– one of the fiction books written by Michael K. Hurder © [2025]
Read along as I create fiction. You might recognize at least one character. In the realm of make-believe, I’ve explored various themes and characters. This fiction is dearer to me than all the rest of my writing. I think you’ll know why – popi
Doh Rey Me & the Kitties 3
Chapter 10: Thaw’s Promise
Winter fades
As winter’s iron grip began to loosen in the High Sierras, the tundra beyond Cathedral Peak stirred with the subtle harbingers of spring. Snowdrifts softened under the strengthening sun, melting into rivulets that trickled like silver threads across the granite, feeding streams that swelled with newfound vigor. Pines shook off their frozen shrouds, needles glistening with dew, while meadows erupted in a riot of wildflowers; lupines in purple spikes, paintbrushes daubing scarlet strokes, and shooting stars twinkling like fallen constellations.
The air carried a fresh, loamy scent, mingled with the sharp tang of thawing earth, a reminder that renewal followed even the harshest seasons. This was the time of abundance and uncertainty, where winter’s perils gave way to summer’s hazards—floods swelling rivers, bears rousing hungry from dens, and the ever-present threat of human encroachment testing the fragile balance. In the sanctuary, the “zoom” thrummed with energy, enclosures now verdant playgrounds where animals prepared for independence, their instincts sharpened by the changing world around them.
All concerned worried about the animals imprinting with humans. Only time would tell how well they’d adapt to a life in the wild without humans. Shorty worried the most. Sanctuary was his idea made under sever conditions that precluded reason. His daily prayers included the same plea. ‘Please lord, don’t let me fuck this up.’
Shorty leaned on the porch rail of the main cabin, his long gray hair tied back under a faded baseball cap, bushy beard catching bits of pollen from the blooming sage. His parka, too warm for the mild day, hung inside, replaced by a flannel shirt rolled at the sleeves, revealing arms scarred from wars both foreign and wild. He sipped from a tin mug, the coffee now laced with wild mint Evelyn had foraged, its steam mingling with the morning mist. Slammer lounged at his feet, the German Shepherd’s black-and-tan coat shedding in clumps, amber eyes half-closed in contentment as he gnawed a pine branch.
The pack grows
The wolves—Doh’s gray dominance unwavering, Rey’s silver grace fluid as she nursed a new litter of pups conceived in winter’s depths, and Me’s golden curiosity leading exploratory forays, roamed their expanded run, the fence now a mere suggestion as phased releases began. Shorty had read that under limited dispersal options; wolves would mate with siblings. This wasn’t absolutely a limited dispersal area, though. The rouge pack had made continuing forays to the Sanctuary. Each new visit was less confrontational. Evening howls from the Sanctuary crew, brought responses from the other.
Shorty didn’t think Doh was the sire. It wasn’t impossible or even improbable that a male from the “North-of-Cathedral” pack found Rey on one of her wider forays outside the wire. All of them were becoming more independent. Not so much so that it would lead them away from the pack, but the drive that was natural for adult wolves to seek solitude occasionally, especially expecting moms, or those expecting to be expecting.
One day Rey disappeared for three days. Then she came strolling into the compound with two cubs in her mouth. She dropped them in front of Me and ran off again. Me fell right into auntie mode and started herding the cubs into a more secure part of their enclosure and then grooming them. Doh followed after Rey. Shortly the two came back with four more cubs. Doh peered at Rey for a moment then ran back the way they came. Rey joined Me in caring for the new arrivals. Doh returned in a blink with #7. The ‘South-of-Cathedral-Pack’ was growing.
Shorty watched it all and sat in wonderment. Did Doh just tell her he would get the last pup? I’ll be damned if he didn’t. Will ya look at that. He would ask Roland about that. Maybe it was just coincidence, but it sure didn’t look that way.
Sanctuary’s Pulse
Mia rounded the corner, her straight black hair pulled into a practical ponytail and her brown eyes sharp with focus. At twenty-one and deeply immersed in ecology studies, she carried a clipboard filled with notes from the morning’s observations. “Morning, Shorty. The lynx are ready for their trials. Whisper is already leading the clowder in some impressive maneuvers.”
Sara followed closely behind, her curly auburn hair catching the light of the rising sun and her hazel eyes reflecting a quiet curiosity. Twenty years old and passionate about conservation, she lugged heavy feed buckets with determined strides. “Bruno is stirring more each day. Spring is definitely calling him out of his den. Do you think he should be released soon?”
Shorty grunted in acknowledgment, a smile creasing his weathered face as he appreciated their growing confidence. The initial question marks surrounding their arrival had faded, replaced by a seamless adaptation to the rhythm of the wilds. “Good work, ladies. The thaw’s tricky. Floods and mud at almost any time, so keep your eyes and ears open.
As to Bruno, I’ll check with Roland, but I think he’d be easy prey for an older Griz. So, I don’t think so, but we’ll see. No more contact than usual and keep swapping roles so he doesn’t imprint on one of you. Rotate me and Jake into the schedule if you need to. Well, on second thought, leave Jake be. He has enough on his plate. I’m it for now if you need me.”
I can’t wait for the girls to get back. Jess, Aiya, and Lari would have this place sorted out in a week. He thought with a smile. Then the smile fade as he tried to prepare himself for some teenager mind changing. There was no guarantee the girls would be back. There was about a month before school was out, and he hadn’t heard one way or the other when they zoomed. He didn’t want to push. He discussed it with Jake who suggested he not worry about it as he was certain the girls would return.
Jake joined them soon after, his cropped gray hair neat despite the early hour and his beard trimmed close. He hauled a load of lumber on his shoulder, his hazel eyes meeting Shorty’s with the easy warmth that had become their norm. “I just got off the radio with Rebekah. The melt is swelling the rivers fast. It might bring in more orphans before the week is out.”
“Huh! What else is new? We’re going to need more help, and soon, once these critters start feeling their wild side.” Shorty added. Over breakfast of stewed oats mixed with fresh berries, the group laid out their plans for the day.
The sanctuary was adapting well to the melt, with the cougars splashing enthusiastically in newly formed puddles, Bruno the bear cub lumbering about as he sampled tender green shoots, Ember the bobcat stalking butterflies with focused intensity, Spike the wolverine staking claim to fresh burrows in the softening soil, and the lynx juveniles navigating the mud with sure-footed grace.
Shorty often wondered what would go on here if they hadn’t enough food and these critters started getting really hungry. He made a note to do an inventory of food stuffs more regularly. “This crew is never NOT hungry, old man,” he corrected himself.
Releases
The sanctuary adapted to the melt. Playtime was always for all but the senior wolves who now seemed preoccupied with serious pack business, patrolling, disciplining the babies, any babies, and protecting the pack. The cougars, just a few months younger, were still acting like kittens, splashing in puddles. Bruno dug around sampling shoots. Ember stalking butterflies, Spike claiming burrows, the lynx navigating mud puddles.
Roland arrived shortly after breakfast, his lanky frame making quick work of the trails despite the lingering slush. Always the stalwart for not wasting daylight, he got right down to business. “The thaw is perfect timing for releases. Let’s start with the lynx.” Mia and Sara assisted him, with Mia swinging open the gate and watching as the juveniles bounded free. “Go thrive out there,” she said softly. The martens followed suit, chittering excitedly as they scampered into the underbrush, while Frost the owl launched into the air with silent, powerful wings.
Sanctuary seemed to stop for a moment in recognition of the parting. Every two-leg shed more than a tear. A bit of their hearts left too.
No rest for the weary
But the perils of the season were never far behind. The rangers issued a warning about bears rousing from their dens, driven by hunger after the long winter. The crew set out on patrol, with Shorty taking the lead and Mia joining him, her steps now as sure as any seasoned mountaineer’s. A low rumble echoed through the valley, not the familiar growl of an avalanche but the churning rush of a mudslide barreling down a nearby slope.
“Back now!” Shorty yelled, herding the group to safety just in time. The slurry of mud and debris passed with a roar, leaving destruction in its wake.
“Too many close calls this season,” Sara muttered as they regrouped. Yet the mudslide had revealed a hidden gem amid the chaos: a young mountain goat kit, its leg injured but its spirit unbroken. The crew returned to Sanctuary with another inhabitant. Mia knelt to splint the limb carefully. “You’ll be climbing those peaks again soon enough.”
Evenings around the fire became a time for weaving tales that strengthened their connections. Mia shared her dreams from college, while Sara spoke passionately about her conservation goals. Shorty summed it up with his gravelly wisdom. “Family isn’t always about blood. It’s about this right here, what we’ve built together.”
Shorty’s story & Jake’s photography shine
Harlan called with good news, his voice crackling over the line. “The feature article hits next month.” Perry followed up, equally thrilled. “And there’s talk of a book brewing from all this.”
As summer began to whisper its approach, the pack evolved further. Rey’s pups tumbled playfully through the grass, learning the ways of the wild under Doh’s watchful eye. New orphans arrived, including a hawk with a wing in need of mending, and a litter of squirrels displaced by fallen nests.
The sanctuary stood as a beacon in the wilderness, its cycles of life turning steadily onward. Rumors of loggers encroaching on nearby lands hinted at potential battles ahead, but Shorty vowed with quiet determination, “We’ll fight to protect this place if it comes to that.”
Hope bloomed alongside the wildflowers, with Mia and Sara emerging as true guardians of the college realm. They looked to the peaks together, a shared sense of purpose in their eyes. “There are more adventures waiting out there,” Mia said.
The statement lingered, open to whatever the wind might carry next.
(to be continued: Chapter#11 – Cycles of the Wild)
To start from the beginning: DohReyMe&theKitties3-ch1
to read another of my fictions in progress: K9LTW [Chapter1]
Related Links:
More of Popi’s tales from the Book of Wonders
Bonus Fiction Feature: If you read any of the fiction I create here to the end, you will be able to download a free copy when It’s complete. If I get a referral from you, I’ll throw in the fiction – Burtt the Blade.
- Burtt the Blade – fiction
- Doh – Rey – Me – fiction – book – written here
- Mystery of Willow Woods – fiction – short Story – written here
- The Last Signal – part one – fiction – book – written here
- Rift Guardians – chapter#1 – fiction – book – written here
- Shorty’s Path – non-fiction auto biography book
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