the thick undercoat of her belly. The cubs took advantage of Brinn’s attention and rolled onto their backs, wiggling and snorting while she scratched and rubbed each one in turn. Justin looked on, grinning in delight.  

They spent the rest of the day sharing stories and laughing over Kitty’s antics as she and her cubs frolicked in the open meadow of heath and oat grass. Justin’s jaw dropped in wonder as the cubs rolled over each other, tumbling in the tall grassy areas, their mother separating them with a gentle nudge of her broad snout when they grew a bit too frisky.

 “I wish I had my camera,” he said for the third time, as one of the cubs climbed over Kitty and mewled loudly when it fell on its head, rolled away, and then jumped back on. Kitty lay on her side patiently, allowing the cubs to wiggle into position beneath her to nurse.  

“Let’s give her some space,” said Brinn, leading Justin away from the meadow. The mother bear’s feeding time with her cubs was an intimate act of love that filled Brinn with joy at its beauty, yet reminded her of the loss of connection to her own mother. The moment seemed best left to the privacy of nature.  

While Justin followed behind her on his crutch, testing his ability to manage the uneven ground of the forest, Brinn led him to a small brook that ran down the mountainside not far from her cabin. This time of year, the water flowed fast, overfull from the snowmelt at the higher elevations. The water was cold, crystal clear, and bubbling along at a brisk pace, except for an area sheltered by several large boulders. Here, the water pooled and circled, creating an illusionary safe haven for the trout and bass that were making their way down to the tributaries and lakes far below. It was her favorite fishing spot.