The Woods are Calling

THE WOODS ARE CALLING

Smell is the strongest of my senses, stronger even than sight. Usually, I smell a fire before I see any smoke. I cultivated that skill for my job in the towers, for it works well as an early-warning system. When my nose tingles, I snatch my binoculars to pinpoint the location. Fortunately, this summer, things had been undisturbed.

I propped my feet up on the low table I’d strung together from the branches of a felled cedar and drew a deep breath of contentment. Today was an exceptional day. Smells were fresh and crisp, full of the evergreen scent I never wearied of. The colors of the forest stood out in crisp, clean lines. The dark green of the firs, the yellow tinges of the autumn aspen, the blue of the sky, all resembled a vast mural painted solely for my benefit.

The pleasant temperature announced fall’s arrival, and the dry weather meant the park overflowed as tourists took advantage of one of the last good weekends for a getaway. The passing hours meant scores of campfires for coffee, fresh-caught fish frying in iron skillets, hot dogs, hamburgers, and the inevitable smores—all the smells fires should be producing. It was time for my legs to hit the floor and focus the binoculars on the three hundred degrees of windows of the room.

As a seasoned lookout, I easily discerned the difference between a well-behaved campfire and one out of control. For the hundredth time, I wished the Forest Service could mandate a class on managing campfires before the campers were allowed to create them.

My mental timer always wakes me to do the first glass check of the day. Felix, a dedicated volunteer who comes to help on busy camping weekends, was also due in a few minutes. He would stay most of the day and take over the lookout duties while I visited the park campsites and greeted the newcomers. His companionship over the last four years had been a bright spot in an otherwise lonely job. I was coming to rely on him more and more, especially for climbing the ladder laden with buckets of water and slings of firewood.

I caught a blur of white as I rotated the binoculars. As quickly as I reversed my direction, it was gone.

Again.

White smoke was not a concern, but a moving blur of white in the green forest intrigued me. It had appeared and disappeared in the same area now for several days. Today, I planned to keep an extra eye out to see if I could uncover the mystery.

“I’m watching you.” I told the blur. “I’ll find out what you are.”

I heard the clump of Felix’s boots on the ladder. He brought me two ham and cheese sandwiches, a welcome change from the beef jerky I had been snacking on.

“I just saw the white blur again,” I said. “Did you by any chance see anything on your way in?”

“No,” he shook his head. “It only shows for you, Bernie, or you are the only one able to see it. You haven’t figured it out yet?” He put the heavy pail of fresh water over by the stove and poured himself a cup of coffee.

“No, and it’s bugging me. I can’t think of any all-white animal, especially this time of year, and it moves too fast to be a human. It’s like it knows when I’m glassing and takes off before I can identify it. Something is playing hide and seek with me.”

“Well, maybe you will see it while you’re making your rounds of the campsites.”

“Maybe,” I said. “By the way, while you are monitoring things, check the clouds coming in from the west. The station is asking for a weather report.”

“Will do, boss.” He saluted me as I started down the ladder.

I hadn’t been long on the park’s path to the campgrounds when I shivered, and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I glanced over my shoulder. Someone—or something — was following me. I stopped and listened for any movement and narrowed my eyes, searching the trees. There! A blur of white just off to my left. It seemed to parallel my trajectory without coming closer. The density of the trees prevented a full view, but the white stood out and matched my pace as I sped up. My relief knew no bounds when the first campground appeared. I lingered there quite a while, chatting with the campers and reminding them to make sure their fires were completely out when they left.

Nervously, I moved back out onto the hiking path to the next campground. This time, nothing appeared to worry me. I visited all five camping sites before heading back to the tower. I whistled as I walked, hoping to discourage anything or anyone from surprising me.

My head was down, watching for wayward roots and stones on the path when I heard a sound. I lifted my head and stopped cold. A large white wolf sat placidly on the large stone that formed the base of the tower steps. I stared at him while I casually dropped my right hand to my belt.

“You won’t need that. I’m not going to attack you.” A raspy male voice sounded in my head. My eyes bulged, and I took a step back. Where had that come from?

The wolf continued to sit quietly, blocking my entrance to the tower. I looked upward to see if Felix was looking down. He wasn’t.

“Wh-at?” I sputtered.

“I know you have a gun, and you know how to use it, even though you never have.”

I ran my left hand through my cropped hair. “I’m hallucinating! Wolves can’t talk.”

He swished his tail. “Some of us do. It’s magic, of course.”

“Oh, of course,” I echoed. “Why didn’t I think of that?” Should I holler for Felix? “Uh, is that why you are white, too? I know you’re not an Arctic wolf, and you aren’t albino either. I’ve never seen a white wolf this far south.”

“You got it.”

I licked my lips. “So, uh, why are you here, talking to me?”

“I’ve been watching you for a while and decided I wanted to meet you. You have a wolf’s heart, you know.”

“I beg your pardon?”

The creature grinned, exposing some fierce teeth. I backed up a step. “I think you understand when I say you have a wolf’s heart, but we will talk about it later. I need to go now, but I’ll be back.”

He strolled away, his bushy white tail swishing slowly back and forth. After a moment, he twisted his head back in my direction. “By the way, I wouldn’t tell Felix you talked to me if I were you.”

He knows about Felix? “Why not?” I asked.

“Because he’ll think you’re crazy.”

Maybe I am.

***

That night, I barely slept, thinking about the bizarre event I wasn’t even sure was real. He said he’d been watching me for a while. I shuddered as I thought about that and went to the window. Was he watching me now? No fires flickered from the campsites. All the tourists had obeyed the ten o’clock curfew. Once in a while, a flashlight lit the path to the public bathrooms, but otherwise all was quiet. I turned the binoculars onto the grounds immediately below the tower, but saw nothing.

Sighing, I poured a cup of coffee; then gagged and spewed it out. Cold. I had forgotten to put more wood on the fire. Questions kept repeating themselves as I paced. Why would a wolf watch me? And what did the wolf mean when he said I had a wolf’s heart?

Monday came with the clouds that had hung back the day before. Dust from the park road showed the campers moving on. Few campers checked in at the week’s beginning, so between the lack of sunshine, people, and Felix, the day would be long and dreary.

By midmorning, my nerves were frazzled. I decided I would walk through the park and inspect the campgrounds for trash and forgotten belongings. The clouds were high, so the likelihood of rain was poor at present. Nature, however, could toss a coin and change everything.

As I walked, I noticed the white form moving from between the trees to join me on the wide path. He padded silently for a few minutes before saying, “I guess I should introduce myself. I came on kind of strong and unexpectedly yesterday, I’m afraid.”

“Yeah, just a little,” I retorted.

“Well, as a rule, we don’t have names in my pack, but you can call me Snow.”

“That would be for the white, I imagine.”

“I knew you were intelligent.”

I swear he sneered.

“You take your duties seriously, don’t you? I like that,” he growled. “I like that you care for the forest and its occupants the way you do. You’re dependable, unlike many humans I’ve seen. They call you Bernie, don’t they—those you work with?”

“That’s right. How do you know so much about me?” I asked.

“Campers talk.”

“You are scary. Why do you want to know about me?”

“Humph. I don’t think you’re very frightened, or you wouldn’t still be walking beside me right now. You’ve got courage, too. You’re not afraid to take on any job, and you never complain. I know you are a woman too. Although you try to keep it a secret.”

My heart skipped a beat. He was right. I had to pretend to be male to get hired as a tower ranger. The Forest Service had originally thought the job was too hard for a woman. I decided to ignore his statement. “Are you ever going to tell me what this is all about?”

He trotted a little ahead of me, smelled a bush, and urinated on it. “Need to mark this territory as mine.” Then he stopped in front of me, barring the path. “That’s easy. I’m looking for a mate, and I think you would be a good one.”

“A — a mate? Did you say a mate? As in, like a couple?” He cocked his head toward me and raised his ears. I broke out into hysterical laughter and stumbled, grasped the nearest tree trunk, and slid down it. The laughter caught in my throat and turned into a spasm of coughing and gasping for breath. When I could breathe again, I stared at him.

“I can’t believe this!” I shouted. “You’re crazy! Certifiable insane!”

Can animals actually be insane? No, it’s me who's crazy. First of all, I am talking to a wolf—a white wolf when there is no such thing, and he’s telling me he wants me for a mate. I’ve got to check out of here and see a doctor. “I can’t mate with you. I’m a human, and you’re a wolf. And furthermore…”

“Don’t get in such a dither, Bernadette.”

I covered my mouth. He knew my real name!

“I gotta tell you that you do a much better job than many of the men I have watched. The fact you’ve been here eleven years says a lot. Does your supervisor know?”

“After eleven years? Yes, rather, but he’s one of the few.” I wobbled to my feet. I can’t believe I am having this conversation. I’m in a nightmare!”

He remained silent until I stuttered to a stop. “I know it sounds crazy,” he said, “but remember I told you it was magic. Think about it. I know you are alone in this world. Your parents are gone, and you have no siblings. You’ve never been married and usually work jobs tailored for introverts. Haven’t you ever gotten lonely? Haven’t you ever wished for companionship?”

“Not with a wolf!” I muttered.

“I know, I know it all sounds wild right now, but think about it for a little while.”

I had to admit his arguments hit home. I was lonely and tired of living by myself. I’d never had any close friends, and I longed for companionship, someone to talk to, laugh with, and snuggle with. Sometimes I wondered if anyone would miss me when I died.

“Okay,” I said. “You’ve got all the answers to my life, but why on earth would you want to mate with a human? What do you get out of it?”

“First, you would not be human; you would change into a wolf. That’s probably the easiest part. Some call it shape-shifting. ”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Look, before you decide to say no, come with me. I want to show you something.”

“Snow.” Saying his name felt weird. “You know I can’t go anywhere right now. I’m on the job.”

“We’re going to use magic. In reality, no matter how long it takes, you will only be gone from the tower the same amount of time it would take you to return from the campground. Will you follow me?”

I nodded my head reluctantly. It was stupid; I know. But everything else was so outrageous, I thought, “Why not?”

Snow led me through the trees and up a steep slope to a large rock outcropping. He pushed aside thick bushes and led me into a hidden cave. “Home,” he said.

I nodded in disappointment. Of course, he would live in a cave. What was I expecting, a palace?

“Wait,” he said, and trotted through a short tunnel that opened out into a gigantic room. A charming brook bubbled through the room, exiting at one end into a pool large enough for swimming and bathing. Above the pool, the high ceiling split in two. I could see the gray clouds and watch raindrops patter down a stalactite into the stream. On sunny days, there would be sunbeams to bring light and warmth to the cave. Toward the back of the area, furs lay in layers, providing a soft, warm sleeping area that beckoned one. Several young wolves slept nestled together.

“My wife and I were devoted to each other. I was devastated when she died two years ago. I have looked for a mate since then, but couldn’t find anyone I thought could never match her, until I saw you. You have so many of her qualities—compassion, dependability, courage, a willingness to work and do for others—like I said, a wolf’s heart. You know, Bernie, animals and humans are not so far apart. We live, breathe, bleed, and die. Many animals love—yes, love, mate, bear children, and care for each other. My cubs could use another mother; they’ve got a ways to grow yet.”

“It’s beautiful, Snow, but it’s still a cave.”

“Yes, I know. But it’s safe, dry, warm in the winter, and cool in the summer. The water is always fresh. You don’t even have that in your tower. I’ve seen humans live in far worse conditions than this. I think we could be suitable mates for each other. Besides, what woman could resist a luxurious, soft, warm, white fur coat?”

I laughed. “That’s a good selling point! But do you really think I could adapt as a wolf?”

“Oh, I know you could. Not someone else, maybe, but you, yes. You possess that sense of adventure, a desire to learn new things, and, as I mentioned, courage and adaptability. Just think, no stairs to climb, no noxious fumes, no traffic, no cooking, laundry, sweeping, and stuff. Besides, if you really hate being a wolf, I can turn you back into a human. I truly think you will be happy with me, though.”

“You say you can change me—can you change into a human?”

“Yes, but I prefer to stay a wolf. Less complicated.”

Hm-m. That’s food for thought. “I have to admit, you are close to convincing me.”

“Good, I will take you back to work now and let you think about it. I’ll come for your answer in two days.”

***

It was as easy as Snow said. When I tendered my resignation at the main office, my supervisor sighed with regret. “You’ve been one of the best, Bernie. I don’t know whether we’ll keep that tower open now. We’ve closed a lot of them, you know. Modern technology has made spotting fires faster and easier. Still, I know a lot of the campers kept coming back because they knew you were there. What are you going to do after this?”

“I’m going to explore some new worlds and do things I’ve never done before,” I answered. “If you do decide to keep manning that station, I’d recommend you hire Felix. He loves it as much as I did and will do a good job.”

“I’ll keep him in mind,” he said as he walked me to the door. He looked out at my car. “My, that is one beautiful dog you have waiting for you.”

I smiled demurely. “I know. I’m looking forward to spending all my time with him.”