Gasi Mordos was stunned. She had gone to Nome, expecting a fight, not to be just handed what she wanted on a silver platter. Instead on having to murder to get the promotion, she was given it on a trial basis.
Last week, she wanted to ba Alpha. Today, not so much.
"Lady Mordos, we are once again low on provisions. Lady Mordos, we need to hunt." Gasi Mordos was sick of hearing about the problems of the pack, the food supply, the complaints, all of it.
On top of all the problems, Gasi Mordos no longer had any time to herself. Between meetings with the other pack Alphas and fielding complaints, Gasi was up from before dawn to well after dusk. And I don't personally solve the problems like Aleu, Gasi suddenly realized.How did she manage?
**********
Balto sighed. Hearing two voices saying the same thing at the same time all the time was getting him a huge headache. "Ok, stop. Both of you. I'm gonna go do something about this headache."
Aleu/Susan cocked her head. "We do not understand. What headache?"
Nearby, Nathon covered his ears and gritted his teeth. When Aleu/Susan spoke, her voice was the same as the two entitys inside her body speaking simultaneously. It was a very disturbing experience, and Nathon had taken the full blunt of it. His ears were the most sensitive in Nome, after all.
A slamming noise came from outside, on the deck of Balto's boat. Curious, Aleu/Susan trotted out to see what it was.
Balto was slamming his head into the outside wall of the cabin.
"We are no experts, but we assume that giving yourself bruises on your scalp will not help your headache."
Kodiak climbed onto the boat from the direction of Nome. "No, but I know what will. We finally found a replacement dog for the sled team, so we have to go, Aleu-I mean, Susan-I mean...Oh, just come on!"
Balto watched them go, then put a paw on his forehead and said,"Finally! Some piece and quiet at last!"
"Not quite, grandpa! You still have us!"
Balto groaned and resumed slamming his head against the cabin.
**********
Kodiak shushed Aleu/Susan. "Listen, guys. These dogs know nothing of what happened last week. We don't need them to know, so please don't talk."
"Why shouldn't we talk?"
"Oh, boy. Can you even hear yourselves?"
"We hear only our voice."
"Voices, you mean. When you talk, you have both the voice of Aleu and the voice of Susan. You can't let them hear you. Susan is the second-Quietest dog in Nome, so it shouldn't be a problem if you don't speak."
"We will try."
Kodiak motioned for them to go, then they walked into town center. The mail team stood near a sled. Though they were wearing harnesses, they were not hooked up to the sled.
"Hey, why aren't we hooked up?"Kodiak asked.
"The new musher is rearranging us for some reason."Dusty replied from her spot, sitting atop the sled."We were waiting for you guys."
Seeming concerned, Kodiak started whispering with Dusty.
"Look who decided to show up. You gonna talk today, Susan, or you still gonna mope around like the baby you are?" Said a menacing voice behind Aleu/Susan.
**********
Gasi Mordos was determined to figure out how Aleu could do everything, and yet still have time for herself. She just had to rearange everything.
Turning to one of her original followers, Gasi Mordos said,"Take one of the others, and feild complaints. Try to solve every problem you possibly can. If you cannot solve the problem, then send the wolf to me." When the follower started to answer, Gasi Mordos interupted,"Oh! And tell all the wolves that I am to be adressed as Storm. Gasi Mordos is such a mouthful, don't you think?" The wolf started to answer again, but Gasi Mordos interupted again,"One more thing. Send Blaze in here. I need his...abilities. Go!"
Now, instead of trying to answer, the wolf simply bowed and rushed out, guesturing to one of his colleagues.
'Now, to deal with the other Alphas,' thought the wolf who was once Gasi Mordos, but was now Storm,'Let's see how the little cockroaches like my...SCORCHING remarks!' Storm laughed in the back of her throat. This was going to be fun.
**********
Aleu/Susan turned and kicked in one fluid move. As her paw met its mark, she heard startled gasps from all around her.
Then an argument started inside her. You aren't supposed to let them know, Aleu! I can't move like that!Susan's mind protested.
You can now. Was Aleu's calm response.
I thought I was in control. How did you even do that, Aleu? Questioned Susan. It was true. Susan's body, Susan's power. Or so it was supposed to be.
Since I have mastered the Elements ten and eight of the States of Mind ten, I have the most expanded mind.
Even in my brain, you talk in riddles. At least say something I can understand.
There was something of a mind-sigh. The Elements ten are everything that makes life. They are Aquitus, Sol, Terra, Brisa, DiSol, Fiamme, Anum, Mordon, Charus, and Bas. The way you speak, they are water, light, earth, air, dark, fire, life or plants, death, change, and balance or unity. To master them is to understand what role each plays in the life of all.
For example...?
For example, without Bas, you couldn't get up and walk to get Aquitus, so your Fiamme would fade and eventually Mordo, or die.
My Fiamme? I have a Fiamme?
Another sigh. Your Fiamme is the measure of your Anum. If it dies, so do you. So if you don't have your balance, you can't get to-
My water. If I can't get to my water, I will dehydrate, and my life measure will begin to decrease. When it goes completely out, then I will be dead, all because I couldn't walk. Is that right?
Absolutely. Now, Pay attention. Kodiak is talking to you.
"What do you think you're doing?" Whispered Kodiak,"You could have delayed the mail even more. By the way, I'm just going to call you Susan, it's a lot easier."
Susan whispered back,"We were simply not allowing him to continue to call us babies."
Kodiak's eyes grew wide, but he said nothing.
"We can see your girlfriend spying on us now. Did you tell her our predicament?"
Kodiak shot his head up so fast, you would have thought his gravity had reversed. Sure enough, Dusty was standing on the other side of Susan, looking very confused.
She slunk up next to Kodiak, and said,"How come I am hearing and seeing Susan talk, but at the same time I am also hearing Aleu?"
Kodiak studied his paws."It's a long story."
Dusty glared, then said,"Start talking."
**********
Kodi and Sira giggled as they watched their grandfather show them what he knew about hunting.
In outher words, absolutely nothing.
He was currently showing them how he would pounce. Grandpa Balto was not even a beginner hunter.
Sira snuck in and pounced the pouncer, them showed him how he could do better. Now Balto was a beginner hunter.
And this was going to be a long week.
**********
The mail team got to white mountain 5 hours early, though they had started almost an hour late.
It was all thanks to their new lead dog.
"Susan," panted Dusty,"where did you learn to run so fast? You could put your father to shame."
When Kodiak had refused to tell Dusty why she was hearing things, Dusty had told the entire team what she had heard.
Now, Susan could talk with no suspision.
"We have always been able to run, but today was the fastest ever."
Yuck. Why did you tell them that?
It's true, is it not? You have never gone that fast yet.
Aleu, how did we run that fast? We made up five hours we never lost, plus the hour we did lose.
I recon your body has a new power coming in.
Oh, we're talking western now? Y'all get out of my brain!
Negatory, pardner. I em here to stay, and you can't get me away.
**********
"Now you're getting it, grandpa Balto! Keep this up, and you may hit level zero by the end of next week!" Teased Sira.
Balto was still unable to fend for himself out in the wild, but he was improving drastically.
"Don't you think I'm a little old for this?" Balto groaned as he pushed himself off the ground.
"No. You're never too old to learn how to hunt."
Balto groaned tiredly and colapsed on the ground.
Aleu/Susan, Susan, Kodi, Sira, Gasi Mordos (Storm), Blaze, Nathon, Copyright JackOdd/Aleuisbest
Aleu, Balto, Kodiak, Dusty Copyright Universal.