Hey all! It's time for another Aleu-centric fanfic!
This time, it's a tale of adventure, discovery, and facing the difficulties of being different in a new world. Of course, if you haven't figured it out, it's a post-Wolf Quest tale. Plus, it's also a slight songfic too . . . so it's gonna be good!
Scroll down and enjoy this quick little teaser for the first chapter of one of my newest stories, "Here I Am"!
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Here I Am
(started 1/11/07 -)
Summary: Aleu is now the elected alpha of the Kawa clan, but the wolves seem to not be convinced that she, a yearling who was born only quarter wolf, can truly tackle the difficult job of being their leader. But when food becomes scarce, Aleu realizes that she is the key to their survival . . . if only the others would truly accept her for who she is.
Rating: PG for hunting, blood, and a bit of bullying about being different. There’s possible violence too, but these are wolves that we’re talking about. Whoo-hoo, violence. ^___^
Disclaimer: Balto, Wolf Quest, and any other characters and situations mentioned are the property of Universal Studios, Inc. and any other names used are fan-made by me, Juuchan17.
=Part ONE – Destiny & Enemies
The sky was darkening blue, streaked with red and orange ribbons of setting sunlight against the streams of cirrus clouds. The air felt tense and cold, with the wind adding a sample of the piercing chills of the upcoming winter temperatures. The sea roughly lapped against the edge of the mountainous terrain, crashing liquid ice onto the shore. Tall pines lined a few dusty paths that led to the rocky shoreline, with each tree flooded with flocks of winged creatures of many colors; most of them reflected the color of the dusty earth, while others were cloaked with slight splashes of nature’s more colorful palette. However, not a single bird flew towards the sunset in the twilight hour – it was as if they knew the sky was not for them to fly in just yet, for a bigger purpose was meant for the colorful canvas right now.
A lone raven let out a soft caw as it stood perched on a nearby cliff, gazing its red eyes at a solitary slab of ice where a few quadrupeds stood; in a few minutes, a momentous occasion was to take place there that would change many lives forever.
It felt like time was almost suspended to a halt ever since it had happened. Cries of worry, fear, and confusion filled the twilight air as a medium-sized pack of lupines looked like they were about to meet their doom without a leader at all onboard a flat piece of iceberg. Only moments ago, the one that was supposed to be their new leader leapt back into the frigid depths without warning. He had only arrived in the wolves’ territory when a raven had led him and his yearling daughter there the previous day, but everyone soon learned the real reason why the pair of strangers was brought here - he was to be their new leader!
Aniu, the sacred White Wolf of all Wolf culture and lore, had recently contacted their alpha, a male wolf of beige fur, through a series of repetitive dream visions. She had told him what he had known for years already – he was nearing his final months and with the chills of winter coming closer, food was going to be the main priority, as was the search for his successor. But she left him an important message that could make or break his Clan forever: the caribou herds that they had always hunted for many years had crossed the water beside their land and chose to remain there. Without their common prey to hunt, their Clan would be forced to choose between two options: either they could remain in the place of their birth without their winter supply of kill or they could follow the caribou and survive through another snowy season.
The shock of the elder leader’s announcement caused confusion amongst the Clan. However, one rebel pack-member disagreed with the idea of a half-breed outsider being an alpha, especially since the only experience he had had of being a leader was when he was lead dog of a sled team. A few others started to agree with the loud and furious male and his ideas. The youthful male spoke of remaining where in their homeland and stealing other Clans’ food to survive the rough blizzards of winter, which was quite a risk, for the Clans’ would then be fighting for a limited amount of kill and possibly lose their own lives in the process; however, the longing for fresh caribou to hunt was too great - they had to find a way across the water to where their food was!
The half-breed, decked in faded brownish-gray fur and tan markings like his fellow brethren, looked back at the remaining canines that he was leaving behind. The light yellow-tan wolf, the previous alpha and a user of magic, stood weakly, obviously showing his years; however, he was hopeful that the half-breed visitor would lead his Clan to the thriving caribou herds across the rough waters. The other canine, born only part wolf, was more concerned about the elder’s condition and safety; she knew that he couldn’t cross the water alone and, much to her father’s dismay, stood her ground by his side. Mysteriously, she could translate the elder and the hybrid’s visions perfectly, for she had the same dream that night as well. This surprised both the elder and her father – what other unknown abilities did this young quarter-wolf possess that they didn’t expect?
Her father, who she was trying to run away from in the first place, had searched for many weeks for her, insisting that she return home with him. However, a spiritual intervention caused her to continue her personal journey deeper into the wilderness; unfortunately, her persistent patriarch followed behind, for he was worried about his yearling daughter from the day of her birth until the night when she ran away from home after he confessed about his wolf heritage and the fact that she looked more wild than tame.
The scene at the edge of the Clan’s former territory had begun to turn dangerous as the rebellious wolf, covered in navy-black fur lined with markings of gray-white, attacked the aging lupine without warning. Knocking the mystic onto the chilled island of ice, the young darkling wolf attacked him in rage and pinned him down. The female yearling, who had recently emerged from the icy depths after almost being crushed by two chunks of the frozen water, attempted to stand her ground and protect her new-found friend who had patiently listened to and answered her growing questions about their mysterious world and the untamed life of the wolf.
Yards away, the half-breed watched in horror as the darker and much larger male pounced onto the quarter-wolf female. He never liked the male ever since the time he and his daughter had entered the Kawa Clan’s territory – he was always rebellious, proud of his youth and the strength he possessed, and his goal to overthrow his elder leader and claiming the title for himself.
But as much as he wanted to fulfill this sudden destiny that he was now given, one other thing was more important to him than saving the Clan.
One wolf, a male like himself except that his coat was a dark almost muddy-red with white markings on his face, and down his chest to his tail, quickly noticed the half-breed’s worried expressions and approached him with his tail lowered as a sign of respect for his new leader. “Are having second thoughts, Balto?” His dark gray eyes, surrounded by white patches, also looked out onto the land that he had once called his home, not knowing what internal struggle was going through the half-breed’s mind. He let out a sigh. “I don’t blame Niju for his anger. I going to miss my home too, for I was born by the river, just like all of the others. That’s why the Great Aniu dubbed us as the ‘Kawa’ – the Clan born of the River.”
For some reason, the male’s words touched him. He remembered his own home of Nome. He wasn’t born there – he was born in the wild: the accursed offspring of a white she-wolf and an ebony husky in a forbidden romance in a time when wolves and huskies were meant to be enemies – but he had always considered it as home. The brownish-gray vaguely remembered his life in the wild though – a tragedy suddenly struck his family, causing his parents and siblings to be separated from him – Soon, the half-breed found himself all alone at the edge of the small Alaskan town. He was saved by Boris, a stray snow goose from Russia who decided to raise the young pup as his own, and made some new friends and enemies. Life was difficult being a half-breed in a town where wolves were feared by most humans and he was outcast by many of his own kind; however, when all hope was lost less than two years ago, he realized that he was the only one that could save the town from a tragic epidemic, thus earning the respect that he had always wanted from everyone in Nome.
Afterwards, the most important thing that kept him there was the love of his life, a beautiful purebred husky named Jenna; after that winter, they had just begun to settle down and start a family together and now he was about to leave them all behind . . . all because of some prophecy that he had never expected to come from his mysterious dreams about ravens, wolves, and ice. The half-breed had been having those dreams ever since that fateful day when his mate revealed that he was to become a father; all he knew was that a mysterious voice had told him that the totem spirits would lead him to something . . . but what, he did not know at the time. Later on, he realized what that something was, thanks mostly to the elder alpha’s announcement the previous evening.
But, no . . . No, he couldn’t do that . . . he couldn’t accept the totality of this duty that everyone believed he was summoned to fulfill. During his quest in the wilderness, he had forgotten what was most important - he had promised Jenna that he would bring their eldest daughter home, no matter what. He knew that this had to be done.
The brown-gray hybrid turned back to the lupine, closing his eyes. "I have to go back.”
“What? Why?” The wolf’s ears sprang up in disbelief. A couple of others pricked up their ears at the sound of their brother’s voice and began to quietly whisper to each other as the red one queried him, wanting to understand him. “You can’t just leave! If the Great Aniu has summoned you here to save us, why would you want to leave us so suddenly?”
Balto let out a sigh, knowing that it would be difficult for the wild wolves to understand his tame patriarchal intentions if he had enough time to tell them his reasons. “I have to protect my daughter. I’m sorry, but I have to go help her."
Sadly, the red-brown wolf nodded and watched sadly as the gray-brown hybrid took a final glimpse at the life he could have lived and then leaped into the dark blue sea below, quickly paddling towards the icy island where his beloved wild child needed him. The red wolf let out a sigh and whispered into the wind, “Please guide him, Father.”
The wolves lowered their ears at the sight of their newfound leader turning back as they murmured amongst themselves as some began to howl and whimper on their floating iceberg. There was about twenty of them - mostly females and the rest were males. Their colors of black, gray, brown, and every shade you could find in-between turned to their so-called leader and began to speak behind his back; their gossiping conversations between each other revealed that they couldn’t understand why he abandoned them.
"Hmph! That Balto, . . . he's still nothing more than a tame house pet. Maybe he doesn't belong out here as our leader."
"All to save his daughter? He's not worthy to be the Kawa Clan’s leader if he's just gonna leave us for her!"
“He may look wolf, but his actions are clearly all dog. He wasn’t worthy enough to be alpha anyway.”
“But why would the Great Aniu lead Balto to our Clan if he’s not meant to lead us? Surely Aniu couldn’t have made a tragic mistake such as this!”
"Perhaps Niju was truly right: this prophecy was leading us only to doom . . . and now Balto has led us to our deaths!"
However furious the others were, the red-brown male still had hope, though he dare not speak it aloud to his Clan. I’m sure Balto had a good enough reason to leave us, he thought to himself. He only wanted to protect his daughter, like every parent hopes to do to their children. Perhaps this is all Aniu’s will – our true leader shall save us from the darkness, becoming our light. That’s what Father always told me recently. He sat down, continuing his vigil on the edge of the slab, hoping that the true leader would arrive soon.
A minute or so had passed before they heard the cawing of a raven echoing off the walls of nature. It began to circle the ice island where Balto had swum to in order to save his beloved child, then it flew past them, soaring in the direction of the iceberg of wolves. They didn't understand the meaning of the call or the reason why the raven was flying to them, but they felt the urge to begin their howling, as if to call their true alpha out from within the shadows. Led by the reddish-brown wolf that spoke with Balto, they began to sing with all their hearts, hoping that their melody and prayer would be heard.
Help us, O Leader . . .
‘The one who is wolf and does not know’ . . .
Fulfill your destined purpose . . .
Save our Clan . . . ‘the Clan born of the River’ . . .
The Kawa needs you . . .
As if the four canines understood their howling tune, one female wolf on the Clan’s iceberg let out a yip as she looked out towards their old territory, announcing exciting news of what she saw with a youthful voice of cheer. "Look! From the iceberg! One of the wolves just jumped back in, and he's headed this way!"
The expressions of the other pack-members turned from furious anger into inexpressible joy. They weren't sure who was returning to them, but they were sure it was either their elder, Nava, or the destined half-breed, Balto.
“Who is it? Who is it?” A thin wolf of brown and patches of tan fur peered out to sea, eagerly wondering who had returned to lead them. He panted excitedly as he sat, helping himself with a scratch using his left hind leg.
“I can’t tell . . .” Another wolf that sat beside the scratching one, a still thin but normal-sized dull gray-blue male answered back. “but he’s getting closer!” He also began to scratch, for his friend’s itching was quite contagious and his fleas were leaping from tan fur to faded navy.
“Quickly, pull him up when he arrives! He’ll be exhausted after such a strenuous swim.” The red-brown male ordered the two wolves.
However, a large, furry male with slightly darker navy-gray fur heard the order; since he was near the other two misfits, he sat straight up and nodded to the temporary leader. “Will do, Scarlet,” After the red male left to gather the rest of the pack, the husky-sized wolf laid back down onto the ice and let out a sigh as a muttering was released from his large jaws. “I just hope he has enough strength to still lead us to that caribou . . .” He licked his lips for a moment and then heard his companions shout.
“He’s here! He’s here!” The small blue-gray wolf stood up at the sight of the figure.
“C’mon!” The thin tan one looked at his friends, calling them by name. “Nuk!” He turned to the large male. “Yak!” He spoke to the other blue wolf. “We have to help get him onto the ice!”
Nuk nodded to his friend. “Don’t worry, Sumac! We’ve got ‘em!”
Closer and closer, the figure paddled quickly to the waiting Clan. As if by instinct, the two wolf misfits lifted the soaking-wet lupine out from the water and onto their current abode called a cracked sheet of ice, not realizing for a moment who they actually picked up.
"You!"
One wolf growled at their "leader", realizing who it was they had taken in. The furious wolf was a female - her coat was covered in light gray, with exception of her piercing eyes, paws and tail, which were navy-black. In looks, she resembled the rebel male that was their former leader’s rival since the time of his own birth. "You're Balto's daughter, are you not? Aren’t you just a tame-born?"
The wet female, shaking her light-brown and beige-white fur dry, turned to the Clan and nodded; although she was born in the world of humans and now ran away into the land of her ancestors, she had never heard the term of ‘tame-born’ used before . . . not even while she and her father were amongst the Kawa. However, her newfound confidence in finding her true place in life overshadowed her internal confusion and slight anger of the word’s usage from the she-wolf.
"I am . . .” She raised her head high, topping it off with an empowered grin of acceptance. “I am Aleu, the first-born child of Balto. It's my destiny to lead you to the caribou that live across the water.” Her bright blue eyes seemed to sparkle from the reflected light that bounced off of the icy surfaces. “I am the ‘one who is wolf, and does not know’." As if to ignore the female's comments on her being born as a pet, she looked back at where she had taken that leap of faith only minutes ago and saw him.
I'm okay, Papa . . . You can go back to Mom now without worrying about me so much . . . Her thoughts turned into a joyous howl, in which the rest of the Clan joined her in harmonious unity . . . all except for the one female who sat in rage.
Who does that part-wolf think she is anyway? She thought, soon placing her paws over her ears, trying to drown out the sounds of her fellow pack-mates.
Hmph! No matter how wild she looks, she's just as much of a house pet as her father. Her dark eyes turned to the howling form of the light brown quarter-wolf as the gray she-wolf let out a scoff.
Typical tame-born, she is. She's in no condition to be the alpha of the Kawa. Especially since she's only a yearling . . . she has no real experience as a leader! Let alone as a real wolf!
She is the one that will lead us to our doom, not Balto. Niju was right . . . Her eyes glanced back at the sight of their former home and she saw a large dark figure watching from one of the rocky cliffs. She lit up with hope at the sight of him and joined the chorus of howls – her cries were loud and piercing, but she was hopeful that the navy-black male would reply back . . .
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Hmmm . . . quite a cliff-hanger, huh? Who is this mysterious dark she-wolf? What is her connection with Niju? Will Aleu succeed in the current task that she must now endure?
Find out here: (Part ONE is up in its entirely . . . Part TWO will be up soon!)
I hope you guys enjoy it so far!
- Juuchan17
