GoldenEars

by Jane H Wood

  ‘You are right as always, my dear, Gower can live, but he knows what a snivelling coward he is. I will not be responsible for his death. He is not worthy of my touch,’ he snorted with disgust, staring into Gower’s frightened eyes. ‘Some other force will decide your fate.’

  Brack and Lantern had stayed hidden in the bushes, watching. They’d seen many wolf fights, usually concluding with the victory of the alpha male. There was no doubt Joel was the superior individual here, even though he hadn’t killed Gower.

  High up the mountain two wolves crouched, their heads peeping over the ledge, watching quietly from their position of safety. It was Borrin, and the female Silver who had followed to join Gower. They both shivered, recognising the indisputable defeat of their leader; and that Gower was allowed to live only added to his shame. Silently the pair edged backwards and turned to hide themselves in the narrow passageways of the caves. There was no way they were going to make their presence known.

  Unnoticed, Kegg had left his family. His brother had been screaming in his ears to move. Slipping away, he climbed up a rocky trail to where an area of rock levelled, like a platform. It jutted clear of the mountainside, enabling him to stand and survey the wilderness.

  He felt safe here, and sat down. All was quiet, even the wind had subsided, leaving a sense of expectancy hanging in the air. Kegg became aware of his family gazing up at him, their puzzled faces full of wonder.

  With head held high, he peered into the darkness, where in the distance he could discern the unmistakable movements of wolves heading purposefully in his direction.

  They arrived in small groups, having journeyed from the hillsides and forests. The newcomers paused, then bowed respectfully at Joel and Mira. Joel regarded them briefly before returning a nod of acceptance.

  With a calmness, Kegg gazed into the dark sky, noticing stars twinkling and the brief glimpses of moonlight touching the land. He smiled, witnessing each new arrival, their numbers swelling, as the minutes passed.

  Joel was baffled by what was happening; he didn’t understand what this was all about and was growing impatient.

  ‘What’s he doing up there? Shall I go and fetch him?’ he asked, completely perplexed by his son’s bizarre behaviour.

  Mira nuzzled the side of his face affectionately before she spoke.

  ‘No, we should leave him, Joel. He’s in one of his trance-like states. We will wait. Something is going to happen,’ she answered, her voice trembling with a mixture of excitement and anxiety.

  The smell of a familiar wolf drifted on the air, and Joel turned to see Thorn arriving with his pack, though it didn’t escape his notice that Thorn’s pack had diminished by several members. The alpha wolf inclined his head slightly, acknowledging Joel with his family.

  ‘What is this about? Why have we been summoned?’ the wolf asked, though his voice sounded more anxious than annoyed. Joel nodded in polite recognition, but he didn’t have an answer. Thorn flicked his ears in response, seeming satisfied that Joel knew as much as himself.

  He glanced up at Kegg briefly before looking back the way they’d come. He was concerned for his beta wolf Gallock who’d bravely volunteered to retrace their steps in the hope of finding his lost daughter, Cinders. But there was no sign of them; maybe they hadn’t made it, he thought bitterly, returning his attention to the lone wolf, standing high on the platform above them.

  By this time Kegg had returned to a standing position, his eyes fixed towards the east. Every wolf turned expectantly, but only the darkness met their gaze.

  But then a faint sound met their ears, an unnatural, continuous whining drifting on the air, growing in volume, yet the cause remained invisible to their eyes. Kegg licked his lips in growing anxiety and glanced down at the assembled wolves watching him so earnestly.

  They are relying on me, he thought, as an overwhelming feeling of foreboding stirred in his stomach.

  ‘Hold fast, my brother, I am with you. Trust me and all will be well,’ said Glyth’s soft, whispering voice. Only Kegg could hear his brother and, comforted, he nodded his understanding.

  28

  Less than a quarter of a mile away, unbeknown to the wolves, the rangers were advancing on foot, heading for the featureless rock formation standing proud against the night skies.

  ‘What is that sound?’ asked Edmund, a hint of dread in his voice.

  Gus held up a hand, bringing everyone to a halt.

  ‘Sounds like motorcycles, and lots of them, seemingly heading this way,’ he said, looking meaningfully at his three rangers.

  Keith nodded. ‘I agree, we should make a stand here. There’s lots of cover; we can hold them off.’

  ‘We must avoid any bloodshed,’ retorted Gus, interrupting him.

  Keith held his rifle loosely in front of him and gave a slight shrug. ‘Okay… What do you propose we do?’

  ‘We must try persuasion first, convince the men there’s nothing for them here. I know we heard a wolf howling a while ago, but they’ll be long gone by now, won’t they? And we can honestly say that we haven’t seen a single one.’

  Gus was well aware of his responsibilities towards his men. They were grossly outnumbered if Max’s prediction was correct. If things deteriorated and their situation became untenable he wouldn’t hesitate to let the mob pass.

  Edmund stared at the mass of rocks all around them, black and inhospitable, knowing he needed to be high, somewhere elevated where he could scan the landscape. He strode towards the nearest rock formation and began to climb slowly, searching for every hand and foothold in the descending gloom. Finally, scrambling on all fours, he arrived at the top. Standing, he scoured the landscape, searching for a glimmer of movement that could identify a wolf.

  ‘Gus, the wolves have to be here. They have to!’ he wailed, looking down at the senior ranger.

  Gus let out a sigh of frustration. ‘Okay, Edmund, keep looking!’

  He turned to Keith and Josh, issuing an order to collect some firewood.

  ‘These will flare up a treat, Gus!’ called Josh, walking back, his arms laden with dry sticks. ‘But are you sure you want a fire?’

  Gus hurried over to him, as the young ranger was dropping the sticks in a rough pile on the ground.

  ‘We need to be seen… I want those men lured here, not slipping past us unnoticed.’ He paused, as though another thought had occurred to him.

  ‘If those wolves are ahead of us, we need to give them a chance to get away. I don’t want any bloodshed on either side, so the longer we delay the mob the better for your wolves,’ said Gus pointedly, directing the latter part of his sentence towards Edmund perched high on the boulder.

  Hearing Gus saying something positive about protecting the wolves appeased Edmund’s growing frustrations. Although, if the mob weren’t willing to comply, he knew there would be trouble, and they had to avoid that at all costs.

  From the top of his rocky perch he watched the rangers tend the fire, encouraging the already substantial flames by adding even more of the dry brittle sticks that Josh had found.

  However, it wasn’t the only light in the blackness of the wilderness, because the moon reappeared, shining in between the scudding clouds, giving an occasional tantalising glimpse of the mountains and surrounding area. Edmund stared, intrigued, noting the shifting light playing tricks and distorting the perception of distance.

  They were so close to the mountain now and his eyes drifted up the sheer rock face. He gazed, amazed by the massive size of the mountain towering over him.

  A movement drew his attention; something was on the ground ahead of them. He strained to see, finally squinting, trying to make sense of the shapes. In the pale moonlight he caught a glimpse of wolves… lots of wolves… grouped beside some rocks… just sitting there.

  He was about to call out when the whining of straining engines drifted on the air, close
r than before. Edmund spun round, searching for Gus, his heart pounding, wondering if they’d heard them.

  The three rangers were all too aware the mob were closing in, and were ready.

  ‘They’ll be here soon,’ confirmed Gus, picking up his flashlight to signal to Josh and Keith. ‘Make a skirmish line, twenty feet apart, along here,’ he instructed.

  Edmund crouched where he was, and watched. Keith bent down to pick up a flaming branch from the fire, walked a few paces past Josh and dropped it on the ground in front of him.

  They didn’t have long to wait before a row of lights came into view, still far away in the distance. Tiny single beams, bobbing and weaving over the rough terrain, on track for a clash they were hoping to avoid.

  ‘Motorbikes!’ hissed Keith out of the corner of his mouth.

  Josh gave a grunt in response as both men stood fast, their weapons held against their shoulders, aiming the long barrels towards the advancing mob.

  Edmund hesitated, wondering if he should jump down and join them, but Gus hadn’t given him a rifle, not that he’d learnt how to shoot anyway. Although he was unarmed he had the advantage of being high off the ground, and Gus needed to know the whereabouts of the wolves.

  ‘Gus! Over there!’ Edmund said in a strained voice, pointing straight ahead. ‘There are wolves, lots of wolves! What shall we do?’

  ‘Stay there, Edmund! Keep watch!’ ordered Gus, then paused briefly, before adding, almost as an afterthought, ‘Keep out of sight!’

  Before anyone could act, a low moaning, almost like a sigh, moved deep inside the earth, causing a slight shudder underfoot. Edmund gasped, feeling it vibrate through the whole rock formation. He crouched down, his hands searching for support, although still determined to keep vigil on the wolves as best he could.

  The disturbance only lasted for a few seconds, but it was enough to unnerve the wolves, many darting erratically back and forth. The smell of their enemy drifted on the breeze, adding to their fear as every fibre of their being urged them to run.

  ‘Keep still! Wait… all of you!’ howled Joel, trying to calm the large pack of thirty or so wolves behind him.

  Glyth whispered, ‘It’s time, brother!’

  Not waiting any longer, Kegg lifted his muzzle to the skies and howled… an incessant, haunting single note. And as the intensity of his song increased, so both his ears stood erect, and fluttering on their tips were the fine golden hairs, clustering together, touching, fusing. It was then that a golden light began to glow on the tips of each ear, small at first, then growing brighter and brighter. Until, like a beacon, they shined all around his head, illuminating the surrounding area and the nearby rock face of the blue mountain.

  The wolves shifted restlessly as an infectious fear rippled through the pack.

  ‘Be still!’ ordered Joel, exerting his dominance. ‘Wait… He is my son and will not harm any of you!’

  Edmund was standing again, straining to see what was happening.

  ‘Gus! It’s GoldenEars! I can see him… That light, do you see it?’ he shouted, astounded by the spectacle. Unable to tear his eyes away, as if pinned there, mesmerised, his body trembled uncontrollably.

  Kegg stopped his eerie howling and quickly climbed down from his rocky platform.

  ‘I can’t see him anymore, just a light moving over there!’ called Edmund, trying to keep up a running commentary.

  ‘Keep down, Edmund! The men will be here at any moment,’ came the gruff reply. Gus sounded rattled but adamant.

  Edmund was still standing on top of his rocky boulder, scanning past the glow of the flames and into the dark terrain. It was then that he saw the growing lights making their erratic progress towards them. His focus switched to the rangers standing in a line as if marking a boundary, their rifles poised at their shoulders, ready to fire.

  In a flurry of dust and stones, a large group of bike riders skidded to a halt in front of the three rangers.

  ‘Go back! There’s nothing for you here!’ shouted Gus before the group had barely come to a halt.

  ‘There are fifty men following us! And we want those wolves dead!’ sneered the leading rider.

  ‘Yeah! You can’t stop us, Ranger, so move out of the way or we’ll run you down!’ jeered another man, revving his engine in an attempt to intimidate the three rangers blocking their way.

  Edmund listened as an angry verbal exchange took place. Gus was having none of their nonsense and fired his rifle into the air showing he meant business. He continued to speak in his deep authoritative voice, a voice that always sent shivers down Edmund’s spine whenever the ranger took that tone with him. Unperturbed by the men’s hostilities, Gus took a bold step forward. His two rangers matched his stride while keeping their rifles trained on the group of men.

  Gus wisely changed tactics, now trying to calm the situation, fully realising it was only a matter of time before the men forced their way past them.

  While everyone’s attentions were elsewhere, the vibrations had resumed deep underground, growing imperceptibly, unnoticed by the angry mob and the three rangers blocking their path. Edmund only had time to blink and adjust his footing before the full force of nature was unleashed.

  The noise was suddenly deafening, terrifying, and the vibrations impossible to ignore as the rumbling reached a crescendo, catapulting an underground surge so violent that the earth was gouged apart in a jagged unrelenting line, radiating outwards from the base of the blue mountain. Unstoppable, it continued, rupturing the surface with a high-pitched resonating crack, dislodging rocks and uprooting trees in its path.

  ‘What’s happening?!’ screamed Edmund, falling onto his back, his hands groping either side of him for the slightest leverage as the boulder trembled violently.

  He gulped a breath, trying to roll onto his stomach as the ground moved, shaking everything on the surface as though they were mere toys.

  Then, as though nothing had happened, the air fell silent and the land stilled.

  A deep curving rift had opened in the ground, roughly twenty feet across at its widest point, snaking across the land, blocking the humans’ advance. But the moon remained stubbornly hidden behind the clouds, and in the darkness the danger wasn’t apparent to human eyes.

  On the other side of the rift, and with the mountain at their backs, the wolves were trapped. Panic brought on a frenzied bout of howling. The pack was in total disarray, turning, searching for a route that would take them to safety.

  ‘Be still, all of you!’ Kegg howled, surveying their frightened faces. ‘We will take you all to safety. But you must follow exactly where I walk!’ he instructed, glancing at his family with a smile of encouragement. Then, with head held high and ears shining a comforting golden glow, he headed straight for the impenetrable black rock of the mountain.

  ‘Follow us quickly and keep together,’ he urged. Although his voice was low, everyone could hear the confident authority in the young adult wolf as he weaved his way through their broken lands.

  Floating in mid-air just above him was a vague mist, with two small yellow lights shining from the top of the indefinable shape. However, as Skeena stared, the pale ghostly shape took form, barely distinguishable to anyone else, but she recognised who it was.

  ‘Oh Father, Mother, it’s Glyth; he’s here with us. Look!’ she howled, her eyes moist with wonder and love for her lost brother.

  Following at the back of the pack stumbled Brack and Lantern, and creeping in the darkness far behind them all was Borrin. He didn’t want to stay in the wilderness with Gower and Silver. Terrified as the land fell around him, and with the thought of humans waiting to kill him, he crept after the departing pack.

  Now the ground had stilled, Edmund was able to regain his footing. He stared at the scene, panicked… GoldenEars was leaving! They all were! Where are they going? His mind whirling, he clambered down the bou
lder, nearly falling in his haste.

  ‘Gus! GoldenEars is going!’ he yelled. ‘I must follow him!’

  Not waiting for a reply, he was already on the move, running like a thing possessed. The lights from his wolf were bobbing away, growing fainter and fainter.

  ‘GoldenEars!’ yelled Edmund, cupping his hands to amplify his voice. He raced on blindly, tripping and stumbling, unable to see where his feet were treading, intent on reaching his friend.

  Far behind him came the tumult of angry voices and the harsh whining as bikes were revved impatiently, as the unruly mob attempted to intimidate the rangers in to abandoning their positions. Rapid gunshots rang out, fired by whom he didn’t know or care. His heart was pounding in his ears as he ran, but he forced himself to stop and glance back. Then he felt the air shift beside his left ear. Shocked, he realised he was being fired at. A second later, Gus’s voice boomed in the night.

  Edmund turned away again and was sprinting through the darkness. He could hardly see the golden lights ahead of him anymore, and he urged his legs to go faster. Gus’s voice could still be heard, arguing with the men as they tried to force their way through. Edmund wasn’t sure what the situation was behind him, he only knew that preventing the slaughter of the wolves was paramount, he would protect them… somehow.

  Gus was stubborn and wasn’t going to make it easy, but the odds were stacked against them. In a surge of acceleration the mob swerved past, firing their weapons in some sort of perverse victory, not caring what they might hit.

  Almost immediately came the screech of tyres, followed by a huge explosion as metal ploughed into metal with tremendous force, sending a fireball spiralling skywards, spitting smoke and metal fragments high into the air.

  Gus turned in a heartbeat, stunned by the suddenness of the accident, just as the screams began. The roar of the flames mixed with the tortured cries spurred him into action.

  ‘Help them!’ he boomed, running forward with a blanket held at face height.