Bernard spent the next few days in a trance-like state. He limped through the forest for hours on end, only pausing to eat, drink, or rest his throbbing shoulder. He didn't taste what he ate because the taste of the hunter's blood lingered on his tongue. Bernard had to force down every mouthful of food while praying that it wouldn't come back up moments later.

The cub made no effort to talk to Bernard. Only the whispers of days long gone that danced through his dreams reminded Bernard that he was not alone. The sensations he experienced as he slept were simultaneously familiar and alien: the hair-raising howl of a wolf, the tickle of newly grown grass, and the strangely comforting darkness of a winter den occupied by three bears came to Bernard like half-forgotten memories.

As Bernard struggled to bury the memories that tormented him during the day, he became lost in his hazy recollections of his dreams. The line between what happened while he was awake and what he experienced while he was asleep became increasingly blurred. Had he heard the scuff of someone's boots coming from the underbrush? How many times had he visited that river? Was that distant car horn something he had heard or was the cub toying with him?

At least the hunter's murder had stayed out of his dreams.

Bernard spent more than enough time imagining how he had killed the hunter during the day. Each birdcall sounded like a scream for help. Pebbles shifting beneath his paws reminded him of the man's struggle to return to his feet and run.

How long had it taken for the man to succumb to his injuries? Had he begged for his life or cursed his attacker? Bernard would never know. He was only certain of life marching on, ignorant of or not caring about the death of the man.

The state of the vegetation around him worsened Bernard's mood. Many of the trees around him sported long gashes, some of which were filled with dried sap. Sniffing the battle-scarred trunks, Bernard picked up the scent of another grizzly.

The last time he had smelled another bear, the scent had been so strong that his nose had burned for hours afterward. This time, he barely noticed the smell. A cloying foulness hung in the air, nearly smothering the stench of the other bear.

The local wildlife didn't seem too concerned about the resident predator. Birds had built their nests in the claw-marked trees. A fox slunk after a rodent in the undergrowth. The chase ended with a squeak cut short as Bernard investigated the area.

Finding food wouldn't be a problem here judging from all the animals running around. They had to eat too after all. The distant sound of rushing water meant that the animals had plenty to drink. Chances were that the marks on the trees had been made quite some time ago considering how many creatures were comfortable living near them.

If another bear used to live here, it could support one again. The only alternative Bernard could think of would be to return to the area near the cave he had hibernated in, but he had no intention of finding out if the hunter had brought friends with him.

With no signs of humans near here, Bernard could at least stop worrying about other hunters. The last thing he wanted was to have more human blood on his paws.

As he continued to explore, Bernard noticed more signs of another grizzly. A trail of flattened foliage wound around the pines. The trees that had been scratched looked perfectly healthy in comparison to their younger, shorter brethren. Some of the trees had lost entire branches to the bear, leaving splintered ends behind. The thinnest saplings had snapped, unable to withstand the force of the bear's paws. They were permanently bent and broken, never to grow as tall as their elders.

Bernard glanced at his paws. He was still growing, yet he had already killed a man. What other acts of destruction would he be capable of when he was older?

A low growl sounded behind him.

Bernard turned around and came face to face with the owner of the territory. The grizzly's matted fur clung to his frame, and his ribs stood out against his side. Bernard met his gaze, refusing to look away. The once great king of these woods was long past his prime. His eyes were dull and unfocused. What should have been a glare capable of unnerving even the most fearsome adversary had been reduced to a vacant stare.

"What are you doing here?" The aged bear raised his hackles. "Listen here, this is my territory. You've got ten seconds to scram before I rip your fur off and use it to line my den," he said. There was a note of panic in his voice. He pawed at the ground and bared his few remaining teeth. A putrid smell leaked from his mouth.

"I didn't realize someone still lived here," Bernard muttered. This grizzly didn't look like he'd be around much longer. No wonder the other animals ignored him. Bernard began stepping toward the other bear but halted when it tensed up. "Can't we share the territory? There's plenty of food here for both of us."

The old male snorted. "Like I haven't heard that one before. It's bad enough that I'm stuck with two freeloaders living next to my territory. They started out decent enough, but Uzumati and Arturo are about as greedy as they come now. 'Just one more mile,' they say. 'You're getting too feeble to keep intruders out of what you have', they say." He growled. "I'll show them who's feeble!"

Before Bernard could get out of the way, the grizzly charged at him. A wall of fur slammed into him and knocked him to the ground. Bernard blocked a slap aimed at his head only for the male to bend down and bite his shoulder.

He screamed as teeth ripped through his flesh, grazing bone. Spots danced in his vision as pain seared through him. Desperate for the agony to end, he lunged at his opponent.

His jaws snapped shut on the older bear's arm. The jaws around Bernard's shoulder tightened. Bernard's grip loosened as the pain momentarily blackened his vision. He groaned as something popped out of his shoulder, sending blood oozing down his leg.

The other bear reared back in surprise, releasing his hold on Bernard and swearing as he spat out the bullet. Bernard's fangs left bloody gashes in the grizzly's arm.

"You let a human shoot you? No wonder you're such a lousy fighter," said the old bear.

Bernard returned to his feet before the grizzly charged at him again. Both bears reared onto their hind legs and battered each other with their front paws. The two were soon covered in scratches.

With his shoulder wound torn wide open, Bernard was forced to fight defensively. When a bite to his opponent's side failed to deter him, he had no choice but to take the brunt of his opponent's strikes with his relatively undamaged arm.

The pair continued to fight until they were gasping for breath.

Bernard had more injuries, but the battle had taken its toll on his adversary as well. The old bear's blows slowed down with each exchange until Bernard barely needed to put effort into dodging them. He battered the grizzly with his paws in an attempt to get him to surrender without seriously injuring him, but the ancient king of the forest refused to give in. Scrapes and scratches wouldn't be enough to drive him off.

Finally, Bernard changed his strategy.

He dove forward, slamming into the other bear. His opponent lost his balance and crashed onto his back with Bernard standing on top of him. Bernard pummeled his stomach with his paws until his exhausted opponent stopped trying to bite him and began wheezing for breath.

"I don't want to hurt you, but I'll have to if you keep fighting me like this," Bernard said, clicking his teeth together for emphasis.

The other grizzly chuckled until Bernard pressed the tips of his claws into his chest.

"It looks like you aren't giving me much of a choice." The old bear sighed. "I suppose I really am too old to defend this territory now. Do me a favor and try not to beat me up too badly before you chase me out, okay? I'd like to be able to walk out of here without the rangers harassing me."

Bernard's heart fluttered in his chest. "Rangers?"

"Yeah. They're a weird bunch, wearing the same skin and acting like they own the forest. They don't come here often though. In fact, I haven't seen one since last summer."

"Are there any hunters near here?"

The older bear snorted. "Do I really look like I'd still be alive if there were? Now, do me a favor and get off my chest. My back is starting to hurt, and I don't think I'll be able to get up if it gets much worse."

Bernard stepped off of his defeated opponent.

The old bear rolled onto his feet and gave Bernard a quick nod, gratitude shining in his cataract covered eyes, before running for the edge of the territory as if his fur was on fire.

Bernard shook his head. Why did bears have such a taboo against sharing their land? Hopefully that ancient warrior would find a place where he could spend the rest of his days in peace. Bernard limped into the shade and began examining his wounds. He would need plenty of rest before exploring his new home tomorrow, assuming this home was truly new to him.

He'd have to keep an eye out for the rangers to know for sure.