Take Wing Part Three: Unexpected Help

It's so beautiful here.  Brite, a Border collie/husky mix, gazed out at the panoramic view below her.  She was perched upon a jutting peak of the Alaskan mountain that she lived on, and sunset was looming.  Her friend Juneau, the future leader of the wolf clan that lived there, had invited her to stay three months before, when her owner had moved south and left her behind.  Sick of the humans, she'd fled to her only friend.  Now, however, Brite had several friends, not the least of which was Aspen, a buttery orange and gold wolf who had just become mates with Pawnee, Juneau's guide and temporary leader of the Northern Heights clan.  Aspen had taught her all she knew about fighting, which was a lot.   

As Brite mulled over all this, a wolfdog with a coppery brown coat, startling white markings around his amber eyes, and dark chocolate shoulders ambled up to her.

"Hey, Brite!  Time to eat!"  It was Juneau.

"All right, coming!"  She barked hastily, throwing herself back over the side of the rock.  He waited for her as she loped up to him.  As soon as they were even, Juneau challenged her to a race and, without waiting for an answer, promptly set off up the mountain.  "Hey...no...fair!"  Brite gasped, pulling herself up and into gear.  She gained on him steadily, but Juneau flung his legs out farther behind him, taking huge, bounding leaps.  He won by about six inches, reaching the top and flinging himself down on the cave's cool floor.

"There you are!  We though you'd never come," said Pawnee jokingly.  He was a brownish-gray color with a pale belly and toes.  Beside him lay Aspen, chuckling.

"Well, we're here, but no thanks to Slowpoke over there."  Juneau jerked his chin grinningly at Brite, and she snapped at him.  "I didn't lose by much, you, you..."

"Let's just eat, OK?"  Pawnee hastily made amends for the argument and tore into his hunk of raw meat.  Aspen followed suit.  Juneau almost fell on top of his piece in his hurry to eat it.  Brite, however, just sat and gazed distastefully around her, but especially at the cold deer meat.  All her life she'd eaten either cold fish, dog food, or butcher's fare.  Recently she'd had to get accustomed to the tangy flavor and slimy texture of the raw stuff. 

Juneau knew how to make her eat it up in a hurry, though.  Her friend made a sudden grab for her share, and before she knew it, Brite had snatched it up and was chewing furiously at the meat.  She made a face at him but was too proud to spit it out again.  Juneau responded by laughed out loud.  Pawnee's face was twisted in an unusual grimace that told her that he was trying awfully hard not to laugh himself.  Aspen seemed to be the only one with any composure as the other two gave it up and laughed their heads off. 

Brite, despite her intense embarassment, was surprised.  After all, wasn't Aspen always laughing about something?  But then the golden wolf leaned in close and whispered tremulously into the collie-mix's ear:  "Don't worry, Brite,..."  The older female started cracking up, despite herself.  "After all, you're only...you haven't..."   She couldn't finish.  By this time all of the other wolves-about fifteen to twenty in all-had noticed the party's merriment and then the object of their mirth.  Brite saw them all chuckling--at her.  With a great huff that was almost a sob she whirled away and padded softly out into the waxing moonlight.

Juneau and Pawnee roared with uncontainable laughter for another five minutes, which to them seemed like days.  Finally Aspen held up a paw to stop them.  "Boys, boys!  I think we've hurt her feelings.  I-I'm not sure, but I though I heard...crying outside.  Please go see her."  Her deep blue eyes were honest and pleading, and the other wolves soon quit their chuckling, also.

"All right, all right.  I'll go."  It was the wolfdog yearling who spoke first.

"D'you want me to go along?"  Pawnee got to his feet hastily.

"Naw.  This can be the 'foreign relations' part of my training."

Pawnee's face split in a wide grin as he chuckled at Juneau's dry comment.  "Whatever you say."

Brite stared at the moon, tears streaming in cascades down her black and white face.  It was all unfair.  So unfair!  Just because they were all wolves didn't mean they had to expect her to be like one.  It was now more then ever that she wished she were a wolf.

"Brite?  Hey."  A tentative voice came out of the shadows ensconcing the hills. 

"What do you want?"  She asked coldly.

"I-I wanted to tell you something."

"Well, I don't want to hear it.  Maybe your wolf buddies will."  She turned away, expecting to end the conversation.

But Juneau wasn't going to give up that easily.  "I'm really sorry."

"You are, are you?"  

 "I am," he said, "really.  And I didn't know-we didn't know that it would hurt your feelings so much."

"Well, I guess you wouldn't, being a boy."  She sniffled, then laughed.  She accidentally choked, and Juneau whacked her on the back.  "Th-thanks."

"No problem."  The wolfdog suddenly felt uneasy.  There she was, staring straight at him, and he didn't know what to say.  Her icy blue eyes had him frozen solid.  Their depth was illuminated by the swirling rainbow of the Northern Lights.

"What's wrong?"  She glanced down at her paws, and the spell was broken.

Juneau fought to keep from clearing his throat.  "I-I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"That there's a place...a beautiful place where there's another, smaller Northern Lights, in the town.  Under a-a building."

"Oh?"  The old mischief sprang into Brite's eyes.

"Yeah.  Maybe I could take you there sometime.  That is...if you'd want to go."  Juneau's cheeks flushed.

"Count on it."  The girl beamed.

"Oh, what is the matter with me?"  Aspen yawned.  "I'm so tired.  And just the other day I had an inexpicable desire to eat moose, when the day before I was sick of it.  Ugh."  She rolled over inside the den that she and Pawnee shared.

"I don't know what's wrong with you, but you'd better get well soon!"  Her mate warned.  The anticipated month-long hunt was three days from now, and all the qualified wolves were geared up and ready to go.  Aspen was one of their prime hunters, and they almost couldn't afford to lose her.  It would mean less winter meat...unless Juneau could make up for it.  He was training hard, but he didn't have the experience so necessary to a good hunter.

On top of that, Pawnee was worried.  As far back as he could remember, Aspen had never been sick with anything more than a mild case of the sniffles, and that was when she was a pup.  The temporary alpha couldn't imagine what was wrong now.

"We could get Juneau's aunt, Jenna," Brite suggested.

"Maybe," replied Pawnee doubtfully, "but isn't she a pure-bred husky?"

"Yes," piped up Juneau, "but that doesn't mean that she isn't good at caring for other dogs-and wolves.  She's cared for Uncle Balto tons of times when he was sick, and he's both dog and wolf."

"You have a point, kid.  Maybe we can use her, even if huskies are generally not acccepted among us wolves.  Anyway, where's The Elder?"  The Elder, as he was called by name, was a black wolf with a muzzle tinged with silver.  He was very wise and good, and had given Juneau advise an innumerable amount of times in the past five months.  Surely, he'd know that to do.

"I really don't know what to do."  The Elder shook his head in puzzlement after examining Aspen.  Pawnee groaned helplessly.

"Why don't I get Aunt Jenna?" supplied Juneau tactfully, not mentioning that he'd hinted that they needed her help several times, only to be completely ignored.

"I get the point," said Pawnee, sighing exasperatedly.  "Go."

"Wanna come with me?" asked the hybrid, turning his attention to Brite.

"Oh, yes, and let's hurry!"

As they headed down the mountain, the yearling was almost afraid to look his friend in the eye again.  He'd never felt that way around her before, and it was unusual and somewhat awkward.  Juneau had never really noticed it before, but Brite was kinda pretty.  Then suddenly she leaped at him playfully, and before long he'd forgotten all about his nervousness and was lost in the game of tag.  Who could be nervous around someone who was so confident and fun to be around?

Several hours later (after having rolled and tumbled down most of the way), they were approaching Balto's boat.  To their dissapointment, Jenna wasn't there, but Balto offered to fetch her for them.

"Hurry, please, sir," begged Brite.  "Aspen's sick with something, and we don't know what it could possibly be.  Tell Miss Jenna it's something important."

Balto only laughed and said that she could just call him Balto, and he was equally sure that Jenna wouldn't mind being simply called...well, Jenna.  Then he took off, assuring the duo of a quick return. 

In a matter of minutes he was back with his red-and-white mate in tow.  "Here she is,"  Balto panted.  "I gave her the basics of the situation, but you'll need to take her up the mountain.  I've got a date with a mail sled today."  Grinning, the half-breed hero took off towards the town of Nome.  As soon as he was gone, Jenna turned to her nephew and friend with a determined expression.

"What are you waiting for?  Let's move."

It took half a day going at a rapid-fire pace to reach the cave, and Jenna was exhausted and sore, but she went diligently to her patient.  At first Aspen was apprehensive, but she soon recognized Balto's life partner.  As Jenna began to talk to the wolf about her curious symptoms, the waiting pack of wolves straggled away, talking in groups and lazing about in the hazy, filmy light.  It was nearly nine o' clock at night, and Pawnee, Juneau, and Brite waited another tense hour before their husky friend came out again with a verdict.

"Sir," Jenna said to Pawnee, "your mate's pregnant."

"Call me Pawnee," the wolf replied, "and WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"

"Aspen is pregnant.  She's actually doing pretty well, but she's rather worried that she'll be unable to go on the month-long hunt that everybody's been talking about.  I told her that she was correct in that assumption, and now she could do with a little cheering up.  Despite that, she's pretty excited.  Congratulations, you two!" 

Pawnee flushed and stepped softly through the curtained entrance of the little den.  The dry reeds whispered and quaked gently as he slipped past, and he nuzzled his mate.

"Dear," said Aspen in hushed tones.  "Oh, dear, I won't be able to go on the hunt, but...it'll be worth it, won't it?"  Her tone was appealing.

"You don't have to convince me that it's wonderful," Pawnee said, seeming to read her mind.  He smiled gently.

"Aren't they cute?"  Brite appeared beside Juneau as they peeped through the curtain together.  "Let's leave them."

The morning of the hunt dawned with howls of joy.  Brite was among them, very happy indeed.  Aspen, of course, was staying home, and they could keep each other company during the lonely, uneventful month.  Suddenly the future seemed considerably brighter.

The future had always looked bright from Juneau's standpoint, and the news about Aspen only added more jewels to his shining crown of glory.  He tried not to get in the way of the other wolves as they packed, and in the process he almost bumped straight into Brite.   

"Uh, hey," he said distractedly.

"Hey.  Hey?  Is that all?  You're leaving for a month, and you're not even going to say good-bye?"  The collie-cross cocked her slim head.  A little paw tapped against the dusty ground impatiently.

"Well, uh...good-bye, I, uh...guess."  Juneau was becoming exceedingly nervous again. 

As the other wolves started out, Pawnee called Juneau's name.  The wolfdog saw Pawnee nuzzle his expectant mate one last time before he started out to head the procession.  Pawnee looked over at Juneau, and noticed the two yearlings together.  He winked at his apprentice slyly and turned away. 

Juneau gulped.  But this time he had an inspiration.  Just as Brite was about to say something impatient, he gave her a big lick on the cheek-not the welcome kind-and then hurried on his way.  It took all of his willpower not to look back to see his friend's reaction.  His course was erratic as he reached Pawnee's side. 

The alpha leaned in close once they were out of sight. 

 "What did you do?"

"What do you mean, what did I do?  Nothing much."  But his face burned as hot as fire.  Half of Juneau's heart wished he hadn't done that, especially since he'd missed the reaction.  But deep inside he was glad.  At least now she had to know that he liked her, really liked her.

Several hundred yards back, Brite sat in the morning sun as it burned magenta and crimson.  She was utterly blown away.

It took the girl pup the full span of a week to get over it.  Aspen, as always, was amused.  "I could've told you in advance that he liked you."

"Could not!" 

"Oh, yes, I could, but I didn't.  I thought that you needed to find out for yourself.  Go, run along and play outside.  It smells like rain, but no matter.  Just come in before it starts."

"Sure thing."  Brite was thinking furiously as she walked outside-so furiously, in fact, that she almost missed a familiar and ill-liked figure on the cliffs below.  Brite realized that whatever it was, a large mountain lion was after it.  Its fangs were bared menacingly, and it looked about to strike.  Brite suddenly swallowed a large amount of air.  It went down the wrong way as she recognized the victim.

After a long and tedious morning of preparation, the Northern Heights hunting pack was finally ready to hunt for the day.  Juneau had learned how to efficiently gut and clean the prey, and now he did it daily.  He felt Pawnee breathing down his neck.

"Juneau...c'mon, concentrate!  What's bothering you?"

"Nothin'."  The young canine forced himself to wuit thinking of his collie friend back at home.  A single droplet of rain plopped onto his forehead and slithered down his long nose.  But in that one drop he could tell that it was going to be a heavy rain.  It was in his instinct.  "Let's get under cover."

"Right."  Pawnee motioned to the heavy cloud-cover.  The clan trooped under a dead tree trunk.  Juneau's mind began wandering again, and the wolfdog sighed.

"Ow."  The rain dashed against the coats of the drenched cousins.  Trying to block her kin from the pelting water, Brite was freezing.  She was also holding her left hind paw well off the ground in an attempt to make it stop throbbing.  She leaned down precariously, shielding Caliber as best she could.  "I know it hurts.  I do too," she whispered plainly.  "But we'll be all right.  Just wait and see."  Cal had a bad gash on his side, and Brite was really worried about him-more so than about herself.  All thoughts of what he'd done to her in the past had dissipated into nothingness.  Now her thoughts were riveted on help.  But no help came.  

"That's it!"  Struck by a sudden flash of inspiration, Brite threw her head back and howled.  She no longer cared that it sounded quivering and un-wolf-like.  Really, who even cared about all that silly stuff?  She set up a mighty caterwaul, yelling for all she was worth.  In those moments she knew that she would never care again what the other wolves thought of her ways. 

Never again.

And it worked.  In a burst the remaining lupines stormed over the hill, swinging along like a rippling wave, instantly recongizing her unique call.  In seconds the cousins were caught up in the paws of the pack.  Brite almost cried when she realized that none other than Aspen had her by the scruff of the neck and was carrying her surely up the slope once more.  She felt her watery eyes closing, and her mountain home became a blur.  It was only mid-morning, but she was so tired...

What?  It's still morning?  Brite hadn't forgotten the previous events.  It felt like I slept for a week.  She yawned widely.

"Hello, sleepyhead."  The young mixed-breed saw that she was in Pawnee and Aspen's den, the latter of which was leaning over her tenderly.  The early sun filtered in through the curtain, and it felt like a repeat.  "It's still morning?"  

"I guess you could say that," Aspen grinned, "that is, next morning.  You slept through yesterday."

"I did?"  She gasped.  She'd never known that she could sleep for that long.  But then she saw Cal sprawled out on a mat woven with rushes.  He looked to be sleeping peacefully, but his leg was bandaged.  "Is-is he all right?"

"Thanks to you, yes.  Now tell me," said Aspen, leaning forward, "exactly what happened?"

"Well, it's kind of a long story."  Brite began hesitantly.  "But I went outside, like you said, and I almost missed the mountain lion on the cliff with something.  When I realized it was Cal, I panicked-"

"So that's his name.  Go on."

"-and ran into the cave screaming for help.  You were asleep and I figured you couldn't help anyway, so I yelled at everyone else.  When they looked all confused, I told them not to bother.  I regret that now."  She winced in pain as she gingerly moved her leg.  "Well, then I went back out, and kind of lost all my sense.  I scrambled down the side of the cliff and attacked the lion.  He swiped me, and I almost fell off again.  That snapped Cal out of his dreamy state, and he attacked, too.  We both got hurt, but then it began pouring rain.  The lion tried to catch us, but we managed to wedge ourselves under a little crack in the rocks.  Wet and miserable, the lion left.  We crept out of hiding, but I discovered that Cal couldn't move.  So I stood over him on three legs until you came."  

"Wow."  Aspen was staring out into the distance with a glazed-over expression.  "Wow.  You're a hero!"  Bringing herself to the present, as if she had been reliving some forgotten memory, the she-wolf beamed.  "Now let's get you rested up some more and get some food into you."

Nearly three weeks later...

Brite limped out into the harsh sunshine of the late afternoon.  The air, as aways this time of year, was brisk, but her spirits were high.  The bright sphere gently kissed her face.  The hunting group should be back any day now.  She could feel it.

And there they came.  At first tiny specks dotted the hills, then blobs, then miniature wolves.  With a little cry of joy Brite dashed back into the cave.  "Cal!  Aspen!  They're here!"

"Coming."  The pregnant wolf dragged herself out of her den.  She was huge around the waist, and it wouldn't be long now until the pups came.  Cal sprang to his cousin's side, though a slight catch in his gait made him flinch.  He had changed ever since Brite had saved his life, and not just because of his injury in his side.  He didn't leave her side often despite his permanent wound, and for once, she didn't mind.  Her cousin was tuned into her thoughts, and knew when she wanted company or to be left alone.  Brite had never realized that they were capable of a close connection before, but now she was glad.  And to top it all off, Juneau had finally returned.

"How do you think he'll react to me?"  Cal twitched nervously, watching the group sweep up the hill.

"Assuming you're nice to him, I'll tell him everything.  Well, he'll end up finding out everything either way,"  she amended, turning red.

Cal smirked knowingly but didn't say anything.  The two cousins waited for Aspen, and like so many bullets the little group romped out of the den yelling.  "Almost there!  C'mon, over the side now!  There!  You did it!  You're back!"

Juneau leaped for them.  He looked tired and travel-worn, but his amber eyes lit up when he saw Aspen and Brite.  The rest followed eagerly.  Pawnee was at his mate's side in an instant, nudging her towards the cave again.  She rolled her eyes but complied, and the rest of the hunting party followed suit.

Cal debated hiding until Brite could explain things to Juneau.  He weighed his odds carefully, then with a great sigh he stuck to his cousin like glue.  

Sure enough, Juneau's eyes narrowed as he spotted his old enemy.  "You.  How are you here?"

"Brite saved my life when I was out for an adventure in the mountains.  I got more than what I'd planned for, that's for sure," and he and Brite shared a laugh. 

Juneau was disgusted.  How could she do this to him?  It didn't make sense.  He thought she was on his side.  Or at least, he had thought.  Turning away and not looking back, the hybrid greeted Aspen and the others.  Then when it was almost dark, he trotted icily past the cousins and out the mouth of the cave.

Cal didn't ask why Brite got to her feet suddenly and limped quickly outside; he already knew why.  As Cal resignedly went to bed, he hoped he hadn't damaged the relationship between two friends as close as these.

The familiar rock that Juneau went to when his thoughts were troubled was still warm from the strong sunlight.  He sat rigidly on the edge, wary of voices inside the cave.  None of them seemed to be coming from outside, however, so he relaxed a little.  As a result, he nearly jumped out of his skin when a twig snapped behind him.

"Why are you friends with him?"  The automatic words from Juneau's lips sounded savage, even to himself.

"Friends with whom, may I ask?"  The Elder revealed himself, standing behind a gorse bush.  Cocking his head slightly, the elderly wolf crept with surprising agility onto the rock.  Juneau did not try to stop him; he was too surprised.

"Why is Brite friends with Cal all of a sudden?"

"It was not 'all of a sudden' as you say.  In fact, it took a near-miracle for them to come together.  If you will be patient enough to hear me out, I will explain."  Juneau was silent, respect stilling his tongue.  "Cal ventured up the mountain on a whim-yes, merely a whim.  He had no idea that either you or Brite was living here, and didn't care.  He was soon attacked by a bloodthirsty mountain lion.  Brite tried to call for help, but when no one immediately answered, she attacked it herself.  They were both injured, but Cal was defnitely the worst for wear.  Brite shielded him from the downpour of rain until help came.  It was she who signaled the help, by the way."

"How?"  Juneau was stunned.  Why hadn't he listened earlier?

"By howling."  The Elder stifled a smile.  "Her howl was so distinct that the rest of the clan appreared almost immediately."

"Yes, it was, and I don't care."  Brite's voice rang out.  The dog herself became visible soon afterward.  "So, did you hear about our grand adventure?"  Her tone was sarcastically directed at Juneau. 

They were suddenly alone.  The Elder had gone.

Juneau cleared his throat.  "Yes."

"So do you understand now?  Cal wants to be your friend.  He realizes that he underestimated you, and that you could teach him an awful lot about fighting, and honor, and courage, and kindness, and..."  She trailed off and looked away, embarassed.

"You really do like me, don't you?"  Juneau was gazing at her wonderingly.

"You don't have to be so blunt, but...y-yes, I do."

"Well," said Juneau, gaining confidence, "then I'll really have to take you to the little Northern Lights in town, won't I?"

"Yes, you will."  She nuzzled him, and he closed his eyes in satisfaction.

Balto, Jenna, Boris (c) Universal Studios and Amblin Entertainment

Juneau, Brite, Cal, Pawnee, Aspen, The Elder (c) Iditarod