The Bear and The Eagle Part 13 - GWWE

Here's my self-imposed challenge: Write a monomyth (epic) using writing prompts given on Gather.

Here are the other parts, if you haven't read them yet.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

A reminder: These bears have traveled underneath "The Lakes," a local nickname given to FDR Park in Philadelphia, PA. There has always been a connection and purpose to where they are in the story.

This part comes through Brian's prompt:

What will the archeologists make of you, say your house/garage/bar/local club/whole neighborhood was suddenly covered in amber and buried for a few thousand years...what would they find and what would they make of what they see there? Or on another tack, what if you dug up the ancient burial ground in your backyard...what would it look like to you???

* * * * *

While his brothers gathered firewood, Spaulding swept the ground with his feet and moved oval boulders in a circle to keep the campfire contained. He created a small pile of things he found but couldn't identify with his paws.

"We're back," Teddy announced, before dumping the pile of wood. "Wow, you did all this without seeing?"

Another pile of wood fell. "Which ya got there?" asked Phil.

"I don't know. I found them and was hoping you'd tell me."

Little bear paws trotted in the sandy soil towards him. Wood clunked in front of Spaulding, as Teddy arranged the campfire.

"Hmmm, this looks like an arrowhead," Phil said.

Teddy chuckled. "Everything looks like an arrowhead to you." Teddy stumbled and wood toppled. "Oh, wow. I think this really is an arrowhead. What else you got?"

Spaulding reached for his pile, but felt a paw instead.

"This looks like a spoon, but it's too big and too light," Teddy said.

A girl's voice said, "That's because it's made out of animal horn. Lots of stuff from when the Swedes settled above us over 400 years ago."

"Who's that?" asked Spaulding.

"I'm sorry. Did I surprise you?" The voice dripped of sarcasm. "Oh, I know what I'm supposed to do. 'I'm late. I'm late for a very important date.' Better?"

"Who is that?"

"Some girl," Phil answered.

"A stuffed rabbit," Teddy whispered. His voice sounded strange and there was a pause.

"I'm sorry. I didn't notice you had no eyeballs." A tiny paw grabbed Spaulding's paw. He tried to pull away, but another tiny paw grabbed the top of his paw, and locked in like a grip. "I'm Valentine. Teddy bears from above ignore me, so I thought you were like that."

The tiny paws put something in his paws. "And that's called a wad of string." She giggled and stepped back. "The rest of your pile of stuff is twigs and leaves, but you should see what you used to make a campfire ring. Did the boulders feel strange?"

Spaulding nodded.

"That's 'cause they're fossilized dinosaur eggs. The land above has been around long before it became South Philly. Lots of it landed down here over the ages."

Spaulding felt a familiar furry body next to him, and Teddy whispered in his ear, "She's pretty."

Phil climbed up onto his lap and whispered in his other ear, "She's a girl."

Spaulding chuckled and placed Phil back on the ground.

"You're a very smart woman, Valentine." Spaulding grabbed both brothers' paws and stood up.

"She's a girl," Phil whispered loudly.

Spaulding jerked Phil's paw and then pulled him forward. "This loud mouth is my brother Phil. He's going to be polite and say hello."

"Hello," Phil mumbled. He yanked his paw away.

"My name is Spaulding." He offered his paw and the small paw shook it. He gave her paw to his brother Teddy, and pushed him forward a little. "And this is my very helpful brother Teddy T. Bear, who thinks you are pretty."

He felt the two paws try to pull away, but he held them, until they stopped, and then he let go. "We're about to have dinner. Would you like to join us?"

"We're having hotdogs," Phil said.

"Hotdogs? I love hotdogs." Her feet shuffled. "Would you mind if I brought something that goes great with hotdogs?"

"C-c-c-can I help you get it?" Teddy asked.

She giggled. "I won't be long. Besides, someone better put something besides fossils around the campfire ring."

She hopped off.

"We'll wait," Teddy shouted.

"Teddy likes a girl. Teddy likes a girl," Phil sang.

Spaulding smirked. "Don't knock it. It could happen to you, too."

Teddy and Phil brought in rocks to set around the fire ring, while Spaulding moved the fossils back to use as seats. He made sure to place two close together and then pulled Phil onto one on the other side next to him.

Teddy had the fire going by the time Valentine returned.

"What's in the basket?" Phil asked. Spaulding pushed him back down on his seat.

"Carrots, Silly," Valentine answered.

"Car-"

Spaulding elbowed Phil.

"Oh, car-rots. Good idea." Phil said.

"I looooove carrots," Teddy said.

To be continued…