Songs: "Muru's chant" and "Who are you"

From: Balto 2


The Alaskan landscape was pristine with his latest work. Jack relished the wind's gentle touch as they playfully tossed him like one of his snowflakes. The land and air were quiet as dusk began to fall and Jack was happy. He didn't get a lot of time with others, except when Mother Nature summoned him to give him his yearly weather duties, and usually the loneliness weighed on him. But in the crisp air and beauty around him Jack couldn't muster up a single ounce of worry or sadness. That's one of the reasons he loved this part of the world so much, the other was all the practice he got at creating fun here with the kids who lived in his element almost year round.

As he thought these things a distant noise on the breeze caught his attention. Without him having to ask the wind changed direction and took the teen towards the sound. A pinprick of light ahead slowly grew into a good sized fire with a group sitting around it. When he was nearly on top of the scene he stopped, just out of the firelight. He noticed two things as he scanned what was in front of him; to the left of the fire was a tall free standing wood pole that had six animal likenesses carved on it, and to the right a large white wolf sat.

She, for he could tell it was female, turned her head to look at him (animals could see him with no trouble, unlike humans, so he wasn't surprised she noticed him) but the wolf didn't react otherwise. That being the case Jack focused on the chant like song that had caught his attention.

(Start "Muru's chant" here)

"Awwooooooo"

Jack's head shot to the wolf, who had howled in perfect time to the song.

"Awwooooooo" The wolf howled one last note as the song died down. The group around the fire settled down into a friendly chat and the wolf stood and walked towards Jack! She stood before him, her eyes seeming to bore into his, and then gave a slight bow. "Hello winter's shepherd, Jack Frost."

For a while Jack couldn't speak. He'd meet animals before but none of them could talk to him, so that meant she was a spirit but Jack had never heard of animal spirits before. Unsure of himself Jack's eyes wondered the area, landing on the wood pole he had noticed before. The bottom carving, he realized, was a white wolf. "Is that you?" he finally asked pointing out the wood wolf.

A kind motherly smile came upon the wolf's face. "It represents me, yes." The answer brought a flood of other questions.

"I didn't know there were animal spirits! How do you know my name? What do you mean "Shepherd"? Are there other animal spirits, what is the pole for?" Jack clasped his hand over his mouth to stop his own ramblings.

The wolf however, simply listened with that smile still on her face. "There are many spirits you have yet to meet. Winter is a prominent season in Alaska so all spirits from here know about the shepherd of winter's season. Yes there are other animal spirits and the pole is a totem pole, a way for the humans to remember and tell their and our stories. Dose that answer all your questions?"

"Just one more." Jack replied with a smile. This was the first real conversation he could recall ever having. "What is your name?"

"I am Aniu the white wolf, Teacher, and Leader. I am one of the animal totems of the Tlingit people."

"So the other animal spirits are the other carvings?"

"The ones form this area yes."

"Who are the others?"

Aniu raised her head to the very top of the pole. "The black raven, guide and bringer of visions." From there she moved down the pole, naming each carving as she did. "The fox; the cunning trickster, the wolverine; your fears, the bear; inner knowing, the caribou; Life."

"And you." Jack finished. "It must be nice to know who you are." He clamped his mouth shut in shock. He hadn't meant to say that out loud. "I'm sorry…I …."

He stopped when Aniu nuzzled him. "You don't need to apologize." She assured him. "It is important, for all beings, to know who they are."

"Yah, but …I mean …I guess I already know who I am. I'm Jack Frost, created by the moon, bringer (or shepherd) of winter."

Aniu looked into his eyes, still smiling. "That is all true but these things only tell what you are not who you are." At his confused look she placed a paw gently on his chest, right above his heart. "To know who you are you must follow your path, a Journey that begins here in your heart."

Aniu removed her paw and Jack placed his hand over the spot, thinking through what she'd said. A new song reached his ears but it wasn't coming from the fire side group of people. Aniu was singing as a fog began to roll in and surrounded them.

When it cleared seven other animals had joined the white wolf. There was a black raven, its feathers seemed to bluer as it flue above them almost like a vision itself. A red fox with a cheeky grin stood beside Aniu. There were three wolverines, each with something in there eyes that sent shivers down Jack's spine. A large bear sat off to the left, seeming to take in everything at once and store it away. And a caribou that stood tall and proud radiating energy. The animals joined Aniu in her singing, their voices creating a great choirs.

(Start "who are you" here)

At one point the wolverines took up the song alone. Taking threatening steps towards Jack with malice on their faces, the teen couldn't help but step away from them. The wind wrapped around Jack, comforting him, which he was extremely grateful for. Theas guys left no room for doubt what they represented. Every fiber of him right now wanted to run away. Jack was seriously thinking of doing just that when the song continued. All the animals sang in that comforting way again, settling his nerves and almost hypnotizing him.

A chant mixed into the song and the fog began to roll in again. Slowly the animals began to vanish and their voices began to fade. When the fog rolled away all the animals had vanished with it, Jack looked around trying to find them but the only beings there were the people around the fire and himself.

Though he was a bit weirder out by their vanishing act, the words of Aniu and the other totem animals had struck a chord. Smiling Jack whispered "Thanks" and went into the air. He had only flown a few feet when he hovered and looked back. The fire was almost out and the people were heading home, but what really caught his eye was the totem pole. Maybe it was the dying light of the fire but he could have sworn the eyes on each carving seemed to glow. And the white wolf, whose face had been neutral form the moment Jack had first seen the carving, held a kind motherly smile. Feeling lighter then he hand in ages Jack smiled and turned back to the sky.


Note: Info on Aniu and Totem animals found on Balto wiki