The International Yeti Collective

by Paul Mason

  Staunch Veil. Tick knew of only a handful of yeti who had ever been there. The Mountain Yeti stronghold, a cave so deep that it had no end. High in the mountains, close to the land of snows. Again the cavern filled with worried murmurs.

  “And what of the fungus?” came a voice.

  “I fear we must abandon our fungus spreading. We just have to hope the forest will make do,” said Greatrex. “Perhaps we can soon return. But for now you must go back to your dens. Gather your most precious, and wait for the call. Hear me as I speak.”

  Tick searched for Plumm as the yeti filed out of the hall, his heart lifting for a moment when he caught sight of her. Plumm gave him a sorry smile before she was lost in the crowd.

  Once the cavern was empty of all but the elders and Tick, Greatrex gave his orders to Dahl in short firm bursts.

  “There is no time to draw stalks. We must make the necessary arrangements ourselves. Call Mapp and two others of her choice. They will guide us. Explain that our journey must use the waters of the river…”

  “…to hide our scent,” said Dahl.

  Greatrex nodded. “We must leave before light comes. Let us hope the flying beast of the humans does not return to look for us. Have Nosh and her crew gather food for our journey. As much as we can carry.”

  “Plenty of supplies.”

  Greatrex grunted. “There is one last thing. The slabs. Should the sett fall…”

  “I have already posted guards, oh, Greatrex,” said Dahl. “They have sworn to carry the slabs to Staunch Veil and will not let them out of their sight.”

  “It warms my heart to know you watch over us all, Dahl.”

  Dahl bowed. “What about the youngling?” He jerked his head in Tick’s direction.

  Greatrex weighed things up for a moment. He stared at Tick as if searching for an answer. “Bring him with us,” he said at last. “Even exiles don’t deserve to become fodder for humans. We’ll decide his fate later.”

  Tick watched from the rear as a convoy of anxious yeti gathered at the north entrance. At the head of the line was Mapp (she who knows the mountain like her hand), with Greatrex and the other elders. Burpp hadn’t let up and the tunnel reeked.

  Each yeti carried their gathering sack, filled with what few things they possessed. Some fledglings, the ones that knew something was wrong, buried their face in the fur of their mothers’ legs, while others ran round the tunnels, giggling and calling out, excited by the prospect of adventure.

  Tick stood with Dahl and the slab bearers, who were tying the precious blocks to two poles like a wounded yeti on a stretcher.

  Tick felt a tug at his elbow. It was Plumm. “Are you going to be all right?”

  Tick managed a weak smile. “I guess so. I’m not being kicked out just yet.”

  “You did well to come back and warn us all. Remember that.”

  Tick shook his head. “It doesn’t feel good.”

  On Greatrex’s command, the yeti began moving out of the tunnel and into the darkness. Tick knew they would strike out along the ridgeline towards the mountains in the north that rose up higher than the clouds.

  “Off you go, youngling Plumm,” instructed Dahl.

  Tick watched as Plumm joined the procession, the pang in his chest growing as she blended in with the other hairy backs. Plumm was his only friend. And soon he would have to leave her too. Tick wished he could at least walk this trail with Plumm, her mischievous grin lifting his spirits.

  “You stay right beside me,” Dahl muttered, as if reading his thoughts.

  Dahl ordered the bearers to lift the slabs, and with a groan they heaved the poles on to their shoulders. When the last of the yeti had left the sett, the slab bearers followed. Dahl and two guard yeti jammed the giant boulder at the main entrance in as tightly as possible, sealed it with earth and then covered the spot with bushes. The humans would have to work hard to get inside.

  “Pick up the pace, yeti!” Dahl barked.

  *

  After a quick breakfast of fresh, hot camp bread and tea, Ella led the others across the river to the spot where the camera had caught the footage, the yapping dogs pulling her along. Was today the day they would find a yeti? Things were moving so fast. Beside her, Walker led Shaan, who carried the camera equipment on his back.

  Ella stopped when she reached the tiny cloth flag tied to a branch.

  “Ella, pull the dogs over and let them have a good sniff,” commanded Jack. He was dressed head to toe in camo gear, the rifle slung over his shoulder. Ella thought he looked more as if he was on a big game safari than a wildlife programme. Underneath all the excitement, Ella felt a little twinge of doubt. Was this a documentary or a hunt?

  The dogs began straining at their leashes. Noses twitching, they howled and circled the rocky ledge before looking towards the thick of the forest.

  “I’ll take over from here.” Jack tucked his gun in Shaan’s saddlebag and grabbed the leads from Ella. “Make sure you get plenty of shots of me handling the dogs, Walker.”

  *

  The sun soon started its journey across the sky and Tick suspected it wouldn’t take long for the humans’ jackals to pick up their scent. The yeti needed to get to the river sooner rather than later.

  Thinking of jackals brought the idea fly buzzing back into Tick’s head.

  What is it? grumbled Tick.

  Why don’t we go into Jackal Canyon?

  What do you mean?

  March straight in. Make the canyon stink of yeti scent. I mean really stink…

  Tick’s eyes lit up. And trick the humans into searching the place! The fly had something there. It might buy them a little more time. He called out. “Dahl, Dahl!”

  “Yes,” Dahl muttered, coming round from the other side of the slabs to face him.

  Tick winced at the sight of Dahl’s nostrils flaring as he told the older yeti his idea. He was likely to get a tap on the nut with the Rumble Stick for even suggesting such a thing.

  Instead, Dahl called over a yeti guard. “Run up the line, as quick as you can, and pass this message on to Greatrex.” The Guardian explained the plan.

  “Jackal Canyon?”

  “You heard me.”

  Dahl scowled at Tick. “Another one of your foolish ideas.”

  Tick waited until the Guardian couldn’t see before allowing himself a tiny smile.

  Greatrex gave the word and, a short while later, Tick and the others trooped through Jackal Canyon. The bigger yeti walked on the outside of the line, shielding the fledglings who peeked out from gaps in the wall of hair.

  The jackal pack sprang out from their dens, certain they were under attack. Tick gripped his staff as the alpha and his pack snarled and gnashed, the fur on their backs bristling with rage, but Tick ignored their threats – he knew they wouldn’t dare strike. What could they do against such a force?

  Dahl twirled his Rumble Stick through the air. He stopped for a moment and eyeballed the alpha as he passed. “Feel like cocking your leg this time?”

  The alpha snarled and bared his fangs, but he didn’t move from his rock.

  Dahl chortled as he walked off. “I don’t mind admitting that felt good.” He beckoned to Mooch (he who wanders aimlessly) to join him. Tick overheard Dahl giving the yeti guard instructions to drop behind the convoy, hide in the forest and act as a scout – to keep him informed if the humans were still on their trail.

  Tick hoped his Jackal Canyon plan worked.

  *

  The dogs led them through the forest until they reached a break in the trees. Ahead of them was a ravine, a channel of rock caught between a steep incline of loose shale on one side and the mountain on the other. Mist swirled above their heads. Ella stopped at the mouth of the canyon and peered in. Something about this place gave her the creeps.

  “Interesting rock formations. Perhaps we should take a look,” suggested Ana. “There could be some wildlife.”

  “Great idea. The canyon will provide some good shots,” Jack said. �
�Let’s tie up the yak here and take the dogs.” He handed the leashes to Ella, then whipped out a brush from his utility belt and ran it through his hair. He hung the rifle over his shoulder.

  “Do you really want the gun in the shot, Uncle Jack?” asked Ella, pointing. “As it’s a wildlife programme…”

  Jack thought for a moment, then took the rifle off his shoulder and put it back in Shaan’s saddlebag. He grabbed the dog leads again and took up position.

  “Action,” said Ana.

  “Rolling,” said Walker.

  Jack crept forward, eyes narrowed. He turned to the camera. “Our tracking dogs have led us here to this canyon and we’re going to take a closer look. We might just see signs of a yeti. We’ve got to tread carefully. We don’t want to…” Jack squelched into a pile of something wet and stopped. He stared down at his boot, wrinkling his nose. “Cut, cut.” He scraped the sole of his boot against a rock. “What on earth?”

  “It looks like poo,” said Ella.

  “Yeti?” gasped Jack.

  Ana looked at the droppings. “Dog.” She covered her smile with her hand.

  Jack glared at the three dogs. “You mangy little monsters…”

  They carried on into the ravine, the shaggy dogs frantically smelling their way from rock to rock. As they walked deeper into the gorge, the mist cleared for a moment, revealing a cave mouth higher up.

  Ana spotted it too. “I’m going up for a closer look,” she said, clambering up the slope, scattering loose shale down on to the ravine floor. She reached a rocky shelf and hauled herself on to it, flicking on her torch. Then a cloud of mist wafted in, blocking her from view. Walker tilted the camera towards her.

  Jack guided Walker back to face him. “Catch my reactions,” he whispered.

  “What can you see, Ana?” Ella called up.

  “Not sure yet.” Suddenly Ana gave a shout. Through the mist, Ella saw her backing away from the mouth of the cave, feeling for the edge of the rocky outcrop with her feet.

  Then, out of the fog, Ella saw a golden dog – more like a wolf – its muzzle flecked with silver, its fangs bared. By its side came two more, then from hollows in the gorge walls there emerged others.

  Walker swung his camera. “Jackals.”

  “What should we do?” asked Ella.

  “Don’t look them in the eye,” said Jack. “Just stand perfectly still. No sudden movements. Walker, camera on me.”

  All at once, Ana lost her footing and stumbled down the ravine, scattering rocks. At the sudden noise, the jackals leaped forward, growling.

  “Run!” yelled Jack. He turned and began to race off, back in the direction they’d come from.

  “Go!” Ana shrieked.

  Ella sprinted as fast as she could, her camera swinging from side to side around her neck, not daring to look back, Walker by her side.

  “Keep going!” she heard Ana shouting from close behind her.

  They burst from the gorge and into the woods, darting between the trees until finally Jack came to a stop at the spot where they’d left Shaan. Ella leaned against a tree trunk, legs sore, chest heaving, the dogs panting at her feet.

  Shaan looked at them, as if wondering what all the fuss was about.

  “That’s the last time I leave the gun behind,” wheezed Jack.

  While they all got their breath back, Walker checked his camera and fixed it once more to Shaan’s saddlebag, and Jack fished out his black notebook and a large map. Ella peered over his shoulder. Even though Uncle Jack seemed to know what he was looking at, she couldn’t make head or tail of it. Were they lost?

  As she waited, Ella looked around. Long branches draped in moss hung over her head and above there was a covering of mist. She listened to the call of strange birds and the hum and click of insects. She adjusted the setting on her camera and took some photos, trying to capture the strange way everything looked through the cloud. Could they really find a yeti in this? The way she’d seen them move on the camera footage, she doubted they could ever catch up to them.

  Finally Jack untied Shaan from the tree. He grabbed hold of the saddlebag and heaved himself up on to the yak’s back. “Everyone ready? We keep heading north.” With a whistle, he set off into the woods.

  As the crew travelled higher and higher, the trees began to thin out. Ella was sure she could smell that rotten scent again. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her uncle slip his rifle from the saddlebag and rest it over his lap.

  At last, with steady striding, the yeti reached the banks of the river. Tick stared at the wild waters carving their way through the mountain. Ahead, the rock rose straight up from the river’s edge like walls. The current was strong and Tick knew the water would be ice-cold too, coming from the ice melt of the Glacier of Aalf to the north.

  He watched as Mooch, Dahl’s scout, came drifting back through the trees. “They were delayed at Jackal Canyon, but the humans are back on our trail and gaining,” he panted.

  Greatrex conferred with Dahl and Mapp. “We will have to wade single file against the current, and quickly. We’ll pick up the trail to the Veil on the other side when we can.”

  “The tunnels start a thousand strides or so past the bend,” said Mapp.

  “The fledglings and some of the others will struggle,” Dahl remarked, staring at the torrent.

  Greatrex sighed. “What choice do we have? To the waters!”

  Mapp nodded and trudged into the river, feeling the rocks below with her feet. She was soon up to her hairy thighs, her teeth chattering.

  Then Dahl gave the command, his voice rising above the roar of the river. “Advance!” he bellowed.

  Tick tapped his staff uneasily as each yeti entered the river, grabbing hold of the one in front to make a chain, pulling as one against the current. Mapp strode ahead, showing the way, eventually vanishing from Tick’s view round the bend in the gorge. The line of shaggy backs began to stretch upriver.

  They might just pull this off, thought Tick. Perhaps it won’t be a total disaster after all.

  Now the last of the yeti stepped into the water – last but one. Plumm still lingered at the water’s edge. She gave him a little wave and Tick couldn’t help but smile.

  “You coming?” Plumm mouthed.

  “Right behind,” Tick mouthed back, watching as his friend climbed down the bank and into the current.

  “Slab bearers! Make sure those bindings are secure.” Dahl turned to Mooch. “Hide yourself on the trail, a few hundred strides or so back. As soon as you see the humans approach, leave your post and hurry back here to warn us.”

  Tick gave a fearful glance at the woods. He wondered if the girl with the pebble nose was one of the humans on their trail.

  “Let me go too, Dahl,” he said quickly, before he had a chance to change his mind. “I can see if it’s the same humans from by the river. I’m the only one that’s seen them before. It may help us somehow.”

  Dahl thought for a moment. “Go – but take no chances. Hide well and come as soon as you catch sight of them. Don’t delay.”

  “I won’t,” said Tick, running after the scout as he disappeared back into the forest.

  *

  The dogs were the first to sense a presence. Without warning, they jerked as one and broke free from Ella’s grasp, tearing along the forest floor, yowling and chattering. Ella searched the trees, her breath catching in her chest. Then she saw it. A yeti.

  Ella almost mistook it for a boulder, but then she glimpsed dark, unhappy eyes half hidden below a thick brow. Their glances met for an instant and in that moment Ella felt her entire body tingle.

  Then the yeti bolted, a staff in its hands, and Ella saw there were two of them hurtling through the forest, moving at an astonishing speed.

  “Th-th-th…” she stuttered. Then, “There!”, jabbing a finger at the disappearing shapes.

  Before Walker could grab his camera, Shaan was gone, bolting after the dogs – Jack bouncing along on his back. Yak and rider disappeared,
Jack’s shouts carrying on the wind.

  “After him!” cried Ana.

  Before they’d got very far, a rifle shot reverberated through the trees.

  “No!” wheezed Ella. She raced ahead of the others and burst out on to the river’s edge, trying to make sense of what she was seeing.

  The dogs were barking at the water, Shaan’s tether was caught in a branch, and Jack was gesturing upriver with a crazed spark in his eye. The rifle was lying on the riverbank and, to Ella’s relief, there was no wounded animal in sight.

  In fact, the total opposite. A huge hairy creature, very much alive, fought its way against the current, a pair of tree-trunk legs splashing through the raging water, arms flailing. Then it was gone. Ella climbed a nearby boulder and scanned the river, but the creature had vanished.

  “I’m going after them!” Jack cried, running into the water. But it was clear that the current slamming against his legs was too strong.

  Jack lifted his face and roared at the sky, then he trudged back to the bank, his trousers soaked.

  “Yeti – three … four, maybe more. They fled upriver,” he said, when Ana and Walker finally appeared.

  “I saw one too,” said Ella. She pointed to the rifle lying on the ground. “You didn’t shoot at it, did you?”

  Jack shook his head. “The rifle went off when I dropped it.” He sank down to the ground and put his head in his hands.

  “Is there another way we can go upriver? Try to recover their trail?” asked Ana, peering.

  “I don’t think so,” said Jack. “The rock on both sides is too steep.”

  “Then let’s get that drone up, Walker!” said Ana.

  They gathered round the screen as Walker piloted the drone, but after fifteen minutes of hovering, revealing nothing but river and mountain, Walker brought it back down.

  Then, as they turned to leave, Ella spotted something downriver, caught against a rock. Two long branches lashed together with rope, in the middle of which was what looked to be an enormous bundle wrapped in cloth.