41 Ymiden 721
The hunter had not, at that time, made any pledge to help, nor did he know how he felt about doing so. His father had gone to hunt bumble bears when he had perished, apparently under the very claws of the quarry he hunted. Such was the life of a hunter, Oram knew, especially one who pursued big game. Oram did not hate bumble bears nor think of them as evil, nor indeed even particularly ill-tempered as beasts went. And yet, the idea of seeking them out made him feel ambivalent. He had sworn to himself at the time that he would never pursue pointless glory nor wreckless exploits. Why hunt dangerous game just to prove that one could?
That said, Ralaith’s request had been different. The Immortal sought to help the bears, whose numbers were dwindling. That still meant seeking them out, crossing paths with them, approaching close enough to determine what they were doing. Wild animals did not usually distinguish between men trying to hunt them and those trying to help them. It did mean, however, that Oram would not need to take more risks than he wanted to in dealing with the bears. He would not need to seek confrontation, and could withdraw to avoid provoking the animals.
Their numbers were dwindling, Ralaith had said. The Immortal wondered if perhaps the bears could be relocated. That involved many things, including finding out how the bears lived, and whether there were other places they might inhabit that would offer them what they needed. Normal bears, Oram knew, were generalists. There were any number of places where they might thrive. Bumble bears, however, subsisted largely on grizzly bee honey, and there was only one place Oram knew of that offered such. Could bumble bears even be relocated? And if not, how might their numbers be maintained and increased?
Before simply wandering down to the Golden Cliffs cold, Oram decided to do something he rarely did: he went to the Academy to do research. And like any hunter entering unfamiliar territory, he would want a guide. Thus, his first stop would be to talk to Professor Jasper Seams. Perhaps the Sev’ryn would show an interest in his project. Perhaps Oram could even get the Academy to sponsor it. Any expedition he took would require both resources and time, and he doubted he could marshal much of either without outside help and sponsorship.