After checking to see that Joe and Caitlyn were following, but not close enough to hear, Bear admitted the truth. "I haven't any idea. I'm foggy on this whole area. I think there was a map of the northern reaches in my father's rooms, but I never paid much attention to it."
"Pity. So what do we do now?"
"Play it by ear I suppose."
"Play it by ear?"
Bear laughed, enjoying the sound. "A saying I learned from that other place. I believe it has something to do with music originally. It means you take what's thrown at you and react accordingly."
"Play it by ear. Strange saying, but many things were strange there."
He looked at her sharply as she said this. Very rarely did she ever allude to that time. "Yes, they were," he agreed quietly as he returned his attention to the road before them. He wasn't trying to be insensitive, just cautious. Over the years he had learned one thing about Alyssa - let her be the one to bring things up.
After all, just because people thought that bears were stupid, didn't mean that he was.