by Amber Boffin
Chapter Seven
Maggie had so many questions for Ted, whether he had seen the other backpack, any evidence of another person, but he had turned completely silent. He had reluctantly agreed to speak to the police after Adam insisted once more, although Maggie suspected he had done that in order to get rid of them.
She and Adam headed out toward the GPS point of Bella’s denning site. He expected it to be vacated and safe to visit. They hiked across the forest in a more or less straight line as far as that was possible, avoiding getting stuck in a beaver dam and some low, marshy cedar areas.
After an hour, the golden rays of the setting sun lit the forest floor under her feet. Each leaf seemed to have been meticulously chosen for its color and shape to fit perfectly in a pointillist puzzle, with many dots of color forming the image. It was a feast for the eyes. Red squirrels spiraled up the trees and across the path, only to freeze on the spot when she looked at them, playing a game of statues with her. As soon as she turned her head, she heard a shrill call, and off they went, their mouths full of seeds.
Maggie felt a sudden dip in her energy level. She reached back into a side pocket of her backpack for a bag of nuts she had stashed there for such occasions. She felt with her fingers for the almonds and hazelnuts—gone. She pulled the bag out. It had a few gnawed holes in it. Someone must have enjoyed it when she had left her bag on the forest floor earlier. She couldn’t blame the chipmunk…winter was just around the corner.
They arrived at a clearing covered in a thick moss blanket, surrounded by cedar trees. The bounciness of the moss under her painful feet was soothing and inviting. In the middle, a few rocks hid a dark hole.
Adam pointed to it with the pride of a father. “That’s her place. Don’t you think she really knows how to pick her den?”
“It’s really cozy. And so soft to play on.” Maggie touched the moss as she was about to sit down. “But a little damp all the same.”
The sun had set, and Maggie was eager to find her own den before dark. Moss was nice, but the prospect of the moisture cooling her down at night made her shiver. It was as if Adam had read her mind.
“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t want to camp on Bella’s territory, even though she might never use this place again—the pack likes coming back here now and then. They’re very territorial.” He waved at her. “This way.”
“Is it far?” Maggie asked in a small voice.
“No, look over there. That’s where I stayed when I spent time with Bella and her pups this spring. I couldn’t have come here with you there at the time. I didn’t know myself how she would react to my presence.”
“What would she have done?”
“Defend her pups aggressively with the help of her pack.”
“Didn’t you rear her? She must see you as part of her pack?”
“Yes, but I was careful to keep any other human interaction to a minimum, not to get her habituated to humans. It’s best for her if she’s afraid of them. I really don’t know how she’ll react to you. She isn’t an aggressive wolf, and her male isn’t either.”
Maggie was a little worried. “Do you think she’ll check us out tonight? I’d better zip up my tent well.”
Adam laughed. “You’ll be fine. Besides, I don’t think they’re around now. I didn’t see the ravens.”
What did they have to do with the wolves? She was too tired and cold to ask about it now.
They reached a flat stretch of ground.
“That’s for the fire pit. I’ll get some wood to get the fire going quickly. Why don’t you pick a spot to pitch your tent?” He disappeared out of sight.
Maggie had goose bumps at the idea of being alone at dusk…with a wolf pack nearby. She searched the ground for any evidence of his previous tent spot. The previous evening, she had been the only one to pitch a tent; Adam had hung a hammock across two trees. She wasn’t ready to sleep without the protection of the canvas around her—not that it was thick, but most animals seemed to respect it.
Adam had told her that when he stayed longer, he made a hut out of wood and leaves, but for one night, he didn’t feel the need. Unsure of how long they would stay here, Maggie pitched her tent on the side of the clearing and made sure to leave enough space for a long hut, in case Adam would build one this time. If he didn’t want his feet sticking out, it would have to be over two meters long, which left her with little room to play with if she wanted a piece of the flat area. The activity kept her mind off her rumbling tummy.
Adam was back with a pile of wood. In no time, he had a crackling fire going, exactly what Maggie needed to warm up her hands and feet. She stared into the flames. “Do you think Ted could have played a role in that man’s death? He really doesn’t want anyone around, and it might be drastic, but now I doubt people will want to stay at the cabin if this story gets out.”
Adam shook his head. “Why then would he say that there was a stone closing the door from the outside? And I’ve known him for years. He saved Bettie’s life when she got lost. She thought it would be just like walking in a British woodland; you always end up hitting a road.”
Maggie’s eyebrows rose incredulously, trying to picture the little old lady limping into the woods on her own. She must have been a lot younger at the time, but even so, Maggie would think twice before venturing on her own in bear country.
Adam continued, “Yes, berry picking. That was when they first arrived. She loves making jams… I know, it sounds naïve, but many people are naïve when it comes to hiking without a map and straight into the woods.”
“She was lucky. She could’ve ended up lost forever, like the recent case in the paper. It was unlike her to go out on her own, though.”
“She was initially with Arthur. They’d set up camp at a remote lake. She must’ve gotten bored with Arthur fishing all day, although she never said so. She said she wanted to walk around the lake to pick the blackberries for her special jam while he was on the water.”
“It’s so easy to get lost when you focus on a berry, then the next one…but it’s so unlike Arthur not to keep an eye on her all the time.”
“Exactly, so you’d better not speak to him about it. When he called me for help, it was the first time I witnessed him panic. He’s always calm, whatever the situation. He blamed himself. It was raining, and by that time she’d gone missing for two days. She could have died of hypothermia were it not for Ted finding her. Ted became Arthur’s hero.”
Bettie might not appear as charismatic as Arthur, but she was certainly running the show from backstage. Maggie had sensed their tight bond. “Did Arthur give Ted the radio to thank him?”
“Yes, Ted is on his own in the bush; that way we can get to him if he’s in trouble. That’s also why I check on him as much as possible. The cabin isn’t within the park’s boundaries. It was falling in disrepair, since trappers stopped using it over winter now that that line of business is no longer lucrative for them.”
“I’m glad about that, but what about the cabin? Who’s paying Ted to keep it up?”
“Arthur’s paying him, through me, as if it were funded by the Conservation Officers Association; he’d be too proud to receive the money otherwise.”
Maggie wondered why someone would choose to become a hermit. She would never be able to do so. She enjoyed human company, although she didn’t think she could be friends with everyone. She had been lucky to come across people with shared interests, but more importantly for whom the liking was mutual.
Ted didn’t seem an asocial person; perhaps he had been hurt by relationships? “Did Ted ever tell you why he chose to live like that?”
“You know…I don’t really know. Each time I ask him about his past, he gets angry, so I stopped asking.”
Maggie pulled the dinner out of her bag.
“No wonder you look tired. You’ve been carrying this pot of stew with you all the way. And without a leak.” Adam peered over her shoulder. “But really you didn—”
Maggie swung the
pot away from him. “Don’t tell me that it’s too much, otherwise you’ll go hungry.”
Adam took the pot from her, nearly capsizing it. “Oh, no. Now that I’ve seen it, I can’t wait to taste it and eat it fast before the bear gets a whiff of it.”
Adam laughed and placed the pan next to him out of reach of Maggie. On all fours, he blew into the fire. The warmth reached Maggie’s cheeks, and she shuffled closer to the fire. Once the sun had set, the air was cooling down fast.
A distant howl broke the silence. Her mouth dropped open. She had never heard such a profound, moving call before. It was beautiful, not frightening, as she thought it might be. “Adam, do you hear that?”
Adam stood up and put his hands to his mouth and howled in response. This time, not one, but several wolves replied. Adam looked down at Maggie. “You try.”
“How far are they?” asked Maggie, a little wary of the darkness creeping in and that she might be inviting a pack of wolves to her dinner with her call.
“Far, but getting closer.”
His mischievous grin didn’t give her a lot of confidence. “They know you. My call would sound foreign to them. What if they think I’m from another pack?”
“They might. But then again, you have to practice to sound like a wolf. They know the difference.”
“I won’t call. I don’t want them to see me as a contestant in their territory.”
Maggie was worried by another thought. It was one thing to attract Bella and her pack, Adam knew them well, but other wolves…
She was eager to eat her dinner…and hoist the food up a tree, dangling from a rope out of reach of all animals. “It must be hot enough to eat now.”
Having put the pan on the fire, Adam stretched out on an old blanket, resting his head on his hands, a smile still engraved in his face. Did he think she was being a bit of a city girl? One reason he had divorced his first wife was that she didn’t like being in the bush. They didn’t share the same passion for nature, and it had led to numerous fights.
The flame Maggie stared at changed into Brigit’s figure being lowered on the cable into his arms. Her fear was replaced by a tinge of jealousy that made her irritable. There’s nothing wrong with being cautious with wild animals. I’m not afraid, just careful.
Maggie handed Adam a spoon. He tucked into the warm stew as she wondered whether Brigit was a good cook.
“You’re not having any? You’d better have a bite now before I finish it. It’s really good.”
Maggie dipped her spoon in. She hardly tasted it; her mind was so busy with whether to ask him about Brigit. She feigned not remembering her name. “The doctor we saw today…”
“Brigit? You’d get on well with her.”
Maggie was a little surprised by the comment, although she had to admit that she did find her pleasant, were it not for the link with Adam. “Have you known her for a long time? I’ve never seen her around…”
“Only for a couple of months, why?”
“Just wondering…” Maggie felt her cheeks redden, unable to ask him whether she was his girlfriend. Adam smiled at her. She was being so childish. Perhaps she was mistaken, but she couldn’t help sense that they were attracted to each other, beyond a friendship. Maybe Brigit was the reason nothing happened between Maggie and Adam?
“Is she your girlfriend?”
He grumbled in what Maggie took as a confirmation. He didn’t seem to take the relationship seriously, maybe because it was a fling that couldn’t last? “Is she really going to Antarctica?”
“I think she will, although she always thinks the other candidates are better. She underestimates herself.”
“I guess. It can be a way to test one’s resilience and adaptation capacities. I wonder how they select the team to spend a year together—to prevent any incidents. It must be a bit like matching people on a dating site, only this time it’s to work and live together as a team…”
Adam poked the fire with a stick more than was required to keep it alive. “Look, you should ask her directly. She’ll be delighted to speak about it, I’m sure.” He stood up. “I’d better stow our food away. Is this all you’ve got?”
He pointed to the plastic bag filled with food next to Maggie. She nodded. Adam disappeared into the darkness. Maybe she had pushed a little too far with the questions about Antarctica. She felt bad; it wasn’t what a good friend would do.
That night, Maggie tossed and turned in her sleeping bag. She lay awake most of the night, thinking about Ted, the mysterious second backpack, and who was haunting the cabin. Adam’s rhythmic snore in the background reassured her.
She rose on her elbows, her heart pounding. Through the snoring, just next to her pillow, across the thin canvas, she was sure she heard something sniffing. She followed the sound with her eyes as it moved around her tent to its entrance. Not that she could see anything.
She stared at the entrance zip that she had left slightly open for air.
Chapter Eight
Maggie poked her head out of the tent after half an hour of stillness, aside from the occasional grunt coming from Adam. The fire was still glowing, and Adam wasn’t in the hammock as she had imagined, but sitting next to the fire instead, wrapped in a blanket with his head tilted forward. He must have been keeping an eye out and finally fell asleep.
If she’d known, she would have taken turns so that he could have slept. She carefully crawled out of her tent. The crisp early morning air woke her up. To test the outside temperature, she exhaled. A little puff of steam rose from her lips. The sun hadn’t risen yet, but it was already bright enough to see well.
She scanned the trees to find the food Adam had hung up for the night. She had an apple pie in mind for breakfast, if no one had gotten to it before her. She tried to be as quiet as a mouse, but as soon as she stood up, Adam raised his head.
“Rise and shine. Nice and early, that’s good. Did you sleep well?” he asked.
“Not really…although I heard you sleep.” She smiled.
“Was I that loud? Only for a bit, though.”
“You didn’t keep me up. I couldn’t switch my mind off, and then I heard sniffing around the tent, half an hour or so ago.”
Adam sprang up to his feet and marched around the tent. Without a word, he went to his backpack and mounted the antenna. “I can’t believe it I slept through it. Never happened to me before.”
He raised his hand when Maggie opened her mouth. A strange soft raa call, followed by the flapping of wings above her head, drew her attention.
“They’re here. Look.” He pointed to the black bird that had landed on the branch where the food was hanging.
“The crows?”
“No, this is a raven. And I recognize him, with one toe less. Bella’s pack is around.”
“How do you know that?”
“A pair of ravens and their offspring have been keeping watch on Bella and their pups, even pulling their tails. They cooperate, and now he’s warning her of our presence. You’ll see.”
Excitement ran through her body, heating it up. The worries and disappointments of the night before disappeared. She was ready to meet the famous Bella and her pack. She watched carefully how Adam set up the radio receiver. Holding her breath, she gazed at the antenna, wishing for a beep.
Adam walked around, pointing the antenna in different directions. Nothing yet. The raven flew up in the air and was joined by another that swooped down to take a closer look at them.
Maggie held her compass in her hand. They were heading north. It was unclear why Adam had chosen that direction, but she just followed quietly. He knew what he was doing. At the first beep, he stopped and held his antenna westward. The signal got stronger.
He whispered, “They’re close. Stay calm and don’t stare at them in the eyes, just watch and do what I say. Don’t run. Stay close to me.”
“I will. Do the ravens follow the wolves that just made a kill?” Maggie asked, not fond of the idea of intruding on their breakfast.
“Yes, but it can be the other way around. I’d like to change her collar and try to put one on one of the cubs now that they are fully grown.” He pulled out a new tracking collar from his pocket. “This is for the cub.”
Maggie felt her heart beat fast. He had told her she just needed to be herself, like she was with her two dogs, Beans and Carrot. It was easier said than done. She took a step back when she caught a glimpse of a wolf’s head only a few meters away. The eyes were so intense that she had felt compelled to stare into them. She looked away, then again carefully. She was being evaluated. There was no doubt about it.
Adam spoke softly, his Australian accent coming out. “Hey girl, no worries. It’s me, see.”
He was on his knees, the antenna put to one side. He put his hand out toward the animal. She elongated her neck and sniffed the air, always keeping her eyes on Maggie. Her tail was low, a good sign—Adam had warned what an aggressive posture would look like: tail up, hair up, and ears pricked.
“You look good…” Adam said to Maggie as if he were still speaking to Bella. “Did you see any other wolf?”
Maggie hadn’t looked around; she had been so transfixed by Bella. For all she knew, her pal might be behind her. She turned around, a little too abruptly. Bella vanished into the woods.
“Sorry.”
“No worries, but it’s best to keep your movement fluid and relaxed. She’ll be back. She wasn’t aggressive, that’s good.”
“She was staring at me…she was really close.”
Adam laughed as he sat on the ground. “Probably you were staring at her! She needs a little time.”
Maggie whispered, “Be–behind you.”
There, behind the tree, the black snout of a wolf was sniffing at Adam’s ponytail. He slowly turned around while speaking. Bella licked his face. Maggie held her breath.
She was big for her breed, closer to the size of a gray wolf. She was an Algonquin wolf, a unique endangered breed, the result of ancient crossbreeding between the gray wolf and the coyote. She had intelligent eyes, with a sharper look than a dog but in many ways very much like Beans and Carrot, a social animal.
