Important Messages!
1) This is a work of historical fiction: we DO NOT support or approve or condemn any actions or groups mentioned in the story, nor do we support bigotry and/or violence. Our only intent was to tell a story with historical context that we found interesting.
2) Even though we did our best in achieving historical accuracy, do not use this work as a reference for any historical content as this is a work of historical fiction.
3) This was a project done in collaboration between I, BadStoriesComeToMe and TheMarineLycan. BSCM and I wrote this story and TheMarineLycan provided support, historical context and created concept art that can be viewed on Deviantart.
4) This is a sequel to my previous story and which was finished by BadStoriesComeToMe - "Balto: Cursed Soldier"- I highly encourage you to read that before this one so that you will understand the context of this story.
Warning: Mentions of war violence.
Balto: The Cursed Warriors
"There are no great men. Just great challenges which ordinary men, out of necessity, are forced by circumstances to meet"-Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey
"War is a fire. The ashes drift far, and settle slowly." -Margaret Atwood
Chapter One: Trouble in Paradise
The northern lights danced in the dark skies while the full moon provided light for everyone to see. It was early morning though, so few people could appreciate it. The hovel of homes in the town of Nome were all dark as everyone within were sleeping soundly, dreaming of nothing but goodness and peace. Only a few stirred when the howling began. It drew little alarm; the people knew the wolves stay away from the town and after so many years, the nightly calls were regarded as nothing more than a natural lullaby.
The only ones who were alerted by the howls were the dogs. They sat up straight and listened for any tale tell sign of imminent danger. However, all tension leaves their bodies when they realize who it was making the ruckus and eventually, they settled back into their disturbed sleep.
Far away from Nome, deep through the evergreen pines and froze over brooks, the moonlight revealed a small hill that can barely be seen from the crest of the town, and upon that hill were three figures. From a distance, anyone could have been forgiven for thinking they were people; their humanoid shapes were unmistakable as the figures stood on two feet with two arms held slightly apart from their bodies.
But upon closer inspection it can be discovered that the three are actually covered from head to toe in matted fur. They had talons on both their hands and feet, their legs are strangely angled so that they can alternate between standing and running on all four, and, of course, there's the fact that their heads resembles that of a wolf instead of a human.
Howling with joy and enthusiasm are three creatures from pure myth, creatures that looks like beasts but have the minds of men. They stand well over six feet tall except for one who is thinner than the others, with curvature around its hips and chest, hinting that this being is a female. The other two are male in posture with the biggest being as wide as a barrel while the other is thinner than the former, but no less muscular.
Bodies ripped with muscle, and fangs as white as ivory; anyone who would see them would instantly run for the hills. But these are no ferocious beasts, as they are residents of both Nome and the forest.
The three beasts are, from what they can understand, bodarks; descendants of men cursed to live as wolves. But the three would hardly consider their "conditions" as a curse.
Far from it, they are stronger, faster and more durable than anything else on earth. They never tested their bodies before, but their father has assured them that they could survive gun shots, poisons, and most other threats that are usually fatal to mortal beings.
And yes, they all have the same father as they are siblings. Two boys and one girl, young adults who grew up living in the day as normal humans before reverting back to their bodark selves during the full moons. It hasn't been easy on them growing up; they have endured much bullying from school for not having many friends and always sticking with one another. At least, until Tom would lose his cool and bash the offender's head in.
Thomas E. Shames, or Tom for short, is the giant wolf who is leading the howl at the moment. His mostly black fur meshes with brown that he had inherited from his grandfather. The fur color and body shape are the only true difference between him and his siblings as they all also possess the glowing red eyes of their father.
The middle child is Ashley L. Shames, the one and only sister who much preferred Ash instead. The female is slim, but she is just as strong as her siblings, if not stronger. A trait that applies to both her bodark and human form, making her a force to reckon with should anyone get on her bad side. Her coat is a deep maroon that runs down the front of her body and covered her face while black fur shadows her back.
The youngest sibling, and essentially the baby of the group, is Samuel B. Shames, or Balto as everyone has taken to calling him. Both the parents and the old dogs of the town all marvel at how closely the youth resembles his grandfather. His fur color is a grayish brown while black "socks" cover his legs and a circular dark patch circles his right eye, giving him an almost childish look of innocence. But far from the looks, Balto has also inherited his grandfather's nervous stance and shy smile. Many people croon at how cute the young male can be when he gets nervous, both in his human and bodark forms.
Not now though. It's only when he is in the presence of his family does, he loses his shyness as he stands proudly and howls. Taking pride in who he is, who he has become and of their success tonight.
Lying at their feet is a small pile of caribou carcasses. Any other time their father would have been furious at how much meat is being wasted, but not this time. Not only will they be sharing their haul with their mother's wolf pack, but they will be taking the rest home and share it with the humans too.
The Great Depression is suffocating everything within its clutches, despite it being 1938. Even tiny Nome is suffering from the economic woes. The Shames family may not be able to help their neighbors with money, but they can certainly help keep them from starving. No one has ever complained when the three siblings would walk down Nome's main street pulling a sleigh full of their prey and sharing it with those in need.
In this moment before the sun rose, the siblings roared their victory. And as their howls died down, the bickering began.
"I am not hauling half of this back home by myself," Tom growled as he glared at Ash. "One of you needs to help me."
"You can manage," huffs Ash. "I need Balto to help me carry the rest."
"My back's killing me from the last load," Tom groans.
"You're young," Ash said with a dismissive wave. "I'm a girl though, remember? So, I need someone to do the heavy lifting." She glanced at her younger brother. "Right, Balto?"
The youngest gave a shrug and said, "Sure."
"Why are you taking her side!?" Tom explodes.
"I'm not taking sides!" Balto bites back. "Ash can't manage on her own."
"Are you calling me weak!?" Ash suddenly rounded on Balto.
Balto stares aghast at her. "You just said you couldn't!"
Ash growled back. "I ought to-"
"Quiet!" a new voice suddenly barked.
All three bodarks flinched and turn in the direction of the new voice.
Walking towards them from the tree line is an aging wolf whose brown fur has turned grey, almost white. However, based off his large frame and the commanding voice, it is now hard to imagine that this old wolf was once a leader.
"Keep it down," the old timer said as he slowly approached, a limp in his back leg hindering him slightly. "The whole blasted forest will hear you."
As comically as it may seem, the other three bodarks bow their heads to the smaller creature, a look of both shame and respect passing over their faces.
"Sorry, Sitka," they both chorused as one. All three of them have had a hard time pleasing the aging wolf, especially since he was the one who was put in charge of teaching the three bodarks how to hunt. It was the proudest, but also most painful experience in Sitka's life.
The old wolf looks down at their bounty.
"Good hunting, I see. " he said.
The bodarks all beamed at this. Getting a compliment from the veteran hunter was always a pleasure for them. The good feeling though disappears when Sitka turned a gale eye towards them.
"The sun will be up in an hour, so let's get to it." Sitka jerked his head back towards the forest. "Tom, you're always going on about how strong you are. Prove it by taking half the load.
The oldest son frowned, but obeyed. Quickly he put two of the caribou on his shoulder before grabbing the hindlegs of two other carcasses in one hand each. With six carcasses in total, Tom began lumbering towards the den, leading the way back for his siblings.
The remaining siblings grabbed four caribou each, neither being able to match Tom's muscles.
Sitka started to lead the way back to the wolves' den when he suddenly sucked in a pained breath and leaned a little to his side.
"Are you alright?" Balto asked as he hastened to Sitka's side.
Sitka grits his teeth before growling. "Just the old bones seizing up, walking out here in the cold may not have been a good idea."
Balto agreed, but knew better then to voice his opinion on the aging wolf while standing within clawing distance. Despite his age, Sitka always went out and prove how resilient he is, even though Balto's mother always cautioned that the excursion may kill him.
With that dreadful thought in mind, Balto said, "I'll carry you."
This got Sitka to raise an eye ridge.
"Carry me?" Sitka asked. "What do you mean by-hey!"
Leaning down, Balto used his teeth and gently grabbed the grown adult wolf by the scruff of his neck and stood up on his back legs, holding onto Sitka like a puppy.
"Put me down!" Sitka roared. "I'm not a pup! You can't do this! You are NOT carrying me back to the den like [this]!" Sitka continued to cry out about the injustice while Balto effortlessly began trudging back to the wolf's home.
A smiling Ash followed in their wake.
They walked under the looming trees with the long shadows they cast flowing along the ground in the moon's light. All the while Sitka kept his great plea for freedom, but Ash knew that the struggle was futile. Ash couldn't help but snicker at the sight, watching as the one who had taught them so much about hunting and fighting now buckled to the will of her baby brother with an occasional whimper thrown in.
After a few miles, Sitka stopped his great pleas and now remained still in the mouth of Balto, grumbling at their appearance. The three trekked through the forest, the caribou trailing behind and forming lines along the snow. Ash picked up her pace and walked to the side of her brother, looking at the dangling form of Sitka.
"You know," Ash said, "mom's gonna kill ya if she sees you doing that."
Balto shrugged then looked on the one at his jowls. Upon hearing Ash's voice, the old wolf renewed his protests.
"I'll make sure she knows you did this! Put me down right now!" Sitka growled.
As they went, there came a time where Tom looked through the bushes, then shot his gaze to Balto. "We're almost there."
The group paused before the place in the bushes that Tom stood before he looked out. "Someone's coming," the eldest brother said.
"Could it be mom?" Ash said, head cocked.
Tom nodded. "I think it is."
With this, a grey figure came through the bushes and paused before the group, tail wagging. "Just in time guys!"
"Hey mom," Ash and Tom chorused. Their mother quickly looked over each of her children, scanning all of them closely. Then her gaze found Sitka, still dangling like an ornament off a Christmas tree.
"Aleu!" Sitka cried. "Tell Balto to let me go! He's had me like this the whole way back!"
Aleu met Balto's gaze. "Balto, could you put him down? I think he's had enough of that."
The old wolf growled. "Darn right I have."
Balto whined, his ears sagging along his head as he placed Sitka softly back to the ground. The old wolf went off to the side, his gaze watching Balto over his shoulder with narrowed eyes. Then, the mother looked past the bodark children and caught sight of their bounty.
"Oh, look at all the game you guys brought in!" Her mouth went wide and she came closer to examine the caribou.
Tom smiled, going forward and pushing his caribou in front of him, brandishing it before the eyes of his mother like one does a perfect set of playing cards. "I caught-"
"-we caught all of these just tonight, you should've seen what a great job Balto over here did," Ash said, stepping before Tom.
Their mother looked at Ash and smiled. "I think you all did a wonderful job, now come on, we've gotta get back to the house soon," she turned and went off to the bushes, going to the same spot that she came from. Ash quickly followed with Balto right behind her and a grumbling Tom bringing up the rear. With no heavy load to carry, Sitka came around to his alpha's side.
The she-wolf's brows furrowed as she watched Sitka limped to her flank. "Are you alright?"
"Ahh Aleu, it's not that bad, you know, just the old bones acting up," Sitka said, cringing as he slowed next to Aleu, "I should be alright."
Her ears flattened and she nodded. "If you say so, but do you need anything?"
Sitka shook his head. "Don't worry, let's just get back to the den." he picked up his feet and went forward through the brush.
Aleu looked on as her old friend trudged forward, her tail falling low behind her for a moment. Then looked back to the great figures behind.
"Well, you heard him, come on," she brought a grin to her face and continued toward the bushes after the hobbling figure of Sitka. She followed him as they broke through the brush; Ash followed next, then the brothers squeezing in together as neither wanted to be last. The shrubbery bushes the wolves just passed through was a façade, a cover that hid the entrance into a valley, where their dens are located. The valley was coated in fresh snow swept in by the winter's early storms, covering the tree tops and freezing a small pond. In the center of the valley was a hill with a long slope that lead up to a rocky ledge, which, deeper in, held a looming cave.
Stale blue flickered off the surface of the snow as the group traveled over the tundra. They walked over the plain, nearer to the ledge at their front; as it was, nearly a score of wolves rested before the ledge, all are curled in the same fashion, with their bodies wrapped around themselves and muzzles dipped beneath their tails. At the movement of the coming group, some stirred and looked up to see who was approaching. From the group a few stood and moved forward with caution, not yet identifying who was approaching. Seeing this, Aleu spoke with her tail wagging as ever. "It's fine, just us."
The alert wolves visibly relaxed and moved to meet them, caution forgotten.
"Wow, you guys brought a lot in, look at all that food!" a tall, skinny wolf said upon seeing the bounty. None of them looked alarm or even frighten by the bodark that towered over them.
The skinny wolf then spotted Balto and ran past Aleu.
"Balto!" the young wolf shouted happily.
"Kadin!" Balto called in kind.
Kadin ran around the young bodark, tail thrashing about to and forth. Balto knelt before him, dropping the caribou and getting low onto all four. Balto is no longer standing over the young wolf, but he was still massive, almost as big as a Saint Bernard. The two friends started talking about anything and everything while the rest of the group walked past. The remaining bodark siblings shook their heads.
"He can catch a moose but he can't catch a friend," Tom commented, sounding almost sad.
Ash smiled. "He does have Kadin," she looked back as the two continued squabbling.
"That's because mom set them up together back when they were pups." Tom glared at his sister. "And besides," he looked at Balto and Kadin, "he's not gonna make it if he can't even make two friends."
"Don't say that!" Ash growled, looking sharply on him. "You know how hard it is for people like him to make friends."
Tom just grunted.
Ash huffed in return before falling silent as she walked deeper into the den, Tom staying by her side. They went on to the pack, who now all had begun to stir. Aleu went on to greet those waking up, smiling, and conversing amongst them. Sitka however went to find his place along the ground, curling up and resting on the soft snow. He grunted and bumbled before he sighed, then dipped his nose behind his tail, warm air ebbing through it.
Ash and Tom continued to move the caribou to the back of the cave when a few more wolves, including a black one, walked up to Ash with smile. "Ash!"
"Novia!" Ash let her caribou to the ground, getting on all fours before the wolf that came forward. They greeted each other by gently butting heads before conversing about their night. Tom Tried to keep moving, but then the black wolf spoke up.
"Wow, look at all that meat!" Novia said, her jaw hanging as she moved towards the caribou.
Ash beamed, standing behind the small pile that she had brought in. "That's right, we just got em', it was quite a hunt."
"I wouldn't doubt it, I mean, just look at it," the black wolf said.
Tom turned from the two, he kept onwards and at last, after going past the initial bustle of wolves, he let his caribou flop to the ground. He'll rest here for a bit before carrying them back home to Nome. He curled up in true wolfish fashion, all the while looking on at the gathering. Tom's eyes collected all that was before him, his siblings and those they are with. Aleu, who spoke with the others that came to her and all the while noticing Sitka, who stayed in the same position that he had once been in.
Yet his mind wandered, it came afloat amidst all the bustle before him, thoughts began drifting, and the remembrance of his actions ran live in his mind.
'I hope it'll be alright' he thought, 'we're not gonna go to war, that's just overseas, it's not our problem. Besides, dad will be proud of me, won't he?
Tom's heart picked up as a bit of pride seeped into him. Yeah, he's going to be just as strong as his old man.
Yet…his stomach tightened and churned, its broths like a soup fresh out of the kettle, broiling with each passing instant. Through this, he managed a gulp, forcing down the urges that ran from his stomach and round to his head.
If he's so certain about his decision, why does he feel so sick?
Tom peered around, looking to the bumbling figures throughout the place and the greeting that had risen up. He watched the wolves and for a moment, easing the feeling he'd awoken and let his body rest on the snow.
"Hey there!" a gruff voice called. "Watcha doin' over here and not with the others?"
Tom turned his head, meeting the gaze of another. This wolf was grey and about the average size of an aging male. He bore grey fur along his muzzle, with his legs seeming more bone than muscle.
Tom's ears perked; as he smiled at the approaching wolf. "Oh, Levgu."
"Yes, Levgu," he nodded slowly, "now what pulled your tail? It certainly wasn't those caribou over there, was it?"
Tom shook his head while grinning. "You'll find out soon enough."
"Of course, that's what they all say, now that I'm a thin-boned elder," Levgu huffed, he turned from him and to the pack, his body hanging lowly as he did.
"How've you been holding up?" Tom asked.
Levgu paused, then turned around to face Tom.
"I mean…" Levgru looked down, peering at himself, "the joints have been holding up alright, overall, everything's been pretty fluid-"
"I mean after Sevgu," Tom met his gaze, eyes firm in his contact.
Levgu met Tom's gaze; they looked on for a moment, keeping close contact. The wolf's teeth suddenly clenched as he glared at the bodark. Levgu's legs began to quiver as the hackles raised. Instantly the bodark realized he said the wrong thing at the wrong time.
"I'm…I'm just gonna go," Levgu spat before turned on his forepaw and slouched away.
Tom stood and came quickly to his side. "I didn't mean that, I'm sorry, I didn't know saying that-"
"Just- stay back with the carcasses," Levgu shambled away from Tom, walking as fast as he could.
Tom stopped and watched, looking at the whimpering figure as he retreated.
Tom sighed as he felt a weight come upon his shoulders. It soothed with a sort of steely dullness while he looked down, as this thing came upon him. 'I can't believe this, what have I done?'
He turned from where he was and went back to the caribou, lying down near them and curling up in the same way that he did before. And so, the feeling continued to brew within; it sat deep in his gut and yet it felt as though it had not been let in full. It sat there, like a growing storm, waiting to be unleashed.
He laid there, trying to keep his mind occupied, but then it was not long before someone from the pack came to him. Coming forward was the familiar grey figure of Aleu as she walked up to him, a worried expression on her face.
"Why is Levgu upset?" she asked quietly. "Was it something you did?"
"It wasn't something I did," Tom snapped, turning his head from his mother.
"Then what is it?" Aleu asked with a patience only a mother would know.
Tom grunted and shook his head. "I asked him about how he was dealing with…you know…Sevgu."
Aleu sighed, she closed her eyes as her head bowed, ears pressing along her head. "You know what he meant to Levgu; it wasn't right to ask about that."
"I just thought-," Tom stopped, laying his head om the ground. Unsure of what he was going to say. As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew he was the cause of Levgu's sudden pain.
A silence came between the two, it hovered over them for a bit before Aleu walked to her son's side and gave him a quick nuzzle. Tom pulled away, not wanting the others to see him being cuddled like a pup.
"I know you didn't mean anything," she said. "I'll take care of that with Levgu."
Aleu glanced at the caribou. "Take three of the caribou to the feeding area, the rest we'll bring back to town later, we've got to be off soon." She turned and went back toward the gathered wolves, at which the commotion had died down as their alpha approached. She looked over her shoulder once, peering at Tom, then turned back to the wolves.
Tom watched his mom joined the pack before he got to his feet and stood upright like a human as he took hold of the caribou in the same way he had before. Tom walked toward a weathered-out place by the ledge where he set the meat into the divot.
He dragged each caribou in, the carcass leaving long marks over snow, and left them on the ground before he turned back and got on all fours. He walked from the cave, tail low as he waited outside the small huddle of wolves. Tom watched until his family fall away. His mother and siblings left the crowd and went off on their own accord bringing with them the other carcasses.
They came to Tom as he stood up, coming onto his hind legs, more than ready to head back home.
As they walked, Tom went in line with his siblings, both still dragging caribou in their hands. He came around and walked alongside Ash's flank, putting some distance from himself and his mom.
"So, what did Novia think of you going to college?" Balto asked his sister.
Ash shrugged. "She wasn't too happy, but she'll be alright with it if I come back and visit often." She then looked at her brother. "What's been going on with Kadin?"
"He's just been off exploring; he thinks he found a wolverine's den nearby but his mom won't let him go in..."
It melded into a muddle to Tom as he looked ahead; vision set on the tree line as his feet swept along the dusting of snow. The world nigh became dim to his ears as he remembered the thoughts from before, it twisted his stomach into a vile knot, feeling as though the sensation was rising in his throat. He took long breaths to quell the thing that rose within and brewed in his gut.
The family came to the tree line, forcing Tom to focus once more. They came and passed the thicket lining the field, carefully scanning their surroundings for any hint of human activity. This helped Tom forget about his worries for a moment.
They came through and are now once more in the forest as they walked into low hanging branches heavy with snow, but they bend as easily as grass as the bodarks pushed their way through. The muddle kept up between the family with the exception of Tom, who only focused on the way ahead while his thoughts went rampant again.
'Stop worrying, it'll be alright. Besides it'll help us out, I'm sure dad needs the money.' They keep moving, and so Tom stays silent among the talk of his kin, looking ahead, his muzzle washed clean of expression.
It was then that Ash looked at Tom and cocked her head. "What's got you so silent all of a sudden? Speak up Tom."
He stayed silent however, looking ahead, as if he didn't hear her. Ash's brows furrowed; she spoke again.
"Tom? You hear me?"
Ash looked to the others who walked alongside, they shared the same expression as her.
Finally, taking the initiative, Aleu walked further and intercepted Tom, getting in front of him.
"Tom?" His mother said. "Is everything alright?"
His eyes went wide, Tom blinked, then nodded. "Yes?"
"We lost ya there, you've got somethin' on your mind?" Aleu looked into his eyes.
"The hunt," he said instant. "Just thinkin' about it."
Aleu kept her gaze on him, looking firm for a moment, Tom returned the stare in kind, clenching his fist silently at his side. She looked on, then nodded, coming back to where she was and alongside Balto at the far end.
The family kept on through the forest, it was then that the conversation reduced to a fizzle, naught but a wisp of what it had once been. Tom kept his head forward, eyes low along the ground, only looking up to take notice of his path.
They walked quickly and soon the tree line came into view, yet it was not before this that they passed a clearing, one which now shown in the golden of the early morning. None but Aleu saw this, she looked, and smiled, keeping her gaze on it for a mere fleeting moment.
They stayed ahead, going through and reaching the tree line and the group stopped just before coming out. They looked out into the morning light and stayed just before the world; it was as though a sort of mirage stood before the tall, burly figures of the siblings. They took a breath, then stepped through the shining wall that stood just before the trees.
They went forth and emerged on the other side, but what came forward was not the towering, burly beasts of myth, but humans.
Where Ash was now stood a tall, red-head girl; she wore a set of woolen clothes that were tucked into her boots. Her long hair was tied behind her back and tucked into her outer jacket. She reached into her coat and dawned a worn hat that was tucked into her clothes.
Beside her stood Balto, he was of the same height as the others, yet his face was comparably younger than that of the others. His face was tall and squared off at its edges, yet smoothened as though nature had taken it open itself to sand down and roughed out any sharp ends. He wore a set of clothes similar to Ash in both color and thickness, but it was shorter in order to fit his lankier figure.
At his left, there was Aleu, now a woman, and was quite shorter than her children. She donned the same, grey attire that they all had, with the exception that it had been brought to suit her slim size. Her hair a light brown that it could pass for being grey, but she very much looked like a young woman.
The last was Tom, standing at the far left. His face was squared off sharply, clean-cut at the corners, and his eyes shining with steel that could only come from within like his father's. Although he wore the same clothes, it was obvious they set him apart from the rest. His shirt and jacket were torn at the elbows, as though his muscle mass had gone beyond what the outfit might endure.
The family walked on as if nothing had happened, with Aleu on the far-right dusting off her coat and pulling out from her pockets a set of mittens. She slipped them on and kept brushing off the snow, this kept for a moment until she finished her act and looked down the line of the others.
"Mom," Ash said annoyed, "you don't need to look us over, we're not pups."
She frowned. "It's just, in the current circumstances, we've got to take good care of the things that we have."
Tom sighed and shook his head. 'What a great way to start off the day, I can't wait for her to-'
"Tom!"
His eyes flashed open, he looked across the line to his mother on the far end.
"What?" He asked in genuine surprise.
"Your pants- look at them," his mother said.
He looked down, by his knee he sees torn fabric that fluttered about in the breeze and exposing his thigh to the chill. The temperature may be in the negative, but to a bodark the weather couldn't feel any more pleasant than if it was a warm summer breeze.
Tom looked back up at his mother. "Sorry, it's just, you know, the forest is a bit of a problem when it comes to fabric."
His mother nodded. "That's alright, but we'll have to fix that before school," she looked to the horizon, watching as the early glow emerged and peeked out and over the horizon. "Come on, there's no time for dragging our feet. We've got to get home and get Balto ready."
"But what about the caribou?" Balto asked, gesturing towards where they left them. "Doesn't one of us have to come back for it?"
"It's fine, son, we'll have your dad pick them up. Now come on, let's move, we can't have you missing school," Aleu said.
She led the way this time, her feet striding over the snow in the early light. The other went on to keep pace with her. And so, the group went onward, moving from the tree line and to the cluster of homes that were marked as the town of Nome.
They moved from the trees to the snow-covered road, marked by the tracks of paws and boots. The family moved quickly, their walk like a sort of march as they went through the town and down its long street. They talked openly in the forest, but their conversation ceased as they entered Nome; it was as though they had entered another atmosphere; like they just entered a funeral parlor.
The early sun was hazed out by the clouds of a coming storm, the clouds shadowed the sun's glow, only allowing just enough light to cast long shadows from the buildings and making the silent town all the more eerie. Not many people were outside in the first shades of the morning's rise, only Mr. Jenkins, who had been running the post-office since anyone could remember. There were a few other who were outside, mostly shop owners, either opening their store for another low-income day or baring the windows with age-old timbers. These shops never even bore the customary "closed" sign, there really was no need for an explanation.
The family walked through the space, feeling like they were walking through a nightmare. The only interaction they had was a half-hearted wave from the occasional depressed store keeper who was lost in their thoughts of worry and despair. Only Jenkins bore them greater acknowledgment, smiling and nodding at Balto, the only kid in town who treated Nome's elders with respect. Balto quickly returned the grin in kind.
At last they left the miserable loom of the town, the weeping buildings became sparse as they neared the town's end, and came walking to a small two-story house at the very end of the lane.
At first it stood as a grey figure in the early morning, but then the sun peaked above the horizon and brought forward the tawny color that coated the home. They walked to the porch, walking in line, with those on the right being the ones to first go in, and on the left the last to enter. The family stomped their boots on the steps and marched through the door. At the front, Aleu brought her hand out from her mitten and rapped on the door, she finished, and silence awaited.
Steps came from within, they were heavy and clanked along the floor. The handle clicked, followed by the squeak of a rusty hinge as the door opened. Standing in the entrance way was a great figure, he bore a white T-shirt and a pair of light pants. He beamed at the sight of the others, the smile almost hiding the lines on his face. Aleu once commented to her kids that their father looked far older than he should have. He stepped aside and held the door open, Aleu went in first, kissing her husband, Kyle, on the cheek as she went by.
The others followed closed behind, Tom was the last one in and Kyle closed the door after his eldest passed by. The newly arrived family went on taking their coats off and hung them on hooks protruding from the wall. While the siblings went about removing their wet overcoats and boots, Aleu came and hugged Kyle as if she hadn't seen him for years. Then, they came together for a kiss. The siblings turned their heads from this in disgust and went about their own way.
"Good morning, honey," Kyle said in the embrace.
Aleu smiled. "Good morning, dear."
Ever since getting help from the spirits, Kyle no longer had to endure the painful transformation of his bodark shape, nor did Aleu ever experience it when she was given the power to change into a human so she could be with Kyle. Although their children loved it whenever the full moon came around, Kyle didn't usually go out as much. Becoming the foreman at the docks had its benefits, but it usually left him exhausted so he would elect to remain home and sleep the night away. It was always a strange sight for the rest of the family if they had to come home early and find an oversize bodark sleeping on the parent's bed.
"Did the hunt go well?" he asked, watching as the sibling went about in the house's interior. Tom went to the fire-side radio and switched it to the local (and only) radio station, probably to hear more world news. Ash went to the small rectangular table opposite of the fireplace, picking up a book resting there and sat down at one of the worn-wooden chairs. Balto went up the spruce-colored stairs, probably to his room to get his school stuff ready.
"The kids brought in fourteen caribou," Aleu stepped from Kyle's embrace and unbuttoned her coat, after the soft manner that only a mother could know.
Kyle grinned. "Really? fourteen? Were they good-sized?"
Aleu nodded, taking her coat and placing it on a hanger. "They were every bit of full-grown."
Kyle was happy hearing this. He never could pick up the finer points of hunting, but apparently his kids were becoming experts in the field. Probably thanks to Sitka training them from a young age.
Aleu turned from the hanger and went on to the kitchen, which was set up on the door-side of the house. Kyle followed her as she went to the stove where there was a pot bubbling with coffee and an adjacent pan laden with eggs. She looked it over before turning and and looked at Kyle. "When will breakfast be ready?"
"In a bit, don't worry, it'll be ready to send Balto off to school," he came next to her and watched over the cooking eggs.
Aleu nodded, then turned and went up the stairs that Balto had gone up to earlier. "Alright, I'm gonna make sure that he's ready, and I'm gonna change."
She looked at Tom, who sat on a worn leather chair by the empty fireplace. "And Tom, can you get me those pants? I need to see if we can fix that."
Tom sighed and turned down the radio before following his mother upstairs. Soon it became quite in the house except for the buzz of the radio and the sizzle of eggs and boiling of coffee. From above, the upstairs creaked with every step that someone took.
The muddle of too-quiet talk from the radio came up along with the occasional crinkle of a turning page that came from Ash's book. These noises stayed the same for a time, yet a voice spoke up and broke the monotone of the home.
"Hey, dad," Ash said, she waited for Kyle towards her before going on. "Have you ever read this book?"
His brows furrowed. "Which one is that?"
"The one about the wonders of the world," she said, turning the page to the cover and staring at it as if imagining herself in exotic lands.
"I have," he smiled. "They're quite something, aren't they?"
"They really are!" she flipped through the pages, "Imagine seeing the Eiffel Tower one day."
Kyle turned back to the sizzling yokes, still wearing a grin. "You know, I've been to Paris."
Ash looked up at her dad. "Did you see the Tower?"
He nodded. "Yep, saw it from a distance, but I didn't have enough time to go and see it up close. We just got our leave to Paris when…when the Germans started their spring offensive. We had to leave before we really could have some fun." The smile turned into a frown as Kyle focused on the pan, taking a shining spatula and scraping the eggs onto the plates set on the stove's side. "Sure, would have been nice to get the full experience, but the outer edge of Paris was pretty nice."
"Yeah, seeing that tower in all its steely glory, that would have been a sight," Ash sighed as looked back down on the book. There came a hiatus in the conversation, one that was overridden with the scraping of metal as Kyle placed the eggs on the plates. He then stopped the boiling of the coffee and went on to distribute it among a few cups. Except for Balto as Kyle prepared a cup of milk for him instead. With this done, Kyle began putting the dirty utensils to the side, turning the stove's fire down by closing its air vent and looked over all that he had prepared. Kyle brought his spatula up and twirled it in his hand, smiling.
"If there's any steely beast that I've seen, it's this here spatula," he set it down to the counter, "I've never spent a better buck in my life."
Kyle picked up the plates, somehow balancing all five on his arms, and brought them to the table. He set the plates before all the chairs except the head one where Ash sat at, with her open book resting on the table surface. "Ash, could ya call them down here for food?"
Ash brought her gaze up from her book and nodded at Kyle. She stood and put the book on the side of the table, making space for her plate. But she made sure to make a small crease in the page's corner for later. She strode to the stairs, only to come before Tom who bore a non-ripped set of pants and was coming back down. They went past one another, with Ash going up the stairs and Tom going back to the chair by the fire. He fell into it again, then turned the volume up. He looked out over the room; ears tuned to the static hum of voices as they came through the airwaves. The two men only had to wait for a few more minutes before the rest of the family came down.
"Food's ready," Kyle said, still standing by the table. "Come on here and eat up."
The family came to the table, all sitting before a plate of eggs, that was, all save for Kyle, who didn't have one. "You didn't make some for yourself?" Ash asked as she sat between Aleu and Balto.
"No," he shook his head, "just not feelin' it right now, the stomach isn't asking."
Kyle watched as his family began to eat, then he looked to the empty seat that would have been filled next to him. He then turned to the one who sat by the fire.
"Tom," he called and their gazes met, "aren't ya gonna have your breakfast?"
"No, I'm alright," he looked back to the radio, his gaze leaving that of his father. Kyle sighed and looked to Aleu, who sat across the table, she gave a light shrug, then focused again on her eggs. Between the family, there was a silence, naught but the scraping of plates, whir of the radio, and chewing of food sounded. This lasted a few minutes until they were finishing and the father looked at the youngest son.
"So, Balto, you lookin' forward to your last year?" Kyle said.
Balto swallowed the food that he had, nodding slowly. "Sorta," he finished the last of his food, setting his fork on his plate, "lookin' forward to it being over."
"Yeah," Kyle nodded, "I thought as much back in my time."
The silence returned before it was broken by Aleu this time, who stood and took her dish away. The others, as they finished, followed her actions.
Aleu went to the door and put on a coat that was lighter than the one she wore back from the forest. She looked at her youngest son before speaking. "Alright Balto, get your things and I'll walk you to school."
"Ok," Balto said dutifully as he went on to the stairs and climbed up, his steps rumbling from above. Ash went back to the table, taking the book and sitting down once more. Tom never moved from his spot in the living room, his food still sitting on the table.
As Aleu put her things together, Kyle came up to her. "I hope he makes some friends this year," he said quietly.
She turned and nodded, looking to the floorboards. "Yeah, a friend in Nome would do him some good."
"You know, I was thinkn' of…him getting a job." He saw her eyes widen at the prospect of her youngest leaving the den early so to speak. Kyle quickly raised his hands for calm. "Nothing hard," he explained. "But him getting a job here could help. I know school was hard for the kids, but if he got a job he could really start making connections. That's how I got to meet the people when I first came here you know."
With the parent's conversation going on and the hum of the radio filling the house, all seems peaceful. But Tom was never more uptight and tightly wound than now, his stomach was in knots, it stayed tighter as he watched his parents, talking about.
'It's now or never, just do it Tom, get up and tell them.'
He stood, slowly, on two feet before turning off the radio and from this, made awkward bounds forward, walking on to his parents, and all the things from within him brewed, and sloshed about.
With the silence of the radio, Ash sensed something was amiss and she looked up to see Tom awkwardly walking to their parents, something she never saw him do before. Likewise, his parent's look to their eldest with concern, never have they seen their eldest child walked like a hesitant child.
"Tom, is something wrong?" Aleu asked, remembering his earlier talk with Levgru and thinking that must be the cause of it.
"Nothing, just…" he looked up from the floor as if steeling his nerves before facing his parents. "I have some news." They parents nodded, keeping their gazes to him; Tom's mouth opened to speak, then fell. He righted himself, standing proud after the manner of a soldier, looking with a stern gaze on the two. "I enlisted."
There was a moment of silence as the words reverberated through the house.
Then Kyle's mouth fell as he quietly stuttered, "You… what?"
"Enlisted," Tom repeated, a smile forming as he felt the weight lift off of him. "in the marines."
Aleu clutched her coat, grabbing where her heart might've been as he gaze slipped to the ground, her face was nigh without expression.
Kyle's on the other hand suddenly clouded with anger as he clenched his fists tight, grinding his palms together.
"What were you thinking!?" He suddenly bellowed.
Both Tom and Ash flinched in surprise. They never, ever, had their father shout at them before. Even though it was Tom who was evidently in trouble, Ash withered in her seat as if she too was a part of the problem. Protective Aleu was apparently in too much of a shock to admonish her mate for scaring the children as she continued to stare wordlessly at the ground.
Tom gulped, all of his earlier confidence giving way as he faced his rage filled father. "I just-"
"Thomas Eran Shames there could be war!" His father shouted, raising his fists into the air and seeming to be yelling at God himself. "The Japanese have invaded China, a mad man have taken over Italy and the Germans are openly preparing their army, and you thought you could just sign up for the marines!?" Kyle demanded. He started to breath hard as his hands clutched his head, looking mad enough to rip his hair out. Aleu had stumbled back and now leaned against the counter, watching the two.
Tom pressed his lips together, squinting at his father before him. "B-but you joined the marines!" His voice cracked as his shock slowly gave way to anger. "And there was already a war going on, how is this any different!?"
"Because I was desperate Thomas, I had no choice!" Kyle screamed. "You do, you have a choice and you went and threw it away!? What went through your head when you did this!? Why didn't you think about your family!?"
'I was,' Tom thought as he finally looked away, not wanting Kyle to see the tears beginning to form in his eyes. 'And I was thinking about you when I joined.'
Tom didn't say this out loud, didn't know if it would make things better or worse. Not knowing what to say instead, and with everyone staring at him as if he's gone insane, he strode towards the door, feeling like he'll suffocate if he didn't get out.
As he went past his father, Kyle grabbed his shoulder. "Where do you think you're going!?" He growled, sounding for the first time like a beast hiding in human skin.
Kyle's son turned and cuffed his father's hand away, Kyle stepped back and so Tom stood tall before him, looking as though he was nearly the same height as the other.
"I'm an adult!" Tom spat out, speaking without worry. "Just like you, and just like mom. And I can take responsibility for myself, just like you do, and I have made up my mind about this."
Tom turned on his heel and strutted off to the door. He almost yanked it off its hinges before slamming it shut behind him with enough force to shake the house. Everyone was silent; Ash with her mouth still hanging open, Aleu looking torn and forlorn and Kyle who hid half his face with one hand while his remaining eye stared at the door as if hoping Tom would come back through it.
At the top of the stairs stood Balto, nigh trembling as a child would. His eyes held confusion and fear, looking unsure on how to process what had just seen in the last minute of the fight.
Finally, he stuttered, "What happened?"
We hope you enjoyed this first chapter; next one will become more intense and violent. However, because of school/work/research we may only be updating either once or twice a month. Sorry for the inconvenience and I hope you bear with us as we get back into the swing of things. Stay safe and stay creative!