• View
• Edit
• History
• Backlinks

Malachi

Malachi is a currently active grizzly bear. She was raised in a Mi'kmaq tribe of wolves and believes she too is a wolf.

History

Malachi, or Mala to her close friends, had a very rough childhood. To this day she doesn't remember much, but as a cub she and her mother were down by the river one summer, and Malachi's curiosity of the water got the best of her. She was dragged downstream, and her mother was unable to catch up with her. The water was too rough and too choppy, and kept on carrying the cub further and further away. Though she doesn't know it today, Malachi is afraid of water (specifically going under it), though she doesn't know why.. for she doesn't remember the tragedy. Eventually, Malachi was too tired to swim, and had suffered a back-leg injury from crashing full-on into a boulder. It was only fortunate that, when the water calmed much later, it dragged the cub's almost-lifeless body onto a river bank. The cub was too hurt and too tired to even move, though she knew she was glad to be out of the water. She didn't even hear when a figure came out of the woods, and blacked out just as soon as she saw a creature on two legs come near her.

It turns out that a couple of Luperci from the a tribe up in the mountains, the Mi'kmaq tribe, were on a hunt that very day, and had come across the poor and helpless creature. Though they were afraid of taking a bear cub back to their pack, they believed it was a sign of the spirits, so they took the cub and chose to nurse it back to health, despite the disapproval of many in the tribe.

However, weeks turned into months, which turned into years. The cub, who came to be known as Malachi for the flash of green in her eyes, grew into a healthy-sized bear (and had the appetite of one!) of about 2 years in age, and though instinct's were still alive and well in Malachi, she saw the Luperci, and all wolves for that matter, as friends, companions, and family. The name of the tribe, after all, meant "the family". Locally, she was known as 'Muwin' (which means Bear in Mi'kmaq language), but she much preferred the name her adoptive parents gave her.

Mala even grew to believe she was one of them, and not a 'bear' that they frequently called her. The tribe, too, began to accept the creature as it grew within their homeland, figuring it was best to just let the creature believe what she wanted to believe, and some wolves even began to believe it was a comforting sign of the spirits. She proved valuable in terms of hunting (especially those large hunts for moose), protecting the whole of the tribe whenever intruders trespassed, and learning to tell stories and to sing songs. The bear grew to learn their language, customs, and ways of life.

It wasn't until the fall of last year, that things took a turn for the worst. Mala was playing with and watching over a few pups in the cool afternoon while the parents worked by the seashore. As usual, Malachi forgot about her size and strength, and went to pounce on one of the pups. The pup yelped in pain, and its foreleg was nearly crushed by Mala's paw. The tribe, having witnessed this, decided they had kept the bear too long, and, starting to look like a threat, they cast her back into the wild.

And so it was, that Malachi was exiled out of the tribe, but she never ran far from them. A few times she tried to sneak in to see some old faces, but she was saddened that everyone thought of her as dangerous and kept ushering her away. This suddenly loneliness gave her time to reflect upon herself.. and she began taking routine walks within the forest to clear her head. A part of her knew the tribe would never take her back again, but they were still family to her, and so were all wolves and Luperci alike. She swore, from the time of her banishment, to keep pursuing and sharing the Mi'kmaq traditions she'd grown to love.

Now, a year later, she's moved farther and farther from the land she knew, to try and live out life on her own, wondering if one day she will find a sign of acceptance again. No matter how far she strays from it, in her heart she deeply misses the tribe, and part of her still longs for their companionship. Often in her alone time, or when she's bored, she'll sing her favorite song that would always comfort her, and tell the tribe's stories out loud to no one in particular (except maybe her reflection in the water). Though she isn't sure where her travels will take her next, she hopes one day someone will accept her as a companion, and perhaps listen to the stories of her family.

Personality

Oh boy (err, girl, haha), where to begin. Perhaps we should start by saying that she doesn't not think she is a bear, but a wolf or a Luperci (see history), since she too can stand on her hind legs. However, because of this, she too is afraid of her, well... her own kind. Speaking of fears, though Mala is often near water, she still shies away a bit from it, unsure as to why (but it's linked to her tragic past). She prefers to hop on rocks in the river to catch food or cool off than to take a good ol' fashioned swim.

Aside from these odd ways of thinking, Malachi is an all-around mix of things. She's energetic, often playful, and loves companionship, but at other times she's pensive and prefers the solitude of her thoughts in the cool morning breeze. She'll often forget how big she is, and playtime can often get too rough if she isn't careful. Mala will often throw her weight around, which causes her to trip over herself clumsily. Because of her thinking she is a wolf, and not a bear, there are times in which she wonders how her tail got so short, and will try and look for it in times of extreme boredom. Also, she will often sit by the river and pull at her own ears, determined to make them longer like a wolf's. Her mannerisms still much reflect the postures/some sounds that a wolf would make, which would make anyone's eyebrows quirk. Despite her being quite the oddball, she does her best to fit in despite these changes.

Overall, she's understanding, loyal, and friendly.. which makes her wonder why some wolves and coyotes growl or shy away from her. While instinct is still alive in Malachi, such as why she feels the need to be alone quite a bit, she still questions her instincts, as they often conflict with her personality.

Likes

Wolves, Luperci, tasty fish, a friendly romp or chat, juicy berries, and pondering.

Dislikes

Bears, being alone for long periods of time, being fully submerged in water, and having her ears pulled by anyone other than herself.

Relationships

Surrogate Family

• Parents — Miledow Tomah ♀ and Rustom Tomah ♂
• Siblings — Chirayu Tomah ♂

Appearance

Stature/weight

Malachi stands at 3.2 feet at the shoulder, and twice that on her hind legs (approximately 6.4 feet). She weighs around 320 pounds on average, and measures nearly 6 feet from nose to tail. Despite her size, she doesn't know how to use it very well, and with the way she is, she often trips over herself.

Physical appearance

Her fur can be described as a soft, milk-and-honey complexion. Her muzzle is a light creamy color, which flows into the golden honey hue that colors most of her face, body, and tail. Right above her eyes is a patch of fur, forming an upside-down 'V' that is a bit darker than what surrounds it. Malachi also has some dark coloring that starts at the top of her four legs, her honey fur darkening that to a chocolate, flowing from where each leg starts and ending right down to the large, five-digit paws. What may be her most unique feature, however, are her amber-colored eyes. Sure, they may look like any other color a bear would have, but in just the right light, you'd swear a flash of green, or malachite color, would appear.. which is probably where her name came from. She also has a beaded necklace around her large neck, which is loosened for comfort but not loose enough for it to fall off. It's a necklace given to her by her adoptive parents in the Mi'kmaq tribe. The leather is made from the hide of the first moose she brought down, strung together with with bright blue and white beads, and a wolf's tooth adorns the center with a blue 'M' painted sideways on it. Today she still wears it, as a symbol of her love and care for the family that banished her.