Welcome To Nome

Chapter 1: White One

Seaward Peninsula, Alaska (1923)

Silence filled the Alaskan wilderness as snow slowly fell from the darkened sky. Covered by three feet of snow, in a small dugout cavern, laid a tired white she-wolf. The female had just returned from chasing down two small rabbits, whose remains now lay in front of her along with two of her three pups. The boys wrestled around in the small den, playfully pinning each other down and trying to see who could remain standing the longest.

The she-wolf smiled as she watched her sons played; she was grateful that they were growing strong and had adapted well to the subfreezing temperatures. Her smile faltered however, as she looked down at her side. Nuzzled against her snowy white fur was a female pup; the oldest of the litter, but unlike her brothers, still fragile and weak. Her eyelids twitched as she dreamed and the pup moved closer into her mother.

What ails you little one? the she-wolf thought with dismay. Why is it that you stay so frail?

The she-wolf lifted her head and looked at her two sons. It could not be the way she was raised; the she-wolf had made sure to raise all three of her pups the same way. They all received the same amount of nourishment and warmth. What was it then that made her daughter so delicate? Surely she could not have inherited it; both her parents had been some of the strongest of their kind.

The she-wolf broke out of her pondering as she heard a loud yelp come from one of her pups. She saw one of them flipped the other onto his back; the smaller one pinned down while the one on top showed his teeth and growled playfully.

"That's enough Takoma," the she-wolf said sternly.

The gray colored pup lowered his ears and slowly got off his brother.

"We were just playing," he said slinking towards his mother.

The smaller wolf pup rolled over to his feet and lunged at his brother.

"Gotcha!" he yelled as he tackled Takoma to the floor.

The two once again began rolling around in the den, playful growls and excited yelps coming from both. The she-wolf remained silent until she had endured enough and growled. The two brothers immediately stopped and lowered their ears. The she-wolf's growl faded away and she smiled softly to comfort her children. She knew they were only playing, but it was late and she was tired. The two brothers curled up next to their sister and fell asleep, the she-wolf watching over them as they dreamed.

Minutes slowly passed and new light shined down on the snow-covered forest as the moon broke through the disappearing clouds. Still awake in her small earth cavern, the she-wolf gave out a soft growl of frustration at her inability to fall asleep. Her eyes drifted down as she felt one of her pups move. Takoma, the middle born and largest of his siblings, kicked out his paws while exposing his teeth in a tiny snarl.

Even in his dreams he fights, the she-wolf thought with a smile.

With one touch of her muzzle, Takoma's movements stopped and the dreaming pup relaxed into a peaceful sleep. The she-wolf eyed her pups carefully, making sure each one was close enough to her stomach were the most warmth was. She used her restlessness as an opportunity to compare each of her pups, not that she favored one over the other. She simply wanted to guess how each would grow up.

First of course, she looked at her daughter: Aurora. Named for the way her fur shimmered in the moonlight, Aurora's fur color was the same as her mother's, but she lacked the strong, powerful build that her brother's had. Her eyes were the color of ice crystals and often sparkled when she was immensely happy. Again, the she-wolf sighed as she looked at her daughter, afraid that she would not survive the winter cold but hopeful that she would grow strong.

Next was Takoma. Out of all her children, he seemed to have the most wolf's blood in him. His dark gray coat stuck out all along his body, and his large paws hinted that he would grow to be quite big. Even his demeanor was that of an Alpha, as he often growled and showed his puppy teeth when he was playing with his siblings.

Moving to her third and last pup, a smile grew on the she-wolf's face as she stared at him. The brown pup had been the last born and the smallest out of the three. Nevertheless, he possessed more energy than either one and loved to spend endless hours playing in the den. His markings were almost identical to Takoma's, while his appearance favored more of a dog than a wolf.

"Balto," she whispered quietly.

The wolf pup stirred and looked up at his mother, his soft puppy eyes barely open. The she-wolf smiled and gave her son a quick lick before he lay back down and fell asleep.

He looks so much like his father, the she-wolf thought as she stared at the brown wolf pup.

The she-wolf gazed up at the den's entrance as the memory of her mate flowed back into her, a mixture of joy and heartache swirling up inside her. The she-wolf thought about when she first encountered her mate, the memory still fresh as though it only took place a few of hours ago.

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Seaward Peninsula, Alaska (1922)

A white she-wolf hid in the snow, her eyes scanning a small herd of deer that lay in a field in front of her. So fortunate was she for having her unique fur color, as it allowed herself to come so much closer to her prey than any other wolf could have. The she-wolf smiled as she spotted her target, a large elderly male that lay a few feet away from the rest of the herd. Such an unwise decision for an animal that has lived so long in the wilderness.

The female smiled to herself as she saw her opportunity arise, and she rushed out of her hiding spot and howled, startling the sleeping herd and sending every one of them into a state of panic. The elderly male rose up quickly despite its waning strength, and ran off in a direction different from the herd, another unwise decision for the otherwise experienced herd member. The she-wolf followed and closed in on her prey, the deer's eyes widening as she approached closer to its side.

Finally, with a lunge the she-wolf latched her jaws around the deer's neck and held tight until the male had finally exhausted itself. With the rest of her strength she pulled the male down and ripped out his throat. Exhilaration filled the she-wolf's heart as she stood over her kill, proud that she had taken down something so large without the help of a pack. As she prepared to enjoy her victory, the she-wolf heard a sharp click and spun around, a human hunter standing above on a ledge with his rifle pointing at her. Next to the hunter stood a dog, a large, muscular husky with brown and tan fur.

For a moment the she-wolf felt only foolishness, ashamed that she had let herself be snuck up upon. Quickly though this feeling past, and instead anger and resent grew. Crouching over her kill, the she-wolf growled and stared at her two attackers, determined to defend her kill.

The hunter paused and lowered his rifle slightly, surprised that the female had not tried to flee. The husky as well was taken slightly aback by the female, never had he come across someone so beautiful and so fearless. The hunter nodded his head silently before standing up, his rifle lowered to the ground as he stared at the white she-wolf.

"Fearless are you to travel alone white one, I pray to the spirits that our paths cross again someday."

With that the hunter slung his rifle over his shoulder and walked away, his husky travelling right by his side as they left the female to her kill. The she-wolf waited to see if the human or the dog would return; she knew that humans were keen on using trickery to their advantage. When they did not however, she returned her attention to her kill, gulping down as much meat as she could before continuing on with her journey.

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The she-wolf rested her head on the ground and let out a quiet whine, her heart anxiously waiting for her mate to return. She knew of course, that he never would be able to return to her. Both were aware of the risk that they had taken, and once the village leader had realized that she was pregnant with his husky's pups, he casted her out from his village and chased her into the wilderness.

The she-wolf thought her former packmates would offer refuge for herself and her mate, but the wolves rejected and exiled her, disgusted that she had chosen to live a life with humans and had chosen a dog to be her mate. Barely escaping with their lives, the two fled deep into the Alaskan forest. With her former friends and family intent on killing her and her pups, the she-wolf's only comfort was that her mate was still with her.

One fateful morning however, once the she-wolf's pregnancy had forced her to stop traveling, her mate had gone out to find food and did not return. The she-wolf yearned to call out to him but knew that she could not risk her enemies finding her. Hungry, afraid, and alone; the she-wolf dug out a small den, which she now rested in, and waited. Days passed and still her mate did not return. Finally, the time had come and the she-wolf gave birth to the three hybrid pups which now lay against her side.

A tear rolled down the she-wolf's face as she broke out of her mental state. Her mate was not going to return to her. She was on her own; she alone must protect her pups. The she wolf let out a sigh and tried once again to fall asleep. With one eye fixed on the entrance of the den, she lingered in case anything would change. Finally, her exhaustion took hold of her and she fell into a deep sleep.