WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.520 --> 00:00:05.759 For decades, people have disappeared in the woods without a trace. 2 00:00:06.519 --> 00:00:10.279 Some blame wild animals, others whisper of creatures the world 3 00:00:10.359 --> 00:00:14.160 refuses to believe in. But those who have survived they 4 00:00:14.199 --> 00:00:18.679 know the truth. Welcome to Backwoods Bigfoot Stories, where we 5 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:22.839 share real encounters with the things lurking in the darkness Bigfoot, 6 00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:28.239 dog man, UFOs, and creatures that defy explanation. Some make 7 00:00:28.280 --> 00:00:32.320 it out, others aren't so lucky. Are you ready, because 8 00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:34.640 once you hear these stories, you'll never walk in the 9 00:00:34.640 --> 00:00:38.920 woods alone again. So grab your flashlight, stay close, and 10 00:00:39.039 --> 00:00:41.840 remember some things in the woods don't want to be found. 11 00:00:42.520 --> 00:00:46.240 Hit that follow or subscribe button, turn on auto downloads, 12 00:00:46.439 --> 00:00:47.840 and let's head off into the woods. 13 00:00:47.880 --> 00:01:03.479 If you dare, welcome back. 14 00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:06.040 You've already stood in that clearing with me and watched 15 00:01:06.040 --> 00:01:09.760 the talking turn to teeth. You watched Koboda walk into 16 00:01:09.760 --> 00:01:12.159 the dog men's camp with his hands open and his 17 00:01:12.239 --> 00:01:15.719 warriors behind him, hoping words might be enough. And you 18 00:01:15.760 --> 00:01:19.239 watched Vorn answer the only way a starving pack knows how. 19 00:01:20.200 --> 00:01:22.840 First blood has been spilled on both sides now, and 20 00:01:22.879 --> 00:01:25.599 whatever chance there was for peace bled out into the 21 00:01:25.640 --> 00:01:29.079 forest floor along with it. That's where we left Coda, 22 00:01:29.799 --> 00:01:32.920 a young Sasquatch caught between a father who counsels patience 23 00:01:33.280 --> 00:01:35.680 and a whole clan that can taste war on the wind. 24 00:01:36.519 --> 00:01:39.640 He's fifteen years old, carrying the memory of everything the 25 00:01:39.719 --> 00:01:42.560 last three years took from him, and he's beginning to 26 00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:45.799 understand that the quiet he grew up trusting was only 27 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:50.200 ever borrowed. I love where this next stretch goes, and 28 00:01:50.239 --> 00:01:52.120 I'll admit it's the part of the book that kept 29 00:01:52.159 --> 00:01:54.719 me up at night while I was writing it, because 30 00:01:54.719 --> 00:01:57.519 this is where the waiting ends and the consequences begin. 31 00:01:58.640 --> 00:02:01.480 The pack has learned from that first fight, and so 32 00:02:01.560 --> 00:02:03.959 have the clans, and both of them are about to 33 00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:06.840 discover that the humans building something out at the edge 34 00:02:06.840 --> 00:02:10.039 of the trees have plans of their own, plans that 35 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:14.360 don't care which side wins. The war drums are starting, 36 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:19.080 and this is part two, Chapter ten, War Drums. Caboda 37 00:02:19.120 --> 00:02:22.400 and his envoy returned to the caves as heroes, despite 38 00:02:22.439 --> 00:02:25.639 the fighting ending in a stalemate. They had faced the 39 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:28.680 dog men and lived. They had drawn blood and sent 40 00:02:28.759 --> 00:02:32.000 the pack running. For many of the younger Sasquatch, this 41 00:02:32.120 --> 00:02:36.080 felt like a victory. But Kaboda knew better. They'll be back. 42 00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:39.280 He told the assembled clans that evening, and next time 43 00:02:39.560 --> 00:02:42.479 they'll be ready for us. They'll have learned from today, 44 00:02:43.520 --> 00:02:47.039 so will we, Garic said, still riding the high of battle, 45 00:02:47.080 --> 00:02:50.639 despite the bandages wrapped around his ribs. We bloodied them, 46 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:54.280 Koboda sent them running with their tails between their legs. 47 00:02:54.919 --> 00:02:58.120 They know we're not easy prey. They also know we're 48 00:02:58.159 --> 00:02:59.960 serious about defending our territory. 49 00:03:00.159 --> 00:03:02.360 Naja added. That has value. 50 00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:07.000 It does, Omachi agreed, but it also means negotiations are 51 00:03:07.000 --> 00:03:10.639 no longer possible. We tried for peace, offered them a 52 00:03:10.759 --> 00:03:15.159 chance to avoid bloodshed. They chose violence. Now we must 53 00:03:15.159 --> 00:03:18.439 be prepared for war. The word hung in the air, 54 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:23.960 heavy and ominous war. It wasn't a concept the Sasquatch 55 00:03:23.960 --> 00:03:28.120 took lightly. They were peaceful by nature, preferring to avoid 56 00:03:28.159 --> 00:03:32.080 conflict when possible, But they were also fiercely protective of 57 00:03:32.120 --> 00:03:37.039 their home, their families. We need to prepare defenses, Laura said, 58 00:03:37.479 --> 00:03:41.560 her voice carrying the weight of experience. Fortify the cave entrances, 59 00:03:41.879 --> 00:03:45.360 establish warning systems. If the dog men attack in force, 60 00:03:45.800 --> 00:03:49.000 we need to be able to retreat to defensible positions, 61 00:03:49.520 --> 00:03:52.919 and we need more warriors. Brand added, every able bodied 62 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:55.840 Sasquatch should be trained to fight, even the younger ones. 63 00:03:56.919 --> 00:04:00.199 Coda felt eyes turn toward him and his friends. They 64 00:04:00.199 --> 00:04:03.759 were young, barely passed adolescence, but they were strong. 65 00:04:04.560 --> 00:04:06.439 In a war, they would be needed. 66 00:04:07.120 --> 00:04:10.280 I'll fight, Coda found himself, saying, whatever you need me 67 00:04:10.360 --> 00:04:14.840 to do, and me, Mira echoed beside him. Others joined in, 68 00:04:15.520 --> 00:04:20.399 young Sasquatch volunteering their strength, their courage. Caboda looked at 69 00:04:20.439 --> 00:04:23.680 them with a mixture of pride and sadness. I hope 70 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:26.680 it doesn't come to that, he said quietly. I hope 71 00:04:26.680 --> 00:04:30.680 the dog men see reason retreat to other territories. But 72 00:04:30.759 --> 00:04:34.160 if they don't, then yes, we'll need every one of you. 73 00:04:35.319 --> 00:04:38.920 The next several days were a flurry of activity. Warriors 74 00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:42.800 trained the younger Sasquatch in combat techniques, how to grapple, 75 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:45.920 how to strike, how to use the forest itself as 76 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:49.720 a weapon. Scouts ranged out in groups of four or more, 77 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:54.199 watching for signs of dog men incursions. The clans organized 78 00:04:54.240 --> 00:04:57.560 shifts to guard the cave entrances day and night. Coda 79 00:04:57.639 --> 00:05:00.720 threw himself into the training with an intensity that surprised 80 00:05:00.759 --> 00:05:05.040 even himself. He practiced fighting with Paka and Rayla, learning 81 00:05:05.079 --> 00:05:08.480 how to use his rich advantage, how to anticipate attacks. 82 00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:12.759 Nada took a particular interest in his training, perhaps seeing 83 00:05:12.759 --> 00:05:16.160 potential in him. You're quick, she told him after one 84 00:05:16.199 --> 00:05:19.959 particularly brutal sparring session, Quicker than your father, though not 85 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:23.600 as strong. Use that get inside their guard before they 86 00:05:23.600 --> 00:05:27.439 can bring their power to bear. Coda nodded, filing away 87 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:30.920 every piece of advice. He remembered the dog men he'd 88 00:05:30.959 --> 00:05:35.279 seen from hiding, remembered their speed and ferocity. If he 89 00:05:35.360 --> 00:05:37.920 had to face one of them, he wanted to be ready. 90 00:05:38.600 --> 00:05:41.920 But despite all the preparation, all the training, the dog 91 00:05:42.000 --> 00:05:46.839 men didn't attack. Days turned into a week, then two. 92 00:05:47.000 --> 00:05:51.079 The scouts reported occasional sightings, a scent trail here, disturbed 93 00:05:51.120 --> 00:05:55.000 ground there, but no direct confrontations. It was as if 94 00:05:55.040 --> 00:05:58.639 the pack had vanished into the forest. They're planning something, 95 00:05:58.720 --> 00:06:02.399 Dask said, his voice worried. This isn't like them to 96 00:06:02.439 --> 00:06:07.000 be so quiet after a fight. Maybe they left, Reyla suggested, hopefully, 97 00:06:07.639 --> 00:06:11.079 Maybe they decided we were too much trouble. But Coda 98 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:13.399 didn't believe that, and from the looks. 99 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:15.560 On the elder's faces. Neither did they. 100 00:06:16.680 --> 00:06:20.040 On the twentieth day after the skirmish, the waiting finally ended. 101 00:06:20.600 --> 00:06:23.839 Coda was on patrol with Mira, Paka, and two older 102 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:27.319 warriors when they found the first body. It was Jakara, 103 00:06:27.720 --> 00:06:32.240 a scout from the River Bend Klan. He'd been killed quickly, efficiently, 104 00:06:32.680 --> 00:06:34.920 his throat torn out before he'd had a chance to 105 00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:39.160 cry for help. The dog men sent was fresh, maybe 106 00:06:39.199 --> 00:06:43.279 only an hour old. They're hunting us, Paka said, his 107 00:06:43.399 --> 00:06:46.600 voice tight with anger and fear, picking us off one 108 00:06:46.600 --> 00:06:49.600 by one. We need to get back to the caves, 109 00:06:49.639 --> 00:06:53.399 one of the older warriors said, warn the others, But 110 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:57.319 before they could move, a house split the air, then another, 111 00:06:57.759 --> 00:07:01.000 and another, until it seemed like the entire forest was 112 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:04.959 filled with the sound of dog men voices. They're surrounding us, 113 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:08.920 Mira breathed, and then from the trees and the undergrowth 114 00:07:09.279 --> 00:07:12.639 the dog men came. There were more than five this time, 115 00:07:13.199 --> 00:07:18.439 at least ten, maybe fifteen, appearing from every direction. Coda 116 00:07:18.519 --> 00:07:21.800 recognized Vorn, the massive alpha, but there were others he'd 117 00:07:21.800 --> 00:07:26.040 never seen before, smaller dog men, younger ones, all of 118 00:07:26.079 --> 00:07:29.240 them with the same hungry look in their eyes. They 119 00:07:29.240 --> 00:07:33.079 called in reinforcements. The older warrior realized this isn't just 120 00:07:33.160 --> 00:07:36.439 the pack we fought, this is multiple packs working together. 121 00:07:37.560 --> 00:07:41.519 Born stepped forward, his amber eyes fixed on the Sasquatch patrol. 122 00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:45.199 Run back to your caves, he growled. Tell your elders 123 00:07:45.199 --> 00:07:48.000 that the forest belonged to the dog men. Now tell 124 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:50.759 them that any sasquatch caught outside the safety. 125 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:53.240 Of stone will die like this one. He gestured to 126 00:07:53.279 --> 00:07:55.319 Jaikara's body with one clawed hand. 127 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:59.399 You're making a mistake, Coda heard himself say, stepping forward 128 00:07:59.399 --> 00:08:02.279 despite his fear. There are more of us than you 129 00:08:02.319 --> 00:08:06.079 can ever defeat. All you're doing is insuring your own destruction. 130 00:08:07.240 --> 00:08:10.040 Varn's gaze swung to him, and Coda felt the weight 131 00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:14.240 of that predatory stare. Brave words from such a young one. 132 00:08:14.519 --> 00:08:18.839 The dog man said, what's your name? Pup Coda, son 133 00:08:18.879 --> 00:08:24.680 of Caboda. Something like surprise flickered across Vorn's face. Caboda's son, 134 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:29.319 I see the resemblance. He tilted his head, considering, your 135 00:08:29.319 --> 00:08:33.600 father fought well, gave me this, he indicated, the still 136 00:08:33.679 --> 00:08:36.879 healing wound on his shoulder. But even he can't protect 137 00:08:36.879 --> 00:08:40.879 you out here, not anymore. We don't need protection from 138 00:08:40.919 --> 00:08:44.360 the likes of you, Mirah snarled, stepping up beside Coda. 139 00:08:45.399 --> 00:08:48.799 Vorn laughed, a harsh sound that made Coda's hair stand 140 00:08:48.840 --> 00:08:53.399 on end. Such spirit, I almost admire it. Then his 141 00:08:53.480 --> 00:08:57.879 expression hardened. But spirit doesn't stop teeth and claws. Remember 142 00:08:57.919 --> 00:09:01.320 that when you're running for your lives. He turned away, 143 00:09:01.879 --> 00:09:04.399 and the other dog men melted back into the forest 144 00:09:04.399 --> 00:09:08.200 as quickly as they'd appeared. Within seconds, the patrol was 145 00:09:08.240 --> 00:09:11.399 alone again, with only Jakiara's body as proof of what 146 00:09:11.440 --> 00:09:14.679 had happened. We need to move, the older warrior said. 147 00:09:15.240 --> 00:09:20.440 Now they ran, carrying Jakara's body between them, pushing through 148 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:23.799 exhaustion and fear. By the time they reached the caves, 149 00:09:23.799 --> 00:09:27.960 Coda's lungs were burning, his legs shaking. The news of 150 00:09:28.000 --> 00:09:30.879 Jakara's death and the dog men's ultimatum spread through the 151 00:09:30.879 --> 00:09:35.879 clans like wildfire. Where there had been determination before, now 152 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:39.759 there was genuine fear. The dog Men weren't just fighting them, 153 00:09:39.960 --> 00:09:44.600 they were hunting them, terrorizing them. Caboda called another council, 154 00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:48.440 this time including more of the younger warriors. They want 155 00:09:48.519 --> 00:09:51.759 us afraid, he said, his voice steady despite the gravity 156 00:09:51.799 --> 00:09:55.200 of the situation. They want us cowering in these caves, 157 00:09:55.559 --> 00:09:59.320 too scared to hunt, to gather food to live. We 158 00:09:59.360 --> 00:10:02.200 can't let them do that. What choice do we have. 159 00:10:02.360 --> 00:10:05.360 Someone called out, they're picking us off whenever we leave. 160 00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:09.080 Then we don't leave alone, Garic said, standing beside Caboda. 161 00:10:09.799 --> 00:10:13.240 We move in large groups, heavily armed. We show them 162 00:10:13.279 --> 00:10:16.240 that every kill they make will cost them dearly, and 163 00:10:16.320 --> 00:10:19.679 we take the fight to them. Naja added, find their camps, 164 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:22.960 their dens, make them feel the fear they're trying to 165 00:10:23.000 --> 00:10:23.840 inflict on us. 166 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:25.799 An eye for an eye. 167 00:10:25.960 --> 00:10:30.960 Brandt muttered, blood for blood. Omaki shook her head. That 168 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:34.480 path leads only to more death. We need to think strategically, 169 00:10:34.960 --> 00:10:39.840 not emotionally. I agree with Omaki, Tyrek said, his ancient 170 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:43.519 voice cutting through the rising tensions. But I also agree 171 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:46.440 with Naja. We cannot simply wait here for them to 172 00:10:46.519 --> 00:10:51.799 destroy us. We must act. Caboda nodded slowly. Here's what 173 00:10:51.840 --> 00:10:55.559 we're going to do. We organize into three groups. The 174 00:10:55.600 --> 00:10:58.519 first group defends the caves and protects the young and elderly. 175 00:10:59.120 --> 00:11:02.200 The second group hunt and gathers, but in large well 176 00:11:02.200 --> 00:11:06.679 defended parties and the third group. He paused, his eyes 177 00:11:06.759 --> 00:11:11.039 sweeping across the assembled warriors. The third group hunts the hunters. 178 00:11:11.639 --> 00:11:14.559 We track down these dog men packs and we end 179 00:11:14.559 --> 00:11:19.000 this threat once and for all. The chamber irerupted in voices, 180 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:23.799 some supporting the plan, others arguing against it. But Coda 181 00:11:23.840 --> 00:11:26.919 could see the determination on his father's face the set 182 00:11:26.960 --> 00:11:30.840 of his jaw. Caboda had made his decision and nothing 183 00:11:30.919 --> 00:11:34.080 was going to change his mind. I volunteer for the 184 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:38.519 hunting party, Garrick said, immediately, as do I. Naja added. 185 00:11:39.159 --> 00:11:43.879 More voices joined in, experienced warriors stepping forward, and then, 186 00:11:44.240 --> 00:11:47.919 to his own surprise, Coda heard his own voice. I 187 00:11:48.000 --> 00:11:51.320 volunteer too. Every head in the chamber turned to look 188 00:11:51.320 --> 00:11:56.159 at him. His mother's face went pale. Coda no Asha said, 189 00:11:57.000 --> 00:12:00.639 I have to, mom, Coda replied, meeting her eyes. I've 190 00:12:00.639 --> 00:12:03.639 seen them up close. I know how they move, how 191 00:12:03.639 --> 00:12:07.279 they think, and I'm fast, fast enough to keep up 192 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:11.440 to be useful. He's right, Naja said, and Koda felt 193 00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:14.600 a surge of gratitude. The younger ones have advantages. We 194 00:12:14.720 --> 00:12:19.679 older warriors don't. Speed, flexibility, and Coda has proven himself 195 00:12:19.679 --> 00:12:23.320 in training. Caboda looked at his son for a long moment, 196 00:12:23.639 --> 00:12:27.399 and Koda saw the conflict in his father's eyes, Pride 197 00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:33.120 warring with fear, duty battling with paternal instinct. Finally, Koboda nodded, 198 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:39.919 Coda will go, but not alone. Mira, Paca, Rayla, if 199 00:12:39.960 --> 00:12:43.679 you're willing, you'll accompany him, and you'll all follow orders 200 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:49.600 from the senior warriors. No heroics, no risks understood. They 201 00:12:49.639 --> 00:12:52.519 all nodded, though Coda could see the fear in Rayla's 202 00:12:52.519 --> 00:12:57.279 eyes the excitement in Paca's. Then it's decided, Caboda said. 203 00:12:57.759 --> 00:13:00.600 We have three days to prepare. On the fourth day, 204 00:13:00.919 --> 00:13:04.399 we begin the hunt. As the council broke up, Coda's 205 00:13:04.440 --> 00:13:08.080 mother pulled him aside. Promise me you'll be careful, she said, 206 00:13:08.480 --> 00:13:11.759 her hands gripping his arms. Promise me you'll come back. 207 00:13:12.919 --> 00:13:16.360 Coda wanted to make that promise, wanted to ease her fears, 208 00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:19.039 but he'd been taught from a young age never to 209 00:13:19.080 --> 00:13:22.240 make promises he might not be able to keep. I'll 210 00:13:22.279 --> 00:13:25.240 do everything I can, he said, Instead, I promise you that. 211 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:29.039 It wasn't the reassurance she wanted, but it was the 212 00:13:29.080 --> 00:13:31.840 only one he could give, and as He looked into 213 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:34.799 her eyes, seeing the fear and pride and love there, 214 00:13:35.279 --> 00:13:38.240 Coda felt the weight of what was coming settle over him. 215 00:13:38.559 --> 00:13:41.960 In three days he would be hunting creatures that haunted nightmares. 216 00:13:42.600 --> 00:13:45.879 In three days, he might die, but he would die 217 00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:50.360 protecting his family, his clan, his home, and that at 218 00:13:50.440 --> 00:13:56.559 least was worth something. Chapter eleven. Blood and Territory. The 219 00:13:56.600 --> 00:14:00.480 first death came three weeks later. A young Sasquatch name Tarik, 220 00:14:00.559 --> 00:14:04.480 had wandered too far east during a foraging expedition. He 221 00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:08.200 was barely an adult, still learning the boundaries, still believing 222 00:14:08.200 --> 00:14:11.399 that youth made him invincible. The dog men found him 223 00:14:11.440 --> 00:14:13.919 at the edge of the neutral zone. There was no 224 00:14:14.000 --> 00:14:16.399 way to know whether he had crossed the invisible line 225 00:14:16.720 --> 00:14:19.440 or whether the dog men had simply seen an opportunity. 226 00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:23.200 The result was the same. They found his body the 227 00:14:23.240 --> 00:14:27.159 next morning, torn and bloodied, left where the Sasquatch patrols 228 00:14:27.159 --> 00:14:30.720 would discover it. The message was clear. The dog Men 229 00:14:30.759 --> 00:14:34.960 would not tolerate incursion into their territory, real or perceived. 230 00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:38.480 Coda stood with the recovery party as they wrapped Tarak's 231 00:14:38.480 --> 00:14:42.000 remains in cedar bark for the journey home. He had 232 00:14:42.039 --> 00:14:45.759 known Tarik, had trained alongside him, had shared meals and 233 00:14:45.879 --> 00:14:49.519 jokes and the ordinary moments of clan life. Now his 234 00:14:49.519 --> 00:14:53.039 friend was dead, and Koda felt something cold and hard 235 00:14:53.320 --> 00:14:57.559 forming in his chest. This is what they are, Tyrek said, 236 00:14:57.960 --> 00:15:00.879 his voice thick with rage. This is what they do, 237 00:15:01.679 --> 00:15:06.519 killers monsters, and still Koboda Council's patients stay tuned for 238 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:10.480 more backwoods Bigfoot stories. We'll be back after these messages, 239 00:15:12.679 --> 00:15:16.600 because patience keeps us alive, Omachi replied, though even she 240 00:15:16.840 --> 00:15:20.879 looked shaken. Tarrek's death is a tragedy, but a war 241 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:24.240 would mean many more deaths. We cannot let grief drive 242 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:28.240 us to destruction, so we do nothing. Let them murder 243 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:32.799 our young with impunity. We mourn, we learn, we become 244 00:15:32.840 --> 00:15:36.919 more careful. Omaki turned to face the group, And we 245 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:41.320 remember that every choice has consequences. The dog men killed 246 00:15:41.360 --> 00:15:44.840 one of ours. If we retaliate, they will kill more. 247 00:15:45.559 --> 00:15:48.720 If they kill more, we will retaliate again. Where does 248 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:52.840 that cycle end? It ends when they're all dead, Tyrek snarled, 249 00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:57.360 or when we are The argument continued, but Coda had 250 00:15:57.399 --> 00:16:01.279 stopped listening. He was staring at Tarik's at the brutal 251 00:16:01.320 --> 00:16:04.480 efficiency of the wounds, and wondering if peace was really 252 00:16:04.559 --> 00:16:09.240 possible with creatures capable of such violence. That night, Coda 253 00:16:09.279 --> 00:16:11.960 sought out Mirah. She found him at the cave entrance, 254 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:16.279 staring out at the forest with unseeing eyes. Without a word, 255 00:16:16.360 --> 00:16:21.879 she settled beside him and waited. I knew him, Coda said, finally, Tark. 256 00:16:22.559 --> 00:16:24.720 We used to race each other through the southern meadows. 257 00:16:25.159 --> 00:16:29.600 He always won. He was faster than anyone. I'm sorry 258 00:16:30.320 --> 00:16:32.919 the dog men killed him, tore him apart like he 259 00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:37.480 was nothing. And everyone talks about patience, about understanding, about 260 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:40.559 not letting a motion drive decisions, But all I feel 261 00:16:40.600 --> 00:16:44.320 is rage. Mira was quiet for a long moment. Then 262 00:16:44.320 --> 00:16:47.960 she said, my mother died when I was young. Disease 263 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:51.679 took her slowly while we all watched. I felt that 264 00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:56.879 same rage, then, rage at the unfairness, rage at my 265 00:16:56.960 --> 00:16:58.320 own helplessness. 266 00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:01.159 What did you do? I survived. 267 00:17:01.720 --> 00:17:04.200 I let the rage burn through me, and then I 268 00:17:04.279 --> 00:17:07.319 let it go, not because I forgave the universe for 269 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:10.799 taking her, but because holding onto it was destroying me 270 00:17:10.880 --> 00:17:14.160 from inside. How do you let go of something like that? 271 00:17:15.119 --> 00:17:18.880 You don't, not really, You just learned to carry it differently, 272 00:17:19.480 --> 00:17:22.200 to honor the memory without being consumed by the pain. 273 00:17:23.119 --> 00:17:26.400 She reached out and took his hand. Tarek deserves to 274 00:17:26.400 --> 00:17:28.680 be mourned, but he wouldn't want his death to be 275 00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:33.160 the reason for more deaths, would he. Coda thought about 276 00:17:33.160 --> 00:17:36.319 his friend, about the joy Terrek had taken in simple 277 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:40.200 things like running and climbing and exploring. He had been 278 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:43.680 curious about the world, eager to experience everything it had 279 00:17:43.720 --> 00:17:47.240 to offer. He wouldn't have wanted vengeance. He would have 280 00:17:47.279 --> 00:17:50.240 wanted his friends to go on living, to experience the 281 00:17:50.279 --> 00:17:55.880 things he never would No, Coda admitted he wouldn't then 282 00:17:55.960 --> 00:17:59.200 honor him by living by building the better world you 283 00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:01.880 keep talking about out, not by becoming. 284 00:18:01.559 --> 00:18:03.240 The thing you hate. 285 00:18:03.319 --> 00:18:06.720 It wasn't easy advice, but Codin knew it was right. 286 00:18:07.720 --> 00:18:11.400 The Sasquatch responded to Terek's death, not with immediate retaliation, 287 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:16.640 but with careful pressure. Patrols increased, the boundary was marked 288 00:18:16.680 --> 00:18:19.519 more clearly, and Koboda sent a message to the dog 289 00:18:19.599 --> 00:18:23.440 Men through traditional channels. The neutral zone would be enforced 290 00:18:23.480 --> 00:18:27.599 by both sides, or it would mean war. Varn received 291 00:18:27.599 --> 00:18:31.640 the message with mixed feelings. They're not attacking, Oshka observed, 292 00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:35.160 after what we did, I expected them to come howling 293 00:18:35.200 --> 00:18:38.799 for blood. Caboda is smarter than that. He knows what 294 00:18:38.839 --> 00:18:42.440 we want and what do we want? Varn turned to 295 00:18:42.440 --> 00:18:46.720 face his mate. Honestly, I don't know anymore. We killed 296 00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:48.880 that young one because the pack was hungry and angry 297 00:18:49.079 --> 00:18:51.680 and needed to feel like we were doing something. But 298 00:18:51.759 --> 00:18:55.240 all we've done is make our situation worse. The pack 299 00:18:55.359 --> 00:18:58.839 needed to see strength, The pack needed food and security. 300 00:18:59.319 --> 00:19:03.039 Killing a Sasquatch child gives them neither. Varn began to 301 00:19:03.079 --> 00:19:07.480 pace a habit he fell into when troubled. We're trapped, Ashka. 302 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:10.279 We can't win a war with the Sasquatch, but we 303 00:19:10.319 --> 00:19:14.079 can't appear weak either. Every choice leads to more conflict. 304 00:19:15.079 --> 00:19:19.880 Perhaps Oshka hesitated, Perhaps there's another way. What do you 305 00:19:19.920 --> 00:19:23.960 mean the young Sasquatch, the one who befriended the human. 306 00:19:24.799 --> 00:19:27.920 I've watched him from a distance. He's different from the others, 307 00:19:28.400 --> 00:19:32.720 more curious, less afraid. If anyone among them might consider 308 00:19:32.759 --> 00:19:36.640 an alternative to endless warfare. You want me to negotiate 309 00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:40.920 with Sasquatch. I want you to consider every option, even 310 00:19:40.920 --> 00:19:45.759 the ones that seem impossible, Varn stopped pacing. In all 311 00:19:45.799 --> 00:19:49.640 their years together, Ashka had never steered him wrong. She 312 00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:53.839 saw things he missed, considered angles he overlooked. If she 313 00:19:53.880 --> 00:19:58.200 thought negotiation was worth considering, I'll think about it, he said, 314 00:19:58.720 --> 00:20:02.079 But I make no promises. Thinking is all I ask. 315 00:20:02.920 --> 00:20:08.079 Chapter twelve, Asha's perspective. While Kabodah dealt with the politics 316 00:20:08.119 --> 00:20:11.319 of leadership, his mate Asha managed the quieter work of 317 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:14.559 holding a family together. She had watched her son grow 318 00:20:14.559 --> 00:20:16.960 from an impulsive child into something she didn't have a 319 00:20:17.079 --> 00:20:21.160 name for, not quite adult, not quite the Sasquatch she 320 00:20:21.200 --> 00:20:25.839 had expected. Coda was becoming his own creation, shaped by 321 00:20:25.880 --> 00:20:30.119 experiences no other Sasquatch had shared. You worry about him, 322 00:20:30.160 --> 00:20:34.160 Milwaukee observed one afternoon, finding Asha alone at the cave entrance. 323 00:20:34.799 --> 00:20:39.599 I worry about everything. It's what mothers do, true, But 324 00:20:39.680 --> 00:20:42.799 Coda occupies a special place in your concerns. 325 00:20:43.319 --> 00:20:44.039 Osha sighed. 326 00:20:44.799 --> 00:20:49.880 He's building something unprecedented, relationships with humans, influence with the 327 00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:54.680 dog men, ideas that challenge everything our people believe. I'm 328 00:20:54.720 --> 00:20:58.599 proud of him, but I'm also terrified that he'll fail, 329 00:20:59.480 --> 00:21:02.519 that he'll see seed, that the world he's creating will 330 00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:05.480 be so different that I won't recognize it, that my 331 00:21:05.599 --> 00:21:10.640 son will become someone I don't understand. Omaki settled beside 332 00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:16.079 her joints, protesting slightly. Every generation remakes the world. My 333 00:21:16.119 --> 00:21:19.319 grandmother barely recognized the world I grew up in, and 334 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:22.240 I barely recognize the world the young ones navigate now. 335 00:21:22.720 --> 00:21:26.519 Change is the only constant that's supposed to be comforting. 336 00:21:27.359 --> 00:21:30.279 It's supposed to be true. Comfort is something you find 337 00:21:30.319 --> 00:21:34.680 within yourself, not in the way the world behaves. Asha 338 00:21:34.839 --> 00:21:38.160 was quiet for a long moment. Then she said, when 339 00:21:38.200 --> 00:21:41.640 Coda was born, I had such specific dreams for his future. 340 00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:45.480 I imagined him becoming a hunter like his father, finding 341 00:21:45.480 --> 00:21:48.559 a mate from our clan, raising children who would carry 342 00:21:48.599 --> 00:21:54.880 on our traditions, simple dreams, achievable dreams. And now now 343 00:21:54.920 --> 00:21:59.079 I don't know what to dream. His future is unwritten, unpredictable, 344 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:03.440 change everything or change nothing. He might live to old 345 00:22:03.480 --> 00:22:06.319 age or die young in some conflict. I can't prevent 346 00:22:07.160 --> 00:22:10.960 her voice caught. I can't protect him anymore. All I 347 00:22:11.000 --> 00:22:15.599 can do is watch and hope and love him. Omachi added, 348 00:22:16.039 --> 00:22:20.400 whatever happens, whatever he becomes, you can love him. That 349 00:22:20.440 --> 00:22:24.359 matters more than protection, more than dreams, more than anything 350 00:22:24.440 --> 00:22:25.279 else you could offer. 351 00:22:26.319 --> 00:22:26.960 Is it enough? 352 00:22:27.680 --> 00:22:32.519 It's everything? The rest is just details. Chapter thirteen, The 353 00:22:32.559 --> 00:22:36.039 Battle of Broken Ridge. Three days felt like three hours. 354 00:22:36.759 --> 00:22:41.680 Coda barely slept, spending every waking moment training, preparing, trying 355 00:22:41.680 --> 00:22:45.880 to quiet the fear that gnaweded his stomach. Mira stayed close, 356 00:22:46.279 --> 00:22:49.119 and they found comfort in each other's presence, though neither 357 00:22:49.160 --> 00:22:52.200 spoke much about what was coming. On the morning of 358 00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:56.119 the fourth day, twenty Sasquatch warriors assembled at the cave entrance. 359 00:22:56.759 --> 00:23:00.799 They were the strongest, the fastest, the most experienperienced fighters. 360 00:23:00.799 --> 00:23:04.880 The clans had. Caboda and Garic led them with Nada 361 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:08.920 and Brandt as seconds. The younger warriors, Coda, Mira, Paka, 362 00:23:08.920 --> 00:23:12.720 and Rayla brought up the rear, each carrying simple clubs 363 00:23:12.759 --> 00:23:16.799 fashioned from sturdy oak branches. Our scouts have located the 364 00:23:16.839 --> 00:23:20.079 main dog men camp. Kiboda told them his voice low, 365 00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:23.519 it's in a ravine about five miles northeast of here, 366 00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:27.039 near what we call Broken Ridge. The terrain is rough, 367 00:23:27.400 --> 00:23:31.160 full of loose rock and deadfall, good for ambushes, but 368 00:23:31.240 --> 00:23:34.799 that works both ways. How many Garic asked? 369 00:23:35.440 --> 00:23:35.920 Fifteen? 370 00:23:36.200 --> 00:23:41.079 Maybe twenty three different packs have joined forces. Someone whistled low. 371 00:23:41.599 --> 00:23:45.440 Those were bad odds even with their numbers. The plan 372 00:23:45.559 --> 00:23:49.200 is simple, Kaboda continued. We surround the ravine, cut off 373 00:23:49.240 --> 00:23:51.880 their escape routes. Then we drive them out into the 374 00:23:51.880 --> 00:23:55.000 open where we can use our strength advantage. Vorn is 375 00:23:55.039 --> 00:23:58.680 the key. He's the one holding the alliance together. If 376 00:23:58.720 --> 00:24:01.079 we can take him down, the other packs will scatter. 377 00:24:01.839 --> 00:24:04.920 And if they don't scatter, Naja asked, then we kill 378 00:24:04.960 --> 00:24:08.599 them all. Kboda said flatly. This ends today, one way 379 00:24:08.680 --> 00:24:13.240 or another. They moved out in formation, staying quiet, using 380 00:24:13.279 --> 00:24:17.000 hand signals to communicate. Coda's heart hammered in his chest, 381 00:24:17.359 --> 00:24:20.000 but his hands were steady. He'd been training for this, 382 00:24:20.640 --> 00:24:24.240 preparing he could do this. The forest seemed to hold 383 00:24:24.279 --> 00:24:27.400 its breath as they traveled. The usual bird calls and 384 00:24:27.480 --> 00:24:31.359 insects sounds muted. It was as if the trees themselves 385 00:24:31.440 --> 00:24:34.880 knew what was coming. After two hours of careful movement, 386 00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:39.160 they reached Broken Ridge. It was exactly as Caboda had described, 387 00:24:39.799 --> 00:24:43.240 a deep ravine with steep, rocky sides and a narrow 388 00:24:43.279 --> 00:24:47.799 floor littered with boulders and fallen trees. Perfect ambush territory. 389 00:24:48.480 --> 00:24:51.599 Kboda split them into four groups, sending each to cover 390 00:24:51.720 --> 00:24:55.720 a different approach to the ravine. Coda's group included Mira, 391 00:24:56.119 --> 00:24:59.839 Naja and two other warriors. They positioned themselves on the 392 00:24:59.839 --> 00:25:03.880 w western edge, hidden among the rocks and scrub brush. Remember, 393 00:25:04.000 --> 00:25:08.160 Nadja whispered, don't engage until you hear Kboda's signal, and 394 00:25:08.200 --> 00:25:12.480 stay together. These dog men are dangerous when isolated, deadly 395 00:25:12.519 --> 00:25:17.920 in packs. Coda nodded, gripping his club tighter. Below, in 396 00:25:17.960 --> 00:25:21.680 the ravine, he could see movement dog men, at least 397 00:25:21.720 --> 00:25:24.319 a dozen of them, milling about what looked like a 398 00:25:24.359 --> 00:25:29.559 temporary camp. Some were sleeping, others eating or grooming. They 399 00:25:29.559 --> 00:25:33.240 looked almost relaxed, unaware of the trap closing around them. 400 00:25:34.000 --> 00:25:35.319 Then Coda spotted Vorn. 401 00:25:36.160 --> 00:25:39.359