Ebon Bears

The Bears of the forest gathered together at the first break of spring. They had just woken from their long winter's hibernation, and by most standards were rejuvinated and alert. A certian buzz of energy could be felt surrounding their great herd as they made their way past the mountain's peaks and toward the mystery that lay on the other side.

These particular bears communicated with one another in a very curious manner. If a bear wished to convey an idea it would begin to eat objects around it that reflected qualities of the idea it wished to convey. For instance, if a bear were to eat a red leaf, followed by a small woodland creature, then finish with a light repast of flat stones, one might gather that the bear had "read a small book", or that the light was growing dim, or something else entirely un-related to the objects eaten. You see in the Ebon Bears way of communicating, the importance was not placed on whether the communication was understood, rather it was most important that you were confident in what you were trying to say. You might imagine that this would bring about a great deal of headache and trouble, but that is an entirely human way of thinking about the whole situation, and goes to show that often times humans could communicate a lot more clearly if they would only stop talking. No, this mode of communication suited the Bears lives very well and they were very content simply to have filled their bellies, if no great soliloquy were ever conveyed.

Often, the Ebon Bears would forgo communication altogether and simply travel in great herds across vast expanses walking during the day and then bunking down for the long nights swarming together for warmth and comfort. These great exoduses were usually undertaken on impulses that they had collectively received from the Snaddling.

We have labelled the time that bears retreat into their winter caves as hibernation. The word Hibernation itself implies a retreat toward seclusion, as a means to pass a harsh season by slumbering or remaining dormant. It may be that in this case, by labelling the act these bears undertook, that we couldn't have been further from the truth. These particular bears had labelled this time as the Snaddling, and if you understand anything about the way the Ebon Bears go about labelling time periods, you will understand why, however, that discussion is left for another book and another time. The Snaddling was a time of great mystery even to the Ebon Bears.