Page 13 of Earth-Bound

“How long have you owned that house?”

Broadmire considered. “Nearly ten years, I guess.”

“Ten years! And you never once thought to try and live there?”

Instead of answering Randall, Broadmire turned to glare at me. I took an instinctive step back. A troll’s glare is quitesomething and my instincts shrieked at me to flee. I didn’t know what I’d done to deserve such a look.

“Do you know what happened to whoever owned it before?”

Broadmire grunted, “Died.”

Randall nodded enthusiastically. “Do you think that was Mulgrave?”

“Don’t know.”

Randall was considering. I could see him trying to solve the mystery. “We could look that up, couldn’t we? Find out who owned it and what happened to them?”

Broadmire didn’t look keen but Randall did. I was very much of Randall’s opinion. I wanted to know what had happened to Mulgrave, if I could find it out. It would let me rest easy if I knew he wasn’t going to appear again and try to force a mating on me again.

“I’d very much like to know for sure. Is it possible to look up?”

Randall assured me that it was and that he’d do it. He was so absorbed by the new challenge that he forgot to be embarrassed about talking to my tree, not that I thought there was much to be embarrassed about. Everything grew better when it was spoken to and loved.

“We’ll start today. It could take a while to find out.”

“Thank you, I appreciate your help.”

“Where can we find you?”

“I’ll be here. Are you going to come back to see me again tomorrow?”

Randall’s cheeks became pink again but he looked me in the eye and nodded. Broadmire grunted. I wasn’t sure whether he wanted to come back but he’d be there if his mate was. I was looking forward to it, actually. It had been a long time since I’d had friends. If I could just get them to introduce me to Joe, I’d have four new friends: Randall, Broadmire, Joe and the vixen.

Chapter 7: Joe

Iwas sure I caught sight of more animals than usual as I walked down to the village. There were a few cats, some mice, a grass snake and a small roe deer that darted out in front of me. I was used to seeing all sorts of animals as I worked, but these animals should have skittered away when they saw me coming. They didn’t. They almost seemed to be waiting for me. Even the little mice sat in the middle of the track I was walking down and waited until I was nearly on top of them before squeaking and darting round, this way and that, and then finally bounding off into the undergrowth.

As I drew nearer to the Honey Pot, the café owned by Randall and his sister, Marcia, I was joined by Maud, Marcia’s cat. She wound around my legs and purred aggressively until I picked her up and carried her.

We went into the café together and, by that time, she was draped half across my shoulder and I was sure I’d never get her away from me. I had always loved animals. I’d always been good with animals, but this was a bit much. It gave me the same feeling I’d had as a child, of creatures being drawn to me…

I slammed the lid on that thought. I didn’t want to remember that. Animals were not drawn to me. That was justchildish imagination. A lonely little boy making friends with squirrels and rabbits instead of the other kids. Animals didn’t come and find me.

The cat in my arms purred and Randall looked up. “There she is! I’ve been looking for her everywhere.”

“Uh, well, here she is.”

I tried to hand her over but she dug her claws into my shoulder in little pinprick rows.

Randall waved a hand airily. “She can stay with you. I was just worried theridi—”

He stopped himself talking suddenly and the way he glanced at me made me suspicious.

“The what?”

“Oh, nothing. There was a man here earlier, that’s all. He, um, scared Maud. Yes, that’s it, he scared her and I was worried she’d gone off.”

It sounded plausible. And yet I didn’t believe it. I gave a non-committal hum.

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