Almost in answer to her fears, a few minutes after they headed north on the eastern side of the lake a very familiar scent met her nose. Bear.
Both the bear’s and Lifen’s aroma intermingled and grew stronger with every step. Ryan’s ears perked up and his hackles rose down the length of his spine to the root of his tail. Jordan reared and Ana could see the terror reflected in his eyes. She stopped short so as not to get trampled by his large hooves and Derek bumped into her.
Ryan turned to look at them and instead of going straight toward Lifen’s scent, he moved up the mountainside while he continued north. Each of them walked single file behind him, ears erect and eyes scanning the terrain. They stopped just past a cluster of tall pines and Ryan stared down toward the lake’s edge.
Ana craned her neck in the same direction, searching for what he was looking at and then she found it—a piece of maroon fabric hanging from a branch midway up a tree that towered just above the bear’s den. Perfect.
How exactly did Lifen expect them to get to her shawl? And how were they going to do it without getting killed? Hopefully the mama bear had already tucked her cubs in for their long winter sleep and wouldn’t hear or smell them coming.
She glanced at her friends and they appeared to be having the same thoughts she was. Their disbelieving stares were evidence enough.
It was possible though. It had to be. Why would Lifen put it in a place with no possible way to get it down? Did she want them to fail? Ana chewed on that thought for a moment and shared a look with Ryan.
There was no way she’d let them fail. She didn’t care if Lifen believed in them or not, because Ana did. Not only that, she had to do this for Chance. If she had to force Lifen into a good mood just to request more healing lessons, she’d do it. This was going to happen.
Ana leapt through the snow and moved down the mountainside slow and steady. Ryan’s gray nose appeared beside hers. He kept sweeping his gaze from side to side, clearly in search of an angry mama bear. When they reached the bottom of the slope they stopped, although they didn’t have to wait long for Derek who was right on their heels. Jordan, however, had to switch back and forth since the grade was too steep for his large body. All together, they moved cautiously toward the tree that held their treasure.
They stood with their muzzles pointed into the air, staring at the maroon flag that hung high above them. If Ana were a bird it would be easy, but changing forms would break the rules. None of them had hands or claws to climb the tree.
What if Jordan stood under the tree and Ryan jumped onto his back? Could they reach it then? Ana visualized it and besides it looking comical and absurd, she didn’t think they’d have the height they’d need. Just out of reach. She scanned the area. Was there anything that could help them?
Then she saw it. The pale, gray trunk of a dead tree nearly ten feet away on the slope of the mountain. It could serve as a bridge if they could knock it down. She bounded through the snow to reach its base and stared up its length.
The others followed her over and waited for some sort of sign. How could she communicate her plan? She reached her paws up to Jordan’s front knee, making sure she had his attention and positioned her rear quarters to the trunk and kicked at it. His big brown eyes blinked at her and for a moment. She wasn’t sure if he’d understood what she was trying to tell him, but he pointed his body up the hill and measured his distance to the tree by reaching out his back leg. Ana realized she was in the wrong place and plunged through the snow to stand with Derek and Ryan, who were out of the way.
Jordan snorted and steam clouded the air in a swelling burst. His front quarters flexed and in a surge of power, his back legs fired out and impacted the trunk of the tree. A loud shot rang out and echoed across the lake. Ryan’s and Derek’s ears pinned down to their heads in reaction. It took Ana a minute to recover from the noise and then she remembered the tree. A serrated crack ran through the impact point and it tilted awkwardly toward the lake. It wouldn’t take much more to push it the rest of the way. Jordan surveyed the damage over his shoulder and kicked out again with both hooves, but not as hard this time. The narrow stalk of the dead pine snapped off and fell into the branches of the trees down the slope.
Although it landed close to the intended branch of the tree that held the shawl, it needed to be moved another four or five feet. As Ana considered the options, a noise broke the silence. A deep, rumbling groan.
A dark shape emerged from a mound in the snow between them and the foot of the lake. The grizzly’s long snout pointed at them and they remained stock still. Ana considered the situation. They weren’t actually in human form, although she wasn’t entirely sure they didn’t smell like humans as well as animals. She knew better than anyone that bears had superior olfactory senses. Last time they’d met mama bear, Ana had run straight at her with Ryan on her tail. The grizzly must have felt threatened, but if they stayed out of her way, then maybe she’d go back into her den. Or maybe she’d recognize their scents and she’d want the last word.
As quickly as Ana rolled her thoughts around, the bear appeared to do the same. Go back into her den with her cubs, or get rid of the freak show at her front door. She might have chosen the first option if she didn’t remember them, but apparently she did.
Mama bear rounded the embankment that was her home and rose up on her hind legs. Even twenty feet away and downhill, she was impressive. Ana glanced at her and then the maroon fabric in the tree. They were so close now. She didn’t want to leave.
Ryan edged down the hill, just in front of them. His hackles were up and his head down in an aggressive stance. He shot her a look over his shoulder as if to say, “What are you waiting for?” and she sprang to action. She evaluated the fallen trunk and knew it had to get moved, but worried Jordan was too powerful for the task so she turned to Derek, who was still staring at the bear. She rose up on her hind legs and touched her paw to his horns. His yellow eyes focused on her and she scampered to the gray tree shaft and placed her nose on the wood.
Derek dropped his head and Ana moved aside just as he came thundering into the trunk. His thick, curled horns rammed into the pine. Its end brushed along snow-covered branches and came to rest at the root of the limb that held the shawl.
The noise and movement seemed to agitate the grizzly. She made more deep noises that stirred in her chest and poured from her toothy maw. Ryan held his ground, like a valiant guard.
Ana studied the length of the fallen trunk and climbed onto the base. She knew she was small enough to do it, but she wasn’t entirely confident in her tight-rope skills. Her paws found footing, sure and steady, but it was icy and she didn’t want to fall. Halfway across, a wiry limb curled into the air, blocking her path. She reached her front right paw out and tried to wind around it, but lost her balance. Ana dropped off the beam and landed with a puff in the snow below. Frustrated and angry, she lifted her head up and shook off the white powder.
Movement from the bear drew her attention. It was getting closer to Ryan and all the while, making deep growling threats. They didn’t have the time for her mistake. Maybe they just needed to go and come back. She didn’t want Ryan to get injured or killed. It wasn’t worth it. She yelped.
In response, the wolf growled at her and advanced on the bear. She wished he wasn’t so pigheaded. Ana scrambled up the hill to the base of the fallen pine and tried blocking everything out. All she saw was the straight path to the shawl. It was waiting for her and all she had to do was go and get it. Step by step she eased along the trunk and when she got to the point where she’d fallen before, she kept on moving, not giving it another thought. Finally, she reached the end and looked at the maroon fabric that was dangling from the branch above her. She lifted onto her hind feet, felt the cloth brush against her muzzle and jumped up, snapping it between her teeth. When she didn’t fall like she’d expected, she realized the shawl was snagged on the branch.
Now what? What am I going to do? Panic set in. But her panic qui
ckly turned to anger. There was no way she’d let go now. Flailing her lower body, she started twisting and swinging, determined to get them out of there. Her abdomen flexed, she arched up and suddenly she was falling. Again her body landed in the soft snow and she was ecstatically happy. Her excitement turned to horror when she heard the howling.
Bright red painted the snow and Ryan’s front leg hung limp. The grizzly was preparing for another attack when a loud slap echoed across the valley and a pile of snow fell nearby. Ana didn’t stop to find out what it was. She ran to Ryan’s side, nudging him up the hill while the mama bear turned to find the origin of the noise. Another bang, but not as piercing, came from the opposite direction.
Ana lifted under Ryan’s injured leg and helped him up the hillside away from the grizzly. His weight pressed against her back and she braced her legs just in time, nearly getting pinned down. He struggled going up the steep slope. Once they dragged themselves to level ground, Ana expected to see the guys, but they weren’t there. She looked over her shoulder to see if they were being pursued by the bear, and was thankful to observe the bear had returned to her den. But that didn’t explain why Derek and Jordan weren’t there.
Ryan sat back on his haunches and sniffed his bloody leg. Ana returned her attention to him and tried to get a closer look at the damage that had been done. Her stomach turned at the sight of his wound. More than anything, she wanted to shift back to her human form to heal him. Her soft whimpers were dampened by the cloth hanging from her jaws.
She knew it wasn’t necessary. He’d be as good as new once he changed form, but it really bothered her to be so near an injury but unable to do anything about it. As if to put her concerns to rest, Ryan stood back onto all fours and took a few steps.
A neigh came from nearby and they both turned their heads to find Jordan coming from between the trees below them. Ana was only partially relieved. Where was Derek?
She did a one-eighty, searching the wilderness for his white fur and coiled horns. Movement caught her attention and she sighed in relief, which appeared as a plume of steam pouring from her snout. Derek leapt over a snow-covered rock and hurried to their side. His head tilted as his eyes focused on the wolf’s bloody leg.
All three of them stared at Ryan in silence. A question hung in the air. Would they be able to make it back now that they had the scarf?
He ignored the attention that was cast his way and limped forward. Ana knew every step he took had to kill, but he did it anyway. If there were a way to get him onto Jordan, then maybe they could get him home that way. No, she knew he’d never let Jordan carry him on his back. He had too much pride.
On the way there, he’d led the party with his muzzle in the air, tracking Lifen’s shawl, and now he took the lead again, but this time it was more like a funeral march: every step slow and tentative, painting the snow with a faint line of blood. He made it north along the lake, nearly to the latitude of the house, but once it was time to go uphill, his leg wouldn’t cooperate. Ana and Derek took turns giving him support, lifting up under the front of his body.
Finally, they reached the top of the bluff and the edge of the driveway. Lifen was waiting for them with a smile on her face. Ana might have immediately thought of herself if it weren’t for Ryan, but in that moment, she didn’t care how happy or proud their teacher was. She wanted to see her friend recovered.
Ryan stopped midway across the plowed drive and sat down. Lifen plucked his robe from the ground and brought it over to him, holding it open. He turned his head away and ignored her presence. Instead, he looked at Ana and lifted his leg.
She couldn’t believe it. He was seconds away from shifting back to human form and being healed and he wanted to give her the practice. Ana wasn’t the only one who was surprised by his actions.
“You want Ana to heal you, Ryan?” Lifen asked with her eyes wide.
Ana didn’t want him to wait any longer. She dropped the maroon shawl on the ground and raced across the driveway to her crumpled robe. She touched her snout to the fabric and considered shifting before anyone noticed, but Lifen hurried over and shook it out and held it up. Like going home again, Ana shifted back to her pink, fleshy form. The cold air nipped at her skin so she wrapped herself in the cloth and tied it tight.
Derek and Jordan took turns shifting back and slipping into their robes, but by that time Ana was already by Ryan’s side. She stood beside him and cleared her mind of the guys talking and just how cold she felt wrapped in wet fabric. Her yellow core glowed from within. She became aware of the energy within her as well as the power around her. The gray wolf pulsed with blue light and she stared at his wound.
With her hand out, she pushed her energy in a stream to him. When it connected, she felt a gentle tug and she visualized the corrected mapping. Before their eyes, the exposed flesh on his leg stitched back together and the fur grew back. The only sign of an injury was the blood that stained his pale fur.
Ryan stood up on all fours and licked Ana’s hand.
Ana laughed. “Ooh, gross. Seriously? There are better ways to say thank you!”
Lifen helped him with his robe and within seconds his blond hair poked up above the cloth. He tied it and stretched the arm that had been hurt. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
Ana walked up to him and gave him a hug. “Thank you, Ryan. You really didn’t have to go through all of that, but I appreciate it. Really.”
“What, we don’t get hugs?” Derek asked jokingly.
“Of course you do.” Ana gave both Jordan and Derek a hug too. “Thanks, guys—great job.”
“I am pleased with all of you,” Lifen said. “You worked as a team and you followed the rules even though one of you was injured.” She looked directly at Ryan. “I see much growth and I am happy.”
The guys all briefly glanced at Ana and gave her a nod. By helping her get Lifen into a good mood, they’d put their differences aside and helped each other. She was thankful for their friendship and hoped it would be enough to get what she needed from Lifen.
Chapter 19
Chance got off the bus and flung his backpack over his shoulder. He took a deep breath of the fresh pine scent and looked down the quiet street. It was nice being back in Clark Bend. He’d missed it.
It had taken a little work to backtrack to San Antonio to catch a bus to Idaho. He hadn’t seen any sign of Batukhan, not since he left him in police custody at the roadside truck stop. Hopefully that was a loud enough message that Chance didn’t want his help.
In a few minutes, he’d hopefully be reunited with Ana. He assumed she’d come home. After all, where else would she go? Chance wandered down the street and ducked into the bank. He searched the teller’s faces but couldn’t find who he was looking for.
“Excuse me, can I help you sir?” The receptionist asked a bit too brightly.
“I’m here for Melissa Hughes.”
The woman pressed her lips together and lifted her phone. “There’s a young man to see you.” She cupped her hand over the receiver. “What’s your name?”
“Chance.”
“Your last name?”
“Morgan.”
“A Mr. Chance Morgan is here to see you. Yes, okay.” The woman hung up the phone and pointed to an office door. “She said come on in.”
Without saying thanks, he breezed past her desk. Before he got to the door, Melissa emerged with a curious expression on her face.
“Hi, Chance. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. How’ve you been?”
“Okay. I got separated from Ana, but I’m back. Is she at the house?”
Melissa frowned and crossed her arms while she leaned against the door frame. “You haven’t talked to her then?”
Chance grew agitated. “Where is she?”
She took a moment responding, and when she did, it was clear and calm. “She took a job in Canada. Maybe you should try calling her first to see if she wants to see you. She seemed pretty upset when she visited—didn’t
want to talk about you.”
Her last comment stung and he clenched his fists instead of answering her. He forced a smile, which probably appeared like a grimace and muttered thanks before turning around and leaving the bank.
While the glass door closed behind him, he fished out his phone from his pocket and dialed Ana’s number. He didn’t really want to talk to her over the phone. He’d wanted to just see her and her loving glow. Now, he had no choice.
The call went straight to voicemail.
He cleared his throat and stammered, “Hey, Ana. I’m here in Clark Bend—thought I’d surprise you, but you’re not here.” He paused and closed his eyes. “I miss you, more than you know. Can you call me back? I want to see you.”
Chance slowly pulled the phone from his ear and hung up. Maybe she was screening her calls. What if she didn’t want to talk to him? After all, he had left her alone in Mexico without any explanation.
But she loved him. She had to understand why he abandoned her.
It didn’t matter. He’d find her and make her understand. Chance looked over his shoulder at some passing cars and thrust out his thumb.
After a minute, a sedan pulled aside and he jumped in. First he’d go home to repack and grab his truck.
Memories from the past rushed back to him as he walked down the gravel driveway. Melting snow lay in piles amongst the trees and it felt ten degrees colder in the shade on the mountain. For a reason he couldn’t explain, he grew anxious the closer he got to the house. It had been months since he’d been home and he couldn’t count how many weeks it’d been since he talked to his mom and dad.
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