The Polar Bear and the Butterfly

 APOLOGY

I missed my day for the blog yesterday. Completely forgot about, as I'm currently deep in revisions of a new story. So by way of apology, here's a short chapter from that story. I hope to resume normal service next month.

(Syl is escorting five wolves through a strange English landscape and has just struggled across a river with them.)

The Polar Bear and the Butterfly

For a few seconds, nobody moved.

The wolves stared at the polar bear. The polar bear stared back at the wolves. Syl, hardly daring to breathe, watched them both. She cast a quick glance behind her, wondering whether she’d be able to fling herself into the water if the bear attacked.

But the bear didn’t attack.

Instead, it took a cautious step forward and lowered its head to sniff the scent of the wolves. The wolves sniffed back. Dot was the first to move. Ears pricked, she crept towards the bear until their noses were almost touching. The rest of the pack then gathered around her and all four took turns almost touching noses. That done, they sank down on their stomachs and turned their attention to a new arrival.

It was a butterfly, and it fluttered out from the bushes to circle lazily in the air above the polar bear’s head. The bear watched it for a moment or two before, just as lazily, rearing up on its hind legs and raising its two enormous front paws on either side of the insect.

With its right paw, the bear gave the softest of taps… and pushed the insect sideways. Then it gave another gentle tap with its left paw and moved it back the way it had come.

Syl was mesmerised. The bear was playing with the butterfly. Not the way a cat plays with a mouse before eating it, but playing for fun. For pleasure. And the butterfly seemed to be playing too. There couldn’t be any other explanation.

She watched as the two creatures – one giant and heavy, the other as light and insubstantial as a scrap of fine cloth – continued their game. She was so entranced by it all that she never noticed more movement in the bushes behind the bear. And when it spoke, the voice took her completely by surprise.

‘Who are you?’ it demanded. ‘And what are you doing with my wolves?’