Timber
The snow glistened as the horizon glowed with an orange hue. The chill bit through the air and whistled through the pines. The wilderness of snow covered vast land. Night was quickly overshadowing the land. A proud figure emerged from the trees. As he came into what was left of the day’s light, his soft silver coat was ruffled by the wind. His alert ice blue eyes surveyed the area ahead. He saw a small rabbit hopping through the deep snow. He moved his body ready to begin the chase. His muscles tightened and then released as he pounced. Snow shot up as the rabbit hopped faster and the wolf ran with all his might. This rabbit was one in a rare chance of food. He finally got a hold of it’s fluffy tail and the rabbit struggled with no avail. The wolf killed the rabbit and had his dinner
Later that night the wolf went up through the trees and past the hill to a place where light came from the inside. There were always scraps outside the door. He approached the plate of scraps. A large dog appeared ready to fight for his food. The two animals stood staring at each other snarling. The dog jumped and the wolf counteracted and the fight began.
As the fight grew fiercer, a little girl looked out the window and called her father. “Daddy! Charcoal is fighting a wolf!”
A tall slim man came out wearing a robe and peered through the window. He went to fetch his gun and walked out the door. He shot his gun and startled, the two canines separated. The wolf ran into the forest, and the dog called Charcoal chased after him, followed by the man. The little girl stood at the door with her thin long blonde hair being blown into her blue eyes, “Daddy!”
The man stopped, “Stay there Ana!”
Mariana watched her father chase the two animals into the forest. She went inside to sit in the big fluffy chair. She restarted the fire that died out during the night. The small 11-year-old shivered and grabbed a blanket from her room and returned to the chair to wait for her father. She looked at the Christmas decorations they had put up that week. Mother did a better job, but she died 4 months ago. Tears welled up in Mariana’s eyes knowing she couldn’t be with her mother this year. A few minutes later Mariana heard steps at the door. She walked over and opened it to find the wolf eating the food. She watched the wolf with wide frightened eyes not knowing what to do. The wolf heard the door and looked up. For a moment their eyes meant and a special feeling welled up in both of them. Mariana heard her father shout and looked up. Her father was returning. She looked back down at the wolf but it had gone.
On her way home from school the next day, Mariana stopped to pick up a few pinecones. She heard a snarl nearby. She quickly looked up to see a coyote. She stood there for 5 minutes while the coyote stared at her ready to jump any time. Mariana was taught to look over a dog’s head so she didn’t realize that a wolf was coming up behind the coyote. She was startled by the sudden outbreak of a fight. She watched the animals fight and recognized the wolf. After about 10 minutes the coyote lay stiff and the wolf could barely move. Mariana approached the animal. It growled, so Mariana rushed to find her father. Luke was a ranger in the area. He and his daughter and their dog, a dark brown Labrador lived in the only cabin in the park. Mariana used the whistle her father gave her. Within 5 minutes he drove up in his three wheeler. He looked at his daughter who pointed to the wounded wolf, who was now shivering. Luke went behind the animal, quickly grabbed its mouth and picked it up and tied its mouth up and then tied it to the back of the vehicle. He got on and looked at Mariana, “Ana, please hurry back home. I need you to make a place for him in the barn.”
Mariana nodded and raced back home. Her father was already there in the barn dressing the animal’s wounds. He put one of charcoals old collars on him and chained him to a short chain hooked to a stable rail. Mariana made a soft bed of hay and an old blanket, which her father placed under the animal. He wrapped his arm around his little girl and guided her to the safety of their home.
That night, even though her father had told her not to, Mariana went to the barn and kneeled buy the door, watching the wolf. The wolf stared at her. His mouth was now free, but he didn’t snarl. Mariana smiled at the animal, “I wish I had a name for you.” Just then on the other side of the forest was a muffled, ”TIMBER!” Mariana jumped and the wolf moved his ears. “Timber.” Mariana said to herself, “I like that, don’t you Timber?”
The next morning Mariana was bringing Charcoal his bowl. She looked toward the barn. She walked into the kitchen where her father was eating. “Daddy, can I feed Timber?”
Luke looked up confused, “Who’s Timber?”
“The wolf.”
Luke shook his head, “No, dear. Wait till I can come with you.” Mariana looked down at the ground. Luke smiled, “I know I heard something last night. Now, Ana, you won’t do that again right?”
Mariana looked up “No, daddy. He was real sweet last night. He didn’t even show his teeth!”
Luke shook his head and smiled as he finished his breakfast while his little daughter rushed to get his coat and boots near the door for him.
As they watched Timber eat, Luke hugged Mariana, “Hun, it is 3 days until Christmas day. I am going to town today. I know you don’t have school, so I will let you stay at Lucy’s house.”
After lunch that day, Lucy and Mariana, claiming to be gathering things to make a wreath, walked to the barn where Timber was recuperating. Lucy gasped seeing the large canine against the corner. Mariana feeling a little braver got close to Timber and stroked his head. Lucy held her breath, as did Mariana. Mariana knelt down to rub Timber’s whole body. She felt a hand on her shoulder pulling her gently away. She slowly looked up at her father’s angry face. Luke turned to Lucy, “Go home now, your mother may get worried.” He turned back to Mariana and knelt down to her level, “Ana, he could have bit you.”
“But he didn’t! If I thought he would, I never would have approached him. Daddy, you know he rescued me from the coyote!”
Luke looked at Timber and reached to pet him. The wild wolf never moved but seemed to enjoy the touch of a human hand.
That night Timber lay by the fireplace, right beside Charcoal. Charcoal had accepted that Timber was now a member of the family.
Christmas morning came and though Mariana didn’t have her mother near, she had a new friend that would always protect her.
1999
