The Herbalist

Not your typical bear

- Agneska -

I was sleeping on warm and thick blanket. Warm and soft—but also moving. Wait... what? My eyes shot open. I wasn’t lying on the ground; I was sprawled across the broad back of a bear lumbering through the forest.

Panic kicked in immediately, but I stayed frozen, trying not to jolt the massive creature carrying me. Where were we? I scanned the trees. This didn’t look like the Białowieża Forest anymore. Had we crossed into Belarus? Great. No passport, no clue where I was, and to top it off, I was hitching a ride on a bear.

Maybe it hadn’t noticed I was awake yet. Playing dead—or asleep—seemed like the best plan. I relaxed every muscle and let my body go limp.

The bear ambled up to a small, weathered cabin nestled in a clearing and stopped. Gently, almost tenderly, it lowered me onto the ground by the front door. I stayed still, resisting the urge to bolt.

It nudged me twice with its massive nose. I bit back a gasp, keeping my breathing slow and steady. The bear grunted, then stepped back.

What happened next almost stopped my heart. I heard bones cracking. My skin crawled as I risked a peek. The bear’s massive form rippled and shrank, fur retracting like water evaporating in reverse. In its place stood an older man—stark naked—casually opening the cabin door.

What. The. Actual. Hell.

My instincts screamed at me to run, but my legs refused to move. What was I supposed to do? I didn’t know where I was, I’d been chased by armed men, and now my rescuer had just turned from a bear into a man. Was I hallucinating? Maybe I’d hit my head harder than I thought.

"Agneska, I’m decent. You can come in," the man called from inside the cabin, his voice gruff but not unkind.

I stayed rooted to the spot. "Decent"? Like that was supposed to make me feel better? He could still be a serial killer—or a werewolf, or whatever he was.

“Agneska,” he called again, sounding impatient. “In case you haven’t noticed, we don’t have the luxury of time.”

His tone made me flinch, but he had a point. If those men were still after me, I didn’t have a lot of options. Swallowing my fear, I crept toward the open door, keeping one hand on the doorframe in case I needed to bolt.

The man was busy stuffing items into a battered duffel bag. He didn’t even glance at me as he gestured toward a stool by the tiny wooden table.

“Sit.”

Against my better judgment, I complied, sinking onto the stool as he zipped the bag shut and dropped into the seat across from me. His tired eyes met mine, and for a moment, he just stared, like he was trying to decide where to start.

Finally, he sighed. “Oh, child… I’m sorry I had to show up like that. I wish I’d had more time to prepare you. What I’m going to tell you is a lot. But first, are you okay?”

I blinked. “Am I okay? That’s what you want to know?” My voice rose in disbelief. “No! I’m not okay! I was assaulted by armed men, chased through the forest, saved by a freaking bear, and now I’m sitting in a cabin with... you.” I gestured at him wildly. “I don’t even know what you are! A bear? A man? Both?”

“Yes,” he said simply.

I gaped. “That’s it? That’s your answer?”

“Yes. I’m a bear. I can shift between my human form and bear form at will.” He paused, as if waiting for me to interrupt. When I didn’t, he added, “I’m one of the last remaining Mystic Ursars, and I was sent to protect you.”

“Protect me?” I echoed, incredulous. “From what?”

“From the Purifiers’ Guild,” he said grimly. “The men who attacked you. They’re part of a secret organization dedicated to eradicating supernatural beings—like me, but also like you.”

That made me laugh. Not a polite chuckle, but a full-on, hysterical cackle. “Oh no,” I said between gasps for air. “You’ve got the wrong girl. I’m normal. Human. Boring. I can’t shift into anything except maybe a nervous wreck.”

The man—bear?—didn’t smile. “There’s a lot you don’t know about yourself. That’s partly my fault. I’ve been keeping an eye on you, but I didn’t think they’d find you so soon.”

“Well, they did,” I snapped. “And now you’re here, spouting nonsense about supernatural beings and secret organizations. What am I supposed to do with that?”

“For now, you need to trust me,” he said firmly. “We have to leave. This place isn’t safe anymore. I'll take you to somewhere safe, for you to meet your sister”.

I scoffed at that "I really think you’ve got the wrong girl. I’m an only child…"

But he looked dead serious "I know you, Agnezka. Only child, mother died in labor, your dad raised you and died from cancer two years ago. I was planning to explain everything bits by bits. But as soon as I located you, so did the Guild, and here we are. You’re the one I was looking for and you are very important. Come, let’s get moving."

I folded my arms. “Okay, you know some stuff, so what? I’m not going anywhere until you tell me who you are. And don’t just say, ‘I’m a bear.’ I need a name.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could speak, the cabin shuddered. A deafening c***k echoed outside. Gunfire.

“Move!” he barked, grabbing my arm and hauling me out of the chair like I weighed nothing. He threw me over his shoulder and charged through the back door, moving faster than any old man—or bear—had a right to.

Branches slapped against my face as we tore through the forest. After what felt like forever, we broke into a clearing where an old, beat-up car was hidden under some brush. The license plates were Belarusian. So I’d been right about the border. Great.

He set me down, shoved me into the passenger seat, and dove behind the wheel. The car roared to life, and we shot down the overgrown path like a bat out of hell.

After several minutes of silence, I was lost in my thoughts, truing to process everything this man-bear told me. I was important? I had a sister? How did he know about my family background?

“Tobias,” he said breaking the silence, without looking at me.

I was confused. "What?".

"My name is Tobias" he said like this was the most mundane conversation in the world.

For some reason, that made me laugh again. It wasn’t even that funny, but everything about this situation was so ridiculous that I couldn’t help myself. Tobias glanced at me, confused, but didn’t comment.

When I finally calmed down, I asked, “Okay, Tobias. Now what?”

“Now, we head south,” he said. “We’ll cross into Ukraine, then Romania. Once we’re there, we’ll meet someone who can explain everything better than I can.”

“My sister?”

“Camille,” he said. “She’s like you—human, but not for long. Once you meet your soulmate, your powers will awaken, and you’ll become part of the Arcane Coven.”

I stared at him, utterly lost. “Soulmate? Powers? Coven? You’re insane.”

“I know it’s a lot,” he admitted. “But trust me. Rest while you can. We have a long journey ahead, and we’re still not out of the woods.”

I snorted. “That is the least you can say! You’re not any typical bear, that’s for sure.”