An Unlikely Ally
Kemo slowly regained consciousness and noticed three things. First, he was back in his cave. Second, he heard the crackle of fire. Third, he was not alone. He leapt to his feet, or more to the point, tried before stumbling and falling to the cave floor. He quickly slid himself away from the fire in the cave entrance and growled at the masked intruder. The human looked over at him and slowly reached toward him. Kemo growled louder and snapped at the proffered hand. The human pulled it back and raised it toward his mask. As he pulled it off, Kemo's mouth dropped. It can't be!
The human was a well-built young man with sandy hair and pleasant features. He held out his hand again. "Hey there, fella. Remember me? Russell Lupus? That's right, I saved your life last year when you fell through the ice, and you saved me after that. You are the one I saved, right?"
Kemo timidly sniffed the hand. Russell reached up and tried to scratch the wolf's ears, but Kemo pulled away. "Still don't trust me, huh? Well, I don't blame you, especially after I put that tranquilizer dart into you. That was the only way I could think of to save you from the mutts that were chasing you. Besides, I wanted to thank you for pulling me back to town when we got out of that frozen bay." Russell tossed a few pieces of wood into the fire. "Of course that's not the only reason I came back. I'm here about the construction a few miles from here."
Kemo raised his ears and whined.
Russell laughed. "Yeah. That's how I feel about it, too. The thing that bothers me is that no one seems to know what it is. Everyone connected to the project is very tight-lipped about it. That's not a good sign, especially since I want to continue studying wolves in this area. Any building could disrupt everything, and if it's a hunting lodge or something . . . well, I'll do my best to kill the project before it kills any wolves. From what I saw tonight, that might be a bit difficult."
Kemo nodded once, and the young biologist raised his eyebrows. "It's almost like you understood what I just said. You know, you're odd for a wolf." Kemo stared quizzically at him. "From a researcher's standpoint, anyway," Russell added. "Very few wolves are loners. Usually something big has to happen to separate a family unit. I guess you must have gotten separated you from your pack."
Kemo shook his head and rolled over in the easily recognizable "playing dead" position. Then he looked at the rifle which leaned against the side of his cave. Russell followed his gaze and shook his head slowly. "I could swear you understand what I'm saying. The scary part is that I think I just understood you, too. Your pack is dead?"
Kemo nodded.
"Shot?"
When Kemo nodded again, Russ was ecstatic. "Unreal! Positively unreal! I'm actually having a conversation with a real wolf. This is a major breakthrough like you wouldn't believe!" He reached into his pack for pencil and paper, his sudden movement startling the white wolf. He quickly jotted down some notes and looked up again. " Just wait until my government connections hear about this. I'll be raking in grant money hand over fist to continue my research! Can all wolves understand humans?"
Kemo stared at him in stony silence.
"Come on, Boy, talk to me! You have no idea how important this is! This is the breakthrough I've always dreamed of! There have to be studies and tests and . . ."
Kemo closed his eyes and put his head back. This is going to be a long night.
"Why would a human be going deeper into the wilderness instead of heading toward a town?" Tricksy complained. "I mean really! If men are supposed to be a dog's best friend, why doesn't man do us a favor every once and a while?"
Balto didn't bother to look back. "And you were saying what to Aleu about traveling in silence?"
"That's different. I'm a wolf, so she doesn't know how to sense danger like I do."
"Quarter-wolf," Balto corrected.
"Just wolf. Kemo said so." She looked at him as though challenging him to argue the point.
Balto looked uneasily at his surroundings. "Whatever you say, Tricksy."
"Whatever you say, Trix. I know everything, Trix." Tricksy said in a mocking tone, sticking her nose in the air. She almost tripped over Balto when he came to an abrupt stop. "Hey! Watch it!"
Balto looked around again and sniffed the air. "Wait a second. I know this place."
"Well instead of hanging around here all night while you reminisce, why don't we mosey on down the trail. We're not sightseeing, you know."
"Shut up and look around you, Trix. Where are we?"
"We're in Kemo's territory. I already mentioned that."
"But where does the human's trail lead?"
Tricksy sniffed the trail and oriented herself facing the destination. She gasped. "Kemo's den!"
Balto nodded. "That's what I thought. From here on out, no more talking, and let's split up and meet at the cave entrance. If we can surprise him, we take him. But wait until I signal you."
"I know, I know. I'm not stupid."
Balto crept silently to the den, often pausing and extending his senses. He smelled smoke on the wind, and heard the faint crackle of fire, telltale signs of human occupation. Inching closer to the cave, he also saw the flicker of light inside, as well as the back of a human. He looked to his right and saw Tricksy paralleling his path. She looked over at him. Taking a deep breath, he nodded.
Kemo was lying on the ground as far from the fire as possible and pretending to sleep. This seemed the only way possible to kill the conversation that the human kept trying to continue. How could I have been stupid enough to reveal that I understood him? It's not like me to slip up like that. It must have been that tranqui-whatever he shot me with. Then again, it wasn't like me to get caught off guard by those camp dogs, either. Either way, what am I supposed to do now?
He risked slowly opening an eye and looking at the human, who was still watching him. He suddenly stiffened. He didn't know why, but he suddenly sensed impending danger. He sniffed the air but the wind was wrong for him to scent anything. He jumped just in time to intercept a flying canine form. He and his adversary crashed to the ground, biting and clawing at each other. Then another canine jumped into the cave and blocked the human's path to the rifle.
"KEMO!"
Kemo froze and took a close look at the canine pinning him down. "Tricksy! What are you doing?"
"Trying to find you! What are you doing? Or more to the point, what are you doing alive? You're supposed to be dead!"
Kemo shook his head bewilderedly. "What are you talking about?"
"Chehalis told us you'd been shot," Tricksy explained.
"By this human." Balto growled at the balaclava-masked man as he tried to move.
Kemo's eyes narrowed as he walked between Balto and the human. "My welfare is none of your concern. I thought I made that clear."
"You did, but if you die I still feel obligated to do something."
"You need feel no obligation. I certainly feel none."
"Chehalis said you'd been shot," Tricksy said again.
"I was shot with a tranqui-something that put me to sleep. Nothing more.
"What about the dogs that chased you?" Balto asked. "Do you know anything about how they died?"
Kemo did not flinch from this, though he was a bit surprised. He'd assumed his pursuers had been shot with the same stuff he had. "If they're dead as you say, then they got what they deserved. That's the human's business, not mine. Now if you'll excuse me . . ."
"They weren't killed by any human," Balto interrupted. "They were killed by wolves."
Kemo refused to show any surprise. "That is not my concern, just as my welfare is none of yours."
"Kemo! What kind of way is that to talk to Balto?" Tricksy interjected.
"The only way to talk to a traitor," Kemo snarled.
"Traitor! He's your brother!"
"I suppose he would not have told you. He seems to have trouble passing along information."
Tricksy growled. "We came out here because of you, you know. How about some gratitude?"
"Fine. My gratitude you have."
"Then maybe you can tell us what happened to you?"
"I was attacked by five dogs and this human helped me evade them. Anything else?"
"Yeah." Balto nodded at the human. "Who is he?"
"One who seems to care more about our kind than you. Russell Lupus is his name. Perhaps you remember him?"
Balto's mouth dropped and his fur flattened. "What . . .? How . . .?"
"It doesn't matter. You are no longer needed here. Please leave."
"This isn't over, Kemo. I never betrayed you or any wolf. You're seriously mistaken."
"No, this is over, Balto. It is you who is mistaken."
With a growl Balto turned and stalked out.
Perplexed, Tricksy turned to Kemo. "What is wrong with you two?"
"Why don't you ask Balto. If he'll give you a straight answer, that is."
She glared at him. "Just you reconsider what you said. Like it or not, he is your brother." Then she followed Balto out of the cave.
Kemo stared after their fading forms as Russell Lupus slowly stood up and lifted his facemask. "What was that all about? Wasn't one of them Balto?"
Without thinking, Kemo nodded. Then he mentally winced. Here we go again.
Tricksy quickly caught up to Balto. "What was that all about? If I hadn't heard that conversation with my own ears, I would have never believed it!"
"I don't want to talk about it, Trix."
"Well you're going to talk about it."
"No, I'm not."
"Yes you are, and I'll drag it out of you if I have to. And you know I can, too."
"What do you think you are, my mother?"
"No, your friend."
"You're impossible!" he accused.
"So are you," she snapped.
"Then why won't you let it drop?"
"Like you said, I'm impossible. More to the point, I'm a mother, too. If I can sense when one of my puppies is hiding something, do you honestly think you have a chance?"
"It's none of your business!" he snapped.
"If that's the way you feel about it, fine! Keep your secrets! I don't care what's going on." She quickened her pace.
"Come on, Trix. Don't get sore." Balto closed his eyes in frustration. "He thinks I've betrayed him and all the other wolves by not telling him about the human staying in my home. I think there's more to the story, but that is all that he would say to me."
She returned to his side, all hint of anger gone. "When did the trouble start?"
"Yesterday. That's when he accused me of . . ."
"No, no, no. I mean, when did it start? Did you all have any arguments or disagreements before that? Anything at all?"
"No, of course not. I . . . wait. The other day in the woods, he wanted to meet Aleu."
Tricksy shrugged. "So?"
"I tried to put it off. He seemed a bit upset."
"That's it!"
"That's what? You think he thinks I don't trust him or something?"
"It's more than that! Men are so dense!"
Balto rolled his eyes. "Can you please spare me the lecture and tell me what you're talking about."
"Don't you see? Kemo envies you."
"Don't be ridiculous! Kemo jealous of me?" Balto snorted. "Whatever gave you that idea?"
"Okay, let me break it down for you. Kemo lost his family. You, on the other paw, have a beautiful mate, a thriving family, and everything else that Kemo wishes he had, and you won't share it with him. Does that clarify things?"
"Wait, are you telling me that Kemo is upset because I have a family and he doesn't?"
Tricksy tapped his head with her paw. "Good boy. Want a treat?"
"No, I just want to go home." He began to walk away. "At least I belong there."
