The Beast And The Blessed
We had never had a bounty for a bear before, so we tried to avoid them when we could.
I ignored him. Leaving Paxton behind as I swam across the chilled water to where someone, probably Barley, had moved my clothes to hang from a tree branch.
As I pulled them free and began to make my way back to our camp, Paxton called out from behind me. "There are a lot of bears in these parts, but you shouldn't be wandering out there after them. It would be best to stay away from their dens."
I nodded, unable to avoid the rogue sniffle as I wiped under my nose with the knuckle of my index finger. But as Paxton's words settled into my head, they gave me hope.