Chapter 11
I am by your side where love will find you.
Aleu woke the next morning to a most heart touching sight outside the burrow. Aleu was cuddled into Rusty's chest, as he simply lied on his belly, head down and eyes close reverently. That moment Aleu would keep forever implanted in her mind. In that moment, the wolf dingo looked like a father.
His breathing was calm and even. The storm in his heart died some, but still was shocked over the newly found emotions. Rusty sniffed and detected Aleu. Well, let her see. Maybe things would be different if she saw him like this, at his most vulnerable. He opened his eyes and looked up at her as she started moving toward them.
"She had a nightmare. She didn't wanna wake you so she turned to me" he explained.
"No need to explain. But you two look so precious together, you know that".
"Well don't expect to see things like this all the time. She just needed someone to comfort her" Rusty gave Aniu a gentle lick, "C'mon little one, we gotta get up".
"No…" she mumbled, "It's so warm..."
"I promise, we'll snuggle later, but we gotta keep going".
Aniu opened one of her light blue eyes. "Promise?"
"Have you ever known me to break my word, love?"
"No".
"Well then" he nudged her up and got up himself, "Let's get going".
"Oh! I wanna be carried! Can I please be carried, Rusty. Please!" Aniu looked up at him eagerly.
The wolf dingo stretched a couple minutes. "Well…" He looked at Aleu, "If it's alright with you".
"Oh go ahead. It's okay. I trust you with her".
"Yay!" The pup jumped and playfully batted at Rusty's muzzle.
Gentle as can be, Rusty picked up Aniu by the scruff of her neck as she curled up, laughing all the while as if she were being tickled. Aleu watched and felt her heart warm even more. This was what she'd been talking about with him last night. He was a good man, and he would make a wonderful father for Aniu…and anyone else that would come along. If only he could see what she did. He had a wonderful heart, he was caring and patient and loving. He was just…perfect. It endeared this strange wolf dingo more to her than anything. Sure he had it rough, but he no longer let that roughness show with Aniu. Never once had she seen him act out of cruelty, which proved her point further that he was the perfect father. He didn't see himself as good, but Aleu could see nothing but his light.
Remember what once was told to you, a voice, female, calm and soothing, sounded in Aleu's mind, The love of one can change all hearts. His is a delicate one. Wait for him, but do not lose your hope.
It was Aniu, the White Wolf, her grandmother, and her daughter's namesake. Ever since Aleu had begun her reign as Alpha over Nava's pack, she'd been guided by her grandmother's voice. But how did she know of Rusty? Hm…Aleu didn't respond but was resolved to obey. The alpha followed Rusty and her daughter close behind.
Finally they made it to the Great Water. In order to make it across, it was just as Aleu had feared. They'd need to swim, as there weren't any ice drifts for them this time. They'd melted. Aniu looked afraid as Rusty set her down.
"What are we gonna do?" she asked.
"We'll make it. We've made it this far. Just gotta think of a plan" he replied, trying to think of a safe way to get both of them across.
"You said you could carry her, right?" Aleu asked and Rusty nodded.
"Problem is I'm sure this gets pretty damn deep, am I right?"
"Yeah it does" Aleu shuddered at the memory of her fight with Niju, how she'd slipped into the cold water beneath the ice bridge.
"I'll go first" Rusty suggested, "I'm gonna see if I can find an ice raft. There's gotta be at least one".
"I don't see any".
"Well no, maybe not all of them have melted. Some might just be far away. C'mon…caribou once crossed this water, right? So why can't we?"
"Rusty…Just be careful. I don't like this idea".
"Relax, I'll be fine. I've been through worse things than this, I promise".
"Rusty" Aniu tugged at his tail again and he looked down at her, "I don't like this plan either".
"Hey" the wolf dingo gave her a reassuring lick, "I promised you we'll snuggle later, I'll make it back and fulfill my promise. I swear. Have faith in me, and remember, I love you".
Aleu's ears perked when she heard that. He said it. He'd finally said it! He loved her daughter, and that was more than enough reason for her. Rusty was putting his life on the line for their safety first, which was yet another endearing trait to her. With every new quality, every new layer uncovered, Aleu found herself more and more fascinated with him. Or was it something other than fascination? The wolf dingo made his way over to her, a soft but determined look on his face.
"I know you made your offer to me last night, and I appreciate it. But let me be the first to tell you that if I do take a mate, Aleu, I want it to be for the right reasons. I want to love and to be loved in return. I know surely you can understand that" he told her like it was a secret.
"And like I asked before, could you have loved me?"
Rusty moved just a little closer, so close only she could hear his answer. "Yes, I could've. And…still could".
Aleu gave him a surprised look, but Rusty pulled away before she could say anything else. He plunged into the cold water to search for any chance of getting the two others across. He didn't feel the cold water too much, as his fur and skin were fairly thick. It was only a minor bother. Rusty felt weightless underwater, and he struggled to keep his eyes open, as they burned. When he came up for air at last, he was at least two miles away from the shore.
"Didn't realize I could swim that fast…" he thought and kept his head above water long enough to catch his breath some.
Despite his mission, he only had one thing on his mind: Aleu and Aniu. What he'd told Aleu was true. He could love her, it wouldn't be hard. But he needed to at least know if the one he loved most was safe and secure. If something happened to Madeline while he was gone…he didn't know what he'd do. The only way he could start his future was to reconcile his past and at last make his heart his own. Only then would it finally be his to give. But right now it just wasn't possible.
But he loved Aniu, that much he knew. But why her and not her mother? Well, no, he did love Aleu in a strange, distant way. But why wasn't it as strong as he felt for Aniu? Was it his philosophy about a child's love? Was that what he wanted? All his life it'd been sufficient. Why now was he craving something more? Rusty's thoughts raced more and more as he went up for air a second time.
A short ways away there was something floating, something long. A loose patch of ice perhaps? The wolf dingo went closer to investigate, his mind clearing for just a moment. Yes! At last, something he could safely get them on and hopefully get home! But how to get it back to them? Could it be pushed? Could he push it more importantly? Rusty swam behind it and tried with his paws first, but it didn't go where he wanted it to. He had to find a way to climb on top without slipping, from there he could move it against the current.
Rusty's claws, thanks to his dingo heritage, were more hooked than a wolf. He'd have a closer, tighter grip to the ice, at least he hoped.
"Well, here goes nothing!" he grabbed a hold of the ice raft, literally jamming his claws into the ice.
It was horribly uncomfortable. The claws were thinner than a wolf's also thanks to his dingo blood. The nerves just beyond his quick screamed in protest as he pulled himself up, using his claws like small ice hooks. Rusty ignored it and kept climbing until finally he was on top of the raft. Finally, he could get them back and get himself home…at least he hoped. The wolf dingo started to move the raft with his movements and using his paw to paddle through the water. He howled out for Aleu and Aniu. He was close, and he'd found something.
"It's him!" Aniu wagged her tail, "He's coming mama!"
"I know. At last…".
Could she love him? It was the same for her as it was for him. It wouldn't be hard to love him, just…there was something dark in him, this past looming over his head. If he just opened up more, learned to trust, he'd be more than lovable. Not to mention he wasn't too bad looking either. He had the body shape of a wolf, but the beautiful light sandy brown coloring of a dingo. His shoulders and the top of his spine were striped in black. His eyes were, at least in certain lights a strange mix of yellow and brown, they looked almost golden in certain areas.
And his heart…god how could she describe it? She knew he was good underneath it all. There was still love left in it, but it'd been frozen over for so long that perhaps he forgot how to feel it until Aniu reawakened it. Maybe she could make it better, but how she didn't know. Aleu still wanted to know more about him, but wouldn't push the issue. She wanted to Rusty to feel comfortable, to trust her with the darkness he kept to himself. Soon though, soon she'd know everything if he stayed true to their deal.
Her heart raced as he approached with the ice raft. It wasn't huge, but it was just big enough to hold all three of them. Aniu rushed out to greet him as he jumped back on to the shore.
"You came back!" she snuggled into his front legs as he licked her head.
"I promised didn't I?" he chuckled a little.
"You always keep your promises don't you?"
"I always try to, love" he looked at Aleu with an assuring smile, "We don't have much time, we can ride the current back to the other side. From there we'll venture to Nome".
Aleu found all she could do was nod as Rusty helped them on to the ice raft.
