Under the stars on my own
Part 1. Under the Stars
Try as he might, Rusty couldn't sleep. He kept his distance from the lady and the pup, as in all honesty, he didn't feel like he belonged with them. Well, maybe the boy pup but not the girl. Saba her name was. She wanted to know how he knew her name…he knew her mother Jenna. They'd had a brief conversation once, after he saved her from Steele late one night about the possibility of them having families of their own. She liked the name Saba. At least he knew she had all she could want.
She was Balto's daughter, that much he could see. Though Saba highly resembled Jenna, he could sense something wild about her, something he didn't quite understand, but he knew somehow she was the wolf-dog's daughter. Sighing, the wolf dingo made his way to his feet and started to walk a little ways more from them, somewhere where he could be alone.
He'd always respected the girl's mother. She was strong, but beautiful. Jenna was his best informant, and she didn't worry about being labeled a "rat" by her peers. That was something he envied of her. She was accepted, had plenty of friends, and didn't care what people thought. Rusty had tried not to care what people said, as he should've been used to their insults. But still, under his stony demeanor, it hurt nonetheless, even if he wouldn't dare admit it…
Rusty sat down on a high hill, and gazed up at the sky. He remembered those days in Nome, back when he was just and good. But it was failure that had made him what he was now. He had nothing, he was nothing. Sure he was helping Saba and the pup, but that was only because old habits die hard, right? He was still honorable to the ways of the police, even to this day. How couldn't he? Without the good Inspector Graham Aubrey, he was no better than a criminal himself.
Speaking of criminals, there was one who had irritated him beyond measure. A dog he longed more than anything to see behind bars, just as humans were thrown in a prison, especially after he nearly caused the deaths of those children, one of which being his own. If she was gone, Rusty vowed to hold Steele personally responsible, and would arrest him as a murderer…or worse yet…
NO! He would never do that…he shouldn't have even thought of killing him. That would've made him no better, and more than enough blood had been shed by him back in his early years as something of a fugitive himself.
Little did he know though that he had an observer. From behind a nearby tree, Saba watched the stranger with utmost curiosity. Why was he up so late? What was he doing there? And who was he truly? The wolf dog watched him carefully as he paced a little as if in deep thought. Saba held her breath for a moment, taken in by that strangeness that made him something beautiful. Something that took her breath away…
She liked him. Though she would never admit it to Kanai, or hardly even to herself. She just didn't understand why. She didn't know anything about him, yet he seemed to know about her. But how? When she was back home, she'd never seen him, or heard of anyone like him. He'd obviously heard of Nome, or else he wouldn't have gotten so upset before when she mentioned her home. She breathed again as the stranger sat on his haunches and began to sing…
Rusty looked up at the stars. "There…out in the darkness, a fugitive running. Fallen from god. Fallen from grace. God be my witness, I never shall yield 'til we come face to face. 'Til we come face to face. He knows his way in the dark. Mine is the way of the law".
The law? Saba was really curious now. What did he know of laws? Pack laws? Human laws? And what fugitive was he singing about? Who was it? The more mysterious he was, the more alluring Rusty became to Saba.
"Those who follow the path of the righteous shall have their reward. And if they fall as Lucifer fell, the flames, the sword. Stars" he looked up again, "In your multitudes, scarce to be counted. Filling the darkness with order and light, you are the sentiments, silent and sure. Keeping watch in the night. Keeping watch in the night".
So…he liked stars? Gosh, was nothing clear with this guy?! It frustrated Saba as she watched him, but something in his voice, she couldn't describe. It was soft, almost reverent. It was like maybe he'd been harsh once, but something had softened him. What was it? This only puzzled Saba more, but she didn't dare move, hardly even blinked she was so captivated by him.
"You know your place in the sky. You hold your course and your aim. And each in your season returns and returns, and is always the same. And if you fall as Lucifer fell, you fall in flames. And so it must be, for so it is written, on the doorway to Paradise, that those who falter and those who fall must pay…the price".
And underlying sense of what? Justice? It dawned on her then: He was a cop dog! Or at least he was at some point or other! A police dog…he must've been from Nome! But…but why didn't anyone speak of him? He probably knew her parents and that's how he knew her name somehow or other. That had to be it, as it was the only logical explanation.
Saba watched as suddenly Rusty stood on all fours, stiff legged and determined looking. Had he smelled her? Had he seen her somehow? No, his gaze was far off now, whether in reflection or the past she didn't know. She watched as he raised his head and continued.
"Lord let me find him, that I may see him…Safe behind bars!" he howled the last note a little, "I will never rest! Til then….this I swear! This I swear by…the stars!"
Saba went wide eyed at the howling of the last note. It was so…different, much like him. It wasn't a throaty wolf howl, or maybe it was, but there was something else, something more musical, something not as sad sounding in it. Definitely wasn't as loud either, but soft like the rest of him. The sound withered away into silence again, as if carried away by the wind. Rusty took a breath and looked down for a second and then up at the stars.
"I will find him, if it takes my life" he vowed and turned away…
It was time to be heading back. He couldn't leave Saba and Kanai alone for long. God only knew what kind of trouble they'd land themselves in if he wasn't around to help them. Soon, they'd be with Black Eye and Rusty would've fulfilled his duty. They wouldn't need him anymore, probably wouldn't want him. Saba would like his pack, he was sure. But after the harsh treatment he was given by the wolves, Rusty wasn't enthused to stay. At least with them they'd finally be safe and his life, if he could call it that, would go back to normal.
Speaking of normal, or things not so normal, it started to suddenly rain. Rusty sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Friggin' perfect…"
A/N: Yep, this goes hand in hand with Brythespy's story, and yes, you can make reference to it if you want. The song I used in this chapter is Stars from Les Mis, it's kinda Javert's theme, I guess. But I didn't listen to the movie version of the song, but the studio and piano version, as I think that's the one they should've used for the movie, but whatever works I guess. Hope you guys like, part 2 will be coming at you real soon. Thanks