The Arrival, Part 1

 

Ralph's river is to the right of the road a bit.

            When he woke the sun was already up and shining in his eyes. It took a moment to remember why he was sleeping in tall grass so far from home.
            “Oh!” he said to himself. He recalled that his famous cousin, Ralph, monarch of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, was at the end of the trail. That’s where he was going and it was time to get up, find that moose, and get moving.
            He had been using that moose’s saddle for a pillow, to keep his head up off the ground and dry in case of dew or insects.
            Hector’s home was in a corner of a kingdom known as Northern California to the Hairless. Of course, he didn’t call it that. He didn’t really call it anything. Just home. Mother and Father were home for many years.
            Now, about that moose. Hector had found it wandering motherless around the trees at home making piteous little calls. Hector stood aside and watched the creature for a whole day, to see if its mother would appear. She didn’t. He was actually lost, not just stashed by the mother and disobeying her.
            For some reason, maybe it was pity, or maybe having seen men with pack animals and riding on horses, he had some notion of doing likewise once the creature grew up. So, the moose didn’t become dinner, it became a friend. Hector had needed a friend about then.
            He thought of his mother and his father, and their fate, and it ignited his desire to move north again.
            He stood up in the bright morning sunlight, all 8.5 ft. of him, and whistled for Hugo. He waited, thinking about something to eat. After a short time, Hugo appeared, bulging with grass and still chewing.
            “Hey, Hugo,” said Hector, happy to see him.
            Hector saddled him up, and climbed on. They rode north, mostly keeping to the mountains.
            They swam the great river and rested a whole day after that. If anyone saw them, well, they knew nothing about it. They might have passed it off as an hallucination. It’s possible!
            Hector had heard wonderful things about his cousin. Word gets around, especially when moms are talking amongst themselves about their sons, and their daughters too. But sons seem to really get them going. Hector’s mom, Robin, and Ralph’s mom, Wren, and Poppy of the famous film were sisters.
            Hector knew nothing of the film, but he did know about the famous walk from Poppy’s point of view. She told many times about the two cowboys who showed up just as she was leading the family along the river, hopefully drawing attention to herself to allow the rest safe passage.
            That was so long ago. Before his own birth.
            Once rested from swimming the Columbia, they headed north, avoiding roads and towns, traveling where there was grass for Hugo, and small convenient game for Hector, who knew nothing of cooking.
            They presented quite a picture. Hugo was big, big as a moose! But Hector’s feet still hung near the ground as they traveled agreeably along, until one day they were within a day’s walk of Ralph’s domain. The forest here was different from home. It was cool and many times the sky was gray and cloudy. It rained much more than he was used to. Huge firs crowded near. Crows called and even the occasional owl.
            Now it happened that Maeve, the watcher in the sky, was soaring above the Great Forest a bit more southward than usual. She saw something moving down on the forest floor and could hardly believe her black eyes.
            Incredibly, it was a Forest Man riding a great huge moose and they were heading north.
            Maeve swore that Ralph would know within the space of a few mighty wingbeats.
            It was midday when she got to the Home Clearing, dropping out of the sky and through the canopy of tree tops.
            There he was, sitting by the fire! She landed on his shoulder and took a great breath!
            “Boss!” she managed to get out.
            “Oh, hi, Birdy,” he said, “What’s all the excitement about?”
            “Evermore, Boss! There’s a guy riding a moose heading this way!” she squawked.
            “What kind of a guy?” laughed Ralph.
            “A guy just like you, but not quite as big! And he’s riding a moose!” she said. “He’s as black as me!”
            “I wonder who he is,” said Ralph. “Where is he anyhow?”
            “He’s east of Darrington. Uphill and not moving very fast,” said Maeve, strutting importantly back and forth on Ralph’s shoulder. Ralph scratched his chin, and smiled.
            “I bet we’re in for some fun! Mona, did you hear that? I think we’ll have company later tonight!” said Ralph. “I love a mystery!”
            “I do too,” said Ramona. “I wonder who he is and why he’s coming here, if he is, and I bet he is!”
            Ralph looked at Ramona and they both looked at Maeve, who had hopped down to one of those logs, and all three nodded. Now they would wait. But, while they were waiting, Ramona began to think about bigger dinners and such. More hunting and cooking.
            “Ralph, Baby, maybe you better go get another sack of fish?” said Ramona, just taking care of business.
            “And so I will, Mona,” said Ralph. “Does anyone want to come along?”
            “I’ll go,” said Maeve.

🍁