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‘Hey, Chris!’ Jack scooped to pick up the bucket and stood in the doorway.
‘Hi, Jack. Cheers, mate.’ Taking the bucket, Chris looked at Evie. ‘Hi, you must be Evie? You’re volunteering at Elsie’s bakery, is that right?’
‘Hi, yes, that’s right.’ Evie smiled as Chris wiped his hand down the front of his jeans before shaking hers.
‘You’ve come to see how Axl’s getting on, haven’t you?’ Chris indicated to a small pen at the back of the outbuilding. ‘Freya has set his wing, but because of the way it was broken, she’s not very hopeful that he’ll be able to fly again.’
Walking towards the pen, Evie watched as the bird hopped about, digging into the straw covering the bottom of the pen searching for corn. ‘He looks livelier than he did yesterday.’
‘Yes, he’s definitely feeling better. He’s got quite the voice on him as well.’ Chris chuckled.
‘Thanks for this, mate.’ Jack shook Chris’s hand, drawing him in for a shoulder hug and patting him on the back.
‘No, thank you for bringing him in. He’s quite a little character, I think he’ll settle in well here. Once he’s healed, we’ll make the decision as to whether he can be released or whether he’ll have to stay here, but if he does, I think he’ll settle in well. Crows are clever little things.’
‘I was telling my parents about him last night and my dad swears he’s heard crows talking before. You know, like parrots.’ Jack shook his head.
‘He’s right. They can mimic different sounds they hear, including human voices.’ Chris nodded.
‘Really? That’s crazy.’ Evie raised her eyebrows.
‘Yep, really. You never know, you might be able to teach him a few phrases.’ Chris chuckled and opened the pen door, holding some oats in the palm of his hand. Axl hopped across and began pecking at them. ‘They remember kindness too, so you two have a friend for life here.’
‘Well, I’m just glad we were able to bring the little guy here.’ Jack picked up some oats and took over feeding him.
Chapter Twelve
‘Chris!’ A voice, urgentand panicked, pierced the quiet of the yard.
Shutting the door to Axl’s pen, Chris ran outside. ‘Freya! What’s happened?’
‘A call’s just come through. A dog walker has just witnessed someone pull up along the road out front and let out about ten sheep. Frank’s out there now trying to get them inside. Hurry.’ Turning, Freya ran back the way she’d come, Chris and Jack shortly behind her.
Unsure what she should do, Evie followed them, running around the side of the house and through the courtyard towards the gate. Two sheep had already been caught and were standing dazed in the middle of the courtyard. Evie squinted. It looked as though one of them had patches of blood stained on its wool. Shutting the gate quickly behind her, she looked up and down the road. Jack had stopped a car to the right of the sanctuary, the driver quickly putting their hazard lights on to warn any traffic coming behind them. Chris and Freya were cornering a sheep whilst a man, presumably Frank, led another back through the gate.
‘Evie.’
