The Dame of North

I. Cherry Queen

I remember the garden in my mother’s house. Miss Rossy’s parents had (I think, it still grows there) a several apple-trees. Those are rare on North, in fact extremely rare. All trees that have survived freezing winters of our country, seemed to gathered in one cluster, protecting each other from frost and wind. And I remember a one, small sapling, that was growing in shade of bigger plant. Maybe it’s survived because of that, but also I was unable to expand as it could without that “parent”. No one knew if it would make it without grown tree, but it hadn’t a chance to try. It was just a made of parent, nothing more. I guest, if apple-trees would feel, it would be both thankful to its living shield, and desiring to grow as own account at the same time. Why I remind that sapling? During my life in Nome, I was exactly the same – growing in shade of father and wishing I could live on my own. But it was no use – the legend of Great Balto was so overwhelming, that it made my life both easy and shaded. Can you really blame me, that I have grown so awry?

*

Summer was in prime, giving cold Alaska unexpected bolts of warmth. In July temperature reached long-unseen level. That day sun decided to make up for six moths of winter. It wasn’t too pleasant for many sled dogs, raised in freezing climate of North. For some Nome residents that was almost unbearable.

“Aleu, I don’t know for what I’m necessary for You.” Said Cher, adolescent husky-bitch with deep-cherry coat and delicate countenance and slim silhouette. She looked so unlike her litter-sister. Aleu was strong and well grown dog, and quarter of wolfish blood made her look almost like forest predator. Overall, her appearance was sparkling with health and vitality, although that was special, wild type of beauty. Cher was fragile female, looking like pure breed, but also looking as weaker and more gentle than sister. Aleu thought that Cher was most beautiful dog-being in Nome and she envied her that noble features and shapely paws. She considered that cherry husky had everything that nature didn’t give her. In fact she was wrong, at least in Cher eyes.

“She is like forest wolf – strong and independent.” Thought cherry-furred. “So powerful and self-confident. I wouldn’t endure even two days in the wild. She envies me my features? My paws? I can’t even dream about pulling the sled. What for is beauty, if it made me almost a cripple?” she was wandering with growing anger. Aleu was looking on her with jealous stare, what always makes Cher mad. “Look at me, sis. I’m just a cute picture of real dog. Pretty muzzle won’t make me strong and famous as dad!”

Sisters were running through forest, north from Nome. There were favourites places for Aleu, where she used to spend whole days with or without father and siblings. Most often Cher was companion of pranky sister. Although many differences, they had something in common – many of free time. Cherry-furred had been adopted by family of musher but unlike her brothers – Kodi and Yuk, she was unable to pull the sled. She wasn’t also a guarding dog, like Dingo and Saba, but just a mascot of Scotts family. So she frequently sneak out her house and accompanying Aleu in wanderings in forest. And that time was like that too.

“Cher, if you don’t want to go, just tell me. I though you like to go with me.” Said Aleu with a little offended voice.

“Of course, I like to, sis.” Replied she quickly. “I just can’t understand your bent to cold baths.”

“Come on, there is hot here!” exclaimed her brownish-furred sister. They run on clearing next to torrent bed. “I just love that Ika-Creek!” and without slowing down, she jumped to fast stream of water. “Weeeee!” she exclaimed, before her cry was muffled by sound of speeding water.

“Werk!” gasped Cher, stopping just before the edge of cliff. “Aleu!” she called with fear.

“Here, sis!” replied brownish-furred, emerging on surface of water. “Come to me!” Cher shivered. Although her sister seemed to swim easily and even to stay in bend of creek, cherry-furred knew that current was strong and deadly. “At least for weakling I am!” though with anger. “Don’t be afraid!” added Aleu. “It’s wonderful feeling! Try!”

She said a word too much. Cher closed her eyes, swallowing sister’s spurs as worst mockery. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid!” she thought with tears in her eyes. “I’m afraid. I’m not you, Aleu.” But she made blind step ahead. Cliff suddenly disappeared from below her paws and in next second she found herself in buzzing mass of cold water. She made a desperate motion with paws to reach the surface. She sensed with muzzle Aleu, easily floating on bend and she hugged to her with impulse grab of paws. Then she heard a laugh of sister.

“All right! You’ve made it!” cried with laughter brownish-furred. Cher was shivering due to fear and cold, still griping hard Aleu’s back. “It wasn’t so bad, wasn’t it?”

“P... pi... piece a c... cake!” murmured Cher. “Could we go out now?” but her sister just shook her muzzle.

“No so fast, my dear. We must enjoy that refreshing cold, before we get sunstroke!”

“Better a sunstroke than drowning here.” Replied cherry-furred.

She loosed Aleu and floated to wall of cliff. She made a useless attempt to climb on rock, but in that place it was almost vertical. Bitch stopped her tries when next wave of laughter sounded in her ears.

“What are you doing, sis? Are you trying to climb like dad?” Then Aleu noticed that on right paw of Cher was a cut made on sharp rock-shard. “Ow, you are hurt!”

“I will worry on my precious fur when I get out of that creek.” Murmured cherry-furred. Aleu wanted to say something witty, but suddenly she narrowed her face and said just with quiet voice.

“Right, let go out. Watch your fur, especially today. You are going to meet with Jack tonight.”

Even thought mind troubled by fear and cold, Cher understood that they summon a very unpleasant topic for Aleu. Cherry-furred was considered as most beautiful bitch in Nome. She just couldn’t get rid of admirers, most handsome and competitive dogs in town, opposite to sister who was barely tolerated in local community. When all young males wanted to date with Cher, Aleu was avoiding almost like a leper one. Every mention of Cher’s “problem” with dogs was aching her, although she always tries to pretend a interest on sister’s “love’s conquests”. Cherry-furred usually was careful not to upset her sister, but that time she just didn’t care about it, just wanted to stand on dry shore.
”I could arrange you with whole Kodi’s team if you help me to get out!” cried with both anger and impatience. Aleu turned her stare down, on surface of water and replied slowly with sad voice.

“Yeah... let go home. Just loose the rock and float to that descent.” She pointed with paw on a cliff-gap nearby.

If Cher wasn’t so angry, she would probably follow her reason and go to shore still holding some rock of cliff. But she just loose the stone-wall, as her sister said and in next second strong current took her.

“Now swim to... O, MY GOD!” exclaimed Aleu, seeing sister being washed away with current. “CHER!”

“I can’t! it’s...” tried to scream cherry-furred but in that moment water deluged her muzzle and whole world became raging mass of water.

*

“Cher! Cher!” she heard quiet voices. Or maybe they weren’t quiet, but distant. Or muffled, like beyond heavy veil. But then she opened her eyes to see shapes of two dogs over her. She was lying on dry and warm sand and watching on her father and Jack standing next to.

“Cher!” cried Jack, a strong built husky with grayish coat. “Thank God, she is breathing.”

“Cher, do you read me?” asked Balto with fear in his voice.

“Yes, dad.” Replied she. At least, she tired to say that. In fact it sounded like: “Es, aad!”

It took almost ten minutes for her to fully recover her senses and hear clearly soothing words of Jack. Handsome dog was speaking with gentle voice, probably just calm Cher down. But she was listening to other talk, next to them. Meanwhile Balto was giving bitter reprimands to Aleu, being clearly mad that she had taken Cher to creek.

“Ow my God!” thought cherry-furred. “Dad thinks that is her fault. He consider me as too weak to even swim alone, so he is angry on Aleu, she allow to that. That means; I’m even to pathetic to deserve on punishment. Ow, sis, you have messed up – you haven’t taken care about your little, helpless sister.” She narrowed her face and closed her eyes to cover tears.

“It hurts?” asked Jack with summating voice and gently licked cut on her paw.

“A little.” Replied Cher. She lied – paw was almost all right, but spotted pride was aching as hell.

*

Balto, Aleu and even Jack quickly forgot about that incident and Cher just added it to whole register of similar shameful memories in her heart. But soon even she was forced to forget about her problems and focus on life around her. And on loss in her family.

“What you mean: she went away?” she barked with amaze, looking on sad muzzle of father. But quickly he restrained her surprise and lowered her voice. If she woke any of Scotts, they would drove Balto away from house’s veranda. So she asked quietly. “How it could be?”

“Well...” replied Balto with embarrassment. “You know that Aleu felt rather odd here. She decided to live with wolf pack.”

“But... when she will back?”

“I don’t know.” Said dog. “...if ever.” Added quieter.

“Does mom know?” she asked.

“Yes, I said her as soon I got back.” Explained Balto. “I’m sorry, my dear, but I just couldn’t oppose her destiny.”

“I... I’m a bit confused.” Said Cher with weak voice. “I must think over it.”

“Yes, I will go now.” Replied Balto, happy of not being forced to further explanations. “Good night, my sweet.” He stood and went away from Scotts house.