Page 9

The storm had rolled in quickly, without warning.

Low clouds dropped heavy over the mountains, swallowing the light in shades of pewter and bruise.

The wind had begun its steady howl by late morning, skimming low through the trees and bending their tops like they were bowing to something ancient and wild.

Rain came in short bursts at first, then in sheets that soaked the earth and muddied the trails, filling the air with the scent of moss and wet bark.

Natalie stood by the loading shed, pulling on her waterproof jacket, her breath misting in the air. The sky was churning above, and everything felt tight. The air, her nerves, the urgency caused by the storm.

Mason emerged from the barn with a field crate slung under one arm and a coil of rope in the other. He wore a dark green rain shell over his flannel, droplets running off the brim of his cap. Davey followed close behind, drenched to the bone despite his hood, arms full of supplies.

"We got the call ten minutes ago," Olivia said, her voice raised over the wind as she joined them.

Her hair was tied back in a braid, her face drawn with focus.

"Local hiker said he saw a large animal down in one of the northern ravines. Could be a wolf, maybe a coyote. Possibly a bear cub. Either way, it’s not moving. "

Natalie exchanged a glance with Mason. "How far in?"

"About three miles off the secondary trail," Olivia said. "It’s a steep descent. That area floods when it rains."

"We can’t wait," Mason said. "If it’s injured and stuck, it could drown before the night."

Natalie nodded. The panic in her chest exacerbated by the thudding of her heart. She wasn’t afraid, exactly. But something about the weather, about the strange quiet that had settled over the forest, made her skin prickle.

They split the packs. Natalie and Mason carried the medical gear, Olivia kept the radio, and Davey slung a tarp and extra rope across his shoulders.

They set off at a quick pace, their boots slipping in the mud as they ascended the western ridge trail, then turned off toward the old game trail that would take them to the ravine.

The forest had turned into something else entirely under the storm’s eye.

Branches clawed at their sleeves. Trees groaned above them.

Water dripped steadily from every surface, pooling in gullies and soaking their pant legs.

The trail narrowed to a faint, winding path over wet rock and thick undergrowth.

"You okay back there?" Mason called over his shoulder.

"Still breathing," Davey replied, though his voice trembled from exertion, maybe more.

Natalie kept her head down, her jaw tight, focusing on her footing and the rhythmic crunch-squish of their steps.

They crested the ridge and saw the ravine spread out below, a steep cut in the forest floor, littered with rocks and the gnarled bones of fallen trees.

The slope was slick, almost vertical in parts.

Water coursed down in small rivulets, turning the mud into something treacherous. They paused at the edge .

"It’s down there somewhere," Olivia said, pointing to a shape barely visible through the mist and trees. It lay motionless against a rock, barely more than a silhouette. Too big to be a coyote. Too lean for a bear cub.

Mason squinted. "Wolf."

"We’ll have to go down together," he added. "Natalie, you and I first. Olivia, guide us by radio. Davey, hang back until we get eyes on the injury."

Olivia nodded, adjusting the frequency. Her hands were steady, but her eyes held a flicker of hesitation. Natalie clipped into the rope line, her gloved fingers trembling just slightly. Mason checked her harness, his touch firm but careful.

"You good?" he asked.

"Let’s get to him," she said.

They began their descent, inching down the slope as the wind picked up.

Rocks shifted beneath their boots. Tree roots jutted like bones from the mud.

Mason moved ahead of her, every movement precise, his body tense but sure.

Natalie followed close behind, trying to match his focus.

The injured wolf lay wedged between two boulders, its hind leg bent at an unnatural angle.

Blood had soaked into the earth, mixing with the water and mud into a slurry of crimson.

Mason crouched beside it, hand outstretched.

"Still breathing," he said. "Bad fracture. Maybe worse. We need to stabilize it before we move."

Natalie dropped to her knees, her pack already open. She pulled out the field wrap kit, rain lashing her back as she worked. Her hands moved quickly, instinctively.

"Stay with me," she whispered to the wolf. "You’ve made it this far."

They worked in tandem, Mason holding the wolf’s head, Natalie wrapping the limb. Their movements were fast, practiced, wordless .

Then a sudden sound behind them, a scrape, a gasp.

Natalie looked up.

Olivia had been climbing down to deliver the splint bag.

Her foot slipped on the slick rock. Time slowed.

Natalie saw her hand reach for a branch.

Watched it break. Olivia tumbled, her body twisting midair, her arms flailing.

She struck the slope with a sickening thud and slid further, disappearing behind the rocks.

"Mom!" Davey's scream echoed through the trees.

Natalie froze, heart slamming. Mason surged to his feet.

"Stay with the wolf," he ordered.

Then he was gone, scrambling down the slope after Olivia, rain hammering the forest like war drums. The forest swallowed them both. And Natalie sat there, her hand still on the wolf, her lungs frozen with fear. The storm had fully arrived. And nothing, not even the mountain, felt steady anymore.

The banshee howled around them now, louder and more relentless.

The forest had turned wild, the trees groaning beneath the weight of the wind, rain falling in angry slants through the canopy.

Natalie crouched low beside the injured wolf, her breath coming fast, heart hammering against her ribs as she watched Mason disappear down the slope after Olivia.

"Mason!" she called, her voice swept away by the wind.

But there was no reply. Only the thunder of the storm, the sharp scent of blood and wet leaves, and the shiver of cold that settled deep into her bones. Davey was frozen above them, halfway down the ridge, knuckles white on the rope line, eyes wide with panic.

"She fell," Natalie said, her voice sharp now, cutting through the storm. "She’s down there. We need to move."

He didn’t answer. She made the call herself.

"Davey, listen to me! Your mom needs you. Mason is with her. I have the wolf. You’re the only one who can help. "

That seemed to snap him out of it. With a grit of his jaw, he began the descent, every movement jagged with urgency.

Mud slipped beneath his boots. Branches clawed at his arms. But he didn’t stop.

Natalie turned back to the wolf. Argus, no, not Argus.

This one was different. Younger. Lighter coat.

She placed her hand on its side again. Still breathing, but shallow.

She tightened the bandage around its leg and whispered, not knowing if the animal could hear her or not.

"Hold on. We’re going to get through this. Just stay with me."

Down below, she heard Mason shout. Then Davey’s voice, cracked and desperate.

"Mom!"

Natalie dared a glance over the ledge. Olivia lay sprawled on the slick rocks, her leg bent in a way that made Natalie’s stomach twist. One of her arms was cradled awkwardly across her chest. Her face was pale, her mouth open in a moan of pain.

Mason knelt beside her, steadying her head, shielding her from the worst of the rain with his body.

"She’s breathing," he shouted. "Bad fracture. Maybe worse. We need to stabilize it before we move."

Davey reached them and dropped to his knees beside her, one hand trembling as he brushed the soaked hair from her forehead.

"Mom? I’m here. I’m here. It’s going to be okay."

"We need air rescue," Mason said, looking up to Natalie. "Get the satellite radio."

She tore through her bag, hands numb with rain and adrenaline and found the device. The screen flickered to life, its pale green glow a small beacon against the grey fury of the storm. She pressed the emergency beacon, then held the receiver to her lips.

"Sanctuary team. Medical emergency. Female, fifty, severe fall injury. Ravine northeast of Pine Trail junction. Require medevac, over."

A hiss of static, then a voice crackled through: "Copy that. Storm cell is moving fast but we’re dispatching a chopper. ETA forty-five minutes. Secure the patient. Keep her stable."

Natalie clipped the radio to her belt and looked down the slope again. Mason looked up at her, his face grim.

"I should stay," he called. "They’ll need help with the evac."

"No," she said, her voice strong despite the fear curling through her. "Stay with the wolf. I’ve got them."

He blinked at her, rain streaking down his face, and for a moment they just stared at one another. The world seemed to go quiet for the space of a breath.

"Trust me," she said.

And he nodded.

"Be careful," he called.

She clipped into the rope line, her boots slipping as she began the descent.

The path was treacherous now, the ground a mixture of mud, jagged stone, and loose debris.

A fallen log threatened to roll beneath her step.

Trees creaked and swayed ominously overhead, their branches cracking in the wind like brittle bones.

The ravine below was deeper than it had looked from above, carved by centuries of storms, a hidden scar beneath the forest's lush veneer.

Lightning forked across the sky, illuminating the entire valley for a brief, blinding moment. Thunder cracked a second later, sharp and immediate. The banshee’s roar echoed through the trees and down the ridgeline. Natalie reached them, heart pounding, every breath a fight against the cold.

Olivia’s face was waxy now, her breath shallow. "Natalie," she groaned.

"I’m here. Don’t move, okay? Help’s coming. "

Davey held her hand, murmuring something under his breath. Something like a prayer.

Natalie tore open her med kit and worked quickly. She stabilized Olivia’s leg with splints and gauze. Covered her with the emergency blanket. Whispered comfort in between instructions.

"You’re going to be alright. Just keep breathing."

Olivia gave a weak smile. "You always were the bossy one."

Davey let out a strangled laugh. A tear slipped down his cheek.

"I’m sorry, Mom," he said, his voice cracking. "I’m so sorry."

"None of that now," Olivia whispered. "Just stay. That’s all I want."

The minutes crawled by. Lightning forked in the sky above, followed by deep, rolling thunder. But the worst of the rain began to ease, tapering to a steady drizzle. The wind still lashed at the trees, but the violence of the storm had passed. The banshee calmed.

Natalie looked up at the ridge. Mason was a silhouette now, crouched beside the crate, guarding the wolf. He hadn’t left. Even when he could have. And somehow, that meant something.

The chop of helicopter blades came faint and distant at first, then louder. A beam of light cut through the mist.

"Here!" Natalie shouted, waving a flare into the air.

The helicopter hovered overhead, then slowly descended into the clearing just above the ravine.

Paramedics rappelled down, fast and efficient.

They worked quickly, assessing Olivia, strapping her onto a backboard, wrapping her tightly before lifting her into the air.

Davey watched, arms crossed tightly, lips pressed in a hard line. Natalie laid a hand on his shoulder.

"She’s strong."

"She has to be okay, so I can make it up to her. "

They stood together, watching the helicopter rise into the clouds.

Mason made his way down as the last of the wind settled into silence.

His face was streaked with rain, but his eyes locked on Natalie’s the moment he reached her.

No words were exchanged, only a look. One of silent gratitude. Of recognition.

The wolf was safe. Olivia was alive. And the forest had gone quiet again. But none of them would forget the storm-banshee and the havoc she had wreaked.