GoldenEars

by Jane H Wood

  Gradually his mind began to decipher the scene. It was then he saw them… golden lights shining just above the grey mass of bending shapes, while further ahead two dimmer lights hovered, merging with them and moving at the same speed.

  ‘GoldenEars!’ whispered Edmund.

  Without another word or backward glance, Edmund very slowly moved, although he wasn’t sure how he was managing it; but unprompted, his legs began taking small faltering steps towards the mist. Vaguely, he became aware of Josh screaming his name, but that didn’t matter. He was drawn towards the dancing shapes.

  In a fit of panic Josh tried to stand up, having witnessed Edmund disappear, like a door had closed firmly behind him. He gasped, his mind racing, but he was powerless to do anything.

  Inside the mist, Edmund came to an abrupt halt. He looked all around him; it was as though he was underwater in a swirling fog, for everything moved in a dreamy, lazy sort of way, as though gravity had no power there. His eyes searched the mist for the grey shapes.

  Ahead of him, walking into the distance… he spotted them, just a blurry mass, so small now that he began to panic, fearing he would lose them altogether. He took another step, cupping his hands to his mouth, and howled like a wolf. The shapes didn’t stop but kept on travelling in their same rhythmic swaying.

  ‘GoldenEars, GoldenEars! Wait…! It’s meee!’ he yelled, hanging onto the last note.

  Miraculously, the shapes halted, then turned to face him. His breath caught in his throat, hindering his ability to breathe properly while he waited for something to happen. Then a blurry shape moved effortlessly through the mass of grey and trotted towards him, closer and closer, until Edmund could see it was GoldenEars.

  Edmund was so relieved his friend was returning to him, and dropped to his knees as tears of joy rolled down his face. The wolf was there in front of him, licking his wet face, greeting him like only a good friend could, with love and understanding.

  ‘Oh, GoldenEars, how I’ve missed you!’ he said, throwing his arms around the wolf’s neck and burying his face in his fur.

  ‘You are my friend, boy. I will always be with you,’ said Kegg.

  Edmund released him as though he’d been stung, and scurried backwards in fright.

  ‘Don’t be alarmed! Yes, of course we can understand each other, but we haven’t much time. The mist will soon be gone. The sun is rising. I must lead my kinsfolk across to safety,’ said Kegg, bowing his head in a gentle manner.

  Edmund blinked in astonishment, staring wide-eyed at the beautiful wolf in front of him.

  ‘How can you…? How can we?’ he stuttered, gulping and trying to form some words. ‘Edmund, I’m Edmund,’ he managed to say, watching his wolf glance up at the sky. ‘Where, where are you all going? Will I ever see you again? My, my dearest friend.’ He choked, resuming his position next to GoldenEars. He was holding onto his neck with all his might, as if by doing so he would save himself from falling into a deep pit of despair.

  Kegg turned his head slowly and licked Edmund’s face.

  ‘My dear Edmund, my kith and kin need a place where they can live in safety away from persecution and hate, a place I am being led to by our ancestors, and so, in turn, I am leading my kin to a new land. I’m not sure if we shall ever see each other again, but I truly hope so,’ said the wolf sadly, and bowed low, although his golden eyes, beautiful like honey-coloured amber, remained fixed on Edmund’s face.

  ‘I am sorry it has come to this and you have to leave. But things will change. I’ll make people see you differently, with respect and affection. I will, GoldenEars! Then I will find you, bring you home where you belong,’ said Edmund passionately, and stood up. The tears had stopped now; his friend needed to go; time was running out.

  Pale rays of light had started to peep over the edge of the jagged vertical walls, creating soft diagonal lines along the craggy east-facing summit of its twin mountain.

  Kegg inclined his head in a gesture of farewell before turning briskly to join the waiting pack. Edmund was rooted to the spot, watching the mass of grey bodies continue their journey, growing fainter as they moved away. Then, too distraught to understand what he was doing, he took a few faltering steps backwards as the last shape disappeared and the mist dissolved into the air.

  Without realising it, Edmund sat on the cold hard stone and crossed his legs, his eyes squeezed tight against the pain of loss. He should be used to it by now, but this felt different, more intense, as though he’d suffered a huge bereavement. Would he even see his friend again? He sat there urging his sluggish brain to think, trying to grasp what his friend had told him. Time went by, and Edmund’s head lolled forward, and he fell fast asleep.

  There was a hush within the mountain, and morning drifted by. The sun continued to rise in the sky. It was almost overhead now, breaching the jagged summits and cascading sunlight down the vertical walls and onto the passageway floor far below. Dazzling sunbeams reflected off the rough ground, hitting Josh in the eyes, waking him with a jump.

  He’d also fallen asleep, and now hours later he found himself lying on the hard rock floor, his body sprawled awkwardly.

  He sat up slowly, feeling stiff and disorientated. But although he was awake, his brain refused to rationalise all he’d seen earlier. His mind slipped into denial; it was to be expected, he told himself, especially after the horrors of last night. His eyes fell on Edmund, sitting in the middle of the passageway, his head lolled forward in sleep.

  ‘Edmund,’ he mumbled, and scrambled to his feet, managing a few tentative steps.

  He stopped and gazed around him. It was amazing – the sheer walls, with the two jagged peaks directly overhead and the sky clearly visible in between them. But now, with the mist gone, everything looked normal. Sunshine lit the entire pathway, making the whole place almost pleasant, he thought, continuing to stumble towards Edmund, relieved that the boy was all right.

  ‘Hey! Am I glad to see you. Do you realise you nearly gave me a heart attack, running off like that?’

  Hearing his friend speaking in such an aggrieved tone brought Edmund out of his slumber. He shifted, seeing the young ranger approaching him, noting his expression changing into one of horror as he advanced.

  ‘My God! Be careful, you’re very near the edge. Look!’ Josh spluttered in astonishment, stopping a couple of yards away from him.

  In alarm, Edmund turned quickly, to discover that he was staring across a wide expanse of nothingness, where plunging vertically was the unfathomable blackness of a chasm.

  ‘Whoa! Wh, where did that come from?’ he gulped, scrambling to his feet and taking a hasty step backwards.

  ‘Wow. I see what you mean,’ said Josh, his voice shrill in disbelief. ‘Look, the ground ends along here in a sort of line, and then there’s a sheer drop into…’ He sidled close to his friend, releasing a low whistle of amazement while he stared into the void. ‘It’s so wide, maybe a hundred feet, and I can’t see the bottom; it’s so deep and appears to go on forever!’

  Edmund nodded, gawping at the open space stretching ahead of him.

  ‘Yes, but… how?’ He stopped, unable to make sense of it. Baffled, he turned to Josh but was met by the same puzzled expression mirrored in his own face.

  ‘Oh my God!’ said Josh aghast. ‘You’re damn lucky you didn’t walk any further…’

  He broke off, remembering the mist must have been floating over this spot when he saw Edmund vanish into it. He shook his head, unable to rationalise the conflicting information that his eyes and brain were telling him. No, he’d got it all wrong, it couldn’t be. He shivered, feeling unnerved by the place.

  ‘Let’s get out of here,’ he insisted, grabbing Edmund by the arm.

  Without a word they set off along the passageway. Edmund had assumed the lead. It gave him time to think, not having to walk alongside his friend and explain himself, or discuss
what had happened inside the mist. They progressed quickly through the passageway, heading back to their point of entry hours before.

  ‘Are you okay, Ed? What happened back there?’ asked Josh, drawing level with him.

  Edmund shrugged. He was thinking it over. He knew he would have to say something but wasn’t sure what the truth was anyway. Did he imagine it all? Perhaps it was just a dream. The whole night felt so unreal. He remembered the weird feeling when he made contact with the strange mist. But then, did it really happen? He knew he desperately wanted to see his friend again… and now he probably never would.

  ‘Ed! What’s the matter? We’re alive. Surely we should be happy about that,’ said Josh, playfully slapping him on the arm.

  ‘Yes, you’re right,’ Edmund replied, giving Josh a sideways glance. He felt choked, and took a deep breath before he trusted his voice to speak. ‘I hope Gus, Keith and Max are okay,’ he croaked, feeling strangely insular, and let his mind drift.

  ‘Yeah, me too,’ replied Josh, watching Edmund stride ahead of him again.

  Josh groaned dismissively, not expecting any further conversation from Edmund because it was obvious the ordeal had drained him, so he refrained the urge to ask any further questions. After all, getting out of this place took precedence over everything else. The pair strode on, concentrating on the ground again, carefully retracing their steps, because things looked different in the muted daylight.

  However, as they neared the end of the passageway the sunlight faded, the light too far away to penetrate more than a few feet inside the jagged summit. They were back in the vast chamber, where several hours ago they had squeezed through the narrow shelf of rock.

  They guessed it must be past midday, judging by the angle of the sun earlier and the time it had taken them to walk there.

  ‘Hey, this is so weird,’ commented Josh, relieving Edmund of their flashlight and flicking it on.

  Edmund didn’t answer. He had been dragging his heels, reluctant to leave the mountain, and slowly came to a standstill beside him. Josh tilted his head, catching the narrow sunbeams shining through the gap in the rocks that Edmund had spotted hours before. He moved to get a better view.

  ‘There’s the ledge you saw… just there,’ Josh said, pointing to a spot about forty feet off the ground. ‘Come on, we’ll have to climb up and hope we can get out, because the tunnel will only take us back to where we started.’

  He made his way up a sloping bank of rocks, stepping quickly and lightly from one perch to the next, advancing upwards, taking care to step on the larger sturdier rocks. Arriving onto the top of the ledge, he glanced back.

  ‘Come on, Edmund,’ he said, beckoning him with a wave of encouragement.

  Edmund nodded in response. He’d been watching Josh’s steady progress up the slope, and now it was his turn. Adjusting his footing he began the ascent, stepping carefully from one rock to the next, glancing nervously at the boulder high above him. It appeared to be separated from the solid structure of the mountain, as though it had recently broken off, its own weight securing it to the ledge. Above it, and balancing, was an avalanche waiting to happen, for a large volume of smaller rocks and scree rested, supporting each other, interlocking like a fragile jigsaw puzzle.

  Josh lingered briefly, watching his progress up the slope, choosing each footstep confidently. A gust of fresh air blew onto his face and, not waiting, he hurried through the narrow gap and outside into freedom. It was a relief to be out at last, and he leaned against the rock wall, enjoying the moment, his eyes closed, feeling the sunshine warm his whole body.

  Silently Edmund squeezed through the narrow opening and stood beside him. Josh sighed, contented, then opened his eyes to look at his young friend, but Edmund was already gaping at the sight in front of them.

  In the cold light of day, the devastation of the previous night revealed itself in all its hideous glory. The scene had completely changed from its uniformed rock formations and shrub lands with trees and a smattering of grasslands to a land torn apart. Forged in the ground lay a deep curving rift, coursing away from the base of the mountainous rock, only to be lost from view among the broken lands in the distance.

  On the air came the faint sound of a machine. They both listened, fearing it might be the mob returning in their search for the wolves. Josh unbuckled his rifle from his shoulder strap. Then to their relief a dot glinted in the sky, growing larger, until the familiar shape of the red and white rescue helicopter came into view.

  ‘Good ole Gus! He knew we’d get out. Come on, Edmund!’ called Josh, setting off down the rocky trail as quickly as he dared.

  Edmund was right behind him, but following less enthusiastically. Although he was pleased to be rescued, he was reluctant to leave this place knowing that his friend was somewhere nearby.

  30

  The young men arrived at the Huxforest Wildlife Reserve just as the last rays of sunlight slipped under the horizon. The helicopter had barely put down before Edmund and Josh had unbuckled their seat belts and jumped out. As soon as they landed, the pair set off briskly towards the main building in their eagerness to speak to Max.

  The clearing was cast in near darkness now that they were on the ground. The dark shapes of the fringing conifers appeared to suck the last of the light from the skies, effectively making the short distance they had to traverse precarious to navigate.

  Ahead, Edmund caught the glint of the stream reflecting the evening sky. He hurried on, choosing the most direct route, hardly slowing as he crossed the shallow stretch of water, stepping nimbly from one barely visible rocky perch to the next.

  Josh followed in his wake and eventually drew alongside him as they pushed open the double glass doors and entered the glare of the large observation room, expecting to see one of the rangers busy inside.

  ‘Where is everyone?’ asked Josh quizzically, dithering for a split second.

  He moved from the doorway and weaved past the empty tables and chairs arranged casually beside the café counter. He stood in front of the long viewing window and peered into the forest, wondering if Max or perhaps one of the rangers was still working outside.

  After the stuffy helicopter journey it felt pleasantly cool inside the room, and Edmund wandered further inside, relieved to be back. It was then that he caught the murmur of voices coming from the corridor to his right. He decided to investigate, guessing a meeting must be underway in one of the rooms.

  As he progressed, the voices grew in intensity, and it was evident by everyone’s tone that a heated argument was in full swing. The realisation made him feel uneasy because he knew that Max rarely lost his temper. He caught the occasional interruption from Gus, his familiar gruff voice irate about something.

  With growing apprehension, he listened at the door, baffled why everyone was so angry.

  ‘Hey Josh, they’re here! In Max’s office,’ he called, alerting his friend.

  The door suddenly opened in front of him.

  ‘Ah, Edmund!’ said Max, giving him a strained smile. ‘Where’s Josh?’ Then, spotting the young man hurrying towards them, continued, ‘I’m glad you’re both all right, but I’m afraid the police are here.’ Max paused, giving them a meaningful look. ‘Sergeant Bob Sykes is questioning Gus and Keith in connection with the deaths of those two men—’

  A chair scraped against the hard floor, halting Max in mid-sentence as a large figure ambled towards the open door. The policeman stopped and eyed them sternly.

  ‘Two more rangers, I see. Come in, boys. I have some questions for you too.’

  Bob returned to his seat. Max gave them both a guarded glance and reluctantly ushered them into his office.

  Edmund groaned inwardly as he walked inside, because with the police there any thought of disclosing what he’d seen earlier would be a bad idea. He could feel the tension heavy in the air as they took their seats. He felt unwilli
ng to partake in a series of probing questions.

  ‘There’s no need to bother these two because they weren’t around at the time of the accident,’ said Gus forcefully.

  Bob turned quickly in his chair. ‘Oh, is that right? Well, where were you when all this was going on?’

  Josh took a sideways glance at Edmund, reluctant to speak first. But his friend remained quiet, his eyes downcast. Josh cleared his throat and made a hesitant start.

  ‘Um, we, I mean I, was further away and didn’t see what happened,’ he answered truthfully, rubbing his tired eyes.

  Bob made a sound in his throat like a grunt. ‘Oh yeah? Wolves, that’s it. You lot were protecting them. Maybe you were getting a little carried away with it too!’

  Keith interrupted him, his tone irritable. ‘We’ve already told you a dozen times that we did everything possible to persuade the mob to turn back. The wolves were vocal for a time and an earthquake was happening too. The men seemed to go mental and wouldn’t listen to reason. Their deaths were tragic but not our fault!’ He spat out the last few words, rising in his chair as he spoke.

  Everyone went quiet, the tension electric in the room.

  ‘Well, maybe not,’ said Bob slowly. ‘But I’ll be talking to everyone present on that day, and we’ll see who’s to blame.’ He gave a curt nod to his constable standing beside the closed door.

  ‘Look, my two young rangers are very tired,’ interjected Max. ‘So, if there are no more questions, perhaps they can retire?’

  Bob thought for a long second. ‘You must have seen the wolves,’ he said, addressing no one in particular. ‘Where are they now?’ He turned a bloodshot eye on Edmund.

  His mouth went dry under the policeman’s direct and prolonged gaze.

  ‘No! We never saw the wolves, and I’ve no idea where they are.’

  The statement hung in the air, and Edmund swallowed nervously.