Beware the Bear

There's something psychedelic about the rune bear. They're like koalas: they live in the branches of trees, have noses twice the size of their ears, and they're not bears at all. In fact, they look more like beavers with a giant snub nose and soft elephant ears. I couldn't tell you what sounds they make, but I've seen one eat; Crunch, crunch, crunch on cloudy diamonds and calcite cakes. Their teeth are so small and round, like turtle toes and horse hooves. When they curl up in trees, they look like birds' nests or just a bundle of pine frongs. You'd never know it was a rune bear up in the tree until you heard their crunchy eating or saw the shimmering purple glow from their cross-hatched tails. Their light is so faint, you can only see it at night. Sometimes, from above the forest you can see an ethereal turqouise haze through the pine needles from the glowing etchings reflecting off their cobalt fur. It looks like a soft borealis, especially against the sparsely starry sky and plush grey powder snow. They're called bears because their claws and skin are as tough and thick as polar and black bears. They look soft, but if you pet one, it feels like you're brushing your skin with a steel grill-cleaning brush. It's not smooth and gentle, but it's majestic armour. No one's ever looked in the eye before though... my grandps tells me they can steal your secrets and turn them into runes on their tail. That's why they're so valuable- if you can catch them and trace the runes on their tail, legend has it you can learn the secrets of the mountains, the ice, and time if you choose the right runes. That knowledge is valuable, powerful, and dangerous.