There is a rumor that on the red star world, it is common in the northern-most polar regions to come across bear-riding hunters. These hunters were previously employed as mercenaries in the red star war. Known to be cunning and ruthless, they were exiled from the reunified empire that emerged largely as a result of their heroic work. Now they are scattered nomads who dwell in the wilds, mostly removed from the modern world and the regional conflicts that still plague a young empire. It is feared by some elite politicians that they will someday gather to carve out their own nation in defiance of the empire. Therefor these hunters often find themselves the target of would-be assassins foolish enough to take out contracts offered to cull their ranks.
I knocked this one out really fast at 5am before heading out to work. It came to me all in one mental image and I was really in the mood to draw a bear. I was also thinking about the Soviet Union (I'd been reading a history book ok?) which influenced how I outfitted the hunter and the choice of an icy setting.
