A rumbling grunt signaled the end of this fragile moment. The bear turned again, trudging deeper into the night. Nolan stood there, breath ragged, wondering if he was mad to follow. But a tug in his chest—part dread, part compassion—compelled him onward.
He looked back once, spotting the faint shape of his ruined sled far behind him. A pang of loss shot through him, the realization that returning wouldn’t be simple now. The wind howled, the only witness to his decision to keep trailing the bear’s heavy footprints.