My bear is named Dartagnion, or Dar for short. I just KNEW when I looked into his eyes that he’d been through many adventures. He was the brave kind of bear, one that could take my place if I needed to hide behind his furry ears.

A few years ago, I needed just such a place. And it turned out that Dar and I became two of the most famous adventurers. Wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.

I remember being feverish hot and drifting in and out of dreams with nurses in white aprons that brought me nasty tonics. I remember my Mom’s pale face on the pillow beside me. My Dad was on the other side of her, I could just make out his larger blanketed form tossing and turning behind my mother’s slight one. The fever took them both.

Nana took me in. Her house was like a fortress, all locked up, with a dark dungeon basement and a tiny attic room where you could hide a princess. Nana gave me my father’s old room to stay in. In the closet, I found a chest. Inside the chest I found a wooden sword.