Chapter 2: Farewells
I do not own anything

Kenai cast a glance at his brother's retreating form and tried to decide if he should follow. His brother was clearly angry, but maybe he might be able to help?

He frowned at that; that certainly wasn't true. How could he help? They could hardly talk to each other, so how he was meant to console or calm him was impossible.

If only he was human, or Denahi a bear, then these problems wouldn't exist. How easy life would be then, to be able to talk to each other. He dreadfully missed that and though Koda helped make up for it in his own way, it would never be the same. But, then nothing was the same.

Sighing, but determined to be there for his brother nevertheless he called out a few times.

"Denahi! Denahi!"

He knew his brother wouldn't understand what he was saying, but it at least may show him that Kenai was concerned about him.

He sat down at the forest entrance watching as Koda chased round a large insect, his fur was still red and sticky, though Koda didn't seem to mind in the slightest and Kenai's mind drifted back to the subject of his brother.

He knew it was unfair for him to leave his brother and he suspected that was what was upsetting him. Though lately his brother always seemed to be angry with him. The look in his eyes whenever he was watching them was always anger.

Kenai put it down to Denahi being scared of him. For most of his life he had been human, an equal to Denahi, but now he was the predator. It was certainly a change for him, though he had more time to adapt to it than Denahi.

Denahi was probably also just as angry about the language barrier. Kenai supposed that at least he could understand what Denahi was saying, but Denahi couldn't even understand them. It was all so unfair.

"Kenai?"

Kenai lifted his head to glance at Koda, expecting to see him with the insect in his teeth. However, instead Koda had managed to get his claws stuck in one of the trees. Kenai let out a laugh at the sight of the annoyed bear.

Koda on the other hand wasn't impressed and he tried desperately to pull his claws out. Kenai left him to it for a moment, anxious to see if he would become successful. Though, it wasn't long before Koda spoke up.

"Are you going to help me?" said the younger bear, after a few more failed attempts.

"Alright."

Kenai slowly strolled over to the tree, grinning when Koda moaned that he was walking too slowly and when he got there he pulled him out in one swift movement.

Kenai plodded back to his original spot, contemplating a snooze when he felt a weight land on top of him. He didn't even need to open his eyes to know it was Koda.

"What is it, Koda?" he murmured, on the verge of falling asleep.

"Why doesn't your brother like me?" Kenai tried to make his expression surprised at the question, but Koda knew better, "And don't tell me he doesn't, cause he does."

The statement caught Kenai off guard. "Erm…"

He scrambled around for an answer that wouldn't upset Koda, though he knew his younger brother was certainly intelligent enough to not accept any answer he gave him.

"I think he's a bit confused and scared at the moment," Kenai said after a pause.

"So he'll come round, right?"

Kenai began to drift off again.

"Sure."

"Great," Koda exclaimed, though his voice sounded disheartened, "Though it would be great if I could talk to him, maybe make it better between us. That would be great."

"Me too," he muttered when he heard Koda leave, before letting sleep overcome him.

Line-Break

Their leaving hadn't been a big event. A few elders and a few interested villagers, who likely didn't have anything else to do, had turned up to wish Kenai and Koda a farewell. Denahi had stayed out the way for the most of the time, letting everyone else pat his brothers and give them advice on the best grounds for fish or a good cave they had seen around. It was a short affair and as the sun began to set Kenai and Koda had made to go.

Denahi walked up to them and noticed the relieved look in Kenai's eyes. His brother had clearly been anxious that he wouldn't want to say good-bye and leave on a argument. He noticed vaguely that Koda seemed disappear at this point.

"Good-bye, brother."

His brother let out a growl in return, his head nodding at the same time.

"One day, I'll see you again," he promised his brother, staring honestly into Kenai's eyes.

Koda appeared from behind Kenai uncertainly and Denahi nodded at him as well, murmuring a good-luck to the two of them.

And then they were going. It didn't seem like any time had passed since now and that moment on the mountain, and yet everything had changed.

He watched them go as they disappeared into the forest and then when they had completely gone from sight he saw that only their footprints remained. Denahi wondered how long… how many years it would be before they saw each other again.

Would the promise even hold?

The glum thought stayed in his mind, even when he had returned to his shelter and still remained as he tried desperately to get to sleep.

Line-Break

"Denahi?" said a cheery voice from outside his shelter.

Denahi didn't even know what time it was. It seemed to have been forever that he had starred up at his shelter, replaying the images of his brothers walking away from him.

He got up, there was no point in trying to sleep anyway, and lifted up the flap to his shelter. It was still night and by the positioning of the moon it hadn't been long since they had left.

"There you are my boy," said Tanana, her grin stretched widely across her face.

"Tanana?"

"Of course," she said pulling him out from the entrance of his shelter and into a hug, "Now where is Kenai?"

Denahi sighed, "They left."

Tanana's eyes widened, but the smile didn't leave her face. "This is no good. What were you thinking not telling me they were leaving?" she teased.

Denahi raised his eyebrow. However, it left his face when Tanana grabbed him by his coat and began dragging him to the village, which was still quite busy because they were constructing new fishing lines for the coming, hotter months.

"Tanana?" he whined when everyone near turned to stare at them.

She rolled her eyes at him and continued.

When they reached her hut she cast him down on the floor and began to hunt round the floor.

"It's around here somewhere… It took me so long… You'll love it though… Now where-"

She threw the blanket from the floor into Denahi's face.

"Err… Tanana?" he questioned blankly, looking confused as he looked around him.

"Aha!" she cried and a necklace was thrown into the air towards him. Denahi attempted to catch it, but fell short and landed on the ground.

"Ow." He rubbed his chest where he had landed. Stretching his arm, his fingers grabbed a hold of the chain of the necklace.

He looked up, to find Tanana's face obscuring his vision.

"Thanks?" he said when Tanana's expectant eyes stayed on him. Figuring he was supposed to put the necklace, which seemed rather too womanly for himself, he put it on.

Tanana smiled, looking at him carefully. "There, perfect."

Denahi looked unsure at the sight, but didn't argue.

"Ok, thanks," he said as he turned on his heel, determined to leave and wallow in despair for the rest of the night in his shelter alone.

"Denahi," Tanana said sternly with her hands on her hips, making him pause from the doorway. "This is a beautiful gift. Do you know what it is?"

"E-"

Tanana shook her head, "Of course you don't. This necklace allows for people to talk to animals."

Denahi laughed falsely, shaking his head.

Tanana smirked, "It's true. Go outside, then you'll believe me and think to thank me."

Denahi gave her an unbelieving stare, but she simply pushed him out the doorway. He couldn't believe it was true. It couldn't be, surely? He wasn't that lucky.

And though it wasn't unheard of the Great Spirits to cast their magic upon objects and people, how likely was it that a necklace that allowed someone to talk to animals was in Tanana's possession.

Once outside, Tanana pointed at two birds on the tree nearby. Denahi reluctantly went over to them.

"-up north?"

"It seems a good idea. There's many more fish."

Denahi turned around, looking in all directions for the source of the voices. He refused to think they were the birds.

"-your eggs?"

"What about my chicks? Are they going-"

He gasped at hearing the words, it was true. It had been the birds he had understood, which meant he could understand his brothers. He felt a whirlwind of emoticons course through him.

"See, I told you. Now, go and have fun," said Tanana from behind him.

Denahi nodded, still staring at the birds.

This was so great. Now, after weeks of little communication, he could finally talk to them. Finally he wouldn't be so alone. Things would be similar to how they had been and his friendship with his brother could return; he needed to find his brothers.

"But how am I supposed to find-" He stopped seeing the two pairs of erratic bear footprints on the ground. He turned around, to thank Tanana but she was already far away.

He turned his attention back to the footprints and grinned, his brothers would sure be in for a surprise.

Line-Break

Kenai looked sadly from the peak in the mountain, he could just see the village in the distance. He had no doubt Denahi would be there. He didn't know what his brother would be doing though.

He cast a look away from the village, trying to clear his mind from the thought of it and his brother, and instead looked at the stars glittering brightly.

"Come on big brother, I thought we were going to get there this year," Koda whined teasingly.

Kenai glared at him and Koda returned it, completely unaffected by the action.

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

They set off at a steady pace.

"Why are you taking so long?" Koda said from in front of him, clearly having ran ahead in order to tease him. "Are you starting to get old?"

"I am not ol-." The words died on his tongue as he stopped, turning his head to the side to listen. Had he just heard rustling from behind them?

"What? What is it?" Koda asked at the concern on Kenai's face.

At the lack of answer, Koda started to get louder. "What? What? What is-" A paw wrapped around his face. "Hey," he muttered, licking the hand.

Suddenly, the sound of moving plants from just behind them made them freeze.

They knew it was likely to be a smaller animal, but it could well be a hunter. Hunters did tend to move further from their village when the summer months commenced for hunting and they could easily be one from the close villages that were only a few miles away.

Koda's eyes widened as the bushes parted in front of them, whilst Kenai moved him behind him, letting the paw drop from Koda's mouth.

The bushes fully parted and the footsteps could be heard: the thing had jumped out.

Kenai was the first to relax, but only because he could see exactly what it was. Koda however had to look round Kenai to see and was shocked to see Denahi there. What was he doing here?

"Did we forget something?" Koda asked wide eyed to Kenai. He couldn't think what other reason he would come after them. Unless, there was a danger or something. But, then he seemed to be so happy.

Kenai on the other hand shrugged, turning back to see Denahi's face alight with excitement. He gave a large shrug to Denahi, hoping to convey his confusion.

"Hey, Kenai."

Kenai nodded with a small smile. He was very confused they were meeting again so soon after their goodbye.

"Bet you're here to tell Koda off for all the mud in your shelter?" he asked, laughing at the sour look Koda gave him from the side.

"He was the one who did that?"

"Yeah, Koda… fancied a look inside- What? Denahi?"

Denahi grinned, whilst Kenai shook his head wildly, his expression of disbelief.

"What?" he shouted, to the amusement of his two brothers.

So that's it. Bit of a short story, but I hope you enjoyed it. I don't have any plans to continue this, but I may look into doing more short stories like these for Brother Bear.

Thanks very much to all the reviewers, followers and favouriters and from last chapter I'd like to thank reviewers: Writer65, Spooky Dingo and kittyhawk09.