American Hunting: Starting with Solitary Life in the Wilderness

Chapter 215 A Warm and Cozy Afternoon

The afternoon sun shone through the small observation window of the shelter, casting a long, bright beam of light that made the fine dust particles floating in the air clearly visible.

The flames in the fireplace had died down, leaving only glowing embers that steadily radiated heat, making the entire shelter warm and cozy.

The little polar bear, having eaten and drunk its fill, was lying on its back on Lin Yu'an's sleeping bag, fast asleep.

Its round little belly rose and fell with its even breathing, and the white fur around its mouth, still damp with grease, made it look like a messy yet adorable little angel.

Occasionally, it will unconsciously kick its little paws in its sleep and let out a satisfied hum or two.

Lin Yu'an leaned against the wall, quietly watching this scene, the exhaustion from not sleeping all night surging over her like a tidal wave.

Since discovering the little guy last night, Lin Yu'an's nerves have been on edge. Whether it's being vigilant in the face of a potential mother bear threat or being fully focused during the rescue, it has greatly exhausted his mind and physical strength.

Now that the crisis has been temporarily averted, the little life has stabilized, and his body is showing signs of fatigue.

My eyelids are getting heavier and heavier, and my head is starting to feel heavy.

"I need to get some sleep," he told himself.

In this wilderness, maintaining sufficient physical strength and a clear mind is the first rule of survival. We cannot let the arrival of this little guy disrupt our most basic rhythm of survival.

He carefully stood up, trying not to make a sound, then dragged the spare wolf pelt from the storage area and laid it out not too far from the fireplace.

This spot offered warmth without the direct heat of the flames. I took off my heavy coat and lay down, ready to catch up on my lost sleep.

Just an hour after lying down, a slight, furry touch came from beside him.

He opened his eyes and met a pair of curious, obsidian-like eyes.

It turned out that the little bear had woken up.

It had somehow crawled out of the sleeping bag and was cautiously approaching him, seemingly filled with curiosity about the huge creature lying down.

First, it sniffed the edge of the wolf skin he had laid out with its little nose, and then it stuck out its pink little tongue and tentatively licked it.

After confirming there was no danger, it clumsily pawed at the ground with its two little front legs, trying to climb onto the "bed".

Lin Yu'an didn't move, but just watched it quietly, wanting to see what this little guy was up to.

After struggling for a long time, the little bear finally managed to climb onto the wolf skin. Instead of lying down immediately, it circled around Lin Yu'an like a puppy, seemingly looking for the most comfortable spot.

Finally, it chose to curl up in Lin Yu'an's arms, snuggling close to his body.

Lin Yu'an could clearly feel a warm, furry touch coming from his side; it was the back of the little bear, pressed tightly against him. It seemed unsatisfied, and with its little head, it tried harder and more persistently to snuggle into his arms.

His heartstrings were touched again. After hesitating for a moment, he finally gave in to the little guy's wishes. He slowly turned to the side, reached out his arm, and gently pulled it into his arms.

When the little bear curled up in his arms, its little head resting comfortably on his chest, it let out a long, satisfied sigh, as if it had finally found the safest and warmest harbor it had been searching for.

It even stretched out its little paws and gently placed its soft paw pads on Lin Yu'an's arm, as if declaring its ownership.

Lin Yu'an could clearly hear the little guy's steady breathing and calm heartbeat resonating with her own heartbeat in her chest.

He was enveloped by an unprecedented feeling of complete trust and reliance. This feeling brought him more satisfaction and peace than defeating any beast or completing any challenge.

It also reminded him of the whiskey and honey back in Alaska; they must have grown quite a bit by now.

Lin Yu'an no longer resisted the overwhelming drowsiness, closed his eyes, and smelled the faint, unique scent of the bear mixed with the aroma of oil and milk around his nose, while listening to its even breathing.

He fell into a deep sleep, holding a cub that should have been the top predator in the Arctic.

He slept very soundly that night.

Lin Yu'an was awakened by a warm, wet touch after an unknown amount of time.

He opened his eyes and found the little bear lying on his chest, licking his chin again and again with its small, pink tongue with barbs. The feeling was ticklish, a bit like being gently sanded.

Seeing that he was awake, the little bear stopped what it was doing, tilted its head to look at him, and made "hmm hmm" sounds in its throat, as if urging him to do something.

Lin Yu'an glanced at the sky and realized it was already afternoon.

He slept for several hours, holding the little one in his arms, and his energy and strength were greatly restored.

"Alright, alright, little cutie, I know you're hungry." He smiled and ruffled the bear's head.

He turned his gaze back to the bear cub at his feet, which was already whimpering from hunger.

Instead of immediately processing the wolf's internal organs and fat as he had done in the morning, he fell into a moment of contemplation. Wolf fat and wolf heart and liver could provide temporary relief, but they were not a long-term solution.

The nutritional composition is too limited, and the vitamin A content in wolf liver remains a potential risk. He needs a more stable and scientifically formulated recipe.

A thought suddenly popped into his mind.

He turned off the GoPro, walked to the deepest part of the shelter, and took out a metal milk powder can with a cute baby's face printed on it from the Golden Finger Space. This was the milk powder he had stored for his An'an and Musen.

He opened the milk powder can, and a familiar, sweet aroma of milk wafted out. Using the accompanying small spoon, he scooped out a few spoonfuls of milk powder and put them into the birch bark bowl.

But he didn't immediately add hot water. This was infant formula, containing a scientifically formulated blend of vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, iron, and zinc. Using it as a base would ensure the cub received more comprehensive nutrition.

Here's a key issue: after being mixed with formula, the fat content is only 3%-5%, while polar bear breast milk has a fat content of over 30%. If you only feed it this, the calories will be far from enough to meet its needs for maintaining body temperature in extremely cold environments.

Lin Yu'an scooped out a large chunk of the wolf oil that had been refined and solidified into a white paste the day before, put it into an iron pot and slowly melted it over a low flame, and then poured in some fish oil as well.

Wolf oil provides saturated fatty acids, while fish oil provides unsaturated fatty acids, especially Omega-3. When used together, they can best mimic the complex fatty acid composition of natural breast milk.

While Lin Yu'an was focused on preparing this special "baby meal," the little bear seemed to be getting a little impatient. It moved closer to Lin Yu'an's feet, gently rubbing its little head against his trouser leg, making "mmm" sounds in its throat, which sounded like it was being affectionate.

Lin Yu'an didn't stop what he was doing, but looked down at the clingy little guy and a helpless yet doting smile appeared on his face.

He gently comforted you, "Don't worry, it'll be over soon. It's not good to keep calling you 'little guy,' 'little guy,' I need to give you a name."

After a moment of contemplation, his gaze shifted between the flickering flames and the white figure curled up at his feet.

"We met in December."

He spoke slowly, as if to the little bear, yet also as if to himself, “You survived the most difficult time this month. ‘December’ is both a tribute to you and a medal for you.”

"How about you be called 'December' from today onwards? I hope you can be like this month, always harboring the hope of welcoming new life even in the midst of extreme cold."

The little bear seemed not to understand the deeper meaning of these words, but it could sense the gentleness in Lin Yu'an's tone.

It tilted its little head, stuck out its pink tongue, and licked Lin Yu'an's finger, as if accepting its new name. "Alright, December, your lunch will be ready soon."

Finally, after the two oils were mixed evenly and cooled to the appropriate temperature, he began the final and most crucial step of blending.

First, dissolve the milk powder in warm water and stir well to form a standard bowl of milk. Then, slowly pour a large amount of warm, mixed oil into the milk powder solution while stirring quickly with a wooden stick.

With the addition of oil and continuous stirring, the originally thin milk quickly became thick and sticky, and its color changed from pure white to a milky yellow with a slightly oily sheen.

It smells like a combination of the sweetness of milk powder and the rich aroma of animal fats—a unique scent that is full of life energy.

Lin Yu'an placed the bowl of super-nutritional food in front of it: "Alright, December, try this. It should taste better than this morning's."

The little bear seemed to smell the difference too. It curiously leaned forward, and when the familiar milky aroma entered its nostrils, it almost without hesitation plunged its head into the bowl, making a louder "glug glug" sound than in the morning.

After a satisfying meal, December's energy bar seemed to be instantly replenished.

No longer does it eat and sleep as it does in the morning, but instead, like a toy that has just been fully charged, it embarks on a grand adventure into its little sanctuary.

His strength had recovered remarkably well, and the stagger and weakness he had shown in the morning were gone, replaced by the clumsy curiosity of a young cub.

Lin Yu'an sat to the side, carefully maintaining his hunting knife with a whetstone while watching the little guy amuse himself with a smile.

He planned to rest for a while before taking the bear cub to retrieve the fishing nets, but he needed to let it digest its food first and observe it to make sure it didn't have any adverse reactions after eating the milk replacer.

December first took a keen interest in the still-warm iron pot. It cautiously approached and sniffed around the rim of the pot with its little nose, as if still savoring the delicious taste from just now.

Then, it discovered the pile of firewood that Lin Yu'an had stacked in the corner, which became its playground. With its two front paws, it clumsily tried to climb up the stack of firewood, climbing up and sliding down, enjoying itself immensely.

Seeing the little one in such good spirits, Lin Yu'an finally felt completely relieved. It seemed the new formula was a great success. December was in excellent spirits and showed no signs of indigestion.

"Let's go, December. We need to check the fishing nets I've set; they're crucial for our food supplies over the next few days."

He stood up and began to put on the heavy clothes he needed to go out. December immediately stopped struggling with the firewood and ran to his feet with her short legs.

She rubbed her little head against his trouser leg, making "mmm" sounds in her throat, as if afraid that this huge "meal ticket" would abandon her.

"I know, I know, I won't abandon you." Lin Yu'an smiled and picked it up.

“However, it’s much colder outside than here, and the snow is very deep. Your short legs can’t walk, so I need to find you a ‘ride’.”

The so-called "ride" was that huge hiking backpack. December was carefully placed inside, and the opening was adjusted to be just the right size so that it could peek out a little, allowing it to observe the outside world without easily falling out.

He slung the heavy backpack over his shoulder, then adjusted the shoulder straps, turning it to face his chest. Wearing it this way, he could keep an eye on December's condition at any time.

December seemed very curious and pleased with this brand-new "mobile castle." Its little head peeked out from the opening of the backpack, where the view was more expansive and reassuring than ever before.

"Hold on tight, little one, let's go!"

Lin Yu'an picked up his spear and strode out of the shelter. The bright afternoon sun shone on the boundless snowfield, reflecting a dazzling light.

December stared wide-eyed with curiosity, its little head looking left and right. From this height, the distant snow-capped mountains, the ravens circling in the sky, and even the "crunch" sound of Lin Yu'an's footsteps on the snow were all new experiences for it.

Soon, they arrived at the frozen lake. Lin Yu'an gently took off his backpack from his chest and placed it on a flat patch of snow.

He unzipped the backpack and smiled at the fluffy little head inside, saying, "Alright, little guy, we're here. I'll let you out for a bit, but don't run around, understand?"

I took December out of my backpack and placed her on the soft snow.

At first, it was a little uncomfortable. The thick snow was almost up to half of its body. It tentatively raised one front paw and then put it down, its little feet stepping into the snow, seemingly full of curiosity about this cold and soft touch.

It lowered its head and sniffed the snow, even sticking out its tongue to lick it. After confirming that there was no danger in the snow, it immediately unleashed its natural instincts. Like a puppy that had just learned to walk, it stumbled and ran around in a small area at Lin Yu'an's feet.

In December, it will suddenly bury its whole head in the snow, then suddenly lift it up, splashing snowflakes everywhere, or clumsily dig holes in the snow with its two front paws, having a great time, its white fur covered with glistening snowflakes.

Lin Yu'an ignored it, but kept an eye on its location out of the corner of his eye to make sure it didn't run far.

Then he focused on his work, chiseling open the resealed ice hole.

As the ice was broken open, a stream of cold, moist air escaped. December, who was playing in the snow, immediately started twitching its nose; it remembered the smell!

It immediately abandoned its digging game, and with its short legs, it ran to the ice hole, stretched its neck, and curiously peered into the dark opening.

Lin Yu'an began to slowly pull the fishing net upwards. As the net tightened, even more intense struggles came from underwater.

"Oh! The big guys are here again!" Lin Yu'an shouted excitedly.

Sure enough, as the fishing net was pulled out of the water, more than a dozen fat fish were seen jumping and splashing around inside, scattering ice crystals and water droplets everywhere.

Today's catch is even more plentiful than the first net! Looking at the huge fish before him, December went absolutely crazy!

It was the first time it had seen these lively toys up close. It ran around excitedly around the pile of fish thrashing about on the snow, letting out raucous "ooh ooh ooh" sounds filled with primal hunting desire.

A slightly smaller red-spotted salmon just happened to jump out from the pile of fish and roll around on the snow.

December immediately locked onto its target. It arched its body, lowered its center of gravity, and, mimicking its mother's movements from its bloodline memories, clumsily made a pouncing motion towards the fish!

It lunged forward, but lost its balance and tumbled head over heels on the snow, rolling into a snowball. By the time it got up, covered in snow, the fish had already jumped to the other side.

This seemed to infuriate it completely, and it relentlessly chased after the slippery fish, slapping and hitting it. Its movements were completely erratic; it was less like hunting and more like playing with a new toy that it couldn't catch at all.

The slippery fish slipped from its claws several times, splashing snow all over its face. It chased the fish all over the snow, getting soaked, but still enjoying itself immensely.

Lin Yu'an was in an extremely good mood and was not in a hurry to process the catch. He just watched with great interest as his bear-leopard leopard fought with a fish. The GoPro on his chest faithfully recorded this lively, heartwarming and funny scene.

After playing for about ten minutes, December seemed to get tired and lay panting on the snow, while the poor fish finally stopped moving.

December, like a victorious general, slowly moved over, used its paws to push its spoils in front of it, and then stuck out its tongue to lick them with satisfaction.

"Alright, little hero, you've had enough fun. We should go home now." Lin Yu'an smiled and walked over, rubbing its wet little head.

He strung all the fish together with rope, placed them on the tomahawk, and then picked up December, who was tired from playing and covered in snow, and put her back into the backpack on his chest.

The afternoon sun cast their shadows long across the snow, the man and the bear creating a scene that seemed both incredible and incredibly harmonious in the wilderness.

Back at the shelter, Lin Yu-an immediately began processing the abundant catch.

Just then, the shrill sound of the satellite phone shattered the tranquility of the shelter for the third time.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

(The little polar bear is really cute.)
(End of this chapter)