Young Writers Society

James was very, very confused as the miscommunication escalated. Damascus was missing? Schadel had gone to look for him? The increase in bear cries and commotion from the forest was difficult to understand.

He wanted to be brave, but he also wanted to be smart, and the smart thing to do seemed to be to let Schadel handle it. She sounded triumphant, in whatever it was she was exclaiming, which meant things had to be going well.

He stayed where he was, listening.

"It'll be okay," he whispered to Boris, his voice more steady, more confident. "Schadel is the strongest of all of us. I think she's doing okay."

Boris was tired of being frightened. Everyone was lost, everyone was bears, and everyone wasn't bears. Bears bears bears. He'd gone to lengths to convince himself there weren't any, only to hear them roar over and over again, and even if they were safe, if Schadel was just fooling him again, he still wouldn't feel right until he could see everyone.

He'd still fear. And he would still doubt. But James was there.

"But is she-?" Boris expressed this final unease, before he shook his head. He looked back at James.

"Of course she is."

"Can you guys come back to camp?" James finally shouted into the forest. "Did you all find each other?"

Edward stared.

"Schadel," he whispered, voice shaking, "that's a bear."

He could hear James shouting from back at the clearing, but was too terrified by the bear that Schadel was happily holding in her shadowy arms to muster a reply.

Schadel gave what he guessed was a frown.

"He's not a bear," she informed him matter-of-factly. "Look at his eyes!"

Edward nervously did as requested - having to step forward so he could get a better look at them. He stiffened and paled. "They're red," he whispered.

Schadel tilted her head. "You're acting really scared right now," she said. "Is this a game?"

"Why would it be a game?" he managed to get out, eyes not leaving the bear cub.

"Boris was being weird earlier," Schadel informed him. "And James was, too. I thought you started playing it while we were gone."

"There isn't a game," he hurriedly said. "There's bears out in the woods."

"...I thought it was just Boris who was scared of-" Schadel suddenly stopped, glancing down at the bear cub in her arms - who, now that Edward had been staring at him for so long, was beginning to look really cute.

...And terrifying.

Because bears.

"...Oh," Schadel said, giving a nervous little laugh and glancing between Engel and the bear. "There's not any bears."

Understanding dawned on Edward.

He stared at the bear a little harder.

"...Is that Damascus?" he asked, his voice quiet.

Schadel gave a nod.

"But then what about the other bear?" Edward insisted. "There was a louder roar that had to be from an older one, too!"

Schadel faltered.

"...That was me," she quietly admitted. "I, um, wanted to show Damascus..."

He blinked.

"You made that sound?"

She gave a little nod, then offered an imitation of the roar from before. If he hadn't seen her shadowy mouth open to make the noise, he would have thought it belonged to another bear.

Damascus, half-understanding the exchange between Schadel and Edward (which was no fault of Schadel's reaper translations- he was only distracted), squirmed in Schadel's arms. His eyes lit up and gratitude, and he gave a few growly thank-you sounds as he nuzzled her shadowy cheek with his wet nose.

"Thank you for catching me!" He said in bear, "you really are strong!"

Out of the exchange, he did pay attention when his name was mentioned, and turned as much as he could in Schadel's arms to peer at Edward.

"Yes, it's me!" He roared proudly. "Isn't being a bear fantastic??"

He paused, and pouted a moment after he realized-

"Oh, I forgot. You can't be a bear..." He thought a moment, "That's okay- being a human boy is fantastic as well!" He cheered, still carrying on in growls, and waved an encouraging paw toward his brother.

Schadel giggled when Damascus nudged her with his wet nose - it felt funny! She tried her best to keep up with the translations, but it was hard focusing when her brother was being a very adorable bear cub.

Edward, meanwhile, hesitantly reached out a hand to touch his brother's paw. Schadel's height made it difficult, but he managed.

"You, um..." Edward faltered. "You're a very good bear cub?"

He looked at Schadel for guidance, but Schadel wasn't able to give much help - she was distracted by how soft her brother's fur was.

Edward's eyes suddenly widened.

"We need to go back to the clearing," he said. "We thought there was an actual bear - if we don't head back soon, they'll get even more worried."

Schadel's eyes widened, too.

"That was why they were acting funny!" she exclaimed as understanding dawned on her. Grabbing onto Engel's wrist with her free hand and holding Dami close to her shadowy chest with the other, she started to head back towards the clearing.

Edward rushed after her.

"Maybe Damascus should change-" he started to suggest, but Schadel never the heard the full answer - he stopped talking the moment she stepped into the clearing.

"Hi again!" she said to Boris and James.

James froze, face paling at the sight of the abby bear in Schadel’s arms.

“You found a baby bear?” he asked quietly.”You’re not supposed to touch it! It’s mom might be nearby!”

Damascus giggled, which came out as more of a gravely chortle. He couldn't understand Schadel or Edward without an active translation, but was distracted anyway by how proud he was of being a bear.

When they made it back to the clearing, his beady red eyes brightened. James and Boris were here! He could show off his new form to them, too!

He squirmed out of Schadel's arms and managed to tumble down on his own. Without hesitation, he shook the dust from his fur and trotted up to his brothers.

"James, Boris, look!" He growled happily, doing a little circle.

Boris stepped back, white as a page.
Stupid Schadel. Why'd she bring it back with her? Boris, tired from all the scares of the past few hours, was too worn out to freeze again, but he felt like he might cry.
Mother bears were the most vicious, most bloodthirsty beasts in the world, and he knew, because he terrorised other children with stories about them all the time. It was embarrassing, how Schadel must have seen his lip quiver, but how could he hide anything when it's eyes were so red?

Oh.

How could he do that? Damascus didn't know how much he'd frighten them. He couldn't. Damascus was the most densely innocent person in the world. He didn't mean it. But still, how could he?

Boris watched fuzzy little bear cub Damascus turn in his proud little circle, and tried as hard as he could to stay mad.

It really didn't help that his voice sounded funny translated from bear.

There were several things that Boris felt like saying. How could you. How could you be so stupid. We were scared for you. I thought we were all going to be mauled to death. But he couldn't say any of them. Not to that face.

So Boris resorted to crouching down in front of him, attempting to soften his expression, and shyly reaching out to pat Damascus on the head.

"It's good you're back." he said stiffly. But he meant it. He really, really meant it.

Damascus looked up at Boris with a fair mix of awe and surprise in his bear eyes. Since Boris had tried to trick him before, he had been slightly wary around this particular brother. He hadn't been able to figure out if he was being made fun of or disliked in any way.

But now, with a single positive phrase and a head pat, all of those insecurities and inhibitions of his were wiped away.

Overcome, Damascus nearly shifted back to himself. It took him half a second to process and remind himself that his little boy form was much better, and he shifted to it in excitement.

Without hesitation, he threw his arms around Boris.

"Thank you." he said, smiling widely into his shoulder. "I'm so happy you're my brother, too."

Boris caved in. He hugged Damascus back. “I’m- I’m happy too.” he said.

He grabbed on tighter. He hid his face behind Damascus’ head.

“Don’t leave again.” Boris insisted. “Whatever happens, don’t leave again. Nobody leave.”

“...James gets worried.” he added timidly.

He knew they'd all see through it. But right now, it didn't matter.

The moment Damascus spoke as the baby bear everything made sense. James let out a tired sigh of relief, watching as Damascus hugged Boris.

He scoffed at Boris's last comment.

"You were worried too," he mumbled.

Edward knew that both Boris and James were trying to seem like they hadn't been worried - or make it seem like the other person had been more worried - but he didn't really mind if the others knew how he had felt.

"I was worried," he admitted. Then he paused, thought over all of the important information his brothers needed to know, and added, "Schadel was the bigger bear."

"He didn't know what a bear looked or sounded like!" Schadel earnestly said, possibly in protest or just very excitedly. "I had to show him. And we were in the woods, so I didn't think it would be that loud. But it was, and then I scared you, and then Damascus got lost because he climbed a tree, and then we found him, and then-"

She took a deep breath.

Then she faltered.

"I'm sorry," she said, hanging her head down. "I didn't mean to scare you again..."