Part 8 of the Owl story. Part 7 is there:
Preparations
We had lengthy preparations. Inga chose our clothes carefully, for a long ride in the night and a long day afterwards, she got me to check our bikes thoroughly, to grease our walking shoes. She showed me on the detailed map where she wanted to go, further east and north than together we had been till now, a densely wooded region, straddling the border. We talked about the best time to start, then Inga said she would take a weapon, which surprised me. Out of her rucksack she pulled a sawn-off double barrelled shotgun and a box of cartridges. I was amazed. She laughed: “Don’t be shy! I’m a farm girl!” It was serious stuff. Given the amount of gear we were taking, I picked up my largest rucksack, and everything fitted, the gun, the provisions, carefully selected by Inga, warm clothes, our boots, a winter sleeping bag, maps and my camera, and, critically, water. I also packed my old scout knife, just in case, and the necessary to make a fire. Inga inspected everything. We would leave after nightfall. We would have to ride for at least four hours. I was following her instructions blindly. When everything was ready, we slept a little.
Forests
Then at dusk we run another check, and well wrapped up against rain and wind, we picked up our bikes and rode out of town. Soon we were on the familiar road boarded with fields and small woods, then we took a turn into a hidden path toward the east. After an hour we stopped for water. Inga came to me and kissed me, we looked eyes to eyes at each other for some time. Then we rode through thicker forests than I had so far seen in the country. The fields were smaller, but well tilled, and small lakes appeared in between. The night got darker still, the rain was falling. We came nowhere near a village, although we saw a few isolated farms. The silence was total. We crossed a small river, then took a sharp turn north. I think we were then very close to the border.
Silence
The forest was very dense, with a diversity of trees but many tall pines. Inga stopped, took some bearing, smelled the air. She led us on a tiny lane, which was hardly wide enough for the bikes. It was also steep and we soon had to abandon riding. We walked for about an hour, and found a small clearing. Inga signalled we would for now be on silent. It was my turn to look into her eyes: she said, silently, we are being observed, we’ll build a lair, and have some rest, then they will come.
Under a huge pine tree we build our shelter, of branches and leaves. We had enough blankets to make it comfortable, we kept our rucksacks as pillows. There was no moon, we were in total darkness. We lied down, next to each other, as Inga wanted. I heard an owl, and saw Inga’s silent smile. We kissed. The rain started again, but we were sheltered. Far away there was some thunder.
Dream
I fell asleep. I had a dream. Marco was telling me a story about Inga’s great-grand father. A skilled skier and mountaineer, he had been conscripted in the alpine troops at the start of the second world war. He went all the way, with his regiment, to the Caucasus, the extreme reach of the Wehrmacht in the Soviet Union. There his platoon got lost, on the onset of the winter of 1942-43. He and his comrades reached a high mountain, trying to hide from the partisans. Marco was saying, that his main problem, part from hunger, was the wolves.
The great male
Some noise woke me up. Inga had told me not to make any sudden move. I was still. Then I got aware of a presence nearby, not far from our lair. Inga was fast asleep. I dropped off again. Marco was now saying that the wolves had saved that ancestor’s life. I sensed a close-by creature, opened an eye, careful not to move. At the entrance of the lair was the great Male, standing, observing me, the sheer awe of his presence enough to forbid any motion on my part. I looked sideway: his mate the she-wolf was lying over Inga. I shrivelled. Her paws were on each side of my lover’s head, her own head, eyes closed, resting on Inga’s breast. Stunned, unable to move, my eyes moved back to the wolf, standing still, observing me. He was a magnificent creature. His scent was strong, the scent of the forest and of a powerful lord of this wild world.
Brother and sister
Soon I heard Inga’s voice in my mind: don’t worry, enjoy this instant, few human beings have been there, those are my brother and sister, join me. I did. Silently, eyes shut. I must have passed out, a long time. I woke up as Marco was telling me that the great-grand father would have died, of hunger and cold, had the wolves not given him shelter, for a price. But what was the price? There was a faint light. The wolves had gone. Inga was sitting, looking at me with a smile. I reached out, she came over me.
Waking up
We kissed, and again. She pulled out a flask of hot milk from her bag. We drank. We listened to the sounds of the woods waking up. She said: “I had not seen them for some time. She’s the being I love the most in the world, after you.” My mind was in turmoil. I said: “His sight was on me, I was petrified…” Her eyes showed me the depth of her love, and said: “He could have killed you with one claw, had you been his enemy…” Then: “the shotgun is to defend them, not defend ourselves. We had nothing to fear from them. They both know you are my mate, and you drink from me, and I from you.”
My monster
I wanted to ask about the great-grand father in the Caucasus, but decide to wait. She was over me. I felt her lips on my skin. At that instant, I would have died for her. I was insanely in love with my monster. My monster. It took some time. We then had breakfast, of oats waffle and some delicious fruit jam. The forest was now awake. Far away we heard howling: brother and sister were saying good-bye. We packed, cleared our traces, and started the ride home.
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