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: As many of you who listen to my other podcasts
Speaker 1: already know, I have written five books on the subject,
Speaker 1: Born Wild Coda's Odyssey. My second book was a story
Speaker 1: that rattled around in my head for years before I
Speaker 1: ever set a single word of it down on paper.
Speaker 1: I shared all of that first volume right here on
Speaker 1: this show a few years back, and those episodes are
Speaker 1: still sitting in the back catalog. If you want to
Speaker 1: go back and listen as a refresher before you start
Speaker 1: volume two. I'd almost recommend it if you have the time,
Speaker 1: because the road Coda walks in this book run straight
Speaker 1: out of the ground the first volume laid down. You'll
Speaker 1: meet him again either way, But the weight of what
Speaker 1: he carries now, the losses that shaped him, the bonds
Speaker 1: that were tested, and the ones that broke, all of
Speaker 1: that lands a little heavier when you've already walked the
Speaker 1: first stretch of the journey beside him. For those of
Speaker 1: you who were here the first time around, coming back
Speaker 1: to this world feels a little like returning to place
Speaker 1: you used to know. The forest is the same forest,
Speaker 1: Coda is older now, harder in some ways, and the
Speaker 1: quiet that used to mean safety doesn't mean quite the
Speaker 1: same thing anymore. And for those of you just finding
Speaker 1: this story now, you picked a good place to stand.
Speaker 1: Everything you need is right here. There's a particular kind
Speaker 1: of quiet that settles over a forest right before something happens,
Speaker 1: And if you spend any real time in the deep woods,
Speaker 1: you know exactly the quiet. I mean. The birds stop,
Speaker 1: the wind holds its breath, every living thing that can
Speaker 1: feel the change goes still and waits. That's the quiet
Speaker 1: I want you sitting in as we begin, because that's
Speaker 1: the quiet Coda is living in when this book opens.
Speaker 1: This is volume two of Born Wild Coda's odyssey, and
Speaker 1: over the coming weeks, I'm going to bring you the
Speaker 1: entire thing, start to finish in seven parts. There's a
Speaker 1: reason I like telling a long story this way. A
Speaker 1: tale like this one breeds better with space around it.
Speaker 1: When you have to sit with a chapter for a
Speaker 1: few days before the next one arrives, the characters have
Speaker 1: time to move into your head and take up residence there.
Speaker 1: You start wondering about them while you're driving, while you're
Speaker 1: falling asleep, while you're standing at the window looking out
Speaker 1: at your own tree line. That wondering is half the
Speaker 1: pleasure of a serialized story, and it's a pleasure we've
Speaker 1: mostly forgotten in a world that wants to hand us
Speaker 1: everything at once. What follows is a story about loyalty
Speaker 1: and about loss, about the strange and unlikely bonds that
Speaker 1: form when the alternative is annihilation, and about the terrible
Speaker 1: arithmetic of deciding who is worth fighting for. It gets
Speaker 1: dark in places I won't pretend otherwise, but there is
Speaker 1: light running through all of it the kind of stubborn
Speaker 1: light that refuses to go out no matter how hard
Speaker 1: the world leans on it. And I think by the
Speaker 1: end you'll feel the same way I do about where
Speaker 1: Coda's road is heading. Let the noise of the day
Speaker 1: fall away behind you, and let the trees come in close.
Speaker 1: The quiet is settling, the wind is holding its breath.
Speaker 1: This is born Wild Coda's Odyssey, Volume two, and this
Speaker 1: is where it begins. The Pack Part one Shadows in
Speaker 1: the Forest, Chapter one, The Hunt. The dog man called
Speaker 1: Vorn moved through the forest like a shadow given form,
Speaker 1: his massive frame, barely making a sound despite weighing over
Speaker 1: four hundred pounds. His fur was a mottled gray and black,
Speaker 1: coarse and thick, covering muscles that rippled beneath with every step.
Speaker 1: Unlike his pack mates, Vorn stood nearly seven feet tall
Speaker 1: when upright, his legs reverse jointed like a wolf's, but
Speaker 1: powerful enough to propel him forward with terrifying speed. His
Speaker 1: snout was long and filled with teeth designed for one
Speaker 1: purpose killing. He paused at the edge of a ravine,
Speaker 1: his amber eyes scanning the darkness below. The moon was
Speaker 1: nearly full, casting silver light through the canopy overhead. Behind him,
Speaker 1: four other members of his pack emerged from the underbrush,
Speaker 1: each one equally imposing but unique in their own way.
Speaker 1: Rask was the youngest, barely five years old but already
Speaker 1: standing six and a half feet tall. His fur was
Speaker 1: darker than Vorn's, almost black, and his eyes held a
Speaker 1: wild eagerness that sometimes worried the pack alpha. He was fast,
Speaker 1: possibly the fastest of them all, but his inexperience made
Speaker 1: him reckless. He hungered for battle, for the rush of
Speaker 1: the hunt, in a way that reminded Vorn of himself
Speaker 1: at that age. Beside, Rask stood braun, broader, and more
Speaker 1: muscular than his younger pack mate. Bron's fur was reddish brown,
Speaker 1: unusual among their kind, and a long scar ran down
Speaker 1: the left side of his face, a reminder of a
Speaker 1: fight with a black bear years ago. He was methodical, patient,
Speaker 1: and loyal to a fault. Where Rask was fire, bronze
Speaker 1: with stone. Dask moved to Vorn's right, The second largest
Speaker 1: of the pack, his fur was steel gray and his
Speaker 1: eyes were darker than the others, almost black. Dask was
Speaker 1: the thinker, the one who planned and strategized. He rarely
Speaker 1: spoke but when he did, the others listened. Some said
Speaker 1: he had once lived among humans before returning to the wild,
Speaker 1: though Dask never spoke of his past. And then there
Speaker 1: was Ashka, the only female in their immediate pack, Though
Speaker 1: she commanded as much respect as any male. She was
Speaker 1: leaner than the others, built for speed and agility rather
Speaker 1: than brute strength, but her claws were longer and sharper
Speaker 1: than anyone's. Her fur was silver white, making her almost
Speaker 1: ghost like in the moonlight. She was Vorn's mate, though
Speaker 1: they had no young, The pack was their family. The
Speaker 1: scent is stronger here, Oshka said, her voice low and rough.
Speaker 1: They've been through this area recently, many of them. Vaorn nodded,
Speaker 1: lowering his snout to the ground. The smell was unmistakable, Sasquatch,
Speaker 1: that earthy, musky scent that clung to everything they touched.
Speaker 1: He had smelled it before many times over the years,
Speaker 1: but never this concentrated. This territory had once been neutral ground,
Speaker 1: a buffer zone between their hunting grounds and the Sasquatch clans,
Speaker 1: but food had become scarce in the north, and the
Speaker 1: pack had been forced to push south. How many Dask
Speaker 1: asked Vorn sniffed again, swording through the layers of scent.
Speaker 1: At least fifteen, maybe twenty, multiple clans gathered together. Rask's
Speaker 1: ears perked forward, his lips pulling back to reveal his teeth.
Speaker 1: A gathering. This could be our chance or our death.
Speaker 1: Braun growled. Twenty sasquatch against five of us. Those are
Speaker 1: poor odds. We're not going to fight them, Varn said firmly,
Speaker 1: not yet. We're here to scout, to learn their movements
Speaker 1: and numbers. We need to know what we're dealing with
Speaker 1: before we make any moves. Rask made a sound of frustration,
Speaker 1: a growl mixed with a wine We've been watching for weeks.
Speaker 1: How long until we act? Varn turned to face the
Speaker 1: younger dog man, his eyes hardening. Until I say we're ready?
Speaker 1: Or would you rather rush in blind and get yourself killed?
Speaker 1: Get us all killed? Rask lowered his head, his ears flattening. No, Vorn,
Speaker 1: I just I'm tired of hiding, tired of running. We're
Speaker 1: not running, Oshka said, moving to stand beside Vorn. We're surviving.
Speaker 1: There's a difference. The tension hung in the air for
Speaker 1: a moment before Dask spoke, there's something else. I smelled
Speaker 1: it earlier near the human settlement to the east. Fire
Speaker 1: smoke but different, stronger, and the sound of machines. Vaorn's
Speaker 1: ears swiveled toward Dask. Humans this far out by just
Speaker 1: passing through, they're staying building something. This was new information,
Speaker 1: and Vorn didn't like it. The humans were unpredictable, dangerous
Speaker 1: in ways different from Sasquatch. They had weapons that could
Speaker 1: kill from a distance, machines that tore through the forest,
Speaker 1: and they multiplied like rabbits, always spreading, always taking more.
Speaker 1: The Sasquatch must know about the humans, Braun said, maybe
Speaker 1: that's why they're gathering to discuss the threat. Varn considered this.
Speaker 1: It made sense. The Sasquatch were territorial but cautious, especially
Speaker 1: when it came to humans. If they felt threatened, they
Speaker 1: would band together, share information. Plan. We need to get closer,
Speaker 1: Varn decided. Oshka, Dask, you're with me. Braun Rask. Circle
Speaker 1: around to the eastern ridge. Watch for patrols, but do
Speaker 1: not engage. We meet back here before dawn. The packs split,
Speaker 1: moving through the darkness with practiced silence. Vorn led Ashka
Speaker 1: and Dask down into the ravine, following a game trail
Speaker 1: that wound between massive boulders and fallen trees. The scent
Speaker 1: of sasquatch grew stronger with each step, mingling with the
Speaker 1: smells of the forest, pine earth, the faint musk of deer.
Speaker 1: They moved for nearly an hour, staying down wind, using
Speaker 1: every shadow and depression in the land to remain hidden.
Speaker 1: Varn had learned long ago that staying alive in this
Speaker 1: forest meant being smarter than your enemies, not just stronger.
Speaker 1: The sasquatch were powerful, yes, but they were all so confident,
Speaker 1: sometimes too confident. They didn't always expect threats from creatures
Speaker 1: like the dog men. Finally, through a gap in the trees,
Speaker 1: Vorn spotted firelight. He froze, signaling the others to stop. Slowly, carefully,
Speaker 1: they crept forward until they could see the gathering. It
Speaker 1: was larger than Vorn had expected. Dozens of sasquatch filled
Speaker 1: a natural clearing, grouped around several small fires. They spoke
Speaker 1: in low voices, their language a mixture of grunts, clicks,
Speaker 1: and sounds Vorn couldn't quite identify. He recognized the signs
Speaker 1: of different clans. Some had lighter hair, others darker. Some
Speaker 1: were massive, while others were leaner, but they all shared
Speaker 1: that same powerful build, those same intelligent eyes. There, Ashka whispered,
Speaker 1: nodding toward a group near the largest fire, That one,
Speaker 1: the big male with the silver in his hair. Varn
Speaker 1: followed her gaze and felt a chill run down his spine.
Speaker 1: The Sasquatch, she indicated, was enormous even by their standards,
Speaker 1: easily eight and a half feet tall and built like
Speaker 1: a boulder. His hair was dark but streaked with silver,
Speaker 1: especially around his face and shoulders. He stood at the
Speaker 1: center of the gathering, clearly a leader of some kind.
Speaker 1: Other Sasquatch deferred to him, stepped aside when he moved
Speaker 1: when he spoke. That's Caboda, Desk said quietly. I've heard
Speaker 1: stories about him. He's the patriarch of the Hoe clan,
Speaker 1: one of the oldest and strongest in this region. And
Speaker 1: the female beside him, Varn asked Asha, his mate. She's wise, cautious.
Speaker 1: The clans respect her judgment. Varn watched as Koboda spoke
Speaker 1: to the gathered Sasquatch, his gestures broad and emphatic. He
Speaker 1: was telling a story or perhaps issuing warnings. Varn couldn't
Speaker 1: understand the words, but he understood the tone, serious, urgent.
Speaker 1: Then Caboda turned his gaze sweeping across the forest, and
Speaker 1: for just a moment, Varn could have sworn those dark
Speaker 1: eyes locked onto his hiding spot. He held perfectly still,
Speaker 1: barely breathing. Ashka and Dask did the same. The moment passed,
Speaker 1: Caboda turned back to the gathering, continuing his address. We
Speaker 1: need to leave, Dask whispered. Now. Varn agreed they had
Speaker 1: seen enough. Slowly, inch by inch, they backed away from
Speaker 1: the clearing, not daring to stand fully upright until there
Speaker 1: were several hundred yards away. As they made their way
Speaker 1: back to the rendezvous point, Vaughn's mind raced. The Sasquatch
Speaker 1: were organized, numerous, and led by experienced fighters. A direct
Speaker 1: confrontation would be suicide. But they couldn't leave either. The
Speaker 1: pack needed this territory, needed the game that lived here.
Speaker 1: The northern hunting grounds had been picked clean. When they
Speaker 1: reached the ravine, Braun and Rask were already waiting. Both
Speaker 1: looked tense. We found something, Braun said, without preamble. Human structures,
Speaker 1: new ones, and they've cleared a large area of forest
Speaker 1: right on the edge of Sasquatch territory. RAS's tail was rigid,
Speaker 1: his ears flat. The humans are building something big. We
Speaker 1: saw machines, heard voices. They're not just camping, They're staying.
Speaker 1: Varn absorbed this information, feeling the weight of its settle
Speaker 1: on his shoulders. The Sasquatch to the west, humans to
Speaker 1: the east, and his pack caught in between. What do
Speaker 1: we do, Oshka asked. Vaughn looked at each member of
Speaker 1: his pack, seeing the trust in their eyes, the expectation
Speaker 1: they looked to him for answers, for leadership. He had
Speaker 1: brought them this far, kept them alive through harsh winters
Speaker 1: and leaner times. He couldn't fail them. Now we wait,
Speaker 1: he said. Finally, we watch, and when the time is right,
Speaker 1: we make them understand that this forest belongs to us too.
Speaker 1: Rask's eyes gleamed in the moonlight. And if they don't understand,
Speaker 1: Vaughn's lips pulled back from his teeth, a gesture that
Speaker 1: was half smile, half snarl, then we teach them. Stay
Speaker 1: tuned for more Backwoods Bigfoot stories. We'll be back after
Speaker 1: these messages. Chapter two, Gathering Storm. Three years had passed
Speaker 1: since the clans had settled in the Eastern mountains. Three
Speaker 1: years since they had fled the Olympic Peninsula and the
Speaker 1: humans who had discovered their existence, three years since Adonoah
Speaker 1: had been captured, since Varro had fallen, since everything had changed.
Speaker 1: The sun hadn't yet risen. When Coda woke to the
Speaker 1: sound of his mother's voice echoing through the cave system.
Speaker 1: He blinked asleep from his eyes, recognizing the urgent tone,
Speaker 1: even if he couldn't yet make out the words. Beside him,
Speaker 1: Mira stirred her hand, reaching out instinctively. What is it?
Speaker 1: She mumbled, still half asleep, not sure, Coda replied, sitting up.
Speaker 1: His joints were stiff from the previous day's patrol. At
Speaker 1: fifteen years old, no longer the curious child who had
Speaker 1: first befriended a human boy named Eli, but not yet
Speaker 1: fully grown, he was expected to participate in the clan
Speaker 1: security efforts, especially now that tensions were running so high.
Speaker 1: But it doesn't sound good. They emerged from their sleeping
Speaker 1: chamber to find the main cavern already filled with sasquatch
Speaker 1: from multiple clans. The air was thick with the scent
Speaker 1: of bodies and the low murmur of worried voices. Coda
Speaker 1: spotted his father standing near the center, deep in conversation
Speaker 1: with Tyrek and Omaki. Asha stood slightly apart, her arms crossed,
Speaker 1: her expression grave. Koda, his father called out, noticing him,
Speaker 1: come here. Koda made his way through the crowd, Mira
Speaker 1: following close behind. As he got closer, he could see
Speaker 1: the tension in Koboda's shoulders, the way his father's hands
Speaker 1: kept clenching and unclenching. What's happened, Koda asked. Tyrek answered,
Speaker 1: his voice heavy. One of our scouts didn't return last night, Roksha.
Speaker 1: He was monitoring the northern ridge. Koda felt his stomach drop.
Speaker 1: Raksha was young, barely older than Coda himself, but he
Speaker 1: was skilled and careful. If something had happened to him,
Speaker 1: could he have gotten injured? Mira suggested, fallen? Maybe we
Speaker 1: sent a search party at first light. Omaki said they
Speaker 1: found signs of a struggle. Blood Rokshaw scent was there,
Speaker 1: but so was another smell, dog men. Koboda finished, his voice,
Speaker 1: tight with controlled anger. The word sent a ripple through
Speaker 1: the gathered sasquatch. Coda had heard the howls in the
Speaker 1: distance had listened to the elder's warnings about the dog
Speaker 1: Men pack that had been moving south, but hearing that
Speaker 1: they had actually attacked one of their own made it
Speaker 1: real in a way it hadn't been before. Is Rokshaw
Speaker 1: Coda couldn't finish the question. We don't know, Tyrek said,
Speaker 1: we found blood, but not a body. They may have
Speaker 1: taken him. Taken him, Coda repeated. Why would they do
Speaker 1: that to send a message, Kiboda said grimly, to show
Speaker 1: us they're not afraid that they think this territory is theirs,
Speaker 1: to claim. An older Sasquatch named Brandt pushed forward from
Speaker 1: the crowd. Then we need to respond. We can't let
Speaker 1: this aggression go unanswered. If we show weakness now, they'll
Speaker 1: think they can take whatever they want. I agree, said
Speaker 1: another voice. Coda turned to see Garak stepping forward. Mirah's
Speaker 1: father had proven himself a fierce warrior since joining the
Speaker 1: clans years ago, his family's harrowing journey from the destroyed
Speaker 1: northern forests having forged him into someone who understood the
Speaker 1: cost of hesitation. He was nearly as large as Caboda,
Speaker 1: with dark hair and a hardened expression. We should gather
Speaker 1: a war party, track them down, make them pay for
Speaker 1: what they've done, and risk more lives. A mocky challenged,
Speaker 1: we don't know how many dog men there are or
Speaker 1: how they fight. Running headlong into battle without information is foolish,
Speaker 1: so as doing nothing. Brant shot back. They've already drawn blood.
Speaker 1: How long before they strike again? How many of our
Speaker 1: young do we lose before we act? The cavern erupted
Speaker 1: in arguments sasquatch from different clans, voicing their opinions, some
Speaker 1: calling for immediate action, others urging caution. Coda watched his father,
Speaker 1: saw the weight of leadership pressing down on him. Caboda
Speaker 1: had to balance the desire for justice against the need
Speaker 1: to protect the clans, had to make decisions that could
Speaker 1: mean life or death for those he led. Finally, Kboda
Speaker 1: raised his hand and the cavern slowly quieted. We will
Speaker 1: not act rashly, he said, his voice carrying authority, But
Speaker 1: we will act. Omaki is right that we need information,
Speaker 1: but Brant and Garrick are also right that we cannot
Speaker 1: appear weak. Here's what we will do, he paused, making
Speaker 1: sure he had everyone's attention. We will double our patrols.
Speaker 1: No one goes out alone. We establish clear boundaries around
Speaker 1: our core territories and defend them. Any dog men who
Speaker 1: cross those boundaries will be driven off or killed if
Speaker 1: they resist. At the same time, we send our best
Speaker 1: scouts to locate the dog men's camp to learn their
Speaker 1: numbers and capabilities. And if the the attack again before
Speaker 1: we're ready, Garic asked, then we defend ourselves with everything
Speaker 1: we have, Caboda answered, But we choose the time and
Speaker 1: place of any major confrontation. We do not let them
Speaker 1: dictate terms. There were murmurs of agreement, though Coda could
Speaker 1: see some still looked unsatisfied. They wanted immediate vengeance, wanted
Speaker 1: to strike back for Raksha. But Kboda's plan was sound,
Speaker 1: and most of the gathered Sasquatch recognized that. Coda, his
Speaker 1: father said, turning to him, I want you on the
Speaker 1: eastern patrol. Take Mira, Paka and Rayla. Keep watch on
Speaker 1: the approaches from that direction. If you see or smell
Speaker 1: anything unusual, you report back immediately. Do not engage. Understood. Understood,
Speaker 1: Coda replied, though part of him felt the same frustration
Speaker 1: as the others. Rakshaw had been his friend. The idea
Speaker 1: of just watching while the dog men roamed free made
Speaker 1: his blood boil. As the gathering began to break up,
Speaker 1: Sasquatch heading to their assigned tasks, Cooda felt a hand
Speaker 1: on his shoulder. He turned to find Tyrek looking at
Speaker 1: him with those ancient, knowing eyes. I know what you're feeling,
Speaker 1: the elder said, quietly, the desire for revenge. But your
Speaker 1: father is right to counsel patients. The dog men are
Speaker 1: not like us. They're more aggressive, more willing to take risks.
Speaker 1: If we meet them with equal aggression, many will die
Speaker 1: on both sides. Better to be smart than brave. But
Speaker 1: Raksha may still be alive, Tyrek interrupted gently, And if
Speaker 1: he is rushing in blindly won't help him. Trust your father,
Speaker 1: trust the plan. Coda nodded, though the frustration still churned
Speaker 1: in his gut. He gathered Mira, Paka, and Rayela, and
Speaker 1: they headed out toward the eastern boundary of their territory.
Speaker 1: The morning was cold, Misclinging to the ground between the trees,
Speaker 1: they moved in a loose formation, staying within sight of
Speaker 1: each other, but spread out enough to cover more ground.
Speaker 1: Code sent were on high alert, cataloging every sound, every smell.
Speaker 1: The forest felt different, now, dangerous in a way it
Speaker 1: hadn't been just days ago. Do you think they'll really
Speaker 1: attack us? Rayla asked. She was the youngest of their group,
Speaker 1: barely thirteen, and Coda could hear the fear in her voice.
Speaker 1: Only if we let them, Mira answered, trying to sound confident.
Speaker 1: We're stronger, smarter, We know this forest better than they do.
Speaker 1: But they're fast. Paka said he was broader than Coda,
Speaker 1: more muscular, but his expression was troubled. I've heard stories
Speaker 1: from Sasquatch who've encountered dog men before. They say they
Speaker 1: move like shadows, strike before you know they're there. Stories
Speaker 1: get exaggerated, Coda said, though he wasn't sure he believed
Speaker 1: his own words. We just need to stay alert, stick together.
Speaker 1: They patrolled for hours, marking the boundaries of their territory,
Speaker 1: checking the game trails and water sources. Everything seemed normal, peaceful,
Speaker 1: Even birds sang in the canopy overhead, and Coda spotted
Speaker 1: a family of deer moving through a meadow, unconcerned by
Speaker 1: the Sasquatch presence. But then, as they approached a rocky
Speaker 1: outcropping near the eastern edge of their patrol, route mirror froze.
Speaker 1: Do you smell that? She whispered? Coda inhaled deeply, sorting
Speaker 1: through the scents on the wind. There was pine earth,
Speaker 1: the lingering musk of a bear that had passed through recently,
Speaker 1: and underneath it all something else, something sharp and musky,
Speaker 1: like wet fur and old blood. Dog Men, he breathed.
Speaker 1: They all tensed, scanning the forest around them. The smell
Speaker 1: was faint, probably at least a day old, but it
Speaker 1: was definitely there. The dog Men had been here, on
Speaker 1: the very edge of their territory. Should we follow it,
Speaker 1: Rayla asked, her voice trembling slightly. Codah thought about his
Speaker 1: father's orders observe and report, do not engage, But he
Speaker 1: also thought about Raksha, about the blood the search party
Speaker 1: had found. The trail could lead them to the dog
Speaker 1: men's camp, could give them the information the clans needed.
Speaker 1: We follow it, he decided, but carefully. And if it
Speaker 1: looks like we're getting close to their camp, we turned
Speaker 1: back and report no heroics. The others nodded, and they
Speaker 1: set off, tracking the scent deeper into the forest. Coda
Speaker 1: led the way, every muscle tense, ready to run or fight.
Speaker 1: At a moment's notice. The trail wound through dense undergrowth,
Speaker 1: over a small stream, and up a steep hillside covered
Speaker 1: in loose shale. They had been following for nearly an
Speaker 1: hour when Paka suddenly grabbed Coda's arm. Stop. He hissed, listen.
Speaker 1: They all froze, straining their ears. At first, Coda heard
Speaker 1: nothing but the usual sounds of the forest, but then
Speaker 1: faintly he caught it voices, low, rough voices that definitely
Speaker 1: weren't Sasquatch dog men. Codas signaled the others to get low,
Speaker 1: and they crept forward as quietly as they could through
Speaker 1: a gap in the trees. They finally saw them. Three
Speaker 1: dog men stood in a small clearing, apparently in deep conversation.
Speaker 1: The largest was gray and black, his massive frame making
Speaker 1: even the trees around him look small. Beside him stood
Speaker 1: a leaner, silver white female, and beyond her a dog
Speaker 1: man with steel gray fur and dark eyes. Coda's breath
Speaker 1: caught in his throat. These were the creatures that had
Speaker 1: been terrorizing the clans, that had possibly killed or captured Roksha.
Speaker 1: Up close, they were even more fearsome than the stories suggested.
Speaker 1: Their teeth were like daggers, their claws like knives, and
Speaker 1: the way they moved with that predatory grace. The gray
Speaker 1: male suddenly lifted his head, sniffing the air. Coda's heart
Speaker 1: hammered in his chest. Go, he whispered urgently. Now they
Speaker 1: turned and ran as quietly as they could manage, putting
Speaker 1: distance between themselves and the dog men. Coda didn't dare
Speaker 1: look back until they had covered at least a mile,
Speaker 1: his lungs burning, his legs, screaming. When they finally stopped,
Speaker 1: gasping for breath, Mira grabbed his arm. Did they follow us?
Speaker 1: Coda listened, sniffed the air. Nothing. They had escaped. We
Speaker 1: need to tell my father, he said. We found them,
Speaker 1: We found the dog men. And as they hurried back
Speaker 1: toward the caves, Coda couldn't shake the memory of those
Speaker 1: amber eyes, the intelligence he had seen in them. These
Speaker 1: weren't mindless beasts. They were hunters, warriors, and they were coming.
Speaker 1: Chapter three, Pack Dynamics. Life in Vorn's pack was governed
Speaker 1: by rules as old as the dog men themselves. Hierarchy
Speaker 1: was everything. The alpha's word was law, questioned only at
Speaker 1: the challenger's peril. Beneath the alpha came the beta, then
Speaker 1: the other adults, arranged by a complex mixture of strength, cunning,
Speaker 1: and proven value to the pack. At the bottom were
Speaker 1: the pups and juveniles, who learned their place through a
Speaker 1: constant series of small tests and corrections. Rask chafed at
Speaker 1: his position. He was young, yes, and inexperienced, but he
Speaker 1: was also faster than any other dog man in the pack,
Speaker 1: able to run down prey that would exhaust his elders.
Speaker 1: That had to count for something. You want respect, Braun said,
Speaker 1: when Rass complained. Earn it not through speed alone, but
Speaker 1: through judgment. Show Vorn you can think, not just run.
Speaker 1: I can think, then prove it. The pack needs hunters
Speaker 1: who know when to strike and when to wait. Your
Speaker 1: father rest his spirit, never learned that lesson don't follow
Speaker 1: his path. Rask's father had died challenging in alpha he
Speaker 1: couldn't defeat. Driven by pride and impatience. It was a
Speaker 1: cautionary tale told to all young dog men, a reminder
Speaker 1: that strength without wisdom was merely strength waiting to fail.
Speaker 1: But Rask burned with ambition. Nonetheless, he watched Vorn lead,
Speaker 1: studied his decisions, tried to understand what made a successful alpha.
Speaker 1: What he saw was not what he expected. Varn wasn't
Speaker 1: the strongest dog man, though he was strong. He wasn't
Speaker 1: the fastest, though he was quick. What set him apart
Speaker 1: was a quality Rask struggled to name. Call it awareness.
Speaker 1: Varn seemed to know what everyone around him was thinking, feeling, needing.
Speaker 1: He anticipated problems before they arose, and solved them before
Speaker 1: they festered. The pack is more than a collection of individuals,
Speaker 1: Varn explained one evening, finding Rask watching him from a distance.
Speaker 1: It's a living thing with its own needs and moods,
Speaker 1: and alpha who ignores that, who leads only through force
Speaker 1: eventually finds himself alone. My father led through force. Your
Speaker 1: father died because he thought force was enough. Don't make
Speaker 1: his mistake. Then teach me what should I be learning?
Speaker 1: Varn studied the young dog man for a long moment.
Speaker 1: You want to lead someday, that's obvious to everyone. The
Speaker 1: question is whether you want to lead well or merely
Speaker 1: want power? Is there a difference all the difference in
Speaker 1: the world. Power can be taken, Leadership must be earned.
Speaker 1: Varn gestured toward the pack scattered across the den in
Speaker 1: small groups. Look at them. What do you see? Rask looked,
Speaker 1: dog men resting after the hunt. Look deeper. Oshka and
Speaker 1: her sisters are grooming each other, reinforcing their bond. Desk
Speaker 1: is watching the entrance, always alert, never fully relaxing. Braun
Speaker 1: has positioned himself between the pups and the main exit,
Speaker 1: instinctively protective, even in safety. I I didn't notice any
Speaker 1: of that. That's why you're not ready to lead. A
Speaker 1: good alpha sees everything, understands everything, anticipates everything, not because
Speaker 1: he's smarter than everyone else, but because he pays attention.
Speaker 1: Stay tuned for more Backwoods Bigfoot stories. We'll be back
Speaker 1: after these messages. It was a lesson Rask would remember
Speaker 1: for years to come. Chapter four, The Council of War.
Speaker 1: The news that Coda and his patrol had located the
Speaker 1: dog Men spread through the clans like wildfire. By evening,
Speaker 1: every Sasquatch in the caves knew that the enemy was close,
Speaker 1: that a confrontation was inevitable. The elders called an emergency council,
Speaker 1: gathering the leaders and senior warriors in the deepest chamber,
Speaker 1: where their voices wouldn't carry to the younger members of
Speaker 1: the clans. Coda wasn't usually allowed in these councils, but
Speaker 1: his father had insisted he attend. You found them, Caboda
Speaker 1: had said, you deserve to be part of the discussion
Speaker 1: about what happens next. Now, Coda sat beside Mira in
Speaker 1: the back of the chamber, watching as the most powerful
Speaker 1: asquatch in the region debated their course of action. The
Speaker 1: air was thick with tension, the walls seeming to press
Speaker 1: in as voices rose and fell. We know where they are,
Speaker 1: Garic was saying, pacing back and forth like a caged animal.
Speaker 1: We have the advantage of numbers. We should strike now
Speaker 1: before they're ready for us and walk into a trap.
Speaker 1: Omaki countered, we don't know if what Koda saw was
Speaker 1: their whole pack or just a scouting party. For all
Speaker 1: we know, they could have dozens more hidden in the forest.
Speaker 1: I agree with Omaki, said Laura, matriarch of the Mistwood clan.
Speaker 1: Her hair was graying with age, but her voice was strong, commanding,
Speaker 1: we need more information before we commit to battle. More information.
Speaker 1: Brandt stepped forward, his massive fists clenched. They took one
Speaker 1: of our young. How much more do we need to know?
Speaker 1: Every day we wait they grow bolder. Tyrek raised a
Speaker 1: gnarled hand, and the chamber quieted. When the ancient sat
Speaker 1: squatch spoke, everyone listened. I have lived through many conflicts,
Speaker 1: he said, his voice carrying despite its age. I've seen
Speaker 1: clans go to war over territory, over insult, over fear,
Speaker 1: and I have seen the cost the dead left behind,
Speaker 1: the families torn apart. War should never be our first choice.
Speaker 1: Then what do you suggest, Garic asked, his tone respectful
Speaker 1: but frustrated that we simply allow them to take what
Speaker 1: they want. I suggest we try to communicate first. Tyrek replied.
Speaker 1: The dog Men are intelligent. Perhaps there is a way
Speaker 1: to avoid bloodshed, to establish boundaries that both our peoples
Speaker 1: can respect. Communicate with those monsters. Brant spat, they don't
Speaker 1: respect anything but strength. The only message they'll understand is
Speaker 1: the one we deliver with our fists. Tyrek is right
Speaker 1: that we should explore all options, Caboda said, his voice
Speaker 1: cutting through the rising arguments. But Brant is also right
Speaker 1: that the dog Men respect strength. Perhaps there is a
Speaker 1: middle path, he paused, letting that sink in before continuing,
Speaker 1: I propose we send an envoy to the dog Men
Speaker 1: not to show weakness, but to show strength, we go
Speaker 1: with numbers, with our best warriors, and we deliver a
Speaker 1: clear message. This territory is ours and we will defend it.
Speaker 1: But we also offer them a choice leave peacefully or
Speaker 1: stay and be driven out. And if they choose to stay,
Speaker 1: Laura asked, then we fight, Kboda said simply. But at
Speaker 1: least we will have given them the option. We will
Speaker 1: have shown that we are not the aggressors that we
Speaker 1: sought peace. First, the chamber fell silent as the gathered
Speaker 1: Sasquatch considered this. Coda could see the logic in his
Speaker 1: father's proposal, but he could also see the risk. What
Speaker 1: if the dog men viewed the envoy as weakness? What
Speaker 1: if they attacked the party before any words could be exchanged. Finally,
Speaker 1: Amaki spoke, who would go on this envoy? Who would
Speaker 1: risk their life to deliver this message? I would, Kiboda said,
Speaker 1: without hesitation, As would anyone brave enough to accompany me.
Speaker 1: But I would once experienced warriors Sasquatch who can defend
Speaker 1: themselves if negotiations fail, I'll go. Garic said immediately. My
Speaker 1: family has as much stake in this as any one,
Speaker 1: And I said a voice from the side of the chamber.
Speaker 1: Coda turned to see Nadja, a female warrior from the
Speaker 1: Mistwood clan who had a reputation for being one of
Speaker 1: the fiercest fighters in the region. If there's to be
Speaker 1: talking or fighting, I want to be there for both.
Speaker 1: Others stepped forward, Brandt, despite his earlier anger, Laura, representing
Speaker 1: the older wisdom of the clans, and several other respected warriors.
Speaker 1: Within minutes, a party of twelve had volunteered. Then it's decided,
Speaker 1: Caboda said, we leave at dawn. The rest of you
Speaker 1: will prepare the clans for possible conflict. If negotiations fail,
Speaker 1: we may need to move the young and the elders
Speaker 1: to safer locations. As the council began to break up,
Speaker 1: Coda felt Mer's hand on his arm. Your father is brave,
Speaker 1: she said quietly, to put himself at risk like that,
Speaker 1: or foolish, Coda muttered, though he didn't really believe it.
Speaker 1: His father was many things, but foolish wasn't one of them.
Speaker 1: Caboda approached them as they stood to leave. Coda, I
Speaker 1: need you to do something for me, anything. If I
Speaker 1: don't come back, don't say that, Coda interrupted, feeling a
Speaker 1: surge of panic. Listen to me, Caboda said, firmly. If
Speaker 1: I don't come back, I need you to look after
Speaker 1: your mother, and I need you to lead. You're young,
Speaker 1: but you're ready. The clans will need someone they can trust,
Speaker 1: someone who knows how to think, not just fight. Coda
Speaker 1: swallowed hard, not trusting himself to speak. His father pulled
Speaker 1: him into a brief tide embrace. I'll come back, Caboda said,
Speaker 1: but I needed you to hear that, needed you to
Speaker 1: know I believe in you. Then he was gone, heading
Speaker 1: deeper into the caves to prepare for the morning. Coda
Speaker 1: stood there, feeling the weight of his father's words settling
Speaker 1: on his shoulders. He'll be fine, Mira said, but Coda
Speaker 1: could hear the doubt in her voice. That night, sleep
Speaker 1: came hard for Coda. He lay in his chamber, staring
Speaker 1: at the stone ceiling, playing out scenarios in his mind.
Speaker 1: What if the dog men attacked the envoy? What if
Speaker 1: his father was killed? What if war came and he
Speaker 1: had to step up, had to lead? Finally exhausted, he
Speaker 1: drifted off into uneasy dreams, filled with flashing teeth and
Speaker 1: amber eyes. He woke before dawn to find the caves
Speaker 1: already bustling with activity. Warriors were preparing weapons, clubs, spears,
Speaker 1: anything that might give them an advantage in a fight.
Speaker 1: Families were saying goodbyes, mothers holding their children, tight, mates,
Speaker 1: exchanging quiet words. Coda found his mother standing near the
Speaker 1: cave entrance, watching as Koboda and the others made their
Speaker 1: final preparations. Asha's expression was carefully neutral, but Coda could
Speaker 1: see the fear in her eyes. He'll be okay, mom,
Speaker 1: Coda said, putting a hand on her shoulder. I know,
Speaker 1: she replied, but her voice was tight. He's strong, smart,
Speaker 1: He'll come back to us. The words sounded like a prayer.
Speaker 1: As the sun began to rise, painting the sky in
Speaker 1: shades of orange and pink, the envoy gathered at the
Speaker 1: cave entrance twelve Sasquatch, the strongest and most experienced the
Speaker 1: clans had to offer. Koboda stood at the front, his
Speaker 1: massive frame seeming to fill the entrance. We go with
Speaker 1: open hearts but ready hands, he announced to the gathered clans.
Speaker 1: We seek peace, but we will accept war if that's
Speaker 1: what the dog men choose. Watch over each other while
Speaker 1: we're gone stay strong. Then they were moving, disappearing into
Speaker 1: the forest in the direction of the dog Men's territory.
Speaker 1: Coda watched until they were out of sight, a hollow
Speaker 1: feeling in his chest. Come on, Mira said, taking his hand,
Speaker 1: we should help with the preparations here. If there's going
Speaker 1: to be a fight, we need to be ready. Coda nodded,
Speaker 1: letting her lead him away, but he couldn't shake the
Speaker 1: feeling that something terrible was about to happen, that the
Speaker 1: forest itself was holding its breath, waiting for blood to spill.
Speaker 1: In the trees above, a raven called out, its cry,
Speaker 1: echoing through the morning air like a warning. Chapter five,
Speaker 1: Omaki's Wisdom. Omaki remembered when the world was different. Omaki
Speaker 1: had lived through more seasons than most Sasquatch could remember.
Speaker 1: She had been born when the forest stretched wider and
Speaker 1: humans stayed closer to their settlements. She had watched that
Speaker 1: world change year by year as her people were pushed
Speaker 1: into ever smaller fragments of what had once been vast territory. Now,
Speaker 1: sitting in the deepest chamber of the caves, she contemplated
Speaker 1: the crisis facing her people. The dog Men press from
Speaker 1: the north, humans encroached from the south. Our territory shrinks
Speaker 1: while our population grows. She spoke to no one in particular,
Speaker 1: her words echoing off ancient stone. How many generations until
Speaker 1: there is no room left? How many until we fight
Speaker 1: each other for scraps. Caboda found her there, his bulk
Speaker 1: blocking the chamber entrance. Omaki, the council meets in an hour.
Speaker 1: I know. I was gathering my thoughts, She gestured for
Speaker 1: him to sit. What do you think we should do
Speaker 1: about the dog men? Maintain our defenses, show strength without provoking,
Speaker 1: wait for them to make a mistake, and if they don't,
Speaker 1: then we continue waiting. Eventually something will change. It always does.
Speaker 1: Omaki studied Caboda with knowing eyes. You sound like Taran
Speaker 1: used to. He believed in patience, too, said the world
Speaker 1: would sort itself out if we just endured long enough.
Speaker 1: Was he wrong? He died before he could find out.
Speaker 1: Her voice held no bitterness, just fact, killed by Adinoah,
Speaker 1: who didn't share his patience. I loved him, I honor
Speaker 1: his memory, but his approach didn't save him. Caboda was
Speaker 1: quiet for a long moment. Are you saying we should attack?
Speaker 1: I'm saying patience is a strategy, not a virtue. It
Speaker 1: only works if time is on your side. If you're
Speaker 1: losing ground every year, if your territory shrinks while your
Speaker 1: enemies grows, then patience is just a slower form of defeat.
Speaker 1: What would you have us do? Omaki reached out and
Speaker 1: touched Koboda's arm in hers. Despite her age, her grip
Speaker 1: was still strong. I would have you think beyond the
Speaker 1: obvious choices attack or defend war or peace. There may
Speaker 1: be other paths, if you're creative enough to see them,
Speaker 1: such as that's for you to discover. I can point
Speaker 1: toward possibilities, but I cannot walk the path for you.
Speaker 1: She released his hand. Your son, Coda, he has formed
Speaker 1: a bond with a human child. What do you make
Speaker 1: of that? Caboda's expression grew conflicted. It worries me. Humans
Speaker 1: are unpredictable. If the boy betrays our existence, and if
Speaker 1: he doesn't, if this friendship represents something new, something that
Speaker 1: could change everything. You think a friendship between children can
Speaker 1: solve our problems? I think change always starts small, a
Speaker 1: spark before a fire, a seed before a tree. Omaki
Speaker 1: rose slowly, her joints protesting the movement. Watch your son
Speaker 1: Koboda listen to what he learns from his human friend.
Speaker 1: The young sea possibilities the old have forgotten how to imagine.
Speaker 1: She left him to contemplate her words, shuffling toward the
Speaker 1: council chamber, where decisions awaited. Whether they would make the
Speaker 1: right ones, only time would tell Chapter six. Face to face,
Speaker 1: Varn smelled them long before he saw them. The sasquatch
Speaker 1: scent was impossible to miss, heavy and earthy, carried on
Speaker 1: the morning breeze. But what surprised him was the number.
Speaker 1: This wasn't a hunting party or a casual patrol. This
Speaker 1: was a delegation, and they were coming straight for his
Speaker 1: pack's temporary camp. They're here, he growled, alerting the others.
Speaker 1: Oshka was beside him in an instant, her body tense
Speaker 1: and ready. How many twelve? Maybe more? All warriors by
Speaker 1: the smell of them. Rasc's lips pulled back in excitement,
Speaker 1: but Dask put a hand on the young dog man's shoulder.
Speaker 1: Wait for Varn's command. Don't do anything stupid, spread out,
Speaker 1: Varn ordered, But stay visible. I want them to see
Speaker 1: we're not afraid. But I don't want them to think
Speaker 1: we're attacking. Not yet. The pack arranged themselves in a
Speaker 1: loose semicircle, facing the direction the sasquatch would approach from.
Speaker 1: Varn stood at the center, Oshka to his right, Dask
Speaker 1: to his left, with Bron and Rask flanking them. Every
Speaker 1: muscle in Vorn's body was coiled tight, ready to spring
Speaker 1: into action if needed. They didn't have to wait long.
Speaker 1: The sasquatch emerged from the tree line in formation, and
Speaker 1: Varn felt a grudging respect despite himself. They moved with purpose,
Speaker 1: with discipline. At their head was the largest sasquatch Vorn
Speaker 1: had ever seen up close, Caboda, the one Dask had
Speaker 1: identified during their scouting mission. His silver streaked hair caught
Speaker 1: the morning light, and his dark eyes were fixed directly
Speaker 1: on Vorn. The two groups faced each other across maybe
Speaker 1: thirty feet of forest floor, the tension thick enough to cut.
Speaker 1: Varn could hear rasks rapid breathing beside him, could feel
Speaker 1: Ashka's readiness to strike, but he kept his own breathing steady,
Speaker 1: his expression neutral. Finally, Kboda took a step forward. To
Speaker 1: Varn's surprise, the massive sasquatch raised his hands palms out
Speaker 1: in a gesture that looked like peace. We come to talk,
Speaker 1: Caboda said, his voice deep and resonant. Not to fight,
Speaker 1: though we will fight if we must. Vaughn considered this.
Speaker 1: He hadn't expected diplomacy. Most creatures just attacked or ran
Speaker 1: when they encountered his pack. But these Sasquatch were different.
Speaker 1: They were organized, confident talk. Then, Vaughn replied, his own voice,
Speaker 1: rough and growling. But make it quick. My pack grows restless.
Speaker 1: Another Sasquatch stepped forward, this one female, older, with wise eyes.
Speaker 1: I am Amaki, elder of the Hoe clan. We know
Speaker 1: you've been moving through our territory. We know you took
Speaker 1: one of our young We took no one, Vaorn said flatly.
Speaker 1: Your young one attacked us. We defended ourselves. He ran injured.
Speaker 1: If he died, it was his own foolishness. Stay tuned
Speaker 1: for more Backwoods Bigfoot stories. We'll be back after these messages.
Speaker 1: This wasn't entirely true. Rockshaw had stumbled into their camp
Speaker 1: and Rask had been quick to violence, but Vorn wasn't
Speaker 1: about to admit weakness or fault in front of the Sasquatch.
Speaker 1: A massive Sasquatch with reddish brown hair stepped forward, his
Speaker 1: expression furious, you lie, Rockshaw was no fool. You attacked him,
Speaker 1: killed him for sport. Garic control yourself, Caboda said firmly,
Speaker 1: though Vorn could see the anger in the patriarch's eyes too.
Speaker 1: We waste time with words. Braun muttered, loud enough for
Speaker 1: the Sasquatch to hear. They came looking for a fight.
Speaker 1: Let's give them one silence, Vorn snapped, then to Caboda,
Speaker 1: your territory, this forest belongs to no one. We hunt
Speaker 1: here because we must. The northern grounds have been hunted bear.
Speaker 1: Our pack needs food, needs space. We mean to take it.
Speaker 1: Then you choose war, Kboda said, his voice heavy. Because
Speaker 1: we will not yield our home without a fight, So
Speaker 1: be it, Vorn growled. He could feel his pack tensing
Speaker 1: behind him, ready for the signal. But before anyone could move,
Speaker 1: OMACHI stepped between them. Wait, she said, her voice carrying
Speaker 1: surprising authority. There must be another way. These forests are vast.
Speaker 1: Surely there's room for both our peoples to live without
Speaker 1: constant conflict. The elder speaks wisdom, said another Sasquatch, a
Speaker 1: female with distinctive scars on her arms. We could establish
Speaker 1: boundaries hunting territories that don't overlap, Vorn laughed, a harsh,
Speaker 1: barking sound. And who enforces these boundaries, Who decides who
Speaker 1: gets the best hunting grounds, the richest territories. No, the
Speaker 1: strong take what they need. That's the only law the
Speaker 1: forest understands. Then you are no better than the humans,
Speaker 1: Omachi said, quietly, taking without thought, destroying without care. The
Speaker 1: mention of humans made several of the dog men growl.
Speaker 1: Varn himself felt his hackles rise. Do not compare us
Speaker 1: to those monsters, he snarled, We are nothing like them.
Speaker 1: Then prove it, Caboda challenged, prove you can think beyond
Speaker 1: your next meal, beyond violence. Work with us to keep
Speaker 1: the humans out of these forests. They're the real threat,
Speaker 1: not each other. For a moment, Varn was actually tempted.
Speaker 1: The humans were indeed a threat, perhaps a greater one
Speaker 1: than the sasquatch. They bred quickly, spread like a disease.
Speaker 1: Their machines could tear through the forest faster than any
Speaker 1: natural force. But then he thought of his pack, of
Speaker 1: the lean times they'd endured, of the hunger in Rask's eyes.
Speaker 1: They needed this territory. Cooperation was a luxury they couldn't afford.
Speaker 1: I've heard enough words, Vaughn said, here are mine. Leave now,
Speaker 1: and no blood needs to be spilled today. Stay and
Speaker 1: we'll kill every one of you and leave your bodies
Speaker 1: as a warning to the rest of your clans. The
Speaker 1: Sasquatch delegation tensed, hands moving to weapons. The dog men
Speaker 1: crouched ready to spring. You're making a mistake, Caboda said,
Speaker 1: his voice low and dangerous. You cannot win a war
Speaker 1: against all our clans combined. Maybe not, Varne admitted, but
Speaker 1: will make sure the cost is too high for you
Speaker 1: to bear. How many of your young are you willing
Speaker 1: to lose? How many families are you willing to destroy?
Speaker 1: The standoff held for several heartbeats, both groups waiting to
Speaker 1: see who would make the first move. The forest around
Speaker 1: them had gone silent, as if even the birds and
Speaker 1: insects were holding their breath. Then Rask, impatient and eager,
Speaker 1: let out a challenging howl. It was all the excuse
Speaker 1: anyone needed. Garic lunged forward with a roar, his massive
Speaker 1: fists swinging toward Vorn. The dog man Alpha dodged, feeling
Speaker 1: the wind of the blow pass his face, and then
Speaker 1: the forest erupted into islands. Chapter seven. The Gathering. The
Speaker 1: annual gathering of the clans was the largest Coda had
Speaker 1: ever seen. Sasquatch from five different territories had made the journey,
Speaker 1: their combined numbers filling the great Meadow like a living forest.
Speaker 1: There were families Coda had never met, elders whose stories
Speaker 1: stretched back to times before human expansion had confined them
Speaker 1: to these mountains. This is what we were, Omaki told him,
Speaker 1: surveying the crowd, before the hiding, before the shrinking. This
Speaker 1: is what we could be again, if the world ever changes.
Speaker 1: Coda tried to imagine it, Sasquatch roaming freely, building communities
Speaker 1: in the open, no longer afraid of discovery. It seemed
Speaker 1: as impossible as the sun rising in the west. But
Speaker 1: then again, so had his friendship with Eli. Once seemed impossible.
Speaker 1: The gathering had been called to discuss the dog men threat,
Speaker 1: but it quickly became something more. Clans that had been
Speaker 1: isolated for years reconnected. Young Sasquatch from different territories met
Speaker 1: and formed bonds. Stories were shared, songs sung dances, danced
Speaker 1: under the light of a full moon. We've forgotten how
Speaker 1: to be a people, Koboda observed watching the celebrations. We've
Speaker 1: been so focused on survival that we've lost the things
Speaker 1: that make survival worthwhile. Can we remember them again? Perhaps
Speaker 1: if we live long enough. Coda found himself drawn into
Speaker 1: conversations with Sasquatch, his own age from distant clans. They
Speaker 1: were curious about him, about his human friend, about the
Speaker 1: strange life he led at the intersection of two worlds.
Speaker 1: Is it true you can speak the human language? A
Speaker 1: young female named Tiara asked, yes, Eli taught me. What's
Speaker 1: it like? Coda considered how to explain complicated? They have
Speaker 1: words for everything, but their words can mean different things
Speaker 1: depending on how they're said, and they lie, sometimes use
Speaker 1: words to hide truth instead of reveal it. That sounds
Speaker 1: exhausting it is, but it also lets them say things
Speaker 1: we can't complex ideas, abstract concepts. Their language is a tool,
Speaker 1: like our hands or our strength. Could you teach me?
Speaker 1: The question surprised Coda. Why would you want to learn?
Speaker 1: Because the world is changing. You've shown that connection with
Speaker 1: humans is possible. Maybe someday more of us will need
Speaker 1: to make that connection. I want to be ready. It
Speaker 1: was a hopeful thought and a frightening one. If more
Speaker 1: Sasquatch learned human language, if more bridges were built, what
Speaker 1: kind of world might emerge. Coda didn't know, but he
Speaker 1: found himself agreeing to teach Tira, and through her, perhaps others,
Speaker 1: another small step toward the future he was trying to build.
Speaker 1: Chapter eight, First Blood. The clearing became chaos. In seconds,
Speaker 1: Sasquatch and dog collided with bone jarring force, the sounds
Speaker 1: of snarls and roars filling the air. Varn ducked under
Speaker 1: another of Garic's swings and raked his claws across the
Speaker 1: Sasquatch's ribs, drawing blood. Garic howled in pain and rage,
Speaker 1: swinging back, catching Vorn across the shoulder with enough force
Speaker 1: to send him stumbling to his right. Ashka was a
Speaker 1: blur of silver, white fur, her speed making her nearly
Speaker 1: impossible to hit. She darted in and out, her claws,
Speaker 1: finding exposed flesh, drawing blood from two different sasquatch before
Speaker 1: either could react. But she was outnumbered and Varn watched
Speaker 1: as Nadja, the scarred female warrior, finally managed to grab
Speaker 1: Oshka's arm and slammer into a tree trunk. Dask fought
Speaker 1: with calculating precision, never wasting a movement. He faced off
Speaker 1: against Brandt, the massive Sasquatch, matching him in size, if
Speaker 1: not speed. They grappled, testing each other's strength, neither willing
Speaker 1: to give ground. Braun and Rask fought back to back,
Speaker 1: surrounded by four Sasquatch warriors. Rask's youthful energy made him
Speaker 1: dangerous but reckless. He took risks that left him open,
Speaker 1: and Vorn saw him take several heavy blows. Braun tried
Speaker 1: to cover for his pack mate, his methodical style keeping
Speaker 1: the Sasquatch at bay, but they were being worn down.
Speaker 1: This was exactly what Vorn had feared. The Sasquatch were numerous, powerful,
Speaker 1: and experienced. His pack was outnumbered more than two to one.
Speaker 1: If this fight continued, they would be overwhelmed. Vorn dodged
Speaker 1: another blow from Garic and made a split second decision
Speaker 1: fall back. He howled scatter and regroup at the den.
Speaker 1: The pack responded instantly. Rask broke away from his opponents
Speaker 1: with a last vicious swipe. Braun covering his retreat. Dask
Speaker 1: shoved brandt back with enough force to buy himself a
Speaker 1: few seconds, then turned and ran. Ashka managed to slip
Speaker 1: from Nadya's grip and disappeared into the underbrush like a ghost.
Speaker 1: Varn himself faced Garic for one more moment. Their eyes locked.
Speaker 1: This isn't over, the sasquatch growled, No, Varn agreed, It's
Speaker 1: just beginning. Then he turned and ran, his powerful legs
Speaker 1: eating up the distance behind him. He could hear the
Speaker 1: sasquatch giving chase, but dog men were built for speed.
Speaker 1: Within minutes, the pack had melted into the forest, leaving
Speaker 1: their pursuers behind. They didn't stop until they reached their
Speaker 1: temporary den, a cave system they discovered weeks ago. Once
Speaker 1: all five were accounted for, Varn allowed himself to assess
Speaker 1: the damage. Rask was the worst off, with deep claw
Speaker 1: marks across his chest and back. He was bleeding heavily,
Speaker 1: his breathing labored. Oshka had bruises forming on her ribs
Speaker 1: where Naja had slammed her into the tree. Bron's left
Speaker 1: ear was torn, blood matting the fur on the side
Speaker 1: of his head. Even Dask, the most careful fighter, had
Speaker 1: taken several blows Varn himself felt like he'd been hit
Speaker 1: by a falling tree. His shoulder throbbed where Garic had
Speaker 1: struck him, and he had scratches and bruises covering his body.
Speaker 1: That went well, Rask said through gritted teeth, trying to
Speaker 1: make light of the situation despite his obvious pain. You
Speaker 1: were reckless, Varn snapped. Your house started the fight before
Speaker 1: we were ready. They were going to attack anyway, Ras protested.
Speaker 1: I just gave us the advantage of choosing the moment.
Speaker 1: You gave them an excuse, Dask said, quietly, tending to
Speaker 1: Bron's torn ear. There might have still been a chance
Speaker 1: for peace. There was never a chance for peace, Oshka said,
Speaker 1: her voice. Horse. You heard them. They want us gone
Speaker 1: out of their territory. They see us as invaders, because
Speaker 1: we are invaders, Bron said bluntly. This is their land.
Speaker 1: We're the ones moving in taking their hunting grounds. So
Speaker 1: what would you have us do, Varn demanded, starving the
Speaker 1: north watch our pack waste away while the sasquatch grow
Speaker 1: fat on game. I'm not saying that, Braun replied, I'm
Speaker 1: just saying we need to be realistic about what we're
Speaker 1: doing here. This isn't a simple conflict. There's right and
Speaker 1: wrong on both sides. Vorn wanted to argue, wanted to
Speaker 1: insist that they were justified in their actions, but deep
Speaker 1: down he knew Braun had a point. They were the
Speaker 1: aggressors here, even if desperation drove them. What's done is done,
Speaker 1: Ashka said, moving to check on Rask's wounds. We can't
Speaker 1: change the past. We can only decide what we do next.
Speaker 1: What we do next is prepare, Vaorn said. Today was
Speaker 1: just a skirmish. The real battle is still to come,
Speaker 1: and when it does, we need to be ready, ready
Speaker 1: for what Rask asked to die. We can't beat them, Vorn.
Speaker 1: There are too many. Then we don't fight them all
Speaker 1: at once, Dask said, thoughtfully. We use the forest, use
Speaker 1: our speed, hit and run, wear them down. Gorilla tactics,
Speaker 1: Vorn mused. Pick off stragglers, raid their supplies, make them
Speaker 1: afraid to leave their caves. That could work. Braun agreed,
Speaker 1: but it's a long game. We'd need to be patient, disciplined.
Speaker 1: Can you be patient, Vorn asked Rask directly. Can you
Speaker 1: follow orders without letting your bloodlust get the better of you.
Speaker 1: Rask met his eyes, and for a moment Varn saw
Speaker 1: genuine contrition. There, I can, I will. I'm sorry, Vorn,
Speaker 1: I cost us today, Yes you did, Varn agreed, But
Speaker 1: you're young. You'll learn, he looked at each member of
Speaker 1: his pack. In turn, we all will, because if we don't,
Speaker 1: we die. The pack spent the rest of the day
Speaker 1: resting and treating their wounds as best they could. They
Speaker 1: had no medicine, no advanced knowledge of healing, but they
Speaker 1: had each other. Oshka carefully cleaned Rask's wounds with water
Speaker 1: from a nearby stream, desk us strips of bark to
Speaker 1: bind bronze torn ear. They were battered, bruised, but alive.
Speaker 1: As night fell, Vorn stood at the cave entrance, looking
Speaker 1: out at the darkening forest. Somewhere out there, the Sasquatch
Speaker 1: were regrouping, planning their next move, and somewhere beyond them,
Speaker 1: the humans continued their inexorable spread, oblivious to the war
Speaker 1: brewing in their midst. We're going to lose, aren't we,
Speaker 1: Oshka said, quietly, coming to stand beside him. Vorn didn't
Speaker 1: answer immediately. He wanted to deny it to promise victory,
Speaker 1: but Oshka deserved the truth. Maybe, he admitted, the odds
Speaker 1: aren't in our favor, then why are we fighting? Because
Speaker 1: what else can we do? Roll over and die? Let
Speaker 1: them drive us out without a fight. He shook his head. No,
Speaker 1: we're dog men. We fight, It's what we are. Oshka
Speaker 1: leaned against him, and Varn felt some of the tension
Speaker 1: leave his body. Whatever happened, whatever battles lay ahead, at
Speaker 1: least he had his pack. At least he wasn't alone.
Speaker 1: Get some rest, he told her. Tomorrow we start planning. Tomorrow,
Speaker 1: we show these Sasquatch what the dog men are really
Speaker 1: capable of. But as he settled down to sleep, Varn
Speaker 1: couldn't shake the image of Caboda's eyes, the intelligence and
Speaker 1: determination he'd seen there. The Sasquatch patriarch wasn't going to
Speaker 1: give up any easier than Varn was. This war was
Speaker 1: going to be long, brutal, and costly, and Varn wasn't
Speaker 1: sure anyone would win in the end. Chapter nine, The
Speaker 1: Weight of Leadership. Varn had never wanted to be alpha.
Speaker 1: As a young dog man, he had dreamed of different things.
Speaker 1: A mate, pups, a quiet corner of the forest where
Speaker 1: he could live without constantly looking over his shoulder, But
Speaker 1: fate had other plans. His father died in a territorial dispute,
Speaker 1: his older brother fell to a Sasquatch ambush. One by one,
Speaker 1: the dog man who should have led fell away, until
Speaker 1: Vorn was the only one left with the strength and
Speaker 1: cunning to hold the pack together. Now standing at the
Speaker 1: edge of Sasquatch territory with his scouts, he felt the
Speaker 1: weight of that responsibility like a physical burden. The Sasquatch
Speaker 1: grow stronger, Dask reported, his steel gray fur blending with
Speaker 1: the pre dawn shadows. They've consolidated three clans under Caboda's leadership.
Speaker 1: Their patrols have increased, their young train for war, and us.
Speaker 1: We are twenty three strong, fewer than we were last winter,
Speaker 1: Fewer than we need. Varn closed his eyes, doing the
Speaker 1: calculations he had done one hundred times before. Twenty three
Speaker 1: dog men against at least sixty Sasquatch, even with their
Speaker 1: superior speed and killing instincts, Those odds were suicide. We
Speaker 1: cannot win a direct war, he said aloud, No, but
Speaker 1: we might not have to. Dask moved closer, lowering his voice.
Speaker 1: There are other ways to fight. The humans are encroaching
Speaker 1: on Sasquatch territory. If we could provoke conflict between them,
Speaker 1: let the humans do our fighting for us. It's pragmatic.
Speaker 1: Varn considered the strategy. It was clever. He had to
Speaker 1: admit the Sasquatch feared human discovery above all else if
Speaker 1: they were forced to deal with that threat, they would
Speaker 1: have less attention to spare for the dog man. But
Speaker 1: something about it troubled him. My father always said that
Speaker 1: a hunter who relies on tricks instead of strength will
Speaker 1: eventually find his tricks turned against him. What happens if
Speaker 1: the humans discover us as well? We're better at hiding
Speaker 1: than the Sasquatch. Our packs are smaller, more mobile, and
Speaker 1: if we're wrong, Dask had no answer for that, we
Speaker 1: proceed carefully. Varughn decided gather information, create options, but we
Speaker 1: don't commit to any strategy until we understand the risks fully.
Speaker 1: And if the Sasquatch attack first, Vaughn's lips pulled back
Speaker 1: from his teeth and what wasn't quite a s smile,
Speaker 1: then we defend ourselves with everything we have. But I
Speaker 1: won't start a war I can't win, not while there
Speaker 1: might be another way in the Sasquatch Caves, a similar
Speaker 1: debate was taking place. The dog men are testing our boundaries,
Speaker 1: Goaric reported to the assembled council. They've been seen three
Speaker 1: times in the past week near the Eastern Springs, always
Speaker 1: just inside the neutral zone, never crossing into our territory,
Speaker 1: but pushing the limits provocation. Tyrek growled. They want us
Speaker 1: to react to give them an excuse for open war,
Speaker 1: or they're simply hungry. O'macki suggested the prey animals have
Speaker 1: shifted their migration patterns. The dog men's traditional hunting grounds
Speaker 1: may be depleted, so we should feel sorry for them
Speaker 1: after what they've done to our people. I feel nothing
Speaker 1: for them except wariness, but understanding our enemies' motivations helps
Speaker 1: us predict their behavior. Caboda listened to both sides, weighing
Speaker 1: the arguments. As patriarch, the final decision would be his.
Speaker 1: The weight of it settled onto his shoulders. Like physical mass,
Speaker 1: we increase patrols but maintain defensive positions. He decided, no
Speaker 1: aggressive action unless they cross into our territory. If they're
Speaker 1: testing our resolve, we show them we're not afraid. If
Speaker 1: they're truly desperate for food, we don't provoke a starving
Speaker 1: enemy into recklessness. And if they attack, Garrick pressed, then
Speaker 1: we respond with overwhelming force. But only then, Caboda swept
Speaker 1: his gaze across the council. We have families to protect,
Speaker 1: children who need to grow up in peace. I won't
Speaker 1: sacrifice that for the satisfaction of striking first. The council
Speaker 1: accepted his decision, though not everyone was satisfied. Tyrek in particular,
Speaker 1: left the gathering with barely concealed frustration. Coda approached his
Speaker 1: father afterward. You're worried always. The dog men are unpredictable,
Speaker 1: and there are those in our own clans who would
Speaker 1: welcome war, who think violence is the only answer. Is
Speaker 1: it ever the answer? Caboda placed a heavy hand on
Speaker 1: his son's shoulder. Sometimes when all other options fail, but
Speaker 1: it should always be the last choice, never the first.
Speaker 1: Remember that, Coda. Whatever happens, remember that Ditt