He didn’t know if he had a name. The very concept of names did not exist. Rather a memory fluttered at the edges of his emotions, the fuzziness of fun, a memory of rolling on the ground, play fighting with the other brown bear cubs. Overall an undefinable affection for others existed within this bear.
Then two years of isolation had wrapped itself around him like a winter duvet and through it Bruno (let you and I give him a name!) revelled in each and every season.
Through the colourful Spring, flowers erupted with dazzling displays and wildlife awoke around him. In Summer Bruno feasted on berries and odd morsels of elk meat however the midges became as bothersome as a thorn in his pad and the heat baked his fur. He sought shelter under the towers of spruce, a humming retreat of whispering shade and cooling plush moss. Autumn felt like the twilight of his life, a brightness remained yet the welcome bite of cold taunted his senses. Winter was Bruno’s favourite season, a time to strike out across the snow, sinking into it with a slightly satisfying scrunch, a caress.
Yet this second winter a loneliness gathered upon him just as the snow rested upon the fir tree branches, layer upon layer of inexplicable malaise.
The wolf, shall we say, Lobo, had been tracking Bruno for days. Rather ineptly Bruno felt, the wolf’s scent drifting across the landscape, his noisy traverse audible for all able to hear subsonically.
There he was across the frozen lake, a dusting of snow upon the icy tundra. Bruno stood still in the safety of the trees before stepping cautiously forward. Lobo mirrored Bruno’s stillness across the lake, and then he suddenly appeared from the camouflage of the dark trucks. Halfway across they were nearly nose to nose; Bruno and Lobo paused.
Bizarrely Lobo lowered his head into a subservient pose in front of the bear and meekly he inched forward to Bruno, his neck twisting away and with one final step rested his head upon Bruno’s neck and buried it into his thick brown pelt. Bruno reciprocated by bending his head forward and together the two wild beasts hugged in camaraderie.
The unique moment captured in a photo, their unity and togetherness preserved beyond the few seconds.
In a perfect synchronistic motion, they pulled away, as if on a general’s command to part ways, each stepping back a few steps, the longing yawning aching arch of friendship collapsing into the opening chasm. With a barely discernible nod between them, the bear and wolf returned to their lonely existence deep in the forest.
©Annika Perry, June 2023
Annika Perry 
This is so heartfelt and believable. You had me going and I love a happy ending but it is only a
fairytale right?
I loved the essence behind and within your words so beautifully delivered! 💗💗💗
Cindy, thank you so much for your wonderful and kind words! I was inspired to write this piece after seeing a photo of the meeting between a bear and a wolf- I so hope for a happy ending for them here! They are both striking as solitary animals and I imagined the longing for some connection with others – be it even it with one’s natural enemy! Hope you’re having a wonderful week! Hugs x 💕
It was my pleasure and I loved the read. You’re most welcome and I hope for the best too. We can imagine tho🤗❣️💞
An affecting and beautiful story, Annika! The seasons, landscape and meaningful encounters so vividly captured; the natural world fascinates. Thank you for this unexpected greeting. It’s lovely to see you around, and I hope you’re enjoying the summer season! ❤
PS. I'm a bit slow on the blogs…
Khaya, thank you so much and your thoughts me a lot to me! When one starts to write about the natural landscape it takes on a character of its own and it is easy to lose oneself in it! So glad you enjoyed this unexpected greeting and lovely to read your comment.
Summer arrived suddenly in the UK with a heatwave although refreshingly cool. Soon off to Sweden and very much looking forward to being back for a while. Wishing you a lovely summer too, my friend! xx❤️
PS. My visits to blogs and my own is on a popping in and out basis for a while longer.
I hopped over to your blog a couple of times to see if you had any new posts, Annika! Hope you’re doing well. Then I saw your comment on a blog and wondered if you had returned. It’s wonderful to read your story. I was holding my breath, almost didn’t want to read the ending. What a relief that it was a happy ending, for now! Thank you for the beautiful story.
Aww … Miriam, I very much appreciate you popping by to look at my blog! At the moment I am blogging now and then and hopefully more regularly in the autumn. I am so glad you enjoyed the story and it’s ending … yes, happy for now! It was a joy to write! Hope you’re keeping well. Btw. Your book is on my Kindle and look forward to reading this summer. Xx
I have been blogging off and on also, Annika. The last ten months during our move, it was chaotic and stressful the first four months. After we moved to our new home, it was another kind of chaos, even though it wasn’t stressful.
We make it a priority to help them taking care of the grandkids. I let my daughter know we’re here for the girls AND for her and her husband. We encourage them to go on dates or take short trips. The girls had a sleepover at our house three times so far. 🙂
I’ll try my best for my blog when they aren’t here. 🙂
Thank you so much for having my book on your Kindle, Annika! ❤
Hi Annika, Your prose comes to life in my imagination yet it is also as if I am with you, every step of the way. Your words share what Bruno and Lobo (and you) are witnessing and feeling. I felt the “…layer upon layer of inexplicable malaise” in my pores. The care you take selecting each word paints this beautiful portrait of prose. I came to the end with an “ahhh, I now get it.” Only then did I see the actual photo. Beautiful! 💕 Erica
Erica, your comment warms my heart and means so much to me! ❤️🙏It is always wonderful and slightly spine-tingling when a reader ‘gets’ exactly what I am writing, and I am sure most writers feel just the same. I love that you were so wrapped up in the story, stepping alongside Bruno and Lobo. Words are so important and I find it thrilling to find the perfect ones to describe elements within a story, to create the atmosphere- thank you so much for seeing all this. Finally, I deliberately placed the photo last, wanting the words to create an image within the readers mind first and foremost. Glad it seemed to have worked!
So lovely to see you here, Erica. This is one of two posts before the summer break! Wishing you a lovely summer and hope you and your loved ones are safe from the fires engulfing so much of your beautiful country. Take care, hugs xx 💖
What a gifted storyteller you are Annika. I loved your tale surrounding this wonderful telling picture. Great to read your beautiful words again. 💗💗
Miriam, thank you so much for your wonderful comment about the story and my writing; it means a lot to me! It is great you enjoyed the story so much. Hugs xx ❤️
A beautifully emoted story Annika, expressing many of our human emotions these animals experienced. ❤
Debby, their innate wisdom and understanding is inspiring – reflecting human behaviour and also perhaps teaching us as well. Hugs xx ❤️
So true. ❤ xx
This is a wonderfully moving story Annika, I felt the emotions of the bear and the relief at that brief moment of connection.
Andrea, thank you and that moment of connection is breathtaking – one feels it is suffice, for now at least.
An interesting story, Annika… with a message for us to ponder on. Thank you for sharing. Hope all is well with you and keep on writing your stories! ❤️😀
Absolutely, the animals have so much to teach us, if only we will stop, look and learn! Iris, thank you so much for your lovely comment and encouragement- I’ll most definitely keep writing my stories, and hopefully share some more here soon. Xx❤️
Delighted to hear, Annika… catch up again soon! 💖
Wonderfully written!
Thank you so much, Brad!😀
This was so suspenseful! I loved the ending!
Luanne, it’s wonderful you felt the suspense and enjoyed the story and its ending! Thank you so much! x
Thank you!
What marvelous imagery that really pulls me along for the ride and has me loving the unexpected nature (pun intended) of this poetic story! ❤
Layla, I’m smiling at your pun! 😀 Thank you so much for your lovely comment and I very much appreciate that you feel the poetry within the story. So glad to have you along for the ride on my post!
A beautiful story. You are a gifted writer.
Ally, thank you so much for your lovely comment and kind words! 😀
Lovely story!
Thank you, Ernie, 😀
Wow fantastic and Annika you are a wonderful writer. A great story
Kamal, bless you for your wonderful comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed the story about Bruno. And Lobo. 😀
Yes wonderful story Annika. Always welcome dear 🙏🏻💝
Hi Annika, this is an extraordinary story. I hope you are well and enjoying the summer weather.
Thank you so much, Robbie! It was a fun one to write and great to be inspired by the photo. The summer heatwave has well and truly arrived in the U.K. and great to finally see the sun and feel its warmth!
Nice, I like hot weather 😃
Hi Annika, it’s wonderful to see you again. You have been missed. And then you return with such a heartwarming story of two beautiful creatures in nature. Ah, nature never ceases to amaze us. She performs miracles, so perhaps, these two adorable fellows will meet again? But maybe not. Even so, their coming together was so heartwarming, and the ending, very moving. Sending hugs xo
Lauren, thank you so much for the warm welcome back – it means so much to me and lovely to read your wonderful comment / reflections. I’m glad you enjoyed the story and its open-ended finish! Here’s to nature always surprising us, enthralling us! Hugs xx ❤️
This is superb. And the ending is just… They’ll meet next winter though right?
Thank you so much, Mike! 😀 That’s exactly the expectation I wanted to leave the reader with – a new expected greeting the following winter! So glad you felt this!
Can’t wait 🤗
It was wonderful to see a new post from you in my email today today! I hope you’ve been well. I loved your story of bringing a magical moment in the animal kingdom to life. (I did not expect that ending!)
Liz, thank you so much for your touching comment and it means a lot that you were happy to see a post notification from me. The tenderness and purity of the hug between what are two natural rivals is incredible and one I just had to try and capture in words. Hope you’re keeping well. xx
You’re welcome, Annika. Yes, I’m doing well, getting lots of writing done!
You are a wonderful Story teller Annika.. Loved the tale of both of them of mutual respect…. Nature often surprises us humans, showing us no matter what our differences we can meet half way xx ❤
Thank you so much, Sue and your comment touches my heart! ❤️ 🙏We could indeed learn a lot from nature, the compassion shown by what are natural rivals and yes, here in my story literally meeting half way! xx❤️
💖🙏💖
Hi. I enjoyed your tale. Were they frenemies?
Neil, that’s a perfect word to describe them! Thank you!😀
Very moving, Annika. Don’t know if you meant it this way, but it feels like a metaphor for today’s society. Human wolves and bears divided and lonely. If only we could spare a hug once in a while.
Well done.
Thank you so much, Lori and subconsciously I was aware of the isolation and division in society, portraying it through this story. It is heartbreaking with so much lonliness and so many who don’t experience human contact over long periods. I feel this unexpected greeting between Bruno and Lobo set them up for another year at least! Hope you’re keeping well! xx ❤️
Annika, thanks for being an ‘unexpected greeting’ in my WP Reader! Fantastic take on independence, isolation and loneliness which of course can be easily translated into our human realm…And, being a Bruno (my family name of Italian extraction) I appreciate Bruno’s characterization!
🙂
Wishes for a peaceful journey through whatever in life you’re navigating at this time.
hugs
Awww … Laura, I love your use of my post title in your comment! I’m touched by the depth you see in my story and yes, so many themes and emotions that are reflected in our own life. There is a fine line between independence and isolation – I feel this hug set the two animals up for at least another year. Humans need that contact just as much – as evident from eg. queues at ‘free hug’ sessions! Bruno is a great name and one I think was on my mind after watching ‘Encanto’ for the first time over the weekend!
Thank you so much for your lovely wishes – it means so much to me and has me smiling. hugs xx ❤️
I was happy to find you in my in-box and even happier to read your beautifully written story about two souls in nature. It was very heartwarming. ❤
Bless! ❤️ Carol, thank you so much for your wonderful comment! 🙏 I think these two souls found each other at just the right time – even if just for a fleeting moment.
Great story Annika. It’s strange how potential enemies in the natural world sometimes become friends. Nature works in mysterious ways! I didn’t realise your story was based on fact until I saw the photo at the end.
Mike
Mike, I’m glad you enjoyed my story and it is a wonder in the natural world how rivals can find friendship, how animals need that contact just as much as humans. Wish human enemies could as easily reconcile their differences!
What a moving story, Annika. It’s good to see you pop up and especially with a golden nugget. Hugs!
Jan, what a wonderful comment and thank you so much! hugs xx ❤️
Dear Annika, how wonderful to have you back again. you have been missed.
Back with your usual strong writing and a beautiful story about Bruno an Lobo.
Written in a lyrical prose and bringing us into the world the bear and wolf inhabit.
i feel I can see an smell it.
The surprise when you tell us about the friendly and caring ways they greet each other. I got teareyed seeing this tenderness.
hugs
miriam
Miriam, wow! I love that you find lyricism in my prose and that my words manage to bring their world alive, bringing all the senses into play – just what I hoped to achieve! Bless, as a writer it means so much when a reader is touched by ones words. The tenderness is exquisite and so pure.
Thank you and I feel grateful how I have been missed – for now I will be popping in and out of blogging and touched how many remember me! hugs xx ❤️
Very poignant and engaging story. Kudos Annika!
Awww, thank you so much, Brad! So glad you enjoyed the story. 🙏😀
😊
So lovely to read your words again, Annika. You always tell a wonderful story and this one was no exception. So poignant in the end. Nature is forever mysterious and surprising and capable of capturing our imaginations. Hugs.
Diana, thank you so much for your wonderful comment – it has me smiling away! 😀 This was a joy to write and I felt this poignant ending was the natural one. We are indeed blessed with the wonder of nature and its ability to inspire us. X
❤
Wonderfully imaginative story. I was wondering where it was going. I thought maybe a mating opportunity might occur. Love the sensory detail.
Pat, I did for a second consider taking it beyond a fleeting friendship! However, I feel that they both sought and longed for an understanding of their shared experiences, for a moment to be recognised by another, to not be alone. It’s great you enjoyed the story – thank you!
A lovely story, so well written and full of sensory images.
Darlene, your thoughts on the story mean a lot to me and I’m especially glad you noticed the sensory images – I want the reader to be immersed in the landscape. Thank you so much!
I did and you’re very welcome. Marvelous photo.
That is lovely and so well written. Not sure if you have come across Part 1 of my novel. It will finally be published as a book by end of year. Links to reading it are on my blog but not easy to comment on blogger. The publisher would appreciate comments. I hope your bear and lobo thrive. We all really want happy endings!
Georgina, thank you and I hope the two thrive as well! I’m imagining a yearly meet-up!😀 It’s great that you enjoyed the story and my writing!
As you’ve probably noticed I have been away from WordPress for a while and I’m popping in and out – it means a lot so many remember me! I am delighted that your novel is coming on apace and I will head over to your blog, look forward to reading some of the parts and will of course give me thoughts.
Thanks, Annika, I have not been that active but feel needs must now! With an Independent publisher I need to also find ways to promote now finally being published.
How extraordinary, that photo! And your telling of it remarkable, Annika. Welcome back! I’ve missed you 🤗💗
Jo, you are so kind and your comment has me smiling! Thank you so much for your sweet and touching words! ❤️
The way my life is at the moment I will probably be popping in and out of blogging for a while longer – and I’m grateful people remember me! Hope you’re having a lovely start to summer. xx
So long as it’s ‘good’ busy, Annika. Take care, sweetheart 🤗💗
Annika, your interpretation of this photo is very moving. Every once in a while a miracle occurs.
Bernadette, it’s wonderful that you found my story moving. The photograph and thought of this greeting inspired me! It is an incredible moment and I’m imagining the photographer must have had goosebumps taking the picture! Hope you’re keeping well. ❤️
Fascinating
Thank you, Mthobisi!😀
A beautiful story.
Lynette, I am glad you found it beautiful! Thank you! 🙏😀
Your prose is lyrical. No one else could have written the story that way.
Anne, bless you for your warm and kind words – it means a lot that you find my writing lyrical and enjoyed the story. Thank you so much! 🙏
You are a marvelous writer.
Awww, I wanted a happy ending for both.
Jina, me too but perhaps they will meet up again the following winter? 😀 I read about the subject of friendships between wolves and bears and there is one documented case where they were together for ten days – pretty amazing!
Wild animals fascinate me. I think they’re more intelligent than studies believe them to be.