Barrru’s voice came softly into her mind as if echoed from some place long ago and very far away. His eyes focused keenly on her as if he wanted to be sure she understood everything exactly as he told it to her. Arrrooo understood that she must pay very careful attention, and so settled in to listen without any thoughts of her own intruding.
“If you are to be a member of the pack, there are two things you must know and embrace. First and always first, the pack is first. In any matter that affects the survival or safety of the pack, you must be second. You must always remember this and practice this. If you were to fail in this, then there would be no choice. You would have to go away on your own, and that would break my heart.”
Arrrooo knew that his thoughts were earnest and true like the voices of the great pines his thoughts had the same resonance in her mind. She nodded her understanding and he continued.
“This thinking is the greatest divide between men and wolves. Otherwise, we have much in common. Men frequently think of themselves and their safety first, sometimes exclusively. Wolves and dogs cannot truly comprehend this way of being and thinking. It is so against nature and the nature of living. But much of what we wolves do is just as incomprehensible to men and for the same reasons. Men do not understand our motivation because it is the reverse of their own. I do not know if the thinking of men is born into their cubs or acquired later in their lives, little one. This is why I want to be sure you fully understand our first law.”
Arrrooo answered without hesitation, “I understand, papa, and I accept the law. I believe it is a good and sensible law else how would the pack survive?”
She beamed at him. After all, it was the first time she had referred to him as ‘papa’, but also she knew her answer was quite correct in every sense. Barrru raised his head to her cheek and nuzzled her very tenderly. “Yes, daughter. You learn quickly and well. I’m deeply proud of you.”
She felt the same warm and wonderful tickling sensation that she felt when the cubs had greeted her with a thousand kisses. Her face took on the soft and easy expression of one who loves truly and knows she is truly loved.
“The second most important thing you should know is the history of our pack. Our history is a proud one in my mind and the mind of the pack. Also I believe our history will help you understand many things about us. So much the better for us all. Without understanding, there is always conflict. You must always seek to understand others as you understand yourself, little one. And you must understand yourself absolutely to get along well in the world.
“Our story rightly begins with Tobias, my father, whom you met back in the den. He is ancient by our standards, almost fifteen years he has walked the earth. That’s almost twice the age of any wolf.”
He paused so she could fully comprehend how extraordinary a thing his father’s advanced age was. He was to the wolves what Methuselah was to humans, not that Arrrooo had any idea of such a personage of course.
“As you may have noticed, Tobias is not a wolf. He does not have one drop of the wolf kind in him, at least not unless you count that long ago time when dogs and wolves were the same creatures. But that is another story for another time perhaps. Tobias comes from a long and sturdy line of sled dogs. They are a very hardy strong breed, able to pull the sleds of men over great distances with very little rest or food. They look a little bit like wolves but they are stronger and broader than any wolf. And they are loyal to men.
“Tobias’ man named him as is the custom between dogs and their men. The man called Tobias just ‘Toby’ for short. When the pack calls to him, we do not use the man name. We call him ‘Wu’ or ‘Wuwu’ which is ‘old one’ or ‘wise old one’ or ‘honored one’. He is the one who leads us. He decides all the important matters for the pack and the pack honors him for his wisdom.
“The man regularly took Tobias and his sled mates up into the wide snow country very far away north where the snow stays almost all the year long. Every year about the same time, the men of the north held a great race. And every year, the man took his dogs to race against a hundred other teams. Sometimes they won but much more often, they did not. Sometimes a storm would separate them for a time. The snow would come blinding the man and his team and the wind howling and throwing each into a different snow drift. The air would be so cold that even their fine sense of smell was frozen and useless, so the dogs would wander blindly about until they found one another again. Sometimes though, a dog did not find his way back and so was lost.
“Tobias was lost during just such a storm once. He was lost for an entire year. He would have died for certain had it not been for a beautiful female wolf who found him in the snow. She took him back to her pack’s den. The pack welcomed him, gave him food, and gave him shelter. The female fancied Tobias. He was very handsome in his youth and very obviously strong. So she quickly became his wife, my mother, Ya.
“I was born in that year of blizzards. It was a time of great want for the pack. In fact, several were lost and never returned to the den while out searching for food. The wolves were grateful then to Tobias who was a great help owing to his remarkable strength and courage. Wolves understand that the One puts the opportunity for kindness in our path, so that we will have kindness in turn when we are most in need. The pack saved Tobias and Tobias in many ways saved the pack during that terrible winter.
“When the time of the race came round again, Tobias felt his loyalty divided. He knew the law of the pack. But he had lived his whole life until then as a loyal dog and not a wolf. He told his wife that he did not think he could remain true to the pack because of the pull in his heart to be with his man. He told Ya that because the boy, me that is, was in his blood half dog, the same yearning to be with the man would draw him at some point also.
“Tobias asked Ya to allow him to take his son to the town so that he could perhaps find his man. In this way, Tobias broke the heart of my mother. I barely recall her. All I can recall now is the sorrow in her face as we left.
“You understand now how I learned of men?” he asked her knowing that she understood, but needing to be sure. He wanted to know if she would accept what he needed her to accept about men.
Arrrooo did understand. She felt chilled as if the cold outside had reached into the den and wrapped about her heart. She knew he was going to tell her a story that would make her ashamed of her own heritage. She felt ashamed already.
“I know you remember showing me the papa with his death stick?”
She nodded solemnly.
“I had seen one before. More than once before, I saw a man use one to take the breath from another, even from another of his own kind. You should not think that you have any part in all that, Arrrooo. You do not. You never will. There good and bad among your kind. Some walk with light and those who walk in shadow. The same is so for every kind who walks the earth. You walk with light, little one. Never forget that.”
She managed a smile for him. She bent her thoughts on thanking him for his assessment of her nature. She told him she would not forget.
“Tobias and I stayed with the man and his sled dogs until I was almost fully grown. Papa had done his best to teach me the way of wolves while I was learning the way of dogs from his sled mates. Yet when he looked into my eyes, I knew he saw something wild there, the wolf heart deep inside that had no wish to pull sleds or obey men. He worried that one day I would break the first law of dogs and defy the man. He had good reason to worry.
“The cold weather was approaching again, we could feel it pricking under our fur at night and smell it in the wind at dawn, when the man began to train us everyday for the coming race. Beau was one of our elders and captain of the team. He was growing impatient as he approached the end of days. Impatient with the man, and even with his sled mates. When the man barked orders at him, Beau would lie down in the sun, consumed with the shapes of the clouds, or a blade of grass, or nothing at all, but he paid no attention to the man more and more. Papa was afraid for Beau.
“The team was afraid for Beau, but I could not understand their fears. I couldn’t understand what they felt coming because I had not seen enough of the world yet. I still had the mind of a cub, full of play and spirit and the courage of youth.
“One day, the man was in an especially gruff mood. He was impatient now too. He gave Beau his orders, but Beau turned his face away from the man. Our captain walked off toward the woods, alone. The man called to him but Beau gave no sign that he heard the man’s angry voice. He walked away.
“Papa called to Beau too, and so did we all. He walked away. I heard Papa say, ‘The stick, he has the death stick! Come back to us, Beau!’ He still walked away. Then the stick spoke and there was a smell of burning. Beau breathed no more.”
Barrru paused and winced a little. The picture in Arrrooo’s mind went dark. Only the feelings were left. She hung her head near his. She was whispering words of comfort with her thoughts. Barrru nodded to her and brushed her cheek with his own. He smiled a little as he said, “It gets better.”
“That night, Papa and I slept away from the pack. Just out side the circle, we curled up together and Papa spoke to me quietly.”
“The time has come, Barrru. I had hoped we might have a good life here with the team, but I know now how my loyalties blinded me from seeing what is true. The man is a cruel animal. He deserves no more loyalty. Beau was a good captain and a good dog. He was loyal and true to the man and to us all of his life. He saved our teammates and even the man more than once, but the past is not alive for the man. He has no memory or maybe no spirit. He is hollow and we must not serve him anymore. So when the moon goes dark, we will leave quietly by the light of the stars. We will follow Beau into the great woods. We will never look back.”
“I could not sleep at all that night. I was much too excited. So when the moon went dark, I woke Papa, and the two of us walked away."
“If you are to be a member of the pack, there are two things you must know and embrace. First and always first, the pack is first. In any matter that affects the survival or safety of the pack, you must be second. You must always remember this and practice this. If you were to fail in this, then there would be no choice. You would have to go away on your own, and that would break my heart.”
Arrrooo knew that his thoughts were earnest and true like the voices of the great pines his thoughts had the same resonance in her mind. She nodded her understanding and he continued.
“This thinking is the greatest divide between men and wolves. Otherwise, we have much in common. Men frequently think of themselves and their safety first, sometimes exclusively. Wolves and dogs cannot truly comprehend this way of being and thinking. It is so against nature and the nature of living. But much of what we wolves do is just as incomprehensible to men and for the same reasons. Men do not understand our motivation because it is the reverse of their own. I do not know if the thinking of men is born into their cubs or acquired later in their lives, little one. This is why I want to be sure you fully understand our first law.”
Arrrooo answered without hesitation, “I understand, papa, and I accept the law. I believe it is a good and sensible law else how would the pack survive?”
She beamed at him. After all, it was the first time she had referred to him as ‘papa’, but also she knew her answer was quite correct in every sense. Barrru raised his head to her cheek and nuzzled her very tenderly. “Yes, daughter. You learn quickly and well. I’m deeply proud of you.”
She felt the same warm and wonderful tickling sensation that she felt when the cubs had greeted her with a thousand kisses. Her face took on the soft and easy expression of one who loves truly and knows she is truly loved.
“The second most important thing you should know is the history of our pack. Our history is a proud one in my mind and the mind of the pack. Also I believe our history will help you understand many things about us. So much the better for us all. Without understanding, there is always conflict. You must always seek to understand others as you understand yourself, little one. And you must understand yourself absolutely to get along well in the world.
“Our story rightly begins with Tobias, my father, whom you met back in the den. He is ancient by our standards, almost fifteen years he has walked the earth. That’s almost twice the age of any wolf.”
He paused so she could fully comprehend how extraordinary a thing his father’s advanced age was. He was to the wolves what Methuselah was to humans, not that Arrrooo had any idea of such a personage of course.
“As you may have noticed, Tobias is not a wolf. He does not have one drop of the wolf kind in him, at least not unless you count that long ago time when dogs and wolves were the same creatures. But that is another story for another time perhaps. Tobias comes from a long and sturdy line of sled dogs. They are a very hardy strong breed, able to pull the sleds of men over great distances with very little rest or food. They look a little bit like wolves but they are stronger and broader than any wolf. And they are loyal to men.
“Tobias’ man named him as is the custom between dogs and their men. The man called Tobias just ‘Toby’ for short. When the pack calls to him, we do not use the man name. We call him ‘Wu’ or ‘Wuwu’ which is ‘old one’ or ‘wise old one’ or ‘honored one’. He is the one who leads us. He decides all the important matters for the pack and the pack honors him for his wisdom.
“The man regularly took Tobias and his sled mates up into the wide snow country very far away north where the snow stays almost all the year long. Every year about the same time, the men of the north held a great race. And every year, the man took his dogs to race against a hundred other teams. Sometimes they won but much more often, they did not. Sometimes a storm would separate them for a time. The snow would come blinding the man and his team and the wind howling and throwing each into a different snow drift. The air would be so cold that even their fine sense of smell was frozen and useless, so the dogs would wander blindly about until they found one another again. Sometimes though, a dog did not find his way back and so was lost.
“Tobias was lost during just such a storm once. He was lost for an entire year. He would have died for certain had it not been for a beautiful female wolf who found him in the snow. She took him back to her pack’s den. The pack welcomed him, gave him food, and gave him shelter. The female fancied Tobias. He was very handsome in his youth and very obviously strong. So she quickly became his wife, my mother, Ya.
“I was born in that year of blizzards. It was a time of great want for the pack. In fact, several were lost and never returned to the den while out searching for food. The wolves were grateful then to Tobias who was a great help owing to his remarkable strength and courage. Wolves understand that the One puts the opportunity for kindness in our path, so that we will have kindness in turn when we are most in need. The pack saved Tobias and Tobias in many ways saved the pack during that terrible winter.
“When the time of the race came round again, Tobias felt his loyalty divided. He knew the law of the pack. But he had lived his whole life until then as a loyal dog and not a wolf. He told his wife that he did not think he could remain true to the pack because of the pull in his heart to be with his man. He told Ya that because the boy, me that is, was in his blood half dog, the same yearning to be with the man would draw him at some point also.
“Tobias asked Ya to allow him to take his son to the town so that he could perhaps find his man. In this way, Tobias broke the heart of my mother. I barely recall her. All I can recall now is the sorrow in her face as we left.
“You understand now how I learned of men?” he asked her knowing that she understood, but needing to be sure. He wanted to know if she would accept what he needed her to accept about men.
Arrrooo did understand. She felt chilled as if the cold outside had reached into the den and wrapped about her heart. She knew he was going to tell her a story that would make her ashamed of her own heritage. She felt ashamed already.
“I know you remember showing me the papa with his death stick?”
She nodded solemnly.
“I had seen one before. More than once before, I saw a man use one to take the breath from another, even from another of his own kind. You should not think that you have any part in all that, Arrrooo. You do not. You never will. There good and bad among your kind. Some walk with light and those who walk in shadow. The same is so for every kind who walks the earth. You walk with light, little one. Never forget that.”
She managed a smile for him. She bent her thoughts on thanking him for his assessment of her nature. She told him she would not forget.
“Tobias and I stayed with the man and his sled dogs until I was almost fully grown. Papa had done his best to teach me the way of wolves while I was learning the way of dogs from his sled mates. Yet when he looked into my eyes, I knew he saw something wild there, the wolf heart deep inside that had no wish to pull sleds or obey men. He worried that one day I would break the first law of dogs and defy the man. He had good reason to worry.
“The cold weather was approaching again, we could feel it pricking under our fur at night and smell it in the wind at dawn, when the man began to train us everyday for the coming race. Beau was one of our elders and captain of the team. He was growing impatient as he approached the end of days. Impatient with the man, and even with his sled mates. When the man barked orders at him, Beau would lie down in the sun, consumed with the shapes of the clouds, or a blade of grass, or nothing at all, but he paid no attention to the man more and more. Papa was afraid for Beau.
“The team was afraid for Beau, but I could not understand their fears. I couldn’t understand what they felt coming because I had not seen enough of the world yet. I still had the mind of a cub, full of play and spirit and the courage of youth.
“One day, the man was in an especially gruff mood. He was impatient now too. He gave Beau his orders, but Beau turned his face away from the man. Our captain walked off toward the woods, alone. The man called to him but Beau gave no sign that he heard the man’s angry voice. He walked away.
“Papa called to Beau too, and so did we all. He walked away. I heard Papa say, ‘The stick, he has the death stick! Come back to us, Beau!’ He still walked away. Then the stick spoke and there was a smell of burning. Beau breathed no more.”
Barrru paused and winced a little. The picture in Arrrooo’s mind went dark. Only the feelings were left. She hung her head near his. She was whispering words of comfort with her thoughts. Barrru nodded to her and brushed her cheek with his own. He smiled a little as he said, “It gets better.”
“That night, Papa and I slept away from the pack. Just out side the circle, we curled up together and Papa spoke to me quietly.”
“The time has come, Barrru. I had hoped we might have a good life here with the team, but I know now how my loyalties blinded me from seeing what is true. The man is a cruel animal. He deserves no more loyalty. Beau was a good captain and a good dog. He was loyal and true to the man and to us all of his life. He saved our teammates and even the man more than once, but the past is not alive for the man. He has no memory or maybe no spirit. He is hollow and we must not serve him anymore. So when the moon goes dark, we will leave quietly by the light of the stars. We will follow Beau into the great woods. We will never look back.”
“I could not sleep at all that night. I was much too excited. So when the moon went dark, I woke Papa, and the two of us walked away."
4 comments:
I want comment but first I need to reread the other chapters. I will soon, I'm finishing up on my own book (almost there!). Just not enough hours, etc.
Let me know when to post the next chapter of Mike, it's ready to go.
Thanks ;)
Okay pb, I went back to archives and reread all of Arrrooo! I think it's a charming fairy tale. Or will it be an allegorical tale? It has elements of that too, but I think I would have to read the entire story to know the answer to this question.
In any case, I am enjoying it.
A couple of minor things.
"Arrrooo knew that his thoughts were earnest and true like the voices of the great pines his thoughts had the same..."
How about:
"Arrrooo knew that his thoughts were earnest and true; and like the voices of the great pines, his thoughts had the same..."
Later on:
"He was to the wolves what Methuselah was to humans, not that Arrrooo had any idea of such a personage of course."
Who's talking about Methuselah? It can't be Arrrooo, because she doesn't know who this is. Is it Barrru? Why would he know?
Even more later on:
"Wolves understand that the One puts the opportunity..."
I don't remember the One being mentioned in previous chapters. Did I miss it? If not, then Barrru should include his beliefs on the One when he briefs Arrrooo at the beginning of the chapter. I think spiritual beliefs must at least carry the same weight as 'pack rules'.
Hope this helps. :)
My idea for this story initially and I think still was that it would be read aloud to kids by an adult. What I was thinking and maybe this just isn't done (no clue about that) was that whoever is reading the story aloud would act as the omniscient narrator so that it would be their voice filling in things such as comments about the One, etc. Wolves operate mostly on the instinctual level in this tale though there is a touch of the philosophical in Barrru's observations, I didn't really mean for the wolves to be contemplating God or anything so large as that. I have no idea if this will make sense and I don't know what I'm about as far as fiction goes. The only prose I've ever written were news stories. Okay, thanks much for your insights. Next, maybe you can tell me if I'm totally off course with the idea I have in mind. :)
The language of this book fits the middle grade group, which is 8 to 12.
From The Writer magazine:
"More complex language and plot; conflicts usually related to home or school; characters remain children; ending optimistically."
These readers will probably not stop to contemplate higher beings and the such. Nor want to hear about them, either. They're all about action, personal problems and a direct link to their own lives. You have all of these elements in this story. Perhaps, the link to Mother Earth is all the spirituality that is needed here.
As a parent, I can tell you that when reading to my children, it was the characters, the action, the ages(of the characters), and the scenery that were important.
Basically, who, what, when and where. And to varying degrees - directly proportional to the age of the reader - how, (it's all accomplished).
Your story is very sound. A good cast of characters, (everybody loves a strong father figure), both girls and boys, nature. I think simplicity is probably going to be your biggest hurdle. Don't analyze so much, ;)) just let the story tell itself.
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