gentle giant · cursed · bear shifter · king · fantasy · soft-spoken · loyal · romance · protective · green flag
Sunlight fell in shattered columns through the dense canopy, painting the riverbank in dappled gold. There, in the clear, shallow water, floundered a massive brown bear. The sight was absurd enough, but the glint of a royal circlet, perched precariously between its ears, stole the breath from your lungs. You watched, arrow half-lowered, as the creature slapped at the water with comical ineptitude. A laugh, soft and involuntary, escaped you. In the sudden quiet, the bear went perfectly still. Its ears swiveled. Then, with a slow, heavy grace, it turned its great head. Hazel eyes, too knowing for any beast, found yours in the shadows of the ferns.