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WOLF Ch.2

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Chapter 2: Moving On

    As night approached, Dawnya slept peacefully in her basket, downstairs, when the door opened.  Snow-covered boots tracked the white fluff into the house and two sets of paws trailed it into the dry, fire-heated living room.  Dawnya licked a greeting to her pups, one of which, Mara, cuddled up beside her for warmth and the other took his usual place in front of the window.
    “Atka…”
    “Do not worry, Mother, the wolves aren’t howling yet.”
    “And when they do…”
    “I’ll get down.”
    “Good boy.”
    “Why do you spend so much time looking out of that window, anyway?”  Mara asked.  “We’ve been outside all day.”
    “Because the wolves only howl at night.  I want to see one!”
    “Nonsense,” Dawnya barked.  “The wolves will not stray so close to human dens.  They’re not stupid.”
    “Mother, when will I ever see a wolf?”
    “Hopefully not any time soon, dear Atka.”
    “But what’s so bad about them?”
    “Nothing, really, but they aren’t dogs.  They haven’t been raised as we have.  They are dangerous, they’re just bred that way.”
    “But why?”
    “Atka!  Don’t ask stupid questions!”  Mara yipped.
    “Hush, dear Mara.  It’s good to ask questions,” Dawnya said and licked her daughter’s ears.  “Wolves live in the wild.  There are all kinds of creatures out there that are not as privileged as we are.  They must hunt for food everyday.”
    “Creatures like bears?”  Atka blurted out.    
    Dawnya felt a sudden surge of sadness that swept through her.  Gulping to calm the plug in her throat and sighing quietly to calm her breath, she replied simply, “Yes, now no more questions about the wilderness.  Come down from the window and try to fall asleep.”
    Atka did as he was told.  He drifted to sleep shortly after his mother and sister.  
    A wolf’s howl punctured the night’s icy silence and awakened Atka easily.  His ears were self-trained to listen profoundly for the wolf calls.  Hurriedly, he rushed out of the basket and bounded to the window sill, hoping to get a view of anything.
    In his scramble to get a good view, he had accidently kicked Mara and awakened her as well, a sleep she was less than happy to be roused from.
    “Atka!  What are you doing!”
    “Shh!  I want to see if I can get a look!”
    “But Mother said to go to sleep.”
    Ignoring her, he kept his view focused on the forested distance.  The mountains far into the land were light blue against the dark midnight-blue clear sky of the arctic night.  The stars above were more numerous than most could hope to see in their lifetime.
    Curiously, Mara decided to see what her brother insisted so much on seeing, wondering if the wolves were really something to get excited about.
    “Atka?  Why did you bring up bears to Mother?”
    “I was giving an example.”
    “Yes, but why that example?”
    His ears lowered for a second, remembering he was supposed to mention bears as little as possible in front of Dawnya.  For only a few months before his birth, Atka’s father, Rusher, was killed by a bear in a successful attempt to save the father of the family and the team, including his mother.  At the time, Dawnya had not realized she was destined to have a pup and was devastated that her beloved never saw his only child.
    “I didn’t mean to.  I forgot.”
    “Well, you can’t forget stuff like that!”
    “I’ll remember next time.”
    “You better,” Mara said, playfully reminding him to mind his manners by nipping his ear.
A few more howls were heard, but still no sight of a wolf.  Before long, the drowsiness that often overrides puppies overwhelmed them and they eventually went back to sleep.

             What was once a great release for Narla was now somewhat of a burden.  Every time she tried to howl she always had some ignorant pup ruin her song with its clumsy yips.  But no pup bothered her more than the one she was most proud of—Kirz.  The oldest and proven strongest of the pack’s cubs, he was always prized in the Alphas’ eyes, as every year’s passing marked the guarantee that he would one day run the pack.
            But before his cockiness got the best of him, Narla would always remind him of his place.
            “Quiet, foolish little one!  You do not cry out when your elders do.  Mind your manners,” the she-wolf snapped, but calmly, as teachers do.  
            “But why, Alpha Narla?  Why can I not howl yet?  I am almost grown!”
            “Almost, little Kirz.  But not yet.  When you are big and your howl finally comes, then you may howl with the pack, but until then do not howl during official calls.”
            By now, Kirz was about seven months old, older than the other cubs by only a month or so.  In months soon to come, he would reach his full adult size (maybe even grow a few inches from there) and be a stunning addition to the pack.  He was a fast learner and due to the skills he acquired from his sharp-minded mother, Karo, and father, Clau, and the respected Alpha female, Narla, he was an exceptional hunter.  Narla had helped praise his talents after witnessing his growing potential.  Not to mention, he would bring the pack a new bundle of healthy, strong pups in the far, but immanent, future.
             Kirz was sent away from the snow-covered hills back to the dens, having nothing better to find himself doing anyway.  He didn’t mind staying in the dens but hated being restricted to them, especially with the other pups.  He found the other wolf cubs weak and feeble.  If they weren’t with their parents, they would cry.  If they were hungry and did not get a meal right away they would whine.  Kirz was proud of himself that he never did, and never had the urge to cry when he was hungry or uncomfortable.  Even beautiful Siria took it upon herself sometimes to whine.
             But when she cried he felt a little different.  Rather than feeling bothered by her, he pitied her.  She was weak and helpless and dependent like the rest, but somehow she was not like the others.  For reasons unknown to him then, he felt he needed to watch out for her; not rush to her aid every time she cried—she’d have to learn to wipe her tears away on her own—but to at least keep an eye on her.  
             Besides Kirz and Siria, there were only two other wolf cubs in the pack—all belonging to separate parents—Creeba and Kyeph.  Creeba was a lovely female wolf, with a clean silver-white coat, covered in highlights of grey that blended to black, that was developing its texture, like Siria.  Kyeph was a midnight-brown tinted male; someone to eventually go up against Kirz, but by far not an equal match.  What Kirz had in aggravation and agility, Kyeph replaced with kindness and compassion.  If he was to ever become Alpha, Kyeph would lead his pack with love rather than power, a trait he started to show now, for he looked after Siria and Creeba; cubs he considered sisters.  But unlike Kirz, Kyeph ran to his sisters’ side when they cried and spoke to them to calm them, especially Creeba, who cried the most.  
             Siria was the stronger of the females and second strongest of the cubs.  She cried like pups do, but when she wept for whatever reason she did, she always tried to hide it before letting anyone know.  Sometimes she would pretend to be asleep and cry silently or she would at first snap at all who asked if she was okay.  Her heart was not set to be as hard as Kirz’s because of the love she received and accepted from Kyeph and Creeba.
             Alpha Narla had high hopes for young Siria, as well.  She would be as fine a predator as Kirz, and maybe even a better Alpha.  She would grow to be a mix of compassion and cruelty, loving when she needed to be and harsh when necessary.
             But for now their personalities were just beginning to emerge.  Alpha Narka and Alpha Narla would wait patiently as they always did for the pack’s pups to grow and make wonderful additions to the group.    

    The father of the family had always contemplated moving.  From the start, he never really liked Alaska and its constant cold weather, but a stable home, a family to look after and raise, and business to take care of often tied him down.  But, gradually, and with help from the mother of the family, the humans were slowly preparing to move.  They had been for about two years now, emptying the house small truckload by truckload.
    By the time Atka was a year old, and Mara a few short months younger, the family was finally ready to move, having moved everything but themselves, their dogs and a few carry-on items of personal value.  
    “Come, Dawnya,” the mother of the family called, hailing Dawnya towards the family car.  
    Only Dawnya was allowed the privilege of riding in the human’s car because she was the family pet.  Unlike her fellow sled-pulling companions, she didn’t mind not moving around all the time.  Atka and Mara were not with her, expected to be called into the truck with the other sled dogs.  
    As the child and mother of the family got into the car, Dawnya jumped in after them and watched as the father of family pulled the car, with a specially designed U-Haul truck for ventilation attached, around.  He stopped it in front of the shed and opened the truck doors to let a team of multi-colored huskies rushed into the truck, barking excitedly.  However, in the mix of dogs Dawnya didn’t see her children anywhere.  She worried for a second but then forced herself to relax, trying not to overreact.  Perhaps they were already inside.
    Having the dog sled team loaded into the truck, the father of the family shut and locked the door and got into the car.  The motor ran and the car started to pull forward.
    Meanwhile, inside the empty house, two dogs’ ears pricked up at the sound of a nearby motor engine.  Atka was the first to wake up.  Curiously, he looked out the window.  Outside the land was peaceful and untouched but the sound of a car was unmistakable.  Was the family going into town without him?  
    “Mara,” Atka said, nudging his sister.  “Mara!  Wake up!”
    After a few shakes, Mara awakened and lifted her head.
    “What is it?”
    “I hear the car running.”
    “So?  They’re probably getting groceries again.  We emptied out all the cabinets awhile ago, remember?  We’ve had to practically live off of soup for weeks,” she said, laying her head back on her paws and drifting back to sleep.
    Atka lightly bit her semi-prick ear and she woke with a start.
    “Come on.  I hear the team barking, too.”
    “So?”
    “It’s too loud for them to be in the shed.”
    With a short thought, Mara stood up and slid out of the empty living room and through the doggie door with her brother.  They sniffed the air, getting a full whiff of fresh snow and pine.  Quickly, they trotted down the porch steps around the house, towards the shed.  Sure enough, there was a last glimpse of the truck driving behind the shed, towards the road.  
    Panicked, Atka and Mara ran after the car and the U-haul truck, barking loudly to signal their absence.
    Inside the truck, Juliet’s ears perked up.  She stood up and looked out one of the ventilation holes.  Through the snow waves that the wheels were whirling around, she saw Dawnya’s pups running after them.  Wildly she barked and yipped and soon had the whole team join her.  Dawnya lifted her head from the car seat and looked out the back window of the car, wondering what all the commotion was about.
    “Dawnya!  Dawnya!”  Juliet cried from the ventilation window facing the car, though her voice was drowned by the car’s engine and thick window.
    Even so, Dawnya couldn’t help but hear the urgency in her friend’s faintly heard voice.  Quickly, Dawnya placed her paws on the back dashboard, searching for anything that might be out of the ordinary.  And that’s when she saw the two furry blurs quickly following the truck.  Her children were left behind.
    “Mom!  Something’s wrong with Dawnya!”  The child of the family screamed, huddling herself into the farthest corner of the car, away from the gentle dog who’d gone mad.
    “Stop the car!  My puppies are still outside!  My puppies!”  Dawnya snarled.
    Her efforts were, however, futile.  For a short period of time, the father of the family tried to ignore her and seconds later commanded the mother of the family to place the barking muzzle on her.  After a few struggling moments, Dawnya’s jaws were kept shut and her body fell limp, tired from the short struggle and having died a little inside from the harsh realization.  The father of the family had left her children to save money.
    Atka and Mara chased the truck until it reached the main road and was lost in the pine forest.  Following it was pointless.  The car wasn’t going to stop.  They stopped in the middle of the main snow-covered road, tired and terrified.  Atka, wanting to look brave and trained to do so, just sat and looked in silent disbelief into the distance.  Mara shook and whined, not wanting to believe she’d finally lost both of her parents.
    After a few minutes of coming to the terms with their fate, Atka stood up and nudged his sister in the side.
    “Come along, Mara,” he said, making his way slowly back to the house.
    “Along where?”  Mara growled, utterly heartbroken.
    “Back home.”
    “What home?  Don’t you get it, Atka?  They left us!  They’re never coming back!”
    “I know that.  But standing in the middle of the cold road won’t do us much good.”
    Mara continued to sit in the snow, reluctant to go.  She started off into the direction the truck had gone and then looked down at the snow before her.
    “We can go after them.”
    “Mara—”
    “No, look!  We can follow the tracks!  We can catch them!”
    Just then a snowflake fell between their gazes and the flicker of a tail wag Mara dared to show went away, along with her hopes.
    “No, we can’t.”  Atka said.
    Sighing, he made his way back to the abandoned cottage.
    Knowing there was no other way, Mara gave a last longing look to the road ahead and walked away with her brother.  
    “What do we do now?”  Mara said, resting in the same place in the empty living room she had been just hours ago.
    By now, nightfall had fallen upon the land and the white snow was turning dark blue.  Atka sat on the counter and stared outside.  But for the first time in his life, Atka really looked outside.  And he wondered.
    Was it really all that terrible to live in the woods?  He’d heard stories of dogs who had done it before; dogs younger than him.  He looked at his half-sister, who was lying totally depressed on the floor.  She stared into the blank house, a house that seemed to now represent her heart.
    “We have to leave.”  Atka said.
    “And where do you suppose we go?  Town is miles from here and no one will want us.  We’re strays now.”
    “Exactly,” Atka jumped off the counter and walked over to his sister’s side, “so we have to live like strays.”
    “I hate him.”
    “Who?”
    “The father of the family.  I hate him.  I hate Mom, too.”
    “Don’t say that!”
    “Why not?  She didn’t lift a paw to save us.”
    “That’s a lie and you know it.  Mom probably did all she could to try and save us.”
    “But she didn’t, did she?”
    “You don’t mean that, Mara.  I know you don’t.”
    Mara’s harsh disposition was easily melted to reveal her true nature.  Her bared fangs were replaced by puppy-like whimpers.  Mara wasn’t a fighter and was never one to keep an argument going long; which was why Atka felt he needed to take care of her, as well as any brother could.  Crying and shivering, Atka placed his head over hers, making her feel safe and unafraid.  They reminded each other that they were not alone and never would be.
    “We can stay here for a few days, but then we must go.”  Atka said.
    Mara sighed.
    She didn’t like the idea of leaving the only home she knew but when she thought about it, the cottage no longer felt like home.  It still reeked of the humans she now resented and the faint odor of her mother’s pine-scented fur brought longing memories back.  Her home now belonged to ghosts and she didn’t like being in their presence anymore.  But for now she was tired and would sleep.
WOLF
Chapter 1: WOLF Ch.1
Chapter 2: WOLF Ch.2
Chapter 3: WOLF Ch.3
Chapter 4: WOLF Ch.4
Chapter 5: WOLF Ch.5
Chapter 6: WOLF Ch.6
Chapter 7: WOLF Ch.7
Chapter 8: WOLF Ch.8
Chapter 9: WOLF Ch.9
Chapter 10: WOLF Ch.10
Chapter 11: WOLF Ch.11
Chapter 12: WOLF Ch.12

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