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THE MAN AND THE BEAR
This was a dream I had just before going camping in 1995. I stayed up most of the night waiting for the bear, while Jack slept in the tent. 
The sky was changing its colors and soon the light would fade from the chilled air. Today his body did not ache from the ever present hunger as it did on most days. Yes, today his hunger had been sated, but the body ached from the years it carried. Still the voices within his mind were muted, but he knew they were always there. Hundreds of voices of ancient great ones, in fact some of the voices were from a time when the mountains were very young. When there was hunger in the body, or a threat to the mountain, the voices of the great hunters and warriors would not let him rest. The voices gave him domain over the mountains and the forest, and although the voices hand been forever, he knew that he had not been there as long as many of the young trees he stood beside. Today, however, he knew that this would not remain forever, something was changing and he was getting tired. He stood on the edge of his territory and reached high on the tree to make his mark. Yes, the territory and all that passed this way was his to control and life was good. At first the air seemed clean, but then he sensed a strangeness in the air. He knew what is was, he had sensed it before, but there was something different this time. Then the voices came alive in his head and even the night sounds of the forest seemed to be drowned out.The voices seem to be telling him that he must not let this challenge pass. �I am tired, by body weary, I will let this one pass� he told himself as he tried to shut out the den of voices from his mind. The voices roared, �Do not let this challenge pass�. Still there was something not right about the presence of the stranger in his domain, and so he would not listen to the great ones on this day. As he left the marked tree, he made this way to the old stream flowing down a nearby hill. The voices were still telling him to seek out the new one and make the challenge, but he chose to ignore the voices and make his way to where he would sleep tonight. The fire was glowing as embers when the man decided to throw one last piece of wood on it. He had just finished a cup of tea and was about to call it a night. The day had been long, setting up camp, gathering fire wood and cooking his meal. It was just the first day of his annual retreat, a retreat he took to renew his spirits each year. This year he seemed especially anxious to get away from all the pressures of the job. He had been looking forward to this for the last three months. Now, however, there was a sadness in him, as if there was a great void inside that needed something. He could not put his finger on it. But the emptiness was there just the same.He looked at the tent he had set up and hoped that this night would be different from the fitful nights he had been having at home. He was hoping he could purge himself of the nightmares he had been having for the last three nights. The nightmares were strange, as he fought with some force, and ended up as the one who died yet remained alive. The battle seemed to be taking place in the woods, much like he found himself surrounded by now. The opponent was a man he thought, but he could never see the man�s face, but he thought he should know who he was.He looked around the camp site, everything seemed to be in order. He spotted the entrenching tool, its shovel blade set at a ninety-degree angle, and thought about putting it up. It lay near the fire pit where it had last been used. �What the hell, I�m on vacation, let it lay�. At the last minute he decided to sleep outside of the tent, the night sky was clear and he would sleep under the stars. The man rolled out his sleeping bag and prepared for bed.The stranger was between him and where he would sleep tonight �Why?� The man had made the challenge by setting camp here. The voices went wild, his head hurt. Then he knew, it was the time. Like the wolf those many years ago. It was time to pass it on and rest. The man�s eye were suddenly open, he knew he was awake, but this was his nightmare. This time, however, he was the man he had fought with is his dreams. He knew there was something outside the camp�s perimeter. He found himself on his feet reaching for the knife when he heard the bear snarl and step into his campsite. The old ones looked on as the man and the bear faced each other. There was about twelve paces between them. The man wanted to run, but stood his ground instead. The bear wanted to let this pass, but moved in clawing he air. Yes it was time. They circled each other making moves to test the other, when suddenly the bear swung his great paw at the man, but found only the taste of steel bite into his huge forearm. There was a great pain surging through the bear, and the old ones were sad for their old friend, but it must be done. The bear swung again with his unscarred limb, catching the man across the shoulder. The flesh ripped open as the man was thrown back near the fire and lay nearly unconscious. The bear moved in to finish off the man, but the old ones stopped him. The man regained his senses and stared up at the bear. There seemed to be a mixture of sadness and joy in the great bear�s eyes. His left hand found the handle of the entrenching tool and with all his strength swung it into the underbelly of the bear. The bear let out an ear-splitting howl then looked at the man, �finish it now, end the pain�, it was in his eyes. The man struggled to his feet and thrust the knife blade deep inside the bear. There was no fear in the man, he just wanted to end the pain for the bear. The knife blade struck once then twice and again and again. The bear lay still at the feet of the man. The man sank slowly to his knees and began to remove the left paw of �Bear Who Walks With Mountains�. The man shook his head, yes that was the bear�s name, but how did he know it? With his shoulder on fire the man the man cut through flesh, bone and sinew through he didn�t know why. He saw �Stallion of the Deep Snow�, �Wolf of the Lone Ridge� and more. There was an eagle, a fox, an owl and many, many more � all there to protect the mountains. The man rocked back on his hells, covered with the blood of his old friend. A wave of nausea passed through him, and when the dizziness passed, he heard the voices. He laughed, he knew he was not insane, he had never felt more right in his life. He looked at Bear Who Walks With Mountains, �I will need your coat, old friend, for the winter will be hard this year�. Laughter rang out through the mountains, and the man thought �looks like I won�t have to mow the lawn this year��.. So remember when you hear the hollow laughter ring through the mountains late at night Do not bring your great machines to cut the trees or the level the mountains, do not bring your way of life into his domain. For the Man Who Walks the Ages will be there to stop you�. And stop you.....they will.  |