Replied smiling Aleu.

“I was scorned by your mother.” Added former leader.

“Due to quite obvious reasons, I don’t mourn for that too.”

“But, but...” malamute’s mind was searching for others difficulties in that relation. “I’m too old for you.”

“Yep. And additionally you hate wolves.” Reminded wolfbitch. „Did I miss something?”

“No... in fact not.” Agreed Steele and nestled in warm fur of greyfurred. But after a short while he sensed that her muscles got tensed and muzzle started to shiver in sudden fear. “What happened?”

“You have right: there is one problem.” She said uncertainly, like she tried to stop that sentence for as long as she could. “I can’t return to humans.”

Silence fell in evening grey and Steele was just staring on charming wolfbitch with careful stare. Well – to get back or to stay... That was a decision settling many things. Malamute recalled Sky’s tale. From five of siblings only she had made it... Hunger of wild forests, frost of mighty North... And living away from humans they just cannot avoid it.

“But to live forever in wild? Just look: our pups...”

“Pups? You’re fast!” interrupted amazed Alue, but in that surprise was more of contrary joy than opposition.

“In good, old times the fastest on whole Alaska.” Reminded Steele and wofbitch burst in merry laughter. But when she noticed that dog was still lying still, with serious stare looking on her, she added.

“Sweet, understand it... This is something greater than me or you... that all of us. I must live here in forest. And I sense in my heart that you have too. You just haven’t tasted a happiness among humans, as it happened to my father or mother. That because She calls us.” She pointed with paw on snowy forest and sharp rock of slope. “Don’t you feel it? In every single breath and heart-beat. I haven’t felt it for long years... You maybe even longer. But now... we are where we are and I don’t think that is coincidence. This is in our blood.”

“Are we... the wild-ones?”

“Is this so scary?” asked Aleu.

“Well... when I’m looking on you I think: not so much. But do you know what it means?”

“I’m still learning it.” Replied wolfbitch. “Help me”

 

[Song „Call of the wild”

You have to imagine some nice tune, lyrics as follows:]

 

Aleu:

Stands up and playfully hitting with tail Steele’s nose. He stands up too and runs after wolfbitch in light, full-moon night. Snow reaches them to chests but they ignore it, so wrapped up with each other. They smile like pups.]

Before first whisper of life

Called me to this endless strife

I just knew how it take me far away

[They run to the clearing, that comes down the slope. On word <away> Steele playfully pushes Aleu and she starts to slides down the slope. Malamute starts off, following her.]

Before eyes were lit by sun

And that life’s dawn had begun

I just felt that I would go in my own way

[They land in snowdrift below, stand up and shock they furs. Wolfbitch invites with waging her tail to farther run.]

Then when growing up, ahead

I felt hunger with each step

Cause this run sang charming song into my ears

[Passing next to fallen tree-trunk, Aleu nudges with her nose pendulous icicles. Those are playing a tune, synchronised with song-tune. Finally wolfbitch stops, turns to Steele and touch with nose to his nose.]

And you soon will sense that call

And it’ll have to hear it whole

You will have to follow it till end of days

 

Ref:

[Camera’s zoom-off: dark forest seems to be full of life. From under the snow standing up a hare, carefully retreating from dogs; own opens its eyes and majestatically starts to fly; on the snow flashes barely visible white actrofox.]

...call of the wild

In ours heart, in ours mind

...call of the wild

in every tree and rock we find

...call of the wild

in whisper of the river fall

...call of the wild

[Camera flies up – we see forest from above and snowy streams of wind. Winds sound is synchronised with song-tune.]

...call of the wild

on every path we take

...call of the wild

on the best route we ever make

...call of the wild

Until you live you want it more

...call of the wild

 

Steele:

[Nodding his head, nudging Aleu. They go to edge of grove, where a torrent flows, now covered with ice-layer. They come on ice, that is enlighten with moonlight.]

So if you are part of me
There is no <I>, cause there are <we>
I don’t where you are going but I go.

[Steele waits until Aleu outrun him, then he follows her down the frozen torrent.]

I hear the sound of my own heart
But from you lips – with you I start
Sing it aloud with word only we know

[He looks on the frozen layer and sees there a pictures from the past: escape from Nome, encounter with Sky, first mail-expedition, birth of Sky’s children, encounter with Aleu.]

Aleu:

Sing with me as well you can

Because you live – and so know then

Reply at one to that call and my voice

[Suddenly real Aleu stays behind him and we see her reflection on ice. She nudges gentle in dog’s side and sings on.]

And go ahead, don’t hesitate

To taste the sweetest hunt we make

In wolves heart that is the nature’s choice

 

Ref:

[They start to run and go down the torrent. Own that just before flew out from grove suddenly notices tiny mouse, standing on ice and with delight looking on running Aleu. Owl strikes on rodent but then it discovers that caught only portion of snow. Mouse/Aleu’s totem spirit disappears.]

...call of the wild

In ours heart, in ours mind

...call of the wild

in every tree and rock we find

...call of the wild

in whisper of the river fall

...call of the wild

[Aleu and Steele stops next to half-frozen waterfall on cluster of fir branches. They lay on it, laughing and singing. Camera zooms off.]

...call of the wild

on every path we take

...call of the wild

on the best route we ever make

...call of the wild

Until we live we want it more

...call of the wild

[Music fading out. We still hear characters voices.]

Alue:

„How did you like that first night of freedom?”

Steele”

“Ow, wait... That night isn’t over yet!”

Fade out.]

 

X. Epilogue – The Age of Steele

 

Kodi was an excellent sled-dog.

Although he wasn’t as strong as his father, mixture of wolfish and doggish blood made him endure wanderer. Additionally he perfectly knew the requires of route and running, always ready to instruct or call to order his sled mates or to suggest human driver when to stop of a rest. The wolf’s heritage gave him unusual, sixth sense of the wild. He could predict almost every single blizzard or incoming frost much earlier than human. That why all Gunnar Kaasen’s dogs were glad that son of famous Balto was leading them.

And he was leading that night. He run with Kirby, Ralph, Dusty and Bart, in five-harness. It was hard but they were going quite well. They were transporting the mail and portion of dried meat from Galena. That load was kind of extravagancy as additional meat in long journey. Nome was well provided, just one ware – mail, required regular sled riding. However Duke got a permanent job in Anchorage post and was providing (by his plane) mail to almost every bigger town on Alaska, from unknown reasons council of Nome hadn’t signed a contract with landing in country’s capital so US Mail had to make its duties in old-fashion way. If steps of Gunnar Kaasen influenced that? Who knows...

It was late March mail-trek in 1928, but frost was still holding the land in steel grip, just like it was a January. Sled team was going well, but cold was burdening everybody. They preferred to be already at home and they probably would be if not a strange decision of master Kaasen to go in five-dog harness. Maybe it was a consequence of bet with driver from Buckland who said that he could transport every load with just five of his team, if the leader was his favourite dog – Ice. Kodi wondered what for humans are betting like that if they could save many time (and many nervous sweat!), don’t risking that weak team. Especially that he one day met in Galena that Ice from Buckland – greenland told him that he prefer to run with seven-dog team, especially if his team was six of his children. But thoughtful Kodi in that moment suddenly some strange shivers on his nape.

“What happened, Kodi?” asked Dusty, looking on his erected fur.

“Lets speed up.” Whispered leader. “Someone is coming.”

“Hey, you, on lead!” asked Bart, a novice in harness. “How could I say our master to refuel lamp? I think that it’s running out of paraffin.”

“Use your tail and Morse code.” Advised Ralph with irony. “But why should we run faster? I’m hungry!”

“If Kodi says that we should, we...” began Dusty but in the same moment sled jumped in place and stuck in snow.

On road was lying a heavy branch of spruce. Because none of such trees wasn’t in sight, leader was deluged by dreadful feeling. “Someone dragged it here! This is an ambush!” thought and looked around. He saw a white sloped of pan, that they entered just before. The place for trap had been chosen perfectly. Could say: by real professional.

“Watch out!” barked dog. “Someone tracks us! I’m coming to master...”

Then he pulled the belts aside, dragging bounded companions back. He stepped away from road and went to human, wanting be closer and ready to assist. But the sled was over two meter long and with shaft even three meter long. So although husky quickly encircled the sled and reached Gunnar Kaasen, remaining four of dogs were just pressed to wagon’s side and immobilised that way. They, still surprised by situation, sat on the snow, waiting with anxiety.

“Hey,

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