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Braeden’s path over the crest and back down to his stream . Keeping her eyes downcast to watch her footing, she noticed the snow falling heavier as she ascended . No longer could she see his tracks along the path, and if she didn’t move faster, her new worry was that the path would be engulfed by fresh snow before she could get back down to the river .
    “I hate the mountains. And winter worse,” she griped, picking up the pace until her breath expelled in great puffs. Her toes were freezing in the thin slippers , slipping on icy, flat boulders. She wanted to be warm and curled up by the fire in Braeden’s hairy arms. But first she had to find her big bear.
    Kimber was so focused on her descent and not losing her footing , she didn’t realize she was nearly to the bottom until movement drew her eyes. The broad furry back of Braeden’s beast came into view . D ampened by falling snow, his fur looked darker than she remembered . The water moved slower as slush and ice gather ed in bends and curves. It would soon be iced over, she thought.
    At least he was safe. She sighed in relief seeing him standing on the water’s edge over a half-eaten fish pinned beneath a paw. He’d gotten hungry being out here all day, but she could n’t see if he’d caught anything else.
    “Braeden!” she yelled and waved, stumbling down the hillside and tripping through a snowdrift.
    The bear turned at the sound of her call. Something was off in his demeanor —he huffed and shook his head, making the fat wrinkles on his shoulders and back ripple in response . Downwind from her , his scent was undetectable, but one look at his face transfixed her in a state of panicked pause . He stood on his back legs to his full height, nearly four feet higher than she stood . The monster opened his snout and roared loud enough to rattle her ear drums , confirming her worst fear—this bear was not Braeden .

Chapter Nine
     
    Evette shivered and hugged her shawl tighter around her shoulders before heading back through the round door that marked the entrance to her house. Inside her boys sprawled on the straw-stuffed couches facing the main fireplace. Atop the faded red brocade, Donal and Kegan snored beneath knitted blankets . Their father, Melvin , was out hunting as usual, since he never thought they had enough to eat for the winter . Truth be t old, with these behemoths at home, they didn’t.
    “Stop sawing logs and get up you two hair heads,” Evette said, snatching first one and then the other blanket off their sleeping forms.
    Donal snorted awake. Kegan rolled over and planted his face in the back of the couch.
    “Get up,” she said, pushing at his back and tugging his dark red hair .
    “I’m just so tired, Mama,” Kegan said , yawning .
    “I don’t care. A bad storm’s coming. I want you two to go get Braeden. I’m worried about him being out there alone . He’s never weathered a storm like this before. And I’m tired of him missing solstice with the family. ”
    “He’s a grown man,” Donal said. “Let Dad go get him. If we go we won’t be back until tomorrow night. You’d rather us go out in this weather? ”
    She crossed her arms over her ample bosom and gave them the look all mothers commanded. Donal and Kegan stood without hesitation and stomped around, trying to locate their cloaks and boots .
    “Where’re we supposed to look? You know he won’t come with us. He’s too hard-headed.”
    She sighed in exasperation. “You know where he goes every winter. It’s not that far . If you all weren’t such jackasses my baby would be home right now. Do what you have to to get him home. I want my whole family here for solstice. Go and get back. ”
    Donal and Kegan stalled as long as they could under the watchful eye of their mother, but she wasn’t backing down and she wasn’t leaving the room so they could return to sleep. She pointed a plump finger at the round door until they ducked through the opening and left with