24 The Bear
Meanwhile, on the other side of the plain. Romain and Helena are making a formation to protect each other. Romain prepares his shield and observes the bear movement.
While Romain holding his shield, Helena notices the bear is covered with scars from the villager that attack it. She then says,
"The villager really hurt her badly..."
"I could see from here. I wonder why the villager can't kill it by themselves," says Romain
"Romain..."
"Huh?"
Romain peeks at Helena and could see the face of someone that quite disturbed with something. She then asks Romain,
"Do you remember Sir Villias family crest?"
"Yes, I remember... There is a bear on the crest," answer Romain
"Yes... And judging from that, of course, Haegia will protect the bear populace from the hunter," continues Helena
Romain just remembers about that and he just notices something. He then says,
"So that's why they said to kill or capture it and only specified to talk with the client about the mission."
"Yes. 'Kill' is meant for the people that come from outside of Haegia. While 'Capture' is meant for the people that come from inside of Haegia," says Helena
"Now I know why the number bears decreasing each year..."
"Some shady person wants their fur to be sold... And I believe it comes from the same person."
"That's cruel..."
Inside Helena mind, she is thinking about how to get away from the bear alive and catch the person who issues the mission. And from there she notices something. She says,
"Wait... How in this world that mission could be passed from Sir Albert's cunning eye?"
"Huh?"
"Sir Albert will never pass this mission to be posted on the mission board."
Romain notices that and he now understands the oddity of the mission. But, Romain notices the bear will make another move and start to charge on them.
So, Romain holds his shield and pinned on the ground with the bear on him. He tried his best to protect his head, while the bear continues to press him to the ground.
Helena then draws her blade and charges towards the bear. She kicks the bear a little bit to draw its attention and jump back to safety. The bear let Romain go and chase after Helena.
Romain then takes the nearest rock and throw it on the bear. He then prepares his shield as the bear continues to charge on Romain. That is Helena plan.
Helena and Romain will waste the bear time by encircling the bear, while Ludmila and Volya enter the cave to heal the cub. If they already have done, Volya will send a sign to Helena and Romain so they will run to the cave.
Helena notices that Romain almost exhausted, so she throws the bear with another rock. But, rather than the bear chasing her, it chooses to continue attacking Romain.
The bear then swings its paw and send Romain to the ground his shield thrown away. Romain could feel his left arm bone is broken. He then notices that the bear starts to attack him once more. So, he blocks the attack with his sword. But, it isn't easy with only one arm.
Romain tried his best to hold the bear, until Helena dashes at the bear. She uses her body to push the bear. But, it's useless as the bear now looking at Helena with disgust.
Helena then jumps back and prepares her sword. She knows that fighting an animal is more unpredictable than fighting a human. She prepares her stance and waiting for her chance to parry the bear.
The bear starts to attack Helena but stops when it notices something comes from her cave. A very bright light. It immediately runs away towards the cave to check her cub.
Helena and Romain look at it dumbfounded before they notice something. Romain then says,
"Don't say that is Volya's signal."
"What? If that true..." says Helena that quite panicked
"Let's go!"
Romain stands up without caring about his broken arm and Helena immediately dashes towards the cave.
Meanwhile, Volya just finished using his magic to call his friend with Ludmila looks like playing with the bear cub that being carried by Volya. Volya then says,
"I believe the one who will come first is its mother."
"That's good... Wait... Who will come first?" asks Ludmila that notices what Volya just said
"This cub's mother..." answer Volya as he strokes the cub bear that licks on his face.
Ludmila then looks at Volya with a scarred face and shouts,
"Are you crazy?! If that really the mother... We should..."
"It's no use... I could hear the bear is closing fast," says Volya
"Gyaaaaa... You must be really kidding me!" shouts Ludmila as she falls on to the ground
Volya smiles at Ludmila for a while and then puts down the bear. The bear cub then hugs Volya's leg as it waiting for its mother. Little by little, the mother bear is coming near and Volya could see the furious face from it.
He then looks at the bear cub and says,
"Go meet with your mother..."
The cub looks at Volya and then nods. The bear cub then running towards its mother. The mother notices that and immediately slowing down. Then, the mother stops near the bear cub and licks it.
Volya observes the mother bear and notices a very big scar on its body. He then takes a deep breath and walks towards the mother. Ludmila notices that and tried to stop him, but Volya makes a sign that everything will be fine.
Romain and Helena tried to catch up with the bear and notices Volya that walking towards the bear. Helena immediately shouts,
"Volya! Don't come near it!"
But, Volya didn't care with the warning. He walks slowly until the mother bear notices him. The mother Bear made a stance that will attack Volya, but the bear cub holds its mother leg. The mother Bear quite surprise and see Volya's hand near its face.
The mother bear wants to bite it, but hesitate a bit because its cub is holding her. Volya then touches its face and then touches the scar. He immediately notices that the mother bear is holding the pain.
He then smiles and a magic circle appears on his hand. Volya closes his eyes and says,
"The flow of ether, lend me the miracle given by God. As I pronounce thy name, protect and heal us from any harm. Healing Light!"
The magic circle disappear from his hand and it shows up around the bear wound. Volya then touches the bear face and strokes its fur. He then says,
"Just wait a moment... Your wound will close soon."
The bear looks a little bit less suspicious with Volya and lets him tends her wound. Volya continues to strokes its fur until the wound fully healed.
When Helena and Romain already near Volya, they look really surprised. Even they see that Ludmila falls to the ground after seeing what really happened there. Volya already sits on the snow with the bear cub on his lap and the mother bear is sitting in front of him. They look like having a long chat together.
Helena immediately runs towards Ludmila and help her stand up. She then asks her,
"What happens, Ludmila?"
"Well... Volya does something amazing. You will not believe it, Helena," answers Ludmila full of joy
"Is... That so..."
Meanwhile, Romain walks towards Volya and asks him,
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"Hey, Volya... What are you doing to it?"
"Oh... I just ask her about what happens around here," answer Volya
"Huh?"
Volya then continues to ask the bear and Romain notices that the bear is understood what Volya said. Before Romain continues to ask him, Ludmila suddenly says,
"Before both of you arrived here, he said that he chants magic so he could talk with the animal."
"Is it?"
Romain looks at Volya and notices that Volya already finished talked with the bear. Volya stands up and says,
"Okay... The bear said that someone puts the trap around the forest. But, it says it's not the villager that put them."
"Huh? Not the villager?" says Helena after hearing that
"Yes. Someone not from the village near it..."
Helena closes her eyes for a while and then looks at the bear and its cub. She then says,
"Volya, could you tell them that we will protect them and everyone around her? It's my promise as Queen of Haegia."
"You know... The bear told me that they already know that as someone from her group has been protected by several knights on several occasions," says Volya
"Eh?"
"And they ask me... Could you catch the one who put the trap around here? It's their request to all of us as they think we are someone trustworthy."
Helena looks at the bear that looks at them and then smiles at it. She then says,
"Then, could you tell them to move away from this place first? I will tell the villager that it's because someone puts the trap around here. I also will tell them that we already fend off the bear away."
"Then... You are..." said Volya
"Yes and I already told you that we will protect them."
Helena smiles at Volya that really happy. She then walks toward the bear and pets it. She then looks at Volya and says,
"Could you tell them this?"
"What is it?" asks Volya
"I want to takes some of its furs... To show that we indeed already killed them. After that, I will start the investigation for the poachers around."
"I will try to tell her..."
Volya then explains something to the bear in which the bear complies. Helena then takes some of it and then pats its furs once more. After that, Volya continues talking with the bear while Helena says,
"It's better we let him for a while... Let's go to the village."
Helena looks at Volya that looks already lost in conversation with the bear and its cub and then leaves him be. With this, she leaves him alone and their first mission finished.