by Jane H Wood
‘They are so strong, Max! I never would’ve believed they could change so much. GoldenEars looks so great…! And I’m pleased you managed to help the wolf with the injured hind leg. You really have looked after them well!’
‘Oh, I’m so glad you’re out of there!’ cried Doreen, putting an arm round his shoulders protectively. ‘We were so worried, weren’t we, Sam?’
‘Wow, son! You amaze me. But all the same, it brought me out in a sweat just watching,’ said Sam, shaking his head.
It was bitterly cold standing in the night air, the wind moaning through the trees. Max suggested they go back inside. Claire had anticipated their return and had prepared a pot of coffee, also warming a few pastries in case they were hungry. She set the tray on the small table beside the fire, leaving their guests to warm and revive themselves after their long journey.
‘Please make yourselves at home. Dinner will be at 8pm.’
‘Mm, great,’ said Sam, settling heavily into one of the comfy armchairs. ‘Thank you, Claire,’ he said, his voice heavy with fatigue.
She smiled, turning back to the kitchen, mindful of their dinner roasting in the oven.
Max was relieved that the meeting between Edmund and the wolves had gone without incident. And now, settled safely inside the centre, he could see just how tired the family were. Even Edmund had gone quiet, his attention on the flames glowing in the grate.
Suddenly, the chief ranger grew pensive as his thoughts turned to Josh. He glanced at his watch again, conscious that the young man was still outside, alone in the forest. He’d been expecting a radio transmission from him, which was worryingly overdue. Max made his excuses, leaving the family reclining beside the fire, and returned to his office.
Earlier, he’d sent Josh to investigate an area where a group of wolves had invaded a smallholding, stolen two chickens, and had left a scene of devastation, in the form of dead and injured birds. Max had been compelled to act. People were beginning to panic. The wolves were growing bolder, and it seemed, according to Josh’s last transmission, that they were heading deeper into farming territory, south-west of the wildlife reserve.
The radio suddenly burst into life, buzzing loudly on his desk. Max grabbed the microphone.
‘Hi Josh, what’s the situation?’
The speaker crackled as a gust of wind interfered with the reception, then the line cleared.
‘Hi Max. I’ve spoken to three more farmers, and chickens are the things that the wolves are targeting. There’s also a lone wolf in this region, but it doesn’t appear to be with this particular group of four. What would you like me to do?’
Max thought for a moment. He didn’t like to give this kind of order, but the way things were going it could get messy.
‘Look, Josh, if you can’t get them to turn away and they continue on their course, see if you can dart them. But if the situation warrants it, I’m afraid you might have to shoot them.’
The speaker crackled again as Josh spoke, his voice slow and reluctant.
‘Okay, if you think so.’
Max reaffirmed his command and replaced the microphone, and as he did so an uncomfortable feeling settled over him. He strode over to the window and looked outside; the weather was closing in and snow was falling again. There was a tap on his door and he turned to see Sam Rainer with his wife and son standing in the open doorway.
Edmund looked happy and excited, whereas his parents looked slightly harassed.
‘May we come in? Edmund wants a word with you,’ asked Doreen hesitantly.
‘Yes, please do.’ Max said, gesturing towards the three chairs placed in front of his desk. ‘What do you think of the centre?’ he asked, settling himself behind his desk. ‘Although you must be tired after your journey,’ he added, noticing their weary faces.
‘Yes, we are pretty tired,’ began Doreen, turning nervously towards Sam. ‘It’s a marvellous place… but Edmund has some questions. I believe he has already spoken to you about your work. Well, he’s very interested and… well, we are very concerned for his safety.’
Max turned to Edmund.
‘What would you like to know?’ he asked pleasantly.
The conversation continued for a while, with Max doing his best to promote the reserve and give an accurate picture of what they would expect from Edmund as a trainee ranger.
‘Look, we can continue this tomorrow if you like, because I believe dinner is ready. So, shall we see what Claire has prepared for us?’ said Max, giving Edmund a wink.
After dinner the three of them made their way to their rooms. The whole day had been a strain; the journey to the reserve had seemed never-ending. Doreen wanted nothing more than to get into bed and sleep. Her head was beginning to ache as she listened to Sam discussing Edmund and the possibility of him working there. She didn’t want to hear it right now, the idea was unsettling, but Sam’s voice droned on, trying to draw her into the conversation.
It was late, approaching midnight, but Edmund’s mind was racing recalling the earlier conversation with Max. He could hear his parents’ murmured voices in the next room. He knew that while he was underage they would have the final say on whether he could train to be a ranger.
He pushed back the covers in agitation, giving up on sleep, switched on the light and dressed quickly. His parents’ room was now quiet as he tiptoed past their door and down the stairs.
The inhospitable weather and the blackness of the night hadn’t deterred his ardour to be close to his wolf. Standing beside the wolves’ enclosure, he peered through the fence trying to see him. The spotlights, angled as they were, only illuminated so much of the grounds, covering the pathways from the building and a little way beyond.
It was impossible to see him, so Edmund slipped inside the enclosure. When, out of the gloom at the far end, he spotted GoldenEars trotting steadily towards him, his paws barely making a sound. The young wolf slowed beside him and, sensing the boy’s mood, pressed his head against his legs in a gesture of affection.
Edmund knelt, whispering soothing words to him, and began stroking the underside of his smooth furry chin. Kegg was enjoying the feeling and tilted his muzzle upwards, exposing his throat so the boy could continue.
A gust of wind blew through the trees, sending their branches creaking. Several dull thuds, like heavy footfalls, penetrated the darkness.
Edmund spun round in alarm and stared into the blackness of the forest. He shivered unexpectedly as a ripple of goosebumps went down his back. The disconcerting feeling intensified as though something in the gloom was watching him. He shivered again as a faint howl hung in the air, indistinct and distant. Standing, he scanned the trees for movement… Nothing stirred.
However, GoldenEars was suddenly alert, ears erect, listening, his nose twitching, scenting the air.
The whole atmosphere changed in that moment. It left Edmund feeling uneasy as he looked at his friend and the other young wolf beside him. Would he ever see GoldenEars again after the month of February, when Max planned to release them?
He knelt down again and pressed his face against his friend’s cheek.
‘It’s my birthday tomorrow and I plan to spend it with you,’ he said, gazing into the wolf’s face.
There was no denying it, GoldenEars was magnificent, and the golden hairs on his ears seemed to gleam in the silvery moonlight. Standing, he made his way to the gate, pausing to look at them again.
‘Goodnight. I’ll see you in the morning. Sleep well.’
He hurried towards the building, aware he was the only person up. So, in total darkness he made his way upstairs, tiptoed into his room and closed the door.
The two young wolves remained restless and began prowling the enclosure perimeter. They stopped and lifted their muzzles into the air, scenting the wind, their sharp ears straining to pick up the faintest sound.
Edmund lay on
his bed, awake and listening to the wind. His trip outside to see his friend had initially been marvellous, but lying here he could tell the young wolves were disturbed about something. It was an inexplicable feeling that churned his insides, spoiling an otherwise glorious day when he’d been reunited with GoldenEars.
He could hear the pair start to howl, first one voice, quickly followed by the second. Their sounds, haunting and mournful, penetrated the still night, until their voices faded into silence.
Tomorrow was all about his birthday, playing with GoldenEars… and nothing was going to ruin that. Sleep finally came as he curled under the covers.
Morning arrived, and a pale light filtered through the thin curtains. There was a gentle tap on his bedroom door, the sound enough to wake him.
‘Morning, darling! Can we come in?’ asked his mom, her voice shrill with excitement.
Edmund groaned and pulled himself into a sitting position, rubbing his tired eyes.
‘Oh yes… Come in, Mom,’ he called, yawning widely.
His mom entered, carrying a tray, with his dad following eagerly behind her.
‘Happy Birthday, son,’ the pair chorused.
His mom set the tray down on the bedside table and leaned forward to plant a kiss on his cheek. She smiled fondly, retreating to sit near the foot of his bed.
Edmund blinked, glancing at them both and the tray laden with mugs of coffee and two parcels brightly wrapped. His mind hadn’t woken up yet, and he continued to stare mutely at the parcels lying on the tray.
‘You can open them, you know,’ prompted his dad, ruffling his son’s dishevelled hair.
Edmund smiled weakly, grateful, but wished they’d go away. After his fitful night his mind still felt sluggish and dim-witted. It was obvious his parents had no intention of leaving him, so with a determined effort he sat up, grasped his mug and swallowed a mouthful. The liquid was hot and reviving, and he felt it slide all the way to his stomach, the sensation bringing him awake.
He blinked again. ‘Thank you,’ he managed to say.
‘Come on, young man, how about opening your presents?’ urged his dad playfully.
Edmund’s attention turned to the parcels and he leaned eagerly to grab one. Ripping the paper off unceremoniously he discovered a pair of binoculars. He examined them, turning them over in his hands appreciatively.
‘They’re great!’ he answered, genuinely delighted.
Suddenly wide awake he tore open the second parcel, discovering a woollen pull-on hat with a bobble fixed at the crown. Alongside it lay a pair of gloves and a scarf, each knitted with the same bright red and white pattern. Edmund playfully grabbed the hat, pulling it over his head and grinned broadly at them. His mom and dad looked at each other, then back at Edmund. A moment later, they all burst out laughing.
Downstairs, breakfast was a somewhat hurried affair from Edmund’s point of view. He couldn’t quell his impatience to go outside, and gulped down his cooked breakfast a little too quickly. With flushed cheeks he turned to his mom, but the only sound that escaped his lips was a loud burp erupting from his throat. Burning red with embarrassment, he fled the café area.
The incident had amused Sam, though he tried to stifle a snigger observing Doreen’s shocked face.
‘Well, he is seventeen now. I’m afraid that’s what men do.’
His ill manners forgotten, Edmund hurried into the wolves’ enclosure. The weather had brightened, although it was still bitterly cold despite the sun’s valiant attempts to shine between the peppered clouds.
Edmund was engrossed in the game, and with GoldenEars bounding beside him it felt like he was a kid again as he rolled a snowball over the ground watching it grow as he walked. His wolf was in a playful mood, doing his best to sabotage his friend’s attempts to complete the snowman. But, with persistence on Edmund’s part, the head was finally placed in position, and a five-foot snowman stood at attention, adorned with twigs and stones for its arms, eyes and mouth.
It was nearly lunchtime, but Edmund had lost all sense of time. His wolf, yelping happily, was determined to knock down the snowman just as quickly as his young friend was trying to repair it. Eventually, Edmund was forced to concede.
‘Okay! You win!’ he laughed, puffing for breath at the same time. ‘I’ve got to go inside! I’m losing all feeling in my fingers and toes.’ Slapping his hands together, he was so cold his teeth had started to chatter.
Kegg nudged him, urging the game to continue. But even though Edmund was wearing his thick winter clothes and his new woollen hat and scarf, the cold had penetrated to his bones. He was bitterly cold, made worse by his gloves where chunks of ice had stuck to them, soaking into the wool.
‘No, GoldenEars! I’ve got to go inside for a while,’ he insisted. ‘But I’ll be back soon.’ With stiff legs he exited the enclosure.
A while later, he was dry, rubbing his hands together, trying to urge some feeling back into them. He put his coat on a hanger, placed it on a hook above the heater in his bedroom, then hastily descended the stairs to join his parents. He found them in the observation room, warming themselves beside the fire.
‘Hi Mom, Dad, are you enjoying it here?’
They were sitting comfortably, watching a small group of deer chewing on a few stalks of hay pulled from a bale. He’d discovered that it was Max’s decision, that when the ground was frozen like this, a bale of hay would be placed outside to encourage the wild animals to feed, giving visitors an opportunity to watch them.
His mom glanced over her shoulder.
‘It’s fascinating here. I’ve never seen wild animals this close before,’ she replied, indicating the scene outside.
It was lunchtime and, unbeknown to them, Max had laid on a surprise. He approached them unnoticed and happily announced that a special lunch of burgers and fries was being prepared. He’d been informed earlier that it was one of Edmund’s favourite meals. Claire had volunteered to make a birthday cake for him too, although she wasn’t a professional baker as such, but a plain Madeira cake with jam and buttercream was successfully attempted. The cake looked splendid, decorated with a generous swirl of white icing, the centrepiece a realistic miniature figure of a wolf made of golden marzipan.
Max joined them for lunch, where the mood was light and happy as everyone tucked into their meal.
There was a pause in the conversation and the chief ranger took the opportunity to retrieve the parcel from the bag beside him. He handed it to Edmund with a smile.
‘Happy Birthday, young man.’
Edmund smiled, slightly surprised Max had bought him something, but gratefully accepted the parcel.
‘Thank you, Max, but you shouldn’t have,’ he said, unwrapping it. Inside was a book: How to Survive in the Wilderness.
‘That’s great, Max. I guess this could be very useful, knowing me!’ he laughed.
His parents laughed too, but secretly his mom was worried to think he needed to know such things. But it was a nice gesture and she smiled at Max.
‘Thank you, that is very kind of you.’
The haunting sound of a wolf drifted from the direction of the enclosure.
‘Oh, is that one of the wolves?’ she asked, listening.
Everyone stopped talking, and Edmund spun round to gaze outside. He couldn’t see GoldenEars from his position, but it certainly sounded like him.
‘Yes, I think that’s GoldenEars. But howling is normal, it doesn’t mean a thing.’
‘Hmm,’ said Max; thinking, This is the most vocal he’s been since his arrival.
After lunch, Edmund was taken on a tour of the building. He was excited and intrigued to see everything.
‘This is our task room. It’s where we plan our patrols and discuss any potential problems, which usually means illegal hunting on the reserve,’ said Max, waving a hand to indicate the room. Edmund peered in
side; it resembled Max’s office, only larger. He nodded briefly before Max proceeded to lead him further down the corridor. ‘And this is our storeroom,’ he said, pushing open the door.
Inside, his new ranger was busy sorting through some equipment.
‘Ah, Keith, how’s it going?’ Max enquired.
The younger man hesitated and looked up, a heavy coil of rope in his arms. He turned to a metal bracket fixed in the wall and deposited his burden before he spoke.
‘Hi Max. I’ve almost completed the inventory,’ he replied, his eyes wandering towards the young man standing just behind him.
‘This is Edmund,’ said Max, standing aside to let Edmund enter. ‘He is interested in becoming a ranger, so I’m giving him a tour of the place.’ Max gave Edmund a pat on his shoulder. ‘This is Keith Berry, getting on in years, but he can still wield an axe…’ he teased.
‘I’m thirty-three, Max, and you know it!’ retorted Keith with a scowl.
Max smiled. ‘Edmund here has just turned seventeen.’
‘Happy Birthday, young man,’ said Keith. ‘Hope to see you again.’
‘Thanks,’ said Edmund, nodding.
‘I needed to recruit another ranger and Keith is our newest member, only started a week ago, and there’s one other young man you haven’t met yet, Josh. He’s just a few years older than yourself and is on a job for me right now, so you’ll see him when he returns.’
Edmund nodded again, his expression changing to puzzlement.
‘What happened to the Scully brothers? I haven’t seen them. Are they still here?’ he asked.
Max suddenly looked uncomfortable.
‘Um, no,’ he replied awkwardly. ‘The two men felt really bad about the accident, blamed themselves, and in the end decided to resign. It was what they wanted…’ Max’s voice drifted away as his eyes roamed the room crammed with supplies and equipment.
Edmund followed his gaze, understanding he’d touched on a delicate subject; after all, it was really his own fault he got shot that day. Keith had gone quiet watching them. He was aware of what had transpired over the previous months and aware also that his own and Josh’s recruitment only came about because Max was short-staffed and needed more manpower.