Author's Note:  

Yet again, I’ve written another one-shot Aleu-centric tale.

What can I say? She's quite an interesting character to write about! 

Anywho, I know this theme of story about Aleu has been done many times before, but I thought it would be interesting if I had a different approach to Aleu's first days as alpha. I hope no one else has written anything like this yet! (I haven’t read such a story yet, so I’m off the hook!) This is based on a song that I’ve heard from the animated movie “Spirit”, and I thought that the lyrics reminded me of Aleu’s wild and free spirit as well. I decided to use it in here, so don’t be surprised to see it a couple of times within the totality of the story. Since the Clan was told by Aniu to travel across the water for caribou, I thought it would be a turn of events if the caribou weren't so easy to find until the rest of the Clan were able to accept her first. Besides, it's perfectly normal for the Clan to take a while to accept someone whose very different (especially since Aleu has more husky blood than her father, yet she acts and looks more wolfish than her father), and since she's so young and such an amateur at living like a real wolf, this adds to the challenge.

Not only is this story about Aleu, but also I thought it would be nice to add some background to the history of the Kawa Clan – mainly focused on Nava’s leadership years before Aleu and Balto’s arrival. Developing of the Clan’s story was a lot of fun and I was able to use some mentions from “Wolf Quest” as well, so I hope it adds some interesting thoughts for you hard-core Balto fans out there! 

Plus, I added some more characters to the pack and got the chance to develop the characters of the other wolf members that were introduced in the last third of “Wolf Quest”, such as Niju’s trio: Nuk, the large wolf with a bottomless pit for a stomach; Sumac, the tan, skinny wolf who lacks a sense of humor (unfortunately, he never lacks fleas); and Yak, the slight sense of reason in the group, although he shows himself as nothing more than a follower of anyone who sounds more appealing to him. One of the newer characters is one who sort of reminds me of Zira from “TLK2: Simba’s Pride” – Riza (no, I didn’t base her name on Zira either . . . although her personality and actions resemble her to a point), a dark wolf female of the Kawa Clan who has an honest reason to hate Aleu . . . and it’s not just because she’s their new leader . . . And probably my favorite new character would have to be Scarlet, who helps teach Aleu how to be a leader, even though the leadership qualities are already inside her. He’s a bit of a slight love-interest too, so it makes things a little bit interesting . . .

Hmm, makes you think, don’t it? 

So I hope you enjoy it. And BTW, there's not much lovey-dovey stuff. Not until Niju returns in "Two Become One", that is . . . so I guess that makes this a companion piece to “Change of Heart”, right?

- Juuchan17 

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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 . . .

He didn’t look back at all. His head and tail were lowered as he walked back underneath the stony arch that led into their Clan’s now-former gathering ground, ignoring the more jubilant voices of his fellow pack-mates. The dark male was now a loner, forever separated from the safety of his fellow Kawa.

The female dark one lowered her ears in sadness, but she looked up, swearing to the sky at that moment . . . I will not serve that tame-born leader. Never! Niju, I am faithful only to you! Oh, if only I had the time to tell you . . . how I really felt about you . . . about us . . .

She closed her eyes, remembering that moment when Niju’s own allies had left him to follow Balto’s leadership across the sea. She stood beside him until the end, until one of the others grabbed her away when the ice began to crack, forming the ice bridge. She tried to refuse – she secretly longed to remain by his side, even if it was for the unorthodox purpose of stealing the food of other Clans to stay alive – but to no avail; the wolves blocked her within the safety of the iceberg, allowing her no chance to turn back to her beloved.

“Riza?”

A sudden female voice shook her from her recollection. The sound was clear now, for the Clan’s singing has finally ended for the moment. She opened her eyes and turned to the direction of the voice on her right. It was another light gray female with white markings only around her striking eyes and down her nose to her belly and ending at the tip of her tail. She looked to be about the same age as the darker one, but her actions showed to act more like a frisky, young wolf pup. She spoke up again. “Riza, are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine, Lorna,” She composed herself as she again gave the destined alpha a glare.

“You hate Aleu, don’t you, Riza?” Lorna smiled as she sat beside the other wolf. One hit.

“And you miss your darling Niju too, eh?” she added, mocking a lovey-dovey tone as she said it. The second hit.

“Plus, you wish that you and Niju were chosen to be Kawa alphas by Nava, right?” With that final comment, Lorna had hit the bulls-eye.

“Lorna,” Riza touched the female’s nose with her own, staring at her eye-to-eye. “Have you ever thought of yourself as being annoying?”

“Hmm,” The light gray looked up in thought, then quickly looked back at her. “No. No, not really. Why do you ask, Riza?”

“Because,” Riza stood up and pushed her away with a show of force, but not enough strength to injure her. “Because, my little twin sister, you’re annoying me right now!”

Lorna landed on a sleeping pack-mate with dark brown fur; the collision caused the resting wolf to wake up and growl at the young gray, who quickly leaped up in the air in shock. "Eep! Sorry, sorry!" she apologized suddenly to the darker wolf, lowering her head in a bowing gesture. The furious wolf, still lying on the ground, flipped his body away from the silver-gray and returned back to his sleep. Lorna, after bowing over fifty times, turned back around to her sister. “Sorry, Riza. I guess I’m so excited to be finally able to hunt again! Ah, I’ve missed it for a while!”

“You’re not the only one!” Nuk walked up to Lorna, joining her for a quick nuzzle of friendship. “I’ve missed hunting too. I can just smell that fresh meat from here!” He lifted his wide nose up into the air and took a large breath, slowly exhaling it with a smile. “Ah, food! Glorious food!”

Sumac and Yak overheard their friend’s joy and walked over to them, joining their conversation and laughter. The trio’s departure gave Aleu some much needed time alone to rest and recover. The new leader had collapsed onto the ice, resting her head on her large beige paws and showing exhaustion from the long swim and life-changing experience that had just occurred to her. She let out a sigh as she closed her eyes, immersing her thoughts in the words that she had just heard in the past few moments . . .

“Aniu told me that it would be the one who is wolf but does not know. I believed it was you, but I was wrong. It is your daughter.”

She smiled as she remembered the last words she was able to hear Nava say. She never knew that she was actually the one Aniu had called, for she too made the same mistake about her father as well. I thought Papa was who they wanted . . . he’s much older than me and more respected than I am, but . . . this isn’t where he has to be. He still has Mom and the others to worry about. She giggled quietly as she thought about a certain feathered babysitter. I’m sure Uncle Boris is terribly worried about his safety, so I bet he’ll never let him out of his sight after he gets home! She sighed and continued to concentrate. I hope Nava and Papa are okay now, and I just hope I can live up to everyone’s intentions . . .

“Aren’t you just a tame-born?”

The sharp-tongued remark from the dark-pawed female caused her to worry the most as it cut through her mind like a butcher’s knife. She had always longing to be free of her father’s protective and watchful eye, and now she had achieved it on her own in his presence. She was glad that her father had let her go, but now it seemed that she had to make the remainder of the pack respect her differences on her own . . . especially now that she was their new alpha.

Tame-born . . . is that all that I am to them? She wondered, still gazing at the image of the female’s angered face in her mind’s eye. Sure, I was born from a husky and lived in a town, but I’m not meant for that world. Papa is, though . . . he’s a sled dog, and so are my brothers and sisters. They don’t seem to have that wild spirit in them like I do . . .

A slight tear formed in her eyes as a flashback of her childhood flickered through her mind. It was a moment from over a year ago – the day before adoption day when she first had hope to feel the love of a human family. Aleu could feel the warmth of the pre-summer sun against her fur, as if she were back inside her pup-sized body. The smell of the fresh water by her father’s boat-side home seeped into her nostrils as it blew into the wind. She could see five tiny figures scampering on the golden ground as their laughter fueled their innocent energy: her two sisters, Yukon and Saba; and her three brothers – Denali, Kodiak, and Dingo. All six of them were all playing with her on the beachside, scooping up sand with their paws and tossing it into each other’s faces. She never liked the feel of the tiny, grainy rocks on her fur, so she would try her hardest to avoid the attacking sand piles by darting, running from them, and sometimes even attacking back as her protective father and their babysitting gander watched on.

Then she ran up to a short wooden pole that shot straight out of the sand. The mousy-colored pup leaped up to it, not realizing that her siblings had followed close behind her. As she stood there, something went through her body almost instinctively . . . her nose seemed to angle upward as a high-pitched howl slipped through her throat and into the air. Her right forepaw left the safety of the top base of the pole as her cry continued to fill the atmosphere, much to the shock of her father. She could feel the presence of her five burgundy siblings surround her, but it didn’t matter . . . she felt something that she never understood until now.

She felt wild and free.

She was now able to speak the tongue of her native ancestors without fear, now that their native voices and language became clearer to her. She could hear the song perfectly, listening to the lyrics of her childhood melody.

Here I am – this is me

I come into this world so wild and free

Here I am – so young and strong

Right here in the place where I belong  

However, she never got to complete her song, for either her father, mother, or babysitter would tell her to cease her howling. They just couldn’t understand her singing voice – not even her half-wolf father or part-wolf siblings thought it was nothing more than loud noise. Actually, at her age of eight-weeks old, she couldn’t understand her howling either; she only howled when she was happy and excited, but listening to the sound coming from her lips just made her feel good deep down inside.

Aleu let out a sigh as the sound and the images faded away into the darkness of her mind and she began to sleep. However, sleep was not meant for her yet.

“Hey, Aleu,” A male’s voice spoke calmly in her ears as she felt a slightly violent nudge against her neck. “Wake up!”

Her eyes shot open as she looked at the wolf that was beside her. He was a reddish-brown wolf, the one that she had remembered from when she and her father had attended that meeting the previous night. “What is it? Is something wrong?”

“No, I . . .” he tried not to blush at her beauty, but his polite demeanor cloaked his true thoughts. “I just wanted to apologize for Riza’s behavior earlier.”

“Riza?” Aleu repeated. “Is that her name?”

“Yeah. She can be a bit of a bully, but she shouldn’t be a bother for you,” he blushed slightly at the sound of her voice, but again contained himself. “Oh, dear, where are my manners? My name is Scarlet, by the way. In the absence of my father, I am honored to welcome you as the new alpha of the Kawa Clan.” He lowered his head and tail in a sign of respect, then quickly returned to his standing position.

“Your . . . father?” Aleu questioned. She saw the changing expression on his face as she continued. “You mean, Nava is . . .”

“Yes,” Scarlet closed his eyes and sniffled.

“Oh.” Aleu paused, lowering her ears in respect of the friend that she also had to leave behind. He must be very strong to leave his own father behind. I guess I am too . . . “Oh, I’m so sorry for reminding you of him.” Aleu comforted the red wolf with a nuzzle against his neck. “He was a wise and kind wolf. I’m glad to have befriended him . . . and you.”

Her warm fur against his own caused a slight smile to come over him. “Thank you. It is an honor to hear that my father’s words have touched you.”

Aleu, surprised that such a creature could be so polite and well-mannered in the wilderness, began to smile. “So, I guess you are here to show me around the Clan?”

“Well, not yet. Not until we arrive in our new home,” Scarlet lit up, staring at the lovely creature that gave him such a glowing grin. “I have been given the task of teaching you the basics of living in this lifestyle once we settle down. I’m sure you must be wondering how we live and survive in the wilderness.”

“Yes,” She replied. “I’ve never been officially on my own before, so I really want to learn. My father had always forbid me to roam outside without some sort of supervision.” The mousy-brown yearling let out a quick giggle and a light sigh before beginning to question the red wolf. “So, Scarlet, when do I get to learn how to pounce or hunt or do things like that? Huh? I’m ready!”

Now noticing that the yearling might not taking the situation seriously, his face quickly became straight and strict. “No.”

“Huh?” Aleu answered back, surprised by Scarlet’s sudden change of tone. “What do you mean, ‘No?’ I’m the alpha now, right? I am ready for this!”

“No, you’re not ready at all.” His sharp repetitive comment silenced Aleu on the spot, causing her to take a couple of paces backward while Scarlet stepped towards her as he continued to speak. “This is serious, Aleu. It’s no laughing matter, not a game – it’s a matter of survival, life and possibly death.” His voice began to rise, causing some of the other wolves to take notice. “Listen up! We don’t exactly live an easy life in the wild as you think it may be! We have to deal with weather, enemies, and many other unpredictable situations that threaten our lives every day! Sometimes there are some dangers that occur that cause us to make sacrifices for our Clan, sometimes even going as far as giving our own lives in the process. As long as our Clan is protected, by the grace of the Great Aniu herself, we will not let our brothers and sisters die in vain. Do you understand?”

Aleu sat down, her ears perked up at Scarlet’s sudden attentive tone. “I – I  understand.” She managed to stammer sadly. “I’m sorry for not being serious. I guess I was thinking that living as a full wolf was going to be simple. I suppose that I’m being too naïve and immature for not understanding the real dangers of the wild.” Her ears lowered in shame for how she acted. “Please continue, Scarlet. I am listening.” She lifted her ears up again, allowing the male to know that she meant what she stated.

The red wolf nodded slightly as he continued his conversation. “By your response, I can tell that you understand my words . . . but I wonder,” he paused as he turned and looked up at the sky before gazing back at the young quarter-wolf. “I wonder if you truly understand your real purpose here.” He paused yet again, allowing a chance for his voice to recover. He began to speak with a powerful tone, facing his attention on Aleu’s wide eyes. “The Great Aniu has given you an important duty, one that my father held before you. You are to become the leader of the ‘Clan born of the River’ – the Kawa. This will not be an easy task, especially for a yearling such as yourself, but it is possible for you to succeed. You must dedicate your life to the Clan for as long as you live, for Aniu has selected you and only you as our rightful leader. Once you accept this fate, you can never return to the world from which you came. Are you ready to accept your destiny, Aleu?”

Scarlet’s words resounded in her head. Never return to Nome? I’ll never be able to see Papa or Mom or my siblings again . . . but, . . . She looked back at the other twenty-some wolves that were now staring at her and the red male that was speaking. This is much more important . . . this Clan needs me as their leader – this is my home now. This ‘Great Aniu’ must have seen something in me that this Clan needs. Sure, I may be different, but this is where I belong. I know that now. She saw the piercing glare of Riza in the back of the pack, along with the three wolves that brought her up onto the slab of ice. Another wolf stood beside Riza’s darker shade of coat, giving Aleu a look with such kind eyes of a youth, for the wolf’s eyes reminded herself of her own.

“Now I see,” Aleu murmured quietly under her breath. “I know why I’m here . . .”

“Aleu?” Scarlet brought her back down to his question. “Have you made your decision?”

“Yes I have, Scarlet,” She cleared her throat and stood up, facing her new pack-mates. “Before I arrived here, I was just a normal pup, hoping that one day a human would take me in as their own. Things changed after I turned a year old – I learned the truth about why people shunned and avoided me: I had wolf blood in me and unlike my brothers and sisters, it showed on the outside, making me seem more wolf than my own father. He had hidden this secret from me since my birth, and when he revealed it to me, it almost tore me apart. I had nowhere else to go but the place that my father had left behind – the wilderness beyond our town’s borders. I was confused and I felt that I had no purpose, no future, and no reason to continue living with my parents. When I decided to rest in a cave for the afternoon, my feelings changed and I never realized that it would lead me on a quest to find my true purpose in life.

“I learned something in there that made me curious about why I was here. Someone once told me, ‘Each of us has a destiny that sets us all apart. The path is different for you and me, but the journey begins in the heart.’” She began to smile and close her eyes as she remembered her spirit guide, Muru. A swirl of fog formed by the paws of one of the wolves closest to Aleu and Scarlet, revealing the tiny form of the brown field mouse. She opened her eyes and winked at her waving friend quickly before continuing. “I thought about it afterwards, only knowing that I was the child of a purebred husky and a half-wolf. What I knew was what I was, but not who I really was. It was at that moment that I chose to make a promise to my heart to find out who I am, whether my father accepted it or not. After arriving here in your Clan, I felt that I might have a purpose after all when I met all of you and learned of your problems. Unfortunately, my father refused to let me follow the path that was destined for me and me alone until the last possible moment.”

Riza couldn’t take much more of this talk. “Enough talk, tame-born!” She barked. “Get to the point already! We could care less about your tame-born life story, you know!”

Scarlet’s eyebrows lowered in outrage at Riza’s sudden outburst. “Please be quiet, Riza. Aleu is your new alpha as well, and it is her right to speak before she gives her answer.”

The gray wolf lowered her ears, growling as she turned away. Lorna glanced back at Aleu with a look of sorrow and with a longing to hear more, followed her sister, knowing that she would never allow it.

When the air cleared, the red wolf nodded to her, allowing her to continue. “When Scarlet mentioned that the Clan’s name meant that you were born by the river, I realized something – I was born by the water too, just as you all have . . . with the exception of me being born in a small town by the sea. It never once occurred to me before, but I feel that I now know who I am.” She paused for a moment before concluding her speech. After taking a deep breath, she stood proudly with her chest out and spoke the words that that she knew would change her life forever. “I am Aleu, the first-born wolf-like daughter of Balto and Jenna. My purpose is to help lead this clan to the caribou that lies on this new land across the water and to preserve the safety and well-being of the current generation . . .” She gave a look to the lighter gray female that was beside Riza, winking at her. She then noticed a dark brown she-wolf that was lying down near the front, her white belly was swollen, heavy with pup. The wolf’s kind eyes made Aleu smile and resume her finale with a sudden boost of confidence. “ . . . and for the future generations to come. By saying this, Scarlet,” She turned to him as she spoke his name. “I humbly accept my destiny of becoming the next alpha of the Kawa, the ‘Clan born of the River’.”

Scarlet, pleased by Aleu’s stirring words, spoke afterwards. “Our new leader has spoken, pledging her eternal allegiance to the Kawa. May Aniu be praised for sending this blessing to us.”

He turned to Aleu, hypnotized by her large yellow and blue eyes. To him, they began to shimmer like the stars that starting to appear in the sky above them. She felt his eyes gazing upon her and turned her head shyly as her cheeks turned a slight coat of pink. Scarlet’s nose moved closer and closer to hers for a quick kiss . . .

However, a sudden jolt spoiled the touching moment. Everyone instinctively released their claws into the ice, trying to hold their ground; unfortunately, most of the wolves still collapsed onto the stab of ice. Shouts and screams filled the air as the Clan recovered and realized what had happened.

“What happened?” Lorna spoke up first. “Is everyone okay?”

Riza was next. “I’ll be much better when you stop annoying me!” She groaned, looking up at her sister. “And when you get off of me too, Lorna!”

Aleu and Scarlet were only a bit shaken up. Aleu opened her eyes and tried to stand up, groaning as if a huge weight was placed on top of her . . . Someone was on her – it was Scarlet! Scarlet, realizing that he was laying on the Clan’s new alpha, quickly stood up, allowing the mousy-brown quarter-wolf to rise. Both of them had clearly red faces and were embarrassed to look each other straight in the eye, for when they did so, their faces were flushed and they looked away again.

“Ahem . . .” Scarlet cleared his throat, trying to forget the awkward situation. Aleu giggled silently, especially after seeing the coat of blush dusting his face.

“What was that? It felt like we struck something!” she said after her face returned to normal.

“I don’t know, Aleu, but I’ll find out what’s going on,” Scarlet suddenly lost the pink on his face and took complete charge of the situation. “Nuk, what’s the status report?”

The large form of wolf was near the edge of the contact area. He turned and gave the news with his deep voice. “Everyone’s okay, but it seems that we’ve hit land, Scarlet. The ice has crashed into a shoreline rock.”

Aleu let out a gasp. “We’re here! This must be the land across the water where the caribou are!” She was so glad that she let out a quick howl of joy.

Her sudden happiness sent a shockwave of praises through the pack as they began to prepare to go ashore to their new territory. However, Scarlet nudged Aleu and whispered in her sepia ear, “I think you should give thanks for our safe journey, Aleu.”

“All by myself?” she gasped quietly. “But you know so much! I . . . I . . . Are you sure I’m ready to go solo?”

“Aleu, you’re the Alpha now, not me, remember?” Scarlet reminded her. “My job is to help you, but your’s is to lead us. You just agreed to it a few moments ago.”

Aleu let out a sigh, remembering that her red companion was correct. She was the Alpha now – she had to do as the Alphas do, now that she was a part of a wolf Clan. He’s much better at talking to them than I am, though. But the Great Aniu did choose me and not Scarlet to lead the Kawa, so I might as well try my best.  “Okay.” She told him, gathering her courage. “I’ll do it myself.”

As she walked towards one edge of the iceberg, Scarlet watched her move and still the excited Clan, letting out a sigh. “Oh, may Aniu bless her.” He let out a slight chuckle. “I guess this is what Father meant when he told me about having something precious to protect.” He stepped into the crowd so he could have a good view for Aleu’s first order on her own.

Aleu, ready to make her first call of order as Alpha, quickly returned to a more mature attitude and began to hush her Clan with a calm tone. Although she was nervous, she tried her best to imitate Nava and Scarlet’s style of speech, but she made it her own, sounding like a true professional leader. “Now, my brothers and sisters, it is time that we celebrate and thank the spirits for our safe travels. May the Great Aniu bless this new land and our Clan, for this is now the new home of the Kawa.” She slowly blinked and looked about at her clan – her new family – and gave them all a smile of pride. “Let us sing into the heavens and give our praises to those that have granted us this privilege of a safe journey.”

Scarlet, with a powerful voice, spoke up from the crowd with a smile on his face. “May Aniu be praised! To our Alpha and to our Clan!”

The remainder of the Clan, even the spiteful Riza and her carefree twin, Lorna, joined in Scarlet’s cheer as they echoed the words in unison. “May Aniu be praised! To our Alpha and to our Clan!”

In gladness of hearing the success of her first order, Aleu couldn’t think of anything better to do but to howl. She began the song and the others followed, their voices harmonized to create such a wonderful sound. As she heard the Clan’s songs, she stopped her current howl of joy for a moment. Suddenly the melody of the song that she had begun when she was just an eight-week old pup faintly entered her ears. She closed her eyes and lifted her nose in the air and began to sing her own special tune, now finishing it underneath the cover of the starry sky and a view of the Northern Lights.

Here I am – this is me

I come into this world so wild and free

Here I am – so young and strong

Right here in the place where I belong  

It’s a new world – it’s a new start

It’s alive with the beating of a young heart

It’s a new day – in a new land

And it’s waiting for me – here I am

(Part one - finished 2/7/06)