Ranger's Legacy

by Vella Munn

  A funny thing about mountain climbing, Amber acknowledged as she placed one foot after another. The air up here was cooler, but she wasn’t cold since heading for the top took a lot of effort. Garret had been spot on when he’d told her that parts of the trail were quite steep. She was sweating, her legs burned, her back ached, and her hands were swollen, but, by damn, she wasn’t going to stop. Having Garret ahead of her as motivation and challenge factored in, but that wasn’t all.

  Evergreens were all around, the deep shade serving as constant reminder that she was wise to stay on the trail, but the last couple of times she’d looked up, she’d noted an increase in blue sky ahead. About a quarter of a mile back Garret had said that they were nearly through the forest. Before long they’d reach the high mountain lake where she’d be able to truly see what the Missions were about.

  That was what she wanted, a crystal-like lake with no sign that humans had ever been there. Maybe she’d spot the tracks of animals that drank there. She might see fish, birds, bugs. One or more mountaintops might be reflected in the water and she’d fully grasp what kind of country they were in. Share the experience of a lifetime with Garret.

  When he stepped to the side, it took her a moment to grasp that he wanted her to join him.

  “We only stopped to rest twice,” he said. “Did I push you too hard?”

  “I’ll tell you when I try to move tomorrow. You might have to carry me home.” Because he’d spoken in a near whisper, she did the same. Besides, the breeze and unseen birds were talking to her. She didn’t want them to stop.

  “What do you think so far?”

  She pressed her shoulder against his. “I love it.”

  “Spiders, mosquitos, and crawly things aside?”

  She’d run into a couple of spider webs, but because Garret had made sure she put on repellent, all she’d had to contend with was mosquitos’ irritating buzzing. She’d probably stepped on some bugs when ferns or shadowed places made it hard to see where her boots landed but surrendering herself to what the Missions offered left her with no mental room for anything else.

  “I saw a doe,” she said. “That makes everything worth it.”

  “There was a fawn with her.”

  “Why didn’t you point it out to me?”

  “Because I wanted to see how observant you are. Always assume that a doe has one or more fawns this time of the year. If she stares at you instead of taking off, that’s often a sign she has something to protect.”

  How much Garret knew! He’d already shown her the difference between elk and moose tracks, educated her about what constituted a wolf pack, and identified the different trees. Thanks to him she understood how interdependent the forest’s vegetation was, as well as winter’s impact on the life cycle of that vegetation.

  He’d spoken in quiet bursts interspersed with periods of silence during which he’d looked around. She’d done the same, tried to anyway, listened and inhaled. The experience sharply contrasted with how she’d felt when her mother hauled her to shopping centers. As a child she’d wanted to flee the noisy, bright malls with too much for her senses to absorb. In contrast, the wilderness seemed willing to reveal its secrets to those with the ability to respect it. Predators might be watching, but she wasn’t concerned about them, not with this man here to protect her.

  She shouldn’t want that, probably wouldn’t if they were in civilization, but even though there was a great deal she didn’t know about him, this was his world and she trusted him.

  “I wish I knew something about writing poetry,” she said. “I want to express things I don’t have the words for.”

  “When I bring people into the mountains, I tell them to open themselves up to what their senses are trying to tell them.”

  “Good advice.”

  “We’re getting close to the lookout tower. After we leave our packs there, we’ll head for the lake and fill our water bladders. Once we’ve done that, we’ll have several hours of daylight to look for bears.”

  Her stomach rumbled, but she understood the need to accomplish as much as possible while the sun was up. She hadn’t asked about the sleeping accommodations. They had separate sleeping bags, not the best for lovemaking.

  They’d make it work, she decided as she started following him again. Create a memory to last all their lives.

  At least hers.

  The interior of the lookout tower was small, but glass walls kept her from feeling claustrophobic. Dust, cobwebs, a cracked window and squeaky floor spoke to how long it had been since it had been used for anything except the kinds of activities that brought forest rangers here. Climbing the vertical steps had taxed every muscle in her arms and legs. She wasn’t a particular fan of heights so it had taken a few minutes before she’d felt comfortable looking at the view.

  This wasn’t just a vista, not simply a world of trees, mountains, and sky. The world in all directions was a beautiful gift. As she’d stood trying to take in the rich greens, dark browns, and awesome blue, she wondered if everything she’d done in life up to now had been in preparation for this moment. She felt insignificant next to the vast, perfect expanse, a speck. Grateful.

  “I’d do this,” she’d told Garret when she was done taking pictures of the interior. “Spend time here looking for smoke.”

  “Being alone wouldn’t bother you?”

  “I don’t think so because I’d take my job seriously. I’d be alert all the time, thinking about does and fawns, sows and cubs, determined to do what’s necessary to keep them safe.”

  “What if a fire was human-caused? How would you feel about that?”

  “I’d string them up and leave them for the buzzards.”

  “You’d have to first catch them.”

  “Not a problem.” She continued to study the exquisite scene. “I’d tell the local grizzlies to have at the bad guys. How’s this for revenge? The bears would run them down, gnaw off their feet, and let nature take over.”

  “No forgiveness in you?”

  “Not in this situation. Most humans can or should take care of themselves. Animals are something else. They need protection from two-legged idiots.”

  “Even grizzlies?”

  Garret might have intended his question to be a light one, but it got her to thinking. As they were making their way here, he’d told her things about bears she’d never considered. In the past grizzlies had been creatures she saw on TV or read about. Now she was looking down at their world and would soon go in search of one or more. This was real, part of the world wrapping its spell around her.

  The change wouldn’t have happened without Garret, a realization she both embraced and fought. She was losing herself to him.

  “I think I’d like to have a grizzly as my spirit.” Determined not to reveal too much of her revelation, she kept things light. “Not because I need protecting but because they’re an integral part of what you’ve brought me to.”

  “If that’s what you want, go for it.”

  Much as she liked hearing him say that, she couldn’t simply turn her declaration into reality. She needed to earn the creatures’ respect, to open herself up to them, if that was what she truly wanted.

  “Are we ready to do what we came here for?” she asked.

  “I was waiting for you to say that.”

  For the first time since climbing the tower’s steps, she looked at Garret. Without him she’d be hard pressed to find her way out of the Missions. She depended on him, not just for her well-being but her life. Perhaps even more important, he’d exposed her to his world. He was larger than life while she—“Thank you.”

  “For?”

  A little lightheaded with thoughts and emotions she couldn’t quite grasp, she pressed the flat of her hands against his chest and rose onto her toes so she could kiss his chin.

  “For being you.”

  “You might not always like me. I’m not perfect.”

  “No one is.”

  Garret mentally replayed Amber’s
words as he searched the ground and trees for sign of Betty and her cub or One Ear with her twins. Female grizzlies tended to stay in one area when their cubs were little, especially if they had a reliable water source. Since he’d been within a mile of High Lake when he’d come across this year’s youngsters, returning to the area had made sense.

  He thought Amber might ask why they didn’t wait until morning to go looking, but she apparently trusted his decisions. She’d change her mind if she knew his words had jeopardized his sisters’ lives.

  He’d been ready to remind her to be as quiet as possible and to have to slow his pace for someone not used to a strenuous hike, but she moved like a shadow. She’d acknowledged the rifle he’d use only if their lives were at stake with a somber nod.

  Amber’s life was in his hands, which in large part was why he was aware of each sound the forest made. He noted every time a branch or bush moved and breathed deeply so hopefully he’d have advanced notice if they got close to creatures capable of killing humans. She might see grizzlies as semi-sacred and a perfect choice for someone in need of a spirit animal but he’d seen a sow attack a male grizzly to protect her cub. The larger boar had fled the enraged female.

  He wanted her to see One Ear, Betty, or another female. Watching a massive boar through binoculars might be the thrill of a lifetime for her but she’d probably get even more excited if they spotted cubs. He’d told her the chances of snapping pictures of the creatures were close to zero but she’d brought along her digital camera. He hadn’t had time to show her his photographic collection and was looking forward to seeing her reaction.

  What did he mean, hadn’t had time? They’d had hours and hours together but had spent many of them having sex instead of deep conversations. Even now desire waited at the edge of his consciousness. Once it was dark, he’d start a fire in the small stove. He wouldn’t get rid of his clothes until she was naked and he’d stroked her into arousal because that might be the only way he could hold off.

  Pine needles crunched under his boots. Irritated, he shook himself free of as many carnal thoughts as possible. They were in a relatively open area not that it mattered since, unlike most animals, grizzlies had no need to hide. He stroked his rifle’s barrel while scanning left and right. Then, seeking an explanation for why the hairs at the back of his neck had lifted, he breathed deeply. A telling scent stopped him. Amber touched him. He inhaled again, wrinkling his nose as he did. In ways Amber might not notice, he cast off his human coat and became animal. He was tracking his prey, acutely aware that he was looking for the ultimate predator. Amber’s hand stayed on him. He slid forward.

  There. What he was looking for. He used the rifle to indicate a mound of bear scat.

  “Any idea how close the owner of this is?” she whispered.

  “It’s fresh.”

  She nodded and pressed her lips together. Agreeing to let her accompany him had been harder than he’d ever have to explain, and if her presence didn’t do the things it did to him, he’d have insisted she stay home. There’d been something about her request that had him a little off-balance. She didn’t just want to try to see a bear, she needed to. He understood her desire to prove herself. Hell, didn’t he have to remind himself of the goal every time he set out on a search? He knew better than most the how and ways something could go sideways and what having to deal with the aftermath of those sideways did to the searcher. Right or wrong, safe or dangerous, he was responsible for keeping Amber alive.

  A dark, unmoving mound.

  No matter that she’d stared at it for several minutes, Amber still couldn’t close her mouth. Her palms were damp, and she was shaking. Garret didn’t need to say a word. His body language and the tension surrounding him left her with no doubt that he’d located a grizzly. Judging by the size, she was pretty soon the mound belonged to a cub. Garret had explained that Betty had a single cub, but maybe this was one of One Ears’. Knowing the sows’ names added to the appeal, the excitement. Garret was familiar with them. He’d watched them for years, seen Betty age. Maybe the cubs all had the same father. She’d have to ask Garret about that, later.

  They were crouched behind a large bush, but she could keep an eye on the cub-mound. They might be safer if they were on their bellies, but Garret needed access to his binoculars and rifle. Besides, this way maybe they stood a chance of running away.

  No, outrunning a grizzly was a stupid notion. If she was concerned about safety, she wouldn’t be here.

  But she was. Damn it, she was.

  A faint woofing startled her. She clamped a hand over her mouth and stared at Garret who more closely resembled stone than a human being. He jerked his head up and down. Her mouth still open, she did the same. As tightly as she gripped her camera, she wondered if she’d crush it. What a shame that would be. All that hiking for nothing.

  No, not for nothing because she was looking at a sleeping bear cub.

  A second nod from Garret tore her attention from the rare creature. His finger over his mouth, he indicated something not far from the cub. She was almost afraid to look. Then a large and thankfully distant shape claimed her. As her heart searched for a way out of her chest, she acknowledged it was a fully grown grizzly. After taking several inadequate breaths, she accepted Garret’s binoculars. Even with her unsteady hands complicating matters, she managed to zero in on what today and maybe a lot more was about.

  The massive creature with claws capable of tearing a log apart and teeth designed for killing was heading for the cub. Her bulk rolled with every step and the way she carried her head made Amber wonder if it was too heavy. Thankfully the sow appeared to be intent on connecting with the now alert cub instead of the humans. Earlier Garret had explained that much of their safety depended on the wind’s direction. As long as it didn’t carry their scent to a bear, the animal with surprisingly weak eyesight might not know they were around.

  It would take nothing for the grizzly to kill them, she acknowledged as the impact of what she was seeing kicked into overdrive. Even if Garret managed to get off a shot, it might not stop the beast. What was she doing here? She belonged in Sweetheart with the deadbolt engaged, not cut off from the world.

  But she was here, watching a sow and cub touch noses. Seeing something only a handful of people ever did, life-changing.

  Because of Garret.

  She reluctantly returned the binoculars to Garret and took pictures as quickly as she could make her finger work. With the telephoto feature engaged, she might at least have proof of what she’d seen, but none of the shots would be worthy of inclusion in a nature magazine. It didn’t matter. Her family would be beyond impressed.

  “Betty,” Garret whispered.

  Although she wanted to know how he’d come to that conclusion, she didn’t risk catching Betty’s attention by speaking. With nearly the distance of a football field between them plus myriad bushes, the reality of the grizzlies’ presence faded a little. The bears were here all right, no longer front and center in her world. She could breathe without effort, and her heart now seemed content to remain in her chest. Sharp things dug into her knees and the damnable insects flitted around her. She was almost relieved when the hairy duo started up a slope away from them.

  “She’s looking good.” Garret held his voice at a whisper. “Pretty gray on the muzzle, which is how I recognized her. She hasn’t put on weight, but she won’t as long as she’s nursing. At least she hasn’t lost any muscle tone.”

  “You didn’t bring a camera. Don’t you need proof of how she’s doing?”

  “This comes first.” He indicated the rifle. “I figure I can use some of those you took.”

  “What am I, your assistant?”

  “Not yet but you have potential.”

  She’d wanted to have sex that night so she might someday boast about making love in a lookout tower, but the conditions were far from ideal, and she was exhausted. There was no bed, not even a mattress. Fortunately the built-in one in her sleeping bag look
ed promising. After a dinner of reconstituted stew, they crawled into their separate bags and fell asleep holding hands. She dreamed of bears, an endless loop of boulder-sized bodies.

  As soon as it got light, they went looking for One Ear but they’d found no sign of her by the time Garret announced they needed to start back. She thought he’d be disappointed by what he’d been able to accomplish, but he explained that grizzly spotting was far from a given.

  “I’ll have to bring you again,” he said as he helped her into her pack. “You’re good luck.”

  “Yeah, right. You’re just trying to get out of having to pay me for my tracking services.”

  “If I wrote you a check it might be misconstrued as something for services rendered in cheap motels. We’ll have to come up with an alternate form of payment. Any suggestions?”

  “You ask such difficult questions.” She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I could use a massage. Maybe two.”

  “I believe I can accommodate you.”

  She loved teasing with him, keeping things light even when surrounded by the vast unknown. He’d made it clear they needed to remain alert all the way down, and she fully intended to do that, but they didn’t need to be serious all the time.

  And she refused to add to his workload or take away from her sense of accomplishment by mentioning her run-in with Werner and Henry. Two days and a night alone with Garret was all she wanted to think about.

  Hopefully he felt the same way.

  Chapter Eleven

  “I know you called yesterday,” she told her mother the next morning. “But I was out of cell phone range.”

  “Couldn’t you have gotten in touch with me last night?”

  “Not really.” She smiled at Garret who’d just exited the shower. His hair and chest were wet, his towel riding low enough that his belly button was exposed.

  “Why not?”

  Because I was having sex with an amazing, amazing man.

  “It’s complicated.” She stifled a laugh when Garret smiled. “What did you call about?”