When it came to uprooting trees, Ylva could openly admit she wasn't much help. Her skills didn't venture to uprooting trees. She had tried, only to end up frowning at the tree she had tried to uproot. She had stepped back and crossed her arms. Her serious expression dwindled and she stood mouth agape when in one simple motion Beorn had pressed his paws against the trunk and it went leaning and then falling, impacting against the ground with a thud.
He merely looked over at her before moving on to the next tree. Ylva waved her arms in the air and walked after him. Sitting on one of the fallen trees, she just watched as the bear sized up the trees it wanted and took to pushing them over. She tilted her head to the side, leaning her chin against her hands, she just watched Beorn go about his work. She jumped though when her head was gently nudged against. Blinking and looking into the face of the bear, she smiled. Putting her hands on either side of its face, she ruffled the fur.
"You are a fast worker," she paused to frown and shrug. "Though I guess there is urgency to make this home now isn't there?" She questioned and got a sigh, she hoped that was an agreeing sigh. She presumed there was urgency, or else he wouldn't be hurriedly uprooting the trees they'd need for this home. They had found the ideal spot, just on the outskirts of the wood, yet it was still within the darkness of the trees that it was safe. From this vantage point they'd be able to see anyone coming and anyone who was passing through from the other side.
Shaking her head she looked back to him. "Taking a break?" There was a nod before the bear sat down by her side and rested his head in her lap. Letting out a quiet laugh, she ran her fingers through the fur. She was even able to lean forward and lean against him. This action just caused a sigh to come from the creature again. "I've been thinking," she said slowly. The head removed itself from her lap and she was looked up guardedly. "It's nothing bad, Beorn, I swear." She smiled and placed a hand against him again. "Just, you're busy at work here. And I am rather unable to help, we've established that." She rolled her eyes. "So, I've been thinking, what if I venture out to find things for us to use?" This caused silence.
"I don't think that's wise." Beorn shifted back to his human form and now knelt by her side.
She looked at him with a frown. "I'll be careful. I can't just sit here and watch you work, can I? We need food, so can I not go out and find us some? I won't go far." Ylva said honestly while placing her hands gently against his cheeks. He slowly stood which caused her hands to fall away. "If I need help I'll call, the same goes for if I run into trouble." She leaped off of the tree and looked up at him.
He looked thoughtful. He was weighing up the good and bad points to her words. Of course she was right. They needed food and they had none. But the thought of her straying from his side caused him to feel uneasy. Frowning slowly, he gave a nod. "Fine. Just do not go far."
Ylva smiled and nodded. Quickly tiptoeing she placed her lips against his before going to take a step back and scamper off in the the search of food. Only she found she couldn't move because he had placed his hands against her cheeks keeping her gently, yet firmly in place.
When he finally pulled back and allowed her to go he raised an eyebrow at the saddened look which flitted onto her face. "What is it?" He asked worriedly, she smiled and shook her head quickly before stepping back.
"I won't be long." She said and turned and started running off before he could question her anymore. What is it? Ylva rolled her eyes, it was such an easy question to answer. She found herself enjoying the care and warmth which he provided. And when she first suggested going out to find food she hadn't found herself thinking that she'd go and contradict herself. Her contradictory just stemmed from one simple action. She quite found herself enjoying kissing him, and she presumed he felt the same. And it was mainly for this that she found contradiction niggling away at her. She didn't want to leave him, because of the safety and warmth.
Rolling her eyes, she leaned down to look at a few bushes which had come into her path. Lifting the berries up she looked them over. Picking one off of the stem she sniffed at it before tentatively putting it in her mouth. It was safe to eat and tasted quite sweet. Picking more off of the stems she held them gently in her hands before moving off. She continued along like this for quite a while before her arms were laden with nuts and berries.
She stopped one last time and gently placed her load down before picking up a seed. Hearing quiet squeaking she raised an eyebrow. She stayed still as a little mouse came tentatively out of a hole in the ground and picked at the seeds which had been seemingly dropped. "Is this yours?" She held the seed out to the mouse. Its little pink nose twitched and sniffed, standing on its hind legs it took the seed from her hand and placed it in its mouth. She smiled and watched as it turned and disappeared back into its home. She laughed though when it reappeared with a few more white mice trailing after it. "Hey now!" She scooped them up gently. "This food isn't yours." She said, clearly they had smelt the food she had successfully managed to find. "We can perhaps share though? The cooler months are coming, so I'm sure you're struggling to find food like I am." Ylva said while reaching up and letting the mice potter on her shoulders and climb into her hair. "I am sure we can share." She nodded and commenced picking up the food she'd collected. With a sigh and a gentle nod, she moved forwards and returned back to Beorn. When she returned she looked to the axe he was seemingly fashioning.
He in return looked at her quizzically. Standing, he rested the axe against one of the fallen trees and moved over. He looked to the small white creatures which were sitting either on Ylva's shoulders or climbing in her dark hair. Reaching out, he carefully pulled one creature free. It was so small in his hand. No longer than a finger, yet it seemed quite settled in the grip which was carefully encasing it.
"The first of our animals, I take it?" He smiled and opened up his hand to let the mouse potter around. It ended up trying to climb up his arm. Reaching out with his other hand, he stopped it and watched as it took to climbing over his fingers.
"I didn't just find them, Beorn!" She laughed. He seemed content with watching the smaller creature climb about his hand that he skipped past the armful of food she had found.
"So, I see," he said while she finally moved away from in front of him, she found somewhere safe to store their food and reached up to pull the other mice from her hair. Those who were on her shoulders just climbed down her arms carefully.
"Can we keep them? I may have said something about sharing..."
"Sharing?" Beorn raised an eyebrow over her words.
Ylva gave a nod. "Can you not feel the weather getting cooler? I believe winter is on its way. I struggled to find the food I did. I don't think they had much success either. So, I may have said something about sharing what we have with them." Ylva said while stroking a finger over one of the mice.
Beorn smiled, that was very kind of her. "Yes, they can stay with us." This caused a wide smile to appear on her face as she looked up at him.
"What have you been doing since I left?" She asked curiously while placing the mice on the floor. They pottered about her feet before sitting beside her. She looked down at them with a smile, it seemed she had a new set of animal friends.
"I think we have enough trees," Beorn said while turning and looking over the trees he had uprooted. Ylva nodded slowly and crossed her arms loosely. "They need to be cut up, so I managed to find a sharp rock to fashion into an axe, and that was where you reappeared."
"Well done." She said while placing a hand on his arm. "You are a fast worker."
"And you are a good forager." He said lightly which caused her to laugh quietly.
"Need help?" Ylva asked, she thought she had found enough food for them to be going on with.
"Can you stack those?" He pointed to some pieces of wood which had already been cut. She frowned and looked at him. "The first axe wasn't a success," he explained. In fact no sooner had he got into the swing of cutting the wood did the axe head splinter.
"Sure," she nodded and moved away to start doing the task which had been set for her. Beorn turned and picked up the second axe he had managed to fashion. He leaned against one of the trees he planned to cut up next and watched as Ylva went about her work.
—
"Don't stray far." Beorn said while Ylva stopped in her tracks. "I couldn't hear you previously." He said while she turned and looked to him. Today was a new day so she was off out to see if she could find anything else of great use.
Walking forwards, she looked up at him, "I did not mean to make you worry." She said, she hadn't realised she had walked so far away from their new home when she went to find food. "But, I do not think I'll be long. Food is becoming scarce, animals have either taken to setting up to hibernate or they have moved on." Ylva explained.
"Be safe."
"I will." Ylva smiled and took a step back. Swinging her arms by her side, she gave a nod. "The foundation is coming along quickly." She nodded to the foundations which Beorn had insisted on finishing yesterday, he had finished eventually late at night. And by that time Ylva had curled up to sleep in the safety of a little grass nest that she had made. There was room enough for him and he carefully managed to lay beside her while enveloping her in his arms. She had whispered something in her sleep and turned to huddle closer to him. "Am I going to return later to see a wall, perhaps?" She smiled while still backing away.
"If you're feeling that optimistic, let's push for two walls." Beorn smiled and looked at her with a sidewards glance.
"Three?"
"Now that is really pushing it." He said, Ylva laughed before giving him a wave and turning to move away. She pushed herself carefully through some bushes and then disappeared from view. She was gone for a few hours before she came walking back through and jumped to sit on a log with her head resting against her hands. "Anything?" He asked while pausing in chopping at wood.
She shook her head. "There's nothing around." She said worriedly. Straightening up she looked to him. "What if we don't have enough food?"
"Then we cross that hurdle when it appears. As for now, I think we should be worrying about our home." Beorn said while leaning the axe over his shoulder before swinging it down. Ylva's eyes widened at the force which the wood below was struck with.
"You're right," she paused. "With winter on the way, our lack of a shelter is more important than our lack of food."
"Well I think both are important. Just shelter a little more so." Beorn said while picking up the wood he just chopped and placing it on the pile. He was chopping wood to use to make the walls.
—
As the weeks slowly dwindled on, the small building was starting to look like a home. Walls now stood erect and firm, sturdy wood which had gaps here and there for windows and doors. These as yet hadn't been made. The doors Ylva had personally said she'd try and help with. Walls she didn't stand a chance of being much aid. But doors were a bit more doable. She cast a look upon their home. One long room, this could be used to house their animals, it was large enough. It could also be used for them to use as a dining room. There were two other rooms which petered off.
Beorn was taking a break from starting the roof just to see Ylva run past him. Even before he called out she turned. "I'll be careful!" She called to him and ran, shifting skins as she did so. He merely sighed and leaned back against the wall behind him watching as the black wolf disappeared through the foliage.
Bounding and leaping over bushes and over logs, Ylva enjoyed the freedom of just running. The woodland surrounding her was so quiet. Yet there was still the normal noises of any other wood; the birds sung and flew above her, the insects chirped and stayed hidden somewhere in the greenery.
She was enjoying all of this until her ears flicked backwards and she skidded to a halt. She had come to a clearing. But it wasn't the clearing which caused her to stop. It was the smell of smoke. Whining quietly, she hunkered down to the ground. Backing away quietly she turned and scampered. She didn't explore anymore. She didn't venture any further, she didn't know what she'd find; and that worried her.
Beorn turned and looked confused when he spotted her running full pelt towards him. He walked slowly forwards and wrapped his arms around her when she shifted forms and ran into him. She held onto him tightly. Frowning, he looked over her shoulder, back to the way she came. Something had frightened her, and whatever that something was caused him to usher her towards the house. "What is it?" He asked while sheltering her against the front doorway, a door sat resting against the wall waiting to be fixed into place.
"Fire, I mean, a camp fire. There's people, or something...I didn't stick around, just, I wanted to come here, to you." She said while looking up at him with wide eyes. Naturally her mind automatically thought the worse when she had come across this camp.
"No one saw you?"
"No. I don't think so, I didn't get too close." She said while lowering her head. She felt somewhat ashamed of her sudden act of cowardice.
Beorn put a finger under her chin and caused her to look at him. "Good." He said firmly. Pushing stray curls out of her face he nodded. "Stay here."
"What?" Ylva frowned when he moved away from her. "Beorn!" She exclaimed, he turned and looked at her. "Don't." She said quietly.
"We must know who they are and if they're likely to travel this way." He explained while putting his hands on her shoulders. She still looked uncertain over his words. "Get inside, I won't be long." He leaned his forehead against hers and nudged his head against hers. It took her a few moments before she let out a sigh and returned the action.
——
(Edited: 9/Nov/2023)