“Right, then.  Good to meet you, Fuzzmiester.  I’m sorry about drowning you.  Was only trying to help.  Now run along back to your mama bear.  I’m gonna retrieve my fishing pole and head home.”

He waved at the bear as he began his walk around the pond to retrieve his gear.  When he had everything packed away in the tackle box and both box and pole stored in his ring, he turned to find Fuzzy standing right behind him, looking up with his tongue hanging out to one side like a dog.  When he jumped in fright, the cub hopped backward as well.

“Shit!  Don’t sneak up on me like that!  You nearly gave me a heart attack, Fuzzy, old chap.” Allistor sat down on the rock and looked at the bear, who was sniffing the air between them.  Bears had a nose several hundred times more sensitive than a human’s.   But even with that sniffer, Allistor doubted Fuzzy could smell what was in his ring of holding.

“Hungry little bugger, aren’t you?  Has your mama not been feeding you?”  A thought struck him.  “Is your mama gone?  Did she get killed?  Or maybe you just got separated?”  The bear stared at him, head tilting from side to side as he spoke.

“No, not separated.  She’d be able to follow your scent.  I’m guessing something bigger and badder than mama found your den, huh?”

Fuzzy chuffed at him, sitting on his butt and raising one paw.  Allistor shook his head and tossed him the last of his hot dogs.

“Well slap my ass and call me Grizzly Adams,” Allistor mumbled to himself as he watched the tube steak disappear.  This time, when he was done eating, Fuzzy walked right up and shoved his nose into Allistor’s outstretched hand.  After a second, he licked the ring.  “I’ll be damned.  Can you smell what’s inside there?  Or does my hand just smell like meat?”

A moment later Fuzzy jumped up onto the rock and moved behind Allistor.  Squeezing in between him and the warm rock he’d leaned his back on, the bear huffed once and dropped on its belly.  His eyes closed, and he snorted, adjusting slightly to make himself more comfortable.  Allistor sat there, surprised at the sudden acceptance from the wild predator.  A few minutes later, Fuzzy began to snore.

“I don’t blame you.  I could use a nap, too.”

Since the bear didn’t seem to be in any hurry to move, or much concerned about predators, Allistor produced his pole and resumed his fishing as the bear cub snored against his back.  His pants slowly dried in the warm sunlight, and it felt good on his skin as well.  The wet bear didn’t smell all that great, but then Fuzzy might be thinking the same of him.