by P. R. Garcia
Europa woke extra early the next morning and silently crept down the stairs, Triton following at her heels. When she walked into the kitchen, she was surprised to see her mother and Jeanip already sitting at the table having their morning coffee. Misso was standing at the stove preparing a small breakfast due to the early hour.
“Up bright and early this morning,” Medaron quietly stated. “Early plans?”
“Yes,” Europa answered. “Terrance and I are going to check out the sparrow rookeries to see if we can find his father.”
“Spending a lot of time with this young man, aren’t you?” Jeanip asked. Europa wasn’t sure how to respond to this question until she saw Jeanip smile. She knew he was teasing her.
“Yes, I guess I have been.” Europa confessed, smiling back. “I am sorry I have not been spending much time here at Minnos lately. Once his father returns from his field study, Terrance plans on returning to Michigan and then home to Australia. Once he leaves, I will still have time to spend with you before I go to school.”
“Plus, one never gets tired of hearing that beautiful Australian accent, does one?” Medaron commented. She saw the surprised look on her daughter’s face. “You look surprised at my statement, Europa. I may be an old widow, but I can still appreciate a handsome young man with an accent. And Birea has informed me he IS very handsome. When do we get to meet this man who has stolen my daughter’s heart?”
“Oh, Mother, he has not stolen my heart,” Europa answered, blushing slightly. “He is someone I enjoy spending time with. He is very intelligent and a true gentleman. Besides, it is not often we get tourists my age.”
“I am sure that is the reason,” Medaron teased, giving Europa a warm smile. “Are you still planning on attending your birthday dinner tomorrow evening? Or has that too been forgotten?”
“Mother, you know I would not think of missing it.” Europa smiled, as the grandfather clock struck six o’clock. “I have to run. We need to get an early start if we are going to check out all the rookeries.”
As she turned to leave, she heard her mother say, “Be sure to invite Terrance to your birthday dinner, if you have not already done so, Europa.”
Her mother’s words brought a flood of happiness washing over Europa. Medaron’s invitation to Terrance meant both her mother AND Jeanip accepted him and were willing to trust him with her. “Thank you so much, Mother,” Europa said, hurrying over to her mother and kissing her on the cheek. “I will be sure to ask him this morning.”
“Don’t forget the rookery on the edge of the property. People seem to forget that one,” Jeanip added. “Keep your rifle with you too if you go out there. Tinderoon reported spotting mountain lion signs when he was out that way last week.”
“I packed a few things for you to take with you,” Misso announced, holding up a packed lunch and thermos. “There are a few sandwiches, some fried chicken, coleslaw, apples, chocolate cake and several bottles of water. There are a few eatables for Triton too. The thermos contains coffee.”
“Thanks, Misso,” Europa replied, as she took the items, turned and hurried to the front door, jumping down the stairs. Her exit was so swift it caught Triton off-guard. He jumped up and scampered after her, barely missing the front door hitting him as it closed.
“I believe our girl has her first big crush,” Jeanip said, watching Europa drive away in her truck. “I must admit, you are handling this very well, Dear Sister.”
“She is twenty tomorrow, Jeanip,” Medaron replied. “Even if I hate to admit it, my little girl is now a woman. And one day she needs to find a life’s mate so she can truly be happy in this human world we have given her. From everything Europa has told us about Terrance, and from the way he makes her feel, he seems to be a very fine young man and I can find no reason to object to them seeing each other.”
“I concur,” Jeanip responded. He too thought Terrance was a fine young man, worthy of his young monarch’s attention. And the security scan he had done with the blood sample and fingerprints Birea had supplied him with showed nothing out of the ordinary. “But I will reserve my final approval for when we meet this young man.”
“As will I,” agreed Medaron. “I look forward to meeting him tomorrow night.”
“Has your uneasiness subsided?” Jeanip asked, still concerned about Medaron’s feeling.
“No. I believe it is even stronger today. Something in the air, like before a storm arrives. You can sense it, but you cannot see it or hear it.”
“Still no idea what’s causing it?”
“No, but I feel I should.” It bothered Medaron she could not remember when she felt this feeling before. Several times she thought she remembered, but then it would slip away again, just out of reach of her memory. “I know it is something I have felt before, something I should remember but cannot, for some reason. But I sense Terrance is not the cause or a part of it.”
“I’ve tightened security as promised. If anything or anyone appears out of the ordinary, the security grid will pick it up.” On several occasions, Medaron’s feelings had saved them from disaster, so he knew better than to just dismiss the feeling. Hoping to put his monarch at ease, he stated, “I am sure once tomorrow’s party is over the feeling will start to subside.”
“I do hope so.”
____________
The deer slunk silently along the fence line, making sure to remain hidden amongst the trees and their shadows. He stopped just before the trees ended. From there he had a good view of the entrance to Minnos. The daughter had driven her red truck to town each morning for the past four mornings between nine and nine-thirty. If she traveled to town again this morning, he would intercept her at the bend in the road and fulfill his oath of revenge. He imagined Medaron’s heartbreak when she learned of her daughter‘s death. He would leave the purple stone that powered his weapon beside her body so Medaron and Jeanip would know it was he who had killed her. As the minutes ticked by he could barely force himself to remain hidden; he so wanted to see the life drain from her eyes. He began to stomp his hoofs in an attempt to alleviate some of the excitement, the anxiety that was surging through his body. Where was she? Wasn’t she going to town today? Finally, unable to wait any longer, he stepped out onto the road and began to walk toward the house. He knew it was a dangerous act, but he had to know if she was still at the estate. He cautiously walked closer, ready to sprint out the gate if anyone came down the road. At last, he could see the house and the parked cars – her truck was not there. Somehow he had missed her. But how? Infuriated, he ran down the road to the safety of the tree line, bellowing his outrage and tearing up the ground with his antlers. After several minutes, he began to calm down and was able to think clearly again. Perhaps she had gone into town earlier. If so, he could still intercept her on her way back to Minnos.
____________
Terrance was waiting outside when Europa arrived. When she pulled into a parking spot he trotted over to the truck, carrying two fresh cups of coffee, a bag containing breakfast sandwiches and several pastries. Triton quickly hopped in the back seat and sat down directly behind Europa.
“Good morning, Europa.” He turned to address Triton. “Good morning, Triton. I am now going to kiss Europa good morning, so please don’t attack me,” He leaned over and kissed Europa.
“Good morning,” she said, as she kissed him back.
“I brought breakfast” he announced, holding up the bag of breakfast food and cups of coffee. “And I brought you something too, Triton.” He removed from a brown bag a large steak bone. “I got this from the kitchen this morning. The cook cut off all the meat, so it’s never been touched by human teeth.”
“Oh, Terrance, that is so sweet of you, but Triton is not allowed any food from outside sources. He has been trained to accept food only from five people. Part of my security protocol.” She held up Misso’s prepared lunch and thermos. “But do not worry. Misso packed him f
ood, plus some for us too. Between what you brought and Misso sent, we certainly will not go hungry today.”
“Or thirsty,” chuckled Terrance. “Sorry, Triton. I tried.”
“Perhaps I can take it back to the estate and have Jeanip check it over,” Europa suggested, noting the seemingly disappointed look in Triton’s eyes. “Any thoughts of where you would like to start?”
“No, I thought I’d leave that up to you.”
“Well then, if you are ready, we will get started,” Europa stated. “I thought it would be best to start with the one closest to town and end with the furthest one.”
Europa drove to the closest Red Rock sparrow rookery located in the cliffs by the bay’s entrance. Upon arriving, they quickly ate their breakfast and drank some coffee while Triton enjoyed the turkey sausage Misso had packed for him. When finished, they surveyed the grounds for signs of tire marks and foot prints, but none were found. Next, they walked along the bottom of the cliff, scanning the wall above for signs of climbing pegs or foot holds. Again, they found none. Lastly, they searched the trees for signs of a blind Terrance’s father would have built to covertly study the birds, but that too brought disappointment. Terrance’s father had not visited this rookery. They drove over to another rookery several miles east, but again there was no sign Terrance’s father had been there.
“There is another rookery to the north that is on public land, but you have to cross through our property to get to it. He might have gone there not knowing he was trespassing.” She hesitated, thinking of the possibility. “No, that would not be possible. The security system would have sounded as soon as he stepped onto the property notifying Jeanip of his presence.” Europa thought for a moment, trying to think of where Terrance’s father could be. “But he could have taken an old cow trail that bypasses our land. We will try there.”
Terrance gave Europa a puzzled look. “You mentioned my father would have set off a security system?”
“Yes, our property is protected by a security system. It alerts the house if anyone or anything comes onto the property.”
“Europa, you said you would tell me more about who you are when we got to know each other better. Can you tell me now? Are you in a witness protection program or a member of some important family? You have a personal body guard and are guarded by a canine twenty-four/seven. Now you tell me your property is protected with a security system. Who are you?”
Europa realized it was time to tell Terrance a little bit more of who she was. “Terrance, do not freak out, but I am part of a royal family. My parents were the king and queen of a country that no longer exists. For our protection, the cottage is under twenty-four-hour-a-day security, as am I.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me! You’re a princess? Of what country?” Terrance asked, taken aback by Europa’s announcement.
“As I said, from a country which no longer exists. It was destroyed in a great civil war. I know you have many questions, Terrance, but for now, please realize it is sufficient for you to know I am of royal birth and require constant guarding. The rest I will tell you at a later date.”
____________
Jeanip was walking across the side yard when he heard Sunam call his name from the side kitchen door. “Jeanip, we’ve got something on the security grid.” Jeanip immediately ran toward the house and into the kitchen, following Sunam to the security room. “It just suddenly showed up out of nowhere, this huge thing. The readout shows it’s an enormous male mule deer. Probably close to four hundred pounds.”
Jeanip quickly sat down at the console and brought up the report. “Boy, he is a big one. I didn’t think there were any more like him around anymore. Some hunter sure would love to bag him as a trophy.”
“Is it possible he’s not what he appears to be?” Sunam asked, fearing the worst. “That’s a pretty good size, even for a mule deer.”
“The grid would have told us if he was something other than a real deer,” Jeanip confirmed. “There have been reports of some bucks reaching over four hundred and fifty pounds, although that was some years ago and in the deeper parts of the mountain. The grid reports nothing out of the ordinary, that he’s just a deer. But we’ll keep an eye on him. Medaron’s been having some strange feelings these past few days. Maybe somehow she’s sensing this misplaced deer.”
“Do you want me to go out and see if I can find him?”
“No, not yet,” Jeanip stated. “If he shows up again on the grid we’ll do some investigating.”
“Yes, Sir,” Sunam agreed. After a brief pause he asked, “Are you going to tell Medaron about the deer?”
“I have been debating that exact question,” Jeanip confessed. “I believe for now I will refrain from mentioning it to her. I don’t want to worry her any more than she is. If I perceive he is a problem, I will advise her of the animal.”
“Jeanip, wouldn’t it be something if this deer turned out to be a Terrian after all these years?” Sunam asked, a look of worry clearly written on his face.
“Now you are beginning to sound like Medaron,” Jeanip stated. “I see no indication of the possibility of a Terrian presence. But keep the security at high level to make sure I am correct.”
____________
It took about forty minutes to reach the north rookery. As at the other two, there was no sign anyone had been there. “I don’t think we’re ever going to find him,” Terrance said. “It’s like he just vanished off the face of the Earth.”
“I know of one more place, Terrance. Do not give up hope yet,” Europa stated, smiling warmly. “This other place is pretty remote. There are no roads leading to it and we will need to walk part of the way in. It is a small rookery just at the border of our land, actually not far from the house. Since it is so close to Minnos, and on tribal ground, no one ever goes back there. Without a doubt, it is definitely the purest of the rookeries and would be the best rookery for your father to study.”
Europa saw a faint glimmer of hope flash across Terrance’s eyes. “I bet that’s where he is. That would explain why he’s been out here so long. If it’s that difficult and remote of a place, he would remain camped there until he was finished with his studies. I have a good feeling about it.”
“So do I,” Europa replied. She drove down the dirt path as far as she could, then turned into a meadow. She carefully eased her way through several meadows and the forest, dodging tree trunks, branches, rocks and holes. Several times Terrance thought they were going to bounce right out of the truck, or at least break an axil. But somehow they made it. Europa stopped the truck at the beginning of a rocky outcrop.
“We walk from here,” Europa announced, leaning over Terrance and removing a revolver from the glove compartment. She then stepped out of the truck, reached behind her seat and brought out a shotgun.
“Know how to use these?” she asked Terrance, raising the two weapons into the air, showing Terrance his choices.
“Are those really necessary?” Terrance asked, a little concerned about their adventure.
“Like I said, this is rough country. Jeanip made sure to tell me not to explore out here without my gun. Which one do you prefer? Handgun or shotgun?”
“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, Europa. Maybe we should just go back to town and wait for my father to return.” He saw Europa give him on odd look, almost a look of impatience. “But if you really want to do this, I’ll take the revolver.”
After handing Terrance the gun, Europa reached down and retrieve the food Misso had packed them. “We should have lunch before we start off. Being this far out and so close to the wilderness, we do not want to leave food in the truck that a mountain lion or bear can smell. Whatever we do not eat we will have to bury.”
“Sounds good to me,” Terrance replied.
They quickly ate their lunch and washed it down with a cup of coffee. Europa peeled off some of the chicken meat from two chicken
legs and gave it to Triton, along with some water in a cup. After they had eaten their fill, Europa packed up the bones, leftovers and any trash and placed them in a Ziploc bag. From behind her seat she brought out a canvas bag into which she placed the Ziploc bag. She dumped out the small amount of coffee still in the thermos and placed Triton’s steak bone inside for safe keeping, then shoved it beneath her seat. The thermos should block any smell of its existence. Grabbing a small shovel, she proceeded to walk several feet from the truck and prepared to dig a hole where she could bury the scraps.
____________
When he did not find her truck in town, the buck returned to the blind. He had almost reached his location when he heard the sound of a vehicle. He froze and waited. Humans never came out to this part of the wilderness, at least not by motorized vehicle. He had only seen two humans since his arrival, and they were on horseback. He remained motionless, listening, staring in disbelief as it came into view. Not more than two hundred yards from where he hid was her red truck, traveling through the field, heading in the same direction he was. This was an unexpected surprise and he began to quickly formulate a new plan for her demise. He knew he would have to plan carefully, for he would not have the element of surprise in the open. He saw there was another human with her, along with her guardian canine. Suddenly, his heart began to beat faster as he saw her truck stop. He waited and watched as the truck sat there. Finally, after fifteen minutes, the doors open and she emerged, carrying a bag and a shovel along with a shotgun. The other human exited from the passenger’s side. Together, they walked to the top of the bluff, laughing, while her canine protector waited in the truck. If she followed standard wilderness guidelines, she would dig a hole and bury her trash, thus giving him the opportunity he needed. While she was digging he could race across the field and attack her before she knew he was there. The only drawback was the canine. If he could get close enough before he sprinted, he might catch the canine off guard. And even if the canine transformed into another creature, he should be able to toss her over the bluff and still have enough time to defend himself. He felt the second human posed no threat. He began to inch closer, saliva starting to drip from his mouth as he prepared to run the moment she put her head down to dig. Keeping his eyes on her, he did not see the small branches on the ground. As he stepped forward he heard the branches snap beneath his weight, shattering the stillness of the canyon. He froze instantly, hoping somehow the noise had not been heard by the two humans or her canine. He saw the one human point in his direction and he knew he had lost his element of surprise and, with it, his chance to end her life this day. Furious with himself for blowing such an idealistic opportunity, he shrunk back into the cover of the forest, his eyes glowing red with anger.
___________
“Europa, look there,” Terrance shouted, pointing to where the sound had originated. At the edge of the forest was a huge ten point buck standing motionless, staring at them. Europa signaled Triton to remain in the truck. As she watched the magnificent buck, she thought for a moment she saw the deer’s eyes glow red.
“I have never seen deer in this area before,” Europa exclaimed quietly. “He is beautiful. Look at the size of his antlers. He must be very old.” Then, in a blink of an eye, the buck turned and was gone. “Where did he go?” she asked.
“I can’t believe it. We found it,” Terrance shouted in excitement, as he took off running as fast as his injured leg would allow him toward the tree where the deer had been standing.
“What?” shouted Europa, running after Terrance. Triton immediately jumped down from the truck and ran after Europa, not sure if there was a possible threat or not. “What do you see?”
“Look up in the tree the deer was standing next to,” Terrance shouted, as he pointed toward the tree top while continuing to run to it. “It’s my dad’s blind. I’m sure of it.”
The three arrived at the tree at the same time. Triton remained close to Europa, surveying the area for any possible threats. Europa looked up into the canopy and saw nothing but branches and leaves. “Are you sure, Terrance? I do not see anything,”
“That’s because it’s a studies blind. It’s build to appear as part of the tree. I’ve helped my dad build enough of them to know one when I see one.” As they walked around to the other side of the tree, both saw wooden boards nailed into the tree, acting as a ladder to the blind.
“Hey, Dad, are you up there? Dad?” shouted Terrance. No greeting was returned. “He doesn’t seem to be up there. I’m going to go up and check it out.” Europa saw a puzzled look come across Terrance’s face as he looked around the area.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“This is a long way from the rookery. I don’t understand why he built it here.”
“Maybe he didn’t want to disturb the sparrows,” Europa suggested. “You said he likes to study birds that have not been influenced by humans.”
“He must have a new scope camera lens and telescope then. His usual equipment is not capable of taking photographs or watching the birds from this distance.” Terrance placed his foot on the first board and lifted his body up. “I guess the only way to find out is to climb up and see for myself. I’ll be as fast as I can.” He climbed up and slipped inside the blind. Lifting the door flap to allow light in, he surveyed the inside and its contents. Scattered around the floor were notebooks, pencils, some canned food, water and a sleeping bag. Yes, this was his father’s blind with all the usual items except for one - sitting in front of a small observation hole was a state of the art, high powered telescope with a digital zoom camera. “This is new,” Terrance thought, “and rather sophisticated for bird watching.” He examined the telescope closer and realized it was way out of his dad’s league. Next, he picked up a notebook and scanned the pages. The last note written had been dated earlier that day. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing his father was okay and thought perhaps he had gone into town to get some more supplies.
“Terrance, are you okay up there?” he heard Europa call.
He stuck his head out of the blind and called down, “Yes, I’ll be down in a minute.” He went back inside and wrote his father a note, informing him he was in town at the inn. To be sure his father saw it, he placed it on top of the telescope. His curiosity peaked, he leaned down and looked into the telescope to see, if indeed, the sparrows could be seen from this distance. A confused “What the . . . ?” escaped his mouth when he saw what the telescope was focused on. It wasn’t Red Rock sparrows, but a country cottage with a sitting porch encircling it on four sides. It was Europa’s cottage. But why would he be watching Europa’s house? He dismissed the thought by surmising his father had simply moved the direction of the telescope when he left. But that didn’t make sense either because there was no other observation hole. To observe the sparrows the telescope would have to look out the back of the blind, not the side. Something wasn’t right. He walked over and picked up the note, stuffing it into his pocket. Until he knew what was going on, he didn’t want his father to know he had been there.
“Coming down,” he shouted to Europa, as he climbed back down.
“So, is it your father’s?” Europa eagerly asked.
“Yes, it’s his. But no one’s home,” he said, trying to appear excited about the find. He decided not to mention to Europa his father’s telescope was aimed at her house until he talked to his father. He knew there had to be a reasonable explanation for what he saw.
“Everything okay?” Europa asked, sensing Terrance was upset.
“Just disappointed he wasn’t there,” Terrance lied. He quickly turned and headed back to the truck.
The ride home was quiet. Terrance was locked in thought and said little. Europa thought perhaps he was tired or his leg was hurting. She had never seen him so quiet and withdrawn. “My mother is not expecting me for dinner, so if you would like to grab a bite to eat we can,”
Europa stated, as she pulled up in front of the inn.
“I’ll take a rain check, if you don’t mind. I’m really beat and my leg is starting to throb,” Terrance responded, exiting the truck. “Plus, I’d like you to be home before dark. And even though your mother is not expecting you, I’m sure she would love to have dinner with you for a change. I have been monopolizing all your time lately.”
“Speaking of my mother, she told me to be sure to invite you to dinner tomorrow night at six. It is my birthday and we are having a small family dinner.”
“Your birthday? Thanks for the advance notice. How do I get you a present by then?” he laughed.
“I do not expect a present from you,” Europa said. “You being there and sharing the celebration with me will be more than enough.”
He leaned through the window and kissed her goodnight, this time not even asking for Triton’s permission. “See you tomorrow at six. Drive carefully. Call me when you get home so I know you made it safely.” He stood on the inn’s steps and watched as Europa drove down the street until he could no longer see her tail lights. He then turned and ran up the stairs, thrilled to be alive. Upon entering the lobby, he noticed the manager motioning for him to approach the desk. “Your father stopped in today. He was sorry to have missed you. He left you a note.” The manager reached inside the desk drawer and handed Terrance an envelope with his name written on it in his father’s handwriting.
“Thanks, Mr. Everett,” Terrance said. “Wouldn’t you know it? The day I go looking for him is the day he comes back to town. Did he say how much longer he planned on remaining out in the field?”
“He mentioned something about leaving on Friday or Saturday,” Mr. Everett replied. “He said his study should be completed by then and he needed to return to Michigan and the university.”
“Thanks again, Mr. Everett,” Terrance said. He hurried to his room, anxious to read what his father had to say. Sitting down on the bed, he anxiously tore the envelope open and read:
Dear Terrance:
I am so glad you are here, Son. What a great surprise. Sorry I have been out so long. The rookeries here are fantastic. I should be wrapping up in a couple of days, then we can go back to Michigan together. Meet you Friday morning in the dining room at ten.
Love Dad
“Friday, that’s in three days,” thought Terrance. “In three days we’ll be returning to Michigan. But am I willing to leave Europa?”
THE UNSEEN ENEMY