This isn’t right, thought the Deer. She sniffed the air, and swiveled her ears in every direction. As far as she could tell, they were alone. It was just the two of them.
She raised her head. He jiggled the cap. She started to walk. He flapped his wings. She started to run. He began to shriek. And she was almost upon him when… she gasped, and fell headlong into a deep hole. A carefully hidden hole. Came crashing through a thin layer of brush and branches, which snapped and crunched under her weight. She landed hard with a sickening thud.
Only the soft sound of wings flapping broke the stillness of the night, as the Vulture took to the air once again. His task now completed, he didn’t even stop to gloat. He did, however, drop the cap, which settled alongside the Deer.
*****
Maggie and Tim searched the grounds as best they could. And when they finally ran out of places to look, they decided to go see Manny. He would know what to do.
They knocked softly on the outside door of the greenhouse. Finally, after knocking for several minutes, a surprised Manny opened the door. “At this time of night, this can’t be a social visit,” he said. “So, what’s going on?”
They explained. He listened. Then he thought for a moment and asked, “Did you simply look for Molly, or did you also look for clues to uncover where she may have gone? From what you have said, all you truly know is that you cannot find her, not that she is missing.”
“What? No, we didn’t look for clues,” said a befuddled Maggie. “Of course she’s missing. We didn’t think… ”
“It is alright. I am merely suggesting we look closer and not panic. But if we do not find her soon, we will need to wake her parents. We cannot hide this from them. You understand?”
Maggie and Tim nodded. They knew this was coming, of course. It made sense. Her parents needed to know if she was missing. But maybe, they would find her, she would be OK, and they could all get back to sleep. Not that they actually believed that would happen. It was just a hopeful little lie they told themselves.
“I wouldn’t worry about checking the attic,” said Manny. “The drop-down stairs makes such a racket that it would have awakened the entire house. And there is no basement. But we do need to check the barn, the shed, and the coop areas, as well as the front and back gates. And where the cars are parked. Just look for anything out of the ordinary.”
“Like w-w-what?” asked Tim.
“If I knew, you would already have found it. Now, take flashlights and go. Split up. Check everything. And meet back here in ten minutes.”
Manny looked at his watch. He was so hoping there would be no need to wake the Morgans. The excitement around here these past two weeks is going to kill me, he thought.
*****
“Nothing strange looking around the barn or shed that I can see,” said Maggie.
“Nothing by the f-f-front gate either,” said Tim. “That just leaves the back gate, the coop, and the cars.”
“OK, so you check the back gate and I’ll check the coop,” instructed Maggie.
“Right,” said Tim, as he ran off to the rear of the house.
Maggie walked to the front of the coop, where she crouched and looked carefully at the ground. There were lots of marks, but that was because they had all been working and digging here earlier. Nothing useful.
Then she checked the side. Nothing. The other side. Nothing. The back. Nothing.
“Wait, what’s that,” she whispered to herself. Her flashlight had found something. It was thin, shiny, and round. An earring? Yes… and it was Molly’s earring! And there was something stuck to it. A piece of sheer leathery looking skin? “Oh my,” she said aloud as she picked it up. “I think that’s a piece of snake skin stuck to the earring.” She ran to find Tim.
*****
“The snake must have been about to molt,” said Manny. “Otherwise, it would not have gotten caught on the earring’s clasp. Are you sure this is Molly’s?”
“Definitely,” said Maggie. “She always wears hoops, and this is one of her favorites.”
“She was w-w-wearing them today,” said Tim, as he took the piece of jewelry from her.
“You noticed she was wearing them?” asked Maggie, sounding a little surprised.
“Well, yeah,” blushed Tim.
“Listen, enough, please,” said Manny. “I find the fact that a snake was so close to Molly, that it got stuck on her earring, a bit disturbing. But even more disturbing is the thought that this was, perhaps, not just any snake, but the Snake.”
They both knew what he meant by the Snake. The Hawk had told them all about those who had betrayed their oaths. The enemies. The Snake, the Wolf, and the Vulture. But could this really be the Snake? If so, that would be bad news. For it meant the enemies had taken Molly.
Manny rubbed his temples with his finger tips. Thinking. Thinking. He wasn’t sure what to do next. The Morgans had not believed him before when he said the Hawk had spoken. What were the chances they would now believe that a talking snake had kidnapped their child? Oh, hmmm, let’s see… how about zero!
And anyway, if he were believed or not, Molly was still nowhere to be found. So the Police would be notified. Missing persons and all that. But, all they would do was waste precious time. They would be looking for a human perpetrator. And then everyone’s movements would be carefully watched. No one would be allowed to leave. How then, could he, could they, help Molly?
This was quite the dilemma. One, perhaps, he would need to resolve on his own. With the help of the children, of course. Ah, if only he were a younger man. If only. If only.
Chapter Seventeen
The Bear opened his eyes. He felt so much better now. He had eaten well, then had slept well. And now it was time for him to get back to business. His thoughts were still consumed by the enemies and protecting the Bridge. He would relieve the Deer and take up his post once again. So, he left his den and made his way back to the Bridge. It was not far.
But when he got there, he saw no signs of life. No sounds, no smells, no movement. No Deer. He called out to her but there was no reply. He blew the horn, but it went unanswered.
His first thought was How could she leave and be so irresponsible? But that was quickly followed by What am I thinking? She would not have left without a good reason. Where could she be?
She did not have a den as he did. So there was no particular place she might have gone. No particular place he might look. He would just have to wait until she returned. But what if she did not return? How long could he defend the Bridge by himself?
He felt truly alone. His all-too-brief calm was being blown away by the winds of a storm he felt was fast approaching.
The Mistress could not help him in a situation such as this. As a spirit, she could not interact with the material world beyond the vicinity of the Bridge. But who else was there?
Who? Wait. Of course. There was Maggie. The Mistress had made her a guardian. Had asked her to defend the Bridge. Had faith in her. So, perhaps he should ask for her help? It was not really a question, you understand. She was his only hope. He would go to her.
*****
Molly was in a cave. She could see the dark blue outline of its entrance. Had felt the hard rock walls with her hands. Unfortunately, she had also felt the hard rock ceiling with her head when she had tried to stand. So she sat, rubbing her bruise, and strained to hear what the voices were saying. One of them sounded like Horris. So, it hadn’t been a dream. Horris had lured her outside where something had attacked her.
“I think Molly is waking up. I thought I heard her say ouch,” snickered Horris.
“Yes, yes, yes. And... is it done?” asked voice one.
“Yes, indeed, and done most horribly,” said voice two. “But it was the Deer.”
“And what of the Bear?” asked voice one.
“He was not there,” said voice two. “She was alone.”
“Well, no matter,” said voice one. “That is what the girl is here for. She is our ba
rgaining chip and our insurance.”
“Well, ssso, what are we waiting for?” asked voice three. “We ssshould move. Now.”
“And move we shall. You… go get the girl. It is time,” ordered voice one.
A moment later, Molly was being blinded by Horris’ flashlight. “Get up,” he said. “It’s time to go. Oh, and please, let me know what you think of my three new friends. They’re out here waiting for you. Let me know if you think they’re just a bunch of animals.” Then he laughed at how clever he was.
Molly took a long deep breath and tightened her lips. As she gazed up at Horris, the loathing in her eyes flashed lightning bolts of rage at him. Her look wilted the arrogant expression from his face.
Then, on hands and knees, she carefully came crawling out of the cave. She was not afraid, mind you. But she was, oh so, very angry.
*****
With every breath she took, the Deer felt a stabbing pain in her chest. It’s probably a broken rib, she thought. Need to take shallow breaths. Then she carefully tested the movement of her neck and legs. No pain. Thank goodness. She would be able to walk.
Normally, it would have been easy to jump out of the hole, but because of her injury, jumping wouldn’t be possible. She would have to climb. She dug and toppled loose soil and rocks from the upper edges of the pit. And as the bits fell, she mounded them to create a step. It was slow and tedious work. But when the step was high enough, she was able to walk out.
She paused for a moment, thinking how foolish she had been to chase the Vulture, and trying to decide what to do next. What else was there to do? The only thing was to wake the Bear. He would at least be able to protect her until she healed. So she slowly walked back as quickly as she could.
*****
The Bear stood outside the perimeter of the farm, trying to determine if anyone was up and about. No one should be at this hour, but it would be prudent to wait and watch for a few minutes. After all, he was a large bear, and approaching the farm might be misconstrued and frighten the humans. And, some humans had guns.
Finally, assured that the place was asleep, the Bear quickly moved towards Manny’s greenhouse. He stood listening for a moment. There were voices. But they were not distinct and he couldn’t tell who was in there. Before he made his presence known, he’d better try to find out.
He found a small break in the plants and shrubs that had been placed to give Manny some measure of privacy in his glass walled bedroom. Now he could see… a bit. Manny was standing, talking to ??? He couldn’t see who. Wait, now he could. There was Maggie. And Tim.
He moved back to the door and knocked. More like scratched, actually.
When the door opened, Manny looked at the Bear and said, “You may be surprised to know we were just talking about how we might go about finding you. To ask for your help.”
“And you may be surprised to hear that I have come seeking your help.”
So, Maggie and Tim told the Bear about their missing friend, and the Bear told them about his.
“This is too much of a coincidence to actually be a coincidence. These two events must in some way be connected,” said Manny. “If indeed the Snake did take Molly, perhaps that was part of a larger plan that involved your friend as well.”
“For what?” asked Maggie.
“Well, maybe for gold. Perhaps that larger plan involved gold,” said the Bear.
“What gold?” asked Tim
“Gold from under the Bridge, right?” suggested Maggie.
“Yes, and… I must go back. To find our friends. To guard the Bridge and the gold.”
“We can help,” said Maggie. “Tim and I.”
“Manny, I can take you too. If you can hold on,” said the Bear. Manny nervously agreed.
As they left, Tim clutched Molly’s earring in his fist, then put it in his wallet, vowing they would find her. They had to.
Chapter Eighteen
When at long last, the Deer reached the Bear’s den, he was nowhere to be found. She could either wait or go back to the Bridge. She decided to go back, thinking, if he’s not here, then he’s probably back at his post.
She headed off. The pain wasn’t too bad if she took her time. But when she was back at the Bridge, the Bear was not there either!
Then an insanely obvious thought struck her. The Mistress can help me. But, ah, wait… I have no gold. Dejected and frustrated, she leaned over the side of the Bridge to gaze into the murky water below. And she saw something. It was Molly’s chain. When the Bear had cast her necklace into the water, the pendant must have dropped in, but the chain had become snagged on the splintered wood. And here it was, swinging in the breeze. She snapped it free and watched it fall.
Then standing at one edge of the Bridge, in the glow of the moonbow, she said…
“We call upon you
Mistress of the ages
to change what was
turn back the pages.”
The circle of light appeared, as it had before, with the Mistress at its center.
“What is it you wish?” she said softly.
“Mistress, please, can you help me? I have been hurt.”
Her eyes probed the Deer. “Yes, I can see. Walk the Bridge and you shall be whole again.”
And after emerging from the light, she was.
*****
Molly took center stage with the Wolf at the lead, Horris in the rear, and the Snake and Vulture flanking her. She wasn’t exactly thrilled to be so popular.
“So, why am I here?” she asked to no one in particular.
“Why? You are a guarantee that our plans will succeed,” answered the Wolf, not bothering to turn around.
“How is that?”
“We will use you to make a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
“A deal that allows us to carry out our plans.”
“What kind of plans?”
“Enough,” cried the Wolf.
It was worth a try, thought Molly. This rapid fire line of questioning always worked with Tim.
*****
This is much better, thought the Deer as she ran through the forest. But now what? I can continue to look for the Bear. But where? He could be anyplace. Perhaps I can try to pick up the Vulture’s trail. I’ll start back at the hole.
She ran as only she could. For nothing in this forest could match her great speed. And before she knew it, she had arrived.
It was dark. Even darker than it had been earlier, as clouds had started to move in. She sniffed around the hole, being careful not to fall in. No clues. Just the child’s cap. And no trail to follow, as the Vulture had flown away.
Then her sensitive ears picked up a crunching sound. It was the sound of leaves being crushed underfoot. More than one thing was walking towards her. She hid.
Moments later, from the clearing, came the enemies and Molly. They stopped by the hole and looked in. And apparently not everyone was pleased by what they saw, or rather didn’t see. For in a terrible fit of rage, the Wolf picked the Vulture up with her teeth and flung him aside. Everyone moved quickly away from her as she stood furious and snarling.
“Fool. Where is the Deer? I thought you said she’d been taken care of. Where is she, then?”
“I-I-I…” stammered the Vulture, “I don’t know.”
“Well, I-I-I do know. You-you-you… are a fool!”
The Deer seized the opportunity. Running directly at them, before they had the chance to react, she knocked the Wolf into the pit. Then she turned and stomped at the Snake and Vulture with her front hooves. Pausing for the briefest of moments, she swung around facing her side to Molly, to allow the girl to climb onto her back. Then they were off. Gone in a flash, before the enemies knew what hit them.
Mess with me, will they, she thought as they sped away. Just half an angry growl later, with dirt and damp leaves still clinging to her fur, the blisteringly mad Wolf erupted from the pit like molten lava. But she was too late… too late to do anything other tha
n watch her two adversaries slip into the forest’s protective embrace.
Chapter Nineteen
Tim and Maggie were packing heat. ok, maybe not heat, but would you believe a little warmth? They had BB guns. Not exactly bazookas, but they might prove helpful in repelling an attack… if it came to that. At least it was something. Hopefully it was something. Because they didn’t have much else as a means of defense. And it was starting to look as if the three they were up against meant serious business.
The Bridge was deserted when they arrived. Manny had been a little shaken from the ride, and sat on a rock to gather himself. But other than that he was fine. The adrenaline was pumping through all of them. They were ready. However, since they were alone, it was just a shameful waste of adrenaline, if you ask me.
They had hoped, had counted on, the enemies being here. Their logic made perfect sense. This is where the gold was. And these creatures were after the gold. Well, so much for logic.
Perhaps they needed to think like monsters. So far, that is what these fiends had shown themselves to be. But how can one think like something one is not?
So, what next? Stay here or search the forest? It was a big forest.
One thing was for sure, though, and that was they would not split up. Ever notice in a movie that when the team splits up, they’re goners?
Then, things started getting interesting. The Deer came flying like an arrow from the woods, Molly hanging onto her neck for dear life. They stopped short of the Bridge and Molly jumped off and ran to her friends and Manny.
Then, everyone looked up as they heard an awful screeching sound overhead. It was the Vulture. He was signaling his cohorts.
And from the woods came these same cohorts, the Wolf with her passenger, the Snake, neatly wrapped around her. Everyone stood motionless. Everyone was silent. Everyone was wondering what would happen next.
And what happened next was that Horris came running out of the woods, puffing, wheezing and holding an ax in his hand.
“Horris!” gasped Maggie. “What are you doing here? Oh, my goodness. You’re with them, aren’t you? Back at the farm, that’s how you knew I had gone on alone with the Hawk. Why you little creep! You little…”