Speaker 1: For decades, people have disappeared in the woods without a trace.
Speaker 1: Some blame wild animals, others whisper of creatures the world
Speaker 1: refuses to believe in. But those who have survived they
Speaker 1: know the truth. Welcome to Backwoods Bigfoot Stories, where we
Speaker 1: share real encounters with the things lurking in the darkness bigfoot,
Speaker 1: dog man UFOs, and creatures that defy explanation. Some make
Speaker 1: it out, others aren't so lucky. Are you ready, because
Speaker 1: once you hear these stories, you'll never walk in the
Speaker 1: woods alone again. So grab your flashlight, stay close, and
Speaker 1: remember some things in the woods don't want to be found.
Speaker 1: Hit that follow or subscribe button, turn on auto downloads,
Speaker 1: and let's head off into the woods if you dare.
Speaker 1: This is the part of the road where things get real.
Speaker 1: Not the grand moments, not the councils and the standoffs,
Speaker 1: but the small, hard work that happens out in the
Speaker 1: dark when nobody's watching, the kind of work that decides
Speaker 1: whether everything built so far actually holds. There's an old
Speaker 1: truth about the wild. That code is about to teach
Speaker 1: the hard way to someone who thinks he's ready. The
Speaker 1: forest doesn't care how good your intentions are. It only
Speaker 1: cares whether you can keep up. And keeping up out
Speaker 1: there in the black between the trees is a lesson.
Speaker 1: You don't learn from anyone's words. You learn it from
Speaker 1: your own stumbles. The night's waiting, and this is part four,
Speaker 1: Chapter twenty six, Night Patrol. The first time Eli joined
Speaker 1: Coda on a nighttime patrol, he discovered just how much
Speaker 1: he had left to learn. You move like a wounded elk,
Speaker 1: Coda whispered as Eli stumbled over a root for the
Speaker 1: third time. Every creature in the forest knows where he is. Sorry,
Speaker 1: I can barely see anything. You're relying on your eyes
Speaker 1: at night. Eyes are almost useless. Use your other senses.
Speaker 1: Eli tried, He really tried. But where Coda moved through
Speaker 1: the darkness like water flowing around stones, Eli crashed through
Speaker 1: the underbrush like a wounded elk. After an hour of
Speaker 1: painful progress, Coda called a halt. This isn't working, he said,
Speaker 1: not unkindly, you need practice before you can patrol with me.
Speaker 1: I don't want to slow you down. You're not slowing
Speaker 1: me down tonight. Tonight, I'm teaching, not patrolling. But you
Speaker 1: must understand the difference. When I patrol for real lives
Speaker 1: depend on silence. I cannot risk that for friendship. Eli nodded, understanding,
Speaker 1: even as disappointment settled in his chest. So what do
Speaker 1: we do? We practice every night for as long as
Speaker 1: it takes. I'll teach you to move quietly to sense
Speaker 1: your surroundings without sight. It may take weeks months, but
Speaker 1: if you're willing, I'm willing. And so began a new
Speaker 1: phase of Eli's education. Every night, after his parents thought
Speaker 1: he was in bed, he crept out through his window
Speaker 1: and met Coda at the edge of the forest. They
Speaker 1: started with simple exercises, walking blindfolded through familiar terrain, identifying
Speaker 1: sounds in the darkness, learning to feel the forest floor
Speaker 1: with his feet instead of trusting his eyes. It was
Speaker 1: frustrating at first. Eli failed, constantly tripping over obstacles, making noise,
Speaker 1: losing his way, but Coda was patient, correcting his mistakes
Speaker 1: without judgment, celebrating his small successes. You're improving, Coda said,
Speaker 1: after the tenth night. Your footsteps are half as loud
Speaker 1: as they were. That's still twice as loud as yours.
Speaker 1: Progress is progress. Do not compare yourself to a sasquatch.
Speaker 1: Compare yourself to the human you were yesterday. Gradually, Eli
Speaker 1: began to understand what Coda meant about not relying on eyes.
Speaker 1: The forest at night was alive with information if you
Speaker 1: knew how to receive it. The ground told stories through
Speaker 1: texture and temperature. The air carried sense that painted pictures
Speaker 1: of what had passed this way before. Sounds created a
Speaker 1: three dimensional map of the surrounding area. I think I'm
Speaker 1: starting to get it, Eli said one night, after successfully
Speaker 1: navigating a quarter mile stretch without a single stumble. You
Speaker 1: are Your body is learning what your mind cannot be taught.
Speaker 1: Soon night will feel as natural as day. Will I
Speaker 1: ever be as good as you? Coda considered the question seriously. No,
Speaker 1: you lack the physical attributes, the night vision, the sensitive
Speaker 1: feat the instincts bred into my kind over thousands of generations.
Speaker 1: But you can become good enough to be useful, good
Speaker 1: enough to not be a liability. That's my goal, not
Speaker 1: a liab ability. Coda's teeth gleamed in the moonlight. It's
Speaker 1: a worthy goal. Many humans never achieve it. On the
Speaker 1: fifteenth night, Coda let Eli join a real patrol. We
Speaker 1: go to the eastern boundary, Coda explained, as they set out.
Speaker 1: There have been signs of dog men activity, Probably just scouts,
Speaker 1: but we must be certain. Eli's heart rate increased, but
Speaker 1: he forced himself to stay calm. This was what he
Speaker 1: had trained for. This was his chance to prove himself.
Speaker 1: They moved through the forest in tandem, Coda leading and
Speaker 1: Eli following close behind. The younger boy had learned to
Speaker 1: read Coda's body language to anticipate when to pause and
Speaker 1: when to move. He still wasn't silent, but he was
Speaker 1: quiet enough. After an hour, Coda stopped abruptly, one hand
Speaker 1: raised in warning. Eli froze for a long moment. Nothing happened.
Speaker 1: Then Eli caught it. A scent on the wind, sharp
Speaker 1: and musky, nothing like the sasquatch he had learned to recognize.
Speaker 1: Dog men. He breathed. Coda nodded once, his eyes scanning
Speaker 1: the darkness ahead. His nostrils flared as he analyzed the scent.
Speaker 1: Two of them, he whispered, half a mile east, moving away.
Speaker 1: Should we follow? No, we observe and report. Following dog
Speaker 1: men into their territory would be provocation. Coda began backing away,
Speaker 1: gesturing for Eli to do the same, slowly, no sudden movements,
Speaker 1: They retreated with excruciating care, retracing their steps until they
Speaker 1: were well clear of the dog men's path. Only then
Speaker 1: did Coda relax slightly. You did well, he said. You
Speaker 1: remained calm, you followed instructions. That's more than I expected.
Speaker 1: I was terrified. Fear is natural. What matters is what
Speaker 1: you do with it. You controlled your fear instead of
Speaker 1: letting it control you. That's the mark of a true ally.
Speaker 1: Eli felt a surge of pride, quickly tempered by reality.
Speaker 1: I still couldn't help if something went wrong. I'd just
Speaker 1: be in the way perhaps, But having you here means
Speaker 1: I'm not alone in the forest. That matters more than
Speaker 1: you might think. Coda placed a hand on Eli's shoulder.
Speaker 1: You have earned your place, Eli Thompson, whatever comes you
Speaker 1: face it as one of us. It was, Eli realized
Speaker 1: the highest compliment Coda could give. Chapter twenty seven, Sarah's Roll.
Speaker 1: Sarah Thompson had never expected to become a teacher to
Speaker 1: non human beings. Yet here she was, three years into
Speaker 1: this strange adventure, running informal education sessions for young Sasquatch
Speaker 1: who wanted to understand human culture. The marks are called letters,
Speaker 1: she explained, pointing to the chart she had made. Each
Speaker 1: one represents a sound. When you put them together, they
Speaker 1: make words. Her students, a group of four juveniles, including Tira,
Speaker 1: studied the chart with intense concentration. Learning to read was
Speaker 1: challenging for beings whose entire culture was based on oral tradition,
Speaker 1: but they were making progress. Why do humans need marks
Speaker 1: to remember words? A male named Dora asked, we remember
Speaker 1: everything important without mars because humans forget. Our memories aren't
Speaker 1: as good as yours, so we write things down that way.
Speaker 1: Even when the person who knew something dies, the knowledge survives.
Speaker 1: That's sad. Tira observed, to forget the words of your elders,
Speaker 1: it is sad, But writing lets us share knowledge across
Speaker 1: great distances and long times. Books written centuries ago can
Speaker 1: still teach us things. That's a kind of immortality. The
Speaker 1: students considered this. Sarah could see them processing the concept,
Speaker 1: fitting it into their understanding of the world. These sessions
Speaker 1: had started small, just Tia asking Coda for help and
Speaker 1: Coda bringing her to the Thompsons. But words spread and
Speaker 1: soon other young said Aasquatch, were curious. Now, Sarah taught
Speaker 1: twice a week, covering everything from reading to human social
Speaker 1: structures to the basics of technology. You're building something important,
Speaker 1: Eli told her one evening. These kids are going to
Speaker 1: grow up understanding humans in a way their parents never could,
Speaker 1: and maybe that understanding will prevent conflicts. Maybe someday they'll
Speaker 1: be the ones building bridges we can't even imagine yet.
Speaker 1: You sound like Coda. I'll take that as a compliment.
Speaker 1: Sarah didn't know where this strange educational experiment would lead,
Speaker 1: but she knew it mattered. Every bit of understanding, every connection,
Speaker 1: every small step toward mutual comprehension mattered. Chapter twenty eight, Mira.
Speaker 1: The forest was quiet in the hour before dawn, that
Speaker 1: liminal space where night creatures retreated and day creatures had
Speaker 1: not yet stirred. Coda and Mira moved through it together,
Speaker 1: their footsteps synchronized from years of walking side by side,
Speaker 1: three years they had been together. Now, three years since
Speaker 1: that first spark of recognition, when they'd seen in each
Speaker 1: other the same restless spirit, the same refusal to accept
Speaker 1: that the world had to stay as it was. Their
Speaker 1: bond had grown from curiosity to friendship to something deeper,
Speaker 1: something neither had words for, but both understood completely. You're
Speaker 1: quiet this morning, Mia observed her amber eyes catching the
Speaker 1: first pale light filtering through the canopy. Thinking about Coda,
Speaker 1: paused at the edge of a small clearing, looking back
Speaker 1: at her. Even after all this time, the sight of
Speaker 1: her still made his breath catch. The silver gray of
Speaker 1: her fur unusual among their kind, the intelligence that blazed
Speaker 1: in her eyes, the way she held herself, proud and unafraid,
Speaker 1: ready to challenge anyone who tried to limit her. About
Speaker 1: how lucky I am, he said simply. MIA's expression softened.
Speaker 1: She closed the distance between them and pressed her forehead
Speaker 1: to his, a gesture of intimacy. Their people, reserved for
Speaker 1: bonded payers, were both lucky, She murmured. We found each other.
Speaker 1: Their bond had been tested many times over the years,
Speaker 1: the war with the dog men, the exposure to Eli's family,
Speaker 1: the constant pressure from elders who thought Coda's human friendships
Speaker 1: were dangerous, and Mira's questions were disrespectful, But every test
Speaker 1: had only made them stronger. Do you remember the first
Speaker 1: time I went to Eli's house? Mira asked as they
Speaker 1: continued their walk, the question coming from nowhere and everywhere.
Speaker 1: Coda laughed softly, you were terrified. You tried to hide it,
Speaker 1: but I could tell I was not terrified. I was
Speaker 1: appropriately cautious. You nearly jumped out of your skin when
Speaker 1: his mother turned on the kitchen light. It was very
Speaker 1: bright and unexpected. Mira swatted his arm playfully. Besides, you
Speaker 1: weren't exactly calm the first time you met them, either, true.
Speaker 1: Coda's expression grew thoughtful. But that night changed everything. Seeing
Speaker 1: you there in their home talking with Eli like it
Speaker 1: was the most natural thing in the world. That's when
Speaker 1: I knew this could really work, not just my friendship
Speaker 1: with Eli, but everything, the alliance, the possibility of our
Speaker 1: people actually coexisting with humans. Sarah made me tea, Mira recalled,
Speaker 1: wonder still evident in her voice. She didn't know what
Speaker 1: sasquatch eat, so she offered me everything in her kitchen,
Speaker 1: fruit bread, some kind of dried meat, and tea. I'd
Speaker 1: never had anything like it. You made a face when
Speaker 1: you tasted it. It was bitter, but I drank the
Speaker 1: whole cup because she was being so kind and I
Speaker 1: didn't want to offend her. Mia smiled at the memory
Speaker 1: Eli's mother serving tea to a sasquatch in her kitchen.
Speaker 1: The world is stranger than our ancestors ever imagined, stranger
Speaker 1: and better, Coda agreed. At least sometimes. They reached their
Speaker 1: deay destination as the sun crested the Eastern Ridge, a
Speaker 1: hidden pool fed by a small waterfall, one of their
Speaker 1: secret places. They had discovered it together during their first year,
Speaker 1: and it had become sacred to them, a sanctuary where
Speaker 1: they could be completely themselves. Mira waded into the shallows,
Speaker 1: letting the cold water swirl around her ankles. Coda followed,
Speaker 1: watching her with an expression of quiet devotion. What are
Speaker 1: you thinking now, she asked, without turning around, that I
Speaker 1: want to spend the rest of my life with you.
Speaker 1: Mira went still. They had talked around this subject before,
Speaker 1: circling it like prey. They weren't sure how to approach
Speaker 1: among their people. Formal bonding was a serious matter, approved
Speaker 1: by elders and witnessed by the entire clan. It wasn't
Speaker 1: something to be spoken of lightly. She turned to face him, Coda,
Speaker 1: I know it's complicated. My father would have to approve
Speaker 1: Your father definitely, wouldn't. The elders would argue about whether
Speaker 1: it's appropriate, whether our families are compatible, whether our personalities
Speaker 1: compliment each other properly. Codas stepped closer, taking her hands
Speaker 1: in his. But I don't care about any of that.
Speaker 1: I care about you. I have cared about you since
Speaker 1: the day we met, and every day since then has
Speaker 1: only made that feeling stronger. My father will never accept it.
Speaker 1: He still blames you for everything, the exposure, the risks,
Speaker 1: the changes to our way of life. I know, and
Speaker 1: your father has enough to worry about without adding family
Speaker 1: drama to his burdens. I know that too, So what
Speaker 1: do we do? Coda was quiet for a moment. Water
Speaker 1: rippling around their legs, sunlight filtering through the trees above them.
Speaker 1: We take it one day at a time, he finally said,
Speaker 1: the same way we've handled everything else, the same way
Speaker 1: Eli and I built our friendship, the same way we
Speaker 1: built the alliance with his family. We don't try to
Speaker 1: solve every problem at once. We just keep moving forward
Speaker 1: together and trust that the path will reveal itself. Stay
Speaker 1: tuned for more Backwoods Bigfoot stories. We'll be back after
Speaker 1: these messages. Mira squeezed his hands. When did you become
Speaker 1: so wise? I learned from this female? I know? Very intelligent?
Speaker 1: Asked too many questions, drives her father crazy. She sounds wonderful,
Speaker 1: she is. Mira pulled him into an embrace, holding him
Speaker 1: tightly as the waterfall sang its endless song behind them.
Speaker 1: In that moment, surrounded by the beauty of their hidden sanctuary,
Speaker 1: the future didn't seem so frightening. Whatever challenges lay ahead,
Speaker 1: they would face them together. Later. As they made their
Speaker 1: way back to the caves, Miraa brought up something that
Speaker 1: had been weighing on her mind the council meeting last week,
Speaker 1: the one about expanding the alliance. Coda nodded, what about it?
Speaker 1: Tyrek was particularly hostile, more than usual. He kept looking
Speaker 1: at me like I was part of the problem, because
Speaker 1: you are, in his eyes, you support the Alliance. You've
Speaker 1: been to Eli's home, met his family, you represent everything.
Speaker 1: Tyrek fears sasquatch, who are willing to bridge the gap
Speaker 1: between our world and theirs. Sometimes I wonder if he's
Speaker 1: right to be afraid. Mira's voice was thoughtful, not fearful,
Speaker 1: not about the Alliance itself, but about how fast things
Speaker 1: are changing. Three years ago, the idea of sasquatch regularly
Speaker 1: visiting a human home was unthinkable. Now, Eli's family has
Speaker 1: become part of our extended community. They know our names,
Speaker 1: our relationships, our concerns. Sarah asks about my father's health.
Speaker 1: Thomas discusses hunting patterns with Caboda. Eli and you are
Speaker 1: practically brothers. And this troubles you. It awes me the
Speaker 1: speed of it all. My grandmother lived her entire life
Speaker 1: without ever speaking to a human. I've had dinner in
Speaker 1: a human kitchen. Mira shook her head slowly. The world
Speaker 1: our children will Inherit will be unrecognizable to our ancestors.
Speaker 1: Is that bad? I don't think so different? Isn't bad?
Speaker 1: You taught me that? She glanced at him with affection,
Speaker 1: Or maybe I taught you. I can't remember any more.
Speaker 1: Who convinced whom? Does it matter? No, we convinced each other.
Speaker 1: That's what partners do. They emerged from the forest near
Speaker 1: the cave complex as the klan was waking. Young Sasquatch
Speaker 1: chased each other between the stone formations while their parents
Speaker 1: prepared the morning meal. Elders sat in small groups discussing
Speaker 1: whatever elders discussed, life continuing as it had for generations,
Speaker 1: with small but significant differences woven through Coda's mother, Asha,
Speaker 1: spotted them approaching and waved them over. You two were
Speaker 1: out early. She observed, her tone carrying a hint of
Speaker 1: motherly concern. We wanted to see the sunrise from the
Speaker 1: western ridge, Coda said, it wasn't entirely a lie. Asha's
Speaker 1: eyes moved between them, reading something and their expressions. A
Speaker 1: small smile crossed her face. Mirah, your father was asking
Speaker 1: about you earlier, something about neglected chores Mira's side, Of
Speaker 1: course he was. She touched Coda's arm briefly. I'll find
Speaker 1: you later. Always, She headed off toward her family section
Speaker 1: of the caves. Coda watched her go, that familiar warmth
Speaker 1: spreading through his chest. You love her, Asha said quietly.
Speaker 1: It wasn't a question, Yes, and she loves you. Yes.
Speaker 1: Asha was quiet for a moment. Then she placed her
Speaker 1: hand on her son's shoulder. Your father and I were
Speaker 1: young once too. We faced our own obstacles, different clans,
Speaker 1: disapproving elders, practical concerns about territory and resources. None of
Speaker 1: it mattered in the end. What mattered was that we
Speaker 1: chose each other, and we kept choosing each other every day,
Speaker 1: through every challenge. Did it get easier? No, but it
Speaker 1: became more natural. Love is an easy, Coda. It's not
Speaker 1: supposed to be easy. Things don't make us grow. Easy
Speaker 1: things don't show us who we really are. She squeezed
Speaker 1: his shoulder. You and Mira have something rare. Don't let anyone,
Speaker 1: not her father, not the elders, not the complications of
Speaker 1: this strange new world we're building, take that from you.
Speaker 1: I won't, Coda promised. Good. Asha released him and smiled,
Speaker 1: Now go help your father with the hunting assignments. Leadership
Speaker 1: doesn't pause for romance. Coda laughed and headed toward the
Speaker 1: main cave, but he couldn't help glancing back once more
Speaker 1: in the direction Mira had gone. Three years together, a
Speaker 1: lifetime still to come. Whatever the future held, they would
Speaker 1: face it side by side. That evening, the clan gathered
Speaker 1: for the communal meal, as they did every night. Coda
Speaker 1: sat with his family, but his eyes kept drifting to
Speaker 1: where Mira sat with hers Garic. Her father was speaking
Speaker 1: in ten about something, his expression stern as always, but
Speaker 1: Mia caught Coda's gaze across the fire and smiled, a small,
Speaker 1: private smile meant only for him. In that smile was everything,
Speaker 1: their shared past, their uncertain future their unshakable present. Eli
Speaker 1: had once tried to explain human concepts of love to Coda,
Speaker 1: poetry and songs and grand romantic gestures. But sitting here,
Speaker 1: surrounded by his clan, watching the female he loved smile
Speaker 1: at him across a fire, Coda thought he understood something
Speaker 1: humans didn't. Love wasn't about grand gestures. It was about
Speaker 1: this two souls recognizing each other across a crowded space,
Speaker 1: finding home in another's eyes, knowing that whatever storms came,
Speaker 1: you wouldn't face them alone. MIA's smile widened slightly, as
Speaker 1: if she knew exactly what he was thinking. She probably did.
Speaker 1: After three years, they could read each other like the
Speaker 1: forest read the seasons, and that, Coda decided, was the
Speaker 1: greatest gift the world had ever given him. Chapter twenty nine,
Speaker 1: The dog Men's Dilemma. Far to the north, in a
Speaker 1: rocky den carved into the side of a steep ravine,
Speaker 1: Dask paced restlessly. The pack had been lying low since
Speaker 1: the battle at Broken Ridge, licking their wounds and reassessing
Speaker 1: their strategy. They'd lost that fight badly, and it had
Speaker 1: shaken Dask's confidence in a way he didn't like to admit.
Speaker 1: Oshka watched him from where she lay near the den's entrance,
Speaker 1: her silver fur catching the moonlight. You'll wear a path
Speaker 1: in the stone, she said. Dask stopped pacing, but didn't sit.
Speaker 1: We can't stay here much longer. Game is scarce and
Speaker 1: winter is coming. We need territory hunting grounds. The Sasquatch
Speaker 1: made their position clear. Braun said from the shadows that
Speaker 1: territory is theirs, and they're willing to fight for it.
Speaker 1: Then we fight, Ras said eagerly. The young dog man
Speaker 1: had been restless since Voorne's death. His pride had been wounded,
Speaker 1: and he wanted revenge. We fight, and we die, Braun countered.
Speaker 1: They outnumber us three to one. We barely escape last time.
Speaker 1: So what's your solution, Ras snapped. Starve here, keep running
Speaker 1: until there's nowhere left to run. Dask held up a
Speaker 1: hand for silence. The strategic thinker had been quiet until now,
Speaker 1: observing the debate. There might be another way. All eyes
Speaker 1: turned to him. What way, Dask asked the humans. Dask said,
Speaker 1: they're expanding into Sasquatch territory, building structures, clearing land. If
Speaker 1: that continues, the Sasquatch will have to move or confront
Speaker 1: the humans. Either way it creates opportunity for us. Das
Speaker 1: considered this, you're suggesting we wait for the humans to
Speaker 1: drive out the Sasquatch or weaken them enough that we
Speaker 1: can claim the territory ourselves. Das confirmed. The humans are
Speaker 1: doing what we couldn't do by direct confrontation. Why not
Speaker 1: use that to our advantage? Because humans are dangerous to
Speaker 1: us too, Oshka pointed out they have weapons, vehicles, the
Speaker 1: ability to organize in large numbers. If we're not careful,
Speaker 1: we could end up in a worse situation than we're
Speaker 1: in now. True, Dask acknowledged, But humans are also predictable.
Speaker 1: They follow patterns, they sleep deeply at night, and they're noisy,
Speaker 1: easy to track. If we're smart, we can use them
Speaker 1: as tools without becoming their targets. Rask's ears perked forward.
Speaker 1: How we make the humans think the Sasquatch are a threat?
Speaker 1: Dask explained, Leave evidence near human settlements, damage property in
Speaker 1: ways that point toward the Sasquatch, create fear, make them
Speaker 1: bring in their authorities, their hunters. Let the humans do
Speaker 1: the hard work of driving out the Sasquatch. Then we
Speaker 1: move into the emptied territory. The plan was clever, Dask
Speaker 1: had to admit, but it was also risky. Manipulating humans
Speaker 1: even into directly, could backfire spectacularly. On the other hand,
Speaker 1: staying where they were wasn't an option either. What about
Speaker 1: the Sasquatch's human allies, Braun asked, We've seen them, the
Speaker 1: family that lives at the edge of Sasquatch territory. They
Speaker 1: seem to be working together. This was news that had
Speaker 1: troubled them all during their scouting. They'd observed something unprecedented,
Speaker 1: Sasquatch openly interacting with humans at a farmstead, not hunting them,
Speaker 1: not avoiding them, but communicating with them. It defied everything
Speaker 1: the dog men understood about the relationship between their kinds
Speaker 1: and humanity. That's what makes this complicated. Dask admitted. The
Speaker 1: Sasquatch have protectors now, humans who know about them and
Speaker 1: choose to help them hide. We need to understand that
Speaker 1: alliance before we can work around it or through it.
Speaker 1: Ras suggested darkly. No, Dask's voice was firm. We do
Speaker 1: not attack humans directly. That brings consequences. We cannot control investigators,
Speaker 1: search parties, weapons we have no defense against. We work
Speaker 1: around the humans, not through them. Desk looked around at
Speaker 1: the pack. Oshka seemed skeptical but not opposed. Braun was
Speaker 1: cautious as always. Rask was eager, too eager, and the
Speaker 1: others waited patiently for his decision. We try it, Dask
Speaker 1: finally said, but carefully. No direct confrontations with humans or
Speaker 1: sasquatch unless absolutely necessary. We observe, we learn, We leave
Speaker 1: subtle evidence that points toward the Sasquatch, create doubt and
Speaker 1: fear among the wider human population. Let the situation develop.
Speaker 1: If it works, we get the territory we need. If
Speaker 1: it doesn't, we move on and try something else. And
Speaker 1: the Sasquatch, Rask asked, unexpectedly, do we warn them, let
Speaker 1: them know what's coming. Why would we do that, Braun asked, surprised,
Speaker 1: because they're not our real enemies, Rask said, slowly, as
Speaker 1: if the thought was just forming. The humans are the
Speaker 1: ones taking all the land, destroying the forests. The Sasquatch
Speaker 1: are just trying to survive, same as us. Dask was
Speaker 1: surprised by this sentiment from the usually aggressive young dog man.
Speaker 1: You're suggesting an alliance, not an alliance, Ras clarified. But
Speaker 1: maybe a truce. We both need territory. Maybe there's a
Speaker 1: way to share it, or at least not kill each
Speaker 1: other over it while the humans take everything that soft thinking,
Speaker 1: Dask said harshly. The Sasquatch made their choice when they
Speaker 1: attacked us at Broken Ridge. We owe them nothing. They
Speaker 1: attacked because we were on their territory, Oshka said quietly.
Speaker 1: If we'd asked to share the hunting grounds instead of
Speaker 1: trying to take them by force, things might have gone differently.
Speaker 1: Dask growled low in his throat. He didn't like being questioned,
Speaker 1: but part of him wondered if she had a point.
Speaker 1: The battle had been brutal, costly, if there had been
Speaker 1: another way. It doesn't matter now, he said, what's done
Speaker 1: is done. We move forward with the plan. Rask, brawn.
Speaker 1: You'll scout the human settlements to the south, find patterns, vulnerabilities.
Speaker 1: Dask continue monitoring the Sasquatch territory and their human allies.
Speaker 1: Learn everything you can about that relationship, Ashka. Maintain our
Speaker 1: defenses here in case the Sasquatch decide to come looking
Speaker 1: for us. The pack nodded and began to disperse to
Speaker 1: their assignments, but as Dask settled into his sleeping area,
Speaker 1: he couldn't shake the doubt that had crept into his mind.
Speaker 1: Were they making the right choice or were they just
Speaker 1: trading one enemy for an even more dangerous situation. Rask's
Speaker 1: words echoed in his thoughts. The Sasquatch are just trying
Speaker 1: to survive, same as us. Maybe the young one wasn't
Speaker 1: as foolish as he seemed. Maybe there was wisdom in
Speaker 1: recognizing a common inn. It me the humans were expanding everywhere,
Speaker 1: taking land that had belonged to the wild ones. For millennia,
Speaker 1: Sasquatch and dog men had been fighting over scraps while
Speaker 1: humans devoured the feast. But old hatreds died hard. The
Speaker 1: history between their people stretched back generations, written in blood
Speaker 1: and territory. Could that really change? Dask didn't know, But
Speaker 1: as sleep finally claimed him, he found himself dreaming of
Speaker 1: something he'd never considered before, a world where dog men
Speaker 1: and sasquatch stood together against the true threat. It was
Speaker 1: just a dream, but sometimes dreams were where change began.
Speaker 1: Chapter thirty. Winter preparations as autumn deepened and the first
Speaker 1: frost painted the forest in crystalline white. Both the Sasquatch
Speaker 1: clans and the dog Men Pack faced the same pressing reality.
Speaker 1: Winter was coming, and neither group was adequately prepared. The
Speaker 1: battle at Broken Ridge had disrupted the usual seasonal preparation.
Speaker 1: Injuries needed healing, territory boundaries needed to be re established,
Speaker 1: and the constant threat of human discovery made traditional hunting
Speaker 1: and gathering roots dangerous to use. Caboda called a meeting
Speaker 1: of all the clan leaders to discuss the approaching winner.
Speaker 1: They gathered in the main cave, where the walls showed
Speaker 1: ancient paintings of past winners, reminders that their people had
Speaker 1: survived hard times before. The northern hunting grounds are compromised.
Speaker 1: Laura reported too much human activity since the battle, trail
Speaker 1: cameras everywhere, hikers who shouldn't be there. We've had to
Speaker 1: abandon three of our traditional gathering sites. Tyrek nodded grimly.
Speaker 1: Riverbend clan has similar problems. The humans are curious now
Speaker 1: they know something happened at Broken Ridge. They're exploring areas
Speaker 1: they used to avoid. What about food stores? Omaki asked,
Speaker 1: not enough. Laura admitted, we'll make it through winter, but
Speaker 1: it will be lean, very lean, especially if it's a
Speaker 1: hard winter. Stay tuned for more back Woods Bigfoot stories.
Speaker 1: We'll be back after these messages. Asha spoke up. The
Speaker 1: young ones will suffer most. They need more food to
Speaker 1: grow properly. And our elders, she glanced at Omaki, they
Speaker 1: need consistent nutrition to maintain their strength. Perhaps, Coda said carefully,
Speaker 1: we could ask the Thompsons for help. They have connections
Speaker 1: to humans who have food despair. Not enough to feed everyone,
Speaker 1: but enough to supplement our stores. The suggestion was met
Speaker 1: with mixed reactions. Some elders looked horrified at the idea
Speaker 1: of accepting human charity. Others looked intrigued. We are not beggars,
Speaker 1: Tyrek said, sharply. We do not go to humans with
Speaker 1: our hands out like tame animals. It's not begging. If
Speaker 1: it's an exchange codeaen countered we could offer them something
Speaker 1: in return, knowledge, perhaps information about the forest that could
Speaker 1: help them. Or Asha suggested, more practically, we could offer labor.
Speaker 1: Humans always need help with tasks, clearing land, moving heavy objects, repairs.
Speaker 1: Our strength is valuable. Cabota considered this. It would be
Speaker 1: unprecedented sasquatch working alongside humans. Some would see it as submission.
Speaker 1: And others would see it as adaptation. Omaki said, the
Speaker 1: world is changing. We must change with it or be
Speaker 1: left behind. If working with humans means our children don't
Speaker 1: go hungry this winter, is that not worth some pride.
Speaker 1: The debate continued for hours, but eventually a compromise was reached.
Speaker 1: They would approach the Thompson family with a proposal sasquatch
Speaker 1: labor in exchange for supplemental food supplies. It would be
Speaker 1: kept quiet between trusted parties, only a test to see
Speaker 1: if such cooperation was possible. Meanwhile, the dog Men Pack
Speaker 1: faced their own crisis. Their food stores were nearly non existent.
Speaker 1: The pack had spent so much time preparing for conflict
Speaker 1: and recovering from injuries that they neglected the essential war
Speaker 1: of hunting and gathering. Desk stood at the mouth of
Speaker 1: their den, looking out at the first snowfall of the season.
Speaker 1: It was early, earlier than usual. If this was a
Speaker 1: sign of a hard winter to come, they were in
Speaker 1: serious trouble. Oshka joined him, her silver, white fur almost
Speaker 1: invisible against the snow. We need to make a decision,
Speaker 1: she said quietly. We can push south into unclaimed territory,
Speaker 1: but that means months of hard travel in winter conditions.
Speaker 1: Or we can try to work something out with the Sasquatch.
Speaker 1: The Sasquatch would never help us, not after Broken Ridge,
Speaker 1: maybe not willingly. But what if we offered something valuable information?
Speaker 1: Perhaps we know things about human patterns and movements that
Speaker 1: the Sasquatch don't. We've been watching them for months. Desk
Speaker 1: turned to face her. You're suggesting we trade intelligence to
Speaker 1: the Sasquatch, our enemies. I'm suggesting we stopped thinking of
Speaker 1: them as enemies. They're not the real threat, Desk. The
Speaker 1: humans are the ones who are taking all the land,
Speaker 1: cutting down the forests, driving out the game. If the
Speaker 1: Sasquatch and dog men keep fighting each other, we both lose.
Speaker 1: But if we work together, maybe we both survive. It
Speaker 1: was a radical idea. Generations of dog Men had been
Speaker 1: taught to see Sasquatch as rivals, competitors for resources. The
Speaker 1: thought of cooperating with them felt like betrayal of everything
Speaker 1: the pack stood for. But Oshka was right about one thing.
Speaker 1: They were running out of options. Pride didn't fill empty bellies.
Speaker 1: I'll think about it, Dask said, finally, but for now,
Speaker 1: we focus on immediate survival. Braun, take Rask and hunt
Speaker 1: in the eastern valleys. Deask, check our cash sites, see
Speaker 1: what's still viable. We need to know exactly what we're
Speaker 1: working with before we make any major decisions. The pack
Speaker 1: dispersed to their tasks, but Dask's mind was troubled. For
Speaker 1: the first time in his life, pack leader, he was
Speaker 1: considering something that would have been unthinkable just months ago,
Speaker 1: asking for help not from other dog men, but from
Speaker 1: their ancient enemies. The world was changing, and if the
Speaker 1: dog men didn't change with it, they would die. Chapter
Speaker 1: thirty one, The First Exchange. Three weeks later, on a
Speaker 1: cold November morning, Caboda stood at the edge of the
Speaker 1: Thompson property with five other sasquatch, including Coda. They had
Speaker 1: come to perform the first labor exchange, a test of
Speaker 1: weather cooperation between species was truly possible. Thomas Thompson came
Speaker 1: out to meet them, looking both excited and nervous. Thank
Speaker 1: you for coming. I wasn't sure you'd actually go through
Speaker 1: with it. A promise is a promise, Caboda said, in
Speaker 1: his careful English. We said we would help, so we help.
Speaker 1: Thomas led them to a section of his property where
Speaker 1: a massive old oak had fallen during a storm. The
Speaker 1: tree was enormous, far too large for Thomas and his
Speaker 1: neighbors to move with their equipment. It lay across what
Speaker 1: was supposed to be a new access road, blocking any
Speaker 1: vehicles from passing. I was going to hire a company
Speaker 1: with heavy machinery, Thomas explained, would have cost thousands of
Speaker 1: dollars and torn up a lot of ground. But if
Speaker 1: you folks can move it, Caboda examined the tree, running
Speaker 1: his hands along the trunk. It was solid oak, probably
Speaker 1: weighing several tons, but it was on relatively flat ground
Speaker 1: and there were six strong Sasquatch here. It could be done.
Speaker 1: We can move it, he said, but we need space
Speaker 1: to work. You should go inside, stay with your family.
Speaker 1: I'd like to watch, if that's okay. Documented a bit.
Speaker 1: Thomas held up his phone, not to share publicly, but
Speaker 1: for our records to show that this kind of cooperation
Speaker 1: is possible. The Sasquatch exchanged glances. Caboda looked uncomfortable with
Speaker 1: the idea of being filmed, but finally nodded, okay, but
Speaker 1: you stay far back, give us room. The Sasquatch positioned
Speaker 1: themselves around the fallen tree. Caboda and Dren took the
Speaker 1: heaviest section near the base. Coda and two others took
Speaker 1: the middle. Asha took the thinner end, which would serve
Speaker 1: as a lever point. They worked with minimal vocal communication,
Speaker 1: using a series of grunts and gestures that spoke to
Speaker 1: generations of cooperative labor. Slowly, incredibly, the massive tree began
Speaker 1: to move. Thomas watched in awe as the Sasquatch lifted
Speaker 1: and shifted the oak, their strength and coordination on full display.
Speaker 1: What would have taken a crew of humans with machinery
Speaker 1: several hours took the Sasquatch less than thirty minutes. They
Speaker 1: moved the tree completely off the road and positioned it
Speaker 1: where Thomas had indicated a spot where it could be
Speaker 1: cut up for firewood over the winter. When they finished,
Speaker 1: all six Sasquatch were breathing hard, but looked satisfied with
Speaker 1: their work. Caboda approached Thomas, wiping sweat from his brow
Speaker 1: despite the cold air done he said, simply, that was incredible.
Speaker 1: Thomas said, honestly, I knew you were strong, but seeing
Speaker 1: it in action like that, he shook his head in amazement.
Speaker 1: Thank you seriously, now, the exchange, Caboda said, you promised
Speaker 1: food supplies, right, yes. Thomas led them to his storage shed,
Speaker 1: where he'd prepared several large containers of non perishable foods,
Speaker 1: dried beans, rice, oats, salt, sugar, dried fruits. Also several blankets,
Speaker 1: some basic medical supplies, and tools that might be useful
Speaker 1: for sasquatch purposes. It's not much, Thomas admitted, but it's
Speaker 1: what I could gather without raising suspicions. Sarah and I
Speaker 1: have been buying a little extra each time we go
Speaker 1: to town, storing it here. Caboda examined the supplies. It
Speaker 1: wasn't a huge amount, but it was something, and more importantly,
Speaker 1: it was proof that cooperation was possible, that humans and
Speaker 1: sasquatch could help each other. This is good, Kboda said,
Speaker 1: thank you. We will remem remember this. As the Sasquatch
Speaker 1: prepared to leave with their supplies, Eli came out of
Speaker 1: the house he'd been watching from a window. Fascinated by
Speaker 1: the display of strength and coordination Coda. He called out,
Speaker 1: that was amazing what you guys did. Coda smiled, pleased
Speaker 1: by his friend's enthusiasm. It felt good, better than fighting. Yeah,
Speaker 1: Eli agreed, way better than fighting. After the Sasquatch left,
Speaker 1: Sarah joined Thomas and Eli outside. So how did it
Speaker 1: go perfectly? Thomas said, they moved that tree like it
Speaker 1: was nothing, and they were respectful, careful, everything we could
Speaker 1: have hoped for. Do you think we can do more
Speaker 1: of this? Sarah asked, I hope so, because if we can.
Speaker 1: If humans in Sasquatch can find ways to help each
Speaker 1: other like this, it changes everything. It stops being about
Speaker 1: us versus them and becomes about us working together. The
Speaker 1: first labor exchange was followed by others. Birds spread cautiously
Speaker 1: through the clans. Sasquatch helped the human family with heavy labor.
Speaker 1: In return, humans provided food, medicine, and tools. But some
Speaker 1: Sasquatch were resentful of having to rely on human charity,
Speaker 1: seeing it as demeaning. But slowly relationships formed, trust built,
Speaker 1: and the foundation was laid for something bigger than any
Speaker 1: of them had imagined. Chapter thirty two, Winter's Heart. The
Speaker 1: coldest night of winter found Coda and Mirah huddled together
Speaker 1: in a small cave halfway between their clan territories. They
Speaker 1: had been caught by a sudden storm during a patrol,
Speaker 1: forced to seek shelter until the worst passed. Of all
Speaker 1: the caves in the forest, Myra said, her teeth chattering,
Speaker 1: we find the coldest one. At least it's dry and
Speaker 1: we're together. Coda wrapped his arms around her, sharing body heat.
Speaker 1: That counts for something, does it. My father will be
Speaker 1: furious spending a night alone with a male, even in
Speaker 1: a emergency. Your father will be grateful you're alive. The
Speaker 1: rest he can complain about. Later, they sat in silence,
Speaker 1: listening to win Howel outside their shelter. Ice crystals formed
Speaker 1: on the cave walls, glittering in the faint light. Coda
Speaker 1: Mirah's voice was soft. If we survive this, I want
Speaker 1: things to change. What kind of things us are? People? Everything?
Speaker 1: She turned to face him, her eyes fierce despite the cold.
Speaker 1: I'm tired of living in fear. Afraid of the dog men,
Speaker 1: afraid of humans, afraid of our own elders and their
Speaker 1: rules about who we can love and how we can live.
Speaker 1: I want to be free. You want to leave the clans, No,
Speaker 1: I want to change them from the inside. Build the
Speaker 1: world you keep talking about, the one where different doesn't
Speaker 1: mean enemy. She took his hand. But I can't do
Speaker 1: it alone. I need someone who sees what I see,
Speaker 1: who dreams what I dream. Mirah, I'm asking you to
Speaker 1: choose Coda, not now, not tonight, but someday, to choose
Speaker 1: the future we could build together, even if it means
Speaker 1: fighting for every step. Coda looked at the female who
Speaker 1: had become his partner in everything but name. Smart, fierce, brave,
Speaker 1: and utterly unwilling to accept limitations just because they had
Speaker 1: always existed. I choose you, he said. I chose you
Speaker 1: the moment we met, even if I didn't know it then,
Speaker 1: and I'll keep choosing you every day for as long
Speaker 1: as you'll let me. Mira's lips curved into a smile
Speaker 1: that warmed him more than any fire could. Then we'll
Speaker 1: change the world together, starting tomorrow. Why not tonight, because
Speaker 1: tonight we survived the storm. Tomorrow we start the revolution.
Speaker 1: Outside the wind continued to howl, but inside their small shelter,
Speaker 1: two young Sasquatch held each other close and dreamed of
Speaker 1: better days. Part three, The Escalation Chapter thirty three tracks
Speaker 1: In the snow, winter settled over the mountains like a
Speaker 1: heavy blanket, muffling sound and slowing movement. The first real
Speaker 1: snowfall came in early December, transforming the forest into a
Speaker 1: white labyrinth of drifts and isolating branches. For the Sasquatch clans,
Speaker 1: it meant a shift to winter routines, hunting in smaller groups,
Speaker 1: spending more time in the caves, conserving energy for the
Speaker 1: lean months ahead. For Coda, it also meant fewer opportunities
Speaker 1: to see Eli. The Thompson family's homestead was a three
Speaker 1: hour hike from the main cave system, and deep snow
Speaker 1: made the journey treacherous. Coda had managed only two visits
Speaker 1: since the first heavy snowfall, both brief exchanges at the
Speaker 1: clearing where he and Eli had agreed to meet. But
Speaker 1: on the morning of the winter solstice, Coda woke to
Speaker 1: find his father already preparing for a journey. Where are
Speaker 1: you going, Coda asked, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Ka
Speaker 1: looked up from the pack he was assembling patrol. The
Speaker 1: dog men have been quiet for too long. The dog
Speaker 1: men are planning something. I can feel it. Let me
Speaker 1: come with you. Kboda studied his son for a long moment.
Speaker 1: At fifteen, Coda was nearly full grown, his shoulders broad
Speaker 1: and his arms thick with muscle. He had proven himself
Speaker 1: in the battle at Broken Ridge, fighting alongside the adults
Speaker 1: when many his age would have fled. All right, Kboda said,
Speaker 1: but you follow my lead, no heroics. They set out
Speaker 1: as the sun crested the eastern Ridge, its pale light
Speaker 1: doing little to warm the frigid air. The snow was
Speaker 1: knee deep in places, waist deep in others, where drifts
Speaker 1: had formed against fallen logs and rock outcroppings. Kboda broke
Speaker 1: trail while Coda followed, stepping in his father's footprints. For
Speaker 1: two hours, they moved in silence, checking the boundary markers
Speaker 1: that defined Sasquatch territory. Everything seemed normal until they reached
Speaker 1: the northern Ridge. Stop, Caboda said, holding up a hand,
Speaker 1: Coda froze his senses, straining. Then he smelled it, the musky,
Speaker 1: predatory scent of dog men, fresh, very fresh. Caboda crouched low,
Speaker 1: examining the snow, three of them moving fast. He pointed
Speaker 1: to a set of tracks that cut across their path,
Speaker 1: heading southeast. They're not hunting, they're scouting, scouting. What Caboda's
Speaker 1: expression darkened the Thompson homestead is that direction? Fear seized
Speaker 1: Coda's chest. We have to warn them. We will, but carefully.
Speaker 1: If the dog men are watching, we don't want to
Speaker 1: lead them straight to your human friends. They followed the
Speaker 1: tracks at a distance, moving parallel rather than directly behind.
Speaker 1: The dog men had made no attempt to hide their trail,
Speaker 1: which worried Caboda more than if they had been stealthy.
Speaker 1: Either they didn't care about being tracked, or they wanted
Speaker 1: to be followed. Stay tuned for more Backwoods Bigfoot stories.
Speaker 1: We'll be back after these messages. The tracks led to
Speaker 1: a rocky overlook that provided a clear view of the
Speaker 1: Thompson property below. From their position, Coda could see the farmhouse,
Speaker 1: the barn, the cleared fields, now buried under snow. A
Speaker 1: thin wisp of smoke rose from the chimney. Eli's family
Speaker 1: was home. They've been watching, Koboda said, grimly, pointing to
Speaker 1: the disturbed snow around the overlook. Multiple visits over several days.
Speaker 1: Why what do they want with the Thompsons. I don't know,
Speaker 1: but nothing good. Caboda stood his decision made. We need
Speaker 1: to tell the clans, and you need to warn Eli. Now.
Speaker 1: Now I'll circle around, make sure the dog men have
Speaker 1: moved on you go to the clearing. Wait for Eli.
Speaker 1: Tell him what we found. Coda nodded and started down
Speaker 1: the slope, his heart pounding. He had introduced Eli to
Speaker 1: his world, had brought his human friend into a conflict
Speaker 1: that stretched back generations. If anything happened to Eli or
Speaker 1: his family because of that connection, Coda would never forgive himself.
Speaker 1: He reached the clearing within an hour and made the
Speaker 1: signal they had agreed upon, three sharp whistles, followed by
Speaker 1: a low hoot. Then he waited, pacing in the snow,
Speaker 1: watching the tree line for any sign of movement. An
Speaker 1: hour passed, then two. The sun began its descent toward
Speaker 1: the western peaks, painting the snow in shades of gold
Speaker 1: and pink. Coda was about to give up and approached
Speaker 1: the house directly when he heard footsteps crunching through the snow.
Speaker 1: Eli emerged from the trees, bundled in a heavy coat
Speaker 1: and wearing snow shoes. His breath came invisible puffs, and
Speaker 1: his cheeks were red from the cold. Coda, I wasn't
Speaker 1: sure you'd come. The snow has been so deep. I thought,
Speaker 1: maybe Eli listen to me, Coda interrupted, The dog men
Speaker 1: have been watching your house. The color drained from Eli's face.
Speaker 1: What when Over the past several days, at least my
Speaker 1: father and I found their tracks this morning. They've been
Speaker 1: on the ridge above your property observing. But why we
Speaker 1: haven't done anything to them? Coda shook his head. I
Speaker 1: don't know, but they're interested in your family for some reason.
Speaker 1: You need to be careful. Don't go into the deep
Speaker 1: forest alone, stay close to the house after dark. Eli
Speaker 1: absorbed this information, his expression shifting from fear to determination.
Speaker 1: Should I tell my parents? It was a difficult question.
Speaker 1: Thomas and Sarah Thompson knew about the Sasquatch now had
Speaker 1: accepted Coda as their son's friend. But the dog men
Speaker 1: were different, more dangerous, less predictable. Yes, Coda decided, they
Speaker 1: need to know, but tell them to act normally. If
Speaker 1: the dog men realize we're aware of their surveillance, they
Speaker 1: might escalate, okay. Eli. Paul then ask the question Coda
Speaker 1: had been dreading. Are we in danger? Real danger? Coda
Speaker 1: couldn't lie to his friend. Maybe the dog men and
Speaker 1: my people have been enemies for a long time. This
Speaker 1: territory dispute, the battles we fought, it's made them desperate.
Speaker 1: Desperate creatures do unpredictable things. Eli nodded slowly. Then we
Speaker 1: need to be ready. My dad has guns if they
Speaker 1: come near the house, no, Coda said firmly. Guns will
Speaker 1: make things worse. The dog men are fast, faster than
Speaker 1: you can imagine, and if you wound one without killing it,
Speaker 1: the others will see it as an act of war.
Speaker 1: They'll retaliate. So what do we do? Just wait for
Speaker 1: them to attack, We watch, we prepare, and we stay connected.
Speaker 1: Coda placed a massive hand on Eli's shoulder. I won't
Speaker 1: let anything happen to you or your family. You have
Speaker 1: my word. Eli looked up at his friend, this creature
Speaker 1: from and legend, who had become as close as a brother.
Speaker 1: I know you won't, and I've got your back to Coda,
Speaker 1: whatever happens. They parted as the sun touched the horizon,
Speaker 1: each carrying the weight of the conversation back to their
Speaker 1: respective worlds. Coda rejoined his father at the boundary marker,
Speaker 1: reporting what he had told Eli. Caboda nodded approvingly. The
Speaker 1: humans need to know the dangers they face, he said,
Speaker 1: but they also need to trust that we will protect them.
Speaker 1: That's how alliances are built. Is that what this is?
Speaker 1: An alliance? Caboda considered the questions they began the Long
Speaker 1: Height back to the caves. Perhaps the world is changing, Coda.
Speaker 1: The old ways of hiding, of treating all outsiders as threats,
Speaker 1: they don't work anymore. Your friendship with Eli may be
Speaker 1: more important than you realize. It may show us a
Speaker 1: new path forward. Or it may put everyone in danger.
Speaker 1: That too, Caboda admitted, But some risks are worth taking.
Speaker 1: Chapter thirty four, The Long Watch. The night after Coda's warning,
Speaker 1: Eli couldn't sleep. He lay in his bed, staring at
Speaker 1: the ceiling, listening to every creak and groan of the
Speaker 1: old farmhouse. The wind mowned through the eaves, and every
Speaker 1: gust made him imagine shapes moving in the darkness outside
Speaker 1: his window. His parents had taken the news seriously. Thomas
Speaker 1: had gone out that afternoon and checked all the locks,
Speaker 1: made sure the motion sensor lights were working, even dug
Speaker 1: out an old shotgun he hadn't touched in years. Sarah
Speaker 1: had called the local ranger station, speaking in vague terms
Speaker 1: about unusual animal activity, asking if they could increase patrols
Speaker 1: in the area. None of it made Eli feel safer.
Speaker 1: Around midnight, he finally gave up on sleep and crept
Speaker 1: downstairs to the kitchen. He poured himself a glass of
Speaker 1: milk and sat at the table, watching moonlight paint patterns
Speaker 1: on the floor. Can't sleep either, Eli jumped, nearly spilling
Speaker 1: his milk. His father stood in the doorway, rumpled and
Speaker 1: tired looking. Sorry, didn't mean to scare you. It's okay.
Speaker 1: Eli gestured to the chair across from him, Join me.
Speaker 1: Thomas poured his own glass of milk and sat down.
Speaker 1: For a long moment, they just sat in silence, father
Speaker 1: and son, both lost in their own thoughts. I keep
Speaker 1: thinking about what Coda said. Thomas finally spoke about the
Speaker 1: dog men watching us, observing me too. It makes me
Speaker 1: wonder what else is out there, what else we've been
Speaker 1: living next to without knowing. Thomas shook his head. A
Speaker 1: year ago, I would have called anyone who believed in
Speaker 1: Sasquatch a lunatic. Now now you have one as a
Speaker 1: family friend. Exactly. Thomas took a long drink of milk.
Speaker 1: The world's a lot stranger than I thought, Eli, a
Speaker 1: lot bigger. I'm not sure if that's comforting or terrifying
Speaker 1: both maybe yeah, bothish their milk in silence. Then Thomas stood,
Speaker 1: try to get some sleep, son. Whatever happens, we'll face
Speaker 1: it together, I know, Dad. Thomas paused at the doorway.
Speaker 1: I'm proud of you, you know, for how you've handled
Speaker 1: all this. A lot of kids would have freaked out,
Speaker 1: run away, done something stupid. But you saw something impossible
Speaker 1: and you chose to understand it instead of fear it.
Speaker 1: That takes courage. Eli felt warmth spread through his chest.
Speaker 1: Thanks Dad. After his father left, Eli stated at the
Speaker 1: table a while longer. Through the window, he could see
Speaker 1: the tree line at the edge of their property, dark
Speaker 1: shapes against a darker sky. Was Coda out there somewhere,
Speaker 1: watching over them, as he had promised, Eli chose to
Speaker 1: believe he was. Meanwhile, in the forest, Coda had taken
Speaker 1: position on a rocky outcropping that overlooked the Thompson homestead.
Speaker 1: From here, he could see the farmhouse, the barn, the
Speaker 1: dirt road leading away to civilization. He could also see
Speaker 1: the tree line in all directions, watching for any sign
Speaker 1: of movement. The dog men were out there. He could
Speaker 1: smell them on the wind, faint but unmistakable. They weren't close,
Speaker 1: not yet, but they were circling, testing, probing. You should rest.
Speaker 1: Coda turned to find Myra settling onto the rock beside him.
Speaker 1: She had followed him from the caves, refusing to let
Speaker 1: him take this watch alone. I can't not while they're
Speaker 1: in danger. The humans mean that much to you. Eli does,
Speaker 1: his family does. Coda paused, struggling to put his feelings
Speaker 1: into words. When I was young, before I met Eli,
Speaker 1: I thought humans were just obstacles, things to avoid, like
Speaker 1: bad weather or dangerous terrain. But getting to know Eli,
Speaker 1: talking to him, learning about his world, it changed something
Speaker 1: in me. I started seeing humans as people, individuals with
Speaker 1: their own hopes and fears and dreams, And that makes
Speaker 1: you want to protect them. Yes, not just Eli, but
Speaker 1: all of them, the good ones anyway, the ones who
Speaker 1: would be our friends if they knew we existed. Mira
Speaker 1: was quiet for a long moment, then she shifted closer,
Speaker 1: her shoulder brushing against his. That's one of the things
Speaker 1: I like about you, Coda. You see possibilities where others
Speaker 1: see only threads. My mother says it's naivety Omaki also
Speaker 1: invited dog men into our caves to negotiate peace. I
Speaker 1: think she sees the same possibilitiess you do. She's just
Speaker 1: better at hiding it, Coda laughed softly. Maybe they sat
Speaker 1: together through the night, watching and waiting. The dog men
Speaker 1: didn't approach. The farmhouse remained dark and peaceful, and when
Speaker 1: dawn finally painted the sky in shades of pink and gold,
Speaker 1: Coda felt something like hope. The danger wasn't over, but
Speaker 1: they weren't facing it alone. Chapter thirty five, Mira Choice.
Speaker 1: Mira stood at a crossroads. Her father had arranged a
Speaker 1: mating with a male from the Northern clans, a traditional
Speaker 1: match that would strengthen ties between their peoples. It was expected, conventional,
Speaker 1: exactly the kind of future she had once assumed awaited her.
Speaker 1: But now she had other ideas. I won't do it,
Speaker 1: she told Garic, her voice steady despite her pounding heart.
Speaker 1: They stood in the family section of the caves, the
Speaker 1: firelight casting dancing shadows on the walls. Mira's mother, Rayna,
Speaker 1: sat nearby, watching the confrontation with careful eyes. This isn't
Speaker 1: a negotiation, Mira. The match has been agreed without consulting me,
Speaker 1: without considering what I want. Your wants are not the
Speaker 1: primary consideration, the clan's needs. What about my needs? Don't
Speaker 1: I matter? Gark's expression hardened. You matter, but you're not
Speaker 1: the only one who matters. We live in community. Do
Speaker 1: we make sacrifices for each other? That's what holds us together.
Speaker 1: And if the sacrifice destroys me, if I spend my
Speaker 1: life with someone I don't love, don't even respect, just
Speaker 1: to maintain political convenience, love Garrick made the word sound
Speaker 1: like a disease. You've been spending too much time with
Speaker 1: Koboda's son, filling your head with human nonsense about feelings
Speaker 1: and choice. Coda didn't teach me to want freedom. I've
Speaker 1: always wanted it. He just showed me it was possible.
Speaker 1: Raina shifted, drawing both their attention. She had been silent
Speaker 1: until now, letting father and daughter argue as she always did,
Speaker 1: observing rather than intervening. But something in her posture suggested
Speaker 1: she had reached a decision. Garic, she said, quietly, perhaps
Speaker 1: we should consider this more carefully. He turned, to her, surprise,
Speaker 1: flickering across his face. You agree with her. I agree
Speaker 1: that forcing her into a match she despises will bring
Speaker 1: nothing but misery for her. For us and for the
Speaker 1: male from the Northern clan who deserves a mate who
Speaker 1: actually wants him. Raina stood and moved to her daughter's side.
Speaker 1: And I think you're not seeing the full picture. What
Speaker 1: picture she wants to throw away a valuable alliance for
Speaker 1: romantic fantasies? Does she? Raina's voice remained calm, measured, think
Speaker 1: about who she wants instead? Kyboda's son, Coda, exactly, a
Speaker 1: young male who spends his time with humans, who defies tradition,
Speaker 1: who who will almost certainly become patriarch when Koboda steps down.
Speaker 1: Garic fell silent, his expression shifting as the implication settled in.
Speaker 1: Raina continued her tone, reasonable but firm. Caboda has no
Speaker 1: other heirs. Coda is young, yes, but he's already proving
Speaker 1: himself as a leader. The alliance with the humans, the
Speaker 1: one everyone criticized, has protected our clans more effectively than
Speaker 1: anything we've tried in generations. The council listens when Coda speaks.
Speaker 1: Omaki herself has taken him under her guidance. You're saying
Speaker 1: Mira should pursue Koboda's son for political advantage. I'm saying
Speaker 1: that what Mira wants and what benefits our family may
Speaker 1: not be as opposed as you think. Rena placed a
Speaker 1: hand on her daughter's shoulder. She loves him, Garak. I've
Speaker 1: watched them together. What they have is real, not some
Speaker 1: passing fancy. And if they bond, our daughter becomes the
Speaker 1: mate of the future patriarch. Our grandchildren would lead all
Speaker 1: the clans. Mira stared at her mother, caught between gratitude
Speaker 1: and surprise. She hadn't expected this, hadn't expected her mother
Speaker 1: to not only understand, but to advocate for her. You
Speaker 1: never said anything, Mirah, whispered. Raina smiled slightly. I was
Speaker 1: waiting to see how serious you were. If this was
Speaker 1: just rebellion, it would burn out on its own. But consistent, patient,
Speaker 1: devoted to that young male for three years now, that's
Speaker 1: not infatuation. That's something deeper. Garic looked between his mate
Speaker 1: and his daughter, the anger slowly draining from his face.
Speaker 1: In its place came something more complicated, frustration, uncertainty, but
Speaker 1: also the first glimmers of acceptance. The Northern clan will
Speaker 1: be insulted, he said, but his voice had lost its edge.
Speaker 1: Then we handle it carefully, Rayner replied, we express regret,
Speaker 1: offer compensation, explain that circumstances have changed. It's politics, Garic,
Speaker 1: You've navigated worse, and if Caboda doesn't approve of the match,
Speaker 1: he may have plans for his son that don't include
Speaker 1: our family. Kaboda respects strength and conviction, Mira said, finding
Speaker 1: her voice again. He won't object to his son choosing
Speaker 1: his own mate, and Coda has already spoken to him
Speaker 1: about us. His father gave his blessing months ago. Garic's
Speaker 1: eyebrow rose, you've already. We've been waiting for the right
Speaker 1: time to tell you, hoping you'd come to see reason
Speaker 1: on your own. Mira stepped forward, taking her father's hands
Speaker 1: in hers. I know this isn't what you plan for me.
Speaker 1: I know I'm asking you to change your thinking, to
Speaker 1: give up arrangements you worked hard to make. But I'm
Speaker 1: asking you to trust me, Trust that I know my
Speaker 1: own heart and that what I want can be good
Speaker 1: for all of us. For a long moment, Garic simply
Speaker 1: looked at her. Mia could see the struggle playing out
Speaker 1: behind his eyes, tradition warring with love, expectations, fighting with
Speaker 1: the reality in front of him. Finally, he sighed, your
Speaker 1: mother is right. She usually is, even when I don't
Speaker 1: want to admit it. Raina's expression softened with affection. I've
Speaker 1: had years of practice. I'll tell the Northern clan the
Speaker 1: match is off, Garic said. We'll handle the consequences together
Speaker 1: as a family. Mia felt tears prick at her eyes.
Speaker 1: She had come prepared for a battle, had steeled herself
Speaker 1: for rejection and estrangement. Instead, she found herself wrapped in
Speaker 1: her mother's embrace while her father looked on with grudging acceptance.
Speaker 1: Thank you, she whispered. Don't thank me yet, Garic grumbled,
Speaker 1: though there was no real anger in it. If Koboda's
Speaker 1: son turns out to be a disappointment, I'm going to
Speaker 1: say I told you so. For the rest of your life.
Speaker 1: He won't be. Mia said, with absolute certainty. He's going
Speaker 1: to be extraordinary, and I'm going to be right there
Speaker 1: beside him. Raina pulled back and looked at her daughter
Speaker 1: with shining eyes. I know you will. I've always known it.
Speaker 1: Later that night, after her father had retreated to bed
Speaker 1: and the caves had grown quiet, Mia sat with her
Speaker 1: mother near the entrance, watching stars wheel overhead. How did
Speaker 1: you know, Mira? Asked about Coda becoming patriarch. About all
Speaker 1: of it, Raina smiled, I pay attention. I listen. The
Speaker 1: clan may not see me as a political force, but
Speaker 1: that just means I hear things others miss, and what
Speaker 1: I hear tells me that Coda is special, and not
Speaker 1: just because he's Koboda's son. The way he thinks, the
Speaker 1: alliances he builds, the future he's creating. He's going to
Speaker 1: change everything, and you want me to be part of that.
Speaker 1: I want you to be happy. The rest is just
Speaker 1: a pleasant coincidence. Raina squeezed her daughter's hand. When you
Speaker 1: were young, I worried about you. You asked too many questions,
Speaker 1: challenged too many assumptions. I was afraid the world would
Speaker 1: crush that spirit out of you. But you found someone
Speaker 1: who nurtures it instead. That's rarer than you know. Did
Speaker 1: you have that with father? Raina's expression grew thoughtful. We
Speaker 1: grew into it. Our match was arranged. You know, I
Speaker 1: barely knew Garic when we bonded, but over time we
Speaker 1: learned to understand each other, to appreciate each other's strengths.
Speaker 1: She paused, what you have with Coda starting from a
Speaker 1: place of genuine connection. That's a gift. Don't ever take
Speaker 1: it for granted. I won't, Mira promised. They sat together
Speaker 1: until the first hints of dawn began to lighten the horizon.
Speaker 1: Then Mira a Rose embraced her mother one last time
Speaker 1: and went to find Coda. She had news to share
Speaker 1: in a future to begin di