[Untitled]

STORY IS WRITTEN IN BRITISH ENGLISH.

Copyright Characters That Are Mine

Humans: Chan, Lee, Liz, Natalia, Shade

Dogs/Wolves: Arianna, Lumo, Sweet Water/Jacelyn

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Prologue - The Birth

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The black-haired boy smiled and stroked the white dog. The white dog whimpered, and pushed forward, ears back. The dog sighed, and her green eyes were drained of its vigour and strength. The dog laid her head down on the soft pillow nearby. A few minutes later she strained again, and a wet bundle of white slid out of her. The dog turned and nibbled off the membrane surrounding her newborn, and nosed it to her teats. The puppy whimpered, stumbling forward. Ten minutes later she strained again, and another wet bundle of white was pushed out. The dog nibbled furiously this time, and shoved the puppy towards her teats. Then she lay down. Finally, after half an hour, she pushed, and a black bundle of wet fur stumbled out. She bit off the membrane and licked the puppy in satisfaction. She nosed the puppy to her teats and lay down, relaxing. She soon dozed off contentedly.

The black-haired boy, known as "Chan" in the village he stayed in, grinned and clapped his hands. The white dog shifted uncomfortably in her sleep, and Chan stroked her to tell her all was well. She relaxed. Chan smiled, "Arianna. You have puppies! Oh, how long we have waited!" Chan then stood up from his sitting position, and, using his hands, brushed the remaining dirt (if any) off his jeans.

Chan walked outside and a huge black wolf-like dog jumped at him.

"Down, Lumo!" Chan ordered.

Lumo, the black wolf-like dog, sat down patiently but did not whimper. Lumo had made up his mind not to give in to this human. He was a wolf, not a dog, and refused to give in to a human. He did obey orders though. He lay down and rolled over, and Chan tickled him in the belly. Lumo jumped up and snarled at Chan. Lumo had forgotten - he had actually submitted to Chan! He snarled angrily at Chan again, and stalked off. Chan grinned.

"Lumo! Arianna's had her puppies! Go see them!" Chan exclaimed loudly to Lumo.

Lumo's ears pricked up at the sound of "Arianna". Lumo did not understand the strange noises Chan was making, but they were pleasant and Lumo realised Chan could be talking about Arianna's pups. He stopped dead in his tracks, and turned around, giving Chan a wolfish grin. Chan returned the grin and said, "Come, wolf, my brother, my Lumo."

Chan turned and lifted the flap of leather, which was the door. He held it up for Lumo. Lumo puffed out his chest and grandly walked in. Chan rolled his eyes behind Lumo's back. After that Lumo turned around and sat on the mat. Chan's grandmother, Natalia, had sewed the mat. It was a beautiful piece of artwork. Chan looked around and smiled to himself. His mother, Liz, would return from sewing soon. His elder brother Lee was out hunting, while his dad was probably fishing out at the stream. Chan gestured to Lumo and led him to the kitchen, which contained only a few sticks, and a pot in a corner. Stones were lined in a circle in the center of the room, and black, burnt, firewood was inside the circle. The sticks were driven into the ground - hard - and went over the circle of stones. One of the sticks was detachable, so you could put the pot handle through it. Chan then proceeded to a wire door that was at the back of the kitchen. He came to a small room, just big enough for a dog and its puppies. Lumo padded softly, almost gracefully, over to the wire door. He whimpered and stuck his tongue through the bars, trying to lick Arianna.

Arianna awoke, and furiously growled at Lumo. She was tired, and was in no mood for visitors. This was her very first litter, and she did not want Lumo near. She trusted Lumo, but still, she would not allow him next to her babies. Lumo whimpered again, sticking his tongue through the cage door. Arianna moved forward slowly, arousing the sleeping pups next to her. She delicately put them behind her, where hardly anyone could see, and then continued crawling forward on her belly. It was hard to, as Chan had put a thick, fluffy blanket on the ground, and a pillow nearby for Arianna to give birth in comfort. But still Arianna came forward, smiling, and at the last minute she stood up and stretched, before licking Lumo on the muzzle. He jumped back and grinned. Chan opened the cage door to let Lumo in, but once Lumo came in, Arianna's smile changed to a growl. Lumo held his head higher up, but Arianna got even angrier. She glared at him, her now-cold green eyes sending shivers down his spine. She barked and rushed forward, her sharp teeth slicing open his thick, black fur on his shoulder. Chan gasped at the sight of the cut. Lumo's green eyes gave away how startled he actually was. Arianna growled again. Lumo hesitated, then licked her on the chin, and left. Chan closed the cage door and inspected Lumo's fresh wound. Blood was pouring steadily out, but Lumo just licked it, and calmly settled down beside Arianna's cage-room. Arianna looked steadily at Lumo, resting on the ground, and dropping her gaze, calmly settled down.

But Arianna did not sleep. She could not. She shifted uncomfortably around, and turned towards Lumo. The two of them, save the puppies, were alone. Chan had left. Arianna stood up and shook herself. Lumo lazily glanced at her, thinking it was some other thing (for some reason), and his eyes brightened when he saw it was she. He jumped up and pressed his muzzle to the cage-room door, begging to be licked. Arianna ignored him and simply went back to a fitful sleep. She turned her back towards him, and getting the message, Lumo left. Arianna smiled to herself in satisfaction. Lumo decided he had better play the father role and bounded off to hunt. The village was full of smells, and her saw meat on the way whilst passing the butcher's store. He was tempted to steal a piece of meat but decided not to, as it would set a bad example for his puppies, despite them not knowing. He trotted off to the woods nearby. He hunted down a hare and carried it with his mouth. He turned to go back when he noticed a small bird next to the tree. He crept up to it and pounced. The bird twitted but Lumo bit hard into its neck, and it stopped twitting. It was dead. Lumo ate the bird slowly, enjoying the delicious meal the small bird had provided. He proceeded on after eating, with the hare hanging limply from his mouth.

Upon arriving home Lumo walked straight to the cage-room door. He laid the hare in front of the door, and Arianna seemed to think better of him. She pawed at the door, but no one came to open it. She sniffed at the meat, and then pawed the door again. Still no one came. Arianna barked this time; Lumo watched on. He did not bark. He lay down, watching his family. The cut on his shoulder appeared less bloody now - the blood had finally dried. After a long while, Arianna quit barking and sat down next to her pups.

Two hours later, after the sun had set, Chan returned. He pushed open the flap of the kitchen and smiled at the sight of the wolf and the dog - and their puppies. Chan opened the cage-room door, and Lumo brought the hare inside. Lumo retreated out of the cage-room almost immediately. Chan ruffled the wolf's hair and shut the cage-room door gently. He said to the dogs and wolf, "Gran'ma Natalia is coming over tonight. Mama and Papa cannot come because of some business. They may even stay away for a few days! Lee will come home late tonight; he is being briefed about what Mama and Papa are going to do, and what they are going through, etcetera."

Lumo looked up and wagged his tail, his blue eyes sparkling. The words were kind. He liked the words Chan said. His tail thumped hard on the ground. Chan laughed and put his hands on his kneecaps, "Ai! You are a funny wolf. Well I have to get ready for Gran'ma. I'm gonna cook an' let her see what a good cook I am!"

Chan walked outside. The night sky was very dark, and stars were twinkling in the sky. It was a full moon. In the distance he heard a wolf howl. The next thing he knew, Lumo was howling too. Lumo answered the wolf in the woods. Chan gathered some beans and put them in a pail he had with him. He left them outside the house and went to the river and got some water. Next he went to the butcher, for meat. Then he returned and began to cook. Lumo grinned at Chan and trotted over to see what kind of food Chan had brought back. Chan raised his hand and shooed Lumo away. Lumo sat next to the cage- room door and watched patiently.

Another hour passed. Natalia had arrived half an hour ago. She was sewing in the main room. Chan had finished cooking, and gestured to the table. Natalia smiled at her grandson as she sat down. Chan brought the food in. It was delicious!

"Ai, grandson. Good food. Have you cooked, for Lee, I mean?" Natalia asked.

"Yes, gran'ma. I have cooked for Lee," Chan replied politely.

"Lee should learn how to cook. Just like you!"

"Lee likes to hunt. I respect that. What would a woman see in a man who can cook? Surely she would see nothing! I know them women. They like big and strong, with muscles. Not like me. Brains are nothing to them. Appearance, however, means so much!" Chan only had praise for his brother.

"Yes, Chan. Now times have changed. Women also like men who can cook. Can your brother cook? No, Chan. I'm afraid not. Now your father will arrange for you to learn to hunt, or fish."

"No, Gran'ma. Papa said he would not let me learn to hunt or fish. Ah, Gran'ma, you do not know Papa. Papa only wants Lee to hunt, and me to stay at home. Be the servant. Papa wants me to be a servant, so I will be one. Papa wanted Lee to be a hunter, so he become one. You see? Papa controls our lives! Lee is now engaged to Lavender, although he and Jasmine love each other dearly."

"Your Papa respects me. I will talk to him. Now, what about your mother?" Natalia asked.

"Mama wants me to fish, to learn how to read and write. But Papa disagrees, and she goes quietly away. She don't like Papa anymore; I always hear her say, 'No. No. I am going away.' But she never does so. She is scared of what will happen to her if she were found. So she stays. I tell you she wants to go."

Chan got up early the following morning. He dragged himself out of bed and checked on Arianna. She was fine. Lumo was resting next to her cage- room. He was fine as well. That was good.

"Chan - Are you awake?" a loud, booming voice came from the main room.

"Yes, Papa," Chan replied as he walked swiftly to the main room.

"Your grandma has talked to me, and I have decided. You shall learn to fish, like me."

"Yes, Papa. When will I start?"

"Once the puppies are ready to be sold," Chan's father replied.

"Yes, Papa. Thank you."

"Thank your grandmother, not me," Chan's father chuckled.

"Yes, Papa, I will."

Chan stirred some chunky mix of beef and chicken together.

"Chan's special dog food recipe!" Chan grinned as he poured the mixture into a bowl. He opened the cage-room door and placed the food inside. Arianna sniffed it cautiously and slowly gobbled it up. Lumo wagged his tail and spanked the ground with his forepaws playfully when Chan offered him some, and ate it all.

"Sweet Water," Chan whispered as he rubbed the black puppy's back. The puppy had stunningly striking green eyes. The puppy whimpered, and Arianna growled at Chan.

"Excuse me, does Damien-Chan Sienn live here?"

Chan turned around and faced a huge man.

"I'm Damien-Chan. Otherwise known as 'Chan' to my friends," Chan stuck his hand out.

"Good. Now, I found the advertisement in the papers about the puppies - are you are selling puppies?" the man asked as he shook Chan's hand.

"Yes, sir. I am. But now Sweet Water's all that's left."

"What's her breed?"

"She is a mutt and wolf."

"Fine. I'll take her," the man muttered and shoved some money into Chan's hand.

"Okay, here you go," Chan replied politely as he stepped forward and handed Sweet Water over. Arianna did not object. She knew what was taking place.

"May I ask, sir, where you will be taking her?" Chan asked.

"Have you heard of Nome?" the man asked.

"No."

"Well, anyway, that is where she will be going!" the man smiled and left the house with Sweet Water in his arms.

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A/N: Well, sorry guys/gals! I know I said it was Balto, but it'll come soon.