For the vision quest Varen was sent out into the woods to a cave that all others have used to complete their vision quest. He only wore underwear and the hide of a buffalo. On him he carried a bone pipe, tobacco, and a single match.
Varen found the cave and set down the items he was carrying. He ventured back out into the forest to find some dry leaves and twigs for kindling. After starting the fire Varen sat with his back facing the end of the cave and stared into the fire.
He slowly placed the tabaco into the pipe and took a deep inhale… Followed by immediate coughing and hacking up phlegm.
After stabilizing himself Varen took another 3 puffs from the pipe before he started to cough again, this time with his eyes watering.
Not being able to drink any water during this time Veran was only able to stop his coughing by slow and deep meditative breathing. Unfortunately, this meditation lasted too long, and the sun was about to kiss the horizon while the fire was dying down due to the lack of kindling.
"This is what I get for not practicing smoking before the ceremony. At least this way my lungs don't retain permanent damage."
While walking in the forest his sight was starting to blur at the edges and his pace started becoming uneven. Realizing that the tabaco is affecting him stronger than he expected Varen leans against a tree to try and steady himself.
That is when he hears it for the first time, a bone chilling howl that travels through the forest.
"Fuck" Why now out of all times are there wolfs around the forest. This is not even the right season for them to be here.
Knowing that if wolves are hunting in packs, it is better to be by the cave with fire so he cannot be surrounded and that wolves fear fire.
Varen makes it back to the cave just in time to hear another wolf howl, this time it is closer and much louder.
Draping the buffalo pelt to wrap around both his arms Varen also picks up a stick and lights the end of it in the fire before aiming it towards the front of the cave.
"It's not even night yet and they are out trying to hunt me? Or is this just their warning that I am in their territory?"
Waiting for what may have well been an hour with no sign of the wolves or another howl, Varen finally lowers his guard and decides that he should rest while he still has a fire going.
Sitting up with his back against the cave wall Varen gets some sleep.
Waking up to the sounds of panting Varen freezes… only to realize it was he who was panting due to the fire being out and his body getting colder.
Recognizing that he is jumping at shadows Varen calms himself down and tries to find some embers and kindling to restart the fire.
"What is wrong with me? Why can I not function properly, I have been in worse scenarios than this and I always keep my cool and am aware of my surroundings?"
Before Varen continues to smoke tabaco for his vision quest he decides it is better to make sure the wolf pack is still not nearby.
Looking around the cave, Varen cannot find any traces of any large animal. The only tracks he found were from a couple of squirrels and birds. Not even deer or elk tracks.
"What the hell is going on? I know I could not have imagined the howl could I. That fear was real and felt primal. Like I was going to die if I stayed where I was. The only time that I felt that before was when Grandpa and I were in the Rockies and we came across a bear in the Rockies and it charged at us. Good think grandpa was able to scare it off with the sound of a gunshot."
"I still have three more days that I need to spend out here without food or water, guess I better make the most of it. If I keep the fire going then no wild animal should be able to come in and bother me."
Varen spent the next hour carrying dried leaves and dried pieces of wood back to the cave.
"Alright now let's see how long I can smoke for now."
Every 10 minutes for an hour Varen was able to take a hit from the pipe. After the sixth hit he had to stop because he was barely able to remain conscious.
"What the hell is in this tabaco? I know kids at school used to smoke cigarettes and they never ended up like this, even after they smoked an entire pack."
Unable to keep his body upright any longer Varen fell onto his back. Staring at the clouds in the sky Varen started to see them slowly morph into different shapes and sizes.
Some were shaped into food, others into weapons like swords, axes, and bows. After an hour or so passed, animals shapes started to form. But, unlike before the clouds did not just resemble these animals but rather the clouds started to become more lifelike.
The clouds then accumulated into one shape, that of an eagle. The eagle started to flap its wings circling the sky. Varen watched transfixed as the eagle circled the sky 16 times then dive bomb into the fire pit. Once the eagle landed in the fire pit, it did not burn but started to morph slowly into a large brown bear. Unlike the white eagle that was made up of clouds, this bear that came from the fire was a hulking mass of brown fur, black eyes, spiked teeth and sharp claws. As it slowly meandered its way to Varen, he felt the hair rise-up on the back of his neck.
Unable to control himself Varen's body started to scramble backwards until he hit his head on the cave wall behind him. The sudden throbbing pain was just the kick his body needed to start moving.
Now in control of his body able stood up and started to make as much noise as possible and make himself seem bigger with his buffalo pelt. Varen's grandfather taught him; "Try to be as big and loud as you can to scare off the bear. If it is not scared of you then get into an enclosed area where it cannot reach you. If none of these are possible you will have to fight back."
Confronting the "Bear" did not seem to be working, but then again why would a bear that just came out of a fire pit be afraid of a human that is holding up a buffalo pelt and shouting?
The bear shifted its pace from a slow walk to an ever-increasing charge, aimed at Varen.
Varen gave up on the idea that this bear did not mean him harm or was simply curious. The fight or flight instinct started to kick in.
Realizing that he had already unconsciously trapped himself within the cave. Varen dropped the pelt and grabbed a couple of small rocks in one hand and a fist sized rock in the other.
"I can't outrun or out climb a bear." That only leaves me the choice to fight it."
The bear was already barreling down upon him. Varen threw the handful of gravel into the bear's eyes and open mouth.
The bear closed it eyes and slowed down slightly as it coughed out some gravel.
It worked! While the bear was momentarily distracted Varen dodged to the side swinging the rock in his other hand to strike the bear in the eye.
When the rock contacted with the bear's eye. It passed right through; the bear transformed into a puff of fluffy white cloud. Not knowing whether that was a good or bad outcome Varen circled around the smoke towards the fire to try and get a burning branch or twig to use as a weapon.
While heading towards the fire the smoke blocked his path yet again. This time taking the shape of a yellow wolf. Its features were even more well defined than the bear that he fought previously.