Brown bear

The Familiar Who Decides for Himself

Temperament

He doesn't obey; he agrees, or he doesn't. Slow to worry, immovable once he's made up his mind. He likes calm people, full hands, being fed on time. Push him and he ignores you. Crowd him and he rears up, and the discussion ends there.

Handling him

You don't carry him, you negotiate. Food is the only real lever, honey above all. Let him choose his spot and half your arguments vanish. Give him a task before he finds a worse one: hold a door, sleep across a threshold no one will cross again.

Rewards

Honey, fish, fat, anything sweet or still warm. A fire to stretch out against, and the promise that once he's full, he'll be left alone. Compliments do nothing for him. His true reward is that you keep your word on the food and the quiet.

At the table

He smells blood and fear long before anyone sees a thing, and warns you by going still. Set him in a doorway, and the doorway is closed. Heavy-footed, he knocks over and tramples anything that means nothing to him without a thought: a table, a stall, a low wall are just things in his way. And never try to take back his provisions once his nose is in them: he guards his stores, he'll growl first and sort the rest out later. In danger, he neither flees nor charges on command: he weighs whether it's his business. Sometimes he'd rather eat the evidence or follow a scent to the exit.