Kanesha blinked. “I don’t know that I want to meet your bears, but I’m guessing you have a nuisance animal?”
“A what?” Jorun said.

“Uh, that’s what we call it when a wild animal gets a taste for human flesh and we have to go hunt them before they eat anyone else or give the idea to other animals.”

Jorunn nodded and her braids bounced. “Yes.”

But this would be a nasty bear. I was envisioning something twice normal size. “Surely you can get a hunting party together.”

“We have. Every time, we chase it back to its lair.” Jorunn paused, then. “Bears climb very well.”

“Bears climb better than dwarves.” I got the picture now. Obviously the short-limbed dwarves couldn’t get to the bear’s lair and the bear was just sticking a middle claw at them from there.

Sheepishly, “Sometimes.”

“Well, I think I can get the bear out of her lair.” I might even be able to do it without climbing up there, depending on how it was configured. “I’m certainly willing to give it a try if you show us where.”

“It’s about a four hour hike,” the dwarf warned.

“I can handle that.” I glanced at Kanesha, who nodded. She might only have mortal endurance, but she seldom had issues keeping up. She just had to work harder for it.

“And it’s cold.”

I didn’t really feel the cold, but I figured Kanesha would heed the warning. “Let us go get cold weather gear, then?” she asked.

“Of course.”

I’d need Loki’s help with that. When I told him, he laughed.

“A bear?”

“A bear.” A pause. “A smart bear.”

It wasn’t a Loki bear. Or was it?

“Smart?”

“Lairing somewhere hard for dwarves to reach. I think I’m going to…” I tailed off.

Just in case it, was, somehow a Loki bear.

“I’m not responsible for this one.” He was laughing, though. “But it’s a good idea.”

“I know you aren’t. You wouldn’t eat dwarf.”

“No!” He grinned. “Far too tough.”

Kanesha pretended to punch him, a very brave maneuver.

“Respect for your betters!”

She did it again. “Tricksters don’t get respect.”

“Come on…let’s go get your coat.”