One With The Woods 

Part 1: The Warrior

By Charlie Wolf

	Every year over a thousand people go missing in the state parks of North America. Some are overcome by bad weather, others succumb to starvation or hostile wildlife, still others fall prey to a stranger fate.

	The bonfire at the center of the logging camp came into focus in Chay’s binoculars. From his vantage point on the ridge line above, he could see the entire makeshift compound of scattered tents, trucks, and trailers sitting on a cleared cliff’s edge overlooking the canyon that wound its way through the valley. A couple of loggers milled around the fire, some with rifles across their shoulders, all with bottles in hand. The tattoos on all of their forearms confirmed his suspicions. They were all members of the nationalist militia that had been causing problems throughout the northwest the last few years. The illegal logging operation was likely a way to fund their operations without attracting as much attention from the feds as running weapons or drugs. Chay had been tracking them for days, and had finally found their camp. The logging was bad enough, but what they had in the cage near the edge of the camp was unforgivable. 

Four grizzly cubs that couldn’t have been more than a month old sat crammed together in the small cage. The baby bears were mewling and crying out for a mother that would likely never come. It hadn’t been enough to lay waste to the old growth, now it looked like the militants had decided to break into the exotic animal market. The cubs were likely destined for some rich asshole’s private zoo to be gawked at and abused until they got too big to be cute and were euthanized and stuffed to make some pasty hedge fund manager look like a master hunter. 

The door to the trailer nearest the cage opened, and Chay watched the lead militia asshole emerge into the firelight, covered in head to toe camo like a fanboy dressed for a con followed by a woman dressed in black pant suit. They walked over to the cage and began talking and pointing at the cubs. Chay thought the woman must be a broker here to examine the merchandise she was about to sell to her rich clientele. When the cubs began to cry louder, the commander kicked the cage and screamed at the cubs causing them to shrink in fear. The lady in black began yelling at the commander who waved her off and walked to the group by the fire, grabbing a bottle from a nearby cooler on the way. The broker in turn stormed back into the trailer and slammed the door. Chay knew tonight was his only shot at freeing the cubs. By this time tomorrow they’d be on some truck to god knows where, never to see their home again. 

He maintained his position on the ridge for another hour until the loggers began to look properly hammered. Going over the plan in his head one last time, Chay donned the large canvas backpack next to him and descended silently through the underbrush to the bottom of the ridge. He’d been hunting in these woods for most of his 25 years and knew how to get through them without alerting man or animal alike. 

Chay’s grandfather had been a member of the tribe who’d lived in this valley centuries ago, and had treated it like his sacred duty to teach his grandson all he knew about surviving here. When Chay was much younger, he and his grandfather had once stumbled on the carcass of a great elk killed by poachers. The carcass had been left to rot while the head was removed to be sold as a trophy. The wanton waste and disrespect for life left a mark on the boy, and since then he had done everything he could to protect this forest from people who would exploit it. He worked menial jobs and saved throughout the year to make excursions from the city where he lived to the wild valley more than a day’s hike from any sign of human civilization. Over the years he had managed to find and help bust countless wannabe poachers, trappers, and even the occasional meth operation. The local rangers had even taken to calling him the warrior of the forbidden valley. They turned a blind eye to the more vigilante sides of his hobby, and in turn the young guardian helped them solve destructive costly problems pro bono. 

When Chay reached the bottom of the ridge  he made his way up to the edge of the tree line around the camp and followed it just out of sight until he came up to one of the 4x4s parked along the perimeter. He sat his backpack down and pulled out a small wrapped package that contained Chay’s go-to explosive distraction. He sat the box under one of the truck’s massive tires and inserted a homemade detonator attached to a kitchen timer. With one last glance around the camp to check all the logger’s positions, he set the timer  then quickly made his way around the perimeter to the other side of the camp until he came up behind the cage containing the cubs. Chay grabbed the pair of bolt cutters from his backpack and crouched in position waiting for the fireworks to commence.

A second later the homemade napalm detonated, sending a large fireball into the sky and nearly flipped the 4x4. The explosive had been designed to distract and disable, not destroy, and performed its job flawlessly as the entire horde of drunken militiamen began clumsily running towards the row of trucks. Chay moved quickly to the front of the cage and started cutting through the chains on the door causing the cubs inside to cry louder. At that moment the broker ran out of the trailer to see why the camp was descending into chaos and saw as Chay broke through the last bolt and flung the cage door open.

“Hey! Those are mine!” She screamed and began yelling for the militiamen.
“Somebody stop that fucking kid! He’s stealing my merchandise!” 

With some encouragement, all four cubs bolted from the cage and disappeared into the tree line. As Chay moved to follow them, he was sighted by one of the armed militants. The camo clad logger pulled the rifle from his shoulder, took aim, and fired. The bullet caught Chay just under his right kneecap shattering his tibia. He howled in pain as he fell to the ground, but tried to keep crawling towards the underbrush. Before he could make it, Chay felt a heavy boot come down on his injured leg causing the edge of his vision to turn a bright white as molten hot pain shot through his entire body. He tried to struggle but the boot began to twist and grind down on his leg nearly causing Chay to pass out. Next, the boot moved under his ribs and flipped the young man on his back. Now facing his attacker, he quickly realized it was the camp commander he’d seen conversing with the broker earlier. His long weatherbeaten beard dripped sweat onto Chay as the crazed soldier loomed over him. His eyes spoke of death and the pleasures that could be taken from administering it. The commander broke into a vile smirk of yellowed and missing teeth and proclaimed to the rest of his men,

“Well well boys! Looks like we’ve caught ourselves a little eco terrorist, commie, brat!.” 

The soldier stepped on Chay’s chest, crushing the wind from his lungs. Haze filled his head from the lack of oxygen combined with the blood loss from his leg. His vision narrowed to a single point, a pair of dog tags one of which was engraved with a punisher skull hanging from the commander’s neck. From a long distance away he felt the pressure on his chest release and the sensation of being picked up from underneath his arms and dragged backwards. 

As the scene around him swam back into focus, Chay saw that he was being dragged towards the cliff by two of the other militiamen while the commander followed behind, a crazed smile still plastered across his scared, and withered face. They dragged him all the way to the edge of the overlook and stood him up with his back to the cliff’s edge. Chay could hear the roaring river some 70ft below him. The commander leveled his rifle at Chay’s head and began walking towards him menacingly.

“Give me one reason I shouldn't put one between your eyes and let the river take you right now!” the militia commander snarled.

“Because he might have a family who’ll come looking for him, and that’ll ruin this little Paul Bunyan ren faire you’ve got going on.” answered the broker as she walked briskly towards the cliff's edge. 

“Besides, I want him alive to pay off every cent he owes me for those cubs!”

The commander snapped, “Listen lady, this ain’t none of your business! This little shit tried to attack this post and he’s going to pay the price. Besides, people go missing in these woods all the time. One more missing hiker isn’t going to make too many waves.” He turned back to Chay and smiled again.  “Hell, we could even cut him up to make it look like the bears got to him.” 

“Oh but it IS my business!” the broker retorted. “My clients don’t take to disappointment kindly and if I don’t deliver some grizzly cubs, it’s my ass that’s going over the cliff!”

The two began to argue so viciously that Chay felt the guards on either side of him tense up and loosen their grips on him preparing to drop him if they had to intervene. 

At that moment, a deep guttural roar erupted from the tree line silencing the argument and sending terror down the spines of everyone within earshot. The commander aimed his rifle in the direction of the sound and muttered, 

“What in the ever loving f-”. 

The camp suddenly descended into a chaotic maelstrom of screams and ursine roars as at least a dozen full grown grizzly bears burst from the tree line and began destroying tents, knocking over supplies, and trying to maul anyone in their way. For a brief second Chay thought he saw the silhouette of a massive person standing just inside the tree line where the bears had emerged, but it receded into the shadows before he could get a good look. The broker took a few steps back then ran towards the trailers. The commander scoffed and said “Coward!” before he began firing shots at the grizzlies.

 Chay took the opportunity for a Hail Mary. With as much force as he could manage, he yanked downward, slipping from the hold he was in, then used his good leg to propel himself into the soldier on his left causing him to drop his rifle and fall screaming over the edge of the cliff. The other soldier froze just long enough for Chay to grab the discarded rifle and aim it at his former captor. The soldier quickly looked back and forth between the chaos overtaking the camp and the youth aiming a rifle straight at his heart. After considering his options he muttered

 “Fuck this, I’m out” then turned and ran towards the path out of the camp.

Another shot cracked from the commander’s rifle and Chay turned just in time to see one of the grizzlies moving towards the cliff, fall and tumble end over end as the bullet pierced one of its hind legs. The commander ejected the spent round and sighted the incapacitated grizzly preparing to make a kill shot.

“NOOO STOP!” 

Chay screamed and fired a shot that grazed the commander's shoulder. The unhinged soldier spun around and aimed at Chay. They locked eyes and the young man hesitated. Chay felt the bullet pierce his right lung before he heard the shot echo from the commander’s rifle. He felt his feet leave the ground and watched in slow motion as his body flew backwards until the ground beneath him disappeared. He tumbled through the chill night air for what felt like an eternity until he plunged into the rapids, immediately being pinned to the bottom by the current. 

The shock of falling into the freezing river caused Chay to involuntarily inhale a lung-full of the icy water. He struggled against the current, watching the blood from his gunshot wound darken the water around him until his vision itself darkened and he felt his consciousness fade.

He swam in the dark void between life and death for what felt like an eternity until his senses began to slowly return. From what felt like miles away, Chay began to hear someone singing a song in a language that sounded familiar yet still unintelligible. He couldn't understand the lyrics, but the melody and cadence reminded him of the songs his grandfather sang in his mother tongue to put him to sleep as a child. The voice of the singer was warm, feminine, and in Chay’s mind angelic. Maybe he had died and this was a chorus of spirits calling him back to the light. The next sense that returned was touch. He felt comfortably warm, like he was wrapped in furs. Chay also began to feel an intense soreness in his right leg and shoulder where he’d been shot. Taste and smell were next and the smell of something cooking over an open fire flooded his nose. Finally, Chay opened his eyes and shapes and color slowly swam together to form a coherent image. 

He was on his back looking up at what looked like the ceiling of a cave.  Flickering shadows danced across the rock around him from a nearby fire. Chay tried to turn his head to look around, but his muscles wouldn’t respond to any of his commands. His whole body was stiff, like he hadn’t moved in days. How long had he been laying here? Eventually, through monumental effort, Chay was able to turn his head towards the source of the singing. What he saw nearly stopped his heart. 

A few feet away was what looked to be a giant grizzly bear standing on its hind legs facing away from him doing something over the fire that he couldn’t see. The longer he stared at the creature, the more unusual things he noticed about it. Bears usually had very boxy frames, but this one had an almost hourglass shape to its torso. Chay also couldn’t help but notice it had a very human looking pair of fuzzy butt-cheeks topped by a small bushy tail. The way the creature moved and bent over the fire had a bipedal grace to it instead of the awkward lumbering balance he’d seen other grizzlys maintain while standing upright. Chay lay there frozen watching the bear and listening to the sweet singing. He couldn’t see any other people around and eventually began to suspect the source of the song was the creature itself. His suspicions were confirmed a second later when the singing stopped as the creature stepped back from the fire and turned towards him. 

It was all there, rounded ears on the top of the head, a protruding muzzle, golden brown fur covering massive muscles, large paws that ended in razor sharp claws, but this “bear” must’ve originated somewhere near the uncanny valley. In addition to it’s ursine features the creature also had very human looking deep brown eyes, plump black lips at the end of it’s muzzle,  and six generous, very human looking, breasts from the top of its chest down to it’s stomach covered in golden white fur. The she-bear made eye contact with Chay and in the same voice he’d heard singing a second ago said in perfect english,

“Oh thank the spirits you’re awake! I was beginning to fear we’d lost you.”

Chay couldn’t reconcile the sweetness of the voice with the creature that stood before him. Was he hallucinating? Was he still at the bottom of the river and just experiencing the last gasps of a brain dying from lack of oxygen? He tried to say something but his body still wasn’t responding and all that escaped his mouth was a guttural half moan. The she-bear turned back and quickly grabbed something near the fire. Chay could now see what the creature had been doing. Over the fire sat a large stone pot with a large wooden spoon sticking out of the top. The bear took a clay bowl sitting near the fire and dipped it into the steaming pot and filled it with whatever was cooking inside. She then walked over and knelt down next to the bed of furs Chay was laying on. Even sitting, the she-bear still towered over him. She must’ve been at least eight and a half feet tall at full standing height. With a gentleness that surprised the young man, the she-bear slid one of her paws underneath his back and brought him up to a sitting position. Chay continued to try and try and form words, but the creature shushed him soothingly,

“Shhh, don’t try to speak yet. I know you must have questions, but you’re still very weak and your body needs nourishment.”

While still supporting him with her paw, the she-bear first brought a water skin to Chay’s lips letting him drink his fill. Then she carefully let him sip from the bowl of steaming broth. With each sip Chay felt strength begin to return to his body. He felt like he hadn’t eaten in days and greedily sipped the delicious soup barely taking time to breath until the bowl was empty.

“That’s enough for right now, it’s been a while since you’ve had anything on your stomach and I don’t want you to get sick”

At last able to coordinate his vocal cords and mouth, Chay managed a weak 
“Thank you.” to the she-bear as she gently laid him back down.

“You’re very welcome, but I should be thanking you. You were incredibly brave the other night and saved a lot of my children from those monstrous humans”

Suddenly Chay’s memories flooded back.

“Wait… the militia, oh god I have to stop them before they call for reinforcements!”
Chay began struggling trying to sit up, but the she-bear gently put her paw on his chest and said in a reassuring tone,

“Don’t worry about that. I’ve taken care of it, and can assure you none of them will ever be a threat to this forest or any creature living within its borders ever again”

“Wait”, Chay said hesitantly, “How long have I been out?”

“About 4 days.” the she-bear said then continued, “Don’t worry, you’re under my protection here.”

Chay relaxed and looked up at the she-bear. Up close she looked even more human. Her eyes were a deep golden brown bordered with thick lashes. They gazed upon him with tenderness. 

“So.. who are you, and where am I?” Chay asked 

“My name is Misabe and I’m the guardian of this forest. I brought you to my den after I pulled you from the river. Lucky I had my eye on you, another minute and you would’ve been too far gone.”
Chay reached his hand up to his chest where he’d been shot and felt some sort of wrap made of leaf that smelled strongly of mint. He also noticed for the first time that he was wearing nothing but his boxers under the fur blanket covering him. Misabe saw the young man blush as he realized his state of undress. Laughing sweetly she said.

“I had to remove your pants to set your leg, and unfortunately your shirt might be a total loss. Between getting shot and the fall there’s not much left, but I have some extra pelts you can cover with. Although as you see”, She said gesturing to her body, “I have no need for, or expectations of human modesty.”

Chay chuckled. This was by far one of the strangest conversations he’d ever had, yet somehow he felt at ease conversing with this talking she-bear.

“So how bad is my leg?” Chay asked. 

It felt sore, but not nearly as bad as it should have considering the rifle shot had nearly taken it off. Misabe lifted the part of the fur blanket covering his right leg. It was covered in the same sturdy leafy wrap as his shoulder. The she-bear pulled back a few layers until she could see skin. To Chay’s amazement, the wound was almost completely healed, and even stranger, Chay couldn’t see any sort of splint. Misabe cleaned the area around the wound with water from a skin nearby. She then placed one of her paws on the wound and noiselessly mouthed something Chay couldn’t make out. Suddenly his wound began to feel warm and the soreness subsided. 

“You should be able to walk on it in a few days as long as you keep weight off of it until then” Misabe said matter-of-factly.

Chay was floored, “Wait, how could it possibly heal that fast!? And what did you just do to my leg?”

Misabe smiled mischievously as she rewrapped the wound. 

“So many questions. Why are humans so fascinated with questioning Gaia’s miracles?”

“All respect to mother Gaia”, Chay said laughing, “but between surviving being shot, meeting a talking bear, and magically healing wounds, I’m starting to think I might still be in the river.”

Misabe didn’t respond immediately and finished wrapping his leg in the minty herbs. She was quiet for so long Chay was starting to worry he’d offended her. Finally she pulled back the blanket over his legs and sat back legs crossed in a lotus position facing Chay. She closed her eyes and began noiselessly mouthing words as she had over Chay’s leg a second ago. 

The light from the fire began to grow bright and take on a strange greenish hue. As it changed color Chay watched in amazement as the shadows from everything in the cave, including he and Misabe, began to run across the floor like water towards a drain, and pool together at the bottom of the wall opposite them. 

Droplets of shadow began to slide up the wall and form shapes. Misabe opened her eyes and began speaking. As she did the shapes began to coalesce into an animated cave painting depicting a group of people walking through a great forest.

“Long ago, when man first came to this land, a wandering tribe found their way into this valley looking for new sources of food and fresh water. They found it to be a good place and decided to settle here.”

More droplets of shadow moved into the scene and formed the shape of huts and a great lodge. Misabe continued

“After they survived their first winter, their chieftain declared a celebration dedicated to the mother spirit of all life.”

The shadows morphed into the shape of a line of people dancing around a huge bonfire.

“As the chieftain was leading a chant to Gaia, she appeared before them bringing the entire tribe to their knees in awe”

The shadowy fire erupted as the figure of a giant woman emerged from it causing the tiny shadow people to fall and begin bowing.

“She informed the tribe that this land was special. It contained one of the last wild springs of source energy in this world, and it was under her direct protection. Since the tribe had been good stewards of her gifts, and had rightfully offered her thanks for allowing them to survive the winter, she would allow them to stay in this land on one condition. They must offer up two of their own to become her devotees and act as her physical proxies on this plane. These guardians would protect this land and all it’s creatures that made up the great web of life that allowed the wellspring of source energy to flow. The Chieftain’s daughter and the tribe’s most accomplished warrior offered themselves to Gaia. In return, she blessed their bodies, giving them great power and changing their bodies into a form that fit their new roles as guardians.”

Chay watched as two of the shadow people stopped bowing and raised their hands towards the goddess in the fire. She pointed down and lightning struck both of them causing them to double over as their bodies grew much larger than the other shadow figures. They grew claws fur and sharp teeth until they resembled the silhouettes of great grizzlies standing on two legs. 

“The Warrior and the Princess were my direct ancestors, their union produced many offspring who also had their power and ursine form. When their children reached maturity, they each took a mate from the original tribe and changed their betrothed into ursine servants of Gaia like themselves. Through the generations, they became their own tribe that remained in this land after the original tribe of humans moved on, the stories of their ursine cousins eventually falling into myth.”

The human shapes still bowing around the bonfire each changed shape becoming like the two original bipedal bears, and they all began to dance around the fire together giving praise to Gaia.

“The tribe thrived here for generations, until a new type of human wandered into the valley. This new tribe had no respect for Gaia or her gifts. They carried weapons of metal and fire and when they encountered the tribe of peaceful guardians, the new humans cowered in fear of what they didn’t understand. The humans began hunting and slaughtering them, thinking they were abominations of nature instead of its emissaries. The tribe fought bravely, but although they were powerful and long lived, they were not invincible. The pale faced men outnumbered them and their numbers dwindled until there were only a few left, then eventually, only one.” 

The dancing bears began disappearing one by one until there were only three left. They stood by the fire still praising the goddess and holding hands. The bear in the middle was much smaller than the other two. Chay intuited that it was their child. Suddenly the two larger bears faded leaving their child alone in front of the fire. The shadowy Gaia bent over to embrace the young one. As she did, the green fire under the pot faded, then roared back to a normal yellow-orange. All the shadows had all returned to their original places. Chay stared at his, expecting it to turn and wave at him any second. The young man sat in silence for a minute feeling a mixture of amazement at what he’d just seen, and a deep sympathy for the ursine woman before him.

“May I ask what happened to your parents?” Chay said cautiously.

Misabe looked away wistfully. 

“There was a fire when I was young caused by a careless human. It had been an exceptionally dry season and the flames swept through the valley like a hellish wind devouring everything in its path. My parents were trying to save a herd of elk when they were pinned in by falling trees. They used the last of their energy to part the fire and make a path for the elk to escape before they themselves succumbed to the smoke. I tried to get to them, but the flames were too intense and I wasn’t powerful enough yet to control them. I barely escaped with my own life. All I remember after that was crying in my den for days until Gaia showed mercy and brought enough rain to douse the flames.”

Chay was at a loss for words. What could he possibly say to such pain? He could relate to losing his parents at a young age, but having to watch them die, in such a terrible way, that was something worse than he could ever fathom. After a moment Misabe looked back at Chay with a smile, her sad expression passed like a rain cloud blocking the sun.

“Now young human, I’ve shared my story with you, tell me about yourself.”

Chay hesitated, “Oh I mean, I’m not that interesting…” he trailed off.

“Well that’s complete nonsense!” Misabe said laughing “I’ve been watching you for a long time Chay, since you were a child as a matter of fact. I know you love this forest almost as much as I do. What I’d like to know is why a human would show so much love for this place.”

He thought for a minute, “My Grandfather brought me here a lot as a kid. I’ve always felt a connection to this forest, and now it’s the only connection to him I have left. In a way this land is the only family I have.”

Misabe nodded. “Your Grandfather was a good and honorable man. He felt the same kinship to this valley that you did and for good reason. The tribe you're both descended from and mine share a common ancestry.” 

The revelation was not a surprise. He knew his grandfather’s tribe had once lived on this land. It explained why he’d felt such a kinship to this valley throughout his life.

“Well I guess that makes us cousins!” Chay teased.

Misabe giggled. “Why yes I can see the family resemblance now!”

They both shared a good laugh. Chay felt more at ease around Misabe by the minute. They spent the rest of the evening swapping stories. Misabe talked about her life in the forest, her parents, and the different spirits and energies that inhabited the trees, the water and the very air itself. Chay told stories of his life in the city. Misabe was particularly fascinated by his descriptions of the human world. She’d never left the confines of the valley and was insatiably curious, and simultaneously mortified. Chay had just finished struggling to explain what an NFT was when his eyes began to grow heavy. As he laid back down into his bed of furs he barely registered when Misabe asked if she could lay down next to him while he slept.

His dreams that night were unsettled. Replays of his confrontation with the militia and shadowy bear silhouettes running from an all consuming fire tortured him. The fire threatened to consume him too, but right before it reached him he felt enveloped by a comforting aura of protective light. He let himself fall back into the warm glow and the fire evaporated around him as the young warrior drifted into an even deeper sleep. 

He awoke the next morning still feeling the warm protective glow that had rescued him from his nightmare, but as he became more conscious, he realized the warm aura was really a large pair of furry arms wrapped around his midriff. 

Misabe was spooning him from behind. He could feel the warmth from her breath on the back of his neck. It felt pleasant in the chill morning air. Spending as much time as he had sleeping in the wild, all of Chay’s waking instincts should have told him that he was in a dangerous position, but he felt completely safe wrapped in the embrace of the large ursine. She was so much bigger than him and the sensation of being held by her was more akin to being cuddled by his mother than the arms of a creature that could just as easily rip him in half. 

Chay tenderly put his hand over the bear woman’s paw. When he did he felt Misabe stir and she pulled him deeper into her chest. His face grew hot as six very erect nipples made their presence known on the bare skin from his lower back to his shoulder blades. He hadn’t had real skin to skin contact in years and the feeling of Misabe’s breasts against his back and the pads on her paws against his stomach began to elicit responses from the rest of his body. Chay began to squirm, his calm replaced with panic as he tried to control his arousal. 

Misabe stirred again and opened her eyes. She gasped when she realized how tightly she was holding the young human and relaxed her grip. 

“Oh no, I didn’t mean to scare you!” she exclaimed

Chay awkwardly, sat up and pulled the pelt covering his legs up to his chest in a futile attempt at modesty hoping that Misabe hadn’t noticed his arousal.

“Uh.. oh no you didn’t scare me I was.. just a little surprised when I woke up.” 

He tried to laugh it off casually, but he couldn’t hide the redness on his face, or fool Misabe’s other keen senses. As he turned to look at Misabe, Chay could tell that even though the fur on her face betrayed none of the skin underneath, if it did she’d be as red as him.

“You were having a nightmare and I thought holding you might help.” Misabe said sheepishly. 

“Well it worked,” Chay said smiling, “ it’s been a long time since I slept that comfortably, thank you.”

The pair gazed at each other for an eternally long few seconds, neither being able to find words to convey the conflicting emotions they were each  feeling. Chay noticed for the first time the sheer radiance of her eyes, as deep golden gold as her fur.  

Misabe finally pivoted the conversation. “Are you hungry? I think I’ll go catch our breakfast.”

 Without another word, she stood and walked towards the sunlit entrance of the cave. The morning light caught her honey gold fur putting all of her curves into relief. Before she walked out, Misabe turned and said with a chuckle and a wink. 

“Don’t go anywhere little warrior.”

“Well if you insist.” Chay said, trying not to blush again.

When he thought she was out of earshot he lay back down in the bed of pelts and began laughing. 

“Fuck, do I really have the hots for a magical forrest deity?! What is my life?” 

Chay could at least find the humor in his predicament. Hopefully he could get through the next couple of days without making a fool of himself. 

He had shied away from dating for years. Every one of his previous relationships had ended in disappointment and frustration for his partners. Pouring himself so fully into the eco defense movements he’d drifted in and out of over the years usually left very little room for anything or anyone else. Even partners who shared his love of nature and were part of the movement, thought he was too distant.  It’d been so long that the young man had almost forgotten what it was like to feel overwhelmingly, and unapologetically flustered. He briefly considered doing something about it while he had the cave to himself, but couldn’t stand the possibility of Misabe walking in on him and decided to let the electricity of his arousal fade on it’s own. As it did the inviting warmth of his makeshift bed enveloped his senses and before he realized it, Chay drifted into a relaxed snooze.

For the second time in 2 days, the young eco warrior awoke to the sweetness of Misabe’s singing and to the pleasant aroma of something cooking over a fire.

“If I’m not careful I’m going to start getting used to having my meals served in bed” he said as he sat up and turned towards the source of the pleasant sounds and smells. 

Misabe was sitting cross legged on a mat in front of the small cooking fire hand turning wild vegetables and 4 of the largest salmon Chay had ever seen on a spit over the crackling flames. 

“Only until your leg is healed, then you’ll have to earn your keep like the rest of us!” she replied with mock sternness.

“Earn my keep? Are you planning on keeping me around to work off my hospital bill after I heal?” 

It was supposed to be a joke, but as soon as he said it Chay realized he’d made a mistake. Misabe turned her head away as a look briefly crossed the ursine’s face that he couldn’t quite read. A cross between sadness and a sort of frustration. Chay tried to pivot.

“So can you teach me how to fish for salmon that big without a pole?”

The question brought Misabe back from whatever thought was troubling her.

“How do you know I don’t have a pole hidden away in my fur?” she said teasingly

“Well um.. I mean I assumed…”

Misabe enjoyed letting the young human flounder with his words for a moment before saying, “I’ll make you a deal. If you can walk on your own down to the lake, I’ll show you how I do it.” She said smiling as she pulled the spit off the fire. 

“Sounds more than fair to me.” Chay said relieved he hadn’t offended his hostess again.

After breakfast, Misabe pulled back the wrap on Chay’s leg to check his wound. To both of their astonishment, what had been a visibly healing but still nasty looking wound the night before was now completely gone without even the faintest scar to mark where it had been. The same was true of his shoulder wound.

“I thought you said It’d take me a few more days to heal.” The young man said in amazement.

“It should have, not even the animals are healed from my powers this quickly.”

“Maybe mother Gaia just likes me.” Chay said once again attempting humor that only caused the bear woman to look away with deep conflict in her eyes.

“Is.. is it a good thing I’m healing this quickly?” he asked.

“Yes.. yes it is..” Misabe said quietly, still looking away.

“Misabe…” Chay couldn’t think of anything to say at first. He wanted to ask if she was ok and what he had done to offend her, but he had always been terrible at emotional conflict, one of the reasons he’d remained single most of his adult life. In the end all that came out was,

“Do you think I might be able to try walking on this leg?”

Misabe snapped out of her melancholy like she’d awoken from a particularly unpleasant day dream. 

“Why of course, but don’t try to do too much too quickly.”

“I won’t, as long as you keep our deal about showing me how to fish,” Chay said, smirking.   

“We’ll see.” Misabe said as she stood in front of Chay and took both of his hands in her paws. 

“Ready?” she asked

“As I’ll ever be”

Chay was surprised at the ursine woman’s strength. Before he realized it, she’d pulled him up to his feet and he stumbled forward and fell face first right in between her top pair of breasts. Misabe began giggling as the deeply embarrassed human stumbled backward apologizing profusely before he realized that he was standing under his own power.

“Well look at that,” Misabe said smiling. “Are you sure you weren’t just faking it for the sake of being pampered?” 

Chay stood amazed at his miraculous healing and took a few tentative steps. His leg felt stiff, but as strong and stable as it ever had.

“I’m not even sore!” he exclaimed.

“Good! Because I’ve been dying to show you something!”

Misabe took Chay by the hand and led him out into the bright mid morning sun. The young man had to cover his eyes as they adjusted to the light. When he opened them he was met by one of the most stunning views he’d ever seen. The cavern entrance was situated midway up a hill surrounded by western white pine. The hill sloped down gently in front of him until it met the shore of a large lake that stretched out like a field of blue opal into snow capped cascadian peaks miles away.

“What do you think of my home?” Misabe asked.

“Like I’ve been trying to find my way back here my whole life.” Chay said dreamily.

Misabe loosened her grip on Chay’s hand and hesitated like she wanted to say something. After a moment she said. “How confident do you feel walking on that leg?”

“I feel like I could run a marathon.” 

Misabe clapped her paws together “Wonderful!” she exclaimed. “You can keep me company on my rounds this morning,” and with a wink she added, “then I’ll teach you how to fish the proper way.”

Chay, dressed in what remained of his pants, then spent the rest of the morning following Misabe through the woods as she attended to the various needs of its inhabitants. She carried herself like a high priestess blessing a village. They followed no trail and weren’t on any sort of schedule. It was as if Misabe could feel each creature in her domain and what each one needed in that exact moment. 

She checked in on an adolescent fawn that had been wounded by a hunter’s crossbow a few weeks ago. After that she popped in on a den of young wolf cubs whose mother had been having trouble making her own milk. Misabe fed the she-wolf a mixture of herbs and said a blessing as she placed her large padded thumbs behind the lupine’s ears. Chay never thought he’d ever get a chance to get this close to a wolf in the wild, but each animal showed a calm, knowing, deferential respect to Misabe and by extension himself. As they walked she explained to Chay how she felt the entire forest as one being in many parts and could listen to the sounds of the forest itself to determine its health. While she was in deep meditation she could feel the very source energy speaking to her. 

About an hour after midday they came upon a fox pup in a metal cage trap. It started yipping excitedly as they approached. Misabe unlatched the door to the cage and picked the shaking fox out and held it in her arms like a mother cradling a scared child.

“There there little one”, she cooed “You’re safe now”. 

She put the young fox down and it scampered off into the brush to find it’s mother. Then, Misabe in a terrifying display of strength picked up the steel trap and ripped it in two in a single motion letting out a ferocious roar as she did. Chay instinctually took a step back. Misabe sensed the young human’s fear and apologized for the wrathful display.

“It’s ok, really!” Chay said recovering “If I could tear up traps like that I’d have saved a fortune on hand tools!” he hesitated for a second then continued “So um… are you going to do the same thing to the poachers that set it?”

“No need,” Misabe replied. “This was a leftover from your friends at the logging camp.”

Chay thought about it for a second and then asked a question that had been nagging him since last night.

“Misabe, you never told me what happened to the loggers, only that you’d taken care of them. Did you… are they dead?”

Misabe didn’t answer but instead said, “Follow me.”

They walked silently through the trees for about a mile until they came to a flattened clearing. In the center stood a group of wild elk grazing. Near the edge of the group stood the alpha bull watching the perimeter for any interloping males looking to get their rocks off with one of his harem before the seasonal rutting was over. He barely acknowledged them as they entered the clearing and walked towards the group of females. When they got close to the edge of the group Misabe instructed Chay to wait and watch closely. She walked up to one of the younger looking cows and gently stroked the back of her head. The cow acknowledged Misabe with a soft mew before going back to grazing the grass in front of her. Misabe examined the elk cow’s rump and underside. When she was finished she stepped back and admired the cow like a painter would admire a finished work and said, almost to herself, 

“Yes, you’re coming along nicely. You’ll have a couple of little ones suckling on you by early summer.”

Chay was confused at what Misabe was trying to show him until he noticed the metal necklace around the female elk’s neck. Dangling at the bottom of the chain was a pair of dog tags one of which was engraved with a punisher skull. 

“Wait… is that…?” Chay said, hardly believing what he was about to ask. 

“Yes.” Misabe said before he could finish the question. She grabbed the necklace and snapped off the clap holding it around the female elks neck with the cow barely noticing. Misabe tossed the tags to Chay who caught them mid air. 

“What you’re holding in your hands is the last bit of the cruel man who tried to end your life and rape this forrest for his own needs. Now he and everyone else in that camp will spend the rest of their natural lives as permanent residents in these woods helping to replenish what they tried to take.”

Chay was shocked. He looked at the grazing female elk before him and tried to imagine the snarling yellow toothed smile of the militia commander who’d tried to murder him just a few days ago.

“Can he understand us?” Chay asked.

“She can’t understand human speech any better than the other creatures of these woods. As far as this cow is concerned she belongs here and always has. The part of this creature that was human has been snuffed out and replaced with the instincts and personality fitting her new role in life. That rutting bull over there has already mated her multiple times and soon her belly will start to swell with the first of many calves. She’ll live out her days in his harem, giving birth every summer until she finally gives her body back to the soil. 

Chay was momentarily speechless, still not believing what he was seeing. 

“Did you do this to him?”

“Yes, and to everyone else in that camp who ever did harm to this forest. I could have just as easily let my children devour them, but that would’ve been a waste of lifeforce. This way they can all atone for their sins against Gaia in a way that restores life to this place.”

Chay’s mind raced. As much as he had been able to relax around Misabe the last couple of days, he somehow forgot that she was an immensely powerful being  with the abilities of a goddess. He briefly wondered if she had the same fate in store for him. As if sensing his anxieties. Misabe smiled at the young warrior and said tenderly.

“You’re so much better than other humans Chay. Watching you fight for this place gives me hope for your species.”

“Thank you,” Chay said somewhat relieved.  “That means a lot coming from you.”

Misabe looked up at the sky and said, “It’s starting to get late, how about I keep my promise and show you how I’m going to catch our dinner!”

“Lead the way, sensei!” Chay chuckled.

They made their way down to the bottom of the valley and along the shore of the immense lake. Eventually they came upon a tributary stream. Misabe waded in until she was waist deep near the middle. She turned to Chay who watched from the shore and said. 

“The first thing to understand is that you don’t have to be the one who fishes. If you’re in tune with the life around you, and patient enough, the ones who’ve already spawned and are ready to give their bodies back to the great cycle will eventually come to you. If you’ll kindly walk in that nearby thicket, you’ll find a reed basket. By the time you bring it back our dinner will have arrived”
Chay did as he was told and walked over to a thicket of reeds near the shore. He began to wade through the plants, but didn’t see a basket. Then suddenly a group of reeds began to bend and weave together on their own until they formed a perfect container. Chay was starting to get desensitized to seeing real magic, but was still astonished at the sight.

“Now you’re just showing off” he said to himself with a chuckle.

When he walked back to the shore he saw Misabe standing exactly where he’d left her, motionless, her eyes closed in the middle of the stream. He sat down near the shore and put the basket next to him. A moment later, in a blur of golden brown, Misabe dove into the water and emerged half a second later with a squirming salmon in each paw and one in her mouth. She looked majestic, wild, powerful and to Chay, undeniably beautiful. For the second time that day, Chay felt his body respond to arousal. He quickly crossed his legs to try and stifle the growing bulge in his shorts. The young man was so preoccupied with hiding his imminent erection that he almost got slapped in the face by the salmon Misabe tossed at him. He awkwardly caught the still struggling fish and tossed it into the basket next to him.

“You’ve got to be quick!” Misabe said with a chuckle as she tossed the other two.

“So do you think I’d ever be able to fish like that?” Chay asked playfully.

Misabe thought for a second then said 

“Maybe, with a lot of practice.” 

She gave the young human a smile that made him once again hide his reddening face, pretending to be preoccupied with the fish basket.

That night after dinner, Chay and Misabe laid out on one of the large pelts under the brilliant night sky. Misabe pointed out the traditional constellations of her people and explained their meanings, Chay recognized many of them from stories he’d grown up with. When she was describing the group of stars that represented her ancestors and first of her tribe, the warrior and the princess, her voice faltered for a moment.

Chay put his hand over the top of her paw in-between them. He began to hear her sniffle and try to stifle tears.

“What’s wrong Misabe?”

“It’s just, it’s been so long since I’ve had anyone to really talk to. As wonderful as the last couple of days have been, it’s just reminded me of how lonely I’ve been before now.”

Chay didn’t know how to respond. Part of him wanted to wrap his arms around her and kiss her, but instead he said,

 “Today was one of the most strangely beautiful experiences of my life. Thank you so much for letting me into your world Misabe.”

The bear woman didn’t say anything, but Chay suddenly felt himself enveloped in her warm fur as she pulled him into a tight hug. He made a futile attempt at wrapping his free arm around her, but she was so much bigger than him that he only managed a hand on each of her hips. Neither spoke, they didn’t need to. Each could feel the gratitude of the other just for existing with them in that moment. They fell asleep, still in each other's arms under the brilliant night sky not wanting to be anywhere, or with anyone else.

The next morning Chay woke with the sunrise, still in Misabe’s arms, laying on the pelt in front of the entrance to her den. As his mind slowly swam to full consciousness he got the wild notion to try out some of Misabe’s tricks and try to catch breakfast himself. She was snoozing heavily enough for Chay to slip out of her embrace without notice. Quietly as he could, the young warrior made his way down the hill towards the lake. As he walked he began to notice the environment around him had a new sharp definition to it. At first he thought it was just the fresh sun of a new day putting everything into relief, but his sense of smell, hearing and even taste began to feel like they’d be cranked up a notch. Chay felt like he could hear every bird in the valley, and if he stopped and listened long enough it began to feel like he could feel the very trees and soil beneath him breathing. The only thing Chay could compare it to was the early stages of a strong psychedelic experience. He felt oddly in tune with every plant, animal and rock around him. Normally he’d be alarmed by his change of perception, but he attributed it to his experiences the last few days. In Chay’s mind, he was just starting to see the valley the way Misabe saw it. He wouldn’t realize till later how right he was. 

When he reached the lake he walked along its banks until he came to the stream where Misabe caught their dinner the day before. As he began to disrobe he paused looking at his arms. He’d never been very hairy, but now both his forearms were covered with patches of fine brownish peach fuzz. Had his arms always been that hairy and he’d just failed to notice? 

Chay waded out into the freezing water and began controlling his breathing to maintain body heat, a trick he’d learned from a survivalist friend a few years back. He waded out until he was waist deep in the slow moving stream, then waited. Breathing deep, imagining the heat moving from his head throughout the rest of his body, Chay began to feel  the water around him as it changed. After a minute he began to feel the Salmon swimming around him in the lazy current. He focused his mind on the tiny fluctuations in the flow as the fish approached and swam around him. Focusing his mind to a single point, he let his entire inner and outer world contract until it was nothing but him and the current. At some point he sensed three distinct fish, all approaching him at once from different directions. Chay couldn’t explain how, but somehow he knew these fish were ready to harvest. They had each done what they had come to do in their ancestral spawning grounds, and were ready to give their bodies back to the cycle of life that had birthed them. 

Without thinking, and almost on pure instinct, Chay dove into the water and grabbed a salmon in each hand and one with his mouth, just as Misabe had. The act had been so unconscious that Chay surprised himself and spat out the salmon in his mouth.  The other two he held on to. He popped back up to a standing position near the middle of the stream holding both Salmon in his outstretched arms and began to laugh harder than he had in years. It felt exhilarating, like he was a kid riding a bike for the first time on his own. Chay felt more alive in that moment than he had at any other time in his life. He closed his eyes and allowed himself a brief instant of being completely in the moment. There was an audible gasp from the shore and Chay was brought back down to Earth. He opened his eyes to see Misabe standing on the shore watching him, mouth open in shock.

“Hey! I caught breakfast!” he exclaimed as if he’d just discovered fire.

Misabe’s expression shifted from shock, to the same conflicted unease he’d seen yesterday. She tried to say something, but the words stuck in her throat and when she did speak all she managed was “Chay…I…” before the ursine began sobbing and promptly ran into the tree line.

“Misabe wait!” he waded back to the shore and tried to follow her, but she had already disappeared into the woods. Chay made his way back up the hill to the den, but she wasn’t there. Not knowing what to do, he waited for her by the entrance. An hour passed, then two. Chay began to doubt if she’d ever return. The young man became dejected. 

Perhaps he had worn out his welcome in Misabe’s domain. A dread began to creep into his heart. The last few days had been pure magic, figuratively and literally. He’d allowed himself to hope that he’d never have to leave, but perhaps his place wasn’t here after all. Just when he was considering packing some supplies and leaving. Misabe walked through the entrance to the cave, her expression almost shameful.

“I’m sorry for running off like that, I needed to clear my head.” she said quietly.

“It’s ok Misabe, I was just worried about you. Have I.. upset you?”

She walked past him and sat down in front of the pile of pelts and beckoned Chay to sit in front of her. He obliged and braced for whatever she had to say. Misabe hesitated for a moment then began to speak.

“Chay you haven’t done anything wrong at all. In fact, having you here with me these last few days has made me happier than I could ever think possible, but… I haven’t been entirely truthful with you.”

“How so?” Chay asked

Misabe sighed, taking all of her energy to will herself to say what was coming next,
 
“When I said you were barely alive when I found you – that was a lie. You had already died, and even with all my power, I couldn’t save you.”

“Wait, then how am I alive?” Chay’s mind raced. 

Misabe was silent for a moment. She never lifted her eyes from the fire. Her hands began to quiver a bit. Finally she said,

“My powers couldn’t save you, so I appealed to someone who could. I prayed to Mother Gaia and she appeared to me. I begged her to save your life, and she agreed but…”

Her words hung in the air for a moment. The young man couldn’t stand the anticipation.

“Misabe, what are you trying to tell me!?” 

“Chay,” she said hesitantly, “It took a great amount of pure source energy to bring you back, and using that much energy… comes with a price.”

“What kind of price?”

“Because you were already dead,” Misabe continued, “bringing you back has inexorably tied you to this place. If you stray too far from this valley, you’ll die. And the longer you stay here… the more you’ll take on a changed form.”

Things began to click in Chay’s mind. The miraculous speed with which his injuries healed, the change in his senses and reflexes, the hair on his arms, they were all symptoms. He was undergoing a transformation, but into what?

“Am.. am I going to end up like that militia commander?” Chay asked quietly.

Misabe gently took both of his hands into her  paws and said in a soft reassuring tone.

“Oh no my sweet boy, not at all. Gaia has given you her gift, as she did my people. You won’t lose your sentience, or your memories. Your body will become like mine, half ursine, half human, and you’ll gain the same powers I have. If you choose to stay, you’ll become a guardian of this valley and all its creatures.”

Chay looked up into the warmth of the Misabe’s inviting golden eyes and smiled from ear to ear. This sounded like everything he’d ever hoped for and more.

“There’s something else.” Misabe continued hesitantly. “The goddess asked something else of me when she saved you. She wants me to take you… as my mate.”

The breath left Chay’s lungs momentarily. Was he dreaming? Could this be real?

“How do you feel about this Misabe?” he asked sheepishly

Misabe looked away, and bit her lip. 

“Chay, you’re incredibly brave and righteous, yet you have such loving tenderness in you. I know you’d make a wonderful mate, and father, but I feel so guilty in taking away your choice. If I’d have known what it’d cost you…”

Chay reached out and gently placed his hand on Misabe's cheek. She turned to look at him, her golden eyes full of anticipation.

“Misabe, I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to be anywhere else, or with anyone else more in my entire life” 

Then, giving in to desires he’d been harboring deep in his heart since he first woke up in her den, Chay leaned in and locked lips with Misabe. At first she gasped out of surprise, but then all the anxiety she’d been carrying melted away and she began to return his tender kiss. Her pillowy black lips enveloped his, and she gently stroked the side of his face with her paw. She placed the other paw on the small of his back and pulled the young man tightly into her embrace. They stayed locked together for what felt like a glorious eternity, reveling in the sensation of being in one another's arms and giving into what they had both wanted for so long. 

When they finally broke the kiss they looked at each other neither knowing what to say next. Chay was the first to finally speak.

“So how long will it take for me to fully transform?”

Misabe thought about it for a second then said. “I’m not entirely sure. The stories of my people don’t go into detail, but I’d say that on your own, it’d probably take a few more days, however,” a sensual mischievous glint appeared in the ursine woman’s eyes, “There are ways to speed up the process.” She smiled lasciviously and Chay took her meaning.
 
“Well then,” Chay said, returning her lustful expression, “I’ve never been good at waiting.” He then locked his lips with hers and they began passionately making out. Misabe laid down on her back, pulling her much smaller lover on top of her as they continued to kiss. She stuck her long, thick tongue deep into his mouth and gently stroked the sensitive skin on his back with her paws. The sweet taste of her saliva and smell of her warm fur became intoxicating to him and Chay felt his pants tighten with growing desire. Chay momentarily broke the kiss.

“Have you ever..”

“No,” Misabe said. “But I understand the mechanics, what about you?”

“A few times. Can I try some things to find out what you enjoy?”

“Of course my love.” 

Chay then began to methodically stroke, kiss, lick, and suck, each of Misabe’s six nipples, while sensually massaging the others with his hands. It was a little awkward at first. Chay had never been with a woman nearly twice his size, and with six breasts to spare, but soon he found a good rhythm and Misabe began to moan and melt under his touch.

“Oh my gods yes!” she exclaimed breathlessly. “This feels amazing.”

He worked on her chest for another few minutes until his increasingly sensitive nose began to pick up an inviting scent from between her legs.

Chay began to slide his face down towards the source of the intoxicating aroma and Misabe instinctually opened her legs for him. When he reached his destination, Chay parted the fur that was already becoming slick with desire and took a second to marvel at her beautiful plump black folds. He drank in her bold scent a moment longer before he leaned in and ran his tongue up her luscious lips until he found the swelling jewel at the top. Chay lightly kissed then took Misabe’s clitoris into his mouth and began massaging it with his tongue. The she-bear’s whole body convulsed and an almost gowl-like moan escaped her lips. She took a paw and pushed Chay’s face deeper into her fur.. He began caressing her bottom pair of breasts with one hand while exploring the quickly moistening folds beneath where he was working his tongue with the other. When he found her entrance, he slid 3 fingers into her and began massaging deeper and deeper inside her velvety walls until he crooked his fingers behind her pelvic bone and Misabe’s entire body convulsed once again. Chay massaged her G spot while continuing to work her clitoris with his tongue.

Warmth began to spread from his loins up his torso and down his legs and Chay’s face began to tingle. The sensation started to feel particularly strong in his tongue. As he continued making circles around the throbbing jewel, his tongue started to feel like it was swelling, becoming too big for his mouth. He felt the bones in his face begin to shift and elongate. Misabe continued to rock her pelvis and moan louder and louder until the tension building up in her body was so intense her breath momentarily caught in her throat. With a great ursine roar, she orgasmed, sending a deluge of arousal down Chay’s chin and soaking his chest. The warrior pulled his face from between Misabe’s legs gasping for air as rivulets of Misabe’s fluids slid down his bare chest. Examining his face, he was shocked by how much it had already changed. His jaw bones had lengthened out into an ursine muzzle, his nose had become wet and leathery and his entire face was now covered by dark brown fur that extended from his forehead down to his chest. Chay’s arms had also grown more light patches of red brown fur. Misabe opened her eyes, still panting from her climax. She saw Chay and broke into a smile. 

“Mmmmm yes” she cooed, “it’s starting to happen.” I can already tell you’re going to make such a handsome bear.”

Chay moved his new mouth around getting used to the new shape. He lolled his tongue out and found it dropped quite far past his chin. The awkwardly adorable display caused Misabe to giggle,

“Why don’t you show me what that new tongue of yours can do?”
Chay pulled his tongue back in and smiled devilishly as he lowered his head back between Misabe’s legs. He buried his new muzzle into her pelvic fur. He slipped his newly elongated tongue inside her folds and began to explore every inch that his new appendage could reach. Filling her all the way up, he began to tickle her cervix with the tip of his tongue causing Misabe to scream in pleasure. Chay greedily swallowed mouthful after mouthful of her gushing arousal. She tasted like fresh honey and her scent took on new dimensions in his newly sensitized nose. He couldn’t get enough. After a few more powerful climaxes, Chay extricated himself from between his lover’s legs to breathe. Misabe sat up and pulled Chay into her embrace, locking her muzzle with his, their tongues intertwining. 

The smell and taste of her own arousal was thick on him, which drove her desire to new heights. She ran her paw gently against the front of Chay’s pants, feeling the hardening bulge barely concealed by the denim. The bear woman picked her lover up and laid him gently on his back in front of her. She pulled on the waistband of Chay’s pants with one paw while she deftly used the index claw on the other to rip through the denim. When she reached the seam of the crotch she pulled the remainder of the pants off Chay’s legs in one swift motion leaving him completely nude, save for his boxers. The young man looked momentarily shocked at his aggressive disrobing. 

“Don’t worry.” Misabe murmured, “You won’t need clothes once I’m done with you.”

She crawled seductively over her prone lover, careful not to put any of her weight on him. He was still so much smaller than she was, but that was only a momentary imposition. Misabe gave Chay one more passionate tongue filled kiss, then began to work her way down kissing and sensually licking every inch of exposed skin from his neck down to his waist, causing new patches of fur to grow wherever her saliva touched. The stimulation from his lover’s mouth and his rapidly intensifying transformation caused Chay to squirm with desire. When Misabe reached the bulge in Chay’s boxers she paused for a second letting the young human stew in anticipation before ceremoniously ripping the seam of his boxers. Finally free of its confines, his throbbing member sprang to attention. 

With the last shreds of his human trappings gone, Misabe put her muzzle between Chay’s legs and drank in his musk. The warmth from her breath caused Chay’s cock to twitch in anticipation, a small bead of precum forming at the tip. He couldn’t stand anymore and practically begged the Ursine woman to take him. Misabe obliged enthusiastically and slowly ran her thick tongue from the bottom of his testicles all the way up his shaft, before taking it deep into her muzzle, careful not to cut him with her teeth. Wrapping her dexterous tongue around his entire length, she began to bob her head up and down. 

Chay gasped and dug his fingers into the fur of the pelt beneath him. He felt his fingernails lengthen and harden into claws as his arousal drove the transformation further and faster. As Misabe continued to work Chay’s cock, she felt it start to lengthen and taper out into a more appropriately ursine shape. She relished every sweet drop of precum she coaxed from his shifting phallus. When she had him on the edge of orgasm, she suddenly stopped. Chay gasped first in pleasure, then in astonishment as Misabe slowly released him from the oral embrace and he saw his changed genitalia for the first time. A few inches had been added to his already generous length as well as his girth. However the most shocking change was to the shape and color. Bright red and tapered all the way out to the end. Misabe licked another drop of precum on the tip and admired her work. Chay was now almost completely covered in dark brown fur. Claws had begun to grow on his fingers and toes. His face was almost completely ursine. 

“Just a little more my love.” Misabe cooed as she crawled over Chay, positioning herself over Chay’s shaft, readying to take every inch of him inside her. 

“This is your last chance to back out. Once you climax the transformation will be sealed and there'll be no turning back.”

“I’m more sure of this than I've ever been of anything in my life,” Chay said, smiling. 

Misabe bent forward and gave Chay one more thunderous kiss before carefully lowering herself onto him, making sure he felt every inch of her inviting velvety heat as his cock slid inside. The bear woman was careful not to put too much of her weight on her lover as he was still much smaller and about 300lbs lighter than her. She began to ride him slowly then increased the pace as they found a balance and rhythm that worked for their vastly different sized frames. Chay was in pure ecstasy as he buried his face into Misabe’s fur and began sucking her nipples. The sensation of her velvety walls squeezing and massaging every inch of his throbbing ursine phallus caused the rest of his body to lose all resistance to the change. 

Soft black pads appeared on the tips of his toes and fingers to complement the already hardened claws.  His soles and palms thickened until they resembled ursine hind and forepaws. He felt a tickle at the base of his tail bone as a nubby bushy tail sprouted from his backside. As he edged closer and closer to orgasm, Chay’s entire frame began to shift and swell. All of his muscles took on new mass as his shoulders broadened and his torso became more barrel shaped.

Misabe reveled in watching her lover grow and change beneath her until he matched, then surpassed her size. Eventually she was able to relax her stance and put her full weight onto him as she began to move her hips faster. The sight of Chay looking more and more ursine with each thrust from her hips drove Misabe to the edge. As she began to climax her inner walls convulsed around Chay’s cock causing him to lose what little control he still had. They climaxed together and let out a pair of roars that echoed across the entire valley letting every creature great and small know that their queen had finally found her king. 

The two lovers stayed locked together in pure bliss, Chay releasing bucket upon bucket of seed into his mate until she finally collapsed into his arms. For the first time since they met, Chay could actually hold Misabe instead of just being held by her. They stroked each other's fur and gently kissed for a few minutes until Chay once again felt the stirring between his legs and they enthusiastically mated again and twice more after that until both bears lay panting on the pelt bed, reduced to nothing more than puddles of fur, musk, and contentment.

“Well,” Misabe said, panting and thoroughly enjoying the feeling of her mate’s still warm seed dripping out of her “I think you may have gotten me pregnant.”

Chay chuckled, “I thought that was the entire point.”

“Hmmm I suppose it was.” Misabe said through a lazy smile, rolling over to kiss her mate before whispering in his ear “So we should keep trying until we’re certain.”

“Well if that’s what the goddess demands of us, who am I to disagree? Speaking of which, when do I get to meet her?”

“Soon,” Misabe said, growing serious. “First you must learn how to use your new body and abilities. You’re now a guardian of this valley and its power. It’s both a gift and a great responsibility you must master.” 

“Are you going to be my teacher?”

“Yes, I’ll show you the ways of my.. our people.” 

The words tasted like sweet dew on her tongue. Misabe savored the revelation that she’d never have to be lonely again. After so many years there was finally hope for her people and her valley.

“When do we start?” Chay said sleepily as he wrapped his furry muscular arms around his mate and pulled her into a cozy embrace.

“Tomorrow morning” Misabe murmured “Your first assignment is to catch us breakfast.”

“As you command my sensei,” Chay said softly, kissing his mate’s neck, then whispering in her ear. “I love you Misabe.”

“I love you too Chay. I can’t wait to wake up in your arms tomorrow, and for the rest of our days” 

The couple drifted off into a deep slumber, each completely satisfied for the first time in years. In the weeks and months to come Chay would embrace and master his new form becoming as fierce and powerful a guardian as his mate. Misabe would soon undergo changes of her own. Within a few months her belly would swell with the first of a new generation of guardians. 

The next summer she would give birth to twins, male and female. They would grow up happy and strong under the nurturing care of their parents inheriting both their love for the forest and their powers. 

One day many years later they’d use these powers to find their own mates from the human world and continue growing their species as their mother had. 

But that’s another story.