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He stood outside the previous night's den, nose to the wind, waiting for his young friend to emerge from the makeshift shelter of fallen branches and leaves. They had journeyed to the mountains of Tibet, wandering the valley forest and the mountains edge, searching for signs of one that was lost. The journey had been longer than he'd planned, and though they searched each day until they were forced to take refuge in whatever den they could find whether it be a hollow tree, a rocky cave, or simply a hole dug into the earth and covered with leaves, they had found no sign of the creature they sought or any of her kind.

Though the search thus far had been in vain, the journey itself had not. They had found no bears, but there was much life in the mountains, new and strange wonders to the young lioness who traveled at his side. The forest and landscape here were nothing like anything encountered in Africa, and the inhabitants were as different as the vegetation. They had crossed paths with a tiger, watched new birds fly above, witnessed the mountain sheep, they had even passed a structure built by the humans who worshiped and sought peace here.

And now their journey neared its close, soon they must return to the African continent. And though they had found no sign of the lost bear, they could not continue the search forever. There were others that needed him as well, including a friend who had spent long enough in the cold high altitude.

"Or maybe you just get up late."

The smile that he flashed was sly, playful, like an older brother teasing his sister.

"We will not know that until we finish our search."

He did not speak his thoughts. Having lost contact with an avatar for this long, there was little hope of ever finding her, he had accepted that some time ago. The season had shifted into spring and there was no longer than chance that she had simply not awakened from her winter hibernation. Ran had vanished, the only question now was why.

But what troubled him more, was that they had found no bears or recent traces of the large predators, no hints that they had recently roamed this valley. He had met them in this valley just a few short seasons ago, his last contact with his avatar had indicated they were well, and yet now they all seemed to have vanished as Ran had. This could not have been the work of poachers, not in so short a time, if it were, they humans were far more of a threat than he could have ever imagined.

"We will search where we can with the time that remains."

They had traveled much of the mountain valley, searching forest and cave alike, and though they had traveled far, there were still parts they had not yet reached. The forest was often larger than it seemed, ever changing. Perhaps it was impossible to truly search every corner, for something would always remain hidden. But there was no time to search every corner, only to search where they could.

His senses turned to the search again, following the scent of the wind, listening to the life that surrounded them. Thusfar their search had yielding no signs, not even his vision through the eyes of nature had shown him the signs they sought, the bears, wherever they may be, were out of his range.

The trek carried them along the northern edge of the forest, toward the rocky ledge of the valley, into a sheltered pass between ranges of forest and rock. If they were to find any bears now, this would be where.

"Some do, those that find shelter in the caves the mountain provides."

He paused a moment in his steps, head lowered to search the rocky earth for faint signs of tracks, nose searching for any wavering scent. Even for the god of nature the rocks did not hold scent or tracks, an ever changing terrain that quickly erased any signs of life that stayed still too long.

"Be careful up there, the rocks are loose."

His tone was calm and gentle, a casual voice of caution rather than one of true warning. His companion was young, naive, but she was far from foolish, intelligent enough to know better than to act dangerously. But though they had spent time in this land, it was still unfamiliar, he only wished her to remember that and be aware these mountains were unlike those in Africa.

A movement from the corner of his eye, the god's gaze snapped to catch the shadow. A large creature, neither canine nor feline, much to large to be anything else. A bear perhaps, or a lost yak, but if it was a bear, why had they found no signs of others?

"Kimaji," he spoke quietly, silently motioning for her to stay close.

"Shh, listen."

Ears turned to catch the sound, a small cry, a soft grunt, the shuffle of large paws. It was unmistakable, a familiar sound, though one he did not hear nearly so often as he would have liked, the sound of a bear. A cub certainly, a most likely its mother. It was a welcome sound, after fruitless searches and no trace of the noble creatures, here they were. And yet he questioned, why did these remain, while the others had gone? There was only one way to find out.

"Stay back, but do not hide, we do not want to startle them."

Cautiously, visibly, Corellon stepped into the open, approaching the large creature he knew was nearby. He did not hide, but moved opening, yet his senses remained alert, on guard. He had been reminded by the tiger that sneaking was not the way to gain answers, but rather open questions. And yet he knew how protective bears were of their young, was aware of the danger into which he could be walking, that he might have to react in a fraction of a moment.

"Hello? I don't wish to frighten you, but could we speak? There is something I wish to ask you."

Another cry, this one closer, louder, so close he could have stepped on it, so close he almost did. Senses on guard, alert for the charge of a protective mother, he had not heard the quiet approach of the small cub who now stood at his paws, pleased with himself for startling the larger creature.

"Hello there, little one, surely you're not out here alone?"

A gentle smile on his maw, his head lowered to look into the eyes of the cub, his muzzle met with the playful bat of a small paw. In that simple touch, he saw it all, looking into the cub's mind to see as he had seen. A cruelly cold winter, cubs huddled for warmth, depleted food supply, a fallen sibling, mother had not woken up. But this cub had been spared, found by another, the mother of one cub, she had taken this one in and cared for him as her own, it had been hard, but they had survived.

There was a sadness in the smile he gave the cub. Now he understood why they had found no sign of bears until now. Was this the fate that had fallen to Ran?

His thoughts were broken by sound, this cry softer, more timid, questioning. Looking up his eyes fell on the second cub standing a short distance away, uncertain of the stranger speaking to its sibling.

"Is that your brother?"

The cub at his paws seemed to answer yes, calling to his brother to join him. But the brother was shy, stand-offish, not so fearless as his sibling. It would take several calls and a persistent nudge from one sibling to the other before the brother gave in to his curiosity and followed to stand at the god's paws.

It was a charming image, the god of nature surrounded by two curious bear cubs, a smile on his maw s they batted at him in their playful games. He had almost forgotten that their mother must be nearby, a protective creature who might not appreciate a stranger so close to her cubs.

"They think you're a bear, they don't understand the pelt is not you."

Ears flattened, broken from his revere by the voice that he should have been prepared for. The cubs' mother, he had known she must be nearby, a fact he had allowed himself to forget, a dangerous mistake.

"I apologize, I did not--"

"Don't worry, I know you won't harm them."

A sign of relief, a released breath he had unconsciously held.

"Reguardless I must apologize."

The bear had been watching him curiously. Unlike most protective mothers, she merely watched in quiet amusement as her cubs indulged their own curiosity in the cat who looked like a bear to them. She was relaxed and calm, but more she seemed to be searching, grasping at a memory, something familiar hidden in the back of her memory.

"You're Mahayana."

"I am."

He watched her a moment, he did not remember seeing this bear before, and yet she knew who he was, knew the name he was called in this land. It was not often he was recognized by mortals save for those he had chosen as avatars. To most he was but a shadow, only remembered in passing and just as quickly forgotten.

"I thought so, Ran spoke of you."

"You know Ran? Can you tell me what happened to her? What happened to the bears in this valley?"

"The winter was cruel, the cold came early and froze deeper than any we have witnessed. Most saw the signs and chose to move on, escaping to the warmer forests further down the mountain. But some of us stayed, a foolish decision perhaps, one that many paid for."

The bear paused in her words, a sadness in her eyes as she looked over her young cubs. The mountains was unforgiving, punishing those who ignored its warning. Yet they had survived, and soon they too heed the mountain's voice.

"Ran was among those who paid that price, along with my second cub. Her cub survived, and so he has become my child. The young should not pay for the mistakes of their parents."

The god looked down to the cub at his paws, the child who lived on in his mother's place. Gently, his maw brushed against the young one, a tender farewell to the friend he had known, the avatar that had believed in him.

"I am sorry I did not know of this sooner, that I could not help."

"And what would you have done? You cannot change the weather."

"No, I cannot."

Even if he had possessed that power, he would not have used it. For this too, was a part of nature. Cruel as it was, nature too claimed life and death, for without death, life could not go on.