A way to leadership

A way to leadership

 

Aleu looked at the wolf pack. She was really looking forward to become their leader. Fortune was really kind to her for the past two days. She finally found out who she was and her journey across the ocean was wonderful. But now it was time for her to get the control of the wolves and show to the wolves, that she is the one to lead them.

“So, now we have reached our destination. I think that we need some order and as you know, I am the one to provide it!” She exclaimed.

“You? Why? Why should our leader be a half-dog?” A black wolf from the pack asked Aleu.

“Coz…coz Aniu said so!” Aleu replied.

“Yeah, but you are not better than any of us. In fact you have no idea about our life and our nature!” The same black wolf said.

“And you think that you will manage this job better than me?”

“At least I know what to do!”

Aleu was very confused. The wolves didn’t want her to be their leader and there was nothing she could do. They were all against her, but Aleu didn’t want to give up that easily.

“Fine then! I will prove to you, that I will be a fine leader!” She finally said.

“Shhh!” A grey wolf whispered. “I think I can hear something! Humans! They’re probably hunters!” He whispered even quieter. Everyone stopped talking.

 

The noises became clearer and louder. There were two people somewhere behind the trees and they had a dog. The people were approaching towards the coast and they had guns with them.

“Come on, Chalky!” One of them said to the dog. “You are good at finding wolves. If we will manage to shoot at least one of them today, you will get a reward, I promise!” The hunter said and smiled.

The dog barked happily and ran towards the sea. The dog was a big black and white husky. His back was black and that black really reminded of chalk.

As the dog ran towards the sea, the wolves hid behind the rocks.

“I think it is time for you to show how good you are, Aleu” The black wolf said.

“What shall I do?” Aleu didn’t quite understand what he meant.

“You should save us. Right now we are about to be discovered by that dog and to be shot by the hunters later!” The black wolf started panicking.

“So we have to kill the dog, right?” Aleu asked and left the rocks.

“No way!!! Get back!!! The hunters will get you before you will even attack that dog!” The black wolf shouted at Aleu and she did what he said.

“But there is nowhere we can run! There is nothing else we can do!” Aleu shouted back at him.

“What kind of leader says that?!” The black wolf growled at her. “Follow me!’ He said and left the rocks.

The whole pack, including Aleu followed him. He was running in the woods, which were just about 20 meters away from the rocks, where the wolves were hiding. The wolves tried to be as quick as possible. By the time they reached the forest, the husky appeared on the seashore. The wolves were still in danger and they were quietly walking away from the seashore.

“You were right! There was a way to escape the death!” Aleu said to the black wolf with a smile, after they were finally away from the hunters.

“You really don’t know anything about the life outside your town.” The black wolf said nastily. “There is no reason for smiling! If we would do what you said, we would have been dead by now!” He growled.

“I am sorry. Probably you are right, I am a bad leader. But give me a chance to learn, and I promise – I will improve!” Aleu said with hope.

“Hmm, let me think of a task to give you. As we have now all realized, that dog is a big threat to our pack! This dog is good at finding wolves for the hunters. So we have to get rid of it. Aleu, you must go to the village where that dog lives and make friends with the husky. Then, bring the husky here by itself and we are going to make an ambush for him and kill him. Fine enough for you?”

“But why should it be me?” Aleu asked.

“Because you are the one who looks more like a dog than any of us!” The black wolf explained. Aleu found it offensive. “I want the husky to be by the seashore tomorrow, daybreak. And yeah, if I were you, I would start right now!”

 

And so Aleu had left the wolf clan and went to the village, where the husky lived. The village wasn’t far away. Just several miles from the coast. By the midday, Aleu had reached it and started looking for the husky. The village was in the valley, surrounded by mountains and it was smaller than Nome. Aleu was looking at the village from the hill and could see it all.

“Who are you?” The voice from the behind asked her.

Aleu turned around and saw that husky who was with the hunters earlier that morning. The husky seemed to be even bigger than before. Now he was about several meters away from Aleu. She was a bit terrified of him.

“I...I am from a sled dog team. I am looking for the dogs who were with me.” Aleu made up an excuse.

“You are not a dog, are you?” the husky said.

“I am! My grandmother was a wolf, so I look a bit like her! But all my other relatives and my mother are dogs!” Aleu forced herself to smile. “And right now I am looking for the other sled dogs, which were with me!”

“Really? How long have you been looking for the other sled dogs then?”

“About…maybe half an hour, I reckon. We lost our way home, so I was sent to look for help. And so, now I am trying to find the other dogs and show the village to them!”

“All the mountains and trees look the same here. If you will come down to the village with me, you might find out some information about your dogs from the village dogs, if they know anything.” The husky said.

“Ok. It is very kind of you to help me.”

“I just know that if you won’t find your dogs, they have a big chance to get attacked by the wolves. No offences to your grandmother, but wolves are very nasty creatures. They attack innocent dogs or people with no reason. That’s why I always try to do my best to get rid of them. What do you think about them?”

“Well…” Aleu didn’t know what to say. “I am sure they have a reason, or at least…” She understood that there was no point of finishing her sentence, because she had to behave and think like a husky.

“At least what?” The husky asked as they walked down to the village.

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe they have to do that.” Aleu didn’t know what else to say.

They walked down to the village in silence. As they had reached the first huts in the village, a crowd of dogs surrounded Aleu and the husky.

“Who is she, Chalky?” A white husky asked.

“She is a husky from a sled dog team. Her team got lost and she was sent to look for help and now she can’t find her dogs.” The husky explained.

“She looks like a wolf!” A black pup exclaimed.

“I am NOT a wolf!” Aleu said firmly. “My grandmother is a wolf, and that’s where I got my looks from!” She growled at the pup.

“What’s your name then?” The same pup asked Aleu.

“My name is Aleu.” She replied.

“Oh yes, Aleu, my name is Chalky.” The husky which led her to the village said. Aleu smiled at him.

“So, Aleu, tell us something about your sled dog team. Maybe we can help you somehow.” A fat grey husky said.

“There are…not counting me, seven dogs in the team. The man who was leading us is unconscious, because the dogs were going so fast, that he fell off the sled.” Aleu made up another two lies very quickly.

“To be honest, I didn’t hear anything about those dogs.” The same husky said.

“It’s ok. Maybe more news will reach us tomorrow.” Aleu said with fake hope.

She was finding it very hard to pretend. She was also making friends with Chalky and didn’t want to kill him. Later, the crowd left Aleu and Chalky.

“So, where are you from, Aleu?” Chalky asked her.

“I am from Alaska, Nome.” She answered.

“How did you come to Russia, then?”

“I…I am not sure. I was just about a month old when I left my country.” Another lie was said by Aleu.

“I see. Is there anyone else in your family, who is a sled dog?”

“My father.” Aleu replied.

For the rest of the day, Aleu was looking round the village. When the night came, Chalky said that Aleu could sleep in his garden, as long as no one will notice her. It was good for Aleu, because she had to be with Chalky by the coast in the daybreak.

The first sun rays woke up Aleu very early in the morning. Chalky was steel asleep at that time. Aleu decided to wake him up.

“Chalky, wake up!” She said and pushed him with her paw. “I just remembered something very important. Before I left the sled dogs, one of them told me, that they are going to wait for me by the seashore.”

“Are you crazy?” Chalky woke up straight away. “You didn’t tell it before!”

“I am sorry, but I forgot. Now, do you know the way to the seashore?”

“I feel sorry for your dogs, Aleu. Of course I’ll lead you to the seashore. It is too dangerous for you to go there by yourself.” Chalky said.

 

He led

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