Part Four: The End of the Bronze Age part two
How something so large and so cumbersome could charge through the undergrowth to rush and grab a full-grown man and toss him in the air before a weapon could be released was a shock to all, especially to Eric, who had been thrown twenty clear feet, to hit the trunk of an old pine tree hard enough to break an average man's back. Immediately after the attack, Emrys' father had hurled his spear with great strength and accuracy, hitting the beast's shoulder firmly and squarely to penetrate deep enough for the blade to remain lodged in five inches of flesh. Before further injury could be inflicted, the animal had leapt into the forest undergrowth and was gone. Only the animal's strong lingering odour remained. The potent smell of this animal indicated that the creature was very sick- the stench was not like any ordinary animal scent but had a sickly, pungent odour.
When the men felt confident that the animal was gone and safe to move, they tended to Eric. Bloodied with deep lacerations and a back that surely must have been broken, Eric had landed in the bracken and was quickly unconscious. The party's predicament was now severe. Could two fit men and a boy of thirteen care for and protect their heavily wounded friend and fight off a creature of monstrous proportions and power? The journey out had taken less than three hours but the journey back would take the rest of the day. They needed to act and work fast to return home before dark.
Whilst the men cut branches and built a stretcher for Eric, they each pondered and discussed their best course of action. Their tasks were made more urgent when, once again, they heard the creature's roar- not close but not far enough away to allay their fears and anxieties.
Emrys had shared the carrying with his father and uncle, and by midday, they had carried Eric halfway home, but Eric, being in so much pain, was constantly in and out of consciousness. The bear's bellowing could be heard throughout the journey, always, seemingly close. Whenever this occurred, they would stop and prepare themselves for another attack- but now they were a man short; plus, Aghard had lost his weapon in the attack, and Eric's bow had been broken. Emrys' father suggested their best defence could be to attack, but he could not tell how they could manage such a thing. It was Emrys who, having a plan of sorts, convinced the other two to go with his idea of trapping the beast.
Back where they had first stopped by the river, the cascade terrain was amidst a maze of rocky nooks and crannies. At this place the rocky terraces had vegetation where they could hide. Away from the rocks, the surrounding area was sufficiently clear of vegetation so that all could spot the bear from a reasonably safe distance as it would step from out of the woods. Emrys described a place there where he and friends, unbeknown to their parents, would play as children, and it was here that he knew of a deep rocky passage leading to the cascades where he intended to lure and trap the bear. The others recalled the place from their mischievous childhood days, so the plan was accepted. Emrys would wait by the broad entrance to the passage where the animal could clearly see him. When the beast sees Emrys and charges him, Emrys runs into the passage with the bear in pursuit. The passage narrows before it reaches the high rocks above the cascades. Here, Emrys would pass through the narrow gap at the top of the falls, leaving the bear trapped and vulnerable, hopefully unable to turn around in the tight enclosure. They would attack the animal from a safe vantage point above the passage. His father asked his son if he was still small enough to get through the narrow gap- they would only know the answer to this when at the spot. However, there was another problem for them to consider- where could they safely leave Eric?
Whilst they continued downhill towards the lower cascades, another idea came to Emrys: to keep the animal trapped by using fire to block off the passageway once the bear had entered it. If they could be assured that the bear would be trapped, they knew they would be able to attack it from the rocks above, but nothing, of course, could ever be assured.
When Emrys tested his plan at the cascades, all became concerned because squeezing through the gap was difficult and could not be done quickly; their situation was desperate, and they had no better plan.
Eric was carried to a place of relative safety and left hidden on a concealed ledge at the lower falls. The others then went to their place of waiting, above the passageway, where they could hide amongst shrubbery whilst having a clear view of the surrounding terrain. The passage entrance was large, but as no one had an accurate idea of the size of the bear, they were forced to recognise that if the bear was as big as it seemed, there was a risk that it would not be able to follow Emrys into the passage. They had no guarantee that the animal would want to follow Emrys or even return to make an attack. All they knew was that since its first attack, the wounded animal had been following them from a distance.
A portable barrier fabricated from shrubbery was made, along with a torch ready to set fire to the barrier once it had been positioned. Once Emrys and the bear were in the enclosure, Emrys would have to tease and torment the bear from his safe place in the narrow part of the passage. Doing this would allow time for the flaming barrier to be positioned and set alight. However, the torch had be lit and immediately concealed as soon as the bear was in sight. Aghard would be in hiding above the enclosure, ready with the weapons. His brother would join him after he had set the barrier afire. Midday had passed, and they had not heard the bear since reaching the cascades. Their new concern was that the bear would not come and that they would need to stay overnight in the forest to avoid the more dangerous trek in the dark, carrying Eric with the bear, no doubt, in pursuit. Of course, a worse scenario could be that it would attack at night.
When it finally happened, there was an irony in the men's joy at hearing the terrifying sound of the monster's roar! The forest was not as dark as it had been when they were first attacked, and their viewpoint from the high spot at the top of the cascades was an additional advantage. The three waited, sitting motionless, studying the forest for the slightest movement. The river, making an alleyway between the trees, allowed for a stronger breeze, and that breeze drew with it the obnoxious smell that told everyone there would be action very soon. The action that would follow could go either way, but now was no time to think anything other than the positive. Aghard looked at his son, grabbed him firmly by the shoulder and spoke of his pride for his son and the bravery that he was showing. No sooner had he removed his hand from his son's shoulder than there came another roar, and this time, there was a distinct movement in the forest a few hundred feet away. Immediately, Emrys and his uncle nimbly scampered back down over the rocks to the passage entrance, and Aghard remained to conceal himself in the area above the passageway. Aghard's brother made ready with the torch but did not yet want the animal to smell fire. They each waited, hoping for the bear to see and pursue Emrys into their trap- and for the Gods to be on their side.
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From his hiding place, Aghard stared intensely at the slowly plodding shape in the woods and his young son waiting in full view twenty feet below.
The beast, clearly six feet at the shoulder, stepped out from within the bracken, pausing in the open causeway that led to the cascades. The animal, its head swinging from left to right and back again, plodded down towards the cascades and the waiting boy. It then stopped to raise its head high, sniffing the air to take in the scent of man. Even from a distance, the creature's colossal head size and lopsided shape were easily distinguished as a very abnormal animal.
The bear, seeing the boy's distant figure standing motionless at the passageway entrance, raised its head to sniff the air. It smelled the boy's odour, and it felt the pain from the blade in its shoulder. It saw the small figure that waited, and it wanted revenge. Enraged, it thrust its weight backwards onto its hind, its snout pointing upwards and its mouth gaping open to let out a roar of all roars.
Emrys watched the distant roaring bear rise high and up onto its rear legs, then drop its huge bulk back down to begin its charge down and along the causeway. Emry's tiny voice exclaimed, "Is the fire ready?" His uncle replied with panic in his voice, "I'm doing it now."
From above, Emry's father saw the distant animal begin its charge. He felt his stomach knot and his heart race. Anxiety seared through him. He could no longer anticipate the events they had carefully planned. He could only fear for his son- the charging bear was already less than forty feet from Emrys, who remained still and silent. He watched the beast bouncing and lolloping at high speed towards Emrys. The spear that had remained embedded in the animal's shoulder swung with every stride the animal made, and as it did so, the bear's head rocked from side to side. Why did his son not move? Had he been frozen from fear?
Below, Emrys, as wide-eyed as a person could ever be, stretched all his powers of will to help him stay his ground. He was waiting until he could sense the right moment, and only then would he turn, run into the passage and force himself through the confines of the rocks leading to the top of the cascade. When the beast was close enough for him to hear its snorting and see its burning eyes and dangling, salivating tongue, he reacted like a released spring.
Heart now beating with the speed of galloping hooves, Emrys spun around and sprinted into the passageway. He kept running until he hit the hard dirt and rock wall at the rear. As his body smacked against the rock, he quickly twisted around to move to his safe exit gap in the corner of the enclosure. As he turned sideways to pass through the gap, he heard the deep snorting breath and the heavy padding paws. Still trying to press and pull himself through and into the safety of the final gap, he now saw, just two long sticks away from him, the massive brown shape of the enormous animal's scurrying body. A crescendo of fear flooded into poor Emrys as he continued to struggle whilst watching the hideous, snarling face that was soon about to reach him.
The bear, however, also struggled to pass through its narrow section to reach the boy. Emrys paused, recognising that the animal may retreat before the fiery barrier could be positioned. Would he need to temporarily abandon his escape to encourage the bear into the area further? Emrys' head became a mix of fear, panic, and a self-pleading cry to carry out his duty.
Above, Aghard, looking down, fearful for his son, was tormented by his choice of whether or not to make the attack early- his brother had only just lit the torch and positioned the barrier ready for it to be set afire. Until this was completed, the animal still had the chance to escape their trap by retreating backwards. He desperately wanted to call out to his son but knew he must not relinquish his position.
Emrys, heart near explosion, moved away from his escape route. The trapped raging animal transfixed him. The creature's head was enormous, as wide as a man's shoulders. This was a creature unlike any other. The forehead was swollen and deformed, and the whole face had almost no fur but instead showed a blue-grey bare skin covered in red blistery sores. The animal shook its shoulders, its head wildly swinging back and forth as it tried in vain to push through the gap to reach the boy. Emrys, shouting, side-stepped closer to the bear's head to provoke the animal, but then, there came a sudden change in the creature.
All the creature's struggling movement stopped. The mouth slowly opened, exposing an array of irregular teeth. Each of the four canines was longer than a man's finger- except for one that was broken. The lips curling back and the eyes bulging showed an evil determination- the whole face suddenly took on an eerie expression of intelligence. Next, a giant paw appeared above its head and then another below, at its side. As the animal twisted its body, the violent head shaking began again. With both arms pushing at the red crusty dirt walls to pull itself through, cracks began to appear, dust showered, and small chunks of rock and soil broke away to fall to the ground. Emrys jumped back and again began to squeeze through the final gap.
An almighty bellowing roar filled the enclosure, but the animal could still not get through, and so, instead, it pulled itself backwards, out and away. Emrys could see the smoke and now wondered if the fire was sufficient to deter the bear from retreating- it wasn't. With a screaming roar of frustration and anger, the bear pushed backwards through the blazing barrier, scattering the mess of flaming branches and leaves in a display of red sparks and flying embers. When the bear was free and away from the flames, it sniffed the air to find the men's whereabouts.
Aghard's brother had scaled the rocks to join him, but now both men were trapped by the high rock face. Confronted with the monstrous bulk of the animal as it began climbing up and onto the rock alongside them, they gripped their pathetic weapons and made what stance they could. Aghard looked down at the passageway and his son, who was looking up at him.