The Next Day - a Bear & Coyote story
Two of my favorite characters...
*smiles...
V.
The Next Day
by
Vixyy Fox
_ _
"Things always taste better the next day!"
Bear snuffled at the dirty red cloth on the ground at his feet. "It's dead Coyote... ain't nothing going to taste better second day dead!"
"Is that right?" drawled the other spirit creature. "I will remind you, brother Bear, of that 'other' thing you ate two days dead and it was fine."
"That was a candy bar, never alive, and I puked my guts out no more than half an hour after eating it!" The other spirit ended its tirade with a loud snort. On the tail end of his snort he cuffed the smaller creature, knocking him backwards where he rolled on the ground.
At first Coyote began to complain loudly about the pain this caused him, and then he began to laugh as he remembered Bear being so sick. He'd told him it was a candy bar while knowing factually it was something illegally dumped from the back of a human's camper. Bear had a head cold that day and was unable to sniff its true scent. Coyote couldn't help himself; such was his sense of humor.
"What's so funny?" Bear demanded.
"I'd tell you, but you would be very mad and I do not care to suffer the consequences."
Bear growled, and raised a paw to swat the Coyote again but stopped as what they'd thought to be dead began to quietly cry.
"Oh crap," Bear muttered. "Crap, crap, crap."
He squatted next to the thing he'd considered having for dinner and looked closer at what it was.
"You guessed!" Coyote cried out in a mixture of disappointment and fear. His quirky ways and big mouth had gotten him into trouble before. His friend was very large, and mentally he prepared himself to be trounced.
The Bear looked up at his companion with an uncomprehending look. "Have you lost your mind?" he asked softly.
"I... ah... no, I don't think I have... but..."
"Come and help," Bear told the Coyote. "If I am not mistaken, this disgusting rag conceals a human child."
The other spirit changed over from his animal form, stood upright and walked to look down upon the blanket on the ground. He sniffed the air and then muttered the same word Bear had used to curse with.
"I said that already," Bear admonished.
"I meant it literally. What ever it is, it needs to be cleaned."
Kneeling down Coyote spirit gently undid the folds covering what was within. His practiced eye observed, and then looked up at the near setting sun. It would be very cold in the desert this night. She would not last till the next day... and he was quite sure it was a she.
The baby stopped crying and looked up at him as if observing the spirit as much as he was observing her.
Large hands pushed past him and plucked the child from the dirty blanket. Bear, now standing as Coyote stood, held the smelly thing out at arms distance looking at her, as she looked at him... small dark unblinking eyes and coal black hair immediately capturing his heart.
The human looking Bear frowned his upside down smile. The poor naked little creature he held before him uttered not a peep as she appeared to wait upon their decision.
"We cannot leave her here," Coyote whispered to his friend.
"I think you are right," Bear replied gruffly. "Perhaps this is why our trail has passed so far south. The Great father willed it to be, and so it was."
"Did He also will her to be so stinky?"
Bear turned and thrust the child into the Coyote's arms. "Clean her," he commanded, "As Dogs clean their pups... before I remember that the thing you told me was a candy bar smelled very much the same as this child."
Coyote stood open mouthed, looking at Bear, who in turn stood with his arms crossed looking very stern. "We shall keep her warm this night, and tomorrow we will find her a home."
"We are far from anywhere, Bear," Coyote replied, changing back into his feral form so he could more easily clean the child. "I know of no tribe close by."
"The next day then. So long as you are here to clean her what difference would it make. I'm sure by tomorrow she will taste better, eh?"