There are a lot of different kinds of running and Varric, well, he's been around long enough to know all of them from sound alone. There was the 'Sneaky Stealthy Run' (notable because of its utter lack of running sounds), the 'Battle-cry Charge', and the 'Oh-Maker-Demons', he even knew the sound of 'Scatter, Aveline's Coming!' The run he heard desperately crashing through the brush today? Well, that one was unmistakable.

'Oh Shit, Bears.'

The roar that resounded through the bush a second later just confirmed it. Maker, he was tired of being right all the time. Unfortunately, as he went to pull Bianca off his back and cast a not-so-subtle look around for the Seeker, he got a face full of small, panicked, fleeing person.

The guy plowed into him at top speed and they both went ass over teakettle down the hill toward lower Lake Luthias. Ass over literal teakettle, the guy actually had one hanging from his pack...along with half the kitchen sink if the racket they made was any indication. When they finally came to a stop, tangled up in blood-lotus and half on top of a frightened Fennec, Varric spared a moment to groan.

"I hate nature," he groused and his complaint was followed, almost immediately, by the disgruntled and far-too-close roar of a bear.