“Okay. Let’s check it out. Elusive mode on,” Roman said, changing his entire stance to the point that his footfalls were completely silent. Lucas adopted the same behavior, and they took their time quietly moving among the rows and rows of immature Christmas trees. The back of Travis’s farm was planted with trees that wouldn’t be harvested for several years, just as other parts would be harvested next year, and those nearer the front were ready this year. “You feel it?” Lucas whispered.
“Yeah. But could just be a wild animal,” Roman said, with his nose lifted as he sifted through all the scents. “I don’t smell anything unusual. Nothing human. So, maybe it is a wild animal?” he said, ending it with a question.
“Maybe. Feels personal to me, though. Like it’s me whatever it is is watching,” Lucas admitted.
“You might be right. I don’t feel that, so maybe it is watching you. Maybe it don’t like Bears and has it out for you,” Roman teased.
Lucas snorted. “Maybe. Or maybe it only likes Bears,” Lucas said.
There was a slight sound off to their right. Lucas and Roman froze in their tracks to try to hear better.
“Anybody out here?” Lucas called out.
“You looking for food or shelter, all you have to do is ask,” Roman shouted.
They stood absolutely still, listening for any sound at all that seemed out of place. Then they heard it — a twig snapped. They both zeroed in on the direction. Lucas lifted his hand and pointed to the left, then tilted his head to the right, indicating they’d proceed from different directions and see what they could find.
Roman nodded and silently set off toward the left at the same time Lucas moved to his right. They moved stealthily through the trees to the part of Travis’s property covered in natural hardwoods and underbrush. He kept the land in its natural form along all perimeters, and that’s where they’d tracked whoever, or whatever it was.
Roman stopped again to listen for movement of any type, but all he could hear was Lucas’s voice.
“We know you’re here. Nobody’s gonna hurt you, so why don’t you just come out? We’ll get you some food, give you a warm place to sleep. No reason to be skulking around in the dark like this.”
Roman waited to see if anyone would respond before continuing on in the direction that would lead him to Lucas. Soon as Lucas came into view, Roman shook his head, and Lucas did the same.
“Fine, have it your way. But, don’t make the mistake of approaching the house, or anyone who lives here during the night. You’ll get shot if you’re lucky, worse if you’re not. We’re your welcoming committee, come out now, or don’t come out at all,” Roman said, standing with his feet planted shoulder width apart, his hands hanging loosely at his sides, almost like he was daring someone or something to come at him.
They stood silently for almost ten minutes more listening for any proof of movement, scenting for anything unusual, but there was nothing.
“You ready to head back?” Roman asked.
“Yeah. In a bit. I’m going to wait a little longer just to be sure,” Lucas said.
“Okay. I’m going to let Travis know we didn’t find anything. Might offer to stay the night,” Roman said.
“So, you agree with me, something doesn’t feel right,” Lucas said.
Roman shrugged. “Can’t be too careful. They just mated. Don’t need any unexpected trouble,” Roman said. “You going to be long?”
“No. I’ll be right behind you,” Lucas said. Lucas watched as Roman moved quietly through the trees and brush leaving him alone in the darkness. He didn’t mind. He could see perfectly well in the night, and there wasn’t much that could threaten a full grown Kodiak Bear. He walked a few feet more before looking around himself again, then up into the trees.
“You still out here?” he asked quietly. He got no reply, but as soon as Roman had left, he’d felt like he was being watched again. “I don’t mean you any harm. In fact, I’d like to help you. It’s rough being on your own trying to move through cities and towns while avoiding everyone you see. Keeping to the unpopulated areas until you figure out where you’re heading can be lonely. People celebrating the holidays and congregating can easily draw your attention. The smell of the food and the hot coffee. It’s enough to make you want to come closer,” Lucas said.
Lucas got absolutely no reply. He didn’t hear any kind of movement at all. He couldn’t even hear the natural sounds that should have been there, and that in itself was telling. There wasn’t much that could frighten the wild animals into silence. “Have it your way. Stay hidden. But if that’s what you’re going to do, you need to move on. Leave my friends alone, or you’ll have to deal with more than just them. The Tiger can handle you on his own, but the rest of us would be more than happy to help if he’d allow it. You feel me?”
Lucas stood statue still and waited, but there was no indication of anything moving in the still of the night. Having delivered his message, Lucas turned and calmly walked out of the woods surrounding Travis’s land. He didn’t look back. It wasn’t necessary. Whatever had stalked him silently all evening hadn’t shown itself, and obviously had no intention of doing so. But he should have looked back. If he had, he’d have seen two glowing red eyes, sitting high up in a tree barely two feet from where he’d issued his command to move along, staring at him, watching him go.
~~~
The outcast sat perfectly still in the treetop, refusing to move or speak in reply to the offers of shelter and food that had been spoken only moments before. Her nostrils flared as she scented the males beneath her. She knew them immediately. One was a Gorilla. The other? The other was a Bear — a large Bear, but that wasn’t all he was. He was also hers. She’d doubted the instinct that had drawn her here, following some unfamiliar inner voice for weeks on end until she finally found herself here.
She’d been surprised at the number of humans meandering about and thought to quickly leave. But, then she’d felt him, on the outer fringes of the noisy people gathered in the foreground. And she’d settled in to wait, to watch. He’d eventually shown himself as he escorted one group of humans after another, allowed them to choose a tree, chopped it down for them and carried it back. She’d wondered if the pull she felt was her imagination.
But, then he’d looked directly at her in the darkness. Of course, he couldn’t see her. She’d had herself cloaked in case he’d felt her. But he’d definitely known she was there. She’d spent the rest of the night moving closer to watch him, before again pulling away just in time to avoid being detected. She’d watched the crowd of humans and shifters interacting as though it was completely natural. She didn’t understand it — the two shouldn’t mix. Yet, here they were, living together as though there was no law broken as they mingled together.
She’d rushed away when the Bear and Gorilla had come toward her through the rows and rows of trees, their goal specifically to find her. Then she’d watched silently as they both thought to outsmart her. She’d retreated to the treetops to listen to them speak to her, trying to lure her out.