Chapter Eight
CHAPTER EIGHT
Liam wrenched himself out of bed bright and early Friday morning, and made it to the ranger station right as they were beginning their day.
After spending all of Thursday alone in the house packing, he was itching to get out into the world and interact with other humans. He’d nearly forgotten how isolated it felt to be out in the forest like that—the short list of errands he had would take him most of the morning, since everything was at least a forty-minute drive away. That isolation certainly didn’t help the lingering questions he had about Iona and the existence of the Acernae. Some normalcy was exactly what he needed.
He’d rented a pickup truck to haul things away when he’d finished clearing out the house, so he loaded Maple into the passenger’s seat and hit the road.
Traffic was worse along Highway 101 than Liam had anticipated. The peninsula remained a popular destination for many, even in the winter months, because of the temperate climate. It was cold, yes, and rainy—but the mossy forests were just as enjoyable in the rain for most people, Liam included.
Along the way, he passed the home that Annie had grown up in, just a few miles from the cabin and his mind wandered to her. Being out in the forest they’d shared in their youth, he found he missed her more than usual.
Their families had always been close, and Annie had been—well, to Liam she had been the world. She was his first love. They shared their first awkward foray into romance—the thought of which now caused Liam to cringe. How inexperienced they’d been, how corny young love always was in hindsight.
Annie’s father passed away when she was sixteen, and she moved with her mother to Tacoma, where she could find better work to support them. As the scars of that breakup had faded, the two had kept in touch over the years, Liam going to school, and Annie pursuing a career in publishing. She had been so successful at it she ran a small branch of the company she worked for in Chicago, before relocating to Seattle to be closer to her aging mother. When she mentioned offhandedly that she’d need roommates to afford life in the city, Liam was quick to offer the room in the apartment he shared with Zev.
He’d envisioned it as the perfect opportunity for them to reconnect, after so many years apart. In reality, he was hardly ever home, and it almost seemed as if they’d been closer when they lived half a country away. They hadn’t spent more than a handful of hours together in the months since she’d moved in. Their lives had long since diverged, and it had been harder than Liam thought to bridge the void between them.
Before his thoughts could spiral any more, however, he arrived at the Ranger Station.
It was meant to look like a log cabin—or maybe it had been one once, and was modernized over the years. Many of the buildings in the National Park were built in the late 30s and early 40s as part of the New Deal, amid a wave of National Park designations created around that time. Even those early settlers in the valley recognized how special the land they walked on was, and established enduring protections. Though funding for federal land management had waxed and waned throughout the years, they had long remained a treasured place within the state.
At least, that was all theoretical, if his current problems were any indication .
He was greeted inside by an older woman, with white-gray hair tucked neatly into a braid that hung down past her shoulders. She wore a clean-pressed Ranger uniform, the green hat sitting proudly atop her head. The woman smiled at him as he entered. “How can I help you?” she asked.
He ran a hand through his hair. It was a nervous habit he’d picked up, often criticized as a nervous tick, though most often, it simply resulted in his chronically messy hair. Also part of why he usually opted to wear hats when possible—but the day had been inordinately dry, and a hat would have been unnecessary. When he realized the woman was waiting, he cleared his throat.
“I—There’s an incident, I need to report. Lumber theft, a few acres worth at least. I have photos, and I can give you the location.”
The woman looked alarmed by this, affirming his suspicions that this was not an above-board operation. “What you are describing does indeed sound like theft. I need to verify the location first, though, before we can do anything else.” She turned to the cabinet behind her, grabbing a small handful of neatly labeled government forms—why hadn’t he been expecting the paperwork? He sighed internally, figuring he’d be there a while. “I’m Evelyn, by the way.”
“Liam, Liam Wesley.”
“Wesley?” Her eyes brightened, and she looked him over once more with renewed interest. “I knew your parents—even met you once, when you were just a baby. How are they doing?”
Liam indulged her in a bit of small talk. He’d forgotten what a small community this area was, how well they all knew each other. He supposed that’s what happens when there are only a few dozen people within a several mile radius of you. She was kind, though, and he was patient enough as she reminisced over the many fond memories she shared with Liam’s father, early in both of their careers.
He caught the clock on the wall and steered the conversation back on track.
“The problem, Mr. Wesley, is the land you’re talking about isn’t National Park land. Best I can tell, it might be National Forest, but it might also be private property. Now, if it’s Federal land, there may be something we can do. But if it’s State, they have their own enforcement crews for these types of cases. The plain old sheriff might have to get involved, if it’s private property, and if it’s your property, then you could press charges. But if it belongs to anyone else, there’s nothing to be done.”
Liam’s head swam. So many government entities, so many loopholes. It was a wonder anything ever got done at all. “So, you can’t help me?”
He was being rude, he knew, but his patience was being tested. He’d been hoping that the whole business could be sorted quickly, and he could be on his way.
The woman pursed her lips, making Liam regret his tone. “Well, I’d like to. But this area gets real tricky with the land ownership being what it is, and our hands being tied. If I’m being perfectly honest with you, this isn’t the first case like this we’ve seen, and it’s not likely to be the last. Those scumbags know exactly how to exploit all those little loopholes that keep us from getting involved.”
Liam swore under his breath. This whole thing was turning out to be much more complicated than he’d imagined.
“It’s not exactly my purview, with the Parks Service—but I’ll call in a few favors. I can look into this for you, and tell you what your next steps should be,” she offered, clearly taking pity on him. “It might take me a day or two though.”
“Thank you very much, but I’m on a bit of a deadline, I’m hoping to be out of here by Sunday night,” he told her. He tapped a thumb on the counter, trying to think what other options he had.
“I’ll do what I can. Leave your number and I’ll call you when I find something.”
He thanked Evelyn for her time, left his number and headed back to his rental truck, slamming the door harder than he’d meant as he got back in. Maple looked at with alarm. “What are we gonna do, sweet girl?” he asked her with a heavy sigh.
She tilted her head to one side, but didn’t share with him any sage wisdom that might help his predicament, but his frustration melted at her presence.
Liam took a moment to recenter himself, resting his head in his hands on the steering wheel. There was no time for exasperation, not when there was so much else to do. He pushed aside his despair and set off back down the highway .
The nearest grocery store in Aberdeen was at least an hour from the cabin, a distance Liam had forgotten to account for as he packed food for the week. He’d grown too used to having grocery stores within walking distance. Liam had eaten the last of the eggs for breakfast that morning, and the pickings had been slim to begin with, since his parents had taken all their pantry items with them to the new apartment.
But the drive gave him time to think.
He’d promised Iona dinner. Why? And why was he feeling so nervous about it?
She was a possibly mythical creature, begging him to help her save her forest, and he was a lowly lab tech destined to sell his parents’ house and never set foot in the place again. It wasn’t worth his getting invested, not really. But it would be nice to spend a quiet evening in, to cook for someone and share a meal together.
After a long day at work, he was often too tired to make anything elaborate, opting instead to throw frozen food in the oven or rely on the mercy of his roommates. But the downtime he had clearing out the house sparked the urge to cook. Maybe, too, it was something about being back at the old cabin that reminded him of his childhood, of helping his mother in the kitchen. She had been an excellent cook and taught Liam everything she knew over the years.
So, he bought some groceries—enough to get through the next few days and hoped that was all he needed.
He was just leaving Aberdeen when a call came through the truck’s Bluetooth system, a number he didn’t recognize.
“Hey, Liam,” Evelyn said as the call connected. “I found some info for you, but I don’t think it’s the news you wanted to hear. Those trees were indeed on private property, and not the land that belongs to your family.”
Liam swore silently to himself. “Do you know who the land belongs to?”
“Yes, just a moment…” the sound of rustling papers filled the silence as Evelyn checked through the maps. “It belongs to a Walter Shaw.” She was quiet a moment, in thought. “I don’t believe I know a Walter Shaw, and there’s no contact information listed here.”
If Liam could track down the owner and convince him to press charges, it could stop the loggers. But then his hopes fell again—it was a hell of a long shot, and would certainly take more time than he had. The legal system could take months or even years to resolve, this. By then, who knew how many trees would die, or how much Iona and her fellow Acernae would suffer.
He recalled Iona told him of another stand of trees with the orange blazes, marked for a future harvest. It was possible those trees were on his parents’ land—the property lines were a little fuzzy out there.
“Do you have the property maps in front of you now?” he asked Evelyn.
“Yes, I do.”
“Could you scan them and email them to me?”
Evelyn agreed and took down his email address, promising to send them over right away. Before she hung up, though, she offered a few words of caution.
“Those men out there, boy, they’re tough. Best to avoid them, if you can help it. These things are a part of life out here and most of us have to just look the other way. Now I don’t feel good about it, mind you, but there’s not much we can do. Try to stay out of trouble, okay? For me?”
Liam agreed hastily and hung up, but the words struck something within him.
Nobody ever felt good about it, and nobody could ever do anything. For once, he wanted to do something and at every turn, the solutions eluded him.
The longer he stayed in the valley, the more he felt responsible for helping to fix the system that was broken. The more he got to know Iona, to see capacity for hope and empathy in her, the more he felt compelled to aid her. Not to mention that the trees standing on his family’s property felt like his responsibility to protect, as Iona and the others tried to protect them.
He’d have to tell Iona that he’d failed, and the thought was bitterly disappointing.
***
Iona waited for the last of the sun’s light to disappear over the horizon, and stood fidgeting on the small wooden porch of the cabin. A dim lamp lit the porch, and she watched as a dozen or so moths traced circles around it. There was no reason for her to be so worked up tonight, just to check in with her tentative ally. And yet…
She rapped her knuckles against the wooden door, waiting while footsteps approached from inside. Liam swung the door open, standing in the doorway with an amiable smile. He looked strangely casual without the heavy boots and raincoat. Tonight, he wore a plaid button-down shirt in soft greens, and tan pants that fit him nicely. His hair was as unkempt as ever, but it only completed the look.
Iona had never thought much about clothing, as her people were simple and spent little time in their physical bodies. The oldest among them had learned by watching the early humans weaving natural fibers together, and copied their techniques. Most of their clothes were made by hand, and though an item or two might be of human make, it was fairly unusual. Self-consciously, she smoothed down her own dress, and wrapped the sweater tighter around herself, wishing she had something more interesting to wear.
“Hey,” he said, and ushered her inside. “Sorry in advance about the mess, I’ve been driving myself crazy trying to get everything packed up; it’s a bit chaotic.”
And chaotic it was. Iona looked around at the half-filled boxes strewn about the room, piles of haphazard stacks that leaned more the taller they grew. So much life, so much history to be packed into these belongings. Her people did not own much, besides the small collection they kept stashed in their hideaway, and Iona could hardly imagine what she’d do with so many things. Her interest piqued, she inspected several of the boxes they passed heading towards the kitchen.
Maple followed close behind, still wriggling with excitement at Iona’s presence. Iona’s fingers trailed the top of the dog’s head as they followed Liam across the small room.
“You’ve been busy, since I was here the other day,” Iona observed.
“Still got a lot to go.”
Stepping closer, Iona was hit by the smell of something delicious. Not well versed in what the humans ate, she couldn’t pin down what exactly she was smelling, but liked it all the same.
“Smells good,” she said .
“Thanks—it’s been a while since I cooked anything, and I thought some pasta would be pretty hard to screw up.” He ran a hand through his hair absently as he stirred the pan on the stove. The steam fogged his glasses, and Iona smiled a little at that. “I got some wine, also. I don’t know if you drink it, really, but I thought it could be nice…” He trailed off, looking hopeful.
“That does sound nice.” She smiled again, remembering the times that her and Vall would run off to the convenience store and sneak bottles from the shelves. Wine or beer, or something stronger. There were some human luxuries they were willing to venture out for.
A moment later, she had a metal cup full of red wine in her hand. She took a sip, and the burn of it lingered on her tongue—but it was good. She told Liam so.
“I should warn you, it’s a bit of an apology wine. I got some information today, but none of it really helps us so far—” then he launched into the explanation of his day. Much of it went over Iona’s head, but she understood the gist of the issue.
“Always the concept of ownership, and making things more complicated than they need to be,” she lamented. “Thank you for looking into this. I know your time is precious, and this takes you away from your duties here.”
Liam turned and studied her. “No—I think this is important. Iona… I don’t want to give up on this.”
“You’ve decided to take pity on us, then?” Iona smiled weakly at him.
“That’s not it at all. I spent my whole life in these forests, they used to be my home. And for the last decade or so, I’ve wanted to make a difference, you know? But lately… It’s felt so hard. So I thought, here’s a chance to do something. Not because I pity you, but because it’s the right thing to do.” Liam broke off for a moment, heading back into the kitchen and emerging with two plates of pasta, which he sat down on the table before them. “I might not have a lot of time before I have to go back, but I want to use it to help.”
Liam handed her a fork. It felt so foreign in her hands, a detail of the meal she hadn’t considered. Heat spread across her cheeks as panic surged within her .
She wrapped her fingers crudely around the fork and attempted to spear the short, spiral pasta—only for it to slip away from her across the plate. She scowled down at it and tried again, this time using too much force and slamming the plate against the wooden table. The pasta she’d been attempting to spear flew off into the room—and into the waiting mouth of Maple, who sat by the edge of the table. She swallowed it whole before looking at Iona for more.
Liam chuckled at them but said nothing. Instead, he walked over to the kitchen and grabbed her a large metal spoon. She scowled at him, but couldn’t deny the spoon was much easier, allowing her to scoop up the small pieces of pasta and the vegetables that accompanied it.
Her embarrassment evaporated as she took her first successful bite, a soft sound of pleasure rumbling in her throat. The noodles were coated in a rich sauce—delicious, warm, and satisfying in a way she hadn’t been expecting. Paired with the wine, it was excellent.
So this was what she missed out on, the joy of eating such things.
“You like it?” Liam asked, and Iona realized he was still watching her.
“Very much, thank you.” Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, but Liam still did not bring it up. A few bites later, and she felt more confident with the unfamiliar utensil.
They ate together in silence for a while, and it was delightful. The cabin was warm, and comfortable, and the wine heated her belly. Iona let herself indulge for a while longer, before she felt compelled to return to the issue at hand. Thoughts of comfort were dangerous, and she needed to remind herself why she was there in the first place.
“There are some among us who are the oldest, the strongest,” she began. She’d been cautioned about revealing too much to the human, but so far he had proven himself trustworthy. She failed to see a way he could exploit this information without more details on the Elders. Liam didn’t seem the spiteful type, so she felt comfortable divulging more. “We brought this… situation to them, so they may weigh in on its solution. ”
“What did they think?”
She pursed her lips. “It is difficult to understand their perspective. They measure time in the valley in human centuries—not years. To them, a few trees here and there make little difference.”
“They won’t do anything?”
“Not yet—unless the problem becomes too much to ignore. Though it is unlikely that anything short of the forest’s annihilation would rouse them to action. They seemed so set against it.” Iona’s frown deepened, feeling as if the whole thing were her fault. Perhaps if she had presented her case better, they might have been more receptive.
“And what of the rest of your… friends?” Liam asked, interrupting her self-criticism.
“I have a few among those closest with me who share my concerns. My friends and I weren’t forbidden from interfering, not exactly, but I’m not sure what we could do. Perhaps we might strike back at the men, as I tripped them with tree roots in the clearing.”
Liam took a large bite of pasta and chewed it, his face scrunched up in thought.
“When they come with their crew and their machinery, it’ll take a lot more than tripping them to drive them out. If they set foot on my family’s property, I have more options to go after them. But that would mean letting them cut the trees down first.”
“I don’t enjoy waiting around until they return.”
“Me neither.”
Iona did not like the dejected look he wore. Mustering a smile, she spoke, as much for her own benefit as for Liam’s. “There are other ways to accomplish what we are trying to do. A solution will come to us, I am sure of it.”
“Okay,” he said simply, but his expression softened. Liam still seemed skeptical, but there was something else glinting in his eyes. Perhaps the words had struck at something within him.
Iona savored the final bites of her pasta, letting the taste of it linger on her tongue. It was a simple meal, but one she felt she’d been waiting her entire existence for.