Page 8 of The Night Vision
“We have a location now, and a better idea of who he is. That’s something!” Nox said as he stared up at the sky. “It’s cold, but there hasn’t been a hard frost yet. It might be early or mid-October,” he guessed and Silas nodded in agreement.
“Of what year? Last year? Next year?” he asked as he picked up the skull, stifling a groan as much of the tension in his neck and shoulders relaxed and he felt a flutter of elated relief.
Don’t worry. I’ve got you.
Silas didn’t know how he’d keep that promise. He didn’t know if any of this was even real or if it was possible to prevent whatever was going to happen. But hehad tofind this man and do whatever it took to protect him. Silas’s heart ached at the thought of losing him, afraid of a world and a life without him despite not knowing his name.
All Silas knew was that he loved whoever this skull belonged to. This man was Silas’s fate and their souls were connected, or somehow the same. Perhaps it was the wolf thing Nox had mentioned or it was a bizarre and morbid type of love at first sight. It didn’t matter to Silas, he just had to find him and figure out why he was going to die atthatstream, if he hadn’t already. There was a flash of fear and Silas worried that they were already too late and their mission might be one of recovery, not rescue.
“He’s still out there, Shelby, and it’ll be a lot easier to find him,” Nox said, yanking Silas from his concerns.
“Why’s that?” he asked without pulling his gaze from the skull’s. He couldn’t.
“You can describe him to us. You saw him in your dream,” Nox said but Silas shook his head.
“I tried to see his face but I couldn’t. I can’t remember any features. All I know is that his eyes are pale, pale blue.”
“That’s something.”
Silas wished there was more as he held the skull, memorizing the contours of the bone around the eyes and the nose. He searched for distinct shapes and notches and noted the distances between various features. The longer he stared, the easier it was for Silas to imagine muscles, fat, tendons, and skin filling in and covering the hollows. Soft blue eyes glowed back at Silas from the empty sockets and he couldalmostsee his face.
“Please, help me find you.”
Nox rested a hand on Silas’s shoulder. “We’ll find him. Let’s tell Nelson what we’ve learned over breakfast.”
“Alright.” Silas nodded as he stood. “We can go but I have to come back later.”
Chapter Four
Another sunset and another campfire.
Tighe stretched out on his back, pleased with the day’s progress. He’d covered a lot of distance without encountering anyone and had found more blackberries than he could eat in a week. His belly was full as he folded his arms behind his head and enjoyed the view as the sky changed from pastel purples and pinks to deep, inky blue, filled with stars. He had never touched a television but Tighe couldn’t imagine anything as wondrous as the sky and the stars never failed to put on a dazzling show.
If he could be anything, he’d be a bird. He envied the endless freedom of the sky and the ability to see towns and cities from a safe distance. Tighe had so many questions about the world of men but he had no desire to venture into it.
What could be worth confining themselves in stifling boxes, filled with chemical fragrances and fumes and artificial light? They barely walked in the cities and the suburbs, and people traveled in hard, smelly, metal and plastic boxes—cars, trains, planes… They destroyed the nature around them as they made the world smaller and Tighe wondered where their natural curiosity had gone and if their souls were alright.
That was why he was so pleased whenever he encountered hikers and campers from the outside world and felt a kinship with the rangers, wardens, and conservation officers on the Trail. Tighe felt obliged to welcome them back home and to help make their stay as safe and fulfilling as possible. The people of the outside world had lost most of their natural survival instincts but Tighe was happy to share and teach anyone who was willing to listen.
His pack “brothers” and the people from the tiny, isolated village where his mother lived would be appalled and shun Tighe for sharing their ways and losing so much of his own “wildness.” Unlike his mother’s people and the other Ossors, Tighe didn’t hate or fear modern society and questioned why it was necessary to cling so strictly to the old ways. Why couldn’t they find a way to peacefully coexist with the outside world, like the Amish?
Tighe rolled so he could see the lake and sniffed the air, searching for the smell of fresh water through the campfire’s smoke. He preferred to sleep next to lakes and wider creeks and streams. The woods were too active at night and Tighe was safer under the open sky. Water was calming and purifying but it was also a connection to the spirit world, where Tighe’s ancestors waited and watched over him.
The man from Tighe’s dream was from the outside world and was a man who held authority but he was also at home in the woods. Tighe sensed it when their bodies were joined and heard it in the man’s growls and groans. Like Tighe, he wasn’t afraid to revel in his primitive, animalistic urges in the stream, carefree and completely naked. Was he a ranger or a warden?
That seemed likely and Tighe grew restless as he recalled the feel of strong, clever hands roaming his body in the water. He was tempted to pull his coat lower to cover himself and open his fly but Tighe didn’t want to fall asleep sated in that way. Hehoped his hunger would be heard and that his mate would be waiting in his dreams.
“Come. Find me,” he whispered, closing his eyes and clearing his mind.
After a long day of hiking and climbing, it was only a matter of minutes before Tighe sank into a deep, easy calm. His mind was free to wander and guide Tighe right back to the stream and there, the man with the kind, handsome face, and strong, loyal soul waited. He gathered Tighe in a possessive, protective embrace and claimed his lips for a hard, starving kiss.
“Meet me here and we’ll find the way together,” he said, pecking at Tighe’s lips.
He nodded, a bubble of laughter rising in his chest. Tighe was so happy to have finally found what he was searching for. He had no idea when he fled his pack, but Tighe held fast to the belief that one day, he’d find his purpose and his place. If he kept an open heart and was helpful, fate would lead him right where he belonged.
It finally had and Tighe would findhimsoon.
“I’ll be here! I’ll wait for you.”
