"Shachi, I'm pretty sure you're not gonna find that rabbit. It's long gone." The engineer stood puffing hard, hands on his knees in a bent position. He held up a hand, still breathing hard. It took him a minute before he could speak properly.
"I'll...get it...for sure…woo...I'm exhausted." Shaking her head, she walked past him carrying the skinned rabbit and the bag full of questionable berries. A light snow had started to fall while they'd been chasing the rabbit around. Now, with the sun at it's highest in the sky the fat flakes came down with a little more force.
"You think we should head back? We don't want to be caught up in a blizzard." Summer said, thinking about the last time she'd been caught in a blizzard with a member of the crew. A shudder ran down her spine, which Shachi took to be because of the cold.
"You're probably right...let's go back."
"Umm…" Summer started, stopping where she stood. She scratched at her head, and Shachi cocked his.
"What?" She turned to face him with a concerned look.
"Which way is the sub?"
"Where are we going to put her? I won't be able to drag her up the ramp." Bepo huffed. Law observed the submarine in thought. Pointing beside the hull, he directed them forward.
"We can make a temporary shelter outside. If we put up some boards and a few blankets, it should keep the snow off of her."
With the last vestiges of their strength, they carried the limp polar bear beside the sub's hull and lowered her gently to the ground. Bepo was especially gentle, as if a wrong bump would shatter the bear. Law raised an eyebrow at this.
"I'll get the crew to help." Ascending the ramp, he instructed the men inside to gather the wood and lots of blankets that weren't being used.
After a half hour's work, an adequate shelter leaned against the hull and covered the unconscious bear. Bepo dutifully sat beside her, looking out for any danger. The captain still looked to this in concern but left it be. He didn't want to tell Bepo that he couldn't have what he'd been looking for forever.
"I'm going to catch fish for when she wakes up." Bepo announced, walking off towards the shore and diving in. Every once in a while, the bear would emerge from below the waves with a fish in his mouth. He piled them up on the shore.
'Perhaps there's a way for her to come with us.' Law thought, doubting his own thinking. Most likely, they would have to leave the bear on the island. Bepo would probably be depressed for a few weeks but he would move on...right? Somehow, he had misgivings.
"She's waking up!" Bepo announced an hour later, rising from his sleeping position on the ground. Law was forced to sit up from laying on Bepo, much to his irritation. He wasn't used to Bepo's sudden movements. Usually, he waited until Law got up to move.
A low growl came from the bear, her sixth sense of a presence kicking in, but Bepo shushed her into a calmer state. Turning to the pile of fish he'd caught earlier, he offered a few to the bear.
Sniffing one experimentally, she timidly took the fish and swallowed it. Her ears perked up at the food entering her stomach and she looked to the rest of the fish. Patiently, Bepo fed the bear one fish after another until they had all been eaten.
"Do you feel better now?" Bepo asked, and the bear gave a small grunt. "What's your name?" He asked.
There were several grunts and roars from the bear and Bepo nodded along. Law was curious about the exchange.
"What is she saying?" He asked. Bepo waited until the bear finished speaking before answering Law's question.
"She said her name is Pride, and that she's thankful for us helping her. She said she's one of the only polar bears left on the island so seeing me was a surprise."
"What happened to the rest of them?" Law asked, and Pride made more noises.
"She said that hunters have come through and killed most of them." Pride said a few more things. "No, we're not hunters. We're pirates."
"Has the log pose set yet?" Bepo glanced at his wrist and shook his head. "Then we'll stay on the island and help her recover for now."
"Thank you, Captain." Leaving the two bears alone, Law walked back inside the submarine and into his own room. Taking off his hat with a sigh, he fell backwards onto the comforter of his bed. Bringing up his hands behind his head, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply.
He really needed more sleep. Seeing as there was nothing to do at the moment except wait for everyone to get back, he took advantage of the silence.
ns 15.158.61.21da2
