Chapter 2
Chapter Two
There were rarely humans in Tighe’s dreams. He usually dreamt of fishing in a particular stream or catching a rabbit in a familiar forest. Those dreams were his guide and told Tighe where to roam next.
The only exception was Eoin, who would occasionally visit when Tighe missed him the most and they’d fish together or chat by the fire as they ate in his dreams.
But as he awoke, aroused and anxious, a new face had imprinted in his memory and Tighe was bereft without it. In his dream, Tighe felt someone lifting and cradling his jaw and his cheek. They stared at each other in the moonlight and Tighe was one with this man and belonged to him.
The man had a strong, handsome face and a loyal, honorable spirit and Tighe could hear the low, warm rumble of his voice. It soothed Tighe and he loved the way this man cared so deeply about what was right and wanted to serve and protect the same things he cherished.
This was a man of the woods and of the outside world and he was searching for Tighe. Calling to him.
Tighe reflected on the dream as he ate pawpaw and wild blackberries on the shore of a lake, then stripped and went for a short swim before setting out. He recognized the stream from the dream and predicted that it would be four or five days of difficult hiking to get there.
Would the man from the dream be waiting for him?
There was no way of knowing if he was even real but there was a strong pull and Tighe heard the man’s voice, calling his name and telling him to come.
His urgency fed Tighe’s as he gathered his belongings and headed south on the Trail.
He knew his old map like he knew the lines on his hands, yet Tighe stopped and studied it every quarter mile, it seemed.
He was unusually impatient, needing to be absolutely sure he was headed in the right direction and recalculating the time and distance countless times.
He came across a couple later in the afternoon after making his way down a steep, sloping section of trail.
The young man had sprained his ankle and the woman was in distress because her “smart” phone wasn’t working, due to a satellite failure or some other issue Tighe couldn’t comprehend.
She was older and was obviously a seasoned hiker and had chosen an easier path for them, but had missed an earlier split in the trail and was lost.
“No worries!” Tighe told them and immediately began searching for sticks for a splint.
It was his favorite outsider expression: no worries!
What better motto or way to signal your intentions to strangers?
For Tighe, life was generally free of worries and he enjoyed those opportunities where he could relieve a fellow hiker of their worries and make their time on the Trail more fulfilling.
They were able to support and bind the bruised and swollen ankle with some strips of fabric taken from the younger man’s flannel shirt and Tighe found a strong stick for him to lean on.
The three of them made their way down to a ranger station and the couple was taken the rest of the way on ATVs.
This time, Tighe left them at the ranger station and quickly moved on before anyone could make a big deal about it.
A few weeks earlier, Tighe had come upon a lone hiker who had gotten himself into real trouble.
The man had lost his footing on a narrow trail on the side of a steep ridge and had slipped and tumbled hundreds of feet, causing a slide and wedging himself between two boulders.
He’d been there for close to a day and was in dehydrated agony when Tighe found him, having broken his leg and several ribs.
Tighe was able to move the man and stabilize him, then he used the man’s tent and rucksack to fashion a stretcher for him. It took a few days, but Tighe was able to push and pull it until they were spotted by searchers. Then, matters took a treacherous turn for Tighe.
He’d fainted at the sound of the helicopter so they assumed that he was also in need of care and was taken as well.
He woke up screaming and swinging and had to be sedated.
Thankfully, one medic realized that Tighe had never flown before and he was handled like a heroic infant until he was fully conscious again.
Someone had guessed that Tighe was Amish and a reporter from a newspaper had asked if he had been shunned.
That was close enough for Tighe and it had worked.
He was quickly released and given walking directions back to the Trail.
Having read about the Amish, Tighe certainly appreciated their ambivalence towards automobiles and technology and was happy to let people assume, as opposed to explaining what an Ossor was.
The helicopter ride had terrified Tighe and he was sure the fear alone would kill him.
But the hard, sterile hospital, with all its bright, artificial lights and nose-burning odors had been the exact opposite of the forest and Tighe never wanted to see it again.
He had been happy to help and was glad the man would make a full recovery, but Tighe vowed to never get that close to civilization again if he could help it.
That didn’t stop him from caring for his fellow hikers, though, and he was pleased that the couple was in capable hands and would make the rest of their journey safely.
His pockets and bags were full of foraged berries, nuts, greens, and mushrooms by the time the sun was setting so Tighe built a fire by another lake and made a rain shelter with his tarp.
A pair of hikers came upon him and Tighe invited them to share his fire.
In return, they shared a cup of tea with Tighe—a rare pleasure!
—and told him about their occupations and their homes in the city.
“Oh, no! Don’t do that!” Tighe tapped his lips and shook his head when one of the men, Brad, began to whistle. “There’s no telling what you’ll summon if you whistle or sing while you’re in these mountains. And if you should hear any whistling or someone calling your name, don’t you dare answer.”
“Seriously?” Brad laughed but his eyes were wide as he watched Tighe from across the fire. The other man, Cal, had zipped up his coat and looked around nervously.
“What’s out there?” he asked and Tighe shrugged.
“All manner of things of the natural and spirit world. The best thing to do if you’re out after dusk is to keep to yourself and mind your own business. Don’t stare at any of the trees for too long or follow any voices you might hear in the dark.”
Brad laughed and swatted. “You’re just trying to scare us.”
Tighe shook his head. “I don’t enjoy scaring people and I don’t need to. Look around us, you’ll find plenty of shadows and shapes to haunt you.”
“Have you ever seen anything…supernatural?” Cal whispered.
“I’ve seen plenty,” Tighe said. “If you keep to yourself and remember that you’re a guest—that you’re always in someone else’s home or sacred space—you won’t have any trouble.
Respect a strange shadow the way you would a bear and don’t tamper with the rock piles or mark any of the trees.
I only take what I need and all I carry is my goodwill so I have nothing to fear.
But if you wander off the Trail and into the wrong parts of the forest, or you disrespect the trees and the spirits, the woods will take you. ”
“Message received,” Brad said and Cal nodded, both suddenly solemn.
“You’re plenty safe here, though! How about foraging tips?” Tighe suggested helpfully. “That’s far more useful and won’t keep you up all night.”
“That would be great.”
“Mushrooms are the obvious place to start,” Tighe began, eager to share his favorite topic. “Especially with the weather getting damper and cooler. But you have to be careful! The wrong mushroom could kill you, send you to the moon, or have you running from both ends…”
He babbled for what must have been two hours about the bounty of the forest and his tricks for catching trout, then wished them a goodnight. Tighe used his backpack for a pillow and covered himself with his coat, content to watch the stars as he drifted off to sleep.
The man with the strong, handsome face and noble heart—his man—was waiting when Tighe returned to the stream. But this time, they ran into each other’s arms and they were naked as they kissed and splashed and played in the water.